USA > Maine > Washington County > Milltown > Annals of Calais, Maine, and St. Stephen, New Brunswick; including the village of Milltown, Me., and the present town of Milltown, N.B. > Part 3
USA > Maine > Washington County > Calais > Annals of Calais, Maine, and St. Stephen, New Brunswick; including the village of Milltown, Me., and the present town of Milltown, N.B. > Part 3
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41
ORGANIZATION .- 1800 to 1810.
too poured into the place, and enchanting visions of wealth dawned on the minds of the people. Rumor of this thrift spread abroad, and the great commercial world began to speak of Schoodic with interest and re- spect.
About the same time, that is, about the beginning of the present century, Stephen Brewer, Esq., of Boston, became a citizen of Township No. 5, and was immedi- ately and justly assigned to high rank in society. This intellectual, wealthy and influential man was the first resident that exported lumber, the first Justice and Post- master in the place ; and he presided at the first Town meeting, introduced the first wagon and fitted up the first Church. His home was near the corner of Main and North Milltown streets. In 1804, he married So- phia Hill of Machias, who as Mrs. Knight is still living, and to whom I am indebted for valuable information. They had but one child, Nancy A., who married Wm. Spring, and moved to California. Mr. Brewer died in 1814. The next year his widow received from friends in Boston, a Chaise,-the first one that ever graced the streets of Calais.
Shubael Downes Jr., a son of one of the original proprietors came to Calais in 1803 or 4, to manage the affairs of his inheritance. He was full of energy and enterprise. He built and kept the first hotel,-a smart appearing mansion near the corner of Main and Church streets. He built and run at Milltown the first Grist- mill. He built the second vessel on the American side of the river. In 1805, he organized a militia company and was elected captain ; and with a small band of his soldiers, a few years after, cut out and rescued an A- merican vesselin St. Andrews Bay, that had been seized
42
ORGANIZATION .- 1800 to 1810.
by an English armed ship. The first Town meeting was held at his Inn. But his brothers, John and George, having come to help take care of their land ยท property, Shubael, becoming dissatisfied with this cold eastern country, removed to Pennsylvania with his family soon after the close of the War of 1812-15, and there died.
In 1805, Clement Lane, (the son of Capt. Daniel Lane of Amherst, Mass., a brave soldier and officer in the American army of the Revolution,) migrated to this city and located at Milltown. He built and dwelt in the house now occupied by Wm Brooks. During the Winter of that year, 1805-6, in company with Daniel Rhoades, he built for Wm. Vance, Esq., the first Saw-mill in Baring. His aged widow is yet living in Minnesota, and two of his sons, Clement and Maltiah, reside at Red Beach.
Maj. Ebenezer Reading located in Calais in 1805, and became a highly respected and influential citizen. He married Rebecca Hill who is still living, and from her I have received valuable information for this work.
In 1806, Township No. 5, by an Act of the Legis- lature and in accordance with the wishes of its people, received the name of Calais. This name was given perhaps as an offset to that part of St. Stephen called Dover Hill. Gratefully remembering the timely assist- ance given by Lafayette and his brave companions dur- ing the Revolutionary War, the American people cher- ished a warm sympathy for France ; and this sympathy found a very appropriate expression in giving the name of a frontier city in France to a border town of the Un- ited States. It is greatly to be regretted that the peo- ple on the other side of the river did not take the hint, and adopt the equally pretty and appropriate name of
43
ORGANIZATION .- 1800 to 1810.
Dover, instead of the uneuphonious though pious cogno- men of Saint Stephen.
The same year, 1806, Wm. Pike of Wiscasset, Me., and his second wife, Hannah Sheppard, became citizens of Calais. Their home was near the river bank in the rear of Young's Hotel. From the first, Mr. Pike was one of the most able, active and efficient managers of public affairs. His name is on almost every page of the Town Records, as long as he lived. But in an evil day, July 1, 1818, while on his way to Eastport in an open boat, to celebrate the restoration of Moose Isl- and by the English, Mr. Pike fell overboard and was drowned. His three sons, Fred. A., James S., and Charles, thus early left to orphanage and indigence,have done honor to his memory and to the city, as financiers, writers and statesmen.
From year to year, otber families moved in, child- ren were born and business increased, till the need of an organization to raise money, construct highways, support schools and take care of the poor, began to be clearly perceived. Accordingly a petition was sent to the General Court of Massachusetts, and an Act grant- ing the power to incorporate the town, was passed by the Legislature and approved by the Governor, June 15, 1809. The warrant calling the first Town meeting, was issued by Oliver Shedd. Esq., of Eastport, and served by Stephen Brewer. It was held July 31, 1809, "at the Inn of Capt. Shubael Downes," and the following offi- cers were elected :-
MODERATOR .- Stephen Brewer.
