USA > Maine > Cumberland County > Harpswell > History of Brunswick, Topsham, and Harpswell, Maine, including the ancient territory known as Pejepscot > Part 32
USA > Maine > Cumberland County > Brunswick > History of Brunswick, Topsham, and Harpswell, Maine, including the ancient territory known as Pejepscot > Part 32
USA > Maine > Sagadahoc County > Topsham > History of Brunswick, Topsham, and Harpswell, Maine, including the ancient territory known as Pejepscot > Part 32
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In 1857. April 6, the water in the river was very high, and the old Purinton mill in Topsham was carried off.
On March 31, 1859, the ice carried away Maxwell & Jameson's blacksmith shop, on the island, and also an old grist-mill near by.
On April 19, 1862, an unoccupied house on the island in Topsham, next to the small bridge, was carried away by the water, and the draw 21
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and about two hundred feet of the Bay Bridge, on the Brunswick side, were also destroyed. Cow Island was entirely submerged.
On November 19, 1863, there was a high freshet. The northern abutment of the small bridge in Topsham was undermined, and car- riage travel stopped. There were some logs lost, but no other dam- age is known to have been done at this time.
April 19, 1865, the water was quite high, but did no damage. There was, however, at this time, an extremely high wind, which blew down fences, signs, etc., and did considerable harm. A barn on the Island, in Topsham, was blown into the river with all its contents, even the hens.
On April 26, 1866, there was a heavy ice freshet. A small portion of the dam of Perkins's saw-mill, and the outer tier of posts of the Purinton flour-mill, both in Topsham, were carried away. Some damage was also done to the Coburn mill in Brunswick. There was also another, though lighter, freshet in November of this year.
In 1869 there were two freshets. At the first, on April 20, a boom broke, and a large number of logs belonging to Hiram Toothaker, and to Coburn & Thompson, went down river. The loss was esti- mated at about $40,000.
At the other freshet, October 5, several cows on Cow Island were drowned, and two hundred bushels of corn, belonging to John Merry- man, at Rocky Hill, were washed away.
The last freshet of consequence was on April 16, 1873. The ice became gorged, and carried away the flume at the paper-mill in Topsham.
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STAGES, RAILROADS, NAVIGATION, ETC.
CHAPTER X.
STAGES, RAILROADS, NAVIGATION, TELEGRAPHI, EXPRESSES, PUBLIC CARRIAGES.
STAGES, ETC.
THE first regular stage for the accommodation of passengers is thought to have commenced running about the year 1800. The first four-horse stage between Brunswick and Portland is known to have been driven in 1803 by Henry Melntyre. In 1806, Colonel Estabrook drove a biweekly stage between Brunswick and Augusta.
In 1807, or soon after, Nahum Perkins, of Topsham, drove a through stage between Portland and Augusta.
The first daily stage commenced, in connection with the mails, in 1810. It was between Portland and Brunswick.
A writer in 1820 remarks concerning the stages to and from Bruns- wick at that time, "From the great eastern, western, and northern routes the stages arrive at twelve o'clock at noon, and so well are they regulated that they often arrive at the same moment. There is no other place in Maine so well situated in this respect. From the east, west, and north, they arrive and depart every day in the week." These coaches were probably run by the Maine Stage Company, as that is the earliest company to which any reference has been found.
On January 1, 1821, William B. Peters commenced running a stage between Portland and Bath, leaving the former place on Monday. Wednesday, and Friday, and the latter on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. The Brunswick office was at Hodgkins's tavern. The fare was the same as in the mail stage. This was an opposition line to the regular mail stage. How long it was maintained is not known.
On August 20, 1836, the Brunswick and Turner Stage Company began running a stage between those two towns, leaving Stinchfield's Hotel in Brunswick, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays at eight o'clock A. M., passing through Durham, Danville, Lewiston, East Minot, East Turner, and arriving in Turner at three o'clock P. M. Returning, it left Turner on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at
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eight o'clock A. M , and arrived in Brunswick at four p. M. The fare to Lewiston was one dollar and twenty-five cents, and to Turner one dollar and seventy-five cents During the winter of this year, Jacob Harris drove a two-horse team twice a week to Portland, for freight and passengers.
