Saint George River
Encyclopedia
The Saint George River is a river in Maine
with a watershed of 225 mi2 in a unique and historic area of mountains, sea coast, lakes, tidal streams and inlets. The origin of the Saint George River is the outflow of Saint George Lake (44.3951°N 69.3113 °W) in Liberty
. The river follows a winding course 45 miles (72.4 km) south to Thomaston
, where the river flows into the estuary and runs about 12 miles (19.3 km) miles southwest to Muscongus Bay, forming the border between Cushing
and St. George
.
The Wawenock or Walinakiak Indians resided on the banks of the Saint George River at European contact in 1605. The Wawenock Indians were one of four related tribes of the Abenaki, who inhabited central and southeastern Maine. Walinakiak means "People of the bays".
Numbering about 10,000 people in 1500, the Wawenock tribe was decimated by a series of epidemic
s during the latter 16th century and through the 17th century, falling to about 1,000 people by the end of the American Revolution
.
Two members of the Wawenock tribe were captured by Captain Weymouth in 1605, and one Wawenock was returned from England in 1607 aboard either the Gift of God or the John & Mary by the Plymouth Company
.
The Wawenock along the Saint George’s lived on cultivated products including pumpkin
s, maize
and beans, along with fish, shellfish and game. A large Wawenock shellfish midden
at Damariscotta dates back 2,200 years. Captain Weymouth observed this midden in 1605.
, captain of the Archangel, made the first documented European landfall at Monhegan Island on the lower estuary of the Saint George River on May 17, 1605. On June 11, 1605, Weymouth led an overnight exploration from Monhegan Island which resulted in the identification of “a most excellent river”, which Weymouth named the Saint George.
In 1606 and 1607 the Plymouth Company
sent ships into the area to colonize, but the settlers of the Popham Colony
and those who settled along the Kennebec River
returned to England
in 1608. 127 years would pass before the first permanent European settlers came to live along the Saint George River. In 1630 John Leverett
of Boston
sent five traders to establish a trading post in the Saint George estuary 5 miles (8 km) below “the head of the tide”. The trading post lasted a number of years, falling to one of the various Indian wars by 1650.
In 1735, Samuel Waldo of Boston, having acquired most of the land at the mouth of the Saint George River, encouraged 35 families to settle the area now known as St. George
, thus creating the first permanent European settlement on the river. By 1760, 175 families lived along the estuary.
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
with a watershed of 225 mi2 in a unique and historic area of mountains, sea coast, lakes, tidal streams and inlets. The origin of the Saint George River is the outflow of Saint George Lake (44.3951°N 69.3113 °W) in Liberty
Liberty, Maine
Liberty is a town in Waldo County, Maine, United States. The population was 927 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water.-Demographics:...
. The river follows a winding course 45 miles (72.4 km) south to Thomaston
Thomaston, Maine
Thomaston, Maine is a town on the coast of Maine the United States. The name may also refer to:*Thomaston , Maine, a census-designated place comprising the center of the town*South Thomaston, Maine, an adjacent town...
, where the river flows into the estuary and runs about 12 miles (19.3 km) miles southwest to Muscongus Bay, forming the border between Cushing
Cushing, Maine
Cushing is a town in Knox County, Maine, United States. As of the 2000 census, the town had a total population of 1,322. A favorite of artists for its unspoiled natural setting, Cushing includes the villages of North Cushing, Cushing, South Cushing, and Pleasant Point.-History:Part of the Waldo...
and St. George
St. George, Maine
St. George is a town in Knox County, Maine, United States. As of the 2000 census, the town population was 2,580. It includes the villages of Port Clyde, Clark Island, Glenmere, Martinsville and Tenants Harbor, the latter its commercial center. A favorite with artists, writers and naturalists, St...
.
Indigenous settlement
Paleo-Indians first appeared in the Saint George River area about 7,300 BCE. Little is known of Paleo-Indians history in this area.The Wawenock or Walinakiak Indians resided on the banks of the Saint George River at European contact in 1605. The Wawenock Indians were one of four related tribes of the Abenaki, who inhabited central and southeastern Maine. Walinakiak means "People of the bays".
