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102-587: Historian Georges Cerbelaud Salagnac writes that Castine and the Abenaki "displayed consummate skill at it, holding in check at every point, from the Penobscot River to Salmon Falls, N.H. , and even beyond, 700 regular troops, and even inflicting humiliating defeats upon them." The official records indicate natives killed or captured 260 English. The villages of Cape Neddick , Scarborough , Casco , Arrowsick , Pemaquid and several others were destroyed. The war cost

204-684: A church in the Abenaki village of Norridgewock in Madison, Maine on the Kennebec River, maintained a mission at Penobscot on the Penobscot River , and built a church in the Maliseet village of Meductic on the Saint John River . In a meeting at Arrowsic, Maine in 1717, Governor Shute and representatives of the Wabanakis attempted to reach some agreement concerning encroachment on Wabanaki lands and

306-628: A half century of mercury contamination , Maine’s longest river is finally getting cleaned up. The United States government maintains three river flow gages on the Penobscot river. The first is on the East Branch in Grindstone (an unincorporated settlement approximately 10 miles (16 km) south of Stacyville ) ( 45°43′49″N 68°35′22″W  /  45.73028°N 68.58944°W  / 45.73028; -68.58944  ( Grindstone ) ) where

408-412: A huge granite fort, Fort Knox , opposite the town of Bucksport , near the mouth of the river. The fort never fired a shot in anger, but remains one of the Penobscot's major man-made landmarks. In the 19th century the river was a conduit for the transport of logs from Maine's Great North Woods , to be sawed into lumber at mills around Old Town and Orono , and transported on ships from Bangor, at

510-640: A large number of tribal chiefs. The peace was reconfirmed by all except Gray Lock at a major gathering at Falmouth in the summer of 1727; other tribal envoys claimed that they were not able to locate him. Gray Lock's activity came to an end in 1727, after which he disappears from historical records. As a result of the war, the Indian population declined on the Kennebec and Penobscot Rivers, and western Maine came more strongly under British control. The terms of Dummer's Treaty were restated at every major new treaty conference for

612-721: A military counsellor on the occasion of this war." The people of Boston thought Saint-Castin was influencing the Wabanaki strategy and supplying them with superior equipment. In the Northeast Coast Campaign (1675) the Wabanaki Confederacy raided English settlements along the New England/Acadia border in present-day Maine. They killed eighty colonists and burned many farms, blunting the tide of English expansion. Settlers deserted community after community, leaving only

714-608: A permanent fishing settlement at Canso which upset the local Miꞌkmaq, who then began raiding the settlement and attacking the fishermen. In response to Wabanaki hostilities, Nova Scotia Governor Richard Philipps built a fort at Canso in 1720. Massachusetts governors Joseph Dudley and Samuel Shute built forts around the mouth of the Kennebec River: Fort George at Brunswick (1715), Fort Menaskoux at Arrowsic (1717), St. George's Fort at Thomaston (1720), and Fort Richmond (1721) at Richmond . The French built

816-462: A pipeline carrying a mixture of chemicals, including hydrogen peroxide and sodium hydroxide, ruptured, releasing an estimated 15,000 gallons of the mixture into the Penobscot River. The spill created a large plume of foam and smoke, and local residents reported a strong chemical odor in the air. The spill was leaking into the Penobscot river from approximately September 29th to October 7th 2020. It

918-475: A result of the expansion of New England settlements along the coast of Maine and at Canso, Nova Scotia . The New Englanders were led primarily by Massachusetts Lieutenant Governor William Dummer , Nova Scotia Lieutenant Governor John Doucett , and Captain John Lovewell . The Wabanaki Confederacy and other Native tribes were led primarily by Father Sébastien Rale , Chief Gray Lock , and Chief Paugus . During

1020-456: A sawmill, a large sloop , and sundry houses, and killed many of their cattle. Five New Englanders were killed and seven were taken prisoner, while the New Englanders killed 20 Maliseet and Penobscot warriors. After the raid, Westbrook was given command of the fort. Following this raid, Brunswick was raided again and burned before the warriors returned to Norridgewock. In response to

1122-519: A scouting party of six men was sent out from Fort Dummer. Grey Lock and 14 others ambushed them just west of the Connecticut River , killing two and wounding and capturing three others. One man escaped, while two Indians were killed. Nova Scotia's governor launched a campaign to end the Miꞌkmaq blockade of Annapolis Royal at the end of July 1722. They retrieved over 86 New England prisoners taken by

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1224-561: A secret compartment. Inside that compartment they found letters implicating Rale as an agent of the government of Canada, promising Indians enough ammunition to drive the British colonists from their settlements. Shute reiterated English claims of sovereignty over the disputed areas in letters to the Lords of Trade and to Governor General Philippe de Rigaud Vaudreuil of New France. Vaudreuil pointed out in response that France claimed sovereignty over

1326-496: A toll on the vitality of our people. We have sustenance fishing rights but cannot live on the fish. When I was a child, the river was thick with foam, had an odor at all times, and if you swam in it, your clothing would be stained and skin would break out.” The Penobscot River Restoration Trust was a nonprofit organization consisting of many organizations including the Penobscot Nation, Maine Audubon, and many more. From this,

