USA > Maine > Hancock County > Blue Hill > Historical sketches of Bluehill, Maine > Part 7
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Mr. Choate was born in Newburyport, Mass., about 1778, learned the trade of house carpenter and joiner, and went to Deer Isle, where he married and resided previous to his occupancy of this place. He came to Blue Hill prior to 1840; died in 1858, aged eighty or over, and his wife died in 1862, aged eighty or over.
Their children, consisting of one son and several daughters, were born at Deer Isle. The son, named George, died in childhood; one daughter married Amos Carter, another married Samuel Hall, the youngest married Abel Towne, and. an- other daughter married and lived at Deer Isle.
Mr. Choate was an original man in his sayings, and sometimes irreverent, although kindly, withal. He called Long Island "the Land of Promise". When asked why he thus called it, he replied: "Because the people there promise but never pay".
One day, in speaking of eating lamprey eels, Mr. Choate said, with much disgust,
"Eat lamprey eels! I would just as soon eat a piece of a man who had been dead six weeks."
The boys sometimes dulled his saws and tools by using them without permission, so he said to them, "Boys, if I catch you dulling my tools I'll make a burnt sacrifice of you!"
He was an early riser, often up at 2 o'clock in the morning, saying that four or five hours sleep was all he required. He built a barn for the writer's father somewhere about 1838, and he would walk from his house while doing so and be on hand for breakfast at 5 o'clock.
One morning, breakfast being ready, the mother of the writer said in his hear- ing, "I wish the boys would get up and eat breakfast with us while it is nice and warm." "Leave that to me," said Mr. Choate. He went to the foot of the chamber stairs and shouted, "Come down here, quick, boys, the back room is all on fire!" The boys, of whom the writer was one, jumped out of bed and ran down in their night clothes to find their parents and Mr. Choate seated in the dining-room without showing any anxiety or alarm.
When asked where the fire was, Mr Choate answered, quietly: "In the fire- place, boys!" The boys went back to their beds muttering imprecations upon Mr. Choate, but finally took it good- naturedly as a Choate joke.
The writer was a favorite with Mr. Choate on account of his name and age, which corresponded with those of his dead son George. He on more than one occasion helped him plough, plant, and hoe his garden, on which occasions he would have the help of his "hired man"- a jug of New England rum. With all his jokes and eccentricities, Mr. Choate was a favorite with young people, and he was fond of their company and society. Peace to his ashes!
THE PARKER DISTRICT SCHOOLHOUSE stood upon Parker land beyond the old barn upon the east side of the main road, built before 1840, and still standing. In it the writer attended winter schools for several sessions, as it was the custom for scholars of that and of the Tide Mill dis- trict to go from one to the other.
In that schoolhouse, too, the writer attended at evening a [school of music
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HISTORICAL SKETCHES OF BLUEHILL, MAINE.
taught by Mr. Davidson, where his first lesson was received upon the violin, an instrument he has been fond of through life.
THE JAMES CLOUGH PLACE
is the next to be described, with a black- smith shop on the east and house on the west side of the road, adjoining the Fred- erick Parker farm. This house was built prior to 1840 by Mr. Clough, in which his family and he resided until his death.
He was the seventh child of Asa, sr., and Abigail (Pecker) Clough, born Sept. 3, 1803. He married Mary Marshall Car- man, of Deer Isle. He died Feb. 7, 1883, in his eightieth year. He was a black- smith and shipsmith, and in the earlier years of his married life resided at Deer Isle, but moved back to Blue Hill before 1836. There were six children born to him, as follows:
1. James Russell, born July 4, 1826; never married; died when over seventy.
2. Mary Ann Moore, born July 27, 1828; married Robert W. Armour.
3. Caroline Elizabeth, born Feb. 27, 1831.
4. Martha Haskell, born Oct. 22, 1833; married Alfred Stillman Osgood.
5. Harriet Webb, born Jan. 7, 1836; died July 20, 1838.
6. Harriet Webb, born June 15, 1839.
7. Charles Abbott, born April 13, 1842; died July, 1845.
8. Charles Merrill, born June 25, 1848.
Mr. Clough and wife were jolly and fond of company, especially of young people. James Russell, their eldest child, worked with his father as a helper at the forge and anvil, living at home until the death of his parents. The blacksmith shop has long been gone from its site, but the house is still standing and occupied, but probably by strangers to its former own- ers and occupants.
