USA > Maine > Piscataquis County > Brownville > History of Brownville, 1824-1924 > Part 2
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John B. Q. Thomas John Willard Wilbert M. Willard
Benjamin Harris Solon B. Heath
Moses &.' Wedgewood
Isaac M. Heath
Alvin Morrill
Joseph B. Hamblet
Shepard D. Morrill
Richard Hughes
Charles W. Morrill
William G. Jones
Austin Heath
Rufus O. Page
Gilbert N. Brown
Lyman Packard
George W. Emerson Otis Packard
Lewis F. Rogers
David Owen
William F. Rogers
Edwin Fogg
William S. Rogers
Charles Fogg
William G. B. Rogers
Urial L. Clark
Charles B. Rogers
William Hughes
Edward S. Rogers
Calvin B. Heath
Inpencil
Charles F. Rogers & Rankin Isaiah L. Ryder
Samuel Crocker Isaac J. Marble
Eleazer Howard
Arthur Howard
Calvin Howard
John E. Wedgewood
Roswell C. Wedgewood
John M. Prescott
John O. Stanchfield
HISTORY OF BROWNVILLE
John M. Ryder Samuel Parker Ephraim Rogers Thomas W. Billings David B. Nason William A. Calkins Henry Saunders Elnathan Heath Albert Howard F. B. Howard Diff Writing
George W. Stone W. A Gould John Howard Jeremiah Tozier Capt. M. W. Brown
Lieut. Lyman H. Wilkins
Lieut. Isaac M. Morrill
Lieut. Nelson T. Smith
Capt. J. F. Dunning
In addition to the list of soldiers by E. A. Jenks the Augusta records show the following names :
John Rollins Gideon Pond Roscoe Tibbetts
George W. Emerson Daniel B. Nason William Gould
Sydney A. Allen
Joseph Harris
Horatio G. Powers
Alvin O. Page
Clarence E. Pullen
Oscar Blunt
Andrew Page Edwin Ewer Malachi Carroll
B. F. Snow Isaac Powers Augustus Barden
Daniel C. Billings
Edward Willard
John McNaughton
Charles A. Heath
Charles W. Heath Moses W. Kennison Nathaniel W. Smith Webster Gage Sebra F. Coffren Wesley Gerrish
Charles Brown Thomas Gould
Augustus L. Clark
James R. Searles
Samuel Guest
In addition to the two above lists, we also find on the Brown- ville Roll of Honor, the following names :
Charles F. Rankin Elbridge Ryder Isaac Rogers John C. Smith Thomas B. Smith
Elbridge Thomas Benjamin F. Whitney Alonzo Willard Wilbert Willard
Luther B. Crosby
Fred P. Thomas
Daniel T. Thomas
Charles T. Wells Leander S. Coan
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HISTORY OF BROWNVILLE
Augustus Calkins
William F. Heath
George Calkins
Bethuel Heath John French
George Stone Fred Merrill
Daniel Howard
W. G. Sherburne
Samuel Johnson
Amasa Stanhope
William Johnson
Gilbert Brown
Starling Mower
A. B. Berry
Ezekiel L. Chase
Isaac Clapp Alfred Prescott
Calvin Davis
Edward Prescott
Emery Dunn
Simon Prescott
Francis E. Dunning
Eben Prescott
John E. Fogg
Albert Prescott
WORLD WAR
In April, 1917, the United States declared war on Germany. Brownville sent her quota of men, some of whom gave their lives "over there" to make the world Safe for Democracy. Many fare- well parties were given, as group after group of our boys left for camp and many were the aching hearts left behind.
