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

/ EAST MACHIAS.    209

age of ninety years. The next clearing is said to have been made in
the easterly part of the town about 1780, by a Mr. Gravy, and a third
made about the same time on the east bank of the Androscoggin River,
at what is now Strickland’s Ferry. The first settler at what is now
the village of Livermore Falls was probably Mr. Samuel Richardson.
The grist and saw mills built at the falls in 1791, were the first in
town. They were constructed under the direction of Elijah Liver-
more, an original proprietor, and one of the first settlers upon the west
side of the river. There is here a natural fall of fourteen feet. There
are on these falls at present, a grist-mill, three saw-mills, a factory for
novelty wood-turning, a leather-board factory, and the Umbagog Paper
Fibre Mills. In the village there are also various small manufactures
without water-power. The Indian name of the locality is JRoJcomeko,
signifying, it is said, “ great corn land.” The town yields good crops
and is excellent grazing-land. It has also been noted for its fine
cattle.

The town furnished for the war of the Rebellion 68 citizens and 9
others, a total of 77, at an expense to the town of $10,654. The town
has one Baptist church, one Free Baptist, and two Methodist. There
is a small circulating library at Livermore Falls; and lectures are
occasionally given at the various churches. The town has seven
schoolhouses, valued at $3,000. The valuation of estates in 1870 was
$388,680. In 1880 it was $344,092. The population at the first date
was 1,004. In 1880 it was 1,082.

East Machias lies about midway of the southern shore of
Washington County. It is bounded on the east by Marion and Whit-
ing, south by Machiasport, west by Marshfield, and north by an un-
named township. Gardner’s Lake lies on a portion of the eastern
boundary, and Machias River forms the southern line. Hadley Lake
extends from south of the centre of the town into the township on the
north. Its outlet constitutes East Machias River, and furnishes four
excellent powers, all within two miles of tide-water. The descent from
the pond to tide-water—a distance of three miles—is 47 feet. On
Chace’s Stream, the outlet of Gardner’s Lake, are two excellent powers,,
occupied by two saw, two lath, and one shingle-inill. This pond
covers 8y square miles, and would afford power equal to 840 horse,, or-
sufficient' to run 33,600 spindles. The power on the river from. Had-
ley’s Lake to the tide might be made equal to 1,600 horse, or sufficient
for 64,000 spindles. Gardner’s Lake, though scarcely a mile above the
tide, is 60 feet above sea-level, The number of saw-mills of all kinds
in the town is nine, of which two are double, and one runs a gang of
saws. Other manufactories are two grist-mills, a tannery, four ship-
yards, etc. The village is chiefly at the head of the tide in the south-
ern part erf the town, but extends on both sides of this river and
Chace’s Stream to the bay. Jacksonville Village is situated one and
a half miles north of East Machias post-office. East Machias is 4 miles
north-east of Machias. It is on the stage-line from Cherryfield to East-
port, and is the terminus of the stage-lines to Lubec, Cutler, and
Township No. 14. It was set off from Machias and incorporated Jan. 24,
1826. Samuel Scott was the first settler, being followed in 1768 by
Col. Benj. Foster, W. Foster, J. Seavy, D. Fogg, J. Mansur, and others.
At the latter date or earlier, Colonel Foster and his neighbors, assisted

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