James Clough and his son did the iron- work of brig "Equator", built at the Tide Mills in 1850, and commanded by the writer. He was of a sunny nature and something of a joker. At the death of a brother-in-law many years ago he re- marked that "a death in the family had its favorable feature, as it enabled rela- lives to procure a new suit of clothes to wear at the funeral."
THE ANNIE WOOD PLACE.
was a little farther beyond the James Clough place, upon the east side of the road, which the writer well remembers, though gone from its foundation for more than sixty years. When and by whom it was built the writer does not pretend to know.
Annie Wood was the daughter of Israel Wood, sr., and granddaughter of Joseph Wood, the first settler. She was born near the Tide Mills, Dec. 24, 1776; was a tailoress, never married, and resided in the old house above mentioned with her niece, Sally Savage, until her death by consumption in 1841.
She did tailoring in the family of the writer's father for many years prior to her death, and it was interesting to hear her and the writer's father, who had been friends and acquaintances from childhood, talk over the affairs of the early families of the town. They both had good mem- ories and thoroughly understood the sub- jects upon which they conversed.
THE LEONARD CLOUGH PLACE
and house were nearly opposite the Annie Wood place. That house was built very near or a little before the death of Miss Wood, say about 1840, by Mr. Clough, who continued to occupy it from that time un- til his death in July, 1865, in his sixty- fourth year.
Leonard Clough was the sixth child of Asa, sr., and Abigail {(Pecker) Clough, born Sept. 3, 1801, married Mary Jane, daughter of Samuel and Fanny (Colburn) Wood, Nov. 30, 1837.
He was a spar-maker by trade, who made the spars for vessels built at Blue Hill for forty years before his death. He made the spars for brig "Equator" from a draft made by the writer, and from which she was rigged and her sails cut and made. He was a modest, good man, and by his death the town lost a valuable citizen and his church and neighbors a true friend.
Mr. Clough left no children, and the house and place passed into other hands. The house is still standing. A few years ago his widow died, thus ending the fam- ily record of that branch.
THE JEDEDIAH HOLT PLACE
is the next in order, and in the boyhood of the writer was the last house upon the
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HISTORICAL SKETCHES OF BLUEHILL, MAINE.
road before reaching the meeting house. The first Jedediah Holt house was of two stories; that was burned seventy years or so ago, and upon its site was built a story- and-a-half house in which Mr. Holt re- sided until his death, Aug. 8, 1847, aged ninety-three years, four months and fif- teen days.
He was the son of Nicholas Holt, who came from Andover, Mass., to Blue Hill in 1765. Jedediah was born at An- dover, March 12, 1754. He married Sarah Thorndike, Feb. 24, 1778. She died Jan. 15, 1836. They had six children as fol- lows:
1. Jedediah, born March 3, 1779; mar- ried Polly Viles; he died Sept. 4, 1842.
2. Jeremiah F., born May 24, 1781; mar- ried Elizabeth Osgood; he died April 14, 1832.
3. Jonah, born Nov. 4, 1783; married first, Eliza O. Stevens; second, Almira Wilcox; he died Feb. 19, 1860.
4. Samuel Phelps, born July 8, 1786; married Lydia Lowell; he died Sept. 29, 1827.
5. Stephen, born May 10, 1788; married Efy Parker; he died May 16, 1830.
6. Sally Prince, born July 3, 1792; died Nov. 14, 1803.
Mr. Holt outlived his wife and all his children but Jonah. The writer remem- bers him as an aged man, past labor, with his grandson, Samuel Phelps Holt, living with him in the old house that was burned. He lived an honorable and respected life, saw the town grow from a half dozen families to nearly 2,000 inhabitants, and to be a place of thrift and owning a large number of vessels built in the town, be- side the granite and other industries. His farm contained a good many acres on both sides of the road, cleared, cultivated and used as fields and pastures, which were covered by the primeval forest when he first began work upon it. After Mr. Holt's death the place was sold to other parties.
Mr. Atherton and family resided there for a number of years, and then it passed into possession of Miss Effie Ober, daugh- ter of Mrs. Atherton by a former husband -now Mrs. Effie Kline, of Cleveland, Ohio, the present owner.
The house has been so changed and im- proved as not to be recognizable as the one in which Jedediah Holt spent the last
years of his life, and where he died. It is now used for a summer residence, for which it is well adapted, having large ground and a delightful view of the bay, islands and Mt. Desert Hills.
