USA > Maine > Cumberland County > Harrison > Centennial history of Harrison, Maine > Part 7
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Impatient of restraint, intolerant Of narrow bounds, lusting for something new, Ambitious for achievements high and great, From year to year the inward fever grew, Till forth they fared, each on his unknown way, To mingle boldly in the world's great fray.
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Each for himself must choose. The fathers fought With Nature's forces in the wilderness ; In crowded city streets the children strive In ways unknown of old to win success. So faith and courage for the strife be found, What matters it where lies the battle ground? Each for himself must choose. Some feet may stray In tortuous paths that lead not to the goal ; Some spend themselves for that which is not bread, And feed with empty husks the starving soul; Some weaklings, falling by the wayside, lie Prone in the dust, and beg from passers-by.
But they that cherish high ideals, and strive For larger things than ease or wealth or fame, Who even in the heat of conflict keep Unsullied still their fathers' honored name, These knightly souls go forth the world to meet, And victory wring from bitterest defeat.
In quiet country places born and bred, Inspired by old traditions of their sires, Strong-limbed, clear-eyed, clean-handed sons of toil, These keep alive our country's sacred fires ; Their shoulders bear the burden of the State, - These are the men that make our nation great. Our land hath need of men! The ceaseless tide Of alien blood that beats against our coast, The lust for gold that grips the hearts of men, Until their shame becomes their brazen boast, The plague-spots that our crowded cities breed, Familiar things to which we give small heed,-
These call aloud for men, strong, fearless, true, To stem corruption's swelling flood, to fight The battle of the weak, to wisely guide Our alien millions into Freedom's light. No child's play this ! Life's bravest pioneers Must blaze the way of hope for coming years.
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All honor to brave men who leave their homes For love of country in her time of need; All honor to strong youths who journey forth At duty's call, and not from sordid greed, Or aimless love of change; their eyes shall see The promised land, the fruits of victory.
But what if all our fresh, red country blood Shall pour into the city's fevered veins, And lose itself, a wanton sacrifice Of our great nation's hope, till naught remains Of such fair scenes as greet our eyes today, But empty dwellings falling to decay?
A ceaseless human stream flows cityward; Then must we guard the sources jealously, Lest, of a sudden, life's cool springs run dry, And where once stalwart men were reared, we see Abandoned farms, weed-grown and desolate, And know our reckless folly all too late.
The springs of life lie hid in far-off hills, Whose solemn grandeur thrills the awe-struck soul ; Down rocky slopes, through shadowy forests' depths, Or sunny vales, its healing waters roll. Who dwelleth close to Nature's faithful breast, May drink deep draughts of strength and joy and rest.
But who from childhood dwells in crowded streets, And daily breathes the city's stifling air, Caught in the whirling stream of frantic haste, That sweeps him on, heedless how others fare, Snatching his pleasures with a feverish grasp, Then rushing onward to some hurrying task,
What knows he of the satisfying joy Of him that talks to Nature face to face, Takes from her hand the fruit of healthful toil, Finds on her gracious breast a resting place Through cool, sweet nights, while summer breezes blow, And days of peace, when souls have time to grow.
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Ye that are free to choose and wise to know
The best of life, whose happy children play In sunny fields, or cool, dark woods, and learn From Nature's self her secrets day by day, Sons of the soil, yours are the homes that feed The springs of life to meet the country's need. O, loyal sons of Harrison, who come From far or near on this glad festal day, The spirit of our fathers liveth yet
To thrill the heart with purpose high, alway; With dauntless courage that may know no fears, With memories that bridge the gulf of years.
Our task, to teach our children faith like theirs In God and man, and courage to do and dare, Patience to wait the slow fulfillment of
Their hopes, pure love that lightens every care, Calm trust that just beyond earth's ceaseless strife Lie endless years of more abundant life.
It is very much to be regretted that we are unable to give any report of the addresses of Rev. C. C. Sampson, Rev. F. E. Winn, Hon. Amos L. Allen, and Hon. George A. Hibbard, but the matter of providing a stenographer was overlooked, and no report whatever was made of these addresses. We can simply say that all of them were able and eloquent, and ought to appear in full in this book. It is especially to be regretted that those of Revs. Sampson and Winn cannot be printed, as they were of local interest to a greater degree than the others, both gentlemen being so well known, one being a native of the town, and the other the pastor of the Congregational church at the time of the celebration.
