USA > Maine > Lincoln County > Boothbay Harbor > History of Boothbay, Southport and Boothbay Harbor, Maine. 1623-1905. With family genealogies > Part 14
USA > Maine > Lincoln County > Southport > History of Boothbay, Southport and Boothbay Harbor, Maine. 1623-1905. With family genealogies > Part 14
USA > Maine > Lincoln County > Boothbay > History of Boothbay, Southport and Boothbay Harbor, Maine. 1623-1905. With family genealogies > Part 14
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63
1. The small vote thrown on several occasions can only be explained on the ground of indifference to public affairs. There were in 1791 resident taxpayers to the number of 182, nearly every one of whom was a legal voter.
151
MUNICIPAL HISTORY.
Widow Montgomery's to John Rackliff's ; No. 6, from Capt. John Holton's to the house of David Reed, 3d, including the families at the head of Campbell's Cove. The school money was to be divided into six equal parts, and each district was to have one part for the maintenance of schools. Each district was to have a school committee of three, and this committee possessed what might be termed exclusive powers, as those powers embraced all that formerly vested in the district agent with those of superintendency added. It is likely that the wishes of the district were consulted as to the composition of those committees, but it is certain that they were elected in open town meeting, and it does not appear that district meet- ings were held. In 1795 no school money was raised, and a vote was taken that any unexpended money might be used as any ten freeholders in any district might designate. Fifty pounds was borrowed to buy a town stock of ammunition, with a direction that it should be stored in the church garret. Three hundred dollars was raised for schools in 1797. By a vote in 1798 a glimpse may be had of the appearance of the town common and Boothbay Center :
" To give Samuel Rackliff and Samuel Adams thirty dollars to clear the town land on the front of the meeting house on westerly side of the road so far as is now fell and burnt, and also to fence the whole of said land on the westerly side of said road to Mr. Fullerton's line, and also to clear the town land on the easterly side joining on said Fullerton's and David Kenniston's."
At the meeting of 1799 a new school district was added, and names instead of numbers were given the districts. They were known as Cape Newagen, Back River, Oven's Mouth, Pinkham, Pleasant Cove, Linekin Neck and Harbor. The highway districts were also re-formed and numbered.
With the advent of 1800 came the clearest expression in the matter of town appropriation, freed from English sterling terms, which had appeared since organization. That year was raised for highways, $700; for miscellaneous town charges, $200; for schools, $200; for standard weights and measures, $30. The eighth school district was formed on the west side of the town and the name given to it was Number Eight, which through all changes still adheres. Population was evidently
152
HISTORY OF BOOTHBAY.
increasing considerably in these years, for two more school districts were formed in 1801, and still another in 1802. In the latter year the district committees were reduced to one in each district, and that one had all the powers formerly held by the three. No superintending school committee for the town appeared until 1818.
In 1803 two suits were brought against the town, one for damage at Wildcat Bridge, which was not railed, and the other was a pauper case with Newburyport. No lawyer residing in town, Jeremiah Bailey, Esq., of Wiscasset, was chosen town agent, with full power of attorney. In 1804 Cape Newagen asked for a ferry, but the article was dismissed. In 1806 some of the school districts were divided, and it was voted to procure a trunk or chest in which to keep the town's books and papers, -this was the first town "safe." Crows had become so troublesome that a bounty of ten cents per head was offered. An instance may at this point be given of the compensation of town officers in those days. Whoever has examined the first book of Boothbay records can hardly fail to admire the fine penmanship of Jonathan Sawyer, clerk. Many of the pages were artistically bordered with narrow scroll by his pen. With the possible exception of Doctor Rose, who took the clerkship in 1807, no records from organization to the present show the time and care that these do. As Mr. Sawyer was retiring from the clerkship, which he had held for thirteen years, during which time he had received no compensation for his services, it was now voted him in a lump sum, for the entire term, the amount of thirty-six dollars. There appears of record simply routine work during the years 1808, 1809 and 1810.1
In 1811 the town appropriations exceeded any previous year. One thousand dollars was raised for roads, six hundred for schools and one thousand for town charges of a miscella- neous character. The road from Church Square, now so- called, at Boothbay Harbor, to where East Boothbay Village now stands, was built, about as it now exists except that it went over the hill. The April and May meetings for 1812
1. Some ecclesiastical action was taken in these years, which will appear under its proper head ; and some extraordinary action in the way of petitioning the Execu- tive to remove the existing embargo will also appear elsewhere.
