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Garland is 25 miles north-west of Bangor. It is bounded
by Charleston on the east, Dexter on the west, Exeter on the south, and Dover, in Piscataquis County, on the north.
The town is 6 miles square. The southern portion, embracing more than half of the area, is quite level, not very
stony, and very good for culture. The rock is argillaceous slate. The northern part is traversed, east and west,
by a high range of hills. These are intersected near the medial line of the town by a deep ravine known as “The
Notch,” through which runs a county road to Dover. The Kenduskeag originates in Pleasant Pond, which extends its
length across the southern part of the line between Garland and Dexter. At the east end, on the outlet of this
pond, is the village of West Garland. On the same stream, and reaching to Garland village a little south of the
centre of the town, is the long “Mill Pond.” At the south-east corner of the town the Kenduskeag again furnishes
a power at the little village of Holt’s Mills. The manufactures of this town consist of boots and shoes, long and
short lumber (four mills), doors, sash, etc., meal and flour (two mills), wool rolls, carriages, furniture, egg-cases,
etc. The stage-line from Exeter to Dexter passes through the town, connecting with the Maine Central Railroad at
the latter place.
The exterior lines of Garland were run in 1792 by Ephraim Ballard and Samuel Weston. In 1796 Massachusetts granted
to Williams College two townships of land, of which Garland was selected as one. The trustees of the college, in
1798, conveyed it to Levi Lincoln, Seth Hastings, Samuel and Calvin Sanger, Samuel Sanger, Jr., and Elias Grout.
The township took the name of Lincoln, from the first mentioned proprietor, who later (1808) was governor of Massachusetts.
In 1800, Moses Hodsdon, assisted by Daniel Wilkins, David A. Gove and a Mr. Shores, ran the lines between a large
number of lots. Again in 1805 A. Strong surveyed an additional number. Messrs. Gove and Wheeler were the first
who selected their lots. Joseph Garland, from Salisbury, N. H., with his wife and three children were the first
family here; wherefore at its incorporation in 1811, his name was given to the town. There were at this time about
fifty legal voters within its limits. In 1802 a saw-mill was built by the proprietors of the township, and in the
following year several frame buildings were erected. The first school was held in the house of William Garland
in 1806, and taught by William Mitchell. A post-office was established in 1818.
Rev. John Sawyer gathered the first church here. The town now. has Three— Congregationalist, Baptist and Methodist.
Garland has eleven public schoolhouses valued at $4,050. The valuation of estates in 1870 was $312,263. In 1880
it was $331,690. The population in 1870 was 1,306. In 1880 it was 1,211.
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