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

842    GAZETTEER OF MAINE.

Bingham’s Penobscot purchase, was annexed to Lowell. The settlers
of this tract purchased their lands of the Bingham heirs. In 1842
the Coldstream settlement was annexed.

There are considerable numbers of Congregationalist, Baptist and
Free Baptist people in the town, who meet with their brethren in
churches in adjoining towns. The number of public schoolhouses in
in Lowell is eight; and the school property of the town is valued
at $1,850. The valuation of estates in 1870 was $72,126. In 1880 it
was $65,406. The population in 1870 was 448. In 1880 it was 438.

Lubec embraces the most south-easterly part of Washington
County, of the State of Maine and of the United States; and Quoddy
Head is the south-easterly point of all these. This point is marked by a
lighthouse, with a brick tower painted in red and white stripes, the lamp
having a flashing, white light. This town is bounded on the north by
Perry and Pembroke, from both of which it is separated by Lubec Bay
and its passages ; on the west by Trescott, and on the south and east by
the ocean. Campo Bello Island lies on the east of Lubec, separated
only by a narrow passage of the sea, and Grand Menan, on the south-
east at a minimum distance of about 5 miles. Both of these belong to
Great Britain. Lubec has a large and admirable harbor, of sufficient
depth for the largest vessels, and is never obstructed by ice, is easy
of access, and well protected from rough seas by points and islands.
The principal place of business is at the end of a point of land jutting
into and dividing the harbor,—the situation being very beautiful. The
whole eastern shore north of Quoddy Head is thickly settled; and so
also is that part of the interior of the town lying along an arm of the
sea, at whose western point is West Lubec.

There is at this point a good tide-power, whieh is improved by a
saw-mill. The largest power in the town is at Lubec Mills, where is a
tide-power of about 15 feet fall, and a pond of over 100 acres, equal to
about 100 horse-power. This was formerly occupied by plaster-rnills.
Lubec has two ship-yards, three boat-builders, three sail-makers, and the
other small manufactures common to villages. The Lubec lead mines
are situated near the northern part of the town. The principal
business of the inhabitants, -is agriculture and fisheries. The town is
on the stage-line from East Machias, 23 miles distant, and steamboat-
line from Eastport, 3 miles distant.

The first settlers of Lubec were French people, who came from
Nova Scotia in 1758, but after remaining a short time removed to the
upper parts of the St. John River, or to Lower Canada. The per-
manent settlement of the place was commenced in 1776 by Col. John
Allan and several others, patriot fugitives from Cumberland County,
Nova Scotia. It may well be supposed that some Germans also had
settled here, since when the town was incorporated it was named for
the good old German city, Lubeck. Louis F. Delesdernier and Nehe-
miah Small were the first settlers and also the first traders on “Flagg’s
Point,” where Lubec Village now stands; they having come hither
from Eastport in 1814, when the British occupied that place.

There was a Congregational church organized here in 1820, under
the labors of Rev. Elijah Kellogg. Rev. Andrew Bigelow was, in 1821,
ordained as the first pastor. The churches in the town now consist of
one each of the Methodists, Baptists and the Disciples, and two of the