USA > Maine > Penobscot County > Holden > Brewer, Orrington, Holden, Eddington : history and families > Part 20
USA > Maine > Penobscot County > Eddington > Brewer, Orrington, Holden, Eddington : history and families > Part 20
USA > Maine > Penobscot County > Orrington > Brewer, Orrington, Holden, Eddington : history and families > Part 20
USA > Maine > Penobscot County > Brewer > Brewer, Orrington, Holden, Eddington : history and families > Part 20
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Although a young organization formed originally by the wives of the B.R.O. group, its many contributions have been of value to the community and its interest in the welfare of the young people of our city should be an inspiration to others.
PINE GROVE GRANGE
Pine Grove Grange was organized November 15, 1877, when a group of forty interested citizens from the rural districts of Brewer met at Pine Grove Hall. Deputy A. K. Walker of Eastern Star Grange of Hampden was in charge of its organization.
The charter members were: Mr. and Mrs. Ira Dole, Mr. and Mrs. B. B. Farrington, Mr. and Mrs. J. C. Little, Mr. and Mrs. J. F. Rogers, Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Holyoke, Mr. and Mrs. Lemuel Copeland, Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Colson, Mr. and Mrs. William B. Crawford, Mr. and Mrs. Washington Hall, Mr. and Mrs. Charles H. Dole, Mr. and Mrs. J. D. French, Mr. and Mrs. E. B. Folsom, Mr. and Mrs. D. C. Emerson, Roscoe Hall, Henry Wight, Jacob Holyoke, Nathan Johnson, Alfred Rand, Salem D. Copeland, Miss Ruth Grindle, Mrs. Nellie Wight, Mrs. Nancy M. French, Miss Addie Emerson, Miss Winnie F. Rogers, and Miss Livonia Pierce.
Mr. J. C. Little was elected the first master. Since he retired from that office the following have served: Nathan Johnson, William Greenwood, Charles Dole, Henry Wight, Charles D. Burr, Ralph L. Copeland, Galen Kingsbury, Fred G. Carlisle, Everett Holyoke, Charles Hall, Lyman Pierce, Charles Hart, Mrs. Josephine Pierce, Clarence T. Hodgkins, Horace Green, Mrs. Mary Folsom, Harris Holyoke, Howard Lambert, Edward Barry, Roger
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White, Evans Hart, Joseph Watson, Albert Wishart, Albert Lin- coln, Ray Crawford, Mrs. Nina White, Mrs. Beryle Fitts.
This year Pine Grove Grange celebrates its 85th birthday. Much work, loyalty, and fidelity have gone into its development and growth. Many members have shared in the tasks and enjoyed the fraternal friendship of others. Those who founded the grange had the faith and hope; and those who have worked through the years have helped to accomplish their purposes. Meetings are held in Pine Grove Hall on the Pierce Road on the second and fourth Monday nights of each month.
Mrs. Mary Folsom, who contributed the data for this account closes her description of the grange with the following verse:
No vision and we perish; No ideal and we are lost. Our hearts must ever cherish
Some faith at any cost.
Some faith, some hope to cling to,
Some rainbow in the sky; Some melody to cling to
Some service that is high.
JUNIOR 150th ANNIVERSARY CLUB
On February 15, 1960, a group of young girls met at the home of Mrs. Richard Kiah for the purpose of organizing the Junior 150th Anniversary Club. At this first meeting Mrs. Kiah told the girls stories and facts about the early years of the city and thus aroused their interest in the activities which are to take place this year. The girls, interest aroused, decided to take for their project the raising of money in order that the historic and interesting spots about the city might have appropriate markers. Mary Ellen Kiah was elected chairman and the group proceeded to hold a tag day and a food sale as money-making projects. The club remained active for about a year and succeeded in raising sufficient funds for fifteen of these signs, all of which were in place by Memorial Day, 1962. Such significant points in the city as the first mill, the first dwelling house, the first church, Indian camp grounds, shipyards, and others are marked that visitors may, at a glance, learn something of our past.
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The membership of the club included Mary Ellen Kiah, Deborah Baxter, Kathleen Cote, Catherine Black, Jackie Balabas, Ann Stetson, Linda Stetson, Pamela Blethen, Ellen Ann Brown, Jane Ohmart, Linda Huntington, Linda Corbett, Marcia Gunn, and Joyce Treworgy. Much credit for the fine accomplishment of this little group should go to Mrs. Kiah, who guided them in all of their activities.
