USA > Maine > Penobscot County > Holden > Brewer, Orrington, Holden, Eddington : history and families > Part 13
USA > Maine > Penobscot County > Eddington > Brewer, Orrington, Holden, Eddington : history and families > Part 13
USA > Maine > Penobscot County > Orrington > Brewer, Orrington, Holden, Eddington : history and families > Part 13
USA > Maine > Penobscot County > Brewer > Brewer, Orrington, Holden, Eddington : history and families > Part 13
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Through the years Brewer has continued to be a growing city. In 1946, the taxes assessed against the forty-four new houses erected in Green Acres the first year were sufficient to pay the principal and interest on the city's share of the streets and sewers for the whole building project. The trunk sewer was extended from Chamberlain Street to make this new housing possible. During the time that the planning for this program was in progress it became evident that there was a need for zoning restrictions. With the approval of the City Council, the Planning Commission, which had been created in 1944, undertook a study of zoning. This study resulted in several public hearings and in April of 1946 a temporary zoning ordinance was adopted. A carefully worked out permanent zoning ordinance later replaced the temporary one. The latter has seemed to meet the needs of the city in a satisfactory manner.
During the past several years when many homes have been constructed in various sections of our city, sewers have been constructed to accommodate them. In 1950 about fifty feet of the Tannery Brook sewer between Wilson Street and the MCRR. were rebuilt by contract. In 1951 a new sewer manhole was built on Holyoke Street to give access to the sewer where it was badly needed.
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This sanitation work is now done under the direction of the Public Works Department. The year 1955 seems to show the greatest number of new and reconstruction projects in this pro- gram. The largest single piece of work was the construction of a two thousand foot, thirty-six inch, reinforced concrete sewer on Parkway North. For the first time, in a job of this sort, city equipment and personnel were used for the construction. The size were used for the construction. The size of the pipe and the depth of the sewer made this a rather difficult operation; but its construction opened up an entirely new area for housing. A second major project was the replacement of pipe to relieve flood- ing conditions in Green Acres. Replacement jobs were also done on Center Street and on Parker Street, the necessity for these arising as a result of cave-ins and of plugged lines.
The first mention of city supervision of garbage collections is found in a report for 1928 which states that at this time there were garbage collections and a clean up day financed by the city. By 1946 weekly collections were handled by a truck supplied by the highway department with a driver and two men. This method proved, after adequate trial, to be too expensive and unsatisfactory; and in 1947 a contract for this service was let out on bids. The contract service was started in August of that year at a cost of $3500. Garbage is collected in modern covered trucks and this is found to be much more satisfactory and economical, saving the city about $1500 per year.
Our present system of rubbish collections had a small begin- ning in 1913, when a clean-up day was set aside for such col- lections throughout the fire district. This proved to be a number of "clean-up" days as one day was not sufficient to complete the task. The idea of having one day or days during the year in which accumulated rubbish was collected was later increased to such days in the spring and in the fall and continued in this manner until 1948 when regular monthly collections were estab- lished and the sanitary fill method of disposal was introduced. Previous to this time the old open dump method had been used. Odors, rats, and smoke, as well as the rapid filling up of areas proved such a problem that newer methods were investigated and it was decided to try out the sanitary fill method. The method was reasonably satisfactory, but the tractor and bull-dozer being used proved to be too small for the job. The tractor was one which had gone through the highway department fire in 1946. In the
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spring of 1949, a larger, second-hand tractor equipped with a bulldozer blade and front end shovel was purchased. There was a noticeable improvement in the work and the results have been very satisfactory. A full time caretaker is in charge of the dis- posal area.
Early methods of sanitation were not conducive to the pre- vention of disease. Dr. Elisha Skinner, whose name appears in many of the early reports of the town, was hired in 1819 to inocu- late with the Kine pox, all those residents of the town who desired it. He was to be paid forty-five dollars, but apparently the bud- get for the year could not stand the additional strain, and the records state that Dr. Skinner would receive his pay the next year, 1820. There must have been many who were suspicious of this new method of disease prevention, as in 1872, the small pox account totaled $1,708.15.
