USA > Maine > Sagadahoc County > Bath > History of Bath and environs, Sagadahoc County, Maine. 1607-1894 > Part 35
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Alfred D. Stetson was born in Brunswick and educated in its public schools. At the age of sixteen he commeneed work in the furniture business, in which he has ever since been engaged in this city, with the exception of one year, when he was in the army at the time of the War of the Rebellion, having raised a company at Bruns- wick in 1862, in which he became second lieutenant. This company was stationed at Arlington Heights and Chantily during portions of the time of 1862 and 1863. After being mustered out of the army
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he came to Bath in July, 1868, purchased the furniture stock of J. C. Ledyard, and has continued the business in the same store to the present time. He served three years on the board of trustees of the Military and Naval Orphan Asylum, and in the Common Coun- cil of the city about the same length of time. His sons are Harry E. and Arthur H. Stetson; the latter graduated at the high school and is in Bowdoin College, Junior class of 1893.
Joseph Marston Hayes is a son of the notable temperance advocate of olden times, Joseph Hayes, and his mother was Austress Davis Hayes. He was born in Bath, June 4, 1833, and graduated from the high school in 1848, when only fifteen years of age. He then learned the trade of printer with John T. Gilman, in Bath, and other printers, and worked as journeyman in Bath and Damariscotta. At the latter place he published the weekly American Sentinel until 1856, when it was sold to Bath parties and he moved with it to this city, and was foreman of its office until 1863, when he was appointed clerk of the Supreme Court of Sagadahoc County, and has, by elec- tion, held the office to the present date, with the exception of one year. He has also served in the City Government twenty-three years as member and clerk of the Common Council and Alderman, and was president of the former board several terms. In Masonry he has been quite prominent, having filled the various offices in his Lodge, Chapter, Council, and Commandery, in this city, and been Grand High Priest of the Grand Royal Arch Chapter of Maine, and Senior Grand Warden of the Grand Lodge.
D. Howard Spear was born in Bowdoinham, Me .; came to Bath at an early age and afterwards learned the blacksmith trade; was foreman blacksmith at Goss, Sawyer & Packard's for thirteen years; married Ada Sawyer in 1876; January, 1887, com- menced building vessels in the firm of Kelley, Spear & Co.
James F. Murphey was born in Bath, March 31, 1850. His father was James K. Murphey, who was a ship-carpenter in Hough- ton Brothers' employ, dying in 1879. Captain Murphey married Miss Maria Higgins, of Bath, and they have a daughter and a son. He commenced going to sea in 1863, became captain in 1871, and
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has commanded the ships David Brown, Alexander, North Hamp- ton, Yorktown, W. F. Babcock, and is now in the ship Shenandoah, which is one of the largest wood ships that has ever floated on the ocean, and under Captain Murphey's handling has proved superior to the most speedy deep-sea-going ship of the day. He has sailed in the Sewalls' employ twelve years; has had an interest in all the ships of which he has had the command, and owns largely in the Shenandoah. In all the years of his service as captain he has never had occasion to call upon underwriters for a dollar.
John Louville Purington is a son of John H. Purington, and was born in Bath, January 31, 1833. He married Miss Mary Ann Larrabee, of Bath, July 2, 1862. She was born August 26, 1838, and they have had four children - William, John L., Edward C., and Arthur K. Purington. Mr. Purington was educated in the schools of his native city; commenced active life by going to sea in Septem- ber, 1850, and continuing seven years in deep-sea-going ships; return- ing from the sea, he was in the coal business in Dorchester for three years, when he again went to sea for one year, making his home with his mother, in Bowdoinham, a portion of the time. In the summer of 1861 he came to Bath and entered the dry goods business in company with T. D. Percy; then in the firm of Blair & Purington, later as Purington & Carr, and, after April, 1868, continuing in the same business in his own name, moving into his store in Bank Block, December 14, 1877, with his son, John Larrabee Purington, assistant. Mr. Purington died in Bath, at which time the Bath Daily Times thus spoke of him: "He had been a member of Solar Lodge for some time. He was a man of fine character, untarnished reputation, good business habits, and an earnest Christian, having been an active member of the Baptist Church for many years." Since the death of Mr. Purington, his sons, John L. and Edward C., have united in continuing the business their father left, having remodeled the store into a first-class establishment and making the firm name J. L. Purington's Sons.
