History of Calais, Maine
From
A Gazetteer of the
State of Maine
By Geo. J. Varney
Published by B. B. Russell, 57 Cornhill,
Boston 1886
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Calais is situated at the eastern extremity of Washington
County at the head of the tide on the St. Croix River. It is bounded by Baring on the west, Robbinston on the south,
and on the east and north by St. Andrews and St. Stephens, in New Brunswick. The St. Croix River forms the dividing
line between Calais and the two latter places. The area of the town is 19,392 acres. The sheets of water are West
Magurrewock Lake in the south-west, and East Magurrewock, stretching from the centre of the town southward, and
about these, Beaver, Vose, and Round Lakes. Granite and slate are the prevailing rocks. The territory was formerly
covered with dense forests of pine timber. When Napoleon excluded the British from the Baltic, they resorted to
Calais for the supplies of timber necessary to their shipyard. From that day to the present the place has been
noted for its lumber business. Within city limits are eight valuable water-powers, of which five are improved.
These improvements consisted, in 1860, of saw-mills having a total of twenty-one gangs of saws, capable of cutting
annually 55,000,000 feet of long lumber; nineteen lath-machines, cutting 49,000,000 laths; shingle-machines, capable
of cutting 2,500,000 shingles. There are also two planing-mills, one run by steam-power, one planing-machine factory,
one saw-factory, two axe-factories, and four grain-mills. The aggregate annual production of the ]ast is 70,000
bushels of grain converted into meal and flour, and of the axe factory, 600 dozen axes. The value of the annual
production of Calais mills is about $2,000,000. There remains a large surplus of power unused, and a cotton-mill
and other industries are projected. Other manufactures are bricks, bedsteads, brooms, carriages, plaster, ships,
etc. There are two marine railways and one dry-dock. Being a port on waters navigable by large vessels, and having
a harbor open nine months in the year, the facility of transportation enables the products to be placed in sea-coast
markets at a lower cost than those of almost any other lumber-making place. At Red Beach are immense deposits of
variegated granite, which are extensively wrought, and about which quite a village has sprung up. In 1872, besides
laths, clapboard and shingle-mills there were in operation at Calais and Baring thirty-eight mills, mostly owned
by residents of Calais. Calais is connected with the towns up river as far as Princeton by the St. Croix and Penobscot
Railway, which will probably, in a few years, be extended to a connection with the European and North American.
A connection of Calais with the latter road is already made by means of the St. Andrews branch, which here crosses
the river by a bridge. There are also three highway bridges connecting Calais with St. Andrew and St. stephens
Surrounding towns including Eastport, 30 miles south, are reached by stages; and various sea-ports, east and west,
by the Frontier and International steamboat lines. The Post-Offices are Calais, Militown at the northern, and Red
Beach at the southern border. The telegraphic connection is also good.
The first permanent white settler of Calais was Daniel Hill, from Jonesboro, Me., who made a clearing on Ferry
Point. He was an athletic and fearless man, and had served in the Indian war of 1758-60. The Indians about him
knew this fact, and greatly feared him, though he kindly aided and instructed them in their farming. Samuel Hill
came in 1781. In 1782 Daniel Hill, Jacob Libby and Jeremiah Frost built the first saw-mill, the location being
iiear the mouth of Porter's Stream. There were so few men that the women assisted in raising the frame. Daniel
Hill brought in the first oxen and did the first farming. By order of the General Court of Massachusetts, the territory
along the southern part of St. Croix was, in 1789, divided into townships. In June of the same year the township
which is now Calais was sold to Waterman Thomas of Waldobrough, Me., for the sum of £672. |
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