On December 25, 1854, the Brunswick and Lewiston stage line was established, John Holland, Jr., being the agent. A passenger coach, capable of seating nine persons inside, left Lewiston for Brunswick every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and arrived at the latter place in season for the noon train for Bath and Augusta. It left Brunswick on its return at half past nine A. M. It passed through Topsham, Little River, and Lisbon. The fare between Brunswick and Lewiston was one dollar and twenty five cents. This line was kept up for several years. In 1856 M. K. Marean was its agent. The last stage run to any point accessible by the cars was in 1858. In November of that year, C. M. Plummer commenced to run a daily stage to Bath in opposition to the cars. The fare by stage. was forty cents, and by cars twenty-five cents.
There are at present three lines of stages leaving Brunswick. One is a daily stage to Potts's Point on Harpswell Neck ; another, thrice weekly, to Condy's Harbor on Great Island ; and another, thrice weekly, to Orr's Island. The first stage over the latter route was driven by Ephraim Johnson of Orr's Island, on June 1, 1868.
Among the different lines of stages which have been enumerated, the Maine Stage Company deservedly takes the first rank. The com- pany at one time owned $60,000 worth of stock. Its coaches were large and comfortable, and its horses were of the best . The line was well patronized and the profits were large. A quarterly dividend of thirty dollars on the hundred is known to have been distributed. The stages of this line continued running to Portland for some time after the railroad was completed. The fare to Portland by stage was one dollar, and by cars ninety cents, but the stage called for and delivered passengers at their residences, thus saving carriage hire. Among the drivers for the Maine Stage Company were Calvin Gossam, Charles Owen (son of Elder Shimuel Owen), Hiram Tibbetts (father of Mr. J. Il. Tibbetts), Jabez Sawin, - Savage, JJacob Sands, - Stanwood, - Plummer, Job Sawyer, - Hlobbs, and John
Beals.
Gossam was a careful driver, prompt in business, attentive to the wants of his passengers, and scrupulously neat in his apparel ; his hat, boots, and gloves were always stylish ; when he announced, " Stage
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ready," no better dressed gentleman entered the coach. Gossam went to California, where he drove successfully several years before his death.
Mr. Sands drove a part of the time between Brunswick and Augusta, and a part between Brunswick and Portland. In 1849, when the steamer Fiushing made her daily trips between New Wharf and Portland, he drove a stage connecting with the steamer. He was a careful driver and a pleasant, genial, whole-souled man. Those who desired to relieve the monotony of a stage journey by pleasant, face- tious, and ofttimes instructive conversation, invariably chose a seat beside him upon the box.
Concerning the other drivers, nothing has been learned. except what would naturally be inferred, that they were all good .. whips " and handled the " ribbons " skilfully.
Accidents were not infrequent in old stage times. In several instances the towns of Brunswick and Topsham were obliged to pay damages to the stage company, in consequence of injuries to their coaches caused by defects in the highways.
One incident is perhaps illustrative of the whole. On November 17, 1829. a stage containing eleven passengers, among whom were Governor Dunlap, and Mr. Charles J. Noyes, of Brunswick, was upset on McKeen Street, and tipped, top down, into a ditch full of water, so that the doors could not be opened. No one was seriously injured, but all were bedaubed with mud. A mother and her babe were among the inside passengers, and the child was found safely pre- served on the shelf made by the inverted coach-seat.
RAILROADS.
The first local project for rail communication from Brunswick was broached some time in 1833. No serious attempt toward anything of the sort was inaugurated, however, until 1835. That year the legislature incorporated Elijah P. Pike, Nathaniel Davis, Alfred J. Stone, Charles Stetson, Roger Merrill, Jordan Woodward, Benjamin Pennell, John S. Cushing, and Solomon P. Cushman and their asso- ciates, successors. and assigns, " into a body politic and corporate " by the name of the BRUNSWICK RAILROAD COMPANY. This company was anthorized " to locate and construct a railroad from the Andros- coggin River, near Brunswick village, to some navigable waters of Casco Bay, with one or more branches," and were invested with all the necessary powers to carry their intention into effect. I his corpo- ration met June 4th of that year, and adopted a code of by-laws, and
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elected their officers. The road, however, was never laid out, and no other meeting of the company is known to have been held.
