History of Biddeford, Maine, USA

Vines spent the winter of 1616-17 there, having been sent by Sir. Fernando Gorges. He and John Oldham returned in 1630, settling on the side of the river now occupied by Biddeford; in 1631 others arrived and settled on the east, or Saco, side.

Biddeford, Maine
York county. On the S. side of Saco river, and connected with the town of Saco by a bridge. The town extends down the river to the sea, and includes a point of land called "Fletcher's Neck," off which are several small islands; on one of which, Wood Island, is a revolving light. This is a good township for agricultural pursuits, and coasting trade, ship building, and the fishery. It lies 38 miles N.E. from York, 15 S.W. from Portland and 69 S.W. from Augusta. First permanently settled, 1630. Incorporated, 1718. Population, 1837, 2,278. See Saco.

Biddeford, a post-township of York county, Maine, on the S. side of Saco river, about 20 miles S. W. by S. from Portland. (For a description of the town of Biddeford, see Saco.) Population, 6095.

Saco, a thriving post-town and port of entry of York county, Maine, on the E. or left bank of the Saco river, about 6 miles from its mouth, and on the Eastern railroad, 13 miles S. W. from Portland. The industry of this place and of Biddeford, a flourishing village on the opposite side of the river, is chiefly directed to the lumber trade and to cotton manufactures, each of which employs a large amount of capital. A fall of about 42 feet in the Saco river, here furnishes excellent water-power, which is extensively used for sawing and driving machinery. There are now 10 large cotton mills in operation at these falls - 5 on the Saco and 5 on the Biddeford side - containing about 55,000 spindles and 2800 looms. The York Manufacturing Company, incorporated in 1831, have a capital of...

Mr. Joseph Sweetsir, of Biddeford, Me., claims to have discovered a method of squaring the circle, a problem which has baffled all mathematicians. Mr. Sweetsir will soon publish an explanation of the matter.

The Biddeford (Me.) woman who advertised for and married a man last July, to have some one to control her property, has succeeded beyond all reasonable expectations, as the fellow has run off with ten thousand dollars of it, and she finds has two wives beside herself.

Biddeford, in York County, includes the site of the earliest permanent settlement in Maine of which we have a conclusive record. In furtherance of Sir Ferdinando Gorges’ plans of settlement, Richard Vines, a physician, passed the winter of 1616—17 at a place at the mouth of the Saco which he called Winter Harbor. Vines performed several voyages for Gorges, and appears to have made this a place of usual resort. The first dwellings were built on the north side of the Pool. Old cellars covered with ancient shrubbery, and partly filled well-cavities until a recent time, told of its early occupancy. Apple trees decayed with age, and the English cherry, dispute the place with oak and sum ach. In describing the boundary of an estate here in 1642, “Church Point” is one of the landmarks referred to,—from which inference is made that it was then or had been the site of a church. Rev. Richard Gibson, resiaing on this coast, appeared in a suit-at-law in 1636. Between 1660 and 1666 a meeting-house ...

BIDDEFORD, Me., Nov. 24. - Thursday night burglars broke into the Boston & Maine railroad ticket office at Pine Point, blew open the safe and secured the week's wages of the station men and section hands. The agent admits that the loss is considerable, but declines to state the amount. The explosion shattered the windows and demolished the partitions.

"Bid'deford, a city of York co., Me, on the right bank of the Saco River, which separates it from the town of Saco, 6 miles from the Atlantic Ocean, 15 miles S.W. of Portland, and 93 miles N.N.E. of Boston. It is on the Portsmouth, Saco & Portland and Boston & Maine Rail roads, each of which connects it with Boston and Portland. Its prosperity is derived chiefly from trade, and manufactures of cotton goods and machinery. Lumber and cotton goods are the chief articles of export. It has 12 churches, 2 national banks, 3 daily and 3 weekly newspapers, and several large cotton-mills, machine-shops, and saw-mills. The river here falls 42 feet, and affords abundant water power. Pop. in 1890, 14,443."

"Biddeford Pool, a post-village and bathing place of York co., Me., on the coast, 6 miles S.E, of Biddeford."