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HISTORY Of PORTER
Gc 974.102 P831t 1225571
M. L
GENEALOGY COLLECTION
1
ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 01093 0110
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Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2019
https://archive.org/details/historyofporterb00tegw
C
HISTORY of PORTER
By
WILLIAM TEG
Illustrated with Photographs
FIRST EDITION
Published by the Parsonsfield-Porter Historical Society, Kezar Falls, Maine Printed in the United States of America
i
Copyright 1957 by the Parsonsfield-Porter Historical Society, Inc.
İ1
1225571
DEDICATION
To the descendants of the heroic men and women who subdued the primeval wilderness of Porter, this history is respectfully inscribed.
iii
BROWNFIELD
WHALE'S BACK
PINE HILL>
EATON
S:H.
13th DIS.
S.H.
.c
WEST BRANCH
S.HIS
9th/DIS.
8th DIS.
Ilth DIS.
DEVILS DEN
S.H
6th DIS.
BALD
RATTLESNAKE MTN\/
JAYBIRD POND
Z W 3
CHALK POND
S.H
FOX HILL
TRAFTON POND
S.H.
5th DIS.
0
CHAPMAN POND
HIRAM
STANLEY
POND
FREEDOM
S.H. 2nd DIS.
SPECACLE
MEETING HOUSE9
S.H.
RIDLON BROOK
S.H.
12th DIS.
.
10th DIS.
AO LIBBY HILL IS
MILL
(BALD ) FACE
S.H.
SOUTH
MINE MTN\\//
INDIAN SPRING
0
MINE POND
S.H.
PORTER
PLAIN POND
RIVER
INDIAN GLEN
COVERED BRIDGE
PARSONSFIELD
GREAT
OSSIPEE
TOWN OF PORTER
"S. H" INDICATES SITES OF THE 13 DISTRICT SCHOOLS (1869~1879)
BROKEN LINES REPRESENT ABANDONDED ROADS (1956) FIRST COUNTY ROAD MARKED BY STARS BURIAL GROUNDS BY SQUARES [
Map sketched by William Teg
iv
COLCORD POND
STACY
HILL
S.H.
7th DIS ..
3ra DIS.
0
BICKFORD POND
0
PONDS
HUBBARD POND
BROOK
4m DIS.
HIRAM
KEZAR
FALLS
·VILLAGE Ist DIS.
S.H.
LEDGE
CONTENTS
Dedication
Map of Porter Illustrations
vii ix
Introduction
Author's Preface
X111 Xiv
I. Formative Years (1781-1807)
II. First Settlers
15
III. A Town is Born
29
IV. Growth and Development -
32
V. Early Church Organizations
38 44
VII. The Great Rattlesnake Hunt
47
VIII. The Ox (poem)
49
IX. Porter in the Wars
52
X. Woman's Place in the History of Porter
56
XI. Hunting and Fishing
60
XII. Mineral Resources
65
XIII. Walks and Talks
69
The Old Stone Fence (poem)
74
XIV. The Church
77
1 XV. First Great Pageant and Celebration
90
XVI. Associations
100
XVII. Music and Musicians 117
XVIII. Natural Landmarks (elevations) 121
XIX. Agriculture 125
XX. Successful Farmers of the Past 133
V
Den la perd $20,00
iii
Acknowledgements
1
VI. Postmasters: Porter Village and Kezar Falls
XXI. Nonagenarians
136
XXII. Who was doing What in 1856
138
XXIII. Business Places of 50 Years Ago 139
XXIV. Who is doing What in 1956
142
XXV. Obituaries
147
XXVI. District Schools
197
Reminiscences of School Days (poem)
209
XXVII.
Parsonsfield-Porter Historical Society
213
XVIII. Donations and their Contributors
218
XXIX.
