USA > Maine > Oxford County > Oxford > Annals of Oxford, Maine, from its incorporation, February 27, 1829 to 1850. Prefaced by a brief account of the settlement of Shepardsfield plantation, now Hebron and Oxford, and supplemented with genealogical notes from the earliest records of both towns and other sources > Part 9
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25
Various methods were devised to raise money to build the Canal, two thousand shares of capital stock were put upon the market at $50. per share, a special act of the legisla- ture was secured in 1823, authorizing the corporation to raise $50,000. by lottery, and in 1825 Canal Bank of Port- land was chartered with a capital of $300,000., one quar- ter of which was to be invested in the stocks of the canal corporation. The managers of the lottery, three in num- ber were appointed by the Governor and about $27,000. were raised from this 'source. Elias Shaw of Portland was the agent to place the tickets, and they had an extensive sale in other states as well as in Maine. He sent to his cousin Cyrus Shaw, post-master, innholder and trader at Craigies Mills, a package of tickets to be sold on commis- sion. At this time it was not generally considered inconsis- tant with rectitude to buy and sell lottery tickets.
The element of chance, seldom dormant in human nature, then as now entered largely into business transactions, and even religious and educational institutions made use of lot- teries to improve their finances. Cyrus Shaw was a thrifty
88
Annals of Oxford.
man and would not ordinarily risk his earnings in lottery tickets, but on this occasion, the excessive haste of Elias to have the unsold tickets returned, led him to suspect that he held a prize, he therefore retained those not sold and he is reported to have bought back all the tickets he had sold.
The prize ticket was No. 5506 in the Sixth Class, drawn January 25, 1825.
The building erected by Mr. Shaw was an inexpensive structure of wood, not materially different from the chapels of the time. It was the first meeting-house in West Hebron (Oxford), its dedication was reported in a Baptist publica- tion as follows :-
"On September 19th, 1826, at Craigie's Mills, in Hebron was opened for divine service a new decently finished meet- ing-house, built and owned by Cyrus Shaw Esq., designed for the use of the Baptists in that place. Sermon on the oc- casion by Elder James Hooper of Paris from Psalms 36: 8 "They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house, etc." Bro. Shaw's purpose is to rent the pews yearly and devote the proceeds to the support of preaching in the meeting-house. He has already commenced the business with encouraging success."
Mr. Shaw died in 1833 and two years later his widow married Dennis Hayes. Both Mr. and Mrs. Hayes were interested in the Baptist church, they remodeled the meet- ing-house by the addition of a vestibule and tower on the front and refurnishing it generally, including a bell and a small organ, so that it was quite an ornament to the place.
Tradition says that the bell was a gift of a Boston friend, and that the organ was the handy-work of Luther Carman.
Deacon Shaw's plan of making the revenue from the pews supply the pulpit had not proved entirely successful, al- though most of the time a Sunday service was held in the meeting-house by an evangelical preacher, and the two so- cieties appear to have lived together in harmony, neither being able to maintain a stated supply without the help of the other. This condition might have continued had not the "Great Revival" in the spring of 1840 inspired the hearts of both societies with great expectations. Public ser- vices were held day and evening for several weeks and al- most every body in town professed to have turned from the error of their ways, There was doubtless denominational rivalry, but there is no evidence of animosity on the part of
89
Annals of Oxford.
Mr. Hayes, to the Congregationalist church, in the notice above mentioned, but the meeting-house had been built for and dedicated by the Baptist's, and the time had apparently arrived when that denomination could support a minister of their own faith.
From December 1840 until the dedication of their new meeting-house in June 1843, the society held their meetings in the School-house Hall.
The little one room school-house in the Craigies Mills district having been out grown, was sold to Col. King in 1838 or '9 and removed to King st. adjacent to Mr. Durell's store, for a carpenter's shop. The sum- mer term of school, (the wri- ters primary) was kept in it, after removal, while a new building was in process of con- struction.