The literary exercises of the afternoon, and of the day, were closed by the singing of the following Centennial Ode :
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CENTENNIAL ODE TO HARRISON .*
COMPOSED BY MRS. HARRIETTE F. FARWELL, BETHEL, ME.
We hear your summons, loud and clear, Harrison, old Harrison ; Come, all ye sons and daughters dear, Who love your native Harrison ; Come home once more and haste to greet The friends of old you used to meet In church or school, or on the street Of the old, busy Harrison.
One hundred years have passed away, Harrison, old Harrison ; Since, on a glad, auspicious day You took the name of Harrison ; Where stood the stately forest trees, Now grain is waving in the breeze. No more in fireless church we freeze, As in the old time Harrison.
The schoolhouses so old and gray, No more are found in Harrison ; But long ago have given way To better ones in Harrison. And yet we look with honest pride On those who in their youth defied All bars to progress, though denied The wealth now found in Harrison.
I long to see you once again, Harrison, old Harrison ; To climb your steep and rugged hills, Harrison, old Harrison ; To sail upon your grand old lakes, Join in the chorus which awakes Glad echoes till the old earth quakes In Harrison, old Harrison.
*This poem was sung to the air of "Maryland, my Maryland," by the Norway Quartet.
PART II.
Historical
CHAPTER I.
EARLY HISTORY OF MAINE.
IN the early days of Harrison there was no State of Maine. It was a District instead, and was a part of Mas- sachusetts, and under its jurisdiction as much as any other part of that State. For fifteen years after the incorpo- ration of our town the only "Legislature" known was the "General Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts," and the town was probably represented there, although for ยท some unknown reason the records fail to show the names of the representatives, or the number of votes cast for them. As Maine is territory that is not contiguous to Massachusetts it doubtless seems strange to many that such a state of affairs existed, and comparatively little is known as to the reasons therefor; nor in relation to the early history of the State, except as it was a part of the whole nation. Very few students in our schools can give any information in regard to the history of Maine separate from that of the whole United States, and there is little wonder that it is so since all school histories are silent on the topic. Therefore it seems well to give a short chapter on the early history of Maine at the commencement of the historical portion of this book.
Maine early attracted the attention of the explorers. In 1497, only five years after Columbus' first discovery, the Cabots discovered the coast of Labrador, or Newfound- land, and thence sailed as far south as Maine, and perhaps Massachusetts, and upon those discoveries England based her claim to this part of North America. In 1524, John
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Verrazano, in the service of France, proceeded along the coast from the thirty-fourth to near the fiftieth degree of north latitude, "keeping the coast of Maine in sight for more than fifty leagues," and on his discoveries France grounded its claim to North American territory. A little later, Gomez, a Spanish adventurer, sailed along the whole coast from Newfoundland to the capes of Delaware. The mythical city, or country, of Norumbega, with all of its fabled splendors and riches, was imagined by some to be located in Maine, and the Penobscot River was supposed to be the road by which it could be reached. This caused more than one voyager to seek this region in order that he might search for the wonderful land. Indeed Verrazano, in 1529, speaks of "Aranbega" - which is another name for the wonderful place- as being on the New England coast, though he restricts it to an apparently unimportant locality ; but in 1539, it is treated as a vast and opulent region reaching from Cape Breton to Florida. Three years later Allefonsce described the "River of Norumbega," which has since been identified with the Penobscot. A sailor named David Ingram represented that he was put ashore in the Gulf of Mexico in 1567, by Sir John Hawkins, and made his way by Indian trails to Canada, which he reached in 1568, and that before he reached there he passed through a wonderful city, three-fourths of a mile across, the houses in which had pillars of crystal and silver ; that he saw a peck of pearls, and rubies six inches in length ; that the inhabitants wore heavy ornaments of gold, and were dressed in the richest of furs. These and similar stories attracted much attention, and caused voyagers to sail up the Penobscot in search of the wonderful country, that river being represented on one map as a strait reach- ing from the Atlantic Ocean to the St. Lawrence. John Smith, in 1620, speaks of the region as being as far south as Virginia, but Champlain in 1605, treated Norumbega as being wholly within the present State of Maine, and
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searched for its capital along the Penobscot River as far as the site of the present City of Bangor.
