The History of Bethel, Maine

Edited with an introduction by Randall H. Bennett. Dr. Nathaniel Tuckerman True's The History of Bethel, Maine originally appeared in the pages of the town's first newspaper, The Bethel Courier, between 1859 and 1861. Now presented with editorial revisions and corrections by Randall H. Bennett, Curator of Collections at the Bethel Historical Society, Inc., True's history is recognized as one of the earliest and most significant efforts of its type to appear in Maine before the Civil War. Included is information on land grants, the settlement of the upper Androscoggin River valley, town meetings, church history, biography, and the famous "Last Indian Raid" in New England, which took place in Bethel in 1781. Regarding Indians, Dr. True provides a wealth of data about the Ossipee, Pequawket, and Anasguniticook tribes of western Maine and northern New Hampshire, with special attention paid to the Indian language and its English translation. In some of his sketches of Bethel's pioneer families, he provides genealogical information. Chapters include: Sudbury Canada Grant; Joseph Twitchell; Proprietors and Surveys; Early Settlers; Indians and the 1781 Raid; Molly Ockett; Matalluck; Other Indians of Note; Block Houses; Plantation Record; 1785 Freshet; Notable Residents; Hunting; Act of Incorporation; Ecclesiastical History; Physicians; Lawyers; Ministers; Education; Revolutionary Soldiers; Resident Proprietors in Lower Parish; Politics; Village of Bethel Hill; and, Geology, Natural History and Botany. Also included is a selection of period illustrations provided by the Bethel Historical Society, Inc. A full-name index adds to the value of this work.