Sketch of Pittston From The Separation "The History of Gardiner, Pittston, and West Gardiner", by J.W. Hanson, pub. by William Palmer 1852. Chapter V - Sketch of Pittston From The Separation The events since the separation of Gardiner from Pittston have not been of a remarkable character in either town. Pittston has been steadily growing, and those arts and pursuits that are the elements of prosperity, have been largely possessed. The first inhabitants and owners of property after the separation, may be known by the following list of taxpayers, for the year 1803. Copied verbatim. Pittston 1803 -- The road from Beech Hill to Eastern River, that from Samuel Marson's to the County road, and that from Reed's saw-mill to the road from Pittston to Millford, were accepted in 1804* The town landing (on Eastern River, below the mills, commonly called the board landing,) was laid out in 1804. The town remonstrated with the state legislature in 1806, through a committee consisting of Samuel Bishop, Samuel Oakman and Reuben Colburn, against the erection of a bridge at Swan Island. The representative to Boston was instructed to vote against the project. In the year 1807, the people of Pittston were opposed to erecting the State of Maine from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The vote stood, for, 24; against, 64. In 1808 the town refused to petition the President to take off the embargo; but passed several resolutions professing a determination to support Government and the Executive. Pittston was divided into two parishes in the year 1810. The line was run by Carr Barker, a quaker, on "the 8th day of the 11th month, 1810". November 23, 1811, it was "voted that the town should petition to the Legislature of this Commonwealth to grant them some relief on Worromatogus bridge, so called, by a lottery or some other means." The State listened to the request, and granted the town a township of land. The bridge was repaired at an expense of $1800. (c) 1998 Courtesy of Gardiner Me. US GenWeb Project ************************************************* * * * * 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. In the year 1812, there was a great zeal in behalf of the country. The town voted "to raise a sum of money to make the detached militia now drafted up ten dollars per month for six months after they are called for into actual service, and assist after they return, provided they return in six months after they are called for into actual service, providing the Government do not allow it. Voted, that the above addition sum shall be paid to the family of those detached militia, if they stand in need in their absence." During the year 1814 a very mortal sickness, called the cold fever, prevailed. Pittston lost some of its beset people thereby. Benjamin Colburn, Sen., d. April 18; Benjamin Colburn, Jr., d. May 1; Hannah Colburn, d. Apr 29; Judah Eldred, d. Apr 27; John Gardiner, d. Apr. 20; Levi Shorely, d. March 25; John Clark, d. March 28; Jno. Barker, d. May 17; Samuel Barker, d. Apr. 17; Mrs. Asa Parker, d. May 18; Widow Hobart, d. May 19; Widow Dunham, d. Jan 6; Thomas Dow, d. March 3; Widow Bailey, d. march 20; James Clark, d. March 24; Widow Clark, d. March 25; John Goodwin, d. March 19. David Neal was chosen in 1816 to attend a Convention held in Brunswick in reference to a separation from Massachusetts. The question of separation was taken in town meeting, and resulted, yeas, 52; nays, 34. In 1819, the vote was 64 yeas and 18 nays, and Eli Young was chosen a delegate to the Convention which met in Portland, in October of that year, for the purpose of framing a Constitution. When the constitution was presented to the people, the vote was 20 for, and 8 against. At the time Maine became a distinct State the statistics of Pittston were taken, and the following productions were reported for the year 1820: - 446 acres of tillage; 1747 acres of upland mowing; 28 acres of fresh mowing; 1613 acres of pasture; 176 barns; 116 horses; 278 oxen; 478 cows; 251 swine; 2061 bushels of Indian corn; 87 bushels of wheat; 25 bushels of rye; 222 bushels of oats; 101 bushels of barley; 86 bushels of peas and beans; 1511 tons of upland hay; and 23 tons of fresh hay; 633 tons of shipping; $4,400 of stock in trade. The average wealth to each individual in the State being called $100, the average in Pittston was $101, showing that the people were better off than the average. Sept. 9, 1833, it was "voted, that no license be granted by the selectmen for the retailing of spirituous liquors. Voted, that the town instruct the Town Agent to compain of all persons who shall sell Spirituous Liquors. Also voted that special agents be chosen to see that the laws are not violated, and to prosecute all persons who sell spirituous liquors in this town." Samuel Clark, George Williamson, and Leonard Blanchard, were chosen for that purpose, and in the year following it was resolved by the town that "no licenses be granted by the proper officers for the retailing of spitiuous liquors to be drank in stores or shops. Samuel Clark, Leonard Blanchard, Benjamin Follansbee, Jr., Charles Loud and Dudley Young, were constituted a committee to compain of all persons who should sell spirituous liquors in the town. The lines were perambulated and finally adjusted between Pittston, Dresden and Alan, October 21, 1844; and this year the town sold the old meeting-house and built a Town House. A strip of land fifty rods long ont he river was taken from Hallowell, (now Chelsea,) that winter and added to Pittston. This included land belonging to Rufus White, John Dow, and George Lyon. The annexed tables of votes, taxes, officers, etc., of Pittston, will inform the reader of various matters of interest which has transpired in the town. The town of Pittston, County of Kennebec, State of Maine, as it now exists, lies on the eastern side of the Kennebec river, about 78 miles south-west from Bangor, 53 miles north-east from Portland, and six miles south from Augusta. It is bounded north by Chelsea, east by Whitefield, south by Alna and Dresden, and weset by the Kennebec which separates it from Gardiner and Bowdoinham. It is in 44 degrees 10 minutes north latitude, and 7 