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Gc 974.102 In2a 1774682
M. L.
REYNOLDS HISTORICAL GENEALOGY COLLECTION
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ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 01187 1362
HISTORY
OF
Industry, Maine.
FROM THE FIRST SETTLEMENT IN 1791.
By William Allen.
SECOND EDITION,
Improved and Enlarged,
1869.
SKOWHEGAN, SMITH & EMERY. DPINTOR, 1960.
1184142 1 F .02
Allen, William, 1780-1873.
History of Industry. Maine. From the ih t settlement in 1791. By William Allen. 2d ed., improved and enl. 1-09. Skowhegan. Smith & Emery, printers, 1869.
IS p. 221em.
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&HELY CARD
1. Industry, Me .- Hist.
1-071
Library of Congress
F20.14A4
1774682
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Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2014
https://archive.org/details/historyofindustr00alle_0
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BOUNDARIES AND EXTENT.
The town of Industry in the county of Franklin in Maine, is about nine miles in length from north to south and averages about three miles in breadth. The form is quite irregular ; the central portion being nearly six miles wide. The town, with the additions made to it since the first incorporation, contains about twenty one thousand arres including water : there being a pond in the westerly part of the town of about six hundred acres.
The town is bounded on the west by Farmington. the shire town of the county, and New Vinyard, on the east by Auson and Starky and on the south and south west by New Sharon. It is situated ou the hight of land in a large enrve of the Sandy river and between that river and the Kennebec with generally a southern and westerly aspect. The streams rising in the town ri various courses ; one runs south westerly and enters Sandy river in the upper part of Farmington ; one from the pond at Allen's mills rans a sontherly course and enters Sandy river near the centre of New Sharon ; one considerable stream which passes through the village at West's mills and unites with a brauch below, runs a sontheasterly course by Saw- yer's mills to Sandy river at the easterly part of Starks. "Bannock Hill" is a noted promontory in the southerly part of the towu, so named by a surveying party under Hon. Judge North formerly of Augusta, who encamped on the north side of the hill in 1780 and baked there a bannock for their breakfast : On arriving at the pond they watered their pack horses and proposed the name of horse-pond, " but put a prefix to it and called it "Bull Horse Pond." a subsequent surveyor called it "Clear Water Pond.
Judge North by his survey made the south-west corner of what was called the Plymonth Patent ou a small beach tree (at the north west corner of Farmington) marked "K. 15 m" to denote that it was fifteen miles from the Kennebec river. Nine years afterwards af- ter the close of the war by a different construction of the grant of ~ the Plymouth Patent and by agreement with authorities of Massa- y chusetts, Samuel Titcomb a noted surveyor made the north-west cor- ner, eighty rods EAST of the north-east corner of Farmington and the boundary of the Plymouth Patent was thus established near the wes- terly side of the pond now called Clear Water Pond.
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The town was incorporated on the 20th of June 1803, and con- tained bnt abont thirteen thousand acres, consisting of what was called the remuant of the Plymouth Patent west of Starks, not exceed. ing nine thousand acres and the tract called the mile and a half strip or Lowell's tract abont four thousand acres. Additions were made from time to time from all the adjoining towns; First from New Sharon in 1813, by one large lot from the north corner of that town including the village at Allen's mills and part of the pond ; then in 1815, that part of New Vinyard called the gore, near two thous- and aeres. In 1822, one lot containing abont four hundred aeres was taken from Starks; in 1823 two lots were taken from Auson containing three hundred and twenty acres: In 1844 seven thous. and aeres were set off from New Vinyard and annexed to this town. The tide then turned and in 1850 three farms on the west part of the gore were set off and annexed to Farmington : and in 1852 about fifteen hundred acres were set off from the south point of the town and annexed to New Sharon.
Thus eight seperate acts of the Legislature have been passed to fix the boundaries of the town as in 1868.
LAND-TITLES.
