Pittsfield Historical Society’s
History of Pittsfield

Views of the Sebasticook River

Click on pictures to enlarge.

Maine Central RR bridge by Hunnewell Ave. under construction. Undated photo.

Maine Central RR bridge viewed from Hunnewell Ave, in 1972 photo.

View from Hunnewell Ave. upstream towards Edwards Plant, in 1972 photo.

Same view from Hunnewell Ave. upstream towards Edwards Plant, in old photo.

Sebasticook from the Waverly bridge, looking downstream, 1972 photo.

Peltoma Avenue Bridge in Pittsfield, constructed in 1888. Peltoma Bridge was bid in for $7,800 by J. C. Connor, Agent, and A. P. McMaster, Contractor. The story of this bridge is an involved one. For 25 years, Attorney S. S. Hackett of Detroit had opposed it successfully, but he finally accepted defeat gracefully. After completion the costs were to be shared proportionally by the two towns but Detroit opposed its assessment most strenuously. The argument became very bitter and came to a head when an act of seizure was instigated by the town of Pittsfield in an effort to bring Detroit to terms. Certain pieces of property were taken from individuals in lieu of the assessment, including some cattle belonging to William Young, a well-to-do farmer of that village. The property was eventually returned, but only after threats and counterthreats had been hotly made. When it was over, feeling still ran high and the town of Detroit held a special town meeting at which it was voted to never trade in Pittsfield again. Time heals all things and the affair has long been forgotten and all parties forgiven. Undated photo.

The Mill Pond dam from an undated photograph (L) taken from below the dam on the Pioneer Mill side. Another above the dam view from a postcard postmarked 1926, with the Riverside Mill in the background (R) taken from the bridge.

Sebasticook “Power Dam”, colorized postcard. Smaller view (left) and larger view (right)

“Sebasticook Power Co.’s new Electric Power Plant” at the dam site.