USA > Maine > Franklin County > Industry > A history of the town of Industry, Franklin County, Maine > Part 25
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Passing over the inconveniences arising from having a great distance to travel in order to attend town meetings, altering county lines, break- ing up Senatorial and representative districts, and many other evils of like nature, they object to the extinguishment of the name of their town for the reason that thereby associations will be broken up, the bonds of fellowship that bind the inhabitants together in social union severed, and their influence in the support of Republican principles greatly weakened or destroyed.
They ask for the re- annexation to New Vineyard the territory form- erly belonging to it, and the establishment of the old town lines. then their town would be the fifth or sixth town in the county of Franklin in point of size, population, and property, the inhabitants would be as well accommodated in attending to their town affairs, and other business, as they can be by any other arrangement, and the interest of the whole promoted.
At a legal meeting, on the thirteenth instant, of the said inhabitants called to consider the subject, they voted to petition the Legislature to re-instate said town in the same shape as at the time of its incorporation.
The undersigned prays that the parcels set off may be re-annexed, and his town re-instated in its original size and shape.
[Signed.]
Joseph L. Hackett, Agent of said town.
A true copy.
J. O. L. Foster, Secretary of the Senate.
STATE OF MAINE.
In Senate January twenty-fourth, 1845. on the petition aforesaid, ordered, that the petitioner cause an attested copy of petition with this order thereon to be served on the Town Clerks of Anson and Industry. ten days at least before the thirteenth day of February next, that all persons interested may there appear and show cause. if any they have. why the prayer of said petitioner should not be granted.
[Signed.]
C. Chadwick. Chairman.
287
ETENTS FROM 1830 TO 1860.
Read and accepted. Sent down for concurrence.
J. O. L. Foster, Secretary.
In the House of Representatives, Jan'y 24, 1845, Read and concurred.
Samuel Belcher, Clerk.
A true copy. .Attest :
J. O. L. Foster,
Secretary of the Senate.
A true copy.
Joseph L. Hackett, Town Agent.
I hereby acknowledge the service of the above petition and order thereon, Industry, February 3, 1845.
Attest :
Peter W. Butler, Town Clerk.
Vigorous measures were adopted by Industry as soon as it became definitely known that the inhabitants of New Vineyard would make the attempt to regain their lost territory. Their claims, as will be seen by the foregoing petition, were of the most radical and sweeping character. They demanded at the hands of the Legislature not only the land set off to Industry the previous year, but likewise the Gore (see p. 209), which had been a part of Industry since 1815. A town meeting was promptly called, and agreeably to notice the citizens of Industry met at the Centre Meeting-House on the 5th day of February, 1845. General Nathan Goodridge was called to preside, and a vote to elect two special agents to defend the town lines, as they then existed, was passed. Hiram Manter and Captain Newman T. Allen were then unanimously elected to that office. These gentlemen were further instructed to use every expedient and legitimate means to defeat the petition of Joseph L. Hackett and all other petitions of a similar purport. The faithfulness of these gentlemen in the discharge of their duty is shown from the fact that no legislative action was taken in the matter.
288
HISTORY OF INDUSTRY.
PIONEERS OF LIBERTY IN INDUSTRY.
The " Liberty Party" first gained a foothold in Industry at the presidential election of 1840, when two votes were cast for the electors of James G. Birney, the candidate of that party .* These votes were cast by Truman Allen Merrill and Warren Smith, both young men, and this was the first time they had exercised the right of suffrage at the polls. Much enthusiasm was manifested by voters of both parties-the Whigs and Democrats of those times. The friends of those two young men were greatly shocked at their determination to vote the despised "Liberty ticket," and took all reasonable pains to dissuade them from their purpose. These young men, one of whom is still living, never regretted their action. With them it was no fitful impulse but a matter of principle. It was a subject to which they had given much study, and satisfying themselves of the correctness of its underlying principles they made up their minds to brave whatever opposition might come. They were not politicians, but young men who firmly believed that to act in accordance with one's sincere convictions was the right thing to do. Five years later the action of these young men was vin- dicated in the election of Mr. Merrill to represent his district in the State Legislature of 1846. In Maine the Abolition or Lib- erty party nominated its candidate for governor each year from its inception until 1849. In 1848 Samuel Fessenden, its candi- date for governor, received sixty-two votes in Industry and 12,- 037 in the State. After this the party made no nominations for State and county officers, and was eventually absorbed by the Republican party on its organization. The election of Abraham Lincoln in 1860 was essentially a triumph of Liberty party prin- ciples in the nation, though under a foreign name.