On November 9, 1918, Brownville's service flag was raised with appropriate exercises in Central Square. Those participat- ing in the exercises were Rev. C. L. Kinney, Rev. A. E. Beau- mont, C. H. Dunning, Judge Gerrish and the Boy Scouts. The flag was raised by Amasa Stanhope, a veteran of the Civil War. There are fifty-six stars including two gold stars, for Hugh Nicholl and Bernard Jones. This does not include the later drafts and enlistments. The revised list, not yet complete, stands as follows :
Hugh Nicholl
Bernard Jones
Arthur R. Kelley Samuel L. Kelley Robert Roberts Howard Merrill
Robert C. Berry E. Stanley Johnson Robert Johnson Herbert R. Crandall Walter D. McClain Erroll E. Estes
Harry Ellis Harold J. Cooney
William H. McCann
Claude Stineford
James N. Taylor
Leroy H. Stineford James H. Christie Herbert L. Livingston Paul P. Arbo
Harold E. Ames A. F. Grant . Milton Fuller
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HISTORY OF BROWNVILLE
John R. McCloud Harold J. Shaw Guy E. Shaw Leon McDonald William H. Allen Dan Decker, Jr. Durward Pierce Chester Hills Arthur Roberts
Robert Prescott Clarence Gerrish Charles Clifford Edgar Wells Paul Kennison G. H. Dinsmore
Archie Blair
Sargie Rugale Arthur E. Davis B. T. Stone J. F. Legassie
Stanley E. Drake
John F. Stubbs Allie Michaud E. A. Welch Charles F. Eames
George E. Lord
Peter Dubey
J. E. Larson Loring Russell
Albert J. Roy
Andrew Oberg
Gunnar Soderberg
Guy L. Hodgeman
J. E. Page F. R. Barker
Charles Robinson
Richard Roberts
Frank L. Jones
Gerald Hegarty
Your Own Town (Extract from a Western Paper)
Any place is what the men who live in it make it
Don't sit around and damn your town. A town is just as good or just as bad as the people who are damning it.
If any of the towns that any of us live in are not to our liking, why let's get busy-it's all up to us.
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HISTORY OF BROWNVILLE
BROWNTILLE JUNCTION HIGH SCHOOL .
BROWNTILLE VILLAGE SCHOOL BUILDING
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HISTORY OF BROWNVILLE
Schools
The early schools of Brownville were taught in private houses until the building of a schoolhouse in 1821. The early teachers were the preachers and Miss Caroline Pillsbury of New- buryport.
In 1824 Miss Chloe Brown was hired by the town to teach the village school and was paid $10.50 for a term of fourteen weeks. There were at this time three districts, the first district having as its committee Jesse Rogers, John Whidden and Silas Howard; the second, John Willard, James Rankin and Jonathan Marble; the third, Levi Page, Samuel Gould, and Isaiah Ryder. A little later a fourth district was established.
The present village schoolhouse was erected in 1872 by T. W. Pratt at a cost of about $3,050. The schoolhouse which had pre- viously occupied this lot was removed to Spring Street and used as a dwelling house. In 1899 the new school building was en- larged. At the present time it is used for all ages from the Primary to the High School.
The Brownville Junction School building was built in 1891 at a cost of $1,250 and the following year $300 more was laid out to finish the upper story. This building was burned a few years ago and the town voted to raise $50,000 for a new school- house. The new building has four rooms for grades and a teach- er's room on the first floor and on the second floor an assembly room and three class rooms, one of these being a well equipped lab- oratory. There is also a gymnasium in the building. A smaller building is used for the Primary grades at the Junction. This, too, is a comparatively new building. Certainly Brownville Junc- tion has reason to be proud of her schools.
We have been unable to mention many of the teachers on account of lack of space, but there was one teacher at the village who taught so many years and who figured so largely in the lives of most of the older ones of the town that we wish to give a small space in our Centennial Book to a sketch of her life here.
Mary Elizabeth Nason was born at Williamsburg, December 31, 1837, in the Peter Morrill house, now owned by E. H. Foulkes.
At the age of sixteen she began teaching and continued in this work for more than forty years. At first she taught a term here and there in different places-on Stickney Ridge, where she "boarded round," at Bradley, to hold down a somewhat riotous
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HISTORY OF BROWNVILLE
school; at Minneapolis where she went to visit relatives.
She taught in the old schoolhouse at Brownville Village until it was removed to the Hollow, where it now is, to make room for the two story building that replaced it. And from that time till 1894 she taught the younger pupils in the room downstairs, fitting them for the more advanced work upstairs.
