A Bit of Maine Mining History Sprague's Journal of Maine History Vol. V NOVEMBER DECEMBER JANUARY 1917-18 No.4 page 162 SPRAGUE'S JOURNAL OF MAINE HISTORY A Bit of Maine Mining History Hon. Arthur I. Brown, of Belfast in a recent issue of the Republican Journal says: Preparations are being made to reopen and operate the old Douglass copper mine in Bluehill. It will be remembered by many, that a little less than forty years ago a mining craze swept over the state. The excitement was centered in Bluehill where copper ore was found and in Sullivan where the metal sought was silver. The Douglass was one of the pioneer mines. At least eleven so-called mines were opened within half a mile of the Douglass, the most noted of which were the Bluehill and the Twin Lead. The region where these operations were carried on is broken by an irregular chain of ledge hills, not very high, the foot-hills of Bluehill mountain. A road winds along between these hills, which seemed to me never to have been built but to, have evolved from an old logging road. The hills are mostly covered with a scanty and half starved growth of trees. The only farm within the mining area was the Douglass farm. Here lived Uncle Veenie Douglass, as we all called that good old man. His wife was a sister of Capt. Robert and Mr. Thomas Limeburner, who were so long residents of Belfast. A fine old couple they were, growing old together in their snug, little white house which was upon the sunny side of a few green acres of stony fields. Adjoining the fields on the westerly side was a pasture where was a little earth in places and much bald ledge. This pasture was of some 15 or 20 acres in extent and when the Douglass mine was organized the incorporators paid Uncle Veenie $10,000 in good American money for the pasture and here was then, and now is, the Douglass mine. Wells March 7th 1777 To the Hon. Counsell and House of Representatives now setting at Boston your Petitioner Prays that you will grant him Liberty to send a vessell that he has loaded in Wells to any French Ports in the Westingies that your Honors shall think proper. Westingies goods is very much wanting with us for we Cant et any to the Westward were we always got our supplies So your Petitioner prays your Honors to give him a permite and your Petitioner will ever Pray. Joshua Bragdon (Documentary History of Maine (Baxter Manuscripts), Vol. 1.5, page 59) (c) 1998 Courtesy of the Androscoggin Historical Society ************************************************* * * * * NOTICE: Printing the files within by non-commercial individuals and libraries is encouraged, as long as all notices and submitter information is included. Any other use, including copying files to other sites requires permission from the submitters PRIOR to uploading to any other sites. We encourage links to the state and county table of contents. * * * * The USGenWeb Project makes no claims or estimates of the validity of the information submitted and reminds you that each new piece of information must be researched and proved or disproved by weight of evidence. It is always best to consult the original material for verification.