USA > Maine > Kennebec County > Hallowell > Historic Hallowell > Part 7
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Engine No. 1 was stationed at the Hallowell cross- roads, now Manchester Forks. The Hydraulion and Engine No. 2 were stationed in the city. In 1836 the Tiger was added to the department, and Company No. 4 was formed. For years these two hand engines con- stituted the fire department of Hallowell. The Lion was sold to Vinalhaven parties in 1875, her place being taken by the Torrent, purchased from a Bath private company. The early history of the department shows that there were three bucket machines, three hand machines, one chemical, and one steamer.
Old Fire House
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TIGER
TOPNE
Torrent Company
At a special meeting of the city government in November 1899, the ownership of the Fire Depart- ment building on the corner of Winthrop and Water Street was transferred to the Granite Lodge K of P. This sale made it possible to carry out the plan of converting the old city hall into Fire Department head- quarters.
The next important piece of equipment which was added to the Department was the steamer, which was capable of pumping 600 gallons per minute. This was purchased in 1880 and retired the Torrent and the Tiger from active fire-fighting duties. At this time the equipment in the department became horsedrawn. This continued until 1924 when the horses were retired and city trucks were used to tow the equipment. Later, in 1928, the department became independently motor- ized.
Horse Drawn Days
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Old Steamer
Women Saved the Town With Tiger Engine
ALLOWELL has always been very proud of its H fire department; but it should be remembered that late in the afternoon of July 3, 1863, the Town of Hallowell came very near to being wiped off the map.
Serious fire broke out on the business street, and a hotel known as the Exchange was burned to the ground. On that particular day, the firemen were off on an excursion, sailing on the steamer, Star of the East. A dozen or more women quickly rallied to the call of Major Rowell and, together with a few stray men, dragged the Tiger engine to the wharf. While one group of women manned the brakes in a fashion worthy of long practice and masculine muscle, another passed the buckets of water; and the town was saved even before the returning excursionists, who saw the blaze as they approached the wharf and jumped to the shore before the boat touched, could reach the scene of action.
Needless to say, the women were highly compli- mented on their work as volunteer firemen. Many of these women at the time were mere schoolgirls, but they were credited with saving the city from what could have been its most devastating fire.
The Cascade
Oldest Engine
HE CASCADE belonging to the Vaughan family T is believed to be the oldest fire engine in New England, if not in the United States. It was made by Merrick and Company of Philadelphia in 1819 for the late Dr. William Vaughan.
The wheels are only two feet high made of solid wood blocks banded with iron. To feed the machine, water must first be placed in tubs at either end by buckets and then forced through the hose by pumping. Water could be thrown sixty feet. The hose was made by hand of leather and riveted with iron.
--- V. P. Ledew
J.W.BROCK.
JOHNWCLARKE. TAILOR.
JOHN HOLLAND. TAILOR.
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Tiger Company
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The Town House
FOR four consecutive town meetings in 1828 it was voted to erect a "town house for the accommodation of the inhabitants in holding their meetings for the elec- tions and for other town purposes" at a rate of interest not to exceed 6% and amount not to exceed $4,000 to be paid at the rate of $600 annually. Samuel G. Ladd, Nathan Moody, Benj. Wales, David Wadsworth and Ichabod Nutter were appointed agents to act for the town in the matter.
Accordingly a lot was purchased by them from Thomas Fillebrown for $400. This was part of the Isaac Clark lot and the building erected is the one which now houses our Fire Department. Voting took place there in April 1829 and the selectmen were oc- cupying their office in it by July 1829.
Evidently, there was still doubt in the minds of some as to the wisdom of the town putting up such a building because at the very first meeting held there a committee was appointed to report on the advisability of the leas- ing or selling of part of the building. They reported "that all the first story except the room in the north west corner, and also the south half of the basement story with a privilege on the yard east of the building, should be leased for a term not exceeding ten years. That the first story, with the exception above men- tioned, when leased should be finished at the expense of the tenant under the direction of the Committee of the town."
H. K. Baker says in a newspaper article long ago that everything about the buildings was done in a wrong way. He believed that it should have been built on Water Street where the lower part could have been leased for stores. The walls cracked soon after erec- tion because part of the building was on rock and part was on made land where small vessels at a time of freshet "had been seen floating up a ravine or water course." He also criticized the architect for lack of symmetry in design because the placement of the win- dows on the north and south sides was not the same.
