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Gc 974.102 N472m 1774727
M. L.
REYNOLDS HISTORICAL GENEALOGY COLLECTION
ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 01091 8248
Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2014
https://archive.org/details/briefhistoryofne00mitc_0
A BRIEF HISTORY
of
Newport, Maine
by W. H. Mitchell
1814-1914
A Broad Expanse
OF
Lake Sebasticook
1774727
A Broad Expanse of Lake Sebasticook, Newport, Maine
Newport, Maine
1914 ARTHUR W. LANDER, PRINTER NEWPORT, MAINE
UL E
1.
F 341625 .5
Mitchell, William H ) ... A brief history of Newport, Maine. 1814-1914. Newport. A. W. Lander, printer, 1914: cover-title, 55, 3, p. illus. 23cm. At head of cover-title : Centennial souvenir. Introduction signed : W. H. Mitchell. 1
1. Newport, Me. -- Hist. 1. Title.
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299579
15-17148
Library of Congress
F29.N63N5
,
ELECTED OFFICERS OF THE TOWN OF NEWPORT FOR THE YEAR 1814
Moderator JAMES FOOTMAN Clerk BENJAMIN SHAW Selectmen, Assessors and Overseers of the Poor JETHRO SANBORN, WILLIAM MARTIN, SAMUEL, HAYDEN
Treasurer WILLIAM MARTIN
Collector and Constable JESSE ROWE
Surveyors of Highways WILLIAM MAINE, DANIEL, STUART, ARETAS ROWE, JAMES FOOTMAN, JOSEPH SMALL,
Culler of Staves and Hoops THOMAS STEWARD Fence Viewvers NATHANIEL, STUART, JAMES WILSON Surveyors of Lumber NATHANIEL MARTIN, BENJ. SHAW Tythingmen JESSE MILES, JAMES FOOTMAN, JAMES WILSON
Hoy Reeves BENJAMIN FIELD, JOHN TURNER, DAVID WH.SON, DANIEL, IRELAND
Field Drivers JOHN NORTON, DANIEL CHADBURNE, WILLIAM HOLBROOK. THOMAS BICKNELL
Pound Keeper WILLIAM MARTIN
4
ELECTED OFFICERS OF THE TOWN OF NEWPORT FOR THE YEAR 1914
Moderator FORRESTER B. BURNS Clerk FRANK N. MERRILL,
Selectmen, Assessors and Overseers of the Poor EDWIN R. LEACH, DANIEL, W. WHEELER, ADELBERT I .. GRAY
Town Agent WILLIAM H. MITCHELL.
Treasurer JOHN O. GILMAN Superintending School Committee CHARLES M. BARBOUR (elected in 1912), ALFRED M. MORRILL (elected in 1913), SAMUEL P. IRELAND (elected in 1914)
Engineers Fire Department JOHN E. HEFFEREN, Chief ; CHAS. W. BRANN, Ist . Ist. ; A. EARI, ELLs, 2nd Asst.
Constables JOHN E. HEFFEREN, EDGAR R. DOW, AMIVIE E. WOODMAN
Auditor HUBERT M. WARDWELL
Collector JUDSON E. OAKES Committee to Enforce Town Ordinances JOHN E. HEFFEREN, EDGAR R. DOW, AMINIE E. WOODMAN Sexton Riverside Cemetery HIOMLAS W. BRACKETT
Superintendent of Schools VILIJAM C. MCCUE
1
A BRIEF HISTORY
Introductory
To the many residents, past and present, of Newport, and to the multitude of visitors to this favored spot, our town needs no argument as to what nature has done in the way of natural advantages, or as to what man has accomplished in the dere !- oping and building of a public-spirited community. We recog- nize with a feeling of gratitude the fact that the town has been so well favored in its natural advantages, and we appreciate what has been done by man in the substantial progress that ha, been made since the early settlement of Newport. Much credit is due to those early pioneers for their courage and patient in- dustry in the clearing of the primeval forests, the tilling of the soil and the building of comfortable homes for their families. From time to time during the first seventy-five years of the town's history industries were established, only to pass out of existence in one way or another. The lack of transportation facilities of the earlier days, the passing of old-time machinery and methods, and, above all else, the ravages of fire, all com- bined to retard the material development of the town until with the awakening of the citizens to the necessity of suitable fire protection as a preliminary measure, and then the putting of shoulder to shoulder in a concerted and united effort, combined to the realization of the permanent and successful modern indus- tries of today, thus marking the new era in the history of our town.
