A History of the Town of Gorham, Maine. Prepared at the request of the Town

Preface

. A praiseworthy desire has of late been manifested in many towns in Xew England, to gather up the trustworthy documents relating to the early settlement and progress of our plantations, and to rescue from the oblivion to which they are rapidly hastening, the records of the enterprise, courage, and sufferings, of our early ancestors. Such local statistics must be interesting to the citizens of those places to which they relate, and valuable to historians of our country, as furnishing reliable data to aid them in the composition of their works. I have devoted some time in investigating the early settlement of the town of Gorham, and tracing its growth, till it became, what it now is, one of the most populous, wealthy, and important inland towns in Maine. I have thought a historical memoir of the place would be acceptable to its present inhabitants, and not wholly unin teresting to the people of our State generally.

With these views, I have compiled the following pages, and now commit them to the public eye. In the preparation of this work, I have been much as sisted in gathering materials, by several gentlemen. M. G. Hayden, Esq., Town Clerk, has at all times given me a free

PREFACE.

. use of all the Town Records in his possession. I have also received valuable aid from Hon. Frederic Robie. Es pecially am I indebted to Col. Hugh D. McLellan, who has kindly furnished me with many historical facts and traditions, and loaned me his numerous and valuable family manuscripts and traditional papers, from which I have gath ered many interesting facts. J. PIERCE. Gorham, January, 1862. GORHAM.

Chapter I

. INTRODUCTORY. Within a few years a general wish has prevailed, to gather up and preserve the facts relating to the settlement and early progress of our town. The movement is credita ble to our citizens, and we regret that this interest had not been earlier excited, while fuller records, and the actors themselves in these proceedings were accessible. In many of our towns all the early settlers have passed away. The records of proprietors and plantations, in many instances, been lost or destroyed. We can now only make the best use we can of the materials within our reach, — family records, grave-stone inscriptions, and floating and oftentimes unreliable traditions. The sea coast and islands of Maine had been discovered more than a hundred years by Sebastian Cabot, before any settlement was made by Europeans.

After some islands and a few places on the main land by the sea side, had been occupied by Englishmen, another century went by before permanent settlements were effected in the interior. There were several causes for this ; the principal of which were, the greater facility of obtaining the necessaries of living near the ocean, and the greater security from the hostile attacks of the Indians and Canadian French. Thus Fal mouth (now Portland), and Scarborough, were settled a full hundred years before the adjoining interior town of Gorham. Falmouth was occupied by Englishmen in 1632, and Scarborough as early as 1633. The first settler moved into Gorham in 1736. The town of'Gorham embraces an area of somewhat more than six miles square. Its contents, as is the case of most of the early located towns in the State, exceeds the granted quantity.

The surveyors employed, a century ago, made liberal allowances for waste land in the shape of ponds, bogs and mountains. An allowance of one rod in thirty for swag of chain, was also a general practice of surveyors, in laying out new townships, between sixty and one hundred years ago ; and such allowances were sanctioned by government at that period. Hence most of the towns in Maine, that were located during the last century, are found, on a strict measurement, to contain a larger surface, than are indicated by their grants or charters. The territory of the town of Gorham is circumscribed by an irregular figure of very unequal sides ; its longest side is that on Presumscot river ; its shortest, the dividing line between Gorham and Westbrook. The former beino; about eight, the latter three miles in length.

It is bounded easterly by Presumscot river which divides it from the town of Windham ; south-easterly by Westbrook ; southerly by Scarborough ; south-westerly and westerly by Buxton ; and northerly by Standish. The surface of the town is what is called a rolling coun try. In the northerly part is a plain of considerable extent ; but much the larger part of Gorham is hilly. The hills are uniformly of gentle and even ascent, being nowhere preci pitous, or too steep for cultivation. Larp-e and windine INTRODUCTORY. valleys are spread out between the swells of land, and the whole is bountifully watered by springs and streams ; in a few places the soil is sandy, but a clayey loam is the prevailing soil. Fort Hill is the highest eminence, and from its summit can be seen most of the town and a large extent of the surrounding country, and waters of the ocean ; its sides are long slopes, easily ascended and covered with excellent farms.