The town voted at a meeting held September 19, 1844, to
* An eye-witness informs the author that these two votes came very near not be- ing counted. In making up the returns, and just as they were about to seal them up, the two young men who had voted the " Liberty ticket " called attention to the fact that their votes had not been included in the returns. "Oh, yes," said Capt. Norton, " I did see one or two votes but failed to credit them in the returns." Thereupon they were counted, declared and properly entered on the returns.
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EVENTS FROM 1830 TO 1860. 289
furnish William Meader and family a sufficient sum of money to defray their traveling expenses to some Western State. The family were in indigent circumstances when they left Industry, but were fortunate in their new home in Illinois, where they were soon able to earn a comfortable living. The sons and daughters married well and became useful and respected mem- bers of society.
August 8, 1846, there occurred one of the most devastating hail-storms known in the history of the town. The course of this storm was from a westerly direction, and although very nar- row in the limits of its destructiveness, caused much damage along its track in the northern part of Farmington and at Allen's Mills. In the centre of the storm fruit-trees were stripped of their half-grown fruit and foliage, fields of corn and unharvested grain were completely destroyed, and much glass was broken. Rills were turned to raging rivers in a few moments, and wash- outs four feet in depth were made in the solid road. A few miles beyond Allen's Mills the force of the storm seemed spent and only a heavy rainfall was experienced.
About this time road matters seemed to occupy the attention of the town to a considerable extent. A road having been laid out from near where David W. Merry now ( 1892) lives east- ward to the Shaw farm, the town voted September 14, 1846, to discontinue the old road over Bannock Hill, and also voted to raise the sum of fifty dollars to open "a winter road" over the proposed new route .* The following year the matter again came up for action of the town. The meeting assembled Sep- tember 12, 1847; at this meeting Albert Shaw made the town an offer to build the road from his house to the west line of the Hinkley farmt gratis, and agreed to put his portion in a condition suitable for a winter road immediately. It was proposed to let the opening of the remainder to the lowest bidder, stipulating that it should be completed by September 15, 1848.
* This road, established on petition of Daniel Shaw et als., was laid out Novem- ber 19, 1845, by James Russell, Abraham L. Harmon and William Whittier, County Commissioners. The road as established runs a direct east and west course, is four rods wide and 452 rods long.
t About three-eighths of the entire distance.
290
HISTORY OF INDUSTRY.
March 1, 1847, a road was accepted on the Gore, running casterly from James Graham's to the new county road near the school-house in Capt. Clifford B. Norton's district. The " Pres- son Hill road," so-called, having become a superfluity by reason of this newly established route, was discontinued.
Up to this time the county road from Goodridge's Corner by Allen's Mills ran over the hill on which the residence of the late Capt. William Allen was located. On petition the County Commissioners laid out a new road around this hill. At the forementioned meeting this matter also came up for considera- tion of the town. Of course there were dissenting voices and the disadvantages as well as the merits of the new route were discussed by the citizens present. One gentleman urged as an important objection that the distance by the new route would be greater. Rufus Jennings, who favored the new road, wishing to convince the dissenter of his error arose and said, " Mr. Mod- crator, I would like to ask the gentleman what difference it makes in the distance whether a kettle-bail stands upright or lies in a horizontal position on the edge of the vessel?" This ques- tion placed the matter in so clear a light that no further objection was offered. A vote to accept the road was passed, and also to have it opened to the public by July 1, 1848 Although the new road was opened by the date specified, the road over the hill was not discontinued until some years had elapsed.
At the annual meeting March 5, 1849, the subject of building a town-house, which had for some years remained dormant, was again brought before the citizens of the town, and Major James Cutts, Capt. Newman T. Allen, George Gower and Capt. Clifford B. Norton were chosen a committee " to select a site and report at some future meeting." This committee selected as a suitable and accessible location for such a building, a site at the western terminus of " the Shaw road,"* and reported at a meeting holden at the Centre Meeting-House, September 10, 1849. The report was accepted by a vote of the town, but an article in the warrant
* This was the newly established road running in a westerly direction from the Albert Shaw farm. Down to the present time ( 1892) it is known both as the new road and the Knowles road.
