USA > Maine > Aroostook County > Bridgewater > History of Bridgewater, Maine > Part 10
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The first school at the Corner was built by Joseph Ketchum about 1864 and was of logs. He also hired the first teacher, Hannah Oliver, after a district was organized, as was the custom then, and a new frame building erected.
According to one record this building was remodeled twice and then moved to the Center and became the Church store. Another record is that the school was burned in the Corner Fire of 1894. Probably the latter record is the right one.
After the fire, another building was erected on the same site and was used until 1929 when all the schools in town were consolidated and the pupils taken to the Center.
Three of the teachers in the early days at the Corner were Annie McGinley, Isadore Packard, and Frank Pierce of Mars Hill.
By 1885 Bridgewater Center had grown large enough to need a school, so another district was established and in that year a building was erected on the same site as the present primary building. Since this was the first public building in this part of town it was used for all purposes - sunday school and church services, spelling bees, Good Templar's Lodge, and probably Town Meetings.
A town Agent was appointed to hire the teachers and a Supervisor was elected by the town to give examinations to prospective teachers. A few terms at Houlton Academy was sufficient to meet the teaching requirements.
Inadequate as it seems to us today with specialized training from kindergarten to college, it was, however a step in the right direction, when we are told that thirty years earlier a teacher would have to study her lesson before calling up a class to read in the Fourth Reader.
A few years later, with the increasing population, it was necessary to build another schoolhouse, so the District erected another on the same lot beside the first one. The lower classes occupied one building
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while the upper classes occupied the other. It might be fitting to pay tribute at this point to Idella Ackerson who taught here a number of years. She will be fondly remembered by many of the older people of the town.
It was about 1905 that a system of grading the schools was started, thus bringing them in line with the other schools in the state.
On May 15, 1911, Mr. William Tapley's buildings, directly south of the schoolhouses, caught fire and burned. There was a strong south wind blowing and the sparks from the fire ignited the schoolhouse. In spite of the heroic efforts of the townsmen, the buildings were soon in ruins.
Immediately a new building rose from the ashes of the old. This was a two-room building housing the first four grades. The four upper grades now occupied the high school building, since this had been en- larged in 1910. The Tapley lot was added for a playground.
In 1929 it was necessary to erect another building. This was built near the primary building at a cost of $18,500. This had four rooms, at first only the two rooms on the first floor were finished. The same year the six rural schools were transported to the Center to form a consolidated school, thus eliminating extra teachers and giving the pupils the benefit of better-trained teachers and modern housing and equipment to work with.
After the high school burned in 1940 the two rooms on the second floor of the intermediate building were finished to accommodate the fifth and sixth grades. The seventh and eighth grades are now in the new high school building.
The town has made great strides in its educational system. Time was when a few weeks in the upper grades or at Houlton Academy was sufficient training for a teacher, but today there is a teacher for every grade.
Today the town can point with pride to its excellent schools, com- parable to any in the county, yes, in the state, according to its size, with its efficient corps of teachers, including a sub-primary. The music courses, both vocal and instrumental, have been a great addition to the schools.
Bridgewater Classical Academy
By 1900 the people of the town felt the need of a high school to eliminate the cost of tuition paid for those few students who desired a
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high school education and who had to attend schools in nearby towns. It would also enable all of the boys and girls to get a better education. It was therefore voted to buy a piece of land from Albert Chandler. The contract was given to Richard Perkins to build a one-story build- ing, which was completed about 1902.
The first teacher was A. M. Stackpole, Jr., who stayed one year. His place was taken by "Professor" Knowlton who remained many years. "Prof." Knowlton had taught at Ricker Academy at the time J. Fuller and Asa Bradstreet attended that institution.
How proud the people of the town must have been when the first class graduated. In 1906 there were only five in the class, namely: Vella Barrett, Myrtle Esty, Amber Slipp, Robert Jamison and Forest Welch. The classes of '07 and '08 had five graduates each, also. How large the school was at this time was not known, but it probably was small.
An Act of Incorporation of the Trustees was granted in 1907, which reads as follows:
Laws of Maine 1907. Chapter 248.
An act to incorporate the Trustees of Bridgewater Classical Academy.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in Legislature as- sembled as follows:
Sec. I. A. M. Stackpole Sr., E. C. Folsom, J. F. Bradstreet, A. E. Schriver, Guy C. Fletcher, Harry Hussey and A. M. Stackpole Jr., their associates and suc- cessors are duly constituted a corporation by the name of the Trustees of Bridge- water Classical Academy. They shall fill all vacancies occurring in their number, take and hold any estate, personal and real, and shall have all the powers and privileges incumbent to similar corporations.