'T'his little book is intended to cover in a brief and imperfect manner the entire history of Newport, both ancient and modern. In the collection of the data of the carly history of the town the author has derived substantial assistance in the preparation of this work through the writings of Francis M. Shaw, who was for many years clerk and historian of the town, and a citi- zen highly esteemed by his many acquaintances. Mr. Shaw was justly regarded as authority on the early history of Newport and the town is fortunate in the possession of valuable manu- script copied from the scrap book in which he so carefully pre- served data of historical interest.
W. H. MITCHELL.
Newport, Maine, May Ist, 1914.
5
OF NEWPORT, MAINE
Newport, Maine
Incorporated as the 208th town in the District of Maine, by act of the Legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. approved June 14th, 1814. Originally Township No. 4 in the Third Range north of the Waldo Patent, as surveyed by Ephriam Ballard and Samuel Weston in the year 1792, con- taining 23,040 acres, more or less. A part of Lincoln County until the year 1789, when Hancock County was incorporated. and in the latter until the setting off of Penobscot County in 1816. First organized as East Pond Plantation, so named from the Great East Pond, as Lake Sebasticook was then called. As a part of the Commonwealth lands the entire township was contracted for purchase by one John Hubbard of Readfield in the year 1795 ; subsequently Mr. Hubbard assigned his contract to David Greene of Boston, and the latter became the owner in fee of the entire township by deed executed by the committee appointed by the General Court of Massachusetts to convey Commonwealth lands, and it is a coincidence that the deed bears the date of June 14th, 1800, exactly fourteen years prior to the incorporation as a town. The price paid by Mr. Greene to the Commonwealth was $5,635, or about seventeen cents per acre, for the township; this price was considered a large sum when the township was contracted for by Mr. Hubbard, and he so expressed himself to the committee on sale of the public lands. Lots one, two, nine and ten, in the Fourth Range of township lots, were reserved in the deed for ministerial and school purposes, these four lots comprising 1280 acres, and from the sale of these lots the sum of $2400 was derived, which sum is held by the town and the interest thereon paid annually to the common school fund.
Great East Pond, containing some six thousand acres, is situ ated nearly in the center of the town, with three inlets and one outlet-the latter the east branch of the Sebasticook River,- and all were famous for their fish and game previous to actual
6
A BRIEF HISTORY
settlement of the township, for we are informed that prior to the year 1800 trappers came up the river and spent much of the season. The first settler was named James Houstin, who came from Fairfield in the year 1800, made a small clearing and erected a log house on Birch Point, where he lived for several years. Afterwards he lived in a camp he made at or near the junction of Martin Stream with the Sebasticook River. and here he died and was buried in the year 1817. Houstin was a single man and a great trapper in his day. It is supposed that as early as 18c3 two log houses were erected in the present village of Newport ; one near the shore of the lake about where the old town house is located ; the other on the east bank of the river near the present middle bridge. The first authentic account we have of a permanent settlement was in the year 1807, when Deacon John Ireland with his family came through the woods from Bloomfield ( now a part of Skowhegan), the women on horseback, the boys on foot, and located in North Newport on the farm now owned by Frank Ireland, where a small clearing had been made and a camp built by Mr. Ireland and his boys the previous year ( 1866), when they had explored this section of the township. James Stuart located on the lot south of Deacon John Ireland ; Nathaniel Burrill settled on the shore of the Pond and made the first clearing of what is now the Turner farm ; Daniel Bicknell of Massachusetts purchased some six hundred acres and located the Ira Shepardson farm (since cut up into smaller farms, now owned by J. E. Shepardson, D. S. Hilliker, and others) ; these four, with Elam Pratt, were the first settlers at North Newport and the first permanent set- tlers in the town, all locating here in 1807. Among the carly settlers in the village, or the Mill District as it was first called, was Esquire Benjamin Shaw, who, with Iphidiah Ring, came here from Deerfield, N. 11., in the year 1808. 'Squire Shaw purchased all the land between the Pond and what is now Main Street, and from the river westerly to what is now West Street. He built a log house near where the present double tenement on North Street stands and hired Sanborn Elkins of Palmyra and Houstin, the trapper, to fell six acres of trees; this clear- ing was from the Pond southerly and was the first made on
7
OF NEWPORT, MAINE
the west side of the river. A little later 'Squire Shaw erected the first frame house, now a part of the double tenement on North Street, and afterwards built the house now owned by Elbridge Ring at the corner of North and High Streets, where the first town meeting was held. Iphidiah Ring located on the hill and made the clearing for the present Libby farm. 'wo years later ( 1810) Robert Stuart located across the road from Ring and cleared what was afterwards known as the Henry Marsh farm. The same year James Stuart located the Moses Stuart farm further up the hill, and Nathaniel Martin located the farm now owned and occupied by J. L. Lewis. AAbout this same time Isaac Lawrence located in the easterly part of the town near the Billings Hill. A saw mill was built by Esq Shaw and Daniel Stuart near the present middle bridge, whik Chandler Hopkins opened the first store near the upper bridge The second frame house was built by Parker Eaton and is How the ell of the old-time Prescott tavern, now owned by Geo. Il. Hanson. The first settled ministers were Rev. John Whitney of the Methodist denomination, and Rev. John York of the Free Baptists; these were here as early as 1810. The first school was opened in the house of Iphidiah Ring and was taught by Miss Pluma Judkins, who afterwards married a Mr. Morrill and some of her descendants are among the younger of our citizens.
