USA > Maine > Franklin County > Industry > A history of the town of Industry, Franklin County, Maine > Part 34
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The movement which lead to the organization of the Enter- prise Cheese Manufacturing Company had its origin with the Industry Farmers' and Mechanics' Club. At a meeting held Oct. 30, 1872, the question "Would a cheese-factory in this vicinity prove a paying business?" was discussed with a great deal of earnestness and enthusiasm. The question was decided in the affirmative, and a committee of three was chosen to visit the factory at Strong. Soon after this J. O. Keyes, of Jay, gave the club a talk on the importance of cheese-factories, and methods employed in the manufacture of cheese. The result of these discussions and talks was the association of several gentlemen, who purchased the "Old Red Meeting-House" (see p. 130) of Augustus 11. Swift, took it down and moved it to Goodridge's Corner during the winter. The parties inter- ested organized by the choice of the following officers : Presi- dent, Horatio A. B. Keyes; Vice-President, Llewellyn Norton ;
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EVENTS FROM 1866 TO 1893.
Secretary, Josiah Emery. A Board of Directors, consisting of John A. Stover, Truman Luce, Augustus 11. Swift, William D. McIntosh, and Hovey Thomas, was also chosen. In June following, the factory was built. The building was 24x28 feet, two stories in height, and was furnished with a Ralph vat and the latest improved apparatus. The company divided its stock into twenty-five-dollar shares, and its factory was erected and furnished at a cost of $1300. The first season, the factory was in operation sixty-one days under the superintendency of Nathan Strickland and produced 7000 pounds of cured cheese, each cheese weighing 32 pounds on an average. These were marketed, principally at Farmington, for fifteen cents per pound. The total cost of manufacturing was three cents per pound. The State Legislature, by an act approved Feb. 3, 1874, incorporated Horatio A. B. Keyes, Hovey Thomas, Augustus H. Swift, William D. McIntosh, Warren Bullen, Thomas Stevens, Alvarez N. Goodridge, and Josiah Emery, with their associates, a body politic to be known as the Enterprise Cheese Manufacturing Company, with a maximum capital stock of $5000. Under this charter the company organized by the choice of the following officers: President, Horatio A. B. Keyes; Vice-President, Llewellyn Norton; Secretary, Josiah Emery; Treasurer, Alvarez N. Goodridge ; Directors, William D. McIntosh, Thomas Stevens and Hiram Titcomb. This year the company began the manufacture of cheese June Ist, and the factory was in operation eighty-one days. This year the milk of one hundred cows, aggregating 1600 pounds per day, was received at the factory, and 14,000 pounds of cheese made during the season. The following year ( 1875), 7626 pounds of cheese was made, and about the same amount in 1876-7-8. But the company had found it necessary to hire a portion of the money required to build and fit up their factory. They were doing a good business and had paid the interest on the indebt- edness promptly, likewise something on the principal. But the several creditors becoming alarmed, sued and attached the property, which virtually put an end to all further operations, and the factory fell into disuse.
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HISTORY OF INDUSTRY.
In the fall of 1872, two orders on the treasurer of Industry, amounting to $3100, were sent by mail to the First National Bank of Lewiston, Me., with the request that a part of their face value be advanced. These purported to have been given by the selectmen to Eli N. Oliver for expenses in the Betsey Nichols pauper case. The letter containing them was post- marked at Norridgewock, and requested that the remittance be sent to a certain hotel at West Farmington, obviously to a person under an assumed name. Suspicious that all was not right, the bank officials notified the selectmen, when it was discovered that the orders were base forgeries. At this time it would have been an easy matter to have detected the guilty party or parties, but the secret got abroad and the golden opportunity was lost. This event caused much excitement and a great deal of talk in Industry and vicinity. The topic reached such proportions at length, that a special town meeting was called to assemble at West's Mills, Dec. 7, 1872. After choos- ing Moses Bradbury, Moderator, Josiah Emery motioned that a reward of $200 be offered for the detection and conviction of the guilty parties, which was promptly seconded and unani- mously carried. Though some effort was made to earn the reward, it was never claimed, and the criminals escaped un- punished.
