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History of Androscoggin County, Maine

From innumerable sources of information, — many of them broken, fragmentary, and imperfect, — from books, manuscripts, records, and private documents, we have gathered much of value respecting this valley of Androscoggin and its savage and civilized occupancy. In our labors we have endeavored to separate truth from error, fact from fiction, as they come down to us from the half-forgotten days in legend, tradition and the annals of the past.

We express our thanks to those who have willingly given of their time and labor to aid us; to those who have contributed the illustrations, thereby adding much to the value of this work; to those whose cheering words and earnest assistance have ever been at our service; and to those whose courtesy has been extended to us during our sojourn in this most progressive of counties.

Table of Contents

Chapter I... 17
The County of Androscoggin.

Chapter II... 22
Geology.

Chapter III... 32
The Androscoggin River.

Chapter IV... 44
Aboriginal Tribes and History.

Chapter V... 49
Early Titles, Occupancy, Etc.

Chapter VI... 56
The Pejepscot Claim.

Chapter VII... 64
Early Settlements.

Chapter VIII... 69
The Birds of Androscoggin County.

Chapter IX... 94
Mail Routes, Railroads, and Post-offices.

Chapter X... 105
Military Affairs.

Chapter XI... 183
Bates College.

Chapter XII... 208
Masonic and Odd Fellow Societies.

Chapter XIII... 281
The Press of Androscoggin.

Chapter XIV... 300
National, State, and County Officers.

Chapter XV... 307
The Courts and Bench and Bar.

CITIES AND TOWNS. - EASTERN DIVISION.

LEWISTON. - (By J. G. Elder).

Chapter XVI... 343
The Town.

Chapter XVII... 357
Ecclesiastical History — Church Organizations — Schools.

Chapter XVIII... 382
Saw and Grist Mills - Lewiston Falls Water-Power Co. — R.C. Pingree & Co. — Read, Small & Co. — Barker's Mills — Other Mills — Lewiston Falls Manufacturing Co. — The First Cotton Mill — Lewiston Water-Power Co. — Franklin Co. — Lincoln Mill — Bates Manufacturing Company — Hill Manufacturing Co. — Androscoggin Mill — Continental Mills— The Lewiston Mill — Avon Mill — Lewiston Bleachery — Cowan Woolen Co. — Cumberland Mill — Union Water-Power Co. — Lewiston Machine Co. — Gay- Woodman Co. — Jordan, Frost & Co. — Lewiston Bobbin Shoii— H.H. Dickey & Son — Lewiston Monumental Works — Other Manufactures.

Chapter XIX... 395
Railroads — County and State Agricultural Societies — Fire Department — Lewiston Gas Light Co. — Manufacturers and Mechanics Library Association — Lewiston City Buildings — City Park — Soldiers' Monument — Lewiston Water Works — Lewiston & Auburn Horse Railroad — First National Bank — Manufacturers National Bank — Androscoggin County Savings Bank — People's Savings Bank - Board of Trade — Central Maine General Hospital — French Hospital — Y. M. C. A. — Nealey Rifles — Frye Light Guards — Associations.

Chapter XX... 406
Physicians — Merchants — Business Interests — Personal Sketches — Resume.

LISBON. — (By Asa P. Moore, Esq.).

Chapter XXI... 433
Early Boundaries — Petitions — Town of Bowdoin — Incorporation of Thompsonborough — Situation, Limits, and Formation — Surface and Soil — Description — Old Houses — Education — Occupation of First Settlers — Early History — Other Settlers and Descendants — Early Mills — War of 1812 — Physicians — First Town Meeting of Thompsonborough — School Districts — Extracts from Town Records — Action in the Civil War — Civil List.

Chapter XXII... 450
Religious Societies — Free Baptists — Congregationalists — Universalists — Methodists — Baptist Church of Lisbon Falls — The Roman Catholic Church.

Chapter XXIII... 456
Lisbon Business Interests — Traders, etc. — Farwell's Cotton Mills— The Farnsworth Co. — New England Mineral Paint Co. — Personal Sketches — Lisbon Falls — Worumbo Manufacturing Co. — The Androscoggin Water-Power Co. — Lisbon Falls Fibre Co. — Lisbon Falls Cooperative Association — Lisbon Falls Creamery Association — Merchants, etc. — Personal Sketches.

