USA > Maine > Sagadahoc County > Bath > History of Bath and environs, Sagadahoc County, Maine. 1607-1894 > Part 15
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steamers and yachts. The large ice transportation from the river has, especially in favorable seasons, given considerable employment for schooners. After 1890 the experiment was undertaken of send- ing schooners around the Horn to be placed in the Pacific coast trade, which was discontinued after a few voyages had been made. While the larger ships prove more profitable in long voyages, the smaller ones are more useful in being enabled to go into ports that ships of greater draft cannot enter.
From experiments instituted in former years, it has been found that filling the spaces between the planking and ceiling with salt aids greatly in preservation of the wood, and is termed "salting the ship." Frames for the most important class of vessels are now brought from Virginia and Maryland; planking and ceiling from Georgia and the Carolinas; knees and other curly and knotty pieces largely from Canada, and great spars from Oregon. Of the cost in the construction of a vessel, ninety per cent. is for labor. Although not formerly done, ships are metaled on the stocks. Wire ropes for standing rigging and chain cables, formerly brought from Europe, are now made in America, also are anchors. Hemp cables were in universal use until about fifty years since, when ships began to be supplied with iron ones in England. Studding-sails have gone out of use on ships of this country. Contracts are sometimes let to parties to complete different parts of a ship such as "tim- bering out," planking, ceiling, joiner and cabin work, and rigging.
Of late years very few vessels of small size sail either up or down the river, depending upon steam tugs for their river navigation, as expeditious, safe, not costly, and saving pilotage. Up to 1884 the total value of shipping constructed at Bath has been estimated to be $54,000,000, and up to 1893 largely in excess of that figure. Safety in navigating the Kennebec has a direct bearing upon its depth of water. The tide at Bath has a rise and fall of an average of ten feet, and a depth of from fifty to eighty feet at low tide. The inflow of the water from the ocean is so salt that it does not readily freeze at Bath, while the current at half tide is so swift and strong that any skimming over at slack water is readily broken up. According to government survey, the lowest depth of water at low
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water between Bath and the mouth of the river is twenty-four feet, making thirty feet at high water. When the large United States steamship Baltimore was brought into the river in 1890, she tested the capacity of the channel by coming in and going out with abun- dance of water.
As has been said on a previous page, the pressure of the embargo times proved too much for some of the Bath merchants. At that time Samuel Davis had been one of the great men in business. He went under, and was glad of the position of cashier of Lincoln Bank. Among the ship-owners wl .- were enabled to pull through were William King, James McLellan, John and Levi Peterson, Peleg Tallman, Charles Clapp, the Moodys, John Richardson, and David Trufant of Bath; Benjamin Riggs of Georgetown; Mark L. Hill and Thomas MeCobb of Phipsburg, and the Pattens, then of Topsham.
New England Company. - Two hundred and twenty-four vessels were built by the New England Ship-building Company and the firms to which it was a successor, Goss & Sawyer, and Goss, Sawyer & Packard. The period covered was twenty years, or about ten vessels per year. The list embraces twenty-six full rigged ships, thirty-four barks, seven brigs, twenty-two steamers, one hundred and twelve schooners, the remainder being yachts, barges, and bark- entines.
This company having gone out of existence, the plant came into the possession of a new company under the name of the New England Company. Its yard is equipped with all the modern machinery and labor-saving appliances utilized in building vessels of every kind, and is acknowledged to be the largest wood ship-building concern in the world. It sometimes has as many as six vessels under construction at the same time. It has, likewise, a marine railway of ample capacity for all requirements, and is the only one within the limits of this port.
Strikes of Ship-Carpenters. - Upon the organization of Knights of Labor at Bath, its members who were employed on ship work struck several times for higher wages and less time for a day's
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work, which finally resulted in the agreement that they should work by the hour, computing the pay per hour at the rate of a fair day's wages. At one of the iron plants the piece work system has been adopted with favorable results.
Packets. - Before the era of steam navigation between the Kennebec River and Boston, freighting was done by lumber schoon- ers, and schooner packets were engaged in that business and carrying passengers hailing from Bath, Gardiner and Hallowell, carrying freight and passengers. They were generally top-sail schooners and of a style more rakish, and faster sailers than those employed in the coasting trade simply. Packets ran also to south- ern ports. The first that are to be found on record in Bath were the Volant, Capt. Pattee, owned by Wood & Donnell; the schooner Neptune, of which F. Bailey was master, managed and probably owned by the firm of Wood & Bailey. She was advertised for a voyage to Wilmington, North Carolina, with freight and passengers. This was in December, 1820, to " sail in all next week." The same firm ran the schooner Boston, E. Wood, master, as a regular packet from Bath to Boston in January, 1821, advertised to " sail in all this month." On Dec. 29, 1821, " the ship Clio, Caleb Heath, master, lying at Stinson's wharf, would sail for Savannah, Georgia, about the middle of January, having good accommodations for passengers." May 10, 1821: "For Boston, the regular and fast-sailing sloop Ruby, Isaac Crooker, master, having good accommodations; Noah Crooker, agent, head of Crooker's wharf."