An outbreak of typhoid fever in 1891 resulted in one hundred and thirty cases during the summer and autumn. This epidemic was blamed on the impure water supply by some of the residents, although the State Board of Health made a chemical analysis of the water and their decision was "not unfavorable."
A detention hospital, commonly called the "pest house", was built near the city farm or alms house. This hospital was built because of the forty-eight cases of small pox that occurred in the city that year.
In 1910 a system of medical inspection was introduced into the schools.
Dr. A. E. Schriver was appointed to serve as Health Officer in 1920 when that office was established.
The first Child Health Clinic for pre-school children was held in the spring of 1927. This project was sponsored by the Commun- ity Service Iouncil. This clinic has become an annual event and for many years traditionally held during Child Health Week in the spring.
According to the city report for 1960, playgrounds, skating rinks, and the swimming pool have been placed under the scope of the department of health and sanitation. Supervisors and directors are in attendance at both the playgrounds and the swimming pool. The city recreation program which furnishes a
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well-rounded activity schedule, is aimed at the prevention of juvenile delinquency. Outstanding among the city facilities for such a program are the auditorium, athletic field, and swimming pool. The pool which is open under excellent supervision during the summer months, also offers Red Cross swimming instruction. Playgrounds are in operation during vacation months and an athletic program, devoted mainly to baseball, is in progress.
Since health is essential to growth it is evident by the above history of the health and sanitation departments of the city, that Brewer has all the facilities which it needs in order to grow.
LIBRARY FACILITIES
Although not under the management of the city, the library is, in part at least financed by city funds. So essential is an organiza- tion of this sort to the well-rounded life of a city that we feel it holds a justifiable place among civic improvements.
Found among the records of the First Congregational Church is information regarding a Female Cent Society which was formed sometime before 1820 and which possessed between seventy and eighty volumes of social library. We do not know that this was a literary group, in fact, some data places it as a missionary society; but it did possess books, which seems to give it a place in the history of the development of reading taste in the com- munity. In the same records we found the statement that a taste for reading and literature did not generally prevail. This was the first record of any form of a library which we found in our research.
The Union Library was established in Brewer Village in 1828. There were recorded about fifty books, most of which were donated, although some were marked as purchased by assess- ment. Donors to the library were Timothy Jordan, Rufus Cushing, Hiram Nourse, Jeremiah Eldridge, Benjamin Goodwin, Theophi- lus Nickerson, Daniel Sargent, Samuel Stone, and Samuel Sterns. The bookcase was presented to the library by John Rogers and Rufus Cushing. Entries seem to show that this library existed from 1828 to approximately 1855.
A Current Events Club, discussed elsewhere in this volume, sponsored a library in South Brewer. Its location was in a room over Sargent & Herrick's Store. The library was open two days a week, Tuesday and Saturday, and the young ladies of the club
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took turns serving as librarians. The records continue until 1902 when there is mention of continuance in another book. We found no other records.
There was a South Brewer Library for many years, serving the people in that part of town. Not too many years ago many of the books which remained after the library was discontinued were turned over to the Brewer Library.
In 1896 a move was made toward the establishment of a public library to be financed by appropriation by the city and by private subscriptions. Apparently nothing came out of this; and in 1902 a suggestion was made that the matter of securing a Carnegie Library be investigated. Brewer was not able to qualify for a Carnegie Library. In July, 1907, about thirty persons met in the aldermen's rooms at the old City Hall. Their purpose was to discuss the feasibility of establishing a library. This idea originated with a suggestion from the men's class of the First Congregational Church. Charles N. Perkins, then superintendent of schools, presided at the meeting at which time twenty were taken into membership. The Library Association was incorporated October 14, 1907 and the Constitution and By-Laws were adopted.
Jonathan N. V. Lane was elected as the first president of the new organization. The other officers were: first vice president, Hon. D. A. Sargent; second vice-president, Miss Mary B. Hutch- ings; third vice-president, Charles O. Farrington; secretary, Miss Alma Higgins; and treasurer, Herbert N. Bunker. The trustees were Arthur B. Smith, John T. Gilman, Dr. R. H. Croxford, Hon. Frank H. Nickerson, and George P. Aiken. On the executive com- mittee were George P. Aiken, Hon. Frank H. Nickerson, Hon. Leon F. Higgins, Mrs. Fannie H. Eckstorm, and Charles N. Perkins.
