USA > Maine > Piscataquis County > Historical collections of Piscataquis County, Maine, consisting of papers read at meetings of Piscataquis County Historical Society, also The north eastern boundary controversy and the Aroostook War, V. I > Part 7
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During the fifties, this church was very prosperous. Its choir was led by Ann Holmes. Dr. Elliott played the violin, Isaac Plummer the bass viol, Gilbert Chandler the melodeon, and Mordecai Mitchell the clarionet.
The public exhibitions of Foxcroft Academy were often held in this church, and the building was used as a court house from 1838 to 1845.
In the winter of 1838, when the bill establishing Piscataquis County was before the Legislature, one of the
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objections to it was the expense of county buildings. To obviate this difficulty the proprietors of the Universalist church in Dover signed a written obligation that the county might use their church as a court house so long as desired, free of expense, provided that Dover be established as the shire town. They finished off a jury room in the church and cut down the pulpit so as to make a more convenient judge's desk, and took out two of the body pews.
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The first court held in the county was the session of the S. J. Court held in Dover in the Universalist meet- ing-house June 25, 1838. Nathan Weston, chief justice, presided.
The first term of the Court of Common Pleas held in Dover in the Universalist meeting-house convened Sep- tember 18, 1838, Judge David Perham presiding. Other justices who presided over this court in the meet- ing-house were Asa Redington, Anson G. Chandler, Frederick H. Allen.
The prosperity and prestige which have come to Dover because of its rank as the county seat are due to the far- seeing public spirit of the proprietors of this old church.
William W. Wilson, minister of this church from 1851 to 1856, lived in Foxcroft, in the house now known as the Pillsbury house. Some extracts from his diary are very interesting :
"December 17, 1851. Thermometer sixteen degrees below zero. Persons froze their faces in going a few rods.
"March 27, 1852. Snow four feet deep. Went out this morning with several children and spent two hours sliding down hill on a hand sled. Fine time; it revived the scenes of boyhood days.
"April 29, A. M., wrote sermon. P. M., walked six miles and made calls.
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"April 30, 1853. Opened the Court of Common Pleas with prayer, by request of the High Sheriff.
"February 19, 1854. Sunday. I felt obliged to rebuke certain noisy mirth-making persons in the singers' gallery, for their improper conduct during divine service today. Doubtless I gave offense, but I thought it was my duty.
"March 12, 1855. Town meeting. Unanimously elected Superintendent of Schools for the coming year.
"March 30, 1856. Close my labors with this parish today. Under God my labors have been measurably successful. Solemnized twenty marriages, attended fifty- five funerals, revived the observance of the communion and admitted five members to the church by water baptism."
But during these years that the church in Dover was flourishing, there was preaching of the faith in other towns in the county. In Milo, Sangerville, Guilford, Parkman and Abbot the faith was preached with more or less regularity.
Among the early settlers of Guilford were two Bennett brothers, who came from New Gloucester and had been identified with the Universalist movement there. Captain John Bennett died in Guilford in 1854, aged eighty-one, and of him it was written, "If every one believing our heavenly faith would do as Father Bennett did, the desert would rejoice and blossom as the rose." Joshua Buck, another early settler of Guilford, married Lovisa Barnes, daughter of Rev. Thomas Barnes, the first Universalist minister to settle in Maine.
Mr. Moses Carr, the oldest resident of Sangerville, now nearly ninety-nine years old, and who came to San- gerville as a young man, was also a Universalist.
At Sangerville, the Universalists owned some pews in the church built by the Baptists. At Guilford, Joseph
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Kelsey, Universalist, and Abel Curtis, Methodist, built a union or free meeting-house and sold the pews to get their pay. Mr. Kelsey was a member of the Consti- tutional Convention of Maine and held many offices in the gift of his town. Later Mr. Curtis sold his interest in the church to Mr. Kelsey. This building still stands in the village of Guilford, transformed into a dwelling- house. The land upon which it stands was deeded to the proprietors of the Guilford Free Meeting-house in 1834 by Jesse Washburn.
Amos A. Richards was the first minister to live in Milo. He was there in 1837, when the Dover church engaged him for six Sabbaths. An item in the Gospel Banner in 1838, states that the cause was in a flourishing condition in Milo at that time.
