USA > Maine > Cumberland County > Harrison > Centennial history of Harrison, Maine > Part 24
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51
In 1835, at the age of thirty-one, Mr. Blake commenced the study of law in the office of Gen. Samuel Fessenden of Portland, whose son, William Pitt Fessenden, was at the same time a student, preparing for the bar. Mr. Blake, after his graduation and admission to the bar, practiced his profession extensively in Cumberland and Oxford Counties, his ability and integrity winning for him a com- manding position among his legal associates.
From the time of the organization of the Republican party, Mr. Blake was an active and consistent Republican, supporting with much zeal the candidacy of Gen Fremont for the Presidency in 1856, and subsequent candidates of the party during his life. He also served his town and legislative district with distinguished faithfulness in many
348
A HISTORY OF THE
public capacities. He was also, for twenty-four years, one of the trustees of Bridgton Academy.
In 1859, Mr. Blake sold his property in Harrison, and for a number of years was engaged in important legal business affairs in Minneapolis, Minn., and in Pittsburgh, Pa., his family residing a part of the time in Maine, until he finally settled in New Brunswick, N. J., in 1866. He died there on July 8, 1882.
Mr. and Mrs. Blake had six children, all born in Har- rison : Elizabeth Perley; Grinfill; Zibeah; Susan Cary; Harrison, and Isabel Adela. Of these there are living Susan Cary, who married David C. English, M. D., of New Brunswick, N. J .; and Isabel Adela, who is unmarried, and resides in New Brunswick, N. J.
Dr. David C. and Susan Cary English have one son, Grinfill Harrison Blake English, who married Mary Ber- tha Wilson, daughter of Thomas E. S. and Emma Price Wilson of Georgetown, Delaware.
EUNICE BLAKE, who was a most estimable lady, lived nearly all her life at Harrison Village. She possessed a cultured mind and fine literary sensibilities, and was known as a valued contributor to some of the best literary publications. Her merit as a writer has given her an honored place in the ranks of the most distinguished au- thors of her State, as is seen by the following beautiful gem from the "Poets of Maine:"
THANKS : - AN ACROSTIC.
Father, we thank Thee for the glorious light, Each morning new, and for the sacred night, Showing Thy love in planet, moon and star, Swiftly reflected, mirrored thus afar ; Even so Thine attributes, all wise and good, Never are seen, never so understood,
Devoutly felt, as when some master mind, Earnest to bless and succor all mankind, Nearest reflects Thy goodness unconfined.
Miss Blake died in Portland in April, 1887.
DR. SILAS BLAKE
349
TOWN OF HARRISON.
ITEM.
Elizabeth Carver, daughter of Gov. Carver, married John Tillery.
Elizabeth Tillery, daughter of John, married John How- land.
Desire Howland, daughter of John, married Capt. John Gorham.
Desire Gorham, daughter of Capt. John, married Col. John Thatcher.
Desire Thatcher, daughter of Col. John, married Josiah Crocker.
Desire Crocker, daughter of Josiah, married Grinfill Blake.
Samuel Blake, son of Grinfill, married Abigail Rickard.
Grinfill Blake, son of Samuel, married Eunice Cary.
Harrison Blake, son of Grinfill, married Susan Brett Cary.
Susan Cary Blake, daughter of Harrison, married David C. English, M. D.
Grinfill Harrison Blake English, son of Dr. David C. and Susan C. B. English, married Mary Bertha Wilson.
GRANVILLE FERNALD.
DR. SILAS BLAKE.
