| For the next nine years the township of Penobscot functioned as it was created. In 1796 however, its area was substantially reduced when the Commonwealth of Massacheusetts decreed that the territory be divided into two towns; Penobscot and Castine. On the west side of the Bagaduce River, Castine's territory was to include the peninsula and extend beyond the intersection of present 166 and 166A . On the east side of the Bagaduce, portions of what was later to become Brooksville were added. Thus for the first time, Penobscot became the lesser territory in square miles. Twenty one years later, ot in 1817, Penobscot lost even more territory. The Commonwealth again decreed that a third town named Brooksville be created and developed under a self governing system. When this happened, Castine lost its territory on the east side of the Bagaduce, but regained its loss on the west side when additional land was deleted from Penobscot and added to Castine ( now known as North Castine). Boundary lines were established and no further changes have been made since 1871. Inspite of severe acerage losses, Penobscot continued to functon well. Early Population Most of the early settlers migrated north from Massachusetts through what was apparently a centralized location. This was in or through the present York Maine, or as it was formerly called, Old York. We can only speculate as to how they reached this region. Some may have traveled overland, probable that most came by ship, arriving in Castine or at some common landing on the Brooksville side of the Bagaduce River. People continued to migrate into this territory as the 1810 census indicates. In that year, Penobscot registered 1302 residents as compared to only 850 living in Bangor. Buckstown, or Bucksport, showed 1402, Castine 1036, Orland 480 and Deer Isle 1507 residents. Although the early settlers were contributory to the growth and development of Penobscot, three names surfaced who not only were contributory, but also gained a certain amount of fame. One such name is that of William Hutchings, born in Old York, on October 6, 1764. He died in Penobscot on May 2, 1866 at the grand old age of one-hundred, one years and six months. His father, Charles Hutchings, came to the Majorbagaduce territory when he was four years old. Later, he was an eye witness to nearly all the transactions connected with the siege of Majorbagaduce in 1779; and when the British were building Fort George he assisted in carrying the first log that was used in the southeast bastion. After the destruction of the American fleet, his father and family were obliged to flee to a place of safety, after refusing to take an oath of allegiance to the British Sovereign. They fled to Newcastle, Maine, where they remained until the close of the Revolutionary War. While at Newcastle, William voluntarily enlisted in the services of his country, even though he was only fifteen years old. The Hutchins family retrurned to Majorbagaduce following the end of the Revolution and settled on a farm. Their primary occupation was farming and lumbering, although they were also engaged somewhat in the' coasting business. At the beginning of the Civil War conflict, William Hutchings took a very strong position in favor of maintaining at all cost, the supermacy of the Union. It was his earnest wish that he might be spared to see the completed restoration of the country, and his wish was granted, for in 1865, when over one-hundred years old, he accepted an invitation from the municipal authorities of Bangor to join in the celebration of the Fourth of July in that city. A revenue cutter was detailed for his convayance and as it passed up the Penobscot River the guns of Fort Knox fired a salute of welcome. Upon his arrival in Bangor, multitudes rushed to catch a glimpse of this century old man as he was escorted by a guard of honor. Following an oration by Hannibal Hamlin, Mr. Hutchings responded to a toast. " My friends told me", he said, " that the efforts to be here might cause my death; but I thought i could never die any better than by celebrating the Fourth". One of the last requests of Mr. Hutchings was that the American Flag should cover his remains, and be unfurled at his funeral. This was done, and in the stillness of a bright spring morning, he was put to rest upon the farm which for nearly a century had been his home. On Route 199, by the old Mixer home, his tombstone still stands. He was the last surviving New England Revoulutionary War Veteran at the time of his death. Jeremiah Wardwell ( 1756 - 1825 ) Jeremiah Wardwell, also born in Old York, is another name who played a very prominent rele in the development of Penobscot. With John Peters, he helped survey the territory, copies of which are still on file in the Hancock County Courthouse. He was present at the first town meeting held at the home of Gabriel Johannot, following the incorporation of Penobscot into the township. At this meeting he was chosen to be one of the selectmen to govern the newly created town. A self educated man, Jeremiah is said to have taught many young men math, surveying and navigation before the time formal school system existed. And when in 1809, the decision was made to build the first school house, he was in the line to financially sponsor the construction. Later , when it was decided that the town needed a church, he shared the expense of the building with Thatcher Avery. Mr. Wardwell's rele in the Revolution is not entirely clear, but it can be safely speculated that he was not as opposed to the British occupation as some of his neighbors. However, his subsequent role in town affairs, and the fact that he became Captain of Militia, later Colonel, suggests that he was hardly a Tory Sympathizer. It was not known where he lived in Penobscot. The only thing known is that the house south of the bay was Jeremiah Wardwell's home. According to maps of that era, a J.Wardwell lived on what is now route 199, the Castine Road. Traveling south, the maps pinpoint the house to be on the right side of the highway just before the enterance way to the lower road leading from Wardwell's Point . It was a town landmark for over one-hundred years. It was here that Jeremiah and his wife, Elizabeth, the daughter of Aaron Banks, raised a large family of twelve children. One of these children, Robert, was the father of Hosea Wardwell who helped his father build a family home at the very end of Wardwell Point Road, still standing today. The family graveyard is just down the hill from the house overlooking Bagaduce Bay, and contains the remains of Jeremiah, as well as his wife Elizabeth. Daniel Perkins ( 1752 - 1831 ) Daniel Perkins, also born in Old York, arrived in the Majorbagaduce territory in October of 1774 and settled on 120 acres of land with his wife Abigail Penny of Wells. During the Revoulutionary War, on refusing to take the oath of allegiance to the crown, he was imprisoned. The British confiscated his cattle and crops, tore down his house, removed the lumber to "(the neck)" north of Castine, and used it to erect barracks. Shortly after, he escaped from prison and with his family returned to York where he enlisted in the revolution, serving in the Penobscot Expedition from York County in 1779. At the close of the war he returned to Majorbagaduce, tore down the barracks made from the lumber of his home, moved the materials across the Bagaduce River to the east side and rebuilt his homestead in the southern area of what now is South Penobcot. It was here that he remained for the rest of his life and worked primarily as a farmer. Ten children were born of thes marriage, the tenth being Pelatiah who continued to live in the same area. Pelatiah was married to Lucy Herrick, the daughter of Alpheus Herrick, and this union also produced ten children, the second of whom was Daniel. Pelatiah was a farmer, Justice of the Peace and obviously a religious man since he was very instrumental in the building of the Methodist Church in South Penobscot, now privately owned. He died in April of 1864. Pelatiah's son, Daniel, born in 1821, continued the farming tradition, but also found time to serve as a tax collector and later as a representative of the State Legislature. He was married to Amanda Hawes and their marriage produced eight children. The house that they built at the head of the bay still stands along side the United Methodist Church. He died in 1887 and his remains rests in the cemetery directly across the highway from the Methodist Church. |
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| William Hutchings |
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| Pelatiah Perkins 1795 - 1864 |