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 32
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Under Massachusetts, ministers of the Gospel had always been exempt from taxation ; they were now required to be
taxed. Partly on this account, and partly to benefit Mr. Whiting, who was now in years and without much income, it was voted, March 3, 1823, " that there be allowed to the Rev. Messrs. Huse, Whiting, and Wakefield, respectively, a sum equal to their several taxes the past year, in full compensation for their services on the school committee." Hitherto, this service had been performed gratuitously. In 1825, it was voted " that the selectmen should make the members of said committee a suitable compensation ; which was done from year to year till 1834, when their fees were established by law. At or before the commencement of the period em- braced in this chapter, the American Preceptor and Alexan- der's Grammar were displaced in most of the schools by Murray's English Reader and Grammar; and Hawes's Spel- ling book succeeded Webster's about 1825. About 1830, Pierpont's reading books were introduced ; after which, such a variety of books in the different departments, came into use, that for the convenience of instructers, the town voted, April 4, 1836, to establish the list then reported by the super- intending committee, to be used in schools without variation for the ensuing five years. Since the expiration of that time, many new school books have been introduced, and there is now again a great want of uniformity. According to the re- port of the Board of Education for 1850, this town, in the ratio of mean average attendance, compared with the whole number of scholars, ranks as the 15th in the county. For the present state of the schools in the several districts, the reader is referred to table X.
The law abandoning the State pauper system, and throwing the support of foreign paupers upon towns where they became chargeable, in exchange for the duties on retailing and tavern licenses thenceforward to be received by towns instead of counties, fell heavy upon the town of Warren, which had then on its hands, not less than seven foreign paupers, for whose support it had been receiving $364 a year, whilst the sum then paid for licenses was only $42. This temporary inconvenience was allowed, in the minds of many, to outweigh the far more lasting and general benefits likely to flow from that law. Accordingly, in 1822, the town strongly remon- strated against it, and petitioned for its repeal or modifica- tion. Col. Thatcher being elected representative, exerted
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ANNALS OF WARREN.
himself in favor of the petition, but was able to effect noth- ing. In the mean time, the town had, in 1821, by letting out the whole pauper expenditure and risk, adopted a more effect- ual means of relief. This system of supporting the poor by contract, though violently opposed, was, by the steady efforts of its supporters, persevered in, till, together with the temper- ance reform and other causes, it reduced this item of ex- pense, from $700 a year, the rate at which it was proceeding at the commencement of 1821, to $300 in 1824, and $172 in 1844. For the last five years, the poor have been sup- ported at their own homes, and the expenditure has been again on the increase.
Of the new pauper act, one of the provisions, probably adopted in haste, and intended to prevent lawsuits, but having a directly contrary effect, was, that any person having his residence in any town on the day the act passed should thereby gain a settlement in said town. This provision gave rise to a lawsuit between the towns of Warren and Hope respecting the maintenance of a family, who, having had a settlement in the former, resided a time in the latter, and returned thence not far from the day in question. Where their home was on that day, was the point to be decided. Each town produced sufficient testimony, if un- controverted, to make out its own case. In the Court of Common Pleas, Warren prevailed ; but, on an appeal to the Supreme Court, so equally strong and ample was the testi- mony on each side, that it could hardly fail to leave a doubt on the mind', and, as every doubt, on account of the pauper's former settlement in Warren, weighed against that town, the jury on the first trial disagreed, and on the second, in 1829, gave a verdict in favor of Hope. That town recov- ered $32,73 damages, and $428 cost, so that with its own expenses, the whole loss to Warren must have been over $1000.
Rev. Mr. Huse's salary, which for 19 years had been paid out of the proceeds of the fishery, was, on account of the small amount of such proceeds in 1821, raised thenceforth by a tax on those persons only who had not withdrawn from the religious society which the town had originally consti- tuted. The number of persons so taxed, in 1822, was 226, out of 391, the whole number in town; and the sum as- sessed on each poll was 31 cents.
