A Brief History of Mattawamkeag up to 1900

          The Village of Mattawamkeag lies in a valley at the Juncture of Mattawamkeag and Penobscot Rivers. The town gets its name from the river, and according to an authority on Indian names Mattawamkeag means “river with many rocks in its mouth.”
           The town has an interesting Indian history. It seems that Mattawamkeag Point was a favorite spot for Indians as they had a large village there and it was the meeting place of various tribes. The earliest possible incident took place here shortly after August 1689. A party of Indians from the Penobscot attacked the fort at Pemquid and captured it. The family of Judge Thomas Gyles of Jamestown was captured and carried off. One of his sons was captured and carried to the Indian village at Mattawamkeag Point and kept there for two years. He was then sent to the coast and was finally freed after nine years of captivity. 

​     ​In 1723, the population of the village was increased for when the Indian villages at Passadumkeag and Falls of Penobscot were burned the natives came here to live. 
     In 1775, the Indians made a treaty with the British in which they reserved a large territory for hunting grounds and Mattawamkeag was included in this tract. It was probably the breaking of this treaty that gives Mattawamkeag another interesting incident. In about 1800 John Gorden built a mill on the lower pitch of the falls which now bear his name. In 1812 while Gorden was away, the Indians were enraged over the destruction of their forests burned the mill. 
     On Feb. 20 1819, another treaty was made with the Indians by which they sold much of their land along the lower part of the Penobscot. The land two miles on each side of the Penobscot at the mouth of the Mattawamkeag was to belong to the savage forever, but was later sold by them. 
     The first white man to settle in Mattawamkeag was Colonel Stanely who came here in 1829. Colonel Stanely erected a log shanty which was used during the winter as a supply station for the lumbermen. This log shanty was built in the field between the logan and the river, on the upper side of the bridge. This same year witnessed the construction of the Military Road, through Mattawamkeag building of a covered bridge across the river. However, Colonel Stanley did not run his supply camp but sold out to Milliken A Hollins who in turn sold out to Captain George Waite in 1830. Waite then purchased some land across the Logan and erected a dwelling housed where Ellis Adams residence now stands. Also in 1830 James Penly and George Wallace of Old Town erected a hotel, somewhere in the present square, probably near the corner opposite Skilling’s. They soon sold out to Thomas Pratt of Oldtown who finished the buildings and sold them to Joseph L. Kelsey. ​ 
       In 1834 Kelsey surveyed and allotted Mattawamkeag leaving a track of one square mile for the village. He then purchased most of the desirable land including the land surrounding his hotel. Buring the very next year he sold all his property to Asa Smith and left town. His moving away left only two families, George Waite and James Thompson the mail carrier between Bangor and Houlton. 
         In 1838 Colonel Hoskins of Oldtown and George Waite built a large hotel near the present Medway Road. The hotel was constructed by S. Warren Coombs, and ancestor of my classmate Woodrow Coombs. The cellar of this hotel can still be seen on the corner by N.S. McLain’s house. Hoskins and Waite kept the hotel until 1846 or 47. George Sanborn rented the hotel and carried on until 1855 when it was bought by Asa Smith who ran it until 1870.
          In 1838 Samuel Warren Coombs, a carpenter by trade, moved to Mattawamkeag where he built many houses. He built and lived in the house where John Bates now lives. 
          About this time a road was built to Mattaseunk to accommodate the settlers there. Samuel Briggs cleared a farm on this road thus giving it the name by which it is now known the Briggs Farm Road.
          The hotel that Kelsey sold to Smith became known as the Mattawamkeag house in 1847. It was a stage house along the Military Road. Smith ran this hotel as such from 1847 to 1856. It was later carried on by many different proprietors. Simon B. Gates bought it in 1871 and ran it until it burned on Thanksgiving Day 1891.
           The first merchant in town was Beniah Sturgis who was in business in 1833 & 34. Asa Smith was also a merchant as well as hotel keeper. In 1872 Asa Smith erected the large store now owned and run by John Smith. Also about 1872 Henry Fisk built the store now known as Gradie’s Restaurant. William Libby and Orlando Stratton later ran this store.  
           March 26, 1853 Mattawamkeag elected the following officers to carry on the business of the unorganized plantation; Asa Smith, Moderator; Asher Martin, Clerk; Thomas Rannly and A.Langley, Assessors; Thomas Ranney, Superintending School Committeeman; Langley, Dudley, Bradeen, Hathorn, and Rand, School Agents.
           On May 1, 1854 these officers presented a petition to one of the county commissioners for the issuance of a warrant authorizing a meeting to be held for the purpose of organizing a plantation to be called Mattawamkeag. A meeting was later held and the officers elected for this plantation were; Asa Smith, Moderator and First Assessor; and Samuel Coombs, Clerk.
           February 1860 Township No.1 East Indian Purchase on the East side of the Penobscot River was incorporated as the town of Mattawamkeag. In March a meeting was held to accept the act of incorporation. The first officers of the newly incorporated town were; Asa Smith, Moderator, First Selectman, and Town Treasurer; George W. Smith, Clerk; Samuel W. Coombs and Columbus Chesley, Second and Third Selectmen. The amount of money raised in this town meeting was $300.00
     Now for a few miscellaneous facts about Mattawamkeag. About 1851 the present Medway Road was built. In 1868 a Methodist Episcopal Church was organized by Rev. George R. Palmer. In 1879 the present United Church was started and the exterior was completed in 1881.
     November 1869 saw the first train of the European & North American Railway reach Mattawamkeag, although the R.R. reached here in 1867. This line later became the M.C.R.R.
     About October 17, 1871 President Grant went thru Mattawamkeag on his way to attend the completion of the railroad to Vanceboro. During the month of May 1874, the wooden railroad burned and the present steel bridge was built at the cost of $20,000.
     The year 1876 saw the construction of the railroad machine shop in the railroad yard, but it has since been torn down and moved away. 
     In 1873 the Pine Tree Lodge of Free and accepted Masons was instituted with Wilbut Lovejoy of Winn as the first worshipful Master. Also in 1873 a high school was established in accordance with the state law. 
     In 1874 Floral Grange of the Patrons of Husbandry was established with George Blakemore as Master. 
     In 1889 the C.P.R.R. was completed to Mattawamkeag and service started. 
     The population of Mattawamkeag was 280 in 1860, 633 in 1890; and 527 in 1900.
     There were 65 voters in 1860 and 147 in 1900. The valuation of the town was $25,000 in 1860 and $127,712 in 1900.


      Copied from an essay written by
                                                                  C.B O’Hara Jr.
                                                                  27 Riverview Dr.
                                                                  Up Montolair, NJ