29I
EVENTS FROM 1830 TO 1860.
to raise funds to build the house failed to pass. The matter was revived by the insertion in the warrant, for the annual meeting in 1852, of an article in relation to the subject, but the voters did not seem disposed to take any action relative to it. November 2, 1852, at a town meeting, the town-house question was again agitated, and another committee chosen to select a site for the structure. This committee selected Roach's (now Tibbetts's ) Corner as the most suitable location, and their report was like- wise accepted. At a subsequent meeting Sept. 12, 1853, the citizens voted on the above report to build a town-house on the site selected, and a committee of five was chosen and instructed to draft plans, make an estimate of the cost of construction and report at the next meeting. At an adjourned session of this meeting, held Sept. 26, 1853, General Nathan Goodridge made a report in behalf of the committee, which was accepted by a vote of 60 yeas to 33 nays. The sum of $275 was raised by vote to build the house, and the contract for its erection was bid off by George W. Johnson at $250. The contract stipulated that the house should be completed by September, 1854. Capt. Peter W. Willis, General Nathan Goodridge and James Elliott were chosen as a committee to superintend its construction. The action of the town had a business-like appearance, and the prospect of a town-house seemed very promising indeed. But at the succeeding annual meeting the town voted to change the location, and the whole scheme collapsed. Directly afterward a special meeting was called, to assemble at George Cornforth's hall, at West's Mills. The meeting convened March 20, 1854, and a motion to pass by the articles in relation to building a town-house was carried by a majority of one vote. A few, still undaunted by these repeated defeats, caused another meeting to be called July I, 1854, but unfortunately no action was taken and the interest in the matter died out. Thus ended all efforts toward erecting a town-house in Industry.
One of the most grand and imposing celebrations ever witnessed in Industry, occurred at West's Mills, July 4, 1849, under the auspices or the West's Mills and Centre Sunday-
292
HISTORY OF INDUSTRY.
schools. These schools united in making the necessary prep- arations for the event, and invitations were extended to the Sunday-schools at Anson, Madison and Stark, to participate in the festivities of the occasion. At an early hour on the appointed day the members of the West's Mills school were astir, putting the finishing touches to the elaborate and perfect arrangements for the reception of their invited guests. The officers of the day were as follows: President, John Dinsmore ; Marshal, Gen. Nathan Goodridge; Ass't Marshal, Maj. James Cutts ; John Frost, chairman of Committee of Arrangements. The visiting schools arrived in a body about 9 o'clock A. M., and were welcomed by John Frost, in a brief but well-chosen speech, to which ][ohn?] M. Wood responded in behalf of the invited guests. At the close of these ceremonies a pleasant episode occurred. Miss Ann Shaw stepped forward and, in a neat little speech, presented John Dinsmore, superintendent of the West's Mills. Sunday-school, a beautiful gold pencil, as a slight token of the love and esteem of his pupils. A proces- sion was then formed in the following order, under the direction of the marshal and his assistant :
Band of Music. Choir. Centre Sunday-school. West's Mills Sunday-school. Madison Sunday-school. Anson Sunday-school. Stark Sunday-school. President of the Day. Clergymen.
Parents and Friends of Sunday-school Children.
Citizens.
The procession numbered more than one thousand persons, there being fully five hundred Sunday-school children in the line. The various schools bore many pretty banners with appropriate mottoes and inscriptions. Escorted by the band, the procession marched to a delightful grove near David Luce's, which had previously been fitted up in an elegant manner
EVENTS FROM 1830 TO 1860. 293
with speaker's stand and a large number of seats for the accom- modation of the schools and spectators. The number of peo- ple in the grove during the exercises was estimated to be fully 1500. The exercises, interspersed with frequent volunta- ries from the choir, were as follows :
Prayer. Rev. Silas B. Brackett, Industry. Addresses by Rev. Abel Alton, Solon. Rev. Samuel P. Morrill, Farmington. Rev. - Andrews, Strong. Rev. James M. Follett, New Sharon. Rev. Silas B. Brackett, Industry.
At the close of the exercises in the grove, the procession was re-formed, and at 2 o'clock P. M. marched to a cool, shady orchard in front of Mr. Luce's house, where four long tables, tastefully decorated, fairly groaned beneath their weight of tempting viands. Here fully one thousand persons gathered to satisfy the demands of a keen appetite. After the repast was ended, the schools formed a hollow square, and listened to an address by Rev. James M. Follett, and a valedictory by Rev. John Perham, of Madison. Returning to the church at the village, a reciprocal expression of thanks was exchanged for the enjoyment which the day had afforded. Rev. John Perham then dismissed the assembly with the benediction, and the company returned to their several homes.