Private and Communal Burial Grounds
226
XXX. Baseball and other Sports (by George W. French) 283
XXXI. Concluding Thoughts 306
vi
ILLUSTRATIONS
Kezar Falls from Libby Hill (Baldface) 8
Kezar Falls Covered Bridge 22
Porter-Parsonsfield Covered Bridge 24
Norton Hill Schoolhouse 34
Porterfield (Lord) Schoolhouse
34
Colcord Lake
36
Ruins of one of Porter's first sawmills
36
Early Elders 40
Old Riverside Methodist Church
43
Interior of Ridlon's Store
43
Porter Village Street
45
Porter Old Post Office
45
Five Generation Group
57
South Hiram Schoolhouse
57
Bickford Pond
62
Cornshop Workers around 1900
62
Porter Old Meeting House
80
Porter Old Meeting House (Interior)
80
House of Representatives Group
92
Ossipee Lodge, K. of P. 102
Kezar Falls Cornet Band
118
View of Porter Hills from West Pond
122
Town Pump in 1904 126
Cole Schoolhouse 126
Spectacle Pond from Fox Ridge
134
Baldface (Libby Hill) from Woolen Mill 134
Kezar Falls Woolen Mill 140
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Allen Garner in auto 140
Center Schoolhouse 144
Center School (Interior) 144
School Group in District 4 200
207
Rand School
207
Porterfield (Lord) School Group
208
Center School (Interior)
Head of Pond Schoolhouse 208
214
Historical Society Officials
216
Historical Society Building
230
The Porter Pound
230
The Corn Shop
241
Stephen Libby Gravestone
24
Kezar Falls Baseball Team of 1903
284
Kezar Falls Baseball Team of 1888
285
South Hiram Baseball Team of 1897
285
Kezar Falls Baseball Team of 1908
288
Kezar Falls Baseball Team of 1921
288
Kezar Falls Baseball Team of 1921
289
Kezar Falls Baseball Team of Early 1930's 289
Kezar Falls Baseball Team of 1935
290
Kezar Falls Legion Team, 1948 292
Porter Grange (Women's Group) 310
Sketch of Stacy Schoolhouse
313
Fulton Davis Barber Shop
313
Devil's Den Mountain
314
Mill Schoolhouse
The photos, with certain exceptions, were prepared by Mr. George French, either from his own negatives, or from his copies of old photographs.
viii
INTRODUCTION
Only a person of indomitable perseverance, experience as a writer, fondness for hiking and exploring, and devoted to a cause, could have acquired and assembled the almost endless records and statistics involved in the preparation of this labor of love, but Dr. William Teg has done it.
Shortly after the founding of the Parsonsfield-Porter Historical Society in 1946 by Mrs. Ina Emery, supported by a group of unusu- ally co-operative personnel, one of the big tasks that she visualized was that of preparing an up-to-date history of Porter, and, fortun- ately, we had among our members just the right man for the task, Dr. Teg, who had already proven his effectiveness as a writer by producing a history of Hiram, and a prodigious work of historical character, Almuchicoitt, a book involving twenty-seven years of re- search work.
Dr. Teg's love of the great out-of-doors has served as a stimulant, I am sure, in his search for historical lore throughout the hills and dales of old Porter, for he has not been satisfied with simply con- sulting written matter and people, he has chosen also, to get the feel of his subject, so to speak, and that could be accomplished only by seeing it from the Great Ossipee River on the south to the Brown- field line on the north; from the Hiram line on the east to the New Hampshire border on the west.
There is something pathetic about the hidden graveyards, the half- filled cellars, the abandoned roads, the tumbling stone walls, the still visible foundations of schoolhouses of long ago, and the same little brooks that our forefathers converted to power for running many a saw and gristmill now sweeping down through yawning gaps in formerly useful mill dams. Pathetic, maybe, yet typical of many a rural town. Viewed from the angle of the statistician, this might mean lack of progress, but the philosophic historian treats it
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as a way of life. He sees in these relics of days departed what were once stepping stones to progress. He feels a sort of reverence for those hardy pioneers who never enjoyed the privilege of listening to the radio; nor of watching a TV miracle; nor of being carried along over their rough roads on rubber tires.