The town is not rocky ; the northerly part contains some granite, and limestone is found in some places. The prevailing stone is argillaceous slate, laying in ledges. It is believed that there is not so much as two acres of surface in any one place unfit for cultivation. It is, without doubt, one of the best agricultural townships in Maine. Presumscot river washes its whole eastern boundary, and affords, by its numerous falls, many eligible water privileges for manufacturing purposes. Stroudwater river traverses the southern section of the town ; and Little river, rising in Buxton, within two miles of the Saco, enters Gorham on its western boundary ; and, after flowing in a very winding channel, affording many mill sites, and forming and watering many fertile intervales, it falls into the Presumscot river on the eastern side of the town.

Formerly there was a fine growth of large rjine trees in the township, interspersed with ash, birch, beech, maple, oak, hemlock, fir, spruce, elm and walnut trees ; the more valuable part of the pine has long since been cut and carried away. This town seems to have been first resorted to by white men for lumbering purposes ; they came first for masts, of which the noble pines that were numerous here afforded a large supply. After saw mills were erected on Presumscot and Saccarappa falls, logs for boards, which were easily floated down Presumscot river, were in de mand. Gorham, though having within its limits places bearing Indian names, was never, as far as is known, the residence of any particular tribe of the natives. It was sometimes occupied for awhile as the camping ground of roving parties of Indians, from the Ossipee, Pequawket, Androscoggin, and Sokokis or Saco tribes.

These with the St. Francois Indians of Canada, with whom the remnant of the Pequaw kets united after their signal defeat by Lovell, at Fryeburg, in 1725, would make this town their summer residence, and planted large fields of corn in some localities, and it was their great thoroughfare from Sebago Lake to Saco and Scarborough. There are no traditions of Indian grants or Indian claims of land in Gorham. Several families from Canada resided here for some years for the sake of easy access to the trading houses of the English on the coast, where they could barter their furs, baskets and various trinkets, for such articles as they most needed. The early settlers of Gorham were greatly harrassed for several years by the Canada Indians. Crops were destroy ed, cattle killed, a few white persons killed, and a few carried away captive to Canada.

These annoyances contin ued till the French power passed away by the conquest of Quebec by Wolfe in 1769. That victory put an end to the Indian depredations in this part of Maine. The wars between France and England always drew into the conflict the colonies of the two nations in North Amer ica. Hence the inhabitants of New-England had to be in a state of warlike preparation at all times. For the first century after the settlement of Massachusetts, her men were frequently engaged in military expeditions ; sometimes against the French — sometimes against the Indians frequently against both combined. The colonies were poor, and the Legislatures of the same had slender means of INTRODUCTORY. paying the expenses of the military or remunerating the soldiers except by grants of wild lands. Most of the Pro vincial grants were therefore made for military services.

The township of Gorham was granted for such services. Seven townships, of which this town was one, were granted to the officers and soldiers, or their representatives, who served in what was called King Philip's war, or the Narra gansett fight. The grant was made by the General Court of Massachusetts ; first of two townships in 1728, and five more in 1732. The number of grantees was 840.

Chapter II. The Grants

BY THE GOVERNOR AND COMPANY OF THE MASSACHU- SETTS BAY, IN NEW ENGLAND. At a General Court for Elections held at Boston, 27th of May, 1685. In answer to the petition of William Bassett, John Lin sey, Robert Porter, Sen'r, and twenty-two more inhabitants of Lyn, Jeremiah Swain, Samuel Damon, Samuel Lamb son, William Robbins, James Pyke, John and James Nich ols of Reading, Wm. Raymond, and five more of Beverly, and Samuel Lincoln, and three more of Hingham, as on the petition on file, The Court judgeth it meet to grant the petitioners a tract of land in Nipmug country of eight miles square for their encouragement, and others that were ser viceable to the country in the late Indian War, to a compe tent number who shall see meet to join themselves to them, in order to the making of a Plantation or Township, provided it be laid out as not to interfere with any former grants, and that an Orthodox Minister, on their settlement of thirty families, be settled within the space of four years next coming.

