Editing Sedgwick, Maine (section)

==History==
It was one of six contiguous townships, each six miles square, granted by [[Massachusetts General Court|Massachusetts]] in 1761 to David Marsh and 359 others. Called by its [[Abenaki]] name ''Naskeag,'' meaning "the end or extremity," its first permanent European settler was Andrew Black in 1759. In 1789, the town was incorporated as Sedgwick, named after Major [[Robert Sedgwick (colonist)|Robert Sedgwick]], who in 1654 captured nearby [[Fort Pentagouet]] (now [[Castine, Maine|Castine]]) from the [[French people|French]].

In 1817, land was taken from the township to form [[Brooksville, Maine|Brooksville]], with more taken in 1849 to form [[Brooklin, Maine|Brooklin]]. By 1859, the population was 1,235.<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/n340 302]–303| url = https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_OcoMAAAAYAAJ| quote = coolidge mansfield history description new england 1859.  }}</ref>

[[Farmer]]s found the surface broken and ledgy, better suited for grazing than cultivation. Gristmills and sawmills were built along various streams, including the [[Benjamin River]]. Because of the geology, for decades Sedgwick had operating many granite quarries, where stone was taken for major public buildings. Most of the quarries have been abandoned. Two companies mined for argentiferous galena, a source of silver. But with two excellent harbors, the town was chiefly occupied by fishing, clam digging, shipbuilding and seafaring. Other businesses included tanning and barrel making.<ref>{{Citation
  | last = Varney
  | first = George J.
  | title = Gazetteer of the state of Maine. Sedgwick
  | place = Boston
  | publisher = Russell
  | year = 1886
  | url = http://history.rays-place.com/me/sedgwick-me.htm }}
</ref>

In March 2011, Sedgwick received attention after passing an ordinance declaring [[food sovereignty]] for the town's citizens.<ref>[https://reason.com/blog/2011/03/22/food-nullification Food Nullification] by [[Jesse Walker]] from ''[[Reason (magazine)|Reason]]''</ref>