History of Penobscot County, Maine online

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS



DDDDSmnO?






-^â– *' .rV^*^'. ^-^,




-W^J .^^\ 'â– %. /%



•'"°- /\>;^'% c.°'.^v>. /.yi^/"-^. ^° -ai^^- ./ ■'^




■ O^ • 'i:- Vi:i;5S^








oHq,











r^^v



^:,


















.â– ir .'








^ #



.•^ c-












?J>-i




^>



.<y



f'^'^^ 'X



r'.




^*'







"^^ 0^ ° '\^










^ v^'^^^^^)^- <^'



.•;o..




























.^'%





•'^^' G^^ ^o
V- G°^ .^Jx4;:'.'^°o



.•iq.








1 V'S. "^S^i^^Z^I v"^
















>' ^^fl









• "^^ ^^ »'^



V„ ^\^>«'. V ^\:

































/\. -.^^^ ^^'"-^^ '^m' /\. - W' ^^'






â– n-o^




^oV"





'bV











**'%




.*^






fi-i-





''^^,'-^'\/ "o^*^-'*/ V*^*y' %*^-'%°' V*^\/ %'.

"^J. A* ♦J
<. 'o . .

••"' <^^ '" a'5'^

•^ -s- ° Www/ ^S -^v















♦- o






^ -^ -^ ^'^^!'* .^c>






v-^;*






/\. ^W° ^^'^"*^ '-^^*" /\ - W^" ^^'



^o *:^T'\o'5



^-v






-*i°,«.






.'. '-^^0^ o.



•^o *."!*:".'.' .o''



1626




HISTORY



OF



PENOBSCOT CO Wi



1



MAINE,



W I I H



Illustrations and Biographical Sketches,



CLEVELAND:

WILLIAMS, CHASE r^ CO



1882.



I



^ â– 



ysi H



i£>



^^Uf i^



y



PREFACE.



It is hoped that this book is redeemed from the
sweeping reproach of Walpole: "Read me anything but
history, for history must be false;" or the scope of
Napoleon's question; "What is history, but a fiction
agreed upon?" It will need, however, the abounding
charity of De Quincey's eloquent phrase: "Two strong
angels stand by the side of history, * * as
heraldic supporters — the angel of research on the left
hand, that must read millions of dusty parchments and
of pages blotted with lies ; the angel of meditation on
the right hand, that must cleanse these lying records with
fire, even as of old the draperies of asbestos were
cleansed, and must quicken them into regenerated life.
Willingly I acknowledge that no man will ever avoid in-
numerable errors of detail; with so vast a compass of
ground to traverse, this is impossible." That this book is
superior, in the points of accuracy and fullness, to all
others of its class, the compilers do not claim ; but it is
hoped that in these particulars the History is equal to
the best of them. It is recommended that every reader,
before entering upon the perusal of its pages, use the
table of -^rata, at the end of the work, in the careful
correction of its pages with pen or pencil. Many errors
of typography, and some of statement, will thus disap-
pear.

It will be observed, also, that important parts of the
History supplement each other. Judge Godfrey, for ex-
ample, has fortunately enlarged the scope of his Annals
far beyond the limits of Bangor; and if the separate
sketches of Brewer, Orrington, Hampden, and many
other towns, seem insufficient, additional matter of



abounding interest will be found in the Bangor division
of the book. Further histories of Dexter, Bradley,
Passadumkeag, etc., received late in the course of print-
ing, are also comprised in the Appendix.

It was inevitable, however, that parts of the book
would scarcely prove equal to the expectation of some of
its readers. An immense tract was to be traversed, in
both time and geographical area ; a large General History
was to be made up, in justice to the most important
county of Eastern Maine. Separate sketches were to be
made of the history of one city, fifty-five towns, and
seven organized plantations — a number of these settled
by civilization more than a century ago; and it soon be-
came certain, in the preparation of this work, that, within
the limits necessarily prescribed for it (large as it is, com-
prising more than a million of words), it would be simply
impossible to make the history of all localities equally
full and satisfactory. It only remained for the compilers
and their aids to do th': best that was practicable, with the
materials at hand, and leave the generosity and good
sense of their readers to accept the result as such.