A true copy of the original Records of the General Court. Attest: EDWARD D. BANGS, Secretary of the Commonwealth. THE GRANTS. Thursday, December 14, 1727. On the petition of Samuel Chandler, Jacob Wright, &c, in behalf of themselves and others praying, as entered July 1, 1727. In the House of Representatives.

Resolved, That Major Thomas Tilestone, Capt. John Alden, Mr. Edward Shove, Mr. Nathaniel Healy, of Newton, Mr. Samuel Chan dler, of Concord, John Wainwright and Ezra Bourne, Esqs., (any four of whom to be a Quorum) be a Committee fully authorized and empowered to survey and lay out two tracts of Lands for townships, of the contents of six miles square, of the unappropriated Lands of this Province, and that the said lands be granted and disposed of to the per sons, whether officers or soldiers, belonging to this Province, who were in the service of their country in the said Narra gansett War, or to their lawful representatives, as a reward for their public services, and in full satisfaction of the grant formerly made them by the Great and General Court, and forasmuch as it is the full intent and purpose of this Court, that every officer and soldier who served in said War, should have a compensation made them over and above what wages and gratuities any of them have already re ceived ; that the said Committee give public notice in the news-letters or otherwise, six months at least before the time of their meeting, where and when they intend to meet, so that every officer and soldier that served in the said War, or the lawful representative of such, as served and are since deceased, may have an opportunity of enlist inotheir names with the said Committee, who are hereby ordered to take a list accordingly, and when and so soon as the said Committee has received a complete list of the names of such persons as have served as aforesaid, or their legal representatives (which they are enjoined to do with all convenient speed) the Grantees shall be obliged to as semble within as short a time as they can conveniently, and proceed to the choice of a Committee to regulate each society, who shall pass such orders and rules, as will effectually oblige them to settle sixty families in each township, with a learned Orthodox Minister, within the space of seven years from the date of the grant, Provided, nevertheless, that if the said Grantees shall not effectually settle the said number of families in each township, and also lay out a lot for the first settled minister, one for the ministry, and one for the school in each of the said townships, they shall take no advantage, but forfeit the said Grant, any thing to the contrary contained notwithstanding.

In Council, read and concurred with the amendments. A true copy from the original Records of the General Court. Attest: EDWARD D. BANGS, Secretary of the Commonwealth. Saturday, June 15, 1728. In the House of Representatives. In answer to the petition of the soldiers that served in the Narragansett War, Resolved, That Major Chandler, Mr. Edward Shove, Major Tilestone, and Mr. John Hobson, (or any three of them) be a Committee fully authorized and empowered to survey and lay out two townships of the contents of six miles square each, in some of the unappropriated lands of this Province ; and that the said lands be granted and disposed of to the persons, whether officers or soldiers, belonging to this Province, who were in the service of their country in the said Narragansett War, or to their lawful representatives, as a reward for their public services, and as THE GRANTS. a full satisfaction of the grant formerly made them by the Great and General Court, and inasmuch as it is the full intent and purpose that every officer and soldier who served in the said war, should have a compensation made him over and above what wages and gratuities any of them have already received.

That public notice be given in the news-letters, and advertisements posted up in every town in the Province, notifying all persons that now survive, and were in that fight, and the legal representatives of those deceased, that they give or send a list of their names and descents to the Court in their next Fall Session ; and when such list is completed by a Committee then to be appointed by this Court, the Grantees shall be obliged to assemble in as short a time as they can conveniently, not exceeding six months, and proceed to the choice of a Committee to regu late each Propriety, who shall pass such Orders and Rules as will effectually oblige them to settle sixty families at least, in each township, with a learned Orthodox Minister, within the space of seven years from the date of the grant, Provi ded, nevertheless, if the said Grantees shall not.i effectually settle the said number of families in each township, and also lay out a Lot for the said settled Minister, one for the Min istry, and one for the School, in each of the said townships, they shall have no advantage, but forfeit their said grants, any thing to the contrary herein contained notwithstanding.