"The entrance was by two doors which led to a wide flight of stairs leading directly into the hall leaving so broad a passage way that it was impossible to heat the hall. The passage was afterwards enclosed by broad partitions giving the hall an awkward shape."
Mr. Baker boarded in a house just twelve feet south of the Town House about two years after it was built. He was sitting at the table at noon one day when an avalanche of snow came from the Town House roof through the dining room window depositing window, snow and all in the dining room.
But regardless of Mr. Baker's low opinion of the building it served the town for elections and town meet- ings for 20 years or more. The basement was used by the Fire Department and a mason rented part of it.
The first floor served for a school room and then subsequently for assessors' rooms, City rooms and a jail.
The building was also used by the Hallowell Lyceum in the years between 1830-1840. This was a group whose male members paid 50c each winter as dues to cover the expenses and the ladies paid nothing. Lec- tures were given every two weeks and discussions held in those weeks between. Although sometimes talks were given by citizens of neighboring towns most were given by local physicians, lawyers and ministers. The discussions were on current questions and all old and young took part in them. The Advocate of April 25, 1832 carried a notice that the next meeting would be held "in the Town Hall on Wednesday evening next at a quarter past 7 o'clock. Lecture by Mr. Merrick, On the Steam Engine." April 20, 1832 had been a dis- cussion evening with the "subject for discussion - What measures can be taken to increase the usefulness of the Public Schools in this School District?" This first Lyceum was discontinued in 1840. (A second was formed 12 years later.)
The Town House was also used by the Congrega- tional Sunday School for a time as well as by the Methodist for their services when they were remodel- ling their church. Miss Peabody of Boston held a kindergarten there for some time in the early thirties.
In July of 1853 the structure was remodelled and the stairs put on the outside. Since Hallowell had now be- come a city from this time the building was referred to as the City Hall. Dedication exercises were held on September 3, 1853.
Largely attended morning prayer meetings were held for several weeks in 1857 and 1858. It was also the scene of temperance meetings, concerts and other pub- lic exercises, dances, roller skating and polo games.
After the gift of the new City Building to the City by Eliza Clark Lowell this original Town House was con- verted into a Fire Station.
In retrospect it seems quite fitting that this spot which was the site of the first clearing made by Pease Clark in 1762 should be chosen for a town house for the activities of the citizens and as a place for town meeting -- our purest form of Democracy.
---- Katherine H. Snell
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GRANITE
Big Industry in the 1800's --- Granite Center of Maine
By Christine Crandall
THE FIRST GRANITE used in this part of Kenne- bec County came from the granite boulders which could be found within easy hauling distance from the little settlement of Hallowell. This stone was used as foundation stone, mill stones, and door steps. It was easily prepared and easily transported.
Granite was first quarried in Hallowell as early as 1815 according to Kingsbury's History of Kennebec County. It was used for the same things but the de- mand for stone was growing and the supply of boulders was running out, so any outcropping of granite was used for building material. Such an outcropping of granite was the Haines' Ledge on the western edge of Hallowell near the Manchester line.
Work here was not steady, however, and there were never more than 6-7 men working.
The cornice stones for Quincy Market in Boston came from this quarry between the years 1815-1827.
It is interesting to know that pieces of granite were quarried at this time without the use of blasting powder. The stone was split off with "rising" wedges.
The first instance of blasting powder being used is when the State House was built in 1829.
At first, only one charge of powder was set off at a time. This produced large, irregular masses of rock which had to be worked down to the proportions re- quired.
As the workmen became more familiar with the blasting powder, more elaborate methods of getting out stone were developed and the quarryman became a highly skilled workman.
One of the earliest buildings built entirely of Hallo- well granite was the State Capitol at Augusta, which cost $138,991.34. (7/4/29-1832)
Stone for this building came from the Haines Quarry.
The Haines Quarry was originally owned by John Haines. Later his son, Jonathan Haines, sold the property in 1828 to a group of Hallowell and Gardiner businessmen. One of these men, John Otis, obtained possession of it and when he died, the property was sold to A. G. Stinchfield, Esq., who in turn sold it to J. R. Bodwell, Charles Wilson, and William Wilson in 1865 and it became the North Quarry of the Hallowell Granite Company. The Southwest Quarry, known as
the Longfellow Quarry, was originally owned by Gov. John Hubbard and Samuel Longfellow. This property, too, was bought by the Hallowell Granite Company. Another quarry was owned in 1884 by Joseph Arche 1/2 mile northeast of the Bodwell holdings at the old Haines Ledge. This quarry remained independent. During the period from 1827-1832, none of the con- tracts let equaled the later ones of the Bodwell-owned company.
