USA > Maine > Kennebec County > Waterville > A chronology of municipal history and election statistics, Waterville, Maine, 1771-1908 > Part 2
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INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER
ment and growth of the town and of the character and energy of its inhabitants.
The Waterville of today is a beautiful city, and inspired by its business activity, the people are interested in its growth and welfare. The present population is twelve thousand and is daily increasing. It has numerous houses of worship, splendid schools and fine buildings. The public buildings are finely equipped and nicely located. Its banking institutions are strong financially, and the personnel of their officers, together with their well established business principles, inspires confidence in those who do business at the various institutions. The public library and institutions of learning speak volumes for the intellectual progress of the com- munity. The city's miles of streets are well kept and all the latest modes of road building are introduced to make the repairs perma- nent. Its sewerage system, water supply, and fire department apparatus are all models of modern ideas, and these departments are conducted along the same lines with the sole object in view of procuring the best service possible for the amount of money annually expended. The local churches, in common with those throughout the country, have been important factors in the civili- zation and progress of the town. The occupants of the various pulpits, from the time that that eminent divine, Joshua Cushman, assumed the duties of "town minister" of the town of Winslow on June 9, 1795, up to the present day, have been men of ability and honor. Not only have they ably administered to the needs of their respective parishes, but have devoted a considerable portion of their time to public affairs. Although many of them never took an active part in the government of the town or city, all have been interested in its welfare and anxious to assist in pro moting its best interests. The church buildings are all splendid structures and of sufficient proportions to accommodate those who attend the various religious services. All are nicely furnished and so conveniently arranged that every want of the pastor and mem- bers is provided for.
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MUNICIPAL HISTORY OF WATERVILLE
The admirable school system and commodious school build- ings are the pride of the city. Waterville can justly boast of its schools. They have always, from the incorporation of the town up to today, been an object of special care upon the part of every one. Every man, nearly, who has been prominent in public affairs has been specially prominent in the government of the schools. The members of the various committees who have had the super- vision of this important municipal department, from the time that the old district system was in vogue, have been chosen from among those who were considered the best citizens. The superintendents have been men of education and character, and the teachers have been carefully selected and have performed their duties diligently and well.
Colby College, originating with the appointment of a committee by the Bowdoinham Baptist Association in 1810, has been a promi- nent educational institution. Included in the list of presidents who have supervised the government of the college and among the professors are the names of some of the most eminent educa- tors of the country.
Instruction was commenced in a house standing where the Elmwood Hotel is now situated, on July 6, 1818, and since that time the college has continued to fulfil its mission of edu- cating the youth. The college has had the experience of nearly all similar institutions in having suffered from the disadvantage of organizing under adverse financial conditions, which have been overcome only by persistent effort upon the part of faithful offi- cials and generous support of friends. The town and citizens have been especially liberal and loyal to an extraordinary degree in their support.
Another educational institution which has been beneficial to the town is the Coburn Classical Institute, founded in 1829 as the Waterville Academy. Its career has been highly successful and a credit to its officers. This institution has also derived great benefit from the exceptional ability of its instructors and the untir-
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INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER
ing efforts of its friends to maintain its efficiency. From 1865 to 1901 the Institute was under the control of the trustees of the college although virtually its management has been in the hands of the principals. Since 1901 by an act of the legislature incorporat- ing the Trustees of Coburn Classical Institute the control of the school has been under a separate corporation. In 1883 the name was changed from Waterville Classical Institute to Coburn Classical Institute in consideration of the gift of Governor Abner Coburn of the beautiful and elaborate building which it now occupies.
The school has shared with the college in making Waterville noted as a center of education and culture. To this is due, in no small measure, the attractiveness which the city presents to those seeking a place of residence.
