Town Histories

Aetna was renamed Etna

Alton 1844

Argyle 1839

Bangor (Kenduskee Plantation) 1791

Bradford (Blakeburg Plantation) 1831

Bradley (T4, Old Indian Purchase) 1835

Brewer 1812

Burlington was incorporated March 8, 1832, the 302nd town in Maine. Access to the area was up the Passadumkeag River from the Penobscot River. Settlement began in 1823, 1824 by Trustrum Hurd Jr., and the area became known as Hurd's Ridge. Lumbering and farming were the means of support. Names of the settlers were Barker, Bowers, Bradbury, Coffin, Costigan, Davis, Dockendorff, Edes, Folsom, Fox, Gonyer, Houghton, Hoyt, Hurd, Jipson, Libby, Lord, McCorrison, Moore, Neal, Page, Peasley, Peavey, Philbrick, Porter, Richardson, Scammon, Shorey, Sibley, Stickney, Taylor, Tripp, Turner, White, Woodman, and others.

Carmel 1811

Carrol Plantation # 6, R2 (1845 1937)

Charleston (was New Charleston) 1827

Chester was first known as Township Number One, Range 8. Chester was incorporated Feb 26, 1834. It is located on the west bank of the Penobscot River opposite the towns of Lincoln and Winn, 56 miles northeast of Bangor. In 1837, there were 323 people in Chester. The census records for 1870 and 1880 list 350 and 362 people. Common surnames in the town prior to 1900 include Adams, Archer, Bailey, Beatham, Berry, Booker, Brown, Chesley, Coombs, Cram, Davis, Faloon, Farrington, Fleming, Glidden, Gordon, Hall, Haynes, Ireland, Jordan, Kimball, Lancaster, Libby, Nichols, Reed, Runnells, Savage, Scott, Shaw, Smith, Spencer, Stratton, Tash, Twist, Whitney, White, and Wyman. Chester sent 32 men to the Civil War of whom 11 were lost.

Clifton was settled in 1812, and was originally called Jarvis Gore. It was incorporated as Jarvis Gore on 7 Aug 1848. Changed name to Clifton on 9 Jun 1849.

Corinna 1816

Corinth 1811

Dexter 1816

Dixmont 1807

Drew Plantation (1921- 1934)

Dutton Plantation No. 1, R3 (1822 1837) Changed to Glenburn

East Millinocket - meaning East of "Many Islands" in the language of the Abenakis, lies on the northern side of the West Branch of the Penobscot River, two miles above the land of Nicatou, now known as Medway.

Quick action by the legislature resulted in the incorporation of East Millinocket as a town on Feb 21, 1907. The terms of incorporation, by limiting the towns boundaries to the northeastern half of Township A, Range 7 of Penobscot County, tended to give it a triangular appearance and less than half the acreage of a regulation township. The inhabitable area was later further reduced by the flowages created by the East Millinocket and Dolby dams. The first step to make the legislative act operative was taken on April 11, 1907, when Justice Clinton C. Stevens, of Millinocket, called the first town meeting to order in Johnson's Drug Store on Main Street. Frank O. Pray was to serve the town in many capacities. At this meeting the following men were elected to serve as the towns first officials.

Town Clerk - Charles J Gosnell
Selectmen, Assessors, & Overseers of the Poor - James H Mack, Guy S Baker, William A Johnson
Treasurer - Harry L Weymouth
Tax Collector - W T Ray, who was also appointed as head constable, possibly to forestall any difficulties arriving from his duty as collector.
School Committee Members - Harry H Haines, David O Nesbitt & Charles Gosnell
Road Commissioner - Beecher Colbath
Fire Wardens - H W Severance, Elmer W Prouty and & W S Hamm
Constables - D J Balanger, W T Pray & Charles Boynton
Surveyors of Wood, Bark and Lumber - Guy S Baker & Every Getchell
Sealer of Weights and Measures - William A Johnson

After these offices were sworn in by Justice George W Stearns of Millinocket, the meeting was then adjourned to the afternoon of April 13, 1907.

