USA > Maine > Penobscot County > Holden > Brewer, Orrington, Holden, Eddington : history and families > Part 12
USA > Maine > Penobscot County > Eddington > Brewer, Orrington, Holden, Eddington : history and families > Part 12
USA > Maine > Penobscot County > Orrington > Brewer, Orrington, Holden, Eddington : history and families > Part 12
USA > Maine > Penobscot County > Brewer > Brewer, Orrington, Holden, Eddington : history and families > Part 12
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worst in this locality; but at the worst the most she succeeded is doing to the bridge job was to tear the roof from one of the small huts which was being used by the Verrier Construction Company.
The bridge can truly be said to be a product of the Pine Tree State. The lumber from which the forms were built came from the forests of Maine. The cement for the hungry maws of the cement mixers came from this state. The granite came from Clark Island, not too far from Rockland. Stone came from nearby quarries. Nearly all of the labor came from the Maine market. Steel, which is not produced in Maine had to be im- ported, as did also some highly skilled technicians who were not available in this locality.
While dredging the river preparatory to building the piers, four cannon were brought to the surface. These were cannon which were believed to have lain in the sediment at the river bottom since some American ships were scuttled in 1779 during the War of the Revolution. They were five feet four inches long with four inch bores. Although they had presumably lain there all these years, when the bore plug was pulled from the first cannon, workmen said that the smell of gunpowder could be detected. One of these cannon is on the corner lot at the junction of Main and Wilson Streets.
Many people, old and young, and of all sizes and descriptions, watched the erection of the bridge; but perhaps the most unusual members of the varied audience arrived in the spring of 1954 when two white whales (belugas) invaded the river. Since they had never been here before we assume they came to see how the bridge workers were progressing.
Construction material of an era long since passed in Maine was uncovered by workmen excavating for the large abutment and pier at the Brewer end of the new bridge. Virgin hemlock timbers, some thirty inches in diameter were unearthed. A couple of hundred of them were found, many in almost perfect condition, a state of preservation which was very surprising. Several of the timbers ran to fifty feet long.
The bridge, when completed in November 1954, was 1406 feet long, took about one and one-half years to construct, and cost approximately two and one-half million dollars. We are
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told that there is enough concrete in Pier #14 alone to construct a road twenty-two feet wide and about one-half mile long. This is indeed a far cry from the early wooden bridges which were built with the fear of ice and flood time ever in the back of the mind. Then came the ice jams and the floods and the bridges were partially or wholly carried away. The patient citizens rebuilt them only to have the same thing happen again and yet again. But it appears that in this age the battle against the river has been won.
At eleven o'clock on November 11, 1954, the city bells rang, boat whistles came from the boats on the river, car horns sounded forth; all to pay homage to the new bridge. Governor Burton M. Cross and his party were the first to make the official crossing. For the rest of that day cars passed over it free of toll.
To quote an editorial from the Bangor Daily News, on the day of the official opening of the bridge: "It took more than wishful thinking for this structure to materialize from dreams into reality. To detail the several legislative measures and final acceptance by the electorate would be repetitive and serve no purpose. Many and varied were the attempts. Many and varied were the setbacks before success crowned joint efforts . .. By odd coincidence the bridge spans the river over identical routes plowed down through the years by the three famous Bon Tons, those relics of the steam age which transported workmen across the Penobscot to whichever city their labors took them . . . As these were forced to yield to technicological advances . . . so, too, did the old bridges - the covered bridge, the one that was swept away by the flood waters . . . Those responsible merit the thanks of the immediate area in particular and Eastern Maine in general. It was a difficult work well done."
For a time the newly constructed artery of traffic across the river was called simply the "new bridge". Meanwhile many suggestions were offered with regard to a name for the bridge. The name of Brewer's most outstanding son was presented and was received favorably; therefore the people of Brewer can today look with pride at the Joshua L. Chamberlain Bridge, a fitting memorial to a truly great man.