The first railroad to enter Brunswick was the Kennebec and Port- land, which was incorporated in 1836, and was soon after surveyed. In 1845 the time of building was extended ten years, and of locating, five years. On May 1, 1845, the corporators met and chose a com- mittee to confer with a committee of the Bath and Portland Railroad Company, which had been incorporated a short time previously. The result of the conference was a union of the two roads. On August 6th, of this year, a citizens' meeting was held at the Baptist Church, Maine Street, Brunswick, " to adopt measures in relation to the Port- land, Bath, and Augusta Railroad." Honorable R. P. Dunlap was chosen chairman, and John D. Coburn, secretary. Speeches in favor of the road were made by the chairman, and by George Evans, of Gardiner, and P. Sheldon, and a committee was chosen to present subscription papers to the citizens. The town of Brunswick, in 1850, voted to loan its credit, to aid in the completion of this road, to the amount of $75,000. The same year Topsham voted to loan its credit for the same purpose to the amount of $30,000. The first work upon the railroad, near Brunswick, was commenced in 1847.
In March, 1849, Mr. John S. Cushing was called by the directors of the Kennebec and Portland Railroad to take charge of the grounds now occupied by the depot of the Maine Central Railroad Company, and prepare them for the use of the former company ; to provide wood and materials for the construction of the road, which was then in pro- cess of building ; and to pay the gravel-train men, and others in the employ of the company.
On the ninth of June, 1849, a locomotive steam-engine entered Brunswick for the first time. On the fourth of July, 1849, the track having been laid from Bath to Yarmouth, it was decided to put on a train of gravel cars, and with the first engine, the " Kennebec," and with such accommodations as could be prepared, to run the train back and forth between Bath and Yarmouth for the day, giving every one who desired it a " free ride." Though the train was composed chiefly of dump-cars, and the passengers probably paid for their ride in the discomfort attending it, yet it was to them a new and gratifying experience, and such was the delight of the public that many urged the directors to commence running a passenger train at once. To this request the directors acceded, and without any preparation of books, blanks, or tariffs, the train was put on the fifth of July, and continued to run regularly, carrying passengers
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to Yarmouth, and there transferring them to the cars of the Atlantic and St. Lawrence Railroad for Portland.
This sudden and unprepared-for event cast a good deal of labor and responsibility upon Mr. Cushing, who at once had tickets printed at the office of Mr. Griffin, for the four stations. In addition to this, freight began to flow on the road, and Mr. Cushing was in- structed to fix such rates as he thought proper on all merchandise as it came in.
Mr. Joseph McKeen was the first treasurer of the road, and it was by his request that Mr. Cushing did whatever was necessary to meet the emergencies as they arose, and collect all moneys from ticket sales and conductors, and return to him. Thus Brunswick became sud- denly a place of importance as the headquarters of the Kennebec and Portland Railroad Company, and as the place where the first impulse was given to the trains of this road.
The fares between the stations of the Kennebec and Portland Road and Portland were adjusted on the presumption that the Atlantic and St. Lawrence Company (now the Grand Trunk) would gladly receive so large a contribution of passengers at the same rate, twenty five cents each, at which they transported stage passengers from Yarmouth to Port- land. This amount the agent of the Kennebec and Portland Company added to the price of their tickets to Yarmouth, for all Portland pas- sengers. Upon settlement with the Atlantic and St. Lawrence Com- pany, at the close of the month of July, they claimed thirty-five cents, which was their local fare from Yarmouth to Portland, on all passen- gers coming over the Kennebec and Portland Road. They consented, however, to deduct one half cent from each ticket issued by the latter company, obliging them to pay thirty-four and a half cents on each passenger to Portland, although they had only received twenty-five cents each for that portion of the route. This action of the Atlantic and St. Lawrence Company was received with great indignation by the directors of the Kennebec and Portland Company. Two members each said that they would be one among ten to build a new road from Yarmouth to Portland, and it was in consequence of the unjust ad- vantage thus taken of their necessities that the road was built about two years subsequently. This, however, was not the only disagree- ment between the two companies. The directors of the Kennebec and Portland Company solicited the other company to put down a third rail, and allow their trains (of a different gauge) to run on that road to Portland. This the Atlantic and St. Lawrence Company, speaking through their engineer, declared impracticable. After the new road
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was contracted for, however, they offered to give this accommodation, but were told, in reply, that it was then " impracticable." Thus the short-sighted policy of the Atlantic and St. Lawrence Company's directors was the cause of the building of the new road into Port- land.1
Included in the purchase of the depot lot was a small, one-story, unfinished wooden building, which stood near Maine Street. This was hastily fitted up with ladies' and gentlemen's rooms, and a ticket-office between the two. The L was used for a baggage-room. The ac- commodations for passengers were small and poorly arranged. The building stood much nearer Maine Street than the present one. After the second depot was built, the first one was moved over to the north, next to the building once occupied by Isaac Center, and, at a later date by Mr. Poland, and was occupied by Ezekiel Thompson, the first baggage-master. It is still owned by the railroad company and leased by them as a dwelling. At the time the first depot was prepared, John S. Cushing acted as station agent, and George French as switch- man. This was the force as organized at Brunswick, which was the headquarters of the road at that time.
