The Towns of Lisbon
Compiled and Edited by Michael R. Reilly
Last Revised 05/06/2006
Many Lisbons in the United Stateshttp://www.loc.gov/rr/hispanic/portam/lisbons.html In contrast to the highly localized distribution of Portuguese-Americans in southern New England and central California, there are at least thirty-seven communities in the United States that bear some form of the name of Lisbon, Portugal’s capital city and cultural center. These places are located in twenty-six states, primarily in the eastern half of the country. Ironically, there are no Lisbons located in the four states which have been traditionally associated with Portuguese immigration and settlement–Rhode Island, Massachusetts, California, and Hawaii.
Because the naming process, especially for smaller towns and villages, has not always been well documented, it is not possible to determine the motivation for selecting the name “Lisbon” for each of these places. Immigrants from Portugal may have settled in some of these communities, but in most cases, the residents had very little relation to Portugal. The town fathers often selected the name of a European city (as was a common practice during much of the nineteenth century) in anticipation that their newly founded settlement would emulate the larger namesake. However, none of the American Lisbons rivaled its European counterpart in size or importance.
Communities in the US Named Lisbon
Using the U.S. Geological Survey’s Geographic Names Information System (GNIS), it is possible to identify and map at least thirty-seven communities throughout the United States where populated places (towns, villages, hamlets) and/or minor civil divisions (townships) were named Lisbon during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Several of these, however, refer to historical locations, where the settlement has disappeared and the name no longer appears on current U.S. Geological Survey topographic maps.
Today, the Lisbons with the largest populations include townships in Androscoggin County, Maine (9,457), and Waukesha County, Wisconsin (8,277). Some are the seats of local government, including the county seats of Columbiana County, Ohio (3,037), and Ransom County, North Dakota (2,177). On the other hand, many of these localities, such as the one in Howard County, Maryland (1,000), are unincorporated and are no more than a crossroads village or hamlet, with only a few houses and stores. Current U.S. Geological Survey topographic maps have been selected to illustrate two communities that bear the name “Lisbon.”
Other Lisbons in America
New Lisbon, Ostego County, NewYork
Lisbon, CT. Welcometo the Town of Lisbon, CT, the home of the first railroad tunnel in America. Thehistory of this small town apparently had its beginning with a spark kindled inEngland by the puritans who came over to this wilderness land to make theirhomes where they would be free to govern themselves and worship God as theychose.
Thesettlement of what is now the Town of Lisbon commenced about the year 1698. Thesettlement of Newent commenced in 1718 with sixteen persons listed on the rollof accepted inhabitants. They were known as “the farmers in ye Crotch of yerivers”.
The town wasincorporated in 1786 when it was named Lisbon, doubtless from the fact thatHezekiah and Jabez Perkins and other commercial shippers traded from Norwichwith the port of Lisbon, in Portugal.
Areaattractions include the Bishop House Museum, located near the center of the townalong scenic route 169 and the Anshei Israel Synagogue, locate along Route 138.Both of these buildings are part of the National Historic Register and are caredfor by the Lisbon Historical Society, Inc. Located in the south end of town isthe First Railroad Tunnel in America. The tunnel can be reached by foot from thebase of Tunnel Hill Road and Route 12. Along the way is an excellent view of thepower plant and its Preston-Lisbon dam. Lisbon Meadows Park boasts miles ofwalking and jogging paths as well as baseball and soccer fields.
Lisbon is located on Route 169, along the oldstagecoach route linking Norwich, Connecticut and Worcester, Massachusetts. Thecenter of Lisbon is an area called Newent, after the old Newent EcclesiasticalSociety. Going north, the 32-mile scenic highway begins as Exit 83A goes offRoute 395 into the center of town.
15769 – Lisbon, IA – area history, Iowa
Lisbon, Howard County, Maryland
One of the smaller Lisbons is an unincorporated village in the rural, westernpart of Howard County, Maryland. This crossroads community, which was originallyknown as “New Lisbon,” was established about 1805 when Caleb Pancoastbuilt a house at an intersection on the Baltimore-Frederick Pike. Although thereis no documentation as to why the name Lisbon was selected, local traditionindicates that the name commemorates the Portuguese capital city famed for its1755 earthquake. Most of the residents and land owners in this area were ofEnglish descent.