Rev. David Church, a gentleman of culture and fine literary tastes, was stationed at Industry in 1873 as pastor of the Methodist Church. While engaged in his pastoral labors, he conceived the idea of offering a prize for the best delivered declamation and holding the competitive test in the Union Church at West's Mills. This proposal was received with much favor, and Elder Church immediately set about perfecting his plans. The hearty support of many students and teachers was obtained, and a large number volunteered to compete for the prize. The date set for the exercises was Wednesday evening, Feb. 12, 1873. The weather and sleighing being favorable, the attendance was large, filling the church to its utmost capacity. An orchestra was improvised for the occasion, and the decla- mations were interspersed with excellent music. Rev. Mr.
EVENTS FROM 1866 TO 1893. 397
Church acted as president of the evening, and Orville W. Collins, Stark, John G. Brown, New Sharon, and John Willis, Industry, were selected as awarding judges. The desk of the pulpit had been replaced by a convenient stage, on which were seated the president and adjudging committee, and from which the votaries of Demosthenes and Cicero delivered their orations. Among those present from abroad was Rev. Joseph Colby, Presiding Elder of Readfield District, who offered prayer at the commencement of the exercises. The programme in full was as follows :
Music. Prayer.
Discovery of America .- Everett. Sheridan's Ride .- Read. The Pipes of Lucknow. Horatius at the Bridge .- Macaulay. Extract.
Ilenry D. Watson, Anson. John R. Luce, Industry .* Samuel Sherburne Day, Stark. Frank Pinkham, Anson. Joseph L. Coughlin, Industry.
"The Skeeter " (a parody). Fred R. Trask, New Sharon (aged 10 years). Assassination of President Lincoln. Adelbert (. Frederic, Stark. John II. Smith, Stark.
The Inebriate's Death-Bed. Sparticus to the Gladiators .- Kellogg. Irish Aliens and English Victories.
On the American War .- Lord Chatham.
Rum's Maniac .- Allison.
Launching of the Ship .- Longfellow. Extract.
The Diver .- Schiller.
Robert Dana Trask, New Sharon. W. D. Morse, New Sharon. James B. Greaton, Stark. James E. Trask, New Sharon. Newton J. Jones, Farmington. Frank C. Stone, New Sharon. Fred Bixby, Anson.
Much ability was shown by the contestants in the rendering of their respective parts and the interest was sufficient to hold the close attention of the large and appreciative audience. So cx- cellent was every part that the committee found it no casy matter to determine which really was the best, but after carefully weigh- ing the matter the prize was awarded to James E. Trask, New Sharon, with honorable mention of James B. Greaton, Stark.
The Centre Meeting-House had by long years of constant service fallen into a state of poor repair. At a meeting of the proprietors holden April 16, 1874, it was voted to raise $100 for
* Absent. Omitted.
50
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repairs by tax on pews. This tax was promptly assessed on the forty-seven pews which the house contained. During that year the roof was shingled, the outside nicely painted, and later the pews were cut down and modernized and the whole interior thoroughly remodeled. A fine Daniel F. Beatty organ was also purchased in 1878 and the house nicely furnished, and although not much used since the completion of Shorey Chapel, it is still a pleasant, attractive church.
The Greenback party made its first appearance in American politics with the nomination of William Allen for governor of Ohio by the Democratic State Convention of 1874, in opposition to Rutherford B. Hayes, upon a platform containing a soft- money clause. This party made its first appearance in Maine with the introduction into the Democratic State Convention of 1875, by Solon Chase, of Turner, a resolution containing this Ohio clause. This resolution was refused a passage. Before the next campaign Solon Chase established a Greenback newspaper, and a party was formed which nominated Almon Gage, of Lewiston, for governor, who received 520 votes. The next year their can- didate received 5.291 votes in the State, and in 1878 Joseph L. Smith received 41,371 votes for governor. The first votes cast by the Greenback party in Industry was at the gubernatorial election, Sept. 10, 1877, when 21 votes were polled for Henry C. Munson. On the evening of December 6th in that year, Solon Chase came to Industry and lectured on finance in the brick school-house at Allen's Mills. His sound logical arguments won many converts for the Greenback party, and the next year (1878) Joseph L. Smith received III votes in town. The largest vote ever polled by the Greenback party in Industry was in 1879, when Joseph L. Smith received 130 votes for governor. There was a slight falling off from this at the two succeeding elections. But in the following years the party lost heavily, and in the course of time ceased to exist.