The first engine went over the railroad bridge across the Andros- coggin, below the falls, on the thirteenth of December, 1850, and cars ran to Augusta not long afterwards. The Topsham depot was erected in 1850-51.
The first large depot in Brunswick was finished in July, 1855. It was one hundred and sixty feet in length and about one hundred feet in width, including the two wings, the main body of the building being sixty feet in width, with a height of fifty-two feet to the ridge- pole. Three tracks ran through it. The north wing was divided into a ticket-office, with public waiting-rooms for gentlemen and ladies on either side, a refreshment-room, and a baggage-room. Space was also left for a stairway into the upper story of the building, where it was intended to have some of the office rooms of the company. The south wing was used for freight. This depot was burned in 1857. The present building was erected soon after. It is much larger now than it was originally, having received additions several times since its erection. Until 1870 there were but two tracks running through the depot, and the southern side of the building, where the third track is now, was used for the freight department. The freight-office
1 This matter, though rather beyond the scope of this History, is introduced here as a matter of interest to our citizens, and because it has never before appeared in print.
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and telegraph-office were in the southeastern corner. The waiting- rooms, refreshment-room, and ticket-office were small and inconven- ient. In 1870 the present freight depot was built, and the passenger depot was enlarged and improved. Since then the refreshment-saloon and the ticket-office have been still further improved.
In the latter part of 1849, Mr. Cushing was taken into the office of Treasurer McKeen as book-keeper, in the place of Mr. George F. Dunning, who removed to Philadelphia.
In 1851, Mr. McKeen resigned his treasurership, and Mr. A. II. Gilman, of Portland, was elected ; and in the following year the treas- urer's office was removed to Augusta, where Mr. Cushing was contin- ued as general ticket agent and freight accountant until 1857, when he was elected treasurer. In this capacity he has been continued through the different organizations of Portland and Kennebec and Maine Central Railroad Companies to the present time, - a period of twenty years. The length of the Kennebec and Portland Railroad was twenty-four miles in 1849, and that of the Maine Central in 1871 was three hundred and fifty-five miles.1
The LEWISTON AND TOPSHAM RAILROAD COMPANY was formed abont 1853, with Francis T. Purinton, of Topsham, as its president. A road between these two places was surveyed but never laid out, and the company failed to do anything. This company was, however, the forerunner of the ANDROSCOGGIN RAILROAD, work on which was com- menced in 1860, and the first trains on which ran regularly in October, 1861.
As illustrative of the difference in travel between the present and former times, it may be stated that in 1819, the time of travel between Brunswick and Boston was ordinarily three days, the very quickest being two and a half days, and the expense attending a trip was twelve dollars. Now, the time required is but six hours, and the expense three dollars and a quarter. Then there was one stage daily in each direction, passing through Brunswick. For a number of years after the railroad went into operation, there was but one passenger train a day each way, and the trains seldom had more than two pas- senger cars and a baggage car. At the same time a thrice-weekly freight train, each way, was all that was required.
Now, four passenger trains each way are run on the main line, with
1 For most of the facts given in the foregoing account we are indebted to Mr. Cushing. chose connection with this road from its first inception up to the present time renders his statements entitled to the fullest credence.
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from two to eight cars in each, and there are two regular freight trains each way daily, besides almost daily extra trains. In addition to these trains, there are on the Bath branch six trains daily, each way, includ- ing freight trains, and on the Lewiston branch there are four trains each way daily, including freight trains.
NAVIGATION.
