Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1916-10-16
''Your River in History" .
J. F. Sprague, Historian,
at Good Will, Thursday

| were divided into two companies. one
| called the London and one the
Plymouth Company.
"Everything on the Atlantic Coast
was then called Virginia, and the
Province of Maine was in North Vir-
ginia.
! Later. Captain John Smith. that
picturesque and somewhat wonderful
character in early American history,
appeared and besought the Crown to
name this northern part of Virginia,
New England, which he did. Ever
since then New England has been on
the map.
And your river was then known as
Sagadahock. At its mouth on the west
shore was established what is known
as the Popham Colony. These colon
lists sailed from Plymouth, England.
May 81. 1907. in two ships called, The
Gift of God and Mary and John The
former was commanded by Captain
! George Popham, a nephew of Sir John
7 and the latter by Raleigh Gilbert. They
left England indulging in high hopes
| Of empire building in a new world, and
after reaching this coast erected fort
and built homes. But after passing
through various vicissitudes in the au-
| tumn of 1908 they tore down their
forts. abandoned the project and re-
turned to England.
And this first story of your river of
three hundred and a decade of years
ago. embedded in the lore of ancient
Maine history; this tale of tragedy
and a comedy In one act: of business
failure and fiasco in early American
colonization affords rich field for his
toric research and serious study. Might
1t not be as palatable and as nourish-
ing food for your imagination as any
thing about the Greek Gods?
| ITO obtain more complete vision of
the history Of your river you should
glance back through the shadows of
more than three centuries and study
the development of both England and
France, in the 18th and 10th centuries,
and learn the growth and the expan-
sion of the spirit of a new nationalism
among each of these peoples. You
should see how much they were rivals
| in their ardor and how much II all had
to do with peopleing America. how po-
tent its influence was in fostering and
| encouraging colonization.
| You should behold Sir Francis
Drake in the latter part of the nth
century conquering the Spanish Ar
mazda in the English Channel. a watery
battlefield where so much of the
worlds history has been made, and
wrestling the control of the ocean from
the proud Castilian monarchy and
handing it over to Great Britain; and
you should see the British people be-
coming a mighty commercial power,
craving for more territory and an OPP
portunity to carve out new common
wealths beyond their islands of the
! sea
/ Not only from the time of brakes
wonderful achievement but from
Elizabeth's reign. as well, the deter
! mination to found colonies strength
ened with the EnglishInan as the years
passed And he viewed with Jealous
eye every move of the Spanish, French
and Portuguese explorers. adventures,
missionaries and colonlzers.
I.ou will see this spirit of agrand-
izenfent, augmenting and extending
throughout the Old World. Selfish al
ways and often brutal, yet ever neces-
sary in the worlds progress.
THE seamen and adventures who
went in ships. and the moneyed men OF
England. men OF the aristocracy like
Sir John Popham and Sir Fernando
Gorges. who financed these enter
priSes: missionaries and ministers,
grave and austere followers of Calvin
and Cromwell and the jealous friars
and Jesuits. the pious adherents Of
| Loyola, were courierS of destiny, in
strumentS of an unseen power that was
| compelling them to aid in their various
ways in forwarding the course OF
Christian civilization.
! II know not how it is in your school
here at Good viii, but it is quite gen.
orally conceded that there is a lament
able lack of interest in the study Of
local history in our public schools of
Maine today. But assure you that If
you will study the history of your river
you will find all that have indicated
and much more. You will find its
sources interviewer with the unrest. the
social. religious and political upheavals
Of Europe. for more than two centuries
and 1t will be labor full OF allurement
and fascination.
From the day when your river was
! hrst known to the world until the
reign of George the Third when the
American coionists became rebels and