The town's military stores, kept in the meeting-house loft ever since its completion, having given considerable uneasiness to people living near, a brick powder-house was erected in 1822
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ANNALS OF WARREN.
on land of J. Andrews ; but as, in 1827, towns were exempted from keeping such stores, it was but little used. At the close of the late war and for some years after, a fine military spirit pervaded the militia ; and some corps made great ad- vances in skill and discipline. Farther to encourage this spirit or to check its incipient decline, a law was passed in 1824, requiring towns to furnish rations to each militia soldier at every regimental muster, or, in lieu thereof, 20 cents in cash. The latter was voted by this town, and, increased in amount as it subsequently was, continued to be paid, until these military gatherings became obsolete. In 1828, an inde- pendent company of riflemen was organized in the town ; the fine discipline and elegant uniform of which, attracted' much admiration. Notwithstanding the emulation of this and simi- lar corps in other places, a growing conviction prevailed that these military services were useless in time of peace, unequal in their operation, and only to be submitted to in cases of war and other emergencies ; and when, in 1844, such services were dispensed with, the people of this town, it is believed, gladly acquiesced. The second gun-house, erected about 1840 on land of I. Dinsmore for the accommodation of the artillery company, was sold in 1850, and the cannon removed to the State arsenal.
In 1822, a hearse, pall, and two biers, were obtained for the use of the town, with a building to deposit them in. In 1839, Daniel Newcomb, who had for more than 20 years performed the duties of sexton, died, and his place has since been filled by E. Weston, R. Montgomery, J. G. Hoffsis, and others. At that time, the burying-ground near the 1st Congregation- al meeting-house, was becoming somewhat crowded, and, as the adjacent land was unsuitable for its enlargement, at- tention was turned to the procuring a new one. Several localities were proposed ; but, as private grave-yards, in the more distant parts of the town, had been procured, or were in contemplation, it was voted, Sept. 21, 1840, that the pres- ent one belonging to the town should be enlarged by taking in a part of the common. This was accordingly done, a new fence constructed, and some ornamental trees set out. Private burying-grounds were laid out near Edward Spear's, about 1839 ; M. Crane's, 1840; D. Starrett's, 1842; and E. Cushing's, W. Blake's, N. Cushman's, and W. Bisbee's, in 1844 or later. In 1847, the old, first grave-yard near the river, was fenced and divested of the trees which had over- grown it. In 1833, a new pall, and in 1848 -'9, four new hearses were ordered. At the meeting in March, 1849, it was
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voted, that the friends of John H. Counce be permitted to build a tomb in the town burying-ground; but before this purpose was executed, a new grave-yard was procured by E. Counce and D. McCallum, near the Baptist meeting-house, where the said tomb was constructed, and lots since sold to other individuals.
The bridge near Isaac Starrett's was rebuilt in 1822; as was that at the head of the tide in 1823, to the extent of 130 feet from the western end, by S. Peabody for the sum of $75. The bridge at the upper falls, so long maintained at private expense, was, after a refusal in 1825, finally ac- cepted by the town, March 6, 1826; and was rebuilt by R. Hall, E. O'Brien, and P. Montgomery, in 1831, with two substantial stone abutments, which in 1847 were made higher by agreement with the Georges Canal Company, and still remain. Oyster river bridge having been carried away by the great freshets of 1831, was rebuilt by J. L. Patterson for the sum of $297. That at the village was carried away in the following spring, and rebuilt with a stone abutment at the castern end, under the direction of A. Crawford and E. Weston. John Creighton and others having petitioned for liberty to erect a toll-bridge in the lower part of the town, a meeting was called Jan. 31, 1835, and the selectmen and representative instructed to remonstrate against and oppose the same. This opposition proved ineffectual, a grant was obtained, and in the summer of 1836 the bridge built, and the roads leading to it laid out and made by contract. The income of this bridge, besides paying to the toll-keeper, A. W. Gay, $85 in addition to his rent, yielded in 1849, $450 to the stockholders. The bridge at Oyster river being again out of repair, it was determined, June 8, 1839, to rebuild it in a more permanent manner ; and J. L. Patterson, Am- brose Lermond, and P. Coburn, were appointed a committee to issue proposals and contract for the work. Under their direction, in concert with the authorities of Thomaston, thie bridge was built with stone piers and abutments of stone and earth, which still remain. It cost on the part of this town $2892, and the treasurer was authorized to borrow that sum for the term of one and two years. In 1846, the town in- structed the selectmen to repair the bridge at the head of the tide ; but as the Canal Company were preparing to build the locks, the work was delayed till the following year, when the bridge was rebuilt under the supervision of Dr. B. F. Buxton, upon stone piers, the rock for which was blown from the unsightly cliff near its eastern end,
27
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ANNALS OF WARREN.