William Dayton Hill was born in Phipsburg, December 14, 1824, and is a descendant of James McCobb, the earliest permanent
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settler at Phipsburg Centre, and of the early Cushing and Philbrook families of Bath. His education was in the public and special schools of his native town, to which he added, at a later date, that of commercial business, in the counting-room of D). C. Magoun, in Bath, and by private study. His first start in the business of life was employment in the office of Magoun & Clapp, wholesale grocers, in 1849, as book-keeper four years, when he engaged for more compensation in doing the writing of the ship-building firm of Hall & Snow, and returning, after the close of his engagement for one year, to Magoun & Clapp; was appointed assistant cashier of the Commercial Bank, becoming afterwards its cashier ; then was assistant cashier of Bath City Bank, and its cashier eleven years, and subsequently became cashier of Bath National Bank from 1865 to the time of his death, April 8, 1893.
November 9, 1847, Mr. Hill married Miss Cordelia Hill Morrison, daughter of Capt. Pierson Morrison, a wealthy ship-master and ship- builder at Phipsburg. She was born April 11, 1828. They have had a family of eight children, of whom there were four sons and four daughters, and there are living William Pierson, Silie Cushing, and Frederick Dayton Hill. William Pierson married Kate H. Fisher, and Silie Cushing married Frank R. Mason. Frederick D. graduated at the high school and Eastman Commercial College; was employed in the office of the Maine Central Railroad, and suc- ceeded his father as cashier of the Bath National Bank.
Mr. Hill was a member of the Solar Lodge of Masons, of Bath, for many years, and also of the Commandery, having held some of the higher offices in each of these bodies. ] He was also a member of the Winter Street Church.
Mr. Hill met with success in life solely through his own merits and unaided exertions, havi .. g ever been eminently true to his integrity and business responsibilities, of an irreproachable charac- ter, and was one of the most respected citizens.
Albert H. Shaw was born in Greenville, Me., April 21, 1857, and married Martha Ellen Mansell, August 19, 1879. They came to Bath to reside in April, 1883. The education of Mr. Shaw was
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such as could be obtained in the schools of his native place, where, after leaving school, he went into trade and at the same time had an interest in lumber operations. In October, 1878, he became a member of the firm of M. G. Shaw & Sons in the manufacturing of lumber. His father is the Hon. M. G. Shaw, a large owner of tim- ber lands in the forests of Maine, and who was for several years one of the board of selectmen of Greenville, served one term in the State Legislature, and now resides in Bathi.
John McDonald is one of the heavy ship-builders at the south end, and had built considerably before he came to Bath. He has built here the ships, St. Lucia, St. Nicholas, St. John, W. R. Grace, St. Paul, M. P. Grace, St. David, Santa Clara, St. Steven, A. J. Fuller, John McDonald, St. Francis, St. James, Henry B. Hyde; barks, W. B. Flint, Factolus; schooners, C. R. Flint, Alice MeDon- ald, Myra B. Wheeler, Kate S. Flint. A total of fourteen ships, two barks, and four schooners.
Parker McCobb Reed bears a name representing well-known families on the lower Kennebec River, dating back to its earliest settlement. Parker was derived from the John Parkers who were pioneers at the mouth of the river, and whose names are now found in Parkers Island, Parkers Head, and Parkers Flats. McCobb is identified with those of that name who, as early residents of George- town, assisted in the conquest of Quebec and achieved high military rank in the struggles of the American Revolution, and in our second war with Great Britain.
Mr. Reed's paternal grandfather was Col. Andrew Reed, the pioneer of Boothbay; his father was also Andrew Reed, who com- manded a regiment in the War of 1812, and he was brother of Hon. William M. Reed, who was a re .. dent of Bath. Mr. Reed was born in Georgetown, now Phipsburg, April 6, 1813, at the Reed farm, when his father, with his regiment, was fortifying the heights at Coxs Head, near Fort Popham. His mother, Beatrice McCobb Reed, was daughter of Brig .- Gen. Samuel McCobb, and granddaughter of Maj. Samuel Denny, who was prominent in Church and State at Old
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Georgetown early in the eighteenth century, and whose ancestry is traced back to 1400, in England, where the Denny home of that period still stands well preserved, and was occupied by a Samuel Denny in 1880.
