The town was first settled by two men by the names of Carter and
Ware. According to Surveyor Hayden, it was then called “Twenty-five
Mile Pond Plantation,” it being that distance from the junction of
the Sebasticook and Kennebec rivers, known as Fort Halifax, to the
twenty-five mile pond, now called Lake Winnecook.
This was before the French and Indian war commenced. When hostilities
broke out, the settlers were obliged to flee for fear of the Indians,
moving their families to the fort at Winslow. After the close of the
war, Thaddeus Carter returned, and with him a man by the name of
Philbrook. They settled upon land now owned by Clarence Brown on the
west side of Sandy Stream, near the Outlet Bridge. Mr. Carter had
two sons, Bunker and Joseph. One of the Carter girls married Samuel
Philbrook.
In 1782, Stephen Chase came from Durham, Maine, and settled on the
shore of the pond. His wife’s name before marriage was Hannah Blethen.
She was from Durham, Maine. They belonged to the Society of Friends.
The ruins of the old cellar may be plainly seen today on the farm now
owned by F. A. Whitten. Mr. Chase built the first frame house in Unity.
He died at the age of eighty years. Mrs. Chase was one hundred and six
years old at the time of her death. Their resting place is marked by a
Welsh slate tablet in the Chase lot in Lakeside Cemetery.
A few years after Mr. Chase’s settlement, we find in Hayden’s field
notes this note: “Upon the stream leading from Unity pond to the
Sebasticook river, I found a man by the name of Mitchell building a
mill on what I called a very good privilege.”
In 1788, Mr. Henry Farwell moved from Chester, N. H., and settled on
the farm afterward owned by a Mr. Ordway, later by Jacob Truworthy,
opposite Mr. Frank Mussey’s. He then moved to the farm later owned by
the late Hon. Joseph Farwell, where he and a Mr. Pettie built a grist
mill, and the place became known as Farwell’s Mills.
In 1792, Mr. Clement Rackliff moved from Limington, Maine. He came
with an ox-team and cleared the farm afterward owned by William Taber,
Elisha Mosher, E. A. Hussey and Duncan Jones.
In 1792, Aaron Kelley came from Boothbay to Unity. He was a
Revolutionary soldier, having served under General Wadsworth. He walked
through the forest with his family and chose his place of settlement
about two and one-half miles south of where the village now is, on the
Bangor and Augusta road, at the southeast corner, where the Belfast
road crosses, where he built a log house and planted an orchard. His
wife was Mary Canady, and they had the following five children: Mary,
married Cummings and lived in Jonesport; Jane, never married; Hannah,
married John Smith and lived in Knox; Eleazar, went to sea and never
returned; and Samuel lived in Unity. Samuel, the youngest son, was born
in Boothbay, and was twelve years of age when the family came to Unity.
In the war of 1812, he served with the Unity quota. He succeeded his
father in title to the land and built a fine stand of buildings, with
two large barns and a lumber camp, where he made oars for the United
States navy. He married Sarah Vickery, daughter of David Vickery, also
a Revolutionary soldier, and they had twelve children.
In 1794, Mr. Simeon Murch came from Gorham, Maine. He and his wife came
over one hundred miles on horseback and settled the place now owned by
Ephraim Jones.
In 1795, Mr. John Melvin came from Manchester, N. H., and settled the
place now owned by J. Arthur Thompson. Mr. James Packard lived just
east of Mr. Thompson’s, at the corner where the road leads to the
Clifford place. This road was laid out by the town, two rods wide.
In 1796, Mr. Joseph Woods came from Standish, Maine, and settled on the
farm sold by Wesley F. Woods to William Walton. Joseph Woods died at
the age of 93, his wife at 89. They lived together for 73 years.
In 1800, Mr. John Perley moved from Winchenden, Mass., and cleared the
farm now owned by William Taber Stevens. He then bought from Charles
Bickmore the farm now owned by Roscoe J. Perley.
In 1802, Mr. William McGray moved from Durham, Maine, and settled the
farm now owned by George Webb. His last days were passed on the farm of
his son, William, now owned by Harry Waning. He died at the age of 84
years.
In 1802, three brothers, Frederick, John and Nathaniel Stevens, came
from Gorham, Maine, and cleared the place owned by the late Chandler
Stevens, now owned by Frank L. Chase, and the land north to the Bacon
brook.
In 1803, Mark Libby came from Gorham, Maine, and settled on what is
called the McKenny place, now owned by A. J. Harding, but moved to the
place now owned by his grandson, Mr. Nathan P. Libby. He died at the
age of 84.
In 1807, Mr. Robert Carll came from Lyman, Maine. At this time Mr.
Carll said there were but two frame houses in Unity.
In 1810, Mr. Richard Cornforth came from Readfield, Maine. He settled
at Farwell’s Mills, on the farm now owned by the heirs of the late Otis
Cornforth.
In 1842, Mr. Nathaniel Rice came from Hartford, Maine. His house stood
just west of the residence of Mrs. Chas. Taylor. It was moved from
there onto the Waterville road, and is now owned by Walter Bacon.
Mr. David Vickery came from Standish, Maine, and cleared the farm of
the late Edwin Rand. He married Lydia Bartlett. They had a family of
eight sons and three daughters.
Rufus Burnham, M. D., came from Scarborough, Maine. He lived at first
with the family of John Chase, in the brick house near the station.
Afterward he built and lived in the main part of the house where J. R.
Taber now lives.
Gibbs Tilton came from Chillmark, Martha’s Vineyard, Mass., and lived
where S. A. Myrick now lives.
Ephraim Hunt came from Gorham, Maine, and settled where James O.
Pillsbury now lives.
Isaac Myrick came from Gorham, Maine, and settled the F. H. Hunt place.
He also owned what is now known as Windemere Park.
Col. James Connor came from Gardiner, Maine, and settled on the place
now owned by his grandchildren. He married Mary Whitmore, daughter of
Daniel Whitmore.
Archelaus Hunt came from Gorham, Maine, and settled near the E. T.
Reynolds place. His father was a Revolutionary soldier and fought at
Bunker Hill.
Daniel Whitmore came from Gorham, Maine.
Alexander Boothby, M. D., was born in Limington, Maine. He married
Eliza A. Grant and lived on the place now owned by Miss Ruth Berry.
Chandler Hopkins came from Standish, Maine, and settled where George
Murch now lives.
Amos Jones came from Lunenburg, Mass., and settled the farm now owned
by Seth W. Mills.
Frederick Stevens was born in Gorham, Maine, in 1779, was elected to
the General Court, Boston, Mass., in 1809, and died in Unity, Maine,
June, 1839, aged 62 years.
This is the record of the early settlers of our town, and here for the
most part the record ceases, but with our mind’s eye we can see these
men, the pioneers of our town, strong, brave, sturdy men with brain
and brawn and a sense of power and mastery over nature almost unknown
now, in the pampered civilization of the present. These forefathers
of ours here on the edge of our lake and on the banks of our stream
toiled to fill the primitive needs of man. With an indomitable belief
in their power to conquer, they fought with wind and snow and merciless
cold. They felled trees for fire and shelter; they made the waters
yield their toll of food; they dug the soil and built mills to grind
their corn. Later they sought places for a real settlement, cleared the
land, built roads, bridged streams, and put up their homes. They laid
the foundation for our modern civilization; they made our way easy. We
should honor them when we can with a thought of gratitude.
An account of life in those early days, interesting in the extreme, has
been put into my hands by Mr. Reuben Murch. Mr. Murch, son of Josiah
Murch, was born on the farm now owned by E. M. Jones, and spent his
early manhood in this town.