The new school-house was built of brick on the site of the old one, corner of Main street and the Otisfield road, nearly opposite the Baptist meeting-house. The second floor, de- signed for the primary department, had movable seats and was in frequent use for lectures and public meetings and advertised as the School-house Hall. It had seating capaci- ty sufficient for ordinary meetings and the Congregational- ists were not greatly inconvenienced by the change. In this pleasant chamber, the good Major's house being found in- adequate, Miss Frances Eliza Norton gathered the children of the villagers in Sunday school for instruction in the mys- teries of the Westminster Confession and to tune their voi- ces in the rhythmic melody of simple gospel hymns.
"E'n now my wistful fancy, listening, -
Hears the sweetly solemn tunes,
That we sang there in the school-house,
On those Sunday after-noons."
Her school has out-lived the teacher and will out-live her scholars, but the name of "Aunt Frank", as she was loving- ly called in her after years, is yet cherished and should be IN PERPETUUM, as the founder of the Sabbath schools in the town and probably in Oxford county.
Dec. 4, 1840 Julia Hood and Feb. 6 '41, Dr. Jacob Tewks- bury, Otis F. and Sally Mixer were admitted by profession.
90
Annals of Oxford.
March 20th, 1841 a meeting was held in the School-house Hall to take into consideration the propriety of forming a so- ciety to be incorporated as the First Congregational Society in Oxford, also to see what ac- tion the society will take on the question of building a new meeting-house.
The meeting was called to order by Jairus S. Keith Esq., John Welch was chosen Chair- man and Charles Durell, Secretary.
It was unanimously voted to build a new church and Dr. Jacob Tewksbury, Benajah Pratt Jr. and Chandler Record were appointed a committee to look out the best location for the building. Col. Samuel H. King, Jairus S. Keith Esq. and Otis F Mixer were chosen a committee to make esti- mates of the cost of building, both of brick and wood, appor- tioning the material into lots ; both committee's to report at an adjourned meeting, two weeks from this day.
The record of the adjourned meeting, April 2d, 1841 has a copy of petition and warrant of Dennis Hayes Esq., one of the Justices of the Peace for Oxford county, authorizing the incorporation of the petioners into a "Parish Society".
The persons named on the petition are as follows :
W. B. Norton John Welch
Jacob Tewksbury
Charles Durell
Samuel H. King
Benajah Pratt Jr.
Nathaniel Lord James Yeaton
Abial B. Gammon Otis F. Mixer
Caleb Woodward
Jairus S. Keith
Adin Cleveland
Joseph Chaffin
Alexander H. Muzzy
Luther Carman
S. H. Tewksbury
Isaac B. Carman
Chandler Records Alfred Hood
Daniel Crooker
Theophilus Dame
Edmund Hayes
Alfred H. Hood
Luther F. Pingree Thomas R. Carman
The Society was organized by the choice of Dr. Jacob Tewksbury, Chairman and Charles Durell, Clerk.
Doctor Tewksbury, for the committee on location, reported
91
Annals of Oxford.
in favor of the site owned by Col. King, near Mr. Linnell's on King street. Col. King, for the building committee, re- ported in favor of a brick building. After some discussion the meeting adjourned for one week. Subsequent meetings of the parish were held during the month but no further ac- tion was taken until December 15th, when a committee of four were chosen "to carry into effect the building of a new church." The committee were Jairus S. Keith, Henry C. Dean, Otis F. Mixer and Edmund Hayes, and they were fully authorized to procure plans, contract for and superintend the building, and "to accept or uot accept the work when done". Subscriptions were made as follows :-
"We the subscribers, do agree to pay the amount set a- gainst our names, in labor, materials or cash, to be expend- ed in building a new church for the First Congregational Society in Oxford, to be built next spring and summer and to take pews in the church as a consideration for the same. Charles Durell, 100. John Welch, 100.
W. B. Norton, 200. Samuel H. King, 200.
J. S. Keith, 100. Jacob Tewksbury, 150.
Edmund Hayes, 100. Daniel Crooker, 50.
