The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1912-07-25
FORT POWNALL.
Some Old Time Documents Relating to
This Frontier Post.

Some Old Time Documents Relating to
This Frontier Post.
Contribute by Lieut.. F. F. Black, U. S. Al
Gov. BERNARD TO JOHN PowNALL, ESQ RE.
Boston July II, 1864.
S'r: l find myself obliged to state to
you a complaint against Mr.. Waldo q
partners proprietors of the lands on the
West side Of Penobscot river & bay I'M
der an old grant purchased by their
father Brigadier Waldo; desiring you to
lay it before their Lordships at such a
time & in such manner, as you shall
think most proper: as would not at this
time of hurry trouble their Lordships
with business that does not require their
immediate consideration.
You know that Fort Pownall upon Pc
nobscot was built at the expense OF the
Crown, the Province of Massachusetts
Bay undertaking to protect the Work &
afterwards to Garrison the Fort. 1t
was built on Neck of Land on the West
side being Brig'r Waldo's property, he
the place & dying there of an Apoplexy.
The neck of land on which it stands con-
tains in the whole 1900 acres: but there
was no stipulation made on behalf of
the Crown las far as I can learn that
the said Neck of Land or any part of it
should belong to the Fort. And yet the
Advantages Of building a Fort on that
Spot were so great to the Proprietors,
that if they had granted to the King the
quantity of township that is $4,000
acres, they would have had great bar
gain. But nothing of this kind was done
& so the matter rested
About two years ago learned that
Col. Prebble who commanded the Fort
had purchased this neck of land: & upon
enquiry found that he declared that he
had purchased every foot of land about
the Fort, & that the fort itself stood
upon his ground. took the first oppor-
tunity of going there & found such Acts
of separate ownership, that the garrison
had not foot of land to raise vegetables
for their necessary subsistence. re-
monstrated so strongly upon this that
he agreed to quit so much land as should
be wanted for the Garrison, if the Pro-
prietors would make him compensation
elsewhere. l thereupon reconnoitred the
place & fixed upon part of the neck
next the Fort containing about 100 acres.
to be annexed to the Fort: & upon my re-
turn to Boston l proposed this to some
of the Proprietors with a plan of the
land: & they seemingly agreed to it. But
upon my proposing to them to execute a
conveyance to the King, they fell off 4
said that they only intended to let the
garrison have the use of it whilst the
fort was kept up in garrison. When it
was not, they should expect to have the
fort themselves. l told them that this
was so i'll a return to the King & the
Province for having defended 4 i'm
proved their Estate at so great an ex-
pense that should represent the matter
to his Majesty's Ministers, & in the
mean time should order the Garrison to
keep possession of that tract, it being
greatly within point blank & necessary
for the defence of the Fort. Upon
which the two proprietors said that they
would consent tothe conveyance of this
tract to the King, if the elder Brother
Mr. Waldo would; and they would recon-
mend it to him SO to do. | acquiesced in
this & have waited half year for his
coming & Completing this Agreement;
And now upon my seeing him for the
first time since & calling upon him to
join in conveyance of the 1870 acres to
the King, He sayes he is willing that the
Garrison should enjoy this piece of land;
King In the n amer which | require.
was now quite open, & | would represent
it accordingly, which do in the follow
ing manner.
When the Fort was built, undoubtedly
the whole Neck of 1900 acres ought to
have been conveyed to the King & prob
ably such a requisition, if it had been
then made, would have been readily
complied with.
The whole Neck should be now convey
ed to the King, as it would be of great
public Utility to apply it to the purposes
hereafter mentioned, & it is equitably
due to the King; as the advantages aris-
ing from the building of the Fort to the
proprietors Estate are of more then ten
times the Value q might say an 100
times the Value) of the land in question
This conveyance is very practicable
now, as the former bargain is not com
pleted by the payment of the purchase
Mony & an actual conveyance of the
land, and the Proprietors might easily
make the purchaser a compensation by a
grant of other lands lying near to the
Neck
The use | would propose for this land
would be to lay it out (after setting
apart a sufficient part for the Garrison)
in lots of 20 or 25 acres each & give them
away on condition of settling & main
tanning for a certain time, family on
each lot.
By this means close Town very easily
to be fortified might be soon formed by
"a or 80 fapilies, which would be a good
ground work for defending the passage
of the River from Foreign Enemies in
future times, as it would Immediately
become support to the Fort & Barrier
against the Indians for the present.
Such Support & Barrier are very
much wanted as there is no Town now
within 40 miles Of the Fort on that side
of the River nor is there like to be any,
whilst the Proprietors hold their lands
up at such price as must necessarily
keep that part of the Country wholly un-
populated.
Such settlement would be of great
Advantage to the proprietors infinitely
beyond the value of the lands in question,
altho' most probably their narrow & con-
tracted Views of their property there,
will in this Case as in others make them
blind to their own interest.
For these reasons / must recommend
that, if it may be, Conveyance of this
whole Neck to the King may be procured,
that it may be settled in the manner afore-
said or some such like way. But if this can
not be obtained, 1t will be quite neces-