USA > Maine > Cumberland County > Harrison > Centennial history of Harrison, Maine > Part 8
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The third convention was duly convened at Falmouth on September 4, 1786, with the same officers that served at the preceding meetings, and resolved that the statement of grievances, as put forth by the last convention was in the main as represented, and that the only remedy lay in the District having the power to make its own laws. A committee was appointed to draw up a petition to the General Court asking that Maine be set off into a separate and independent State; and the committee was also to prepare an address to the several towns in the District, asking them to assemble and act upon the subject, and make
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returns of their votes to the convention when it should re- assemble. On the re-assembling of the convention on Jan- uary 31, 1787, it was found that 1,004 votes had been cast, of which number 645 favored separation and 359 were opposed. The petition to the Massachusetts Legislature was not sent until the following year, and it ended in failure.
Other attempts were made in 1791, 1792, 1795, and 1797, all ineffectual, and in 1792, a vote taken in the various towns resulted in a majority against separation. Little more seemed to be done until after the War of 1812, when the subject was brought up afresh, and the General Court voted that a vote be taken in the towns and plantations of the District on the question: "Shall the Legislature be re- quested to give its consent to the separation of the District of Maine from Massachusetts, and the erection of the said District into a separate State?" If five-ninths of the votes favored separation, a convention of delegates to be chosen at the same time was to meet in Brunswick, and proceed to form a State Constitution. The vote was taken on the first Monday in September, 1816, and the result was, 11,969 yeas, and 10,347 nays, and so the measure lacked the nec- essary five-ninths of the votes. Harrison had become a voting power at that time, and had nearly one hundred voters, but did not seem to take a very lively interest in the matter, as the vote was twenty-three in favor and fif- teen opposed. The convention of delegates met the same as if separation had received the number of votes needed, and, being very largely in favor of a separate State, adopted the report of a committee in which it was attempted to show by a system of reasoning that would shame some of the modern politicians, that five-ninths of the votes were really in favor, but the General Court declined to give heed to any such proof, and dissolved the convention.
The next attempt was made in 1819, and it proved to be the final one. About seventy towns petitioned the Legis- lature on the subject, and on June 19th, a law was passed
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consenting to a separation, provided that the measure should receive a majority of fifteen hundred votes. On the fourth Monday in July, the vote was taken, and resulted in a majority in favor of separation much larger than was re- quired by the law, thus settling the long fought contest. The vote of Harrison at this election was forty in favor of separation to two opposed, showing that less than half of the voters had taken sufficient interest to appear at the polls.
The next step was for the people of the corporate towns to choose delegates to a convention to be holden in Portland, for the purpose of forming a State Constitution. Col. Amos Thomes was the delegate from Harrison. The con- vention met on October 11, 1819, and a committee of thirty- three selected from the different counties was chosen to draft the constitution, John Holmes, one of Maine's most distinguished sons, being the chairman of the committee. The constitution was completed and signed on October 29, and submitted to the people on the first Monday in De- cember, when it was ratified by a very large majority, Har- rison casting nineteen votes in its favor, with none opposed. Thus ended finally a contest of thirty-seven years standing, and it seems to have been settled without leaving hard feelings behind. Governor Brooks of Massachusetts al- luded to the matter in his annual message, speaking in al- most affectionate terms of the harmony that had prevailed between Massachusetts and her "foster child," and closing as follows :
"But the time of separation is at hand. Conformably to the memorable act of June 19th last, the sixteenth day of March next will terminate forever the political unity of Massachusetts proper and the District of Maine; and that District, which is bone of our bone, and flesh of our flesh, will assume her rank as an independent State in the American Confederacy."
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Congress admitted the new State to the Union on March 4, 1820, and as March 15th was the date of the termination of its connection with Massachusetts, Maine became an independent State on March 16, 1820. It is said that the separation of Maine from Massachusetts was hastened by the contest over the admission of Missouri to the Union, it being necessary to have a northern State to admit in order that the balance of power be preserved. The new State had a population of 298,335, thus showing an increase of nearly 70,000 in ten years, notwithstanding the ravages of the "War of 1812," and the fact that the celebrated "Ohio Fever" is estimated to have taken from ten to fifteen thousand from our population. There were 236 towns, embraced in the counties of Cumberland, Hancock, Lincoln, Kennebec, Oxford, Penobscot, Somerset, Washington and York.
