USA > Maine > Knox County > Warren > Annals of the town of Warren; with the Early History of St. George's, Broad Bay and the Neighboring Settlements on the Waldo patent > Part 22
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now gone. Alexander Bird was in possession of the two lots opposite, and had a small house at some distance from the river, near the present graveyard. Of him and the Browns, Moses Copeland had now obtained a possessory title, and commanded both sides of the water privilege. The land on each side, including the present village, was covered with heavy oak timber ; except in some places, where it had been cut away for staves, and been succeeded by a growth of hazel bushes, blackberries, and wild cherries .*
Wild animals, with the exception of the more valuable kinds, such as the beaver, sable, and otter, were still abundant. Bears and wolves were very destructive to sheep and young cattle. Fifteen or twenty sheep, when they happened to be left out of their pen, were sometimes destroyed by wolves in a single night. Barns and hovels were sometimes broken into, in order to get at them. Mr. Dunbar's barn being at a distance, he made a pen for his sheep back of his house, directly under his window. But this did not deter the ma- rauders, who broke or leaped the fence, scattered the sheep, and killed several. Bears were less destructive, as they sel- dom killed more than they ate ; but their depredations were directed equally against swine, calves, and yearling cattle. The daughters of Mr. Peabody, on one occasion, encountered seven bears in a single excursion to the Burnt-land for blue- berries ; but as there was a sufficient supply of berries for both parties, neither thought proper to interfere with the other. On another occasion, Matthew Kelloch, during the season of cherries and blackberries, in passing from Howard's, now Weston's, landing, to Mr. Anderson's, shot 14 bears, young and old, without going out of his way. Alexander and William Lermond, while hunting near Oyster river, were led by the tracks of a raccoon to a hollow tree, which they ascended, expecting, by probing the hollow and thumping the trunk, to bring him out. Instead of a raccoon, however, they soon found the tree was occupied by a bear in a semi-torpid state, who refused to leave her quarters. Measuring her distance from the top, and marking her situation on the outside of the tree, they fired a ball or two at the spot, killed the bear, and, falling the tree, found two cubs which they killed with the axe as they came out. At Stirling, after repeated depreda- tions upon cattle and swine, James Anderson applied to Mr. Peabody, who, with the aid of another blacksmith, constructed a massive steel trap, almost as heavy as a man could carry.
* Capt. Crane. D. Dunbar, &c.
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This being set in a favorable place, eight bears were taken, before it was moved from the spot. The moose and deer had retreated farther back, and were less frequently seen. They were, however, still pursued with avidity by the second generation that had grown up and become acquainted with every yarding place from that of Hart's Falls, much resorted to for its open water, to Quantabacook and George's Ponds. These hunters had a store-house, at their place of rendezvous above Senebec Pond, to which they used to drag the carcasses on hand-sleds. At the end of the campaign, the company, often 30 or more, broke up, and with their booty returned down the river on the ice. Conspicuous among this generation of hunters, was Archibald Anderson, 2d, who, on one occasion, discovered a young moose swimming beside of his dam across Round Pond in Union. Waiting their approach, he shot the mother, and made a captive of the young. This, he took home, fed, and kept till autumn ; when it had become so tame as to go out to browse by day, and return of its own accord at night. It was unfortunately found by dogs in the woods, and so lacera- ted as to cause its death. In times when, for want of snow, the moose could not be easily hunted down, they were often taken by nooses of rope suspended in their paths. One of these, about this time, was set near Moose Meadow in the burnt-land district, by R. Montgomery, J. Watts, and J. Cope- land, whilst making hay there. Copeland, with a youngster, J. Montgomery, took his gun, and, going to the noose, found a large moose entangled by the horns, rearing and stamping most furiously. He at first hesitated to fire, lest, breaking the rope, the animal should come at him. At length, taking his station behind the trunk of a tree, he discharged his piece and brought him to the ground. Being dressed and hauled home on an ox-sled, the carcass, according to the recollection of the then young man, weighed over one thousand pounds, and yielded 50 or 60lbs. of tallow.
