Daily Kennebec journal., 1919-03-28
five MAINE TOWNS
100 YEARS OLD IN 1919

Five Maine towns will be 100 years
old this year. having been incorporat-
ed by the Legislature OF Massachu-
sets in 1919. the year before Maine
became a state. Knox and Atkinson
have birthdays Feb. IL. Newburgh aud
Thorndike are twins of Feb. Is, and
Warsaw. now Pittsfeld. was made q
town June 10. In 1919. the name OF
the town of Pegypscott was changed
to Danville. but Danville was later
absorbed by Auburn. the name being
retained as village and railroad sta
tion.
Probably every town in the 1919
centenary list will have a celebration.
The people of Pittsfeld, the largest
Of the centennial towns, have for some
time been considering plans. This
town was incorporated as Warsaw.
but in 1924 was.changed to Pittsiicld.
in honor of William Pitts of Boston,
who owned much of the town.
Pittsfield is the seat of the Maine
Central Institute. 1t is on the Main
line Of the Maine Central Railroad. 40
miles east of this city and 35 miles
west of Bangor. 1t is also the juno
ton OF the Hartland branch, formerly
the Somerset & Moosehead Railroad
Its population is about 5000. The
Sebasticook river furnishes a reliable
water power for it's mills.
The town was settled in 1795-1SO0.
mostly by people who came over from
the Kennebec Valley attracted by the
fine farming lands. 1t was then known
as Plymouth Gore, part of the Ken
nebec purchase. 1t organized as
Sebasticook plantation. In 1928 is ac-
quired 1900 acres of land belonging to
Joseph Warren of Boston. set off from
the town of Palmyra.
Knox. Thorndike and Newburg are
neighboring towns. their incorporation
100 years ago marking the settlement
and growth of the southern central
section of the State in what is now
northern Waldo and southern Penob-
scot counties. Thorndike and Knox
are adjoining farming communities
with stations on the Belfast branch OF
the Maine Central Railroad. Thorn
dixie was originally Lincoln plantation
and it's present name was for Isreal
Thorndike one Of the original proprie-
tors. In 1850 it had over 1000 iAhabi-
tants. Now the population is hardly
more than half that number but the
valuation is double.
Knox was settled in about 1900 and
| was named for Gen. Henry Knox. who
owned much of the land at one time
| The town has about 500 population.
Newburgh was also part of the
original Waldo patent and lies to tht
north of the towns mentioned and
within II miles of Bangor. An earl.
settler. Benjamin Bussey, bought the
most of the land from Gen Knox bu,
held it at SO high value that settlers
took it un slowly. After his death
more favorable terms were made and
! much of the land sold. The town has
about 700 population.
Atkinson is a farming town IN Pts
cataQus county. six miles from Dover
the county seat. and short distance
from the line of the Bangor &c Aroos-
took Railroads Moosehead Lake
branch. The land of this town was
sold originally for - cents an acre
and much of it was eventually bought
by Oliver Crosby and Judge Atkinson
Of Dover. \. II. 1t was named for tho
latter. Atkinson now has a population
of about $50.
The city of Bangor is making plans
for the 150th anniversary of its set
tlement which comes in 1aIS Els
worth will have an observance Of the
50th anniversary of its incorporation
as CITY Feb G.