Acknowledgments to books and persons are so amply
and frequently made in the course of the chapters that
it is deemed unnecessary to repeat them here. The
grateful thanks of the compilers are due to them, and to
all others who may have contributed to the literary as
well as pecuniary success of this important venture.

For the biographical feature of this book the compilers
have, with few exceptions, no responsibility.

January 3, 1882.



W



I



4



CONTENTS



HISTORICAL.



GENERAL HISTORY,

CHAPTER.

I. —Description of the county .
II. —The Penobscot Indians
HI.— The Discoverers
IV. — Geographical Designations
V. — Colonization and Settlement
VI. — The Mission.iries
VII.— County Organization— Civil List
VIII.— Land Titles— Growth
IX. — Military Kecoid of Penobscot County
X.— Agricultural and other Societies
XL— The Maine State College
XII.— Ecclesiastical History
XIIL— The Bangor Theological Seminary
XIV. — The Press in Penobscot County
XV.— Roads, Railroads and Telegraphs
XVI.— The Bench and Bar uf Penobscot
XVII. — Bibliography of Penobscot County



TOWNSHIPS AND VILLAGES.



Alton

Argyle .

Bradford

Bradley

Brewer

Burlington

Carmel

Carroll

Charleston

Chester

Clifton

Corinna

Corinth

Dexter

Dixmont

Eddington

Edinburg

Enfield

Etna

Exeter .

Garland

Glenburn

Greenbush

Greenfield

Hampden

Hermon

H olden

Howland

Hudson

Kenduskeag

Kingman

Lagrange

Levant

Lee

Lincoln

Lowell .

Mattawamkeag

Mattamiscontis

Maxfield



9
29
46
S'
65
70
73
77
86
164
170
176
177
185
191

19s
228



. 247
249

• 25'
255-855

. 258
269
272
276

. 279
283
290

293
306
18-861
323
333
339
340

343
869
352
359
362
366
368

379
382
387

390
391
396
398
403
884
408

415
894
419
420



CHAPTKR.

Med way

Milford

Mount Chase .

Newburg

Newport

Orono

Oldtown

Orrington

Passadumkcag

Patten

Plymouth

Plantations

Prentiss

Springfield

Stetson

Veazie

Winn

THE ANNALS OF BANGOR-l76<l-l882.
CHAPTER.

1.-1769 to 1776 .
U. — 1770 to 17B0

111.-1780101785 .

IV.— 1785 to 1800
v. — 1800 to 1805 .
VI. — 1805 to 1811
,VII. — 1811-1812-1813
VIII. — 1814

IX.— 1815 to 1816 .
X— 1817
XI. — 1818 .
XU. — 1819
XllI— 1820 .
XIV. — 1821
XV.— 1822 .
XVI. — 1823
XVll. — 1824 .
XVIII.— 1825
XIX.— 1826 .
XX. — 1827
XXI.— 1828 .
XXII. — 1829
XXIII— 1830 .
XXIV. — 183:

XXV.— 1832 .
XXVI. — 1833
XXVII. -1834 .
XXVIU.- 1835
XXIX. — 1836 .

XXX.-I837

XXXI.— Subsequent History of Bangor, 1838-188

XXXII.— The Churches of Bangor

XXXIIl.— The Public Charities of Bangor

XXXIV.— Associations and Clubs .

XXXV.— The Water Works

XXXVl.— Civil List of Bangor
XXXVl I. -Bangor Biographies .
XXXVIII— Settlement Notes

XXXIX.— Township Biographies



PAGE.
422
901
424
436
43S

â–  443
454

â–  467
475-9"

• 478

482

506-513

485

. 48B

490

• 495

497



5'7

522

52B

535

54'

547

553

557

570 •.