GIRL SCOUTS
The first troop of Girl Scouts in Brewer was organized at South Brewer by Mrs. Nellie Littlefield, assisted by Mrs. Lydia Adams Godsoe and Miss Carrie Rowe of Bangor. Mrs. Littlefield had attended a meeting in Bangor where she had become greatly interested in the work. Upon her return home she gathered a group of girls together and discussed the idea of organizing a troop. The girls were enthusiastic and so the troop was born. Mrs. Arline Trueworthy was the first leader. The troop committee consisted of Mrs. Ella Russell, Mrs. Rose Walker, Mrs. Mabel Adams, and Mrs. Littlefield. Mrs. Rose Walker presented the new troop with a beautiful American Flag. In this active group one girl received the Golden Eaglet Badge, the highest honor then awarded in girl scouting, Edna Adams.
It would be impossible to pay due honor to all the women who have given of their time and talents to make scouting successful over the years; but in passing we might mention two of the early leaders; Miss Mary Elizabeth Getchell and Mrs. Edward Angley. Mrs. Angley is still active in the promotion of girl scouting in the community.
In upper Brewer, a troop must have been started very shortly after the first one in South Brewer. Mrs. Pearl Abbott was one of the early leaders, if not the first one, of the Brewer troop. She was succeeded in 1934 by Miss Mildred Thayer, who con- tinued as a leader for the following fifteen years, after which she served for ten years on standing committees on the Girl Scout Council. Under Miss Thayer's leadership, Barbara Gove, received the Golden Eaglet badge.
It is a far cry from these two troops to the number today repre- senting both Girl Scouts and Brownie Scouts. Many adults are giving much time to this work. It is indeed gratifying to the early leaders to find that today some of those who are working
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as volunteer leaders, committee members, and the like, were once members of their own scout troops.
Within recent years the office of the Girl Scout Council has moved to Brewer and is located on North Main Street.
The organizations which have been mentioned in this chapter, plus many others; social, fraternal, educational, and religious; play a vital role in the growth and development of a well adjusted citizenry in a modern and ever-growing city. These groups pro- vide for a well-rounded social and cultural program, and provide as well for the health, welfare, and happiness of the people living in the community.
CHAPTER, XIV
PARTICIPATION IN THE WARS OF OUR COUNTRY
A comet made its appearance in this area in the summer of 1819. Its brightness equalled that of a star of the first magnitude. The length of its tail was more than twice the apparent diameter of the moon. Some people who believed in the supernatural thought that this was a predictor of another war. People had not had a chance to recover from the terror of the war just passed and they were in a frame of mind to believe anything.
The patriotic members of the community celebrated the country's birthday on July 4, 1819, with a public dinner and a parade of Captain Fitt's Bangor Artillery Company.
Following the War of 1812 the community was apparently deter- mined not to be caught napping in the event of another affair of that type and companies of light infantry were organized. From the eastern section of the town comes the note that many men from that section of the town belonged to the Old Militia, known as the Brewer Light Infantry. A newspaper clipping refers to the "handsome silk banner presented to them by the ladies of Holden." We believe this must be the banner now owned by Mrs. Harry Royal of Wilson Street, whose ancestors were members of the company. The company continued to be in existence for some years and according to notes found by Mrs. Royal must have been active around 1840.
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On May 26, 1832, the following limits of a company were defined by the selectmen: Gentlemen:
In obedience to a law passed by the Legislature of the State of Maine, March 9, 1832, the Selectmen of the Town of Brewer have this day defined and to hereby define the limits of Com- panies of Infantry in the Town of Brewer, as follows, viz: The limits of the Company now Commanded by Asa Billington of Brewer to be as follows: Beginning at the South line of the town of Brewer on Penobscot River there on Said River North Easterly to the South line of the land formerly owned by Joseph Little, ofrmerly called the Barker lot, thence on said line South easterly to the said line of said lot thence Easterly on said line of Edding- ton to the South line of Eddington thence Easterly on said line of Eddington to the East corner of the town of Brewer thence South Westerly on the back line of Said Brewer to the first Mentioned bounds, the residue of the town the Selectmen have this day at- tached to the Company Commanded by Captain Samuel McMa- hon.
