USA > Maine > Kennebec County > Waterville > A chronology of municipal history and election statistics, Waterville, Maine, 1771-1908 > Part 9
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"Provided, however, that this vote shall not be construed as affecting or touching the valuation and taxation of dwelling houses or any other real or personal property of said railroad company in said town of Waterville, except as above described, and, pro- vided also that if the town of Waterville by reason of a general valuation taken by the State of Maine, during said period of twenty years, shall be required to pay State and county taxes (upon the property, the valuation of which is herein fixed at one thou- sand dollars), in excess of the sum required to be paid on said one thousand dollars, such excess of State and County taxes is to be paid by said Maine Central Railroad Company."
Voted: "That the selectmen and assessors of the town of Wa- terville be requested to take all necessary steps to carry into effect the foregoing vote passed by this meeting."
May 21 .- Special meeting "Voted that the town authorize and instruct the selectmen to pay to the Maine Central Railroad Com-
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MUNICIPAL HISTORY OF WATERVILLE
pany, in consideration that said company shall obligate itself to the satisfaction of the selectmen, to build said company's locomo- tive and car repair shops in said town, the sum of seventy-five hundred dollars or such part thereof as said selectmen may find necessary for the purpose of aiding said company in purchasing land east of said company's railroad track in said town, and owned a part by H. H. Campbell, a part by Horace Purinton, a part by Frazier Gilman, a part by A. Healey & Sons, trustees of Theophilus Gilman, and a part by others. Said land being situ- ated northerly of land of said company and to raise and appro- priate therefor a sum of money by transferring the same from money already raised and appropriated by said town for the pay- ment of the miscellaneous account, and for the payment of the account for the repairs of roads and bridges or some other ac- count."
An account of the expenditures and receipts in connection with the purchase of the land required for the Maine Central Railroad Company's purposes, was presented by Mr. John Ware, and is recorded on page 63, Vol. 4, of the Waterville town records.
It shows the total expenditures to have been $12,646, $6000 of which was received from the town of Waterville, $3320 from individual subscriptions, and $457 from the sale of houses that were on the land. The balance, amounting to $2869, was advanced by Mr. Ware, but was refunded to him by the Maine Central Rail- road Company "in consideration of the Company's agreement to allow a fair and reasonable amount towards the purchase of house- lots and houses located within the required premises."
WATERVILLE WATER COMPANY
The following articles appeared in a warrant calling for a town meeting to be holden January 23, 1886. Article 2. "To see if the town will by vote contract with the Waterville Water Com- pany, or through said Company, with Parks & Wheeler of Boston,
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to take fifty hydrants for the term of twenty years from the time the water works are completed and the town supplied with water, at a rent of fifty dollars per annum for each hydrant to the num- ber of fifty; and a rent of forty-five dollars per annum for each hydrant the town may at any time choose to take in excess of fifty."
Article 3. "To see if the town will vote to assume the char- ter of the Waterville Water Company, and erect the necessary works to supply the inhabitants of Waterville with pure water, and raise the necessary amount of money therefor, or take any action thereon."
Under Article Two it was voted not to contract with any party or parties mentioned in the article.
Under Article Three it was voted that a committee of seven be chosen by the chairman, one of which shall be the town agent, who shall make a full investigation into the matter contained in the article, both as to the right of the town to assume the char- ter and the advisability of assuming the same, "and all other ques- tions they think may bear upon the subject."
Reuben Foster, Moses Lyford, F. A. Waldron, Simon S. Brown, William T. Haines, George E. Shores, and C. G. Carlton were appointed as the committee.
At a special meeting held February 13, it was voted, upon the recommendation of the committee appointed, that the char- ter be assumed by the town and a committee composed of Moses C. Foster, N. G. H. Pulsifer, George E. Shores, C. G. Carlton, and Charles H. Redington was appointed to investigate as to the best methods for carrying out the purposes contemplated by the char- ter. The committee was instructed to report at a future meeting to be called for the purpose.