The last beaver that is recollected, was killed some years after this time in Starrett's meadow, in the upper part of the town, by Samuel Dunham, a man who, not long before, came from Deer Island, and, together with Timothy Hills, settled on the two lots on the west side of Seven-tree Pond, after- wards owned by W. Blake, and still occupied by his family. The price of beaver, before the war, was usually $3 a pound ; and a good skin weighed three pounds. The dams and habitations of this sagacious animal, were found in va- rious parts of the town, and had done much to facilitate the settlement of the country. The ponds which they flowed,
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prevented or destroyed the growth of trees ; and when these were drained by the decay of the dams, the wild grass came in and formed luxuriant meadows. One of these beaver dams crossed the outlet of South Pond, and formed a cross- ing place for the early settlers. It was as high as a man's head, and occupied the place of the present Stirling bridge, on the Waldoboro' road. There were dams, also, across Oyster River, particularly at the burnt-land, which gave rise to the meadows there. Others existed on Judas' meadow, and Crawford's meadow, brooks. A dam also was made across the main river at the foot of White Oak pond, which, accord- ing to one account, was abandoned after being several times carried away by freshets. Another account is, that the estab- lishment was broken up by an Indian, who, having destroyed their habitations, lay in wait, and shot twenty-one, as they successively rose from the water. These interesting animals, having performed their work and prepared the way for our ancestors, were, like their Indian contemporaries, entrapped, hunted, and compelled to retreat before the encroaching step of industry and civilization. The animal here called the cat- fawn, probably the black-cat, or fisher, whose skin bore a price about equal to that of a red fox, together with the sable, lingered a while longer, and also disappeared. The otter is occasionally found even to the present day.
Agriculture had made but small progress during the war. The interruption of business, and unpropitious seasons, had prevented the accumulation of capital ; and there was a great want of farming tools. Col. Starrett and Mr. Pebbles possessed the only two carts at this time in town, although Capt. McIntyre, and probably Mr. Boggs, had previously had such a vehicle. Mr. Dunbar now brought a third, which was sought for by the neighbors, near and remote, even as far as Mr. Boggs's, and yielded considerable income. This was occasionally rigged with a long tongue and shafts for carry- ing lumber, and was the first machine in the place on which it could be carried free from the ground. The first breaking up plow was owned by Wm. Boggs, and was also in great request. Being, with its owner, employed one day by the sons of Dea. Crawford, among cradle-knolls and hazel roots, the old gentleman observed its working, in silence, till night, when he exclaimed, " deed, lads, ye've made the land look waur than it did before."
The only pleasure-carriage was a sleigh, owned by Peb- bles, with unshod wooden runners. One double sleigh with bells, had been seen in the place. This belonged to one Col.
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Noyes, of Boothbay, who paid a visit to Mr. Cooper, and, as he stopped at McIntyre's and thence crossed the river on the ice, drew together a large crowd of spectators .*
CHAPTER XII.
EXTENDING FROM 1784 TO 1789.
THE injurious effect of a fluctuating currency, was strik- ingly exemplified at this time by the paper money, or emis- sions of State and Continental bills ; which had depreciated to 50 for 1, in 1780, soon after to 150 for 1, and finally to several hundreds for one, till they ceased to be a tender, and went out of circulation. Many persons, trusting to their ultimate redemption by the government, saw their whole fortune vanish in these bills. Many, who had sold property on credit, were obliged, at the time of payment, to take this paper or lose their debt entirely. Patterson and Mathews, mentioned before, were not the only ones in this place who suffered. Mr. Cooper had bargained away his farms before the war commenced, and given a bond for a deed on the payment of a given sum. Mr. Dunbar obtained the money when considerably depreciated, and sent it down by W. Thomas, representative from Waldoboro'. He was long in returning ; and, before the money was tendered, it had undergone a still farther depreciation ; so that, with the fur- ther loss which it sustained in his own hands, Mr. Cooper realized little or nothing from it. Having, some years before, given away his two back lots, one to David Y. Kelloch, and the other to his grandson John Montgomery, ten acres, which he reserved, where James C. Dunbar now lives, and a new dwellinghouse which he built upon it, was all that remain- ed of his patrimonial fortune.t
In the mean time, as new emigrants arrived, and young men grew up, new farms were taken, and the settlement gradually extended. Archibald Crawford went on to the farm above the upper mill lot, and built a house near Hart's falls. At a subsequent period, Crawford took his father's
* D. and A. Dunbar. A. Kelloch, 2d. D. Dicke. H. M. Watts. J. Montgomery. J. Rokes. S. Peabody. J. Payson, &c. t D. and A. Dunbar. J. Montgomery.
