USA > Maine > Cumberland County > Harrison > Centennial history of Harrison, Maine > Part 39
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HENRIETTA, b. Feb. 8, 1844; died Sept. 3, 1845.
JULIETTE, b. Sept. 6, 1846; married Dec. 10, 1870, Charles Alvah Lang, present postmaster of Harrison, b. July 6, 1838, in Georgetown, Mass. They had one child : Charles Libby Lang, b. in Denver, Col., Jan. 10, 1882. He is a graduate of Bridgton Academy, and University of Maine. He is a teacher in the government schools of Porto Rico.
ELLA ISABEL, b. Feb. 3, 1858; married William A. Wheeler of Lynn, Mass.
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ARTHUR WILLIS, b. Nov. 23, 1859; married Ist, Susan Inez Haskell of Harrison; 2d, Georgiana M. Clements, daugh- ter of Thomas H. and Agnes (Bell) Clements of White Lands, Prince Edwards Island. The children of Ar- thur and Georgiana Libby are: Arthur Clements, b. Sept. 14, 1898; Bernice Crystal, b. Aug. 25, 1900; Mar- garet Aroline, b. Dec. 15, 1902; Irene Bell, b. July 19, 1905; Baby not named, b. Mar. 12, 1908.
Mr. Libby lives in Harrison Village and is proprietor of a large number of fine row boats for renting to summer guests of the village. He also cuts ice for supplying pri- vate families and hotels, and does jobs of wood sawing with gasoline power.
ALLISON LIBBY FAMILY.
The father of Allison Libby of Harrison, was Allison, a native of Scarborough, a not distant relative of Jethro. He served through the Revolution.
He was one of the first settlers of Gorham. There was no road from Scarborough to Gorham corner, nor to Sacca- rappa. His only route was by Stroudwater Village, thence to Saccarappa, and by a logging road into Windham, on the east side of Presumpscot River, crossing on the ice at "Horsebeef" (Mallison) Falls and then by another logging road with all his possessions on an ox-sled to his lonely home in North Gorham, the farm occupied in recent years by William Wescott. He had thirteen children.
ALLISON LIBBY, JR., fourth son of Allison, was born in Gorham, March 8, 1787. He married Lois Cross, daugh- ter of Dea. Thomas and Lucy (Hovey) Cross of Gorham. He settled in Harrison and resided in the north part of the town until 1831, when he bought the farm in South
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Harrison, where he resided for many years and where his family of six children were born and raised.
JAMES P., died Nov. 21, 1812, a few weeks old.
HARRIET CROSS, b. May 23, 1814; married Eben Richard- son.
LEONARD CROSS, b. June 12, 1817; married Abigail B., daughter of Joshua and Joanna (Ross) Trafton. He was a good farmer, a kind neighbor and citizen. He died July 13, 1886.
CAROLINE, b. May 27, 1819; married Nathaniel Harmon ; 2d, Daniel Richardson.
LOUISA, b. Dec. 15, 1820; married Daniel Richardson ; died
ANN, b. July 15, 1822; married John Goddard.
MARY GAGE, b. Aug. 12, 1827; married Major Plaisted.
Mr. Libby died in the home of his sister, Mrs. James Thomes, August 10, 1869. His wife died February 25, 1860. The children of Leonard and Abigail Libby were:
I. Charles Badger, b. Oct. II, 1848; died Nov. 3, 1851. Ellen Preble, b. July 10, 1850; died Feb. 4, 1890.
2.
3. Herbert Appleton, b. Aug. 8, 1853; married Rose Edson. Their children are: Albert Carroll, b. Apr. 29, 1886. Homer Trafton, b. Jan. 29, 1888. Ruth Cleveland, b. Aug. 17, 1892; died in infancy. Cora Ellen, b. Oct. 30, 1897.