Sec. 2. Any three of the persons named in Section one, may call the first meeting of the trustees by notice served upon the others.
Sec. 3. This act shall take effect when approved.
Approved March 14, 1907.
In Town Meeting 1910 it was voted to raise $3,000 to have the roof raised, thus making a two-story building, the high school to have the second floor, the first floor to accommodate the fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth grades. This building served as the high school until it was burned in March 1940. School was held in various places in the town for the remainder of the year. A new school lot was purchased and a new building erected ready for occupancy in the fall. This building is very modern and is the equal of any building in towns of similar size.
An academy differs from a high school only in organization. A high school is under the management and control of a superintending school committee, whereas an academy is under a board of trustees.
In the past, academies received more state aid than high schools, but in 1951 the Legislature repealed the Academy Aid Law and now the state aid is the same as for high schools.
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Some of the men who have served the greatest number of years as trustees are J. Fuller Bradstreet, H. G. Stackpole, and A. M. Stackpole, the latter serving over forty-five years. The above are all deceased. H. A. Tompkins has served over thirty years and H. A. McIlroy over twenty- five years.
The present trustees are H. A. Tompkins, H. A. McIlroy, D. W. Stackpole, R. D. Stackpole, Ralph Milliken, C. H. Simonson, and H. L. Simonson.
The town has a right to be proud of its high school with its modern equipment, its dramatics courses, its bands and other musical organiza- tions, and its athletics. It has a right, too, to be proud of its graduates, for many of them go on to colleges or universities. Those who go no further have acquired a good education and make better citizens to take their places in the affairs of the town.
Cemeteries
The first cemetery seems to have been back of the hill on the farm of George Esty. This was a pleasant spot to leave the loved ones in their last long sleep. The stream at the foot of the hill murmured through the drowsy days of summer; the hill protected from the chilly winds of winter.
The first death of which there is a record is that of a young man by the name of John Mantor who was working for the Moultons, so it must have been in the forties.
In 1847 the wife of Joseph Bradstreet died, and in November 1848 John Bradstreet was drowned. They were the son and daughter-in-law of Nathaniel Bradstreet. Probably there were deaths before these three, for these occurred twenty years after the arrival of the first settler.
After the church had been built at the Boundary the bodies were all taken up-at least it was supposed all were taken up-and placed in the cemetery back of the church, but a few years ago while digging gravel for the road from the hill on the Esty place the remains of two bodies were found, probably of Mr. and Mrs. Sanford Dyer. These were carefully placed in the cemetery back of the church.
The second cemetery was at the Corner, an acre of land from the Ketchum farm. This is a peaceful place with a grand view, situated near the top of the hill. One can look across the valley to the hills at the Boundary and beyond that to the bluer hills beyond the St. John River. Toward the northeast Mars Hill looks peacefully down.
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The first three to be buried here were George A. Ketchum, who died in 1847 at the age of twenty-six; Starr Rideout, who died in 1852; and Mary Thorncraft, wife of James Thorncraft, who died in 1856.
The third cemetery is located on the Joseph Smith farm at the top of the hill. This spot overlooks the town, in the distance, northward, Mars Hill looms serenely. To the southwest, on a clear day Mt. Katah- din may be seen-a pleasant spot to leave our loved ones awaiting Resurrection Day. Tread softly and reverently: here sleep our dead.
Many graves in each of these hallowed spots are unmarked, but all are mowed and tended by a caretaker, the funds provided for by the Cemetery Association which was started by a gift in the will of E. E. Milliken.
Following is a list of the War Veterans in each of the cemeteries.
Boundary Cemetery
Gustavus A. Bradstreet
Civil War
Born, 1830 Died, Jan. 5, 1904
Ezra McGray Civil War (Grave not marked)
Wilson Webber Civil War (Grave not marked)
Thomas Pamphery
Civil War Born, 1820 Died, April 1, 1889
Alexander Alley War of 1812
James McPherson Civil War Co. I, Me. Inf.