In 1838, the Maine Convention met at Sangerville. The invitation, published in the Gospel Banner, is signed by Barnabas Burseley. Some paragraphs from the invita- tion are of interest :
"You will meet at the convention a great multitude of people who have never attended a meeting of the kind, and many perhaps of whom have never been cor- rectly informed as to the doctrines which will be advanced on the occasion.
"The convention will be a new thing under the sun to many, and will excite an interest which would not be felt in an older part of the State. In no community more than in this is the spirit of inquiry abroad.
"Our friends from abroad, as they arrive in the village, will please call on Brothers Stephen Lowell and Moses Parshley who will conduct them to places of entertain- ment."
The minutes of the convention tell us that twenty- eight preachers and twenty-five delegates were present. The prophecy of the invitation that the occasion would
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excite much interest was fulfilled. Not half the people could get into the church. Simultaneous meetings were held in the church at Sangerville and in the schoolhouse, and on one day at Guilford. The first business meeting for organization was held at the home of Barnabas Burseley, and subsequent business sessions at the school- house. Three ministers were ordained during the session. Delegates named from this county were Joseph Kelsey, Guilford; A. S. Patten and J. Miller, Dover; B. Davis, Milo.
Rev. William A. Drew, editor of the Gospel Banner, describes his journey from Augusta to Sangerville. It was made by team, of course, and he was joined by others on the way. He speaks of the rich resources of the new county and is surprised to find the season two weeks behind Kennebec County. He declares that he shall long remember the convention both on account of the spiritual blessings and also on account of the brethren who enter- tained so hospitably.
No parish records have been discovered in either Guil- ford or Sangerville, so the only facts obtainable are the somewhat uncertain memories of the older people.
Rev. Charles Hussey is said to have been the first minister to live in Sangerville. This was about 1848 or '49. The names of Robert Blacker, A. A. Richards, D. T. Stevens, Nathaniel Gunnison and J. M. H. Smith are mentioned as preaching both at Guilford and Sanger- ville.
In 1843, the church at East Sangerville was built by the Baptists, Methodists and Universalists, and occasional services were held there by Universalist preachers. It was in that church that one of the good Methodist sisters made a famous mistake. She was accustomed to fan herself during service with a turkey-tail fan, and murmur gently as her favorite preachers discoursed, "Do,
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Lord. Do, Lord." But one day the preacher was a Universalist but no one had told the good sister, so she fanned herself as usual and murmured her approval. Presently some one whispered to her the denomination of the preacher. The turkey-tail fan still waved, but the murmur was promptly changed to "Don't, Lord. Don't, Lord."
In those days of itinerant preachers, these mistakes often occurred. It was also in the town of Sangerville that a Baptist deacon in his favorite seat in the schoolhouse, slept calmly through the sermon, all unconscious that the heresy of Universalism was being preached. At the close of the sermon opportunity was given for all who wished to speak, and the deacon, now awake, rose and testified to the truth of the preaching, much to the amusement of his Universalist neighbors.
But with the dawn of the sixties came a new teaching into the county-that of Spiritualism. Hiram P. Osgood, minister of the church at Dover, and some other leaders, embraced it. In Milo and in Sangerville the same influence was felt. Throughout the county, Uni- versalism suffered a decline.
The doors of the old church at Dover were closed and the building fell into decay. Efforts were made to reopen it by the Spiritualists and by Unitarians, but unsuccessfully. The land reverted to the Merrick heirs and was secured by the town for the schoolhouse. The old church was torn down and the lumber used for the construction of the building used as a grist-mill, just east of Foxcroft bridge.
Universalism seems to have held its own longer in Guilford than in any other town, for in May, 1866, a Sunday-school was organized with fifty-four scholars and sessions held once in two weeks. Amasa Loring, in his county history, published in 1880, speaks of Guilford as
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the only place then maintaining Universalist preaching and that only in the summer. Thus ends the first chapter in the history of Universalism in Piscataquis County.
But with the present generation has come a renaissance of this faith. In the seventies, a Ladies' Circle was organized in Sangerville and through their efforts a min- ister named Carr was engaged, who drove from Milo to preach on Sunday afternoons.
In the early days, no names are mentioned in con- nection with the work except those of men, but from this point on the women are prominent and are often the leaders.
It was also in the seventies that the Universalists of Milo built a church in union with the Adventists. But after a time both societies declined and the church has been made into a tenement house.