CAPT. CHARLES LIBBY. One of the best known of the Libbys of Harrison, was the late Capt. Charles Libby, second son of John Libby, born December 30, 1804, in Gorham ; married November 28, 1833, Sophronia, daughter of Ebenezer and Salome (Green) Shaw, of Standish. Capt. Libby was a farmer for eight years after his marriage, when he removed to Harrison Village, (1841), where he followed shook making, boating on the canal, working in
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the wire factory, and other occupations. He was an in- dustrious man, and universally esteemed. He was the au- thor of many funny sayings still extant. He had a faculty to utter things which were very ludicrous without seeming to be conscious of it. One time the Captain was confined to the house for a day or two; his physician examined him and pronounced his ailment a case of "shingles." When he was well enough to be "out" he was asked by one of his neighbors what had ailed him that had caused his ill- ness. "O, the doctor said I had the claboards," said the Captain, without a smile. Once while working on the old steamer "Fawn," as she was coming up the lake on a late trip in September, the evening star appeared in the West, illuminating the twilight. The passengers on board were passing remarks on the rare beauty of the evening sky, and as the brilliant orb was discovered, an admiring ob- server exclaimed, "O, there's Venus! Say Mr.," addressing the busy man on the deck, "Isn't that Venus?" The Cap- tain gave a look with the only good eye he had, and with a knowing and confident air, replied: "Yes, that's Zenus." Captain Charles and Sophronia Libby had one child, Ros- well, born July 23, 1835; married November 22, 1863, Achsah C., daughter of Asa and Olive (Charles) Brickett of Stow. He run a canal boat fourteen years, and during the remainder of his life, worked mostly at shook making. He served faithfully as a private in Co. B., 23d Me. Vol. Infantry in the Civil War. He died February 4, 1876. His widow married July 10, 1880, Joseph S. Walker of Fryeburg. Roswell and Achsah Libby had a daughter, Zoa Mabel, born February 17, 1858.
ABNER LIBBY, born in Scarborough, August 17, 1797, son of Dominicus and Dorothy (Small) Libby, married Harriet Newbegin, lived in Harrison for years in the mid- dle of the last century on the farm now owned by Henry C. Packard, in South Harrison. In 1855, he sold said
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farm to James Ross and purchased the property of Har- rison Blake, Esq., at Harrison Village. He sold his vil- lage property about 1863, and removed to South Paris. He died June 16, 1866, and his widow died in 1884. Their remains were brought for interment to the little cemetery adjoining the farm where they first lived in town, to which they were greatly attached in their lives. They had two sons : Plummer A., Frank, and a daughter, Harriet El- len. Plummer, married Melinda Fogg of Harrison, and migrated to the West about 1863. Frank married Clara Parker of Norway. They had two children, Frank and Laurence. Harriet Ellen married Swasey Burnell of South Paris, and resides there.
AMOS LIBBY, son of James Libby of Limington ( from 1818 to his death, March 2, 1868, aged 69 years, a resi- dent of "New Limington," Bridgton), was for a number of years a resident of Harrison. He married Jane B. daughter of Rev. Joseph Phinney, of Harrison. She was born December 9, 1816. They resided quite a number of years on the old Phinney homestead in South Harrison, and at Harrison Village, and also at Bridgton Center. They had two daughters, Abbie J. and Helen, and two sons, Edwin and Herbert. Abbie married Rev. Charles W. Foster of Harrison, who became a much esteemed min- ister of the Free Baptist denomination. He died in -. Helen married Preston Hamlin of Bridgton. She was gifted with a sweet and powerful voice and her singing was much admired. She died while traveling on a tour of concerts with a popular company. Herbert has resided in Portland and was for a number of years assistant Clerk of Courts of Cumberland County.
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LOWELL FAMILY.
