USA > Maine > Aroostook County > Bridgewater > History of Bridgewater, Maine > Part 2
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About 1842 they sold the mill and farm to the Moulton Brothers, but reserved fifteen acres and the boardinghouse (somewhere near the present Customs House).
In 1849 Mr. Harvey was bitten by the Gold Rush bug and went to California to seek his fortune, leaving his wife to run the boarding- house, which she did for several years.
Finally his family-those that were not married-joined him in Cali- fornia. Whether he found gold there, is not known.
The Trasks may have gone to California with Mrs. Harvey, as there are none in town at the present time.
1840
Orin and Dennis Nelson
In 1840 Orin and Dennis Nelson came here from Palermo, Maine. Orin took up the farm south of Joshua Fulton's. He cleared a fine farm and raised several sons and one daughter. His wife was Lucie Parkhurst.
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Mr. Nelson farmed until his death in 1880 when his sons, Frank and Allen, took over the management.
The daughter, Lydia, married Col. Garfield of Lynn, Massachusetts. She returned home before her mother's death in 1900 and remained here to keep house for her brothers, Frank and Allen, who never married.
Allen was an ardent fisherman. He knew where every pool was on all the streams for miles around; he must have had a magic rod and hook for he never came home empty handed.
After Frank and Allen's deaths, Mrs. Garfield sold the farm to Thomas Huntington around 1915; in 1920 he sold it to Roland Kings- bury and Mrs. Kingsbury and her son Donald live there today.
George, the youngest son of Orin, bought forty acres from his father, on the west side of the road and adjoining the Fulton farm. He was married to Lottie Jamison. They had one son, Howard, who went to Waterville when he was a young man. Lottie died when Howard was a small boy. George married again, this time Delia Cronkite. After Delia's death George sold the farm to Thomas Huntington and went to Waterville to live with Howard.
Dennis Nelson had the farm now owned by Chester Sargent, but after clearing a small part he sold it to Josiah Bradstreet and his heirs, Charles and Ebben, and returned to the southern part of the state.
1840
Sumner Whitney
That same year saw another arrival. Sumner Whitney came from Phillips, Maine, and built the first hotel near the stream. The stream at that time had no name, so it was naturally called the Whitney Stream, a name it still bears today. No one in town today seems to know where this hotel was located. Possibly it may be the building that is the home of Ray Jamison. Mr. Whitney married Diana Bradstreet, daughter of Nathaniel Bradstreet.
As the hotel business was not very prosperous then, he stayed only a few years and then moved to Presque Isle where he bought a large tract of land and cleared a large farm. He also built a hotel there. It is interesting to note that much of the city of Presque Isle is built on what was his farm.
Mr. and Mrs. Bradstreet spent their last years with their daughter, Mrs. Whitney.
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1842
Moulton Brothers
The Moulton Brothers, Ephraim and Jesse, came from Bangor. They were well-educated and ambitious young men and apparently had financial backing, for they bought the farm and mill of Harvey and Trask. They immediately built an addition on the old mill and added new machinery. Since there was an abundance of pine, spruce, and tamerack the mill was kept running at top speed (see sawmills).
The Moultons also carried on the farm, and in the summer when the water was too low to operate the mill, the millmen took scythes and mowed the hay around the stumps in the newly cleared fields.
In 1849 Ephraim Moulton sold his share of the mill to Jesse and started for the Gold Fields of California, but died on the way. Jesse continued lumbering until the supply began to get scarce, when he sold out to Mr. John D. Baird in 1852.
1842
Samuel Kidder
Samuel Kidder was born in Albion, Maine, but came to the "Line" from the Nashwaak, N. B., about 1842. He took up the third lot of land from the mill, now owned by Fred Cook, which he cleared into a fine farm.
Mr. Kidder was a very friendly man, as ready to greet a barefoot boy as the best-dressed gentleman. Samuel was better known as "Squire Kidder."
His daughter, Lottie, taught school at the "Line" and it is told that she often saw and heard wolves in the Rideout Swamp (now Yerxa farm) on her way to and from school. She married Bedford Hume in 1861.
James H., son of Samuel, ran the hotel at the Corner and later be- came Registrar of Deeds on Houlton.
Samuel died in 1864.
1844
Cyrus Chandler
Cyrus Chandler came here from Winthrop, Maine, and bought the Thorncraft land, the second lot from the mill (Thomas Cook farm to-
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day). He enlarged and improved the buildings and cleared more land.
Mr. Chandler had several daughters and one son, Albert L. The girls left town after they grew up but Albert, better known as Al., always lived here.