577

579

586

59°
S9S
601
606
610
6ts
623
632
641
646
650

653
650
662
667
672
684

697
711
718

733
738

750
753
760

787
820



CONTENTS.



APPENDIX.



Appendix to Cleneral History
Appendix to Br.idley.
Ucxtcr. .
Exeler



847

855
861
809



Lee

Mattawainkeag
Milford .
I^.issadunikeag
Addenda



§^



8S4
894
901
911
914



BIOGRAPHICAL,



Appleton, Hon. John. I.L. D

Allen, Hon. Frederick H.

Allen, Hon. Elisha H.

Abbot, Hon William

Appleton, Frederick H.

Appleton, Moses L.

Appleton, General John F.

Ayer. Horatio S.

Brown, Hon. Enoch

Barker, Hon. Lewis

Barker, Lewis A.

Fiarker, David

Bartlett, Ichabod D.

Bailey, Charles .\.

Blanchard, John .\.

Blake, William A.

Bond, Francis Eugene

Burgess, James H.

Brastow, Captain Billint;^

Barker, Hon. Lewis,

Boutelle, Captain Charles A

Brown, William H., KL D.

Beal, Flavius O.

Bryant, Charles D.

Bragg, Warren A.

Butman, Samuel

Chesley, Samuel

Cutting, Jonas, LL. U.

Chandler, Peleg

Crosby, Hon. Josiah

Chandler, Theophilus P.

Copeland, ThoniasJ.

Crosby, William C.

Chamberlain, Jlorace B.

Chamberlain, Lieutenant Colonel 1 humas U

Chamberlain, Joshua L.

Comins, Lieutenant L. \L

Case, Captain Isaac Winslow

Carleton, Brigadier General James H

Chapman, AdolphusJ.

Crosby, Captain Henry

Dutton, Hon. Samuel E

Donigan, James \.

Davis, Governor D. F.

Emery, Marcel lus

Eddy, Colonel Jonathan

Ellis, Captain Osco .A.

Egery, Hon. Thomas N

Eddy, Jonathan

Fuller, Lieutenant Colonel Geoti^e

Foster, Major Benjamin B.

Flanders, Reuben

Folsom, Dr. A. 1'.

Folsoiii, Major M. M.

Fcrnald, M. C.

Fuller, Henry 1).

Godfrey, Hon. John

Godfrey, James

Goodenow, Hon. Henry C.

Gilman, Hon. Allen

Oilman, Charles

Garnsey. Samuel

Greenwood, Charles

Gardnur, Hon. John

Halhawny, Hon. Joshua W

Hill, Hon. Thomas .\.

Humphrey, Hon. Samuel F.



r.\GK.

201 and 763
205
211
213
222
222
225
830
207
217
217
224
224
225
225
226
226
227
261
764

766 and 915
767

783
786

813
918
287
202
212
216 and 825
220
223
223
227
261
262
335
393
449
-82

372
205
227
823
224

334
410

779
842

314
450
828

833
834

83.S
314
208
208
210
212
219
219
30s

837
203
2og
210



Hamlin, Hon. Hannibal

Hamlin, Hon. Hannibal

Hamlin, Hon. Elijah L.

Hamlin, General Charles

Hilliard, William T. .

Hobbs, P>ederick .

Hill, Joshua

Hill, Colonel Francis

Hodsdon, Sergeant Israel

Hutchings, Colonel Jasper

Hill, Brevet Brigadier General J

Hill, Captain Henry V.

Hersey, General S. F.

Hunt, Abel

Haines, Dr. George A.

Hill, Hon. Francis W.

H.inimond. John R.

Huston, Nicholas R.

Haynes, George H.

Hodsdon, General Isaac

Ingersoll, George W. .

Jewett, Hon. Albert G.

Jordon. Edward

Kent, Hon. Edward, L. L. D.

Kent, Hon. Edwaid, L. L. D.

Leonard, Oliver

Ladd, Hon. George W.

Lord. Henry

Laugluon, Dr. Sumner

Laughton, Hon. Frederick M.

