Robert1 Junkins1. settled at Scotland, York County, Maine ca. 1660, after completing his indenture to Valentine Hill of Durham, NH. On his homestead, he built a garrison house on a rise overlooking the York River and lived there until his death in 1699. His children, Joseph2, Alexander2, and Daniel2 lived in the garrison with their families. Over time, Robert added to his original piece of property as shown in the timeline below.
In 1711, Joseph2, 39, was living at the garrison with his wife, Abigail Ingersoll, his mother, Sarah (56 years old), his brother Alexander2 and his wife Katherine and son Samuel3, and his brother Daniel2 and Daniel's wife, Eleanor. On Tuesday, April 2, 1711, Joseph was fishing not far from the garrison with his friend Daniel Dill. When they started back to the garrison with their catch, a band of five Indians jumped the two men. The Indians stripped them of their clothes and shoes and scalped them and left them for dead. Daniel Dill died immediately, but Joseph was able to rise and make his way back to the Garrison to tell his story. He died several hours later at the garrison. At that time, Joseph's wife, Abigail, was four months pregnant with their son, John3, who was born at the garrison on September 11, 1711.
The homestead passed to Robert's two remaining sons, Alexander2 and Daniel2. They later divided the land with Alexander retaining the Garrison house.
The descendants of Alexander2 lived in the Garrison for many generations until 1844 when Alexander5 died. The homestead was abandoned for over forty years and at one time, the house was used as a hen house. On October 31, 1889, Halloween, it was burned to the ground.2
The property, on Cider Hill Road, went through a succession of owners during the next hundred years and no attempts were made to rebuild or put another home at that spot.
In 1989, the homestead property was put on the market and Alan10 and Betty Junkins started negotiations to purchase the original four acres and bring it back into the Junkins family.
1991
In August 1991, Kathleen Wheeler conducted an archaeological dig at the Junkins Garrison cellar hole. Her report was published in JFA newsletter no. 6, Summer 1992.
In JFA newsletter no. 4, Summer 1991, Alan Junkins wrote an article titled "Mr. Sylvester Remembers the Old Junkins Garrison".
1992
On April 22, 1992, Alan D.10 and Betty F. Junkins finally completed the purchase of the property and once again Robert's homestead is owned by Junkins. Alan wrote about the event in "Robert Junkins Homestead Back in the Family". The timeline below is from that article in JFA newsletter no. 6, Summer 1992.
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| Jul 1661 | Robert1 Junkins signed petition as resident of York |
| 12 Nov 1667 | Court record shows Robert owned land as bondsman |
| before 1670 | Robert married Sarah Smyth of Cape Neddick |
| 1672 | Joseph2 Junkins born |
| 1675 | Alexander2 Junkins born |
| 24 Mar 1680 | 20 acres deeded to Robert by Alexander & Annis Maxwell between the way to Newguvanacke & Bass Cove Brook in York Northwest of homesite and not adjoining |
| 1680 | 32 acre town grant, "On Northeast side of Highway at head of marsh call Thomas Curtiss Cove & adjoining the Northwest side of a lott of upland of Micum Mackenteers." Not the homestead lot. |
| ca. 1680 | Daniel2 Junkins born |
| 10 Jun 1681 | A parcel of land where now said Junkins orchard is placed & his barn standith. Adjoining the homesite. |
| 2 Mar 1696 | Dated his will. |
| Nov 1699 | Robert1 Junkins died. |
| 2 Jan 1699 | Robert's will recorded. Homestead passed to Sarah. |
| 1704 | 20 acres granted to Joseph, Alexander & Daniel. "All the land between the head of Robert's lot and Bass Cove Brook." |
| 1 Nov 1710 | Alexander3 Junkins born at Garrison |
| 2 Apr 1711 | Joseph2 Junkins killed by Indians near Garrison.3 |
| 20 Mar 1718 | Sarah died at Junkins house. Death recorded at York. Alexander2 oldest son inherited the Homestead. |
| 9 Feb 1721 | First deed record of homestead lot of land when Alexander2 and Daniel2 agree on division of their father's estate. |
| 26 Oct 1732 | Alexander3 married Hannah McIntire |
| 21 Feb 1735 | Alexander2 willed homestead lot with dwelling house and barn to his wife Catherine. |
| 9 Oct 1735 | Alexander4 born at garrison |
| Jan 1736 | Alexander2 died and homestead passed to Catherine. |
| 14 Feb 1757 | Catherine died. Homestead passed to Alexander3. |
| ca. 1775 | Hannah (McIntire) Junkins died. |
| 11 Jan 1776 | Alexander4 married Abigail Lindsay |
| 1 Jun 1777 | Alexander3 married Mary Tanney. |
| 5 Oct 1782 | Alexander3 died. Homestead passed to Alexander4. |
| Mar 1785 | Alexander5 born at Garrison |
| bef 1820 | Alexander4 died. Homestead passed to Alexander5. |
| Jun 1826 | Joseph Hilliard6 Junkins born at Garrison. |
| 29 Jul 1838 | Hannah (Langdon) Junkins died; buried at Garrison. |
| 12 Dec 1838 | Alexander5 married Hannah Bragdon. |
| 2 Jul 1844 | Alexander5 died; buried at Garrison; Homestead passed to Hannah (Bragdon) Junkins. |
| 14 Dec 1866 | Hannah deeded Homestead to son Joseph H.6 Junkins |
| Jun 1889 | Garrison house burned. |
| ca. 1890 | Joseph H.6 Junkins died; homestead passed to sons Hiram A.7 and Alvin W.7 |
| 15 Mar 1892 | Homestead lot sold to George E. Grant (10 acres, 123 rods) by Hiram A.7 & Alvin W.7 Junkins |
| Homestead passed to daughter Mabel P. (Grant) Lewis | |
| Christopher Simonds, warranty deed book 1869, page 452. | |
| 30 Oct 1948 | John G. & Harriet G. Simonds, warranty deed book 1134, page 200. |
| 12 Jun 1976 | Homestead 4 acres to Bronislaw P. and Julia T. Kowalski. |
| 11 Oct 1985 | Homestead 4 acres (less 15' X 15' cemetery) to Gary M. and Dale N. Guyette. |
| 22 Apr 1992 | Homestead 4 acres (less 15' X 15' cemetery) to Alan D.10 and Betty F. Junkins |
1993
Alan and Betty took great pains to situate and build their home in such a way to minimize disturbance of the archaeological resources in and around the ca. 1660 cellar hole of the original garrison house. They sponsored archaeological investigation during the construction of their home and were commended by Kathleen Wheeler, Ph.D., Historic Archaeologist, for their sensitivity and involvement in preserving the past of their ancestors. Her archaeological report was published in JFA Newsletter no. 8, Summer 1993.
1994-1995
In 1994, the idea of putting a memorial marker at the Junkins Garrison site was discussed and in 1995 a proposal was made at the Board of Directors' meeting. See the article published in JFA newsletter no. 10, July 199.
2006
In early 2006, Alan Junkins began a quest to visit the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum to see the original Winslow Homer painting of the Junkins Garrison. He wrote about the adventure in an article published in JFA Newsletter no. 15, Winter 2006.
