The Republican journal., 1898-03-17
A Sketch OF Ephraim Stimson,
Brother of Richard, The First Sett
of SearSnOrt.

Brother of Richard, The First Settler
of SearspOrt.
The death of Mrs Huldah Bowen in
Searsport few months ago brings
to mind, that she was grand
daughter of Richard Stimson, who was
the pioneer settler of Searsport and Bel
fast Perhaps a sketch of the man may
be of some interest to the public, although
it has been gathered in fragments and
may not be as complete as if there had
been full record kept of him. Richard
Stimson was born in the town of Peter
boro, n. H., about 174O OF his youth.
have never been able to get any account,
except that he was somewhat noted as a
skillful guide and hunter. In 1854 the
heirs of Gen. Waldo, wishing to open up
their lands in Maine for settlement, en-
ployed Stimson to assist Joseph Chad
wick, who was then a surveyor in Maine,
to locate road from Georges River, in
Thomaston, to Sandy Point, near the
mouth of the Penobscot River The
present road from Belfast lower bridge to
Sandy Point, with some few changes, is
the same as located by Chadwick and
Stmson
For his services Stimson was to have
one hundred acres of land. anywhere on
the route he might choose. He probably
did not make an immediate choice, but
In 176s and 1869 he and Chadwick were
engaged in surveying the lots and bound
aries of Belfast. They began on the west
side of Halfway Creek, now known as
Mill Brook, and ran off lots of one hnn-
dred acres each. Stimson took the first
lot, which went from the mouth OF the
creek, up one mile, thence west fifty rods
thence south parallel with the creek to
the shore. His lot includes nearly all of
that part of Searsport village lying west
OF Mill Brook. He Immediately built a
log house, on or near where Chesley
Matthews now lives, and probably moved
his family here in 176S. When he moved
here, his sister Elizabeth and brother
Ephraim probably came with him, al
though the first ever learned of Ephraim
is where, he, Richard, and other nhabi-
tants of Belfast, in 1773, petitioned the
General Court to be incorporated in a
town, and he may not have come for one
or two years later but he married and
settled in Magabagaduce or Bagaduce,
now Castine. Elizabeth soon after became
acquainted with Ichabod Colson, and
married him. They were the ancestors
of nearly all the Colsons now living in
town.
When Stimson moved here, Lieut. Josh
ua Treat was living at Marsh Bay, now
Frankfort, where he had settled in 1859.
In 1906 Zetham French and some others
had begun a settlement at Sandy Point.
A few others had settled near Fort Pownal.
This included all the settlers in Waldo
county. From Penobscot Bay to the
settlements on the st. Lawrence was a
primeval forest, scarcely explored by the
foot of the white man. Stimson only liv-
ed on his lot few years, when he sold to
James Nickels, or Nichols. Nickels came
from Londonderry, N. H., with the pio-
neer settlers of Belfast in ITO, and drew
lot near the upper bridge On the East
side of the river. Probably not liking
the situation he bought, or pre- empted,
all the land between Hallway Greek and
Long Cove Brook, one mile back, contain
ing several hundred acres, and settled near
where Hon. j. G. Nickels lived. Stmson
moved back into the woods about four
miles, and built a log house on the north
part of the farm now owned by J. S.
Nickerson. Here he cleared up d small
piece of land but followed trapping and
hunting mostly. All game native to
Maine was abundant, and sea fowl
would gather at times in the neighboring
ponds in such numbers that they could
only be counted by the acre; trout could
be caught in Goose Pond by merely drop
ping in the baited hook. He had good
market for his furs at Fort Pownal and
Bagaduce, while the settlers in Belfast
would buy what meat he had to dispose
of. But war came at last. Fort Pownal
was destroyed, and in 1910, British
army took possession of Bagaduce. Gen.
MacLean, the British commander, issued
a proclamation, calling upon the inhabi-
tants to take the oath of allegiance to
the King of England. Among those who
did SO was Ephraim Stimson. When the
American forces invested the place Gen.
Lowell, the commander, issued a counter
handing proclamation, saying that as the
oath was compulsory they were under no
obligation to abide by it and called upon
all to renounce it and join the American
forces. Ephraim did so and took part i'll
the siege, having no doubt of the success
of the Americans. After the retreat of