Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-05-16
Towns Of Dover and Foxcroft
Discussing Question:
MANY Advantages Which Would Fol-
low the Union.
! ocal JeaIousies and Matter Of Name
Stand in Way.


feeIinc among the people of Dover and
Foycroft that it would be quite the
nroper thing to have the two towns
united and go under one name. Many
of the people also feel that if such a
thing should come to pass that it
would be policy to do away with the
for a city charter.
According to the Maine Register for
the year 1902 and 1903 the population of
Dover in 1900 was 1889 while the polls
numbered 5s5. The population of
Foxcroft for the same year was 1929
and the polls 461. According to the
foregoing figures should the two towns
unite there would be population of
nearly 1900 and about 100 voters. 1t
is strongly argued by some of the
prominent men that Il city form of
government would be the best and
most satisfactory way in which to
handle so many voters, For an eX-
ample the town of Eden is mentioned
as that town has list of about LOO
polls and they are thinking strongly of
applying to the next Legislature for a
city charter to enable them to do the
towns business properly.
One Of the greatest obstacles in the
way of uniting the two towns is the
selection of a name. The people of
Dover do not want TO give up the name
of Dover, neither do the people of the
neighboring town want to do away
with the name of Foxcroft. AS Dover
&c bo af
ty the name of Dover cannot be very
well done away with without a great
deal of trouble on all sides. The people
Of Foxcroft say that as the town of
Foycroft was named for one Joseph z.
TOxcroft who was a former owner of
all the lend where the town sets and he
gave this lana TO the early settlers to
be used as a site for town providing
that said town should be named Fox
crof. in memory of himself that the
name cannot rightly be changed. The
first settlers to locate here were Seth
Spaulding, Eleazer Spaulding and
John Spaulding in 1906. 1t was former
ly one of the townships conveyed by
the State of Massachusetts to Bowdoin
College in 1894.
Notwithstanding all the haggle over
Il name for the prospective city it is
clearly evident to those who are at all
alive to the interests of their homes
and business that if either of the Two
places are to ever be anything FROM
what they are at the present time thai
some important must soon BE-
made to make business N ) something.
There has rot been for years anyLhiu ;
done to make business in1eithcr of Til.
towns and the result has been that it
has been steadily dropping ef along all
lines Business houses have been clos
ing UP for lack of business and pconl"
leaving town almost steadily foi the
past two years.
Ii has been claimed that the places OF
business that have been closed up were
conducted too much along city lines and
on Il larger scale than the towns could
support but if the people who think
thus should go to almost any of the
other towns in this section they would
find establishments of the same kind
doing business AMI making it pay and
it is IN undisputcd fact that stores are
not generally closed up if the proprie.
tors are making a dollar. The ques'
ton has b"en asked by many who hay,
business come here" and in nine case,
out OF ten no satisfactory answer la:
been given them and they have Eon,
AWAY wondering to themselves. Ih'
natural resources OF the two town:
seems to favor business and advance
ntcnt alon,: wi lines No prettier towns
stand in Maine today. Not a singh
saloon in either of the villages. y,
houses OF questionable character. ~
cXtrcmely porr people. DWELLING
houses well kept with attractive
grounds. beautiful shade trees on al
NEST every street in both villages
Some OF the bast county buildings t. b
found in the state. One Of the hes
water powers in the New EnEan'
states. one Of the best fishing ground
in Maine within four miles of bot
Villages and many other natural ad
vantaEes too numerous to mention.
\ well known resident who is vcr
much alive to the interests of tn
towrs was asked one day recently " h
things did rot boom here the way the
were in some of the surrounding town
and he replied: They never will jul
-aslong as there are two towns here II
stead OF. one
For many years there has heen MOI
or less feeling between the people {
the two towns. the residents of or
town seeming to be afraid that tt
people of the other would get som,
thing which they had not but of la1
years this has heen wearing away an
things have been much more peaceful
There was no great trouble in gettir
them to unite on the water works an
very little was experienced in havir
Dover High school and FoXcroft Acat
envy united and the people of bot
towns are now beginning to realize tn;
they have made Il wise move in mol
than one way.
That this has been done seems
open up a possibility of uniting II
towns and thus doing away with muo
OF the envy and hard feeling which h;
kept business away in the past. As i;
as the name goes it has been sugges
ed that the one town or city be callt
Dover-Foxcroft and thus preserve II
names OF both places.