Caleb Woodward, 100. Otis F. Mixer, 30.
H. C. Dean, IO0. Adolphus Shurtleff, 16. Total $1, 196.
Mr. Mixer wishing to contract to build the church, was excused from serving on the building committee.
After viewing several meeting-houses in different places, the Committee contracted with Otis F. Mixer and Samuel H. King to build a house according to the specifications, do all the labor (except the mason work) and furnish the oils and paints, for the sum of $665. The building to be finish- ed by the first of September, to the turning of the key, in case the materials are furnished in season to have the work done. In payment the said contractors shall accept Jacob Tewksbury's note for $150., Henry C. Dean's note for $100. Edmund Hayes' note for $100., Charles Durell's note for $100., Daniel Crooker's note for $50., Adolphus Shurtleff's note for $16., Mr. Mixer's note for $30. and for the residue a lien upon the pews in said house, but before said lien at- taches, the subscribing proprietors shall be entitled to one pew each. Caleb Woodward in consideration of $785., con- tracted to furnish the materials for building, delivered on the spot, timber, boards, clapboards, shingles, glass and hard-
92
Annals of Oxford.
ware, also a good table that shall be worth at least thirty dollars in Portland. In payment Mr. Woodward was to ac- cept the subscriptions made by himself and those of Messrs. Norton, King, Keith and Welch, and for the residue a lein upon the pews, same as in Mr. Mixer's contract. In addi- tion, it was agreed that the said Woodward and Mixer are to have the sole ownership of the two back tier of pews, to wit, the eight pews nearest the vestibule. Nathaniel Lord contracted for the underpinning and cellar under the west- erly end of the house, for $75., "fifty in meeting-house stock and the rest as we agree".
June 24th, 1843, the building committee accepted the house, appraised the pews, called a meeting of the society for the sale of the same and selected a committee of ar- rangements for the dedication. The sale took place two days later, Capt. Luther Carman acting as auctioneer.
The following plan gives the arrangement of the pews, names of the purchasers and the amount of premium paid.
is
99$
1 099 H.C.Dean
SID $5
$54
$48
$40
$40
$48
54
$60
#66
Woodard -.-
Norton
Daniel Crocker
H.C.Dean
DESK
.
J.S.Keith
ChasDurell
J.S.Keith
S.H.Kino "- 6ID $42
$60
6
6
#60
N.Lord
$41
7
$ 42 542
{ Tewksbury
H.Baker
S.H. KIND
$41
8
2
$42 $42 :
2
8
#41
E.H
S.H.KING
S.A.Warren
$36
3
#42 $42 Bid $40 -+ 3 Dr.JacobTewksbury
9 $36 Bid $ 12/100 OtisF.Mixer **
$36
10
4 +36 $36 Bid # 7
4
10 #36 Bids1
J.S.Keith
Mes.W.B.N
Edmond Hayes
Wm. I.Allen
$41.
11
+31 $31 /
11 $41 8id/3
Geo.Robinson $33 1
12
6
$26 $26
12 $36 Bid,4
D.Hayes
W
A.H.Muzzy
Benjah Pratt Jr. 13
$36
13
7
$21 $21 7
$36
5. Spring
Charles Spring
Adolphus ShurFlett
$21
14
8
#11
$11,
14
$ 20
Tewksbury & Norton $16 15
15 ₹16
.
€
C
C
C
C
F
F
c
S
3
21
TABLE
2
3
4
5
7 #46 Bid!10 W.B.Norton
S.H. Kino
5
S
J.S.Keith
E.H
John Welch
C.D
BID #35
BID $10
93
Annals of Oxford.
The committee appointed to make the arrangements for dedication were William S. Allen, Charles Durell and Otis F. Mixer, and on the twenty-ninth day of June, 1843, the meeting-house was dedicated to Almighty God.
The Introductory Prayer was by Rev. Mr. Bailey.