Rue T. Snow Spanish War World War I Born, July 11, 1879 Died, Sept. 22, 1929
Corner Cemetery
John F. Ketchum Civil War
Co. B, 14th Me. Inf. Born, July 4, 1834 Died, June 3, 1915
Joseph Garfield Civil War
59th Reg. Mass. Vol. Born, March 5, 1841 Died, Oct. 7, 1911
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Thomas Huntington Civil War Born, Oct. 2, 1841 Died, May 9, 1924
Samuel Fulton Civil War Born, 1846 Died, Sept. 25, 1864
Samuel Murphy Civil War Born, March 11, 1835 Died, May 3, 1903 (Grave not marked)
Joshua Fulton Civil War Born, 1848 Died, March 6, 1864
Richard Fulton Civil War Born, 1842 Died, Nov. 24, 1863
Edward F. Nelson Civil War Born, July 30, 1841 Died, June 23, 1862
Smith Cemetery
Charles Kilcollins World War I 224th Battn. C. E. F. Died, May 11, 1916
John K. Nelson
Civil War
Born, 1830
Died, 1896
Richard McNinch Civil War Born, 1847 Died, May 17, 1922 (Grave not marked)
Archie McNinch World War I Died, 1930
John McIntyre Civil War Died, April 1, 1897
Joseph Sargent
Civil War
Born, 1829
Died, March 26, 1894
John Berry Civil War (Grave not marked)
Sewell Baston
Civil War
Died, May 6, 1898
Robert Landers Civil War Vol. 11th Me. Inf.
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Stores
In the early days of the settlement at the "Line" all the supplies had to be brought in through the Province, up the St. John River to Wood- stock by boat, then overland by team-probably ox-team at that. Since transportation was so difficult, there were few luxuries. They were too expensive and money was scarce; therefore, only the necessities were brought in. These consisted of machinery for the mill, horseshoes, flour-until a gristmill for grinding wheat was built-molasses, brown sugar (white being too expensive, and even brown sugar was used very sparingly, the sweetening in most of the cooking being molasses), salt pork, and of course rum. That seemed to be a much needed commodity, or so the men thought. Anyway a barrel was always brought with a barrel of molasses. There were such household articles as pots, pans, needles, pins, calico, etc.
When the supply of groceries was brought in one would see the people going to the store with two jugs, one for molasses, the other for rum. The women would be seen flocking to the store with pillowcases to get flour in (paper bags were scarce or unavailable), as the flour came in barrels in those days. No one thought of getting a barrel of flour. Probably they couldn't afford to, although in later years it was customary for many people to buy one or more barrels at a time.
The first store in the town of which there is a record was at the "Line." Henry Harvey started it about 1840-thirteen years after the first settler came. In 1845 Jesse Moulton bought the Harvey property and with it the store.
When John D. Baird came in 1851 he bought the Moulton mill and the store where he had a thriving business. Bedford Hume clerked for him seven years. Following Mr. Hume came Henry Hare, an English- man, who stayed a few years, then moved to Monticello.
In the late sixties Charles Gallupe came here and built a store on the point of land east of Mr. Farley's house, where he had a small trade until his death in 1873.
In the early seventies Howard and Amos White built a store on the Boundary Line, part of it being in Canada and part of it in Maine. This was later sold to McMullen. This building was torn down a few years ago and the Canadian Customs House was built on the site of the eastern half of the building.
Sometime during this period George T. Freeman had a store here.
John Pryor then bought the store from John D. Baird about 1872 and years later sold it to Maurice Burtt. This was somewhere near where the U. S. Customs House is today.
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After several others tried their luck in the Gallupe store, each re- maining only a short time, it was taken over by J. Howard Farley in 1892, who at that time was only twenty years old. He was a very popu- lar young man and soon was doing a big business.
Let's leave J. Howard for the present and go to the Corner.
The first record of a store at the Corner was one built by C. F. A. Johnson about 1852. Mr. Johnson remained here only a few years. Dur- ing his stay Charles Kidder was his clerk and he bought the store when Mr. Johnson left. Mr. Kidder was in business for four years, when it passed into the possession of Mr. Mansur of Houlton, who sold it to G. W. Collins. In 1861 Mr. Collins moved it and built a larger store. This store sat on the north side of the Corner Road. In 1866 he sold it to Bedford Hume, who carried on until his death in 1889.
Richard Perkins had a jewelry store at the Corner located where Perley Jamison's house now sits.
The first store at the Center seems to have been built by Warren Snow, who came here from Mars Hill sometime before 1880. It was a small store located north of the present A. M. Stackpole store. Warren had been a teacher in town before he went into business, but in a short time he had the urge to travel, so sold out to his brother Fred in 1880. He then went to Ohio and there he formed a chain of stores and became very successful.
