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Industry is situated on the eastern side of Franklin
County in the southern part. New Vineyard bounds it on the north, New Sharon on the south, Farmington and New Vineyard
on the west, and Starks and Anson, in Somerset County, on the east. The northern part of the town is drained by
Lemmon's Stream, and the south by Muddy Brook, the outlet of Clear Water Pond. This beautiful sheet of water lies
in the south-western part of the town, adjoining Farmington. Its area is one and three-fourths miles. The town
is very hilly. Boardman's Mountain, a little north of the centre of the town, Harvey and. Davis mountains, in the
northern part, and Bannock Hill in the northern part, are the principal emincnees. The soil is very productive.
There are good water-powers at the outlet of Clear Water Pond, which are improved. This point is known as Allen's
Mills, and is 6 miles from the station of the Maine Central Railroad in Farmington. Weeks's Mills, on a branch
of Lemmon's Stream, in the eastern part of the town, is 10 miles from Farmington. The manufactures at Allen's Mills,
are lumber, chairs, salt-boxes, wheel-hubs and shovel handles. At West's Mills are rakes, wheels, spade-handles,
lumber, harnesses, boots and shoes, meal and flour. At the center is located the Enterprise Cheese Factory, and
a boot and shoe-shop.
Industry was formed from the north-western part of the Plymouth Patent, or Kennebec Purchase. The first settlements
were made by James and John Thompson, Zoe Withe, Thomas Johnson, and William Allen, about 1793 or the following
year. Benjamin Cottle, Daniel Luce, Peter Daggett, Jabez Norton, Ptere West, James Winslow, John Gowner and Lemuel
Howes were also early settlers. The lands were first taken up where each individual chose, and held by possession,
but afterward purchased of those claiming proprietorship under the original grant. The town was incorporated in
1803.
The Methodists, Free Baptists, Congregationalists and Baptists each have a church edifice. Industry has ten public
schoolhouses, and the school property is valued at $3,200. The valuation of estates in 1870 was $148,252. The population
in 1870 was 725. In 1880 it was 609.
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