USA > Maine > Cumberland County > Harrison > Centennial history of Harrison, Maine > Part 15
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a small store near his father's mill for a short time pre- vious to 1891, but in that year he built his present store, and went into the hardware and grocery business in the new store in 1892. Later he also took the grain and milling business which his father had carried on in a small way, and fitted up the mill with modern machinery. His busi- ness has been greatly enlarged since it was first started, and now covers many more branches than it did at first. Extensive additions and improvements have been made in the mill within a short time; and the store has been en- larged, and remodelled to some extent, and is one of the largest and best equipped stores that can be found in a country village.
The Drug Store building - or Odd Fellows Block - was built by Albion K. Morse in 1888, and was first oc- cupied as a drug store by J. F. Moody of North Bridgton. He sold out during the following year to Dr. H. H. Cole, who ran the business until his death in November, 1890. Dr. C. B. Sylvester and Albert W. Dudley then bought the business, and carried it on under the firm name of Sylvester & Dudley. Later they sold their business to Henry A. Sylvester of Bridgton, who retained it but a short time, and then turned it back to the old firm, who carried it on until they sold it to James G. Jones of Ox- ford in 1900. Mr. Jones remained in charge of the busi- ness until his death in 1902, when it was sold to Charles W. Jackson of Portland, who carried it on there until the store and most of the stock was destroyed in the great fire. Very soon after the fire Mr. Jackson bought the Odd Fellows lot, and erected a new store on the site of the burned one, moving into it in August, 1907. He has one of the finest drug stores to be found outside of the cities.
George N. Spaulding, jeweler, who had previously trav- elled over various parts of Maine, making frequent visits to Harrison, located here about 1900, and opened a store
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in the drug store, occupying one side of the store. He remained there until 1903, when he removed to the "cor- ner store," where he carried on quite a business at bicy- cle repairing, in addition to his watch repairing and jew- eler's business. In November, 1905, he moved into the store in the Grange Hall building, which had been especially fitted up for him. He continued to occupy this store to the time of his recent death. John S. Wentworth and his son Lester also have a jewelry store in the building opposite their residence on the northerly part of Main Street. They have carried on the business there for several years on a small scale, the father doing most of the work of late, as the son is constantly engaged in carpentering.
Walter A. Southworth opened a clothing store in the Odd Fellows building in 1898, and occupied it until burned out in the great fire. In the same rooms he also carried on the undertaker's business in company with A. W. Libby, the firm name being Libby & Southworth. During some six months after the fire they had temporary quarters in the lower part of the Grange building, and have recently moved into the new store which has been fitted up for them in the new Odd Fellows Block.
John F. Allen opened a boot and shoe store in 1902, in the Dudley harness shop building to the north of the old Odd Fellows building. He occupied this until 1906, when he moved into a new store that had been fitted up for him in the north end of the Jordan Block, where he remained until burned out in the great fire. He occu- pied temporary quarters until last November, when he moved into his new store in the new Odd Fellows Block.
The first meat market at the Village was carried on by McIntire & Johnson of Waterford, and was opened in 1879 in the room under the old Peirce Hall. They were succeeded by F. H. Muller, and then came Frank H. Han- son of Bridgton, Orlando A. Kneeland, George S. Pitts, Marshall Jordan, Fernald & Durkey, and Silas C. Pitts,
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the present proprietor, who has been in the business for several years.
Probably the first tailor at the Village was Daniel Ol- ney, who married William H. Bailey's sister. He came here in 1844, and remained about two years. Major Wes- cott; came next, and remained until 1860. George Barker was carrying on the business here in 1853. Justus Butler kept a small stock of Yankee notions in the Maybury stand about 1850, sold clocks, and carried on the tailoring busi- ness.
The millinery business was carried on here by Mrs. N. H. Towne as early as 1837, and as late as 1854. Mrs. Nathaniel Burnham was in the business here in 1858 (perhaps earlier), and was here as late as 1863. She was in a small building that stood south of the building now occupied by Miss Bradbury. She sold out to Miss Minerva Mason of Bethel, who carried it on about two years. Mrs. Susan C. Smith was in the millinery business from 1859 to 1868, and worked in a small store built on purpose for her, and which was later used by Mrs. Ricker and others. Mrs. Smith sold out to Mrs. Maria Ricker in 1868, and she carried it on for several years, and then sold out to Mrs. Marilla Foster, who was succeeded by Miss Clara Libby of North Bridgton. Mrs. Ricker again took the business after Miss Libby, and after carrying it on for a time sold to C. E. & E. M. Briggs. The building in which the business was carried on many years was burned some years ago. M. Jordan & Son conducted a millinery department in their store for some time in con- nection with their other interests, and it was continued by Jordan Bros.
