Census of Ripley, 

Maine c. 1910

From: "The East Somerset County Register" 

 Compiled and Published by Chatto & Turner, Auburn, Maine 

Map of Township 5 Range 5   - T5 R5                  North of the Waldo Patent

This early map of the township that would become Ripley was created in 1780.

This copy is an update done in 1816 by Daniel Steward* who had been asked by the owners of the township to visit the settlers and create the mandatory "public lots".

*Daniel Steward Esq. Was a prominent early settler of Bloomfield, District of Maine, Commonwealth of Massachusetts.  He settled in Central Maine in 1775.

He was born in Lunenburg, Massachusetts, in 1758, and settled in Milburn in 1784.  Bloomfield and Milburn were early names for parts of the city of Skowhegan.  He was a veteran of the Revolutionary War.  He did surveying work for the early proprietors of the townships above the Waldo Patent. He served as treasurer of the town.   He died on September 15, 1840.

Here are close-ups of the writing and seal on the bottom of the map.

Transcript:  “This plan represents Township No. 5 in the fifth range and was copeyed (sic) from a plan furnished me by Charles Vaughn Esq. to which some necessary additions

are made by me in order to finish the several locations.  By a scale of two inches to one mile.  At the request of Gardiner L. Chandler & John Merrick Esq^re.  I have proceeded to make the following locations.  viz. Those lots on this plan painted light Red and containing in the whole 1280 acres are estimated to average in quality and situation with the rest of the lands of said Township when they were in a state of nature.  Viz Lots No 1, 2 & 18 in the first range.  No. 2, in the sixth range.

No. 8 Including two squares in the seventh range.  No 13-14-32 & 43 on the Southerly side of the Township.  These were selected for public uses for which they were reserved by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. “

                                                                         Norridgewock   Sept 3, 1816     

                                                                         Daniel Steward

Transcript:  “I herby certify that in making the location of Public lots in No 5 in the 5^th  Range of Townships.  I had not the opportunity of consulting the inhabitants in a body but the principal inhabitants in the South East part of the Township being assembled at the house of William Hoyt the Public lots in the centre and Easterly part of the Township were selected & agreed to by them.  also the Inhabitants of the North West part of the township being assembled at the house of Mr. Moses Leighton a part of the remainder of the public lots were selected and agreed to by them.”

                                                                        Norridgewock   Sept 3, 1816     

                                                                        Daniel Steward

Here is a closer look at the map with the original 

layout of lots.....

 If you use Rogers Pond to orient yourself, it is easier to picture the township.  Mainstream, the dividing line between the southern and northern parts is absent.....

1901 Ripley, Maine -- Town Report--

-- Town Report -- 1901 -- Ripley, Maine --

Thank you to Danny and Tammy Braiser for sharing these town reports. 

1897 Town Report -- Ripley, Maine--

Town Report -- Ripley, Maine -- 1897