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

312    GAZETTEER OF MAINE.

the Indians, except possibly by a few families beside the pond at the
extreme north-west corner of the town. The first settlement was
chiefly in school district No. 1. The surnames of the first settlers
were Farnham, Copp, Door, Hussey, Rines, Stevens, Blaisdell,
Tebbetts, Kenney, Wallingford, McCrelis, Perkins, Corson, Burrows,
Goodwin, Yeaton, Furbush and Cowell, who appear to have come in
soon after 1746. Two garrison houses were built in 1755. The origi-
nal proprietors were required by their charter to build a meeting-house,
and settle and maintain a learned and orthodox minister for the inhabit-
ants, and build him a house. The meeting-house was erected in 1753,
and the parsonage in 1759. In 1761 or 1762 the town hired Ezra
Thompson to preach and teach school, and his labors in these depart-
ments appear to have been the first in town. The settlement was at
first known as “Towow” or “ Towwoh.” The town was incorporated
under its present name in 1767. Thomas M. Wentworth, who became
a resident of the town soon after 1771, was a leading citizen, and his
son has been held in equal esteem. The surface of the town is com-
paratively level in the south-east, and in the north-west are extensive
pine plains. The highest of several high hills bears the name of Went-
worth’s Mountain. On the road leading from Berwick through West
Lebanon Village to Acton, after leaving the flat land at the south, are
found many good farms and fine country mansions. The best farming
land is probably on the “ Central Road,” extending north-west and
south-west through the midst of the town. There are also a large
number of good farms in the easterly part of the town adjoining
Sanford. Hay is considered the most profitable crop. The business
centres are Lebanon Centre, East, North, South and West Lebanon,
and Milton Three Ponds, on the lower of the ponds at the north-west-
ern boundary. Salmon Falls River, which forms the western
boundary, furnishes a number of good water privileges, upon which, on
the Lebanon side, are several saw-mills and one mill for wool-carding.
Little River, in the south-eastern part of the town, also furnishes power
for several saw-mills and a grist-mill. The Portland and Rochester
Railroad crosses the southerly part of the town, and the Great Falls
and Conway, a short distance at the north-western part.

The chief natural curiosity of the town is “Gully Oven,” situated
in a deep ravine. It is on the road from West Lebanon Village to
Acton, and one and one-half miles northerly of the former. Six miles
south of the cavern, during the old French war, the Indians captured
a boy of eleven years of age named Philip Door; and they spent the
succeeding night in the Oven. He was detained many years, but
finally returned and became one of the first settlers of Lebanon. He
said that he was captured by the Indians in the forenoon as he sat
astride of a fence singing a popular song of the period,—

“ As sure as eggs are bacon,

I’ll go to Canada and wont return,

’ Till Canada is taken,”—

which came true, sure enough.

During the war of the Rebellion, Lebanon furnished what would be
equal to 121 three-years men for the army. Besides these, many young
men, residents of the town, at the first breaking out of the war
enlisted in New Hampshire regiments, for which the town never re-