He reasons that those good people got just as much out of life as their great, great grandchildren of the present generation and some years before the turn of the century. They were builders of the future and in that realization they plied their daily labors, and were happy.
What we now are accustomed to speak of as relics of bygone days are really stepping-stones from the days of those who realized their happiness from their labors to the present era of greater leisure. It all illustrates the way of life.
We may well look upon the old landmarks with pride and say "that's where our ancestors laid the foundation of today's easier way of life for us." Shall we call it a Labor of Love? Certainly! So let us forget that adjective "pathetic" and use the more appropriate word, "inspiring."
A beautiful section of Maine throughout the four seasons - with its three "gems of the hills," Colcord, Bickford and Stanley Ponds; with its spectacular elevations, such as Baldface, Burnt Meadow, Devil's Den, Rattlesnake, Pine Hill, Bald Ledge and Whale's Back; with its popular picnic spot at Indian Glen, and with the Great Ossipee River skirting its southern border, our town, Porter, includ- ing a portion of the thrifty village of Kezar Falls, represents a seg- ment of our grand American Heritage of which we may well be proud.
We bow in reverence to the memory of those far-sighted, tireless, God-fearing ancestors of ours, who chose to cast their lots here and hew a living from the wilderness, who laid out the old roads and built the amazing stone walls that run hither and yon across the rugged terrain, who added beauty to these works by planting the trees that in later years were and still are a joy to behold; who gave us such treasured heritages as the old covered bridge; the Porter Old Meeting House, and the unique old cattle pound - historical pos- sessions that are worthy of our most loyal efforts to preserve.
There must always be a conclusion to one's flow of thoughts on
X
any subject and so it is in the present instance. However, I must express here just a few more that are worthy of a mightier pen than mine, and one is this: We are truly fortunate in having as a leader in our work of creating a lasting interest in the history of our town and of preserving every form of documentary evidence and piece of historical data obtainable, such a tireless, devoted worker as our President, Mrs. Emery, ably assisted by a loyal staff of co-workers, many of whom are the kind that make a success of any worthy project.
To start from scratch as they did ten years ago, and inside of nine years save enough to buy a real home for the Society was an accom- plishment not easily excelled anywhere. Aside from the returns from dues and a $100 donation by a real friend of all worthy causes, Mrs. William Garner, this was effected the hard way - by sales of pictured plates, stationery, aprons made by the members, calendars, post cards, books, auctions made possible by the donations of friends, and by annual contributions collected at services held in the old Meeting House.
The second thought still waiting for expression has to do with more about the author of this work, Dr. Teg.
It is all very well to say, "Well done, good friend," but that comes far short of telling the story of our appreciation. Nor does it in any way cover the matter of the work involved. The prepara- tion and arranging of the data herein was a stupendous job, con- suming hours, days and years of valuable time.
True, Dr. Teg, the meanwhile produced his Vikings and Vaga- bonds, chiefly an autobiography, and yet dealing with people and places that have made history. He has also found time to do con- siderable prospecting in several sections of York and Oxford coun- ties, and is fast becoming a real celebrity because of his knowledge of archeology, anthropology, geology and paleography, and his ever- ready willingness to respond to requests for his services. Neverthe- less, no one can read this historical book without realizing some- thing about the vast amount of work involved in its production.
Should you like to know more about this man who has given of himself, his time and his ability as a searcher after facts, a quotation from the publisher of his recent book, Vikings and Vagabonds, will enlighten you. Quote: "Dr. Wm. Teg has traveled extensively in
X1
his research work in history and natural history. He has majored in theology and several foreign languages, including Old Norse. His study of biology led to a doctorate in physiological therapeutics (Chicago, Ill.) and Doctor of Osteopathy (New York)." And I might add, he studied commercial telegraphy at Fargo, N. D. when he was sixteen; taught anatomy and physiology in New York City at the age of twenty-six, served with the A. E. F. in France in the first World War - as a stretcher-bearer in the ambulance corps, and as a nurse in the field hospital. Since his return to his native land in our U. S. A., he has taught physical education at various therapeutic institutes in New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania. Furthermore, he gives the Dickson School of Memory (Chicago) the greatest credit for his success - his subsequent study of the his- tory of music and musicians at the National Academy of Music (Chicago) further enhanced his enjoyment of travel and research.