In the spring of 1884, a few Universalist people in Monson, desiring to hear their own faith preached, sent for the State superintendent, Rev. J. H. Little. He came and preached two Sundays. A parish was organ- ized with T. P. Elliott as clerk, and a Ladies' Circle with Mrs. A. B. Crockett as president. Dr. J. C. Snow and Rev. G. G. Hamilton each preached two Sundays during the summer of 1884.
In 1885, Rev. C. F. McIntire, then a student in Tufts Divinity School, preached three months in Tarr's Hall. Other services were held in the academy, the Congre- gational or the Baptist church.
Dr. O. F. Safford, at that time editor of the Sunday School Helper, preached during the summer of 1886 and 1887. In 1887, Dr. Safford was engaged in writing the life of Hosea Ballou, one of the earliest and greatest of Universalist theologians. It was his custom to gather the people together on Sunday mornings and read to them
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what he had written during the week, while in the after- noon was held the preaching service. Since his time, no preaching has been held in Monson, but a fund raised by the ladies during their activity is now in the hands of the State Convention, held in trust for Universalist work in Monson.
In 1889, Rev. R. H. Aldrich came to Guilford, an event of the utmost importance to Universalism in Pis- cataquis County. A young man with the genuine missionary spirit, he is the leading figure in the reorgani- zation of the Universalist church in this county.
During May, 1890, a new parish was organized in Guilford with M. L. Hussey as moderator; John Houston, clerk ; Z. L. Turner, treasurer ; S. Webber, Z. Grover, and A. Beal, standing committee. In July of the same year it was voted to buy the lot upon which the present church stands. The church itself was completed in 1891. In 1903, a parsonage was added to the prop- erty of the parish. The ministers have been R. H. Aldrich, 1889-1901; A. M. Bradley, 1901-1904; C. F. McIntire, 1904-1906; and Rev. F. L. Payson, who is the present incumbent.
Mr. Aldrich preached also at Sangerville, and in 1890 a parish was organized with S. M. Gile as moderator ; H. C. Ford, clerk ; Chester Coburn, collector; E. N. Mc- Kechnie, treasurer. In 1897, it was voted to solicit funds for building a church. Rev. R. H. Aldrich, F. H. Carr and H. L. Thomas were the building com- mittee.
The church was dedicated in 1898. In 1904, largely through the generosity of Mr. Moses Carr, the church was freed from debt. The ministers have been R. H. Aldrich and A. M. Bradley, both of whom served also at Guilford, and Harry Enos Rouillard and Hannah Jewett Powell, who have preached at Sangerville only.
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At about the same time that the new movement began in Guilford and Sangerville, there were stirrings of life in Dover and Foxcroft. During the years 1887-1889 there were occasional preaching services by Rev. H. K. White of Dexter, Rev. E. F. Pember of Bangor and Dr. O. F. Safford, who came from Monson. In the late fall of 1890, a little band of thirteen women met at the home of Mrs. E. B. Averill and organized the "Ladies' Uni- versalist Circle."
It was not until March, 1894, that the parish was organized in the Town Hall, Foxcroft. D. F. Ayer was moderator; V. A. Gray, C. W. Hayes, O. P. Martin and A. M. Warren, trustees; K. P. Sargent, treasurer, and Anna B. Averill, clerk. The second meeting of the parish was held at the home of A. M. Warren. At this time it was suggested that the Ladies' Circle purchase the Brann lot, so called, on Pleasant Street. It was voted at the same meeting to extend a call to Rev. F. E. Wheeler.
In 1896, the erection of the present church edifice was begun. The building committee was Rev. M. B. Townsend, then the pastor, Geo. W. Goff, C. W. Hayes, B. L. Batchelor and K. P. Sargent. The church was completed in the spring of 1897 and dedicated in June of that year.
In June, 1898, the parish entertained the State Con- vention, sixty years after that gathering in Sangerville in the first year of the organization of the county. The pastors of this church have been Rev. F. E. Wheeler, 1894-1895; Rev. Manley B. Townsend, 1895-1898; Rev. Harry L. Canfield, 1898-1902; Rev. A. Gertrude Earle, 1903 to the present date. During Mr. Canfield's pastorate the parish was freed from debt.
About 1897, Rev. W. W. Hooper, then State super- intendent, visited Milo and aroused enough interest so
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that preaching was supported two summers in connection with La Grange. Efforts to secure a permanent organ- ization at Milo were continued by Rev. F. E. Barton, Mr. Hooper's successor, and by Rev. H. H. Hoyt, the present State superintendent.
