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

486    GAZETTEER    OF    MAINE.

school; and there are 13 public schoolhouses. The school property is
valued at $3,000. The population in 1870 was 1,212. In 1880 it was
1,006. The valuation in 1870 was $380,854. In 1880 it was $351,119.

The rate of taxation in the latter year was 2 mills on a dollar.

Sabattus,—a village, with Post-Office and railroad station at
the joined corners of Webster, Wales, Greene and Lewiston, in An-
droscoggin County.

Sabino Peninsula, the site of the Popham colony. See
articles on Sagadahoc County and Phipsburg.

SaCCarappa, a village with railroad station and post-office
in Westbrook, Cumberland County.

SaCO, in York County, was granted in 1630, to Thomas Lewis
and Richard Bonython, by the Plymouth Company, though the latter
had, in 1622, granted nearly the whole territory between this and the
Kennebec River, to Mason and Gorges. The tract granted to Lewis
and Bonython, extended four miles along the sea in a straight line,
and back into the country eight miles. The limits, as surveyed by the
commissioners appointed by Massachusetts, in 1659, commenced at the
mouth of Little River and run on a north-west line, leaving about 3,000
acres in Scarborough that belonged to the original patent. This grant
was also over-lapped by the “ Plough Patent,” issued the same year.

The settlement on this grant with that on the other side of the river    <*

was known as Winter Harbor. In 1653, it was organized as Saco, and
in 1659, began to be represented in General Court. In 1719, it was
incorporated as Biddeford, being the fourth town in Maine; in 1762
it received a separate incorporation, with all the rights of a town ex-
cept that of sending a representative to the General Assembly. This
incorporation was under the name of Pepperellborough, in honor of
Sir William Pepperell. then recently deceased, who had been a large
proprietor. In 1805, by act of Legislature, its name was changed to
Saco ; and in 1867 it became a city. The first mayor was Joseph
Hobson. The name, Saco, is of Indian origin. The river separates
the city from Biddeford on the south-west, Scarborough bounds it on
the north-east, on the west and north-west is Buxton, and Old Orchard
Beach forms its junction with the sea on the east. The area is about
17,500 acres. For many years the habitations were located near the
sea, at Old Orchard Beach and toward the mouth of the river. Rich-
ard Vines was the founder of the settlements in this vicinity, having
himself wintered at the mouth of the river, in 1616-17. Among the
early inhabitants were Scammans, Edgecombs, Townsends, Youngs,

Sharps, Banks, Sands, and Googins. There were a considerable num-
ber of respectable Scotch immigrants from the northern part of Ire-
land, who came over about 1718, and after. Captain Scamman and
persons employed at the mill, with their families, were all that were
settled about the falls until 1731. In 1680, Benjamin Blackman pur-
chased 100 acres of land including the mill privileges on the east side
of the Saco Falls, and built a saw-mill.

During'the year 1675, the first year of the first Indian war, Major
Phillips on the Biddeford side of the river was attacked, and success-