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HISTORY OF SCARBOROUGH
Beach at Prout's Neck
Scarborough is a town in Cumberland County on the southern coast of the
U.S. state of Maine. The town is a coastal resort area. Located about 7 miles (10 km) south of Portland, Scarborough
is part of the Portland–South Portland–Biddeford, Maine Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Abenaki Indians called the area Owascoag, meaning "a place of much grass" after its large salt marshes.
About 1630, John Stratton opened a trading post on Stratton Island in Saco Bay. In 1631, the Plymouth Council for
New England granted the Black Point Patent to Captain Thomas Cammock, nephew of the Earl of Warwick. The 1,500-acre
(6.1 km²) tract of land extended from the Spurwink River to Black Point (Prouts Neck), where Cammock built
a house and began residence in 1635. But then he sold his holdings and moved to the West Indies. Nevertheless,
settlements developed at Black Point, Blue Point (Pine Point), Dunstan (West Scarborough) and Stratton Island.
On July 14, 1658, the Massachusetts General Court incorporated them all as Scarborough, named for Scarborough in
Yorkshire, England.
At the outbreak of King Philip's War in 1675, Scarborough was an important coastal settlement with over 100 houses
and 1,000 head of cattle. But in 2 years of war, it was laid waste. Massachusetts sent soldiers accompanied by
Indian allies in 1677 to secure the town for resettlement. On June 29, 1677, while pursuing some Indians sent as
a ruse, the company was ambushed by warriors under Chief Squando. In the New England militia of nearly 100 soldiers,
50-60 were left dead or mortally wounded. Among the casualties was Captain Benjamin Swett. Called the Battle at
Moore's Brook, it was an embarrassing rout for the military. In 1681, a great fort was erected at Black Point.
After several attempts to rebuild between guerilla incursions during King William's War, the survivors evacuated
in 1690 and moved south to Portsmouth, New Hampshire or Boston.
(Wikipedia.org)
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