From this house one passes by Dodge's woods on the right, where boys of the writer's day went to gather beechnuts in the fall of the year, there being no build- ings on either side of the road at that time until after the four corners of the road were reached near the old meeting house.
To-day there is one modern house upon the right, beside the Blue Hill inn, and one on the left, all modern and of little interest from a historical point of view.
The view along that stretch of road, of the mountain, a part of the village, Peter's Point, the ridge of land beyond, the little bay, Parker's Point, etc., is truly fine and pleasing.
The writer traversed that road many times in youth, in going to and from his home at the Tide Mills to the old meeting house, the village, and to school at the academy, when every object, far and'near, was engraved upon his memory through life, and every stone in or beside the road were familiar to him, as well as the houses and their inmates.
THE OLD MEETING HOUSE.
On the north side of the main road lead- ing from the four corners to the village, stood the meeting house, built before 1800, and burned Sunday, Jan. 2, 1842. The writer well remembers it, and those who preached in it, from Father Fisher to the time of its destruction, and was present at the fire that consumed it and saw its frame, ail ablaze, fall to the ground.
There was a meeting house of some sort before this-one at or near the Tide Mills, to which allusion is made in the town records and in which the church services were held after the church was organized in 1772, ten years after Wood and Roundy first landed in town and built their log cabins on the island near the Fore Falls, now called Mill island.
Just where the meeting house in the Tide Mill district was located, cannot now bedetermined, as traces of it have not been preserved, but mention of town meetings being held in it and of repairs to it are ยท found noted in the town records. The
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HISTORICAL SKETCHES OF BLUEHILL, MAINE.
first mention of it was at the March meet- ing of the town in 1772, when "The meet- ing by adjournment is to be at the meet- ing house, the first Monday in May, at 3 o'clock in the afternoon".
The settlement of the town grew in numbers and spread from the Neck and Tide Mill districts to the head of the bay and beyond, so that the first meeting house was not centrally located, even if of sufficient size to convene the people, and there began an agitation for a new meet- ing house to be built nearer the centre of the town.
At the annual meeting of the town held April 5, 1790, it was "Voted, That the meeting house should be on the main road at the north end of Mr. Obed Johnson's Lot & that the school house should be near it".
At a town meeting held October 4, 1790, "Voted, not to procure materials for build- ing a meeting house. Voted, not to choose a committee to procure a meeting house lot."
At a meeting of the town held April 25, 1791, it was "Voted, that the vote passed at their meeting April 5, 1790, respecting where the meeting house should stand, be reconsidered. Voted, That the meeting house should stand either on the road leading to John Gibbson's, or on Obed Johnson's land, or near Mile-mark hill. Voted, That the meeting house should stand near Obed Johnson's.
"Voted, That the meeting house should be fifty feet long and forty feet wide. Voted, That a hundred pounds should be raised on the town for the purpose of building the meeting house. Voted, That a committee should be chosen to procure materials to build said meeting house and inspect the same, also to fix on the spot where said meeting house will stand. Voted, That the committee should con- sist of five persons. Voted, That the following persons should compose said committee, Daniel Spofford, John Peters, Col. Nathan Parker, Robert Parker and Capt. Joseph Wood.
"Voted, That the town should appear on the spot where the meeting house is to stand, the first Tuesday in June next, in order to clear the same if fair weather, if not, the next fair day. Voted, That the committee appointed to procure materials to build a meeting house should be the
committee to carry the foregoing votes into execution.
"Blue Hill, May 23, 1791. The Freehold- ers & other Inhabitants of the town having met at Col. Nathan Parker's, agree- able to the Warrant of the 9th inst., pro- ceeded to the following business, viz .: 1st. John Roundy chosen Moderator to said meeting. 2nd. Voted, That the votes passed at the last meeting respecting where the meeting house should stand should be reconsidered. Voted, That the meeting house should stand about twenty rods southwesterly of Col. Nathan Par- ker's house. The meeting was then dis- solved."
It will be remembered by the readers of this account of building the meeting house, that at that time the town was the parish and the parish the town, and all action taken in connection therewith had to be taken in open town meeting. That the town was not disposed to act unad- visedly and hastily, the foregoing votes show.
At a special meeting of the town held January 16, 1792, it was "Voted, The town having heard the report of the Committee appointed to procure Materials for build- ing the meeting house agreed to accept the same."
