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

248    GAZETEEER OF MAINE.

Samuel Osgood, Moses Ames, John Evans, and Jedediah Spring, with
their families. In 1766, Lieut. Caleb Swan and his brother James
came in. The year 1766 was a period of great suffering from lack of
food, and the settlers were obliged to send men to Concord, 80 miles
through the wilderness with handsleds, for provisions.

A Congregational church was organized in 1775, and Rev. William
Fessenden ordained as pastor. He was the ancestor of the noted
family of his name. Fryeburg Academy was incorporated in 1792,
and has ever maintained high rank. Paul Langdon, son of the presi-
sident of Harvard University, was the first preceptor. He was suc-
ceeded in 1802 by Dauiel Webster, then “ a youth unknown to famed’

The new building was erected in 1852. The first lawyer in Fryeburg,
and in what is now Oxford County, was Judah Dana, who came to
Fryeburg in 1798. The town was first represented in the General
Court in 1781, by Simon Frye, many years a senator and judge of the
C rurt of Common Pleas. At North Fryeburg there is a Universalist
church ; and in other parts are a Congregational, a Methodist, and a New
Jerusalem church. It has sixteen school-houses, valued at $6,000.

The valuation of estates in 1870 was $670,383. In 18S0 it was $796,322.

The population in 1870 was 1,507. In 1880 it was 1,633.

Gardiner, in the southern part of Kennebec County, is
situated on the western bank of the Kennebec River about 25 miles
from the sea. The Kennebec separates it from Pittston on the east,
and the Cobbossee Contee Stream, on the opposite side divides it partly
truniVV.Gardiner. Farmingdale forms the northern boundary, and Rich-    ^

mond the southern. The other principal stream is Rolling-dam Brook.

The form of the town is nearly triangular, the side on the river being
about 6 miles in length, and the width of the southern side about 4
miles. Ward 6, in the southern part comprises two-thirds of the ter-
ritory. On the river in this ward is the village of South Gardiner,
where there are the large lumber-mills of Bradstreet Brothers and
Lawrence Brothers. The city proper is at the northern extremity of
the territory, where the Cobbosee Contee Stream enters the Kennebec.

On this stream within one mile of its mouth is a descent of 127 feet to
high tide in the river, included in 8 falls or rapids. Six of these priv-
ileges are improved by well-built stone dams, and are occupied by five
saw-rnills, one employing 25 hands and two about 40 hands each ; sash,
blind and door factories, cabinet, water-wheel, and fancy wood-work
factories; two corn and grain mills—each consuming about 40,000
bushels annually—two machine-shops—one with foundry, the latter
employing about 28 hands—three mill-wright shops, woollen-factory,
employing 40 hands, washing-machine factory, carriage-spring factory,
axe-faotorv, Copsecook, Richard’s, and Hollingsworth & Whitney’s
paper-mills, employing about 38, 75, and 100. The total annual prod-
uct of these various factories is estimated to be $2,000,000.

The rural portion of the town is a thrifty agricultural region, while
along the river, the inhabitants are largely engaged in the ice business,
which yields an annual return almost equal to that of the manufac-
tures. The Maine Central Railroad runs through the length of the
town along the river. The city proper is at the head of steam naviga-
tion on the river, and through it is connected by a line of boats with
Boston.