USA > Maine > Oxford County > Bethel > History of Bethel : formerly Sudbury, Canada, Oxford County, Maine, 1768-1890, with a brief sketch of Hanover and family statistics > Part 39
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8 HE village of Bethel Hill, now recognized as the most attractive and beautiful in the county, if not in the State, has had for the most part a slow and steady growth. Middle Interval being situated in the center of the town, was to a certain extent, the center of business, and it was at one time sup- posed that quite a village would be built up there. The town meet- ings were held there, and the military trainings and other town gatherings were also had there, but it lacked the elements of perma- nent growth, in that it had no water power, and this being before the days of the application of steam to machinery, no important manufactures could be there established. On the other hand, Bethel Hill had the best water power in town, and the early establishment of mills here, naturally drew settlers around them. As late as
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eighteen hundred and fourteen, Doctor True has put on record that there were but four dwelling houses within the present limits of the village. One of these was the "castle," and stood near the top of Mill Hill, back of where the old Bethel House stood before it was burned ; another was situated on the spot where the present Bethel House stands, and was owned and occupied by James Walker ; one, the Amos Hastings house, stood where Gideon A. Hastings' house now stands, and was moved across the street, and is now occupied by Alfred Twitchell, and the other, the Doctor Mason house, was built that year. .
It is said that when Doctor Mason built his house, great commo- tion was caused in the neighborhood, because he placed it so high above the ground, and a committee was raised to wait on the Doc- tor and remonstrate with him. They did not think it would stand. Just before the first broad-side was raised, according to the custom of those days, Parson Gould invoked the Divine blessing, and then the flowing bowl was passed, of which minister and all freely par- took. A store was situated where the Albert Stiles' cottage house now stands, and was the first painted building in the village. It went by the name of the "red store," but it was a small affair and was subsequently hauled to the Phineas Stearns place, and was used by him as his saddler's shop. The first blacksmith shop stood north of the block of stores, on the spot where Winslow Heywood's house was burned a few years ago in war time. The first carding mill was connected with the grist mill, and in eighteen hundred and fourteen, Joseph Twitchell and others built a carding mill and cloth- ing mill, where it ever after stood. Caleb Rowe was the first to have charge of them. The first school house on the Hill was moved here from Francis Barker's place near the ferry, and occupied the spot where the rear store occupied by the late Abner Davis now stands. Dr. John Grover taught the first school in the village. The next school house stood on the north side of Main street near Robertson's shop. In eighteen hundred and fourteen, there was but little glass in use for windows in town. Seven inches by nine was the only size used, and this was worth nine pence a square. Lime was worth seven dollars the cask, and nails were a shilling per pound. It is said that Doctor Mason sold the tract of land on Main street where Leander T. Barker and two others now live, for a clock case, which he used as long as he lived, and which is still in existence.
VIEW ON CHURCH STREET,
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In eighteen hundred and thirty-five, there was not more than one or two houses on church street, and scarcely any on Main street, from the common to where the railway station now is. In eighteen hundred and eighteen, a Mr. George Crawford bought an acre of land in the rear of the Chapman store, and extending across the street to include the store formerly occupied by Abner Davis, for the small sum of sixty-five dollars. Within the memory of many now living, the land between the dwelling house of Sylvester Rob- ertson and that of Charles Mason, was an alder swamp. On Broad street, once called the Norway road, the late William Frye owned and occupied a house, in which some of the family still live. Oppo- site the John Harris place, now occupied by Charles H. Harris, stood the humble Methodist parsonage, occupied by many families beside ministers, and was taken down to give place to the elegant residence of Addison E. Herrick. The first painted house in the village was the Doctor Mason house, and people thought him very extravagant. When he put blinds on his house, it was said that he was becoming very aristocratic. The first sofa in town was owned by Doctor Mason, and was made by Marshall Bonney, the first cabinet-maker in the village, in eighteen hundred and twenty-one. The first chaise in town was owned by Parson Gould, in the year eighteen hundred, and was regarded as a great curiosity. Captain John Harris brought the first barrel of flour into town in eighteen hundred and twenty-four. General John Chandler was carried through the town in a chaise in eighteen hundred and fourteen, on his return from captivity at Quebec, and the affair caused great excitement among the inhabitants. The first meeting house on the Hill was erected in eighteen hundred and forty-seven, and dedicated March first of the following year. The house near the river bank was built in eighteen hundred and six. A bridge was built across the river at Barker's Ferry in eighteen hundred and thirty-nine, and the same was swept away by an ice freshet in January following. The academy was built in eighteen hundred and thirty-six. In eighteen hundred and forty-eight, the population of the village was one hundred and ninety-nine ; in eighteen hundred and fifty-five, four hundred and four, and in eighteen hundred and sixty six hun- dred and two. The Universalist church was built in eighteen hundred and fifty-three-four, and the Methodist in eighteen hundred and sixty.