A new political party known as "Free-soilers" suddenly sprang into existence during the presidential campaign of 1848 and put in nomination as their candidate Martin Van Buren. This party held that Congress should prohibit the introduction of slavery into the territories. The electors of Van Buren received more than one-third of the votes cast in Industry. The next year their gubernatorial candidate, George F. Talbot, received forty-nine votes. But in 1852, Dr. Ezekiel Holmes, received only five votes in this town. Some years later the party merged into the newly formed Republican party.
37
204
HISTORY OF INDUSTRY.
On the question of temperance, public sentiment was strongly in its favor, and at a town meeting held Sept. 10, 1849, the views of its legal voters were tersely set forth in the follow- ing language : "Voted, that we are not willing rum should be unlawfully sold." A committee of three was chosen, and instructed to visit all rumsellers and, if possible, persuade them to stop their illicit traffic. If unsuccessful in this, they were authorized to prosecute them at the expense of the town. This committee consisted of Deacon Brice S. Edwards, Lewis Prince and Orrin Daggett. At a subsequent town meeting holden Sept. 10, 1850, the matter was again brought before the citizens and the town agent was instructed to prosecute all persons found selling liquor unlawfully. But notwithstanding these stringent measures and the vigilance exercised by the people, spirituous liquors were still sold in Industry. Truc, there was but one or two engaged in the business, but they clung to their unlawful trade with a pertinacity worthy of a better cause. Doubtless, hoping to counteract in a measure the evil effect by drawing off a certain class of customers who occasionally bought spirits for medicinal purposes, the municipal officers decided to appoint a liquor agent in conformity with a provi- sion of the statutes authorizing it. Consequently on the 27th of June, 1854, John Frost,* a gentleman of irreproachable character, was selected for the position. He was succeeded in the following year by Nelson C. Lucc, and later Moses M. Luce was appointed to the office. This agency was always an outset to the town, and was abandoned after three or four years.
The Legislature of 1856 having passed a license law, Rich- ard Fassett made application and was licensed agreeably to that act May 5, 1856, " to sell wines and malt liquors for medicinal and mechanical purposes for the term of one year." This was the only license issued in Industry during the existence of the license law, and if others sold liquors it must have been in a clandestine manner. When the prohibitory law of 1858 came
* Mr. Frost was the first liquor agent Industry ever had, and Moses M. Luce the last.
295
EVENTS FROM 1830 TO 1860.
before the people for action, the vote of Industry given in at a meeting held June 7, 1858, was as follows :
For the Prohibitory Law of 1858, 72 votes. 0 votes.
For the License Law of 1856,
The year 1850 ushered in a decade of peace and general prosperity in the history of the town. The State valuation for this year was $147,545. There were owned in town at that time 3,445 sheep, which would have given a flock of sixteen to every family of five persons. The largest individual owner was Daniel S. Gordon, whose flock numbered 240. There were 611 milch cows and heifers owned in town on the first day of April; 283 oxen and 122 hogs. The following gentlemen owned real estate to the value of $1000 or more, viz. :
Benjamin Allen, $1250; Capt. Newman T. Allen, $1400; Maj. James Cutts, $1500; Gen. Nathan Goodridge, $1335; Daniel S. Gordon, $1000; George Hobbs, $1700; Charles Hayes, $1580; Alexander Hillman, $1700; John Wells Manter, $1100; James Manter, $1100; Zebulon Manter, $1200; Peter West Manter, $1300; Obed Norton, $1050; Benj. Warren Norton, $1300; Albert and Daniel Shaw, $3000; Franklin Stone, $1120; Ebenezer Swift, $1120; Capt. Moses Tolman, $1000.
The whole sum of money raised this year, including State and county taxes, was $1866.16, and the rate per cent. of taxation, according to the State valuation, was only a fraction over twelve mills on the dollar. Promising as were the pros- pects of the town at this time, it was destined, ere the first half of the decade had passed, to lose some of its wealthiest citi- zens and most valuable territory. First, in 1850, (see p. 46), the western half of the "New Vineyard Gore" was set off to Farmington, and two years later George Hobbs and others residing in the south part of the town were set off front Indus- try and annexed to New Sharon. Aside from the petitioners, the people of Industry were much opposed to these concessions and took prompt and vigorous measures to prevent legislative action, especially against the subjoined petition of George Hobbs et als .:
296
HISTORY OF INDUSTRY.
To the Senate and House of Representatives of Maine in Legislature assembled.
