Last updated 1/2/2000
Tidbits of Local History - Amitgonpontook
An Original City of the Androscoggin
Known Today as the City of Auburn
Lewiston Journal, 19-Dec-1928?
Just Talks - On Common Themes
on "The Last of the Indians"
They always made two trips each year to the sea-coast. These were made for the purposes of visiting the graves of their fathers; to hunt sea-fowl; to buy and sell furs. Coming from up river they always paddled into Dead River of Leeds, and up to the old camping place. ...
After awaiting their friends here and performing certain religious ceremonies, they divided. Part went over to Wilson Pond, worked along its waters to Cobbosseecontee; thence to the Kennebec. The other followed the Androscoggin. They reunited at Merrymeeting Bay; hunted ducks; fished and dried their fish and fowl.
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The last of these trips of record is in 1796.
Later a number of Androscoggin Indians lived in Rumford, Bethel and Canton. Near Auburn, Sabattus, Lisbon and Brunswick, scattered families continued to dwell. As late as 1778 six [Abenaki] were living in Poland and Minot. Their names were Philip, Swanton, Lazarus, Cookish, and Perepole. They were in absolute poverty and sadness. They dwelt in wigwams or shacks outside the village. They were friendly but aloof. They made baskets, fished, hunted, and raised a little garden-stuff.
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A.G.S.
Lewiston Evening Journal, starting 20-Jun-1959
from a series of articles the Androscoggin Indian History of Auburn
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The remains of some Indian dead have been accidentally uncovered in years past in excavations for streets and new homes, particularly in the Laurel Hill area.
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From the vantage point offered by the top of the hill, which has been cut down considerably by home building, the Indians had a commanding view of both rivers.
Springs were found in abundance, particularly on the part of the hill now occupied by the Auburn theatre and Androscoggin County building.
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Makeshift fish hooks and rock sinkers have been found in this area [the Great Falls] through the years.
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Lake Auburn was a famous route taken by the early Indians. To this day flint, tomahawks and spear heads are found on the lake's shores and Indian encampments were known to have been located short distances from the lake. Far enough away to avoid detection from passing parties yet close enough to reach for travel to other sections.
A portage is known to have existed between Lake Auburn and Taylor Pond. The Indians carried their canoes from a point east of the old ice house to Taylor Pond then resumed their water route through Taylor Brook to the little Androscoggin.
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by Reggie Bouchard
[Note 1: Albert Garcelon, an amateur historian, provided Bouchard with local information. We believe Mr. Garcelon's information should be reasonably correct. However, Bouchard does not indicate what material came from Garcelon.]
[Note 2: Many artifacts found in Auburn date before the Colonial period discussed in this series of articles - Artifacts 5-8,000 years old have been found at Lake Auburn and 10,000 years old near the Auburn Airport. -NL]
Lewiston, 09-Jul-1966
[caption under photo of West Pitch] ... Indian arrowheads still are dug up occasionally by Laurel Avenue gardeners and along the river's bank.
by Dick Murray
Typed manuscript found at Androscoggin Historical Society
Title: Indian Fort On Laurel Hill
- unknown date, author
[probably written by George C. Wing, Jr. about 1938]
[The writer gives the following quote from "The late F.O. Purington, Esq. of Mechanic Falls"]
"It is quite evident that there was quite an Indian settlement on Laurel Hill near the residence of the late Seth Carter. I once picked up an Indian stone tomahawk at the foot of the hill near the Little Androscoggin River, and have found numerous arrow points, mostly broken, on the more level ground near the Little Androscoggin River and numerous small pieces of pottery in the gardens along the bank of the big river."
Maine Sunday Telegram, 20-Oct-1968
Large Indian Artifact Found in Auburn Brook - Anchor or Pestle?
[A resident of Bradman St. in Auburn discovered a artifact in Bobbin Mill Brook near their home.]
The huge stone is somewhat cylindrical in shape, with a length of 26 inches and weights between 75 and 80 pounds. It has two upraised portions extending around the rock, one near one end and the second not far from the middle, indicating that something - possibly a thong was intended to be tied around the main portions of it. ...
Two experts ... have tentatively identified the artifact as either an anchor or a pestle - used for grinding corn. The indians anchored their canoes when spearing fish and the pestles were tied to saplings and used to grind corn into meal.
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by Laura Lancaster
Miscellaneous Information about Laurel Hill Village
various sources
Maj. Benj. Church wrote "We stayed all night and burned no other wood but parts of the fort." Church had 200 to 300 men and up to 100 Indian scouts with him, it was September 14, 1690, it had rained very hard the day before and there was a stiff wind this day.
Thos. Church wrote "He [Young Donney] ran into the South Gate and out at the North. ... They all ran directly down to the great river and falls. ... And those that ran under the falls, they made no discovery of, not withstanding several of his men went in under the falls, and were gone some considerable time, but could not find them. ... Next day the said Church ordered that all their corn should be destroyed, being a great quantity"
W.C.Penney [about 1908] dug a trench in Mr. Jordan's garden [At Laurel Hill] 2-3 ft. deep and 2-1/2 yards long. He recovered pottery, bone, charcoal, small fragments of clam shell and some oyster shell. Residents of the area reported to him that a well preserved skeleton had been taken to Bowdoin and many artifacts where shown him which had been found by them when they dug their cellars and gardens. ... Artifacts collected from the construction of 2 houses on Bridge St. included arrow & spear points, hands tools, pottery, and an arrow smoother. The gardens on Newbury St. contained large quantities of shell fragments. Early residents of Laurel Ave. [1830-1850] remember Natives camping in the areas of these shell middens along the Androscoggin.
W.C.Penney wrote in 1909 "a circular fort, enclosing probably about 1/3 acre of land stood at the summit of Laurel Hill ... it seems probable that Laurel Ave. runs nearly central over the site of the fort"
Dr. N.T.True wrote in 1861 "This fort was built of logs set up endwise. ... A few years ago, in grading on the site of the fort, pieces of charred wood and a large number of human bones were found ... Here on the plains on the West side, they had one of their principle villages."
Mr. Bateman wrote in 1922 "only an aged pine tree remains to mark the place where it [stockade] once stood ... Just back of this house [May house] is the old pine tree ... standing as a sapling when the Indian massacre took place. Many Indian implements have been found in the mound by its side. ... it [Townsend/Watson house] is supposed to stand on the exact spot where the Indian fort stood. It is a beautiful spot overlooking the junction of the two rivers".
D. Murray wrote in 1966 "On the Auburn side of west pitch the Indians had a lookout where they could check on river traffic"
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