A parish and a Ladies' Circle have been organized and a lot of land purchased. Mr. Hoyt preaches once a month in the Free Baptist church, and also at Milo Junction in the office of the Bangor & Aroostook Rail- road.
In the town of Greenville, there was occasional preach- ing of Universalism in the early days. Father French, W. W. Lovejoy of Old Town and J. M. H. Smith of Guilford were among the preachers. These services were held in the Union church. Among early Universalists were Mr. and Mrs. B. S. Bigney, Mr. and Mrs. Joel Sawyer, Mr. and Mrs. George O. Varney, Mrs. Marshall Walden and D. T. Sanders.
March 13, 1899, an organization of the ladies was formed under the direction of Rev. W. W. Hooper, State superintendent. The officers were: President, Mrs. D. T. Sanders; first vice president, Mrs. C. D. Shaw; second vice president, Mrs. L. H. Folsom ; secretary and treasurer, Miss E. Adeline Bigney.
In 1903, a chapel costing $5,000 was built, the land being given by D. T. Sanders and Harry Sanders. It was dedicated in September, 1904, immediately after the session of the Piscataquis Association of Universalists, held at Dover. Occasional preaching services are held under the direction of the State superintendent.
The present status of Universalism in the county is:
Four parishes : Guilford, Sangerville, Dover and Fox- croft, Milo.
Three churches : Guilford, Sangerville, Dover and Fox- croft.
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One chapel : Greenville.
Land owned for church: Milo.
Three settled ministers: Guilford, Sangerville, Dover and Foxcroft.
The work at Greenville and at Milo is under the direction of the State superintendent, Rev. H. H. Hoyt. April 1, 1909.
Foxcroft Academy By Hon. Willis E. Parsons
T HE town of Foxcroft, which is one of the six townships granted to Bowdoin College by the Massachusetts Assembly in 1794, and purchased of that college by Joseph Ellery Foxcroft in 1800, received its first permanent settler in 1806.
Although incorporated as a town six years later, or February 29, 1812, clearing the forest and establishing homes in the wilderness proved a slow process, even for the sturdy pioneers of those early days, and when the act of separation from Massachusetts took effect in 1820, Foxcroft numbered but 211 souls.
Common schools, furnishing the rudiments of edu- cation, were then supported by Foxcroft and the sur- rounding towns, but nothing like a high school was attempted until 1822.
Early in that year James Stewart Holmes, a brilliant young lawyer and graduate of Brown University, opened at Foxcroft the first law office in the county. Presuma- bly while waiting for his first clients and seeing the great necessity of a higher branch of learning in the county, Mr. Holmes organized a high school in Foxcroft, acting himself, as preceptor.
This high school immediately became the Mecca of learning for the more advanced students of Foxcroft and other towns, and so much enthusiasm was created among the inhabitants by this young lawyer, that the next
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Legislature was asked for a charter for an academy, which was promptly granted, January 31st, 1823.
That charter the institution is still working under ; hence, Foxcroft Academy lacks but three years of being as old as the State and it was the first one incorporated after Maine became a separate commonwealth.
By the act of incorporation certain conditions were imposed, which, if not complied with, would render the charter null and void. From a perusal of that act we may understand something of what this then poor and sparsely populated town had to contend with in order to establish for themselves and posterity this higher insti- tution of learning, or what they termed "poor man's college."
ACT OF INCORPORATION.
STATE OF MAINE.
In the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and twenty three.
An Act establishing Foxcroft Academy.
Section 1st. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in Legislature assembled. That William Emerson, Daniel Wilkins, Thomas Williams, John Bradbury, Samuel Chamberlain, James S. Holmes, Philip Greeley, Joshua Carpenter, Joseph Kelsey, Samuel McClanathan, Samuel C. Clark and Jason Hassell and their successors forever, be and they hereby are consti- tuted a body politic by the name of the Trustees of Foxcroft Academy, with power to prosecute and defend suits at law; to have a common seal and to alter it at pleasure, to establish an academy at Foxcroft in the county of Penobscot for the promotion of literature, science, morality and piety ; to make any by-laws for the management of their affairs, not repugnant to the laws of the State; and to choose such officers as they may
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deem proper, to hold any property, real and personal, by gift, grant or otherwise, the yearly income of which shall not exceed the sum of $3,000, and to receive all property which may heretofore have been given or sub- scribed for the benefit of such Academy.
