USA > Maine > Lincoln County > Boothbay Harbor > History of Boothbay, Southport and Boothbay Harbor, Maine. 1623-1905. With family genealogies > Part 29
USA > Maine > Lincoln County > Southport > History of Boothbay, Southport and Boothbay Harbor, Maine. 1623-1905. With family genealogies > Part 29
USA > Maine > Lincoln County > Boothbay > History of Boothbay, Southport and Boothbay Harbor, Maine. 1623-1905. With family genealogies > Part 29
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site. After this partnership was formed and the lower store vacated it was used as a storehouse, finally coming into pos- session of John W. Weymouth and by him turned into a black- smith shop. Colonel Auld continued at the firm stand until about the time of his death, in 1835. It would appear at this distance of time that there could have been but little differ- ence in amount of business transacted between the two firms, McCobb & Auld and John M. McFarland, during the period from 1800 to 1835. Both did an extensive business all this time, supplying nearly the entire home trade and having a large patronage by water, enjoying an acquaintance with all coasters and fishermen between Boston and the Provinces.
At West Harbor Dr. Edward Creamer, the first physician in Boothbay, had a store in 1773, just easterly from the pres- ent one of Charles S. Orne. He continued until about 1800, when he sold to one Loring, who continued in trade until about 1820, when he committed suicide by drowning just off the point from his store. In 1822 Seba Smith came to West Har- bor from Portland, settling just easterly from the ice works. He opened a store in the basement of his house and continued in trade until his death, in 1831. His son, Marshal, continued the business until 1835, when, influenced by public demand, being postmaster, he moved the business to the Harbor. Thomas Orne, now (1905) ninety-one years old, commenced trade in 1845, retiring in 1899. Other merchants at West Harbor have been J. Nickerson & Co., who commenced business in 1870, were burned out in 1874, after which Alonzo R. Nickerson, of the firm, rebuilt and continued the business until 1877, when he sold and moved to the Harbor. Lewis & Fassett, a firm from Bristol, engaged in trade for a few years following 1880. Since then, with the exception of a short period in the early nineties when Simpson & Perkins occupied it, the Nickerson store has been used by its owner, William H. Reed, for post office and wholesale confectionery business. After the retire- ment of Thomas Orne that one has been occupied by Charles S. Orne in general retail trade.
The earliest stores on Cape Newagen Island were at the north, west and south. The earliest merchants we have record of at these points were Major John McKown, Capt. Jonathan
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Pierce and Eli Nelson, respectively. No exact date has been obtained when either went into business, but in each case it is said that the party engaged in trade about as soon as of majority age. If this is correct, and, practically, we believe it to be so, then the Pierce store, where J. D. Payson now lives, was started about 1790, that of Major Mckown, near the Eastern Steamship landing, a little before 1800, and that of Nelson, at Cape Newagen, soon after 1815. About 1847 the Pierce busi- ness was succeeded by T. & N. Marr ; that of Mckown by his
son Cyrus, and later by Mckown & Reed, composed of Cyrus Mckown and Frederick Reed, who had been in trade at the Center. June, 1864, Freeman Orne purchased the business and Cyrus Mckown moved to Boothbay Harbor. By Mr. Orne, first alone and then with his sons in copartnership, the business was carried on until about 1889. Joseph and John, sons of Palgrave Maddocks, under the style of J. & J. Mad- docks, commenced business in 1857, in which a general store was combined with their fishing stand and fleet. This they conducted until succeeded by William T., son of Joseph Mad- docks, in 1875, and by him it was carried on until 1898, when that branch of the business was discontinued. About 1830 Capt. Samuel Pierce engaged in trade at Marr's Harbor, con- tinuing until his death, in 1861. Later merchants have been William C. Bahr, at Newagen, in the early eighties ; Wilbur N. Grover, near Capital Island, and Everett E. Pinkham, West Southport ; the two latter being now (1905) so engaged. Clarence E. Mckown ran a general store at Decker's Cove in the nineties.
The first store at Boothbay Center was built in 1824, by Benjamin Reed, on the next lot easterly from where the Union Church was built. He traded until 1832, when he sold to. Robert Spinney and moved to East Boothbay. Robert Spin- ney remained there in trade until about 1870, when his store was burned. In 1837 William Kenniston built a store where the shop of Woodbury Dodge stands. He traded there until 1849, when he sold out and became a "forty-nincr," going to California, where he remained several years. William P. McCobb followed, trading until 1857, when he was succeeded by Isaac Pinkham. The latter was burned out in 1863. In
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1842 John Reed, 2d, built a store for his son, Frederick, nearly opposite the Kenniston store, on the lot adjoining the Congre- gational parish lot. Reed traded a few years, then sold to Dr. R. W. Lawson and moved to Southport, where he became a partner of Cyrus Mckown. Doctor Lawson sold to Eli Colson in 1865. Chase Fuller followed Colson, then John Patterson, and he in turn was succeeded by Rev. L. Given in 1866. Mr. Given sold to S. E. Welch and while owned by him that store was burned, in 1872 or 1873.