In 1847, the first stone sheds outside the quarry were erected on Clark's Wharf in the "Joppa" section of Hallowell.
During the period from 1847 to 1851, there was little activity in quarrying except for a brief flurry when the Kennebec and Portland Railroad Company started to build its line to Augusta. At that time, a quarry was opened on the Williams' lot off the "New Augusta" road to get out stone for railroad culverts.
In 1865, stone quarrying again started with new vigor with the arrival in Hallowell of Joseph R. Bod- well. Mr. Bodwell had successfully operated quarries at Vinalhaven and Fox Island. Under his direction, the stone sheds were enlarged to accommodate 40 cut- ters. The Haines Ledge was reopened and Hallowell was on its way to fame as the granite center of Maine.
1870 saw the stone sheds on Clark's Wharf destroyed by a freshet. To meet its reverses, the new Company reorganized from the Hallowell Granite Company to the Hallowell Granite Works in 1885 with J. R. Bod- well as president. Under Mr. Bodwell's leadership, the company made huge contracts and opened offices in Boston, Chicago, and New York.
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Cutting Shed at One of the Quarries
A GRANITE HILL QUARRY IN OPERATION
Until 1870, there had been no derricks used in get- ting out stone. Prior to this, stone was "simply split out and jacked up and loaded on a dray."
The Bodwell-controlled company invested in the lat- est and most modern equipment. Before the Bodwell era, stone had all been shipped by water. Now the Hallowell Granite Company bought two schooners, one the Jeremiah T. Smith, and another named Edward H. Smith. They were built in New Britain, Conn. The Edward H. was the larger. It was lost somewhere in the Caribbean during the Spanish American War. The Jeremiah T. was named after the Connecticut Oyster King and was commanded by Capt. Leslie Lyons of New Haven, Conn.
When the quarry first opened, oxen were the motive power in the quarry. They were superseded by mules and later by horses. During the last years of the quarry, a spur railroad line was installed in the quarry. The Maine Central Railroad also had extra long cars for some of the columns which were cut out of Hallo- well granite and shipped out of state.
Mr. Bodwell, then Governor, died December 15, 1887. After his death, his son, Joseph F. Bodwell, succeeded him as president.
In 1897, there were 500 men employed in the stone quarries and related work in Hallowell. 260 men were employed in the quarries alone.
From 1897 until 1904, there was a lag in the granite industry. In 1904, there was a boom in the business. At that time, many Italian and foreign-born artisans were imported to do the granite carvings for which the Hallowell Granite Works had contracted. From 1904 to 1906 was the heyday of the company. Hundreds of statues, columns, monuments, etc. were sent all over the U. S. from Hallowell. Carved statues were priced at $100.00 a square foot. However, this spurt of activity was not of long duration. In 1908, the granite interests saw their downfall approaching with the use of modern cement structures. There was a brief resurgence of spirit in 1909 when repairs were being made on the
State House. It was claimed at a Board of Trade din- ner on December 10, 1909 that "Hallowell's payroll was greater than any city in Maine." But between 1910-1930, there was a gradual decline and few note- worthy monuments were made.
Two other granite companies had short-lived periods of prosperity - H. L. Brown and Company 1909 and the E. E. Taintor Company 1902.
Now the quarries which are about 60 feet deep are idle and filled with water.
=
One of the loveliest buildings built by this method of getting out stone was our own State of Maine Capitol. It was built of Hallowell Granite and it was started in 1829 and completed in 1932. By October 21, 1830 Henry Sewall's diary notes "The pillars of the State House began to be raised" and the 25th the pillars of the State House all up.
A Hallowell man was the master builder for it and for the original State Hospital building. His name was John D. Lord and he lived in the house now owned by Leo Woodside.
The original State House was a pretty miserable af- fair. The roof leaked, the rooms were so cold that it was well nigh impossible to keep warm in them. There were frequent fires due to overheated chimneys.
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THE PRODUCT
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Group of Figures from the Hall of Records, N. Y.
