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

WALES.

mens of iron ore, which have been traced to a crumbling bowlder of
the drift period in the saddle of the mountain. At the foot, on the
western side, lies Sabattus Pond, of which but a small portion is in the
town. The name of pond and mountain is derived from an Indian,
who about the date of settlement spent much of his time in the vicinity.
The soil is good and the industry of the town is almost wholy agri-
cultural.

The Androscoggin division of the Maine Central Railroad passes
from north to south at the extreme western side of the town; and Leeds
Junction is at the north-eastern angle. There is a post-office at this
point. Wales post-office is about two miles south of this. The other
post-office is East Wales. There are no considerable villages ; and the
manufactures are small. For the first twelve or fifteen years after the
settlement the inhabitants were compelled to carry their bags of corn
on their shoulders through the broken woods a distance of nearly
twenty miles to have it ground. Joseph Maxwell built the first grist-
mill at about the year 1800. Later B. C. Jenkins built a saw-mill near
Oak Hill; and about 1842 Benjamin Vining built on a small stream
near his residence. The titles to land in the town were derived from the
old Plymouth Company. The territory of the town together with that
of Monmouth was known prior to 1792, as this Plantation of Wales. At
the date mentioned Monmouth was set off; and in 1803 the remainder
was organized as a plantation under the old name; choosing as its first
officers, Joseph Small, Enoch Strout and Joseph Andrews. The act
of incorporation as a town was granted by the General Court in 1816.
In 1852 a small portion of Leeds was annexed to Wales. The first
settler appears to have been James Ross, who came from Brunswick
in 1778, and located on the western side of Sabattus Mountain. About
1780 came Reuben Ham, 'Jonathan and Alexander Thompson, also
from Brunswick. Benjamin and Samuel Waymouth, the Grevs, and
William Rennick settled before 1785 ; John Andrew, in 1788 ; Joseph
Small and Bartholomew Jackson, in 1791 : Joseph March and John
Larabee, in 1792 ; Daniel and Ebenezer Small, in 1793. Joseph, son
of Daniel, was taken prisoner by the Indians in 1758, and was car-
ried to Quebec where he remained a prisoner until that place was cap-
tured by General Wolfe. The Jenkins brothers settled in the north-
eastern part of the town, and James Clark and James Wilson in the
north-eastern part, in 1793. Captain Enoch Strout, who came from
Limington in 1796, was a soldier in the Revolution, and the first militia
captain chosen in town. Simeon Ricker, who came about 1790, was
also a Revolutionary soldier. Luther and Wentworth Lombard moved
from Gorham to the town. Obed Hobbs, Simons Gatchell, Benjamin
Tibbetts and Elijah Morton came about 1796; William and Arthur
Given, in 1798 ; John and James Withered, Joseph Maxwell, Rufus
and Daniel Marr Benjamin and William Fogg, about 1800; Nathaniel
Chase, in 1805; Anthony Woodside and William Swett, about 1806;
Josiah Libby came in 1807. Later he kept a public-house, and was a
major in the militia and town officer for many years. James Taylor,
son of a Revolutionary soldier, was himself a soldier in the war of
1812, and two of his sons were Union soldiers in the war of the Rebel-
lion. James Hodsdon came in 1815, settling on Sabattus Mountain.
Samuel Libby, who removed to Wales in 1824, was a soldier in the
war of 1812. Benjamin Sanborn came into town about 1849, and Jona-
than Reynes, in 1843.

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