Gosnold, in 1602, Weymouth, in 1605, and John Smith, in 1614, explored the coast, and in 1604, a French expedi- tion under De Monts planted a colony on an island in the St. Croix River, only to be abandoned the next year. Maine fell within the limits of the grant made to the Ply- mouth Colony in 1606, and in the following year an English expedition sent out by Sir John Popham and Sir Ferdi- nando Gorges effected a settlement at Sabino Point at the mouth of the Sagadahoc, or Kennebec River, which was abandoned in 1608, most of the colonists returning to Eng- land. In 1622, Gorges and Sir John Mason received from the Council of New England a grant of the territory lying between the Merrimac and Kennebec Rivers, and the terri- tory was divided between them, Gorges taking the land east of the Piscataqua River. "The first permanent settlement in Maine was made at Pemaquid, in 1625-26; Agamenticus (York) was founded about the same time, and after 1630, Saco, Biddeford, Port Elizabeth, Portland, and Scarborough sprang up in rapid succession. In 1639, Gorges received a large accession of territory with the title of Lord Palatine, and established a provincial government at York."
One authority says that there was something painful in the spectacle of the once vigorous and enterprising soldier amusing his old age by playing at King. "In no little German court of the last century could the forms of gov- ernment and the realities of life have been more at variance. To conduct the business of two fishing villages, Gorges called into existence a staff of officials which might have sufficed for the affairs of the Byzantine Empire." Says Palfrey: "The province was divided into two counties, one of which, Agamenticus, or York, was the principal settlement; of the other, Saco. * * * The greatness of York made it arrogant, and it sent a deputation of alder- men and burgesses to the General Court at Saco to save
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its metropolitan rights by solemn protest. The Proprietary was its friend, and before long exalted it still more by a city charter authorizing it and its suburbs, constituting a territory of twenty-one square miles, under the name of 'Georgeana', to be governed by a Mayor, twelve Aldermen, a Common Council of twenty-four members, and a Re- corder, all to be chosen annually by the citizens. Probably as many as two-thirds of the adult males were in places of authority. This grave foolery was acted more than ten years."
In 1629-31, six patents had been issued by the Council of New England, covering the coast from the Piscataqua to the Kennebec, the most important embracing an extent of forty miles square bordering on Casco Bay, and named Ligonia. The colonies hitherto attempted had been mostly for fishing and fur trading, but this was to be an agricul- tural community, and became familiarly known as the "Plow patent." A company was formed and some settlers sent out, but they did not like the situation and removed to Massachusetts. It seems that there were ten of these hus- bandmen, and that they came in a ship named "The Plough," and had a patent "for land at Sagadahoc." In 1643, the troubles in England between King and Commons grew vi- olent, and in that year Alexander Rigby bought the old grant called Ligonia, or the "Plow Patent," and appointed George Cleeve as his deputy-president. About this time . Governor Thomas Gorges returned to England, leaving his deputy, Vines, in his place, and a conflict of jurisdiction arose between Cleeve and Vines. Cleeve appealed to Massachusetts to settle the dispute, and both parties, in 1645, agreed that the claims should be left to the decision of the Massachusetts Magistrates, who decided - that they could not decide the matter. But the next year the Com- missioners for American plantations in England decided in favor of Rigby; and Vines left the country.
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Sir Ferdinando Gorges died in 1647, and with him died all of his plans for kingdom and power in Maine. In 1652, Massachusetts, claiming that her patent, which included lands lying three miles north of the source of the Merrimac, took in all of the lower part of Maine, annexed all of the towns as far east as Casco Bay, most of the settlers favor- ing her authority. This authority was still further ex- tended, so that at the time of the Restoration of Charles II, in 1660, it practically covered all territory lying west of the Penobscot River.
