First settled in 1739, following the French and Indian Wars, the town of Sanford was incorporated in 1768, named for Peleg Sanford, the son of Major William Phillips, who purchased land that included the region from the Abenaki tribe in 1661. Sanford's situation on the Mousam River provided abundant water power, allowing the town to develop as an important textile center following the Civil War. The first mill to be built in Sanford was a sawmill built by Captain Market Morrison in 1745.
The Goodall Mills were established at Sanford in 1867 by British born Thomas Goodall. T. Goodall's house is referenced on the map, as are numerous Sanford Mills. The map captures the town as it appeared in its days of rapid growth, with the population swelling from 2,700 in 1880 to over 9,000 by 1910.
Features numbered & lettered references to the following locations:
The Sanford Mills Co., Manufacturers of Mohair Plushes, Carriage Robes & Horse Clothing.
Office and Steam Fire Engine House.
Mill No. 1 through Mill No. 8.
Storehouses.
Lumber Mill.
Machine Shop.
Residence of T. Goodall.
W. A. Allen, Tag Manufacturer.
Baptist Church.
Congregational Church.
Methodist Church.
Schools.
Masonic Hall.
Knights of Pythias Hall.
Post Office.
Electric Lighting Station.
Allen House, F. C. & S. W. Allen, Proprietors.
Elm House, F. J. Tibbetts, Proprietor.
S. B. Emery, Furniture, Carpets, etc..
B. Frank Hayden, Dry and Fancy Goods, Clothing, Boots and Shoes.
Nowell & Libby, General Merchandise.
Garnesey & Fogg, Clothing, Watches and Jewelry.
C. E. & J. F. Twombley, Groceries.
S. & E. M. Estes, Drugs & Millinery.
W. D. Dearing, Domestic Bakery.
L. W. Houston, Meats and Poultry.
D. L. Shaw, Milk and Produce.
J. Hanson Bachelder, Tinware Etc..
John H. Neal, Physician & Surgeon.
William Kernon, Residence.
Fred A. Springer, Residence.
R. F. Staples, Residence.
Cricket Grounds.
House Erected 1763.