In 1823 and after, the labor expended in keeping the roads open in winter, before that time voluntarily contributed, was ordered to be allowed out of the highway taxes. To save the loss occasioned by drafting labor from the more central to distant parts of the town, part of which was absorbed in travel, and the rest performed by persons not much interested, 600 rods of the Camden road between Farrington's and Thom- aston line, were, in 1823, let out to the lowest bidder in lots of 40 rods each, to be well rounded up, cleared of stumps and rocks, and kept in repair for two years. The whole ex- pense amounted to $410. Subsequently, portions of road near N. Cushman's, J. Fuller's, H. M. Watts's, Samuel Spear's, and other places, were made by contract on such ad- vantageous terms, that in April, 1828, the town voted that the selectmen should let out to the highest bidder, the repair of all such roads through the town as might otherwise need drafted labor. To defray this expense, an additional highway tax of $200 was voted to be collected in money, to which was subsequently added $100 more for a new road as altered near H. Hilt's. In the following year, $100 was raised to be expended in the same way. The average annual expen- diture in this and the neighboring towns for the support of roads and bridges during the five years ending with 1828, was as follows ; Warren $2583, Waldoboro' $3720, Cam- den $3163, Thomaston $2810, Union $2151, St. George $1370, and Cushing $619. In 1833, the selectmen, together with four others, were appointed surveyors of highways with power to appoint deputies, their expenditures to be paid from the aggregate money tax of $2000. The same year, a piece of road near Mero Kelloch's was made by contract for $272,14. The following year, the town returned to the old mode of choosing surveyors for the different districts, raising a tax in labor, and repairing the more difficult portions of the road by contract in money. The roads from N. Cobb's to Thomaston line and from W. Wyllie's to E. V. Lermond's were made in the latter mode ; as was that between H. Hilt's and A. Young's, in 1835. A petition for the laying out of a road from Waldoboro' to Union, through the N. W. part of this town, having in 1826 been rejected by the Court of Ses- sions, a similar road, after delay and much opposition, was finally established by the Supreme Court at Belfast, and this town's portion, 571 rods, made by contract in 1832-'3, at the cost of $568,40. In 1836, A. Lermond was appointed agent to straighten and widen the roads where necessary, agreeably to the laying out thereof; and in cases where the record or
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plans were defective, the selectmen were directed to lay them out anew. After many attempts to make a passable road over the hill by A. Crawford's, and many ineffectual move- ments in favor of shifting the same, a substitute was at length permanently located by the county commissioners to the east- ward of Mr. Crawford's house, and made by contract in 1836, at the cost of $291,72. The road between M. Crane's and J. Parker's was also made by contract for $195, as also the following, in 1837, laid out, some of them by the town, and some by the county commissioners, viz : - from C. Crane's to Waldoboro' line at a cost of $2082,11 ; near J. Payson's at a cost of $208,53 ; from M. Crane's to N. Cobb's, at a cost of $301,05 ; and from R. B. Copeland's to Cushing line at a cost of $10,22. An attempt having been made by the surveyor of highways at the village, to improve its condition by making side-walks of plank through the principal street, some jealousy of this innovation was felt in other portions of the town, and after sundry propositions were made connecting this subject with that of temperance, it was voted, May 8, 1843, that " the surveyors of highways are requested to ex- pend no work on side-walks, until they have first put the main traveled part of the road in good repair." The jealousy has since subsided, and side-walks have been farther extended. In consequence of damages done by the freshets, the town in April, 1846, voted to raise $3000 for the repair of highways, with the additional sum of $1000 in cash to be taken from the town stock for the same purpose. At the same time it was voted to oppose the laying out, by the county commission- ers, of two roads in the upper part of the town, leading to Camden. In April, 1849, on the report of a committee, the town committed the repair of its highways to three commis- sioners chosen by ballot, instead of the many surveyors here- tofore appointed, but in the following year returned to the old method of choosing a surveyor for each district.
