Population

Human involvement in the Watershed began many years ago. The Wawenocks, (members of the Abanaki Nation, a branch of the Algonquin) populated the region and used parts of the Watershed as their summer camping grounds. The Native Americans considered the land as belonging to the entire tribe with no one entity holding any rights. When Europeans first made their way to Maine, including the Damariscotta Lake Watershed, Native Americans were friendly and eager to trade.

Colonial settlements began to appear in mid-coast Maine in the early 1620s. Lacking royal patents or other land grants, many of the early settlers secured their land by dealing directly with the Native Americans. The relations between the Native Americans and the colonists were cordial at first but gradually deteriorated due in part to the Native American's land philosophy.  The minor disagreements escalated over the years and finally exploded into King Philip's Wars towards the end of the 17th century. The constant threat of raids during the latter half of the century discouraged colonial expansion inland, and Damariscotta Lake Watershed remained largely a Native American homeland.

The problems between the settlers and the Native Americans continued during the French and Indian Wars of the first half of the 18th century. However, the reduction in numbers of incidents encouraged settlers to begin moving back into the area. The newcomers included James Noble and William Vaughn who, as partners, purchased a great deal of land around Damariscotta Lake including the falls at the outlet of the lake. In 1730, Vaughn established a gristmill at the falls (now Damariscotta Mills) and attracted a community of about 70 people to build and operate the mills.

As a result of the King's claim to the District of Maine, many new settlers (mostly Scotch-Irish) began to move into the area. Some settled below the falls to work in the many shipyards along the Great Salt Bay and the Damariscotta River. Others moved north to set up farms or cut timber along the shores of the lake, which was called Vaughn's Pond at the time.

The population of the watershed continued to grow during the first half of the 19th century. Toward the end of the century the population began to decline as economic opportunities moved west with national expansion and the improvements in transportation. The decline continued right into the 20th century. The number of inhabitants began to rebound and continued that trend through the 20th century until, in 1990, when the number climbed to eventually meet and surpass the population high of the mid-19th century. A comparison with the 19th century peak must be treated with caution since the increase in seasonal dwellings means that the summer population is significantly greater than the census figures.

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