History of Belgrade, Maine
From
A Gazetteer of the
State of Maine

By Geo. J. Varney
Published by B. B. Russell, 57 Cornhill,
Boston 1886

Belgrade lies in the north-western part of Kennebec county, about 10 miles from Augusta. It is bounded on the east by Sidney and West Waterville, south by Manchester and Mount Vernon, west by the latter town and by Rome, and north by the latter and Smithfield in Somerset county. It was within the limits of the Plymouth patent, from which the titles are derived. The first settlements were made about 1774. Its early names were Prescott's also Snow's Plantation, and Washington. It was incorporated under its present name in 1796. Anson P. and Lot M. Morrill, both ex-governors, and the latter for fifteen years a national senator, and later secretary of the United States Treasury, are Sons of Peaslee Morrill, an early settler and native of the town. Other early settlers were James and David Wyman, Cyrus Weston, John Richmond, Nathaniel Pinkham, Calvin Stuart, John Pitts, John Richardson, John Page, Dr. Hemmingway and James H. Mosher. It is claimed that there are in town 100 persons who are over seventy years of age. The principal centers of business are Belgrade and North Belgrade, in the eastern part of the town-at each of which are a station of the Maine Central railroad and a post-office-and Belgrade Mills, in the north-west, which has a postoffice. The public ways at the villages are improved by many rockmaples and elms, and the town offers much agreeable scenery. The surface of the town is uneven, but there are few high hills. Belgrade Hill is the most elevated of these, being about 500 feet in height. Granite rock crops out here and there. Of woods, beech, birch, maple, hemlock and cedar abound. There is a connected system of lakes in and about the town, all of which empty into the Kennebec. These are Great Pond, in the north-west, having an area of 9 square miles; Snow Pond, on the east, with an area of 5.15 square miles; Long Pond, on the west, 4.85 square miles; Richmond and McGrath Ponds, at the north-east, .85 and .75 square miles, respectively. Many islands are in these lakes, one of which has an area of 200 acres The soil of the cultivated parts is chiefly clay and gravelly loam. Agriculture is the largest industry of the town, and potatoes are the largest crop. The principal manufactures consist of a spool, excelsior and rake factory, a saw, shingle and grist-mill, at the Mills; a sawmill and a factory for making scythe and axe boxes, spade-handles and rakes, at North Belgrade. The spool-factory produces about 4,800 gross of spools per week, and the excelsior mill sends out about eight tons of its product in the same time. There are a Baptist, Free Baptist and Methodist churches in town. The old "Titcomb Belgrade Academy" was established by Samuel Titcomb and John Pitts about 181G. Judge Titcomb, of Augusta, was a son of Samuel. There are eighteen public schoolhouses, valued at $3,600. The valuation of the estates in 1870 was $461,468. In 1880 $493,631. The rate of taxation was 34 mills on $1. The population in 1870 was 1,485. In 1880 it was 1,321.

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