The life and public services of this noble man for nearly fifty years, covering the first half of the last century, in Otisfield, Harrison, and adjoining towns is an important part of the local history of those towns within the period mentioned. Dr. Blake was born in Turner, April 20, 1785. He married Sophia Cary of Turner, born November 20, 1785. His medical education was obtained by study with local physicians. He was a member of the Massachusetts Medical Association in 1818, and of the Maine Medical Association in 1822. He removed to Otisfield in 1808, and settled on a farm adjoining that of his brother, Grin- fill Blake, Esq., in the same year. The locality of these two fine homesteads was about a mile and a half northeast-
350
A HISTORY OF THE
erly from Otisfield hill meeting-house. When Dr. Blake came to Otisfield there was no physician in the town, ex- cept Dr. David Ray, who was quite advanced in life and not practicing medicine regularly; and the advent of such a man as Dr. Blake was most cordially welcomed by the citizens of the town. He entered at once upon an extensive practice, and by his medical skill, and by his kindly qualities of heart won the respect and profound regards of every one, which for nearly fifty years of constant and self- denying service to a wide community, was held with in- creasing strength to the end of his life.
Dr. Blake was in stature over six feet in height and of symmetrical form, and of a noble and commanding presence. He was one of my earliest discoveries of men, about the year 1830, when I was just two years old, and his entrance to our home, where he had the credit of "bringing a baby" once in a while for a number of years, rendered him an object of curiosity and veneration. He was very particular about his gig for his professional use, which was a wide, strongly built vehicle, with massive wheels and mounted on thorough-braces of leather. In winter, he rode in a sleigh of strong construction, roomy and comfortable for himself alone. My father, who was a carriage and sleigh maker, made several sleighs for the doctor, for his own and for family uses, with extra seat for riding to church.
The popularity of Dr. Blake was not more owing to his professional ability than to his urbanity of manners and his kindly nature. Although possessing the physique of a giant, a head and face of great strength and impres- siveness and a piercing eye, his appearance in a sick room was as a bearer of pleasant smiles and facetious remarks that put his patients always in good humor, however they may have suffered or been discouraged before his arrival. He was a psychologist and realized the effect on the con- dition of a person from a happy mental impression. He
35I
TOWN OF HARRISON.
had a fund of agreeable anecdotes and stories of real life well fitted to drive away the blues and excite a spirit of cheerfulness. He was a strict disciplinarian in his own family, and his children were always subject to a course of high moral training. One of his best stories was con- cerning his own boys and how cutely they managed to evade punishment for disobedience of one of his injunctions to them.
He had a tree in his orchard, which bore very choice apples when they were ripe, and he wished to reserve them until they were in the best eating condition. He noticed however, that the boys were eating some of the green ap- ples. He told them to refrain from picking or knocking off any more apples from that tree and eating them. They contrived to get all the green apples they wanted, however, but escaped the threatened penalty on technical grounds. Being aware of one or two cases of colic, he became sus- picious the boys had disobeyed his orders, and that their pains were of the green apple variety. So he decided to inspect the apple tree for evidence of the truth of his su- picion. He soon discovered, to his great amusement, sun- dry apple-cores, neatly gnawed by the sharp teeth of the boys, still hanging on the tree by their stems. He let them off with a little "talking to" and the incident enabled him to furnish a choice bit of diversion from pain to a weak patient more restorative than pills or plasters.
From his first residence in Otisfield, Dr. Blake exem- plified those traits of character which constituted him a leader and pattern to the citizens in the conduct of civic affairs and in the social and religious life of the town. He had been educated as a strict churchman, and was inflexible in his adherence to the orthodox tenets of the old New England school. His example as a regular church-goer for himself and his whole family was, doubtless, a direct influence in augmenting the interest in the public Sabbath services at the old meeting-house on the "Hill," and of
352
A HISTORY OF THE
the consequent growth of the Congregational church for many years. He was early elected a deacon of his church, an office which he honored with entire fidelity to the re- ligious welfare of the parish and to the church, as an in- stitution for conserving the highest spiritual morality of the people. He was no bigot, and could tolerate the dif- ferences existing between his own and other sects of Chris- tians. This phase of his religious character caused him, especially in the later years of his life, to often attend the social prayer-meetings of the Methodists in the village of his residence, and engage in the exercises of his fellow Christians with real sympathy and feeling. This tendency to freedom in expression of his brotherly confidence and fellowship was fully reciprocated in a closer affection for him by those to whom it was extended.
