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

LINCOLN COUNTY.    329

and short lumber, spools, leather, meal and flour, marble and granite
work, and others usually found in small villages.

About the year 1825, Israel Heald, John Carpenter, Alfred Gates,
Benjamin Hammond, Stephen Chase, Humphrey Merrill, Ira Fisk, and
others became residents of what is now Lincoln. It is supposed that
there may have been some settlers earlier than these. Not far from
the above date that portion of the territory not already sold to settlers
was purchased by Governor Enoch Lincoln. Those who located on
the Lincoln purchase were mostly from Oxford County, while those in
other parts came from New Hampshire. The first mill appears to
have been on the Mattanawcook Stream, where the lower village now
stands. The construction of the military road to Houlton, which
passed through here, gave the settlements an increased impetus ; and
this village, being quite central for the lumbering operations of the
period, became quite a rendezvous for lumbermen.

Lincoln has churches of the Methodists, Congregationalists and
Baptists. The number of public schoolhouses is eight, and the school
property is valued at $3,000. The valuation of estates in 1870 was
$343,177. In 1880 it was $365,295. The population in 1870 was 1,530.
In 1880 it was 1,659.

LillCOlll COllllty occupies a middle place on the coast of
Maine in respect to population, and no county of equal territory has so
many harbors and havens. It is much cut up by arms of the sea and
pond-like rivers, but there are no great variations of altitude in the
surface. Damariscotta River occupies nearly the middle line of the
county, extending from north to south. East of this and parallel
thereto is the line of Muscongus Bay, its extension inland as Broad Bay,
and Medomac River. Parallel on the west is the Sheepscot River,
with its excellent harbor. This county is bounded on the east by Knox
County, west by Sagadahoc and Kennebec, and north by the last,
Waldo and Knox, and south by the ocean. TheKnoxtfe Lin.r.r. crosses it.

Lincoln County was established in 1760, at the same time with
Cumberland County. The easterly line of Cumberland was then the
westerly line of Lincoln. “ From the time of its formation until the
erection of Hancock and Washington Counties in 1789, Lincoln ex-
tended over quite three-fifths of the territory of the province.” Its
westerly line was ‘ from Small Point north-westerly upon Casco Bay
to New Meadows River, and up said river to Steven’s carrying place at
the head of said river, and up said river 30 miles; then north two
degrees west on a true course to the utmost limit of the province.’ Its
north was Canada, its east Nova Scotia, and its south the ocean.
Hancock County came across Penobscot Bay and river, and took
in nearly the whole of the Waldo patent. In 1799, the organization
of Kennebec took four-fifths of what remained after the formation of
Hancock. Lincoln then continued undisturbed until 1827, when it
parted with six towns to form Waldo ; and it had an equal run of time
again, down to the organization of Androscoggin and Sagadahoc, in
1854, when the former received three towns from it, and the latter was
made entirely from it.” In 1860 (the centennial of Lincoln County),
Knox County was organized, taking from her nine more towns, leaving
the parent county with but 17 towns and a plantation to her name.
In still earlier time this region had been claimed by France as a part