Gazetteer of the State of Maine With Numerous Illustrations, by Geo. J. Varney

BOSTON: PUBLISHED BY B. B. RUSSELL, 57 CORNHILL. 1882. Public domain image from

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04    GAZETTEER OF MAINE.

bridges over the Piscataquis within the limits of the town,—one being
'    100 the other 120 feet long. There are two railroad stations in the

town. Much change has been produced in the business by the railway
completed in 1874, which gives it an easy connection with Bangor.
At Upper village there are a lumber, excelsior and spool mills, a grist
mill, a furniture and a pump factory and a brick yard. There are also
one or more lumber mills in other parts of the town. The Congrega-
tionalists, Baptists and Free Baptists have each a church in Abbot.
There are eight public school-houses, valued at $1,500. The valuation
;    of estates in 1870 was $155,197. In 1880, it was $174,669. The po-

^!    pulation, according to the census of 1880, is 695. In 1870, it was 712.

Acadia, or Acadie,—a name formerly applied by the French
to Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and those portions of Maine lying
east of the Kennebec or of the Penobscot, according as France at
different times thought best to claim one or the other as the western
boundary of her Atlantic territories.

Acton, in York County, lies for its whole length of 9 miles
along the New Hamshire border,—Salmon Falls River forming the
boundary for three-fourths of this distance. On the north is Newfield,
and on the south, Lebanon. On the east, it is bounded by Shapleigh,
from which it was incorporated in 1830. Consequently much of its
early history may be found under that head. Benjamin Kimens,

^:    Clement    Steel and John York were the first settlers, locating at the

center (Acton Corner) in 1776. At about the same time a road was
cut nearly through the town from north to south, which soon brought
' an increase of settlers. The first grist mill was built in 1779.

,    A    Congregationalist church was formed in 1781, and a pastor

(Joseph Brown), first settled in 1796. Theirs was the first meeting-house
in town. It was built in 1794, about 2J miles south of Acton Corner.
In 1827 the Society erected a new meeting-house at Acton Corner.

A Baptist church was formed in 1781, by Nehemiah Davis, who
was the first minister. In 1802 their house of worship was erected
near the first Congregationalist house; and a new house was erected
upon the same site in 1840.

The present Free Baptist church was formed In 1801, by Gershom
Lord,—its first preacher. In 1818, a house of worship was erected in
the west part of the town near Milton Mills, near where their house
of worship now stands. A second society, called the Union Society of
Acton was formed in 1840, and a house built the same year at the
south part of the town.

A Methodist church was formed in 1826. Their first regular
preaching was in 1837, by Henry Linscott. A meeting-house was
erected at Acton Corner in 1840.

The parsonage lot, consisting of about 300 acres, was sold in
1823, and 1843; the proceeds of the sale were divided among the
societies mentioned, according to the number of polls in each. There
is now in addition to these a church of the Christian denomination.

Ralph Farnum, a soldier of the Revolution, died in 1860 at the age
of one hundred and four years. The town has sent out many profes-
sional men.