Investments in lands in the Province of Maine at the opening of the present century seem to have been regarded with considerable favor by moneyed men of Massachusetts. Scarcely had the ink become dry which was used to give effect to the resolve granting to Williams College the township now known as Garland, when its treasurer conveyed it to citizens of Massachusetts, who were afterwards known as the original proprietors. The date of the said resolve was June 2d, 1798. The township was conveyed to the original proprietors two days after. The conveyance to Levi Lincoln, one of the proprietors, runs as follows: "Know all men by these present, that I, Thompson Joseph Skinner of Williamstown, in the County of Berkshire in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Esq., in my capacity of treasurer of the corporation of Williams College in said Williamstown and in behalf of the president and trustees of said College, in consideration of twenty-five hundred dollars paid me in my capacity as aforesaid by Levi Lincoln of Worcester in he County of Worcester and Commonwealth aforesaid, Esq., the receipt whereof I as treasurer, as aforesaid, do hereby acknowledge, I do hereby in my office and capacity as aforesaid of treasurer, and trustee of Williams College aforesaid, give, grant, sell, and convey unto the said Levi Lincoln his heirs and assigns forever, one fourth part of Hancock in the district of Maine, containing in the whole twenty-three thousand and forty square, said township of the contents of six miles square, said townships being in number three in the fifth range of township North of Waldo of the Waldo Patent, as the same was surveyed by Ephraim Ballard and Samuel Weston in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and ninety-two in the same range, southerly by number three in the fifth or same range, westerly by number three in the fourth range, and northerly by number three in the sixth range, excepting and reserving however, from said township three lots of three hundred and twenty acres each for the following uses, viz: one lot for the first settled minister, his heirs and assigns, one lot for the use of schools in said township. To have and to hold the above granted premises with the appurtenances thereof to the said Levi Lincoln, his heirs and assigns as forever to his and their use and behoof forever, the said land so granted to the said Levi Lincoln, his heirs and assigns as aforesaid now lying in common with undivided lands of Seth Hastings of Mendon in the County of Worcester aforesaid, Gentle-man, Samuel Sanger of Sherburne in the County of Middlesex and Commonwealth aforesaid, Gentleman, Calvin Sanger of said Sherburne, yeoman, Elias Grout of same Sherburne, Blacksmith, and Samuel Sanger, Jr., of Boston, in the County of Suffolk and Commonwealth of aforesaid, merchant, who are the owners and proprietors of the remaining part of the before described township of land, being now tenants in common with the said Levi Lincoln, and with each other according to their respective shares and rights as specified by their respective deeds made by me to each of them in my capacity of treasurer aforesaid: Provided the said Levi Lincoln, Seth Hastings, Samuel Sanger, Calvin Sanger, Elias Grout and Samuel Sawyer, Jr., their heirs or assigns or any of them true intent and meaning, the several conditions mentioned in a resolve of the Legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, made and passed on the 4th day of February in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and ninety-six, granting two townships of land to the trustees of William College aforesaid so far as relates to one of said townships which resolve is in the following words, viz: (The resolve referred to will be found on the preceding page.)

"And I, the said Thompson Joseph Skinner do in my capacity of treasurer as aforesaid and by authority and direction from and for, and in behalf of the president and trustees of William College aforesaid, and pursuant to the vote and order of the incorporation of said College and assigns to and with the said Levi Lincoln his heirs and assigns that the said president and trustees of said Williams College are lawfully seized in fee in their corporate capacity as aforesaid of the afore granted premise, that they are free of all encumbrances, (expecting the conditions to be performed and the reservations to be made as aforesaid) that the trustees of Williams College aforesaid in the capacity aforesaid have good right to sell and by me the said Thompson Joseph Skinner in my capacity of treasurer, to said corporation as aforesaid to convey the same to the said Levi Lincoln, his heirs and assigns forever in manner as aforesaid, and that the said president and trustees and their successors in said office will forever, hereafter, warrant, secure and defend the same premise to the said Levi Lincoln and his heirs and assigns forever against the lawful claims of all persons whatsoever.

"In witness whereof, I, the said Thompson Joseph Skinner, in my official capacity of treasurer of the corporation of Williams College aforesaid, and for, and in behalf of the president and trustees of said college, pursuant to their vote and order in their corporate capacity, have hereunto set my hand and affixed the seal of said corporation this fourth day of June, in the year of our Lord one thousand, seven hundred and ninety-eight.

"Signed, sealed and delivered in the presence of whose names are hereunto written.
"Thompson Joseph Skinner (L. S.)"

"N. B. The word Mendon and the word Gentleman on the first page, erased and the word Esq. inserted.

"Also the words Seth Hastings in the second page erased.

"Also the words Seth Hastings in the third page erased and Levi Lincoln interlined before the execution of this deed.

"And also the words - and Northerly by number three in the sixth range in the first page interlined before executing this deed. Signed Park Holland & Thomas Wolcott."

It will be seen by the above that Seth Hastings dropped out as one of the proprietors and that his interest was transferred to Levi Lincoln.

"Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
"Suffolk ss. Boston, 5th of June, 1798. Personally appeared the above named Thompson Joseph Skinner, Esq., and acknowledged the forgoing deed to be his free act and deed before me, Elisha May, Justice of the Peace throughout the Commonwealth."
:Hancock ss. North District.

"Received July 14th, 1814, and recorded in Book number one, page 121, and examined by John Wilkins Register.
:A true copy as of record:
Attest Isaac Hodsdon
Clerk of the Judicial Courts and acting Register of deeds."