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farm for the support of his parents, and relinquished his own to Stephen March, Esq., who came from N. H. about 1794, and, after residing here a few years, removed to Union and afterwards to Ohio. James Mathews, and probably James Fisher, about this time, and Lemuel Counce, a little earlier, went on to the farms now occupied by their respective sons. Eliakim, John, and Nathan Libbey, had, a year or two before this period, taken up their farms, now occupied by Mero Kelloch, Alexander Libbey, J. Stevens, and others. They, with their wives, were now established in their respec- tive log-houses ; and the oak forest was rapidly giving way to fields of rye and wheat around them.
Whippoorwills hatched their eggs within a few rods of the houses, and gave a nightly serenade at the threshold. Bears claimed a share of the acorns and whortleberries. One Sunday afternoon, the wife of Nathan Libbey left her child with her husband, and ran down to the brother's below. After spending an hour or two, she set out to return, but on her way perceiv- ed a large bear in the top of a lofty oak, and, fearful he might escape if she returned, remained at the tree till her cries brought the men, who soon dispatched him with their muskets.
The tract thus taken up by the Libbeys, had also been ex- amined with a view to settlement by the sons of M. Copeland, who commenced a suit against them, but finally abandoned their claim, and took possession of several lots on the western side of North Pond. These lots, when their attention was afterwards directed to the head of the tide, they transferred to their relatives, Samuel Crane, Calvin Crane, and Elijah Vose, who, about 1787, settled on them, and became indus- trious and wealthy farmers. Calvin Crane soon after relin- quished his lot to Seth Vose, and removed to Hope, but returned to Warren and spent his last years at the residence of his second wife, the widow of J. McIntyre, 2d. In the castern part of the town, beyond Peabody's, were now settled Joseph Skinner and John Lermond, the former on the farm now of J. Clark, and the latter near where C. Copeland now lives. Lermond, disliking the soil at the Burnt-land, removed before the close of the war, took up a large tract of land, and erected a saw and grist-mill at Cherry Meadow. Such was his facility in constructing mills, that often, with few carpen- ter's tools and no help but his own, he would have up a saw- mill before his neighbors were aware of his design. Several such mills, slightly constructed, were built by him, and did good service till carried away by freshets, or removed to some
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more favorable spot. But on this occasion, when a grist-mill was to be added, greater stability was required, and more as- sistance needed. Accordingly, the neighbors, as far out as Crawford's and Kirkpatrick's, turned out with their cattle to aid in the work. As the mill at Oyster river worked slowly, was interrupted by the tide, and often overstocked, the new mill was regarded with favor ; and Deacon Crawford observed at Watts's, on his return from the raising, that "Johnny Ler- mond is a public blessing ; it's a pity he should e'er die." After some years, these mills also went away, in time of a freshet, whilst the saw-mill was in operation ; and the owner with difficulty escaped. The materials, however, were picked up lower down ; and, by autumn, the mills appeared again in a more eligible situation, where that of N. Cobb has since been. Two years after the present time, Daniel Rokes, before men- tioned, and Abner Farrington, originally from Dedham, but for several years an inhabitant of the lower town, took their respective lots farther out towards the north-east.
Shipbuilding was this year resumed ; and the sloop Warren was built by M. Copeland at his own shore. This sloop was commanded by Jonathan Sprague of Duxbury, W. Thomas of Waldoboro' having purchased one-half of her. Encour- aged by this attempt, Mr. Copeland erected a house near the ship-yard for his workmen, and prepared to pursue the business farther.
With the increase of inhabitants, the fisheries in the river assumed an additional importance ; and, as the fish had never yet been caught in wiers, and were taken only at the upper falls in dip-nets, the eagerness and competition of the people from all the settlements on the river, sometimes gave rise to difficulties and contentions about the most favorable stations for taking them. To obviate these, it was this year voted, " that there be a committee chosen to make a town act about the alewife fishery," and J. McIntyre, W. Lermond, and J. Watts, were chosen a committee for that purpose.
