Scarborough, Maine
Cumberland county. This town lies 105 miles N.E. from Boston and 60 S.W. from Augusta. It contains 30,634 acres of land, and a population of 2,244.
A part of this town, called Black point, lying upon the sea, was granted by the council of Plymouth to Thomas Cammock in 1631; this was soon after settled, and became of considerable importance on the coast in the fisheries and trade. The land is held under that ancient grant at the present day. Another settlement was early made by a family of Algers, from England, near the centre of the town, and called Dunstan corner, which name it still bears. This was wholly destroyed in the Indian war of 1675. It was, however, revived by a descendant in the female line, through whom that race is still perpetuated.
Scarborough is principally an agricultural town, for which purpose it furnishes some rich soil, and has a large quantity of salt marsh.—Ship building, however, continues to be pursued here, although not to the extent it formerly was. Nousuck river passes through the whole length of the town. Its present name was given to it in 1658, when it submitted to the government of Massachusetts; previously the eastern side of the river and Marsh was called Black point, and the western, Blue point, names which are still in familiar use.
This town has the honor of being the birth place of the distinguished statesman Rufus King, and his half brother, William King, the first governor of Maine.