Sermon by Rev. Mr. Carleton.
Concluding Prayer by Rev. Mr. Walker.
At a meeting held on the second day of September, 1843, the thanks of the church and society were voted for appre- ciated gifts, to be enumerated upon the records of the par- ish, and Jairus S. Keith, Samuel H. King and Charles Durell were appointed a committee to transmit copies of the votes to the several donors as follows : -
To Mrs. Catherine G. Caldwell of Portland, for "her very acceptable present of a pair of splendid and valuable solar lamps to be placed on the right and left of the desk."
To Rev. Isaac Carleton, for a communion table.
To Rev. Ariel P. Chute, for a Bible and Hymn-book.
To Mr. John Welch of Boston, for an elegant couch and two chairs for the desk.
To Dr. Jacob Tewksbury, for the excellant carpet now upon the floor of this house.
To Dr. Samuel H. Tewksbury, for a fine clarionet for the use of the choir.
The records of the church do not show that building a meeting-house stimulated accession to membership. Will- iam Jordan was ad. by profession in 1842 and in 1845, Mrs. A. W. Bickford came with a letter from the church in Brownfield. In 1846 Mrs. Clarinda Carleton was ad. by letter and S. P. Hall, Theodora Mixer, Elizabeth L. Hall and Rebecca Wright were ad. by profession. In 1847 Mrs. S. A. Warren and Miss Ellen E. Allen were ad. by letter from the church in Waterford. Jairus S. Keith was chosen Deacon in 1851, and after his death, Nathaniel Lord was elected and served ten years. Although frequently with- out a pastor, the church organization has been continuous and there has been but few Sundays when religious service was not held in the First Congregationalist meeting-house.
Calvinist Baptist.
Amongst the piously inclined of the early settlers of West Hebron, the Baptist's evidently predominated, notwithstand- ing the fact of the Congregationalist's being the first, by a few months, to complete a church organization ; even then
94
Annals of Oxford.
they organized with only six members and there were no accessions for nearly two years. Records of the Baptist Church at Craigies Mills are missing, said to have been burned in the meeting-house, therefore no list of members can be given, but the article quoted, in part, on page 88 of this book, concludes with an account of the organization of the church, as follows :-
"Same day (September 19th, 1826,) in the same place, was organized the Second Baptist Church in Hebron, of seventeen members, chiefly from the church in Paris and the first in Hebron. Elder Nathaniel Chase prayed on the occasion. The individuals proposing to unite in church or- der, were arranged hand in hand in front of the pulpit, and in that position received the Right Hand, presented by El- der John Tripp of the first church in Hebron, in token of the Fellowship of sister churches. Elder John Haines then delivered an affectionate address, suitable to the circum- stances. Immediately after, brother Cyrus Shaw, according to previous arrangement, was chosen and set apart to the office of Deacon by laying on of hands and prayer.
The whole service was interesting, and we are encour- aged to hope that, as the God of Mercy is bestowing on this little, loving band, outward favors, so he will abundantly satisfy them with the fatness of his house and drink of the river of his pleasure."
It is not to be inferred that public worship was wholly neglected at Craigies Mills prior to the organization of the churches, for the school-house was always at the disposal of itenerent preachers and visiting ministers often discoursed in private residences or in the open air, weather permiting.
The Convention minutes mention but two pastors of this church, the first being Elder Robert C. Starr, licensed by the church in Warren in 18II and ordained an evangelist in 1816. He became the pastor of the church of Poland and Oxford in 1838 and after one years service, resigned.
In March 1843, Timothy Bailey was ordained pastor of the church in Oxford and officiated one year.
