USA > Maine > Oxford County > Norway > Centennial history of Norway, Oxford County, Maine, 1786-1886, including an account of the early grants and purchases, sketches of the grantees, early settlers, and prominent residents, etc., with genealogical registers, and an appendix > Part 16
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the time it commenced business to the day of his death. The fourth of July was celebrated this year. The address was by Hon. Sidney Perham. The governor vote this year stood, Connor two hundred and eighty, Garcelon one hundred and twenty-seven, Smith one hundred and twenty-eight. A. Oscar Noyes, one of the leading business men in the village, died October 13th. He was the son of Captain Amos F. Noyes and grandson of Ward Noyes, an early settler. He was town treasurer at the time of his death. The first snow of the season came November 5th. The first number of the New Religion appeared the last week in November.
1879
Two thousand dollars were raised for support of schools, three thou- sand five hundred dollars for poor and town charges, and five thousand dollars for roads. Voted to set off E. E. Jewell from district No. 5, and annex him to district No. 3, for school purposes. The town agent was instructed to prosecute, at the expense of the town, all violations of the law relating to horse-racing in the village. At a special meeting holden on the 4th of April, it was voted to raise five thousand dollars, and subscribe the same for stock in the Norway Branch Railroad, and that the selectmen negotiate a loan of the amount, at a rate of interest not exceeding five per cent. The shoe factory paid off partly in gold in January, and some of the operatives mistook their quarter eagles for nickels ; gold had been out of circulation for more than fifteen years. Sylvanus Bartlett, a former resident of this town, son of Captain Josiah, died in Bethel, March 15th, aged eighty-six years and three months. He was born in Plymouth, Massachusetts. The question of the location of the railway station began to exercise the public mind in March. The Norway Reform Club celebrated its fourth anniversary, April 29th. The Norway Benefit Association, after being organized fifteen months, lost its first member, Timothy Quinn, April 9th. The Norway Branch Railroad Company organized under its charter in April. George L. Beal was elected President; Howard D. Smith, Treasurer; and Freeland Howe, Clerk; Directors, George L. Beal, John L. Horne, H. M. Bearce, J. O. Crooker, and W. H. Whitcomb. An important revival in connection with the Congregational Church was in progress
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during the winter and spring. The work of locating the branch rail- road was begun the first of May. Micah Upton, Esq., died May 7th, aged ninety-eight years, four months, and thirteen days ; an early settler. The Methodists laid the foundation of a new church in August. The remains of Anthony Bennett Crockett, formerly of this town, were brought from Newton, Massachusetts, for burial, August 8th. He was an Odd Fellow, and a member of the Relief Association. The vote for governor this year stood, for Davis, three hundred and thirty-six; Smith, one hundred and thirty-nine. The reunion of the First, Tenth, and Twenty-ninth Maine Regiments took place at Norway the last of September. These three regiments were officered in part by Norway men, and of the last two General Beal was colonel. There were many Norway citizens in the rank and file of these regiments. A street sprinkler was first used in the village this summer, and gave great satis- faction. The track was laid, and the first train came in over the Nor- way Branch Railway, the last week in October. Mrs. Sarah G., relict of the late Jeremiah Hobbs, died November 16th, aged eighty-nine years and nine months. She was the daughter of Samuel Goss, formerly of Rumford, and niece of the late Dr. Ebenezer H. Goss, of Paris, who was the son of Rev. Thomas Goss, of Bolton, Massachusetts.
