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Williamsburg is situated in the southern part of Piscataquis
County, 17 miles north-east of Dover. It has the Katahdin Iron Mines on the north, Brownville on the east, Barnard
on the west and Sebec on the south. The surface is uneven and in the northern part is mostly uncleared. Greenleaf
Hill is the highest elevation. The southern portion is fair farming land. The town is principally noted for its
fair roofing slate. Only one quarry is worked at prescut. Its streams are the west branch of Pleasant River, Roaring
Brook arid Whetstone Brook. Each of these has good mill privileges, and upon the latter a saw-mill and shingle
machine have been erected.
Mr. William Dodd of Boston early purchased this township from the State, and from his Christian name comes the
name of the town. John Crommet settled in the part near Brownville as early as 1808, Moses Head in 1810, and Moses
Greenleaf, Mr. Dodd's agent, probably in the same time. Williamsburg has a noted pre-eminence in one respect, for
in it the first map of Maine was plotted, and the first book ef the county written. The work was Greenleaf's "Statistics
of Maine," issued as early as 1816, intended to explain his map. This book he afterward enlarged and amended,
issuing it in 1829 as the "Survey of Maine." The first mentioned book had 154 pages, the last, 468. He
issued a new map, enlarged and improved, at the same time with the latter volume. Col. John F. Dunning and Captain
Adams are especially remembered among the respected citizens of the town.
The "Piscataquis Central Slate Company's " quarries employ more men then any other enterprise in town.
The inhabitants of the township were organized in 1819 as Williamsburg Plantation, Eben. Greenleaf being chosen
plantation clerk. In the following year it was incorporated as a town, being the second town incorporated by the
first legislature of the new State of Maine. The town was divided in 1834. the western portion becoming the town
of Barnard.
A small Congregational church was organized here in 1830. The town sent 12 men as soldiers in the war for the Union,
of which two were lost. Williamsburg has three public schoolhouses, valued at $250. The valuation of the town in
1870 was $29,909. In 1880 it was $28,275. The rate of taxation in 1880 was one cent. and three mills. The population
in 1870 was 176. In 1880 it was 444.
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