"He profits most who serves the best" is an adage that is fitly exemplified by the author of this book, and by the active members of the Parsonsfield-Porter Historical Society. It was exemplified long ago by those undaunted pioneers who chose the rugged hills and vales of old Porter for laying the foundation of their future heritage to us.
May we always keep the faith and honor their memory by respect- ing their accomplishments, and by gratefully carrying on.
GEORGE FRENCH
xii
AUTHOR'S PREFACE
The history of any community requires from time to time to be re-written, inasmuch as mankind is constantly on the march. The writer's original intention was to pick up the thread of history where his predecessor, Hon. Thomas Moulton, had laid it down in 1879, but a subsequent thought persuaded him to adopt a better plan; namely, to start at the very beginning.
It was George Kezar, a native of Canterbury, N. H., who revealed to the Libbys of Pittsfield, N. H., the potential wealth of the region which eventually became known as the town of Porter.
The writer has endeavored to delineate the leading events pertin- ent to Porter from 1781 to 1957. How he has performed his task, he must leave it to the public to judge. Suffice it to say, whatever the verdict might be, he has already been adequately compensated for his efforts through the pleasures enjoyed and the knowledge acquired amongst his fellow countrymen in a land so richly endowed with peace and scenic grandeur!
WILLIAM TEG "Solitude," Hiram, Maine. Sept. 28, 1956
X111
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The author desires to acknowledge his great indebtedness to the following persons for their having made available certain material of historic importance, thus augmenting our scope of information respecting the town of Porter.
Mrs. Ina N. Emery, Mr. George W. French, Miss Amanda Fox, Miss Mar- garet Strout, Mr. Preston J. Stanley, Mrs. Raymond Garland, Rev. Henry O. Megert, Hon. Sidney R. Batchelder, Mr. R. Ven Smith, Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Blazo, Mrs. Levi L. Cook, Mr. Perley A. Cross, Mr. and Mrs. Eugene C. Quint, Mr. Whitman Day, Mr. Arthur A. Allard, Mr. and Mrs. Hans Bergendal, Mr. Arthur A. Gilman, Mrs. Horace Day, Mrs. Mildred Gould Spring, Miss Edith L. Gillmor, Mr. Jesse Gilpatrick, Mr. Harvey L. Pendexter, Mrs. Arthur E. Wiggin, Mrs. William Teg, Mrs. Evelyn M. Watkins, Miss Ruth West, Mr. Frank E. Holmes, Mr. Sewell H. MacDaniel, Mr. Lewis Thompson, Mrs. Helen F. Merrifield, Mrs. Flora Nason, Mrs. Edith Smith, Mrs. Frank E. Holmes, Mr. Frank Littlefield, Mr. Rinardo Giovanella, Mrs. Henri Raffy, Mr. Frank Roberts, Mr. Clarence Turner, Mr. Ray T. Wallace, Mr. Peter Joyce - and last, but not least, all those who have so generously contributed to the Society's collection of antiques and other material pertaining to the "good old days" of Porter and Parsonsfield.
xiv
I
FORMATIVE YEARS
Formative Years
(1781 - 1807)
OCTOBER 19, 1781 marks a momentous event in the annals of Amer- ican history - the British surrender by Cornwallis at Yorktown, Virginia. Prior to this time, all the thirteen colonies had virtually been "debatable land." The contestants involved in this contro- versial issue were the aborigines (Amerinds), the colonists, the French, and, the British. The Battle of Yorktown - the final en- gagement of the Revolution, had eliminated the last barrier (British domination) to American independence and freedom. That this epoch-making news brought about great rejoicing throughout the colonies is understandable. The resultant reaction everywhere was a new and brighter outlook on the future.