Numbering about 10,000 people in 1500, the Wawenock tribe was decimated by a series of epidemic
Epidemic
In epidemiology, an epidemic , occurs when new cases of a certain disease, in a given human population, and during a given period, substantially exceed what is expected based on recent experience...
s during the latter 16th century and through the 17th century, falling to about 1,000 people by the end of the American Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
.
Two members of the Wawenock tribe were captured by Captain Weymouth in 1605, and one Wawenock was returned from England in 1607 aboard either the Gift of God or the John & Mary by the Plymouth Company
Plymouth Company
The Plymouth Company was an English joint stock company founded in 1606 by James I of England with the purpose of establishing settlements on the coast of North America.The Plymouth Company was one of two companies, along with the London Company, chartered with such...
.
The Wawenock along the Saint George’s lived on cultivated products including pumpkin
Pumpkin
A pumpkin is a gourd-like squash of the genus Cucurbita and the family Cucurbitaceae . It commonly refers to cultivars of any one of the species Cucurbita pepo, Cucurbita mixta, Cucurbita maxima, and Cucurbita moschata, and is native to North America...
s, maize
Maize
Maize known in many English-speaking countries as corn or mielie/mealie, is a grain domesticated by indigenous peoples in Mesoamerica in prehistoric times. The leafy stalk produces ears which contain seeds called kernels. Though technically a grain, maize kernels are used in cooking as a vegetable...
and beans, along with fish, shellfish and game. A large Wawenock shellfish midden
Midden
A midden, is an old dump for domestic waste which may consist of animal bone, human excrement, botanical material, vermin, shells, sherds, lithics , and other artifacts and ecofacts associated with past human occupation...
at Damariscotta dates back 2,200 years. Captain Weymouth observed this midden in 1605.
European settlement
George WeymouthGeorge Weymouth
George Weymouth was an English explorer of the area now occupied by the state of Maine. Ferdinando Gorges, who wanted to settle colonists in the area, sponsored an expedition under Weymouth, who sailed from England on March 5, 1605 on the ship Archangel and landed near Monhegan on May 17, 1605...
, captain of the Archangel, made the first documented European landfall at Monhegan Island on the lower estuary of the Saint George River on May 17, 1605. On June 11, 1605, Weymouth led an overnight exploration from Monhegan Island which resulted in the identification of “a most excellent river”, which Weymouth named the Saint George.
In 1606 and 1607 the Plymouth Company
Plymouth Company
The Plymouth Company was an English joint stock company founded in 1606 by James I of England with the purpose of establishing settlements on the coast of North America.The Plymouth Company was one of two companies, along with the London Company, chartered with such...
sent ships into the area to colonize, but the settlers of the Popham Colony
Popham Colony
The Popham Colony was a short-lived English colonial settlement in North America that was founded in 1607 and located in the present-day town of Phippsburg, Maine near the mouth of the Kennebec River by the proprietary Virginia Company of Plymouth...
and those who settled along the Kennebec River
Kennebec River
The Kennebec River is a river that is entirely within the U.S. state of Maine. It rises in Moosehead Lake in west-central Maine. The East and West Outlets join at Indian Pond and the river then flows southward...
returned to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
in 1608. 127 years would pass before the first permanent European settlers came to live along the Saint George River. In 1630 John Leverett
John Leverett
John Leverett was an English colonial magistrate, merchant, soldier and governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Born in England, he came to Massachusetts as a teenager. He was a leading merchant in the colony, and served in its military...
of Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
sent five traders to establish a trading post in the Saint George estuary 5 miles (8 km) below “the head of the tide”. The trading post lasted a number of years, falling to one of the various Indian wars by 1650.
In 1735, Samuel Waldo of Boston, having acquired most of the land at the mouth of the Saint George River, encouraged 35 families to settle the area now known as St. George
St. George, Maine
St. George is a town in Knox County, Maine, United States. As of the 2000 census, the town population was 2,580. It includes the villages of Port Clyde, Clark Island, Glenmere, Martinsville and Tenants Harbor, the latter its commercial center. A favorite with artists, writers and naturalists, St...
, thus creating the first permanent European settlement on the river. By 1760, 175 families lived along the estuary.