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
ROBBINSTON.
nobscot County, on the east. The surface of the town is uneven, but the soil is generally good. Main Stream, a feeder of Moose Pond, forms the boundary line between the town and Cambridge. Rogers or Ripley Pond, lying in the south-eastern part of the town, is 2 miles long by § of a mile wide. Its outlet furnishes a good water-power, which is improved by two saw-mills manufacturing long and short timber, and a grist mill. The larger part of the population of the town is in this vicinity. The nearest railroad connection is at Dexter, 4 miles distant from Ripley Village. The soil of the town is a gravelly loam. Maple, birch and beech constitute the forest trees. Hay, po- tatoes, corn, wheat and oats all yield well. The buildings through the town are generally in good repair.
Ripley sent some 30 men to the Union army in the late war, losing more than a third of this number. A marble monument has been erected to their memory.
The religious societies are Baptist, Methodist, Christian, and Chris- tian Baptist, and there is a Union church edifice. The public school- houses are five in number, and are valued at $1,200. The population in 1870 was 584. In 1880 it was 550. The valuation of estates in 1870 was $116,705. In 1880 it was $119,253. The rate of taxation in the latter year was 5 per cent, including highway tax.
Riverside,—a post-office in Kennebec County.
Robbinston lies on St. Croix River in the south-eastern part of Washington County. Calais bounds it on the north, Perry on the south and Charlotte on the west. The area is 17,800 acres. The surface of the town is quite level, but rising by a gradual slope from the river. Boyden Lake extends into tbe south-w'estern part; in the northern and central parts are West Magurrewock Lake and the smaller sheets of Rands, Goulding, Western and Eastern lakes. The outlets of these supply power for several mills. The manufactures of this town are long and short lumber, wedges, laraquins, leather and moccasins, carriages, and canned fish of various kinds. For many years Robbinston was the centreof trade for the neighboring towns. Ship-building was formerly largely carried on here, while the ports of Europe furnished ready market for this product ; but since tbe introduction of steam vessels the business has de- clined. The attention has now been turned more to food products. Potatoes, from the shortness of tbe season, mostly escape the diseases incident to longer seasons, and possess rare excellence, apd accordingly are largely raised and eagerly sought for. The principal villages are Robbinston and South Robbinston. This town lies on Calais and East- port stage line. It is 35 miles north-east of Machias. Opposite, on the eastern side of the St. Croix is St. Andrews, a considerable port and village in the British Dominions.
Robbinston was granted by Massachusetts, October 21, 1786, to Edward H. and Nathaniel J. Robbins, in honor of whom the town was named. Two families .were already settled in the township when the grant was made. The proprietors soon made clearings and erected a store-house and other buildings; and settlers came rapidly. It is said by Williamson that a post-oflice was established here as early as 1796, and that the first mail came
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