Upon the Restoration, the heir of Gorges claimed his rights in Maine and those rights were confirmed by the committee of Parliament; and in 1664, the King gave him an order to the Governor of Massachusetts to restore him his province. Commissioners came over and pro- ceeded through Maine, appointing various officers without the concurrence of Massachusetts, so that there was a conflict of authority, and for some years Maine was in confusion between the different parties that attempted to rule her people. Massachusetts seems to have paid no attention to royal edicts in this matter, and in 1668, sent four commissioners to York, who resumed and re-established the jurisdiction of Massachusetts, with which the majority of the people seemed the best pleased; and in 1669, the Dep- uties from Maine again took their seats in the Massachusetts General Court. Her jurisdiction was, however, still further disputed by the heirs of Gorges and Mason, and their claims were not fully settled until 1677, when they were purchased by Massachusetts for the sum of twelve hundred and fifty pounds sterling, and by the charter of 1691 she was confirmed in the possession of the territory. East of the Penobscot, however, the French still held the territory, and constantly stirred up the Indian tribes against the Eng- lish, Maine suffering greatly in the various Indian wars, many towns being laid waste, and a large extent of terri- tory devastated.
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Maine was very active in the Patriot cause during the Revolution, and Cumberland County was especially forward in furnishing soldiers. Mclellan's History of Gorham, says :
"The alarm of the battles of Lexington and Concord reached Falmouth before daybreak on the 21st of April, 1775, and caused tremendous excitement there and in all the region round about. A Falmouth company of soldiers started that same day for Boston, followed by others. A company of militia had been for some time organized in Gorham under the command of Capt. Hart Williams, and another in Gorham, Windham, and Standish, commanded by Capt. Wentworth Stuart of Gorham. These promptly followed the Falmouth company, but when they reached Wells, they were all ordered back to protect the coastwise towns, and returned, reaching Falmouth, April 24th."
The authorities ordered that a regiment be raised in Cumberland County, where the militia was well organized in nearly all of the towns, and Edmund Phinney of Gorham, was appointed Colonel. This regiment, known as the 3Ist Massachusetts, arrived in Cambridge in July, and took part in the seige of Boston. On its "returns" we find the names of men from Gorham, Pearsontown, Windham, Rye, Nor- ton, Kittery, Barnerdstown, Falmouth, Penobscot, and Bar- wick. The regiment had no chance to take part in any im- portant battle, and the men saw "much skirmishing and indecisive fighting." The regiment was discharged from the service in December, 1775, and many of the men at once re-enlisted in Col. Phinney's new regiment, which was known as the 18th Continental, and entered the service, January 1, 1776. This regiment was stationed at Cam- bridge for a time, and then was ordered to Fort Ticon- deroga, to re-enforce the Northern Army under Gen. Schuy- ler, in which they served out their time and were discharged on the last of December, 1776, some of the men re-enlisting, and the others finding their way home as best they could.
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A short service regiment was raised to garrison the forts at Boston after the evacuation, and the sixth company of this regiment was raised in Cumberland County, and com- manded by Capt. Richard Mayberry of Windham. On the roll of this company are found the names of men from Windham, Brunswick, Scarborough, Gorham, North Yar- mouth, New Gloucester, Harpswell, Pearsontown, Royals- town, New Boston, Dorchester, and Yarmouth. The regi- ment was commanded by Col. Ebenezer Francis, and after its term of service had expired he immediately raised another, known as the IIth Massachusetts, which took part in the campaign that ended in the surrender of Burgoyne at Saratoga, and then joined Washington's army, and passed the winter at Valley Forge. Later this regiment served in the Third Massachusetts Brigade, taking part in the battle of Monmouth, where it was said to have suffered heavy losses, then went into camp at White Plains, in July, 1778, and during the following year served along the North River and in the western part of Connecticut. One company in this regiment was commanded by Capt. Richard Mayberry, and on its roll we find the names of many men from Cum- berland County. There were also many other Cumberland County men who served in other regiments, and later on some of these men, or their descendants, were to be found in Harrison and adjoining towns.
But the men of Maine were active on the sea as well as on the land, and in the first year of the war, privateers began to be fitted out to prey on the English merchant vessels, and to resist some of the incursions of the British. Prom- inent among these privateersmen was Capt. O'Brien of Machias, then the extreme easterly outpost of the colonists, whose exploits so exasperated the British that Admiral Graves, then commander on the North American station, sent out a squadron of four vessels under Capt. Mowatt to "overawe" the colonists; and Mowatt bombarded and destroyed the town of Falmouth (now Portland) in Oc-
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tober, 1775, compelling many women and children to seek shelter in hastily constructed huts at the beginning of a severe northern winter. Among these was Edward Preble, then only fourteen years of age, who was later famous as a captain in the American navy.