CLERK .- William Griggs.
TREASURER .- Stephen Brewer.
SELECTMEN .- William Pike, Jarius Keene, Francis Pettigrove.
44
ORGANIZATION .- 1800 to 1810.
COLLECTOR .- Thomas Pettigrove, Sr.
CONSTABLES .- Jones Dyer, Jr., Wm. Griggs.
HIGHWAY SURVEYORS .- Jonathan Knight, Jarius Keene, John Bohannon, Sr., Jones Dyer, Sr., Simeon Elliott.
SURVEYORS OF LUMBER .- Joseph Prescott, Daniel Rhoades, William Sherman.
FENCE VIEWERS .- Jarius Keene, Francis Pettigrove, William Pike.
HOG REEVES .- Nathan Foss, Shubael Downes, Win. Pike, Eli Russell, Thomas Hill, Paul Knight, Wm. Griggs, Stephen Brewer.
Thus the political life of the town began. Half the voters were elected to office ; though some probably in sport. We can hardly imagine swine enough to re- quire the legal supervision of eight athletic Hog Reeves ; but the list shows us the names of the wide-awake men of the day. Alas ! not one of them is now living.
But officers were not enough for the exigency. Work was needed. Another Town meeting was held Sept. 14, 1809, in which it was "voted to accept the road just laid out from Stillwater (Milltown) to Ferry Point, and from thence down river to the Ledge." It
is fair to infer that previous to this time, there were no highways, and no roads for the traveller but bridle paths in Summer, and logging roads in Winter. Ir these, on horseback, on rude sleds, but more generally on foot, the hardy settlers had managed to get along for thirty years. But a new age had come, and hence- forth everybody and everything was to go faster and easier.
During this decade, St. Stephen had also made some progress. Good schools had been established,
45
ORGANIZATION .- 1800 to 1810.
and good Magistrates appointed ; some of the old citi- zens had died, and many new. ones had come. The people generally were gathering more property and gaining a better foothold. There was a marked im- provement in the streets, houses, raiment and style of living. Still there was much intemperance and pov. erty ; and as a whole, the place retained many of its original features and characteristics.
The Spring of 1804, was very sickly, and many persons died ; among whom were Robert Moore and Mrs. Benjamin Getchell ; the latter, one of the very first settlers and Rev. D. M'Coll's first converts. The same year, 1804, a small colony of emigrants from the High- lands of Scotland came and settled on what has ever since been called "Scotch Ridge." They were moral, industrious and thrifty. They brought with them their national religion and the Bible in their mother tongue ; and as they had no minister of their own, and many of them did not understand English, Rev. Mr. M'Coll oc- casionallv preached to them in Gaelic. They were Presbyterians and the founders of the Kirk on the 'Ridge,' where until recently, service has been conducted at least a part of each Sunday, in the Highland dialect. Indi- rectly the Presbyterian Church in St. Stephen owes its origin to this colony of Highlanders.
In 1806, an attempt was made to erect a Meeting House for Rev. D. M'Coll, large enough to accommo- date all the church-going people of the place. The proj- ect having failed for want of funds, a petition numer- ously signed was sent to the Bishop of Fredericton, asking that a Minister of the Anglican Church be sent for their spiritual guidance and edification. The petition was granted, and Rev. Richard Clarke came ; and under
46
ORGANIZATION .- 1800 to 1810.
his direction, Episcopacy gained a footing in St. Steph- en, and Christ's Church was founded. Thus St. Steph- en was blessed with two ministers and two churches, while Calais had none.
47
STRUGGLE FOR LIFE .- 1810 to 1820.
VIII.
"STRUGGLE FOR LIFE."-1810 to 1820.
Calais is an irregularly shaped strip of land border- ing on the south-west side of the St. Croix river, be- tween Baring and Robbinston. The soil near the river is fertile, and some of the land in the centre of the town might be cultivated with profit. It can never become much of a farming town ; but its harbor and water pow- er may render it a large city. The population in 1810 was about 250, and they were all certain that the place was destined to grow largely.
The population was composed mostly of families of limited means, dwelling in poor, small houses, in little openings in the forest, not far from the margin of the river, all the way from Robbinston to Baring. There were no good roads, no school houses, no churches, no banks, and not much money, in town ; but there were strong hands, brave hearts and iron wills; and with these began the long, hard struggle for civilized life.