1428-518: A willingness to enter peace talks with Lieutenant Governor Dummer in December 1724. They were opposed in this by French authorities, who continued to encourage the conflict, but Massachusetts Lieutenant Governor Dummer announced a cessation of hostilities on July 31, 1725 following negotiations in March. Dummer and Chiefs Loron and Wenemouet negotiated the terms of this preliminary agreement, which applied only to

1530-436: A written document reasserting their sovereign claims to disputed areas, delineating the areas that they claimed, and threatening violence if their territory was violated. Shute dismissed the letter as "insolent and menacing" and sent militia forces to Arrowsic. He also asserted that the Wabanaki claims were part of a French intrigue, based on Rale's influence, to further French claims to the disputed areas. Governor Shute

1632-520: Is in Eddington ( 45°14′12″N 68°38′57″W  /  45.23667°N 68.64917°W  / 45.23667; -68.64917  ( Eddington ) ), 0.4 miles (0.64 km) downstream from the Veazie Dam where the rivershed is 7,764 square miles (20,110 km ). Angling , including fly fishing , is common on the river. The West Branch is known as a world class landlocked salmon river, while

1734-476: Is indigenous to the Penobscot people, however they are both pervasive in my tribal community." As an Indigenous community trying to maintain traditional subsistence living and eating such as fishing or foraging, their way of life and their physical bodies are unequally burdened by issues of water quality and pollution. The health and survival of the Penobscot people is further threatened by the impact that persistent organic pollutants (POPs) have on reproduction and

1836-537: Is not filled with cancer, diabetes, learning disabilities, and attention deficit [disorder]." Paper making was an industry which was responsible for a large amount of the contamination in the Penobscot River. The problem was traced back to HoltraChem, a chemical plant located in Orrington, Maine HoltraChem was responsible for producing many of the chemicals used in papermaking, such as chlorine and mercury. Beginning in 1967, HoltraChem dumped up to 13 tons of mercury into

1938-508: Is now Frankfort , and other members of their extended family, joined by additional settlers from Massachusetts and New Hampshire , pushed ever further up-river, eventually restricting the Penobscot people to Indian Island ( Old Town, Maine ), the present Penobscot Indian Reservation. During the American Revolutionary War , the river and bay were the site of the disastrous 1779 Penobscot Expedition , where an entire American fleet

2040-415: Is now Stockton Springs . This signaled the end of French influence over the Penobscot, and the incorporation of the Penobscot River valley into New England . The first permanent settler from British North America on the river was Joshua Treat (1726–1802), who was initially the armorer and translator at Fort Pownall. His oldest son, Joshua Treat, Jr., built a log house and sawmill at Marsh Bay in what

2142-469: Is our own, and that we will have." Over the next several years, New England colonists continued to settle in Wabanaki lands east of the Kennebec River, and the Wabanakis responded by stealing livestock. Canso, Nova Scotia was established as a fishing settlement disputed by all three parties but fortified by Nova Scotia and primarily occupied by Massachusetts fishermen. Miꞌkmaq and French forces attacked it in 1720, further raising tensions. Shute protested

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2244-508: The Indians . On the first expedition in December 1724, he and his militia company of 30 men (often called "snowshoe men") left Dunstable, New Hampshire , trekking to the north of Lake Winnipesaukee ("Winnipiscogee Lake") into the White Mountains of New Hampshire . On December 10, 1724, they and a company of rangers killed two Abenakis. In February 1725, Lovewell made a second expedition to

2346-592: The Mohawk made several raids from the west that were very destructive to the Penobscot people. During Father Rale's War , New England settlers from Massachusetts also sent periodic raiding parties to the Penobscot, destroying the primary native village in 1723. In a treaty of 1752, however, Massachusetts laid claim to the entire Penobscot watershed, and in 1759 the Pownall Expedition, led by Governor Thomas Pownall , established Fort Pownall on Cape Jellison in what

2448-548: The Pequawket tribe at Fryeburg, Maine . On May 9, chaplain Jonathan Frye was leading the militiamen in prayer when they spotted a lone Abenaki warrior. Lovewell and his men closed in on the warrior, leaving their packs behind in a clearing. Shortly after they left, a Pequawket war party led by Chief Paugus discovered the packs, and they set up an ambush in anticipation of their eventual return. Lovewell and his men caught up with

2550-530: The Ripogenus Dam by Chesuncook Lake , the West Branch is able to sustain the large landlocked salmon found there, with twelve miles of heavy rapids , deep runs, large pools, and slower moving water in some sections. Baxter State Park is located to the north. Some of the river's rapids are class IV or even V, making this one of the roughest rivers in the area, and attracting whitewater rafters. Until 1971

2652-888: The Three Years War , the Wabanaki-New England War , or the Fourth Anglo-Abenaki War ) was a series of battles between the New England Colonies and the Wabanaki Confederacy (specifically the Mi'kmaq , Maliseet , Penobscot , and Abenaki ), who were allied with New France . The eastern theater of the war was located primarily along the border between New England and Acadia in Maine , as well as in Nova Scotia ;

