whicJi far oatraiiKed the otaer fisheries ol' the river, salmon, sturgeon, ale- 

 wives, and smelts were also fished commercially^ 



In its original condition, shad ascended the Kennebec and its tributaries 

 until limited by natural barriers or conditions. Although Stevenson (1897* 

 p, 270) indicates that the original limit of shad on the main Kennebec vjas Cara- 

 tunk Falls, 108 miles from the sea, Atkins' statement (1868, p. U8) that the 

 natural limit was Norridgewock Falls, some forty miles below Caratunk, is prob- 

 ably correct, A part of the run ascended the Sandy River, which enters the 

 Kennebec at Norridgewock, as far as the toi-m of Farmington (Parker, 1875* p. 7) » 

 The lower part of the Sebasticook River, a tributary entering the Kennebec be- 

 tween Augusta and Waterville, had a profitable shad fishery and the fish were 

 reported to go up this river as far as the town of Newport (Atkins, 1889* 

 p. 719). 



The tributaries were early cut off by the construction of dam.s. Cobbosee- 

 contee Stream was dammed at Gardiner in 1787 (Atkins, 1868, p. 52), Efforts to 

 maintain the runs of fish were of no avadls 



"In the old records of the town of Monmouth, then called Wales, we find 

 that in 1787 a ''fish committee" was chosen, consisting of three men^ and 

 in 1788 they are styled "Committee to see that the fishways are kept open 

 according to law." They were appointed as "Fish Committee" each year un- 

 til l8o6, i/rfien thej'- cease to be mentioned," (Atkins, 1868, p.52) , 



According to Atkins, (1868, p. JU) , the Sandy River maintained an excel- 

 lent shad fishery for some years after a dam was built at New Sharon in I80I1. 

 which limited the fish to the lower part of the river. 



In the toivn of Clinton (now Benton) on the Sebasticook River, a dam was 

 built in 1809> 12 feet high with no fishway. This dam stood for five or six 

 years and "had so impoverished the fisheries that the selectmen cut it away 

 and allowed the fish to ascend to their breeding grounds" (Atkins, I868, 

 p. 53). 



"In I8IU the town obtained the act authorizing them to control the fish- 

 eries and the first year after cutting away this dam, the fishery was leased 

 to one James Ford, he agreeing to pay yearly 200 fish to each man, woman, and 

 child in Clinton, and to sell as many more as he wanted at a fixed price. 

 From this time the fishery increased rapidly and the town began to sell the 

 fishery yerly at public auction. The price varied from C^500 to $1200-^1500 1 

 the purchaser being bound to distribute gratis to the poor and to sell to all 

 the townspeople at a fixed price. The year of the closing of the August dara 

 the fishery sold for $225. One or two years before it had sold for $500." 

 (Atkins, 186^ p. 5ii). 