At the first regular Spring Town-meeting, held as before at the Inn of Capt. Shubael Downes, April 2, 1810, nearly all the officers of the preceeding year were reelected. In addition however, Wm. Pike, Jarius Keene and Jones Dyer were chosen School Committee, and Ephraim Sands was elected one of the Constables. It was also "voted to raise $650, for the support of schools and to pay other town expenses." This was the first tax ever levied in the place ; and taking into consideration the poverty of the people, it was by no
48
STRUGGLE FOR LIFE .- 1810 to 1820.
means a small one. There seems to have been some doubt of its being paid promptly, for Wm. Griggs the Collector, was allowed as a remuneration, six per cent. on all the money he collected. It is pleasant to notice that true to the grand Puritan idea, the first dollar voted by the town, was for free public schools. The pioneers may have been illiterate, but they realized the priceless value of education, and wisely inaugurated the means to make their children intelligent, manly and happy.
One thousand dollars, ($1000) were also voted for the making and improvement of highways, to be paid in labor. The wages allowed per day, were for a man, 9s. a pair of oxen, 6s. a plow, 3s. and a cart, 3s. Tak- ing into account the dozen miles of wretched roads in town, and the natural tendency of most men not to hur- ry when working for the public, it is safe to infer that the highways were but little improved by this expendi- ture.
Along with the interest in the noble cause of edu- cation, arose a corresponding zeal for religion. There were no settled pastors in town : but wandering Evan- gelists occasionally came along to "preach the gospel to the poor." And "to preserve order during public worship, and to enforce a proper observance of the Sabbath, Jarius Keene, Shubael Downes and Simeon Eliott were elected Tythingmen." If- this was not a grim burlesque, it shows another devout streak of Pu- ritanism.
At this meeting, the following votes were cast for Governor :- Elbridge Gerry, 35 ; Christopher Gove, 5 ; Wm. Gray, 2; Daniel Cobb, 1; total 43. These were probably about all the voters in the place ; and they were nearly all Jeffersonian Democrats.
49
STRUGGLE FOR LIFE .- 1810 to 1820.
At a Town-meeting held July 30, 1810, a Health Committee was chosen. There was no physician in town ; but sickness was prevalent, and an epidemic was feared. The Committee did its duty, and the plague did not come.
At another Town-meeting held Nov. 5, 1810, to vote for a Representative to Congress, Barzillai Gannett had eleven ballots, and Thomas Rice, three. The nov- elty of voting had worn off; many of the men were bus- ily at work in the woods ; and political feeling was be- low zero.
Already the affairs of the new town began to be somewhat complicated, and to make things run smooth- ly, more money was needed. A happy expedient was accordingly devised. At a Town-meeting, held at the house of Wm. Griggs, Jan. 12, 1811, Jones Dyer, Jr., Joseph Whitney and Paul Knight were chosen a Com- mittee to petition the Legislature "to grant to the town of Calais the public lands reserved in said town." The financial relief thus sought, if obtained, would have been very small and temporary ; the request therefore was probably not granted. The young town was left to prove its worth and strength by paying its own bills.
Near the commencement of this decade, in the year 1810, a startling and painful episode roused to intense excitement the hitherto peaceful settlement. In the edge of Robbinston, a little below Calais and a mile or more back from the St. Croix, there is a pretty sheet of water called "Money Maker's Lake ;" and on its shore, the tragedy began, in a very quiet manner.
One day while Samuel Jones was engaged in trac- ing the boundary lines of former land surveys, he unex- pectedly discovered two men encamped near the margin
50
STRUGGLE FOR LIFE .- 1810 to 1820.
of the above mentioned lake, industriously at work, manufacturing counterfeit silver money. Greatly a- larmed at thus being caught while occupied in their un- lawful employment, and seeing no other way to escape exposure and punishment, they offered Mr. Jones five hundred dollars, if he would not divulge their secret. Jones, prompted partly by fear and partly by his love of money, accepted the proposal. A contract to this effect having been made in writing and signed with blood drawn from his own hand, he pocketed the bribe and left them to continue their nefarious business.
