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THE BICENTENNIAL OF NEW GLOUCESTER
I739-1939
Gc 974.102 N421b
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J ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY
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3 1833 02814 1809
Gc 974.102 N421b
The bicentennial of New Gloucester
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THE BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION OF NEW GLOUCESTER, MAINE
THE BICENTENNIAL OF
NEW GLOUCESTER
BEING AN ACCOUNT OF THE CELEBRATION OF THE TWO HUNDREDTH ANNIVERSARY OF THE COMING OF THE FIRST SETTLERS
1739
1939
PUBLISHED BY THE NEW GLOUCESTER, MAINE, HISTORICAL SOCIETY MCMXLV
Allen County Public Library 900 Webster Street PO Box 2270 Fort Wayne, IN 46801-2270
FOREWORD
I T IS a matter of much regret that an account of the Bicen- tennial Celebration could not have appeared several years ago. Now, however, even though economic conditions are unfavorable, active plans for publication are being made.
We wish to express our deep appreciation of the unremitting efforts of Mr. Sidney A. McIntire, who was then Chairman of the Board of Trustees, to make the observance of the anniversary a success. And we would record here, also, the fact that his loyal interest in preparing the material for this book has made its publication possible. Some historical matter has been added by the Committee on Publication.
THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES
New Gloucester, Maine May, 1945
CONTENTS
SECTION I. INTRODUCTION
PAGE
I
SECTION II.
PREPARATIONS FOR THE CELEBRATION 5
SECTION III.
THE ANNIVERSARY EXERCISES . · IO
SECTION IV.
THE SERMON
. 15
SECTION V.
THE PAGEANT OF NEW GLOUCESTER
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at a meeting a Number" Inha bita nie the town of blodefter on tues. of December - 1735
the general Cort in
"meeting then drew a pettil to Cuht miles above order For life grant of a crown ship a the town loff North yarmouth Whoyning to the norwet life of Said town and to the a neys Right In the North Five Royals River Je Card that Smeeting
on ye afoxas Eny vote that Caf Joseph allen Thuế pettion to yegeneral Cort John Roberts was Voter to be the treasurer for propritions Cchie . Day was voter to Be Clark for the game By the Voters we're names are hear under written.
Piac Eurleth James Davis Joseph : allen Ezekiel Day Jama Hedens Jun taron Bray Bem' Brastreat
philemon Warner Uphilemon Warner Sure Nathaniel warner of Joseph haridin Thomas oaks. Jonathan Singersel Cheneyer partons Jacob parlons.
Mmothy Bay Javi Plumet Watha Sargent Thomas Bray Sunt John Rigy Benjamins haskell John Smith John. White
AN ACCOUNT OF THE BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION
I INTRODUCTION
N MARCH 27, 1736, the General Court of His Majesty's Province of Massachusetts Bay, in New England, granted a petition1 of sixty inhabitants of Gloucester, in the Province, for a township six miles square to the Eastward, northeast of North Yarmouth, or where it could best be spared. Eventually, the township was given its present location. A survey was made and the plan ac- cepted by the General Court, which then confirmed the grant. The persons who received the grant became the proprietors of the township and its affairs were directed by them. The records of their meetings are the main source of the informa- tion we have about the early history 2 of the settlement. In them we read that John Millet was sent by the proprietors to make a "good way" from Cousins River in North Yarmouth on the east side of Royall's 3 River to the meeting-house lot in the new township, and to build a bridge across the river. The location of this bridge was probably near that of the present bridge, sometimes referred to as Woodman's bridge. They tell among other things of the naming of the township;
1 The original petition is not in the file of the Archives Division of the Secretary's Office in the State House, Boston, and the belief is expressed there that it has been lost. However, the Record of the meeting at which the petition was drawn up and the vote taken authorizing Captain Joseph Allen, Gloucester's Representative, to carry the petition to the General Court is now the prized possession of Mr. Fred P. Haskell, a member of the Historical Society. This Record is beyond a doubt the oldest document in existence relating to the history of the town. A portion of it has been reproduced on the opposite page .- Ed.
2 See, also, Babson's History of the Town of Gloucester, Cape Ann .- Ed.
3 This is the preferable spelling. The river was named after William Royall, one of the first English settlers in Yarmouth. See Rowe's Ancient North Yarmouth and Yarmouth, Maine .- Ed.