Our story chiefly concerns itself with one small section of New England; a densely wooded area situated amongst the foothills of the White Mountains. This tract, which ultimately became known as the town of Porter, was first settled by the Libbys of Pittsfield, New Hampshire. Meshach Libby (born about 1750), the eldest child of John and wife, ? Libby, must have been the most venture- some member of the family, inasmuch as he volunteered to become the forerunner - to go, unaccompanied, into the wilderness of Maine to establish a home for himself and his kin. To play the part of a pioneer in any field of endeavor naturally calls for an extraordinary degree of courage and resourcefulness!
Meshach Libby's departure for the District of Maine took place a few weeks after the cessation of hostilities - news traveled slowly in those days. He had his mind set on reaching destination at the earliest possible moment. The distance, although not great - some 60 miles, would take several days of steady travel to cover as the
2
HISTORY OF PORTER
country to be traversed had only bad roads and rough trails to offer the wayfarer.
It was on a crisp morning in the early part of November, 1781, that Meshach set out on horseback, first heading directly for the Moose Mountains where he would come upon the Pennacook Trail which he would follow to Ossipee Lake, thence by the Ossipee Trail to destination.
There were few bridges along Mashach's route - most of the streams, especially the small watercourses, had to be forded. Both the Pennacook and the Ossipee Trails were ancient thoroughfares, dating from prehistoric times, and had been in constant use by the Algonquins of the Eastern Woodlands. The Pennacook Trail, be- tween Salmon Falls and Effingham Falls, had been widened to per- mit the use of vehicles, but the Ossipee Trail, between Effingham Falls and Cornish, was in a state of disrepair.
Effingham Falls was a thriving community at that particular period, thanks to the Iron Works situated on the Great Ossipee River. The ore worked at this smelting establishment came from the nearby bog iron deposits in Berry Bay, Leavitt Bay and at the mouth of Red Brook in Ossipee Lake. The water of the falls supplied the neces- sary power to motivate the blast furnace and the 500-pound hammer.
Having forded the Great Ossipee at Effingham Falls, Mashach guided his horse onto the partly overgrown Trail; probably more neglected then than it was on a certain day in the late autumn of 1676 when several companies of English soldiers marched up the trail to the Indian village on Ossipee Lake bent upon destroying the stockaded fort!
The present town of Freedom was yet "unborn" - a wilderness known only to the hunter and the trapper; first designated as "North Effingham" when it was incorporated in 1831, later changed to Freedom.
Being versed in woodcraft, Mashach experienced little difficulty in ascertaining his position at any particular place or period. At the present instance, the very moment he espied the waters of the Great Ossipee on his right he knew that he was about to cross the boundary between New Hampshire and the District of Maine - the scene of his future operations lay just ahead !.
3
FORMATIVE YEARS
We are led to infer - this from circumstances alone, that Meshach spent his first night in Porter near the Falls. The name Kezar Falls is derived from the fact that the famous hunter and trapper, George Kezar of Parsonsfield, made frequent use of the Indian foot-bridge that "spanned" the Great Ossipee River at this point. By the way, an Indian foot-bridge was a simple affair; consisting of a number of boulders placed in a zigzag arrangement across the shallow bed of the stream. By some pre-arrangement, Mashach had been advised to "blow his horn" upon his arrival at the Falls, but due to the late- ness of the hour - it was dusk, he decided to defer that "call" to the tomorrow's dawn. With this objective in view, he removed saddle, saddle-bags and blankets from his horse, and after hobbling the animal, turned it loose to graze beside the trail. Then, wrapped in a woolen blanket, he laid himself down to woo slumber. But sleep would not come to him. For several hours he lay awake thinking of home and those he had left behind him - his wife and four young children; his parents; his brothers and sisters. All of them would, however, become reunited in the very near future. To expedite the fulfillment of that reunion was an obligation of para- mount importance - that obligation was his, and his alone!