The steam saw mill was built on the Sanborn farm in eighteen
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hundred and fifty-four, by Albert H. and William Gerrish, Joseph B. Hammond and others. The first train of cars to Bethel, over the Atlantic and Saint Lawrence railroad, arrived in March, eigh- teen hundred and fifty-one. This was an important era in the his- tory of the village and town. In the few following years, the village made a large growth both in wealth, business and population. To this growth, during these years, no man contributed more than Clark S. Edwards. He was in trade, carried on farming and lum- bering, and built a large number of dwelling houses and other buildings. The village expanded in every direction ; swampy places were filled, hills levelled, and rough places made smooth.
The early as well as the later interest of Bethel Hill centered at the Common. Lots bordering upon it were regarded as desirable, although in the early times the choicest parcels sold at a very low price. The village is situated upon the mill lots, and as the Twitch- ells built the mills, they were the early proprietors of these lots. Eleazer Twitchell disposed of a part of them before his death, largely to his sons and sons-in-law, and at his death, his heirs inherited the balance. James Walker was among the first to pur- chase land adjoining the Common. He purchased of Eleazer Twitchell, the land north of the Common, and near the beginning of the century commenced trade. He also bought other lands, but he became financially embarrassed, and in eighteen hundred and twelve, deeded most of his real estate to his creditors. He became a preacher. In eighteen hundred and thirty-two, James Walker sold the land north of the Common to Robert A. Chapman, who commenced his active, business life in a small store erected upon it, part of which he used as a dwelling house.
In eighteen hundred and twenty-one, Jacob Ellingwood sold to O'Neil W. Robinson, the land bordering the Common on the easterly side, and Robinson built a house and store upon it. In eighteen hundred and thirty-five, Robinson sold out to Robert A. Chapman, and moved to Portland, and subsequently to Waterford. He also sold Chapman a tract of land of near twenty-five acres, as shown in the chapter on land transfers. Edmund Merrill bought the land west of the Common. Robert Chapman bought of Hiram Allen, six and one-half acres of land on the Rumford road in eighteen hun- dred and thirty-six. Eleazer Twitchell sold land next above the Chapman place, to Dr. Moses Mason, who built upon it in eighteen hundred and fourteen, and lived and died there. After Jacob
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Ellingwood sold to Robinson, he put up a house at the southwest of the Common. This, he or his heirs sold to Doctor John Grover, who lived there many years. The place is now "The Elms." John Oliver bought a lot north of the Chapman lot, extending to the corner and had a hatter's shop upon it. The Ellingwoods, Jacob and Ebenezer, were shoemakers, and both had shops bordering the Common. Oliver's small house was near where Judge Foster's office now is. John and Timothy Hastings bought of Eleazer Twitchell, the land where the two Hastings houses now stand. At that time, all south of that was either pasture or woods. John Harris bought the place where Freeman Twitchell had begun a house, and Charles H. Harris now lives upon it. John Harris came here from Westbrook. He bought half of the clothing and wool- carding establishment of James Walker, was in trade, purchased extensive tracts of land and became forehanded. The Jacob Elling- wood house, taken from the lot he sold to Robinson, was moved away and is still occupied, and his shoemaker's shop he sold to Calvin Stearns, who moved it to the John Kimball place opposite the academy ; it was afterwards moved farther down the hill toward the river. The John Oliver house was sold to Frederic Ballard, and moved down where Moses T. Cross afterwards lived, and was enlarged by Isaac B. Littlehale ; his hatter's shop was sold to George Chapman, moved to the lot where Edwin C. Rowe's store now is, and was converted into a store. James Walker built a store and house connected, south of the Common. Walker sold out to his creditors, and they to Ezra T. Russell, who built the house after- wards the Elbridge Chapman place, and which was moved to give place to the Bethel House built by Frank S. and William H. Chan- dler. Russell exchanged the property with Jedediah Burbank, for what was known as the old Bethel House and which was burned. Burbank sold to David Coffin and Coffin to Elbridge Chapman.