During the nineteenth century, this community was one of the most prosperousfarm villages in the western part of the county, but it never had more thanseveral hundred residents. Today, the town, with a population of almost 1,000,is again experiencing growth by virtue of its location on the suburban fringe ofthe Baltimore-Washington metropolitan area.
Barbara Feaga, in her book Howard’s Roads to the Past, indicates thatthere were other Howard County firsts for the town that all those traveling westmust pass through: the first Presbyterian Church, the first high school, and thefirst non-teaching principal.
Lisbon,ME – Lisbon, as it is known today, wassettled in 1628. Some of our early records indicate Lisbon started manufacturingright away. On March 4, the year unknown, Oliver Moses, John Tebbets, EdwardPlummer and Galen Moses, organized a stock company with a capital of twenty-fourthousand dollars divided into 240 one hundred dollar shares each formanufacturing purposes at Little River Village. They purchased from the presentproprietors mill privileges at the Upper Falls, and such other real estate theycurrently had an interest in for the sum of seven-thousand dollars. Then theyagreed to buy the Thompson property. They built a dam and mill and beganmanufacturing cloth.
On June 29, 1798, the two branches of the MassachusettsLegislature approved a document appointing three commissioners to oversee thesale of undivided land to settlers. This sum of money had to be paid by the endof 1805. These settlers were given for the most part, 100-acre parcels.
Bowdoin’s Town Clerk Samuel Smith recorded in April of 1798 avote to divide Bowdoin into two equal parts and two distinct towns. SamuelTebbets, Thomas Ham, and Joseph Killgore submitted the application forIncorporation in June of 1798. The reason being the center of said town wasbroken and wasteland so the inhabitants were obligated to meet on the north sideor south side of the town. The document pleaded the inhabitants had to travelnear ten miles to get to town meeting for which reason, many did not attend.They petitioned to incorporate the western part of Bowdoin by itself beginningat the north west corner of Topsham. On June 22, 1799 Lisbon became incorporatedunder the name of Thompsonborough in the County of Lincoln under theCommonwealth of Massachusetts.
On March 17, 1800 the first town meeting was called to orderin the house of Samuel Tebbets to elect officers. In April of 1800 Lisbon votedto have the assessors go through the town to take the valuation, to collecttwenty cents on a pound, and to have the Selectmen be the committee to settleaccounts between Lisbon and Bowdoin. At the adjournment of the annual townmeeting in May of 1800 the first eight member school committee was chosen.
On December 21, 1801 Thompsonborough voters agreed to alterthe name of the town, and voted to petition the General Court to change its nameto Lisbon. Noah Jordan submitted the petition to the General Court and cited”the inconveniency in the length of the name” as the reason forchanging it, and on February 20, 1802 the Town of Thompsonborough was officiallychanged to the Town of Lisbon.
Today, Lisbon is the third largest of fourteen communities inAndroscoggin County, and is centrally located within a 20-mile radius of morethan 100,000 people. According to the 1990 census records, Lisbon’s populationis 9,457. State Route 196 passes through the entire length of Lisbon connectingto the Lewiston/Auburn area and Interstate 495 and to the Topsham/Brunswick areaand Interstate 95.
Twila Lycette, Lisbon Town Clerk
Lisbon Falls, Maine is in Androscoggin County
Lisbon, Lisbon Center, and Lisbon Falls, Androscoggin County, Maine
The largest population concentration bearing the name”Lisbon” is a town (or township) in Androscoggin County in southernMaine. Within the bounds of this township, which currently has a population ofalmost 10,000, there are three villages with variations of the name — Lisbon,Lisbon Center, and Lisbon Falls.