In the management of the public affairs of the town, Dr. Blake always manifested much interest and was re- peatedly promoted to offices of trust by the citizens. In the years when the Legislature was sitting each year in Portland, he was chosen to represent his district in that body. He was a Justice of the Peace, and exercised the functions of that office with much intelligence and satis- faction to all who had occasion for his services. He was, in 1821, surgeon in the second regiment, first brigade, fifth division of the State Militia.
In or about 1834, he exchanged his fine, productive farm for the homestead and a large tract of land belonging to Deacon Simeon Lovell of Bolster's Mills, and removed to that village with his large family, where he, at once erected a large mansion and barn, with convenient connect- ing buildings and established a system of improved and successful farming. When past his fiftieth year, and while in the height of his career as a beloved physician, he had the misfortune to receive a severe fracture of his hip by a fall on the ice, and was ever after so lame as to walk with much difficulty. He continued his intimate relations
353
TOWN OF HARRISON.
to his Christian brotherhood of other churches, when he was sufficiently restored from his accident, and when cir- cumstances permitted, to join in the social weekly meet- ings where the writer remembers to have seen him, lean- ing upon his strong cane, and speaking in fervid expressions of his experiences in the divine life.
At this period of his life, his sons had grown to advanced manhood and were all settled in business or in one of the learned professions. Silas, the eldest, who had years be- fore been a school teacher, was in business in a distant State of the West. Joseph, who had graduated from the Bangor Theological Seminary, was settled as pastor at Cumberland. Maurice C., who had been to Bowdoin Col - lege, had studied law with Gen. Samuel Fessenden of Portland, and was in practice at Camden, Me .; also Col- lector of the port of Belfast. Josiah M., who was several years in medical practice at Bolster's Mills and Harrison, was becoming eminent as a physician and surgeon, was settled in Bridgton. Luther C., the youngest son, in 1849, conceived an ardent desire to become a gold seeker in Cali- fornia and soon started for the Pacific coast and the "dig- gins," much to the grief of his aged parents and all the home family. The death of Dr. Blake occurred in Otisfield, February 2, 1851.
The sons, Silas and Luther, yet unmarried, had returned home from their lengthy absence and in 18-, the family removed to Harrison Village, after selling their homestead to William Haskell of Harrison. The children of Silas and Sophia (Cary) Blake were :
SILAS, b. in Otisfield, Apr. 6, 1812; died in Harrison, Nov. 19, 1868. He married, Sept. 17, 1863, Clara Cary Richardson, a natural daughter of Rev. James Prentiss Richardson, who had been bereft of her mother in in- fancy, b. Sept. 5, 1832, in Poland, Me. She had lived all her life in the family of Dr. Blake as an own daugh- ter. The home of the family in Harrison Village was the former residence of Mr. John Parsons, now the
354
A HISTORY OF THE
home of Mrs. Otis Haskell. Here the widow of Dr. Blake rounded out the period of a long and beautiful life, surviving her husband seventeen years. She was a woman of most excellent character, of gentle, refined manners and a preference for a quiet, domestic life, the fitting companion of her worthy husband and the mother of a historic family. She passed to the higher life, Dec. 8, 1890. Silas Blake, Jr., was a well educated man and was a school teacher, and in his early manhood studied medicine for a time with his father, but never practiced the profession. He went to a western State and engaged in business for a number of years, re- turning home before the death of his father. He was in mercantile business a number of years in Harrison. He was much interested in public affairs, and was highly esteemed as a neighbor and citizen. He died Nov. 19, 1868. Children :
I. Josiah, b. July 27, 1864; died Aug. 17, 1865.
2. James P., b. Oct. 3, 1865; graduated from Bowdoin Medical School in 1892; was in the M. C. Hospital one year, then practiced in Minot one year ; came to Harrison in 1894.