McGaw, Hon, Thornton

McGaw, Jacob

Moody, George B.

McCrilhs, David

McCrillis, William H.

Mitchell, Henry L.

McFadden, T. F.

Mayo, Captain Ezekiel R

Mudge Enoch R.

Morison, Hon. John

Nichols, Lemuel

Oakman, Major Ora

Oakes, Captain Samuel J.

Plaisted, Hon. Harris M.

Peters, Hon. John A.

Perham, Hon. David

Plaisted, Hon. Harris M.

Prentiss, Hon. Henry E.

Paine. Albert W.

Palmer, Surgeon Alden D.

Pullen, Colonel Frank D.

Plaisted, Hon. William

Rowe, James S.

Rogers, Jonathan P.

Rogers, Lieutenant Edwin

Ruggles, Major Huani

Ruggles, Lieutenant G. H.

Sanborn, Hon. Daniel

Stetson, Hon, Charles

Stetson, Charles P.

Sewall, George P.

Starretl, George

Sanborn, Abraharn

Stearns, Lewis C. .

Sanger, Dr. E. F.

Seavy, Dr. Calvin

Sargent, Deacon Daniel



than A



bet



HAGE.
213
760
214
214
221
223
226
917

3"4
227
492
. 492
777
786
828
829

837
838

839
840
220
211
838
203
761
218

763
766
770
771
209
218

220
222
222
225
225

• 371
472
824

784

• 311
476

ecu 64-65
204
204
211

216

222

â–  449

781
829
219
219

479
821
82a
307
aio
aio
215
219

323
338
768

• 77t

820



CONTEN'IS.



BIOGRAPHICAL.



Sprague, V'olney A.

Shaw, Hon. Charles .

Smith, Hon. Asa .

Shaw, E. W. .

Smith, Hon. Joseph I,.

Thissell, Hon. John

Vose, Hon. Thomas W. .

Veazie, General Samuel

Veazie, Jones P.

Williamson, Hon. Wilham U.

Washburn, Hon. Isniel

Wakefield, Hon. Albert G.

Wilson, Nathaniel



Map of Penobscot County .
Portrait of General Samuel Veazie
Portrait of Governor H. M. Plnisted
Portrait of D. F. Davis
County Buildings
Portr.iit of Lewis A. Barker
Residence of .\. F. Bradbury
Portrait of General Isaac Hodsdon
Portrait of Dr. E. F. Sanger
Portrait of Major M. M. Folsom
Portrait ol Lieutenant G. H. Ruggle-^
Maine State Agricultural College
Portrait of M. C. Fernald .
Portrait of C. A. Boutelle
Portrait of Noah Woods
Portrait of Hon. John Appleton
Portrait of Hon. John E. Godfrey
Portrait of Hon. Josiah Crosby
Residence of Greenville J. Shaw
Portrait of Charles P. Church
Portrait of Cyrus P. Church
Portrait of Thomas R. Kingsbury
Purir.iit of D. S. Humphrey
Portrait of Deacon Daniel Sargent
ResidenceofJ.B. Benjamin
Portrait of Major Hiram Ruggles
Potiraitof Thomas J. Peaks
\iew ol Eureka Mills
Portrait of Hon. John Thissell
Portrait of Reuben Flanders .
View ol Amos Abbott & Co's Mills
Portrait of Colonel Jonathan Eddy
I'ortrait of T. P. Bachelder
Portrait of Hon. William Plaistid
Portrait of William R. .•\yer
Portrait of E. W. Shaw
Portrait of Dr. John Benson
Residence of B. P. Gilman
Portrait of Jesse R. W,adleigh
Residence of Eben Webster
Portrait of J. L. Smith
Portrait of Dr. A. P. Folsom .
Residence of Dr. A. I'. Folsom
Residence of M. M. Folsom



PAGE.