1880
Raised two thousand dollars for schools, four thousand dollars for poor and town charges, and four thousand dollars for ways. The matter of sending Leonard Flint's son to the/school for deaf mutes, was left with the selectmen. It was voted to tax dogs. A special meeting was held June 5th, to attend to reports of selectmen on roads. The Norway Advertiser resumed its weekly visitations the first week in January. Tuesday, January 3d, the first regular passenger train came over the Norway Branch Railroad. A large number of railway officials and invited guests were present. The Light Infantry were placed under marching orders toward the last of January, on account of the threatened trouble growing out of the count out. About forty members responded, and were in uniform all day. The number of hands employed in the shoe factory in February, was three hundred and seventy. The number of cases shipped the second week in February, was two hundred and
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eighty-three ; pay-roll two thousand seven hundred and thirty-eight dollars. The Methodist Church was dedicated February 9th. Rev. C. C. Mason, presiding elder, was present, and other prominent ministers. For governor this year, Davis had three hundred and seventy-three votes, and Plaisted three hundred and twenty-nine. Amos French was attacked by foot-pads in Waterford, on the night of October 16th, a bag thrown over his head, and he was robbed of eighty dollars. Mighill Mason, formerly of Bethel, died November 5th, of paralysis. He was the son of Aaron Mason and grandson of Moses Mason, an early settler in Bethel and for many years in active business at Bethel Hill. Changes in the ownership and management of the shoe factory in November of this year, resulted in the loss of several good citizens who removed from town. Among others were Ivers L. Witherell, John H. Witherell, Charles H. Chase, and E. A. Watson. William Millett, the well-known and faithful hack-driver, died suddenly, December 14th. He was the son of John Millett, an early settler. Rev. E. E. Bacon severed his connection with the Congregational Church at the close of the year, and accepted a call to Saccarappa, to commence his labors there January 12th, 1881. A farmers' meeting of unusual interest was held in Norway, December 15th. Professor Jordan of the Maine State College, Professor Sanborn of the New Hampshire State College, and other leading agriculturists were present. December 20th, a most destructive fire occurred at the village, which destroyed a large amount of property. The fire was discovered in the rear of Hathaway Block about eleven o'clock in the evening. The building was occupied by the New Religion printing office, Jewett and Adams' cigar factory, Major H. R. Millett's meat market, and the boot and shoe store of J. F. Allen. A tenement house occupied by James Grant, was burned with its contents of furniture. Hathaway Block was destroyed, but some of the contents were saved in a damaged condition. Other buildings in the vicinity were more or less damaged. The upper part of Hathaway Block was occupied as tenements, and the building became a total ruin.
1881
Voted to raise two thousand fifty dollars for schools, four thousand dollars for poor and town charges, and five thousand dollars for high-
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ways and bridges ; also voted three hundred dollars to put a roof over Crooked River Bridge. It was voted to have a new appraisal of the property of the town, to be made by the selectmen. At a special meeting March 28th, a committee was chosen to investigate the upper dam, consisting of the selectmen, and at an adjourned meeting April IIth, the committee reported the bulk-head gates in bad condition, and that the flume may hold through the spring, provided the water be kept down to the top of the main dam, and the report recommended that the selectmen call the attention of the state commissioner thereto, as provided by law. The report was accepted. At a special meeting September 12th, several roads were reported and accepted. The town lines were perambulated in November of this year. Measures were taken at the beginning of the year to rebuild Hathaway Block, destroyed by fire December 20th. Rev. Mr. Hooper commenced to preach for the Universalist society January 2d. A defective chimney caused the loss by fire of Thomas H. Richardson's buildings, March 15th ; loss fifteen hundred dollars, and an insurance of two-thirds that amount. The New Religion paper appeared again in April, after a somewhat protracted vacation. A convention of reform clubs was held here the last week in April. The electric fluid entered the shoe factory during a shower the last of July, and acted in a characteristic manner. It played around the machines, but did no serious damage. E. C. Allen took charge of the Beals Hotel this year. The Norway Adver- tiser, after having absorbed the Comet, was changed to Oxford County Advertiser in September by its publishers, Messrs. Drake and Meserve.