Cyrus Chandler died in 1888 leaving his property to his son. Albert acquired considerable property. One piece of over two hundred acres, which he bought from G. W. Collins, was the second lot from the main road on the Boundary Road. He cleared this farm and built a large barn on the flat land halfway up the hill. This farm extended to the top of the hill and for years was called "Chandler Hill." Many were the moonlight sliding parties that occurred on this hill. It was a long slow climb to the top, dragging sleds and toboggans, but a short swift ride to the bottom.
Albert was also engaged in lumbering as well as farming. At one time he was Deputy Collector of Customs at the "Line," and in the nineties was Justice of the Peace in town. He never married.
After his death the property passed through many hands and today is owned by Thomas Cook. In 1910 C. Edgar Lawrence bought the farm at the Center which is now owned by Charles Simonson.
1844
Jonathan Loudon
This year saw another new arrival, Jonathan Loudon (later com- monly called London), who came from New Brunswick and settled on a lot of land on Bunker Hill-probably the first settler in this part of town. He did some farming, but he was a blacksmith by trade. Later he built a blacksmith shop where Guard Weeks' store is now located.
In 1903 the farm was bought by Bert C. Slipp. Mrs. Slipp and her son Garth still live on the farm.
1844
Thomas Kennedy
Another arrival this year was Thomas Kennedy, who settled some- where in the Portland Academy Grant, but nothing more seems to be known about him.
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1844
John Burns
John Burns, who was born in Scotland, came to Frederickton, N. B., when he was a young man. He was married to Mary Hodges and went to Nova Scotia to live for a few years. In 1844 he came to Bridgewater.
His first home was a log cabin located at the top of the hill on the main road directly opposite the Snow Road. He then moved to the Snow Road on the land that today is the Harry Simonson farm.
This part of the town was then all forest and Mr. Burns was the first settler in this part of town. He later took up a lot of land where Bert Nelson now lives. He cleared the land and made a comfortable home.
In 1866 the home was destroyed by fire. Visiting in the home at the time was a girl by the name of Webber. In trying to rescue her from the blazing house, both Mr. Burns and she lost their lives.
Robert, the son, then took over the management of the farm. It is owned today by John Burns' granddaughter and her husband, Mr. and Mrs. Bert Nelson.
John Burns' children were Robert, Fred, Charles, and Sadie (Duffey). She was over ninety years of age, when she died in 1952.
Robert's family were: Cora (Lenfest), Lulu (Sanburn), Frances (Stitham), Maude (Nelson), and Guy. Only Mrs. Nelson and Guy live in town today.
Fred, son of John, married Annabelle Pamphry. Their children were: Fred Jr., Hazel (Clark); Gertrude (Rideout); and Clifford, who never married. Only Fred is living in town summers.
Charles, son of John, married Hattie Bradbury. Their children were: Flora, Jennie (Bradstreet), Helen (Parks), Donnie (Parks), Mildred, Alta, Gladys, Grover, and Russell.
1845
Charles Kidder
Charles Kidder, brother of Samuel, came from Albion, Maine. The first year he was here he worked on the farm of Cyrus Chandler. The next year the Moultons opened a store at the "Line" and Charles be- came their clerk, a position he held for five years. He then went to
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work for C. F. A. Johnson at the Corner. No information could be obtained about his family.
Both Samuel and Charles became prominent citizens in the town.
1845
Nathaniel Rideout
Nathaniel Rideout came from New Brunswick. The story is told that he said the Lord directed him to settle on the American side of the boundary. Nathaniel bought the farm of Joseph Ketchum. He did some farming, but he was a blacksmith by trade and most of his living came from his forge and anvil.
He had a family of eighteen children, most of them girls. Some of the boys were Nicholas, Thomas, Oliver, John, and Henry.
Having a family of eighteen children soon meant many in-laws and grandchildren, so after a few years was started the annual picnic of the Rideout family. Gradually others began to attend these picnics until nearly everyone in town was there. As is always the case, as the family began to scatter and fewer Rideouts attended the picnic it gradually passed out of existence in the 1890's.
Of all those eighteen children only two in town today bear the Rideout name, Fred and his son Ralph.
1845
David Foster
David Foster came from Kennebec County and took up the first lot of land on the north in the Portland Academy Grant. This lot was on the east side of the road. He built a set of buildings and cleared some of the land, then in 1852 sold it to Joseph C. Smith.
Absolem McNinch 1845
Absolem McNinch came from Greenfield, Canada. At first he lived on the Corner Road on the flat east of where the railroad now runs;
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later he lived on the Blaine Road near the lake. He worked for Cyrus Chandler and Bedford Hume.