C. P. Church built a store on the location of the old Farley store about 1882, which he operated under the name of H. M. Church. It was chiefly for the tannery, but many of the townspeople traded there. After the death of Mr. Church, Mrs. Church's brother, Edwin C. Fol- som, came from Bradford, Maine, in 1890 to manage the store for her. After the fire at the Corner in 1894 Mr. Folsom became the first Post- master at the Center. In 1897 Myron Williams, brother-in-law of Mr. Folsom, came from Bangor and worked as assistant Postmaster. Mr. Williams later married Bell Barrett. Mr. Folsom ran the store until it was bought by J. Howard Farley in 1910.
The next store at the Center was built in 1893 by the Lowell Brothers, who came from Monticello. They bought the store in Mars Hill, had it taken down and brought to town. One night when it was partly built, a strong wind blew it down. In their haste to rebuild it they didn't get it straight, but in spite of that, it has stood the winter winds for sixty years. This store was a large two story building which they sold in 1901 to Fred Snow, who was finding his store too small.
In Fred's store one could find anything from "pins to plows." For many years he carried caskets. He had a hearse and a beautiful pair of black horses to haul the hearse. With the coming of automobiles
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and undertakers, he disposed of his horses and left the casket business to the undertakers. He carried on the store until failing health forced him to retire in 1935. He was Town Treasurer from 1918 to 1934. He married Annie Withers from Canada; they had one daughter, Beatrice, who married George Barrett.
Henry Bradstreet built a store in 1895 on the lot where Ralph Mil- liken's store now is and sold it to Richard Kimball in 1900. This was a two-story building with living quarters upstairs. In 1916 he sold the store to F. G. Everett and Son and built himself a bungalow on the back of the lot.
Mrs. Everett and son, Ralph, had a grocery store; they also sold ice cream and sodas. In March 1923 the building and contents burned. Ralph immediately moved a one-story building onto the foundation and re-stocked the store. In 1927 Ralph sold the stock and business to Howard (Pete) Farley, who ran it until 1931 when Ralph Milliken bought out Pete's business. Ralph and his wife Virginia are doing a good business and are very popular.
The next store in town was built by J. Howard Farley in 1901. It was a large two story building (Twitchell's, today) north of the Town Hall.
Desiring to add drygoods to his line of groceries, but not having room in this store, he purchased the H. M. Church store in 1910 and Mrs. Sadie Ketchum was employed as clerk. In 1914 Mr. Farley sold the grocery store to Frank Bradstreet (son of Asa H. Bradstreet).
After a few years Mr. Farley decided to add men's furnishings and boots and shoes for both men and women. Since the store was not large enough, he and Mr. Thistle, druggist, built the two-story concrete block in 1915. The north half of the building was used for men's cloth- ing and shoes, the south half was Mr. Thistle's drug store. This build- ing is today the Town Office and the Post Office. The upper floor is used for apartments. Mr. Farley retired in 1932.
In 1902 Mr. George T. Freeman built the Freeman block where he had a store in the south half. The middle part was Mr. Thistle's drug store until he and Mr. Farley built the new concrete block. The north part was used by Joshua Pryor as a harness shop.
Since Mr. Freeman's death the south half has been occupied by Elias Nelson, clothing, the Atlantic and Pacific Tea Co., and Victor Morin, clothing. At the present time it is vacant.
In 1903 Asa H. Bradstreet bought a new two-story building from Nate Bradstreet and started a grocery and meat store, which he operated for over twenty years.
To go back now to Frank Bradstreet: as has been said he bought the
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Farley store in 1914 where he sold groceries and furniture. He kept it until 1924 when he sold to his brother-in-law, Guy Twitchell who operated it a few years; at present it is vacant.
In 1917 A. M. Stackpole built the concrete block on the east side of the street. He sold automobiles, farm machinery, and hardware. Harold McIlroy is the manager, a position he still holds. In 1923 the busi- ness was incorporated under the name of the A. M. Stackpole Co.
There have been other stores in town. John Nelson built a small store across from the Snow store, where he sold groceries and meats. This is now owned and operated by Lewis Finnemore.
Clinton Bradstreet had a meat store near the station. Herbert Pryor had a meat store south of the Town Hall. Patrick McGowan had a con- fectionary store on the lot now occupied by Mrs. Serena Dyer. The old Farley store has had several occupants since Mr. Farley retired. At present it is Delong's Market.
