Editing Hollis, Maine (section)

==History==

The town of Hollis was originally called Little Falls Plantation, which also encompassed all of the town of [[Dayton, Maine|Dayton]] and a small part of [[Limington, Maine|Limington]], namely the area south of the Little Ossipee River. It was bought in 1664 by Major William Phillips from Hobinowell and Mogg Hegon, [[Sagamore (title)|sagamore]]s of the local [[Abenaki]] people. In 1728, the [[Massachusetts General Court]] ordered that a combination [[trading post]] and [[stockade]]d [[blockhouse]] be constructed on the [[Saco River]] to conduct trade with the Native Americans. It was made crudely of logs and equipped with a [[cannon]]. Ten men and a [[sergeant]] garrisoned it.<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/n193 159]–160| url = https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_OcoMAAAAYAAJ| quote = coolidge mansfield history description new england 1859.  }}</ref>

John and Andrew Gordon tried to settle the land in 1754, but were driven away by the Native Americans. On March 27, 1781, the first recorded plantation meeting took place and Joseph Chadbourne was elected moderator. By 1790 the population had grown to 607. The first vote for state office came in 1791, when Little Falls gave [[John Hancock]] 27 votes. In 1798, Little Falls was incorporated into Phillipsburg, named in honor of Major Phillips. The first town meeting took place on September 27, 1798, at the home of Stephen Hopkinson. The moderator was Joseph Chadbourne. In 1810 a committee was put together to rename the town, headed by Colonel Isaac Lane and Captain Eben Cleaves. It was finally decided upon the name Hollis. The reasoning behind the name is not known; it is thought to have been inspired by [[Hollis, New Hampshire|Hollis]], [[New Hampshire]], or possibly by the [[Duke of Newcastle]], whose family name was Holles.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.hollismaine.org/About.html |title=Brief History about Hollis, Maine |access-date=February 4, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110726153140/http://www.hollismaine.org/About.html |archive-date=July 26, 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Farmers grew [[Maize|corn]], [[potato]]es and [[hay]] in the sandy [[loam]]. [[Water power]]ed [[watermill|mills]] were built along the [[Saco River]] at Hollis village, Bar Mills, Moderation Falls (opposite [[Buxton, Maine|West Buxton]]), North Hollis and Bonny Eagle Falls. These included [[lumber]] mills, a [[bobbin|spool]] factory, a [[woodturning]] mill, a wooden box factory and the Saco River Woolen Company. The Portland and Rochester Railroad crossed the southern part of the town.<ref>{{Citation
  | last = Varney
  | first = George J.
  | title = Gazetteer of the state of Maine. Hollis
  | place = Boston
  | publisher = Russell
  | year = 1886
  | url = http://history.rays-place.com/me/hollis-me.htm }}
</ref>

Hollis was the closest community to the epicenter of a 4.0 magnitude earthquake felt by many across New England on October 16, 2012.