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Ponds Take Town from Sawmills to
Camps
By Mark E. Honey
Special to The Ellsworth American
Otis was originally
part of Plan #8, a huge tract of land that became known as Dedham.
The land itself
was owned by various merchants and speculators from
Boston,
among whom can be found one Joseph Otis. He was a prominent merchant
and president of an insurance company.
Joseph Otis and his
wife, Fanny Russell, moved to Ellsworth in 1828, then on to Otis in
1836. He owned a sawmill and store there.
The town of Otis
was incorporated on March 19, 1835, encompassing a territory four
miles wide and seven miles long. Woodbury Stover, G.S. Drinkwater,
Charles E. Barrett and Joseph Otis were listed as the principal
landowners when the town was separated from Dedham.
The community would
include Flood’s, Rocky, Burnt and Beech Hill ponds and part of
Springy Pond. There were a number of excellent mill sites at these
places, sites which would contribute greatly to the economy of the
community.
The principal mill
sites were at Beech Hill Stream, Warren’s mills at Tannery Stream,
including a grist mill, Remick’s mills at the outlet to Floods Pond
and Hillier’s mill at Springy Pond. The families of Otis, Hopkins,
Wilbur, Remick, Hiller and Salisbury ran these mills.
The community began
its decline after 1880, primarily due to the scarcity of prime
timber and the changing economies of that era. Those who remained
farmed the land and cut pulp in the winter.
The most important
development occurred in the 1890s when sportsmen came to the
community to fish at Floods and Beech Hill Ponds, or else to hunt in
the fields and forests of the community. Many local families
provided lodging and meals, with the menfolk serving as guides.
By 1915, the first
camps had been built on Beech Hill Pond. The automobile made it
possible for families from
Bangor,
Brewer and Ellsworth to have ready access to this new recreation.
The local community turned this new activity into a profit, selling
camp lots, fresh meat and produce, as well as their skills as
carpenters and caretakers.
The growth of
family camps on Beech Hill Pond signaled a great change in the
economy, a change from farming and lumbering to recreation. Beech
Hill Pond, today, is the greatest factor in the economy of the
community.
The women of Otis
made significant contributions to the community in the 20th century.
Their efforts led to the building of the Otis Baptist Church and the
Otis Civic Center. |