This was one of the best known families for more than half a century. They came from Windham and are de- scended from JOHN LOWELL of Westbrook, whose wife was Mary Chatman or Chapman. John Lowell lived a while in Harrison but died in the town of Windham. His children were :
EDWARD; married Martha Lamb of Otisfield. He was here before the beginning of the 19th century. He was one of the leaders in the movement for incorporation in 1805, and was elected to several offices at the first town meeting, viz .: Surveyor of highways, tythingman and field driver ; died Oct. I, 1847. His wife died Aug. 25, 1845. Children :
I. John P., b. in Harrison in 1801; married Eliza, daughter of Capt. John Brackett of Harrison, Jan. 27, 1824; lived some time in Harrison; kept a tav- ern a number of years at Harrison Village. (See hotels.) He afterward settled in Mason and lived there many years. Their children were: Abby, Ira, Grinfill, Charles, Elihu, and others.
2. Edward, b. in Harrison; married Sally Edes of Otisfield, Jan. 27, 1829; settled on Oak Hill in that town and had children.
3. Simon, b. in Harrison; married Ann Robinson ; lived between Caswell's Corner and Ryefield Bridge in Harrison. Their children were: Nelson, b. June 24, 1827. Emery E., b. Feb. 4, 1829. Mary Maria, b. Oct. 15, 1831. Rosanna, b. Apr. 16, 1837. Eliz- abeth D., b. July 20, 1842.
4. George, b. in 18 -; married Lucinda Inman; went eastward; deceased.
5. Martha Ann; married John Brackett, Jan. 13, 1828. (See Brackett family.)
6. James P .; married Eliza, daughter of Joseph Lom- bard of Otisfield, and settled on the homestead of his father. Children: Lucinda; married Albert Caswell. Herman; married Rebecca Elden. Han-
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nah. Willis C., b. Mar. 29, 1861; married Isabel Maude Cummings (See Cummings family) ; died June 10, 1899.
James P. Lowell was a farmer and carpenter; a man of excellent character and good moral principles. He was an ardent advocate of temperance reform in the olden days of the Temperance Watchmen Clubs in the 50's; he died from heart disease, in 1870.
7. Marshall, b. in Harrison; was a blacksmith by trade ; lived in Kennebunk.
8. Hannah; married Joseph L. Brackett. (See Brack- ett family.)
9. Catherine; died in youth.
No other members of the Lowell family have ever re- sided permanently in Harrison. It is a matter for sincere regret that no more complete data could be supplied for preparation of the history of this family.
MORSE FAMILY.
The writer remembers MR. DAN MORSE nearly eighty years ago. He lived in a wide, old looking house nearby the millpond and only a few rods from the stately mansion of Dr. David Ray, the pioneer of 1780. The locality is known to many as "Holdenville" in token of the succession of ownership of the Ray homestead, land and mills, in years after Dr. Ray's death by Henry Holden, son-in-law, and husband of Abigail, the fourth daughter of David and Eunice Whiting Ray. Mr. Morse - "Uncle Dan" we al- ways called him, was the owner of the grist mill as a portion of the dowry of his wife, Eunice, the oldest of the Ray daughters, while the saw mill in a similar manner became an asset of the Holden family. I do not know the date of Uncle Dan Morse's birth nor in what place he was
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born, but, as he died November 25, 1846, aged seventy-nine years, he was born in 1767. It is believed he came from the native home of Dr. Ray in Massachusetts, and was ac- quainted with the family of his father-in-law many years before his marriage about 1796. The genealogy of the fam- ily is as follows :
DAVID RAY, only son of Dan Morse, b. in Otisfield, July 15, 1797 ; died in Harrison, Nov. 14, 1876. He married Betsy, daughter of Rev. Thomas Roby, the first Con- gregational minister in Otisfield. She was born March 31, 1800. She was a woman of fine intellect; exceeding- ly kind-hearted, a lover of her home and she had the best regards of those who knew her best. She died in Harrison, Oct. 24, 1866. Their children were:
I. Albion K., b. Aug. 21, 1826; died in Harrison, Mar. II, 1906.
2. Eunice O., b. Apr. - , 1828. She died in Atlanta, Ga., Nov. 8, 1854, while sojourning there in quest of relief from ill health.