3. Silas Grinfill, b. July 28, 1868; died Aug. 17, 1868.
JOSEPH, b. in Otisfield, Jan. 21, 1814. He was a grad- uate of Bangor Theological Seminary, and was a devoted minister of the Congregational Church in Cumberland, Me., for many years and in Gilmanton, N. H. He mar- ried Hannah Clark of Wells, Me. He died in Andover, Mass.
MAURICE C., b. Oct. 20, 1815, in Otisfield. He was a student at Bowdoin College for a term or more, but never graduated. He studied law in the office of Gen. Samuel Fessenden of Portland, and settled for a few years in Camden, Me., where he was a successful lawyer and an official of the U. S. Revenue service. He mi- grated to California in the 40's and settled in San Fran- cisco, where he at once took a commanding position as a lawyer, and was soon promoted to the office of Judge of the Criminal Court and was, afterward, Judge of the Probate Court for a long term of years. Judge Blake was elected mayor of San Francisco in 1882, and received
355
TOWN OF HARRISON.
the nomination on the Republican ticket for Governor of the State in 1886. He inherited many fine traits of character and was physically a splendid type of man- hood and retained his constitutional vigor and erectness of form to the last years of his life. He never married ; his death occurred Sept. 26, 1897.
JOSIAH MERRILL, b. in Otisfield, July 1, 1817. He was a fine scholar in his boyhood, and taught school a num. ber of years, in which vocation he acquired considerable fame as an instructor and manager of the big, unruly boys of that period. He studied medicine with his father and at Bowdoin Medical School, graduating in 1843, as M. D. He settled first at Bolster's Mills in Otisfield, and was a popular and successful physician in that and in other neighboring towns. He removed in 1853 to Bridgton and lived there the remainder of his life. He was possessed of unusual physical powers, was, in his youth, quite an athlete of the amateur type and hard to handle in a rural wrestling match. He had great musical gifts by nature, and as a vocalist was rare- ly excelled. He was also a proficient performer on the flute and violin, and in mature years became a member of the first Bridgton brass band, and its leader in 1854, playing the Eb bugle. His fame as a learned and suc- cessful physician is yet remembered. He married Oct. 16, 1844, Miss Harriet, daughter of Hon. Luther Fitch of Portland. Their children were:
I. Silas, b. in Otisfield, Dec. 12, 1845. He went to Washington Territory in 1876. He was owner of a stock ranch in that territory, afterwards lived and died in Montana, Mar. 18, 1899.
2. Almira F., b. in Otisfield; married William Brad- ley of Fryeburg. They had one daughter, Annie Carey. Mr. Bradley died in 1906. Mrs. Bradley and daughter reside at North Bridgton.
3. Annie, b. in Bridgton; married Edward Kimball of Bridgton. Mr. Kimball died July 1, 1908. Mrs. Kimball resides in North Bridgton.
4. Harriet Fitch, b. in Bridgton; is unmarried; resides at North Bridgton.
5. Edward Josiah, b. Nov. 23, 1857, in Bridgton. He fitted for college at Bridgton Academy; entered the State University in 1875, and graduated in class
356
A HISTORY OF THE
of '79, as civil engineer. His first professional em- ployment was on the survey for a railroad between Bridgton and Portland in the winter of 1879-80. In 1880, he entered the service of the Chicago, Bur- lington & Quincy R. R. Company, at Burlington, Iowa. In 1881, he entered the service of the Wa- bash, St. Louis & Pacific Railway Co., with head- quarters at Peoria. In 1883, he was transferred to the engineer's office of the Wabash Railroad Co., at Springfield, Ill., where he remained until 1884, when he again entered the employ of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy at Chicago, as engineer of terminals, remaining there until 1887. In 1885, he married Miss Sofie D. Johnson, who survives him. He was thereafter promoted as follows: 1887, Chief Engineer of the Missouri Lines of the C. B. & Q. R. R. Co .; 1890, Chief Engineer of the C. B. & Q. R. R. Co .; 1899, Consulting Engineer of the Burlington System, a position which he held when his untimely and tragical death occurred, May 29, 1902. "In Memoriam," a special tribute to the char - acter and abilities of Mr. Blake, published by the Western Society of Engineers, thus speaks of him: "He was, indeed, a man of unobtrusive manner, re- tiring disposition and unpretentious ways. He never put himself forward, never urged his own claims; simply did his best, and let the work speak for itself ; and it speaks volumes for his real merit and sterling ability, that he so far gained the confidence of his employers that they, unsolicited, advanced him to the highest position in his profession, within their gift." Mr. Blake was instantly killed May 29, 1902, by a collision of two cars, while at work superintending the execution of important engineer - ing operations under his direction.