Absolem had three sons - Richard, Wesley, and William - and several daughters. When the Civil War started, Richard was too young to enlist; but being eager to go, he calmly added a few years to his age and was accepted.
Richard, Wesley, and William all married and had large families, mostly boys.
The only ones living in town today are Raymond and Harvey, sons of Richard, and Mrs. Eliza Barker, daughter of Richard; Roy and Har- rison, sons of Wesley; and Edward and Harold, sons of William.
Richard was the last Civil War veteran in the town for many years. He died in May 1922 at the age of seventy-five years and eleven months, and was buried with full military honors.
1848
Boundary Bridge
The first bridge at the "Line" was built in the year 1848 (see bridges).
1848
Lewis Kingsbury
Lewis Kingsbury came to the Boundary from Canada with his wife. He had four sons and one daughter: Albert, Lewis II, Adolphus, James, and Lavina.
Albert married Sarah Jamison, daughter of Robert Jamison. Their children were Robert, Roland, Lavina, Lewis III, Bedford, and Sandy.
Lewis II married Harriet Jamison, daughter of Robert Jamison, and moved to Mars Hill.
Lavina, daughter of Lewis I, married Nathaniel Beem and lived in Blaine. James never married.
Adolphus married Miss Mills from Robinsons. They had eight chil- dren, only two of them living in town today, Earl and Scholey.
Now let's go back to Albert's children. Robert married Sadie Hunt- ington, Roland married Minona Kinney; Bedford, after Roland's death, married his widow, Minona Kingsbury. Lavina, Lewis III, and Sandy live in nearby towns. Robert's and Roland's children live in town.
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1850
William Pennington
William Pennington came here from Canada. His father was born in England and came, when a young man, to Canada to seek his for- tune. William was a minister, and since the only church in town at that time was at the Boundary, no doubt that is where he preached. He organized the church at Bunker Hill in 1865 and was the first preacher.
He was married and had several children when he came here.
Land was cheap at that time and, through his wife's father, he was able to acquire a great deal of wild land, chiefly in the Portland Acad- emy Grant. He did not stay in town many years, but moved to Houlton where he and his brother James went into the lumber business and farming. They also had a general store.
The only one of William's children who remained in town was George L. Pennington. He went into the real estate business, selling much of his father's land to new settlers. He was a great lover of horses and kept many nice ones. He also imported western horses to sell to farmers, not only in town but throughout Aroostook. He died in 1911 at the age of 69.
His son, James Pennington, lives in town today. He has two daugh- ters-Mabel (Mrs. Guy Twitchell) and Etta (Mrs. Frank Bradstreet) -now living in Oregon. One son, Sam, lives with his father.
1850
Samuel Tompkins
Samuel Tompkins came from Florenceville, N. B. He took a lot of wild land on the east side of the Prestile Stream opposite the Rideout farm (now owned by Robert Alexander). He cleared a farm and worked it diligently. He also was a good shoemaker; he needed to be, for he had seven children to keep in shoes.
He married Sally Rideout, daughter of Nathaniel Rideout. They had five sons and two daughters. Nathaniel will be mentioned in a later chapter, and Isaiah, whose son Benjamin still lives in Robinson.
Samuel worked diligently soliciting funds to help build the church at the "Line." Years later he moved to Robinson where his descendants still live.
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1850
C. F. A. Johnson
C. F. A. Johnson started in the business of buying and selling shingles, buying first from the Moulton Brothers and later from John D. Baird. He used a room in the house of Joseph Ketchum as his office.
Mr. Johnson then built a little store at the Corner in which he did a good business. He also carried on a large lumber business. His clerk was Charles Kidder who remained with him during Johnson's six years in town.
In 1854 Mr. Johnson brought his bride to town; they stayed at the boarding house at the "Line" while he drove to and from his business each morning and night.
In 1856 he moved to Presque Isle and eventually formed a partner- ship with Thomas H. Phair in the starch business, known as Johnson and Phair. At one time this was the largest starch manufacturing com- pany in the United States.
In the late eighteen hundreds he severed all business associations and moved to Salt Lake City, Utah, and later to Riverside, California, where he bought an orange grove. He lived there the remainder of his life.
1850
Ackerson Family
John Ackerson came here from Sheffield, N. B. He bought and cleared a farm of 160 acres on the Main Road, the third lot south of the Corner.
He was married to Hannah Noble; they had twelve children. Three boys and a girl died in childhood. The others were Joseph, John Jr., Harding, Doris, George, Charles, Susan, and Hannah. Joseph went to Mars Hill to live; Hannah married George Williams and lived in town; George and Susan returned to Canada to live.