The first formal gathering of the citizens of the town was at the house of Robert Stuart in the year 1812, and the object of the meeting was for mutual defence against the Indians, who, report said, were intending to massacre the white settlers 'Squire Shaw presided as chairman and a committee of live was chosen ; who, after due deliberation, brought in the follow- ing report : "That each head of family should prepare himself with a pound of powder and balls, put new flints in guns and keep them well loaded and hung up over the fire-place for immediate use in case of attack. Also that the women should keep kettles of water hot with suitable articles to throw the same, and that all the boys should keep a sharp look-out that they may not be surprised." The report was accepted una. mously and the meeting adjourned. A few days later the In
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8
A BRIEF HISTORY
dians came by way of the Stetson Stream, one hundred and fifty strong, and camped on Birch Point. Two citizens, with a flag of truce, volunteered to go and interview them and ascer- tain their intentions. During their absence the citizens took down the old flintlock muskets, the women saw to it that the kettles were filled with boiling water and all preparations were made for a brave defense. The two volunteers returned and reported that the chief said they were of the Penobscot tribe and had fled from the St. John tribe, with whom they had had trouble, and the Penobscots thought that the St. Johns were coming over to fight them. These Indians spent about ten days trapping and hunting in the vicinity and then departed down the river. Their mode of travel was by way of the Kendus- keag Stream to Stetson; carry across to Stetson Pond; thence to Great East Pond and so on to the Kennebec; this was the Indian highway between the two great rivers of Maine, and from it originated the name of Newport, so called because it afforded a portage for the Indians in their route to and from the Penobscot and the, Sebasticook.
During the few years previous to the war of 1812 settlers had continued to come in until East Pond Township had sixty- two inhabitants by the census of 1810, and nearly one hundred by the year 1812. The following year the population had so increased that a movement was made to incorporate the town and a petition was drawn up and signed by forty-two voters of the township, as follows: "To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives, of the Commonwealth of Massa- chusetts, in General Court assembled in January, 1814. Hun- bly Shew. The subscribers, inhabitants of Plantation No. 4. third range north of the Waldo Patent, lying partly in the County of Somerset and partly in the County of Hancock, that within said Plantation there are now more than one hundred inhabitants who are now suffering many and great incon- veniences by reason of not being incorporated. We, the sub seribers, therefore pray your Honors to incorporate us into a town by the name of Newport ; and as the communication to a place for a market is nearer and easier to Penobscot river than it is to any place on the Kennebec river. we entreat your Honors
9
OF NEWPORT, MAINE
that you will annex us wholly to the County of Hancock, and as in duty bound will ever pray."
This petition received favorable consideration and finally, on the fourteenth day of June, 1814, Newport became an incorporated town.
The warrant for the first town meeting was issued by Simeon Stetson, a Justice of the Peace living in the town of Hampden, and read as follows:
"To Benjamin Shaw, Esq., of Newport in the County of Hancock. Greeting: You are hereby requested in the name of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to summon and notify the free holders and other inhabitants of said town qualified by law to vote in town meetings, viz :- such as pay to one single tax beside the poll or polls a sum equal to two-thirds of a single poll tax, to assemble at your own dwelling house in said Town on Monday the fifth day of September next, at ten of the Clock in the forenoon, to act on the following Articles, viz :
Article t To choose a Moderator to govern said meeting.
2 To choose a Town Clerk.
3 To choose three, five, seven or nine suitable and discreet persons of good conversation, inhal- itants of the town, to be Selectmen.