The summer of 1875 witnessed one of the greatest scourges from the forest tent-caterpillar ( Clisiocampa sylvatica, Harris) known in the history of the town. So numerous were they that whole orchards were as completely stripped of their foliage as
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EVENTS FROM 1866 TO 1893.
they could have been by fire. So ravenous were these pests that maple and other shade-trees were attacked when the fruit- trees failed to supply the demands of their appetites. The next year ( 1876) orchards were again infested, but there seemed to be some diminution in number. Any orchard which chanced to escape in 1875 was sure to suffer in 1876. It was no uncommon sight to see, at evening, large windrows of these insects piled along fences and on buildings and trees. Strange as the state- ment may appear, it was currently reported that railroad travel was seriously impeded by these insects gathering on the iron rails in great numbers.
THE FRESHET OF 1878.
In December, 1878, the inhabitants of West's Mills witnessed a freshet which is without a parallel in the history of the town. For some time previous to the 10th the ground had been deeply frozen, as it usually is at this season of the year. Snow began falling early on the morning of the 10th, and continued to fall until fully ten inches lay upon the ground. The snow was very damp and heavy, and sufficient in quantity to make good sleigh- ing. Towards night a warm rain set in, and by midnight but very little of this snow remained. As the ground was frozen, the water from the fast-melting snow ran off the surface into the brooks. At dark they were bank full, and a few hours' time was sufficient to swell their volume to a flood. Becoming alarmed for the safety of his property, Mr. James M. Norton summoned assistance and at about 10.30 P. M. commenced the removal of his stock from the stable just in front of his house. So strong was the current at this time that it was extremely hazardous to cross the road between the house and stable. A rope, made fast to a tree in front of the house, was stretched across the road and fastened to a post in the stable, by the aid of which the men crossed and re-crossed the road until cows, oxen and horses were removed to a place of safety. While thus engaged a heifer lost her footing and was carried some rods by the current and barely escaped being swept over a steep bluff
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HISTORY OF INDUSTRY.
near the grist-mill. After the stock had been removed, Mr. Norton next gave the store, occupied by himself and brother, his attention. Already the water was on a level with the floor and was flowing under a door on the west side. Mr. Norton, aided by his assistants, commenced hoisting corn and other things, which the water might injure, to the second floor of his back store. Soon after midnight the dam of the grist and saw- mill gave way under the immense pressure brought to bear upon it, after which the water began to abate. At Charles M. Hilton's during the rise of the water matters also assumed a serious nature. His stable, which sat on very low ground, was filled with water to the depth of several feet. As his buildings were entirely surrounded by water, and the current was strong, the only place of safety which he could find for his cow and horse was by housing the former in his pig-pen and the latter in his woodhouse. These being connected with the house, were built at an elevation beyond reach of the water. Joseph Eveleth, with whom lived his aged mother and a sister, was completely isolated from the rest of the village, as it would have been extremely hazardous, if not impossible, to cross the street in any direction. By daylight the water had settled to the bank- level of the previous night. An examination revealed the fol- lowing casualties, among many others of minor importance : The dam of the grist and saw-mill was gone, the penstock of the former was also gone, and a large hole stove in the stone foundation. Several of James M. and Alonzo Norton's heavy lumbering sleds were gone, a portion of which were never found. A mowing-machine, minus the pole, standing just in front of J. Warren Smith's blacksmith shop, was swept away by the flood. A pile of boards some ten rods north of Norton's store was floated from beside the road nearly down to the Four Corners. J. Warren Smith's garden, near the mill-stream, was completely ruined by the wash of water, and James M. Norton's sustained serious damage from the same cause. A great amount of labor was required to repair the roads, which were also badly washed. A careful measurement showed the water to have
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EVENTS FROM 1866 TO 1893.
been seventeen and one-fourth inches higher than it was during the freshet of 1869.
A drouth occurred in the summer of 1880, claimed by many to be fully cqual in severity to that of 1825. During the month of June the amount of rainfall was small, and this soon evapor- ated beneath the rays of the hot summer sun. The roads became dry and oppressively dusty, while brooks and rills furnished only a limited supply of water. As time passed on, streams of considerable size began to get low, and at length became completely dry and wells began to fail. The flow of water in the mill-stream at West's Mills grew less and less, and at length entirely ceased. Wells in which the utmost confidence had heretofore been placed, failed, and as the drouth grew more and more intense, many residents of Industry found it necessary to drive their stock long distances to water, while for culinary and drinking purposes water was sometimes hauled nearly a mile. Fortunately no fires occurred in town during this pro- tracted drouth, which did not end until near the time winter set in.