The manufacturing industries of Waterville are all prosperous and working to the full extent of their capacity. The largest industry is the Lockwood Company, a brief description of which will be found in the chronology. The Maine Central Railroad shops, located in the north end of the city, employ a large number of men who are mostly skilled mechanics, most of whom are now permanently located here and constitute a part of the city's best citizens. The mechanical industry by no means entirely represents the railroad industry in this city. The great freight yard and large freight house and transfer shed, the round house and passen- ger station in which is located the office of the assistant superin- tendent of the Portland division, employ more than a hundred men; in addition to this there are many engineers, firemen and brakemen that make the town their headquarters while many others make their residence here. Waterville is so situated that it is a junction of four lines of railway, one coming from Portland by the way of Brunswick and Augusta, another one comes from Port- land by the way of Lewiston and Cumberland Junction, the main line from the Provinces through Bangor and Northern Maine Junction, connecting with the Bangor & Aroostook railroad at the latter point, and what is familiarly called the Skowhegan branch.
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MUNICIPAL HISTORY OF WATERVILLE
In the busiest season over one hundred passenger and regular freight trains either originate here or pass through the station each day. Many hundreds of passengers are transferred each week, thousands of tons of freight is handled daily either in full cars or their loads assorted and reloaded at the freight sheds. In addi- tion to the regular service numerous special freight trains are required to keep the traffic moving, all of which contributes toward making Waterville the most important railroad center in Maine, Portland alone excepted. The Hollingsworth & Whitney Company mills in Winslow are largely operated by employees living on this side of the river. The Hathaway Shirt Factory, established in 1849, the Noyes Stove Company, where stoves have been manu- factured since 1873, the Terry Manufacturing Company's large woolen mills erected in 1900, the Waterville Iron Works, and the Sawyer Publishing Company, all contribute towards Waterville's industrial success and assure its future growth. Numerous smaller business concerns and many tradesmen also add to its prosperity. The Waterville and Fairfield Railway and Light Co., the New England Telegraph & Telephone Company, the Messa- lonskee Electric Company, the Union Gas & Electric Company, the Standard Oil Company, the Wiscasset, Waterville & Farmington Railroad Company with its terminus at Winslow, the Horace Pur- inton Co., and Proctor & Bowie contracting firms, the Central Maine Fair Association, and the up-to-date plant of the Waterville Sentinel Publishing Company are large factors in our ever increas- ing prosperity. The splendid department stores of C. J. Clukey, L. H. Soper Company, and the Wardwell-Emery Company are models of progressive business institutions, while the many and many other excellent business firms including the reliable and well- known hardware houses of W. B. Arnold & Co., and Hanson, Web- ber & Dunham, are all doing a large business and enjoying to the fullest extent an era of business prosperity.
Although we have diverged too much already from our 1 intended line of work, we cannot pass over this brief summary of
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INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER
the business history of the city without mentioning the very impor- tant part that the professional men have taken in making this community what it is. Lawyer, doctor and divine have all been influential in the government and settlement of the town, they have labored hard in addition to the multitudinous duties of their professions to advance the most progressive ideas of good govern- ment and have always been ready to protect its institutions when- ever occasion might demand.
The physicians, educated and skilled in their profession have vied with the industry and ability of the lawyers to be the first to advance some idea that would prove of lasting benefit to the city they called their home. The town and city in turn have been generous to the doctors and lawyers. The townsmen have through their right of suffrage elected them to become aldermen, mayors, representatives to the legislature, voted for them when they wanted to be Governor, stood behind them in political battles, called on them when they were sick or in dispute with their neighbors and paid for the privilege of getting the tangles straightened out. So many have been ill, and so many quarrels have arisen that the medical and legal men have grown prosperous with the merchant who feeds and clothes the multitude.
Old Dr. John McKechnie or Dr. Obadiah Williams, or Dr. Moses Appleton, physicians of the old school, all three of whom settled here previous to 1800, would be surprised if not a little alarmed if they could come on earth again and watch our present day surgeons perform an operation for appendicitis, or hear students of medicine discuss clinical microscopy and bacteriology. An anesthetic was unknown in those days, yet when we read of the skillful feats of surgery those wonderful men performed, and the knowledge of human anatomy which they attained, we do not wonder so much at the tremendous strides of progress the science of medicine has made.