4 Overseers of the poor, any number not exceeding twelve.
5
A suitable person to be Treasurer.
6 Three or more suitable persons to be Assessors of taxes.
7
A meet person to be Constable.
8 A meet person or persons to be Collector of taxes. Two or more suitable persons to be Surveyors of highways.
" 10 One or more suitable persons to be surveyors and measurers of boards, planks, timber and slit wood.
One or more suitable persons for viewers and cullars of staves and hoops.
12 'Two or more discreet and judicious persons, being inhabitants of the town, for Fence viewers.
-
10
A BRIEF HISTORY
.. 13 Two or more suitable persons to be Tythingmen.
.. 14 Two or more persons for Hog reeves.
..
15 A suitable person for Pound Keeper.
.. 16 Two or more persons for field drivers.
17 To see if the town will direct in what way and method town meetings shall be warned in future. Hereof fail not and make due return of this warrant with your doings into the clerk's office at the said day and meeting.
Dated at Hampden, this the sixteenth day of August in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and fourteen.
(Signed ) SIMEON STETSON, Justice of the Peace." The return on the warrant read as follows:
"Newport, Sept. 5, 1814.
In obedience to the within warrant I have notified the inhab- itants as within directed.
( Signed ) BENJAMIN SHAW."
Agreeably to this call the town meeting was duly held and the following officers were elected-Moderator. James Foot- man ; Town Clerk. Benjamin Shaw ; Selectmen. Assessors and Overseers of Poor, Jethro Sanborn, William Martin and Sam- uel Hayden ; Treasurer, William Martin; Collector and Con- stable, Jesse Rowe. The remaining offices were all filled and it was voted that future town meetings be notified by posting two warrants, one in the Mill District at the mill, and one at Samuel Hayden's, at North Newport. The second town meet- ing was held at Mr. Hayden's dwelling house on Sept. 23rd of the same year, at which it was voted that the selectmen, to- gether with James Footman and Benjamin Shaw, be a com- mittee to lay out town roads; it was also voted "That if any labour is done on the roads where they may be hereafter ac- cepted, those who do the same shall have pay for it at the apprisal of the surveyors." William Martin, John Ireland. Daniel Bicknell, Jethro Sanborn and Jesse Rowe were selected as a committee to divide the town into road and school districts. It was voted to accept a road commencing at Thomas Steward's in the southwest corner of lot No. 7 in the Fifth Range, thence running west to Sandy Point; from thence in the best direction around the Pond to the east bank of the northwest inlet, a dis- tance of about two miles. This is the first record of a road
11
OF NEWPORT, MAINE
. within the town, although doubtless some others had already been laid out. It was voted that the selectmen be a committee of safety for the purpose of procuring arms and ammunition at the expense of the town and "that all reasonable charges therefor be paid by the treasurer." The third town meeting was held at the house of Isaac Lawrence in the east part of the town on Nov. 5th of the same year, at which action was had in relation to laying out other roads.
The fourth town meeting was held at the home of William Martin in the Mill District on Monday, the sixth day of March, 1815, and this one appears to have been the commencement of our annual town meetings as regards the time of hokling the meetings. The first town meeting for the election of Common- wealth officers was held April 3rd, 1815, when 68 votes were thrown for Governor; Samuel Dexter receiving 58 and Caleb Strong 10. At this meeting the town was divided into six school districts, the same to be highway districts, and agents were appointed as follows: Jesse Miles in No. 1; Iphidiah Ring in No. 2; Reuben Dennett in No. 3; James Gordon in No. 4; Isaac Burnett in No. 5, and Sylvanus Whiting in No. 6. It was decided to build a bridge across the northwest inlet at an expense of three hundred dollars. The sum of $1.500 was voted for highways (a very large amount for those days), $300 for schools and $too for town charges.
