Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1892-06-16
For the Ellsworth American. |
Trenton-l762 to 1900.

NO. IL.
THE FIRST SETTLERS
Fortunately for the benefit of histor,
we are able to give in addition to the state
ment in our last communication the sworr
statements of men who above all other
had means of knowing concerning wha
they testified. Stephen Hutchinson
Ephraim Dyer and others who will b,
named, were settlers at that time, who's,
dispositions, as their caption shows. takel
before John Frothingham Of Portland, sns
other magistrates. will tell what they die
and knew about settling Trenton.
II. Ephraim Dyer OF Cape Elizabeth, IL
the County Of Cumberland, aged sixty tv,
years, testify & say that near thirty year,
ago. that Is to say in the year 1866, | WA:
well acquainted with the Township No
One. granted TO Ebenezer Thorndike ans
others, lying and adjoining to the east
ward OF Mount Desert or Union River aut
well knew one Stephen Hutchinson, VIII,
was one of the Proprietors as he told me
and know that said Hutchinson settled
in said township, & raised Potatoes ther,
that year, and year or two afterwards
he had a clever field Of Potatoes, barley s
peas there. frequently saw him there &
used to carry him pork, molasses & othei
things, and had slaves of him in return
| also well knew, one Ephraim Haines, wht
settled there soon after, and he told me
he settled under the Proprietors of sale
Township. | also knew Stephen Hutchin
son, Jun'r who settled in said township 4
soon alter one Roger Gookin settled there
he told he settled under the Proprietors
or some of them, Il expected to bring for
ward right also knew one, Ben jamil
Milliken one Of said ProprietorS who -ct
tied there think in the year 1865. for
carried him down in nay Vessel being d
-loop about 20 ton~) with Thomas Mill
ken and about thirty men employed by
said Benz amin & Thomas TO build mil
there. | carried down in said Vessel about
four hundred pounds worth Of provision,
4 other stores; and am knowing To thetI
building mill there, just below the fali>
upon stream that runs out of said town
ship into Union River, as | helped them
near fortnight, q >taid with my Vessel
which they made use of TO live In until
they got house built. | also carried two
women down in the same vessel
EPHRAIM DYER
II, Stephen Hutchinson OF windham, III
the County of Cumberland. aged tiftv-
three years, testify x say that in the wear
Seventeen hundred i sixty nine, think il
vas, but not later than l770, went down
10 the township No. One lying 4 adjoining
to the eastward Of Mount Desert or Union
River with design Of settling there, ana
lived there three years, < was induced
a Fn fhrr.s my lot. I',r
Hutchinson and three brothers lived thcr,
who moved down, about three wears be
fore. Ny said father, being one of tbr
Proprietors of said township as have OF
ten heard him say. And have often
heard him say that he settled there A. !.
Proprietor. well remember that Roger
Gookin & Richard McDugal built Mil
there 4 and lived there teiore moved OIL
II further testify & say that the township
was always called Thorudike's township
Robert ThorndIke was there & made -tsyee
there, and think Mr.. EDenezer Thorndikr
was there several times while was there.
| also say thst one Wheeler was there al
the same time & built a small house on the
point called oak point further "a,
that my late father sold his right To one
Mathew Patten. belonging to Blue hill. <
| further say that have no right title or
interest in said township unless in right
Of my son deceased, who as being the tirst
child that was ever born in said township y
is, lappreheud. entitled TO one hundrt q
acres of land.
Apr, ., l1b STEPHEN HtrCuISsoN "
Ephraim HdinsS testified before Paul
Dudley Sargent, 10 1895, that about 80
years ago | settled in township NO IL
ing s adjoining TO the eastward Of Mt
Desert or Union River now called Tree
ton under EbeneZer Thorndike one Of th,
original Proprietors of said Township 4
vas To have 4 did have OF said Thorndikc
in consideration of my settling there One
hundred acres of land which | now live
upon. also testify & say that am know
ing OF one Joseph Barnes now living 10
laid town upon land adjoining to Thorn
dixie Falls, on the westward of Jordan
River | am also knowing To said Thorn
dIke's clearing up some OF said land 4 to
his cutting timoe. for house there, and
also logs for Wescott's Mill"
Roger hooJtnS, al the same time and
before Judge Sargent, who took his dcpp
,ltion. testified substantially the same a.
Ephraim Haines, with the exception that
instead uf 100 acres he wa, to have and dld
have for settling half right.
Ihomds Wescon depo>ed before III,
same magistrate in the same year, that i.
1875, THAT about 80 years ago bought
Of Capt. Ebenezer Thorndike a Pruprir-
tors Rigut IN the township NO |. living <
adjoining TO the eastward of Union River
now called Trenton, < in consequence
thereof settled in said township & built
a Mill there & have continued there and cu
Mount Desert Island ever since. also
testify that am knowing to Joseph
Barnes now living in said town 4 to Capt
Thorndike clearing part of the lot where
said Barnes now lives Il cutting timber
there for assisted him helped get them
TO my mill
Jonathan .NliikeH, of Scarborough. in
1894, testified that he was Zone of the
Proprietors of Township No. |, went down
there about 80 years before to take pos
session Of the township, & did so by cut
ting & bringing away a load OF lumber.
viz. :-Masts, spars 4 butts of timber at
which time surveyor VIZ. Elias Banks
a Committee of the Proprietors. viz =
Nathan Jordan, Nathaniel Harmon & Ben
]amin Miliiken were there running out 4
making the first division of lots laid out
by said Proprietors & also number of
other lots called equivalent lots to make
up for We bad quality of some of ye lots OF
SAID hrst division, at ye same time also
Mr.. Benjamin Milliken who was also Pro-
prietor, built Mill there Il helped raise
the same with thirty-two men which he
had there building said mill. also testi-
fly and declare that | have no interest or
claim to said township having long since
sold my right to Levi Barlow. What in
duced me as well as some others to sell
was the uncertainty of obtaining the Kings
appreciation of the Grant"
Nathaniel Jordan of Cape Elizabeth, tes-
titled, MAy Sd, 1893, THAT about 30 years
ago" the Proprietors of the six Townships
lying East of Union River sent him down
TO assist in running out the same That
he went down in company with Benz.
Frye of Andover, who was the surveyor
and one Mr.. Grant of Berwick, one Rogers
and Benz. Tnrasher and on our arrival at
Union River to survey the same and Dan
lei Grant & myself carried the chain, be
ginning at Union River below the fats &
by the sea shore heading all the
Coves & Bays as far as Mess or Peckey,'
socalled & this deponent further saith not.
NATH'L JORDAN"
Henry Dyer of Cape Elizabeth, testified
that in 1856, he went with Capt Thorn
dixie to township No. & "helped him cut
some timber of two lots of land there
which | understood belonged to said
Thorndike as he had made improvements
upon it. by clearing some of it for brow
for Mill & helped him clear it. The saiu
lots lie upon Jordans river on the north
west side thereof & about one mile from
the mouth. Mr.. Coolidge Mr.. Thomas
Wescott Junr worked with me for said