1882
Voted for support of poor, and for other town expenses, four thou- sand dollars; for schools, two thousand and fifty dollars; and for roads and bridges, five thousand five hundred dollars. The highway surveyor in district No. I was instructed to expend his money in building plank sidewalks. At a special meeting April 22d, it was voted that the town will pay three hundred dollars per year for the use of a suitable hall, for a term of ten years, with the right of extending it ten years longer, said hall to be used for an armory, and for other town purposes. At a special meeting January 20th, 1883, W. H. Whitcomb, John L. Horne,
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and H. M. Bearce were chosen a committee to lease the shoe factory to B. F. Spinney and Company for a term not less than five years, on the best terms they can make for the town. John M. Jackson was severely injured by an accident on the Boston and Maine Railroad, in January. He was brought to the village, and remained there for a time for medical treatment. Alvah Black, Esq., whose residence was at Paris, but who had a law office here in connection with Mr. Holt, died in January, very suddenly. A post of the Grand Army of the Republic was organized here in March. William Frost 2d, President of the Nor- way National Bank, died in April. He was a much esteemed citizen, and a very efficient officer of the bank. The directors passed reso- lutions of respect to his memory. Timothy Walker, of Rumford, another director of the bank, died this spring. A very destructive fire occurred at the village April 21st, destroying property to the amount of twenty thousand dollars. The fire commenced in a room over the Advertiser office, in the attic of Mason's block. There was a light north wind, and the flames spread with great rapidity. The buildings burned were Mason's block, Hathaway's block, C. B. Cummings' stave mill, the pancake shop, machine shop, foundry, Joel S. Frost's barn, the carriage shop, Cole's carding-mill, a tenement house, and a paint shop. The fire was stopped on the north by Main Street, on the west by the cigar factory, on the east by a small tenement house, and on the southwest it swept away everything to the open field. The principal parties sustaining loss were Mason Brothers, L. L. Howard, cemetery work; Drake and Meserve, printers; Upton and Otis, law office; the Norway Light Infantry; Hiram L. Libby, carriage maker; H. E. Mixer, S. L. Crockett, drug store; G. C. Farnsworth, furniture ; C. B. Cummings, shop, stave mill, and pancake shop; Joel S. Frost, barn ; and George Cole, carding-mill. It was a staggering blow to the village, but with characteristic energy, the losers began at once to take meas- ures to rebuild. Simon P. Everett died of paralysis, June 25th, aged sixty-five. Seven hundred names appeared on the voting list this year. The salary of the postmaster of the village was increased this year to twelve hundred dollars. The vote for governor this year was, Robie, three hundred and forty-seven ; Plaisted, three hundred and one.
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1883
It was voted to raise four thousand dollars for the support of poor and other town charges, and twenty-five hundred dollars for schools. Five thousand dollars were raised for repair of roads and bridges. Mr. F. W. Sanborn assumed control of the Advertiser, and commenced a new volume January 5th. The number of taxable polls as returned by the assessors in May, was six hundred and eighty-six, a gain of fifty-three from last year ; taxable property, nine hundred and six thousand two hundred and fifty-two dollars, a gain of thirty-seven thousand four hundred and thirty-one dollars in one year. The first rent on the shoe factory was received this year, the amount being five hundred dollars. Levi B. Rawson, who resided in this town and also in Paris, received fatal injuries, at Billings' saw-mill, South Paris, May 23d. A pile of logs near where he was standing gave way, and carried him into the water. Both legs were broken, and he also received internal injuries of which he died the same day. Paris joined with Norway in the memorial services this year. The pay-roll in the tannery for the month of May was three thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight dollars and fifty-three cents. A lodge of Good Templars was organized in Grange Hall, June 29th. Rev. W. W. Hooper closed his labors with the Universalist Church in September. He had accepted a call to Mechanic Falls. The safe in the depot was blown open by burglars on the night of October 23d. The thieves only secured about seventy dollars.
1884
Four thousand dollars were voted to defray expense of poor and other town expenses, twenty-one hundred dollars for the support of schools, fifteen hundred dollars in money for the repair of roads, and three thousand dollars to be expended in labor on the highways. It was voted to have the history of Norway written for the centennial of the settlement of the town, and seven hundred dollars were raised toward defraying the expenses of the same. George L. Beal, Marcus F. Brooks, and Henry Upton were chosen a committee to contract for writing and publishing the history of the town and to superintend the work. It was voted to appropriate the sum of fifty dollars toward the observance of Memorial Day. The town clerk having been elected to
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the Legislature in accordance with the provisions of law, Charles G. Blake was appointed clerk pro tempore, and duly qualified.