Passing down to later date, the schooner Climax, James Wake- field, ran to Boston. She was built by Wakefield and Johnson Williams near where the railroad round house now is. Then there was the staunch, fast-sailing packet, schooner Planet, Capt. J. D. Robinson, running to Boston prior to the year 1836. Capt. Robin- son had some previous experience in this line as supercargo in his earlier day of the schooner Comet. In the Planet were transported between Bath and Boston some notable passengers. Among these were Mrs. Swanton and child, Mrs. Rogers, mother of Wmn. M. Rogers, an elderly lady, Capt. Patten, John Elliot, Asa B. Robinson, Samuel D., Thomas M. and Nath. C. Reed, Miss Sarah Hyde and
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Miss Augusta Hyde. Records of the trips of the Planet show that the fare was, each way, three dollars for men and two dollars for ladies.
Packets would sometimes start on a trip, and meeting stress of weather before getting out of the river, lay at anchor at the Lower Kennebec even for a week. The fare named above included board, and how the sum of two and three dollars could leave any dividend to the vessel can only be accounted for by the fact that, at that day, the chief commodities for ship stores were fish and potatoes and bivalves taken from the down river clam banks.
When passenger steamers had commenced running regular trips from the Kennebec to Boston, sailing packets lost their passenger patronage and relied wholly upon freight for their business, taking chiefly lumber to Boston with return cargoes of general merchandise. Later steamboats and railroads have carried about all the freight and passengers to and from Boston.
PROMINENT SHIP - BUILDERS.
Jonathan Philbrook was the first Bath builder; Samuel Swanton, Sr., built before the Revolutionary war at Mclellan's wharf, and one ship a year after its close at foot of Shepard street, until he became aged; William King, commencing at Topsham and Bruns- wick, transferred his building to Bath, building immediately south of the custom-house; John Peterson built first on the New Meadows River and finally moved to Bath and built at the North End; Peleg Tallman built in front of the Park; Levi Houghton at the foot of South street, where Jonathan and Jonathan Davis, Sr., and Samuel Davis previously built; William M. Rogers, Nathaniel and William Sprague at South End; James McLellan and Dwelly Turner, east of Public Library building; Joshua, Samuel and John M. Moody; Johnson Rideout, Thomas P. Stetson, North End; Major Harward; George F. Patten, John Patten - George F. built the vessels and John and James F. sailed in them; later, John and Gilbert E. R. Patten built together at North End; Clark & Sewall began by William D. Sewall furnishing the timber from land he owned at North End, and Freeman Clark, keeping a store, paid the workmen
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largely in goods; later, Thomas M. Reed built with this firm and continued to do so with their successors, E. and A. Sewall, after- wards Arthur Sewall & Co., which includes Samuel S. Sewall. Charles Davenport, who built with the Pattens and with other builders; William M. Reed and Son - Franklin Reed and later F. and E. Reed at South End; L. Warren Houghton, John R. Hough- ton, Henry L. Houghton as Houghton Brothers at foot of South street; William and James Drummond and Gilbert C. Trufant as Trufant, Drummond & Co., North End; Oliver Moses and William V. Moses; W. V. Moses & Sons; Albert Hathorn; Goss & Sawyer and Goss, Sawyer & Packard; John R. Kelley, E. F. Sawyer and G. J. Spear as Kelley, Spear & Co .; Charles E. Moody; Jenks & Harding - C. J. Jenks and Ed. K. Harding; William Rogers, North End; J. P. Morse, B. W. Morse, Charles W. Morse; Willard Hall and Samuel Snow as Hall & Snow; Arnold & Curtis - Augustus Arnold and Curtis; John Henry; Alexander Robinson; John Mc- Donald, Wm. T. Donnell, G. C. Deering; George Hawley; C. B. Harrington; Joseph Berry and George Richardson as Berry & Richardson; Hall, Cornish & Co .; Adams & Hitchcock, South End; James H. Mclellan; P. M. Whitmore; B. C. and S. D. Bailey; D. C. Magoun; William Richardson; J. H. Kimball; John Richardson; G. C. Deering; W. T. Donnell. At Georgetown, Benjamin Riggs; Joseph Berry. Phipsburg, Mark L. Hill, Thomas McCobb, Parker McCobb, C. V. Minot; Richard, Alden and John G. Morse; Pier- son Morrison, Samuel H. Morrison. Richmond, T. J. Southard, Marshall S. Hagar, James M. Hagar. Bowdoinham, John Harward.