3
152
HISTORY OF BOOTHBAY.
increasing considerably in these years, for two more school districts were formed in 1801, and still another in 1802. In the latter year the district committees were reduced to one in each district, and that one had all the powers formerly held by the three. No superintending school committee for the town appeared until 1818.
In 1803 two suits were brought against the town, one for damage at Wildcat Bridge, which was not railed, and the other was a pauper case with Newburyport. No lawyer residing in town, Jeremiah Bailey, Esq., of Wiscasset, was chosen town agent, with full power of attorney. In 1804 Cape Newagen asked for a ferry, but the article was dismissed. In 1806 some of the school districts were divided, and it was voted to procure a trunk or chest in which to keep the town's books and papers, - this was the first town "safe." Crows had become so troublesome that a bounty of ten cents per head was offered. An instance may at this point be given of the compensation of town officers in those days. Whoever has examined the first book of Boothbay records can hardly fail to admire the fine penmanship of Jonathan Sawyer, clerk. Many of the pages were artistically bordered with narrow scroll by his pen. With the possible exception of Doctor Rose, who took the clerkship in 1807, no records from organization to the present show the time and care that these do. As Mr. Sawyer was retiring from the clerkship, which he had held for thirteen years, during which time he had received no compensation for his services, it was now voted him in a lump sum, for the entire term, the amount of thirty-six dollars. There appears of record simply routine work during the years 1808, 1809 and 1810.1
In 1811 the town appropriations exceeded any previous year. One thousand dollars was raised for roads, six hundred for schools and one thousand for town charges of a miscella- neous character. The road from Church Square, now so- called, at Boothbay Harbor, to where East Boothbay Village now stands, was built, about as it now exists except that it went over the hill. The April and May meetings for 1812
1. Some ecclesiastical action was taken in these years, which will appear under its proper head ; and some extraordinary action in the way of petitioning the Execu- tive to remove the existing embargo will also appear elsewhere.
House
Pig Covel.
78.
76
75
· 77
58.
57
to
S.H.O.
J3'
.32
1
Robert Harley
Richard Poor
.: Stephen Pierce
1 Joseph Huskins
Warren Poor
Peter Westman
, Levi Spofford
& Joseph Spotford
Samuel Pierce-rent
14 11 Benjamin Pinkham
Thomas Coolen
13 Est. of Warren Pierre
14 Samuel Pierce
Loring Pierce
16 Store-T. & N. Marr
17 Thomas Marr. Jr.
1× Hamiah Pierce
19 Nahum B. Marr
20 JJarnel Marr
21 Hiram Marr
John Rand
13 Henry Rand
24 Alexander Tibbetts
25 Samuel Rand
20-7 George Webber
28 Thomas Pierce 29-30 Amherst Spofford
31 Hendricks Head Light
:22 William Orne
33 Jaloes Orne
:44 Mark Rand
35 William Pierce
.il Silas Pierce
3; Moses Pierce
:18 Joseph Maddocks
Robert Maddocks
40 John Maddocks
- Widow Webster
Moses Jewett
SOUTHPORT IN 1856.
