Palmyra is your typical small town, nothings ever going on type of thing. So it would seem like there wouldn't be any history to go along with this small town aspect. Although lots of people think that small towns have nothing to offer, there very much wrong. Palmyra is a small town but it does have alot of things that people would like to know about. It's the unknown history that everyone wants to read about.
Alot of towns and states started out just like Palmyra and even the state of Maine. Palmyra dates way back to its undocumented history, which goes back over millions of years. Its said that the first people living in Maine were Indians from the Algonquin Nation. Although there is no documented live when they were living here, all that is left is the stories that people left behind of the early days of this state. The earliest thing that was documented was over 150 years ago. This was when around the 1600's France and England fought over control of the area of Maine. After the fight for the land ended, England gained control of Maine over France by 1763 and they also got part of Massachcsetts. This was the first time that any territory was claimed around this area. Around 1790 the unsettled territory of Palmyra was part of Lincoln County, it was on of the two counties in Maine at this point in time. Both of the two counties were bought from Massachcsetts and called a township. After things started to get settled around this area, lots of people started making the move to a not very populated area. There were alot of people that came to this area around 1807. That same year a meeting was held concering a petition that was being sent out to get "the rights and privileges of an incorporated town". This Petition was passed. In 1820 Maine gained statehood. The town of Palmyras population grew to 336. Alot of new stores sprung up, and even some churchs. During the Later 1800's the town of palmyra really started to shape up. Things like people voting to build a eight corner pound for keeping of stray animals, also one of the oldest things in the town was bulid in 1870. Over 130 years ago the Palmyra town office on Main street was built. It still remains in the same shape and same spot as it was build over 130 years ago.
As the town began to grow and things started to get going. Lots of things changed within the town, new things started go come into the town and also more people too. Palmyra the town that would now be called Somerset Count, now had a pretty big school up and running. As the school grew the region started to get bigger. Palmyra was also the center of trade and business activity for the region at this time. Backsmith shops, mills were two of the big things going in Palmyra in the 1800's. Shingle Mill was the biggest mill around at the time. And most of the people that attended church would have to of gone to the Church and Grange hall in Palmyra. This church is still standing today, being the only church that is still in Palmyra to date. Another thing that shows how outdated the town is, would have to be the roads and also the houses that were built back in the day that still stand right at this very moment. There use to be only two main roads in the hole town. One being the Country Road (now known as Rote 151), Second Stage road. Both of which were very important to the town and also both of them still are in use today. The other thing that out dates Palmyra are the houses still standing around, some which were built by the earlist settlers around the 1800's when people were really seltting around this area. During the 1840's the largest estates was owned by Royal Clark, Michael Hanson, Daniel Hanson, Stephen Hilton and Reuben Homestead. The reason that this was documented was because alot of people liked to have a big house around this time, if they didn't have alot of other things to show off why not there big house. Another fact that isn't well known is that Jeremiah Robinson built the first farm house, also still standing today. There was a house always called the "new house", still standing today is known as the Furbusg place to people now. It was built in 1802. This house took a very long tim to build because of its massive size. The original house was bigger than it appears now. The price of the house back in the days when it was built was around $1700. This constisted of two barns, one other good building, six tilled acres, raised indian corn, cheat, oats, beans, and potatos.
Coming from the Furbush house there is alot of history from the road that this massive sized house sits on. Dr. Warren was the man that owned and bought Palmyra. Born July 27, 1753 and also graduating from one of the best schools Harvard in 1771 he was settled in boston. He was a surgeon till around 1777, he found the first medical school in New England at Cambridge around 1781. Dr. John Warren from Boston bought Maine from the common weath on June 12, 1800 with the cost being 7,666.89 for 28,200 aces more or less. After buying all of this land Warrens family stayed around the Palmyra area. He made the rule that anyone who came before him could keep 100 acres of land by paying 5 dollars. The first settlers arrived at the invitaion of Dr. Warren. They had to purchase land from him or not have any at all. Although of the steep prices he put on the land for newcomers to buy land, there was still 20 families sellted in the 1800's within one year. And 20 more within 5 years after that he was very successful with people settled around 6,600. Although no one really could figure out what the name Palmyra really ment, some say that the name came from Dr. Warrens wife. She gave the name to the town in the memory of her daughter Myra out of love. This was her daughter that died at birth. Alot of things happened during the time of Warrens life to the town of Palmyra like on June 20, 1807 Massachcsettsgovernor James Jullivan signed the act, and approved the anem of Palmyra to this Area. And After the Revolutionary War Massachusetts was in debt, they sold more land to Dr. Warren trying to get some of there debt payed back. Although Dr. Warren owned this area, had his own very big house here he never lived here and visted the area alot. It was like a vacation house to his family. Warren died April 3, 1815. He left his land on Warren Hill Road in Palmyra to his brother Joseph Warren although he died not much later.
After thinking that Palmyra was a small town that had nothing to offer, i've rethought about the things i thought after researching this topic. Palmyra may be a pretty small town but this town has more to offer than you would think. Alot of the things that are intresting about the town are behind the senses. Most of the history dates back really far from this town. There were many great things that happend back in the day. This was a hot spot back when Dr. Warren was around, he made this town what it is today. So all the people think that little towns have nothing, no history and also nothing to offer thing again because ones you get into all of the things that happened you'll be knee deep into all of it!
Work sited Page-
1.) "History in Palmyra." Maine's Friendly Town. 4 Jan. 2008
2.) "Epodunk." Maine. 8 Jan. 2008
3.) Book-- Palmyra. Ann Hardwick, 1998. 1-80.
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