David Morse sold his property in Otisfield about 1833, and removed to Harrison Village, and settled on the site of the residence of Postmaster Lang, a part of the Lang home being the old Morse house. Mr. Morse at once set up the blacksmithing business in a shop located on the cor- ner of Main and Mill streets in the corner of the fine lawn of the present Lang homestead. There he enjoyed for years a very brisk trade, employing a number of helpers, and at one time had two or more apprentices. He acquired a competence sufficient to enable him to retire from business after a number of years. He owned some lands besides his homestead, and was a substantial and much respected citizen.
Albion K. Morse was, from his early years, a resident of Harrison Village and was at various times engaged in business. He was in public office as Town Treasurer and postmaster, and was influential in local and State politics.
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He improved the homestead and other properties to which he succeeded from his father, and by wise management added to the value of his estate.
MOULTON FAMILY.
Only one family of this name has resided in Harrison- that of EBEN MOULTON, born November 5, 1810, son of Daniel and Anna (Shaw) Moulton of Gorham, who came from Gorham to Harrison in 1849, and settled in the Johnson neighborhood in South Harrison. He mar- ried April 15, 1845, Abigail, daughter of Simon and Abi- gail (Plaisted) Moulton of Standish, born November 18, 18II. Mr. Moulton was a man of fine natural abilities, and had wide information on many subjects as the result of reading many books, and was able to discuss any subject of a political or religious nature with acute intelligence. He was always deeply interested in the public affairs of the town, and was generally ready to criticise any measure proposed for action by the town, or to ask questions on the subject.
He was a cooper by trade and had a well equipped cooper shop at his home, where he made tubs, firkins, etc. He had a good farm which extended a mile westerly to the shore of Long Pond. He was a good farmer, and a very hard worker. His character for morality and uprightness in business dealing was unimpeachable. His wife was a tailoress by trade and during her early life, was accustomed to make up suits of clothes for the townspeople.
They were both of them kind and obliging as neighbors, and were always ready and willing to assist in cases of sickness or death. Mr. Eben Moulton died November 8, 1887. Mrs. Abigail Moulton died September 22, 1894.
ALPHONSO MOULTON, EsQ.
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One son, Alphonso, was born to this worthy pair, his birth occurring July 16, 1847.
ALPHONSO MOULTON was from a child of a stu- dious habit, and in the district school, was a bright and leading pupil. He was so fond of study in school that he generally extended the terms of his tuition under teachers by attending any of the schools in his end of the town that were in session beyond the close of his own district school. He attended Bridgton Academy one term each year for four successive years, his last term being in the autumn of 1866. For the next three years he taught several terms of district school. But feeling that his success as a teacher did not measure up to the standard of his anticipations, and having some distaste towards the pedagogical profes- sion, he retired from the school room. Mr. Moulton be- came united in marriage, March 27, 1869, to Miss Etta A. Ross, daughter of James and Jane (Lakin) Ross of Harrison. They were childhood acquaintances and school- mates and their union was a happy one, a blending of tastes and sympathies that gave an enjoyable zest to their lives. Together they affiliated themselves with the social institutions of their choice, and in unison they participated in whatever came to them of pleasure or pain. He set- tled on the farm with his father, and engaged in farming in which he was very much interested.
He was very active in promoting the success of the Farmers' Club, in the early years of his manhood, and after- wards was for a time Secretary of the Northern Cumber- land Agricultural Society.