The town was established in 1799 and was originally named”Thompsonborough” in honor of the Thompson family, large landowners inthe area. This family, as well as some of their neighbors, were of Irishdescent. Because the local residents disagreed with General Samuel Thompson’sunpatriotic views, they changed the name of the town to Lisbon in 1802. Althoughit is not known why this name was chosen, it was a common practice in Maine toname local communities for European countries and cities. Other European placenames found in southern Maine include Poland, Paris, Norway, Denmark, Dresden,Palermo, Belgrade, and Vienna.
15772 – Lisbon,ND – area history, North Dakota
15773 – Lisbon,NH – area history, New Hampshire. Governor Benning Wentworth granted acharter in 1763 under the name of Concord, opening the township whichbecame Lisbon. No settlement was made under that charter, and in 1768another was made under the name of Gunthwaite. At town meeting in 1824 iswas voted to name the town Lisbon after Lisbon, Portugal.
Samuel Martin was the firstwhite man known to travel through the unbroken wilderness which becameLisbon. The year was 1749. He came with his young son on a huntingtrip and remembered the area. When settlement was made in Gunthwaite in1768, Martin came with his family and built a log cabin near Henry Pond,one-half mile from the present village center. Samuel Young came in 1775from Massachusetts and built a log cabin near the same area. There wasstill one wigwam along the river, and earlier settlers told of seeing more thanhalf a dozen wigwams. Soon the settlers built a fort with a blockhouseinside. Seven Gunthwaite men were enlisted in Timothy Bedell’s 1st Companyof Rangers and five of them were Youngs. Major Benjamin Whitcomb, thefamous, dreaded scout of the French and Indian and Revolutionary War settled inLisbon as did many others who fought for independence. After the RevolutionaryWar the fort was taken down, and Samuel Young lived in the blockhouse and usedit as a hotel. Later, a tavern was built around the blockhouse and overthe years it was enlarged and still stands on the outskirts of the village. Thefirst town meetings were held at the tavern. Musters were held on the clearedmeadows here where there was a gunhouse and granary. Within a few years, achurch and school were built near Henry Pond.
A settlement was wellestablished at this site when Samuel’s brother, Jesse, utilized the waterpowerof the Ammonoosuc River’s narrow and steep waterfall one mile downstream. He built a sawmill, gristmill and shingle mill and soon gave free waterpower tothe Clothing Works which carded wool into rolls for home spinning. Soonmechanics and tradesmen established businesses, and this became the bustlingcenter of Lisbon. In less than 50 years there were numerous shops,mills, factories and stately homes. Three of the five peg mills in theUnited States were located in Lisbon. Parker Young Company was at one timethe largest manufacturer of piano sounding boards in the world. There weretwo railroad stations, a library, a gold rush, a small airport and the first ropeski tow in New Hampshire.
Lisbon suffered fromdevastating fires, floods, the Hurricane of 1938 and fluctuating economies butrallied and boasts a magnificent town hall, library, brick blocks and otherhistorically significant structures as well as the gift of anaturally beautiful setting nestled in the valley along the AmmonoosucRiver. Descendants of some of the first settlers in the 1700’s still livein Lisbon and share its proud heritage with newcomers, and all seem to worktogether to preserve the rich history and utilize its natural resources.
Lisbon Township, NY – area history, New York Townof Lisbon, Saint Lawrence County, New York
In the 1600’s, the French built Fort de la Gallete nearOgdensburg. In 1763, England gained control of Canada and the St. LawrenceValley, but after the American Revolution, the land south of the river belongedto the Americans.
After the war, New York State anticipated a western surge ofsettlers and concluded a treaty with the Iroquois Indians. The land was dividedinto ten townships, each containing about 64,000 acres. The original towns wereLouisville, Stockholm, Potsdam, Madrid, Lisbon, Canton, DeKalb, Hague, Cambray,and Oswegatchie. By 1788, Alexander Macomb was the nominal owner of all tentowns. He sold the land to speculators and potential settlers. The area startedto be settled around 1800.