Reuben Kidder and Timothy Boutelle would be puzzled for a moment at the present court methods, but in a battle of wits these
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MUNICIPAL HISTORY OF WATERVILLE
old time attorneys, after they mastered a few of the new legal dodges, would be able to give a good account of themselves. . The legal fraternity of Waterville has been an especially brilliant body of men and from the days of Russ Freeman to the present time, all have been noted for their ability and energy. Many have been prominent in the affairs of the city and state while others have been content to reap the rewards of an industrious practice of their chosen profession.
The physicians located in the city today, old and young, are gentlemen of first rank and devoted students of the modern sub- jects of medicine which tend towards the betterment of the human race. Many have become skilled in surgery, and some have attained a high place in the ranks of their profession, and all are active and useful citizens.
The voters of Waterville have maintained a live interest in the affairs of the municipality. Their political differences have been many and varied and at times very bitter, yet in spite of all this the occasions have been rare when good and reliable men have not been elected to fill the various offices of the town and city. On the whole the affairs of government have been carefully adminis- tered. The indebtedness of the city is largely due to the presence of many modern improvements and appliances which are not found in many cities of much larger valuation and population. The story of the development of the town is interesting, the growth has not been rapid but steady, its people have been content to avoid those population spasms called "booms," yet have been quick to take advantage of any opportunity that would or might result in the location of reliable business enterprises within its limits. The municipal government and business affairs have grown up together, and the splendid business success of its business men has been reflected by an almost similar success in the wise and careful man- agement of the affairs of the body politic. In the earlier days when money was scarce, the difficulties presented were much more numerous than now to maintain an efficient form of government.
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INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER
The officers elected, however, performed the duties required of them in a faithful manner, and took an unlimited pride in pro-" ducing the best results possible from what they had to do with.
During the trying days of the Civil War the affairs of the town were carefully looked after, vast sums of money for those days were appropriated to assist in maintaining the army of the North in the field. In the depressing days that followed the great war, Waterville continued to carefully attend to its affairs and since that time those chosen to govern affairs have been selected from the citizens who were deemed best fitted to fill the important posi- tions in the town and city government. In nearly every case they have filled their offices very acceptably and have endeavored to promote and advance those ideas that appealed to them as being of the greatest amount of benefit for the largest number of people. Party lines at times have been very closely drawn, and in a few instances the city may have suffered some through those influ- ences, yet on the whole, the benefits of having two political parties dividing the voters of the city in nearly two equal parts has had the tendency of obliging both parties to nominate their very best men for the various offices so as to increase their opportunity of
winning an election. In this way, perhaps, the evil influences of bitter municipal party politics may have been overcome by the added ability of those elected to fill the positions. In all events, no public scandal of any magnitude has marred the political hori- zon. Party strife has been responsible for many hard words, accu- sations and complaints, but these generally only cover a period of a week or two previous to election, and the incidents close with the polls on election day.
Differences of opinion dividing the populace so closely have arisen which have not been settled until the courts have given their decision, the actions of the judges, however, have been gra- ciously accepted, and the good fellowship between man and man, and neighbor and neighbor has not been seriously affected.
While it may be a matter of opinion whether or not strict
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MUNICIPAL HISTORY OF WATERVILLE
party politics is a detriment to the government of the city, the fact remains the same that the voters enjoy the annual political battles. Between two and three thousand votes are thrown at each mayor- alty election, but in many instances the majority one way or the other has been less than fifty, and once only ten.
Our political battles have brought many of our citizens into prominence. A successful termination of a political contest in the last few years together with a successful administration of affairs coupled with business ability and a good character have nominated two of our best known citizens as candidates for the highest honor in the State, that of Governor.
In 1908 another citizen was very prominently mentioned as a candidate for the office, but failed of the nomination, not because of any inability to successfully perform the duties required, or that his party loyalty was in the least questioned, but rather from the fact that circumstances arose that occasioned the use of those things in the campaign, that tended toward a condition, that the Waterville gentleman did not care to assume. The methods he pursued and the management of his campaign were such that if he had received the nomination and won the election, the dignity of the high office over which he would have been called to preside, would not have been lowered through any acts of his.