WEBSTER.

Chapter XXIV... 468
Incorporation — Elevations, Ponds, and Streams — Grants, Surveys, and Soil — Settlers — Early Roads — Some First Things — Early Values — First Magistrates — Lawyers — Physicians — Other Settlers and Descendants — First Town Meeting and Excerpts from Town Records — Webster in the Civil War — Civil List.

Chapter XXV... 477
Sabattus — Saw and Grist Mills — Niles's Mills — Webster Woolen Co. — Traders, etc. — Sabattus Cooperative Association — Webster Corner — Farmers — Churches — Schools.

WALES. — (By John C. Fogg, Esq.).

Chapter XXVI... 485
Organization - Surface and Soil— Settlements and Settlers — Churches— Schools — Mills and Manufactures — Civil List and Town Records — Action in the Rebellion.

GREENE.

Chapter XXVII... 499
Area — Boundaries — Elevations — Ponds — Soil — Productions — The First Settlers — Petition for Incorporation — Remonstrance Against Incorporation— Incorporation — Development of Business — Pearly Conveyances — Valuation and Residents in 1818 — Lots and Occupants in 1820 — Gleanings from Town Records — Early Action Concerning Schools.

Chapter XXVIII... 511
Settlers and Descendants.

Chapter XXIX... 529
Baptist Church — First Meeting-House — First Church Bell — Universalism — Free Baptist Church — Methodists — Adventists — Schools and Teachers — Temperance — Revolution — War of 1812 — Madawaska War— Rebellion — Centennial — Longevity — Burying Grounds — Physicians — Orcharding and Orchardists — Merchants — Some Smart Things Done by Greene Men - Natives of Greene Attaining Prominence — Civil List.

LEEDS.

Chapter XXX... 550
Boundaries — Formation-Surface and Soil — Dead River — Its Peculiarities — Indian Village — Thomas and Roger Stinchfield — Early Settlers — Heads of Families in the First Part of this Century — Character of the Early Settlers — Soldiers of the Revolutionary War and War of 1812 — Early Roads.

Chapter XXXI... 557
Excerpts from Town Records — First Town Meeting — First Officers — Action in the Civil War — Civil List.

Chapter XXXII. 562
The First Baptist Church — Universalism — Methodism — The First Freewill Baptist Church — The Quakers— Schools — Temperance — Mills — Other Industries — Sketches.

EAST LIVERMORE. — (By Cyrus Knapp, Esq.).

Chapter XXXIII 584
Incorporation — Topography — Livermore Falls — Early Mills — Freshet — Early Business Places and Residences — Advent of the Railroad — Hotels and Stores — Dr Millett and Lawyer Knapp — Toll Bridge — Railroad Extension — Mills and Manufacturing — Churches — I.O. G.T. — Camp-Ground — Physicians — Lawyers — Civil List — Personal Sketches.

CITIES AND TOWNS-WESTERN DIVISION.

AUBURN.

Chapter XXXIV... 599
Auburn — Indian Occupancy — Territory — Title — Surface — Soil — Early Settlers and Lots — Incorporation— Action and Growth — Goff's Corner — Early Settlements— Stores and Traders — The Carpet Factory — First Teacher— First Hotel — Increase in Values — Business Houses in 185 1— Formation of Androscoggin County — The Great Fire — Auburn Village Corporation - Auburn Village in 1859 — East Auburn — West Auburn — North Auburn — Stevens Mills — New Auburn.

Chapter XXXV... 611
City of Auburn.

Chapter XXXVI... 627
Early Shoe Manufacturing — Progress from 1800 to 1870 — Manufacturers Twenty Years Ago — Statistics from 1871 to 1881 — Manufacturers Ten Years Ago — From 1881 to 1891 — Shoe and Other Manufactories, January, 1891 — The Shoe Companies — Other Manufacturing — Minor Industries, etc.