Since Maine became an independent State in 1820, most of her history is well known to the casual reader, but the events of the "Madawaska," and "Aroostook" wars are somewhat obscure in history, although they came very near to be "stern realities" for a time. Historical authorities are by no means agreed as to the facts in regard to these events, but the following brief statement seems to be cor- rect :
By the vague and indefinite wording of the Treaty of Peace, of 1783, between the United States and Great Britain the northeastern boundary of Maine became a matter of dispute, each side claiming a large tract of land. In 1829, the matter was referred to the King of Netherlands for ar- bitration, and he tried to please both parties by "splitting the difference," and making a line about half way between the two lines, thus endeavoring to establish a line which did not satisfy either party, and which Maine would not accept, nor the United States Senate ratify. When the "surplus revenue" was distributed in 1837, the United States agent that went to Madawaska to take the census and distribute the money was twice arrested, which led to the calling out
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of the militia by the State authorities, and threatening conditions for a time. A message from President Van Buren caused the freeing of the agent, and the averting of serious trouble, thus ending the "Madawaska War."
Again, in 1839, the plunder of valuable timber lands by trespassers from New Brunswick led to the attempt by Maine forces to drive away the timber thieves and destroy their camps. There was a collision, Governor Harvey of New Brunswick at once announced that British soil had been invaded and called out the militia. Maine volunteers rushed to the spot, the State Legislature appropriated $800,000, and a draft of 10,343 militia was ordered at once. War was imminent, and in short order, 10,000 Maine troops were marching towards the "seat of war" through deep snow and freezing gales.
The National Government was roused, and Congress at once passed an act authorizing the President to raise 50,000 troops, and appropriated $10,000,000 to defray the expense. Gen. Scott and his staff proceeded at once to Augusta, he being "charged with maintaining the peace and safety of the entire northern and eastern frontier." Although he had 30,000 troops at his immediate call he did not "let loose the dogs of war," but acted as peacemaker; and through his efforts a settlement was made which brought peace, and caused the release of all prisoners. Both sides made mu- tual pledges, the militia disbanded and returned to their homes, and the bloodless "Aroostook War" was ended.
This settlement was only temporary, however, and the boundary was not finally settled until 1842, when the "Ash- burton Treaty" was drawn by Lord Ashburton and Sec- retary Daniel Webster. By the terms of this treaty, Maine released to the British authorities a large tract of land, said to have been of "but little value," in return for which the National Government received "land of more value" else- where, and paid the State of Maine $150,000 for the sur- render, and $200,000 for the expense incurred in "defending the integrity of American territory."
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CHAPTER II.
SCRAPS OF EARLY TOWN HISTORY.
M R. Fernald, in his "Historical Address," has given the history of the formation of the town so fully that anything more in relation to it would be but little more than repetition, therefore we will begin our relation of town history by telling of some of the doings of our forefathers immediately after the new town was incorporated, as set forth by the records.
POWDER HOUSE. - In the olden times when there was militia and trainings it seems that each town had to keep on hand a store of military stores, such as powder, flints, camp kettles, and balls, and powder houses, or magazines, had to be constructed in which to keep these stores, though it seems that they were sometimes deposited elsewhere, as I have before me as I write an ancient memorandum in which it is stated that powder, balls, flints, and kettles have been deposited in the meeting-house in Otisfield. One of the early needs of Harrison seemed to be a magazine, and on June 10, 1808, it was voted "to raise $45 to procure a magazine." It appears that the magazine was not "pro- cured," and on April 10, 1810, it was voted "to raise $125 for a magazine and other town purposes." On November 20, 1817, it was voted "to build a house to deposit the town's stock of powder in; said house to be eight feet square and six feet high, with a hipt roof, to be built with hewed timbers six inches thick; to clapboard said house with split clapboards, to shingle the rough, and to paint said house with Spanish Brown."