1785. This act was approved the following year ; but its provisions cannot now be ascertained. May 2d, voted " that Mr. Cooper shall see that there is no alewives catched on Saturday, he to have four a day for his trouble." Sept. 8, voted " that there shall be no obstruction built in the river at the falls, or below them, that shall hinder the fish from going up the said river to cast their spawn." This vote, probably, had reference to the erection of a saw-mill and dam at the upper falls, then in contemplation ; and was the commencement of that jealousy between mills and fisheries
.
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which has continued, more or less, down to the present day. And when we consider the important services which these fisheries had rendered to the early settlers, frequently sus- taining life, and carrying them through seasons of scarcity when all other resources failed, we cannot wonder at the watchfulness which was, and continued to be, exercised over them.
A brig was, this year, built for W. Thomas, in the yard of Mr. Copeland, who furnished all the timber. The work was performed by Samuel Weston, who had served in the late war, and who now removed hither from Duxbury, spending the first year in the house which Copeland had built near the ship-yard. The next season, he put upea log-house at the shore of Col. Starrett, on the old McCraken cellar, and built there the sloop Union for Starrett, Killeran, and others. The year after, 1787, having purchased of Alexander Bird a tract of land at the head of the tide, he took down his house, rafted the logs up the river, and put them up again where A. McCallum now lives, having previously cleared a patch there of the heavy oak timber which he burnt on the soil. Here at first, and afterwards a little lower down, he continued the business of ship-building, more or less, to the close of his life.
The Lermonds, also, in 1785, with J. Wyllie and others, built the sloop Friendship, which Capts. Henderson and Norton, also part owners, commanded in turn, coasting to Boston or carrying lumber to the W. Indies for many years. This sloop made many profitable voyages ; and brought home large supplies of W. I. goods.
It was this year, we believe, that Reuben Tolman, from some part of the old Plymouth colony, purchased the Urqu- hart farm, and set up his trade as a blacksmith. He became an active member of the Baptist church, and in 1802 remov- ed to the plantation of Hope or Barrettstown.
On the 8th of September, the road on the eastern side of the river was approved, and became the first highway legally established in town. But that on the western side, delayed for an alteration, was not accepted till 1803. These roads did not materially vary from the present route ; but that on the western side, as first traveled between Nelson's and Boggs's, passed round further west, near the present house of E. B. Alford. Measures were also taken to lay out a road from E. Libbey's to Union line.
The town being now fairly rid of Mr. Urquhart, the people began to think of providing a successor, and, in May,
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voted, " that the town hire Rev. Thurston Whiting to preach for a certain time." This gentleman, in consequence of some irregularities, had been dismissed from the ministry at Newcastle, in Jan. 1782. He was subsequently employed at Edgecomb; and, in June, 1783, a council was convened there, and restored him to good standing as a Congregational minister. His preaching was highly appreciated at Edge- comb, and his installation in that place was in contemplation. It did not, however, take place; and he was now in search of employment as a preacher or instructer. He was a native of Franklin, Mass., entered Harvard College, but seems to have left before receiving his degree, possessed a literary taste, a classical style, a pleasing address, and sel- dom failed to interest and move his audience .*
At the March meeting, it was also voted "that the town have a town school this year." Voted "M. Copeland, W. Lermond, and J. Watts, for a committee to hire a school- master." This was the first provision which the town had made for a public school. The instructer employed was Mr. O'Brien, before mentioned, who seems to have taught eight months, one half on each side of the river. On the eastern side, the vacant house on the present Haskell, farm, was used for a school-house.
The officers of the militia regiment, M. Wheaton, Wm. Farnsworth, and H. Robinson, having honorably discharged their duties through the arduous struggle of the revolution, now felt themselves at liberty to retire, and were succeeded by Thomas Starrett, Colonel ; Benjamin Burton, Lieut. Col- onel ; and Hatevil Libbey, Major. Robert Porterfield was appointed Adjutant. During the war, the military spirit had increased, and commissions were held in more honorable repute ; yet so little were the decorations of office regarded, that none of these officers wore any uniform, except Burton, who had acquired his in the regular service. The places of Starrett and Libbey, left vacant by this election, were sub- sequently supplied by J. Mclntyre, who was again chosen Captain, and Reuben Hall, Lieut. Ensign Kelloch was succeeded by Alexander Lermond, 2d ; whose commission was signed by Gov. Bowdoin, Aug. 4, 1785.