In Council, read and concurred. Consented to. W. DUMMER. A true copy from the original Records of the General Court. Attest: EDWARD D. BANGS, Secretary of the Commonwealth. Friday, June 9, 1732. A petition of Thomas Tilestone and others, a Committee in behalf of the Officers and Soldiers in the Narragansett War, praying the revival of a vote passed by both houses on their former petition, given in at the last Winter Session, for enlarging the grant of Land formerly made to them in consideration of their great services to this Province in the said war. In the House of Representatives. Read, and in answer to this Petition, Ordered, That such further grant be made the Petitioners, as that every one hundred and twenty persons, whose claims have been, or shall be allowed of by this Court within four months of this time, may have a township of the contents of six miles square, under the same restrictions and limitations with these towns already granted, and that the Committee formerly appointed to lay out the Towns of the Narragansett Soldiers, be a Com mittee to lay out the land above granted, and the Province be at the charge of laying out the same, but not of any subdivisions to any particular persons.

In Council, read and concurred. Consented to. A true copy from the original Records of the General Court. Attest: EDWARD D. BANGS, Secretary of the Commonwealth. Thursday, April 26, 1733. A Petition of a Committee for the Narragansett Soldiers, shewing that there are the number of eight hundred and TnE GRANTS. 15 forty persons entered as Officers and Soldiers in the late Narragansett War, praying that there may be such an ad dition of Land granted to them as may allow a tract of six miles square to each one hundred and twenty-seven men so admitted. In the House of Representatives.

Read, and Ordered, That the prayer of the Petition be granted, and that Major Chandler, Mr. Edward Shove, Col. Thomas Tilestone, Mr. John Hobson, and Mr. Samuel Chandler, (or any three of them) be a Committee fully authorized and empowered to survey and lay out five more tracts of land for townships, of the contents of six miles square each, in some of the unappropriated lands of this Province, and the said lands (together with the two towns before granted) be granted and disposed of to the officers and soldiers who were in the Narragansett War, or to their lawful representatives, as they are or have been allowed by this Court, being eight hundred and forty in number in the whole, and is in full satisfaction of the Grant formerly made them by the General Court, as a reward for their public services, and the Grantees shall be obliged to assemble within as short time as they can conveniently, not exceeding the space of two months, and proceed to the choice of Committees respectively to regulate each Proprietary or Township, which is to be held and enjoyed by one hundred and twenty of the Grantees, each in equal proportion, who shall pass such Orders and Rules as shall effectually oblige them to settle sixty families within each township, with a learned Orthodox Minister, within the space of seven years from the date of this grant, Provided, always, that if the said Gran tees shall not effectually settle the said number of families in each township, and also lay out a lot for the first settled Minister, one for the Ministry, and one for the School in niSTORY OF GORHAM. each of the said townships, they shall have no advantage of, but forfeit their respective grants, any thing to the con trary contained notwithstanding ; the charge of the survey to be paid by the Province.

In Council, read and concurred. Consented to, J. BELCHER. A true copy from the original Records of the General Court. Attest: EDWARD D. BANGS, Secretary of the Commonwealth. Wednesday, February 2, 1736. In Council, Voted, That Shubael Goreham, Esquire, be empowered and directed to assemble the Grantees of the township granted to the Soldiers under the command of Capt. John Goreham, in the Canada expedition in 1690, in such place, and on such time as he shall think fit, then to choose a Moderator and Proprietors' Clerk, to agree upon Rules, Methods, and Orders, for the division and disposal of the said Propriety, in the most proper method for the speedy fulfilment of the conditions of their grant, and agree upon methods for calling future meetings. In the House of Representatives, read and con curred.

Consented to J. BELCHER. A true copy from the original Records of the General Court. Attest: EDWARD D. BANGS, Secretary of the Commonwealth. the grants. 17 Monday, July 5, 1736. In the House of Representatives. Ordered, That Shubael Goreham, Esq., be, and hereby is, fully authorized and empowered to assemble and convene, in some suitable place, and, as soon as may be, the Grantees of the Narra gansett town, Number Seven, adjoining to Falmouth and Presumpsutt River, in the County of York, made to the Narragansett officers and soldiers in the company under the command of the late Capt. John Goreham, deceased, and in answer to the petition of the said Shubael Goreham, Esq., that the said Grantees in such time and place, make choice of a Proprietors' Clerk, and pass such Rules and Orders as may be agreeable to the conditions of the Grant, for bring ing forward the settlement of the township, and also to agree on some regular method how to call Proprietors' meetings for the future.

