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

336    GAZETTEER    OF MAINE.

afterward purchased White’s Hill. Then Russell Hinckley settled a
short distance beyond White, and Joseph Hinkley near by.

Lisbon was formerly a part of the town of Bowdom, which was a
part of the Kennebec Purchase, Lisbon was incorporated under the
name of Thompsonborough in 1799. It was so named in honor of the
Thompson family, of Topham, who were large owners m what was
then known as Little River Plantation. The name was changed in
1802 to the present one. Little River Plantation (now Lisbon Falls)
was a part of the Pejepscot Purchase, being a gore lying between
Androscoggin, Sabattus and Little rivers, and was annexed to Lisbon
m 1808. In 1840 a portion of the territory was set off from the north-
ern part forming a new town by the    name of Webster.

The first ferry was established    at Southwest    Bend    above    Bend

Island in 1799, by John Dean. In    1810 one was    established    below

the island, and both continued running until 1817 when a bridge was
built. In April, 1810, this bridge was carried away. James Sawyer,
William Green and Lemuel McGrey were on it at the time, and were
carried down the river 400 rods or more, and were taken off by two
men in a batteau. The bridge was rebuilt the same season, and in
1846 was again carried away; and a ferry has been the means of cross-
ing ever since.

Prominent in business or in town affairs in the early part of
tbe present century were Abraham Whitney, Samuel Tilton, Jabez B.
Fletcher, Merrell Jordan, Ebenezer Fellows, Joseph Langden, William
Wise, William Coombs, John Raymond, Jacob Gould, Thomas Roberts,
John Woodward, Stephen and James Whittemore, John Smullen,
Calvin Cowen, Increase Blethen, William Neal, Henry Moulton, James
W. Purinton, William Bucknam, William Bickford, True Woodbury,
Samuel Nichols, Richard Doan, Ephraim Jordan, Nathaniel Herrick,
and others whose names are mentioned nearly as often. Major John
Rowe came about 1817, and lived on Rowe’s Hill, dying in 1822. He
was a soldier of the Revolution, and was also in service during the
French troubles of 1799 and 1800. He kept a diary during the Revo-
lution. Abijah Metcalf served under John Paul Jones during the
Revolution, coming to Lisbon ahout 1787. Daniel Green went into
the army of the Revolution when sixteen years of age. Of the present
business men should be mentioned John G. Tibbits and Edward Plum-
mer, to whom belongs the credit of developing the water-power at
Lisbon Falls. Seeing that the projected Androscoggin Railroad would
render this available, they associated themselves with Oliver Moses of
Bath, an enterprising capitalist, and have become the founders of the
present manufacturing business of the place, yet in its infancy.

The town has a Methodist and Baptist church, and two Free Bap-
tist churches. There is a small circulating library at the Falls and another
at the Factory, and each place has a hotel. There are fourteen school-
houses in town valued at $10,000. The estates were valued in 1870, at
$971,474. In 1880 it is $1,115,760. The population at the first date
was 2,014. In 1880 it is 2,641.

Litchfield is the most southerly towm in Kennebec County.
On the north and north-east it is bounded by West Gardiner, the Cob-
bossee Contee stream forming the boundary line for most of the dis-