Lewiston's Indian Legend
Lewiston's Indian Legend
There
is a legend connected with the early history of Lewiston. As the
legend goes a handful of Lewiston's first settlers narrowly
escaped being massacred by the Androscoggin Indians. The Indians
had planned to swoop down on the settlement at night and kill all
of the settlers.
According to the legend, it was a dark and
moonless night and an Indian chief had built a fire on the shore
of the river just above the waterfall to lead his warriors to the
white man's settlement. On old Indian guarded the camp above the
rocky waterfall.
Somehow one of the white settlers learned of the
Indians plans and set out to stop their attack. Creeping up
quietly behind the old Indian chief, he took the Indian prisoner.
Then he put out the fire that was to guide the warriors. The
courageous settler then built a new guide fire below the falls.
The Indian warriors coming down the river on
that moonless night saw the white man's fire and believing it to
be the fire of the old chief sailed straight down over the falls
and drowned.
The white man's watchful eye and clever plan had
saved the little settlement from disaster.
Historical
Mural Lewiston
"Unit" Martel School
Created by D. Letourneau ©1999 Revised 2003