45 Robert Cameron
44 George W. Pierce. . Ir.
45 George W. Pierce
46 Parsonage
47 Methodist Church
48 Schoolhouse
49 Daniel Pierce
50 William Pierce
51 Charles Pierce
52 James Orne George Love
4 Thomas Williams
Gilbert Love
56 Samnel Harris 79 Store and P. O .- F. Grover
80 Elbridge Horn
58 Alfred Brewer $1 George Love, Jr.
59 Cameron Building 82 Eben F. Decker
83 William Decker
84 George Pierce
Eli Nelson
Henry Gray
Christopher Derker
65-6 Cyrus Mckown and Sisters 88 David Pierce
67 Daniel R. Matthews
89 Joseph Pierce
90 Miles Pierce
Franklin Jones
William Gray
William Harris ..
Ebenezer Lundy
Albion Alley
Schoolhouse
John Alley
19 David Preble 100 Joshua D. Cashman
101 William Brown
102 Miles Orne
103 Jacob Orne
104 William Cameron
Cameron Building
113 Store-Cyrus Mckown
64 Store-Miss Mckown
68 Jonathan P. Thompson
69 Dyerk Rose 70-1-2 William Thompson
73 William Nickerson
74 Willard Lewis
75 Robert Mckown
7 Robert G. Decker
7, Alden Moore
78 Freeman Grover
Isaac Brewer
10 Daniel Cameron
John Cameron
15 Jerry Nelson
56
BOOTHBAY
5 Warren Poor
6 Peter Westman
, Levi Spofford 8 Joseph Spofford
Samuel Pierce-rent ..
10 11 Benjamin Pinkham
12 Thomas Coolen
13 Est. of Warron Pierre
14 Samuel Pierce
15 Loring Pierce
16 Store-T. & N. Marr
17 Thomas Marr. Jr.
Pierre
25 Samuel Rand 26-7 George Webber 28 Thomas Pierce
29-30 Amherst Spofford
Bi Hendricks Head Light
32 William Orne
:13 James Orne
Mark Rand
35 William Pierre
36 Silas Pierce
37 Moses Pierce
:18 Joseph Maddocks
:9 Robert Maddocks
40 John Maddocks
47 Methodist Church
48 Schoolhouse
Daniel Pierce
50 William Pierce
51 Charles Pierce
.James Orne
53 George Love
5 Thomas Williams
55 Gilbert Love
56 Samnel Harris
Isaac Brewer
58 Alfred Brewer
82 Eben F. Decker
83 William Decker
84 George Pierce
90 Miles Pierce
69 Dyerk Rose
70-1-2 William Thompson 92
73 William Nickerson
74 Willard Lewis
75 Robert Mckown
76 Robert G. Decker
77 Alden Moore
78 Freeman Grover
79 Store and P. O .- F. Grover
80 Elbridge Horn
David Preble 100 Joshua D. Cashman
101 William Brown
102 Miles Orne 103 .lacob Orne
104 William Cameron
i'1 John Cameron
68 Jonathan P. Thompson
91 Franklin Jones
William Gray
William Harris 93
Ebenezer Lundy
Albion Alley
97
Schoolhouse
98 John Alley
81 Goorge Love, Jr.
50 Cameron Building 60 Daniel Cameron
105 Jerry Nelson
153
MUNICIPAL HISTORY.
show only routine matters, but one on July 7th presented this article :
"To take into consideration the alarming and defenseless condition of the town's inhabitants against the enemy or any plundering parties which may invade the town upon the sea- coast harbors, or any other part thereof, or take such measures thereon that the town may think proper."
Under this article a committee was chosen, a petition for aid drawn and forwarded to the President, and other matters acted upon which will more properly appear in another place. In 1813 nothing appears of record, outside the war measures and routine affairs, except the action taken in regard to the poor. They were bound out to service by vote of the town in the discretion of the selectmen. In 1815 the selectmen were directed to petition the General Court to relinquish the claim of the State to land in this town. John McClintock was em- ployed to suryey the entire town, including the lots or tracts claimed by each settler, and make plans of the same, in con- formity with a resolve of the General Court, passed February 11, 1811, entitled "An act for quieting settlers on lands in Bristol, Edgecomb," etc. For this service Mr. McClintock was voted six hundred dollars.1
School districts underwent a revision of lines in 1816, reaching the number of sixteen. In the annual meeting of that year occurred a discussion and strife over the question whether or not swine should be permitted to run at large, resulting in the full, unhampered liberty of that animal. On May 20th the question of statehood again came up in this form :
"Shall the Legislature be requested to give its consent to the separation of the District of Maine from Massachusetts proper, and to the erecting of said District into a separate State."