What the report was the records do not state. At the annual meeting of the town held Monday, April 2, 1792, in regard to the meeting house it was "Voted, That the meeting house spot should be in the place last chosen." That was "20 rods south- westerly of Col. Nathan Parker's house."
At an adjourment of the meeting noted above, held April 9, 1792, "Voted, That last vote respecting where the meeting house should stand should be reconsidered. Voted, That the meeting house should stand at or near where the Timber hauled for building said meeting house lays."
At the second adjournment of this meet- ing at 2 o'clock p. m., April, 1792, "Voted, That the following articles should take place, viz :- Proposals for framing, board- ing and shingling and underpinning the meeting house.
"1st. the selectmen shall be empowered to hire a Master workman on as reason- able terms as they can to be paid out of the Town treasury.
"2d. The Selectmen shall with the ad- vice of the Master workman, fix upon the
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HISTORICAL SKETCHES OF BLUEHILL, MAINE.
number of men necessary to carry on the work of said building.
"3d. The Selectmen shall then proceed to divide the town into as many Classes as they shall think will best convene the people, and shall apportion to each Class, agreeable to their valuation, one or more men for the time being and service neces- sary with the valuation of the same.
"4th. The Selectmen shall be empow- ered to Issue their Warrant to the Con- stable to notify the said Classes their pro- portion of the workmen and the time and place said men must attend to receive the directions of the Master workman.
"5th. The several Classes shall be ob- liged to make a return to the Selectmen of the persons, names they have chosen for said purpose 6 days before the time set for beginning said work, and the Selectmen shall be empowered to accept or object against the same as they shall think best answers the public good.
"6th. If any of the classes shall refuse or neglect to comply with the foregoing Articles, the Selectmen have power to direct the Constable to collect the amount of the same with additional expenses their neglect or refusal may occasion in the same manner as other taxes are collected on or before the expiration of one month after the work begins, and the Selectmen shall hire such persons and for such time as will make good said de- ficiency.
"7th. The Master workman shall be furnished with a list of the men who are to be under his direction and he shall mark the men deficient as to time and labor and the Class to which he belongs shall be obliged to make good such de- ficiency.
"8th. The under workmen shall be set at four shillings per day.
"9th. That each man so accepted by the Selectmen shall continue with the Master workman until the business for which he is sent shall be completed.
"Voted. That the building of the meet- ing house should be commenced the be- ginning of the second week in May Next. Voted, That a Committee be appointed to retire and bring in a report of the sum necessary for building the meeting house. MR. DANIEL SPOFFORD, MR. JOHN ROUNDY.
MR. EDWARD CARLETON,
Committee for the above purpose. The committee reported fifty pounds.
At a meeting of the town held May 7, 1792, "Voted, that the proposed method of having a Porch in front of the meeting house be altered. Voted, not to have two Porches to the meeting house. Voted, That there should be one Porch at the east end of the meeting house.
"Whereas a number of Persons having subscribed to furnish timber sufficient to build an additional Porch at the west end of the meeting house, Voted, That the same be built in like manner as the one already voted at the east end of the meet- ing house.
"Voted, That necessary rigging[should be provided to raise the meeting/ house. Voted, That a person should be appointed to provide said rigging. Voted, That Capt. Joshua Horton be empowered to procure said rigging. Voted, That an entertainment should be made for raising the meeting house at the town's expense.
"Voted, That the selectmen be em- powered to procure one barrel of rum, also molasses and sugar sufficient for framing and raising the meeting house.
"Voted, That the selectmen be em- powered to assess the several classes here- tofore established to send their proportion of provisions for the proposed entertain- ment. Voted that two men should be appointed to receive the said provisions.
"Eben Floyd, Mr. Jona Darling, Chosen said Committee."
"Voted, That those classes who do not send their proportion of provisions shall be assessed the amount of the same in Money which shall be collected in like manner with other taxes, and they shall give notice thereof before said raising whether they will send the same or not.
"Voted, That the Selectmen be empow- ered to procure such Persons as they shall think will best answer to lay the founda- tion of the meeting house, and shall be empowered to deduct the same out of their next Class bill for boarding, provided it should exceed their present proportion of work on said meeting house."
At a meeting of the town held August 27, 1792, it was "Voted, That the committee appointed to provide materials for build- ing the meeting house be desired to im- mediately report to the selectmen the persons names who are delinquent,and said selectmen are empowered to issue their warrant to the constable to collect such a
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HISTORICAL SKETCHES OF BLUEHILL, MAINE.
snm of said delinquent persons who do not deliver the deficient articles within twelve days from the date hereof as shall be sufficient to procure and deliver said articles at the meeting house aforesaid.
