The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1901-09-12
FRAGMENTS or noRrHpoRr HISTORY

Herodotus produced his famous his
torical essay 'sto rescue from oblivion
the memory of former incidents. and
to render just tribute of renown to
the many great and wonderful transac-
lions of our progenitors, and Washing
ton Irving treated ''of times long past,
over which the twilight of uncertainty
had already thrown its shadows, and
the night of forgetfulness was about to
descend forever" So the modern
chronicler of local events should strive
to collect and put in durable form all
matter which may serve these ends.
One who is interested in the early his
tory of his family or his town cannot
fail to appreciate the feelings of Irv-
ing when he says:
"With great solicitude had l long be-
held the early history of this venerable
and ancient city New York. gradually
slipping from our grasp, trembling on
the lips of narrative old age, and day by
day dropping piecemeal into the tomb.
In little while, and those reverend
Dutch burghers, who serve as the totter-
ing monuments of good old times, will
be gathered to their fathers; their child
rem will neglect to treasure up the
recOllectiOns of the past, and posterity
will search in vain for memorials of the
days of the Patriarchs.'
1t was with feelings akin to these
that the writer of these sketches began
the work of compiling for the Drink
water Family Association a genealogy
of that family. AS the work progressed
the writer found that he was gathering
much matter of interest in regard to the
early history of the towns of Northport
and Lincolnville, particularly of the
former, as Micajah Drinkwater and his
sons and daughters settled along the
shore between Duck Trap and Saturday
Cove.
Then it was that the feelings which
prompted Herodotus and Irving in their
work came to the front in favor of
rescuing from oblivion of the early an
nails of Northport, and these fragments
resulted, though they compare with the
others as the tallow dip of our North
port grandmothers compares with the
torch of Liberty which now Eliminates
the scene of Irving's earlier efforts.
One of the first sources of informa-
ton to which the local historian resorts
is the town records, but in this instance
this source is wanting, as nearly all the
town records prior to 1s4S were burned.
Northport, since its incorporation, has
been in three counties, Lincoln, Han
cock and Waldo; hence such records as
deeds, wills, ETC., must be sought, &C
cording to their dates at Wiscasset,
Ellsworth or Belfast. The writer &C
knowledges valuable information culled
from Williamson's History of Maine,
Williamson's History of Belfast,
Locke's History of Camden, Eaton's
Annals of Warren, Sketches of Waldo
County published in The Republican
Journal in 1851, Varney's Gazetteer of
Maine, and the files of the local papers;
also valuable aid from Hon. Joseph
Williamson and DR.. Isaac Hills of Bel
fast, H. P. Farrow, Esq, of Belmont,
and many citizens of Northport.
In these sketches no pretension is
made to connected history, as such a
work would be almost impossible on
account of missing dates, but they are
simply put forth as fragments, gather
ed here and there, which may prove of
interest and possibly of value in res
cuing the early history of the town and
its people from oblivion.
j. S, F.