Editing Raymond, Maine (section)

==History==

Raymondtown Plantation was granted in 1767 by the [[Massachusetts General Court]] to the descendants of Captain William Raymond of [[Beverly, Massachusetts|Beverly]], [[Massachusetts]], and his [[militia]]. It was the second attempt to repay the troop (or heirs) for service under Governor [[William Phips|Sir William Phipps]] during the [[Battle of Quebec (1690)|Battle of Quebec]] in 1690. A township had been awarded them in 1735 called Beverly-Canada (now [[Weare, New Hampshire]]), but in 1741 descendants of [[John Mason (governor)|John Mason]] proved a prior claim.<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 = 280=281| url = https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_OcoMAAAAYAAJ| quote = coolidge mansfield history description new england 1859. }}</ref>

The township at Sebago Lake was given to the Beverly Proprietors as compensation. It was first settled in 1770 by Captain Joseph Dingley and Dominicus Jordan of [[Cape Elizabeth, Maine|Cape Elizabeth]], although most families arrived after the [[American Revolutionary War|Revolutionary War]]. It was on the [[stagecoach|stage]] route to [[Bridgton, Maine|Bridgton]]. On June 21, 1803, the Raymondtown Plantation was incorporated as Raymond, named in honor of Captain Raymond. In 1829, land was annexed to help form the new town of [[Naples, Maine|Naples]], and in 1841, [[Casco, Maine|Casco]] was set off and incorporated as a town.<ref>[http://www.rootsweb.com/~meraymon/history.htm Ernest Knight, "History of Raymond, Maine"]</ref>

The town provided [[agriculture]] and [[lumber]] products for [[Portland, Maine|Portland]] and other cities. Panther Run, which drains [[Panther Pond]], provided [[water power]] for industry. Raymond village grew near the mills, which included a [[gristmill]], [[sawmill]], [[plaster]] mill, a [[barrel|stave]] factory and a children's [[sled]] factory. From about 1812 until 1825, [[Nathaniel Hawthorne]] lived in Raymond with his siblings and widowed mother. His later writings would reminisce about his boyhood [[hiking]] in the woods or [[fishing]] in the lake.<ref>[http://history.rays-place.com/me/raymond-me.htm George J. Varney, ''History of Raymond, Maine'' (1886)]</ref>

Automobile tourists discovered Raymond after designation of the [[Theodore Roosevelt International Highway]] in 1919 (identified as [[United States Route 302]] since 1935).<ref name="montana">{{cite book |last= Tracy |first= A.W. |chapter= Highway Display's America's Glories |title= Theodore Roosevelt International Highway, Montana |page=7 |url= http://www.mdt.mt.gov/photogallery/docs/trhwy1.pdf |publisher= [[Montana Department of Transportation]] |access-date= August 21, 2008 |date= December 1996 |orig-year= 1921}}</ref>

<gallery>
Image:The Meadow Road, Raymond, ME.jpg|Meadow Road {{circa|1909}}
Image:Jordan River, Raymond, ME.jpg|Jordan River in 1906
Image:Frye's Leap, Raymond, ME.jpg|Frye's Leap {{circa|1905}}
</gallery>