When John Sr. died in 1859 his son, Harding, took over the upper half of the farm while John Jr. had the southern half.
Harding married Angelina Williams. They had ten daughters, namely: Bernice, Mrs. James Harding; Sadie, Mrs. James Ketchum; Etta, Mrs. E. P. Silby; Alda, Mrs. Roy Briggs; Susan, Mrs. Ernest Tupper; Ila, Mrs. G. A. Young; Helen, Mrs. Bert Ackerson.
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Della and Mary never married; Lottie died at the age of nine years. Helen is the only one living in town today.
John Jr. sold his part of the farm to Martin S. Rideout in October 1889 and moved away. This farm and the Harding Ackerson farm are today owned by Dan Bradstreet.
Doris, son of John Sr., bought a lot of land on Line road (first farm north of the Sam Hartley farm) which he kept a few years. During the time he had it he worked very hard clearing it, then sold it and bought a farm owned by Richard Kimball. This was the last farm in the southern part of town.
Doris married Margaret Williams. They had one daughter, Elva, who married George Williams. She operated the farm after her parents' deaths until her daughter Pansy married. Today Pansy and her hus- band, Robert Harding, still live on this farm.
Charles, the youngest son of John Sr., bought a farm on the road that runs from the Snow Road to the Boundary, just north of his brother Doris. He cleared a nice farm and built a fine set of buildings. He married Eldora Farley, daughter of Enoch Farley; they had one son, Bert.
In 1905 when the Rural Free Delivery route was established Charles Ackerson became the carrier, a position he held until August 1926 when failing health forced him to give up the position.
From 1905 to 1919 Charles was assisted on the farm by his son Bert. In 1919 Charles left the farm and built a home in town. He died in November 1926.
Mr. and Mrs. Ackerson were members of the Grange. He served as Worthy Master several times. He was a charter member of the Bridge- water I.O.O.F. Central Lodge No. 134 and was one of the first Noble Grands. They were members of the Crescent Rebekah Lodge and mem- bers of the United Baptist Church. In all of these organizations they were faithful members and willing workers.
Bert carried on the farm until 1927 when he sold it to Thomas Phair. It is today owned by Glen Cook. Bert then moved to town and lives in the house built by his father. He is the janitor of the schools, keeping them immaculately clean, carrying out his duties with the same faithfulness that was characteristic of his father.
1851
John D. Baird
A man who proved to be an outstanding citizen came to town this year. John D. Baird came from Woodstock, N. B., and settled at the
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Boundary Line which was the largest settlement in the town at that time. He was a young man with a good education, a keen intellect, and high ambitions. He had financial backing from the people in St. John, N. B., so he bought the mill from Jesse Moulton in 1852 and imme- diately started to remodel and enlarge it. He put in a new dam. Then in 1853 he went to Calais and hired Johnathan Dow and his three sons to operate the mill.
Mr. Baird sawed a great deal of lumber which was floated down the St. John River to the city of St. John; from there it was shipped to English markets.
In 1856 Mr. Baird built a gristmill which proved to be a great help to the whole countryside, for now the grain that was raised in the town could be ground near home, where formerly it had to be taken to Canada. The gristmill was kept running all the fall and winter grinding wheat and buckwheat.
When Mr. Baird bought the mill he also bought the Moulton store and the fifteen acres that they had obtained from Mrs. Harvey. He had as his clerk Bedford Hume, who came here in 1853. Mr. Hume not only managed the store but kept the lumber accounts. He worked for Mr. Baird seven years.
About this time the price of lumber declined to such an extent in the English markets that it scarcely paid to saw it, so Mr. Baird entered into a business venture in Florenceville, N. B., which was such a failure as to hamper his business for several years. What this venture was is not known today. He did continue lumbering in a small way for many years.
Some time in the seventies he bought a block of wild land in the eastern part of the township. He made a few clearings on the land and sold it to new settlers. Some of this land is now the farms of Jacob Morse, the Bradstreets, and many of those in the neighborhood of Vic- tor Ketchum's. In 1872 he sold the store to John Pryor who came here from Canada. Mr. Baird was never married. He spent his last years in Woodstock. For a number of years this part of the town was called Baird's Mills.
1851
The Allen Family
In 1851 Thomas Allen came here from Keswick, N. B., and lived on Bunker Hill for several years. Then his son, George W. Allen,
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bought land in the southern part of town and cleared a farm. His father lived with him until his death. The buildings were destroyed by fire but were soon rebuilt. George had one son, Guy E., who continued the work after George's death in 1905.