The year after Doctor Lawson sold to Colson he, with Edward Weeks, built a two-story store just south of the sol- diers' monumeut and opposite the schoolhouse. It had a tene- ment above. They soon sold to Mahoney & Otis, and they sold the stock to Dexter W. Hodgdon in 1872. In 1874 Capt. Gilman P. Hodgdon purchased the stock and leased the store, conducting it until 1879, when he sold his stock to James A. Reed. William Mahoney, who owned the building, lived above, and a few months after Captain Hodgdon sold this store was destroyed by fire. In 1876 Ozro Pinkham built a store oppo- site and facing the Congregational parsonage. After trading a short time the business was sold to James A. Reed. John G. Spinney succeeded Mr. Reed in 1883, having been for the three previous years in trade in a small way in the post office. He moved the store to where it now stands and continued in trade until 1892, when J. H. Welsh & Sons, the present merchants, succeeded him.
To return to the Harbor we find that Capt. John Norwood soon after 1788 built a store and hotel combined, where the late James F. Dunton traded, on Atlantic Street. He followed the sea and his wife conducted the hotel and store. Their stock more nearly approached a dry goods line than any other of the early stores. William Montgomery, born in 1780, dying in 1858, ran a general store through his business career to the time of his decease where Dexter W. Hodgdon lives. After the decease of Col. Jacob Auld the old red store remained in the McCobb family and for several years Arthur McCobb traded in it. In 1850 Leonard McCobb returned to Boothbay from Jefferson, where he married and had been living for a few years, and opened a shoe shop and some other lines in the old
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store and had the post office there, but soon built on the corner of the Avenue and Oak Street, where he continued until nearly the time of his decease, in 1889. In 1866 the old store was taken down and underwent its third removal, being re-erected where it now stands, on Commercial Street, as the store of William O. McCobb.
Just before the Civil War the present Register Building, which had been built for a wood shop by John W. Weymouth, northerly from the express office, was moved to the present site of Lewis Block by Capt. Benjamin Lewis and by him leased to Eliphalet Thorpe, who traded in it until his decease, in 1871. R. G. Hodgdon followed in this store the same year, where he continued until 1884, when Lewis Block was completed. He then and William H. Fisher, with whom he had recently formed a partnership, took the northerly store in this block, but soon divided the stock, Mr. Fisher taking a lease of the southerly store in the same block and taking in partnership Charles J. Marr. The stocks of both stores ran in similar lines : clothing, boots, shoes and furnishing goods.
The old Thorpe store was soon occupied by A. H. Ken- niston after the removal of Hodgdon & Fisher, who opened a new line of furniture and carpets. Later, when Kenniston had moved to his present location, the building was occupied by McIntire & Miller, Charles F. Dodge and H. W. McDougall, successively, in the grocery and provision trade. In 1866, when the old McCobb store was last moved, there were but four stores on the water side of the Avenue and Commercial Street : McFarland's, McCobb's, Thorpe's and Parker Wilson's.
Stevens Smith moved from West Harbor in 1841 and joined his brother Marshal in partnership. They leased a store stand- ing where J. Ross Kenniston's residence does of William Max- well Reed. There they continued until 1850, when they closed out their stock and went out of business. Charles and William Fisher leased the store and put in a new stock, where they continued in trade until 1864, when the store was moved to make room for the shipyard of Cyrus Mckown. The Fisher brothers then built the store front of the Boothbay House. Isaac W. Reed, who owned the old store, sold it to John Albion Knight, who ran a boot and shoe business there until
SQUIRREL INN, -- Keyes H. Richards, Prop.
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his decease, in 1872. A. P. Wylie followed Knight in the same business.
Charles Luce, who had been conducting a drug business in the Tibbetts store, now followed Wylie in the north half of the building, but soon sold to Dr. Alden Blossom. The drug business was conducted by him until 1884, when he sold to one Varney. The latter party remained a few months and disposed of the business to A. B. Toward. The southerly half of the store had been occupied in 1883 by Allen & Moody, who came to Boothbay that year. D. H. Moody succeeded to the busi- ness. In 1886 he purchased the Toward stock and merged it in his own. He continued until 1902, when he sold to the present occupants, Harris & McClearn.