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MANUFACTURING AND MECHANICAL.
It is difficult fixing exact dates of events which happened nearly a century ago, and it is equally hard to get the particulars of enterprises operated so long ago. The first establishment of any manufacturing after the settlement of the town was the saw and grist mills erected by James Sampson, the pioneer of Harrison Village, some after 1800, elsewhere described. The next mill was erected by Seth Carsley, 2nd (son of Nathan, Ist) father of the wife of the late James. G. Whitney, which was in operation in 1826. It stood above the present Ricker's foundry, and is said to have been the building now used by the Rickers for a lumber shed. Mr. Carsley was a machinist in a small way; also a maker of wooden plows, which were quite celebrated in their time. He invented a machine for turning shoe lasts and hat blocks, and went to Washington in his gig in the fall of 1829 for the purpose of securing a patent on his machine. Letters patent were duly issued under date of April 2, 1830, and the document, bearing the autographs of Andrew Jackson and Martin Van Buren, is now in the possession of Mr. Carsley's descendants. Charles Burnham worked here at hat making in 1830.
In 1834, Grinfill Blake and Charles Washburn started the wire making business on a small scale. In 1844, Charles Farley came from Portland and bought the wire making factory and business. In 1848, Philander Tolman, an ex- pert workman, became a partner of Farley, under the firm name of Farley & Tolman, and continued the business until 1853, when the firm was dissolved, and Charles and Al- fred Farley, sons of Charles, Sr., run the business for a time under the name of Charles Farley & Sons. In 1855, Jacob Hazen bought out the business and entered into part- nership with Philander Tolman, as manager, and continued to 1857, when Mr. Tolman, Franklin Walker and John W. Caswell, all experienced wire makers, purchased the
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business of Mr. Hazen and under the firm name of P. Tolman & Co., continued wire making very successfully till 1865, when they built a much larger mill, with facilities for doing a more extensive business than ever before, and continued until 1887, when the wire making business was closed; many changes in the processes of making wire in other places causing wire making here to be un- profitable. The firm of P. Tolman & Co. was the largest in successful business (except that of T. H. Ricker & Sons) that has ever existed at Harrison. They were all men of the highest integrity and of fine capacity in all respects for a business requiring good mechanical genius and sound judgment. They passed away near the close of the century. Their histories will be found elsewhere in this volume.
In 1834, David R. Morse moved here from Otisfield, and carried on a blacksmith shop, located at the corner, opposite the present shop of Albert S. Pitts. He also built a shingle mill soon after, and run it a few years. Luther Carman came from Oxford about 1845, and bought Morse's mill, also building a machine shop and foundry. About a year after he came, he sold the establishment to Robert Libby and worked for him as manager. T. H. Ricker came to Harrison from Oxford in 1848, and bought out Mr. Libby. Mr. Carman then bought the three story building opposite David Morse's (the present residence of Postmaster Lang) for a machine shop, and erected a building in the rear for a foundry, which was run by horse- power.
In 1840, John Parsons commenced harness making here and continued in various locations till 1854, when he went South for the benefit of his wife's health. She did not recover, and he afterward located in Augusta, in the dry goods business. He was a good workman, a very indus- trious and thrifty man and an excellent citizen. He had two children, Maria and John.
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Prouty and sons came from Worcester, Mass., about 1852, and for about two years made steel music wire for pianos, under the name of Farley, Tolman & Co. Soon after T. H. Ricker commenced business in foundry work, he took his oldest son, Sherburne H., into partnership. For a number of years their leading business was making im- proved cast iron plows and horse power casting business, gradually extending their work to the building of stave threshers, stave sawing machines, planing machines, and eventually began the construction of circular saw mills, in which branch, they have had a wide demand for their work. Their first shop was burned in 1858, and was re- built at once and C. F. Ricker, another son of T. H. Ricker, was taken in as a partner. Alvin P. Ricker, a younger son, who had worked many years in the shop was made a partner in 1885. T. H., the father and founder of the business, retired, and died in 1885, and Sherburne H. Ricker retired from the firm in 1881; leaving C. F. & A. P. the sole surviving members of the firm, who have con- tinued in the same line of manufacturing as before, under the old name of "T. H. Ricker & Sons."
