Cushing    

On Line Genealogy Page

Cushing, Maine

A Fishing and Farming Community

Well Off the Beaten Path

History

In 1789, a group of small settlements on the west bank of the St. Georges River was incorporated and named after Lt. Gov. Thomas Cushing of Massachusetts. It was not until 1816 that Maine seceded from Massachusetts and 1820 that it was admitted to the Union. Prior to 1789, the area on both sides of the river had been known as the Lower Plantation of St. Georges. The present villages of St. George separated from Cushing in 1803, Cushing retaining the West side of the St. George River .

A 1605 inscription on a rock suggests the date of the first European exploration of the area and was probably left by a crew member of the Captain George Weymouth expedition. 1998 and 1999 excavations have confirmed settlement by an English trader about 1634. He was soon driven out by the French, however, who retained control until 1654. Little is known about settlement until the mid 1700's, when scattered traders, fishermen and farmers began to acccept offers of land. Problems with the Indians and the French made life difficult and slowed developed from what it otherwise might have been. There are said to have been only about 30 settlers in 1743, but by 1820 there were 600 occupying 75 residences.

Today, the Town remains almost entirely residential, with a population of about 1300, one K through four school, one fire station and one store. Twenty-three burial sites have been identified and 1163 burials indexed from 1750 to 1996 by the Cushing Historical Society.

Features

The town lies on a north-south peninsular between Friendship and St. George. It is entered via Wadsworth Street, south off Route One in Thomaston. It is on the west bank of the St. George River and includes Gay's Island and Crotch Island. It contains anchorages in Pleasant Point Harbor, often referred to as "The Gut," and in Maple Juice Cove.

Other features are Broad and Hyler Coves, and McCarthy, Bradford, Bailey and Montgomery Points.

Sources

  • For photocopies of local Births, Marriages and Deaths send $1. and a SASE to the Town Clerk's Office, 505 Pleasant Point Rd., Cushing, Maine 04841

  • Or, for births, marriages, and deaths 1892 to 1922: Maine State Archive, 84 State House Station, Augusta, ME 04333_0084. , 207-287-5795, Hrs Mon-Fri 8-11:30 12:30-4

  • For a specific record of birth, marriage, or death, call 207-287-5795, write, or e-mail the Archives. Send $7 for a single non-certified copy; $15 for a certified copy.

  • Copies of records of birth, marriage, and death from the year 1923 to the present can also be obtained from the Office of Vital Statistics, State House Station #11, Augusta, ME 04333-0011. Their fee is $15.00 for a certified copy or $7.00 for an uncertified copy.

  • For information on Probate Records send $1. and a SASE to the Probate Court. Request a photocopy of the 'Petition for Distribution or Administration' or 'Account of Administration' , (whichever is available), for the deceased individual. (Addresses below)

    • For 1636-1760 write York County Probate Court, Box 339, Alfred, ME 04002-0399    Fax 207-594-0446   Phone 207-324-1574   Hours 8:30-4:30 Eastern

    • For 1761-1860 write Lincoln County Probate Court, Box 249, Wiscasset, ME 04578    Fax 207-882-4061   Phone 207-882-7431 or 207-882-7515   Hours 8-4 Eastern

    • For 1860-present write Knox County Probate Court, 62 Union St., Rockland, ME 04841    Fax 207-594-0446   Phone 207-594-0422   Hours 8-4 Eastern

  • For information on Deeds of Land send $1. and a SASE to the Registrar of Deeds. Request a photocopy of the record for that individual.

    • For 1636-1760 write York County Registrar of Deeds, Box 339, Alfred, ME 04002-0399    Fax 207-324-2886   Phone 207-324-1574   Hours 8:30-4:30 Eastern

    • For 1761-1860 write Lincoln County Registrar of Deeds, 32 High St., Box 249, Wiscasset, ME 04578    Fax 207-882-4061   Phone 207-882-7431 or 207-882-7515   Hours 8-4 Eastern

    • For 1860-present write Knox County Registrar of Deeds, 62 Union St., Rockland, ME 04841    Fax 207-594-0446   Phone 207-594-0422   Hours 8-4 Eastern

    • Cushing Historical SocietyBox 110, Cushing ME 04563

      • President Douglas Stenberg

      Membership Chair Beverly Dal Pozzal

      Archivist Chester Knowles

    • The Estelle Saastamoinen Memorial LibraryTownhouse Rd., Box 231, Cushing

      • Telephone: 207-372-8961

      Hours are Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.

    • Cushing Community LibraryThe Library is a volunteer activity, established in its current form in 1998. It serves adults and children from an expansive new location in the Community Center.

      • Telephone: 354-8860 or 354-0992

      Hours are Monday 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM, Wednesday 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM, and 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM and Saturday 10:00 AM to 12:00

    • Thanks to Chester Knowles and the Cushing Historical Society, the Cushing Cemetary and Burial Grounds Surname Index is now on line in the USGenWeb Archives

    • The Camden Area History Center has been renamed the Edward J. Walsh History Center, Heather Bilodeau, Director, and has been relocated to new quarters at the Camden Public Library. It is located on the 2nd Floor, 55 Main Street, Camden, ME 04843 and is open Monday-Saturday 9:30-4:00 and Tuesday evenings until 8:00. The phone is 207-236-3440.

      Go to www.librarycamden.org/history-center/about, then click on “search our collection” on the lefthand side. This will take you to the interactive searchable database. Type in any search word (for example “Babb”) and it will pop up all items associated with that term.

   Volunteers With Books   

To request a lookup from any of the references, click on the address of the owner and ask them politely. Please make your requests as specific as possible.

Reference

Author

Owner/Email

Cushing, formerly Lower St. George: 'Records of Lower St. George, 1605-1897' transcribed by Ruth J. Aiken, 1987

Richard Watts

'Settlers & Soldiers of Cushing, Maine Before 1760 & Their Descendants', surname index .

Chester Knowles Marlene Groves

'Saltwater Farm' Luthera Burton Dawson, 1993

George Hoyt
Joseph Carr

'Rockland Courier Gazette',1897 to present plus an earlier paper from 1861 Microfilm. Births, Marriages and Deaths

Rockland Public Library, 86 Union St. Rockland ME 04841
SASE + $1.

'Vital Records Published in Rockland, Maine, Prior to 1892', The Rockland Courier Gazette's Births, Marriages and Deaths 1846 to 1892 Charles Candage

Malcolm Jackson

'Thomaston Recorder, of Thomaston, Me. The newspaper's marriages and deaths from 1837-1846, indexed Steven Sullivan

Malcolm Jackson

'Maine Families in 1790'Vol. 1-6, one generation back and one forward ed. by Gray and Anderson

Mary J. Coombs

'Maine and NH Families' Walter Goodwin Davis

Mary J. Coombs