The library opened in 1908 on the ground floor of the Emerson Batchelder Building on Wilson Street. Its working capital at that time was twelve dollars. Volunteer librarians kept the library open one afternoon a week. Later this was increased to two afternoons and Miss Alice Sawyer was appointed as librarian. Volunteer librarians included Mrs. Fannie H. Eckstorm, Mrs. F. H. Nickerson, Mrs. C. N. Perkins, Mrs. J. N. V. Lane, Mrs. Howard Cole, Miss Alma Higgins, Miss June Lynch, Miss Helen Dougherty, and Miss Mary B. Hutchings.
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Although some volumes were purchased, for the first few years most of the books were donated by individuals. In March 1908, a reading room was opened at the Wilson Street site and by June of that year there was a lending library of five hundred volumes of fiction. The total had grown by the end of the year to eleven hundred and ninety-seven volumes and two hundred and eighteen families were borrowing books. Mrs. Fannie Hardy Eckstorm was the first general supervisor.
The new Carter Building was completed in 1908 and the library was moved to new rooms on the second floor of that block, re- maining there until 1938, when it was transferred to the municipal building where rooms are provided and heated by the city.
Free public libraries were operating in both Brewer and South Brewer in 1910. This was the year in which the Brewer library began its program of three afternoons a week. In 1913, the voters declared against taking over the library as a municipal institu- tion by a margin of ten votes.
Miss Alice Sawyer held the position of librarian until 1920, when she retired and her assistant, Miss Frances H. Aiken re- placed her. Miss Aiken held the position until her own retire- ment in 1946. The saving which was made possible because the city was now providing space for which no rent was charged and also paying for the heat, made it possible for the library to be kept open each week day. Mrs. Frances Wolverton Constantine be- came the library's first full time librarian in 1946. She resigned in 1949 to return to teaching and her place was filled by Miss Mary Haskell. Miss Haskell became the librarian at Brewer High School in 1958. Our present librarian is Mrs. Constance Holling.
Appropriations from the city and a corresponding increase in the state stipend made it possible to employ a full time ibrarian. Various forms of endeavor have been employed over the years to raise funds for the library project. There have been fairs, public entertainments, sale of cook books, personal canvasses for membership, and generous donations from local organizations and from individuals.
The following legacies have been received:
1916 Frank Holyoke Estate $3975
1924
Delia T. Chamberlain Estate 200
1927 Harriett Towle Estate 100
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1933
Albert Kenney Estate
1000
1934
Elizabeth Powers Estate 3000
1939
Eva L. Arey Estate
1000
1948
Georgiana Hall Farrington Estate 1000
1949
Eugene B. Gordon Estate
200
1958
Stephen Gilmore Fund
200
1959
Caroline Spurling Estate
2000
1961
Alice Farrington Estate
60,000
securities, total not known
In 1911, the bust of General Joshua L. Chamberlain, executed by a Brewer sculptor, Charles Tefft, was presented to the library by Mrs. Sarah Chamberlain Farrington, sister of General Cham- berlain. Miss Edith Doane presented ship models which were placed in the reading room. A bronze plaque to Miss Eva Arey was hung in recognition of her gift which made possible the furnishing of the room.
In 1954 the library received a gift of a fifty-four volume set of Great Books of the Western World, presented by the Old Dominion Foundation of New York. The Brewer Library was among only sixteen hundred chosen to receive this gift of the thirty thousand which applied. Also in 1954, the Parent-Teacher Association gave one hundred and fifty dollars to be spent for children's books for use in the schools.
In 1910, six hundred and two family cards were issued. By 1946, there were fifteen hundred and fifty-five adult borrowers regis- tered. Juvenile cards were issued for the first time in 1947 and by the end of that year there were four hundred and fourteen young borrowers. In 1960, the number of borrowers had increased to seven thousand seven hundred and twenty-nine. The number of volumes in the library has increased from 2746 in 1912 to approxi- mately 19,346 in 1960.
A recent important acquisition is the book deposit box which enables patrons to return books when the library is closed.