Section 2d. Be it further enacted, That said trustees may at any time remove any one of their number whom they shall adjudge incapable of discharging such trust, and choose additional trustees, and fill vacancies in said board by ballot. Provided, however, that the number of said trustees shall at no time be less than nine, nor more than fifteen, any five of whom shall constitute a quorum.
Section 3d. Be it further enacted, That Joshua Carpenter, Esq., is hereby authorized to call the first meeting of said trustees, in such manner as he shall deem proper ; provided, however, that the Legislature shall at any time have power to alter or repeal the provisions of this act; and provided further, that unless the said trustees shall within one year from the passing of this act, be in possession of funds or property for the use of said academy or vested in a building for the same purpose which together shall amount to at least fifteen hundred dollars, and have also commenced instruction in said institution, within that time, the powers granted by this act shall be null and void.
It will be seen by the act that the trustees must, within one year from its passage, have in possession funds or property for the use of said academy, or vested in a building for the same purpose, which together should amount to at least $1,500, and also commence instructions in said institution within that time.
The voters of Foxcroft in 1823, as shown by the records of the town meeting held in April of that year,
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numbered but fifty-seven. The whole assessment for town purposes in 1823 was but $1,140, $900 of which was to be paid in work on the highways, $100 was for schools, $90 for town charges and $50 for powder and balls. The records do not show whether the powder and balls were to be used for shooting bears or Indians, but the aggregate was $1,140, or $360 less than was required to be raised by subscription for the academy in a single year. The same ratio above our assessment last year would have given a fund of over $35,000.
How should that large amount be raised in so short a time? The records of the academy disclose something of the difficulty which those trustees and the inhabitants encountered.
Here was an amount to be raised by voluntary sub- scription, largely from those fifty-seven voters, many of whom with difficulty maintained their families and kept their children in the common schools, which could only be acquired through great personal sacrifice and heroic devotion to their children and posterity.
A meeting was promptly called, however, on February 22, 1823, by Joshua Carpenter, Esq., as authorized in the act, at the house of John Bradbury, located where the Exchange now stands, and the trustees proceeded to organize under the act.
David Wilkins, Esq., was chosen president and James S. Holmes, secretary, which position he held for many years, and Samuel Chamberlain, Esq., was chosen treasurer.
At this meeting a committee consisting of John Bradbury, Joshua Carpenter, Samuel McClanathan, Jason Hassell, Thomas Williams, Samuel C. Clark and Daniel Wilkins was appointed to ascertain "what sum of money could be obtained for the purpose of erecting
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a building for an Academy and as funds for the use and benefit of the same."
And the records further say that "Nathaniel Chamberlain, Esq., then came before the Board of Trustees and informed the president that Joseph E. Foxcroft, Esq., had deposited in his hands $50 to be paid over to the treasurer of the Board of Trustees of Foxcroft Academy for the use and benefit of said Academy, provided the Trustees should fulfill the requisition of the act establishing the same.
"It was then voted that we accept the very liberal donation of Joseph E. Foxcroft, Esq., and that the Secretary be directed to return him the thanks of this Board for his generosity and the early encouragement he has given to an object so deeply interesting to them all."
Other meetings were held in rapid succession to hear reports of committees on subscription and to discuss generally ways and means of raising the coveted amount. The subscriptions were made to be paid in labor, boards, shingles, and other necessary materials, with small sums of money, and so much encouragement was given that on March 8th of the same year a committee consisting of Joshua Carpenter, John Bradbury and Rev. Thomas Wilkins was appointed to select a site for the building.
This committee a few days later reported in favor of a half acre of land "situate and lying between the house of David Greeley, Esq., and his sawmill." This half acre was secured and is the present site of the academy. The house of David Greeley, Esq., stood where the Congre- gational chapel is now located and his sawmill occupied the present site of Mayo & Son's woolen-mill.
On the 28th day of the following May, Col. Joshua Carpenter was appointed agent to superintend the erection of a building for an academy, and a general
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superintending committee from whom the agent should receive instructions, was appointed, composed of John Bradbury, Thomas Davee and the Rev. Thomas Williams.
Work was soon begun, but the building was not ready for a school until 1825, although it was let for religious services as early as October 1, 1824.
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