Waterville, enjoying the emoluments of business success, happy in its prosperity, its political ambitions attained, and proud of its past, let us consign its future to that hand of destiny that has brought us safely across the bridge of time and leaves us stand- ing in the glorious sunlight of a splendid and brilliant present.
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Chronology
Waterville
In a compilation of political statistics and events, which are more the history of the town than of the individual, the writer will not be expected to record events other than those that bear directly upon his subject. To elaborate upon the oratorical abilities of old Assiminasqua, the chief of the ancient Taconnets, to present a review of the expedition of John Cabot to the mouth of the Kenne- bec in 1497, or that of Captain George Weymouth in 1605, would be diverging from the object of this book. The history of land titles, the Indians, the Popham colony, the sufferings, hardships and pleasures of the early inhabitants, and all those things that make the early history of this region exceedingly interesting, must be left to others. Let it suffice if we commence when the town began, and chronicle the more important events that had to do with the municipality itself.
The birthday of Waterville commenced when that husky sol- dier of the King first swung his axe into the tree that was first to fall in the clearing upon which Fort Halifax was built. When that monarch of the forest fell, crashing its way to the ground, crushing the small growth in its path, the echo of its crash that mingled with the roar of the falls of the Kennebec was the cere- mony that inaugurated the commencement of the work that has culminated in the beautiful homes and public buildings of this beautiful city. In this age of cables, trains and telegraph, it is difficult to conceive how isolated from the outer world was this young colony at Fort Halifax in 1754. In looking at this noble city, as it is today, splendidly built, superbly decorated with nature's most beautiful handiwork, it seems incredible that, only
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MUNICIPAL HISTORY OF WATERVILLE
one hundred and fifty years ago, it was a poor little settlement con- tinually threatened with destruction by the Indians.
Governor William Shirley, appointed Governor of Massachu- setts, by the King of England under the second charter, assumed the duties of his office on August 7, 1753. Shortly after, the Plymouth Company, who had obtained the rights of the original owners of the lands on the Kennebec River, wishing to protect their interests, petitioned Governor Shirley for the erection of a fort at Teconnet Falls. Fearing invasion from the French and Indians they pressed their claims, with the result that Governor Shirley consented to build a fort at Teconnet, provided that the Plymouth Colony would erect a fort and a storehouse at Cushnoc (Augusta) that could be properly defended. The Plymouth Com- pany accepted this proposition.
On June 21, 1754, under the direction of the General Court, eight hundred soldiers under command of General John Winslow, and accompanied by Governor Shirley, set sail, in the frigate Massa- chusetts, for Falmouth.
The Indians opposed the building of a fort, but their protests were disregarded and they signed a treaty on July 2, permitting the work to begin. General Winslow and his eight hundred men started immediately for their destination. Governor Shirley remained at Falmouth but later inspected the fort and buildings, expressed his gratification, and commended General Winslow and his men. The' fort, consisting of five buildings and a stockade eight hundred feet long, was erected under the direction of Captain Isaac Illsley of Falmouth. After its completion Captain William Lithgow was placed in command with a garrison of eighty men. A whale boat express was arranged, running from Fort Halifax to Falmouth. The boat traveled down the Kennebec River to Merry- meeting Bay, then up the Androscoggin and overland to the New Meadows River, thence by Casco Bay to Falmouth.
After the Peace of Paris in 1763, ending the French and Indian war, Fort Halifax was dismantled. During its occupancy
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CHRONOLOGY
there had been considerable suffering; several soldiers were killed by the Indians, a few taken into captivity, and quite a number died from disease. Colonel Lithgow was the only commanding officer the fort had, and after the garrison was discharged he remained at the fort house and engaged in trade for several years. In 1760 he was appointed Judge of the Court of Common Pleas for Lincoln County ; he later removed to Georgetown where he died in 1798. There appears to be no authentic record of the very earliest settlers after the erection of Fort Halifax, but it is known that one of the very first to settle in the town was Ensign Ezekiel Pattee. He lived at the fort for a number of years and engaged in trade there. He was one of the very foremost in securing the incorporation of the town of Winslow. He held every office that the citizens of the town could give to him. He was a representative to the General Court of Massachusetts in 1783 and 1784 and in 1786 and 1787. In the first twenty-five years after Winslow became a town he was elected moderator at the annual town meet- ings eleven times; he was town clerk seventeen years, and town treasurer twenty-two years. That he attended to the business intrusted to him in a satisfactory manner is shown by his many re-elections. The early records of the town of Winslow are in his handwriting.