The first town organized was Lisbon, set upin 1801, with a present population of 2,673. AS previously stated, it originallycontained all the ‘ten townships of the first survey. It lies on the St.Lawrence; is fairly level farming and fruit land. Lisbon Center is its maintown.
Lisbon,OH – area history, Ohio.
Founded in 1803, Lisbon is an eastern Ohio rural communityof 2,800 (2000 Census) and the seat of Columbiana County. The total county population is approximately 112,075 (2000 census).
The village has long served as the commerce center for thesurrounding area. The local economywas dominated by agriculture, coal, mills, tanneries and pottery, but throughrecent years the mills and pottery industry have been phased out, and presentmanufacturing activity focuses on metal fabricating and hoists manufacturing. Coal and agriculture continueto contribute substantially to the basic economy.
One of the oldest communities in the state, Lisbon offersmany historical points of interest. Amongthese are the Old Stone Tavern, now restored as a museum; and early ironfurnace; the restored Erie Station museum; and many restored commercialbuildings and homes. There is alsoa scenic bike/walking pathway that follows the old railroad line. A monument five miles south of town marks the northern-most Civil Warpenetration of the Confederate raider, General Morgan.
New Lisbon, Portage,Wisconsin – The most likely source for the name of NewLisbon holds that the County Clerk Larmon Saxton named it either in honor of hishome town of Lisbon, Ohio or after the town of Lisbon near Milwaukee where hissister resided.
“The History of Waukesha County,1880″, therefore the language and point-of-reference is from the year 1880.Additional notes have been added by website editor to further explain thetext.
Many Lisbonsin the United States In contrast to the highly localized distribution of Portuguese-Americans insouthern New England and central California, there are at least thirty-sevencommunities in the United States that bear some form of the name of Lisbon,Portugal’s capital city and cultural center. These places are located intwenty-six states, primarily in the eastern half of the country. Ironically,there are no Lisbons located in the four states which have been traditionallyassociated with Portuguese immigration and settlement–Rhode Island,Massachusetts, California, and Hawaii.
Because the naming process, especially for smaller towns and villages, hasnot always been well documented, it is not possible to determine the motivationfor selecting the name “Lisbon” for each of these places. Immigrantsfrom Portugal may have settled in some of these communities, but in most cases,the residents had very little relation to Portugal. The town fathers oftenselected the name of a European city (as was a common practice during much ofthe nineteenth century) in anticipation that their newly founded settlementwould emulate the larger namesake. However, none of the American Lisbons rivaledits European counterpart in size or importance.
Communitiesin the US Named Lisbon
Using the U.S. Geological Survey’s Geographic Names Information System (GNIS),it is possible to identify and map at least thirty-seven communities throughoutthe United States where populated places (towns, villages, hamlets) and/or minorcivil divisions (townships) were named Lisbon during the nineteenth andtwentieth centuries. Several of these, however, refer to historical locations,where the settlement has disappeared and the name no longer appears on currentU.S. Geological Survey topographic maps.
Today, the Lisbons with the largest populations include townships inAndroscoggin County, Maine (9,457), and Waukesha County, Wisconsin (8,277). Someare the seats of local government, including the county seats of ColumbianaCounty, Ohio (3,037), and Ransom County, North Dakota (2,177). On the otherhand, many of these localities, such as the one in Howard County, Maryland(1,000), are unincorporated and are no more than a crossroads village or hamlet,with only a few houses and stores. Current U.S. Geological Survey topographicmaps have been selected to illustrate two communities that bear the name”Lisbon.”
Naming of Lisbon, Illinois
Lisbon is located in section 25, Big Grove Township and section 30, LisbonTownship. In 1836, Horace Moore, Sr. built the first frame house on theprairie which, was to become the site of Lisbon. The town was laid out thesame year by Lancelot Rood. A plat of the village was filed in KendallCounty, May 17, 1859.