Jona. Burr Josiah Brewer George Blake
Selectmen
Relative to further military activity in the community was the vote taken in the town meeting of October 24, 1842, when it was decided that the town would floor the second story of the town house and authorize the selectmen to let it to the B. Company of the Artillary. At this time the town also voted "to let the upper story of the Town House to any person that may want it."
A military Company known as the Brewer Light Artillary was formed before the Civil War. They had quarters in the Gun House. Two light field cannons, mounted on wheels were hauled there. The old Gun House was located on Somerset Street on the present site of Brewer Junior High School. When the school was built the house was moved on to State Street and has been used for a tourist home.
When the Gun House was a point of activity in the town a tall mast was installed in front of the building. This served as a flag pole. During one severe thunder storm a lighting bolt struck this pole and split a splinter from it. Later when the years
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of decay had taken their toll, the pole was removed. The Light Artillery held their drills at this place for some years.
Joshua Brewer, first son of Colonel John Brewer, married Anna Grimm of Virginia. She was given two slaves as a wedding gift. They were given freedom at the time of the Revolution. The mention of slaves brings to mind the many stories we have read about the Underground Railroad. According to the late Miss Alice Farrington, the house on the lower corner of State and North Main Street, now ocupied by the Christmas family, was a hideout for slaves fleeing to Canada. This would make it a station in the famed Underground Railroad. Many slaves were said to have gained their freedom with the help of people living in Brewer.
During the Civil War the Brewer built ship, James Littlefield was captured by the Tallahassee, and the Mark L. Potter was captured by the Chickamunga.
In 1856, just a few years prior to the war the officers of Com- pany B. Artillery, Militia of Maine, included Captain John G. Sweat; First Lieutenant, Eliphalet S. Morrill; Second Lieutenant, Samuel Deering; and Third Lieutenant, David D. Smith.
With the outbreak of the Civil War many Brewer men joined the service and not a few of them became well known for their contributions to the effort. Outstanding of these, of course, is General Joshua L. Chamberlain.
General Chamberlain told of marching to Gettysburg with a command of 358 men and an equal number of mutineers under guard. These latter were Northern soldiers who had been tricked into enlisting for a three year term while under the impression that it was to be a two year enlistment. When the two years were up they refused to fight.
Before they reached Gettysburg a report was circulated through- out the ranks that the men had seen the spirit of Washington leading them on. General Chamberlain said that this was definite- ly not propoganda started by the officers; but that it came from the men.
In camp on the night before the Battle of Little Round Top, the General went out to consider the situation. He selected a round hill with a flat top as a strategic point to defend against the Confederates. He asked the mutineers if they would fight if he furnished them with arms and ammunition and promised that
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in return he would do all that he could to obtain their desired release. The agreed and the arms were issued.
The next day the men took up their position on the top of the hill which the Confederates would have to ascend if they were to break through the defense. As long as the ammunition lasted the defense held and when it was finally exhausted it began to look as if surrender was inevitable. General Chamberlain, how- ever, gave the command to "fix bayonets and charge." The com- mand was executed and the results of the charge have become history.
General Chamberlain's full name was Joshua Lawrence Cham- berlain. To his many friends he was known as Lawrence. On being asked how he happened to be called by that name he replied that he was named after Captain Lawrence of the Chesapeake, who originated the saying, "Don't give up the ship!" Coincidences are peculiar, but we wonder if the spirit of "Don't give up the ship!" prompted the history-making command of "Fix bayonets- Charge!"
Colonel Chamberlain had an active part in all the battles of the Army of the Potomac with the exception of that of Mine Run and of the Wilderness. In August, 1863, Chamberlain was given command of Butterfield's famous old "Light Brigade". Early the next year two of the brigades belonging to the old First Corps and formerly Doubleday's division were assigned to him. These were veteran brigades in the Fifth Corps and to them was added a new regiment, the 187th Pennsylvania. With these men under his command, he made the magnificent and terrible charge at Petersburg on June 18. For this act of gallantry he was given promotion on the field to the rank of brigadier-general.
Captain Billings Barstow participated in about thirty actions. He was in command of his regiment at the taking of St. Mary's. At Morris Island with one hundred and twenty-five men under his command he attacked the 21st South Carolina Regiment which numbered about six hundred and drove them from their rifle pits, taking about thirty prisoners and two stands of colors. During the Battle of Deep Bottom his regiment was outflanked on both the right and the left, but he managed to pierce the enemy lines and in the midst of deadly fire he carried his com- mand to our lines with the loss of thirty-nine men. He also led the attack on the enemy at the time that General Weitzel was in
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danger of losing his right, dislodging the enemy, and driving them more than a mile over almost impassable barriers. Captain Barstow was instantly killed September 29, 1864, while leading his men against the enemy at the battle of Laurel Hill Church.