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It seems that this powder house was duly built as voted, and that it "was set in Samuel Scribner's pasture," that being opposite to where W. H. Briggs now lives, and so far from the road that its top was barely visible. This house was standing within the remembrance of many of our inhabitants, but has since gone to decay.
POUNDS. - After the building of the first Town House in 1807, it seems that one of the most important things that the town had to grapple with was the care of stray cattle, and from some of the votes that we find recorded it ap- pears that all cattle were allowed to run at large at times, though the voters were inclined to make the owners restrain the swine and horses.
In olden times every town had a "pound," that is, "an enclosure for confining cattle or other beasts when taken trespassing, or going at large in violation of law," and there was a "pound keeper" to care for the imprisoned animals, as well as "field drivers" and "hog reeves" to gather them in. These officers are unknown at the present time, and the pounds have gone out of existence, except as the old ruins are seen, like the remains of some small fortification.
As early as 1811, our voters began to legislate in regard to stray stock, and at the annual meeting of March IIth, of that year it was voted "to build a pound 25 feet within board, of round logs locked together, and that it be 7 feet high." Tradition has it that the pound was built as di- rected, but it seems that it did not prove to be very sub- stantial, and on November 2, 1818, the town voted "to build a pound, and set it on Morrill Hobbs's land by his gate ad- joining the country road; that it be of rock, 28 feet square within the walls; the walls to be 3 ft., 6 in. thick at the bottom, and I ft., 6 in. at the top; to be 5 ft., 6 in. high, and to have a hewn timber 12 in. square on top of the wall. The door, 3 ft. wide to be built of plank framed into posts, one post to have an iron gudgeon set into a stone sill; the other side post for the door to shut against to set in like
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manner." - Also voted that "said pound be built this month;" and to "give Morrill Hobbs $50 if he build and complete it according to this vote."
It appears that this pound was built according to con- tract, and that it proved so solid and substantial that its ruins are to be seen to this day, even to the remains of the 12 in. timbers that were placed on the top of the walls.
It seems that from time to time attempts were made to have the town vote to allow stock to run at large, and on March 19, 1821, it was voted that "horses and swine be not allowed to run at large." At the same meeting it was voted "to have Capt. Foster's hog yard for a pound at the south part of the town, and that Capt. Foster be pound keeper for the lower end of the town." April, 1823, it was voted "that horses and swine shall not run at large." March I, 1824, it was voted "not to prohibit neat cattle from going at large on the common and highway not under the care of a keeper." On April 3, 1825, it was voted that "Amos Thomes's barn and yard shall be a pound for the present year," and a similar vote was passed in 1827.
TOWN HOUSES .- Mr. Fernald has told us that the first town house was built in 1808, at a cost of $100, but there is an error in the statement as to where it set. It seems that it set very near to the corner, and on the westerly side of the road, and it is said that the spot can be seen at the present time. It appears that the house was such as to satisfy the desires of the voters until 1825, when the matter of building a new one was brought up in the town meeting held on April 16th, and the records show the following votes :
"Voted, To build a town house near the mouth of the road leading from Mr. Thomas Cummings's to Esq. Oliver Peirce's, on the east side of the country road leading by the said Peirce's house."
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"Voted, To build the house 15 rods, or near that distance, south of Oliver Peirce's dwelling house on the east side of the country road."
"Voted, To accept the spot of ground of Oliver Peirce, Esq., at his proposals, which are as follows, viz .: The town to have the use of one-fourth of an acre so long as said town shall wish to occupy said spot for a town house to stand upon, they to relinquish his proportion of a tax to build and support the same."
"Voted, To build the town house 28 feet wide, 36 feet long, and 10-foot posts."
"Voted, To build the house, finish the outside, under- pin the same with split stone not hewn, lay the floor, and block up the cross sills; the said house to be finished ac- cordingly on the first day of November next. The com- mittee shall be authorized to make a plan of the town house and notify the Selectmen, and they shall call a meeting to vendue the house which is to be built, and also to vendue the old house."