On September 17, 1836, the post office was moved from Holderman’s Grove tothe new village of Lisbon. Tradition has it that Levi Hills, John Moore, Sr.and another pioneer whose name has been lost in history, chose the namebecause it was easy to write, pronounce and remember. In 1896, J. R. (JosephR.) Adams, editor of the Kendall County News took a buggy tour through aportion of Kendall County, visiting Fox, Helmar, Lisbon, Newark, and
Millington. An article describing the trip and what he saw was published inthe May 28, 1896 issue of the Kendall County News. Editor Adams repeated thehistorical tradition that John (H.) Moore had given Lisbon its name. He alsomistakenly stated that it was Daniel Platt who had built the first log housein the village of Lisbon.
The following edited comments by Joseph Williams, editor of the LisbonComet, appeared in the June 4, 1896 issue of the Comet. “Brother Adams saysin his Lisbon history that Daniel Platt built the first house there. That isa mistake, though we think it is true of Plattville. John Moore brought thefirst load of timber to where our town is, and his father (Horace Moore,Sr.) built the first house, a few logs of which still survive. John Mooredid not name Lisbon. A number of pioneers met to give their first postoffice a name. Among many names suggested was Lisbon, which was voted uponand adopted. Mr. Moore could not remember, so many years after, who hadsuggested the name. We frequently asked him in regard to it with the aboveresult, and his family also disclaimed the distinction.”
In the July 2, 1896 issue of the Lisbon Comet, Austin Hills writing fromCabery, Ford County, Illinois supplied the following interesting comments.”The Comet’s uncertainty as to who named Lisbon is accidentally solved. Inlooking over the record of the Hills family I find this bit of interestinghistory in a family record going back to 1632. Uncle Levi Hills moved fromVernon Center, NY to Illinois in 1833. He settled first at Holderman’s Groveand five years later moved to Lisbon, which town he named. At that time LeviHills kept the stage house or station or tavern, in the old log house on thewest edge of the village which has subsequently gone to decay and ruin. Atthat time the stage station stood near where the store now stands. The rushof business forced him to build the stone house, the Sherrill house, now theBurry summer residence. The large black letters painted on the front,”Lisbon House,” I am not sure but I think they were put on later bythe thenowner, Jefferson, from whom Squire Sherrill secured the property.”Editor Williams commented, “We think Austin’s idea, as taken from the Hillsrecord, as to which named Lisbon is correct. We think Uncle John Moore was
always inclined to ascribe it to Levi Hills.”
http://www.rootsweb.com/~ilkendal/TownHistories/Lisbon/NamingLisbon.htm
History of Lisbon
Early Lisbon
By Hampden, Lisbon correspondent to the Kendall County Record.
Published in two parts, June 23 and June 30, 1870.
Edited and compiled by Elmer Dickson
In 1836, Horace Moore and his two sons were dividing their labors betweenputting up the first house in Lisbon, and breaking up their lands. Duringthe same year, Mr. Levi Hills built a log tavern a little westward, which,in years afterward gave place to the stately and permanent stone house ofthe Hon. Henry Sherrill. This new settlement now called for a road. The
great thoroughfares from Chicago, westward, lay to the north two miles. Indue form, a highway was laid out, extending from Joliet, passing the logtavern and intersecting the Chicago Road at Holderman’s Grove. Settlerslooking for homes visited the new enterprise. Both the inn and the farmhousewere not infrequently taxed to the last spare bed. What guests theyentertained, what table accommodations and dormitory arrangements resorted
to, are not forgotten now. This generous full hearted hospitality spread thefame of the new village. The log tavern was a familiar name on the Atlanticseaboard. It became a prominent point in western travel. Lines of coacheshad to multiply to meet the increasing demand. The great highway of touristsand businessmen lay through Lisbon. Fifteen daily stages drove up to thedoor of the prairie tavern. Six ponderous coaches paused at the dinner hour
and crowds of hungry passengers sat down to its table. Men of distinctionoften sought rest and refreshment under its genial roof. The Hon. MartinVanBuren, senators from Washington, United States officials, officersholding important military trusts and commanding positions answered its belland enjoyed its savory viands.
