Friday, October 29, 2010

Smyrna in Aroostook: an historical (1886) and prospective reflection



Smyrna in Aroostook county. Maine,  lies in the third range of townships, 11 miles west of Houlton village.Ludlow lies on the east, separating the two towns; Merrill Plantation, on the west; and Oakfield Plantation on the south. The stage-line from Houlton to Patten passes through the town. Duck Pond, about one-third of a square mile in area, lies north-west of the centre of the town, and its outlet is the principal stream. Another small pond lies on the south-western border, partly in New Limerick. The surface is not broken by high hills, but lies in swells and low ridges. The principal rock is white granite. The soil is gravelly loam, and fertile. Potatoes are the chief crop. The forest trees are spruce, hemlock, birch and maple.



There is in the town one saw-mill, capable of cutting 2 M. feet of lumber per day,- 100 M. per year. The settlements are chiefly in the southern portion of the town. The public and private buildings are generally in good repair, and the roads are also kept in fair condition. The nearest railroad station is at Houlton.



This town was organized March 7. 1839. It furnished 6 men for the defense of the Union in the war of the Rebellion, of whom one half were lost. Among its valued citizens have been William Irish, Levi Berry and Nehemiah Leavitt. There is a Baptist clergymen resident in the town, and a good interest is manifested in Sunday Schools. The public schoolhouses are three in number, and are valued at $600. The population in 1870 was 159. In 1880 it was 237. The valuation in 1870 was $35,698. In 1880 it was $60,872. The rate of taxation in the latter year was, each, 3 and 3/10 per cent; highway, 4½.