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

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**    SKOWHEGAN.    513

wock on the west. The surface is somewhat broken by swells and
ridges, Bigelow Hill, the greatest elevation being about 500 feet in
height. Slate rock generally underlies the soil, the latter being sandy
loam, and quite fertile. Hay, potatoes and wool are the principal
agricultural products. The water-power of the town is on the Kenne-
bec, at Skowhegan Falls, where the whole volume of the river de-
scends 28 feet in half a mile. An island, the head of which is at the
crest of the perpendicular fall, divides the river into two channels,
and serves at once as a natural pier and as a site for mills- The
bottom and banks of the stream are of solid ledge, and other vast
masses of rock support the dam and render it of great strength. The
minimum volume of water available here in a drouth, is estimated
at 110,500 cubic feet per minute for 11 hours a day, equal to 5,852
horse-powers, or sufficient for 234,000 spindles. The manufactories

here consist of a paper-mill, saw-mill, two sash and blind factories, two
flour-mills, a wood pulp-mill, three planing-mills, a woolen-mill, an oil-
cloth-factory, two axe-factories, one scyth e-factory, two harness and
saddlery factories, and a foundry. The town hall is a three-story
brick block belonging to a corporation. The seating of the hall is,
1,500 and the cost $60,000. There is a public library in the village
containing upwards of 3,500 volumes. The elegant brick building con-
taining the court-room and county offices was presented to the county
by Hon. Abner Coburn, to induce the removal of the county capital
from Norridgewock. The houses in village and county are in neat re-
pair, and the roads are generally good. There is an excellent iron
railroad bridge here. The highway bridges across the river are of
wood, and 150 feet in length. The streets generally are adorned with
trees; and on one old street along the river are rows of elms seventy--

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