An additional fish act was passed in 1824, exempting the towns of Union and Hope from the obligation of annually opening their dams for the passage of the shad and alewives, and granting to the town of Warren four instead of three days for taking the same; and another in 1844, giving the whole control of the river, so far as relates to the free pas- sage of the shad and alewives up and down the same, the execution of the law, and the prosecution of all offences against the same, to wardens chosen by the towns of Warren, Cushing, Thomaston, and St. George ; who were to hold
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ANNALS OF WARREN.
meetings, prescribe the kind of fishways to be built, and cause all obstructions to be removed.
In the last named year, Providence sent such an unparal- leled supply of fish, that, after $1975,25 were paid into the
town treasury, the agents desisted from taking them. In consequence of the large sum thus received, the selectmen called a town meeting, June 22d, 1844, to see if the town would reconsider a vote, passed the preceding April, for rais- ing a town tax of $1400. On inquiry, it was found that in 1838 a vote had been passed that the proceeds of the fishery be equally divided among the polls, and this vote, though strangely unattended to, was still in force ; so that the town, instead of having a surplus, was really indebted to its citizens for the proceeds of the fishery in the six preceding years. By an apparent concert of action, however, on the part of the heavier tax-payers, the former vote for raising a tax was reconsidered, and, notwithstanding the want of any thing in the warrant to authorise it, a vote was passed that the pro- ceeds of the shad and alewive fishery be appropriated in defraying the expenses of the town. In consequence of the funds thus secured and remaining on hand, the town, April 7, 1845, voted to pay $900 for the support of schools from moneys in the treasury ; to appropriate $75 to assist the in- habitants of school district No. 16, in erecting a school-house, of which they had before been destitute ; and to dispense with any town tax - an event which had not before occurred for 48 years. Since that period, the fishery has yielded but little income ; and a prosecution commenced by the town's committee was resisted, and, being carried up to the Supreme Court, was decided against the town in 1850, at a cost of $500 or more.
Prior to 1840, the management of the fishery had been disposed of at auction or entrusted to an agent with little or no restriction. But since 1840, to save time and avoid dis- putes, the order of precedence for each citizen to obtain his prescribed quantity of fish has been determined by lot, and tickets numbered and issued accordingly. This measure has contributed much to the order and quiet of the fishing season, and appears to give general satisfaction.
The manufacture of lime having so far increased as to render the office of Inspector General a lucrative one, a project was formed, about 1827, for giving to the several towns where lime is manufactured, the powers, emoluments, and responsibilities of Inspectors General within their several limits, appointing deputy inspectors like other town officers,
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and being accountable for their conduct. This town approv- ed of the measure, and, Jan. 5, 1828, a petition for the same was ordered to be signed by the selectmen in behalf of the town, and presented to the Legislature ; but it did not pre- vail.
Pursuant to a vote of the town, intended to correct a practice coeval with its incorporation, of taxing some kinds of property higher in proportion to its actual value than others, two of the assessors, during the indisposition of the third, in 1829 visited every farm, and made the first, and, it is believed, the only, cash valuation of the whole property of the town. But as this was sent by their successors the following year to the Legislature instead of a copy, and the author has not succeeded in obtaining it, its amount cannot now be stated.
In early times, and during the first quarter of the present century, it was customary for the Selectmen or Treasurer to present at the March meeting an annual statement of re- ceipts and expenditures for the preceding year, that the town might be made acquainted with the state of the treasury, and the uses to which its money had been applied. But this practice having for some years been pretermitted, and some people becoming uneasy at the great increase of taxa- tion, it was, in 1835, voted " that the selectmen should cause an account of expenditures during the preceding year, with such explanations as they thought proper, to be printed in a pamphlet form, to be furnished to each voter in town." This not having been complied with, it was, the following year, ordered " that the selectmen draw off their accounts in a fair and legible hand, with their vouchers and books, to be read at the next meeting." It does not appear that this order was complied with, nor that the town took any farther action upon the subject till March, 1844, when a similar request was made, with regard to the expenditures of the three preceding years. This vote, like the former, seems to have resulted in nothing, and has not been reiterated.