Names of other builders within the port are not accessible. There were and are now citizens of prominence who have invested with builders in their ship-building but can not consistently be classed as actual ship-builders.
Thomas W. Hyde, as president and chief owner of the Bath Iron Works, commenced building steel government vessels in 1890, and early in 1893 had launched two gun-boats and later a harbor de- fence ram, with a large iron passenger steamer in process of con- struction. This success of the Iron Works inaugurates the era of iron and steel ship-building at Bath.
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HISTORY OF BATH.
BUILD OF VESSELS.
According to a " Schedule " of vessels built in the Bath district, published in 1878, it appears that from 1781 to 1878 inclusive there were built at the city of Bath, 24 steamers, comprising 5,355.68 tons; 519 ships, of 437,675.88 tons; 118 barks, of 73,875.17 tons; 192 brigs, of 39,276.28 tons; 330 schooners, of 50,060.58 tons; one snow, of 163.67 tons; 43 sloops, of 2,477.42 tons; 3 barges, of 736.96 tons. Total, 609,621.64 tons.
In this district, up to 1888 inclusive, the build was, including " Schedule:
Steamers, 88 ; tonnage, 26,682.22. Schooners, 1,262 ; tonnage, 224,493.29.
Ships, 890 ; tonnage, 741,091.30. Sloops, 155 ; tonnage, 8,340.87.
Barks, 853 ; tonnage, 132,218.85. Barges, 7; tonnage, 1,520.45.
Brigs, 673 ; tonnage, 128,089.61. Vessels, 3,528.
Grand total, 1,261,436.59 tons.
1889. Two ships, 5,000 tons ; two steamers, 3,500 tons ; one bark, 1,028 tons ; twenty-eight schooners, 23,000 tons ; one barge, 2,253 tons ; four sloops, 60 tons. Total, 34,841 tons.
1890. Three ships, 8,254.22 tons ; three barks, 2,580.13 tons ; thirty-five schooners, 21,453.25 tons ; two steamers, 2,498 tons ; one sloop, 22.85 tons. Total, 34,809.45 tons.
1891. There were built at the city of Bath, one ship, 2,628.84 tons ; one bark, 1,585.36 tons ; twenty-two schooners, 17,961.85 tons ; one steamer, 982.34 tons. Total, 23, 158.39 tons.
1892. Build at Bath, Phipsburg, and Woolwich, one ship, 3,400.43 tons ; one bark, 1,402.30 tons ; one barkentine, 1, 133.01 tons ; one steam bark, . 254.21 tons ; four steamers, 2,066.90 tons; seven schooners, 3,360.32 tons ; three sloops, 43.44 tons. Total, 11,660.70 tons.
From 1781 to 1892 inclusive, the total build of vessels has been 897 ships; 858 barks and barkentines; 673 brigs; 1,352 schooners; 166 sloops; 96 steamers; 9 other vessels, comprising a grand total of 1,350, 138 tons.
The cost of vessels built up to 1880 was $54,375,809. The records in the custom-house do not show the full amount of tonnage owned in Bath for the reason that, in many instances, a small portion of a vessel only is registered as owned in Bath, while the bulk of owner- ship is represented as belonging to persons in Massachusetts, New York, California, and other localities.
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HISTORY OF BATH.
COLLECTION OF CUSTOMS.
In 1677, a custom-house was established at Pemaquid, and vessels coming into the Sagadahoc were required to enter and clear at that port, and in 1685 "an office was established at Sagadahoc for entering and clearing, as considerable trade was carried on in masts and lumber." By virtue of a grant from the crown of England, the Duke of York, who had assumed jurisdiction of this section of country, decreed " that all vessels, not of the Ducal state, should pay into the public revenue, if a decked vessel four quintals, and if an open boat two quintals, of merchantable fish."
The prosperous condition of the settlements along the coast of Maine contiguous to the Sagauahoc region was interrupted by the French and Indian war, and during its progress the settlers were driven off, their improvements devastated, and trade and com- merce entirely suspended until the resettlement of 1714. Notwithstanding a quasi-peace with the Indians in 1713, they con- tinued troublesome until the English triumphed over their French allies at Quebec in 1759, and but little customs regulations were necessary for the scattered shipping of the Kennebec and adjacent coast. In the meantime Massachusetts had come into the posses- sion of the Sagadahoc territory, and custom laws became established at Boston in 1677.