The largest single contract was with the State of New York for the State Capitol in Albany. From the years 1867-1898 $25,000,000 was spent on this building.
Carving and Stone Sheds
Showing part of the overhead walk between the office and shed
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8 columns of granite were chiseled from the Granite Hill quarry, cut down to dimensions, fluted and finished. The col- umns were each 37 feet long when completed and weighed 371/2 tons. Hauled from the quarry to the station by 16-span horse teams. Shipped to N. Y. for N. Y. City "Hall of Rec- ords."
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Capital of a column used in building the New York Hall of Records. The completed carving was 5' to 6' tall. This was carved in Hallowell, finished in 1906. There were eight of these columns.
The first teamster is Linwood Keene. The two behind him are Ward and Sam Cottle. The man with the overcoat is Fitzherbert L. Hunt, the only one of the group now living.
Buildings Built of Hallowell Granite
Maine Old South Congregational Church, Hallowell Hubbard Free Library, Hallowell
State House, Augusta
Chicago, Illinois
Pullman Monument
Continental Bank
Marshall Field Bldg.
Post Office
Ohio Cleveland Post Office
Texas Sam Houston Post Office Gettysburg Monuments
Boston
Masonic Temple
National Shawmut Bank
Suffolk National Bank
Soldiers and Sailors Monument
New York Albany, State Capitol
New York City
American Surety Building
Hall of Records
American Express Building
Manhattan Bridge Plaza
New York County Court House
Bankers Trust Building
Annapolis, Maryland, Academic & Library Bldg.
Washington, D. C. Boundary Line Bridge last work done in quarry in 1930's.
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TRANSPORTATION .. by Schooner
By Oxcart
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By Train
HALLOWELL, GRANITE WORD MARCH 20.1914.
CITY PLANT.
THE CREWS
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مبد ئية
HALLOWELL GRANITE WORKS.
Quarry Men
Carvers
Back row, fourth from left, Pelligrini; fifth from left, Masciadri; front row: sixth from left, Ed Littlefield, Chelsea
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Blacksmiths
Back row, left to right: Gus Littlefield, Hiram Grindell, Verne Cooms, John Spear, William Niles. Front row, left to right: Hiram Vinal, Charles Littlefield
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OLD LOUDON HILL
The Walker Homestead
T "ODAY few people realize that Loudon Hill near the southern boundary of Hallowell was once the center of thriving industries. In the early days when the greater part of Maine was a dense wilderness and water was the main source of transportation, the Kennebec valley offered special advantages to men eager to earn a living. Most of the first settlers came from Loudon, N. H., a town about ten miles from Concord. Most prominent among these were Joseph and Miriam Smith, who had four sons, Daniel, Joseph, Isaac, and John, and two daughters. They started a shipyard on the bank of the river around 1790. Others came from Loudon to work there and soon this section received the name of Loudon Hill from their old home town.
As vessels were in great demand, this yard prospered and vied with the Grant and Springer yard at Bowman's Point. Many clipper ships were launched here, among which were the Belle Savage, the schooner, Indian Queen, and several packets which plied between Hallo- well and Boston for years, beginning as early as 1797. On one of these, Isaac Smith was the captain. Other ships sailed the high seas, around Cape Horn and to the Far East, bringing back treasures found in some of the old houses.
These pioneers built good and substantial houses, some of which have survived the effects of time. The first house on the hill was built by Joseph Smith on the corner of Water and Maple Streets and is now occupied by the family of Richard Norton, a descendant of one
of the early settlers. For years this was the only house between the hill and the Gardiner pottery. Captain Isaac Smith built the large house on Water Street op- posite the foot of Maple Street. This is still occupied by his descendants. Capt. Smith's daughter, Sophia, married Capt. Samuel Walker in 1833. After Capt. Smith died, in 1841, his wife, Olive, deeded the place to their daughter, Sophia, and ever since it has been known as the Walker House.
Capt. Isaac Smith had an artificial limb and got the nickname, "Peg Leg." Being a sea captain, he brought home many things of great interest, among which is a log of the Fair America which was kept in 1804. This is a huge book with canvas covers within which the daily records of the voyage are recorded with meticu- lous care.
Samuel Walker, Jr., married Emily Good, whose father, John Good, was a skillful iron-worker, an artist at his work in the foundry, as his trivets and fire-frames show.
A brother of Capt. Smith built the large house on Maple Street known as the Parmenter house, and an- other built the house now occupied by the Bonenfants.
