Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-06-26
TOOTH ANNIVERSARY
CONTINUED from page ~

| name of his King. On it's shores three
years later Popham planted his settle
| ment and erected fort which bears
his name to this day. In 1925 the first
| trading with the Indians occurred and
four years later William Bradford and
| others of the Plymouth colony pur-
| chased immense tracts in this part of
| the country, and after Vainly trying
to settle the same they sold it to four
of the settlers for 400 pounds. In 1910
| Alex. Brown made the first clearing
within the present limits of Gardiner
and established a fishing settlement
nearly opposite Nahumkeag Island.
Soon after there was an uprising of the
Indians, Brown was murdered and for
half a century the country was aban-
dOned to the Indians.
| In the year 1749 a corporation was
formed, known as the Plymouth Com
pany and among other lands it pur-
chased a tract 81 miles wide with the
kennebec river in .the centre and ex-
tending from Merrymeeting Bay to
| Norridgewock. The largest single
owner in the company was DR.. Sylves-
ter Gardiner who was one of the lead
| ing spirits in the settlement of this
part of the country. In December of
1854 DR.. Gardiner purchased what is
known as the Cobbossee Contee Tract
which included the present city of
Gardiner and some of the adjoining
towns. A year or two later he brought
a small company of laborers here and
| founded the plantation called Gardi-
nerstown. He then built what is known
as our lower DAM erected saw
mill and grist-mill also a fulling-mill,
wharf and stores. His son William
was his local agent and he planned a
large dwelling which was commenced
| but never finished and was situated
near the site of the Esmond home
stead. ! think the first census ever
taken of this region was in 1854 when
! the enumeration in Gardinerstown, in
GLIDING all above Pownalboro (now
| Dresden) was 200. In 1853 the inhabi-
| tants erected a bullet-proof block
house for protection against the In
dams; it was located about where the
| Universalist church now stands. DR..
| Gardiner soon erected church edificc
which he had dedicated by the frontier
missionary, Rev. Jacob Bailey. The
greater part of DR.. Gardeners property
descended first to his son William and
at his death in 1887 to his grandson,
Robert Hallowell, who was also the
grandson of Benz. Hallowell for whom
our neighboring town of HalloWell was
named. Robert Hallowell attained his
ajority about the time of the incor-
poration of this town: he then as
sumed the name of Robert HalloWell
Gardiner and as he was the principal
| owner of the land, the town was named
in his honor.
From 1915 to 1903 the growth of our
town had been slow, and for the most
part unsatisfactory Gradually the
mills, dams, dwellings and wharfs
went to decay, his tenants abandoned
his property and intending settlers
were obliged to become squatters. At
that time there We're only one or two
houses on Church Hill. which was COW
cred with a thick growth of pine, and
the valley of the Cobbossee was a dense
forest.
BY the act of incorporation, the war
rant for the first town meeting was is
sued to Jedediah Jewett, Il Justice of
the Peace, directed to Dudley b. Ho-
bart "one of the principal inhabitants"
and he was chosen moderator. Maj.
Seth Gay was chosen town clerk, Il
position which he held with credit for
nearly half century. The action of
that meeting was similar to many 9TH
ers held in subsequent years. They
raised $1,000 for the building and re-
pairs of highways; 5000 for schools;
5000 for preaching and 5000 for debts
and expenses, or $1,000 in ALL At this
meeting they chose 90 surveyors of
lumber, hog-reeves, tything-men
and also n fish committee to look after
our fishing industries. Fence-vieWers
| and ficld-drivers were chosen then. AT
an adjourned meeting held few days
later they bid off the support of their
only town charge to the lowest bidder
| for three shillings and six pence per
week (S1h cents).
| Nothing illustrates the growth and
| changed conditions of our country bet
ter than the improved modes of trans
| portation. In 1915 the mail came by
|, packet in summer and in winter ii was
brought once a month by men on
snow shoes. In 1894 it came once Il
week on horseback from Portland, via
Monmouth. In 1908 it came by stage
from Portland to Hallowell and was
then brought to Gardiner from Halo
well in the pocket of any citizen who
happened to be coming this way. Our
roads We're SO badly constructed that
it was not until 1912 that the govern
ment officials consented to send the
mail direct to this place and this was
probably the first time that the stage
coach appeared in Gardiner. The first
train of cars arrived in our city IN
December, 1851.
In 1906 Mr.. Gardiner with others built
the first paper mill, which proved a
profitable investment. One of the old
time hand paper makers who has llVed
in our city his four score years ana
ten, daily walks our streets and with
his CHEEKY face and pleasant words Mr.
John Goiding Is always welcome
companion. There is another among
US, the last example of the old-time
merchants, who has followed his pres
ent occupation for nearly 10 years. inc
life Of Amasa Ring links the business
. customs of the past with the present
: and by his honorable dealings he mas
: always commanded the respect OF oui
community. For years shipbulldlhe
) was one of our principal industries
: | our first schooner WAS built by tnt