Prior to the Revolution, Falmouth was the only customs district in the Province of Maine, where it was established in 1758. The first custom-house on the Kennebec was located at Abagadasset Point and was a branch of the central Portland office, with David Trufant of Bath, deputy collector, who held the office from 1780 to 1789.
The Collection District of Bath was established by United States statute July 31, 1789, with William Webb, collector. The first registry of a vessel was made Oct. 21, 1789. At a subsequent date there were added to the Bath district all the towns incorporated on the Upper Kennebec, together with Topsham, Brunswick, and a portion of Harpswell. Some years later, Brunswick and Harpswell were detached from the Bath district and incorporated into the Portland district.
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Tamo Moody
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HISTORY OF BATH.
Before the advent of railroads, water transportation was a neces- sity to general commerce, and the Kennebec, with the resources of its many branches, was a river of vast importance. The large fleets of brigs and schooners constantly employed in the West India and other foreign trade, returning to this port with full cargoes of the products of other nations, required a larger force in the custom- house than has been needed since the rail has greatly displaced canvas.
The deep sea going ships, after having made a round voyage, almost invariably returned into the river to repair and refit for another departure, which was usually in the fall, especially when engaged in the cotton carrying trade. I- time this business ceased, ships did not return yearly, the West India trade became less, and the duties of the custom-house have required a smaller force to the present time.
Outlying Custom-house Officers. - An officer supplied with a government boat has been stationed for a great many years on the Lower Kennebec, whose chief duty is to board vessels arriving in the river from a foreign port to see that she is made to comply with customs regulations. He is to take a duplicate "manifest" of her cargo and place a lock on her hatches to remain till the time comes to discharge cargo. When the embargo of 1807 went into opera- tion, the duties of this officer were enlarged to the watching of vessels that might be attempting to go to sea on illicit voyages con- trary to the embargo restrictions.
Before the war of the Rebellion, when fishing vessels were drawing a yearly bounty from the general government, the duty of looking after "bounty catchers," who might be spending unnecessary time in harbor instead of being on the fishing grounds, imposed additional duties upon this officer, and in some years an extra officer was employed in this duty. This bounty was discontinued soon after 1861. Besides the custom-house officer stationed at the Lower Kennebec, there is one at Richmond and one at the Forks of the river at the Upper Kennebec.
Custom - Houses. -- When William Webb was collector, the custom-house was immediately east of his dwelling-house, which
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stood where is now the Public Library building. The site of the custom-house is now occupied by a livery stable; one story fronted west, and on the east fronting the river there were two stories, into which was the main entrance, and a portion was used for a store.
When D. B. Hobart was collector, the room on the north-east corner of Centre and Washington streets, known as Music Hall, was occupied as the custom-house.
During the term of John B. Swanton, he occupied the brick building on the north side of Broad street, second east of Front street, which was built by Nicholas L. and Ammi R. Mitchell.
William King, when collector, had his office in the second story of the old Bath bank building at th , south-west corner of Front and Centre streets.
During the term of Collector Snow, the present custom-house and post-office edifice, built by the United States government, was com- pleted and occupied in 1858, the cost of which was $105,891.25. Of this sum $12,800 was for site, foundation, grading, and other contingencies, and $93,091.25 for the structure of stone. To make room for this edifice, the old mansion of William King was sold to James D. Robinson, who removed it directly south to Vine street and it was converted into a hotel. When this government building became occupied, the north end of the lower floor was devoted to the use of the post-office, and the south end was occupied by the Board of Trade for a Merchants Exchange. After a few years it became necessary to enlarge the capacity of the post-office, the Merchants Exchange was removed to other quarters, and the post- office has since that time occupied the entire lower floor. The customs departments occupy the upper floor. The edifice is sur- rounded by extensive and well kept grounds.
The Collectors .- William Webb, 1779-1804; Dudley B. Hobart, 1805-1806; Joshua Wingate, Jr., 1806-1819; Joseph F. Wingate, 1820-1824; Mark L. Hill, 1824-1825; John B. Swanton, 1825- 1829; William King, 1829-1834; Joseph Sewall, 1834-1841; Parker Sheldon, 1841 -- 1844; A. J. Stone, 1845; Amos Nourse, 1845-1846; J. C. Humphreys, 1846-1849; Benjamin Randall, 1849-1850; David
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Bronson, 1850-1853; Charles N. Bodfish, 1853-1857; Joseph Berry, 1857-1860; James H. Nichols, 1860-1861; Roland Fisher, 1861- 1866; E. S. J. Nealley, 1866-1881; James W. Wakefield, 1882-1885; Francis B. Torrey, 1885-1889; James W. Wakefield, 1889-1893; Charles W. Larrabee, 1893.