There seemed to be some strange delay, and no meeting was called until September 12th, and in the proceedings of that meeting we find the following votes :
"Voted, To build a town house."
"Voted, To vendue the building of the town house to the lowest bidder."
"Voted, To reconsider the vote passed April last, by which the house was to be finished, November Ist, and to build and finish the same on or before the first of September next."
"Voted, To have the outside of said house finished, the floor laid, and the house underpinned agreeable to the vote of April 16th, last."
"Voted, To finish the inside of the town house by raising the floor one third of the length of the house at each end, with as many rows of seats, well laid, as can conveniently
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be placed upon that part of the floor which is raised; and ceil the inside of the walls with good merchantable boards to be halved together; and build a convenient desk for writing and doing town business in, to be ten feet long and as wide as necessary for convenience, to be raised two steps ; to have five 24 square windows, two in front of the house, one on each end, and one on the back side; to have window shuts on the outside of good merchantable boards, to be hung with iron hinges; that the timber for the town house shall be according to the dimensions which the com- mittee shall give to the undertaker."
"The building of the town house was struck off to Jacob Emerson at $257." It was voted that "the house shall be built and finished in a workmanlike manner to the accept- ance of the committee chosen to inspect the same," Naph- thali Harmon, Benjamin Carsley, and Amos Thomes being the committee. The old house was sold to Simeon Caswell, for $15.25. It appears that the house was built and ac- cepted, was used for all town purposes, as well as for holding many town fairs, until 1871, when it was torn down after the town had voted to build the present house at the Village.
THE SURPLUS REVENUE. - Harrison's portion of the "Surplus Revenue" which was distributed by the United States to the several States in 1837, was a bone of con- tention for four years. It seems that a special meeting was held on March 30, 1837, to consider the subject, and decide what should be done with the town's proportion. It was voted that the town should receive its proportion of the said money, and Philip Eastman was chosen as the agent "to demand and receive the said money;" and it was also voted "to let the money, and expend only the interest for the use of the town, and that the money be let in sums of not over $100, nor less than $25." George Peirce, Went- worth Stuart, and Philip Eastman were the committee to let the money, and the said committee was to appoint its
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own treasurer and make a report of its doings at each - annual meeting. It was voted, "That an article be inserted in the warrant for the next annual meeting for town busi- ness, to see what they will do with the interest arising from this money." A special census of the town was taken by the Selectmen which showed that there was a population of 1,135, and this special census was used for the division of the surplus.
It appears that there was a great desire on the part of some of the citizens to have that surplus revenue "for their own use and behoof forever," and on July 5, 1837, a special meeting was held, "To see if the money shall be divided equally among the inhabitants, and let each head of a family have his or her proportion by making security to the town." It was voted, "That the committee be re- leased from the vote not to let the money in sums of less than $25, and that the next installment be let in sums as small as $10 to any townsman giving good security."
At the next annual meeting, held on March 5, 1838, when the article in relation to the interest came up it was voted to divide the same among the several school districts.
On April 30th, of the same year, a special meeting was held to see if the surplus should be divided among the in- habitants of the town, and it was voted not to divide it.
On October Ist, of the same year, a special meeting was held at the request of Philip Caswell and others, "To see if the town will vote to divide the surplus among the inhabi- tants of the town per capita," and the records tell us that the town decided "not to divide the money per capita by a vote of 87 to 58," and that the meeting was adjourned to the second Monday in September, 1839, at five o'clock P. M., evidently with the intention of stopping the calling of further special meetings in relation to the matter.
This move seems to have been effective, and nothing more is heard about the matter until the annual meeting in 1839, when it was voted, apparently without opposition, that the
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interest should go for the support of common schools, but at the annual meeting in 1840, a fight was made against letting the interest go for the support of the schools, and it was voted, "That the interest be divided per capita, and be credited to each person to whom payable on his or her tax for the present year, and those not taxed, or out of town, to receive their proportion out of the treasury."
