Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1898-03-16
MAINE HISTORY.
EARLY SETTLEMENT OF HAN
COCK COUNTY TOWNS.
THE MARCH OF CIVILIZATION IN THE
PINE TREE STATE-NOrES ON
IMPORTANT POINTS.
["wayfarcr", in Bangor Commercially

tentlon to Maine history. There is a
great lack of knowledge among all condi-
tions and ages, concerning this subject.
| give this brief article as contribution.
At the close OF the French and Indian
wars, 1853, 1860, 1861, the old soldiers
turned their attention to the eastward.
Some towns in Massachusetts voted in
town meeting that there were no more
lands in town than were necessary for
the inha bitants at that time, and no more
new corners were wanted. At first, Nova
Scotia, which then included New Bruins
wick, had the preference. In 1859
200 emigrants from Boston, $50 from
Plymouth, 100 from Rhode Island, and 100
from New London, Conn, went there.
Some settled at Cumberland and in that
vicinity and some at Maugerville on the
st. John river and in places near by.
In 1860 and 1861, the shores OF eastern
Maine were explored. Lumber, fish and
meadows were found in abundance, and
these were W hat the first settlers wanted.
In 1862, in answer to many petitions,
the general court OF the province granted
six townships Of land between Penobscot
river and Mount Desert river, and at the
same time six townships were granted
easterly of Mount Desert river
Samuel Livermore was appointed to lay
out the townships. Gle was the great
grandia her of Hannibal Hamlin.)
The townships of the first class were
No. l, now Buc<sport; No. 2, now Orland;
No. 3, now Penobscot, Castine and Brooks
willie; No. 4, now Sedgwick and Brooklin;
No. 5, Bluehiil; No. 6, which was Surry.
The townships of the second class were:
No. /, Trenton, which included part of
Eil,wort II and Hancock; No. 2, now Sui
Ivan and part Of Hancock; No. 3, now
Gouldso oro; No, 4, Steuben; No. 5, now
Harrington and Milbrioge, and No. s,
now Addison.
The surveyors found that when they
had made the surveys the boundary
line between the two classes WAS the
Mount Desert river, and it was proposed
by some TO change the name of the old
river, Mount Desert, 10 that Of Union
river. 70 this Esquire Livernore agreed
and with the ceremony of breaking It
bottle filled with rum, lac said:
"Let it be called Gnion river; and it
has gone by that name since. This fact
was recorded on the Bluehill church
records about 1772. l have a suspicion
that more than one bottle of rum Was
used in the naming.
After these townships We're laid out,
part Of the lines being run, request was
sent home to England to have the grant
established, but about the same line the
British court was informed that it con-
tanned a large quantity of timber for
ma4ts, etc. SO the request WAS deferred
till 1t should be surveyed and the lots OF
timber marked off. a little before the
Revolutionary war, surveyor came and
ran around a number of townships and
discover timber, but before the return
was made the business fell through.
There was probably not an English
family in Maine east of Penobscot river
prior to 1860. The descendants of John
Staples, OF Deer Isle, claim that he lived
near the site OF the old French fort at
Castine, and that his son William was
boiii thSiC WV -, 400. hio w
lived at Deer Isle and died there very
old man, and always e. lined Bagaduce as
his birthplace.
PENOBSCOT AND CASTINE.
Many old soldiers We're employed in
building Fort Pownal, which was at what
is now Fort Point, 1859. Later in 1761
and 1852 many of these men crossed the
river into Penobscot; not many of them
remained but kept moving on. Joseph
Basteen, Paul Bowden, Caleb Bowden,
Thomas Wescott (perhaps Wasgatt) and
Israel Neazie were i'll that part now Pc
nobscot Reuben Gray, Joshua Gray, ia
cob Dice, Jeremiah Neaze, John Trott,
Samuel Trott, John Brakeman and Solo
mon Avery were probably the first set
tiers in what is now Castine.
DEER ISLE.
In 1862 Michael Carney, William Eaton
and his sons, jeremiah, Eliahim and
William came; jonathan Greenlaw and
family, John Billings, Nathan Classon,
Jonathan anl David Perry came about
1863. These settlers lived at or near Egg
gemoggin reach.
SEDGWICK,
About 17G3 John, Daniel and Andrew
Black, Joseph Freethy, Captain Goodwin,
William Reed and perhaps others were
there.
BLUEHILL.
Joseph Wood and John Roundy came
down and looked the town over III 1852,
and the next year brought their families.
Col. Nat han Parker, 1864, Samuel Foster,
1865, Lieut.. Nicholas Holt, 1865, iona
Darling, 1865, Ezekiel Osgood, 1865, John
Peters, 1865, and others. A church was
formed there Oct. I, 1772.
MOUNT DESERT.
Governor Sir Francis Bernard visited
he island in October, 1862, and found
Abraham Somes, jr., there at the head of
Mount Desert sound, now Somes sound.
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