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FERRY SERVICE
One unusual feature concerning the first ferry route from Bangor to Brewer lay in the fact that the route was a triangular one. The ferry left Brewer at the foot of Wilson Street, landed in Bangor on the south side of the Kenduskeag Stream, and from there proceeded to the north side of the stream landing at the site of Union Station (another landmark which now belongs to the ages). Leaving this point the boat returned to the starting place in Brewer. It was necessary to make two stops in Bangor as there was no bridge across the stream at that time. If the ferry boat were on the opposite side when there were passengers ready for transportation on the other side, a call bell was rung. An interesting account of these bells was written by Walter M. Hardy and entitled "Ferry Bells". This account was published in the Atlantic Monthly about 1908 or 1909.
For a long time rowboats were used as ferry boats. These were long boats with seats along the sides. The man who rowed sat well forward and rowed cross handed. The fare was one cent. At first the boats landed side to the dock in the same manner as a steamer; but later the wharf was rebuilt with a V-shaped slip to permit the passengers to land from either side. The boats were built to accommodate about twenty passengers. Ferry men had to be rugged and willing to work for little pay.
We find a note in the reports for 1827 that George Brimmer Esq. of Boston, had interested himself in putting a horse-ferry boat on the Bangor Ferry. Later in the same year the records state that "the horse-ferry boat built by Master George Savage for G. W. Brimmer of Boston and John C. Dexter was put on the route between Bangor and Brewer." From some other notes we gleaned the information that men on horseback and in teams used to ford the river during low water season at the point where the dam has since been built.
The first steam ferry was built locally by Albien A. Barstow and Leonard B. Smith, under the Legislative act of 1874 and recorded in Acts and Resolves of Maine, 1874. The boat, how- ever, proved to be inadequate to the task of carrying the weight of her machinery. The construction was almost flat-bottomed, but slightly curved. It must have been some sort of a paddle-
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wheel steamer since it is stated that she set so low in the water that her paddles would not operate.
The first Bon Ton was steam operated. She was built in Camden by Captain Ezra Bramhall, and was first launched in Brewer on May 13, 1884. She was thirty feet long, with an eight foot beam, three feet, and drawing two and one half feet. The finish was made of oak and black walnut. She had a seat- ing capacity for thirty passengers. This ferry was owned by Leach & Burr (Henry J. Leach and Charles H. Burr) and was put into operation to replace the rowboat ferry which had previously been used. Her trial run was June 14, 1884.
Captain Henry J. Leach, president and chief stockholder of the Bangor-Brewer Steam Ferry Company, served for over thirty- five years.
Captain George Jacobs took over the ferry in 1912, at which time the fare was one cent. Two years later the fee was raised to three cents where it stayed until the Company went out of business after the Bon Ton #3 was destroyed by fire in 1939.
Captain Jacobs put in an 87 hour week for which he received $15.00. However he received "bonus" pay for Saturday night. The ferry operated two hours later on Saturday nights at a fare of five cents. The earnings were split between the other two crew members and the owner. This usually amounted to about $1.75 for each of them.
It was while Henry Leach was captain that the old rowboats were discarded and the Bon Ton #1 came into use. This gallant little boat, first of the three to carry the familiar name, served the people of the two cities until 1902. During the flood of that year she, along with the Creedmor, carried passengers across the river. Freight was carried by the Tremont. At that time the latter ship and the Bon Ton #1 were in collision which resulted in the condemning of the ferry boat.
In 1911 the Bon Ton #2 was built and on the death of Mr. Leach in 1922, Mr. George B. Goodwin purchased the Bon Ton and acquired the franchise for operating it. He paid sixty dollars a year to Brewer for a docking fee. The small steamboat ran daily from 5:30 to 9:00. We have been told that after 9 o'clock at night a rowboat ferry was available for those latecomers who
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still desired ferry service. For many years Mr. Edwin Lora, a Civil War veteran, ran the late rowboat ferry.
By 1911, the lumber business on the river had reached its peak and begun to decline. However, there were still masses of logs afloat in the water. Business was brisk between 1911 and 1917, and the era was still that of the lumber drives. Sometimes the little steam vessels would be forced to take a course up the river to the bridge and down again on the other side of the floating logs. The waters of the powerful Penobscot were very swift in the late fall and early spring and the little boat had to exert a great deal of energy to combat them.