The title to the sail and free hold of that part called the Plymouth Patent, was derived originally from a grant made by King James in 1629 to William Bradford and others of the Plymouth Council in England. The original grant is refered to as follows, to wit ;
, To all to whom these presents shall come, GREETING." "Where- as his late Majesty King James the first, for the advancement of a a Colony and Plantation in New England in America by his High- ness \ Letters Patent under the great seal of England, bearing date at Westminister, the third day of November in the eighteenth year of his Highness' reign of England &c., did grant unto the right Hou- orable Lodowick, late Lord Duke of Lewor, George, late Marquis of Buckingham, James, Marquis of Hamilton, Thomas, Earl of Arundle. Robert, Earl of Warwick, Sir. Ferdinando Georges Vint. and divers others whose names are expressed in the said letters patent and their successors, that they should be one body politie and corporate. perpetually, consisting of forty persons, that they should have per- petual succession and one common seal to serve for the said body ; and that they and their successors should be incorporated, called and known by the name of the Council established at Plymouth in the county of Decon, for the planting, ruling, ordering and governing New England in America. And further did also, grant unto the
HISTORY OF INDUSTRY.
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said President and Council, and their successors forever, under the restorations in the said Letters Patent expressed : all that part and portion of the said country called New England in America, situate, lying and being in breadth from from forty degrees of northerly lati- tude from the equinoctial line to forty eight degrees of the said northerly latitude inclusively, and in length of and in all the breadth aforesaid, throughout the Main lands from sea to sea. together, also with all the firm lands, soils, grounds, crooks, inlets, haveus, ports, seas, rivers, islands, waters, fishings, miues, minerals, precious stones, quarries, and all and singular the commodities and jurisdic- tions, both within the said tract of land lying upon the main, as also within the said Islands adjoining.
To have, hold, possess and enjoy the same unto the said Couneif and their successors and assigns forever, de. That said Council of Plymouth conveyed a tract of territory fifteen miles wide on each side of Kennebec river (being part of their grant ) to Antipas Boyd, . Thomas Brattle, Edward Tyug, and John Winslow in 1561,, four hundred pounds (about four cents and three mills an tere) who form ed a company by the name of .. The Proprietors of the Kennebec l'ur chase from the late Colony of New Plymouth ; and this company took possession of territory on the Kenueber thirty miles square exercised acts of ownership over large portions of it ; gave away some portion to settlers to encourage settlements and conveyed away portions to individual members of the company and to settlers from time to time obtained a grant from Massachusetts of a strip one mile and a half wide along their northern boundary thirty miles long. equal to one and one quarter of a township and of one township called Plym- outh six miles square, north of Moose Head Lake to compensate them for lands given to settlers. In the winter of 1816 they adver- tised and sold the remnants of their lands at public auction in Bos- ton and voted to dissolve their company. The settlers on the Patent. in Industry in various ways acquired their title from the last named Proprietors all being compelled to pay a high price.
That part of the strip, so-called, which is within the limits of this town, on a partition ordered by the S. J. Court, fell to Francis ('. Lowell, one of the Proprietors ; and all the settlers on this portion of the town derived their title from Mr. Lowell, who traced his title to the grant from Massachusetts.
Persons who had no property were induced to settle on the Patent, for the reason that no agent of the Proprietors attempted to pre- vent them and because at the time of the first settlement in this town the title of the proprietors had not been fully established and
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HISTORY OF INDUSTRY.
many thought they might gaiu a title by possession. The title to the strip was considered good and Capt. Peter West in 1803, an early settler, obtained from Mr. Lowell a deed of his mill lot by purchase, being the first settler in Industry who obtained a title to the land. The settlers on the strip then made an effort to purchase all Mr. Lowell's right, chose a committee of three, Capt. West, Dan- icl Luce and Sprowell Norton, who contracted with Mr. Lowell for the whole of his tract at $1,37 1-2 per acre. Capt. West had paid or contracted to pay a dollar an acre for the mill lot 200 acres. The committee expected to obtain $1.50 per acre of the settlers for selected lots which they imagined would pay for the whole tract so that they would get the poor lots for nothing or as a compensation for their services. They were disappointed in their expectations .- It was not in the power of one of the settlers to raise the money when it became due to Mr. Lowell ; but by the aid of some friend. and the forbearance of Mr. Lowell, four or five obtained deeds of a lot or half a lot ; independent of the contract with the committee. After in vaiu attempting to enforce the contract against the commit- tee, Mr. Lowell obtained what he could, and then let them off' and sold for the most he could get : from seventy five cents to a dollar and fifty cents, and in the course of twenty years his title was extinguish- ed. Insome cases with cost to himself as well as cost to the settlers. Capt. West was worth more than any other settler in town when he undertook the agency on the committee, and instead of making mou- ey by the purchase he was driven into the verge of bankruptcy. Mr. Inee was in moderate circumstances. By the assistance of a broth- er he obtained a deed of his lot and Mr. Norton was a young man without property and to avoid trouble and cost, left the country.