Public business had so increased that a post office was demanded and initialsteps in acquiring one were taken. Then came the important question, whatwould be its name? The “Prairie Tavern” had answered all immediatedemandsduring the formative state of the rising village. Now however, it was to belinked to the outside world and be enrolled in alphabetical order. It wouldsoon find its way into the archives of the national government. These “high
considerations” led Mr. Levi Hills prompted by his practical good sense, toselect the terse, vigorous, brusque name, Lisbon. The application to thePost Office Department at Washington, DC was headed, “Lisbon, LaSalle Co.,ILL.” Letters missive duly authenticated by large waxen seals, and marked”Official Business.” Established the new post office, and installed”minehost,” (Levi Hills) postmaster. The prairie tavern was a new link in the
great mail system of the United States.
The tide of population set in towards this new and growing center of thriftand enterprise. Lands were taken up, foundations laid, and homes arose inneighboring proximity. Ready hands never failed to aid the stranger who cameto settle in, and around Lisbon.
Enterprise progressed and the ambitious village grew, when the importanceand necessity of education absorbed the public mind. The only thing lackingwas a school building. There were no funds for such a purpose and no law yetenacted by which to create them. Public meetings were called. Measuresadopted, and the emergency met in the accustomed business spirit of thepeople.
During the deliberations out of which the new schoolhouse grew, MissElizabeth Bushnell (now Mrs. A. J. Ford) gathered the children together in agranary. There she began teaching and has the high honor of being thepioneer educator of Lisbon.
In the meantime, active measures were in operation, materials collecting,the site selected, and workmen engaged. In the spring of 1838, the frame ofthe first schoolhouse was erected. By autumn, the pride of the village, the
new schoolhouse was finished and standing on the public square. It must havebeen an imposing building in those days. Its dimensions were 20 by 30 feetwith a commanding height. There were three large windows on each side of thebuilding.
The interior was plain but substantial. The teacher’s desk was constructedso that when the teacher was sitting on the board or shelf like arrangement,nothing of the teacher’s personage was visible to the anxious scholars butthe top of the head. If the teacher was moderate in size, the view was evenless distinct. If the teacher was short, his diminutive proportions sunk outof sight as he sat behind the desk and occupied the little shelf providedfor his comfort.
Around the building, fastened to the wall, ran a shellfire seat and a longtier of desks, which, in turn gave opportunity for another stretch of seatsfor little scholars. Back-less benches constructed with an auger and axe of
simplest workmanship occupied the center of the room. These benches wereespecially contrived to teach self-denial and “mortify the flesh” andallthat “pertained thereto.” The unanimous testimony of the alumniconfirms the
complete success of their “alma mater” in this weary effort.Ruttan’s system of ventilation was not only unknown in those days, butunneeded in our new schoolhouse. Drafts of pure, sweet air, filtered by asweep of 3000 miles, direct from the Arctic world, gave bloom to the faceand spirit and health to youth. The architecture was of the order that
admitted it freely. The warming apparatus was divided into two departments.We will do what the teacher did not, pass lightly over the first, and onlynotice the second.
The stove had passed its youth and vigor, and declining under theinfirmities of age, had retired from active life, when benevolence gave it,both to adorn and warm the new school house. By an unfortunate accident,years before, it had sustained a severe fracture, which marred its beautyand impaired its graceful symmetry. In its new position, a hitherto unknownvice was discovered. It became a great eyesore to the teacher, for inconjunction with decrepitude and infirm age, it had contracted the habit ofan inveterate smoker. It lacked firmness also, and was found to waver in thedischarge of duty. To brace up against this weakness, a few kind andsympathizing bricks lent very material aid to the cripple, and in lieu ofthe lost member, added strength and support.
Last Updated Sunday, 02-Jul-2000 12:59:09 MDTby Elmer Dickson
http://www.rootsweb.com/~ilkendal/TownHistories/Lisbon/LisbonHistory.htm
For a history of the Milwaukee & Rock River Canal, consultthe last
chapter of Strong’s History of Wisconsin Territory; Lapham’s Milwaukee &
Rock River Canal; and the volume of pamphlets on that subject in the
library of the State Historical Society