Their History .- WILLIAM WEBB was a prominent man of his day, lived in a historic house that was removed in 1889 to give place to the Public Library building. He had a family of children of whom one of his daughters married the distinguished citizen, David C. Magoun. Mr. Webb was collector from 1779 to 1804.
Dudley B. Hobart is not known by record or tradition to any of the present generations of the inhabitants of Bath. He was collec. tor from 1805 to 1806.
JOSHUA WINGATE, JR., was appointed by President Jefferson in 1806 and continued in the office until 1819. The duties of the office must have been attended with greater labor and responsibility during his term than before or since, covering as it did the years of the embargo, non-intercourse and war with England, when great ability, firmness, decision and ceaseless vigilance were imperiously demanded of a collector of customs for this important port, where so large an amount of shipping in the foreign trade was owned. That Gen- eral Wingate was equal to the demands of his office during those trying times, is amply proved by the fact of his being continued in the office for the long period of thirteen years; six years after the close of the war. The career of General Wingate was distinguished. He was an educated man to start with, having graduated from Harvard College in 1797, and entered upon the practice of law at Hallowell, where his father, Joshua Wingate, resided. He did not practice the profession long, but entered public life.
GENERAL HENRY DEARBORN OF REVOLUTIONARY RENOWN was liv- ing at that period in Gardiner, and, becoming acquainted with the young lawyer, thought highly of his capabilities and character. When Jefferson became President of the United States in 1801, he called General Dearborn to his cabinet as Secretary of War. On going to Washington he induced Mr. Wingate to accompany him and accept a position in his department. From thence he came to this custom-
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house. His fortunes were advanced by his marrying a daughter of the Secretary. He was a man of thrift and acquired wealth. On coming to Bath he occupied what was afterwards denominated the Thomas D. Robinson house on the summit of the hill on the east side of Washington street north of Centre street. He kept a house of open and generous hospitality, the resort of people of distinction from abroad and at home. It is in tradition that Mrs. Wingate was a lady of rare accomplishments, unexcelled in doing the honors in- cumbent upon the high position she then occupied, was of universal benevolence and a liberal supporter of the Baptist church, her hus- band giving generous aid to the building of the brick edifice of that society in 1816. They had daughters who were admired for their beauty and accomplishments.
A notable wedding took place in this mansion in 1821. Charles Q. Clapp, at that time and since resident of Portland, was a man of distinction. He came to Bath to wed a daughter of General Wingate. It was a notable occasion. Distinguished men were pres- ent : General Henry Dearborn with his wife, Commodore Jesse D. Elliot, General Simon Benard of France who had been with Napoleon at Waterloo as one of his staff, William King and Mrs. King and many others from out of town and in town. The Reverend Mr. Stearns had the honor of officiating at the ceremonies. Eventually General Wingate moved from Bath to Portland, and died in 1843.
During the war of 1812, when Bath was threatened with attack by forces from English men of war stationed off the mouth of the river, Gen. Wingate had a large, long chest made with trucks under it in which to place the books and papers of the custom-house offices and drawn to a place of safety should occasion make it necessary. The chest has been preserved, and is now in the possession of the Saga- dahoc Historical Society as a relic of early war times.
A Valuable Prize. - It has been related on good authority, that, during the war of 1812-15, a vessel laden with a very valu- able cargo was brought into this port, vessel and cargo confiscated, that the fees of the collector amounted to $72,000; and that subsequently the general government restored the value of the
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property to its former owners, but that the collector did not relin- quish the portion he had received ( per Hayden).
JOSEPH F. WINGATE was appointed collector by President Monroe in 1820 and occupied the office until 1824. He was afterward member of the United States House of Representatives for the Lincoln district the last year of President J. Q. Adams' administra- tion and the first two years of that of Andrew Jackson. He was brother to General Joshua Wingate, and was a conspicuous man of his day. His later life was passed in the town of Windsor in this state.
MARK LANGDON HILL came into the office under President Monroe in 1824. He had been a large ship-builder, owner, and merchant at Phipsburg during his earlier life, meeting with success. He was at one time judge of the court of sessions, postmaster at Phipsburg, chairman of the board of selectmen many years, held other town offices and was a prominent member of the Congrega- tional church. He was always a conspicuous man; served in the General Court of Massachusetts and in the United States House of Representatives. He was notably condescending, affable, and courteous, which were natural traits in his character.
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