The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1891-07-03
Thu stata of Maine


The State of Maine.
''The State of Maine" is the comprehensive
title of Congressman Dingley's exceedingly
able and interesting article in the New Eng
land Magazine for June. Numerous excel
lent Illustrations of Maine scenery. build
ings and statesmen give an added interest
to the fund Of information about the State
that Mr.. Dingley has condensed into the
eighteen pages of the article. There is a
large frontispiece portrait of Hon. James
G. Blaine, followed by portraits of Hon.
Thomas B. Reed, Hon. Hannibal Hamlip.
don. William Pitt Fessenden. Hon. Eugene
Hale and Hon. VIM. P. Frye. The William
King statue, which stands in the statuary
hall Of the National Capitol is represented
by cut, as is also the Longfellow statue in
State Street Square. Portland A eombina-
ton picture entitled ''The Colleges of Maine''
gives glimpse of the campus and buildings
at Bpwaoir, Vi Memorial Hall at Colby. of
Hedge Laboratory and Hathorn Hall at
Bates, and Of the Campus at the State Col
lege. The Penobscot, near Bangor, Bar
Harbor, the Falls of the Androscoggin near
O"Aos0bt oAbAnhQ lICdQ hlRul MI. htnoO.
Mt Katahdin and our wonderfully con-
structed State House at Augusta are other
familiar objects depicted in the pages of this
article. What Mr.. lDingley has said about
the State may be described best as consti
tuting complete compendium of its history
and resources. He begins with the voyage
OF the old navigator, Sebastian Cabot. and
proceeds with brief reference to the position
OF Maine as colony, province and state, and
to the conspicuous men and deeds that have
honored 1t In its several conditions. LOYAL
sons of Maine will nowhere else find so MANY
interesting facts that they ought to know
about their native state. From Mr.. .Dingley
we learn that the first Maine man known to
fame was that old sycamore Samoset, who
endeared himself to all the generations after
him iby appearing before the discouraged
pilgrims with the comforting words, swell
come, Englishmen." Samoset was a Wawen.
mock, and lived near Pemaquid. The first
settlement in Maine was made In 1923. 26s
years ago, at the mouth of the Saco river. by
Richard Vines. sailor and trader for Gorges
About the Esame time Kittery, the oldest
town In Maine was founded. The state first
received its name about 1886, but 1t is not
known whether this name was given in
honor of Queen Henrietta Maria's spatri-
monial province of Maine in France, or be-
cause the fishermen called it the ''main" land
in distinction from the islands which they
frequented. OF Pemaquid Mr.. Dingley says;
The risitor who looks upon the grassy slope by
thattwo hundred years ago there was located on
lnat Spot city, the capital of a province united
with New York under the rule of a brother of an
English King and subsequently associated with
Nova Scotia under ruler commissioned by king
George. beyond that afforded by the paved streets
depressions in the surface which mark the loca-
lion OF ancient cellars, and few brick and stone
ruins OF the fort around which surged attacking
bands OF Frenchmen and Indians.
The two most conspicuous colonial leaders
in the French and Indian wars were natives
Of Maine. One of them was Sir William
Phips, captor of Port Royal and Royal Gov
ern0r of Massachusetts and Maine, who was
born at Woolwich, Me-, in 1850, the tenth of
his mothers twenty-six lchildren. In shin
yard near the Sheepscot river young Phips
began the career of sell. reliance and bravery
that had won for him at 45, when he died.
imperishable fame as soldier and states
imam. The other was Sir William Pspperell,
rubicund old squire of Kittery, who comman-
ded the land force at that great event of New
England colonial history, the capture of the
famous French fortress of Louisburg.
When the Revolutionry war broke out Maine
was In perfect touch with Massachusetts.
This town of Falmouth Portand) rang bells
and Illuminated houses at the news of the
repeal of the stamp act. When British tyr
amy shut the port Of Boston, Falmouth and
Biddeford sent encouraging words to their
brethren In Massachusetts,; and In 1774 dele
gates from nine towns of Cumberland county
with some 500 armed men from the eastward
met at Falmouth and compelled General
Cages county sheriff to promise obedience
to province law. In the second Provincial
Congress of 1775. there were seventeen mem
bers from Maine, James Sullivan of Bidde-
lord, afterwards In 1903 elected Governor of
Massachusetts, lchabod Goodwin of Bidde-
lord, Samuel Freeman Of Falmouth, first
postmaster Of Portland, and Timothy Lang
don, of Pownalboro. 1t was this Congress
that threw off the British yoke in Massachu.
sets and Maine. Within "a hours of the
arrival Of the news Of Lexington battle the
brave people Of the town of York had sixty
men armed and provisioned and on their
way to Boston. Then, too, the people of
Machias in June, 1775. captured an armed
British schooner in their harbor, thus win
ming what the Continental Congress called
In its formal vote of thanks, 'the Lexington
of the SEAS" Among Arnold's officers in
the expedition to Canada via the Kennebec
river were General Henry Dearborn, later a
settler In Monmouth, member of Congress
and Secretary of War. and Samuel McCobb,
of Georgetown, Me-, later brIgadier general
In the Continental army.
After the Revolution was over the first
Maine representative in Congress was
Thatcher, of Biddeford, who took his seat
In 1889 on the organization of the Federal
government. In 1894 General Dearborn of
Monmouth, and Peleg Wadswortb, of Hiram
were added. Among the men whom Mr..
Dingley ranks as most prominent lin the
early history Of Maine, were John Chandler,
Of Monmouth. and John Holmes, OF ALFRED,
the first Senators when Maine came into the |
Union In 1920, Albion K. Paris, of Portland, |
aIter Whom have undoubtedly been named |
more paples IN Maine than after any other |
local statesman, Enoch Lincoln, of Paris, |
Ezekiel whitman, OF Portland, member of |
Congress ana justice Of the Supreme Court
of the State, Prentice Mellen, of Portland
United States Senator from Massacbuso,.s
at the time of the separation, and then tor
fourteen years Chief Justice OF the MaiUa
Supreme Court, and William King, Maine,s
"hrst governor and best governor" OF the
uneventful period from 1880 to 1850 the most
prominent public men of Maine were, in Mr..
Dingley's judgment, the brilliant George