The undersigned inhabitants of the town of Industry, in the County" of Franklin, respectfully represent that so much of the territory of the town of Industry, adjoining the town of New Sharon in said County, as is embraced in the following description, containing an entire school district, ought to be set off from the town of Industry and annexed to the town of New Sharon. ( Here followed a description of the bounds as given in the foot note on page 14 q. v.)
The undersigned further say that some of the reasons for asking the Legislature to set off said section of Industry and annex to New Sharon may be enumerated as follows, to wit : First, as inhabitants of that part of Industry, they labor under very great inconveniences in respect to their town business and post-office communications. Situated in a remote corner of Industry, distant from any place of business or post-office in that town. They are about entirely cut off from all com- munication with its inhabitants. Whereas all their business and trade is at New Sharon, as well as their post-office communications. Second, the inhabitants of this part of Industry have all or nearly all their moral and religious connections and associations at New Sharon, and with its inhabitants. They have also buried their dead at New Sharon village to a certain extent, and they also own church property and generally attend public worship in New Sharon. If annexed to New Sharon, the inhabitants of this territory would be conveniently situated in all these respects, as well as much better convened in the matter of roads and other means of communications. For the foregoing, among many other reasons, the undersigned do most humbly and respectfully pray the Legislature to set off said territory and annex it to New Sharon, and thus will they ever pray.
George Hobbs.
William D. Smith.
Geo. Gower, 2d.
Simon Collins.
Oren Hebberd.
George Hobbs, Jr.
Ransford Norcross.
Eben G. Collins.
John G. Collins.
Franklin Stone.
John Gower.
Robert Trask.
James Collins.
Wyman Oliver.
Roger Ela.
John Collins.
Philip Norcross.
William F. Williamson.
Though the case of the town was ably managed before the legislative committee, it was hardly possible to prevent the loss,
297
EVENTS FROM 1830 TO 1860.
and the flourishing town of New Sharon received a valuable addition to its already extensive domain. The town was more successful, however, in its opposition to petition of Luther Luce and others residing on the eastern part of the "New Vineyard Gore," who asked the Legislature in the winter of 1857 for a separation from Industry and annexation, with their estates, to the town of Farmington.
The last decade of which this chapter treats, was one of peace and general prosperity, and uneventful aside from the war cloud which near its close lowered on the national horizon.
CHAPTER XVI.
EVENTS FROJI 1860 TO 1866.
Political Excitement .- The John Brown Insurrection .- Diphtheria Epidemic .- Resi- dents of Allen's Mills Petition the Legislature for Annexation to Farmington .- War Meeting Held at West's Mills .- Patriotic Resolutions Passed .- Lively Times at Subsequent Meetings .- Muster and Celebration at West's Mills, July 4, 1861 .- Call for Troops .- A Comet Appears .- Great Scarcity of Silver Money .- Methods Devised for Supplying the Defect .- The U. S. Fractional Currency .- Disheartening News From the War .- Mason and Slidell Arrested .- Belligerent Attitude of England .- Total Failure of the Fruit Crop of 1861 .- Militia En- rolled and Organized .- First Industry Soldiers' Lives Sacrificed .- Obsequies at the Centre Meeting-Ilouse .- More Soldiers Wanted .- Liberal Town Bounty Offered for Enlistments .- A Call for Nine Months' Troops .- Draft Ordered .- Generous Measures Adopted by the Town to Avoid a Draft .- A Stirring Mass Meeting for Raising Volunteers .- Provision for Destitute Soldiers' Families .- News of the Emancipation Proclamation Reaches Industry .- The Conscription Act .- Anxieties of Those Liable to a Draft .- Disloyal Utterances in Other Towns. -Industry True to Her Country .- Piratical Craft Reported off the Maine Coast. -Revenue Cutter "Caleb Cushing " Captured in Portland Harbor.
THIE year 1860 ushered in an eventful era in the history of the town of Industry, as well as in that of the State and Nation. At its dawn the John Brown insurrection with its resulting trial and execution were the all-absorbing topics of discussion. Po- litical excitement, already at fever heat, was still further intensi- fied by one of the most hotly contested gubernatorial and pres- idential campaigns known for years. At the September election the gubernatorial vote was the largest polled for many years. Bitter animosities often existed between neighbors differing in political sentiments, and wordy discussions were frequently in- dulged in. This condition of things grew worse rather than better up to the breaking out, and all through the early part of the great Civil War.
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