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the divisions 4 of the land; plans for settlement; the coming of the first settlers in 1739; efforts to rebuild the settlement after its destruction during the French and Indian War; the construction of roads, the building of the sawmill, the grist mill, the block house,5 the first schoolhouse, the meeting- house; the call of the first minister, the Reverend Samuel Foxcroft; and, finally, of the success of the settlement. The story does not of course appear in the records in narrative form, but is told through the votes of the proprietors. Yet it is none the less an impressive story.
The original records of the proprietors were destroyed by fire according to tradition. But, fortunately, in 1802 the Town, anticipating such a possibility, had authorized Cap- tain Nathaniel Eveleth to make a transcript of them. This transcript is still in existence, having been for many years in the possession of his great-grandson, Mr. Nathaniel Eveleth. In 1904 the Town voted to have made a typewritten copy of Mr. Eveleth's transcript. This is kept in the selectmen's office.
It is in the transcription by Captain Eveleth that we learn of the first written mention of the name of our town in Ameri- can history, when, at a meeting in Gloucester on February 27, 1737, the proprietors voted to call the new township New Gloucester.
Thirty-eight years after receiving the grant, the proprietors petitioned the General Court of the Province for the passage of an act of incorporation. The petition was granted on Sep- tember 7, 1774. The qualified voters of the township as-
4 In surveying the land for the first division of lots the starting point was a corner of Lot No. I on the east side of the road to Harris Hill. Its location is marked by a section of iron pipe just inside the stone wall about ten and one-half feet from the end of the wall on the south side of the entrance to the yard of the homestead of the late William P. True .- Ed.
5 The building was completed in 1754. By 1787 the need for it had passed, and it was sold in that year for seven bushels of corn. When the building was taken down some of the lumber came into the hands of Nicholas Rideout. One of the planks, a real if not a decorative antique, was for many years the property of his son, the late John W. Rideout. At the time the latter's estate was settled the plank came into the possession of Mr. W. H. Greeley, who gave it to the Historical Society. It is temporarily in the custody of the Cumberland Lodge of Masons .- Ed.
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sembled in the meeting-house and chose the necessary town officers, thereby giving completion to the act of the General Court and making New Gloucester a new political unit in the Province.
On the hundredth anniversary of the first corporate meet- ing, September 7, 1874, there was a notable celebration of the event at the site of the "Old Block House." It was estimated at the time that over twenty-five hundred persons were in at- tendance. A full account of the celebration will be found in a book entitled The New Gloucester Centennial by T. H. Haskell.
A sesquicentennial celebration of the incorporation of the town was held in 1924, also at the site of the Block House. This celebration was more elaborate than its predecessor and lasted for two days. Mrs. Florence Hunt Nelson has given a detailed and most interesting account of it in The New Gloucester Book. A scrapbook containing newspaper accounts of the celebration and an album of pictures taken at the time are in the Public Library.
To carry through successfully the extensive program of the sesquicentennial celebration many committees had to be appointed. A few years after the celebration the members of these committees met for a reunion, first at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Charles H. Nelson, on Bald Hill, and later at the homes of other members. During these meetings the opinion was often expressed that there ought to be a local historical society. At length this sentiment was crystallized by the formation of the New Gloucester Historical Society. At a meeting on September 7, 1934, the Society voted to incor- porate. Mr. John Woodman Rideout, who for over twenty years had been the Town Clerk and through whose civic loyalty and perseverance the sesquicentennial celebration became a reality, was elected the first president.
The objects of the Historical Society are set forth in part as follows in the Articles of Incorporation:
Voted that the purposes of the corporation be as follows: To inform, instruct, and educate present and future citizens of the town of New Gloucester and any and all other inter-
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ested persons in and concerning the history of the town and to that end to collect, preserve, reproduce, publish and dis- seminate knowledge concerning any and all available books, manuscripts, maps, plans, records, relics and things whatsoever connected with or relating to the settlement, incorporation and subsequent existence of the town of New Gloucester and the lives, pursuits and achievements of its inhabitants.
Also, to acquire and hold by purchase, gift, devise, be- quest or in any other lawful manner any and all lands and » buildings or parts thereof in the town of New Gloucester which are of historical interest by reason of their former location, use, or ownership, or are necessary or convenient for the conduct of the affairs of the Corporation and the care and preservation of its other properties.
Among the members of the Historical Society who have a flair for delving into the records of the past is Mr. Mortimer E. Blair. It was he who first brought to the attention of the members the approaching two hundredth anniversary of the coming of the first settlers to the township. In the belief that the aims of the Historical Society would be furthered thereby, the Society voted, at the annual meeting on September 7, 1938, to celebrate the coming anniversary in an appropriate manner. It was voted, also, that the celebration should be held on September 3 and 4 (Labor Day), 1939. All other plans were left in the hands of the Board of Trustees of the Society .- Ed.