The society was a constituent of The Oxford Association of Baptist Churches and was continued on its roll until 1854 although not represented at its meetings after 1849. The first delegate was Dea. Cyrus Shaw, who was succeeded in 1832 by Joshua Taylor and Alpheus Drake. Elder Taylor lived in the old Greely house at the foot of Greely hill for
95
Annals of Oxford.
several years; he was a preacher and often conducted the services of the church. Elder E. S. Byron was one of the delegates in 1842 and is remembered as an acceptable sup- ply. Samuel Littlefield succeeded Mr. Shaw in the office of Deacon and frequently attended the Association. In 1837 the church in Poland united with it, and for three years it went under the name of the Church of Poland and Oxford.
Others of record, representing the church in meetings of the Association, were Deacons Alden Chandler and D. Dud- ley, and Bros. Dennis Hayes, Peter Dennin and J. Cain.
Showing the puritanic simplicity of the denomination, we note that at the Association in 1833, a vote was passed rec- ommending the discontinuance of mourning apparel, as a practice useless and expensive. The returns of 1835 give to the church in Poland 18 members, to that in Oxford, 16 and the united churches returned in 1837, 46 members.
A summary statement in 1843, probably the last publish- ed, gives original number of members, 17, admitted by let- ter, 36, by baptism, 20, total, 73. Of these 10 had been dismissed , 7 expelled, 6 died, 4 lost and I dropped, leaving present membership 45.
The Baptist meeting-house was burned on the tenth day February, 1845. There had been a driving snow-storm for two days, clearing at night ; in the morning Mr. Hayes open- ed the building for the purpose of clearing out the snow and built fires in the stoves to dry it off. Soon after he left the building it was discovered to be on fire and its distruction was complete. The insurance went to the heirs of the build- er, and whilst the Baptists never had an insurable interest in their meeting-house, its destruction was a death blow to the Baptist Church in Oxford.
Cleanings.
The remainder of this chapter is composed of extracts, with some interpolations, from a lecture delivered by Hon. John J. Perry, in the lecture course, at Oxford in 1873.
"Mr. Job Cushman felled the first trees that were cut in this town, on the hill westerly from Mr. Sullivan Fuller's homestead. He with the other very early settlers came by a spotted line through the wilderness from New Gloucester.
Soon after he commenced clearing Gen. Isaac Bolster (he later moved to Paris) began on what was afterward known as the Abram Dean farm. Mr. John Caldwell soon follow- ed with a Mr. Campbell. Peter Thaver, Eliab Richmond,
96
Annals of Oxford.
James Holmes and others. Mr. James Soule opened the first hotel in town on the place now occupied by Abial Pratt and Nathan Dudley near George Robinson's. He kept his tavern in a small house and subsequently built the large house, now occupied by said Pratt and Dudley, with spe- cial reference to making it a hotel. The road which leads by the old Soule tavern was for many years the great tho- roughfare from all up country to Portland.
The pioneers were an excellant class of men, scarcely one of them had any property when they came here, but they had noble wives, real helpmates, who blessed them with numerous mindful sons and daughters and, with hard- ly an exception, all acquired a handsome property.
Manufactures.
The keen business eye of Mr. Whitney, the efficient agent of Dr. Craigie, very early spied out the valuable wa- ter power of the outlet of Thompson Pond and a saw-mill was among the first buildings to be erected. Soon after a grist-mill was built and put into operation and these gave the name to the village, also to the Post Office, even at the present time letters are occasionally received directed to Craigies Mills. Later a three storied building, about sixty feet long and forty feet wide, was erected on the opposite side of the stream, above the bridge, but for what purpose it was built I never knew ; there is a tradition however that it was designed for a flour mill.