Since the year of 1874, when the first Lakeside Grange was organized, he has been continuously in the order, as during the interim between the death of the first and the organization of the present Grange in 1901, he was affiliated with Crooked River Grange. He was almost every year
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in office in Lakeside Grange as Master, Secretary or Lec- turer. He was a member of the building committee on the erection of the Grange Hall in 1905. Since the date of the organization of Harrison Lodge, I. O. O. F., March 14, 1889, Mr. Moulton was a worthy and highly esteemed member:
He was very conspicuous as a member of the school committee and as Supervisor from 1879 nearly all the years excepting from 1895 to 1901, when he was an In- spector of Customs in the Custom House in Portland. Since 1902, he was continuously in office by annual elec- tion, as Superintendent of Schools. His faithfulness and efficiency in that sphere of public service, had endeared him to the whole teaching faculty, and as well to the pupils, who were always glad to see him on his stated visits to the schools. He was a member of the Board of Trustees of Bridgton Academy since 1892, and in 1907, he was elected Secretary of the board as successor to Geo. E. Chadbourne, retired, and of the Alumni Association.
Mr. Moulton as an ardent promoter of any movement for the diffusion of knowledge to the mass of the people, co-operated with alacrity to perfect the organization of the Harrison Public Library Association, by its incorpo- ration as a Free Public Library.
Mr. Moulton's love for books as a means of acquiring information, amounted to a passion, and for at least twenty- five years he had been steadily accumulating a library of his own, which at the time of his decease had grown to upwards of a thousand volumes. They completely fill a number of large cases. There are all the standard Ameri- can Dictionaries and several sets of the best Cyclopædias, and other reference books needed by the scholar or business man. As a Justice of the Peace for nearly twenty years, he had the requisite books of the public laws and legal forms, for aids in drawing deeds and other legal instru-
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ments. He drew the articles of incorporation of the Odd Fellows, the Grange and the Public Library. He has been of much assistance to his townspeople in the settlement of estates of deceased persons in the probate court and attend- ing to other business such as a lawyer might be called to perform.
Mr. Moulton was by education and affiliation a Democrat in politics, and served many years on the town and county committee for his party. He was not a partisan in the fullest sense, but had independence sufficient to cause him to differ from his party when he felt it was pledged to a false principle of action. So in 1896, he bolted from the platform of "sixteen to one" and voted for William Mc- Kinley for President.
In the closing years of Mr. Moulton's life occurred the event of the celebration of the Centennial Anniversary of the incorporation of the town. It was an occasion to arouse all the latent patriotic spirit in the heart of every citizen. The town appropriated a generous sum of money, and an adequate committee of citizens was elected to super - intend the preparations for the great event of the century. Mr. Moulton was elected secretary of the committee, and the records of the transactions of the committee attest to the promptness and thoroughness of the work of its secretary.
An important act of the town, after the Centennial event was to authorize the preparation of a history of the acts of the town and of its executive committee pertaining to the celebration of centennial day, said work to include a succinct record of the history of the families of the first settlers of the town and other families of note residing here. Mr. Moulton was elected as the chief author and compiler of the centennial history, with Howard L. Sampson as his assistant. It was an appointment most highly appre- ciated by him, as it appealed to his pride of citizenship, and afforded an unusual opportunity to exercise his lit-
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erary ability in a higher field of authorship than any in which he had been engaged. He assumed the duties of historian very soon after the centennial event was past, and entered upon the execution of the work with great vigor and alacrity. The pages of this volume afford ample illustration of the mental power of portraiture by language of his impressions of events and of individuals, possessed by him. The records of public occurrences for a century past concerning business and social life were largely col- lected and with great patience and strict application for many months, reduced to correct form for the printer. He felt the responsibility upon him and formulated all his plans with conscientious regard to the interests of the pub- lic and its desire for a speedy execution of the commission of writing and publishing the work entrusted to his care and judgment. But Mr. Moulton chose to be deliberate and not to spoil his work by undue or reckless haste. It is probable that not a day passed that did not witness to the addition of much important matter for record, and to several hours' work with pen or typewriter, or both. His manner of writing the sketches of his townsmen and women shows that he was dominated by the best impulses of the heart - those of strict justice and affectionate regard. He could not stint himself to a simple, brief, cold record of the fact of the existence of a person to whom he had become attached by the incident of political or fraternal association, so he imparted to his short personal biog- raphies in some cases an elaborate treatment, showing evi- dence of quite intense friendship that borders on the do- main of eulogy. And did they not deserve it?
