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The town of Benton came into existence March 16, 1842, under the name of Sebasticook. Later in 1850 this name was changed to Benton, in honor of Thomas H. Benton, a prominent democrat, and author of “Thirty Years in the United States Senate”. This name was approved by the legislature, and in the record of the September town meeting of the same year, Benton first appears as the name of the town. The settlement of the town went back even before then to the time when it was a part of Clinton and came under the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Even before that time it was known as the Plantation of Hancock, and had a board of officers and kept records which are believed to be not in existence. Although the records are silent as to the reason for the division of the town of Clinton, tradition says that the reason was because of the town government. From the time of incorporation of the town of Clinton, February 1795 until about 1835, the selectmen had nearly always been men from the south part of the town or what is now Benton, and after that date they had come from the north part of the town or what is now Clinton. This was due partly to the expansion made in the population and progressiveness of Hunter’s Mills (now Clinton village) which for a number of years flourished as the lumber and manufacturing center of the town. Another reason was the proximity of Hunter’s Mills to the new town house which was located on the so-called Townhouse Hill only a few miles from there. Previously nearly all town meetings had been held in the southern part of the town, many at the old No. 5 district school house (Benton Falls). The records show that it took from the 6th day of January 1840 until the 28th day of March, 1842, to bring the division about. The following is a summary of the last town meetings held in the town of Clinton before the town became separated, showing the results of the meetings in regard to the separation of the township. ---In 1839 an article in the town warrant to divide the town of Clinton passed over. ---At the town meeting of December 7, 1840 an article to divide the town was voted on, the results being 146 against and two for division. ---To Joseph P. Brown one of the Constables of the town of Clinton, greetings: You are hereby requested in the name of the State of Maine to notify and warn the inhabitants of the town of Clinton qualified to vote in town affairs to assemble in the town house in said town on Monday the 14th day at one o’clock in the P.M. to act on the following articles, namely: Article 1. To choose a moderator to govern said meeting. Article 2. To see what measures the town will take in regards to dividing the town of Clinton. Hereof fail not to make the due returns of this warrant with your doings thereon unto us the subscribers, on or before the time of meeting. Given under our hands at Clinton the 1st day of February A.D. 1842. Jacob Harriman Samuel Weymouth Selectmen of Clinton. Kennebec ss. Pursuant to the within warrant I have notified the town’s inhabitants to meet at the time and place within mentioned by posting up seven attested copies of this warrant in their several places in the town according to law. Clinton, February 14th, 1842. Joseph P. Brown, Constable. A true copy attest. The inhabitants of Clinton met at the time and place as here mentioned and voted as follows: Article 1. E. G. Rideout chosen moderator. Article 2. Voted to divide the town of Clinton by the center line between L 2 and K 1* from the Kennebec river to the Sebasticook river thence up the Sebasticook river in the center thereof to the East line of Town setting off form the town of Clinton all Southerly and Eastwardly of the line erecting the same into a new town. Also voted that the poor of the town be divided, supported by the respective town in proportion to the taxable property in each town by the last valuation and each town build their own roads, also voted debts of the town be paid by the respective town on the same principal of last vote. Also voted that the public property of the town be holden and owned by the same proportion valuation. Also voted that a copy of these preceedings of this meeting be signed by the moderator of the meeting and town clerk and certified by the Selectmen and forwarded to the Legislature by the Representative of the town and that he be instructed and requested to use his best exertions to procure a division of the town on the foregoing preambles by the present Legislature. All of said votes being nearly unanimous. A true copy of record, Charles Jewett, Town Clerk (1842). *Refer to following map of the town in 1845. [A PDF copy of the above plan/map can be found under the heading "Departments".] Note. The above 'history' and the 1845 map were copied, with permission, from: Sebasticook-Benton
Maine
1842-1942
by
Chester E. Basford
Elizabeth Reed
Hortense W. Piper
Oscar S. Piper
100th Year Historical Survey Committee For information about early State of Maine history, visit: http://www.maine.gov/sos/kids/about/history.htm |