Mr. Reed's education was acquired in the district schools of his native town and at the High Street Academy, in Bath, under the instruction of Jonas Burnham. He began his business career as clerk to his brother, Thomas M. Reed, at Phipsburg Centre. When eighteen years of age he became clerk in the wholesale and retail book-store of Pendleton & Hill, 94 Broadway, New York City, opposite Trinity Church. This store was the fashionable literary emporium of New York City at that day. Mr. Reed afterwards was clerk to Samuel Byron Halliday, who subsequently entered the min- istry and was assistant pastor to Henry Ward Beecher at Plymouth Church. After a trip to Havana, in 1833, Mr. Reed returned to Phipsburg and engaged in school teaching, and later took the man- agement of his father's large farm, being the last of a numerous family to remain at the homestead. Inheriting a taste for military life, he was appointed sergeant-major of the Bath regiment of militia for the Aroostook War, and later was made captain of a company.
The uncongenial work of farm life led to his removal to Massa- chusetts, where he studied medicine under Dr. Winslow Lewis, Jr., in Boston, and afterwards attended lectures at the Medical College in Buffalo, N. Y., where the eminent Austin Flint and Frank H. Hamilton were professors. He practiced his profession, in Illinois and Wisconsin, until 1866, when he was induced, by the tender of a lucrative position, to enter journalism, for which he was, in a measure, prepared, as for many years he had continuously contrib- uted articles for the Boston Traveller and other newspapers, East and West. In 1866 he became directly connected with the Wisconsin, and later the Sentinel, the leadi' , newspapers of Milwaukee, and the Post and Inter-Ocean of Chicago. He was closely identified, in the establishment of the latter paper, with Mr. William Penn Nixon, its corner-stone; J. Y. Scammon, its founder; E. W. Halford, later private secretary to President . Harrison, and F. W. Palmer, after- wards government printer at Washington. As a newspaper man,
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Mr. Reed achieved distinction in the Northwest, attaining much influence and made many warm, personal friends, both in business and political life. He wrote and published, in 1882, the "Bench and Bar of Wisconsin," a large quarto volume, which was accepted as a work of much value.
In the fall of 1882 he returned to Maine, and became a resident of Bath. Interesting himself particularly in historical matters, he became a member of the Sagadahoc Historical Society and was its president for three years. In 1888 he was elected a member of the Maine Historical Society. In 1889 he prepared and began the pub- lication of the "History of the Lower Kennebec," in a series of numbers, and at the same time was at work on "The History of Bath and Environs." He was induced to undertake this latter work by the solicitations of public-spirited citizens who commendably desired that the annals of Bath should be put on permanent record, by one of the few surviving citizens who had a personal knowledge of the men and events of past years. Endowed from his childhood with a love of historical research, he has added honesty of purpose, perseverance, and great power of endurance in collecting and con- densing the enormous amount of facts necessary in producing a history of a large and important district.
In April, 1846, Mr. Reed married Miss Harriet S. Elliot of Phips- burg. Their children are: Emma Beatrice and Albert Alfred Reed, the former living in Bath and the latter a journalist in Boston.
Oliver Moses came to Bath, from Portland, in February, 1826. He had learned the trade of tinsmith in that city and noticing that a newspaper recommended Bath as a good opening for that business came at once to this, then, village and opened a shop. With his natural energy and industry he worked in his shop evenings. He was a single man and boarded with Mrs. Rachel Trott, the first-class boarding-house of that day. A year later, his brother, William V. Moses, who likewise learned the trade of tinsmith in Portland and coming from Gardiner, entered into partnership, and the firm of W. V. & O. Moses eventually became one of the most noted on the river.
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From tin they enlarged their business gradually into dealing in iron and like goods. Iron fire frames coming into use, they dealt largely in those, and when stoves were introduced they were the first to deal in them in Bath and the business became immense. Square dealing brought the best of custom to the establishment. The demand for stoves became large, and there was profit in hand- ling them. In connection with this business there was a demand for iron castings. With the enterprise for which Mr. Moses was always remarkable the firm established a foundry. The foundry was first on Vine street, where Emery's wool warehouse now is, and the plant was subsequently removed to Water street, the present location of the Bath Iron Works. When the marine railway was built in Bath the castings for it were made in the Moses foundry. The brick building occupied for so many years by the firm on Front street, opposite the head of Broad, was built by them. Like the generality of Bath business men, the firm had taken interests in vessels and finally relinquished their other business to enter into ship-building. For this purpose they established a yard at the foot of Pearl street in 1844, where they built a large number of ships and other vessels.