Eddington Plantation 1811

Edinburg (River Township # 1, R6) 1835

Enfield 1835, Treat's Track

Etna. Previous designations 4R2 NWP, Crosbytown, Bowdoin College Grant. Settled in 1807. Incorporated February 15, 1820 as Aetna the 156th town of Maine Name change almost immediately to Etna. Part set off to form part of Plymouth February 21, 1826. Part set off to Carmel February 19, 1866. Description obtained from "The Length and Breadth of Maine" by Stanley Bearce Attwood. Major body of water is Etna Pond.

Exeter 1811

Garland was granted June 2, 1798 to Williams' College [No. 3, 5th Range.] It was settled in 1802, by Joseph Garland for who the town was named, and by Isaac Wheeler, and Josiah Bartlett. Hon. Levi Lincoln was one of the purchasing proprietors; and hence, the plantation was called Lincolntown. The lots were surveyed in 1805, by A. Strong. A church was first gathered here by Rev. John Sawyer. Post Office established in 1818. (MS. Let. of Abner Sanborn.) Source: Williamson, William D., The History of the State of Maine from Its First Discovery, A.D. 1602, to The Separation, A.D. 1820, Inclusive, Hallowell: Glazier, Masters & Co, 1832, p. 618.

Settled in 1802 by Mr. Garland, from whom named, and Isaac Wheeler and Josiah Bartlett. Incorporated, 182d town, February 16, 1811. Leading industries: Lumber and shingles. Population, 677; polls, 246; estate, $364,136. Source: Coe, Harrie B., ed., Maine: Resources, Attractions, and Its People. A History, New York: The Lewis Historical Publishing Company, Inc., 1928, p. 896.

Glenburn formerly known as Dutton 1822

Greenbush 1834

Greenfield 1831

Hampden 1794

Herman 1814

Howland 1826

Holden 1852

Hudson formerly known as formerly Kirkland, 1825 Census 1850 , 1860 , 1870 , 1880

Jarvis Gore, a tract, name changed to Clifton in 1849. Special 1837 Census

Lowell was incorporated February 9, 1837 as Huntressville the 338th town of Maine. The name was changed to Lowell after Lowell Hayden first male child born in 1838. In 1842 Lowell annexed the Cold Stream Settlement from the town of Passadumkeag. The means of surpport of the towns people was farming, lumbering, and mill work. Names of the settlers were Applebee, Austin, Bowers, Bradbury, Buck, Cabel, Chandler, Champion, Chase, Clay, Coffin, Cummings, Curtis, Davis, Doane, Dolly, Douglas, Engstrom, Ewing, Fogg, Folsom, Fox, Gillispi, Gordan, Hayden, Huntress, Jipson, Littlefield, Lord, Lyons, McKenney, Moore, Myrick, Neal, Parker, Perkins, Pettengill, Porter, Preble, Priest, Shorey, Sibley, Thurlow, Thompson, Turner, Wakefield, Varney, and others.

Kenduskeag 1852

Kingman (McCrillis Plantation or Independence Plantation) (1873 1935)

Kirkland (Now Hudson) (1825 1855)

La Grange 1832

Lee 1832

Levant 1813

Lincoln 1829

Mattawamkeag is the location of an ancient Indian Village which borrowed its name from the river at whose mouth it is located. The Mattawamkeag River is the largest eastern branch of the Penobscot River. Its entrance is clearly distinguishable in low water by large white gravel bar, hence the word is most often translated as "A River with Many Rocks at It's Mouth." The name was later translated to the town.