But a man who can be bought, is seldom worthy of confidence. Mr. Jones soon exposed the counterfeiters, and a warrant was issued for their arrest. Among those who went to serve the precept, was Mr. John Downes, a highly respected citizen of Calais, and a son of one of the original proprietors of the town. The party found a Mr. Ball, one of the money makers, near the edge of Robbinston ; and while trying to arrest him, he discharged a gun, and Mr. Downes fell to the ground, dead. He and Ball are said to have been personal friends ; and it is possible that the bullet intended for Jones, was accidentally fired at Mr. Downes. The fu- neral of the murdered man was attended by all the cit- izens of Calais ; and the poor cold corpse sadly laid to rest in M'Coll's cemetery. Ball was carried to Castine, where the Courts for Washington county were then held, tried for murder, convicted and hanged ; though not a few people on second, sober thought, came to the con- clusion, that he was only guilty of homicide. Thus end- ed the tragedy ; but the name of the lake will ever re- main a suggestive memento of the melancholy story. The wife of Ball is still living in this city.
Y
51
STRUGGLE FOR LIFE .- 1810 to 1820.
At the annual Town-meeting, April 1, 1811, held in the school room in Mr. Grigg's house, Milltown, most of the officers of the town were reelected. Geo. S. Smith received twenty-five votes for County Treas- urer and Register of Deeds ; and that probably was a- bout the number of voters present at the meeting. It was voted "to raise by taxation, $300, for the support of schools, $100, to defray town expenses, and $1000, for highways, to be paid in labor." Evidently the peo- ple felt poorer and less sanguine than formerly. The struggle for existence as a political body, was harder than they expected. They raised less money than in the preceding year, but they went bravely on in their arduous work.
At an adjourned meeting held April 23, the town was divided into school districts bounded as follows :
DIST. 1 .- The area between Baring and the east line of Jones Dyer's farm ;- including Milltown.
DIST. 2 .- The territory between the east line of Jones Dyer's farm, and the east line of Daniel Rhoades' farm ;- including the Union and Calais villages.
DIST. 3 .- Extended from Rhoades' farm to Bog Brook.
DIST. 4 .- From Bog Brook to John Noble's east line.
Thus another important step was taken in the cause of education. Each District was to provide a school house, and receive its per capita share of the school money.
As the months glided by, talk began to be made about irregularities in town affairs. The complaining increased till it was deemed necessary to call. a Town- meeting. At the meeting, held Sept. 30th., in Stephen
52
STRUGGLE FOR LIFE .- 1810 to 1820.
Brewer's house, Paul Knight, Samuel Darling and Joshua Burbank were chosen a committee "to call on Wm. Pike and request of him a settlement of the town accounts for 1809-10, or to give up to them the town account books ; and to report their doings at the next annual meeting." The results of this illegal proceed- ing, were dissension, hard feelings and a harder strug- gle with want. The merits of the case have long ago been forgotten.
At an adjourned meeting held Oct. 12, it was "voted to accept the road laid out from James Sprague's to the Robbinston line." Thus, thirty two years after its first settlement, the town first had a public road,-at least a road in name, extending through the whole length of its territory.
The aspect of affairs in the Spring of 1812, was gloomy and discouraging. The coming war cloud be- gan to darken the whole country. Business was stag- nating. The population of Calais was not increasing. Money was scarce and debts plenty. But nearly all the people were brave, war Republicans, and they gath- ered up their courage and strength, and went on with the usual routine of affairs.
At the annual meeting, held April 6th, Shubael Downes was chosen Moderator ; Joseph Whitney, Clerk ; Jones Dyer, Treasurer ; Shubael Downes, Jones Dyer and Jarius Keene, Selectmen ; Samuel Darling, Jones Dyer, Jr., Paul Knight, Francis Pettigrove and Jarius Keene, School Committee. $300 were appropriated for the support of schools, $200, to defray town expenses, and eight per cent. allowed for collecting the taxes. This increase in the percentage was not made because the price of labor was higher, but because in the hard
53
STRUGGLE FOR LIFE .- 1810 to 1820.
times, the task was more difficult. The roads must still have been extremely poor, yet for some unaccount- able reason, only $800 were voted for their improve- ment.
The votes for Governor were 47 for Elbridge Gerry, an eminent war Republican, and 5 for Caleb Strong, a Federalist and anti-war man. This was a large vote, and it clearly shows the patriotic temper of the people.
War against England was declared June 18, 1812. British armed vessels began to cruise along the coast ; commerce was suspended, and the cold gripe of poverty began to tighten around the little isolated settlements on the St. Croix. As there were no regular troops on either side of the river, the gloom was deepened by the imminent danger of lawless and bloody conflicts between the people of the two villages. To prevent this calam- ity, at the suggestion of Rev. Duncan M'Coll, a Com- mittee of Public Safety was chosen, embracing citizens of both Calais and St. Stephen, "to endeavor to pre- serve law and order until troops should arrive and es- tablish military rule." This humane and judicious movement secured the object for which it was made ; though it did not dispel the weary anxiety of the people.