2754-631: The Treaty of Utrecht in 1713 (not including Cape Breton Island ), but present-day New Brunswick and Maine remained contested between New England and New France. New France established Catholic missions among the four largest Native villages in the region: one on the Kennebec River ( Norridgewock ), one farther north on the Penobscot River ( Penobscot Indian Island Reservation ), one on the Saint John River ( Meductic Indian Village / Fort Meductic ), and one at Shubenacadie, Nova Scotia (Saint Anne's Mission). Similarly, New France established three forts along

2856-613: The Veazie Dam in 2013. A fish ladder was installed at Milford Dam . A fish bypass was installed at Howland Dam . This led to an increase in the number of Atlantic Salmon , Shad , and other fish species in the river. The Old Town Paper Mill, located in Old Town, Maine, has had a long history of environmental issues. The mill has a long history of environmental concerns and has been cited for numerous violations of environmental regulations, including air and water pollution, hazardous waste management, and chemical spills. The mill has also been

2958-587: The Waldo-Hancock Bridge was closed and replaced by the Penobscot Narrows Bridge , a 2,120 foot long, $ 85,000,000 structure with 135 feet between the water and the bridge’s deck, and the original bridge was subsequently demolished in 2013. A bridge observatory in the support tower on the Waldo County side 420 feet above the surface of the river is open to the public, the only bridge observatory in

3060-513: The head of tide . (The average high tide at Bangor is 13 feet (4 m) as of 2009. ) A secondary economic use made of the river late in the century was as a source of sawed ice for urban markets. In 1931 the Waldo-Hancock Bridge was opened to carry US Route 1 across the river at the Penobscot Narrows between Prospect, in Waldo County , and Verona Island just below Bucksport. During

3162-422: The 20th century, lumbering was largely supplanted by papermaking , in the form of large wood pulp and paper mills located all along the river from Millinocket and East Millinocket in the north, to South Brewer and Bucksport in the south. Wood pulp and paper mills create dioxins as a byproduct of the chlorine bleaching process in making paper. This substance was discharged from seven mills located close to

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3264-526: The East Branch is known for its smallmouth bass fishery . In 2008, the Atlantic Salmon Commission opened the main stem of the river to catch and release fly fishing for Atlantic salmon . The West Branch is home to landlocked salmon and Brook Trout . There are many deep pools within the river, due to the many slate ledges, making the river ideal for fishing from shore, though there are still areas that are good for canoe fishing. With

3366-669: The English to abandon the region, retreating to Salem . The campaign is most notable for Richard Waldron entering the war, the death of Chief Mogg and the attack on the Mi'kmaq that initiated their involvement in the war. Natives attacked a settlement at the Sheepscot River near Merrymeeting Bay in Maine in August 1676. Notably, Sir William Phips rescued local settlers by bringing them on board his vessel, forgoing his cargo of lumber. Although he

3468-611: The European powers consisted of land between the Kennebec River and the Isthmus of Chignecto (encompassing the eastern portion of Maine and all of the Canadian province of New Brunswick ). This land was occupied by a number of Algonquian-speaking Indian tribes loosely allied in the Wabanaki Confederacy , which also claimed sovereignty over most of this territory and had occupied portions of

3570-460: The Indians in full possession of the village. They slaughtered 50 head of cattle and set fire to 26 houses outside the fort, then assaulted the fort, killing one New Englander but otherwise making little impression. That night, Col. Walton and Capt. Harman arrived with 30 men, to which were added approximately 40 men from the fort under Captains Penhallow and Temple. The combined force of 70 men attacked

3672-412: The Indians, but they were overwhelmed by their numbers. The New Englanders then retreated back into the fort. The Indians eventually retired up the river, viewing further attacks on the fort as useless. During their return to Norridgewock, the Indians attacked Fort Richmond with a three-hour siege. They burned homes and killed cattle, but the fort held. They destroyed Brunswick and other settlements near

3774-498: The Indians. One of these operations resulted in the Battle of Winnepang (Jeddore Harbour), in which 35 Indians and five New Englanders were killed. Only five Indian bodies were recovered from the battle, and the New Englanders decapitated the corpses and set the severed heads on pikes surrounding Canso, Nova Scotia 's new fort. During the war, a church was erected at the Catholic mission in

3876-585: The Lake Winnipesaukee area. On February 20, his force came across wigwams at the head of the Salmon Falls River in Wakefield, New Hampshire , where ten Indians were killed. Lovewell's third expedition consisted of 46 men and left from Dunstable on April 16, 1725. They built a fort at Ossipee, New Hampshire and garrisoned it with 10 men, including a doctor and John Goffe , while the rest left to raid

3978-509: The Massachusetts colonial assembly. Between 400 and 500 St. Francis ( Odanak , Quebec) and Miꞌkmaq Indians attacked Arrowsic, Maine on September 10, in conjunction with Father Rale at Norridgewock. Captain Penhallow discharged musketry from a small guard, wounding three of the Indians and killing another. This defense gave the inhabitants of the village time to retreat into the fort, leaving