CATTLE SHOW AND FAIR AT WEST'S MILLS.
The year 1880 having been a prosperous one with the farmers of Industry, they decided to hold a show and fair for the exhibition of farm and household products at some conven- ient date during the fall. In accordance with their determi- nation, notice was given to all persons interested to meet at . James M. and A. Norton's hall, at West's Mills, to choose officers and make necessary arrangements for the exhibition. A society was organized and the following officers elected : President, Col. Samuel W. Tinkham; Vice-President, Melvin Viles; Sec- retary, William C. Hatch; Marshal, Josiah Emery. To some it may seem a little strange that a gentleman from an adjoining town should be selected as president, but as the colonel intended to exhibit largely at the proposed show, the office was bestowed upon him as a token of esteem. Saturday, October 9th, was set as the day for holding the show. The committee of arrange-
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HISTORY OF INDUSTRY.
ments hired a field of James Oliver, at West's Mills, on the Stark road just east of John W. Frederic's house, and erected necessary stanchions and pens for the accommodation of the stock,- Messrs. Norton generously giving the use of their hall for the fair. The morning of October 9th dawned fair and bright, and at a seasonable hour cattle and sheep, horses and colts came pouring in from all parts of the town, as well as from the adjoining towns of Anson, Farmington and Stark, until by noon as large and handsome a display of stock was on the ground as is seldom seen at a town show. At the hall, which was under the immediate supervision of Eli N. Oliver and lady, the display of farm produce, fancy and useful manufactured articles, butter, cheese, etc., was large and of an excellent quality, and the hall was constantly thronged with people. Among the many exhibitors of neat stock we will mention the following : Eli N. Oliver, John Willis, William Henry Luce, Wesley N. Luce, Benjamin W. Norton, Lorenzo Watson, Samuel C. Rand, Peter W. Merry, Curtis Pinkham, Benjamin P. Look, Fred Jeffers, and last but by no means least, James M. and A. Norton. Sheep: William H. Luce, Peter W. Merry, Melvin Viles, John C. Pratt, Benjamin W. Norton, and Lorenzo Watson. Horses and Colts: J. M. and A. Norton, Elias H. Ycaton, A. N. Good- ridge, Melvin Viles, Albert H. Huntoon, etc. On the whole the show was a decided success.
Not until the fall of 1884 did the Industry Agricultural Society hold its second annual show and fair. On Saturday, Sept. 13, 1864, the members met at the school-house at West's Mills, and organized for the season by choosing Holmes H. Bailey, of Industry, president, and William C. Hatch, secretary. The society voted to award preferences, and effected a radical change by electing a board of five trustees and authorizing them to appoint the awarding committees and make all necessary arrangements for the coming show. These trustees were Col. Samuel W. Tinkham, of Anson; Joseph H. Sayer, Benjamin W. Norton, and Eben S. Ladd, of Industry; George M. Hatch, of Farmington. Joseph Elder was elected marshal, and Rosal- vin Robbins collector and treasurer. The society's advertising
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EVENTS FROM 1866 TO 1893. 403
bills this year ( 1884) contained the names of the awarding committees, and the exhibits were classed in three separate divisions, and these divisions were sub-divided into twenty classes. Tuesday, September 30th, the day set for the show, was very fine and the exhibition was pronounced a decided success. There were one hundred and seventeen entries of neat stock alone, while the other departments were equally well patronized.
The next year the society retained its old board of officers with the exception of its president and one trustee, who asked to be excused, and these vacancies were filled by the election of John Willis as president, and Orrin W. Greaton, of Stark, as trustee, vice Benjamin W. Norton, resigned.
The third annual show and fair of the society occurred on Tuesday, Oct. 13, 1885, and although rather late in the season, the weather was very favorable and all things considered it was the best show ever held by the society. Never was a better exhibit of fruit, vegetables and dairy products seen in Industry than graced the tables in Norton's Hall on that day. Among the most extensive exhibitors of fruit were Alvarez N. Good- ridge, who made a fine display of twenty-seven varieties of apples and ten of grapes, Thomas Stevens, with fourteen varieties, William W. Campbell, Horatio A. B. Keyes, Lorenzo Watson, Charles W. Cookson, Herbert B. Luce, etc. The entries in the stock department were more numerous than on the previous year, and everything passed off in a pleasing and satisfactory manner.
