Editing Baldwin, Maine (section)

==History==

First called Flintstown Plantation, it was granted in 1774 by the [[Massachusetts General Court]] to survivors of the [[Concord, Massachusetts|Concord]], [[Massachusetts]], company commanded by Captain John Flint. It replaced a grant of about 1735 which gave them Township No. 3, because when state borders were adjusted in 1741, the town turned out to be in [[New Hampshire]]—present-day [[Walpole, New Hampshire|Walpole]]. On June 23, 1802, Flintstown was incorporated as Baldwin, named for Colonel [[Loammi Baldwin]], for whom the [[Baldwin (apple)|Baldwin apple]] was named. [[Sebago, Maine|Sebago]] was set off and incorporated in 1826.<ref name=Coolidge>{{Cite book  | last = Coolidge  | first = Austin J.|author2=John B. Mansfield  | title = A History and Description of New England| publisher = A.J. Coolidge  | year = 1859| location = Boston, Massachusetts| pages = [https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_OcoMAAAAYAAJ/page/n72 43]–44| url = https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_OcoMAAAAYAAJ}}</ref>

The surface of the town is broken, but with soil favorable to [[grain]] and [[hay]]. Baldwin would be noted for its [[orchard]]s, and a factory was established in East Baldwin for drying [[apple]]s. There was also a [[Maize|corn]] factory. Brooks provided [[water power]] for various [[watermill|mills]] which produced board [[lumber]], [[barrel|barrel staves]] and shooks. During times of [[drought]], the Saco Water Power Company could regulate water at Great Falls to run mills down the [[Saco River]] in [[Saco, Maine|Saco]] and in [[Biddeford, Maine|Biddeford]]. The [[Portland and Ogdensburg Railroad]] followed the Saco River valley for the length of Baldwin.<ref>[https://archive.today/20120713224552/http://history.rays-place.com/me/baldwin-me.htm George J. Varney, ''History of Baldwin, Maine'' (1886)]</ref>