The number of towns in Maine in 1764 was twenty-five, and the population of the District of Maine is given as 24,020. The territory embracing the towns of Winslow and Waterville was called Kingfield. In 1766 the Plymouth Company granted certain rights to individuals that were the means of bringing many settlers to Fort Halifax. The Indian wars being over, the settlers had no fear of further disturbances, and many settled on the west side of the river. In 1771 we find two communities, one on the east side of the river and the other on the west side; they have grown rapidly during the five years previous to 1771. In the chronolgy of events of a political nature commencing with the year 1771, which follows this introductory chapter, the reader will find the events of the last one hundred and thirty-five years recorded as
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MUNICIPAL HISTORY OF WATERVILLE
carefully as is possible. The records of the towns, city and state have been diligently searched, and every figure and date verified as far as it was possible to do so. The history of Winslow from 1771 until the division of the town in 1802 is part of the history of Waterville. In the chapter following the chronology will be found complete and carefully prepared lists of all town and city officers from the first election on May 23, 1771, up to the present time.
1771
The town of Winslow was incorporated April 26, 1771, and named in honor of General John Winslow. General Winslow was born in Plymouth, Mass., May 27, 1702. He commanded the forces that built Fort Halifax in 1754. He was the principal ac tor in the conquest of Acadia, carried out by New England troops under his lead. He reduced the country and captured the forts. Obeying orders from England, supposed to have originated through the policy of Governor Shirley, he caused the expulsion of the Acadians from their homes. The terrible scenes attending the removal of these inoffensive people are dark stains upon the conduct of the English during the war with France. In 1756 Winslow was commander-in-chief at Fort William Henry, Lake George, and a major-general in an expedition against Canada in 1758-59. In 1762 he was appointed presiding Judge of the Court of Common Pleas of Plymouth, Mass. He died in Hingham, Mass., April 17, 1774.
ACT OF INCORPORATION
An act for incorporating a certain tract of land in the Coun- ty of Lincoln, into a town by the name of Winslow.
Whereas the inhabitants of a certain tract of land lying on the east and west side of the Kennebec River, in the County of Lin-
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CHRONOLOGY
coln, are desirous of enjoying the privileges that will arise to them by being incorporated into a town.
Be it therefore enacted by the Governor, Council, and House of Representatives,
(Sect. 1.) That the tract of land aforesaid, butted and bounded as follows: viz., beginning on the east side of Kennebec River, at a hemlock tree standing on the bank of said river, and one rod west-north west of a large rock, and two miles and half a mile, on a north-east course, from Fort Halifax,-and from said tree, to run, east-south-east, five miles, to a beech tree, marked; thence, to run, south-south-west five miles and one hundred and seventy-eight poles ; thence, west-north-west, to the northeast corner of the town of Vassalborough; thence, on the northerly line of said town, west-north-west, five miles, to Kennebeck River; thence, to run across said river, the same course, to the end of five miles on the west side of said river,-butting, thus far on the same northerly line of the said town of Vassalborough; thence, northerly, on such a course, so far as to meet the west end of a line running, from the hemlock-tree above mentioned, west-north-west, five miles from Kennebeck River, thence to run, east-north-east, on the last men- tioned line, five miles, to said Kennebeck River; thence, across said river, to the hemlock tree aforesaid, the first mentioned bounds,- be and hereby is erected into a town by the name of Winslow; and that the inhabitants thereof be and hereby are invested with all the powers, privileges and immunities which the inhabitants of any of the towns within this province, respectively do, or by law ought to enjoy.
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