One landmark that is synonymous with the Lewiston-Auburn area is the Great Falls. The Androscoggin River is dotted with waterfalls along its 170-mile journey to the sea. These falls run the gamut in size from simple ledge drops to the massive Rumford Falls. While not nearly as large as the cascading Rumford Falls, our Great Falls are still quite impressive.
Watching these falls from either side of the river is a study in contrasts. When the river is at its most docile, the falls stand as silent sentinels guarding the upper reaches of the Androscoggin. However, when the winter’s snows begin to melt and the spring’s rains begin to fall, the Great Falls are transformed. No longer are they silent; instead, they become part of a raging torrent of water. Each spring, millions of gallons of water roar over the falls oftentimes hiding the falls entirely.
More than just a geological feature, the falls have been a part of the history of this area. From the oral histories of the Native Americans to the written history of the settlers, the Great Falls have figured prominently.
Native American historians relate many oral histories of the Androscoggin including one story of a curse placed on the falls by a local chief. The story has many variations but they all include one common factor: the placing of torches on or near the river and their subsequent removal or movement.
In most of the versions, the torches were placed above the falls by the natives to warn others of the falls’ proximity. As the storytellers relate, the torches were moved by a local farmer working in his field and replaced incorrectly. This caused natives on the river to misjudge the closeness of the falls and resulted in the canoe going over the falls.
Another version related by native historians has the torches being placed by advance scouts for a neighboring tribe. These scouts were sent in advance of a raiding party to mark the location of the falls. The local natives, observing this, moved the torches causing the main raiding party to be swept over the falls. Whatever the actual events were, the area is rich in the history of both cultures.
The first settlers to the area were quick to harness the power of the falls. In fact, the falls became the focal point of the settlement of Lewiston Falls Village. The first settler to the area, Paul Hildreth, built his cabin near the falls in 1770. His first cabin burned to the ground, but he was undaunted returning the following spring to rebuild. He went on to operate a ferry about a half-mile below the falls.
As the area grew in population, the falls became an important source of power. Settler Michael Little built a building complex that held a sawmill and a gristmill. He would later build a woolen mill near the falls in 1839. The Little family would go on to found The Great Androscoggin Falls, Dam, Lock, and Canal Company. The company’s purpose was to develop the river for commercial use.
One unique idea was the construction of a canal that would reach from the falls to Freeport. In 1836, a man by the name of Solomon Dennison proposed that a boat canal be constructed from Great Falls to the tidewaters in Freeport. The plan was never carried out. The size and number of waterfalls along the way made the canal impossible to build. The falls were harnessed for another type of canal, however. A stone dam was constructed behind the falls to divert the flow of the Androscoggin into the canal system of Lewiston in the mid 1800’s. These canals powered the textile industry that flourished here in the Lewiston-Auburn area.
The mills may have fallen silent, the textile industry may have moved away, but the Great Falls remain as a link to our past. Today, we do not look upon the falls as a source of power; instead, they link us to the people who built these towns.
Source: Sun Journal files
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