Lieutenant Colonel Thomas D. Chamberlain, 20th Maine Volunteers, won distinction in the Gettysburg and Wilderness campaigns. He was twice breveted for gallant services on the field of battle. Another name on our honor roll is that of Lieuten- ant Colonel J. Sumner Rogers who served with distinction during the war.
The 2nd Maine Regiment, one of the first to go to the front was enlisted in Bangor in 1861. The number of men furnished from Brewer prior to the call of October 17, 1863, per muster-in rolls was one hundred and seventy-five. After that and including the returns of Provost Marshals, one hundred and sixty; making a total of Three hundred and thirty-five men. The Second Regi- ment Infantry was later transferred to the Twentieth Maine Volunteers. This group participated in the Battle of Bull Run, advanced with the Army of the Potomac on Manassas, took part in the seige of Yorktown, and were also engaged in the following: battle of Hanover Court House, battle of Gaines Hill, battle of Malvern Hill, battle of Antietam, battle of Fredericksburg, and the battle of Chancellorsville. One hundred and twenty-five of the old Second were transferred to the 20th Maine and the rest were mustered out of service.
In 1872, not too long after the terrors of war had ceased, a monument of Italian marble was erected in Oak Hill Cemetery in memory of those men who fell for the Union Cause during the war. This was erected at a cost of $1000. Following the war there was an organization in the town called the Union Veteran's Union. From a news item in 1900 we gain the information that Elisha N. Jones, Commander of the Union Veterans' Union, had secured a cannon from Fort Knox to be mounted on the soldiers' monu- ment lot in Oak Hill Cemetery. This cannon has since that time been mounted permanently on a cement base.
For some time the Brewer Memorial Association was a branch of the U. V. U. One of the duties of this organization was to carry out the plans for the observance of Memorial Day. This included the placing of flags on the graves of soldiers buried at Oak Hill Cemetery, the decoration of the soldiers' graves, the parade, and
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the services which were held at the soldiers' monument in the cemetery. "Taps" played by a trumpeter at the monument, then echoed and re-echoed from the distant parts of the cemetery, is one part of the service that can bring a lump to the throat even in memory. The U. V. U. gave way to the G. A. R. Finally the one remaining veteran in Brewer, George Glidden, was in charge of this work and planning. During his latter years young- er men helped him but as long as he could he continued to go to the cemetery for the work of preparation. Draping the monu- ment with bunting drifting downward from a wreath of cedar placed at the very top was a job for a much younger man. The Association became a branch of the Sons of Veterans and for many years J. Craig Thayer was in charge of all the details of this work. His sons grew up and became members of the Associa- tion and after his death, his older son, Wilbur C. Thayer, con- tinued to carry on the work. At the death of the latter, the associa- tion was taken over by a joint group from the Daniel E. Geagan Post, American Legion and the Isaac E. Clewley Post, Veterans of Foreign Wars.
We should like to enumerate the many citizens of our city who went forth bravely at the call to arms in each of the wars in which our country has found itself involved. The list would be all too long for this publication. Although we find no list to verify our supposition, we are sure that Brewer men stood ready to defend our borders in the Bloodless Aroostook War. The Spanish-Ameri- can War drew more men from our community.
Large numbers went forth, some to everlasting sleep under the poppies blooming on the battle fields of France, during the first World War. The local Legion Post is named in honor of one of these. Daniel E. Geagan joined the National Guard in Bangor June 12, 1917. He was a member of Company G, 2nd Infantry. He was also a member of the Maine National Guard, 103rd In- fantry. He received citations in engagements at Champagne, Marne and Aisne. He observed overseas from September 20, 1917 to July 22, 1918, when he was killed in action. He was twenty years of age.
World War II added many men to the roster of those who have gone forth over the years in defense of the United States of America. Isaac E. Clewley, for whom the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post is named, was a member of the 152nd Field Artillery, Maine National Guard, stationed at Brewer. He was inducted
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into Federal service on Feb. 24, 1941. Cpl. Clewley was killed in action at Munda on New Georgia Island, British Solomon Islands in 1943. In 1941 a new state armory was constructed in Brewer and this became the headquarters for the guard units.
