The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1908-10-15
HISTORICAL SKETCH OF STOCKTON
SPRINGS.


This is the title of an attractively bound
and printed volume of 1876 pages from the
press of the Central Maine Publishing
Company of Waterville. The author is
Miss Faustina Hichborn Of, Stockton
Springs, daughter of the late Hon. N.
G. Hichborn, man long identified with
the business interests of the State and
particularly with her shipbuilding. 1t is
edited by Herbert c. Libby of Water
vile, who contributes an Editorial Note
giving the origin of the work and well
deserved commentator of Miss HIGH
born's ''patient and painstaking endeav-
or" He says: at seems to me, after
carefully reviewing the contents OF the
book, that between its covers she has
gathered all that is worth chronicllng for
permanent keeping, while the material
of which the author has made use has
been handled so excellently and the mat
ter arranged so logically that the sketch
will prove as interesting as any novel
and as valuable as all carefully written
histories are.'' And so it seems to the
present writer, to whom the book mas
the additional merit of presenting the
essential facts of local history without
verbiage and conveniently arranged for
reference. The book is divided into five
CHAPTERS. The first relates to Early Set
Elements, giving in concise form the his
tory of the town. Then follows chapter
on bodybuilding and Ships" with five
charming views of local scenery from
photographs by H. D. Hichborn. This
chapter gives history of the shipbulld-
ing industry, in which the father OF the
author was prominent factor, and list
the merchant vessels built ''during the
thirty years of Stockton's rapid growth
and commercial activity. There is also
a list of Stockton's master mariners,
mage of half-tone portraits OF her sea
CAPTAINS, portrait OF S. A. Rendell,
nron7inent citizen. retired, and view OF
the Light Station at Fort Point. stock
ton in the Civil War" is the title OF an
other chapter, and the story 1t tells OF
patriotism, of heroism, of the part borne
at the front by the Stockton boys, and OF
the work done by the women at nome,
may readily be conjectured. This chapter
is illustrated with page OF halt-tone
views on the principal streets OF Stock
ton village. The next chapter, The Ad-
vent of the Railroad" tells of new era
in Stockton's history, the building of the
Northern Maine Seaport railway and the
immense piers on the water front Tor
handling the output in lumber, potatoes
and other products of the great and as
yet only partly developed county OF
Aroostook. Conditions have been I'M
favorable for full realization Of the
ends in view by the promoters OF this
enterprise, but sooner or later the shores
of Stockton will hum with business
activity before undreamed of. Prefaclng
this chapter is a page of half-tone por-
traits of prominent business men OF the
past and of those who are prominent to-
day, and Incorporated in the text is
page of views of the big piers at Cape
Jellison, the potato house, paper house,
etc. Succeeding chapters are devoted
to merchants, Business Men, Lodges
and Clubs" to Churches and Schools, ~
and the closing chapter, optimistic, as 1t
should be, relates to ''The Present Stock
ton Springs The book is one that should
find place in every home in Stockton
and in the hands of every former resident
of that pleasant town.