On February 20, seven days later, the town voted to recon- sider the vote taken February 13, and voted to accept a proposi-
135
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MUNICIPAL HISTORY OF WATERVILLE
tion in which it was stated, that the Waterville Water Company having organized under the provision of its charter granted by the Legislature March 16, 1881, should introduce into Waterville an adequate supply of pure water for the extinguishment of fires and for domestic, manufacturing, and other purposes. It further stated that the water should be taken from Snow Pond in Oak- land and be delivered through fourteen inch pipes from Snow Pond to Pleasant street, then graded in size so as to meet the re- quirements of the different streets. No hydrant should be con- nected with less than a six-inch pipe, and that the rates for the use of water for private uses should not exceed those charged at Gardiner, Maine, at the time the vote was taken. It was agreed that after the expiration of ten years from the day on which the water was first supplied, the company should either from that time and forever after, furnish free of cost to the town water for all the town's fire hydrants, or should give the town option of buying the works at that time. It was further agreed that the works should be finished by December 31, 1887.
In the meantime the citizens of Oakland were making stren- nous objection to the water being taken from Snow Pond. At their annual town meeting held March 8, the resolution included in the following newspaper account received a unanimous passage : ,
"In view of the fact that Waterville is rapidly growing and soon to attain ten times its present population and needs, the following motion was unanimously carried, and a committee con- sisting of John Ayer, Luther Emerson, Samuel Blaisdell, and A. J. Libby were chosen to assist the selectmen in fighting this move- ment and to raise money necessary for the purpose. This town does hereby earnestly and emphatically protest against the taking of any water from Snow Pond by the Waterville Water Company, and that the selectmen be instructed to use every legitimate way and means within their power to prevent the consummation of the subtile, underhand, and wicked scheme of said Water Company to rob the people of this town of their vested rights and property.'"
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CHRONOLOGY
1887
Paris, Pine, Redington, and Dalton streets, and Redington Court were accepted by the town March 14.
At the same meeting a committee of five was chosen to act in conjunction with the superintending school committee to con- sider the matter of building a new schoolhouse on the "North Brick schoolhouse lot for the accommodation of a grammar and intermediate school." Upon April 15, upon recommendation of the committee appointed for that purpose it was voted to erect on the North Brick lot an eight-room brick schoolhouse at a cost not exceeding twelve thousand dollars when completed.
THE KENNEBEC DEMOCRAT
The first issue of the famous Kennebec Democrat appeared February 2, 1887, and its publication was continued until the death of its noted editor, Benjamin Bunker, March 8, 1894. The paper was pronounced in its independence, so much so that many · prominent citizens dreaded the "next issue." The caustic com- ments of the editor were illustrated with wood cuts-good ones- made by Mr. Bunker himself with a jack knife and a small chisel. The paper was supposed to be "Democratic seven days in the week," and lived up to the idea as far as Mr. Bunker's idea of democ- racy went and no further. All opposed to that idea met their fate in the really marvelous wood cuts. The likeness of people caricatured was almost perfect, the humor expressed was irresist- ible, appreciated by everyone, enjoyed by many, but very distaste- ful to the few who had brought upon themselves the ire of the editor. Copies of the paper are prized possessions of a number of citizens.
AN EXCITING TOWN MEETING
One of the most, if not the most, important election, from a political point of view, ever held in the town was that for the
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MUNICIPAL HISTORY OF WATERVILLE
election of selectmen and other town officers on March 14. It happened that they were the last board to be elected before the adoption of the city charter. Many claim that the election of a Democratic board of selectmen this year was one of the primary reasons that permitted that party to control the city government for a number of years after the adoption of the charter. Mr. Charles H. Redington had been elected moderator. The supreme test came on the vote for first selectman with the following result:
Whole number of votes, 717
Necessary for a choice,
359
H. W. Stewart, 1
Stephen I. Abbott, 357
C. H. Redington, 1 Charles H. Redington,
358
The records read :
"And Moderator Charles H. Redington understanding that the vote for C. H. Redington was meant for Charles H. Reding- ton, he declared that Charles H. Redington had three hundred and fifty-nine votes and was elected by ballot and a majority vote for selectman of said town."