Miss Nason was a very efficient teacher, and though somewhat stern in matters of discipline, her pupils were thoroughly drilled in the fundamentals of education and behaviour.
In addition to her school duties, she kept house for her father, and she ever showed herself a devoted daughter. The house now occupied by Ernest Hamlin was built by Moses Nason for their home, and Miss Nason owned it for years after his death.
In her later years she was the recipient of a gift of money from her former pupils and friends. And still later she received a pension from the state for her years of service. In many in- stances she had numbered both parents and children among her pupils. She died at the home of her niece in Minnesota.
Brownville sends many students to the Colleges and Normal Schools each year. The students attending from Brownville Village last year were as follows:
Harold Gerrish, son of Lewis Gerrish, University of Maine; Charles Johnson, son of Levi Johnson, University of Maine; Leith Chase, son of E. L. Chase, University of Maine; Harold Crozier, son of Fred Crozier, University of Maine; Edgar Crozier, son of W. A. Crozier, University of Maine; Wilder Stickney, son of C. S. Stickney, University of Maine; Nealie Larson, son of Jacob Lar- son, University of Maine; Herbert Johnson, son of Levi Johnson, Bates College; Doris Foulkes, daughter of Ned Foulkes, Farm- ington Normal School; Marjorie Davis, daughter of Annie Davis, Farmington Normal School; Carolyn Herrick, daughter of C. E. Herrick, Washington Normal School; Hope Chase, daughter of E. L. Chase, Colby College.
Brownville Junction was represented by the following stu- dents at the Colleges and Normal Schools last year :
Claude Stineford, Colby College; Erwin Stineford, Boston University ; Joseph F. Keyes, University of Maine; Don Newman, University of Maine; Gwayth Smith, Colby College; Paul Arbo, University of Maine; Ellen Doyle, Machias Normal School; Al-
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HISTORY OF BROWNVILLE
wilda Bagley, Machias Normal School; Annice Mckenzie, Machias Normal School; Elizabeth Roach, Machias Normal School; Norma Leonard, in training at Maine General Hospital ; Honorine Maher, in training at a South Boston Hospital ; Pauline McClain, in train- ing at Homeopathic Hospital, Boston ; Hope Rogers, Chiropractic School, Davenport, Iowa; Pauline Hutchinson, Burdett Business College, Boston; Dorothy Browne, Burdett Business College, Bos- ton; Margaret McCann, Gilman Business College, Bangor.
Church History
The Congregational Church, called in the early days the Church of Christ, held the first meetings in Brownville in 1808 under Rev. Hezekiah May, who was the first Congregational min- ister to enter the county. Rev. John Sawyer followed Mr. May, acting as teacher and preacher, and also as a missionary among the new settlements.
In 1817, Miss Caroline Pillsbury of Newburyport, Massa- chusetts, a teacher in Brownville schools, gathered the children into a Sunday School, the second attempted in the county. The following year, 1818, Mr. Welch from Bangor Seminary stirred up quite a religious interest, which resulted in the organization of the Church of Christ in 1819 with the following members- Leonard Shipley, Francis Brown, Isaiah Ryder, Levi Morrill, Isaac E. Wilkins, George Wilkins, Harry Wilkins, Bennett Calkins, Han- nah D. Brown, Lydia Morrill and Mary Stickney.
In 1824 a legal town meeting was called to act with the church in inviting Rev. N. W. Sheldon of Bangor Seminary to become their pastor. The town concurred and voted not only to give him the minister's lot but also the whole income of the min- isterial fund and $150 per year to be paid from the town treas- ury. A similar occurrence cannot be found in the county or even in northern Maine. The town paid this amount and sometimes more during the nine years Mr. Sheldon served them.
In 1827 the name was changed from Church of Christ to Congregational Church. The next regular pastor was Rev. Henry Richardson who came in 1834 and stayed until 1838. It was at this time the need of a meeting house was felt. The village schoolhouse had been used for that purpose. In 1839 the meet- ing house was completed and stood in the same place the Congre- gational Church does today. This building was repaired and slated in 1875 and again remodeled in 1901.