For about twenty or more years from 1821, when Squire Grinfill Blake came into possession of the mill property at Harrison, the mills were managed by the Blakes, and operated by different persons in their employ. When Mr. Farley became owner of the mills the same manner con- tinued. Daniel Scribner, for years a resident of the town, known as "Uncle Daniel," was employed a number of years to run the grist mill and was a popular miller. In connection herewith it is in order to tell that "Uncle Daniel" was a man of much native wit and possessed a gift for making verses. Some of his impromptu produc- tions are extant.
Mr. Jona. Ross, a venerable farmer from the south end of the town, had brought a grist of wheat to be ground into flour. In the process of bolting the fine flour, the
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"middlings" and the bran would be separated and come through, each into a place of its own. While "Uncle Dan- iel" was grinding the grist, Mr. Ross went out to the store to do a bit of trading, and the miller in the meantime had put up the grist in a meal-bag and having no other grind- ing to do, deposited the grist in Mr. Ross's sleigh, then locked the mill door and went to his home. But to save his friend any trouble, he wrote with a piece of chalk on the back of the sleigh:
"Now, Mr. Ross, pray don't be cross, But take your grist and run; You need not call; you've got it all ; Both bags put into one."
Captain Charles Libby succeeded Daniel Scribner as mil- ler. In 1847, John Wilkins succeeded Captain Libby. Mr. Wilkins owned the house afterward owned and occupied by Franklin Walker and his descendants to the present time. Hosea H. Huntress bought the "water privilege" of Farley and Tolman and built a salt and plaster mill. This was one of the best equipped mills in the State and Mr. Huntress did a thriving business grinding corn and all kinds of grain, salt and plaster till 1862, when he sold the mill to Samuel Gray, and James G. Whitney was employed to run the mill for Mr. Gray. In 1864, Mr. Gray sold the mill to P. Tolman & Co., and they used it as a grist mill until the spring of 1865, when it was removed to make room for the large new wire factory. In the same year Newell N. Caswell bought the mill stones and all other machinery that he could utilize and placed them in his new mill, erected on his site below the bridge close to the pond. That was a very valuable convenience for the people of the town and vicinity. Mr. Caswell did a large custom business as well as grinding a great amount of corn of his own for sale to everybody who wished to buy. He also dealt extensively in other kinds of feed used by stock owners, and grains for poultry feed. After the death of
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TOWN OF HARRISON.
Mr. Caswell in 1896, Hollis H. Caswell, his son and suc- cessor, fitted up the mill with modern machinery, and with excellent facilities for doing a good business in connection with his large mercantile establishment, is prepared to sup- ply almost every want of the community.
Alanson Cary had a fulling mill in the old Newell Cas- well building in 1835; it being then owned by the Blakes. Benjamin Clark, cabinet-maker, was in the same building in 1847, and earlier it is thought. He was a very in- genious man and an excellent musician. He had built a pipe organ previous to coming here, and it was brought here and set up in the Congregational Church and used a number of years. He removed from here to Island Pond, Vermont, about 1851. He died in Albany, Maine, at the home of his brother, Daniel Clark, in the sixties. He was an uncle to Mr. F. R. Clark, millman and lumber dealer at Bolster's Mills. Daniel Clark, father of F. R. Clark, made sleighs at the Village at one time, some of which are in use at the present time. He died at his home in 1903, at the age of ninety-one. Cyrus Holden, of Otis- field, succeeded Benjamin Clark in cabinet-making trade. After about two years he removed to North Bridgton and carried on business for a time in company with Geo. H. Brown and Asa Potter, as Holden, Brown & Potter.
In 1853, Lyman Caswell commenced making carriages in the rooms lately occupied by Clark and Holden and worked there at carriage building until his sickness and death in 1859. He was an excellent workman.