Fred Pooler and Howard C. Morse were chosen the other two selectmen.
WATERVILLE WATER COMPANY
At the annual town meeting held March 14, it was voted that a committee of five be appointed to which was referred the ques- tion as to whether the town would make a contract with the Wa- terville Water Company to supply the town with water. The fol- lowing gentlemen were appointed, Edwin Noyes, N. R. Boutelle, C. K. Matthews, J. P. Gray, and Frank L. Thayer.
Commencing March 22 a number of meetings were held by the town in relation to a water supply. A new charter had been
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CHRONOLOGY
granted the Water Company providing that they should take the water from Messalonskee Stream instead of Snow Pond as first proposed; this was especially gratifying to the citizens of Oakland, and it has been intimated that the directors of the company were a little pleased also; the cost of laying a fourteen inch pipe from Oakland to Pleasant street did not have very much attractiveness at that time.
At a meeting held March 22 it was voted to contract with the Waterville Water Company to supply the town with water for fire, municipal, and other purposes. On April 15 this vote was recon- sidered and the town voted to contract for the water under a new contract, providing that the company should supply fifty hydrants and all over that up to sixty at forty dollars per year, and all above sixty at thirty dollars a year, the contract to continue for twenty years. The water company declined to accept this propo- sition. On May 5, at a special meeting called for the purpose the town voted to contract with the Waterville Water Company for a term of ten years to supply fifty hydrants at forty dollars a year, and all above fifty at thirty dollars per year. This proposition was accepted, and the selectmen, Charles H. Redington, Fred Pooler, and Howard C. Morse, together with Appleton H. Plaisted and Robert L. Proctor on the part of the board of fire engineers, were chosen a committee to locate the hydrants.
1888
Reuben Foster elected first Mayor of Waterville on March 9.
Isaac C. Libby elected a delegate to the Republican National Convention.
Vote for County Commissioner City of Waterville :
Charles Wentworth, Rep., 723 Howard W. Dodge, Dem., 699 Scattering, 10
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MUNICIPAL HISTORY OF WATERVILLE
The North Grammar school building dedicated February 28. This building was erected at a cost of twenty thousand dollars under the direction of a committee consisting of George A. Phil- lips, Josiah D. Hayden, N. G. H. Pulsifer, Moses C. Foster, and William T. Haines.
FINANCIAL STATEMENT
The financial standing of the city as shown by the books on March 26, was as follows:
Assets.
Town Farm,
$1,741 50
Liquor Agency,
138 59
C. F. Johnson, treasurer,
6,215 34
City of Lewiston,
20 50
Town of Rome,
59 28
Town of North Anson,
20 50
Book Account,
14 25
$8,212 96
Liabilities.
Interest bearing notes outstanding,
$24,910 00
Coupons unpaid,
275 00
From bonds due January 1, 1888,
1,500 00
Town bonds due January 1, 1889, and there-
after,
53,000 00
$79,685 00
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CHRONOLOGY
ADOPTION OF CITY CHARTER
January 23, 1888. Special town meeting called to act upon an article in a warrant, "To see if the town will vote to accept an act of the Legislature approved February 28, 1883, as amended by an act of Legislature approved March 4, A. D. 1887, entitled, 'An act to amend an act incorporating the city of Waterville.'" Reuben Foster was elected moderator. F. A. Waldron, L. D. Carver, C. H. Redington, and S. S. Brown were appointed a committee to prevent illegal voting. The polls opened at nine o'clock A. M. and closed at four o'clock P. M. Those in favor of the article voted "Yes," those opposed "No," with the following result:
Whole number of votes,
975
Yes,
543
No,
432
Majority,
111
FIRST ELECTION OF CITY OFFICERS
MAYOR.