The Bon Ton was called upon once in a while to assist the Belfast and the Camden, "Boston Boats". When the wind and the tide stopped them from making the turn for the return trip down the river help was solicited. It usually took only a slight nudge from the Bon Ton and the larger ship would straighten out and go on its way.
On July 4, 1922, Bon Ton #3, built by Cobb Brothers, was launched. Her predecessor was sold to a sporting camp. The new boat was thirty-four feet ten inches long and was built along the general lines of the other two.
The ferry usually managed to give service to the public until December, although at times the ice was pushed away from her bows with pickpoles. By the middle of the month she was usually at her winter berth at the foot of Wilson Street.
Mr. Goodwin died in 1937 and Mrs. Harlan Mayo became owner of the Bon Ton. Mrs. Mayo's sons, Ronald, Richard, and Harold all spent some time working on the ferry. At the time of Mr. Goodwin's death the ferry business had begun to fall off rather badly. On the brighter side of the picture, however, the Bon Ton had become quite a famous little boat. Robert Ripley's "Believe It or Not" listed her as the smallest steam driven boat in the United States.
Numerous men have at different times and for periods of time worked as members of the crew of the three Bon Tons. They became familiar and much loved figures in our ferrying history. We do not have a complete list of these men, but we do wish to pay tribute to the part which they played in the development of our community.
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About an hour after the Bon Ton #3 was docked for the night, on November 9, 1939, a fire was discovered in the boat. There was a mass of flames by the time the fire department arrived, shortly after which the mooring lines burned through and the boat drifted down the river and into the shore where the firemen fought the flames. The fire was believed to have been caused by the coal furnace which was banked each night so it would be ready for the early morning run. The well-remembered and much loved little boat was a complete loss. Mrs. Mayo decided not to rebuild. This marked the end of an era in between- city transportation.
CHAPTER XI
CIVIC IMPROVEMENTS
When any pioneer settlement is launched there are many and varied problems to be solved. In the beginning many of these, such as the question of health and sanitation, care of the aged, burial of the dead, protection of property, and the like, must of necessity be cared for by individual families rather than by the community. But as growth occurs and these problems become more important to the entire citizenry, the community must take them over. In this chapter we should like to consider the history of the development of some of these.
CEMETERIES
In the beginning in most of the early settlements there were no community burial grounds. Usually the dead were buried in a family plot on land owned by the families. There were probably many such lots in this area and as the years have passed and property has changed hands, often going out of the possession of the original family, many of these family burying grounds have disappeared and there is no record of them. When we consider the years that have passed we realize that in most cases the property has changed hands numbers of times.
Community burial grounds, however, must date far back in the history of our town; for our founder, Colonel John Brewer's final resting place is to be found in Oak Hill Cemetery.
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An early record, August 21, 1820, shows that the town voted to accept the report of the selectmen regarding burial grounds; half an acre of land on John Farrington's land for twenty-five dollars; and a quarter of an acre of land on George Wiswell's place for fifteen dollars; the town not to be at any expense in fencing the burying places. There seemed to be quite a good deal of voting and a little later reconsidering the vote on these matters; therefore it was impossible to determine the exact loca- tion of the grounds. On March 7, 1825, Colonel John Brewer agreed to give the town title to land to be used for a burying ground if the town would fence it and exempt him from any expence* for said fence.
The problem of selecting a site for a burial ground in the Wrentham (Holden) Settlement arose in 1824. At first it was decided to accept the ground at Samuel K. Hart's; but not at Luther Jones's. Later the same mounth, September, this vote was reconsidered and it was decided to accept the one at the Jones Place (Jones' Pond ).
In 1870, a hearse house was built by Bunker & Nye at a cost of $100. We believe that this must have been erected at Oak Hill Cemetery.
The Oak Hill Cemetery Improvement Association was organ- ized in 1893 with the purpose "to improve certain parts of the grounds or public sections, not owned or controlled by private individuals and not conflicting with the general plans or priv- ileges." In September, 1895, a fountain was placed in the ceme- tery park.
The tomb at the cemetery was completed in 1906 with the exception of some painting. In 1915 a new driveway was built.