Jonathan H. Illsley moved from Ellsworth to Harrison in 1854. He was a harness-maker by trade and John L. Bowden, who had been employed by Illsley in Ellsworth, came soon after and worked for him at the same business. Soon after Mr. Illsley went into trade. (See Merchants). In 1855, Bowden went into business for himself and had a shop on Front street a few doors from the old Peirce store. He was in that business about five years, part of the time in a shop on the site of the new Public Library.
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John Simpson came here in 1857, and worked at harness making. He died about 1859, and Samuel Walker, Jr., who had carried on custom shoe making for many years, succeeded Simpson, and carried on harness making in con- nection with his shoe business, being assisted by his son.
Asa Harmon was here in 1850, and built the first house in the "Cove" the same afterward owned and occupied by Otis Haskell. Mr. Harmon was a noted house builder and erected many dwellings for his own use in a number of localities from Naples to Harrison. He was an active and energetic man and at intervals built several other houses on the Waterford road. He had two shops for shoe- making, one of them moved from North Bridgton, after- ward moved to a site near Bear Brook bridge and con- verted into a dwelling.
In 1867, the Harrison Water Power Company erected a large mill on a fine site a little way up from the mouth of Bear Brook, which was known as the Bear River Woolen Mill. It was stocked with new machinery and leased to William H. Taylor in 1868, for three years. When in the fall of 1872 it was destroyed by fire, the mill was not rebuilt, and after lying idle for years the site and land adjacent were purchased by Pitts & Doughty in December, 1904.
Thomas D. Emery commenced manufacturing clothing in the spring of 1873, over the store of T. R. Sampson & Son. Reuben Hobbs and Almon Kneeland were in com- pany with him, under the firm name of Kneeland, Hobbs & Emery. They were in business together about one year. Then A. K. Morse bought Kneeland's and Hobbs' interest and the firm became Morse & Emery. They were to- gether about two years. Emery then bought Morse's in- terest and carried on the business alone until 1882, when Marshall Jordan bought an interest and built a large shop east of his store. The business was then carried on there under the firm name of Jordan & Emery about two years.
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Dell Gerry bought Jordan's interest and the firm became Emery & Gerry. They were together a short time, then Emery carried it on alone until 1891. Then he moved the plant to Cornish, Maine. He came back in 1897, and carried on the business in rooms over Jordan's store until September, 1898.
Pitts & Doughty do a large lumber business. They make a specialty of barrel staves, also manufacture apple barrels, employing quite a number of men.
HOTELS.
In the olden times the public houses were not known as hotels to the extent that they now are, in fact the word was seldom heard in those days. Then the man who kept a public house, or a house where entertainment was fur- nished "for man and beast," was said to "keep tavern," and was always spoken of as a "tavern keeper." In those days a tavern was run all the year round, and not for the benefit of summer visitors as many of them are at the present time. "City boarders," and "summer boarders" were unheard-of terms in the early days of our town, and those who kept the public houses kept them all the year round, and depended on the travel that went over the roads from place to place. In those days everything was hauled by teams. All the means of transportation that were known aside from the common teams were the oc- casional stage lines. The horse teams that hauled all of
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the freight furnished business for the tavern; the people that were daily traveling over the roads with their own "horse and wagon" furnished business for them; and the arrivals of the stages with their heavy loads of pas- sengers were events which were looked forward to, and for which the "tavern keeper" made due preparation.
As far as we can learn "Deacon" Lewis Smith kept the first "tavern" in Harrison Village, and it was in what is now known as "The Old Tavern Stand," which was then just half of its present size, the northerly half of the house having been built on at a later date. The sign which then told the public that "Deacon" Smith kept "tavern" is still in existence, and it shows that the house was opened to the public in 1832. Very soon after this Otis Carter kept tavern in what is now known as the Ricker house, where T. H. Ricker resided many years. John P. Lowell succeeded Carter, and was in the house in 1836. We have good reason to suppose that Reuben Ingalls followed Dea- con Smith in the "Old Tavern Stand," or Dawes house, as Ingalls' sign, which is still in existence, bears the date of 1844. At about this time the Odd Fellows were using rooms in this house for their meetings, it being before they had their hall in the old "Temple." A good story is told of how a certain candidate was nearly scared to death by a waggish outside guard. This candidate had paid in his money, been voted on and duly accepted, and the night in question was when he was to pass the dreaded ordeal which was to make him a member of the I. O. O. F. He had been admitted to the ante-room to wait for the time to come. While he was waiting the outside guar- dian opened a door leading from the ante-room to some room connected with the tavern proper, and spoke very quietly to some one, supposed to be the "girl." Said he, "Heat those irons considerably hotter than usual, for we have got a pretty tough subject to deal with tonight." Of course the candidate was listening "with all his might,"
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and heard the words, as it was intended that he should, and his hair almost rose on end. "By thunder !" he ex- claimed, "They won't use no such things on me," and he made a flying leap through the outer door, and was gone before the guard could stop him. It is said that he never got up courage sufficient to be initiated.