4080-441: The Miꞌkmaq village of Shubenacadie (Saint Anne's Mission). In 1723, Miꞌkmaqs raided the village of Canso, killing five fishermen, so the New Englanders built a 12-gun blockhouse to guard the village and fishery. The worst moment of the war for Annapolis Royal came on July 4, 1724 when a group of 60 Miꞌkmaqs and Maliseets raided the capital. They killed and scalped a sergeant and a private, wounded four more soldiers, and terrorized

4182-551: The New England attack on Father Rale at Norridgewock in March 1722, 165 Miꞌkmaq and Maliseet fighters gathered at Minas ( Grand Pre, Nova Scotia ) to lay siege to Annapolis Royal . Lieutenant Governor John Doucett took 22 Miꞌkmaqs hostage in May to prevent the provincial capital from being attacked. In July, the Abenakis and Miꞌkmaqs blockaded Annapolis Royal with the intent of starving

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4284-651: The Old Town Paper Mill won a case against the Penobscot Nation, under the Maine Freedom Access Act, where they were given access to documented tribal correspondence with the EPA in regards to the regulations of water quality. It was announced in 2007 that a study would be conducted by the EPA in regards to the Penobscot river system. This study would examine the levels of contamination from PCBs, mercury, and dioxin in various culturally important species. In 2006

4386-568: The Penobscot Indian Nation, (PIN), limit consumption of fish and snapping turtles caught in the river to 1-2 meals per month. Due to this recommendation, the overall consumption rates of fish have decreased for the Penobscot Nation The pollution of the Penobscot River has taken a very large toll on the amount of food and resources which can be collected from the river. Mauian Dana, a Tribal Ambassador, said “[T]he pollution has taken

4488-412: The Penobscot Nation, is quoted describing the importance of the river, saying “Our water is sacred. That was our highways and our byways…It’s our relative.” Pollution has been gathering in the Penobscot River for at least 150 years, making the consumption of various fish toxic to those who eat them, such as members of the Penobscot nation. In 1987, recommendations for limited fish consumption were given to

4590-560: The Penobscot Nation. It is recommended that members of the Penobscot Nation eat no more than a single serving of fish from the Penobscot River each month. The development of cheap hydropower also attracted other types of light manufacturing, like textiles and shoes . In the 21st century, with the continuing decline of the Maine paper industry, and the divestiture of its woodlands, the Penobscot watershed has become more and more associated with recreational use (fishing, hunting, boating, and tourism) and less with manufacturing. In 2001,

4692-481: The Penobscot River estuary . The river upstream of Bangor became an important transportation corridor for log driving to bring wooden logs and pulpwood from interior forests to sawmills and paper mills built to use water power where the city of Howland and the towns of Veazie , Orono , Old Town , Milford , Passadumkeag , West Enfield , Lincoln , Winn , Mattawamkeag , Medway , and Millinocket developed. The first European known to have explored

4794-532: The Penobscot River Restoration Project was created, with the goals of a cleaner, healthier river, supporting the PIN culture as well as traditions, and restoring the ecosystem for native plants and animals. The project was discontinued in 2016, however they were able to help the river’s ecosystem and the health of the areas around it. The Penobscot Nation has been fighting big polluters to help restore

4896-486: The Penobscot River back to its original condition. This is being done through lawsuits against big pollution companies, restoring water quality, and removing dams. In 2018, the Penobscot River was voted to become a citizen of the Penobscot Nation, as the river is viewed as a relative to the tribe, with its own fundamental rights. Member of the Penobscot Nation John Banks highlighted the importance and value of

4998-597: The Penobscot flows 109 miles (175 km) south, past the city of Bangor , where it becomes navigable. Also at Bangor is the tributary Kenduskeag Stream . It empties into the Atlantic Ocean in Penobscot Bay . It is home to the Penobscot people that live on Indian Island , and considered to be The People's lifeblood. Most historians have accepted the Penobscot region as Jean Allefonsce 's source for Norumbega , though

5100-601: The Penobscot river rather than safely disposing of the chemicals. These chemicals were dumped both legally and illegally, resulting in mass contamination of the river. HoltraChem was the company behind 11 massive chemical spills into the Penobscot River in only 12 months, from 1998 to 1999. Because the Penobscot Tribe is a river based tribe, their culture is directly tied to the River which has become polluted. Through hunting, trapping, fishing, and many other traditional practices,

5202-462: The Penobscot. May to June are usually when mayflies begin their first hatch. Caddisflies also start their massive hatch around this time, but it can extend into the fall at times. Stoneflies tend to hatch throughout the season. In the West Branch, fishermen are often required to use a variety of different techniques . Father Rale%27s War Dummer's War (1722–1725) (also known as Father Rale's War , Lovewell's War , Greylock's War ,

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5304-811: The Penobscots at first. They were allowed to retain Jesuit priests, but the two parties were in disagreement concerning land titles and British sovereignty over the Wabanakis. French Jesuit Etienne Lauverjat translated the written agreement into Abenaki; Chief Loron immediately repudiated it, specifically rejecting claims of British sovereignty over him. Despite his disagreement, Loron pursued peace, sending wampum belts to other tribal leaders, although his envoys were unsuccessful in reaching Gray Lock, who continued his raiding expeditions. Peace treaties were signed in Maine on December 15, 1725 and in Nova Scotia on June 15, 1726 involving