The spring of 1908, found Mr. Moulton experiencing increasing illness, obliging him to consult his family phy- sician and take specific treatment for his debility. The most approved advice and treatment by skilled physicians was availed of, but no permanent relief could be found. He lingered still hoping, for a few weeks, and on the 28th
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of June, the lamp of his frail life expired. If human or brotherly and sisterly demonstrations of regard can as- suage the pangs of regret, they were all given in full measure at the sacred obsequies, and the earth-life of the departed brother and friend was treasured as a sweet and enduring memory.
"Full many noble friends my soul hath known, Women and men who in my memory Have sown such beauty as can never die; And many times when I seem all alone, Within my heart I call up one by one The joys I shared with them, the unlaced hours Of laughing thoughts, that came and went like flavors, In higher argument, Apollo's own ; Those listening eyes that gave nobility To humblest verses, writ and read for love. Those burning words of high democracy, Those doubts that through the abyss would rove And lean o'er chasms that took away the breath - When I forget them, may it be in death."
NEWCOMB FAMILY.
The name of Newcomb is of Saxon origin and has been known in England since the twentieth century, under differ- ent forms :- Newcomer, Newcome, Newcomen, Newcombe, and Newcomb. The men of the Newcomb line, possessed re- markable virility from remote times in evidence of which, very large and sturdy families are recorded in their book of genealogy. Lieutenant Andrew Newcomb of England, in the seventeenth century, had fifteen children, and similar examples have occurred frequently in later generations, Simon, of the Harrison branch, was the father of twenty- one, according to the record; some reports say twenty- five; others twenty-seven, by two wives. The name is
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distinguished in our country for the number of persons who have been eminent in science and general learning ; also for their patriotic services to their native land and pro- motion to high rank in the United States army and navy.
The ancestor of Thomas Newcomb of Harrison, was ELISHA NEWCOMBE, born in Buxton, January 10, 1776; married October 13, 1799, Rebecca, daughter of Abi- jah Lewis, born August 29, 1779. They came to Harrison about 1800. Their children were:
THOMAS, b. in Bridgton, Dec. 20, 1803; married Oct. 17, 1830, Sarah Curtis, daughter of Reuben and Rebecca Ingalls of Bridgton; after a long life residence in Har- rison, he removed with his aged wife to Bridgton and died there Jan. 27, 1892. Mrs. Newcomb pre-deceased him Sept. 25, 1889; children, born in Harrison :
I. Mary Elizabeth, b. Aug. 9, 1831; married Aug. 3, 1851, Nathan Carsley, 3d, of Harrison. (See Cars- ley family.)
2. Thomas Lewis, b. May 17, 1834; married Apr., 1856, Amy C. Smith of Bridgton; children: Alfred Austin, b. Nov. 8, 1858. Emma Alice, b. Feb. 17, 1862. Sarah Ann, b. Jan. 14, 1865. Willie Thomas, b. July 27, 1867. Susie, b. Dec. 26, 1871. Thomas L. Newcomb died in Norway, Feb. 2, 1907.
3. Charles Henry, b. Aug. 10, 1836; died Sept. 21, 1853.
4. Sumner, b. Sept. 15, 1838; died Oct. 15, 1838.
5. Ann, b. Nov. 17, 1840; died Mar. 20, 1843.
6. George Washington, b. Dec. 5, 1842; married Oct. 27, 1867, Abbie M., daughter of Otis and Eliza Wil- kins Trafton of Harrison. (See Trafton family.) Their children: Foneta Abbie, b. July 5, 1876; mar- ried Nov. 3, 1897, Benjamin Iredale of Bridgton. A daughter, b. in 1880, died. in infancy. Sumner Otis, b. Nov. 27, 1880; married Aug. 3, 1905, M. Augusta, daughter of Dr. William and Phebe Deshon Albee of Rockland, Me.
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