![]() Small became the largest property owner in the history of Maine, and was known as "the great landowner". The site supported the lucrative fur trade with Indians, but had the risks of living isolated in the wilderness. Here major Indian trails converged-the Sokokis Trail (now Route 5), the Ossipee Trail (now Route 25), and the Pequawket Trail (now Route 113). In 1652, after the death of Gorges, Maine became part of the Massachusetts Bay Colony.įrancis Small was a pioneer resident of Kittery, and operated a trading post near the confluence of the Ossipee River and Saco River. Located opposite Portsmouth, New Hampshire, the town developed into a center for trade and shipbuilding. Kittery originally extended from the Atlantic Ocean inland up the Salmon Falls River, including the present-day towns of Eliot, South Berwick, Berwick, and North Berwick. Their story is included in The Maine Spencers: a history and genealogy, with mention of many associated families.' Thomas Spencer, Esquire, immigrant from Gloucestershire, England, is also a notable settler of Kittery with his wife Patience Chadbourne. The settlement at the mouth of the Piscataqua River was protected by Fort McClary. Other pioneers were hunters, trappers, and workers of the region's abundant timber. Together with the Pepperrell family, they established fisheries offshore at the Isles of Shoals, where fish were caught, salted, and exported to Europe. Shapleigh arrived in 1635 aboard the ship Benediction, which he co-owned with another prominent settler, Captain Francis Champernowne, a cousin of Sir Ferdinando Gorges, lord proprietor of Maine. Kittery was incorporated in 1647, staking a claim as the "oldest incorporated town in Maine." It was named after the birthplace of a founder, Alexander Shapleigh, from his manor of Kittery Court at Kingswear in Devon, England. By 1632 the community was protected by Fort William and Mary on today's New Hampshire side of the river in 1689 defensive works that later became Fort McClary in Kittery Point were added on today's Maine side to the north. History Įnglish settlement around the natural harbor of the Piscataqua River estuary began about 1623. The town's population was 10,070 at the 2020 census. Kittery is part of the Portland– South Portland– Biddeford, Maine metropolitan statistical area. The southernmost town in the state, it is a tourist destination known for its many outlet stores. Home to the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard on Seavey's Island, Kittery includes Badger's Island, the seaside district of Kittery Point, and part of the Isles of Shoals. Kittery is a town in York County, Maine, United States, and the oldest incorporated town in Maine.
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