5406-590: The Pequawkets withdrew around sunset. Only 20 of the militiamen survived the battle; three died on the return journey. The Pequawket losses included Chief Paugus. The western theater of the war has also been referred to as " Grey Lock's War ". On August 13, 1723, Gray Lock entered the war by raiding Northfield, Massachusetts , where four warriors killed two citizens. The next day, they attacked Joseph Stevens and his four sons in Rutland, Massachusetts . Stevens escaped, two of

5508-561: The Second Indian War), and Queen Anne's War (or the Third Indian War) from 1703 to 1711. Queen Anne's War ended with the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713. The colonial borders of northeastern America were reshaped as a result, but the treaty did not account for Indian claims to the same area. French Acadia was ceded to Great Britain which established the province of Nova Scotia , although its borders were disputed. The area disputed by

5610-475: The Tribal community of Penobscot people, along the Penobscot river. Dioxins, which are highly potent toxic chemicals that may cause cancer and other health problems, were being poured daily into this adjacent river, the Penobscot. Rebecca Sockbeson , a Penobscot, is quoted saying that her people have survived on fish from this river, but "now we are dying from it." She continued on to say that "neither dioxin nor cancer

5712-597: The United States, and only one of four bridge observatories in the world. The two 447 foot tall granite towers of the bridge are patterned after the Washington Monument which had been largely built with granite quarried from nearby Mt. Waldo. As part of the Penobscot River Restoration Project, several dams were modified or removed to improve river conditions. Demolition began on the Great Works Dam in 2012, and

5814-675: The West Branch was a main thoroughfare for the Great Northern Paper Company to sluice its logs to its mill in Millinocket, Maine . In 1971 Great Northern opened the Golden Road (Maine) for transporting the logs. The road parallels the river. The paper industry has been greatly diminished and the Millinocket mill was torn down in 2013. The Golden Road, still a private road, continues to be used by logging trucks and also people using

5916-585: The area, while the Wabanakis maintained possession, and he suggested that Shute misunderstood the way in which European ideas of ownership differed from those of the Indians. In response to the raid on Norridgewock, the Abenakis raided Fort George on June 13 which was under the command of Captain John Gyles . They burned the homes of the village and took 60 prisoners, most of whom were later released. On July 15, Father Lauverjat from Penobscot led 500 to 600 Indians from Penobscot and Medunic ( Maliseet ) and laid siege to Fort St. George for 12 days. They burned

6018-589: The blockhouses in the spring of 1724. During the spring of 1724, the Wabanaki Confederacy conducted ten raids on the Maine frontier which killed, wounded, or imprisoned more than 30 New Englanders. They took a sloop in Kennebunk harbor and slaughtered the entire crew. In the spring of 1724, Captain Josiah Winslow took command of St. George's Fort at Thomaston; he was the older brother of John Winslow . On 30 April 1724, Winslow and Sergeant Harvey left George's Fort with 17 men in two whale boats, and they went downriver several miles to Green Island. The following day,

6120-494: The border of New Brunswick during Father Le Loutre's War to protect it from a British attack from Nova Scotia. The Treaty of Utrecht ended Queen Anne's War , but it had been signed in Europe and had not involved any member of the Wabanaki Confederacy . The Abenaki signed the 1713 Treaty of Portsmouth , but none had been consulted about British ownership of Nova Scotia, and the Miꞌkmaq began to make raids against New England fishermen and settlements. The war began on two fronts as

6222-414: The boys were killed, and the other two sons were captured. On October 9, 1723, Gray Lock struck two small forts near Northfield, inflicting casualties and carrying off one captive. In response, Governor Dummer ordered the construction of Fort Dummer in what is now Brattleboro, Vermont . The fort became a major base of operations for scouting and punitive expeditions into Abenaki country. Fort Dummer

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6324-445: The capital. The Indians captured 18 fishing vessels and prisoners in raids from Cape Sable Island to Canso. They also seized prisoners and vessels working in the Bay of Fundy . On July 25, Governor Shute formally declared war on the Wabanakis. Lieutenant Governor William Dummer conducted the Massachusetts involvement in the war, since Shute sailed for England at the end of 1722 to deal with ongoing disputes that he had with

6426-507: The colonial government £8,000. Jean-Vincent d'Abbadie de Saint-Castin was sent from Quebec at the outset of the war with the governor's orders to organize all the natives "throughout the whole colony of Acadia to adopt the interests of the king of France." After Saint-Castin had settled among the Abenakis , King Philip ( Pometacom ) and his warriors ravaged New England in 1675. Historian Georges Salagnac writes that, "One may reasonably suppose that Saint-Castin began to exercise his talents as