Mr. Ingalls remained in the house till 1847, after which a Mr. Stevens kept it for a while. After him John Dawes, the owner and builder of the house became the landlord. In 1848, Mr. Dawes built the addition to the house which doubled it in size. He continued in charge of the house till 1854, when Jacob V. R. Kilborn took it, and was its landlord for about three years. Josiah Briggs was in the house before the end of 1856, and remained there until 1858, when he was replaced by Almon Kneeland. The latter gentleman was in charge of the house till 1860, when he bought the Francis Blake stand, which he converted into a public house, and took charge of it in person, remaining as the landlord of the Elm House until his death in 1884. Then his son, Orlando A., was its landlord about a year, and then sold out his business to his brother David, who has been constantly in charge of the house until the present time. "The Elms," as the house is known at present, is well and favorably known to the public, and everybody that stops with "David" is sure to be satisfied, if good treat- ment will satisfy them.
After Almon Kneeland left the "Old Tavern Stand" George Walker was the landlord for a short time, after which Elisha Newcomb took charge, and was the land- lord from 1861 to 1864. Next, Peabody Kneeland was there about two years. John Hale was the landlord in 1865, after which the house was closed to the public, and has since been used as a tenement house.
A few years ago Orlando A. Kneeland bought the Har- rison Blake stand - later known as the Silas Blake stand - and fitted it up as a summer hotel, running it as
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such for two years. He then gave it up on account of a more favorable chance elsewhere, and John C. Edgerly leased the house, and run a summer hotel for two or three years, known as the "Crystal Lake Cottage," it being situated on shore of "Crystal Lake," which was better known in past years as Anonymous Pond. It is finely situated, and commands a fine view of water and moun- tain scenery, as those who attended the Centennial Celebra- tion in 1905 can testify, the exercises being held on the grounds adjoining. In 1906 the "Cottage" was sold to A. C. Brooks, who has run a summer hotel there since. "The Harrison," a summer hotel, was built in 1906 by a syndicate, of whom the Harrison members are F. H. Ricker and John C. Edgerly. The Samuel Gray place, opposite the Congregational Church was purchased, and the new hotel was built in the field to the south of the house. It was put in the charge of J. C. Edgerly, who has run it in 1906-07.
NAMING A HOTEL.
In the olden times it was customary to have some one name a frame when it was raised, and this "name" was generally in rhyme. The following verses, that were evi- dently read at the raising of some hotel in Harrison, have come accidentally into our hands. We do not know who the author was, nor upon what occasion they were read, but the manuscript bears ample evidence of age:
HARRISON HOTEL. Here on this pleasant site A noble frame is raised,- The timbers came together well, I'll give the workmen praise.
Unto the workmen praise is due,- The work it is well done,
It is well braced on every side, And is both square and plumb.
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Now may the owner still go on, And finish what's begun, And furnish it from side to side, And fill it well when done.
This is erected for an inn, As I do understand; May he an able landlord prove As any in the land.
As trading long has been his lot, Should he the same pursue, May all he deals with pay their scot, So he may never sue.
And as he prospers well in goods May it always be his care- The naked clothe, the hungry feed, With what he has to spare.
And may he be the poor man's friend Whene'er he stands in need- The widow and the fatherless Here find a friend indeed.
Long may the owner prosper here, And be forever blessed ; Here may the hungry one find food, The weary traveler rest.
And as this is a house of rest, May travelers often tell They long to find that pleasant place Called "Harrison Hotel."
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