As no tax was voted to be raised this year, it is probable that the sale of timber and salt hay on the public lots, was sufficient for the necessary expenses. The amount thus real-
* Greenleaf's Eccl. Sketches, &c.
19
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ized from lands given for the support of a school and the ministry, might have had some influence, also, in inducing the town to make some provision for those objects, lest the lots should be resumed by the representatives of the grantor. Indeed, great interest was felt at this time, not only in these, but in the subject of land titles in general. It had been cus- tomary, before the war, to take up wild lands, on the express or implied understanding, that a title would be given when- ever the ordinary price should be paid.' This practice in the absence of the proprietors, had been continued from neces- sity during the war ; and many persons here, as well as in other parts of the country, had erected buildings and made other valuable improvements on lands, to which they had no other title than that of possession. Government had, in con- sequence of the hardships suffered in the recent war, taken measures to quiet those who had thus settled on the public lands of the State, for a mere nominal sum ; and, as a great portion of the Waldo patent had been confiscated with the rest of Fluker's estate, and thus become public property, many of the settlers here, thought the same terms ought in equity to be extended to them. It had passed, however, or was about passing, partly by sale, and partly by inheritance, into the hands of Gen. Henry Knox, the son-in-law of Fluker, and administrator on his estate, appointed the preceding year, 1784. Although this gentleman had been distinguished dur- ing the war for warm patriotism and eminent military services, he was personally unknown to the people here, who could not, consequently, place much dependence on his leniency as a landlord. It was not strange, therefore, that in common with the rest of the eastern country, the citizens of this town should feel great interest, and no little concern, on this subject. In May of the present year, the town appointed M. Copeland, P. Pebbles, W. Boggs, W. Lermond, and A. Kelloch, a committee "to write a petition to the General Court." In consequence, a petition, probably written by the chairman of the committee and signed by two of the selectmen, was presented to the Legislature, stating in substance that in the contract with the original settlers here, many conditions promised, such as finishing off the meeting-house, the assignment of 10 acres of marsh or meadow to each settler, and the grant of 100 acres of land to each child born prior to 1752, had never been ful- filled on the part of the proprietors ; and, on this account, and because the settlers had " suffered grate Clamaty in a savig wilderness and in the late contast with Grate Britton,"
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the petitioners prayed that the claim of said proprietors might not be confirmed by the General Court, but left to be decided by a jury in due course of law. This petition was signed May 14th, and, in connexion probably with many others, seems to have had some weight, as, in July, the Court proposed to confirm to the Waldo proprietors a tract equal to 30 miles square, between the Penobscot and Muscongus, on condition that they would quiet all such settlers as were in possession of their lots prior to April 19, 1775 .*
Though this made no provision for those who had settled since the war began, yet, as it barred any claim the proprie- tors might have for quit-rents, and, perhaps, removed the restrictions on the lime quarries reserved in the conveyance to the 20 associates, it in some degree quieted the minds of the people here.
1786. Settlers continued to arrive. John Andrews of Dedham had, the preceding year, purchased McLean's estate at what is now called Andrews's Point, and, Oct. 13, 1785, arrived with his family, and took up his abode at that place. He was a wheelwright by trade, a faithful workman, and, from the general want of articles in his line, here, found no lack of employment. His purchase included the lands oc- cupied by his grandsons, Silas, Seth, and John Andrews, together with that of Thomas Howard, the pine tree in front of Capt. Jameson's house being near its northern corner. At this time, some of the apple-trees set out by McLean, in 1763, were still living. But the rest being dead, Mr. An- drews, shortly after, set others in their place ; these in turn, either from the want of care or an unfavorable soil, dwindled away by degrees, and two of them only, now remain. At or before this time, apple-trees were planted, also, by T. Star- rett, J. Mclntyre, Wm. Boggs, and J. Crawford, Jr. ; and cur- rants, red cherries, and damson plums, were possessed by several.
There was still a scarcity of mechanics ; and, in the pres- ent year, several carpenters and joiners came from the west- ward to supply the deficiency. Aaron Davis came from Wrentham, Mass., worked at the joiner's trade, and settled in the upper part of Warren. He had been a soldier in the revolution, was present at the taking of Cornwallis, sustained several offices in the militia of this town, and, for several years before his death, received a pension from Government.
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