The Somerset reporter., 1909-08-05

ganizations. Mrs. Greene is drilling
a large chorus of girls, and their
singing will be one of the features of
the celebration.
I The town of Solon lies on the east
bank of the Kennebec River, and was
included in the original grant of the
Sagadahoc territory. In 1891 it pas
sed under the jurisdiction of Massa-
chusetts Bay. In 1881 William Hill
ton, who came from Wiscasset, set
tied here. AT a very early date the
fertility of the land along the Kenne-
bee was we'll known, and not long af-
ter its settlement Solon became one
of the leading towns of Somerset
The spring of the same year, which
brought Mr.. Hilton to town, William
Hunnewell took up lot next to that
of Mr.. Hilton. Mr.. Hilton made the
first brick used in Solop, and it is
said that some of them are still in ex-
istence. He had farm of 500 acres
and on this he lived for 81 years, and
raised a family of 13 children. He
was man of strict integrity, and
died at the age of 81, highly respect
ed.
Other settlers who came about this
same time were Luther Pierce, Flea
zer Whipple, Moses Chamberlain and
Moses Thomas. There was much
controversy in early times over the
survey in this town. After the Rev
olutionary war the boundary lines of
Massachusetts and her sister states
we're not settled. Massachusetts and
New York had an argument over the
line between the two states; survey
was made and it was found that GER
tain lands granted by Massachusetts
to settlers in Groton laid within New
York. The grant was void and the
settlers had no claims on these lands
In 1891 James Prescott, in behalf of
the proprietors of Groton, petitioned
the General Court of Massach husetts
praying that compensation might be
made them for the land lost when the
line was run between that Common
wealth and New York. Whereupon
$500 acres of land were laid out on
the south side of what was later the
town of Solon. The land thus con-
veyed was afterwards decided to
Thomas Spaulding ct al. This deed,
with the settlers lot, covered the
south 1000 acres of the town of Solon.
In 1892 there was granted to Palmer
Gardiner ct al. of Groton, $3.50 acres of
land in Solon, bounded on the south
by Spaulding's lands. Exclusive of
4 lots of 160 acres each reserved, one
for the first settled minister, one for
the use of the ministry, one for the
use of schools and townships, and one
for the future appropriation of gov
ernment, these to be laid out near
the center of the township,
There was a controversy similar to
this between Mass achusetts and New
Hampshire over the state line. Mas
sachusetts had granted Thomas Stew
ems ct al. lands in the town of War
ner which were afterwards found to be
in New Hampshire. To compensate
them there was granted to Jonathan
Barnard, ct al. the north half of the
town of Solon, bounded on the south
by line parallel to and three miles
distant from the south line of the
town reserving four lots of land equal
in quality with the rest, of 100 acres
each, for public uses. These things
caused controversies which it took a
long while to settle.
The town was incorporated Feb. IS,
1909, and was organized on the 9th of
March following, the plantation name
being Spauldingtown, named for
Thomas Spaulding, one of the gran
tees. The warrant for the first town
meeting was directed to Jones Head,
and signed by Richard Sawtelle, justice
of the peace. The early settlers had
a great many hardships to undergo,
aud when in 1890 William Fletcher
fitted up mill for grinding corn,
those who lived several miles away
were so much pleased that as one of
them remarked, "they now had a
gristmill within their own door yards"
At that time salmon were SO plen
ty at certain seasons of the year at
Caratunk Falls that the people said it
seemed as though one might walk
across the river on them. Caratunk
Falls is one of the widest places on
the Kennebec river, and it is said that
when Benedict Arnold camped there
on his way to Quebec he and his men
had so much difficulty in passing
them he renamed the place The Dew
| il's Falls.
The first store in the town was kept
by Elisha Coolidge, and Mr.. Rouse;
/ Mr. Coolidge came from Hallowell,
and Rouse from Boston. They con-
| tinued in business there for half a
COHtuIy. AIODdblS tuC llipl lulll was
built in 1898 or '94 by Calvin Pierce on
Fall Brook. 1t is said that Elisha
Grover first developed the power at
Caratunk Falls, in 1882, with a saw
mill and grlst mill He also built a
bridge across the stream. In 1916
the bridge and mill was carried away
by freshet.
In 1887 work was begun upon pulp
mill which was opened in 1891; the
first owners failed, and bondholders
took possession. In 1899 the Inter
national Paper Co. purchased this
mill and it is now running with great
benefit, not only to the town, but the
region about.
The first physician located in Solon
was Mortimer Bodwell, and the first
lawyer was Elias Cobb. The town
had several Revolutionary soldiers
credited to her and during the War of
the Rebellion sent large number of
men in proportion to the population to
the front. The town has always been
proud of its schools and of the fact