Chapter XXXVII... 642
Auburn Bank — First National Bank — Auburn Savings Bank — National Shoe and Leather Bank — Mechanics Savings Bank — American Banking and Trust Co. — Auburn Trust Co. — Municipal Court — Board of Trade — Maine Benefit Association — Auburn Loan and Building Association — Androscoggin Land Association — Lake Auburn Fish Protective Association — Auburn Aqueduct Co. — Little Androscoggin WaterPower Co. — Lewiston and Auburn Electric Light Co. — Physicians — Leading Traders — Merchants and Business Men — Organizations.

Chapter XXXVIII... 657
Universalist Churches — Congregational Churches — Baptist Churches — Free Baptist Church — Methodist Episcopal Churches — Episcopal Church — Y.M.C.A. — Schools — Ladies' Charitable Society — Auburn Art Club — Associated Charities — Public Library.

DANVILLE. — (By George Thomas Little).

Chapter XXXIX... 691
Municipal Affairs — Civil List — Settlement and Social Life, etc. — Matters Ecclesiastical.

Chapter XL... 703
Educational History and Lewiston Falls Academy — Biographical.

POLAND.

Chapter XLI... 716
Bakerstown.

Chapter XLIL... 725
Incorporation — Surface and Soil — Early Settlers— Hackett's Mills — Poland Corner — West Poland — Early Traders, etc. — Early Taverns — South Poland — Poland Spring — Mechanic Falls — Paper-Making — Poland Paper Company — Other Business Interests — Mechanic Falls Ledger — Physicians, etc.

Chapter XLIII... 741
Congregational Churches — Universalist Church— Methodist Episcopal Church — Freewill Baptist Churches — Adventism — Shakers — Baptist Church — Gleanings from Town Records - Civil List.

MINOT.

Chapter XLIV... 757
Incorporation — Boundaries — Name— Physical Features, Soil, Population and Valuation — First Settler — Captain Daniel Bucknam and Descendants — Early and Other Settlers — Voters of 1800.

Chapter XLV... 768
Town Records, Happenings, etc. — Minot in the War — Civil List— Churches — Schools — Physicians.

Chapter XLVI... 779
Mechanic Falls — Minot Corner — West Minot — Some of Minot's Principal Farmers from 1840.

DURHAM.

Chapter XLVII... 791
Derivation of Name — Boundaries — Surface and Soil — Royalsborough — First Plantation Meeting — Extracts from Plantation Records — Plantation Committees — Incorporation of Durham — First Town Meeting — Extracts from Town Records — War of 1812 — Rebellion — Civil List.

Chapter XLVIII... 796
Prominent Early and Other Settlers — Congregational Church — First Free Baptist Church — Quakers — Methodist Episcopal Church — Baptist Church — Universalists — Temperance — Centennial — Growth and Prosperity — Hotels, Traders, etc.

TURNER.

Chapter XLIX... 806
Boundaries — Township Granted— Sylvester-Cauada — Names of Proprietors — Description — Attempts at Settlement — Pioneer and Other Settlers — Inhabitants in 1780 — 1790 — 1800 — Town Annals, etc.

Chapter L... 815
County Roads and Taverns — Industries, Traders, etc. — Turner Village — Turner Centre - North Turner — Keen's Mills — Chase's Mill s— Bridges — Civil List.

Chapter LI... 825
Ecclesiastical — Congregationalism — The Baptists — Universalism — Methodist Episcopal Church — Meeting-Houses — Schools — Temperance — Physicians — Lawyers — Centennial — Something About Some of the People.

LIVERMORE.

Chapter LII... 842
Situation — Soil — Incorporation — First Meeting and Names of Proprietors — Extracts from Proprietors' Records— Something Concerning the Earliest Settlers — Early Boundaries — What Paul Coffin Writes of the People — Other Settlers, etc.

Chapter LIII... 856
Excerpts from Town Records — Early Mills — Early Traders and Tradesmen — Livermore Village— North Livermore — Livermore Centre — Farmers — Revolutionary Soldiers — Early Militia — War of 1812 — Civil War — Ecclesiastical — Physicians and Lawyers — Education — The Norlands — Washburn Memorial Library — Civil List.

Appendix — Knights of Pythias... 873

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