LUTHER C., b. in Otisfield, May 31, 1819. He had a good common school training, but did not aspire to a scholastic profession. He remained at home superintending and laboring on the excellent home farm, and, except the short time of his California trip in 1850, he was devoted to the service and comfort of his parents. He married Sept. 15, '64, in Harrison, Catherine F., daughter of David L., and Sophronia (Spurr) Perley of Harrison.
357
TOWN OF HARRISON.
They had one daughter, Ellen Perley, b. Nov. 27, 1866. They resided in Harrison Village and North Bridgton during their married life, until the decease of Mr. Blake, Feb. 12, 1894, since which, Mrs. Blake and daughter have lived in the comfortable home of Mrs. Blakc's brother, William Sumner Perley. Luther C. Blake was one of the "noblest works of God-an honest man." He was kind of heart, gentle in manner ,with all the essential traits of a Christian gentleman. He was a skilled me- chanic in the tinner's trade for years in Harrison, and as a neighbor and citizen was most highly esteemed.
SOPHIA CARY, b. Apr. 19, 1821; she was educated at Bridgton and Gorham Academy, and was a teacher in the public schools for several years. She married Nov. 27, 1851, Rev. Rufus Morrill Sawyer of Otisfield, b. in 1820, a learned and devoted minister of the Congrega- tional Church. He graduated from Bangor Theological Seminary, Aug. 27, 1851. He preached in Maine during the first few years of his ministry, but subsequently re- moved to Iowa and settled in the ministry until the end of his life. Children:
I. Silas Blake, b. Oct. 12, 1852; married Susan Depui; their children were: Annie U. and Silas B. Annie U. married Louis Watson. They have one child, Lois; live in Hamilton, Montana. Silas B. 2d, mar- ried Harriet Harrison; they have one child, Maurice Blake; live in Billings, Montana. Silas Blake Saw- yer, son of Rev. Rufus and Sophia (Blake) Sawyer married 2d, Emma Szitwick; their children were: Sophia Cary, married Carl Wilson; they have one child and live in Basin, Wyoming. Lila E., married Orlo Earle; they have two children; live in Bill- ings, Montana. Rufus M., lives in Vancouver, B. C. John, lives in Vancouver, B. C. Bertha.
2. Julia Elizabeth, b. Aug. 28, 1854; died Sept. 13, 1872.
3. Clara Carey, b. Oct. 9, 1856; married Fred M. Tomlinson, Jan. 1, 1878; their children were: Ada Proctor ; died 1882. Maurice Blake; died 1882. Lola Blake. Harold Eri. Albert Dewey. Ruby Sophia. All reside at 6518 Union Ave., Chicago.
358
A HISTORY OF THE
4. Susie M., b. Feb. 3, 1858; married Henry Heurich ; their children were: Clara Cary, Russel, Wallace ; they live in Teviston, Arizona.
5. Charles Luther, b. Aug. 23, 1859.
6. William Herbert, b. Mar. 24, 1861; died autumn of 1872.
7. Elizabeth Langdon, b. Aug. 10, 1864; married Val- entine Diehl; their children were: Doris, married Raymond L. Bronson; they have one son, Otis. Maurice, Philip, Valentine, Waldo Ralph and Cath- erine Elizabeth ; they live in Mitchell, South Dakota. Rev. Rufus M. Sawyer died Nov. 29, 1852. Mrs. Sophia Cary (Blake) Sawyer died Nov. 21, 1891.