Reuben Foster, Independent,
734
Stephen I. Abbott, Republican, 651
ALDERMEN.
L. Eugene Thayer, Dem.,
709
Simon S. Brown, Dem.,
711
Fred Pooler, Dem.,
711
Eri Drew, Dem.,
711
Edgar L. Jones, Dem.,
712
George A. Alden, Dem., 708
Frederick P. Haviland, Dem., 706
Nathan G. H. Pulsifer, Rep.,
672
Willard M. Dunn, Rep., 675
Paul Marshall, Rep.,
669
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MUNICIPAL HISTORY OF WATERVILLE
Moses C. Foster, Rep.,
675
Nathaniel Meader, Rep.,
677
Fred S. Clay, Rep.
677
Martin Blaisdell, Rep.,
677
COUNCILMEN.
David Gallert,
714
Jonas P. Gray,
709
Frank A. Smith,
713
James J. Pray,
710
Howard C. Morse,
709
Moses Butler,
708
E. A. Hilton,
712
Oscar E. Emerson,
711
Fred T. Mason,
710
Russell Jones,
712
Charles A. Hill,
711
Alfred Flood,
707
George E. Shores,
710
John H. Matthews,
710
Perham S. Heald,
672
G. S. Palmer,
678
William T. Haines,
673
Frank Redington,
677
George Balentine,
676
Augustus Libby,
671
Horace Purinton,
673
Frank J. Goodridge,
673
Horace A. Toward,
674
Charles E. Matthews,
676
Charles G. Carlton,
671
Frank K. Shaw,
674
M. L. Page,
671
C. Edward Baldic,
678
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CHRONOLOGY
CITY CLERK.
Charles F. Johnson, 721
Sidney Moor Heath,
680
BOARD OF EDUCATION.
Charles F. Johnson,
723
Julian D. Taylor,
701
Simon S. Brown,
701
Charles H. Redington,
700
Frank A. Smith,
701
David P. Stowell,
699
Reuben Foster,
701
Leonard D. Carver,
674
Faban E. Warren,
679
G. A. Crawford,
677
Frank B. Hubbard,
678
George B. Howard,
678
Frank B. Philbrick,
679
Appleton A. Plaisted,
679
CONSTABLES.
Charles H. Redington,
709
Edward H. Crowell,
709
George F. Healey,
709
Henry G. Tozier,
709
Thomas W. Scribner,
706
Charles Butler,
707
Samuel King, Jr.,
708
F. H. Reed,
670
Paul W. Perry,
669
Reuben A. Call,
661
Edwin E. Hall,
672
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MUNICIPAL HISTORY OF WATERVILLE
George A. Wilson,
672
Albert C. Crockett, 674
Alden F. Lord, 669
VOTE FOR PRESIDENT AND VICE PRESIDENT
Harrison and Morton, Rep.,
737
Cleveland and Thurman, Dem., 625
VOTE FOR CONGRESSMAN.
Seth L. Milliken, Rep., Belfast, 721
Simon S. Brown, Dem., Waterville, 696
Scattering, 10
KENNEBEC COUNTY VOTE.
Seth L. Milliken, 7756
Simon S. Brown, 4882
Scattering, 422
VOTE OF THE DISTRICT.
Seth L. Milliken,
20,558
Simon S. Brown, 14,026
ORGANIZATION OF CITY GOVERNMENT
The first meeting of the new city government was held March 26 at Matthews Hall. Simon S. Brown was elected President of the Board of Aldermen, David Gallert was elected President of the Common Council, and John B. Friel was elected Clerk. The organization and establishment of a system for the consummation of city business proved itself to be a difficult task. Numerous meetings were held, in many instances two or three each week.
144
Frederick C. Thayer
CHRONOLOGY
Owing to a lack of accommodation it was necessary for the Board of Aldermen to meet in one hall and the members of the Common Council to meet in another, however, a large amount of business was transacted during the year.