Early in 1942 a Civilian Defense organization was formed for the protection of civilians against possible enemy attack. The first official test was carried out on April 19, 1942, under the jurisdiction of the United States Army. More tests were held subsequently. By the end of that year more than 400 citizens were taking part in the various endeavors which were connected with this organization. Beginning with the 1941 City Report and con- tinuing for several years an effort was made to include the pic- tures of every person from Brewer in our country's service.
The Korean War has also taken our boys and sent them back as men if indeed they were sent back at all. And even today many of our boys are serving overseas in remote sections of the world, in the countries of Europe and Asia, in an endeavor to bring lasting peace to a troubled world.
As part of the traditional Memorial Day observance a roll of honor is given during the services. At first all the names were read, but as the roll grew progressively longer, the reading was confined to the numbers. Let us therefore include this roll in our few words in praise of those whose lives were given in defense of the free world.
"Buried in Oak Hill Cemetery are Veterans of the Revolution- ary War, 6; Veterans of the Civil War, 216; and so on through all the wars in which our country has been engaged. As the words of he who reads fade out there is a volley from the firing squad, then the notes of "Taps" and the music is engraved upon our hearts, "Lest We Forget."
CHAPTER XV
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES
Many were the early settlers who contributed greatly to the founding and early growth of our community. Also many are those who were formerly of Brewer who have gone out and made names for themselves in some field of endeavor elsewhere.
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We feel that these people rightly deserve a place in this history of our city. We have tried to include some of these people. We know the list is far from complete but we have tried to gather in all about whom we could find some information in the space of time allotted to us.
It is altogether fitting that we start off this list of biographies with the first citizen and founder, Colonel John Brewer.
Founder, outstanding citizen, and prime motivator in the establishment of our city, is John Brewer. He is described as a slender, but rugged figure of a man, "A pioneer in every sense of the word, a mind well-balanced and sound, rather than aspiring; a countenance sedate, rather than brilliant."
We have found few facts about the early life of this man. He was born in Weston, Massachusetts, May 27, 1743, the son of Josiah and Hannah Brewer. They are believed to have been the parents of nine children of whom John may have been the youngest. John's father served as representative to the General Court of Massachusetts for several years. After moving to Worcester he served as selectman there. John Brewer acquired his early education in Weston, and continued it in Worcester, where he was living when he decided to make the settlement in Maine. There is some thought that he may have sailed up the Penobscot River on either fishing or trading voyages before his final decision to settle here and erect his mill.
Be that as it may, he came here in 1770, chose the spot for his mill, laid the foundation for it, and also for a dam; felled the trees with which to build a temporary home; but the one which was first in our town. His permanent home is described as "unusually large and well built." After this foundation work for the heart of his little community, Brewer went back to Worcester. The next year he came again, bringing his family with him, and established his permanent home here. He was to be for over a half a century, the outstanding figure in the development of the community.
A few short years after the beginning of this enterprise, the War of the Revolution broke out. During this affair, Brewer, since he was affiliated with the Whig Party, found it necessary to return to his old home and remained there until after the hostilities had ceased. When peace was declared he again
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returned and took up his work where the war had caused it to be interrupted.
In 1783 he received an appointment as deputy sheriff, the first to hold this office on the Penobscot River. He was in command of the first military company of the plantation; and when the militia was formed, in 1785, he was elected colonel of the first regiment in the second brigade of the eighth division. Robert Treat of Bangor was major.
When the plantation was incorporated as a town and a post office was established Brewer became the first postmaster in 1800. He held the office for 18 years first in the post office under the name of Orrington; and later under the name of Brewer. His sawmill was one of the first on the river.
John Brewer was married to Miss Martha Graves of East Sunbury, Massachusetts. The couple is believed to have had ten children, two of whom died in infancy. Martha Brewer died in 1808 at the age of sixty-four. In 1810, Col. Brewer was married to Mrs. Ruth Prescott, widow, of Augusta, Maine. In 1818, his second wife died, and in 1819 he again remarried to Mrs. Abigail White of Bucksport. We find the names of Brewer's children playing a prominent part in the story of the growth of the town.
John Brewer died in 1826 and is buried in Oak Hill Cemetery. In the words of an old article regarding him, when he died he left behind him "a prosperous town, the nucleus of the present city; the records of a rugged, masterful, progressive life, and a tombstone in the cemetery."
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