Treat Point Shores

History of Treat Point Shores Area

The Penobscot River was named after the friendly Indians that early settlers found living in the area. Marsh River was the name the settlers gave to the river that the Indians called “Catamawawa” meaning Black Duck.

Treat Point was named after Joshua Treat, one of the early settlers to this area. In 1759, Lt. Joshua Treat started the first permanent white settlement in what is now the town of Frankfort. He built the area’s first log cabin in 1774, the first sawmill and the first sailboat in the area. In 1779 the British burnt down his sawmill but he rebuilt it in 1783. In 1784 Joshua Treat built his family farm on the land now called Treat Point and lived there until he died in 1826. He is buried in the Treat Point Cemetery. Today only the cemetery, stonewalls and granite foundations remain of the old farm.

Over the years, many fortunes have been made up and down the Penobscot River, including fortunes from beaver pelts, lumber, granite quarrying, ship building, and fishing. Pirates and smugglers also plied these waters. In fact, several old stories tell that pirate treasure was buried on Treat Point. Though people have looked, so far no one (that we know that of) has found any treasure.

In 1814, during the Revolutionary War, the British looted Frankfort, demanding 40 Oxen and 100 Sheep or they would burn down the town.

Maps showing Treat Point in the years 1900, 1948, and 1955 can be found by clicking Here. Try the southeast corner maps for best views.

The area is rich in history and Bangor’s history is as exciting as any city in America. Imagine thousands of lumbermen cutting trees all winter in extreme conditions. In the spring they drove the trees down the Penobscot River to Bangor. At the same time, coming upriver from all over the world were sailing ships heading to Bangor to deliver trade goods and pick up lumber. The sailors and the lumbermen, after months of hardship, were paid their wages in Bangor. One madam said, “A man could spend his whole winter’s pay at her establishment in one night and get his money’s worth, if he was man enough!” Enough said.

For those who would enjoy some reading about the area, several books on the history of Mt. Waldo and Frankfort are for sale at the Frankfort town hall. "Ridge Runner" by Gerald Averill, is a story of a man who grew up in Frankfort and hunted on Treat Point. "Ridge Runner" is out of print but is often available on-line at Amazon.com. An interesting book about the Penobscot River is "Rivers of Fortune" by Bill Caldwell.