Ellsworth

Ellsworth

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Ellsworth is a city in, and the county seat of, Hancock County, incorporated as a town on February 26, 1800 from Plantation Number 7 T7 EPR
The new community was named for Oliver Ellsworth, a Massachusetts delegate to the Constitutional Convention in 1787.

  1. 1763 First English settlers
  2. February 26, 1800 incorporated as Ellsworth
  3. March 3, 1809 Parts of Surry and  "northerly part" of Trenton
  4. 1821 Part from Surry was set back
  5. February 27, 1869 incorporated as a city

Settled in 1763, the community has relied on lumbering, shipbuilding, and industry to support its economy

Villages, Locations and Settlements

  
  • Bayside
  • Ellsworth
  • Ellsworth Falls (formerly Falls Village)
  • Joyville
  • Lakewood
  • Nicolin (Nicolin Siding)
  • North Ellsworth  aka Hurds Corner
  • Surry Gore (Historical)
  • West Ellsworth
  • Wilson Corner
  • Winkumpaugh Corners
  

A Survey of Hancock County, Maine By Samuel Wasson 1876:

Ellsworth.—Once called "New Bowdoin," comprising No. 7, a part of No. 6, and the northwest part of Trenton,was incorporated February 26, 1800. Population, 5,257. Decennary gain, 599. Wealth, per capita, $235. State valuation, $1,233,199. U. S. valuation, $1,775,813. Benjamin Milliken is said to be the first settler, and that he settled here in 1763. Says the "oldest inhabitant," "the first meal cooked in Ellsworth by a white woman, was by a daughter of Milliken's, the cooking being done by the side of a huge boulder, which stood where Dutton's store now is." The next settlements were by Meltiah Jordan, Benjamin Joy, Colonel Jones, George Lord, Nathaniel and John Jellison. Others soon came and made their "clearings." In twenty years it had a population of 992. First minister, Eev. J. Urquhart, in 1785. Rev. Peter Nourse, ordained in 1812. Became the shire town in 1838, and a city in 1869. All of the buildings now standing south of Main street, have been built within sixty years. The first framed house is in the rear of Clark & Davis' store. According to "ye olden custom," which was, that at a "raising" some citizen bold, bestride the ridge-pole, name the building, and break a bottle of rum, which in this instance was as follows :

"This is a good frame,
It deserves a good name,
What shall we call it?
Josh Moore's folly,
And Pond's delight,
The lawyer has got it,
It looks like a fright."


The first children born were Edward and Susan Beal. Ellsworth has more than eight times the territorial area of Castine. It has a gross water power of 6,600 horse, or 240,000 spindles, the equivalent in working energy of 2,240 population. It was named in memory of Olive^r Ellsworth, one of the delegates to the National Constitutional Convention.

Union soldiers, 653 ; State aid, $22,946 ; town bounty, $49,600; cost per recruit, $111.