"Voted, That the Selectmen should hire Persons to board and shingle the meeting house this fall upon as reasonable terms as possible.
"Voted, That fifteen pounds be assessed upon the town for boarding and shingling the meeting house.
"Voted, That the Selectmen be empow- ered to contract with some Person or Per- sons to make the Window frames and Sashes for the' meeting house, to be paid for out of this year's Town tax.
"Voted, That those Persons who are de- ficient in the several Classes should have their said deficient sums added to the tax granted at this meeting, ana those Persons who have overdone their said Proportions of said Class bills should have the same deducted from said tax."
At an adjourned meeting held Septem- ber 6, 1792, it was "Voted, Covings of the meeting house to have what is called a double Cornish only -the weather boards to have a single Cornish-the Window frames to be made of thick boards with a large stool and Crown-the sashes to be a size larger than the common Sashes.
"Voted, That the selectmen be empow- ered to procure the Crowns for the Win- dows of the meeting house."
At a meeting of the town held Nov- ember 2, 1792, it was "Voted, That the Windows and Doors of the meeting house should be boarded up this fall.
"Voted, That the Studds of the meet- ing house for the Windows should be al- tered so as to admit Sashes of 24 squares each of 8 by 10 glass.
"Voted, That the Selectmen should pro- cure four thousand feet of clear boards for the meeting house."
There is nothing in the record to show the date of raising the meeting house, but the later records quoted make it quite clear that it took place some time between August and November of 1792. Tradition states that every man, woman and child of the town was at the raising. And it has been said that a great inducement for their being present was the entertainment provided for the occasion at the town's expense, including the barrel of rum.
Blue Hill, April 1, 1793-At a town meeting held on this date, "Voted, That the meeting house should be finished on the outside this year, complete.
"Voted, That the body of the meeting' house be painted a yellow stone color and the roof to be painted with oil, turpentine and Spanish brown.
"Voted, that the selectmen see that the above work is done.
"Voted, That Sixty Pounds in addition to the Sums granted at this meeting should also be assessed upon the Town for the purpose of finishing the meeting house, and other exigencies."
Blue Hill, July 10, 1793-At a meeting of the town held this day it was "Voted, That the Town would Accept one Acre of Land offered by Capt. Joseph Wood and others for the benefit of the Town.
"Voted, That the Town Clerk be di- rected to record the Deed of said Land with the thanks of this Town for this generous gratuity."
Here follows in the town records copy of the deed:
"Know all men by these Presents That we, Joseph Wood, Nathan Parker, Israel Wood, Robert Parker, Joseph Wood, jr., Obed Johnson and Robert Wood, of Blue Hill in the County of Hancock and Com- monwealth of Massachusetts, in Consider- ation of the Love and Good will we bare to the said Town of Blue Hill and in Order to add to the beauty, utility and convenance of the meeting house in said town, do give, grant and convey unto the said Town of Blue Hill a certain piece of Land containing One Acre, situated, lay- ing and being in the Town aforesaid and bounded on each side of the road leading from the Main Road by the meeting house aforesaid to Col. Nathan Parker's, by par- allel lines with the said road from the Northeast end of the School House in said road to the line between Col. Nathan Parker's and Mr. Obed Johnson's, for the purpose of making said road eight rods wide. The Northern boundary of said Land to be in a Line with the back side of the meeting house.
"To have and to hold the same to the said Town of Blue Hill for the purposes aforesaid to their Use and Behoof forever. And we do covenant with the said Town their Agents or Attorneys that We are
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HISTORICAL SKETCHES OF BLUEHILL, MAINE.
lawfully seized in the Fee of the Premises that they are free of all incumbrances that We have good Right to give, grant and convey the same to said Town. And that We will warrant and defend the same to the said town, their Agents or Attor- neys against the lawful claims and de- mands of all Persons.
"In witness whereof We have hereunto set our hands and seals this First day of January in the Year of Our Lord One thousand seven hundred and ninety-three. (Signed) JOSEPH WOOD. NATHAN PARKER. ISRAEL WOOD.
ROBERT PARKER. OBED JOHNSON. JOSEPH WOOD, JR. ROBERT WOOD.
(Signed, Sealed and ) delivered in the | presence of Joseph Herrick, Amos Allen.
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