. 827
827

. 830
831

• 832
825

217
774
• 787
206
211
215
221



Weston, Nathan Jr.
Weeks, Matthias .
Whitney, George W. .
Wilson, Franklin A.
Wilson. Joseph C.
W.ishbum, Lieutenant Israel H.
Woods, Hon. Noah
Webber, John I^rescott
Wadleigh, Jesse R.
Wadleigh, Moses P.
Webster, Eben
Wilson, Surgeon ). B.



ILLUSTRATIONS,



P.^GE.


Frontispiece


between 32


- 33


facing


65


facing


73


facing


75


between 82


- 83


facing


89


facing


95


between 112-113 |


facing


117


between 15


2-153


facing


170


facing


172


between 186-1 87


facing


•93


facing


201


facing


208


facing


216


facing


244


facing


251


facing


252


f.icing


253


facing


254


between 2


58-259


facing


273


between 274-275


facing


282


facing


305


between 3


i2-3'3


facing


3-8


facing


320


facing


334


between 394-395


facing


409


facing


414


facing


437


facing


442


between


144-445


facing


448


facing


449


between 454-4=;5


between 458-459


between


458-459


facing


466



Portrait of John Gardner

Residence of John Gardner

Portrait of John R. Hammond

Rcsidenceof John R. Hammond

Cream Brook Farm .

Residence of Samuel E. Stetson.

Residence of Edward and John JorJ.jn

Residence of Porter G. Wiggin .

Portrait of Alvin Haynes

Portrait of Charles A. H.iynes .

Portrait of George H. Haynes

Portrait of N. R. Huston

Residence of N. R. Huston

Map of Bangor in 1798 .

Portrait of Hon. Lewis Barker -

Portrait of Thomas N. Egery .

Portrait of G. W. Ladd

Map of Bangor in 1820 .

Map of Bangor in 1820

Portrait of Lemuel Nichols

Portraitof J. E. Chapman .

Bangor Planing Mill

Portrait of Hon. Henry Lord

Poillait of F. O. Beal

View of Bangor House

Portrait of Jones P. Veazie

Portr.iit of .Abel Hunt

Portrait of F. V. Pullen .

I'orlrail of F. M. Laughton

St. Xavier's Convent

Portrait of Dr. Sumner t^ughlon

Portrait of J, P. Webber

Store of Thurston, Biagg & Co.

Residence of Hon. John Morison

Portr.ait of Volney A. Sprague

Portr.iit of Thomas M. Plaisted

Portrait of George A. Haines

Dexter Woolen Mills

Residence of Hon. Josiah Crosby

Portraitof F. W. Hill .

Residence and portrait of Asa Smith

Portrait of Colonel Francis Hill

Portrait of Mrs. Elizabeth Hill



223
224
227
228
228
449
773
780

831
832

83s
883



PAGE.

between 478-479
between 478-479
between 480-481
between 480-481
between 490-491
facing 492

facing 493
facing 494
between 838-839
between 838-839
between 838-839
between 500-501
between 500-501
facing 515

between 524-525
between 544-545
between 570-571
between 590-591
between 590-591
facing 592

facing 600

facing 608

between 624-625
between 644-645
between 644-64S
facing 652

lacing 656

between 702-703
helwcen 712-713
facing 731

between 734-735



facing


741


f.icing


8'3


facing


824


facing


827


facing


829


facing


8bi


facing


865


facing


863


facing


879


facing


897


between


916-915


between


916-917



HISTORY

OF

Penobscot County, Maine,



CHAPTER I.

DESCRIPTION OF THE COUNTY.

Geographical— Its Silunliun, Size, Boundaries, Subdivisions, and
I'opulalion— The l'enol>scot Uiver— Seenery of the Hay— Tlie Ac-
counts of Kozier. Dr. Kohl, Wells, and Williamson— Lumbering on
the Kiver— The Soil of I'enobscot— Arable and Waste Lands—
Agricullur.tl .\daptation of Wild Lands— Geology of the County —
Bangor and \'icinity— l-'rom Holden to Charleston— Argillo-niica
Schist— Mica Schist in Carroll— About Lakeville Plantation— The
East Branch of the Penobscot- Working the Slate— History of the
Hrounville (juarries—" Horsebacks "-Marble and Limestones—
The Manufacture of Lime— Trap Rock— Granite in Northern Maine
—Sundry Geological Notes — Travelers' Descriptions — Steele—
Thorneau — Audubon.

geo(;r.\phic.\l.