In the very earliest times, before the era of stages or even of the introduction of horses to this region, before roads were even thought of. the travel was conducted exclusively by means of boats and vessels. The pioneer settlers always located themselves at or near the head of some navigable stream. It should be remembered that in those times the streams were all undammed and were all of them navigable for much larger craft than at present. Large vessels might then come to the foot of the falls of the Pejepscot without difficulty, and it was even possible to tow boats over the rapids.1
The earliest provision made for a boat of any size for use in this vicinity was in 1716. At a meeting of the proprietors, held February 21, of that year, it was voted, " That a proper boat be provided by Messrs. Minot & Watts with sails, oars, etc."2 The intention of this vote may have been to furnish a boat for travel upon the river, but as the proprietors soon after purchased a sloop called the Peje pscot, for the purpose of establishing communication with Boston,3 it is probable that the latter object was what was intended by their vote.
The next vessel to which reference is to be found was the sloop Maquoit, which was built by the proprietors and was used in carrying lumber and provisions between Maquoit and Boston.
There is some uncertainty as to whom belongs the credit of build- ing the first vessel in this region, though it is probable that it was built on the New Meadows River. According to one authority, it was built by John Lemont, in 1745,4 but by another it is said to have been constructed by George Harwood (with others).5 Prob- ably it was the same vessel, and more than one or two were interested in it.
The first vessel constructed at Middle Bay or Maquoit was built previous to the Revolution by Robert Dunning. The exact time is
1 Maine Historical Collection, 3, p. 318.
2 Pejepscot Records. 8 McKeen, MS. Lecture.
4 Lemont, Historical Dates of Bath, etc., p. 52.
5 McKeen, in Brunswick Telegraph, " Gleanings," No. 4.
.
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not known. In 1753 there were three sloops owned at Maquoit and New Meadows. 1
In 1767 the schooner Unity, of Topsham, is mentioned in Brigadier Thompson's papers.
The first vessel launched above the Chops and the second above Bath was built by John Patten, William Patten, John Fulton, and Adam Hunter, of Topsham, about the year 1768. She was a sloop of about ninety tons. and was named the Merry Meeting. She was built for the purpose of coasting to Boston. When she was launched all the people in the neighboring towns came to see her, and were provided with a dinner. Captain William Patten was master of the Merry Meeting. He loaded her with wood and went to Boston and sold it for $1.50 per cord, two thirds of which went to the owners. At other times she was loaded with boards and timber.
Wages at that time were very low. Howard, the shipwright who built the Merry Meeting, received four shillings per day. He lived at New Meadows. Captains in the West India business received four pounds per month ; mates, three pounds ; seamen's wages were about six dollars. The sails and rigging for the Merry Meeting were pur- chased of Mr. Hooper (" King" Hooper he was called), of Salem.2
The Defiance was afterwards built and owned, principally, by John Patten. She was employed in coasting to Boston 3
The schooner Industry, the first that ever went to the West Indies from the Kennebec. was owned by John Patten, his son Robert, his son-in-law Robert Fulton, Mr. Jameson, and Captain Harward. She was built about 1772. Captain James Maxwell was master. She was loaded the first time with boards, shingles, and four masts. A part of the boards were sawed at Cathance Mills and the rest at Topsham Falls. They were sold for four dollars per thousand. Cap- tain Maxwell went twice to the West Indies in the Industry. She was sold during the Revolutionary war for paper money. Captain Robert Patten's eighth part enabled him to buy a horse and saddle for four hundred dollars.4
About 1790 the Speedwell, a coaster of ninety-seven tons' burden, under command of the Captain Mclellan who married Molly Finney, ran between Brunswick and Boston. On one of her trips she landed at Bunganock, and took on board ninety cords of wood for Boston. The price here was three shillings and ninepence, and at Boston,
1 Memorandum on cover of Brunswick Records in Pejepscot Collections.
2 Dr. Ellis. Notes of Robert Patten. 8 Ibid. 4 Ibid.
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twelve shillings per cord. The crew were four in number, and the average wages of each was seven dollars per month.
Several vessels were owned in Brunswick in 1790. On September 13, 1791, John Peterson made a request to the selectmen of Brunswick for an abatement of the tax on " one of my vessels, as she was cast ashore last Christmas day on Cape Cod, and by that accident I lost the value of one year's earnings of said schooner." 1
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