6528-451: The culture is sustained. Without the continuation of these activities, their culture will begin to become lost. Due to the pollution of the Penobscot river, the waterways, plants, and environment which the nation relies on for their way of life have become contaminated. The Penobscot Nation dates back to more than 9,500 years, and because of the constant pollution, their way of life is soon to be lost. June Sapiel, an activist and member of

6630-523: The end of Father Le Loutre's War , with the defeat of Le Loutre at Fort Beauséjour . This was the only war fought by the Wabanakis against the British on their own terms and for their own reasons, rather than in support of French interests. The final major battle of the war was the Battle of Pequawket , or "Lovewell's Fight", which was celebrated in song and story in the 19th century. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote "The Battle of Lovells Pond," and Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote " Roger Malvin's Burial " about

6732-446: The establishment of provincially operated trading posts. Kennebec sachem Wiwurna objected to colonists establishing settlements and constructing forts; he claimed sovereign control of the land, while Shute reasserted colonial rights to expand into the territory. The Wabanakis were willing to accede to existing settlements if a proper boundary was delineated, beyond which settlement would not be allowed. Shute responded, "We desire only what

6834-416: The flow of any chemicals which might come through. Finally, unused pipes were sealed off, as they were helping the chemicals to flow through into the river. While ND Paper has taken steps to improve its environmental performance since the spill, concerns remain about its impact on the environment and the local community. The Penobscot River is an important resource for fishing, boating, and a food source, and

6936-503: The fort. The Tarrantine Indians were reported to have lost more than 25 men. Indians killed one man and wounded another at Purpooduck on May 27. In June, Indians raided Dover, New Hampshire and took Elizabeth Hanson into captivity. They also engaged in a canoe campaign, assisted by the Miꞌkmaqs from Cape Sable Island. In just a few weeks, they had captured 22 vessels, killing 22 New Englanders and taking more prisoner. They also made an unsuccessful siege of St. George's Fort. In

7038-462: The health of their children. The 2015 collaborative report, The Penobscot River and Environmental Contaminants: Assessment of Tribal Exposure Through Sustenance Lifeways, confirms through a four-year quantitative study that these unequal burdens and harmful level of toxins are very real threats and realities faced by the community’s indigenous people. Sockbeson concludes that a treaty is required to ensure that "the breast and spoon we feed our babies with

7140-473: The land before the colonists. Massachusetts Governor Joseph Dudley organized a major peace conference at Portsmouth, New Hampshire . In negotiations there and at Casco Bay , the Wabanaki objected to British assertions that the French had ceded their territory to Britain in eastern Maine and New Brunswick , but they agreed to confirm the boundaries at the Kennebec River and to establish government-run trading posts in their territory. The Treaty of Portsmouth

7242-537: The matter was hotly contested by some nineteenth century antiquarians, who argued that the name should be identified with their own river or region. The Penobscot River was an early trade corridor to interior Maine from the Atlantic coast. Ocean ships could navigate upstream to Bangor . The cities of Rockland , Belfast , Brewer and Bangor, and the towns of Rockport , Camden , Northport , Searsport , Stockton Springs , Castine , Bucksport , Frankfort , Winterport , Orrington , and Hampden developed adjacent to

7344-460: The mouth of the Kennebec. On March 9, 1723, Colonel Thomas Westbrook led 230 men to the Penobscot River and traveled approximately 32 miles (51 km) upstream to the Penobscot Village . They found a large Penobscot fort some 70 by 50 yards (64 by 46 m), with 14-foot (4.3 m) walls surrounding 23 wigwams. There was also a large chapel (60 by 30 feet [18.3 by 9.1 m]). The village

7446-547: The next 30 years, but there was no major conflict in the area until King George's War in the 1740s. In New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, Dummer's Treaty marked a significant shift in British relations with the Miꞌkmaqs and Maliseets, who refused to declare themselves British subjects. The French lost their footholds in Maine, while New Brunswick remained under French control for a number of years. The peace in Nova Scotia lasted for 18 years. The British took control of New Brunswick at

7548-467: The northern theatre with the Treaty of Casco (1678) . Natives assassinated both Charles Frost and Charles Waldon in King William's War. Phips would initiate an attack on the capital of Acadia, Port Royal . Conflict continued for decades in Maine, New Hampshire and northern Massachusetts. In response to King Philip's War, which stemmed from New England expansion onto native land, the five Indian tribes in

7650-414: The opening moments of the battle, a leading chief was killed, and nearly two dozen women and children. The colonists had casualties of two militiamen and one Mohawk . Harmon destroyed the Abenaki farms, and those who had escaped were forced to abandon their village and move northward to the Abenaki village of St. Francis and Bécancour, Quebec . Captain John Lovewell made three expeditions against

7752-634: The presence of the French Jesuit priest Sébastien Rale , who lived among the Kennebec tribe at Norridgewock in central Maine, and he demanded that Rale be removed. The Wabanakis refused in July 1721 and demanded that hostages be released (who had been given in surety during earlier negotiations) in exchange for a delivery of furs made in restitution for their raiding. Massachusetts made no official response. The Wabanakis then went to extraordinary lengths to produce