PLYMOUTH PATENT OPPOSITION.
Much opposition was made in different places within the limits of the Plymouth Patent in several towns to what was considered the unjust or exorbitant demands of the Proprietors. The settlers in some places disputed the right of the proprietors. In some cases the Proprietors claimed not only the right to the soil but also, claim- ed a right to the buildings thereou and improvements of the settlers.
Altercations and lawsuits were common among the older settlers in Kennebec and Lincoln counties. Many settlers had served their country faithfully in the war of the Revolution and were turned off without compensation and from necessity took possession of wild land wherever they could find a lot unoccupied and iu a state of na- ture ; as they were permitted and invited to do, on land of the State. some of the Proprietors of the Plymouth claim were Englishmen, and some were fories who fled from the country during the war, and in a moral and equitable sense had forfeited their estates : and although the S. J. Court had inclined to establish their title; the decisions and judgment of the Court were submitted to with reluct- ance. They produced much excitement and some outrages. These
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HISTORY OF INDUSTRY.
proceedings at length became so general that the Legislature deem- ed it prudent to interfere and passed a Resolve authorizing the ap- pointment of Commissioners for quieting cach settler on lands of the Proprietors of the Kennebec Purchase in his possession and title to one hundred acres laid out so as to be least injurious to adjoining lauds and so as to include his improvements at such prices as they should ofer. Creocan't
COMMISSIONERS.
Hlou. Peleg Coffin, State Treasurer (a decendant of Sir Thomas Coffin, the original Proprietor of the Island of Nantucket, whose de- cendants down to the time of the Revolution exacted quit rents of all purchasers of real estate out of the family line ; of a hundred pounds of beef or pork or other equivalent annually with high aristavcratic notions) was appointed chairman. Hou. Elijah Bridgham, a Justice of the C. C. Pleas and Col. Thomas Dwight of Northampton associ- ates, all being of the old school puritans of strict nubending integri- ty, of the patrician grade, with infeasible opinions as to the rights of free holders ; with no sympathy for trespassers or squatters as the settlers were called.
The selection of these Commissioners was very unfortunate for the settlers. They had no personal knowledge of the soil they were to appraise, and had no covception of the hardships aad privation of the settlers by whose hard labor not only the lands they ocenpied, but all in the vicinity had been made available and accessible by im- provements and roads ; uor of the impossibility of raising money from the produce of the soil or from their labor to pay the price demanded by the Proprietors.
They were required to repair to Maine and examine the territory, hear the parties and to state the terms and price to be paid by each settler who had been in possession of the land during one year or more.
The Commissioners came to Augusta in October 1802. and with- out seeing a single lot to be by them appraised, as appraisers on ex- cention are required to do ; - they gave notice to all persons inter- ested to meet them at that place to submit their cases to be heard. But a very few in this town could proenre funds to defray the ex- pense of a journey to Angusta, and twenty settlers were able to raise funds in money and grain to pay an agent's expenses to go for them, and Capt. William Allen went as their agent. One settler handed him one silver dollar which was all the money he got from them to defray expenses. He submitted their cases in due form. As some
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HISTORY OF INDUSTRY.
question was raised about my right to be heard, I attended personal_ ly, found a large crowd about the door at Thomas' Tavern at Au- gusta, and after waiting some time I was admitted without the aid of counsel or witness. I was met by C. Vaughan, Esq., the Agent of the Proprietors (who was assisted by Hon. James Bridge, an eminent Counsellor. and Ruel Williams, a young lawyer, with witnesses to testify for the Proprietors) with an objection as to my age and hav- ing no family. I satisfied them that I was of age ; they still object- ed that I had not been in possession and of age one year at the time of the passage of the Resolve in the case ; and after consuming about all the time that could be allowed to any one, which was lim- ited to half an hour, the Commissioners decided to take cognizance of my case ; and I retired relying on the honor of the Commissioners to do me justice, urging them to affix no higher price than was paid for lands in the adjoining towns purchased of the State ; at from fif- ty cents to a dollar : where the land was of a better quality than mine. In Farmington a much better town, the State affixed the price at five dollars for one hundred acres to the first twenty settlers : I was one of the first twenty on this traet.
