Daily Kennebec journal., 1922-01-31
Interesting Facts
Recalled Connection
County History

East w lnlHTOp, ME-, Jdu oU-l udI
there are many interesting facts in
connection with the history Of Ken
nebec County was adequately dem
onstrated in a paper recently pre-
sented before literary club of East
Winthrop by Mrs. Stella Stone, a
member.
The origin of the name kennebec
was first considered by Mrs. Stone
who said "one writer claims it was
ramed for Chief kennebis meaning
long water place or long river; an
other that it came from the Indian
work kennibik, meaning serpent or
monster which the Indians believed
caused the dangerous rapids and cur
rents at He'll Gate; the name Hoco-
mock (the Indian bad place. given
to a bold headland, also carries out
that idea"
Kennebec County, much larger at
it's incorporation than at the present
time, was the sixth county to come
into existence on the date Of Febru-
airy 20, 1899, the manuscript contin-
ues. At the present time with an
area of $50 square miles it contains
four cities, 25 towns and one organ
lied plantation. Prior to 1900 the
principal products were furs. pota-
toes, pitch and good supply of fish.
Industrial resources have, however,
changed with advancing years; an
ice business which was very eXten-
sive has almost t6ntirely disappeared
except for local use: shipbuilding, in
it's prime from 1774 to 1860 particu-
larIy in Hallowell, Gardiner and
Pittston has gone: the granite busi-
ness is greatly reduced. After these
more general statements the paper
takes up in detail the characteristics
of particular communities, consider
ing history, industries, location and
other interesting material.
The various facts concerning sew
eral of the towns bring into the dis
cussion information of more than
casual interest. Augusta, first to
come before the writer's attention.
was the site of the ancient Cushnoc
a trading post built eight years after
the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth, first
called Harrington, afterward changed
TO Augusta, June 5, 1897 and granted
a city charter in 1S49. Her Oldest
house is Fort Western, built in 1854;
the Britt house, log cabin on the
west bank of the kennebec. con-
structed in 1880 by a Hessian soldier,
being next in age.
Hallowell, first known as Bomba
hook, is the most ancient settlement
of the county. At one time it was
an exceedingly busy business center
being the connecting link between
the up county towns and the sea.
Two of Names noted authors, Mat
tie Baker Dunn and Emma Hunting
ton Mason claimed Hallowell as their
birthplace. Gardiner, once Gardiner
ston. was originally a part of Pitts
ton. becoming city in 1850. Ticonic
Fails site of splendid water power
and a resultant shipbuilding indus
try eventually became the WatcrYille
of today.
Clinton on the Sebasticook Is dis
tinctive as one of the most enter
prising of the county towns. Settled
about the year 1775 under the name
of Hancock it has developed num-
ber Of profitable industries, while
continuing to maintain its name as
a farming community.
China has an interesting back
ground of history. Its original des-
icnation was Jones Plantation in
honor of one of the earliest surveyors
of the region, but it was Incorporated
under the name OF. Harlem, later on
part of Harlem, Albion And Winslow
uniting to form China town in 1918.
For a long TING it was bone OF con-
tention between the French and
English in connection with the Ply.
mouth Patent. :
Numerous families by the name of
smith in 1776 gave the name Of
smithfield Plantation to the COM
munity now known as Litchfield.
which boasts q splendid water power.
4 family Of Piymptons ct one time