Gazetteer of the State of Maine, 1882 page 101
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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

BATH.    101

Bath, Brunswick, Topsham andBowdoinham lie on the west,—the two
latter being separated from it by Merrymeeting Bay; and West Bath
and Phipsburg lie on the south. The length of the town along the
river from north to south is about 5 miles, and its average width is
about 1|- miles. The surface is much broken by low ledgy hills. The
principal eminence is North Hill, said to be several hundred feet
in altitude. Lily and Mill Ponds, each about three-fourths of a mile
in length, are the principal insulated sheets of water. The rocks are
granite and mica schist, and the soil a clay loam. Hay is the largest
agricultural product.    The forest trees most abundant are beech,


birch, pine, spruce and fur. Witch Spring is a mineral spring of some
local note.

There are three valuable water-powers,—two on Whiskeag Stream,
one of which is a tide power ; and the Winnegance Dam Company’s
power, lying at the south of the town, between it and Phipsburg. Its
capacity is 333 horse power, of which two-thirds belong to the latter
town. There are two lumber-mills on Whiskeag Stream, with a capacity
of manufacturing about 500,000 feet of lumber annually. On the same
stream is a grist-mill with a capacity of grinding 10,000 bushels of
grain annually. Other mills are a barytes and a coffee and spice mill.
In the northern part of the town, on a point projecting eastward oppo-
site Lane’s Island is Varney’s steam saw mill, employing several small
vessels in conveying the lumber to market.

The chief industry of the city, however, is ship-building; and the
product of its yards is of an excellent quality. It is said to he sur-
passed in the extent of this manufacture only by Boston, New York
and Philadelphia, and to excel all in the number of
wooden ships built.
During the year ending June 30, 1852, there were forty ships, five
brigs, and three schooners built here, having an aggregate of 24,339
tons. In 1854 there were fifty-six ships built, besides thirteen other
vessels amounting to 58,454 tons. Following this date there was a
g-eat falling off in production. The number of vessels built in 1879
was thirty-five; aggregating 17,383 tons. In 1880, forty-one vessels
were built with an aggregate measurement of 22,186 tons. There were
launched this year four ships, three barks, two brigs, twenty-six
schooners, two steamers and four sloops. The number of vessels now
belonging in the U. S. collection district of Bath is 294, with a tonnage
of 156,978. The following table gives tbe product of Bath in this
article for the century past, including 1880:

Number.

Tonnage.

Value at $50 per ton

Ships and barks,

1,094

793,785

$39,689,250

Brigs,

609

126,357

6,317,850

Schooners,

1,068

139,031

6,951,550

Sloops,

183

8,046

402,300

Skows and barges,

11

1,583

9,357

79,150

Steamers,

47

($100 per ton) 965,700

Total

3,022

1,078,159

$54,375,800

Yearly average investment for the 100 years,    $543,758

There are also in the city manufacturers of boats, anchors and ship
machinery, boilers, engines, iron, brass, rail cars, drain-pipe, bricks,
carriages, clothing, sails, lumber, meal and flour. There are four ice


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