Guy bought another farm on the opposite side of the road and made many improvements in both farms and buildings. Guy married Belle Kimball, daughter of George Kimball; they had two sons and two daughters. Guy died in 1923 leaving Mrs. Allen to carry on the farm until her sons were old enough to manage it. The sons are now mar- ried and carrying on. Their children make the fourth generation on the same farm.
1852 Eunice Atherton
A family came here from Richmond, N. B., by the name of Atherton. They bought the second farm from the Corner on the south side of the road. There is no other information about this family except that Mrs. Eunice Atherton paid taxes in 1862 and that Fred Atherton lived on the farm. Whether he was her husband or son is not known. Later she sold the farm to Charles Smith. This farm is now owned by Bernard Smith, no relation to Charles Smith.
1852 Kimball Family
The Kimball history goes back to England. The name Kimball means "Keeper of the Bells," and that is just what they did. It was both a title and a job. It was their duty to ring the bells for all items of news, for celebrations and proclamations of the King, a responsibility which they faithfully performed.
Wishing to have religious freedom-for the Kimballs were Puritans -they left England and came to Ipswich, Massachusetts, on the second trip of the Mayflower.
Feeling ran high in Massachusetts against the Loyalists preceding the Revolutionary War, and so Richard, who was a Loyalist, left Mas- sachusetts in 1762. He was given a grant of land (as were other Loyal- ists at that time) in Marysville, N. B. Later the Kimballs had a ship-
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building business on the Oromocto River where they built many ships.
When Richard Sr.'s son grew up he, Richard Jr., was given his choice of a farm or a store, by his father. Richard decided in favor of a farm, which he bought in Florenceville, N. B., a farm of four hundred acres.
Richard Jr. married Frances Kenney and to them were born eleven children. As the children grew up, the boys wished to come to Maine, as a cousin had settled in Fort Fairfield and told of the wonderful farm lands there, but the Kimballs decided on Bridgewater, as it was nearer to their relatives in Canada; so in 1852 Richard Jr., with his wife, nine living children, several hives of Black German bees, his wife's old pine cupboard and brass candlesticks (all of which are in the family today), moved to a farm on the Corner Road, known today as the Black farm and owned by Wendell Pierce.
As there has been a Richard in nearly every generation, from now on they will be numbered 1-2-3, etc., starting with Richard Jr., the first to settle in the town.
Richard Ist quickly became a citizen of the United States. He cast his first presidential vote for the Democratic candidate, General McClellan.
Richard Ist children were Absolem, Hiram, Israel, George, Harriet, Hulda, Elizabeth (Betsy), Rachel, and Ann. Harriet married Oliver Rideout; Betsy married Enoch Farley; Rachel married Jason Russell; Hulda married Smith; and Anne married Kinney.
When Absolem, oldest son of Richard Ist, became of age he bought the farm east of his father's on the Corner Road. He was a very dili- gent worker, cutting trees and clearing land. In the winter he cut wood for his stoves. He was considered a very strong man; it is said that he could lift a load of grain by the rear axle of a wagon. Probably he ex- pended his strength unwisely, for he died at the age of forty-seven.
Absolem married Ruth Boyer of Florenceville, N. B. Their children were John, Richard (2nd), Frank, and Ida, who married Lewis McKeen.
Hiram, son of Richard 1st, never married.
Israel, son of Richard Ist, married but had no children.
George, son of Richard Ist, married Frances Boyer of Florenceville, N. B. About 1865 he bought the farm of his brother-in-law, Jason Rus- sell, on Bunker Hill. At that time his twin sons, Hiram and Israel, were six years old. The boys were very angry and homesick over the move, and finding a picture of Abraham Lincoln hanging on the wall of their new home, they thought it was the picture of their Uncle Jason, so they took knives and cut the picture to ribbons. The farm had one
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hundred acres, only twenty of it cleared, so George and his sons spent their lives clearing a fine farm.
Shortly after George bought the farm there was talk of building a starch factory in town and each farmer was asked to raise a quota of potatoes. George raised three acres, mostly around the stumps of the newly cleared land.
As the men were busy working on the farm, George's wife, Frances, better known as Fanny, took over the care of the bees. She was known as "Aunt Fanny, the Bee Woman."
The honey was a welcome relief from molasses, as white sugar was used only on special occasions, and sugar doughnuts were only made at Christmas time. The honey was used to sweeten preserves and in cooking. It was also a source of income, as Aunt Fanny sold it for ten cents a pound or traded it with peddlers for calico, thread, and other things.
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