Brownville is known as the town of slate, rails, and men. It has three major settlements: Brownville, Brownville Junction, and Knight’s Landing. Brownville Jct. is to the north, and Knight’s Landing is on the shore of Schoodic Lake.
About History of Brownville
As published in the Milo Town Crier: Act of Incorporation
(This is an exact copy from the “Records of the Town of Brownville” Vol 1)
Town of Brownville, State of Maine In the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and twenty four.
Section 1. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in Legislature assembled — That the plantation number five in the eighth range in the County of Penobscot, bounded west by Williamsburg, south by Milo, east by number six in the eighth range, and north by Boston township, with the inhabitants thereof, be, and they are hereby incorporated into a Town by the name of Brownville and the inhabitants of said town are hereby vested with all the power, privileges and immunities, which inhabitants of towns within the State, do, or may have enjoyed.
Section 2. Be it further enacted, That any Justice of the peace within this County, is hereby empowered to issue his warrant to some inhabitants of said town directing him to notify the inhabitants thereof, to meet at such time and place as he shall appoint to choose such officers as other towns are empowered to choose at their annual town meetings.
Section 3. Be it further enacted, That the said town of Brownville shall be entitled to vote in the choice of Representatives to the Legislature of this State in the same class, and, in the same manner as it was allowed and authorized to do previous to the passing of this act, and shall continue a part of the class aforesaid until otherwise provided by law.
Benjamin Green speaker;
in Senate, February 3rd, 1824. This bill having had two several readings passed to be enacted
Benjamin Ames president
February 3rd 1824 Approved
Albion K. Parris
Attest Francis Brown Town Clerk
State of Maine Secretary of State’s Office
Portland, February 12th 1824
Thereby certify That the foregoing is a true copy of the original deposited in this office.
Attest A. Nichols, Secretary of State
Brownville Junction, Maine
Brownville Junction was the result of railroads. The Katahdin Iron Works had a RR that ran from the Iron Works above Brownville to Bangor. The Canadian-Pacific Railroad later came through the town, making it a busier place. With all these railroads, the only entrance to the town is under the RR bridge by the Pleasant River. When the Katahdin Iron Works died away, the rails from Bangor were connected to the Bangor and Aroostook RR. These are still used today. A few years ago the CP Rail dissolved itself and was bought up by the owners of the B&A RR. It now operates as the Candian-American Railroad.
Aerial photos by Dickie Martin