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

FRYEBURG.    245

Friendship, the south-western town of Knox County, is
situated at the north-west side of Muscongus Bay. On the north-wmst
is Waldoboro, and on the east, Cushing. Friendship River forms the
larger part of the boundary line on this side, and the outlet of South-
west Pond forms its entire line with Waldoboro. The greatest iength
of the town is from north-east to south-west.    The area is about

8,000 acres of mainland, and Friendship Long Island, nearly 3 miles
long, and Moses Island, about half as large, containing 85 acres. The
surface of the town is very rough and ledgy, having but a thin layer of
sand and alluvium.

Friendship was a part of the Muscongus or Waldo patent, and the
original deeds are from General Waldo. The Indian and the planta-
tion name of the town was Meduncook, signifying “ Sandy Harbor.”
Yet the term seems inappropriate, for the shore is rock-bound, and in
some parts are bold bluffs where ships may ride at anchor in safety in
20 feet of water. The first settlements w'ere in 1750. About this date
a garrison was erected on an island in the southern part; which, from
this circumstance, bears the name of Garrison Island. It is connected
with the main at low water. James Bradford, who was one of the first
inhabitants, settled near the fort. In 1754, there were resident here 22
families, among whom occur other names as follows : Jameson, Wads-
worth, Davis, Lowry, Gay, Cushing, Bartlett, Demorse, Bickmore,
Morton and Cook. In the war of 1755 all moved their families with-
in the garrison except Bradford, who believed he could easily reach it
whenever Indians should appear. One morning while he was engaged
in pounding corn, the watchers in the garrison saw savages approach-
ing the house, and at once fired a gun to alarm Bradford’s family.
None of them heard it, and the savages entered the house and killed
Mr. Bradford and his wife with their tomahawks. As her infant fell
from her arms, a daughter some twelve or fourteen years old, sprang
from her concealment under the bed and caught the infant as it fell,
instantly running away with it toward the garrison. The Indians pur-
sued, flinging their tomahawks after her. One of these made a deep
flesh wound, yet she reached the garrison still holding the infant. The
girl recovered from her wound, and, removing to Vermont, became
the mother of a large and respectable family.

The manufactures are mostly at Friendship Village, and consist of
ship and boat building, sail, carriage, boot and shoe making; and there
is one stave and shingle mill in operation. This place is 14 miles south-
west of Rockland. It is on the stage-route from Thomaston to Friend-
ship and thence to Waldoboro.

There is a church of the Methodists, of the Baptists, and of the
Advents in the town. The number of public schoolhouses is seven.
The total school property is valued at $2,000. The valuation of estates
in 1870 was $140,267. In 1880 it was $157,165. The population in
1870 was 890. In 1880 it was 938.

Fryehurg’ is an old and interesting town in Oxford County,
situated between Bridgton, in Cumberland County, and the New Hamp-
shire line. These are its eastern and western boundaries; on the
north lie Stowe, Lovell and Sweden, on the south-east is Denmark, and
on the south, Brownfield. As originally incorporated in 1777, the
town was 2,172 rods square. A triangle of 4,147 acres was taken from