Susan Collins: “on Saturday, September 7, I was pleased to join the people of New Gloucester, ME, in celebration of the town's 250th…”

“on Saturday, September 7, I was pleased to join the people of New Gloucester, ME, in celebration of the town's 250th anniversary. It is an honor to recognize this milestone for a town with such a storied and compelling history. Nestled in the northern part of Cumberland County, New Gloucester was first settled in 1739 under a Massachusetts Bay Colony grant by 60 inhabitants from Gloucester, MA. These early settlers built a small establishment above North Yarmouth where they enjoyed bountiful fishing from the Westcustogo River, today known as the Royal River, which originates at Sabbathday Lake in New Gloucester. Named in honor of their hometown, the early settlers hoped New Gloucester would be to them what Gloucester had been to their parents: a place of opportunity and prosperity. Conditions on the early northeastern frontier were not always easy, and the settlement had to be abandoned for nearly a decade amid the tumult of the French and Indian War. Ultimately, however, the resilience and determination of those who would make New Gloucester their home won out. Settlers returned in 1754 and erected a blockhouse within a large palisade which protected and housed 12 families until it became safe to build individual homes, with the town rapidly growing into the friendly, tight-knit community locals know today.…”