On April 2, the Chief Engineer of the fire department was authorized to sell the two famous hand fire engines, "Waterville 3" and "Ticonic No. 1."
April 7. Roll of accounts Number One amounted in the aggre- gate to $1027.
May 31. Aldermen Simon S. Brown and Edgar L. Jones, and Councilmen Frank A. Smith, Jonas P. Gray, James J. Pray, and E. A. Hilton, were chosen a committee to divide the city in- to seven wards. This was accomplished and adopted by the City Council on June 19.
It is evident, as the following order will show, that the city government had been under the lash of some sharp pointed cor- respondent and was apparently disturbed at the criticism, “In Board of Aldermen. On motion of Alderman Alden, Ordered that 'D' be hereby requested to lay aside for the present his legiti- mate business and for which he is paid, and hunt up all the stat- utes and find as much fault as possible with the present City Government. Also as soon as possible send in a list of names of persons he would like appointed for any positions, also who he would like now employed to be removed. When he has thought of all things for and against, the above having been done free gratis since election, it is ordered that he do now and forever hold his peace.
Read and referred to joint special committee on sewers."
THE WATERVILLE SEAL
On July 10, the city ordinances were passed by the Board of Aldermen, to be engrossed and sent to the lower board for con-
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MUNICIPAL HISTORY OF WATERVILLE
currence. They were passed by the Council July 31, and were approved by Justice Artemas Libby of the Supreme Judicial Court on Aug. 10.
Section one of chapter two of the ordinances provided for a city seal of the following design :
WATERV
ED 1802. 3
B
88
18
ME
A
C
HORSE RAILROAD
May 31. It was ordered that the Mayor and Aldermen Thay- er and Brown be a committee to fix the actual location of the horse railroad track from the line of the city to the lower rail- road crossing on College Avenue as the same should be agreed upon by the Horse Railroad Company and the committee.
The railroad company commenced operations this year. Horses were used to haul the cars. The company was one of the first to adopt electricity as motive power for street cars, the change being successfully accomplished in 1892. The receipts for transportation for the month of January, 1889 were $553, for the month of June, 1907, $4000.
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ELECTRIC LIGHTS
April 24. Alderman Drew from the joint standing commit- tee on street lights reported the following proposition from the Waterville Electric Light and Power Company: "Said company will furnish twenty-six arc lights at ninety dollars per light to burn all night and every night in the year, and to run the oil lamps, forty-five or more, free of charge. Said company further agrees in case the city council should purchase arc or incandescent lights to take the place of oil lamps now on the streets, to run said oil lamps at other points in the city free of expense." The com- mittee recommended the acceptance of the proposal, and on June 19, Mayor Foster was directed to sign a contract for twenty-seven electric lights and $2550 was appropriated for the purpose, to be paid in equal monthly payments.
SEWERS
Simon S. Brown, one of the prime movers in establishing the present admirable sewerage system of the city, was made chairman of a committee to install a modern system of sewers. Jonas P. Gray, George A. Alden and Russell Jones were his associates ap- pointed by the city government. It may be mentioned to the credit of that committee that the brick and pipe sewers erected have never been out of repair and their good judgment in superintending the construction, and originating the plans, provided a system that, although built nearly twenty years ago, is still adequate for the city's need.
$10,000 was appropriated in 1888. 745 feet, 11 inches of brick sewer 27x38; 503 feet, 3 inches, 21x27; and 214 feet, 3 inches of 15 in. pipe; and 1089 feet, 7 inches of 20 in. pipe was laid in 1888. $45,953.50 was appropriated in 1889, 24,132 feet of pipe was laid in addition to numerous manholes and catch basins. $10,000 was ap- priated in 1890, and 11,354 feet and 10 inches put down. In 1891, 16,157 feet was placed in the various streets. Nearly every
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MUNICIPAL HISTORY OF WATERVILLE
year since the rapid increase in population and building opera- tions, has made additional sewers a necessity. All the work has been carefully done with the result that the city has one of the best systems in the country.