We were grevionsly disappointed with the appraisal, which was from one hundred and twenty five dollars to two hundred and twen- ty tive for a hundred acres and that with back interest and to be paid in Boston in a limited time with interest : and then the agent demanded two dollars more for each deed and payment in specic or Boston bills.
The Commissioners made their appraisal from the appearance of a few fertile spots or gardens on the "beautiful Kennebec," and were faring sumptuously at Thomas' well furnished table. They were not aware of the stubborn nature of the soil in Industry nor of the absolute poverty of the settlers who often had to live on bread alone for days, and sometimes to make a dinner of herbs ; I was per- mitted to see roast beef on their table at Thomas' but was not able to pay for a dinner with them and made my dinner on hard biscuit procured at a store for ONE CENT.
Thirty-one settlers submitted their claims to the Commissioners. all were greatly disappointed with the appraisal and only eleven of this number by the aid of friends were able to make payment accord- ing to the appraisal and not more than six from their own resources. Some of these had to sell every animal of stock they had to do it .- Ten others prevailed on friends to advance the money for them and take the deeds for their security and to give them time to purchase
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HISTORY OF INDUSTRY.
of them or redeem their mortgages : The other ten abandoned their . possessions and left the town. An age elapsed before the title of the Proprietors of non- proprietors was extinguished.
Appraisals if made by a Jury twenty years afterwards would not have exceeded one dollar and twenty-five cents an acre on an aver- age. My lot cost me two hundred and seven dollars and forty-two cents in 1801, this sum with annual interest would amount to more than four times the amount if appraised by a Jury in 1822. I was able by selling my oxen and all my grain and by appropriating my wages for teaching school, to raise the necessary sum within ten dol- lars and Elijah Fairbanks of Winthrop voluntarily lent me that sum to complete the payment. I then took took a receipt of the Treasur- er and demanded my deed but it was refused for some time till I paid the two dollars required by the agent end took a decd without warranty. But to give credit to the Agent, C. Vaughan, Esq., he afterwards put profitable business into my hands. and through his agency I made a purchsac of a large tract from which I realized several thousand dollars, net profit in 1811 to 1851.
When the Proprietors of the Kennebec Purchase sold the remnants of their land in Industry at auction, in 1816, some lots were struck off' as low as fifteen cents an aere.
NEW VINEYARD, ANSON AND NEW SHARON.
The title to those parts of these towns which have been annexed to Industry was derived from Massachusetts at a price varying from twenty five to seventy five cents an aere. The settlers on these tracts almost uniformly purchased their lands before removing to them ; generally being able to pay for their land and have some spare funds to pay for stock and to begin life on theirnew farms.
THE VINEYARD GORE LINES.
The tract called the gore was purchased of the land agent of Massachusetts in 1700 by Jonathan Knowlton. Ebenezer Norton Esq. of Farmington ; Corifilius Norton of Martha's Vineyard, each taking one quarter and by Abner Norton and Daniel Collins, one eighth cach ; During the winter following the parties procured a surveyor and proceeded to divide. They found it to be 560 rods in length and 180 rods wide, they explored it and run a line across from North to South, dividing into two equal parts and then, although the land on the southerly side was no better than that on the northerly side, a, the south side was nearest to the settlement at Sandy river, they all agreed to make the north sections larger than the others and that the dividing live should be run east and west from a beach tree two rode
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HISTORY OF INDUSTRY.
south of the center. Esq. Eben Norton making aud urging the proporsition and all on the spot agreed to draw lots for each quarter. Mr. Knowlton and C. Norton, drew the two north sections, E. Nor- ton the S. W. section and Collius and A. Norton, the south east section, all were satisfied but the one who designated the starting point who complained that Knowlton and C. Norton, had got too much ; their lots being four rods wider than the other two, that he, did not intend that their should be but two rods difference, but as all the others were satisfied the division was confirmed. However to pac- ify the complainant, they relinquished to him their right to pur- phases a fragment of good land adjoining the pond.
