Amherst Maine

Date: 5 Feb 1831
Location: Amherst, Hancock, Maine, United States
Surnames/tags: One_Place_Studies Maine Hancock_County_Maine

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Amherst is a small town in Hancock County Maine, settled about 1805 and was incorporated 5 Feb 1831.

• Parent Page: Hancock County
• Amerst Maine Category page

Date	Designation	Note
-1534	name unknown	Wabanaki peoples - the Maliseet, Micmac, Passamaquoddy and Penobscot tribes
1534-1760	Nouvelle France	Under French control, no known European settlers
1760	unorganized territory Lincoln, Massachusetts Bay	France surrenders September 8, 1760, Britain officially takes control of the area
1776	unorganized territory Lincoln, Massachusetts	America's declarers independence from Britain July 4, 1776
1786	Township 26, Lincoln, Massachusetts	Land Lottery:Bingham's Purchase T26 MD BPP Township 26 Middle Division Bingham's Penobscot Purchase
1789	Township 26, Hancock, Massachusetts	Hancock County is formed June 25, 1789
1820	Township 26, Hancock, Maine	Maine becomes the 23 state March 15, 1820
1822	Plantation 26, Hancock, Maine	Plantation No. 26 formed in 1822 from T26 MD BPP
1831	Amherst, Hancock, Maine	Amherst incorporated February 5, 1831 from Plantation No. 26

Contents 1 Villages, Locations and Settlements 2 Pioneer Settlers 3 Maps 4 Stories 5 Additional Resources 6 Photos 7 Sources

Villages, Locations and Settlements

Villages, Locations and Settlements	Settler/Namesake/Note
Archers Corners
Tannery Loop

Pioneer Settlers

Pioneer Settler	Arrival Year
Goodell Silsby (1780-1870)	1805
Mrs. Kimball	<1808
Asahel Foster (1773-1851)	<1808
Jesse Giles	<1808
Joseph Day	<1808
Judah West (1780-)|<1808
Elisha Chick (1780-1870)	<1808

Maps

• Amherst Google Maps

Stories

Varney's Gazetteer of the state of Maine has the following:
      Amherst situated on Union River, 22 miles north-northeast of Ellsworth, and about midway of Hancock County. It is bounded on the north by Township No. 2, east by Aurora, south by Mariaville, and west by Clifton, in Penobscot County. Its territory is 6 miles square. It has several good water powers, improved by one saw, one clapboard, one grain, and two shingle mills. There is also a sole-leather tannery, using hides from South America and Mexico principally. The village is near the centre of the town. It is on the stage-lines from Ellsworth and Aurora to Bangor. The river divides the town diagonally into two nearly equal sections, the north-west and the south-east. The land on the east side of the river is favorable to orcharding ; but on the west, excepting intervals, the soil is granitic and the surface hilly. The principal hills are known as the Springy Brook Mountains. Near the Corner is a high ledge some acres in extent, thought to be porphyritic, and containing crystals of iron pyrites, with compact feldspar. Crystals of quartz are also found. There is some slate in the town. Amherst is remarkable for its improved domestic cattle ; and this is due mainly to the energy and enterprise of A. B. Buzzell, Esq. This town was a part of the Bingham purchase. It was set off from the plantation of Mariaville in 1822, and incorporated in 1831. Amherst N. H. is said to have been honored in the selection of its name. Settlement began about 1805. In that year Capt. Goodell Silsby came in, and in 1806-7 his parents came and took the lots now known as the " Old Silsby Place." Before 1808 closed there had come in, also, Mrs. Kimball, Asahel Foster, Jesse Gils, Joseph Day, Judah West, and Elisha Chick. Amherst has four public schoolhouses, valued at $425. The valuation of estates in 1870, was $57,276. In the valuation of 1880, it was $72,524. Rate of taxation, about 2 per cent. The population in 1870 was 350. In the census of 1880 it was 362.

Additional Resources

• Maine Genealogy Net Amherst

Photos

Photo Gallery

Sources

• Varney, George J. 1886. Gazetteer of the state of Maine: with numerous illustrations.