1889
William T. Haines member of the State Senate 1889-1892.
Charles Wentworth, County Commissioner, 1889-1894. Mr. Wentworth was chairman of board in 1893 and 1894.
Willard M. Dunn, re-appointed postmaster by President Har- rison.
WATERVILLE BOARD OF TRADE
From a commercial point of view, there has not been a factor in the history of the city that has done more to forward its inter- ests, and to assist in bringing about the present business success of this busy city than the Waterville Board of Trade. It has not been an honorary body, wasting its energy in dreams of the future, disporting itself at banquets and expending its means for terrapin and wines. It has accomplished results. It has had its banquets and its picnics to be sure, but they did not detract from the object in view, or the purpose for which it was organized, and it is doubt- ful if the board ever met together, on any occasion at any time, when Waterville's business interests did not receive some material benefit.
It is composed of the business men of the city whose reputa- tion for business integrity is unexcelled, and whose success in their various lines of trade is best demonstrated by an examination of their business homes. The factories and business blocks are models of business structures, and the stores, shops and offices where an ever increasing patronage makes the most modern improvements im-
148
CHRONOLOGY
perative and demands up-to-date business methods, cannot be equaled in Maine.
The board was organized in 1889 and a large amount of its success has been due to a most fortunate selection of its officers who in every instance have worked hard but cheerfully with such enthusiasm and energy that it is not surprising that the business efforts of the community have been crowned with success, and the affairs of the municipality governed carefully and wisely. The first president of the board was Nathaniel Meader, who was Mayor of the city at the time the board was organized; he was succeedled by Moses C. Foster. The other presidents of the board in the order of their election have been Frank Redington, J. Frederick Hill, Warren C. Philbrook, George F. Terry, Harvey D. Eaton, and Hor- ace Purinton, the present incumbent.
The work of the board has been very impartially performed. Every industry has been benefited more or less by its organization, and it has been a factor in securing every new enterprise that has located here since Waterville became a city. There has always ex- isted a friendly feeling between the board of trade and Colby Col- lege, and the interests of the college have been carefully guarded and the board has proffered its good offices on several occasions when the college has been in need of financial assistance, and the result has been beneficial to both the college and the city. In municipal affairs it has been the first to approve of the expensive improvements, such as sewers, paving of the streets, electric sys- tem, the city building, modern fire department equipment, concrete and granolithic sidewalks, etc., while its disapproval of a wasteful expenditure of public moneys has been as effective as its approval of public benefits.
The board was instrumental in the successful organization of the Central Maine Fair; it has induced large organizations such as the State Grange, and others, to hold their conventions here, and performed many other public services too numerous to mention.
149
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MUNICIPAL HISTORY OF WATERVILLE
One of its most brilliant accomplishments came during Dr. J. Fred- erick Hill's administration when it instituted, organized and car- ried to a successful termination, the great centennial celebration in 1902, the best and most elaborate event of its kind ever held in the State of Maine.
1890
Population, 7107. Polls, 1872.
Estates, $5,462,795.
Population of Kennebec County, 57,012.
Leonard D. Carver appointed State Librarian in October.
Oliver G. Hall appointed Judge of the Superior Court, Ken- nebec County.
MUNICIPAL LIGHTING PLANT
On March 1, the city council voted to erect a lighting plant. $10,500 was appropriated for the purpose, and from Sept. 2, 1891, until March 3, 1892, $11,883.43 was expended. Sixty arc lights were placed upon the streets and a contract was made with the Waterville & Fairfield Light and Railway Company to run the dynamos for $1600 per year, to include fifty incandescent lights for city uses. It had cost the city the previous year $4200 for street lighting, so that the result was highly satisfactory to taxpayers. The capacity of the arc lights was 120,000 c. p. which increased the lighting capacity in the city 186 per cent, and the expense to the city was decreased 16 per cent.
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