Persons who have served the library association as presidents are: Jonathan N. V. Lane, 1907 - 1911; Hon. Frank H. Nickerson, 1911-1926; Arthur B. Smith, 1926-1936; Sewall C. Brown, 1936- 1945; Rev. Basil C. Gleason, 1945-1948; Mrs. Howard R. Houston, 1948-50; Mrs. Chester A. Robinson, 1950-54; Frank H. Floyd, 1955- 58; Robert Witham, 1959; Keith Bridgham, 1960; and Mrs. Joseph- ine Christmas, 1961.
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The city governement has been generous in appropriations for the care and maintenance of the library, which is excellently managed and one of which we may be proud.
POLICE PROTECTION
Obedience to the laws of a community is a factor which plays a leading part in the success of any town. For a number of years following the first settlement, it appears that the church was important in maintaining the discipline of the citizens. Blue laws, which were in effect in all the early settlements, but especially so in New England, were observed in Brewer as well as in other places. We read in our early church history of those cases where people were punished by stern lectures or even by excummuni- cation when they failed to abide by these laws.
The selectmen of the town seem to have been the first law enforcement officers. The records for 1836 state that the select- men were authorized to prosecute any persons who should run horses within the limits of the town. So even as early as that "speeding" seems to have been considered a problem.
After a few years the town constable appeared on the list of town officers. L. D. Higgins was listed as constable for 1852. His reimbursement for this work was ten dollars for the year. Ap- parently this official filled the needs of the police department at that time.
A "Town House of Correction" appeared on the scene in 1862. This must be an earlier term for "jail" as in the note regarding its construction, the building of cells is mentioned. The cost for building this house was $113.92, and this included the building and finishing of the cells. There were four inmates in this place of detention the first year and one the next. In 1865 two people were placed therein, and after that we found no further mention of the building; although frequent mention was made of the "lock-up".
George H. Lunt was the first city marshal, serving for a period of two years. Otis Harriman was the policeman at South Brewer for about seven months. Finding men to serve in the capacity of policemen seems to have been difficult. Mr. Lunt's report for 1891 stated that South Brewer had been without a policeman during that year. One was appointed; but he served for two nights and resigned. No one was found to take his place. Special
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police protection was provided at the cemetery on Sundays from June to October and Andrew P. Lunt filled this office. Special officers were also provided for the night of July third, the fore- noon and the night of July fourth, as these seemed to be occa- sions when the holiday spirits might overflow.
Luther J. Fickett replaced Mr. Lunt in 1891 and continued as marshal until 1910. Men whose names were mentioned in the city reports as assisting in the department during these years were: Frank E. Hamilton, Charles McKenney, Frank A. Brown, Henry Pooler, and James Long. Mr. Fickett must have had a year's leave of absence, as in 1903, John W. Trueworthy was the marshal.
In each report the number of arrests and the reasons for them were given. In 1891-92 there was one arrest for disturbing a re- ligious meeting. That year the number of arrests totaled forty- eight, most of which were for drunkenness. One arrest was made for "excessive driving" in 1899; in 1902, one for violating the Lord's Day; in 1908, one for skipping a board bill; and one in the same year for a person who was "in danger of falling into habits of vice." During the year 1893 eight persons were admitted to the lock-up for shelter. This statement is repeated often during the years which followed. We have mentioned only a few of the arrests and these because we felt the reader might find the causes interesting.
Mr. Fickett made a recommendation in 1894 that a temporary lock-up be provided at South Brewer, this to be used in case of emergency and when the electric cars were not running. He stated that this was to be done only if it could be accomplished without a large expense to the city. In 1904, the hours at South Brewer were changed from twelve to twelve.
A statement from the report of Mayor C. H. Small in 1907 says that "when a city the size of ours, which extends along the water front for two miles is patrolled and kept in order with our present city marshal and his assistant, it shows for itself that this department could not be in more competent hands."
Charles E. Lunt began his long term of service as city marshal in 1910. It was while he was in this office that the automobiles first began to appear on the streets of the city to any extent, and in 1914, there was one arrest for "reckless driving of an automobile." In 1919, one arrest was made for "driving when intoxicated;" one for driving without a license and one for reck-
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less driving. In 1920 there were five arrests for reckless driving. An interesting contrast is drawn between the number of offenders at that time when the contributing cause was automobiles, with those at the present time.