Marshall Bonney, cabinet-maker, bought the land on the east side of Church street, and on the west side of the Rumford road-the heater, containing about three acres. He built a house where Hiram Allen afterwards lived, to whom Bonney sold. In eighteen hun- dred and thirty-six, Gilman Chapman bought of Allen, the entire property for seven hundred dollars. The Allen house was moved just below Robertson's cabinet shop, and is now the Methodist par- sonage. Gilman Chapman built the store where the post office now (1891) is, in eighteen hundred and thirty-seven. The place north
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of the Common has had various owners, and has undergone many changes since Robert A. Chapman owned it; it was enlarged and much improved by Ira C. Kimball. The beautiful elms around it were set out by Robert A. Chapman. Other ornamental trees along Broad street and around the Common were for the most part set out. by the early owners. Hon. William Frye as administrator of the. estate of Jacob Ellingwood who died quite early, sold various par- cels of land in the vicinity of the Common, and Sylvanus Twitchell, who moved to Orono, sold land to William Frye, Timothy Wight and John Harris. Wight subsequently sold his homestead contain- ing fourteen acres situated on the old Norway road and adjoining William Frye's homestead lot, to John Harris. For other transfers of real estate around the Hill and in other parts of the town, the reader is referred to the chapter relating to land transfers. Eli Twitchell, son of Dea. Ezra Twitchell, was in trade on the hill at one time, and the store he occupied is now part of the Sylvester Robertson house.
The store where Robert and Elbridge Chapman long traded, and which was built by O'Neil W. Robinson, was burned, and then Rob- ert A. Chapman built and occupied the store which he sold to Samuel A. Brock. He then built the store where Ira C. Jordan now trades and occupied it with Enoch W. Woodbury. Afterwards. Woodbury & Purrington built the store where they now trade, on the spot where Charles Mason's store was burned. The steam mill' above the Hill, then owned by Lynch and the Springs of Portland, was burned in war time, was rebuilt, and has since been burned and rebuilt. Dr. Almon Twitchell built the house where his daughter Mrs. Anna French now lives ; W. J. Hayden bought the Bonney- Allen house, moved it and built upon the spot ; Benjamin Freeman built the Doctor Gordon house ; Livingston G. Robinson bought the house formerly occupied by the widow of Rev. Charles Frost, and the same is now owned by the widow of Abner Davis. The widow
of Dr. John Grover built the house now occupied by Dr. John A. Twaddle, and Newton Grover the one now occupied by Pinckney Burnham. Horace Andrews bought the John Kimball place and made extensive changes, and Goodwin R. Wiley built and occupies- the elegant house below the academy. Isaac B. Littlehale built a house and long lived on Church street. Richard A. Frye built on part of his father's home lot, which was a full acre. Hon. David Hammons built the fine house where his widow recently lived, and
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BETHEL HILL, FROM SUNSET ROCK.
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Addison E. Herrick erected his beautiful residence on the spot of the old Methodist parsonage, and purchased of the Harris heirs a portion of the old Timothy Wight place. On Main street, after passing the stores, are the houses built by Moses Pattee, Gilman Chapman and others, on the left, and on the right those of widow Hiram Young, Leander T. Barker, erected by his father, Timothy Barker, and others, most of which have been constructed in com- paratively modern times. The older dwellings are of the "Mansion house" style, square and substantially built. The first variation from this was the cottage still standing at the north of the Common and west of the Skillings house and built by Albert Stiles. I well remember when this house was constructed, the frame consisting of three by four joist, and how the old people shook their heads, and said it would not stand. But it has stood for nearly two score years, and bids fair to stand many years longer. The standard color for the early houses was snowy white with green window blinds, and in some cases a fan-like ornament over the front door, as still seen in the Doctor Mason and the John Hastings houses. These two old citizens, and also O'Neil W. Robinson married sis- ters, whose maiden name was Straw, and Broad street, on which they once lived in a row, was once called Straw street. Many of the village houses are still white, but the introduction of chemical paints has served to somewhat break up the monotony.