A portion of the revenue of the U. S. having been depos- ited with the several States on condition of its being refunded when called for, and the Legislature of Maine having passed an act for depositing its portion of the same with the several towns in proportion to the number of their inhabitants, on condition of its being refunded in the same way, this town, at a meeting called for the purpose, March 28, 1837, voted to receive its proportion thereof agreeably to the provisions of said act, and empowered E. O'Brien to receive the same, 27*
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and sign receipts. In pursuance of this vote, the town re- ceived through said agent, three installments, making an aggregate of $1266. This money, was, in that year, appro- priated to the use of primary schools, and loaned out to individuals. The measure, however, was disrelished by many at the time, and when in the following year an act was passed legalizing the distribution of the money among the inhabitants, per capita, the town, April 2, 1838, voted in favor of such distribution by a large majority. Accordingly, in July following, a census of the inhabitants, amounting to 2143, was taken by Jabez Kirkpatrick, and the money, $2 to each person, delivered to the several families, by T. Star- rett, treasurer. Thus a fund, which, if wisely improved by the States for purposes of education and internal improvement, might have adorned and blessed the country for ages, was, so far as this town's share was concerned, dissipated at once, affording indeed a transient delight to the poor and destitute, but lost to the rich like a drop in a bucket, and seen no more forever.
Since 1800, town meetings had, for the most part, been held in the court-house, but some objections having been made by the county authorities, the town, after many reports and plans had been offered, voted, April 6, 1840, that the present town-house, 44 by 36 feet, should be built by the lowest bid- der, which was done by S. B. Wetherbee for $1175. A basement was added at his own risk, for which the town sub- sequently voted to give him $75.
The state of political feelings and parties in this period, may be judged of from the following list of votes thrown at the different presidential elections.
1824. For William H. Crawford, 16 votes.
" John Q. Adams, 35 "
1828.
" Andrew Jackson, 64
John Q. Adams, 73
1832. 66 Andrew Jackson, 279
" Henry Clay, 110
1836, " Martin Van Buren, 124 66
" Henry Clay, 58
1840.
" Martin Van Buren, 297 66
" William H. Harrison, 178 66
1844. " James K. Polk, 226 66
Henry Clay, 128 66
" James Birney, 9 66
1848.
" Lewis Cass, 194
66
" Zachary Taylor, ยท 121 66
" Martin Van Buren, 25
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ANNALS OF WARREN.
In 1830, for the first time in the annals of the town, the election of its officers was decided on party grounds, and con- fined to the partizans of Gen. Jackson.
On the amendments of the Constitution, the votes in this town were, on that relating to elections in cities, September 8, 1834, yes 16, no 18 ; on that respecting bail, September 11, 1837, yes 41, no 19 ; on that of limiting the tenure of Judi- cial offices to the term of seven years, September 9, 1839, yes 91, no 75 ; on making the election of Governor and other officers biennial, September 13, 1841, yes 10, no 57 ; and on establishing the number of Representatives at 151, yes 57, no 4 ; on changing the Legislative session from January to May, in 1844, no 149, yes 12; on pledging the State's credit, &c., in 1847, yes 14, no 10; on electing the Governor, Sena- tors, and Representatives by a plurality of votes, yes 9, no 23; and on changing the Legislative session back from May to January, in 1849, yes 152, no 9.
On the question of increasing or diminishing the number of Representatives, September 13, 1841, this town gave 47 votes for a diminution and none for an increase. At the reduction of the number of Representatives in 1842, Warren and Friendship were classed together, and entitled to elect one. The two towns thus united, elected Amos H. Hodgman their first Representative.
CHAPTER XIX.
CONGREGATIONAL ECCLESIASTICAL AFFAIRS FROM 1820 TO 1850.
AT the period of the separation of the State, the 1st Con- gregational Society of this town, which had now been for a quarter of a century under the care of the Rev. Mr. Huse, had already been somewhat weakened, not only by the in- crease and activity of the Baptist Society, but by the influ- ence of what was then called " Hopkinsianism," which, un- der the auspices of the Kennebec Association of ministers, was beginning to show itself in this region, and producing dissatisfaction and divisions among both ministers and people. Some individuals had embraced it in this town, and meetings were occasionally held by Rev. Jotham Sewall and others for its propagation. Mr. Huse experienced great discouragement
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