degrees 30 minutes least longitude from Washington. It contains an area of about 21,300 acres, of which 20,962 are land, and 330 are water. There are 365 acres, of 52 3/4 miles of roads. It is about seven miles long, frm north to south, and five miles wide from east to weset. The soil is much diversified, with hills and valleys, and ponds and streams, and is generally very excellent, especially ont he Eastern River and the Kennebec. There is much clayey loam, which is found to be very fertile. When the town was first settled, much of the wood was white oak. The most remarkable geological localities are said to be the Pebble Hills, situated in the south-western part of the town, on the original Haley log. These hills consist almost entirely of small sized pebbles, drifted into slight eminences, and so correctly are they named that although excavations have been made to the depth of eighty feet, almost nothing else can be found. In digging six or eight feet, the pebbles are entirely free from dirt. This place has long been famous for being the resort of Gold diggers, -- or rather those who have desired to be Gold diggers, for it harly need be added, that gold cannot be found in this locality, without the alchemy of some branch of productive industry. The idea that hidden treasures are concealed among those pebbles had its origin in the Lambert fraud, at the commencement of the present century, and int he Eldred discovery, in 1814. The Kennebec River runs seven miles and forty rods, or, on the whole western boundary of Pittston, and has an average width of about fifty rods. Nahumkeag island, containing three or four acres, lies between Pittston and Gardiner. Eastern River rises in Whitefield, and enters East Pittston near John Kaley's farm, and runs a southerly course and empties into the Kennebec as Dresden. Where the stream enters Dresden it is twenty-three tods wide, and the tide flows up about three miles into Pittston. Above this, at and near the village of East Pittston, are several mills. The Worromotogus has one branch, -- Meadow Brook, -- which rises in Chelsea Meadow, and has a very considerable fall and mill privilege at the outlet, and after running about a half mile, empties into the main river. The main branch rises in Togus Pond, in Augusta, and runs entirely through Chelsea, and about two miles in Pittston and empties into the Kennebec, being about seven miles long. The water power here is excellent. It is related that alewives were so plenty there at the time the country was settled, that bears, and later, swine, fed ont hem in the water. They were crowded ashore by thousands. Mrs. David Philbrook, who was a McCausland, was very much in want of a sprinning wheel. One day she took a dip net, and caught seven barrels of alewives int he Togus, and took two barrels in a canoe, and paddled them down to Mr. Winslow's, and exchanged them for a wheel.(George Lyon.) The medicinal qualities of the Togus Springs are well known, and their healing powers have been experienced by many. The proportions of the different ingredients have never been ascertained, but the water contains, according to an analysis made by Professor Cleveland for Dr. Page, Carbonic Acid, Sulphur, Hydrogen, Soda, Lime, Magnesia, and a small quantity of Iron(Simon page, Esq.). Nahumkeag stream rises int he pond bearing the same name, and runs to Agry's Point, where it joins the Kennebec. It is a fine stream and has some water power. Naumkeag was the original name of the land now occupied by the city of Salem, and also that of the city of Lowell, Massachusetts. It signified in the dialect of the Massachusetts Indians: "A good place to catch fish." It is frequently spelt Nahumkee, or Negumkike, and is doubless the same word. Nahumkeag brook empties near Nahumkeag Island, and has become noted in Eastern history for being the place which a portion of the opponents of the Plymouth Grant attempted to make its southern boundary. Besides these, are Eastman's, Bailey's, Follansbee's, Blair's and some other brooks. Bailey's brook carries a shingle machine. Nahumkeag Pond is a fine sheet of water of about 175 acres, lying 420 rods east of the Kennebec, and Joy's Pond, which touches Whitefield, is a pleasant body of water. The town of Pittston possesses a rual population, which, from its fruitful soil, obtains an abundant supply to the wants of life. The village is located very prettily on the bank of the Kennebec, and the town is known for the thrift and energy of the people, and especially for the great number of sailors and masters of vessels who have gone forth from its limits. Perhaps no town in America has sent out so many and so distinguished sea captains, in proportion to its whole population, as Pittston. Agricultural pursuits and ship-building and following the seas, are the principals employments of the people. When the United States Arsenal was about being built, the Topographical Engineers located the buildings just about the village, where Mr. William Stevens now lives; but the adroit management of the politicians deprived Pittston of the advantage which the Arsenal would doubtless have conferred. The present condition of Pittston may be learned by consulting the -- Statistics for the Year 1850. Population, 2823; deaths, 44; farms, 239; productive establishments, 8; houses, 484; paupers, 44, costing the town $744; books in libraries, 1300 vols; valuation of the town, $647,474; horses, 160; cows, 700; oxen, 320; other catthe, 484; sheep, 1200; swine, 117; bushels wheat raised, 284; corn, 6795; oats, 3746; rye, 200; honey and beeswax, 2540 lbs; hay, 4500 tons; cheese, 2600 lbs.; butter, 45000 lbs.; apples, etc. $1500; barley, 600 bushels; potatoes, 4500 bushels; wool, peas, beans, etc; 2,400,000 ft. lumber; 400,000 shingles; 1450 prs. boots and shoes; 100 ploughs, worth $800,e tc. These products are much understated, as where the products of a farm or workshop are under a certain amount, they are not recorded. The following list of the payers of taxes for the year 1851, will show future generations who the inhabitants of the town were, after it had been settled ninety-two years, and also what taxes they paid, if not what property they possessed.