A

HISTORY

OF THE

TOWN OF UNION,

IN THE COUNTY OF LINCOLN, MAINE,

ΤΟ

THE MIDDLE OF THE NINETEENTH CENTURY;

WITH A

FAMILY REGISTER

OF THE

SETTLERS BEFORE THE YEAR 1800, AND OF THEIR DESCENDANTS.

BY

JOHN LANGDON SIBLEY,

MEMBER OF THE MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL SOCIETY.

"E minimis maxima."

BOSTON:

BENJAMIN B. MUSSEY AND CO.

1851.

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I.

Page.

Soil.

1

GEOGRAPHY,- Situation. Boundaries. Rivers and Brooks. Ponds.

Climate. Freshets. Hail and Frogs. Lightning. Health and Longevity.

Scenery.

CHAPTER II.

ANTE-PLANTATION HISTORY.-Muscongus or Waldo Patent. Disputed Terri-

tory. St. George's River proposed as a Boundary. Indians. Hart's and

Boggs's Escape from them. Dické and the Comet.

CHAPTER III.

PLANTATION HISTORY. -1772, 1773: First Settlers.

The Anderson Party.

1774, Plan of Anderson's Lot. Purchase of the Township by Dr. John

Taylor. His Arrival with the Butlers and others. First Public Act of Devo-

tion. Frightened Moose. Occupation of the Anderson Camp. Clearing

commenced. High Words with the Anderson Party. Taylor's Return to

Massachusetts. Deed to Taylor. 1775: Taylor in Congress. Butlers again

at Work. First Rye sowed. Butlers go West. Taylor comes back and labors.

Butlers return: are hired out to Benjamin Packard. Packard's Log-house.

Timber for Taylor's Buildings. Privations. Butler and the Bear.

CHAPTER IV.

PLANTATION HISTORY, continued. 1776: Philip Robbins's Purchase. David

Robbins's the first Family. Richard Cummings. Taylor again. First Frame

House. First Crop of Rye. Raising of a Barn. Log-houses of Richard

Cummings and David Robbins. Arrival of the Families of Philip Robbins

and Richard Cummings. Crowded House. Timber House. Barn. Tay-

lor's Mills.

22

27

36

CHAPTER V.

PLANTATION HISTORY, continued. - 1777: Phinehas Butler enters the Army.

Purchases by Abijah Hawes; by Ezra Bowen; by Jonathan Amory; by

Joel Adams, Jason Ware, and Matthias Hawes. Settlement of John Butler.

1778: Suchfort the Hessian. Blacksmithing. Calamitous Fire. Suffering

for Food.

41

PLANTATION HISTORY, continued. - 1779: Wheaton's Purchase. Settlement of

Joel Adams, Matthias Hawes, and Jason Ware. Woodward. Fairbanks.

Settlement of Moses Hawes. Ebenezer Robbins. 1780: Jennison's Pur-

chase. 1781: First Wedding. Jessa Robbins. 1782: Settlement of Phinehas

Butler. Elisha Partridge. Taylor's Conveyance to Reed.

CHAPTER VII.

PLANTATION HISTORY, concluded.-1783: Log-house. Bride. Bride's Dower.

Jessa Robbins. 1784: Amariah Mero. 1785: Josiah Robbins. Gillmor. Cat-

and-clay Chimney. Royal Grinnell. Elijah Holmes. 1786: Arrival of the

Families of Josiah Robbins; of Samuel Hills. Samuel Martin. Organiza-

tion of the Plantation.

1

45

51

CHAPTER VIII.

INCORPORATION HISTORY.-1786, Petition for Incorporation. Act of Incorpo-

ration. Number and Names of the Inhabitants.

CHAPTER IX.

SETTLERS AFTER THE INCORPORATION.-1787: Levi Morse. Oliver Leland.

William Hart. 1788: The Maxcys. 1789: The Daggetts. Seth Luce. Chris-

topher Butler. Ichabod Irish. Barnabas Webb. 1793: Casualty to the

Maxcy Family. Remarks on the Early Settlers.

CHAPTER X.

POPULATION. Census, Aug. 1, 1790. Abstracts from Censuses. Hawes's

Census in 1826. State Census, March 1, 1837.

60

64

73

CHAPTER XI.

POPULATION IN 1850.- Census, June 1, 1850, with Names and Ages.

CHAPTER XII.

MINERAL AND ARBORAL PRODUCTS.- Minerals.

Timber. Felling of Trees.

Burning of Cut-downs. Shingles. Benjamin Speed. Lakin. Boards and

Saw-mills. Lime-casks.

CHAPTER XIII.

AGRICULTURAL AND HORTICULTURAL PRODUCTS.- Barley and Rye. Indian

Corn. Wheat. Potatoes. Fruit. Peaches and Plums. Apples.

CHAPTER XIV.

MANUFACTURES AND TRADE.-Spinning Wheels. Looms. Home-made Cloth-

ing. Fulling Mills. Carding Machines. Factories. Paper Mills. Tan-

neries. Potash. Iron Works. Fossetts' Mills. Stores. Carting Goods to

Boston in the War of 1812. Canals.

77

97

108