Took advantage of some great late April weather and visited western Maine this past week (above photo Rumford, ME). My goal was to explore more sections of the Androscoggin River. While I'd previously paddled bits of its headwaters at Lake Umbagog and its opposite end where it empties into Merrymeeting Bay I was curious to see more of what lies between those points. In researching the Androscoggin I came across mention of a late 1700s legal dispute involving land along the river. In hopes of settling the boundaries of a tract known as the Pejepscot Purchase a native American Wabanaki elder, Perepole, was asked to provide a deposition. On the Maine Historical Society's website, Maine Memory Network, I found a copy of his deposition recorded July 19, 1793. It reads:
"I Perepole of lawful age testify and say that the Indian Name of the River was Pejepscook from Quabecook what is now called Merrymeeting Bay up as far as amitgonpontook what the English calls Harrisses falls and all the River from Harrisses falls up was called ammoscongon and the largest falls on the river was above Rockamecook about twelve miles, and them falls have got three pitches, and there is no other falls on the River like them and the Indians yused to catch the most Salmon at the foot of them falls, and the - Indians yused to say when they went down the River from Rockamecook and when they got down over the falls by Harrisses they say now come Pejepscook." (It's worth viewing the actual document on the Maine Memory Network to see Perepole's mark, one of the coolest I've seen.) Perepole's description left me wanting to paddle to several places he mentioned, specifically Rockamecook and "them falls" both of which are in the section of the Androscoggin River he called "Ammoscongon".
This past Sunday morning I drove up to Amitgonpontook (present-day Auburn, ME), found lodging, and visited Auburn's Riverwalk. The riverside pathway brought me past the once Great Falls which today look high and dry...
Along the Riverwalk are numerous historical markers telling the story of the Androscoggin. One such marker A15 included this map showing Perepole's place names...
...and related text including mention of Rockamecook...
Marker A10 had info regarding the Wabanaki people...
...and this map showing Abenaki Land Use in Auburn...
About 12 miles upriver from Auburn I launched into the Androscoggin River at Center Bridge in Turner, ME and paddled upriver...
...to the Nezinscot River and then up to the former site of Keens Mills.
An eagle in nest was seen along the way...
Map showing the area paddled...
On another day I drove further upriver to Canton, ME and launched from an Inland Fish and Game site on Dorey Rd. off of Rt 140...
Not a soul (or a black fly) was around.
A kiosk at the launch attested to Rockamecook's historical significance...
Soon I was paddling upriver under a bright blue sky...
After reaching the supposed location of the Rockamecook site, cornfields, and Jesuit chapel I climbed to the top of the riverbank to see the expanse of fertile ground...
At the plowed fields' edge these two wildflowers popped up between old corn husks...
This location reminded me of another Wabanaki village, Skitchewaug, on the Connecticut River in Vermont as well as Nanrantsouak on the Kennebec River...
Once back on the river I headed downriver...
...to the large Stevens Island where I saw these recently sprouted fiddleheads...
A map showing the area...
My final and furthest drive from Auburn brought me to Rumford Falls which Perepole described as "...them falls have got three pitches, and there is no other falls on the River like them and the Indians yused to catch the most Salmon at the foot of them falls...". The upper pitch as seen from J. Eugene Boivin Park...
An artist's representation of Wabanaki people catching and drying fish below the falls...
This view from the bridge above the upper falls shows the river dropping some 176 feet in the next mile...
I launched upriver from the falls at the Rumford launch off Rt. 2 and headed downriver...
A loon was drifting down the river, also occasionally diving...
A marked piece of timber seen stuck on an old logging crib perhaps serves as a reminder of the old log drives...
Paddled between Zircon Brook and Logan Brook which brought me within a quarter-mile of the falls...
A map of the area...
Temperatures were in the mid-70s F. and a post-paddle shake from the nearby McDonalds hit the spot.
Back at J. Eugene Boivin Park I paid a visit to the legendary Paul Bunyan and his Blue Ox, Babe...
...and read his story...
Info on the Androscoggin River also displayed...
The park also has this Memorial to Edmund Muskie...
...a native son of Rumford. According to the memorial Muskie, while serving as a United States Senator, authored the Clean Water Act in 1972. One of the markers on the Auburn Riverwalk had this photograph of Mr. Muskie...
Remember when we had politicians such as Edmund Muskie who actually possessed integrity?
Brookfield Renewables operates numerous hydro-electric, wind turbines, and solar farms in the State of Maine...
After leaving the park I visited a spot behind the public library where one of the lower falls could be seen and heard...
Trash from the Center Bridge section...
Trash from the Canton Point section...
Trash from the Rumford section...
During the four days I spent in Western Maine I encountered only one "nip" bottle...
...which I attribute to Maine's Bottle Bill which assigns "nip" bottles a redemption value of 5 cents. Clearly, it seems to be working. Massachusetts, are you listening?