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II PREPARATIONS FOR THE CELEBRATION
I HE Board of Trustees proceeded to make prepara- tions for the celebration in accordance with the vote of the Historical Society. At a meeting in July, 1939, it was decided to invite the entire citizenry of the town to participate in the celebration and thereby create widespread interest in it and a desire to cooperate. Then a General Com- mittee was appointed, consisting of representatives from the several sections of the town. A meeting of this committee was called for the evening of July 17 at the Selectmen's office for a general discussion of plans. At this meeting the follow- ing special committees were chosen:
COMMITTEE ON FINANCE
S. Clifton Clark, Chairman
Lewis P. True
Rolvin W. McIntire
Ruth S. Burton
Alice T. Woodbury
Helen Small Everett C. Wells
COMMITTEE ON PUBLICITY
Mrs. Lewis P. True, Chairman
Annie T. Berry
Georgia J. Ayer
COMMITTEE ON PARADE
Clarence L. McCann, Chairman
Mortimer E. Blair
Millard F. Marston
Carl M. Tufts
Omar W. Francis F. Howard Emery
COMMITTEE ON ANTIQUES
Mrs. John G. Fowler, Chairman
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Mortimer E. Blair Mrs. William D. Alexander John G. Fowler Margaret C. Livingston Charles P. Chandler
COMMITTEE ON DECORATIONS
Mrs. Paul L. Woodbury, Chairman
Rhoda A. McIntire Natalie R. Hood
COMMITTEE ON SPORTS
Harry P. True, Chairman
Harry T. Merrill Asa D. Hodgkin COMMITTEE ON BAND Paul L. Woodbury, Chairman
COMMITTEE ON SUNDAY PROGRAM
Morning service in the Congregational Church, the Reverend Jellison N. Lello, the Minister
Evening concert at the Congregational Church, Mrs. Ida T. McIlroy
Thereafter, meetings were held each week alternating be- tween the Upper and Lower Villages, the chairman of the Board of Trustees acting as chairman.
From the very first a spirit of whole-hearted helpfulness was manifested and utmost harmony characterized the dis- cussions. At one of the later meetings another special com- mittee, of which Mrs. Helen M. Strout was chairman, was chosen to serve light refreshments in the Congregational Vestry. It was thought that the Town Hall might not ac- commodate all who might wish to be served at the dinner, which the gracious and ever-dependable Ladies' Circle had undertaken to serve there.
The Committees on Finance and Publicity were the first to function. The Committee on Finance, of which the Trus- tees were honorary members, canvassed the town for funds. Contributions from this source and from friends outside were
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most satisfactory and made it possible to carry through suc- cessfully all plans for the celebration. The Committee on Publicity compiled a mailing list of about four hundred per- sons to whom invitations to attend the celebration were sent. Bumper cards to advertise the event were obtained for auto- mobiles. Mr. John G. Fowler designed a poster with a his- toric motif which was widely distributed. Commemorative badges were ordered.
Mr. McCann and his assistants on the Parade Committee, realizing fully the difficulty of their assignment, worked hard in developing plans for a parade.
Mrs. Fowler offered the use of her beautiful old colonial home for the display of antiques and heirlooms. She and her associates on the committee began to solicit and list exhibits to be gathered from all parts of the town.
Mrs. Woodbury and the members of her committee can- vassed the Upper and Lower Villages in the interest of build- ing decorations. Many persons responded. Later the pres- ence of the decorations contributed much to the physical setting of the celebration.
Rehearsals for an Old Folks' Concert were begun early by Mrs. McIlroy.
Mrs. Mary Morgan Hobart, president of the Historical So- ciety and a former resident of the town, was unable to be present until a short time before the celebration; but her ex- pressed wishes in regard to the program were carried out by the Trustees. Mrs. Hobart contributed both funds and effort in generous measure. She wrote a pageant portraying the settlement and early history of the town which was pre- sented under the direction of Mrs. Mary B. Chipman and Mrs. Ruth Rideout Wills.