One of the early settlers from Loudon, N. H., was Isaac Pilsbury, who came here in 1792. His daughter, Olive, married Isaac Smith. Another was Joseph Met- calf, who cleared a large farm which extended on both sides of Maple Street as far as Greenville Street and the Blaine Road. He built the spacious house on
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Maple Street now owned by Henry Norton. The Met- calfs had a son, Sleeper, who, like most boys, was not eager to work, but his mother insisted that he must do the milking. It is reported that Sleeper said, "When I grow up, I shall own but one cow and she will not give milk." He outlived his family and for many years stayed in the old house alone, living like a hermit. His two big barns, one on each side of the street, remained closed.
The women of those days were thrifty housewives, but one carried on a flourishing business. That was Sally Hinckley who lived in the house now owned by Mrs. Aurelia Peters. She made shoes for women and children, using leather soles and cotton tops. People came from miles around to get them. Children often came barefooted and went away proud of their new shoes.
Another business carried on successfully on Loudon Hill was tanning. This lasted longer than shipbuilding, which ended after the railroad was put through this section. The Hill was adapted especially for this pur- pose as it was situated between two brooks, one on the north and the other on the south side. Archibald and Eben Horne had tanneries on the north where Heald's Garage now is. Farmers roundabout raised sheep and furnished the skins which were converted into leather for shoes and harnesses. The tanning was done by hemlock bark or sumae, bark being used for outside leather and sumac for linings. Archibald Horne built the house now used as a convalescent home. Eben Horne built the house on Maple St. which has been occupied by his descendants.
On the brook at the south, Joseph Smith and Isaac Pilsbury built a dam to furnish power for a grist mill and bark grinding mill, which they installed. These were destroyed by a terrific tornado. E. P. Norton & Son had a wool shop and Frank Atkins, a tannery. Later, Henry Horne built a wool shop and bark tan- nery. His son, Edward, introduced taxidermy and in the hunting season many deer heads and bear skins were brought there to be set up for trophies.
Farmers cleared land on what is now Outer Maple Street and did a profitable business furnishing lumber, bark, and food stuffs for the other settlers. One going over that road today sees not farms, but stone quarries providing material for the highways and realizes what back-breaking work it must have been to make farms on top of ledges of solid rock. One such farm was owned by Montgomery MeCausland, who had five children, married a widow with five, and then had five more. To accommodate this family, he built the big- gest house on the road, but before he got it finished, all the children had left home.
There were no roads in those days, but only trails through the woods, making traveling dangerous. My grandmother used to tell the story of her mother's com- ing home from Hallowell, riding on horseback with a baby in her arms, when she heard a bear coming and had to flee for her life.
The first school was kept in a house. Later a schoolhouse was built on the site of the present build- ing. This is the third that has occupied the same loca- tion. In the early days, the children from over the river came across in boats or on the ice to attend this school. This was one of the district schools that pre- pared students for the old Hallowell Academy or for life.
The first church for these early settlers was built in 1803 on Bowman Street. This was never finished, but was a part of the Methodist eireuit.
Legends connected with Loudon Hill grew up, such as the story of the Smoking Pine which marks the site where the last of the Wawenoes, an Indian tribe, en- camped by the Vaughan Brook. The weirdest char- aeter on the hill was Unele Kaler, who was said to be able to control the weather. These legends have been preserved for us by Edward P. Norton and were pub- lished in book form in 1923. Mr. Norton was a scholarly man who often contributed articles for The Hallowell Register.
The early settlers of Loudon Hill were worthy citi- zens, industrious and enterprising. They left us a legacy of good homes and ideals of good citizenship. It behooves us to follow their example and to pay honor to them.
Rose Adelle Gilpatrick, 1961
(Editor's Note:)
Miss Rose Adelle Gilpatrick, born on March 14, 1869, was the only child of Thomas and Louise Springer Gilpatrick. She was a graduate of Hallowell Classical Academy and taught in the Academy for a year following graduation. She entered Colby College as a special student and then transferred to the Uni- versity of Chicago where she was graduated in 1896 with Phi Beta Kappa honors. Her Master's degree was received at Colby, and Miss Gilpatrick took special courses at Simmons and Harvard. For over twenty years she was Dean of Girls at Coburn Classical Insti- tute, followed by several years of teaching at Oak Grove School.
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