The first thing Meshach did at sunrise next day was to make a "moose call;" this he made of birch bark. He then gave a few vig- orous "blasts," and so realistically did it sound that one could easily have believed that any female moose within earshot would have promptly responded to the call! A reply came a few moments later; no, not from the throat of a moose, but from Kezar's horn. It would take the aged woodsman about half an hour to reach the Falls, as he lived two miles away up the river. Meanwhile, Meshach would have had his breakfast, saddled his horse and made himself ready to accompany Kezar into the primeval forest!
George Kezar was no ordinary person. That he was a great hunter and trapper is in itself an indication of his having been men- tally alert and physically strong. His field of activity embraced the country lying between the Ossipee Mountains and Kezar Lake and could therefore be relied upon for any information respecting this particular region. He knew every stream, pond, lake and bog; every hill and mountain had been his lookout! No wonder, then, that
4
HISTORY OF PORTER
Meshach wanted Kezar to be his guide.
The two woodsmen spent several days together roaming the path- less forests in search of a suitable place for a habitation. They finally came upon such a spot, about two miles directly north of the village of Porter. Since we have now become localized, it is im- perative that we make ourselves understood by employing the "place names" that we find on the present topographic map of the region - Kezar Falls Quadrangle. "Old timers" of Porter will find the year, 1875 - map of the Town of Porter of especial interest as it gives the name of the owner of every homestead - you'll find the map at the home of the Parsonsfield-Porter Historical Society.
The place chosen by Meshach is the one designated as "M. S. Moulton" on the old map of Porter, just referred to. Here, on gov- ernment land, he decided to stay, with a view to obtain title as soon as possible.
Meshach's immediate concern was to build a temporary shelter for himself and his faithful dobbin. His next move was to make a clearing, then start erecting a substantial dwelling and subsidiary buildings. About this main structure, Thomas Moulton writes: "The walls of the house, first occupied by my father" - originally built by Meshach Libby prior to 1783; farmstead sold to David Moulton, Thomas Moulton's father, in 1792 - "were made of nicely hewn pine timber, locked together at the corners. The house was of sufficient size for three rooms below. Above stairs were the dormitories for the bairns and occasional lodgers. The fire-place and lower part of the chimney were built of carefully selected stone, and the continuation sky-ward was constructed of sticks and clay mortar. This house was occupied as a dwelling until 1809, and afterward as a workshop, until about 1830, when it was torn down."
Meshach worked diligently at his carpentry every day, except on Lord's day, until a week before Christmas when an urge to visit his family in Pittsfield became too strong to resist. The inclemency of the weather contributed greatly toward this decision, besides his dwelling was partly completed; especially its exterior was finished, the rest could wait till next spring. Now he was homeward bound!
His return journey was accomplished without mishap, and the reunion a most happy one! That winter every member of the Libby
5
FORMATIVE YEARS
family had one thing in common - they all thought and spoke about the unspoiled country Meshach had "discovered" nestling near the White Mountains! Moreover, most of the townspeople found Meshach's enthusiasm quite contagious, and several of the more enterprising were inspired to adopt their compatriot's exemplary attitude and migrate!
However, when spring came, their warmth of emotion had greatly diminished - they would "wait and see" what success, if any, Meshach had with his "speculative enterprise" before embarking on a similar undertaking. Twelve years would elapse before any appreciable "exodus" from Pittsfield took place!
Meshach Libby, his wife, Deborah (nee Ely), and three of their four children, Sarah, Mary and Elsy, were the only ones that set out from Pittsfield that spring, in the year, 1782. Deborah rode horse- back, and Meshach drove the yoke of oxen that pulled the wagon loaded with furniture and supplies - the three girls were supposed to ride on the wagon, but they much preferred to romp behind the rattling vehicle that crept onward at a snail's pace over the rutty roads! Incidentally, Meshach's trek to Maine was met with a prompt and hearty approval by his own parents; in this they were joined by their son, Stephen, who proposed an early journey. This trip was effected without any noteworthy incident a few weeks after Meshach's departure.
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