In 1919 George Brown, better known as Doddie, opened a store at the Boundary, which he operated for a number of years. He came here about 1880 when he worked for Mr. Edward and Den Barrett on the farm. Winters he spent in the woods driving teams for the Barretts. His grand-daughter, Mrs. Hilda Morse, lives in town.
The following table gives the length of years these men served or are serving as storekeepers in the town:
J. Howard Farley 1892-1932-40 years
Fred Snow 1880-1935-55
Harold McIlroy 1917-1953-36
Ralph Milliken 1931-1953-22 "
Hotels
In the early days each town had some sort of hotel. The reason for so many small inns was that travel was slow and difficult. The roads were poor, being quagmires in the spring, filled with ruts in the sum- mer and snowbound in winter.
Bridgewater, like the other small towns, had its hotels.
Probably the first that might be called a hotel was the boardinghouse at the Boundary run by Nathaniel Bradstreet in the early days of the settlement. Any travelers passing through stopped here, as well as the men working in the mill.
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The first real hotel in the town seems to have been built at the Center by Sumner Whitney in 1840. There was no town there then, not even a house. The nearest house on the north was the Orin Nelson place-now owned by Donald Kingsbury. There were no buildings or clearings in the southern part of town; most of the settlers lived at the Corner or on the Corner Road.
This was after the Aroostook War, so a road had been grubed out from Houlton to Presque Isle and some settlers were coming into the County, so there was some business.
Probably the cost of a night's lodging, feed for the team, and break- fast would not exceed fifty cents.
Joseph Ketchum built the first hotel at the Corner in 1841. This he ran until 1854. After that there were several owners until it burned in 1861. This building was located on the southeast corner of the road near where the substation now stands.
As there was a store and a few houses here when the hotel was built, it is probable that more of the travelers stopped here than at the Whitney Hotel.
After the hotel burned in 1861 it was rebuilt and operated by James H. Kidder until 1889 when he was elected Registrar of Deeds for Aroostook County and went to Houlton to live.
Mr. Kidder sold it to Charles Fulton, who operated it along with his farm until it burned in May 1894.
After the Corner Fire nearly everyone moved to the Center and built homes. It was here that Charles Church built the hotel which he called "The Central House," because it was halfway between Houlton and Presque Isle. Here the stage made overnight stops.
After operating it a few years Mr. Church sold to Charles Fulton, who again tried operating it. He in turn sold to Tyler Kennedy.
In 1901 Judd Burtt came here from Centerville, N. B., where he had been in partnership with his father operating the Burtt Hotel. He bought the Central House from Tyler Kennedy.
The Central House, in its day, was the equal of any in the small towns, catering to the traveling men and general public, setting a fine table. It would accommodate about twenty-five people. Probably its greatest prosperity was under the management of Mr. Burtt, who was a born hotel man.
In 1918 Mr. Burtt sold to John Sargent, but by this time the hotel business in the small towns was on the decline, and in a short time he sold to Tom Buckley, who had returned to town to spend his last years. Mr. and Mrs. Buckley took down the sign, closed the doors, and re- sided in a few rooms.
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After Mr. Buckley's death the hotel was left to a nephew, Judson Turner. Mr. Turner had been born in Bridgewater, but when a young man had become a lighthouse keeper. He had now reached retirement age, so came back to Bridgewater. He found the building in a very run- down condition, so started to make considerable repairs, but he had lived by the sea too long to be contented inland, so after a year or two he sold it to the Bradbury Brothers.
Bradbury's started in to do a complete remodeling job. They raised the roof from a one and a half story building to two stories and changed it into apartments. It is now the home of Earl Bradbury.
Post Office
In the early days of the settlement letters and papers were probably scarce and few and far between.
The first mention of a post office in the town is in the history of Cyrus Snow written sometime before his death in 1914 in which he said it was in John D. Baird's store that the mail was brought from Woodstock, N. B., once a week by Bedford Hume's father and that it was a Canadian office.
Now here is a chance for argument, and whoever can settle it today may do so. Mr. Baird didn't come here until 1851 and Mr. Hume in 1853. This was after the Boundary Dispute had been settled, so why was it then a Canadian office? It is possible it may have been in the thirties. If so it was no doubt in the boardinghouse, for the first store was in 1840 owned by Henry Harvey.
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