Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1921-03-10
Editors Letter Box
The sesquieentenary of HaIIowe


1t is we'll known that Hallowell is
one of the oldest towns in Maine, but
probably few realize that this year
marks the one hundred and fiftieth
anniversary of it's incorporation as
town. On April 26, 1771, an act was
passed by '.the governor, council, and
house of representatives" of MaSsa-
chusetts Incorporating the town on
the Kennebec. 1t was given the name
of Hallowell in honor of Benjamin
Hallowell, a wealthy merchant of
Boston and one of the proprietors of
the Plymouth Company who owned
tract of 5000 acres in the new town.
His son, Briggs Hallowell, was one
of the early settlers, having a house
just north of Vaughan brook, near the
old car barn. The beautiful old elms
there may have been planted at that
early time.
The town. then consisted of a track
of 65,715 acres including the present
territory of Augusta, Hallowell, Chel-
sea, and a large part of Manchester
and Farmingdale. This land was to
.. large extent covered with the pri-
meval forest, for only two settlements
had been made along the river. one
at Fort Western in Augusta and the
other at Hallowell.
The first settlement was at Cushnoc
or Kouissinok as the Indians called it,
where trading post had been estab
lished by the Plymouth Company as
early as 1928. Thither John Winslow,
Gov. Bradford, Capt. Miles Standish.
John Alden and other Pilgrims used
to make their way by boat up the Ken
nebec to exchange their commodities
with the Indians for beaver skins. So
we trace our history back to the Pill
grim Fathers that laid the founda-
tons Of civil and religious liberty in
the new world. After a time trade
declined and. the French and Indians
became SO hostile to the English that
this trading post was abandoned.
Later the Plymouth Company built
three forts at different points along
the river for protection against their
enemies. The last of these to be
erected, Fort Western, was completed
in 1854. After the fall of Quebec
these forts were no longer necessary.
The commander of the fort. Captain
James Howard, however, continued
to stay here and became the first set
tier. The land roundabout was sur
veyed and opened for settlement.
Capt. Howard bought the fort tract"
and opened a store for the convent
ence of the settlers. -
In 1852 Pease Clark andF his son
Peter and their families came from
Attleboro, Mass, and took up some
land in Hallowell. AS this was a
dense wilderness, they spent the first
night under cart they had brought.
The next day they built a cabin of
boughs near the site of the Marston
and Brooks factory. Later land was
cleared, logs hewn and the first house
built in the neighborhood of Acad-
envy street. Other settlers soon came.
The Indians called the place Medium
cook from which may have come the
name Bombahook which later was
contracted into the Hook.
Soon after the incorporation of
these two settlements as a town in
1771, the first town meeting was held
May % at the fort. The voters, about
thirty in number, elected as select
men, Pease Clark, James Howard and
Jonathan Davenport. At this meet
ing they voted G36 for clearing roads
and SIG for schooling. The next year
an appropriation was made for
schooling and preaching. The people,
evidently were of the good old Puri-
tan stock that put religion and edu-
cation first.
In 1891 a charter was granted for
the establishing of the Hallowell
Academy, the first institution of
learning to be incorporated in the
district of Maine. This added to the
intellectual prestige of the Hook
which already was enjoying much
commercial prosperity and surpass-
ing the up-river community. AS
might be expected, a feeling of rival