The vote was ten in favor to fifty-two against the proposi- tion. On September 2d the same question came up in similar form, resulting in sixty-four to twelve against separation. A school committee first appears in 1818, with the following duties : to examine candidates for teaching, to visit and exam-
1. Though the town records show the contract was made with Mr. Mcclintock, such old deeds as make reference to a plan cite a certain one and a survey made in 1815 by Dr. Daniel Rose. Both parties lived in the same part of the town, in fact were neighbors, and both were surveyors. The fact can be reconciled only by assum- ing that for some reason Mr. McClintock employed Dr. Rose to do the work, and that the plan was allowed to bear the Doctor's name.
11
154
HISTORY OF BOOTHBAY.
ine as to the progress of the several schools, with the provision that no teacher should receive pay from the selectmen until their bill for services was approved by the committee. A road leading from Jeremiah Beath's to and intersecting the road from the Harbor to Murray's mill was accepted and ordered built. In 1819 a meeting was called for July 26th to act on the following article :
"Is it expedient that the District of Maine shall become a separate and independent State, on the terms and conditions provided in an act entitled 'an act relating to the separation of Maine from Massachusetts proper, and forming the same into a separate and independent State.'"
To this article a vote of ten in favor of statehood and thir- ty-six against it was cast. The adoption of the resolution favoring statehood resulted in the District, showing Boothbay to be somewhat out of line with the popular feeling elsewhere.
Another meeting was called for September 1st
" To choose one or more delegates, to meet delegates from other towns within the District of Maine, in Convention at Portland, on the second Monday of October next, for the purpose of framing a constitution, or form of government for the said District."
Dr. Daniel Rose and Major John McKown were chosen delegates from Boothbay. On December 6th another meeting was called to act on the constitution which had been framed by the convention, and a total of thirty-eight votes were all thrown in approval of it.
With the year 1820 came statehood to the District of Maine. Indications may be observed that it had its effect on the town action by stimulating it in efforts to improve in municipal methods. Individual appropriations were continued ; the collection of taxes was fixed on a percentage, varying with the year and the conditions of collecting ; the town treasurer was the only officer who labored for a fixed compensation ; the number and limits of the school districts remained as they had been in recent years ; the highway districts were revised in form and a new schedule of prices for labor was fixed in town meeting. In 1823 a committee was chosen to prepare a remonstrance against the division of Lincoln County. Cattle at large had become so injurious to all crops that a town meet-
155
MUNICIPAL HISTORY.
ing was held resulting in a vote forbidding the practice. A special meeting that year was called on November 10th and one hundred dollars appropriated to the relief of the sufferers from the fire at Wiscasset and Alna. In 1824 a stone bridge was voted for Sawyer's Island, and Nicholas T. Knight chosen to superintend the work. That year the record shows the first vote of the town directing the highway surveyors to keep the roads clear in winter. In 1827 an indictment was found against the town for a defective road along the east side of the Harbor leading to Spruce Point. That year was the first to adopt a regular auditing system of town accounts, but instead of a single auditor a committee of three was chosen. The road from John Love's house to the middle bridge, near Edmund Wilson's, was built in 1828.
In 1829 a law permitting license for retail liquor selling had just passed the Maine Legislature. A strong contest at the annual meeting was had, for the law was one of local option. It resulted in favor of license. That year a road was built from Major John McKown's to the Cape, on the east side of Cape Newagen Island. In 1831 the road about the head of Campbell's Cove was built with stone, William Kenniston doing the work by contract. That year the town petitioned the Legislature for the privilege to purchase the lots known as town lot and Common, providing the title was found to be in either Maine or Massachusetts, or jointly in them; and the following year Marshal Smith was chosen agent to perfect the title in these pieces of property. At about this time many roads were being accepted on the condition that they should be no expense to the town. It is quite evident that some of these were never built.
