Welcome to The Town of Winn
We hope you find this website interesting and informative.
The following is a brief history of the first 100 years of the town of Winn.
The town was first settled by Joseph Snow in 1820. This was the same year that Maine became a state. He settled in the south part of Winn on what is now the Old Military Road. Zebulan Bradley lotted off the town in 1830, a year after the Military Road was put through the town. Until 1852 the town was known as Snowville or River Plantation No. 4. . The name was changed to Five Islands Plantation in 1852 and on April 8, 1857 the plantation was incorporated as the Town of Winn. It was named after John M. Winn, who purchased the township in 1843.
The first town meeting was held in the office of the Steamboat Company. The settlement of East Winn, about 5 miles from the village, started around 1850. A sawmill, grist mill and shingle mill were built there.
In 1863, Shaw Tilson & Co., later Shaw Brothers, built a big tannery near the steamboat landing. It was the 2nd largest tannery in the world. The building was 700 feet long with 365 vats. In 1867 the tannery was sold to Poor & Kingman Co., who ran it until it burned in 1892.
Before the tannery, Winn was a small, quiet town, but that changed with the building of the tannery. The tannery led to the building of the Kathadin House. The first livery stable was built opposite the Kathadin House.
In 1863, Rev. Marsden came from Pennsylvania and established the Episcopal Church. In 1870 the Catholic Church was started and the building was finished two years later. A doctor and lawyer came in the 1870's. Winn was a prosperous and active town until the tannery burned in 1892. By 1890, the town had doctors, groceries, dry goods, clothing, millinery, drug and paint stores. It also had a barber. The next major happening was the building of a school house in 1920 at the cost of about $17,000.
A lot had happened in the first 100 years.
If anyone has more information on the history of Winn contact Gary Haynes.
The first town meeting was held in the office of the Steamboat Company. The settlement of East Winn, about 5 miles from the village, started around 1850. A sawmill, grist mill and shingle mill were built there.
In 1863, Shaw Tilson & Co., later Shaw Brothers, built a big tannery near the steamboat landing. It was the 2nd largest tannery in the world. The building was 700 feet long with 365 vats. In 1867 the tannery was sold to Poor & Kingman Co., who ran it until it burned in 1892.
Before the tannery, Winn was a small, quiet town, but that changed with the building of the tannery. The tannery led to the building of the Kathadin House. The first livery stable was built opposite the Kathadin House.
In 1863, Rev. Marsden came from Pennsylvania and established the Episcopal Church. In 1870 the Catholic Church was started and the building was finished two years later. A doctor and lawyer came in the 1870's. Winn was a prosperous and active town until the tannery burned in 1892. By 1890, the town had doctors, groceries, dry goods, clothing, millinery, drug and paint stores. It also had a barber. The next major happening was the building of a school house in 1920 at the cost of about $17,000.
A lot had happened in the first 100 years.
If anyone has more information on the history of Winn contact Gary Haynes.