A Village Corporation, embracing the fifteenth and thirtieth school districts was chartered by an act of the Legislature, approved Feb- ruary sixteenth, eighteen hundred and eighty-nine. Its purposes according to the terms of the charter, were : to provide for a Fire Department ; to construct sidewalks and sewers ; to improve Bethel Common and Kimball Park ; to provide for a Police ; for lighting the streets and for school purposes. The charter was accepted at a meeting held April twenty-seventh, eighteen hundred and eighty- nine, and the following officers chosen : Wm. E. Skillings, Goodwin R. Wiley and Addison E. Herrick, a committee to draft and present by-laws ; Goodwin R. Wiley, clerk ; Wm. E. Skillings, Josiah U. Purington and Eben S. Kilburne, assessors ; Edwin C. Rowe, treas- urer ; Jarvis C. Billings, collector, and Calvin Bisbee, auditor ; fire police, Ceylon Rowe, H. C. Barker, Ira Clark, W. D. Hastings, Addison E. Herrick, Charles Mason, Fred L. Edwards, Nathaniel F. Brown, Jarvis C. Billings, Alfred M. True, Cyrus M. Wormell and John B. Chapman. The corporation has proceeded in accord-
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ance with the terms of its charter, has provided hydrants at various points, organized an efficient Fire Department, built a lock-up, and made improvements in various directions. Its officers for the cur- rent year (1891) are: Clerk, Goodwin R. Wiley ; Assessors, Charles Mason, Eben S. Kilburne, H. C. Andrews ; Treasurer, Edwin C. Rowe; Auditor, Richard A. Frye; Collector, N. F. Brown ; Chief Engineer, Goodwin R. Wiley ; First assistant, N. F. Brown ; Second, George A. King ; Fire Police, Ceylon Rowe, W. D. Hastings, Addison E. Herrick, H. C. Barker, Clark S. Edwards, Gideon A. Hastings, Davis Lovejoy, John Coburn, F. C. Bartlett, Cyrus M. Wormell, Ira Clark and John B. Chapman.
The Bethel Water Company was chartered by the Legislature, February sixteenth, eighteen hundred and eighty-nine. A leading object was to enable the Village Corporation to carry out its pur- poses in relation to a fire department. The corporators were Wm. E. Skillings, Addison E. Herrick, Enoch Foster, Samuel D. Phil- brook, Enoch W. Woodbury, Gideon A. Hastings, Gilman P. Bean and Ceylon Rowe. Its object as stated in the charter, is to supply
the village of Bethel Hill with pure water. By its charter the con- pany was authorized to take, detain and use the water of Chapman brook and all streams tributary thereto or running therefrom in the towns of Bethel and Newry, subject to certain conditions, such as liability for damage on account of flowage, etc. The organization of the company was completed February eighteenth, eighteen hun- dred and ninety, by the election of the following officers : President, Enoch Foster ; Secretary, Addison E. Herrick ; Directors, Ceylon Rowe, Gideon A. Hastings, Wm. E. Skillings, Enoch W. Wood- bury and Henry M. Bearce. The works were begun and completed in eighteen hundred and ninety, the water beginning to flow Novem- ber first. No contract was made, but all labor and material were procured directly by the company. The enterprise is a complete success, and the people of the village wonder how they ever got along without it. The water is abundant and of superior quality. The main pipe is four and one-half miles in length from the Com- mon, and the water comes from Chapman brook, away up the moun- tain side above all impurities, the reservoir being one hundred and eighty-five feet above the level of the Common. The analysis of the water by the Secretary of the State Board of Health, shows it to be practically pure, and equal to any supply in the State.
Except an amateur sheet published by the boys, and the academy
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publications, Bethel has never had but one newspaper. This was- called the Bethel Courier, and its initial number was issued Decem- ber seventeenth, eighteen hundred and fifty-eight. It was a six column paper, in size fourteen by twenty inches, and bore the im- print of Cady & Smith. With the second number Dr. Nathaniel T. True was advertised to write a series of articles on the early history of the town. With number three, Mr. Cady retired and was suc- ceeded by James Nutting. When thirty numbers had been issued, Mr. Frank Smith retired and Mr. Nutting became sole proprietor, with Doctor True as editor. This arrangement continued for fifteen months when Mr. Nutting sold out to J. Alden Smith, whose name first appears as proprietor with the issue for November second, eighteen hundred and sixty. The paper now appeared in a new dress, and Doctor True ceased to be editor. Mr. Smith continued to publish the paper until July fifth, eighteen hundred and sixty- one, when it was discontinued and its list transferred to the Oxford Democrat.
