Penobscot County was originally included in
Hancock . The act establishing it passed the Massachusetts
legislature Feb. 15, 1816. The southern boundary was fixed very
much as it remains at present; but on the formation of
Piscataquis County in 1838, Penobscot lost 5 ranges of townships
north of the lines of Dexter and Bradford; and the following year Aroostook County received from it the
ranges of townships numbered 3, 4 and 5, north of Mattawamkeag; and in
1843, it took ranges 6, 7 and 8, north f townships numbered 8. The area
is now 2,760 square miles; and it embraces one city and 54 towns, 7
organized plantations and 42 townships. From 1814 to 1816 Bangor and
Castine were half shire towns of Hancock County; but in Penobscot
County, Bangor had the exclusive honor from its establishment. The
population in 1870 was 75,150. In 1880 it was 70,478. The valuation in
1870 was $22,697,890. In 1880 it was $21,408,151.
Penobscot River and County were occupied, at the periods of discovery
and settlement, by a branch of the Abenaqui nation called Tarratines by
the English, of whom the Oldtown Indians are a remnant. When first known
by the English they numbered more than 2,000 warriors. About 1680 there
was a destructive war between the New England Indians and the Mohawks;
and tradition asserts that the Tarratines took part in it, but were
defeated, and in 1669 were followed to the banks of the Penobscot by
their victorious foes. The principal settlement of this tribe was near
the mouth of the Kenduskeag. The Penobscot Indians do not appear to have
entered as a tribe into the first Indian war, but were actively engaged
in most of the subsequent ones. In the war of the Revolution they
fortunately adhered to the American cause, and rendered it some service.
Roman Catholic missionaries came with the first French visitors, and
mingling with the Indians, ere long converted them to that faith.
The General Assembly of Massachusetts in 1763 granted 13 townships, each
6 miles square, lying on the east side of Penobscot River, to 13
companies, or proprietors, who were to lay out the townships, settle 60
families in each, and make improvements, which was done. The earliest
regular settlement of the township commenced at Bangor in 1769; and
settlements in other’ towns following year by year. From 1774 to 1779,
John Herbert, the first physician in Bangor, was the principal speaker
in the religious meetings, and in the winter taught school. The first
minister that preached steadily in this county was Rev. Mr. Knowles,
from Cape Cod; who, about 1780-83, was with the people scattered along
the banks of the river from Frankfort to Bangor. The next minister was
Rev. Seth Noble, a Congregationalist, a native of Westfield, Mass., hut
who bad resided in Nova Scotia; where by voice and influence he gave
support to the cause of the colonies, and was therefore forced to flee.
He came to Bangor in 1786, and was engaged as a religious teacher at
£100 per year. He was installed on Sept. 10, in that year, under some
ancient oaks near the corner of Oak and Washington streets, Bangor; Rev.
Daniel Little of Wells, deputed by the church in Wells, giving him the
charge and the right-hand of fellowship, Mr. Noble preaching the sermon.
He remained five years, and died in Ohio in 1807. The first
Congregational church organized in the county was at Brewer, Sept. 9,
1800. The Penobscot Congregational Conference was organized at
Brownville (then in Penobscot County) in 1825, and embraced three
ministers, 8 churches, and 400 members. Rev. Jesse Lee, the Methodist
Apostle of New England, in 1793, spent a month in missionary work along
the Penobscot. In 1795 societies of the Methodists were organized in
the county by Rev. Joshua Hall, of the New London Conference (Conn).
Rev. Timothy Merrill was placed on the Hampden Circuit in 1799, and
preached in Bangor. The first Baptist church was formed in Etna in 1807,
by Rev. John Chadbourrie of Shapleigh, missionary of the denomination in
the county. About 1809 the first Free Baptist society of the county was
organized in Dixmont. The first Episcopalian church was gathered in
Bangor in 1834, and the first Universalist church in Hampden in 1825.
The Unitarian church at Bangor was organized in 1818, and the
Swedenborgian in 1840. The Christian denomination formed their first
churches in Exeter and Newport in 1815, and the Adventists in 1842—43.
The production of lumber has always been the most prominent industry of
the county. The first railroad in the county and state was the Bangor,
Oldtown and Milford, incorporated in 1833, opened in 1836. This was
discontinued on the opening of the European and North American Railway.
The Maine Central Railroad has 27 miles of its road, i. e. from Somerset
County to Bangor in this county. The Dexter and Newport Railroad was
opened in 1868 as a branch of the Maine Central. The Bangor and
Piscataquis Railroad was chartered in 1861, the construction commenced
in the spring of 1869 and completed from Oldtown (where it connects with
the European and North American Railway), to Blanchard in the autumn of
1876. The length of this road in the county is 15 miles. The Bucksport
and Bangor Railroad was chartered in 1870, the survey made in the autumn
of 1872, the construction commenced in the spring of 1873, and trains
began to run regularly over the whole length Dec. 21, 1874. Nine and
one-half miles of its 19 are in Penobscot County. It was formerly
operated by the European and N. A. road, when it was broad gauge. An
extension of this road to Ellsworth is likely to be made the coming
season.
The military of this county were first called into active service in
1814, to repel the British forces ascending the river; again in 1839,
they were called out in large force to aid in keeping the peace in
Aroostook County during the boundary dispute; and for a third time in
the late civil war. The second Maine regiment, six companies of the
Sixth Maine, the Eighteenth Maine regiment, and the First heavy
artillery, were composed chiefly of regiments of this county. Monuments
in honor of the fallen brave of this war stand in the cemeteries at
Bangor, Brewer, Hampden, Dexter, Newport, and perhaps other places.
Source: Varney, George J., Gazetteer of the
State of Maine. Boston: B. B. Russell, 1886. |
|
External Links
|