Parker Wilson commenced trade about 1840 in the building now occupied by W. J. Winslow. It stood where the drinking fountain is. He continued trade until his death, which occurred in 1871. He was the first merchant to carry a regular line of boots and shoes, though the ledgers of both Reed and McFar- land show that a few ready-made shoes were sold by them before 1800. Paul Harris built the store at the head of the Harbor and commenced trade about 1840. In this he was fol- lowed by the late Westbrook G. Lewis in 1857. Joseph C. Auld began trade where the Menawarmet stands, in 1836, and ran it in connection with the fishing business until the sixties.
Capt. Allen Lewis commenced trade soon after 1830. His store is still in existence and is now used by the Greenlaws as a smokehouse. Captain Lewis kept principally fishermen's supplies and his custom was to stock new each spring, reducing it in the fall and carrying but little during the winter months. Col. John McClintock traded where the Baldwin Fish Company is now located. His business career covered the period from about 1830 to the time of his decease, in 1874. His store, like that of Captain Lewis, was stocked principally during the busy months, but for many years he held the largest vessel trade of any store in town. At first his location was, practically, an alder swamp, but by draining and grading it soon assumed a different aspect. His first building was very small and the second one is now the house of his son, J. Howard McClintock, the first being now used as a shed on the same premises.
23
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HISTORY OF BOOTHBAY.
David Newbegin came to Boothbay between 1824 and 1827. He commenced in a bakery near where J. H. Blair's residence stands. A few years later he removed to where H. L. Ingra- ham lives and for many years conducted a store and bakery there. "Newbegin's biscuit" were a famous production in their time. They were not much used in home consumption, but were "bagged up" and taken to sea. Many of our older men, formerly engaged in the fisheries, distinctly and vividly ยท remember them. Newbegin's store was the only one in town that approached a confectionery department in those days. His line 'consisted of homemade molasses candy and hard ginger- bread, such as was so largely sold on the old-time training fields. His old home has been removed and the site is now occupied by the residence of D. H. Moody.
The author recalls many instances in the past when, upon his travels along the county coasts of Washington and Han- cock, his residence became known to some of the older seafar- ing element, who had retired from that occupation, being plied with inquiries if McClintock and Newbegin were still living and in business. These two men were best remembered with that element along the Maine coast of any of the Boothbay inhabit- ants for at least a quarter of a century after their labors were closed. They had enjoyed an extensive acquaintance similar to that of McFarland, McCobb and Auld with a previous gen- eration of sea-goers.
In the early seventies John H. Blair built a store on the Avenue and engaged in the hardware business. He was fol- lowed by Henry A. Kennedy, who in 1878 enlarged the store, but sold soon after and removed to Minneapolis. Isaac C. Sherman succeeded him and took into copartnership Charles E. Carlisle. After Mr. Sherman's decease, in 1890, Mr. Carlisle continued in the business for a time, but went back into that of contractor and builder, which he had previously followed.
Miller Block was built by Miller & Smithwick, Damaris- cotta, in 1878. The northern half has been continuously occupied by Norris H. Hussey as a dry goods store since its completion. The southern half, first by E. D. Winchenbaugh as a grocery store. A year or two later Charles E. Kendrick opened with crockery, glassware, lamps, etc., continuing until
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1889. F. B. Greene followed with a similar retail line com- bined with his road business until 1897. W. S. Mildon, East- port, as a branch store continued the same line for about two years, since which time W. F. Dudley has been located there.
Addison W. Lewis, soon after the close of the Civil War, built the Simpson & Perkins store, on McFarland's Point, and traded there until 1869, when he sold it and built the store now occupied by K. H. Richards & Co. Associated with him was J. P. Baker, as Lewis & Baker, in trade until 1871, when the building and business was sold to Hodgdon & Clisby, com- posed of D. W. Hodgdon and W. C. Clisby. This partnership lasted until 1876, when Hodgdon succeeded to the business, continuing it until 1882.
Keyes H. Richards came to Boothbay from Round Pond in 1870. He bought out the meat market of John Wakefield and added a grocery stock. His location was where the First National Bank commenced business. Later he purchased the stock of Sherburne Young and moved to the Young store. From there, requiring more room, he went to the store now occupied by Simpson & Perkins, and in 1882 purchased the store now occupied by him, succeeding D. W. Hodgdon.
