Starting in 1870, a Swedish-immigrant colony was established by the State of Maine in Aroostook County. The State of Maine had appointed William W. Thomas Jr., who had served as American Consul in Sweden during the administration of President Abraham Lincoln, to be State Immigration Commissioner. On March 23, 1870 the Legislature passed an Act authorizing a Board of Immigration and Beverly A Benson was named Commissioner of Immigration. Beverly went to Sweden, recruited immigrants and led them first into New Sweden township followed by the townships of Westmanland in 1879 and Stockholm in 1881.