The Moses Brothers possessed a laudable ambition for improving the city by the erection of buildings and blocks, among which were the Columbian Hall and Hotel and the First National Bank Block. Mr. Oliver Moses built the Church Block on Front street in 1860, and the Universalist Church on Washington street the same year, paying largely for it himself. He also became largely interested in railroads; was president of the Androscoggin Railroad Company and superintended the construction of the road; was president of the Knox & Lincoln Railroad and was active in its construction.
In 1861 Mr. Moses was chiefly instrumental in founding the First National Bank of Bath, the first established in the state and num- bered sixty-one in the U. ted States; was the first president of the bank and continued in the office until his death, which occurred on February 11, 1882, at the age of 79 years. Mrs. Moses died May 1, 1886. He was also one of the founders of the Bath Savings Institution and served as one of the directors.
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With the above record of his business career it would be super- fluous to add that the life of Mr. Moses had been one of exceeding activity. He was known as a man of indomitable energy, decision, and force of character. With unerring judgment and innate fore- sight, all his undertakings uniformly resulted in success. He was a believer in force of will and that what one man had accomplished another man could. Starting in life as he did with a limited educa- tion, with nothing but his own unaided arms and brain with which to work, he steadily advanced from a humble avocation to a position of wealth and influence second to none in the community in which he lived, and in competition with those who had from the start superior advantages. In person Mr. Moses was above the medium size and well developed, with native courtesy and personal magnet- ism, clear cut in words and ways, and true to his convictions. All his life an ardent Democrat, he had no aspirations for office. In religious matters he affiliated with the Universalist denomination and was one of the chief supporters of that society in this city. Temperance in all things and strict morality were marked features of his long and active life.
Mr. Moses was born in Scarboro, Me., May 12, 1803. On July 9, 1829, he married Miss Lydia Ham Clapp, daughter of Charles Clapp of Bath. They had five children: Frank Oliver, Galen Clapp, Harriet Sylvester, Anna Elizabeth, and Wealthy Clapp.
Bernard C. Bailey was a grandson of Col. John Bailey, of Han- over, Mass., who was an officer in the Continental service in 1775, having command of a regiment in May of that year, held the com- mission of colonel in 1776 and served during the Revolutionary War with the reputation of a brave and faithful officer. Bernard C. was born in Hanover, May 17, 1796, and married Jane Doten Donnell, who was born in Hanover, May 3, 1797.
Coming to Bath at an early age, Mr. Bailey entered upon active business in navigation, merchandise, and manufacturing, in all of which he met with success. In 1853 and 1854 he was elected mayor, and his administration was notable for the needed improvement of the streets of the city, into the work of which he entered with vigor
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and efficiency. When the Marine National Bank was organized Mr. Bailey was one of its founders and its first president, which position he held until his death in June, 1876, when eighty years of age. He was mayor at the time of the Know Nothing riot of 1854. Mr. Bailey was a very enterprising business man, straightforward in all his dealings, of exceedingly pleasant manners, and as a prominent citi- zen was greatly esteemed.
Samuel D. Bailey, son of the above, was in partnership with his father in ship-building and other branches of his business, and suc- ceeded him in the presidency of the Marine National Bank, continu- ing in the position to the present time, devoting himself exclusively to banking business. He was mayor in 1870, elected on a citizens' ticket, and is president of the Eastern Steamboat Company and interested in other corporations. Mr. Bailey has ever been one of Bath's solid citizens and of the highest integrity.
Sewall Watson was born in Leicester, Mass., in 1795, and went to Castine, Me., at the age of fifteen years and was clerk in a store when that town was occupied by the British in 1812. During his residence in Castine he was town clerk for seven years, sheriff of Hancock County in 1830, and clerk of courts in 1838. He came to Georgetown in 1846, where he was in business for nearly twenty years. While there he was chairman of the board of selectmen for five years; was state senator in 1856 and a member of the Gov- ernor's Council during the War of the Rebellion. He removed to Bath in 1866, and died in this city in 1882, at the age of 87 years. Mr. Watson was twice married, his first wife being Anstress Little, by whom he had seven children. She died in 1843. His second wife was Mrs. Alice Delano of Georgetown. She died in Bath in 1874. Two of Mr. Watson's sons, Sewall J. and William H., have been residents of Bath since 1848.