The first individual auditor of town accounts was chosen in 1833, in the person of Willard Thorpe. In 1834 a road was accepted from Reed's meadow bridge, running southerly, to a point near the line between the Fullerton and McFarland farms, and another from Sawyer's Island bridge, through land of Ichabod Pinkham, to Benjamin Hodgdon's. In 1835 it appears that the poor were sold to the lowest bidder, to be clothed, fed and provided with medical attendance to the sat- isfaction of the selectmen. On these conditions they were
156
HISTORY OF BOOTHBAY.
struck off to John Hodgdon, 2d, at forty-nine cents per week for each one. An action at that date was that the school com- mittee should decide on what text-books were to be used in the schools and post a notice of their decision in each church.
An event occurred in 1837 which a few persons still remember. At that time it had no precedent and probably it will never have a repetition. The distribution of the surplus revenue in the United States treasury is referred to. Under the act entitled by the Federal Government "to regulate the deposit of the public money," a distribution took place from the Federal treasury to each State treasury. It being a per capita distribution, based on the preceding census, each town received its proportion from the State. A vote to elect an agent for this town to demand and receive of the State its share resulted in the choice of William Carlisle. At a later meeting John Leishman was chosen treasurer of the fund, giv- ing bonds in the sum of eight thousand dollars. The town action, after deducting three per cent. for expenses, was to allow the treasurer of the fund to
" Loan to each master or mistress or head of a family in the town of Boothbay, without interest, in equal proportion according to the number of persons in their several families, by giving safe and ample surety to the treasurer of said town, to pay the same sum to the treasurer of said town, whenever called for by the treasurer of Maine, according to said act."
The agent was directed to call on Judge Weston and ascer- tain if the town method of proceeding was regular. On February 26, 1838, a meeting was called to fix a plan for dis- tribution of the surplus revenue, it not having been distributed under the directions of the year before. John Leishman was continued as treasurer and distributor, and it was directed that he should be governed by the census taken by William Green- leaf, but if any person was not properly enumerated, then Mr. Leishman was empowered sole judge as to whether or not the person was entitled to a share. He commenced the Monday following this meeting, at the schoolhouse at Hodgdon's Mills, to pay two dollars to each person, or to parents or guardians in the case of minors, to the inhabitants of school districts Nos. 3, 5, 6 and 12. On Wednesday at the schoolhouse at the western side of the Harbor to districts 7, 20 and 9. On
157
MUNICIPAL HISTORY.
Friday to the inhabitants on Cape Newagen Island, at Major John McKown's. Monday at Willard Thorpe's for districts 8, 2, 18, 13 and 19. Thursday at Capt. Nathaniel Pinkham's for districts 4 and 10. The agent was instructed when he went after the money to change one thousand dollars for bills under the denomination of five dollars, and to get Wiscasset money.
In 1839 Capt. William McCobb bid off the poor at eighty- five cents each per week, with usual conditions, except that he was permitted to let out individuals as he saw fit. In 1840 appropriations were $1,200 for highways, $1,800 for poor and other town charges, and the legal limit on schools. The town that year was divided into four collection districts, each one to be composed of five school districts and furnishing its own collector.
On February 12, 1842, the first dismemberment of Booth- bay occurred. Cape Newagen Island was incorporated as the town of Townsend. No direct allusion is made to the separa- tion in the Boothbay records, which indicates there could have been no contest or complicated settlement of affairs between the two towns. In November it was voted to petition the Legislature for separate representation. A vote in 1844 was passed "that two of the selectmen go together to every house and take the valuation on the spot." The unique wording of this vote, and the fact that the records disclose no other so direct, convinces the author that this was the first actual, busi- ness-like valuation ever taken in Boothbay. An article to see if the town would purchase the Congregational church was dis- missed in 1845. That year, the first since 1777, it was voted to direct the highway surveyors to remove the gates and bars then across the highways throughout the town. It was voted to establish a liquor agency with some person, not a trader, and licenses were refused retailers that year.