At the next annual Town-meeting, April 5, 1813, the old board of officers was reelected, $250, voted for "town accounts," and $500, for highways. The records make no mention of schools. It is not certain whether they were suspended on account of the war, or whether their small expense was defrayed from the money voted for "town accounts." In the ballot for Governor, the gritty little town cast 42 votes for Joseph B. Varnum, war Republican, and only three for Caleb Strong, the anti-war Federalist.
-
54
STRUGGLE FOR LIFE .- 1810 to 1820.
In June of this year, a small military force was stationed on each side of the river. The British sol- diers were under the command of Gen. Samaurez and Cols. Muld and Buck ; the Americans were in charge of Capts. Gregory, and Shubael Downes, and Lieuts. Manning, and Jarius Keene. One company was sta- tioned near Wm. Deming's present residence, and the other, in a part of W. E. Slayton's house. The former were "regulars," the latter, militia.
At the annual Town-meeting in 1814, it was voted to raise $100 for current expenses, $200 for schools, and $300 for highways. These sums were small, but they were all that could be afforded. Very little wheel- ing was done, and good carriage roads were not much needed ; the $300 may therefore have been enough. In the ballot for Governor, Samuel Dexter received thirty two votes, and Caleb Strong only two. Though suffer- ing keenly from the war, Calais was not tinctured with Hartford-Convention Federalism. The weakness of Massachusetts did not reach the forest homes of St, Croix.
The English now, 1814, occupied Eastport and claimed all the territory east of the Penobscot. Of course the coast was thoroughly blockaded, and western trade entirely cut off. There was but little money or business in Calais. Merchandize went up to famine prices. Molasses was $1.00 a gallon ; corn meal, coarse and poor, $2.00 a bushel ; flour, $20.00 a barrel, and sugar and dry goods were not to be had except in small quan- tities. It was truly a "time that tried men's souls." The river line was closely guarded ; and although there was plenty of food and raiment in St. Stephen, smug- gling was almost impossible. There was no actual
55
STRUGGLE FOR LIFE .- 1810 to 1820.
fighting or outrage on either side of the river : an inci- dent however took place of considerable interest. A dozen or more fat oxen having been driven through from the Penobscot and smuggled into Milltown, N. B., Lieut. Manning determined to seize them. Accord- ingly, one day when the men of Milltown were mostly absent from home, he crossed the river with a squad of soldiers, captured one unarmed man and the oxen, and brought them all safely to Calais. The man soon es- caped, but the beeves were retained, and added to the commissary department of Calais,-an addition just then much needed.
But a sad and brutal scene was enacted at East- port. While the English held that town, their soldiers inhaling the free, sweet air of our forests, manifested a strong inclination to desert. Several escaped, and no doubt the Yankees were glad to see them go. The British officers, exasperated by their losses, and deter- mined to stop the desertions, seized a Mr. Barker who had formerly lived in Calais, accused him of aiding the escape of their men, tried him in a Court Martial, found a verdict of guilty, (though he was probably innocent,) and sentenced him to be tied to the tail of a cart and whipped through the streets of Eastport. The inhuman sentence was carried into effect, and poor Barker died not long after from the injuries thus received.
The war at last ended ; the joyful news of peace arrived ; but it did not restore prosperity. The disease had departed, but the patient remained thin and weak. Very little lumbering had been done during the war ; and at its close, there was very little capital in town with which to engage in business, In 1816, at the an- nual Town-meeting, the people were so pinched with
56
STRUGGLE FOR LIFE .- 1810 to 1820.
poverty that they voted no money for the maintainance of public schools, and very little for any purpose. "Mis- fortunes seldom come singly." In addition to the finan- cial gtoom, the Summer of that year was the coldest one that has occurred during the present century. In some parts of New England there was a severe snow storm in June. Every month there was sharp frost, and every green thing was chilled and dwarfed, and the farmer's hoped for harvest proved almost an entire failure. Bread became a luxury in which many a family could but sparingly indulge. At that time, railways and steam-ships were unknown, and the rich valley of the Mississippi was not cultivated. The horrors of famine seemed impending. But the pioneers were used to hard
fare and hard times. They suffered but did not despair. In the very midst of the bluest time, feeling that the political misrule of the old Bay State was in part the cause of their misfortune, the citizens of Calais voted "to petition the General Court for a separation of the District of Maine from the Commonwealth of Massa- chusetts." This was a move in the right direction, but of course it brought no immediate relief.
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