Greater Kennebec & Androscoggin River Valleys
36
Wilton’s Changing Names Originally called Harrytown
by Charles Francis
M
any Maine towns bear the name of a famous or heroic individual. There are towns named after presidents like Washington and Jefferson. There are towns named after important figures in Maine history like Lincoln, named after Governor Enoch Lincoln, and Coburn Gore, which bears the name of the influential Coburn family. Then there are towns that were named after individuals who made a name for themselves on the field of battle. Chamberlain pays tribute to Joshua Chamberlain. In like manner, the town which would become Wilton once paid tribute to a hero of the Indian Wars, Colonel William Tyng. The town of Wilton was incorporat-
ed as such in 1803. Abraham Butterfield, one of the most substantial figures in the community, wanted it called Wilton. He was originally from Wilton, New Hampshire. Butterfield was also willing to pay the costs associated with incorporation. Before Wilton became Wilton it was known as Tyngstown or more formerly as the Plantation of Tyng’s Township. Intriguingly, there was an even earlier name, Harrytown. Harrytown was probably the oddest name ever chosen as a Maine place name. The reason for this was that it did not honor an individual who played an important role in the settlement of Maine or even in Maine history. Harry-
town was named for a Native American leader who has gone down in the history books as an avowed enemy of the settlers of New Hampshire and Massachusetts. There are some other points of note to be made about the use of the place names Tyngstown and Harrytown. Strictly speaking, they reference more than just the present town of Wilton. Tyngstown and Harrytown originally included a larger area which is sometimes referred to as the Tyngstownship grant and included much of modern-day Temple, New Sharon, and Farmington as well as a small area of New Hampshire. There is a connection between Wil-
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