7854-478: The region of Acadia created the Wabanaki Confederacy to form a political and military alliance with New France to stop the New England expansion. During the next 74 years, six colonial wars between New France and New England, along with their respective native allies, took place, starting with King William's War in 1689. (See the French and Indian Wars , Father Rale's War and Father Le Loutre's War .) The conflict

7956-523: The river due to a ruptured sewer line. ND Paper Mill reported the spill to the Department of Environmental Protection who assisted in cleanup and repairs to the damaged sewer line. The DEP conducted an investigation into the incident, and found that the spill was caused by a failure in the mill's equipment. It was also found that the mill had failed to properly train employees on the correct way to handle and store hazardous materials. The spill occurred when

8058-504: The river in 1524 was Estêvão Gomes , a Portuguese navigator who sailed in the service of Spain in the 1520s. The Spaniards, led by Gomez, were the first Europeans to make landfall in what is now Maine, followed by the Frenchman Samuel de Champlain in 1605. A few years later French Jesuit priests came among the Penobscot people as missionaries and converted them to Catholicism . The French settlement of Pentagouet, now Castine ,

8160-545: The river, saying “It was our life source. For thousands of years, it provided a means for the tribe to sustain itself. And our history, traditions, and cultural identity are very much intertwined with it,” In 2021, a cleanup plan was set into place 22 years after a lawsuit was filed against Mallinckrodt US LLC. This cleanup plan consists of long term monitoring as well as cleaning up the area, along with providing funding to projects for communities and environments which have been affected by this pollution. In 2022, after more than

8262-545: The river. The introduction of mercury into the Penobscot River is extremely dangerous and was described as “imminent and substantial endangerment to public health and the environment,” as this watershed is a main source of shellfish and fish alike. Mercury is a neurotoxin which is extremely dangerous to ingest, especially for young, developing children or fetuses. Because of this, the elderly, children, and pregnant women must be extremely careful about ingesting anything which could potentially contain mercury. A court ordered study

8364-514: The rivershed is 1,086 square miles (2,810 km ). Flow here has ranged from 400 to 1,300 cubic feet per second (37 m /s). The second is in West Enfield ( 45°14′12″N 68°38′57″W  /  45.23667°N 68.64917°W  / 45.23667; -68.64917  ( West Enfield ) ) where the rivershed is 6,671 square miles (17,280 km ). Flow here has ranged from 4,410 to 9,660 cubic feet per second (274 m /s). The third

8466-404: The second half of 1724, the New Englanders launched an aggressive campaign up the Kennebec and Penobscot rivers. On August 22, captains Jeremiah Moulton and Johnson Harmon led 200 rangers to Norridgewock to kill Father Rale and destroy the settlement. There were 160 Abenakis, many of whom chose to flee rather than fight. At least 31 chose to fight, and most of them were killed. Rale was killed in

8568-517: The second-longest river system in Maine and the longest entirely in the state. Its drainage basin contains 8,610 square miles (22,300 km ). It arises from four branches in several lakes in north-central Maine, which flow generally east. After the uniting of the West Branch with the East Branch at Medway ( 45°36′14″N 68°31′52″W  /  45.604°N 68.531°W  / 45.604; -68.531  ( Penobscot River source ) ),

8670-492: The settlements south of the Saco River to maintain an Anglo presence in the region. In the Northeast Coast Campaign (1676) the Wabanaki Confederacy raided English settlements along the New England/Acadia border in present-day Maine. In the first month, they laid waste to 15 leagues of the coast east of Casco. They killed and captured colonists and burned many farms, blunting the tide of English expansion. The Campaign of 1676 led

8772-485: The spill posed a threat to the river's ecosystem. The chemicals released in the spill can cause significant harm to aquatic life, and can also contaminate drinking water supplies. The spill also had a significant impact on the local economy, as many businesses rely on the river for their livelihoods. The lasting effects that this spill has had on the Penobscot Nation has caused them to lose one of their main food sources, as it has been recommended that less fish be consumed from

8874-503: The subject of numerous citizen complaints and legal actions over the years. On October 7th, 2020, it was discovered that the Nine Dragons (ND) Paper Mill in Old Town, Maine had spilled chemicals into the Penobscot River. The spill was discovered after elevated pH levels were discovered in the water, in which ND decided to investigate further. It was found that over 30,000 gallons of chemicals, which were used for pulping, had spilled into

8976-524: The two whale boats became separated and approximately 200 to 300 Abenakis descended on Harvey's boat, killing Harvey and all of his men except three Indian guides who escaped to the Georges fort. Captain Winslow was then surrounded by 30 to 40 canoes which came off from both sides of the river and attacked him. After hours of fighting, Winslow and his men were killed except for three friendly Indians who escaped back to

9078-600: The village. They also burned houses and took prisoners. The New Englanders responded by executing one of the Miꞌkmaq hostages on the same spot where the sergeant was killed. They also burned three Acadian houses in retaliation. As a result of the raid, they built three blockhouses to protect the town. They moved the Acadian church closer to the fort so that it could be more easily monitored. In 1725, 60 Abenakis and Miꞌkmaqs launched another attack on Canso, destroying two houses and killing six people. Penobscot tribal chiefs expressed

