Editing Friendship, Maine (section)

=== Raid on Meduncook (1758) ===
During the French and Indian War, the community was raided twice. The first attack was from the Abenaki just after sunrise on May 22, 1758.<ref name="Maine p. 333">{{cite book |title=The history of the state of Maine: from its first discovery, ... |volume=2 |author=William Durkee Williamson |page=33}}</ref> They killed and [[scalping|scalped]] Joshua and Hannah Bradford and their infant son, Winslow. An original settler from [[Kingston, Massachusetts]], and a great-grandson of [[William Bradford (Plymouth governor)|Governor William Bradford]], Joshua had remained in his house, believing it close enough to the garrison that his family could flee there when necessary, but, while pounding corn, the Bradfords missed hearing the garrison's alarm gun. Five of their children managed to escape their pursuers into the fort, but two of their sons Cornelius (21) and Joshua (12) were captured and carried to Canada.<ref name=Coolidge>{{Cite book | last1 = Coolidge | first1 = Austin J. |last2=Mansfield |first2=John B. | 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/n166 132]–133| url = https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_OcoMAAAAYAAJ}}</ref>

After trying to lay siege to [[Thomaston, Maine]], in September 1758, a party of Native Americans and Acadians under the command of the French officer [[Charles Deschamps de Boishébert et de Raffetot|Boishebert]], raided the village. Eight British were captured or killed.<ref name="Maine p. 333"/>

On February 25, 1807, Meduncook Plantation was incorporated as Friendship. By 1859, when the population was 691, the village had two [[shipbuilding|shipbuilders]], two [[gristmill]]s, one [[roof shingle|shingle]] mill and three [[sawmill]]s. By 1880, when the population was 938, other manufactures included [[sail]]s, [[carriage]]s, [[boot]]s and [[shoemaking|shoes]]. Boatbuilding remained the dominant industry in town, which became famous for producing the [[Friendship Sloop]], a [[gaff rig|gaff-rigged]] [[sailboat]] designed for [[lobster fishing|lobstering]] and [[fishing]]. Each summer the town hosts the Friendship Sloop Races.<ref>{{Cite book | last = Varney | first = George J. | title = Gazetteer of the state of Maine. Friendship | place = Boston | publisher = Russell | year = 1886 | url = http://history.rays-place.com/me/friendship-me.htm | archive-url = https://archive.today/20130201043058/http://history.rays-place.com/me/friendship-me.htm | url-status = dead | archive-date = February 1, 2013 }}</ref>

The author [[John Cheever]] wrote his 1957 novel, ''[[The Wapshot Chronicle]]'', while vacationing here.