The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1895-02-07
HISTORICAL PAPERS.
The First Kings Signature.
VALUABLE ACQUISITION OF MANY
OLD DOCUMENTS.

DIR. Burrages Paper About the st.
Croix Commission-Mr. Dole's Very
Interesting History of Madison Falls.
Formerly "Ancient Magwamqueeg''-
How IT FIourished and Languished at
the First of the Century-Papers by
Parker NJ. Reed and George f. Emery.
At the meeting of the Maine Historical
society, Wednesday afternoon. President
Baxter read petition to the legislature.
whereby the society requests that the CAS-
tine Water company shall not be allowed TO
Law their mines across the Fort Georges
reservation.
The first paper was read by Mr.. Samuel t.
Dole of South Windham and was entitled
ANCIENT MAGWAMQUEEG.
The first name of Windham was New
Marblehead. because in 1876 the territory
was granted to certain parties living in
old Marblehead, Mass. In that same year,
one George Pigot offered TO build saw
mill on the Presumpscot river IT he would
he Granted the roper right and two acres of
land and elderly to cut timber Off the
school lot.' This request was granted but
p;oo+ .paver awaited himself of the grant.
..Tberefore three years after, in 1873, the
nronrietors granted to four of their number
rho right to erect a mill any of the
wa,ar-nowers in New Mablehead. These
four,were EbeneZer Hawkes.. blacksmith;
william Goodwin and Isaac Turner, carpen
rers, and EbeneZer Stacey. shoIeman. ali OF
Marblebead. They were required to begin
their mill be fore the LIST of August. 1888,
but, says the old record, 'slfin case OF a
war with the Indians, the said Hawkes. and
his associates shall be INSTRUCTED IN the fui-
flment of any condition On their part they
shall be allowed the same length of time
after the close of said war.
After mature deIiberation. these gentle
men selected 3 the site of their future
operations the falls next above ancient
saccarappa, at a place called by the Indians
Magwamqueeg, now known as Madison
Falls. The water power mere is one of the
best on the river, and at that time magnIfi-
cent forests of pine. hemlock, oak and ash
timber, abounded along the rivers bank,
as we'll as orst the hillsides further away.
Having settled the question of locality,
these gentlemen commenced to build their
mill in The autumn of 173S. and were making
rapid progress when they We're suddenly
interrupted by the Indians. who forbid their
building at that place. and by threats aud
menaces drove the workmen away and the
work was suspended for tine. shortly
nfter, however, a compromise OF some KIND
was made with the savages, and the enter
prise carried to a successful completion.
and on December ID, 1.40. they were able
to report that they had finished and put IN
operation saw mill ON said fails, whereup-
on the proprietors confirmed the grant laid
put the ten acres as voted. and also the
common lot, together with the necessary
roads; and plan of the whole was entered
on the PropIie.oI's Book OF Rec ords, where
it is yet to be seen. This was the first mill
of any kind erected within the limits of the
township. and remained with various re-
pairs and additions until the spring of 1885,
when the last of its venerable timbers dis
appeared in great freshet, which occurred
on the river il that year. IL was. according
to the best Information am able to obtain.
about fifty feet long, and thirty wide; and
was an exceedingly rude and simple affair,
containing but enc up and down saw, put
in motion by an old fashioned undershot, or
as our ancestors termed 1t. "a flutter
WHEEL and had none of the modern appli-
ances for either dispatch. or economy in
the process of manufacture. in fact they
were unable to saw much beside planks and
boards, and to do this they We're obliged to
saw the logs into SO uare stick OF timber,
and then from one side manufacture a
board or plank, as the case might require.
But with all IFS Inconvenience this first
mill was an important factor in tie early
growth of the town. 1t enabled the settlers
to build a better class of dwellings than is
usually found in new settlement. and
gave decided impetus to the lumher trade
which in after years became a source of
onsiderablesrevenue to the inha bitants-
Several years later mill was erected on
Gorham bank of the river similar in con-
struction. and for the same purpose. but it
is said little better equipped for business,
for whereas tie first mill had no edging
saw, this one was the fortunate possessor
of this most necessary piece of machinery.
who built this last mill is disputed CUES
ton, but certain it is, that during its
history it had, like the ore on Windham
side many owners. 1t is written in the
''history of the Libby family" that Joseph
Libby, born in scarborough, March "a, 1882.
came to Gorham in 1860, bought the privi-
lege, and carried on saw mill there and
for all any one knows may have been the
first to improve the water power on Malli-
sons old grant. After him came MI. john
son. then Capt. Joshua SWEET. Revolu-
tionary soldier. who died here in 1851, aged
SO years. After him came his son. Col.
Clark SWEET man highly esteemed. by all
who knew him and who died in 1889 at the
age of 10. After his decease the mill was
occupied for some years by Jonathan
Stevens. and his son William. who leased it
of the late Nathan Winslow, into whose
hands the properly on both sides of the
river had previously fallen. This was the
last numbering of any amount done here.
@@@@&@@@@a@@@@s@@@@s