An old postcard of the First Baptist Church in Livermore Falls. Submitted photo.

LIVERMORE — Before it was known as Livermore, the town was originally named Port Royal after a battle between the French and New England. Before that, the region was named Rockemeka by the Abenaki Tribe, the name meaning “great corn place.”

According to an article in the Discover Maine Magazine, the original Port Royal was located in the French province, Acadia, what is modern day Nova Scotia. In the spring of 1710, Colonel Francis Nicholson led 15 hundred militiamen from Massachusetts to Port Royal in naval vessels and merchant ships to take siege over Port Royal. They arrived on Oct. 5 and five days later, the French surrendered. This was a big win for them, as there were multiple unsuccessful attempts to take Port Royal since 1690.

Port Royal was renamed as Fort Anne to honor Queen Anne of Great Britain. The New England men who settled there found a harsh winter with little food and supplies. It was partly for this reason that the Massachusetts General Court granted the veterans of the battle the township that would become Livermore.

Some thought that the early settlers of Livermore, including Elijah Livermore of Waltham, MA, were part of the battle that took place in Port Royal, hence why the current town of Livermore was named that. However, this is not true as Livermore was born in 1731, after the battle took place, and the other settlers were born afterward as well. Some of the settlers and proprietors were descendants of the Port Royal veterans.

In 1772 Elijah Livermore, Ebenezer Learned, and Richard Woodward surveyed the township and divided it into lots. They named the town Port Royal in honor of the veterans who fought the battle and endured the harsh winter that followed. The town was settled in 1786. The county line was divided by the Androscoggin River.

Livermore became the 99th town in Massachusetts on Feb. 29, 1795. The town was renamed after Elijah Livermore who built the first mill in the community and raised funds for the first church. His family was comprised of Supreme Court justices and congressmen in New Hampshire.

Maine separated from Massachusetts in 1820. East Livermore was incorporated in 1844 and became part of Androscoggin County 10 years later. It was renamed Livermore Falls in 1929.