Fire and Ice: Henry and Lucy Knox and the Settling of Maine

Fire and Ice is the story of Henry and Lucy Knox during the maelstrom of the American Revolution and the heady years of the post-war period.

This book reveals the complexities of the lives of American Patriot and British loyalist families.

Lucy Knox was the heir to a large Royal proprietary grant (The Waldo Patent) in the Eastern District of Massachusetts known as Maine.

Henry and Lucy sucessfully gained control of Lucy's inheritance and added another two or three million acres making them two of the largest land speculators in America.

Henry and Lucy spent decades and hundreds of thousands of dollars promoting and developing their land.

Unfortunately for Henry and Lucy thousands of people had already settled on parts of this land. Some had purchased it but many had simply squatted on vacant land. All were not easily convinced to pay Henry and Lucy for their land.

While mid-coast Maine prospered from the investments of Henry and Lucy, they did not achieve their dreams of wealth and power.

Their struggles are chronicled in this book.