Colonial Pemaquid

by Tom Seymour



Settlements here date back to pre-colonial days, placing Pemaquid among the earliest locations of European settlement in North America. Eventually, this seasonal settlement became a year-round village sometime between 1625 and 1629. Some of the bitterest fighting between Europeans and Native Americans occurred in the northeast, much of it in Maine and a good portion of that at Pemaquid. Photo by Tim Seymour

 

Visitors to Maine’s Pemaquid Peninsula revel in its spectacular scenery. Wave-splashed shoreline, fishing communities, breathtaking ocean vistas and historic buildings combine to make this place a must-do destination. But for curious and inquiring types, Pemaquid has far more to offer than just physical beauty. Its history is a microcosm of American history, complete with Native Americans, heroes, scoundrels and of course, the hard-working colonists who braved it all to scratch a living from this rugged landscape.

Settlements here date back to pre-Colonial days, placing Pemaquid among the earliest locations of European settlement in North America. Beginning in the early years of the 17th century, European fishermen maintained a seasonal presence at Pemaquid. Here, they found an endless supply of cod, an important commodity in the early 1600s.

Eventually, this seasonal settlement became a year-round village. That occurred sometime between 1625 and 1629. But this was during the early years of the golden age of pirates, when villains such as the famed Dixie Bull prowled the Maine coast, plundering commercial vessels and sowing fear among the few scattered inhabitants.

So in 1630, according to Maine, The Vacation State, Houghton Mifflin, 1969, settlers build Shurt’s Fort, a wooden structure designed for protection from roving pirates.

Early settler’s headstone in a Pemaquid graveyard. In 1630 settlers built Shurt’s Fort, a wooden structure designed for protection from roving pirates. Photo by Tim Seymour

 

Indian Wars

Some of the bitterest fighting between Europeans and Native Americans occurred in the northeast, much of it in Maine and a good portion of that at Pemaquid. The year 1677 was a time of unrest following an uneasy treaty between English colonists and the native peoples. The terms of this treaty included restoration to the colonists in the form of captured goods, vessels and captives.

To that end, in February 1677, a military force under command of Majors Waldron and Frost landed at Mare Point in Brunswick, seeking to ascertain the pulse of the natives regarding compliance with the treaty and to obtain, if possible, any remaining English captives.

Failing to repatriate any captives, the troops, under Major Frost, sailed to the Kennebec. Then, at Pemaquid, Frost encountered a group of Tarratines, who immediately agreed to deliver prisoners whom they had obtained from their captors, namely members of the Canabis tribe.

However, when the Tarratines finally delivered their captives, Major Frost noted that they had only brought three persons. Furthermore, the Tarratines were secretly armed, although terms of the meeting dictated that both sides arrive unarmed. A struggle arose, during which the English managed to not only capture the contraband weapons, but also to use them against the Tarratines. The natives, beaten, fled into the woods while others departed in their canoes.

The end result of all this was a heightened state of unrest between native tribes and the English. This eventually led to an announced war.

After this, Sir Edmund Andros was sent from England as governor of New York. Maine, at that time, was under Andros’ jurisdiction. Andros immediately recognized the danger to the eastern settlements and in 1677, sent a military force to Pemaquid. Andros also directed the building of Fort Charles, a wooden structure, this time a 2-story one surrounded by a stockade. Fort Charles was the first official English fort at Colonial Pemaquid, but certainly not the last.

This military presence discouraged the natives from further warlike acts and so they agreed to a treaty. This effectively brought an end to the first Indian war.

Fort William Henry was built in 1692. It is a rebuilt version of that first stone fort that visitors to Colonial Pemaquid see today. Photo by Tim Seymour

Continuing Strife

Governor Andros continued his peacemaking efforts, giving the Tarratines and others gifts of clothing and alcohol. The colonists, however, had little faith in such dealings and desired that Andros, instead of pursuing peace, prepare for war. They soon got their wishes, because in mid-August, 1688, hostilities resumed between settlers and natives.

It began at North Yarmouth when natives attacked colonists at work on the garrison house. The fight was uneven and the English sought protection by the riverbank and fought until their ammunition was exhausted. Settlers across the river, however, took stock of the situation and one, Captain Walter Gendell, rowed to the besieged English with a bag of ammunition. Gendell made the shore and threw the ammo to his friends and then died from enemy fire. Gendell’s heroism saved the English contingent from certain destruction.

Then in August, a force of about 100 natives attacked the village of Jamestown at present-day Pemaquid. Outnumbered and under a tiring siege, their commander, Weems, dead, the English finally capitulated. They were, however, allowed to keep their weapons and to embark upon a sloop tied in the harbor. The English left in defeat.

In spring of 1689, Governor Andros, his policies a total failure, was sent a prisoner to England. The colonists had had enough of his timid and ineffectual policies. At the time, King James II had abdicated and in his place, William and Mary ruled England. A government chosen by New Englanders once again took ascendancy and Deputy Governor Danforth of Massachusetts was appointed governor of Maine.

The new governor had his hands full, since a new and full-fledged Indian war soon erupted. Violence escalated throughout the province of Maine. Fort Charles fell later that year.

Fort William Henry was then built in 1692, with Pemaquid still under Massachusetts rule. It is a rebuilt version of that first stone fort that visitors to Colonial Pemaquid see today. Despite its imposing appearance, William Henry fell to French and Indian forces in 1696. The victors soon destroyed the fort, systematically dismantling it.

Then in 1729, like a phoenix, Fort William Henry rose again, this time named Fort Fredrick. Much of this fort was composed of stones from William Henry. Fort Fredrick twice withstood enemy attacks in the year 1747. Finally, no longer being needed for protection, Fort Fredrick was decommissioned in 1759.

The State of Maine took ownership of the site in 1902 and in 1908, began reconstruction of Fort William Henry. Today, an exhibition housed on the fort’s second floor features on display a treasure trove of items from the area’s past, including colonial artifacts, original records and illustrations of the site’s history.

Not far from Fort William Henry lies a colonial-era cemetery, with slate stones dating back to the mid 1700s.

For more information on this fascinating site and its time and place in American and Maine history, contact Friends Of Colonial Pemaquid, Box 304, New Harbor, Maine 04554. From April through October, call (207) 677-2423 and during the off-season, call (207) 624-6075.

Also, for more information on the ongoing display at Fort William Henry, “Guns, Politics and Furs,” contact Dr. Neill De Paoli at 76 Northwest Street, Portsmouth, NH 03801 or email him at ndppquid@yahoo.com.

And of course, when visiting Maine, do make it a point to stop in at Colonial Pemaquid and become better acquainted with this fascinating and beautiful historical site.