A Cemetery Board was established in 1916, to have charge of the management of all Brewer cemeteries. This board sufficed for quite a number of years, until in 1943, the Board of Cemetery Trustees was created. There were at this time two municipally owned cemeteries in the city, Oak Hill Cemetery on South Main Street, and the North Brewer Cemetery on the Day Road in North Brewer. The duties of the board of trustees included the hiring of sextons, approval of all bills, and general authority over the grounds. During the few years which followed this, a private cemetery corporation opened Woodlawn on North Main Street.
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This was developed without the use of monuments or markers except those which were flush with the grass, in order to permit easier mowing and better care.
Woodlawn Memorial Park was purchased by the city in 1950. This piece of land comprised approximately fifty acres. At that time only a few lots remained unsold in Oak Hill Cemetery and it was doubtful that the cemetery would be further enlarged. Just previous to this the North Brewer Cemetery was enlarged and had more plots available. Many of the lots in these ceme- teries are cared for by perpetual care funds. Since the tomb space at Oak Hill is not sufficient at the present time, plans for the near future should include the building of a new tomb, probably at Woodlawn.
During 1960, a new tool shop and garage was built at Oak Hill and a new pipe line was laid to the pool in order that there should be water available for the fountain. About 225 feet of new fencing was placed along the Littlefield line. In North Brewer a drain ditch, using corrugated tile, was installed and repairs were made to the monument. At Woodlawn, the large pine trees were pruned and the diseased trees were removed.
We are proud of the beauty of our cemeteries and are con- tinually trying to improve their appearance by the planting of trees and shrubs, building of roads, and cleaning up of neglected sections. The general appearance of these grounds is a source of pride to our city.
COMMUNITY WATER SUPPLY
The waters of the Penobscot River, before civilization stepped in with its many mills and miles of sewers, was of exceptional purity. When ships were loading for far away ports it is said that they often filled water casks directly from the river.
For a time after the establishment of the town one of the centers of population was near Oak Grove Spring. The spring was, from earliest times, a source of refreshing water. Many ships also used this spring as a source of water for the use of their crews during long sea voyages.
As would be true in all small communities of one hundred and fifty years ago, Brewer's first source of water for home consumption must have been natural springs or wells which were
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dug on the property of the individual owners. As years went on artesian wells were dug. As early as 1836 a vote in the town records shows that the pump at the ferry was adopted as a town pump.
Around 1877 a number of prominent Bangor men began the agitation for a better and more reliable water supply. A great deal of the water which was procurable at that time was not fit for human consumption. These men felt that the introduction of a water system, especially one of the "Holly" plan, would eradicate a health menace, would be an added protection against fire, and would reduce insurance rates. Apparently for a time following this Brewer's water supply came from Bangor.
In 1882 the work of laying the first water main in the city was begun. This was completed later the same year. The first main was about one-half a mile long and extended from the railroad bridge to Smith's Planing Mill by way of Penobscot Square, Center Street, Holyoke Square, Main, Betton, and Penob- scot Streets. There were twenty-five who took advantage of this improvement, including twenty-one stores and residences and Smith's Mill. There were three hydrants; one city owned and two private ones. The main was laid across the railroad bridge.
After a time the local company became absorbed by the Public Works Company and in 1889 an eight inch water main was laid across the river just above the Bangor waterworks dam. This connected with mains leading from Veazie. During this same year the so-called "Holly" water was piped to the city stables.
In 1892 another eight inch main was laid across the river and new filters were added. It is interesting and perhaps a bit surprising to note that at this time many citizens were enthusiastic in their support of the idea that a supply of water might be secured from Hatcase Pond.
The standpipe at South Brewer was built in 1904.
The Bangor Railway and Electric Company took over the Public Works Company in 1909. By this time there were twenty- five miles of main pipe and over fifteen hundred takers. The revenue from Brewer exceeded $15,000 per year. Two artesian wells were sunk on city property this year; one in the yard of the South Brewer Grammar School and one at the new Page
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School grounds on Center Street. This work was done at a cost of about $1,000. The schools were provided with pure water as a result of this action and the wells also provided a meeting place for "all the water pails in the neighborhood." Previous to this many people purchased their drinking water from the Oak Grove Spring Company, which delivered water to the homes. In 1910 an artesian well in Brimmer Square was put into opera- tion.