BOLSTER FAMILY.
ISAAC BOLSTER, for whom the village of Bolster's Mills has its name, was a son of Isaac Bolster of Paris, born May 22, 1769; married Hannah Cushman of Hebron, March 9, 1794. She was born April 16, 1777, and died January 25, 1865. He died January 8, 1835. Mr. Bolster purchased water power and land on Crooked River and built a dam and saw mill in 1819; and a grist mill in 1820. He never resided in Harrison.
ISAAC, JR., b. in Paris, Feb. 22, 1797; married Polly Cushman of Buckfield, and settled in Harrison in 1821. He built the first store at Bolster's Mills; believed to have been the same long owned and occupied by Wyatt Turner, and at this time owned and occupied by Isaac Skillings. Mr. Bolster was a Justice of the Peace. He resided in town fifteen years. His children, born in Harrison, were :
I. Eleanor, b. Apr. 23, 1820; married James Bennett of Norway.
2. John Augustus, b. June 28, 1822; married May 6, 1852, Almira Adams of Andover, (b. May 16, 1824). He resided nearly all his life in Norway Village, and was a very active man in business, politics, and
359
TOWN OF HARRISON.
in moral reform movements, especially in temperance reform. He was widely known as a dealer in live- stock, and was a representative of his town to the Legislature. He died June 3, 1902, aged 80 years. The other children of Isaac Bolster, born in Harri- son, but never identified afterward with the progress of the town, are omitted from this record. Mrs. Almira (Adams) Bolster died Mar. 11, 1880. Chil - dren of J. A. Bolster : Frances D., b. Apr. 9, 1856; died July 14, 1878. Fred Augustus, b. Mar. 1, 1858, married Mrs. Emma Morey of Otisfield; resided in Bolster's Mills since 1904. James Freeland, b. Feb. 8, 1860 ; lives in Norway Village ; is a maker of ceme- tery marble work and undertaker.
WILLIAM, a younger brother of Isaac, Jr., b. in Paris, June 23, 1804, settled here in 1826. He was identified with his brother in the milling business and added an impor- tant feature to the industries of the place by the erection of a large building on the Harrison side of the river for fulling and dressing the homemade woolen cloth of the people in the surrounding region. He owned a large amount of land in various tracts and was a busy farmer as well as mill-man. He married Hannah, daughter of Thaddeus and Lydia (Spurr) Turner of Otisfield. They had one child.
I. Martha Louisa, b. Feb. 18, 1835, married Gilbert S. Pearsons of Windsor, Vt. They removed to Denver, Colo.
Mr. Bolster married 2d, Nancy Edwards of Otisfield. Children :
I. Hannah Ellen, b. Jan. 17, 1844; died July 18, 1864.
2. Albert W., b. July 22, 1847, married Jenny W. Emery. They live in Brockton, Mass.
William Bolster was a man of excellent character, a kind and obliging neighbor and progressive citizen. On account of his kindly qualities and economical habits, he was se- lected by Mr. Samuel Baker, who had a good farm on the Gilson Hill, as deserving to receive said farm as a gift on the condition that he would assume the care and support of Mr. Baker and his wife during the remainder of their
360
A HISTORY OF THE
lives. That incident occurred in the year -. . Mr. Bol- ster then removed from his commodious home in the vil- lage to the Baker farm and continued to live there until his death, September 17, 1874. Mrs. Hannah Bolster died June 17, 1840. Mrs. Nancy Bolster died
BRACKETT FAMILY.
CAPTAIN JOHN BRACKETT, the ancestor of the several families of that name, who have lived here dur- ing the last century, was born in Falmouth, Maine, April II, 1761. He was the youngest son of Anthony Brackett, Jr., and wife, Abigail Chapman of Falmouth and was of the sixth generation from Anthony Brackett who was a selectman of Portsmouth, N. H., in 1640.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.