William H. Watso .. was born in Castine in 1830; came to Bath in 1848; learned the tin and plumbing trade, and has been in the stove and plumbing business since 1854 until the present time, with the exception of about five years spent in the West, California, and in the army during the Civil War. He was married to Ellen C.
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Hatch, in 1858, and has three daughters; served as lieutenant and captain of Company D, Third Maine Infantry, in the war, 1861-2; has been a member of the City Council six years and president of the board in 1885; has served as trustee and secretary of the Bath Military and Naval Orphan Asylum since 1882 to the present time; is an active member of Sedgwick Post, G. A. R., and Grace Epis- copal Church.
John R. Kelley is one of Bath's successful ship-masters and ship-builders, having in his early life followed the occupation of his father by going to sea, and rising through all the grades of seaman- ship to commander. He has sailed deep-sea-going vessels of Bath's best build, including steamers sent to the Pacific coast, retiring while in the prime of life, investing in ships, and eventually becoming a ship-builder and ship-manager. Captain Kelly is a native of Phips- burg, born June 14, 1828. His great-grandfather was William Kelley, his grandfather John Kelley, and his father was Francis Kelley, who was born March 1, 1803, and married Mary Rook, at Phipsburg, September 20, 1827, she having been born April 5, 1806. Capt. Francis Kelley commenced a sea-faring life at the age of fifteen years, and followed that occupation until his retirement when verging on old age, having first been in command of coastwise vessels and then deep-sea-going ships, in which he was a part owner. During his later years he made his residence in Bath, where he died at a very advanced age.
Although inclined to shun rather than seek positions, Capt. J. R. Kelley has been an alderman of the city, a trustee and is president of the People's Savings Bank, and has held other positions of trust and responsibility requiring sound judgment and reliability. Com- mencing in 1887, his firm, Kelley, Spear & Co., have built twenty- eight schooners, one bark, one barkentine, two steam barks, one steamer, two barges, and seven smaller crafts.
Gardner G. Deering has been, for a long series of years, a con- stant ship-builder, and for a number of years was in partnership with W. T. Donnell, the firm having been Deering & Donnell. The firm dissolved in the last-named year, since which date Mr. Deering has
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been alone in his business, building a vessel every year to this time. He was a native of Edgecomb, which is said to be a good place to emigrate from. He came to Bath when twelve years of age, and has become prominent as a ship-builder and in municipal affairs, having served in the Common Council four years and then refusing a nom- ination for alderman. Mr. Deering was born October 18, 1833, and married Lydia M. Robbins, daughter of Chaney Robbins, of Bath, and of six children there are living : Emma H., Frank M., Harry G., and Carroll A. Emma H. married Calvin W. Rogers, who is in trade in Bath. Besides vessels built by the firm of Deering & Donnell, Mr. Deering has built the schooners William T. Donnell, Oliver S. Barrett, Horatio L. Barker, John C. Haynes, Lydia M. Deering, William C. Turner, John S. Deering, Edwin R. Hunt, David P. Davis, John S. Ames, Wesley Inoler.
C. B. Harrington was born in Nova Scotia, in 1831, came to Bath in 1847. He learned the joiner's trade and worked at it several years and when about twenty-two years of age began work in the ship-yard with his father who had been a ship-builder in Nova Scotia; learned drafting and the use of ship-carpenters' tools which, with his former knowledge of joiner work, made him a boat builder, at which he has worked ever since, and has built a great many boats of all kinds, as well as a large number of yachts for Boston parties. He has built one hundred and ten vessels and boats that have been registered, viz .: twenty-one schooner yachts, twenty-five sloops (most all yachts), twenty-five fishing schooners, and thirty-nine steamboats. He married at the age of twenty-one years and has had a family of nine children, seven of whom are now living, two sons and five daughters. The sons are both iron workers.
Charles W. Taylor was born in Bath, February 14, 1849, and married Mary J. Lewis, at New Bedford, October 26, 1871. He grew up in Bath; was educate ' in the city schools and Maine Wesleyan Seminary, Kent's Hill; was thirteen years in the employ of the Eastern Express Company in Boston, and seven years in the employ of the Pullman Company in Montreal; is now in the coal business in Bath; in 1891 and 1892 was a member of the Common Council,
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