1885
Voted to raise three thousand five hundred dollars for the support of the poor, and for town charges, two thousand five hundred dollars for schools, one thousand dollars for town debt, one thousand dollars cash for repair of roads and bridges, and three thousand five hundred dollars in labor to be expended in repair of roads and bridges. The golden wedding of Moses, Parsons, son of the early settler, was observed November 10th. The house and other buildings owned by Charles A. Stevens, and occupied by William M. Russell, situated on Upton Ridge, were burned in August. The Norway Brass Band was reorganized this year. The following officers were elected: President, C. W. Horne; Vice-president, George Cleaves; Secretary and Treasurer, A. D. True ; Leader, A. E. Norseworthy. The contract for a water supply for the village was made this year. Daniel Cummings, the only surviving son of Major Jonathan Cummings, formerly of Norway, died in Tuscum- bia, Missouri, July 14th. His mother was Joanna, daughter of Major Jedediah Cobb, of Gray, and sister of the wife of William Reed, of Norway. Daniel Cummings, when a boy, lived with his brother-in-law, Josiah Little, of Minot. In 1836 he went to Missouri, where he was married and raised a family. He was enterprising, and a man of ten- der and refined feelings. He was greatly respected in his new home. Among the deaths this year were: May 2d, Silas Shedd, who was the oldest person in town; four generations of his descendants attended his funeral; IIth, Mrs. Newell A. Trafton, aged thirty-eight; 17th, Hezekiah E. Brown. July 16th, Rodolphus Young, aged fifty-five. August IIth, Mrs. Aurelia Pierce, aged sixty-eight ; 23d, I. D. Millett, aged sixty; 31st, Margery F., wife of Thomas G. Brooks, aged sixty- seven. September 11th, Mrs. Lizzie Johnson, aged thirty-four ; 13th, Mrs. Rose N. French, aged twenty-three. October 10th, Mrs. Cora E. Bean; 31st, in Portland, Dorothy S., widow of Amos Millett, and daughter of William Reed, formerly of Norway; same date, John S. Shedd, aged eighty-nine years. November IIth, Mrs. A. J. Downer, aged sixty-three.
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1886
The annual meeting occurred on the first day of March. Charles G. Mason was elected town clerk. At an adjourned meeting March 6th, it was voted to raise two thousand five hundred dollars for schools, interest on town debt, and town charges, and two thousand dollars to be paid on the town's debt. It was also voted to raise two thousand five hundred dollars for the support of schools, and one thousand five hundred dollars for the repair of roads. Fifty dollars were raised to assist in the observance of Memorial Day. It was voted to tax dogs. The selectmen were instructed to close the fiscal year on the 31st day of January of each year, and publish their report by the 15th of February. At an adjourned meeting on the 3d of April, it was voted to choose a committee of three to solicit funds to aid in the centennial celebration of the town, and Ephraim H. Brown, Charles G. Mason, and C. F. Lord were chosen that committee. At a meeting May 15th, George A. Cole was appointed a committee to canvass the town for the above purpose, and it was voted that all money raised for this purpose should be paid over to the town treasurer, and paid out by him by order of the centennial committee, approved by the selectmen. The cen- tennial committee chosen in 1885 was discharged from any further ser- vices, and at an adjourned meeting May 22d, it was voted to raise a committee consisting of twelve persons to make arrangements for, and have charge of the centennial celebration. The following were chosen as this committee: Freeland Howe, Ephraim H. Brown, E. A. Morse, John L. Horne, George A. Cole, George E. Gibson, John R. Sanborn, Charles Partridge, Rollin Town, William H. Whitcomb, and Nathan W. Millett. This committee organized by the choice of Freeland Howe, president, and Ephraim H. Brown, secretary.
A reception was tendered, May 11th, to Governor Frederick Robie and his military staff, at the Norway Hall. A supper was provided at the Beals Hotel, which was partaken of by the Governor and staff, and by a large number of citizens and invited guests. The Norway Light Infantry paid their repects to the commander-in-chief, and passed in review before him and his staff. Dancing and other amusements fol- lowed the supper, and everything passed off to general satisfaction.
Memorial Day was duly observed by Henry Rust Post, the citizens
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generally taking part in the exercises. The water-works contracted for in November last were constructed during the summer of this year. A more extended account of this important enterprise is given in another place. On the night of August IIth, the safe in the office of Charles L. Hathaway was blown open and completely demolished by burglars. Some papers were badly burned, but there was nothing in the safe that could be of any value to any one but the owner. The Seventeenth Maine Regiment had a reunion in Norway the 18th of August. Quite a number of Norway men served in that gallant regi- ment, as the military records found elsewhere will show. The centen- nial of the settlement of the town was celebrated September 8th. It was an imposing affair, and worthy the occasion and the town. A full report of the proceedings will be found in the appropriate place. Among the deaths this year were: January 12th, Eleanor, widow of James Smith, aged ninety-two years; 13th, Mrs. Andrew Haseltine ; 17th, Deborah Proctor, aged thirty-four; 23d, Susan Bailey Tenney, widow of Mark P. Smith, aged sixty-eight years. She was born in Weare, New Hampshire, November 15th, 1818, and was married to Mr. Smith January 23d, 1842. She was a sister of Rev. Timothy J. Tenney, formerly of Norway. May 10th, Mrs. Elisha Barrows, aged eighty; 13th, Moses W. Judkins, aged thirty-seven; 21st, Mrs. Adaline Millett, wife of Luther F. Pike, aged seventy-nine; Mrs. Carrie I. Ken- dall. June Ioth, Blanche Buck, aged eighteen years. July 23d, Mrs. Mary Bartlett, widow of the late Mighill Mason, of this town, aged sixty-seven. She was the daughter of Jonathan Bartlett Jr., of Bethel, and grand-daughter of Jonathan Bartlett, of Newton, Massachusetts, one of the first settlers in Bethel. Helen M. Andrews died August 24th, aged forty. Among the deaths in September were the following : September 2d, Henry Pike, aged about ninety years ; Joseph Bullen, aged sixty ; IIth, David Knapp, Esq., aged seventy-seven. He was formerly of Rumford, and was early identified with the temperance cause in Oxford County ; Henry B. Hosmer, aged fifty-six.