The Bethel Farmers' Club was started early in the fifties. The records having been burned, the date of organization cannot be given. Its inception was due to the efforts of Dr. Nathaniel T. True and Albert L. Burbank, who talked the matter up, called a public meeting, which was addressed by Mr. Darius Forbes, agri- cultural editor of the Oxford Democrat, and an organization effected and officers elected. The club was in existence for ten or twelve years and accomplished a great amount of good. Meetings were held at the houses of the members during the fall and winter sea- son, and various topics connected with the farm, garden and orchard were intelligently discussed and the results of experiments given. The organization of the club led to the trial of experiments, which were duly reported. An outcome of the club was the Bethel town fair, which in some seasons, was almost equal to the State fair. The social advantages of the club were of great importance, a pleas- ing combination of business and pleasure whose beneficial results were appreciable in a short time. An antiquarian supper under its auspices, brought out more curious and antiquated things than were previously known to exist in town. It was a rare and valuable dis- play, showing the crude implements of husbandry used by our ancestors, and also those used in the manufacture of articles for domestic use. The persons whose names were more particularly associated with the Bethel Farmers' Club, were Nathaniel T. True,
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Albert L. Burbank, who was Secretary most of the time, David F. Brown, Francis Barker, Joseph A. Twitchell, Gilman Chapman, John A. Twitchell, Moses A. Mason, Dr. Joshua Fanning, Samuel H. Chapman and Josiah Brown. The Bethel club has the honor of having been the pioneer in the movement which resulted in similar clubs among the farmers in various parts of the State, which flourished until they were superceded by the Grange. The architect ' and builder of the old Bethel House was Edmund Merrill. He also built and occupied the house at the north of the block of stores which was last occupied by Winslow Heywood, and was burned.
GOULD'S ACADEMY, 1890.
CHAPTER XXXII.
FRAGMENTS.
"Gather up the fragments that nothing may be lost."
R. Moses Mason was a practical joker, and was also very quick at repartee. The maiden name of his wife was
3 Straw, and one day he chanced to meet Paul Morse, who accosted him with : "Doctor, when are you going to bring your bundle of straw over to see my wife?" Quick as a flash, the Doctor rejoined : "After you have brought your bunch of moss over to see mine."
The doctor, outside of his profession, had but little education, but he was a man of influence, and for many years controlled the town in about his own way. When he was a candidate for Con- gress he wrote a letter to his opponent, in which the spelling and grammar were not exactly in accordance with established usage, and his opponent hoping to gain a point on him, caused the letter to be published verbatim et literatim ; but the result was just the opposite of what he hoped it might be. It was regarded as such a breach of confidence ; such a violation of the rules of common courtesy, that the act gave the doctor hundreds of votes, and he was triumphantly elected and was also re-elected. This was an era in the doctor's life that was brighter than any other, and his experiences there fur- nished food for thought and topics of conversation for all his subse- quent life. After his return and he had settled down to a quiet life, waiting for the sere and yellow leaf, he erected a neat building on his grounds which he called his library. It was his delight to show this library to visitors at the Hill, but it must have brought a smile to the face of many a book man, when he saw that the library was made up entirely of bound volumes of the Congressional Globe and other public documents. The old doctor was a familiar figure at Bethel Hill for a long number of years. After his hair which he
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wore quite long, had become white, with his blue swallow-tailed coat and gilt buttons, his buff vest, ruffled shirt and beaver hat, he was the personification of a fine old gentleman of the old school. . He was interested in the history of Bethel, and especially of the Hill. He kept a sort of record of events which has come into the posses- sion of the writer, and from which much valuable data have been gleaned. On one page, he gives an account of the sums of money he had received from the government, which are as follows : As Postmaster for nineteen years, $400 ; for his four years in Congress, $6,880 ; as County Commissioner for three years, $750; from Bethel, as pay for services as Selectman fourteen years, $350 ; pay as Councillor, $800 ; as Trustee of the Insane Hospital, $97; as Justice of the Peace, $200 ; to which he adds "for medical ser- vices," $8,000 ; total life earnings, $17,159.
Mr. Edmund Bean, generally known as "Mr. Ned," was not an educated man, but he was a good farmer and knew how to make money. One year he bought in a large number of turkeys which he drove to Portland. He had no trouble with his drove during the day, but when roosting time came, they would fly up and settle themselves upon fences or trees, whichever was the most conven- ient, and there they would persistently remain through the night. He finally reached Portland, but the market was already well stocked and he could scarcely get an offer for them. He was advised to enquire of the condition of the Boston market by tele- graph, and was instructed where to go. Presenting himself to the operator and making his wants known, he was invited to take a seat and await the results. The operator then sent to Boston, had a messenger sent to Faneuil Hall market, and in a brief time the prices current of turkeys was placed in Mr. Bean's hands with a demand for a dollar and fifty cents. The old man asked them to read the dispatch, which they did, and then he flew into a passion, declaring them cheats and frauds. "Why," said he, "I've had my eye on you all the time ; you haven't been to Boston ; you haven't been out of this office, nor your darned old tick-box either." After a full explanation, the old man paid the bill and went away happier and wiser than when he went in.
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