Mr. Knowlton stopped with us over night the next winter and amused us with his account of the purchase and division of the gore, spotted lines and explorations and mode of proceeding, reasons &o. We enquired of him why he called a square tract of land a gore? as we all had an impression that a gore was quite a different figure from a square. "Oh, he said, we always call any remnant of land be- tween two towns « gore. without regard to the shape." He remark- ed that in exploring a new route through the woods, the practice was always to go along the ridges of the hills as much as possible where the passage was not so much obstructed with under brush and fallen trees, as in the valleys. That the first route of a road from Winthrop to the Sandy river, passed over the highest hills between the two places in a crocked direction from one hill to another, that the route from the river near Esq. Belcher's to the gore in like manner was made by a spotted line from the top of the hill at the back one of the of the river lots along the highest ridge to the center of the gore where the road was bushed out and traveled (till Farmington was incorporated.) There was then no settlement on that route. a dis- tance of more than six miles.
FIRST SETTLERS.
The first settlement within the limits of what is now the town of Industry, was made on the gore. by Abner Norton and Daniel C'ol- lins, in Dec. 1791. The path from the river settlement was bashed out so that they could pass with a horse sted before the snow became deep ; and then, they went with snow shoes aud carried their corn to mill on hand sleds.
In the fall of 1792 my father settled within two miles of them on a route from the river to the westerly part of the Gore which was bush- ed out with a branch route to Collins'. Mr. Collins frequently called on us as he passed. He was a good talker and amused the boys with
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HISTORY OF INDUSTRY.
an account of his adventures by sca and laud, as well as in the woods, making sugar, &c. He and Mr. Norton were success ful farmers and both had large families, mostly daughters who intermarried in thi .. and other towns and their descendants form a very respectable por- tion of the community. Mr. Norton had but two . ons. The oldest became quite wealthy, and died in Farmington. respected for industry and integrity. One of Mr. Collins' sons. and also a son-in-law, be- came Methodists preachers and moved away. The parents of both families and most of their children were consistent church members. These parents were treated kindly by their children in then declining years and all lived to a good old age.
Cornelius Norton, Jr. commenced clearing land on the gere soon after Mr. Collins came, but being a single man, he did not make the place his home till the summer of 1791, when he married Margaret Belcher, daughter of S. Belcher, Esq., and commenced house keeping in his log house. Ilis father, Deacon Cornelius Norton, moved his family into a log house on the gore about the same time. He was Deacon of a Bap- tist church and a magistrate, sustained a good reputation as a peaccable, prudent man, had passed the meridian of life and from the infirmities of age was not able to do much work. He was exemplary and useful in sustaining religion, lived to old age. beloved and respected.
His son C. Norton, Jr. Esq., settled first on the north part of the lot a younger brother Ebenezer lived with his father about eight years then exchanged his situation, and Cornelius took the home place and had the care of his father's business in old age : he became an active member of society, an intelligent, judicious magistrate and town oficer, a worthy member of the Congregational Church, and died at the age of seventy- six years, transmitting his estate and reputation to his children. Ii., son, Clifford B. Norton inherits the homestead and has succeeded to the good name, fame and reputation of his father as a town officer and mag- istrate. He is also County Commissioner.
Ebenezer Norton was a pious, good man, a member of the Baptist Church, respected for industry, integrity and christian character. He died of the cold fever in 1814. The six daughters of Deacon Norton were esteemed among the foremost of the place. The oldest married at Holmes Hole. The others married in Farmington, and adjoining town .. and all settled respectably.
John and Ebenezer Oakes, stepsous of Mr. Knowlton. commenced on his quarter of the gore in 1792, built a convenient log house and spent the winter there single men.
Tristram Daggett, who had been a Revolutionary collier under Wash- ington, endured much suffering and received an honorable discharge ax follows, viz. :
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HISTORY OF INDUSTRY.
"By his Excellency George Washington, Esq., General and Commander- in-Chief of the forces of the United States of America.
"These certify that the bearer hereof, Tristram Daggett, soldier in "the Seventh Massachusetts Regiment, having faithfully served the "United States and being enlisted for the war only is hereby discharged "from the American Army.
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