During the closing weeks of preparation there was great activity on all sides. The Selectmen were most helpful and aid was given to the committees by the younger men and boys. A flagpole was contributed by Mr. McCann, fitted by Mr. Otis H. Campbell, and raised by the aid of the Pine Tree Telephone men and equipment. Materials for a new plat-
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form outside the Vestry were contributed by the C. E. Thurston Grain Company, the Morin Brick Company, the Leander Mosher Lumber Company, the B. S. Parsons Gro- cery Store, the Farmers' Union Store, and Mrs. Marie J. Cole. The work was directed by Mr. Barza L. Goff and Mr. Richard J. Combellack, and was facilitated by the use of a concrete mixer made possible by a donation from Mr. Ro- land C. Chandler. The horsesheds at the rear of the church, mute reminders of the passing of the "horse-and-buggy days," were taken down.
The program of the celebration is given on the opposite page.
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Program
SUNDAY, September 3
10:30 A.M. In the Congregational Church Divine service conducted by the Reverend Jelli- son N. Lello, the minister, assisted by the Rev- erends A. C. Townsend and Emerson Blodgett
2:30 P.M. In the Universalist Church at Bear Brook Divine service conducted by the Reverend Elea- nor B. Forbes, a former pastor
7:30 P.M. In the Congregational Church An Old Folks' Concert, conducted by Mrs. Ida T. McIlroy, assisted by Mrs. L. T. Cushing
MONDAY, September 4
9:30 A.M. At the Town Hall Flag raising
Address by the Honorable Donald C. Chandler, Representative to the Eighty-ninth Maine Leg- islature.
Exercises by the American Legion Post, of Gray 10:00 A.M. Parade The parade forms at the Lower Village Award of prizes for floats
12:00-2:00 P.M. In the Town Hall
Dinner served by the Ladies' Circle Light lunch at the Congregational Vestry Registration at the Congregational Church under the supervision of Mrs. Warren W. Tufts Exhibit of antiques at the home of Mr. and Mrs. John G. Fowler
Concert by the Windham Kiwanis Band Games of horseshoes on church grounds
2:00 P.M. In the Congregational Church
Presentation of a historical pageant, written by Mrs. Mary Morgan Hobart
3:15 P.M. Address by the Honorable Guy Hayden Sturgis, Associate Justice of the Maine Supreme Judicial Court
8:00 P.M. In the New Grange Hall An Old-fashioned Dance
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III THE ANNIVERSARY EXERCISES EVENTS OF THE FIRST DAY
S UNDAY morning dawned as fair as one could have wished, greatly to the joy of the townsfolk and of the many friends who had journeyed from afar to combine a weekend and holiday visit with the anticipated enjoyment of the anniversary exercises.
The day's program began with a special service at the Con- gregational Church. The minister, the Reverend Jellison N. Lello, officiated, assisted by the Reverend Arthur C. Town- send, a retired minister residing in the town, and by the Reverend Emerson Blodgett, a former minister of the Church. Special music was rendered by a large choir. Mr. Lello preached the sermon to a congregation that filled the audi- torium to overflowing.
In the afternoon a service was held in the Universalist Church at Bear Brook where a large congregation listened most intently to a reminiscent sermon by the Reverend Eleanor B. Forbes, a former minister. This service was of special interest to many because of their own membership or attendance or that of their parents many years ago. Miss Forbes, who was greatly beloved during her pastorate here, touched the heartstrings of all present in her feeling refer- ences to the faithful and devoted members of her parish. The church rang with the old hymns sung to the accompani- ment on the organ by Miss Sara A. Chandler. At the con- clusion of the service, the child of Mr. and Mrs. Harold Snow of Pownal was baptized. Mr. Snow had been baptized by Miss Forbes during her pastorate. This service was one long to be remembered by those who were fortunate enough to be present.
In the evening a large audience gathered again at the Congregational Church to hear an Old Folks' Concert given under the supervision of Mrs. Ida T. McIlroy. She had long
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deplored the lack of knowledge of the old music by the young people of the town. She had labored most diligently to pro- duce this concert in which she featured the music of Father Kemp. She invited Mrs. L. T. Cushing of Gray, an accom- plished conductor, to direct the chorus. Several others from Gray participated in the concert and added materially to its success. Mr. Arthur N. Pettingill and Mr. Otis Parker gen- erously contributed their talent on the violin.
It was generally agreed that the concert was a great suc- cess and that it brought to a fitting close the program of a perfect autumn sabbath.
