The Republican journal., 1905-07-06
parties have searched in the vicinity
for buried treasures.

for buried treasures.
About a mile below the Richardson
farm is the MISUNDERSTANDING bat
tlefield, the scene of fierce connlct BE-
tween the Indian tribes in 1915. The
St. Georges river was the dlvlding line
between the tribes until the Tarran-
tines, seized with the spirit OF conquest,
descended upon the Wawenock village
and practically annihilated IT,. Grim
reminders of this bloody battle have
been found in modern times IN the
shape of skulls, Indian arrowheads.
pieces of flint and other evidences OF
primeval warfare.
In it's immediate neighborhood is To-
Gated the graveyard and log meeting
house lot, marking the burial place OF
the early settlers of st. George and
Gushing. The cemetery is thick with
underbrush and the stranger would
scarcely suspect its presence. The
meeting house. which was built in 1876,
was burned near the close OF the 18th
century.
The farm now occupied by John F.
Burton. is the site of the Burton stone
garrison house, erected in 1853, for pro-
lection against Indians and other in
truders. 1t was torn down in 1916, hav
ing degenerated in its last days to
hog-pen.
About two miles south of Broad cove,
at McCobb's narroWs are remains of a
guardhouse and stone garrison erected
in 1912 to protect Thomaston and the
river settlers from British attacks.
A true annecdote, handed down to
the present generation, concerns one
Thomas Rivers, who agreed to stand
guard for Daniel Payson while the lat
ter told the story which is ever new to
a rosy checked village maiden. Absorb
ed in this romantic occupation Payson
stayed beyond the time appointed, and
the tired substitute became so lmpa-
tient that he discharged gun to re-
mind the lover of forgotten duty.
Rivers had forgotten for the moment
that gunshot was signal understood
all along the river to mean that the
British were coming, and he was little
prepared for the consequences of his
hasty act. The alarm was taken up by
sentries the entire length of the river
until it was spread to Camden, 20 miles
distant and the militia turned out I'M
der the impression that it would soon
face the enemy. The courtship of Dan
lei Payson thus gained notoriety which
was undoubtedly embarrassing to the
couple.
On Bird point is an underground
passage leading inland from the river
to the high ground. 1t is several rods
long, and when in use was large enough
for persons to pass from the river to
the log house built at the end of the
passage. This house was the home of
Andrew Bird, an early settler, and the
grandfather of Francis W. Bird of
Brookline, who was the Democratic
candidate for governor of Massachu-
sets about 80 years ago.
The passage was discovered and ex-
plored in 1880 by Rev. A. W. Burr, now
president of the Beloit, Wis, college
academy. 1t was hidden by very
thick growth of underbrush, and was
discovered purely by accident.
Henderson's block house at Pleasant
Point was built in 1853 as protection
against Indians and nations hostile to
England, and was commanded by Capt.
Dunbar Henderson. 1t disappeared
years ago, but near it's site is the pleas
ant Point burying ground, where lie
the remains of Jane Rutherford, daugh-
ter of Rev. Robert Rutherford, who
preached in Thomaston and Gushing
about 1750-the first Presbyterian pas
tor in Maine.
The first farm on the St. Georges
river was cleared by John Brown at
Pleasant Point in 1855. On the St.
George side is the site of st. Georges
fort, built in 1909, under the superin-
tendence of Thomas Vose of Thomas
ton. A portion of the earthWorks re-
mains.
To the banks of this river, arrayed in
the grandeur of their spring costume,
and replete with historic reminders,
will come hundreds of visitors two days
after the glorious Fourth.