In 1668, a Sagamore Indian named Wesumbe conveyed all of the lands between the Great and Little Ossipee Rivers to Kittery trader Francis Small. This area ranged from the waters of the Saco to the Newichawannock River. For over 100 years, the land title was questioned. Finally, the ancient deed was declared genuine by two Boston experts: William P. Upham of the Suffolk County Court and Robert B. Swan, commissioner of public records for Massachusetts. Once the court rendered the deed valid in 1772, this unbroken wilderness was surveyed. Within a few short years, five new communities emerged. Over 230 years later, The Ossipee Valley presents a visual history of the villages, lifestyles, and the countryside as it once was. Vintage photographs witness a place of family and friends, working and sacrificing for what they believed important.