For many years after Newport became a town it was the practice to hold the annual town meeting for the election of town officers, in the month of March or April, when the quali- fication for voting required that the voter should pay a single property tax equal to two-thirds of the poll tax. Then the annual meeting for the election of state and county officers would be held at another time in the month of April, when the qualification was that the voter should have a freehold estate of the annual income of three pounds, or any estate of the value of sixty pounds. The April meeting for the election of Com- monmealth and county officers in the year 1815 was held at the home of Samuel Hayden in North Newport. The September town meeting of the same year at the dwelling of Daniel Stuart in the west part of the town. It was customary to hold two
H
12
A BRIEF HISTORY
town meetings each year for the consideration of town affairs, and the place for holding these meetings was changed from one section of the town to another to convenience the voters. In November, 1816, a special town meeting was held at the school house in district No. 2 to see about raising money for the repair of a county road ; the sum of $60 was raised for that purpose and a committee was appointed "to see to it that the money was not wasted." This same year a committee of nine was ap- pointed (three for each section of the town) to select and buy for the town such lots of land as they should agree upon for burying grounds; one and one-half acres for the Mill District. and one-half acre for each of the other two districts. No defi- nite action was taken on burying grounds until seven years later (1823) when the town voted to accept the report of the com- mittee and purchase one-half acre of land of Nathaniel Stuart, for the sum of $25. and one-half acre of Daniel Stuart, next to the school house lot in Dist. No. 2, for the sum of $30. Nathan- iel Stuart came here from Kingston, N. 11., in 1812, and located the Stuart farm on the Dexter road. Daniel Stuart, also of Kingston, came here in the year 18to and located on the east side of the river in the Mill District ; he purchased a large tract of land on the east side and built a log house on the site of what was afterwards the Buswell place, now the home of Dr. Hawthorne; subsequently he erected a frame dwelling that was the pride of the town for many years thereafter. The first school house had been built on the Wilson hill, directly opposite the present residence of W. S. Townsend, Esq., and before this (about the year 1813) a school was taught by one Daniel Veasey in the cellar kitchen of 'Squire Shaw's house, for which Mr. Veasey received the sum of Sto for teaching twenty six cre- nings, 'Squire Shaw giving the space and furnishing the fuel for warming the same. The school house lot in Dist. No. ?. above referred to, together with the burying ground lot of one- half acre mentioned, is situated on Elm Street, next south of the railroad tracks ; the cemetery has long since been abandoned as a burying ground, while the old school building was changed over into a dwelling house that stands next beyond the old com- etery.
13
OF NEWPORT, MAINE
The first recorded marriage in town was performed by 'Squire Shaw at his residence in the Mill District, the contracting par- ties being James Clark and Miss Polly Lawrence. In 1818 a notable event happened in town, on Saturday the 14th of No- vember, Caleb Shaw, a brother to 'Squire Benjamin, arrived in a wheeled vehicle from Bangor ; this was the first wagon drawn by a horse ever seen in town, and it produced quite a sensation as it drew up to the store and post-office, near the upper bridge. After a stay of a few days with his brother Benjamin, Caleb drove through to the Kennebec; this being the first wheeled vehicle known to have been driven from the Penobscot to the Kennebec. At that time 'Squire Shaw owned nearly all the land westerly from the river to Palmyra town line, including the principal portion of the present village. To pay for this large tract of land he borrowed money from his nephew. Ben- jamin Shaw of Savannah, Georgia,-afterward of Palmyra and Newport,-and also borrowed from John Wilson of Brentwood. N. HI. In the settlement of this loan, John Wilson took several hundred acres of land in payment, moved to Newport in ISIS. and built the large square house on the hill, where E. J. Soper afterwards lived, already mentioned as the residence of W. S. Townsend at the present time.
Mr. Wilson was a surveyor and a school master ; as a sur- veyor he laid out many of the streets of the west side of the village. Another large tract of the present village site was taken over by Benjamin Shaw in payment of the loan to hi- uncle. 'Squire Benjamin. The latter was a very prominent man in his day; was elected delegate to the constitutional con- vention that drafted the constitution of our state, and was the representative from this town to the first session of the Maine Legislature, at Portland.
As an illustration of the scarcity of money in those days. the following is copied from the town records of the annual meet- ing held in 1821 : "Voted, to pay all the expenses of the present year (state and county tax excepted) in corn and grain, and to allow six shillings per bushel for corn and rye and nine shilling. per bushel for wheat." After more deliberation and discussion. it was voted to reconsider the above vote, and "to allow ons
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14
A BRIEF HISTORY
dollar per bushel for wheat and four shillings per bushel for corn and rye, and that corn and grain shall be paid into the treasury on or before the first day of February, next, and the treasurer is to keep the bills till that time, after which all delin quent persons are to pay in cash." At this same meeting ( 1821 ) it was voted "that Gideon Leavitt, Benjamin Wilson and Josiah Hook be a committee to examine school masters and school mistresses," and they were sworn accordingly. This seems to have been the commencement of our present system of electing a school committee. In this same year it was voted to discon inte the use of gates and bars across the public roads. In the year 1825 it was voted "that no creatures shall be allowed to go at large on the public highways for the year ensuing."
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