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History of
Strong, Maine
From A Gazetteer
of the State of
Maine
By Geo. J. Varney
Published by B.
B. Russell, 57
Cornhill,
Boston 1886
Strong is
situated near
the centre of
the settled
portion of
Franklin
County. It is
bounded on
the east by
New Vineyard,
south by
Farmington,
west by
Temple and
Avon, and
north by
Freeman. The
dimensions of
the territory
are 7 miles
from north to
south and 5
from east to
west in the
northern half
and three in
the southern.
Sandy River
enters the
town near the
middle from
the west,
soon taking
an almost
right-angled
turn
southward
through a
valley in the
range of
mountains
running from
Weld through
Avon, Strong
and New
Vineyard. The
rocks are
slate,
granite, and
mica-schist.
The soil
along the
river is
sandy loam,
and clayey
loam on the
uplands, and
is strong and
fertile. The
principal
crops are
hay, wheat,
corn, oats
and potatoes.
Porter and
Bates ponds
are the
principal
sheets of
water, the
first being
one and a
half miles in
length by
three-fourths
of a mile in
width. The
town is very
hilly; Day’s
Mountains,
standing
partly in
Avon, being
the highest
elevation.
Strong
village is
nestlea down
among the
hills just
north of the
bend in Sandy
River, which
is here
crossed by an
iron
suspension
bridge. The
village
contains
several fine
residences,
and is one of
the prettiest
in the
county. There
are good
powers on
Sandy River,
upon its
northeast
branch, and
on the outlet
of Porter’s
Pond. On the
last are a
saw-mill and
clover mill.
At Strong
village are a
machine shop,
boot and shoe
factory, and
that of the
Sandy River
Cheese
Company, a
manufactory
of
clothes-pins,
cane-seat
chair bottoms
and
excelsior.
The village
is situated
on the Sandy
River narrow
guage
railroad from
Farmington to
Phillips.
The first
settlements
in Strong
were made as
early as
1784, by
William Read,
followed by
Edward Flint,
John Day,
David and
Joseph
Humphrey,
Jacob Sawyer,
William
Hiscock,
Benjamin
Dodge,
Timothy
Merry, Eliab
Eaton, Peter
Patterson,
Robert
McLeary,
Jeremiah
Burnham and a
Mr.
Ellswort.h,
all from
Nobleborough,
or its
vicinity.
Richard Clark
and Joseph
Kersey became
residents
about 1792.
This township
was purchased
of the State
of
Massachusetts
by an
association,
of whom
William Read
was one, and
acted as
their agent
in the
purchase and
survey of the
town. The
inhabitants
were for some
years under
the necessity
of carrying
their corn
and grain to
Winthrop to
mill, or of
using their
mortars
instead. This
town claims
to have been
the
birth-place
of the
Republican
party.
The
Methodists
and
Congregationalists
each have a
church in the
town. Strong
has seven
schoolhouses,
valued
together with
other school
property at
$2,225. The
town
valuation in
1870 was
$220,794. in
1880 it was
$223,525. The
population in
1870 was 634.
In 1880 it
was 596.
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