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HISTORY OF BROWNVILLE
METHODIST CHURCH
(Brownville Village)
The Methodist Church of Brownville Village was organized in the living room of the Gerrish farm on the Schoodic Road either in 1834 or 1835. In the year 1839 a meeting house was built near Crocker quarry which was moved in 1850 to its present location.
Pastors of the Brownville Methodist Church supplied Milo for a great many years. Also during the early years Brownville was combined with Kilmarnock (now Medford).
Among the early pastors were Thomas C. Spaulding and Jater. Rev. Charles Southard, 1875-1879, who afterward became Presiding Elder of the Lewiston District in the Maine Conference, and J. A. Morelen, 1879, during whose pastorate the parsonage was sold and the money used to slate the church. In 1900 the present parsonage was built at a cost of $1,200. This was during the pastorate of George J. Palmer.
The church was remodeled in 1911 when Rev. J. E. Mont- gomery was pastor. The parsonage was repaired this same year and the improvements made have added much to the value of the property. The newly repaired church was dedicated in 1912, Bishop Hamilton of Boston preaching the dedication sermon.
The Methodist Sewing Circle was organized a few years af- ter the construction of the church and has been a great help to the church. It would be hard to find a band of more energetic workers than the ladies of the Brownville Sewing Circle of the Methodist Church and we are proud of the fact that our grand- mother, Laura A. Gerrish, was an officer of this society for over fifty years.
METHODIST CHURCH
(Brownville Junction)
In the fall of 1892, Mr. Curtis from Brownville Village, held , the first Protestant services in the schoolhouse at Brownville Junction through the influence of a few interested people. The following spring, 1893, the church agreeing to pay one hundred dollars for the year, conference sent Rev. Mr. Page, who served faithfully that year and until July 17, 1894, when he was called to the higher life. After his death, Rev. Mr. York came and
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HISTORY OF BROWNVILLE
stayed a few weeks and then Mr. Norman LaMarsh, evangelist, spent. a week here interesting a number of people. This was in August, 1894, and the following February he returned, baptized four people, organized the Sunday School and formed the foun- dation of the Methodist Church.
In 1895, Rev. David R. Pierce was the pastor, leaving in July, 1896, to take up evangelical work. Rev. George Martin followed him and then came Mr. Green and Mr. Palmer, followed by Rev. George Stott under whose administration the present church was built.
There are two societies in connection with the church, the M. E. Club, which has contributed toward the support of the church for nineteen years, and the Helping Hand, contributing for eight years.
HISTORY OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH
(Brownville Junction)
In 1892 the first Catholic Church was built under the direc- tion of the late Rev. Father Trudell of Old Town. Previous to the erection of this church, Mass was celebrated in the home of the late William Finn.
The present church was built in 1914 by the present Pastor, Rev. P. A. Hayes of Dover-Foxcroft and dedicated July, 1915, by the late Right Rev. Bishop Louis S. Walsh.
The Pastors who had charge of this Mission were Rev. Fr. Trudell of Old Town, Rev. Peter Bradley, Rev. Fr. Healy and Rev. John W. Houlihan of Dexter, Rev. Martin A. Clary and Rev. Matthew Rielly of Millinocket.
The church is free from debt which shows the efficient man- agement of the present Pastor, Rev. P. A. Hayes.
EPISCOPAL CHURCH
(Brownville Junction)
More than twenty years ago, (1890-1892) the Central Maine Mission was organized in a box car on a siding at Henderson, now Brownville Junction.
From this small beginning in that freight car by a mission- ary, surrounded by a few faithful souls who had cast their lot in the great Maine woods has grown a comfortable church building,
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HISTORY OF BROWNVILLE
and a nicely furnished rectory for the home of the missionary. The number of communicants, during the life of the mission, has grown from six to four hundred. Many of those who were united to the church here, through the influence of this box-car-mission, have long since gone to join a more enduring union with saints triumphant. Many more have gone elsewhere to strengthen the whole body of the church militant.