The county ol Penobscot, in the State of Maine, is
altogciher an inland subdivision, no part of its territory
abutting upon the seacoast. It occui)ies, however,
aUnost the whole of the valley of the Penobscot, n.arly
the whole of the main stream of that river, the entire
East branch, except its furthest headwateis, and many
miles of the West branch, lying within the borders of
this county. The lower part of the county is nearly in
the middle of the State, on an east and west line from
Passamaquoddy Bay. On a north and south line, how-
ever, its boundaries arc much nearer to the sea than to
the river St. John, the notlherii linnt o{ the State, and
the entire northern half of the county apiwaches within
thirty to fifty miles of the State line on the east, while it
is at all points more than twice as far from the western
boundaries of the State. It is the principal county of
Eastern Maine, and one of the largest and most import-
ant in the Commonwealth. It has a total area of two
thousand seven hundred and si-xty square miles, or one
million seven hundred and sixtysi.x thousand four hun-
dred acres. Its extreme length, from the northernmost
boundary, the north^line of section eight, of the eighth
range, to the southernmost point, the projection of Or-
rington town into Hancock county, is one hundred and
seventeen and one-half miles. Its breadth varies from a
little more than eighteen miles, down the county from
the north line for about forty-five miles, to fifty and one-
half miles in extreme width, on a belt of eight miles'
width from Uexter and the north part of Corinna east-
ward. The breadth from Carroll, Prentiss, and Urew
Plantation westward, is the same as that of the lower
part of the county, say the latitude of Bangor— forty



miles; which is shortened in the southernmost portion,
from Dixmont eastward, by about three miles.

The boundaries of the county, although quite irregu-
lar, are almost wholly in right lines. It has no "natural
boundaries," except at the southwest part of Orrington,
where the Penobscot separates its teriitory from the
northeast corner of Waldo county. Its entire periphery
or boundary has a length, very nearly, of three hundred
and fifty-three miles. It is bounded on the north by
Aroostook and Piscataquis counties; on the east by
Aroostook, Washington, and Hancock ; on the south —
that part of the county east of the Penobscot by Han-
cock county, that west of the river by Waldo county, on
the west (Dixmont) by Waldo, (Plymouth to Dexter),
Somerset, and (the rest of the county) Piscataquis coun-
ties. The farnous eminence of the wilderness, Mount
Katahdin, is just outside the western boundary, on the lat-
itude of Stacyville town; also Lake Seboeis, to the west-
ward of Woodville and Chester. Between these towns and
the lake is the Mattamiscontis mountain, a height of
respectable altitude, about six miles from the west line of
the county.

The organized towns of Penobscot county are Alton,
Argyle, Bangor, Ikadford, Bradley, Brewer, ISurlington,
Carmcl, Carroll, Charleston, Chester, Clifton, Corinna,
Corinth, Dexter, Dixmont, Eddington, Edinburg, En-
field, Etna, E.xeter, Garland, (;ienburn, Greenbush,
Greenfield, Hampden, Hermon, Hoklen, Howland,
Hudson, Kenduskeag, Kingman, Lagrange, Lee, Levant,
Lincoln, Lowell, Mattamiscontis, Mattawamkeag, Max-
field, Medway, Milford, Mount Chase, Newport, New-
burgh, Oldtown, Orono, Orrington, Passadumkeag, Pat-
ten, Plymouth, Prentiss, Springfield, Stetson, Veazie, and
Winn— fifty-six in all. The organized plantations are
Drew, Lakeville, Stacyville, Webster, Woodville, No. i
(North Bingham, Penobscot Purchase), and No. 2,
Grand Falls Plantation-eight in number. Unorganized
plantations are Pattagumpus, \\'hitney Ridge, West In-
dian, township A, range 7; No. 3; Nos. 2 and 3, range
3; No. 2, range 4; No. 2, range 6; No. 2, range 9 ; No.
3, range i — eleven.
I The population of the county, according to the census
of 1880, was seventy thousand four hundred and seventy-
eight.