EVENTS OF THE SECOND DAY
About nine o'clock in the morning the people began to gather in increasing numbers at the Lower Village. Meanwhile, the Parade Committee was busily engaged in organizing its units. With the arrival of the Gray Post of the American Legion, which had kindly consented to assist at the flag raising, the formal exercises of the day began in front of the Town Hall.6
6 This building was erected in 1886, and the first annual meeting was held there in the following year. The first Town House stood in the now vacant lot on the west of the Harris Hill road and by the side of Marsh's brook. It was originally the first Baptist meeting-house. It was built in 1804 according to the Reverend John Rounds who gave this date in a historical discourse on The Baptist Church in New- Gloucester, which was issued as a pamphlet by J. B. Foster of Portland in 1857. In the fall of 1838 a committee was appointed by the Town to study the problem of providing a place for holding the town meetings, since some persons thought it not to be legal to hold them in a meeting-house. The committee recommended the purchase of the old Baptist meeting-house, and on November 26 the Town voted to buy the building, the price to be paid being $300. On the end of the building next to the road was a small porch through which one entered the assembly room on the first floor or went by a flight of stairs on either side to a second floor from which several steps led to a hall. At the back of the hall was a stage. For many years this hall served the citizens as a sort of community center. The building was sold in 1886 to James M. Thompson, and by him to A. Loring Richards. He had the building taken down in the same year and the lumber was used by him in building a barn. But a seat, back, and several pew ends, each of a single piece of pine, were preserved and are now owned by Mr. Earle R. Richards of Millinocket, Maine.
On the authority of the late Charles A. Winslow it can be stated that the porch of the meeting-house was moved to the farm across the road from his home where it was used for a tool house. (Continued on next page)
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Mr. Frank Cummings, who was ninety years of age, raised the flag and the firing squad of the Post fired a salute. The Honorable Donald C. Chandler, Representative to the Eighty-ninth Maine Legislature, then made an appropriate address, which closed the formal program of the morning. The new flag atop the pole was a beautiful sight which, at a time when the world was in such a chaotic condition, in- spired all by thoughts of the blessings of freedom and peace.
The weather, which had been unsettled in the early morn- ing, now cleared. The sun came out to contribute its share to the pleasure of all for the remainder of the day.
The line of floats and cars which had been forming in the meantime now reached from the New Grange Hall to the Corner. The Windham Kiwanis Band arrived and took its position at the head of the line, then the Legion "boys" fell in, and the parade started toward the Upper Village. There it made a circuit of the Corner and then returned to the Lower Village where it disbanded. The many spectators along the route gave evidence of their appreciation and en- joyment by frequent applause.
Traffic was ably handled by the Chief of Police, Harlan L. Emery, and his assistants, Leon Tripp and Charles Hodgkin.
After the return of the parade the judges, Mr. Robert T. Searles, Mrs. Orie Fogg Laughton, and Mr. Arthur Edwards announced the following winners of prizes for excellence of floats: first prize, Sabbathday Lake Grange; second prize, Pownal Boy Scouts; third prize, Pine Tree Telephone and Telegraph Co.
The prizes having been awarded, everybody adjourned to the Town Hall for dinner. But the collective appetite proved to be greater than the supply of food provided, so many re- paired to the Vestry to partake of the lowly hot dog, ham- burgers, doughnuts, cake, ice cream, and soft drinks, which
Before the Baptist Society sold its meeting-house to the Town it had erected a second building in 1837, at a cost of $2,500. This was located on the site of the residence of the late Charles Peleg Chandler, who, when about to build, bought the church and land, moved the building back, and converted it into a barn .- Ed.
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Mrs. Helen M. Strout and her committee had prepared.
Dinner over, hundreds visited the historic home of Mr. and Mrs. John G. Fowler to see the collection of antiques. No more appropriate building in town could have been se- lected for this display. It was built for the Reverend Samuel Foxcroft, who came here in 1765 as the first settled minister in the new township. It is the oldest complete house in the town and is a beautiful example of the architecture of the period. A list and description of all the items in the exhibit would fill a sizeable catalogue. Mention is made here of only a very few: Grandma's room with furnishings of colonial days, Parson Foxcroft's pulpit, a Martha Washington chair made of inlaid mahogany with tapestry upholstery, an Eli Terry clock (dating from 1810-1816), and a plank from the Block House. If anybody had ever doubted the need of a commodious, fireproof structure in which to house the large number of priceless antiques in our town he would certainly have been convinced of it by a visit to this exhibition. This feature was one of the high lights of the celebration.
For those who were so inclined, facilities for games of horseshoes were provided in the church yard, and during the afternoon many engaged in this old standby of rural sports.
Between the meal hour and the beginning of the program for the afternoon, the Band gave a concert on the church grounds while visitors and townsfolk renewed old associa- tions or discussed the topics of the day.
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