At the present time the mission is in charge of Rev. J. W. Barker.
. HAD IM
Railroad Y. M. C. A.
The beginning of Railroad Y. M. C. A. work at Brownville Junction dates back to the fall of 1917 when the sod was turned for the erection of this splendid, modernly equipped building. The placing of a building here by the Canadian Pacific Railway Company was the outgrowth of successful work carried on by the Y. M. C. A. through a long period of years at many of the important divisional points on the company's lines. It is the result of cooperation of railroad employees, the Canadian Pacific Railway and the Young Men's Christian Association. The em-
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HISTORY OF BROWNVILLE
ployees provide about sixty per cent. of the funds expended an- nually. They manage the organization through their committees and direct its activities in helpful channels. The railway com- pany provides cooperative aid and seeks through the railroad "Y" to render an adequate program to meet the physical, social and moral needs of the employee and the community at large.
The Christian motive runs through all the work of the Rail- road Department of the Y. M. C. A. It is just this that different- iates it from the organizations commonly known as Railroad Clubs. Every part of the work of the association is religious in the best sense. The full measure of the association purpose would not be fulfilled if it failed to carry on a direct and vigorous and intelligent Christian propaganda.
The first secretary of the association was Mr. John H. Henry who served from the beginning of the work until August, 1919. Mr. Henry was succeeded by Mr. James L. Hay. Under the leadership of these two men the work has prospered and the Rail- road Y. M. C. A. continues to be an ever increasing force for good in the district it serves.
Professional Men
Dr. Isaac E. Wilkins was probably the first professional man to settle in Brownville. Dr. Wilkins was also a chainman in a survey party which measured the distance on a straight line to Canada. Among the Centennial exhibits at Grange Hall is the chain used by Dr. Wilkins and now owned by Gardner Wilkins, a great-grandson of Dr. Wilkins. In 1868, Dr. L. B. Crosby lo- cated in Brownville and for a number of years was the only pro- fessional man in town, except the clergymen. Later Dr. Mark Alward came and stayed a number of years. Other physicians to locate in Brownville were Dr. T. H. McDonough and Dr. D. L. Harden, both of whom are now practicing at Brownville Junction. Among the early doctors at the Junction were Dr. Martin, Dr. Boothbay and Dr. Hayes.
LAWYERS
The first lawyer to locate in Brownville was M. W. McIntosh of Milo, who came about 1889. He remanied in town until 1894
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HISTORY OF BROWNVILLE
when he removed to San Francisco. Mr. McIntosh was followed by Edgar C. Smith in 1896. Mr. Smith stayed a few years and then moved to Dover, where he followed his profession until he was appointed Deputy Secretary of State, which office he now ho'ds. After Mr. Smith left, W. H. Monroe, a native of Milo, located here for the practice of law. Mr. Monroe, now deceased, represented the Brownville class in the Legislature one term. Later he moved to Milo and was elected Judge of Probate which office he held at the time of his death. At the present time Brown- ville has one lawyer, Hiram Gerrish, a native of the town, who began the practice of law here in 1901. Mr. Gerrish was ap- pointed by Governor Plaisted Judge of the Municipal Court and reappointed by Governor Curtis. At present he is County At- torney of Piscataquis County.
DENTISTS
Among the professional men of Brownville for a number of years was Charles Stanhope, a dentist. Dr. Stanhope had an office in the Briggs Block, and did a good business. Dr. Stanhope is now located in Bangor, where he has a large practice.
Industries of Brownville
The internal resources of Brownville have been such as to bring the town into the foreground since its first settlement. The wonderful pine forests were the first source of wealth, and the rich, soil, suitable for farming, added to the income of the early settlers.
The first manufacturing industries of Brownville were the grist and lumber mills established by Francis Brown in 1806 and operated for nearly a hundred years by the Browns and their successors.
In 1866 the water privilege was bought by Judson Briggs who brought in a few French families as employees. He operated the mills until 1870 when he sold the mill site and privilege on the west side of the river to Edward, William and Oliver Nason. The Nasons were here for three years and built the houses in which A. A. Price and E. H. Russell now live.