HISTORY OF PENOBSCOT COUNTY, MAINE.



The great physical feature of tlie county is, of course,
the

l'K\()l;SCt)T RIVER.

The Iniliaii name of this renowned stream, which has
been taken also by an ancient tcjwn ni H.mcock county,
and by the gruat c:ounty which nearly lills its valley, is
I'enobskeag or I'enobscook — the former having the
well-known termination kcag, fountl in man)' appellatives
in this State, and meaning pku e the wlujjc word signi-
fying "the place of rocks." The French, in their efforts
to represent the Indian sounds by their alphabet, called
the river Pentacpievett, which became shortened into
Pentagoet — a designation by which the remains of the
old fort on the margin of the water at Castine are still
known. But the men of Plymouth, who established their
trading-post at or near the same spot in 1S26, are be-
lieved to have been the first to name the river as Penob-
scot. It received other titles in the course of civilized
exploration on these shores—as the river of Norumbega,
the Rio de ( lome/, and others which will appear hereafter.
The scenery of the bay and river of Penobscot is widely
celebrated for its picturesque cheuacter and beauty. The
lines of Whittier, in his musical verse embodying the
legend of the I'arratine sachem, Mogg Mcgone, furnish
a fitting introduction to the scene:

Beneath the uesiw.ird-turning eye
A Ihous.iiid wooded isl.mds lie.—
'1 lieir thoub.md tmts of beauty glow
Down ill the restless naves below.

There sleeps ri.icellli.i's yrolliJ. —
There, gloomily .ig.imst the sky
The Dark Isles rear their siimniits hiyii;
.\nd Desert Rock, abruin .ind bare.
Lifts its gray turrets 111 tlie air,—
Seen from afar, like some stronghold
Built by the oeean-kings of old ;
.And. faint as smoke-wreath, white and thin,
Swells in tlie ii,,iih x.ist K.italiJii, .
.\ih1, w.iiiariii,;; |,,„„ 1,^ m.ubliy feel.
The bi.i.ul l'cii,,l,Mol luiiies to men
.And ninigle wilh its own bnglit l,,,y

The historian of Weymouth's voyage, M. Ro/ier, eulo-
gizes the stre.tm up win, h the explorer pushed, whatever
It may have been (piuh.ihly ihc Penobscot), in the warm-
est terms. His praises are well worthy the Penobscot
waters:

As we passed with a gentle wind up w,th our .hip in this river any „, in
may coneeive with wh.u admir.ttion we all eonseiited in joy ' M „v ' f
our eompany, who had been travellers ,n sundry eouniries and'in .lu '
most fanu^ts rivers, yet affirmed them no. eomparable to this they no v '
beheld. Some that were w.th Sir Walter Raleigh in his voyage to

â– e West indies, ealled Rio Crande, some before the river of I o r

The first chapter „f (,,,.<, Kohl's "History of the
n.^overy of tlie East (•,,:.st,,fN,,,U,A,nc,ua.'' pruned
•n the hrst volume of the se,:ond series of ,he .Maine
Historical Collections, contains the following interestil.,
remarks upon this great inland water, which Dr. Kohl



rightly designates as by far the most important river of
the State. He says further:

It drains the entire central part of .Maine. .Ml its heads and tribu-
taries are included in the territory of the St.ite, and this teriitory mav
be considered as having attached ilself from ,UI sides to this river sys-
tem. The State of Maine might be called the Penobscot country, this '
river being its main artery.

The reiiobscot, at its mouth, f.jrms the l.irgeM and most be.iuliful of
all the numerous bays or inlets of the eo.isl. and is very deep, and nav-