First called Sunday River Plantation, it was settled in 1781 by Benjamin Barker and his two brothers from Methuen, Massachusetts, together with Ithiel Smith of Cape Elizabeth. But the settlement was plundered in 1782 by Indians and abandoned. Then John J. Holmes of New Jersey purchased the land in 1794 with his sister's surname on the deed: Bostwick. On June 15, 1805, Bostwick Plantation was renamed by settlers that had come from Newry in what is now Northern Ireland.[1]
The trade route (now Route 26) from Portland to Errol, New Hampshire, completed in 1802, passed through Newry. Farms were established on the intervales, which had excellent soil. Hay was the principal crop. Slopes of the mountains provided pasturage for grazing animals. A sawmill and gristmill were built on the Bear River, and by 1870 the population was 416. Today, Newry is noted as the home of Sunday River ski resort.
Initially known as Sunday River Plantation, Newry was settled in 1781 by Benjamin Barker and his two brothers, who came to the region from Methuen, Massachusetts, at around the same time as Ithiel Smith, of Cape Elizabeth. However, the settlement was attacked by Indians in 1782 and abandoned. John J. Holmes, of New Jersey, bought the land in 1794, using his sister's surname, Bostwick, on the deed. The settlement was organized as Bostwick Plantation, but in 1805, it was renamed by settlers who had come from Newry, Ireland.
A trade route from Portland to Errol, New Hampshire, was completed in 1802, passing through Newry, Maine. Farms were established on the fertile intervales, hay being the chief crop. The mountain slopes provided pasture land for animals, and a sawmill and gristmill were constructed along the Bear River. By 1870, the population had grown to 416.
Today, the town is known mostly as the home of the Sunday River ski resort. The nearby Grafton Notch State Park features the Notch formed by Old Spec Mountain and Bald Mountain, and in this area Screw Auger Falls has worn deep holes into sold rock. The Step Falls Preserve, on Route 26, was the Maine Chapter of the Nature Conservancy's first preserve.