Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-06-24
GLIMPSE OF PAST,
A Summary Of the History of
WateTviIle.
Snap Shots Of the Beginning of
the Town.
The Old Indian Days.-The Recent
Growth.

"aterVillc as town known by this
name is comparatively young ana
Watervillc as a city is but a youngster
but Watervillc as Il settlement known
by other names goes well back into the
early history Of the country. lis luca-
tlon well back from the sea mad. tho
journey from the mouth Of the river
rather Il tedious undertaking for the
nrst white men to wander this way ana
II therefore escaped some of the early
visits paid to other places down the
river and nearer the coast But it had
many natural advantages to attract
the hunter ana trader inland ana III
soon came into prominence after other
places at the mouth Of the river had
become well known.
Just when it was first discovered by
the Indians ana made i favoritn camp
ing place by them will never be known.
but it is a familiar fact that when the
first white men arrived the junction OF
the kCnnebcc, SebasticOok and M.ssl-
lonSkee, called TiconiC was "a very
popular gathering place for the orig
NAL tribes that inhabited this section
of the country. It's excellent fishing
and hunting were known far and wild,
through the forests ana the pursuits
and pastimcs of the aborigfncs were
its most familiar scenes long before.
the first visit Of Eugishnan Or French
man.
The three Indian names for the rivers
still remain, Sebasticook ANA Mcssn-
lonskee being practically unchanged
and kcnnebec being the English YER
sion of Canihas. The original name Of
the place, Ticonic, has been replaced ~.
more modern terms but tho word still
remains as titles for al SORTS Of thiros
in ANA about the city at present.
The English and French. the first
visitors to this section, classified the
Indians differently ana out Of thcan
Classifications two names huV" aris
that are familiar M Tho kcnuubec, thr
Canibas (Kenrcbccs) and thu
-Abenaquois (Abcnakk). Under thn
English cIassificationkthe Canibas WAS
one of five tribes thai inhabited Tn
State Of Maine or thal section which ~
now Maine. the Kcnifebec river from
Merrymeeting bay to Moosehead lake
being their special territory.
The. French included a much greater
territory in their classification. giving
the name Abnakis TO all the natives he
tween Nova Scotia and the Connecticut
river. The territory covered by the
name gradually contracted under thu
changes of the time and finally came
TO mean thS Indians of the Kcnncbcc
valley. As tribe after tribe lost its in
dividuality ard the survivors joined
those on the Kenncbec the name Wa
applied to them all until Abnaliis has
come to mean the Indians Of the Ken
nebec The two Indian words are now
familiar terms in this section OF me
valley.
The first recorded visit of the white
men to these sav& Ecs is that of Captain
Gilbert who sailed up the river IN 2
shailop with 10 mon. starting from the
Popham colony at the mouth of the
river. Wednesday, September 23d, l6or
This party evidently got as far as what
is now Vassalboro on their trip M river
and they had some varied and amusing
experiences with the Indians, including
one that came very near ending III =
fight. But the whites. finding that
the natives had nothing of any par
ticular value to trade, dropped D3'k
down the river. parting with the ma
tivcs as friends. one Of the things
offered in trade by the Indians was
tobacco but whether this was raised ~
this vicinity or received by them in
trade from their brethren farther south
is not recorded. The weed. however i
occasionally grown here in the city al
present although it is not Of par
ticularly fine quality.
The next recorded visit after that OF
CAPTAIN Gilbert and his men is that OF
. Edward Winslow and this second Nlsi'
was really the first trading expedition
of any importance made so far up thc
Kennebec. This vas not so very ioilH
ago-o60 odd years-and it is OF mucn
more Importance than the htti'
pleasure trip made by Captain Gilber'
even if his was the first. 1t is nol
e~actlv known whether he reached
Ticonic but perhaps he did Any
how. he left his name behind and l