The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1919-03-27
Was Named for Hero OF Bennington
Fraternally yours,
The Independent Reporter Co.

In about the year 1913, James
, Waugh worked his way slowly from
some place in Massachusetts 10 the
| coast OF Maine and up the kennebec
river He kept on past the settle
ments in the lower valley TO what
WAS really. in that day, the northern
most outpost OF civilization Noting
the junction OF a river coming in
| from the westward, he assembled il a
little way and finally decided to
| make his future home on the easter
ly bank OF what has been known in
our day as the Sandy river. This
was undoubtedly the first settlement
within the geographical area now
known as the town of Starks. Our
first settler was Influenced. no doubt.
! by the character of the soil and the
lay of the land. as we'll as by the
advantage OF a location at the mouth
of a considerable stream. Another
reason for his settling here must
| have been the fact that he found a
clearing either natural or made by
the Indians. where they had, for some
years at least, in their rude way, car
ried on agriculture Their corn hills
could be plainly traced across parts
of this clearing when the first set
tier arrived II was wild country.
and from the first. in common with
other New England pioneers, Mr..
Waugh had a constant battle with re
fractory nature. and later on with
i the Indians At first, the aborigines
were peaceful and got along with the
settlers very nicely. a few years la
ter. as the Revolutionary War broke
out. they became troublesome. and
at one time the danger was such thai
Mr.. Waugh and his family were oblig.
turned later, however, and with then
were three other families. making {
colony of Is or 90 people near Mr.
Waugh's first settlement
On August "a, 1854, Luke Sawyei
was married TO Rachel Greenleaf
Sawyer had come from Templeton
Mass, the place of his birth, with hi.
father to Madison. About the tim,
of his marriage, he built on the Lem
: on stream. a short distance above is
junction with the Sandy river &
grist mill and sawmill the first struc
r lures of their kind TO be built il
. Starks.
Lemon stream takes its rise OF
hat is now known as New Vineyard
Mountain and empties into the san
j ..v river about two miles before th'
liter stream joins the kenuehoe ait
sawyer and his mill enterprise gay,
be- name OF Sawyer's mills to thi
locality, and as such 1t was know
..s Starks, Feb. 2S. 1895, became
rporated as the Tooth Maine town
FRA tact, the old name persisted Ions
-.af'.- that date, and even now tn,
S mo.i 'rnerable people in that part o
r Nal." are wont to speak of the place
2 AS 81 VAS first known.
Tn name Starks-more properly
/ STARR was taken from John Stark
A the h.ro of the battle Of Remington
e and thus that good old revolutionar,
: soldier who is famous for saying
r This day we conquer or MOLLY
; Stark widow" is honored and viii
be forever remembered in connection
} with this Kennebec Valley hamlet
! Luke Sawyer also has the distinc-
ton OF having built the first frame
, house in what Is now Starks village
the habitatonS previous thereto hav-
Ing been built Of forest logs.
j The first meetings to transact pub