James D. Richards came from Round Pond in 1870. He engaged in the hardware business where W. H. Hodgdon trades, which was known formerly as the Young store, from 1886 unti. his decease, in 1893. Frank Albee was in trade in the Wylie store, at the head of the Harbor, about 1880; later he moved his business to the Lewis store, between the Register Building and McCobb's, where he continued until about 1888. Joseph Taggart, Jr., followed in the same store, commencing trade in 1889, conducting a successful business until 1892, when he was cut down at the age of thirty years, his father closing out the business.
In 1881 James C. Poole disposed of his sailmaking business to his brother, Eben A. Poole. This he had conducted since coming to Boothbay in 1869. He then bought the Fisher property, where the cold storage plant is situated, and erected a store in which he carried a stock of ship chandlery, hardware, paints, oils and groceries. This store was burned in 1886 and
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Mr. Poole, while continuing in his fishing interests, did not re-engage in trade.
The other stores burned in 1886 were the following : R. G. Ingraham's, ship chandlery, hardware, etc. ; John H. Lake, stoves and tinware; F. H. Harris, confectionery and lunch room ; Tibbetts Brothers, hair dressing and bathrooms. Fred P. Huff built a store and engaged in the stove and tinware trade in 1882. He was succeeded by his brother and father, who in turn sold to W. T. Holton in 1894.
Isaac W. Reed, earlier than 1850, built a store where that of Miss Isabella M. Reed now stands, on the corner of Oak and Mckown Streets. In it his wife engaged in the millinery trade and continued several years. She was succeeded by Miss Lucy Hodges, Bath; then Mrs. Miller, Waldoboro; followed by Miss Nancy Lermond, who became Mrs. William Fisher; and in 1864 Miss Ellen Reed took the business, her sister Isabella soon joining as partner. In 1879 the new store was built, the old one being removed and rebuilt into the house of the late Joseph Nickerson. Miss I. M. Reed retired from trade in 1902.
Kenniston Block was built in 1888. A. H. Kenniston has occupied the southern part continuously since it was built. S. McDougall & Son, as a branch store, first occupied the northern part. They were succeeded by Mrs. M. A. Baker, who sold to Miss O. Z. Fifield in 1896.
The earliest store at East Boothbay was started about 1826 by one Hiscock. It was in the basement of the Knight house, now owned by Emery Hardinger. He traded five or six years. Caleb Hodgdon built what has been known as the "old red store " on the corner soon after going to that place in 1826. The spot where it stood is on the grounds of the residence of Capt. Andrew Adams. Rev. Ariel Ward was the first occu- pant. He was followed by Joseph Grimes and Henry Wright, who were in copartnership. Grimes & Wright also ran a bakery and manufactured hats.
Benjamin Reed went to East Boothbay in 1832 and followed Grimes & Wright in the red store until he built on the south side by the bridge, where he continued many years in trade. About 1850 Alden Goudy built the store now occupied by A. O. McDougall. There he traded until 1863, when he sold to
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Leander Fuller, who was succeeded by his brother, Jacob G. Fuller, and he by Edward E. Race about 1880. Charles F. Seavey followed, trading until 1893, when Mrs. Mary E. Bar- low conducted a business there for two years. The present proprietor, Albra O. McDougall, followed Mrs. Barlow. Under him both store and stock have been greatly enlarged.
Capt. Robert Montgomery, for a few years previous to his decease, which occurred in 1882, ran a general store at East Boothbay in what had been the old Union Church at the Center. After his death John H. Blair purchased and moved this store to the Harbor, where it was occupied by Fred H. Harris in 1886, and in it originated the great fire of that year.
Simon McDougall commenced in the red store in 1857. In 1863, in copartnership with James L. Race, they built where the block now stands which is owned by John R. McDougall. This store burned September 27, 1884, after which the present block was built, which is a double store, conducted by John R. McDougall and his son, Lyman M., under the firm style of J. R. McDougall Co. The easterly part of this store is princi- pally devoted to groceries, meats and provisions, while the westerly part contains the dry and fancy goods. The store now occupied by Mrs. M. E. Barlow was first built by Leander Fuller, where he for a time engaged in trade. In this store A. O. McDougall commenced business in 1876. Simon McDou- gall, now (1905) in his forty-eighth year of trade, is closing out business and has removed the remainder of his stock to smaller quarters.
On Linekin the earliest store was that of E. & E. Holbrook, established in 1845, still conducted by Eliphalet Holbrook, one of the original partners. Other traders on the Neck in recent years have been Ephraim Linekin, William H. Rowe and William Reed.
