Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1891-08-24
Our GBRDM COUNTY.
IA H4ppJ Community Amidst
Delightful Surroundings.
Island Pals, It's Barry History an
Present Elt9pFi0s.
4 Paradise fer the Spsrtsmsn and TIE
Sanner Tourist.


Sumner Tourist.
BIZ HOE. EDWARD WIG9IA.
10 the whole Of Aroostcok county there
IL 40 more picturesque town ihsn leland
Falls and none where the natural scenery
il more beautiful. Il iss sportman's para
disc snd 10 becoming noted as pleasant,
healthy, and beautiful sammsf resort. Its
lakes. rivers and wooded hills sdi much to
the stgscsiv snsss Of The town. and no where
/. there Q pufef sir or . more comfortable
summer Temperature than here
The west branch Of Msttavamkesg river
enters the town near the northwest corner
and. after flowing south for nearly two
mil. and being enlarged by The cor fiaence
Of Fish stream. sweeps 20 the east and
rashes msdiy through . rocky gorge and
dAshes over precipitous Lodges, forum . one
Of the finest falls in the county. Midway
II the fslls 10 ssmsli island, its rocky sides
=, sipg sbrupsiy from the water and dividing
the swift current. This little wooded is-
isnd In the midssbf the falls gives the name
to HE town Of Islsrd Falls. After iesping
the falls the river Continues in course
i tie south Of esss for nearly three miles,
.ben It empties into Msstawamkesg lake, .
beautiful body Of water which covers &
large portion Of the eastern part Of the
s)wu. Previous to i847
NO white Man
hid pitched his haoitasion 10 this picture
s.que region. Indians from the Penobscot
4ad Passsmaquoddy tribes were accus-
TONED to spend part Of the year hunting
and fi,hing in this vicinity and had their
amps near the falls. They even continued
their visits for rome years after the white
nsn invaded the region and during the first
years Of the little settlement, while the
hardy pioneer WAS Telling the forest trees
and clearing up fertile trac,s Of land near
the banks of the dashing river the crack Of
the Indisn's rife woke the echoes in the
surrounding forest and the gentle dip Of
bis paddle parted the waters Of the river
and lake a. he giided along in his light birch
canoe.
In 1912 Levi Sewsll and Jesse Craig came
from Pennington to search for .
Chance to Make Home
in the forests Of Aroostook. Coming to
PAtteD, they turned eastward through the
town Of Crystal and after travelling few
miles came to the end OF the road. They
then followed the streams down to The West
Brsnch, in what is now the town Of Island
Falls. As soon a. Mr.. Sewsll discovered
The falls he at once saw that here was va
liable water power which might at some time
be improved and utilized for manufacturing
purposes. He therefore determine d to look
90 farther, but to make this place his home.
He 1t once went to work aud felled five
acres of trees ne Of the falls and then returned
to Pennington. The town was then the prep
4. rty Of the State Of Massachusetts and Mr..
Sewall bought attract one mile square includ-
ing the falls. In March, 1913. he returned
to Areo with two two-horse teams and
one single sleigh, bripg iDg with him bis
family, which consisted Of his wife and six
children. Leaving bis wife and the younger
children at Mr.. William Young's in
Crystal, Mr.. Sewall with his two sons, David
ADD Samuel, came down the stream to the
falls, cleared up the five-acre chopping,
built log house and on the first day OF
July, 1913, the family came to their new
home. Mrs. Sewall was brought down Fish
stream AID West Branch in boat, and
The Girls Walked
in through the woods by . spotted line.
The family were now settled in the midst
Of q vast forest with no road on the west
nearer than Crystal Mill and none on the
east nearer ihsn smyrna Mills on the East
Branch. Their first crop WAS necessarily
put in some What late and, though every
thing grew sbundantly and promised boun.
tlfui harvest, a heavy frost on the night OF
the last Of August killed everything and
nothing whatever was harvested from this
first crop. The prospect looked dark, but
me family bad the courage needful Tor all
,uccessful pioneers. The forests abounded
in game and the river with fish which
ensured them against suffering from hunger
and the boys worked At Patten and Crystal
and earned bread enough to supply the
family until another crop could be raised.
The next year an additional clearing
was made, = good crop was raised and after
that there WAS no lack of bread. Mr.. Jesse
Craig. who came with Mr.. Sewsll in 1912,
took 100 acres Of the mile square block
AIKEN by Mr.. Sewali and be also made
five acre chopping that yeaf and returned
TO Pennington in the fall. In the spring Of
I643 he went back and cleared up his five
scres and felled five acres more, living
with the Sewslls that summer aud return
ing TO Pennington "a the fall. Mr., Craig
did not bring his family to Island Falls
until the winter Of ls44, when they were
brought in on sled drawn by oxen. Mr..
Craig cleared up = large farm on the north
side Of the West Branch and kept q hotel
here for many years. He WAS for years
the only justice of the peace in the town
and was treasurer and clerk Of the town for
long term. He also held the office of
Il est selectnan much OF the time after the
organizs.i Of the township. He was
veil known a. man Of the strictest honor
and int gritty and was much respected by
all his fellow townsmen. Mr.. Craig lived
to see
FIourishtng village
8, ring up around him and died at . good old
age ave years sgo. In 1913. David Lurvey
came from Woodstock, Oxford county and
settled on lot north of the West Branch
and next be 'ow Mr. Crsiss. He cleared
some twenty acres Of land, built q frame
house and barn. and then moved 10 Pstten,
sud Afterwards to the n outh of the Aroos-
rook road, where he kept . hotel for
number Of years and then returned to Ok
ford county, where he died Q number Of
years ago. Charles W. Harding came
from Windbam in the spring Of 1874, and
settled on the south side Of the stream, op-
posite Mr.. SewalPs. Here he cleared
farm and built house and barn, and after
wards returned to Windhsm and died.
made small clearing near his, but did not
remain long. The above named were oil
the settlers in the town in 1874 and OF