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CHAPTER XVI.
ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY.
WHEN the town of Norway was settled, and for several years after, the standing order, as it was called, was the Congregational Church. In all the earlier grants by Massachusetts of Maine lands for settling purposes, reservations were made for educational purposes and for the ministry, and the standing order was generally specified as the one to have the benefit of such reservation. But as time passed, and religious ideas became more liberal, the "standing order" restriction was omitted from these land reservations, and the first settled minister was made the beneficiary. The first settled minister in Paris was Elder James Hooper, and the ministerial lands were assigned to him. The town of Norway was not granted for settling purposes, consequently there were no reservations for school or minister. The early settlers petitioned the General Court for a grant for these purposes, but their request was not complied with.
Under the laws of Massachusetts at this period, every town having a certain specified number of inhabitants was required to have a certain amount of preaching each year, and the freeholders were taxed for that specific purpose. Under the older statutes, the standing order alone was regarded as coming within the meaning of the law, but subsequently other religious denominations were recognized, and whenever a relig- ious society, other than that of the standing order, was organized in a town, the members were permitted to draw the amount of their minis- terial tax from the town treasurer, and apply it to the purposes of their own society. This privilege was granted only after years of persistent efforts, opposed as it was by the interests of the standing order, and the fact that it was granted at all indicates the substantial progress of liberal ideas. In order to draw the money from the treasury, it was required that the pastor of the society and a majority of the committee should certify to the selectmen that the person desiring the drawback
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was a member of the church or society to which he desired the money to be paid, and the selectmen thereupon directed the treasurer to pay it over. This rule applied to Baptists, Universalists, and Methodists, in fact, to all denominations except the Congregationalists. In process of time, the ministerial or church tax was abolished, and religious societies, as now, came to be supported by voluntary contributions.
UNIVERSALISTS.
When the town of Norway was settled, the distinctive doctrines of the Universalists had not been preached in this State, and not long in the country. Rev. John Murray, the first Universalist minister in this country, came in 1770, and preached his first sermon on the 30th of September of that year, in New York City. In 1772 he visited New England, and in 1775 he was appointed chaplain of the Rhode Island regiments, but failing health compelled him to leave the army. In 1776 he settled in Gloucester, Massachusetts. Some of the early set- tlers of Norway came originally from Gloucester and vicinity, had listened to the preaching of Mr. Murray, and embraced the Universalist faith. Among these were Anthony and Nathaniel Bennett, Benjamin Witt, Samuel Ames, and Joseph Rust. In Paris also were a few Uni- versalists, among whom were General Levi Hubbard, Daniel Staples, and Josiah Bisco. The Baptists were strong in Paris, and the Congre- gationalists in Norway, and not wishing to be taxed for the support of these denominations, a few families in each of the two towns made arrangements to organize a society of their own faith. Rev. Thomas Barnes had preached in Worcester County, Massachusetts, and also in Gloucester, and several of the early settlers of Paris and Norway had heard him. In 1798 an effort was made to have him come to Maine, and form a circuit, of which Norway should form a part, and the follow- ing paper from the original records of the society shows when the movement began in this town : -
November 20th, 1798.
Whereas it is contemplated, as a matter of publick utility and advantage, to have the Doc- trine of the Grace of God dispensed among mankind for their mutual comfort and edification, that they thereby understand the nature and character of their Creator God, may be led to put their trust in him at all times, and thereby feel their hearts inclined to love him, and one another, and not only view in prospect, but know in reality how good and pleasant it is for
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