The harbors and inlets of the coast of Maine was such a favorite resort of these privateers, and of other American cruisers, that in 1779, the British determined to establish a military post near the mouth of the Penobscot River, in order to command these harbors and inlets. Bagaduce Neck, now Castine, was the point selected for the fort, and about nine hundred men were sent from Halifax to erect fortifications, Gen. McLane being the commander. The Americans fitted up a fleet of nineteen war vessels under Commodore Saltonstall, and sent them against McLane. Accompanying this expedition were twenty-four transports, and Cumberland County furnished a regiment that went on these transports, under the command of Col. Jonathan Mitchell of North Yarmouth. There were about one thou- sand of the troops in all, and four hundred marines and soldiers were landed on June 28th, and attempted to dis- lodge the enemy. A brilliant engagement resulted, and it is said that the enemy's works would have been captured if it had not been for the "stubborn wilfulness of Commodore Saltonstall." But nothing decisive resulted, and on August 14th, a British squadron appeared, and after a brief en- gagement routed and destroyed the American fleet. The soldiers made their way through the woods "to the Ken- nebec River, a distance of about thirty leagues, suffering great hardships and privations."
At the close of the Revolution, Massachusetts still re- tained possession of the whole territory known as the "Dis- trict of Maine," comprising what were known as the "three eastern Counties of Massachusetts," - York, Cumberland, and Lincoln. These Counties being separated from the remainder of the State by New Hampshire, "it was felt
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by some of the inhabitants that a separate government might possess many and great advantages." The situation, as viewed from both sides, is succinctly set forth as follows by Mclellan :
"Just emerging from the long, hard struggle with the mother country, the State debt was large, and of necessity taxes must be very heavy for quite a number of years to come; to the poor man this of course meant a good deal, particularly as thousands were already overwhelmed with debt. The seat of government was at a distance, and the expense of the journey such that, partly on account of this, in the year 1772, Gorham voted not to send a Repre- sentative to the General Court on account of poverty. For many years towns were accustomed to pay the expenses of their Representatives. Another thing of which they complained was, that in order to get papers necessary for evidence they were compelled to go to Boston where the records of the Supreme Court were kept; that it was a great expense to the poor, on whom it generally fell, to return executions so far ; that no Supreme Court was held in Lincoln County, and only one a year in York and Cum- berland. Many of the honorable, wealthy, and influential men also advocated the measure as being for the benefit and special interest of the entire community.
"On the other hand, the opponents of the measure, among whom were also to be found many men holding office, claimed that the people of Maine were ungrateful, that they had always received the best of care and many and great favors from the State Government, and that the power and force necessary to protect the District would be greatly weakened, if not altogether destroyed, by a separation at this time."
Disputes with the mother State were frequent, and soon after 1783, steps looking towards independence were taken. This tendency toward separation was increased by the fact that the inhabitants of Maine were Democratic in their
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political sympathies, and tolerated with difficulty the rule of Federalist Massachusetts. In the War of 1812, the District was left illy protected, and the whole territory east of the Penobscot was occupied by the British, and this tended to widen the breach still farther.
As early as 1785, on New Year's day, appeared in Fal- mouth (now Portland) the first number of the Falmouth Gazette and Weekly Advertiser, the first newspaper to be published in the District of Maine, and it was founded for the purpose of assisting the erection of the State of Maine, and in September, in the first year of publication, there appeared in it a call for a "Conference" upon the proposal of having a separate government. This call was without date or signature, but in response thirty-three delegates, representing twenty towns, met in Falmouth, on October 5th, 1785, and, after due discussion, it was voted to appoint a committee of seven, with Gen. Peleg Wadsworth as chairman, to draw up a circular to be sent to the different towns and plantations in the District, requesting them to send delegates to another convention, and in response to this request another convention was held on January 4, 1786, at which the matter was discussed at length, and a long statement of facts and grievances drawn up. The convention also voted that another convention be held at the same place the following September.
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