Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1916-03-25

who have yet attended q public meet
ing Of the Maine Historical Society
were present at the meeting this week
in Portland to. hear a most interesting
paper by Edward Stanwood, Lift. D.,
Of Boston, trustee Of Bowdoin Col
lege. his subject being 1.-THE Names of
have given this lecture some months
ago. but was prevented from being
present through illness. The society
lost nothing by the delay, however. In
fact. the only possible criticism that
could be passed upon the paper was
it's brevity.
Hon. James p. Baxter, president Of
the society, was in the chair and at the
close of DR.. Stanwood's paper, told
how Wallagrass got it's name from the
fact that the head of @ surveying par
ty shortly after the Webster Ashburton
treaty had established the northeastern
boundary had with his men wallowed
through a wide Doggy meadow, where
at places the rank grass stood as high
as ten feet. I'm going to name this
place Wallowgrass," said the leader Of
the surveying party. And that name
changed in the spelling. is the designa-
ton Of the town Of Wallagrass. A
comprehensive report Of DR.. STAN
woods paper follows:
Naming Of Maine Towns.
The settlers who organized the towns
in the wilderness Of Maine were almost
exclusively Of English and Scottish
descent, and colonized northward and
eastward from the older colonies Of
Massachusetts and New Hampshire.
The census Of 1s40 does not show the
racial origin Of the half million of the
then inhabitants Of Maine, but an ex-
State Legislature in 1s41 does not sug-
gest even an Irishman, much less a
German The settlement for a long time
was exceedingly slow. Indeed, up to
the present time there has been but one
period, that from 1920 to 1910, when
the growth was not slow.
klttery, the first town to be incor-
porated. was granted its charter in
l647, and it was not until 175S, more
than a century later, that Newcastle,
the 18th town, was chartered. Saco.
which had been Incorporated as the
fourth town in 1853, included the land
on both sides Of the river But during
the Indian wars the settlement was
completely abandoned and the incor-
portion lapsed. In 1913 the town was
reincorporated as Biddeford 1t was
divided in 1744 and the eastern part
was named Pepperellborough, which
was changed to Saco in 1905.
The first IL towns were incorporated
In the following order: Kittery, York,
Wells. Saco. Scarborough, Falmouth.
North Yarmouth. Berwick, George
town, Brunswick and Newcastle Sa-
co took the name Of the river, and is
the only one Of the IL to have q name
OF other than English origin; for when
Brunswick was Incorporated in 1898,
the first King George of glorious men,
ory. was through his consort, Duke OF
Notwithstanding. So, up to that
time and for many years afterward
there was nothing remarkable in the
naming Of towns in the District of
Maine. The statement is generally true
for the period between 1853, the date
of the incorporation Of the 18th town,
and 1883. when the Constitution Of the
United States went into operation, and
when Vinalhaven, the list town receiv-
ed its charter
During the interval of Sc years the
names given to towns were like those
CT the earlier date. those of English
towns, or adopted from the names of
.,.l
the first settlers or grantees, or in hon.
or Of Massachusetts worthless like
Governors Winthrop, Winslow and
Bowdoin. The town Of Bowdoin was
named for him. but Bowdoinham,
organized many years earlier. was
named for a proprietor, who was a
private citizen. Nevertheless, we find,
even in this period, the beginnings Of
variation which, in the ensuing 30
years, was to run riot. Already the
thoughts OF the pious men Of the time
turned toward the Holy Land, and lik-
ening their clearings in the wilderness
to the beautiful districts with their eu-
phonious designations. they took over
the names Of Lebanon and Canaan
Between 1890 and 1902. when Maine
became separate state, 165 towns
were chartered by the General Court
Of Massachusetts,. Etna, the last, was
the 2s6th chartered by the mother
State. Concord in Somerset county
was the first town which owed it's ex-
istence to the legislature Of Maine.
The era Of strange names, which is
also that Of comparatively rapid set
Element of the State covers the neriod
from 1890 to 1910. Strangely enough
no town received the name Of any
Revolutionary general until after
1888, Ave years after the conclusion
of peace. when General Greene was SO
honored. In the following decade two
Of our foreign helpers, Steuben and
Lafayette were recognized. also Cen
erals Starks and Wayne. But political
worthless have given their names to
many towns: of presidents. Washing
ton, though not until 1928, when Put
nam, which may have been named for