Those who were so desirous to possess this money "for their very own" were so elated at their success in their fight for the interest that the contest for the principal was renewed at the annual meeting in 1841, and it was voted, "To distribute the surplus revenue, so called, among the inhabitants of the town entitled to a proportion, and to those out of town entitled to a proportion, according to the census taken in 1837, by which the money was drawn into the town."
"Voted, To choose a committee of three to collect and distribute the surplus revenue money, and that they be authorized to accomplish the same in such manner as they may deem proper, in as short a time as they can, not ex- ceeding one year from the first day of April next; and Philip Eastman, Wentworth Stuart, and John Dawes were chosen as that committee."
"Voted, That the committee collect the interest on the surplus revenue money up to April Ist next, and pay out principal and interest two dollars per head, and pay the balance into the treasury."
The original surplus received by the town was $2,322.
It may be interesting to know that in the September following the meeting at which the inhabitants voted to enrich themselves by paying out the surplus revenue per capita, there were demands against the town which could not be met, and at a special meeting called for the purpose it was voted to hire $300 to meet those demands.
CARING FOR THE POOR. - The records show that the olden methods of caring for the poor were entirely different from
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the humane ones that have been practiced for many years, and are very suggestive of a species of slavery. Below are given some of the votes found recorded on the old records :
March 1, 1819. "Voted, To put out two of George Ed- wards" children to some suitable place, or places, as the Selectmen think proper, and to provide a house for Edwards and family as soon as convenient."
April 5, 1819. "Set up George Edwards and family at vendue to the lowest bidder. Oldest child bid off by Mor- rill Hobbs at 65 cents per week; youngest by Morrill Hobbs, at 75 cents per week; Edwards and wife and one child bid off by Ahira Sampson at $1.70 per week."
October 30, 1819. "Voted, To pay Abraham Burnham $1.00 for support of Mrs. Brown's child till next March meeting, exclusive of cloath and doctor's bills."
April 1, 1820. "Voted, To put Mrs. Brown's child at James Watson's at four shillings and four pence per week, exclusive of doctor's bills. Mrs. Edwards was bid off by Enoch Whitney at 75 cents per week, he to have the use of her cow, bed, etc .; Olive Edwards was struck off to David Potter Kneeland at 43 cents per week; Mehitable Edwards was struck off to Hiram Willard at 9 cents per week. All of the above money to be paid quarterly."
March 5, 1821. "Voted, To set up poor at vendue. Mrs. Edwards bid off by Philip Caswell at 58 cents per week; Olive Edwards, by Daniel Moody at 35 cents per week; Mehitable Edwards, by Capt. Kilborn at 18 cents per week; Sally Edwards, by Solomon Libby at 8 cents per week; Polly Brown and youngest child, by Joshua Howard at 37 cents; and Selectmen to dispose of Mrs. Brown's two oldest children at their discretion."
September 10, 1821. "Set up Mr. Cates and wife to the lowest bidder. Bid off by John Brackett at $2.50 per week till next March Meeting."
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March 22, 1824. "Mr. Cates and wife struck off to Phinehas Thompson at $1.90 per week, to be victualed and clothed until next annual meeting, and proper attendance .- Relief Brown struck off to Joseph Fogg at 20 cents per week, to be victualed and clothed, and proper attendance. - Jane Gooding struck off to James Watson at 34 cents per week, to be comfortably cared for, the doctor's bills to be paid by the town."
April 4, 1825. "Voted, To vendue the poor in the usual way. That it be left to the discretion of the Se- lectmen to bind out Relief Brown if they think it best. * That to be left to the discretion of the Selectmen to take care of Jane Goodwin, or to bind her out."
Later on, in 1835, we find a case where one Samuel Wil- ley "agrees and promises comfortably to support, maintain, and provide for Abigail Hanscome and Patience Hanscome, daughters of Mr. George Hanscome, late of Harrison, de- ceased, he to provide all necessary meat, drink, lodging, and apparel, and to defray all necessary expenses for their support in sickness and in health during their natural lives," pledging himself, his "heirs, executors, or administrators to well and truly perform the conditions aforesaid," and mortgaging his farm to the town as security for the per- formance of the contract.
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