The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1914-02-12
HISTORY OF NORRIDGEWOCK.
Continued From Page One.)

captured the other who proved to be
the wife of the noted chief BomaZeen.
She gave them a full=.description of
the village which they captured on
the 23rd. The French and Indians
! being taken by surprise were unable
! to defend themselves from the Eng
/ lish so fell easy victims. This was
the final ending of the border war
fares in our State between the Eng
j fish and French of which Norridge-
wock was the scene. Today monu-
ment stands over the last resting
place of Father Rasles and also
marks the site of the old Indian Old
/ Point one of the most beautiful spots
i on the Kennebec River. The monu-
ment was erected on August 23rd,
| 1888 which was the anniversary of the
Norridgewock fight Bishop Fenwick
of Boston, had charge Of the ceremo-
MES and delivered his address while
tribes of Indians were present from
Passamaquoddy, Penobscot and Can
ada This is the only monument east
of the Mississippi which marks the
site of an Indian village and the place
where decisive battle took place be-
tween the French and English on this
continent. This gives Norridgewock
prominence not shared by any 9TH
er town in Maine and makes its his
tory one of deep interest.
Another interesting historical fact
was the passing through town Of
portion of the army under Gen. Bene-
dict Arnold on that memorable cam
paign of the English against the
French in Canada. The army which
left Massachusetts on Sept. 10, 1775
and were the very best of Gen. Wash
ington's command reached Norridge-
wock October 4th, where it is SAID
they remained two days. Some OF
the older inhabitants have told the
story of some of Arnold's men stay
ing at the Knight farm on the North
side of the river and seeing drled
numpkin strung along from the cell
ing remarked that it was strange 10
cut leather into 80 small pieces and
he could not imagine why they had
cut it up so.
About two years before Arnold
marched through the town, then en-
hracing what are now known as
Skowhegan and Canaan it had been eX-
nlored for settlement and was mostly
settled by young men from Massach-
usetts. 1t finally received its cnar-
ter as a town from the State OF MASS
achusetts in June 1888, being the 54tn
town in the State The name NOR
ridgewock was taken from the name
of a famous Indian chief, Norridge-
wog. the name signifying in the Ao-
noL; tongue smooth water, the smooth
water being between Skowhegan Fails
down the river and Bombazeen HIPS
nm the river which also takes lts name
from another Indian chief Bomoazeen
or BombaZee.
In the earlier times NorridgeWock
wos one of the most important towns
in the State; it was the county seat
of Somerset County and the situnse
of the courts called together some OF
the most eminent jurists and lawyers
in the State. 1t was town noted LOT
the high moral standard OF 1ts peo-
n,e As early as 1888 religious so
cieties were formed and Rev. josiah
peet held the pastorate OF the Con
pregational Church for a period OF
over forty years one of the most re-
markable pastorates in point OF AURA
ton that has ever been recordeo III
the State At the present time the
town has three churches, Congrega-
tional with Rev. Robert Shean as
pastor, Baptist, Rev. John Trites as
pastor and the Advent without pas
tor at present.
Norridgewock has furnished to the
State and country at large a GOOD
share of its eminent men and women'
! II has given to Maine one attorney
| general. John S. Abbott; to the su-
preme court of Maine, one chief JUS
tice. John S. Tenney and one associ-
ate Justice. Chas. Danforth and 1t has
given to the national three representa-
tiyes to Congress, James Bates, Cullen
Sawtelle and stephen D. Lindsey.
Among the noted literary people from
Norridgewock are, Caroline Fletcher
| Dole and her two sons, Rev. Charles
Fletcher Dole of Jamaica Plains,
Mass, and Nathan Haskell Dole OF
Massachusetts, one OF the finest Rus
sian scholars in the United States and
translator of Tolstot's works; Henry
W. Savage of Boston, Rebecca s.
Clark known as Sophie May the
| noted authoress of children's books
and her gifted sister, Miss Sarah D.
Clark. known as Penn Shirley'-au-
thors known from one side OF the
continent to the other; Mary Abbott
Rand a writer of many books for
Young people and Rev. Minot Savage
1.,ar fhfrty noted