In Council. Read and concurred. Consented to J. BELCHER. A true copy from the original Records of the General Court. Attest: EDWARD D. BANGS, Secretary of the Commonwealth. During the administration of Governors Dummer and Burnet„ the government of Massachusetts had been sparing of the public domain. People were cautious of settling at any considerable distance from the coast, while Indian wars were raging or impending. About 1727, the government began to favor the settlement of new townships, and the niSTORY OF GORHAM. Governor recommended surveys and appropriations of land for settlers. The first grants were for military services. By making these grants the government effected two desir able objects. They paid the claims of meritorious officers and soldiers, by lands, which they could more easily do than make remuneration with money ; and secondly, they gave strength and security to the province by settling new towns with hardy, industrious and virtuous citizens.

The grantees of the town of Gorham were a portion of the 840 Massachusetts, men and their heirs, who bore arms in the Narragansett Expedition, as it was called, in 1675. As the grant of the town of Gorham grew out of the Narragansett war, and as several of the lineal descendants of those heroic men who fought in that terrible conflict, still reside in this town, they cannot be supposed to be indiffer ent to the history of those exertions which secured safety to their families and peace and plenty to their posterity. It may not, therefore, be amiss in tracing the history of our town to go back and speak of those events that gave rise to its settlement.

Chapter III. The Narragansett War

The Narragansett war, or as it was sometimes called, King Philip's war, he being the chief instigator and most formidable leader, broke out in 1675. By some writers it is denominated Paconoket war. Massasoit, a good friend to the Plymouth settlers, had two sons named Wamsucket and Metacomet. On their own request, the government of Plymouth gave them the English names of Alexander and Philip. Alexander died in 1662. Metacomet, or Philip, was chief of the Wampanoags, of which Paconoket was a branch or tribe. Philip was an Indian of more than ordinary abilities ; a man of sagacity, cunning, and unfaltering courage. He formed a deep laid scheme to extirpate the English from New England. To exterminate all the whites, and by one blow, forever rid his country of her invaders. This was the avowed object of Philip.

Long and profoundly did he meditate on his project ; he spared no toil, fainted under no labor or privations. He visited numerous tribes, and by his arguments and eloquence, breathed something of his own dauntless spirit into their ferocious warriors. With great secrecy he effected an extensive confederacy, and united in his enterprise the Pocassets, Narragansetts, Nip muo-s, Connecticut River Indians, and numerous tribes of the Abenaquis, or Eastern Indians. The Pennicooks of New Hampshire ; the Ossipees, the Pequawkets, the Ameriscoo-o-ins, the Norridgewocks, and some of the Canada tribes entered into his scheme. War became inevitable, and it commenced as most Indian wars have, by a small party, who made a night attack on the people of Swansey, a thinly settled town adjoining Mount Hope, Philip's headquarters, now in the town of Bristol, Rhode Island.

Nine English men were killed. This occurred June 24, 1675. Other tribes immediately commenced hostilities. The Nipmugs assaulted several towns. In August, the Eastern Indians, on Saco and An droscoggin rivers commenced their murders, and by Decem ber they had killed about fifty English in Maine. Towards winter Philip and his chief warriors returned to the Narra gansett country. Though Philip had succeeded in persuading many tribes to engage in his scheme of exterminating the English in America, he could not combine their forces so as to act in unison. Neither Indian kings nor Indian councils, could collect and keep together, for a long period, any considera ble body of warriors. Their braves had no pay except the spoils or plunder of their enemies. They made no provision for the clothing or subsistence of their soldiers.