In 1847 seven hundred dollars was appropriated to build a townhouse. Robert Spinney, Marshal Smith, Ammi Pierce, Daniel Knight and Thomas Hodgdon were chosen a committee to draft a plan, receive proposals, contract for building, arrange terms of payment and select the location, the town having voted that it should be upon the Common. It was
158
HISTORY OF BOOTHBAY.
specified that it should be completed for the September meet- ing. The meeting of September 13, 1847, for the election of State and county officers, was the first held in the house. In 1848 it was voted to allow the balance of the surplus revenue to remain to the credit of the town. A road from the house of Benjamin Giles to intersect the road leading past the house of Charles Giles was built that year. In 1851 the road running along the shore on the east side of the Harbor was discontinued.
In 1853 a road was laid out from Mill Cove to the land of Andrew Berry ; one hundred and fifty dollars was voted in assistance of a bridge between Barter's Island and Thomas Hodgdon's Island ; the sale of liquors was licensed ; but an article to raise one thousand dollars for the support of high schools was dismissed. In 1854 it was voted to permit the Free Will Baptist Society to build a church on the Common. A road on Sawyer's Island to the bridge and another across Hodgdon's Island were accepted. It was also voted to discon- tinue the old road from Joseph Lewis' place, at the head of Adams' Pond, to Jonathan Morrison's as soon as the county road should be completed. In 1855 roads as follows were accepted : from the west end of Barter's Island bridge to Samuel Lewis' barn ; from near the old red schoolhouse to the top of the hill near Beniah Dolloff's house; from William Hodgdon's north line to S. G. Hodgdon's house; from Parker Wilson's store to intersect the old road near David Newbe- gin's store ; from Elbridge Love's to John McClintock's south dwelling house. A road from Mcclintock's to Samuel Brewer's was refused by the town, but granted by the county commis- sioners on appeal.
In 1857 a committee of four was added to the board of selectmen, empowered to purchase and stock a town farm, move the poor upon it and employ necessary help to carry it on. The meeting refused a motion to have the annual town report printed. In 1858 a road was accepted from Southport Bridge to Benjamin Hodgdon's east line,1 to intersect the road leading to the schoolhouse. That year sixty-two votes, the
1. The first bridge between Southport and Boothbay crossed Townsend Gut from the mainland at Oak Point, now so-called, to the business establishment of Major John McKown, which in recent years has been the Southport steamboat landing.
159
MUNICIPAL HISTORY.
total thrown, were in favor of the adoption of the prohibitory law just passed by the Legislature, the license provision in the law receiving no support. In 1859 the town refused to receive as a gift the bridge from John Reed, 2d's, leading to Hodg- don's Island, but appropriated two hundred dollars toward making Campbell's Cove bridge free. A road from Samuel Murray's to intersect the road leading to Hodgdon's Mills was accepted. In 1860 the town refused to accept either the Campbell's Cove bridge or the one leading from Hodgdon's to Barter's Island. The road, however, from the west end of the Cove bridge, to intersect the road leading to the Center, was accepted. The townhouse was moved from the east side of the Common to its present location. In 1862 nearly every special request was refused, the regular annual expenditures only being voted. War expenses were beginning to be severely felt. In 1863 a road from John N. Seavey's to the town road was accepted. In 1864 appeared the first printed town report. In 1865 the road on Mckown's Point was accepted, also Mckown Street at the Harbor. Three hundred dollars was voted in aid of repairs on bridge from John Reed, 2d's, to Hodgdon's Island. In 1867, in support of a petition by Allen Lewis and others, in an effort to have Boothbay made a port of entry and a custom house established, an appropriation of five hundred dollars was made, and a committee chosen, con- sisting of Robert Montgomery, M. E. Pierce, S. K. Hilton, William E. Reed and John McClintock.
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