CELEBRATION AT WEST'S MILLS, JULY 4, ISSI.
Late Saturday afternoon, before the celebration on the fol- lowing Monday, news reached our village of the shooting of President Garfield, which, with the expectation that every hour would bring the sad intelligence of his death, caused the day to be one of sorrow rather than of joy.
Eli N. Oliver was chosen president of the day, and Josiah Emery served as marshal. The Anson Cornet Band had been
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engaged for the occasion, and at an carly hour was on the ground. The stars and stripes were flung to the breeze, and at 9 o'clock .A. M. the exercises commenced with a street-parade of the " Ancients and Honorables," led by the cornet band. This parade afforded the children considerable amusement, and some of the older ones opened their eyes in wonderment when, trudging along in the rear of the procession, came a queerly- dressed character on a pair of tall stilts.
At 10.30 a procession of citizens, headed by the veterans of the late Civil War and led by the band, marched to the grove near James Oliver's. Here a stand for the speaker and officers of the day had been erected, and after an opening prayer by Rev. John W. Perry, Virgil L. Craig, of Farmington, delivered a very able address, which was listened to with marked attention. At one o'clock the great event of the day, the bal- loon ascension, was to take place. These balloons, two in number, made of tissue paper, were to be inflated with hot air. The larger one accidentally took fire in the process of inflation, and being of such light material was reduced to a mass of charred cinders in less than a moment's time. The second was successfully inflated, however, and sailed majestically away. It afterwards took fire and burned in the air. This was probably the first balloon ascension which had ever occurred in town, and without doubt its course was watched by a thousand persons who never saw a similar sight. The foot-race and other minor features of the programme were carried out to the satis- faction of all present. Not a single instance of intoxication was observed during the day, which was greatly to the credit of all concerned. The expenses of the occasion were defrayed by the citizens of our town, who contributed liberally for the purpose.
DESTRUCTIVE FIRE AT WEST'S MILLS.
It was seldom that an alarm of fire disturbed the quiet of the little village of West's Mills, but on one unfortunate even- ing, just as the villagers were retiring for the night, the church bell pealed out an alarm the meaning of which could not be
EVENTS FROM 1866 TO 1893. 405
mistaken. The account of the fire given below was prepared by the author and published in the Farmington Herald soon after the occurrence of the event it portrays :
At about 8.30 P. M. on the evening of Aug. 26, 1881, fire was discov- ered in the barn owned by John Willis. The alarm spread rapidly, as did also the fire, and in an incredibly short time the whole barn was a mass of flame. The house was connected with the barn by an ell, wood- house and sheep-shed, the upper part of the latter being filled with hay. Through these the fire swept with the speed of a race-horse, and com- municating with the main house that, too, in a short time was enveloped in flame. Mr. Willis's stable next shared the fate of the house and barn, quickly followed by the Union Church .* A perfect shower of burning shingles and cinders were rained down on the adjoining build- ings of Messrs. Eben S. Ladd, Alonzo Norton, and Rev. John W. Perry ; these, as it seemed impossible to save them from destruction, were cleared of their contents, and the furniture, etc., removed to a place of safety. At the same time a score of willing hands procured ladders and pails and commenced one of the most determined battles ever fought against the destroying element, and by their united and unre- mitting efforts further destruction was prevented. Mr. Willis loses heavily by the fire, but it is almost impossible to give anything like an accurate estimate of the amount. Among the property destroyed was his entire crop of hay and grain, three cows, thirty cords of wood, all their winter clothes and bedding, glass, china, silverware, etc. There was an insurance of $1000 on the property, but this is a small fraction of the entire loss. There was no insurance on the church, and its destruction is a dead loss to the society. Extensive repairs had just been completed, which made it one of the most pleasant country churches to be found.
In the fall of 1883 the town was visited by a bear, which committed many depredations among the farmers in the north- ern part of Industry, such as killing sheep and lambs and strip- ping apple-trees of their fruit. At length these acts of plunder became much too frequent to render sheep-raising profitable to
* A somewhat singular circumstance occurred during the burning of this struc- ture : While the belfry was enveloped in flame and the crowd were expectantly watching to see the bell fall, the giving way of a burning timber caused it to lurch slightly to one side and give forth a low, distinct peal, thus tolling its own knell.
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