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

542    GAZETTEER OF MAINE.

England. Both the other families were murdered by the natives.
Gyles and his wife tvere shot while gathering their crops, and the
children taken into captivity ; but all except a son were ransomed by
the officers at Fort George, in Brunswick. Tire new settlement was
projected by the Pejepscot proprietors about 1715. In 1721, sixteen
families had located in the town, and a minister was employed ; but
later the people probably worshipped at Brunswick until the erection
of their meeting-house in 1759. The first church organization was
Presbyterian,—the settlers being largely Scotch-Irish. The town fur-
nished 50 men for various service during the Revolutionary war. In
the war of the Rebellion 144 men served on the side of the Union.

The Sagadahoc Agricultural Society laid out its grounds and
erected its hall here in 1856; since which other buildings and an
elegant judge’s stand have been erected. The annual shows which
have generally been successful, grow more and more attractive. A
large collection of paintings and engravings—some of which are works
of great merit and value—belonging to Col. Wildes P. Walker, may
properly be reckoned as belonging to the attractions of the town ; since
the owner, with rare public spirit, often throws his .gallery open to his
townsmen. The churches are neat structures situated in the village,
and belong to the Congregationalists, Baptists and Free-Baptists. The
Franklin Family School, which attained its highest success under the
management of its founder, Hon. Warren Johnson, is still open ; and
its building and grounds are an ornament to the village. Topsham has 12
public schoolhouses, and the total school property of the town is valued
at $7,000. The valuation of estates in 1870 was $880,265. In 1880 it
was $819,537. The population in 1870 was 1,498. In 1880 it was 1,547.

Tremont, in Hancock County, embraces the south-western
portion of Mount Desert Island. Tinker’s, Moose, Hardwood, Grott’s
and Longley’s Islands are also within its limits. The feature
from which the town takes its name is the three contiguous peaks
of Beech Mountain, and east and west peaks of tbe Western
Mountains. Dog Mountain has been carefully prospected with
spade and pick, for money hidden by Captain Kidd. The peak
known as the “ Lover’s Scalp ” has, on its eastern side, an almost per-
pendicular descent of 900 feet to the waters of Somes’ Sound. Tbe
other mountains of Tremont are Dog, Flying, Bald, Burnt and Mount
Gilboa. Dog Mountain is 670 feet in height; Flying Mountain, 300 ;
Bald Mountain, 250; Burnt Mountain, 175; and Mount Gilboa, 160.
South West and Bass are the chief harbors, and the villages on these
are the principal centres of business in the town. On Heat’s Stream is
a saw-mill, and upon the outlet of Seal Cove Pond is a grist-mill. Both
streams empty into Seal Cove, which is a safe and convenient harbor.
The production of tbe saw-mill is about 250,000 M. of lumber, and sev-
eral hundred thousand staves annually. There is also a shingle-mill on
Bass Harbor Stream. Some ship-building is done at both Bass and
South West harbors. At the latter place is a factory for canning fish,
and at West Tremont is a fish-curing establishment; also the large
brick-yard of the Tremont Brick Co., and a boat-builder’s shop. The
“ staff of life ” to the people of the town is found chiefly in the sea.

Fernald’s Point on Somes’ Sound near the northern border of the
town is thought by many to be the site of the ancient “ St. Sauveur,”
the settlement of the colony sent out by Madame de Guercheville in