Their wars were a series of skirmishes. The Indians are ramblers ; their mode of fighting was to suddenly and furiously attack an unprotected place, in small, skulking parties, who made their assaults in the darkness of night, or from an ambus cade; rush suddenly on their victims with yells and shout ings, committing enormous cruelties and rapid devastation. These violent assaults soon ceased, and the savages retired to celebrate their victory and enjoy their plunder, and then plan for another attack in some other quarter. The Narragansetts, though pretending to be neutral, were known to be friendly to Philip and afforded him assist ance. Surrounded as the colonists of Plymouth and Massachu setts were, by pretended friends and implacable enemies, they perceived the necessity of uniting their strength with that of Connecticut, in order successfully to resist their un relenting foes.

At that period, (1675) the whole white population of New England did not probably exceed sixty thousand souls. And every able bodied man, capable of bearing arms, was commanded to hold himself in readiness to march at the shortest notice. The three States determined to attack and vanquish the Narragansetts, the most numerous and powerful of the Indian tribes. Rhode Island, though in the im mediate neighborhood, does not appear to have furnished any troops. Massachusetts raised six companies of soldiers ; Connecticut five ; and Plymouth two. The Plymouth com panies were commanded by Captains Rice and Gorham. The Massachusetts and Plymouth forces were commanded by Gov. Winslow of Plymouth. The whole number of men composing the English army, was designed to be 1500 ; but the whole white army, actually mustered but 1127 men.

The Narragansett battle was one of the most memorable ever fought with savages. The hardship and sufferings of that fight have scarcely a parallel. The battle was fought on the 10th of Dec., (old style, Dec. 21st, new style,) 1675, the shortest day of the year. The day previous was ex tremely cold. Four hundred of the men, (more than one third of the whole of the effective force,) were so frozen as to be completely unfit for duty. The snow fell fast and deep ; the soldiers marched all the preceding night through a tan gled and pathless wood ; they waded through the snow till an hour after noon, and then reached the swamp in which the Indians had collected, and formed their wooden fortress. The battle commenced immediately, and lasted six dread ful hours. The entrance to the fort was narrow, and proved the gate of death to many of our men.

Never was there a greater exhibition of personal courage. " Victory was with the white men" ; but it was by no means a blood less one on the part of our fathers. Six brave Captains fell on that day ! " Davenport, Gallop, Gardner, Johnson, Marshall, and Sieley, led their companies through the nar row entrance in the face of death, and left their fives as a testimony of their patriotism and courage !" Of Capt. Gorham' s company thirty were killed and forty-one wound ed. More than 700 Indian warriors were killed ; besides many women and children were slain by the assailants, or were destroyed by flames and suffocation in the burning fort and wigwams — not more than 200 or 300 Indians escaped. This fortress was in a swamp, called Pattysquamscut. " Thus," says Bancroft, " were swept away, the humble glories of the Narragansetts !

The winter stores of the tribe, their curiously wrought baskets full of corn, their famous strings of wampum, their wigwams nicely warmed with mats ; all the little comforts of savage life were con sumed ; and more, their old men, their women, their babes, perished by hundreds in the fire." The victory was complete. The power of the Narragan setts forever broken ! The Indians abandoned every hope, but their feelings of hatred and revenge were not abated or softened. Homeless and houseless, they sought to de stroy the houses and homes of the white men ! Without shelter and without food, they hid in swamps, or plundered exposed dwellings. Town after town in Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island, felt their vengeance and were destroyed. Men, women, and children barbarously murdered, or led into terrible captivity.

Within a year from the Narragansett fight, the dauntless Philip was killed by a faithless Indian, his wife and only son made prisoners ; and that son, the innocent young Prince of the Paconokets, was sold for a slave in the Island of Bermuda. During Philip's war about three thousand Indians were slain. After the battle, which ended in the evening, our shatter ed army left the ground in haste, and in another dismal and boisterous night, were obliged to wade eighteen miles through deep snow before the wounded could be dressed, or any one receive refreshment. The place where this memorable battle was fought, was on an area of about five acres, on an island in a very large swamp, in South Kingston, Rhode Island. The death of Philip, and the overthrow of the Narragan setts forever broke the power of the Indians in Massachu setts.