9180-556: The war, Father Rale was killed by a force of New England militia at Norridgewock. The Native population retreated from the Kennebec and Penobscot rivers to St. Francis and Becancour, Quebec , and New England took over much of the Maine territory. Dummer's War is also known as the Fourth Anglo-Abenaki War. The three previous Indian Wars were King Philip's War (or the First Indian War) in 1675, King William's War (or

9282-433: The warrior and exchanged gunfire. Lovewell and one of his men were wounded in the encounter, and the Indian was killed by Ensign Seth Wyman, Lovewell's second in command. Lovewell's force then returned to their packs and the ambush was sprung. Lovewell and eight of his men were killed and two were wounded when the Pequawkets opened fire. The survivors managed to retreat to a strong position, and fended off repeated attacks until

9384-460: The western theater was located in northern Massachusetts and Vermont in the frontier areas between Canada (New France) and New England. The root cause of the conflict on the Maine frontier concerned the border between Acadia and New England, which New France defined as the Kennebec River in southern Maine. Mainland Nova Scotia came under British control after the Siege of Port Royal in 1710 and

9486-541: Was Vermont's first permanent colonial settlement, made under the command of Lieutenant Timothy Dwight. On June 18, 1724, Grey Lock attacked a group of men working in a meadow near Hatfield, Massachusetts . He then moved on and killed men at Deerfield , Northfield, and Westfield over the summer. In response to the raids, Dummer ordered more soldiers for Northfield, Brookfield , Deerfield, and Sunderland, Massachusetts . On October 11, 1724, 70 Abenakis attacked Fort Dummer and killed three or four soldiers. In September 1725,

9588-474: Was also noted that the leak was occurring intermittently for about 56 days during 2021 before being discovered. In response to the issue, ND Paper replaced multiple failed floor drains and about 400 feet of steel piping for the sewer system. Since these issues, the company has decided to complete more routine maintenance and inspections in order to prevent future occurrences. Alongside routine inspections, shut-off valves were installed along with alarms to detect

9690-523: Was completed by the company Mallinckrodt, which over the course of nine years found that the Penobscot River had levels of mercury which were up to 20 times higher than the surrounding areas. From this study, high levels of mercury were detected in wildlife as well, such as ducks, fish, and snapping turtles. Because of these extremely high levels of mercury which were discovered, the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), recommend that members of

9792-523: Was convinced that the French were behind Wabanaki claims, so he sent a military expedition under the command of Colonel Thomas Westbrook of Thomaston to capture Father Rale in January 1722. Most of the tribe was away hunting, and Westbrook's 300 soldiers surrounded Norridgewock to capture Rale, but he was forewarned and escaped into the forest. They found his strongbox among his possessions, however, which contained

9894-535: Was destroyed in a botched attempt to retake Maine from the British. During the War of 1812 , the British again invaded Maine and defeated an American force at the Battle of Hampden , sacking the town of Bangor in the process. To prevent this from happening a third time, and because the nearby boundary between the United States and British Canada was still contested into the 1840s, the Federal government in 1844 began constructing

9996-677: Was financially ruined (the Indians destroyed the shipyard and his intended cargo), he was seen as a hero in Boston. In the Northeast Coast Campaign (1677) the Wabanaki Confederacy raided English settlements along the New England/Acadia border in present-day Maine. They killed and captured colonists and burned many farms, blunting the tide of English expansion. In response to King Philip's War and King William's War (1689–97), many colonists from northeastern Maine and Massachusetts temporarily relocated to larger towns in Massachusetts and New Hampshire to avoid Wabanaki Indian raids. The fighting ended in

10098-481: Was founded at the point where the river becomes Penobscot Bay , and the Penobscot people made a permanent settlement at Indian Old Town, Maine on an island above the head of navigation , around the Catholic mission. Throughout the first half of the 17th centuries, these were likely the only permanent settlements on the river, although the Penobscots considered the entire river and bay their hunting ground and maintained other seasonal villages along its banks. In 1669,

10200-404: Was over the border between New England and Acadia, which New France defined as the Kennebec River in southern Maine. Penobscot River The Penobscot River ( Abenaki : Pαnawάhpskewtəkʷ ) is a 109-mile-long (175 km) river in the U.S. state of Maine . Including the river's West Branch and South Branch increases the Penobscot's length to 264 miles (425 km), making it

10302-473: Was ratified on July 13, 1713 by eight representatives of the Wabanaki Confederacy, however, which asserted British sovereignty over their territory. Over the next year, other Abenaki tribal leaders also signed the treaty, but no Miꞌkmaq ever signed it or any other treaty until 1726. Following the peace, New England settlements expanded east of the Kennebec River , and significant numbers of New Englanders began fishing in Nova Scotia waters. They established

10404-469: Was vacant, and the soldiers burned it to the ground. The Wabanaki Confederacy of Acadia orchestrated a total of 14 raids against towns along the border of New England throughout 1723, primarily in Maine. The raids started in April and lasted until December, during which 30 people were killed or taken captive. The Indian attacks were so fierce along the Maine frontier that Dummer ordered residents to evacuate to

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