Kennebec and Androscoggin Rivers
Petition of inhabitants of Phippsburg -- 1821
"To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the State
of Maine in Legislature assembled
The subscribers inhabitants of the Town of Phippsburg respectfully ask leave
to represent that the Inhabitants of said Town are deeply interested in
the Fisheries. First, that a large number depend almost entirely upon the
River Fishery. Second, that a still larger proportion of our Inhabitants
as well as those of the neighboring towns, and even Fishermen from various
other parts of the State are wholly dependent at certain seasons of the
year, on the wears erected at and near the Mouth of the Kennebec, for bait
fish, in order to pursue the Codfishery; that the owners of these wears
are at great expence in erecting these, whereby a large number of poor persons
are employed, which is a great means of support in the Spring of the year.
Your Petitioners further represent that to be deprived of the privilege
and means of taking fish called Salmon, Shads and Alewives, a privilege
which we and our forefathers have enjoyed of a time immemorial, would not
only be depriving your Petitioners of the principal means of support, but
would subject many others of our Inhabitants to great distress, and thereby
become chargeable to the Public. That to be deprived of the means of obtaining
Baitfish, for carrying on the Codfishery would be subjecting a large number
of the Inhabitants of our State on the Seaboard to the greatest inconvenience.
Your Petitioners further represent that in their humble opinion the wears
and other obstructions at the Mouth of the Kennebec are not the cause of
the Dimunition of fish on said River, the said wears do not in any degree
obstruct the fish passing up and down the Channels of the River; that from
the outer part of the wears to the shore on the opposite side of the River,
the space is no part less than half a mile distance, that the wears are
without exception erected on the Flats which we hold by the same right as
the lands adjoining, that with two exceptions only, the wears are up the
Bays and Coves and quite aside from the main passage of the fish in the
River.
Your Petitioners are of the opinion that the Dimunition of Fish on the Kennebec
is caused by the erection of Mill Dams and by other Obstructions on and
across the Streams and Brooks, when the fish usually go up to cast the spawn,
that many schools of fish, particularly of the Salmon and Alewives which
formerly frequented those Streams and Brooks are known to have been entirely
cut off by the erection of the Mill Dams and other obstructions which prevented
them from going up to cast their spawn. That the Salmon in great numbers
formerly passed up the Androscoggin, but since the erection of Mill Dams
across said River, a School of Salmon called "The Brunswick School"
have been entirely destroyed or left the River, and to prove this and many
other important circumstances, the testimony of many aged and respectable
Citizens can be produced.
Your Petitioners further represent that the Lumber towards the mouth of
the Kennebec is almost entirely exhausted, that the state of the Soil principally
by the Sea Coast is such as to render it impossible to obtain support by
Agriculture. Thus your Honours will be convinced that the privilege and
means of taking fish at and near the mouth of the Kennebec is of the first
and greatest importance to the subsistence of a great number of Citizens.
Your Petitioners therefore pray your Honors that they may be continued unmolested
in the enjoyment of their rights and privileges they now possess and in
duty bound every pray.
Phippsburg, Jany. 24, 1821"
Andrew Reed, John Parker, Francis Wyman, Joseph Morse and 38 others.
Source: Maine State Archives.
[Note: A identically worded petition was also signed by numerous citizens
of Georgetown, Maine, representing weir fishermen on the eastern side of
the lower Kennebec River.]
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