Mattawamkeag, the town, was incorporated in 1860. It was formerly known as Township No. 1 East Indian Purchase. White men came in about 1829 when Col Stanley built a log cabin or shanty for the accomodation of men engaged in hauling supplies for the lumbermen over the frozen roads of Penobscot ice. It was closed up during the summer season and Stanley soon left for Houlton after selling his place to Milliken and John Rollins. In 1829 the United State government started the Military Road to Houlton and completed it as far as Mattawamkeag that year. In 1830 Capt. George Waite, who had been hauling supplies to lumbermen, bought out Milliken and John Rollins. George Waite purchased some land and built a frame house a little farther above the creek.

In 1830 James Penley and George Wallace of Old Town erected a hotel on the site of the early Mattawamkeag stagehouse, then sold it to Thomas Pratt of Old Town; perhaps Ira Wadleigh owned an interest in it.

In 1835 only 2 families remained, George Waite, farmer, hotel owner and owner of teams, and James Thompson, carrier of the Bangor and Houlton mail, probably the first to carry mail on the Bangor and Houlton Road, who built the house know as the McDonald house, just north of Libbey and Stratton store.

Henry David Thoreau passed through Mattawamkeag in 1847 where the Houlton stagecoach stopped. Here Throeau found a "substantial bridge" over the Mattawamkeag River.

Mattamiscontis 1839

Maxfield 1824

Medway was incorporated in 1875. Situated at the forks of the East and West Branch of the Penobscot rivers. The town was known as Nicatou (meaning, the forks). Early exploration by loggers who established camps in the area were well known. Settlement in the area was in the 1840s and 1850s with families such as Archer, Bagley, Barlow-Burleigh, Bartlett, Beathem, Boynton, Brewer, Caswell, Clark, Cox, Cram, Daisey, Davis, Day, Delano, DeWitt, Dickey, Farrington, Fiske, Fowler, Fowles, Glidden, Gordon, Hale, Hathaway, Howard, Kimball, Ladd, LaPointe, Leavitt, Lee, Lyons, MacKenzie, Magoon, Markie, McCauslin, McLaughlin, McLeod, Monroe, Moore, Murray, Nadeau, Powers, Priest, Reed, Spinney, Thompson, Trask, Twist, Vance, York, and many others ... Logmarks identified the logs of each logger. Similar to the earmarks of livestock, the Maine woodsmen marked their logs ....

Milford 1833

Millnocket 1901

Mount Chase, T5R6, was settled in 1838 and was a plantation until a town on 21 Mar 1864. It was named for a Chase who came as an agent for the state to prevent timber thieves. Thirteen years later, Thomas Myrick came and was followed by a relative, Ezra Myrick. They were followed by Francis Weeks, John Crommett, John Fisk & Daniel Bumpus. Mount Chase had 250 population in 1860, 262 in 1870 and 310 in 1880.

Newburg 1819

Newport 1814

New Charleston (now Charleston)

Old Town 1841

Orono 1806

Orrington 1788

Passadumkeag 1835

Patten  is 74 miles from Bangor, Maine. Patten is bordered by Mount Chase, Crystal Plantation, Stacyville Plantation, Township 3, Range 7, Hersey and Sherman, Maine. It was settled about 1828 as Township 4, Range 6 and it was not until Apr 16 1841, that it became a town, The 1840 US census for Aroostook County's T4R5 (now Crystal ME) was called Fisk'e Township. But this was more likely Fish's Township as it included most of the early settlers of Patten, Maine. Patten Academy was incorporated in 1846. Early settlers appear to have come from Lincoln, Maine and vicinity, although many of them were origally from NH. A group also appear from Palermo, Washington, Somerville, Windsor, China, and Jefferson, Maine towns. Another group appears from Sumner, Buckfield and Paris Area. Some appear from the Limerick, York Co, Maine area. Source: History of Penobscot County

Census	Settlers	Polls
1840	41	?
1850	470	?
1860	659	142
1870	704	153
1880	716	193
1890	936	?
1900	1172	?

Prentis 1858

Plymouth 1826

Springfield 1834

Stetson was settled in 1800 and was incorporated in Jan of 1831.

Veazie 1852

Winn 1857

Woodville 1895

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