Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1892-06-23
For the Ellsworth American.
Trenton-l762 to 1900.
No. l5.

township proceeded very slowly, a variety
years the proprietors held but few meet.
ings and those mainly to protect and re.
tain their rights to the township.
Sept II. III, petition dated at Scar.
Joseph Milliken. Edward Milliken, Jr,
Jonathan Milliken, Thomas Mlliken and
Nathl Harmon was sent to the clerk re-
questing him to call meeting of the pro-
March, inn holder at Scarboro, the 18th Of
Oct. I'LL to see among other things IF
the proprletors will employ one, or more
persons TO look after. and take care of said
1t. or other matters that may require a
committee, or agent to act upon" TO
choose a committee to sell delinquent pro-
prietors' rights to defray expenses etc.
| In l7.i a meeting was called by the
clerk of the proprietors upon application
of Ebenezer Thorndike, Jonathan Mill.
ken, John Robinson. Nathaniel Harmon
Nsthl Jordan, Benjamin Thorndike, and
| Samuel Freeman and one other whose
name cannot be deciphered, to be held at
the house of Capt. Samuel Skillins. inn
| holder 81 Falmouth, March %. l1-4
At this meeting the proprietors voted
that Capt. Ebenezer Thorndike be jpiued
| with Samuel Freeman as a Committee to
prosecute any person or persons who have
| committed tre,pass IN said Township"
l-"N Noted-that Samuel Freeman should
sign petition TO the General Court foI
| further time to obtain the klng's approba-
/ tion Of the grant OF this township when
ever he thinks 1t may be necessary"
| "Nuted-that MIR. Eben'r Thorndike
| Nathl Jordan and Samuel Freeman BE-
committee To sell the rights of thUs. " ho
| have not paid the taxes laid on said rights
| Tor defraying the expenses Of said Pro
! prietor. that the last Tues
| day OF Sept. next be i IS hereby fixed up
! on for the Ncudue OF the said rights To b.
| held at Capt. Skillius house IN Falmouth
1 to begin at = O'Clock Of The afternoon OF
that day--and that in the meantime the
| clerk OF this Proprietary make use Of such
1 measures To promote L render ef'ectual the
| petition he has already preferred to the
Genera! Court for this purpose which hr
may think mos, eleglble.
| There occurs here A hiatus In the action
| of the proprietors We ind no papers re
lating 10 the Eastern lands OF much inter
est Tor some years. The country was Oh
| the eve Of startling events which followed
each other in rapid succession, di,tractiug
| their attention and that OF the public
! from the settlement Of the Eastern
Lands" One great drawback with which
the proprietors Of the eastern townships
| hitherto had 10 contend in their efforts to
| obtain the number Of settlers required by
their charters had been their failure to OBJ
tam the kings appreciation" to the grants
Of the general court As We have seen the
| legislature had confirmed them and ex,
| tended the time to obtain the "approba-
| ton Of the King" The necessity for OBJ
tanning it was fast drawing to close.
| The clouds of revolution had been gath
| ering in ominous hlackuess over the po-
| litical horizon which were soon TO burst
with destructive force upon the colonies
and which resulted in American indcpend-
| ence
| During the exciting scenes Of the war,
| the propretors of the eastern townships
did but little more than was necessary 10
| keep possession Of their lands, and aid the
settlers as far as they could. But few
new settlers were added to those already
there, and some Of the Old abandoned
their claims. There were matters Of gray
er moment to take up their attention. The
| life OF the colonies was at stake. The in
! dependence OF a whole people was the is
sue which demanded their undv vlded al
tention, and in the struggle which fol
lowed, the proprietors Of the six eastern
| townships and the settlers on Union Riy.
er proved their love Of freedom and hatred
| of tyranny and oppression by their deeds a,
well as words, for they early took part in
| the contest; many of them had seen ser
| vice. some Of them had held commissions
as officers at Fort Pownall and elsew here
| indicated the kind Of men who pettiou,d
for the Thorndike grant. 1t begau-'.we
the subscribers, having been soldiers at
Fort Pownall etc, and when the first gun
was fired at Lexington and the Provincial
| Congress called for men to enlist in its
service, they at once responded to the
summons.
With but few exceptions the settlers on
townships were patriots, and the descend
ants Of these few Of whom we have know
ledge became good American citizens, and
Trenton, or what was then Thorndike
township, did her part We mud the
names of most of her actual settlers en-
rolled in the eastern and other companies
which went into actual service, or sto ID
ready to march to the front at moment :
warning, and were organized and drilled
for military duty.
The officers and privates of Capt. Daniel
Sullivan's company were largely composed
of settlers from the eastern six townships.
A list Of its members has already been
published and will be found in No. =, Vol.
Ill of the Bangor Historical Magaziae, cd
tied by Hon. Joseph w. Porter Of Bangor,
who probably is now doing more than any
other person to save from oblivion the
earlier history Of the families and towns in
eastern Maine. The roll of Capt. Sullivan's
company contains many names, familiar to
citizens in Hancock county, whose de
scendants bear the same names, having in.
herited them from their patriotic ances
tors. But 1t was not in Capt. Sullivan's
company alone that we find the names o
the earlier settlers on Union River and the
Eastern townships" Many served il
other companies in different sections OF
the country and the record shows tha
from this stock sprang many Of the bray,
and noble men who faithfully served thei
country in the war of the rebellion ant
were an honor to their State, to the town.
they represented, to their families ant
their revolutionary sires.
The proprietors whose names appear il
these papers who did not settle upon th'
eastern townships with their families. dur
ing this momentous crisis in the histor,
of their country, were not idle. Many o
them entered the ranks, and served as pri
Yates, some became generals in the arm
and were distinguished soldiers; other
| were leaders in the couucils NJ tho colo