Other causes for arrests which are a little different include: the use of threatening language, riding a bicycle on the sidewalk, being a slacker, driving a team without lights, fast driving of a team on the Bangor-Brewer Bridge. Five stolen automobiles were returned to their owners in 1923.
Men who assisted the marshal during this era were Henry Pooler, still at South Brewer; Fred Robinson, as night man; and in 1928, William U. Johnson as night man. Timothy O'Leary was the policeman on the Bangor-Brewer Bridge, with each city pay- ing its share.
A bill was pending before the State Legislature in 1917 which would place policeman, but not the marshal, under civil service. The bill stated that the men could hold their positions as long as they maintained good behaviour and were competent to do so.
In 1910, Mayor A. F. Pendleton stated that "I believe no man should be appointed to the police force of this or any other city who is not thoroughly qualified both mentally and physically to perform the work devolving upon him. I also believe that he should be a man of good, honest, upright character who is respect- ed by his fellow citizens."
Our police officers must have met the requirements as outlined by Mr. Pendleton, for in 1913 Mayor F. H. Nickerson remarked, "We are all proud of our little borough and desire to make it the cleanest, prettiest, most moral, and most law abiding community in the commonwealth."
To meet the needs brought about by the increasing use of motor vehicles, traffic signs were placed on parts of Main Street in 1918, and safety signs were erected at the approach to the schools.
Robert Haskell is listed as marshal for 1932; and the report stated that G. Allen Day served as acting chief of police. During this year the police department was reorganized.
Earl P. Bradbury became police chief in 1933 and served until 1958 when he resigned with twenty-five years of service.
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The first mention of fatal accidents caused by motor vehicles is recorded in 1944 with three deaths being reported.
A system of police lights which was installed in 1938 led to a much more adequate system of communication. In 1943 the personnel of the department was increased to five men, the two extra men working an eight hour shift at the police station every night from 9 to 9, giving around the clock service at the police tele- phone. An improvement which added much to the efficiency of the department was added in 1946 when a police car equipped with a two-way radio telephone was put into service twenty-four hours a day. Calls were relayed through the Bangor transmitter to the officer in the car. This ment that any police calls would be assured of an immediate response.
A nightly check of all business places was instituted in 1955. This added greatly to the effectiveness of the department.
With the resignation of Mr. Bradbury in 1958, our present chief, Ralph Willoughby accepted this office. A number of items were added to the equipment in that year. They included: photo- graphy, a machine gun, a riot gun, and uniform accident reports. Also that year Mrs. Martha Perkins, who had served as one of the traffic guides, became the first Brewer policewoman. She worked at events at the auditorium and the high school, and served whenever there was a female prisoner.
During the period from 1953 to 1958, the city held a five year record of no highway fatalities This record was broken in 1958 with two deaths, one pedestrian and one operator. There were two hundred forty-eight cases concerning automobiles in 1960 as contrasted to the numbers given early in this report.
Excellent police protection in our city is assured by such services as a complete finger print file, radio-equipped patrol cars, night door slips, and additional policemen. Police Chief Willoughby attended the Federal Bureau of Investigation National Academy, and on his return conducted an in-service training course for the men of the department. During 1958 a training school was held for all officers with speakers from every field of law enforcement.
As extra-curricula activities the men from the department direct the Police Athletic Basketball League and the School Boy Patrol.
In August 1959 William Le Clair retired from the police roll with a record of twenty years of service.
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Additions to the equipment on the patrol cars, purchased in 1959, were the "Voice Sound Alarm Systems". These have an electronic penetrator siren. At full volume this can be heard for a distance of a mile. They can be used as a public address system and also connected to a two-way radio in order to make it pos- sible for the officer on duty to hear the radio when he is away from his car. Fire extinguishers were also provided for each patrol car.
Another service, under the direction of the department, is the crossing guides. This work is done by women of the city who serve in all kinds of weather each day at the school crossings. They receive ten dollars a week.
In 1960 the new Safety Building on South Main Street was ready for use. Open House was held and the public was invited to visit the new building. Officers were present to explain the police work and the facilities which are now available for making it more efficient. There were traffic displays and a fire arms exhibit.
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