A bill which was passed in April 1909, gave the right to the new Brewer Water District to take over the then present system and install a new one, taking the water from Hatcase, Williams, Fitts, Thurston, and Hopkins Ponds.
In the Mayor's message for 1916 mention is made of a move to have the water system taken over by the Dirigo Water Com- pany, which was to be a subsidiary of the Eastern Manufacturing Company, the water to be taken from Brewer Lake in Orrington. With world conditions as they were at that time, however, the Eastern Mfg. Co. thought a wise move would be to defer any decision regarding a new water supply until the war was over and things came back to something like normal.
The company was, apparently, never formed even after the war years were passed and we continued to receive our water via Veazie. In 1922 Orono was connected with Veazie and Brewer. In the year 1946 the water system was owned by the Penobscot County Water Company and water was brought from Chemo Pond; but still reached Brewer by way of Veazie. A number of serious fires during that year disclosed the inadequacy of the system and the Brewer Water District was created by a special act of the State Legislature. This District was subse- quently approved by the voters of Brewer. Trustees were ap- pointed and the work was begun.
In 1947 the trustees of the Brewer Water District included Edward C. Perkins, Hartley E. Rider, and Richard P. Denaco. The latter resigned following a short term of service and was replaced by Roscoe Crockett. During the year a survey was carried on by the Bangor Water Board to investigate sources and determine whether there existed a suitable supply of water to serve Bangor and the surrounding communities. The project was declared a sound one and as a result of the investigation Hatcase, Mountainy, and Floods Ponds were chosen as the best
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possible source of supply. The neighboring communities, how- ever, decided not to participate in the joint undertaking. The Brewer Water District continued in its endeavors to bring a better water supply to Brewer. The engineers studying the project selected Hatcase Pond as the best available source which would provide sufficient water of a fine quality for the use and protection of the community.
The site of the former city garage on Parker Street was deeded to the Brewer Water District in 1949 for one dollar. A modern one-story office building and shop were constructed there at that time. In the interim, temporary offices were located on the lower floor of the city hall.
The new city-owned water supply was officially turned on June 1, 1950. This assured the city of a reserve supply which would be available for fire protection and one which would hold out against prolonged use. As to its standard of excellence, we quote from the city manager's report for the year 1950: "This water is of a quality not excelled anywhere in New England!"
HEALTH AND SANITATION
From the earliest days of its beginnings, Brewer was not a town to take its responsibilities lightly. As early as 1819 there was a list of persons representing the poor and needy of the town. This list was prepared by the selectmen. That year, for the persons named on the list, alewives sold for seventy five cents a barrel and shad for four cents each. In 1848 a building and land were purchased to be used as a poor farm. We read that in 1879 thirty-five tramps were furnished with night's lodg- ing and meals. The "city farm" as it was called served for many years until its operation did not seem practical to the city fathers. Dependent aged and children were at times "boarded out" to various families in the city. With the present federal program of social security, old age assistance, aid to dependent children, and the like, the need for such extensive local programs has lessened. However, our part in the welfare program is still an important one as all welfare within the city is administered locally. The total cost of the locally administered program for the year just past amounted to $15,152.15.
The problem of sanitation is always one of vital importance. A brick sewer was built at Brewer Village as early as 1866,
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and a sewer on Center Street is mentioned in the report of 1867. The drainage systems, quite naturally, changed with the filling of depressions in the terrain. Brooks and their tributaries formed quite a drainage system at one time. Tannery Brook was important for this reason. This brook was later converted into a large trunk sewer. There was another brook running across Main Street at the location of the Carter Block, continuing to the river down the present Betton Street site. Boggy places were common and we have heard that an Indian woman, more than a little under the influence of ardent spirits, fell into one of these near the present location of Ayer's Court.
A large addition was made to the sewer system in 1898. Reports of various years tell of the extension of the sewers to serve the various sections of the city; and in 1912 a survey was made for the building of the trunk sewer. This was not built, however, until 1921, when it was started and about six hundred feet of it completed. It began at the river at the rear of the Dirigo School lot and extended to the Tannery Brook.
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