The History of Addison

Get ready to travel back in time to the birth of Addison! On February 14, 1797, the General Court of Massachusetts gave the town permission to incorporate. The settlers, feeling a sense of admiration for the great British writer Joseph Addison, chose to honor him by naming their town Addison. Unfortunately, the earliest town records were lost, but through some clever detective work and sifting through family documents, we have pieced together some fascinating information.

Let's meet some of the earliest settlers! Moses Plummer, William Ingersoll, and the Drisko brothers, John, Joseph, and Samuel Nash all arrived around the time of the Revolutionary War. They were soon joined by Daniel Merritt, John Hall, William Tibbetts, Charles Tabbutt, and Lemeul Dyer. Later, Jeremiah Plummer (son of Moses), Freeman Yates, William Hix, and Wilmot Wass also settled in Addison.

Jeremiah Plummer's house, located on the Wescogus River, was known for its stunning meadows and bountiful codfish. Freeman Yates lived on Addison Point and actually owned the whole tract of land that is now Addison Village! A recently re-cut tombstone in the Baptist burying ground marks the spot where Yates and his wife are buried. Meanwhile, William Hix lived on the east bank of the river and was famous for his moose hunting skills.

Wilmot Wass and his family, who hailed from Martha's Vineyard, settled on Cape Split and had six children. Joseph, Samuel, and James Nash were three brothers who made their way to Addison in 1767. Joseph lived on Addison Point and had nine children, while Samuel settled on the Ridge, a little south of the Columbia line. James also settled on the Ridge but eventually sold his land to Isaiah, one of Joseph's children, and moved to New York.

In 1770, a vessel carrying seven families from Martha's Vineyard landed on the shores of the Pleasant River. We may not know all of their names, but we do know where five of those families settled. It's fascinating to learn about the people who laid the foundation for our beloved town of Addison.

Seth and Amy Norton made their home on the east bank of the river, a little south of the bridge. They had seven childrenDaniel and Anna Look established their residence on the east bank also, just a little farther south. They had nine children and their ancestors still live on the property. It is documented that Daniel was a writer and lived to be 90 years old.

Richard and Mary Coffin settled on the Ridge across from the Nash's. Mr. Coffin is said to have planted the first apple tree in town. He and Mary had seven children.

Barnabas Coffin who was a cousin of Samuel built his house on the west bank of the river. He and his wife Betsey were Quaker's and had no children.

Daniel Small settled on the edge of Harrington to the west of Addison Village.

The Bangor Historical Magazine gives the number of inhabitants on April 27, 1778 as 213. It states that most of the residents are direct descendants of the early settlers.

Early Industry:
There were several key industries that brought the population of Addison to it's peak in 1860 to 1,272. Shipbuilding and quarrying were the major contributors. There were 83 vessels built between 1800 and 1900 and four major granite quarries in operation. Other important industries were coasting (bringing people and goods to the area by ship), fishing, timber and silver mining. By 1958 most of these industries had disappeared. With the closing of the last quarry, the population reached it's low in 1960 at 744.

Key Dates in History

1603: The Red Paint People and other Native Americans settle in the region

1604: Champlain visits the area

1750: Early white settlers arrive.

1797: Addison is incorporated

1800: Three thriving villages are established in Addison: Addison Point, Indian River and South Addison

1866: 100 Addison residents migrate to Jaffa in Palestine, aboard the "Nellie Chapin". When the ill-fated Jaffa settlement failed, the ones that made it back were destitute.

1938: The Great Addison Point village fireThere is a wealth of knowledge available at the Addison Library about all of these settlers and more. I encourage you to explore it. There is a 53 page booklet of the History of Addison, published in 1905, available at Town Hall. It includes information about the Indians that lived here before the settlers and stories of the early explorers. The Bicentennial book, also available at Town Hall, is full of wonderful photos. There is extended information in the Comprehensive Plan section of this website. The Pleasant River Historical Society is another source of information and details about this group are listed in the Community Organization section of this website.

Photos

The schooner Annie M Preble built in Addion in 1891.

Scene of destruction at Addison Point after the 1938 fire.