Dr. Craigie and the early settlers entertained the idea that the region would be an excellant wheat country, and with good reason, for wheat was for many years a sure crop, yielding bountifully. The building was never much used for manufacturing purposes although it always went by the name of "The Factory", probably a name giv- en by the builders and on account of a portion of it being used for carding wool and dressing homespun by water- power. Mr. Whitney's note-book, under date of Sept. 13, 1825, mentions "the factory so called belonging to S. H. and Alonzo King", and it is subsequently noted in a deed to correct an error in previous descriptions, that the Kings were to have one third of the water privilege, but not to build upon the land any building for other purposes than carding wool, manufacturing cloth and for the purposes of the clothing business. The Kings used a part of the build- ing for a store and had living rooms in it, the building gen-
97
Annals of Oxford.
erally was occupied as a tenement. Independence Day was first celebrated in this town in 1827, Simeon Perkins Esq., Preceptor of Hebron Academy, gave the oration and Col. Samuel H. King acted as Marshal and read the Decla- ration of Independence. The public dinner was given in the Factory and the patriotic denizens of Craigies Mills led the merry dance, in the same room, the live long night.
In the winter of 1836 the building was destroyed by fire and three years later a brick building, of about the same dimension, was erected upon its site and subsequently en- larged by the addition of thirty feet to the end next the street. Lightning, fire and new methods have caused an entire change in the interior but the brick walls of the old factory yet stand substantially unchanged, a wing to the great mill. Gillett & Bridges, manufacturers of cassimeres and satinets, were first operators in the new factory and they were succeeded by Messrs. Stevens, Sherburne, Jones & Du- rell, and perhaps others, the mill not being constantly in operation. The Oxford Woolen Manufacturing Co. was in- corporated in 1849 with Harrison J. Libby, Francis O. Lib- by, James B. Libby, Hanson M. Hart, Henry B. Hart and William Kimb all Pofortland and Orrin Jones and Abiel M. Jones of Oxford. The report of William W. Virgin in the census of 1850 gives the product of the mill for the year ending June first, as 156,000 yards of woolen cloth, valued at $39,000., manufactured at a cost of $33,000. Mr. John Hall, a practical clothier, born in England and educated in his home mills, introduced new methods into the factory and after running it for a time in his own name, he induced Mr. Joseph Robinson, a fellow countryman and an ex- pert dyer, to become a partner. Mr. Robinson had traveled extensively, had been employed in both foreign and domes- tic mills and was well informed in the details of manufact- uring woolens. He was endowed with great physical and mental energy, perhaps over self reliant for a junior part- ner, as we find him very soon after his settlement in town, having the controlling interest in the factory. His first move was to increase the water power by putting in a stronger dam and raising the water level in the pond about two feet. For the privilege of so doing he paid $1,900. for the Farris tannery rights, to Mrs. Hayes $2,100. for the grist mill rights, $1,800. to the towns of Oxford, Otisfield and Casco for ruined bridges etc. and to sixty-three farmers around the
98
Annals of Oxford.
pond, for flowage rights, $5,200., thus converting the pond into a storage reservoir of about eight square miles of unfail- ing water power. This large expenditure did not prevent litigation, the average yankee is never so happy as when "he has a case in court" for, if he wins, he knows himself to be the champion of justice and if he looses, he believes himself a martyr of righteousness. With enlarged mills and signs of prosperity came new claimants and the courts were a long time finding how much the the lumber interest was in- jured by the new dam, which prevented rafting logs to the river by way of the "outlet". In 1862 the Robinson Manu- facturing Co., consisting of Joseph Robinson, Harrison J. and Francis O. Libby was incorporated with an investment of about $300,000., employing 170 persons and producing 13,000 yards of cloth per week. Mr. Robinson was the dis- coverer of a more beautiful shade of blue than any other dyer could produce and for a number of years his blues had an immense "run" at exceedingly remunerative prices. It is a noteworthy fact that no strike or labor trouble of any kind ever occurred in connection with any of the four mills of which he was either superintendent or owner.
In 1828 Luther Carman was operating a machine shop near the saw mill, perhaps succeeding David Pierce & Co. He made a specialty of thrashing machines but filled orders for almost any kind of machinery. His shop was burned in the winter of 1836 and he immediately rebuilt a two story wooden shop at the other end of the bridge where the "red mill" now stands, to which he added an iron foundry there- by materially increasing his business. He was again burn- ed out in the winter of 1846 and soon after removed his bu- siness to Bridgton Centre.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.