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Description and Holding Information
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Indian Agents. Reports, <1860>-
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**1860 Report of the Indian agents of the State of Maine, 1860. The Penobscot agent, James Purinton, reported on December 15, 1860. He went
through the financials--he was in the red by $675--and thought the State was derelict in its appropriations according to the treaty. The population was
525. The schools were doing well. About 100 people farmed, but the bulk of the population left for the woods in the summer. He tried to encourage
staying out, but it was not part of their culture. He thought the bounties worked well to encourage improvements. The public farm had a new manager and
was improving. There were about 150 adult males, who farmed, hunted in the winter, floated lumber in the spring, and made canoes. The women made
baskets. There had been a lot of non-fatal illness. The Indians generally treated each other well, but they sometimes got mad at the agent. He had
some hope for their future, but they could also just slowly disappear. George W. Nutt, the Passamaquoddy agent, reported their population at 553. While
there was some interest in farming, mostly they wandered. The schools were doing well, but he needed money to build a real schoolhouse. It would be
better to have a native teacher. About 90 people farm and are learning about fertilizer. There was a smallpox outbreak in which two people died;
the local white families stepped in to help. He needed more money to help the aged and very poor.
**1861 Same title. Mr. Purinton reported on
December 14, 1861. He had had heavy expenses during the year, especially for the poor and sick, funerals (20 died), and failing buildings, not helped by
a severe winter. He was nearly $1800 in the red. There was more interest in agriculture, so he needed to buy more seed. The population was 506.
There were now more than one hundred literates in the group. The weather was not good for farming that year. He had been able to jail a liquor dealer.
He mused about their inadequate language. He asked for a $7847 appropriation. George Nutt of the Passamaquoddy, was $434 in the red. The
population was 463. He wanted better teachers in his schools. There were 121 farmers, up by 31. The men hunted in the winter and porpoise hunted in the
summer. The women made baskets. All the people had houses--the tents were gone.
They were much better about alcohol. He needed $250 to finish the
schoolhouse.
**1862 Forty-second Legislature. Senate. No. 2 Mr. Nutt reported on the Passamaquoddy. He was in the black by $47.
The population
was 480. He taught school that year. There were now 124 farmers, who were mostly good farmers. He asked to buy the group at Pleasant Point a wood lot
to keep the stoves going in winter. Mr. Purinton reported for the Penobscot. His money balanced. The population was 513 and the schools were doing
well. The public farm did well except for the bounty crops. He did not ask for a specific appropriation.
**1863 not present.
**1864 Reports of
the Indian Agents and Superintendent of Farming of the Penobscot Tribe of Indians, 1864. George Dillingham, the new agent, reported on nine months of
1864.
He was $2492 in the red. The census was 500. The schools were doing well, except one schoolhouse was falling down. There was no
appropriation to pay the farm superintendent. Cattle from elsewhere were damaging crops, because there was no fencing and the white owners didn't care. The men
farmed, were river drivers, fished and hunted. The women made baskets. The group generally tried to keep their members under control to avoid
violence. It might be good to have the Indians lease some of their land that they don't use so they could make a little money. A few men went into the
Army. The Superintendent, Mr. Blanchard, said he had over 100 farms to plow and harrow, for which the appropriation was inadequate. He helped them get
a better price for their hay and tried to help them choose better land to farm. The cattle from elsewhere were so destructive, it discouraged many
from trying again when crops were ruined. He encouraged fruit trees and listed the crop yields--potatoes did best. (Digitized from a microfilm copy
of title originally held by the Library of Congress).
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Title:
Reports of the Indian Agents of the State of Maine.
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OCLC Number:
1428269548
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Available Volumes
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