In 1873, they sold the mill privilege on the west side of the river to Homan Johnson.
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HISTORY OF BROWNVILLE
Homan Johnson set up a plant for manufacture of shovel handles, Waterman Hamlin acting as superintendent. Later Charles Johnson, son of Homan Johnson, moved in and took over the supervision of the factory.
About 1881 a match factory superseded the shovel handle industry under charge of Johnson & Clough. This firm operated six or seven years.
In 1894, J. Lewis & Sons of Truro, N. S., bought the water- power on both sides of the river and started an electric lighting plant on the east side of the river, and a branch wood-working mill on the west side under the name of the U. S. Peg-Wood & Shank Co., pegwood and wood shanks being their chief output. In 1899 the mill burned but was at once rebuilt, and shortly after, an additional building erected on the south side of the road. In 1915, the factory was again destroyed by fire and again rebuilt as at present. Employees came here from the vicinity of Truro when the factory was first started, some of whom have married and remained here.
As early as 1828, the Hon. Moses Greenleaf discovered a vein of slate extending across the county in the eighth range under the soil of Brownville and towns west of Brownville.
2 paragraphs Qmitted
In 1866, the Highland Quarry was opened by Walter Morrill, Richard Hughes and Henry Jones. After a short time they sold it to a Bangor Company who contracted for its operation. Walter Morrill ran it under contract, and later Chandler operated it the same way. Afterward the Williams Slate Company ran it, mak- ing mill stock. It is now owned by the Portland Monson Slate Company.
The Williams Slate Company was organized by William D., Richard and Moses Williams, brothers. It operated not far from the Highland Quarry.
Many other smaller quarries were opened, one near Otis Abbee's, another at Jaquith Pond, and one in the Stickney pasture.
For the greater part of that time, Mesach Jones was super- intendent of the work. Edward Hughes and James Humphreys were among the first ledgemen, and continued at the work the balance of their working years.
In 1876, the Merrill Quarry sent roofing slate to the Centen- nial Exhibition at Philadelphia, and received a medal for quality. This medal may be seen among the exhibits at Grange Hall, Cen- tennial week.
Inserted in wrong place
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HISTORY OF BROWNVILLE
Many Welshmen came to the quarries in the earlier years, nearly all of whom bought homes and settled in the community.
Following the Civil War, Mr. Merrill introduced a colony of negroes to work in his quarry. But the climate was too harsh for them and they returned to their native land, Dick King's fam- ily being the last to go, in 1879.
Several years later, a great many Swedish people were em- ployed in the quarries, many of whom have made their homes with us and share with us the duties and privileges of our citizen- ship.
Years later the Highland Quarries were opened and success- fully operated for many years.
We hope in the near future to see all these quarries, which certainly contain a wealth of slate, opened and operated.
BRAUN'S MILL
At the present time Braun's Mills at North Brownville are running. They make lawn mower handles and rollers.
The coming of the Canadian Pacific Railway shops to Brown- ville Junction has made employment for a large number of people.
The Bangor & Aroostook Railroad also passes through the town and has furnished employment for many Brownville men.
Various other industries have been undertaken during the town's history. Among them might be mentioned John Gould's shop and turning lathe for furniture making, Eliot Powers' furni- ture shop, Jesse Tibbetts' brickyard in North Brownville, Ed Lamson's shop for making carts and wagons, J. Gillis' manufac- ture of broom handles, McClain's canoe manufacture, and E. H. Gould's printing plant.
Especial mention might be made of the Tannery. Previous to 1846 there were two tan pits near the river bank on the west side. About that time a tannery was built by Jefferson Lake on the bank of Whetstone Brook near the old Rankin place. The following accounts supply dates :
1847
Augst. 16, 3 days on dam 3.00
Sept. 13, 131/2 days on Tannery 13.50
Octo. 14, 3 days on Tannery 3
Novem. 5, 9 days at the Tannery 9.00
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HISTORY OF BROWNVILLE
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