Scattering stores in other parts of Boothbay territory have been in part as follows : One kept by Harry Barter on the east side of Barter's Island, started soon after 1840 and closing with his decease in 1852. During or soon after the Civil War Albert Kimball, at the south end of Barter's Island, opened a store which was run by him or his sons until succeeded by Macaulay Brothers in 1902. Zina H. Hodgdon, on Sawyer's
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Island, first ran a shoemaking shop, but for perhaps a score of years before his decease, which occurred in 1893, carried a gen- eral assorted stock in trade. William Hodgdon, who owned half of Hodgdon's Island and was living there in 1836, traded there for about a decade following 1850 and irregularly at other times. Thomas Hodgdon, with his son, Stephen G., came from Westport to Hodgdon's Island, of which he owned the other half, in 1842. Here they at once commenced in the fishing business and incidentally, at first, kept some goods for sale. They soon went considerably into trade and did a large general business, which still continues in the hands of the third generation. Small stocks, consisting principally of groceries and provisions, have been kept at Back Narrows by William M. Bennett and Joseph Huff.
While errors may appear in the foregoing sketch and omis- sions undoubtedly occur, an effort has been made to collect as much as possible and present it accurately. Indefiniteness in certain instances, where records do not exist and memory alone has had to be depended on, is the most unsatisfactory feature. The chapter containing the Directory of the three towns will supplement what may appear to be omissions here. In that the date of establishment in business and the lines of merchan- dise carried will appear, while in this sketch merchants now engaged in business are for the most part omitted, that unnec- essary repetitions need not occur. Exceptions to this plan only appear where a train of changes in the same business stand makes it incumbent to present them all.
HOTELS.
In this chapter sub-division will be considered, the old- time inn and the public houses of later years which have been open to patronage throughout the year. The summer hotel, being a thing of more recent origin, may properly be consid- ered apart, and especially so in a locality like ours, where this particular business has grown to be one of the recognized industries and affords one of the leading sources of income to the community.
How soon after the settlements which commenced in this vicinity about 1620, or soon after, inns for the accommodation
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of the public were opened will probably never be known. The record of May 27, 1674, of the order of the General Court is all that has come down to us from the commencement of the disruption of the first settlement relating to the internal affairs of that community. It is in part as follows :
"The persons following are appointed & have liberty to keepe houses of publique intertaynmente & are to be provided with permits &c accordingly and to retayle beere wyne and liquors in ye severall places for the yeare Ensueing according to Law.
ffor Dameralls Cove John Wriford.
ffor Capebonewaggon Edward Barton.
ffor Corbin Sound George Bucknell."
The Dunbar settlement in its earliest years, so far as either record or tradition affords us, had but one inn for public accommodation. That was kept by David Bryant, situated a little to the north and east of the bridge that crosses the outlet of Echo Lake. The old foundation stones still mark the spot. With the murder of Bryant, in 1739, came the end of the place in a public sense. No further records exist until Lincoln County was organized, where may be found, in the county commissioners' books, records of the innholders' licenses. Those taken out for Townsend and Boothbay between 1761 and 1773 were to Andrew McFarland, Andrew Reed, Ephraim McFarland, Thomas Kenney, Robert Wylie, and later to his widow, Martha Wylie, John Murray, Ichabod Pinkham, Edward Creamer and Edward Emerson. It is unknown as to the date of beginning or discontinuance of these old-time inns. Several of the licensees mentioned above lived into the early years of the succeeding century and may have continued until their later years in the business. Probably the next hotel, and perhaps the most pretentious up to its time, was the one built by John Norwood soon after 1788, which has been mentioned in enumerating the old stores.
It is likely that the Boothbay House, in its original form and on its present site, next followed. It was built by Joseph Campbell after his marriage, in 1793, to Jane, the daughter of Paul Reed, who at that time owned the land in that vicinity ; and by Campbell it was exchanged with William Maxwell Reed
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for property on the east side of the Harbor a few years before his (Campbell's) death, which occurred in 1822. Reed lived until 1850, owning this property most of the time. During this period he rebuilt and enlarged the house and it was con- tinuously run as a hotel. As Captain Reed followed the sea the greater part of the time, it is probable that others served as landlords, either in the employ of Reed or as lessees under him, through most of the term of his ownership. Charles B. and William H. Fisher purchased the house after the death of Captain Reed and personally conducted it for several years. Proprietors since have been Joseph L. McCobb, William H. Fisher, Jr., J. Ed. Knight, the present owner, and Fred H. Harris, who as lessee has had the house for several years.
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