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

99

WEBSTER PLANTATION.    575

lowed in range by Curtis Bog. Ross Brook, drawing its supplies prin-
cipally from these ponds, is tbe principal tributary of the Sabattus
River. About half a mile south of Sabattus Pond, in a hollow in a
high plateau or broad “horse-back” is a small body of clear water
which has no apparent outlet; but the nature of the soil of the plateau
—in large part sand and coarse gravel—and the swamp at a lower alti-
tude than the pond, and yet higher than the neighboring Sabattus
Pond, show the manner of the water escape. In the days of super-
stitious mysteries and geological ignorance this quiet little sheet of
water bore the discreditable name of “ The Devil’s Washbowl.”

The land-titles in town are from the Plymouth Proprietors. Web-
ster was originally a part of the town of Bowdoin, but was included
in the territory separated and incorporated as Thompsonborough, af-
terward re-named Lisbon. This territory was divided in 1840, and
the northern portion incorporated as the town of Webster. The
first settler was Robert Ross, who came from Brunswick, and
located on the brook that bears his name, in 1774. Timothy Wey-
mouth moved in soon after, and built the first mill in town for Jesse
Davies. The first justice of the peace was Samuel Tebbetts, and
the next was Noah Jordan. The first resident physician was Dr.
Ithamar Bellows ; the first lawyer who remained permanently was
Jacob Hill, a graduate of Brown University, and sometime editor of
the Portland Advertiser. Benjamin Burgess, another resident, was a
major-general in the militia, and subsequently sheriff of Lincoln
County. Hon. Freeman H. Morse, sometime member of Congress from
the second district, and later United States consul at London, was a
native of Webster. At the close of the Revolutionary war, a number
of the soldiers settled in Webster, of whom were Alexander Gray,
Abel Nutting, Aaron Dwinel, Paul Nowell, Simeon Ricker, Foster
Wentworth, Elias Stover, Phineas Spofford, Jesse Davies, Captain
James Curtis and Samuel Simmons. The latter was one of the first
school teachers in town, and was the ancestor of Frank Simmons, the
sculptor, who is a native ot Webster. In the war of the Rebellion the
town furnished its full quotas under all the calls.

The first religious society formed in Webster was of the Baptist
persuasion and arose from the labors of Rev. Ichabod Temple, of
Bowdoin. Their church w^ras built upon the elevated land in the
north-western part of the town. The first minister settled over it was
Rev. Mr. Hooper. Their new house is at Sabattusville. The Free
Baptists built their church in 1840 ; the bell being a gift from Captain
Luther L. Lombard. These, together with a church at the southern
border of the town built by Baptists and Universalists, constitute the
present visible fortifications of the town against the hosts of Satan.

Webster has eleven public schoolhouses, valued at $2,400. The
valuation in 1870 was $406,484. In 1880 it w^ras $445,853. The pop
ulation in 1870 was 939. In 1880 it was 980.

Webster PlRIltcltiOll is situated in the eastern part
of Penobscot County. Kingman bounds it on the north, Prentiss on
the east, Winn on the west and Springfield on the south. The nearest
railroad stations are those of the European and North American rail-
way, at Kingman and Winn, the first being but 6 miles distant. The
predominant rock is granite. The soil is quite fertile and yields well