History of West Bath, Maine, USA

The area now known as West Bath, Maine, has a history rooted in its location along the New Meadows River and Kennebec River estuary, evolving from an important Native American portage to a colonial-era center for mills and farming, eventually incorporating as a town in 1844.

The area was initially part of the large colonial land grant that was incorporated as Georgetown in 1716.

The first settler, Joseph Berry, established a series of saw and gristmills as early as 1739 in the Mill Cove district, utilizing tidal power. This made the area an early economic hub.

It later became part of the town of Bath when Bath was set off from Georgetown and incorporated in 1781.

West Bath officially separated from Bath and incorporated as its own town on February 14, 1844. Local lore suggests the split occurred because West Bath's farmers were reluctant to pay taxes for sidewalks being built in the more urbanizing Bath center.