USA > Maine > Cumberland County > Harpswell > History of Brunswick, Topsham, and Harpswell, Maine, including the ancient territory known as Pejepscot > Part 52
USA > Maine > Cumberland County > Brunswick > History of Brunswick, Topsham, and Harpswell, Maine, including the ancient territory known as Pejepscot > Part 52
USA > Maine > Sagadahoc County > Topsham > History of Brunswick, Topsham, and Harpswell, Maine, including the ancient territory known as Pejepscot > Part 52
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1 Original deed in the possession of John L. Swift, Esq.
537
PUBLIC LANDS, ROADS, BRIDGES, ETC.
and Jacob Abbot have drilled a hole in the ledge or Rock and drove an Iron bolt of about one Inch and one Quarter Diameter and about Eighteen Inches in length, half the length into said Ledge or Rock, the other half above the surface in the Identical spot shewn to us as the place under which said Flagg Staff stood.
" JOHN PERRY JUNE JOHN ABBOT JACOB ABBOT
" BRUNSWICK NOW! 23d 1810
" A True Copy
" DAN'L GIVEEN, Town Clerk.
" WILLIAM DUNING JOHN GIVEEN Selectmen."
JOSEPHI HACKER
This bolt will be found " opposite to the space between two of the factory boarding-houses at the north end of Maine Street and distant southerly from the southwest corner of the easterly house twenty-eight and one third feet, where a line from the southeast corner of the westerly house will intersect the first line in twenty-six feet, thence to the house on the corner of Maine and Bow Streets, sixty-six feet ; or by measuring easterly from and in line of the south face of Cabot Mill seventy-six and two tenths feet, and from one to two feet beneath the surface of the ground." 1
.
In 1819, Abner Bourne, Robert D. Dunning. David Dunlap. Robert Eastman, and Samuel Chase were chosen a committee to ascertain the boundaries of the Twelve-Rod road and to recommend measures for the prevention of further encroachments on the road, and were instructed to report at the next annual meeting. No record is made of their report.
In 1822 the selectmen were authorized to direct a survey of this road between Jacob Abbot's 2 and Robert D. Dunning's, and to receive a quitelaim deed, provided it could be done without any expense to the town except for the writing of the deed and the survey.
In 1845 the Twelve-Rod road, or that part of it called Maine Street, was again surveyed, this time by Elijah P. Pike, under the direction of the selectinen, and the survey was accepted by the town.
In 1858 two rows of trees were set out on this street from the Con- gregational Church to the end of the college grounds. This was done by private subscription.
1 From Field Book of Charles J. Noyes. C. F.
2 Now the residence of Captain A. II. Merryman.
538
HISTORY OF BRUNSWICK, TOPSHAM, AND HARPSWELL.
The foregoing comprises all important facts in relation to this Twelve-Rod road with the exception of the origin of
THE MALL.
In 1802 there was a board fence from the northeast corner of Robert D. Dunning's house, on the hill, to the head of the present Mall. It continued, much as the fence now runs on the easterly side of the Mall. to Schwartkin's store, where the store of George B. Tenney now is. The Mall was at that time an alder-swamp which extended as far west as the foot of Powder-House Hill, and nearly as far north as Pleasant Street. Cows often had to be pried out of the mud where the Mall is. Mr. C. J. Noyes informs us that, in 1846, when survey- ing the line of the railroad between Maine and Union Streets, he sank into the mud and water over the tops of his rubber boots. It is said that in this swamp the old settlers used to take beaver.
On the Fourth of July, 1826, the citizens united in a general assault upon this deformity of the village, and assembling at an early hour, with shovels, hoes, oxen, ploughs, and carts, they worked diligently until noon. Then the company listened to a speech from Robert Orr, Esquire, after which they partook of a lunch and dispersed. A sec- ond gathering of the kind was held on the next Fourth of July. and after half a day's hard work the company marched to the meeting- house, stacked their arms (shovels, hoes, picks, etc. ) in military style before entering, and listened to an oration from Mr. Edward Kent, then a student in the law-office of Honorable Benjamin Orr. The work thus begun was completed by private enterprise. The project of enclosing the open area and of planting trees was started at a strawberry party in 1838, and the fence was erected and the trees set out in the spring of 1839.1 The work was assigned to a committee of three, - Doctor Isaac Lincoln, Joseph Griffin, and John S. Cushing. It cost about four hundred dollars to fence and grade it and to plant the trees. Nearly all the trees then set out are in a flourishing condi- tion now. The committee devoted their whole time for three weeks to superintending the work, and then were obliged to make up a small deficit in the funds. The row of trees on the western side of the Mall was set out by Mr. Cushing. While the work was progressing, Mr. Cushing was married, and Doctor Adams, the officiating clergy- man, at the conclusion of the ceremony, remarked that he himself desired to work for the Mall, and therefore presented his fee towards that object.
1 Brunswick Telegraph, June 25, 1853.
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PUBLIC LANDS, ROADS, BRIDGES, ETC.
Nothing further was done to the Mall until 1867, when the fence around it was rebuilt.
In 1873 the selectmen, in their annual report, use the following lan- guage in regard to the Mall, to which report sufficient attention has not been paid. They say : -
" The Mall ought to be put under the care of some person of judg- ment and taste, and attention given to its condition. If the grounds were kept clean and smooth, the walks trimmed, and seats erected in different parts, what is now unsightly and of no particular interest to any one, will be made an ornament and become a point to which our people will gravitate for rest and recreation during the heat of summer, and in which we shall all feel a just pride."
STREETS.
Some of the streets in Brunswick were laid out as private ways at an early date, and although named by the town and repaired from time to time by the road surveyors of the town, have never yet been formally accepted by it. This fact will account for the omission, in some cases, of the date of laying out or of acceptance of some of these streets. It has been found impossible to obtain the date of construc- tion of these private streets. As to the legal liability of the town in regard to most of them, we presume there can now be little doubt.
For convenience the streets in Brunswick will be treated in alpha- betical order.
BATH STREET is a part of Governor King's turnpike, which was laid out in 1806. The name is applied to that portion of the road between the First Parish Meeting-House and Pine Grove Cemetery.
BANK STREET was laid out by the late David Dunlap, Esquire, over his own land. It has never been accepted by the town, and in 1867 the town refused to accept it as a highway.
BOW STREET was laid out in 1819, and accepted by the town under its present name in 1821. Slight changes in the courses of this street were made in 1824 and in 1830.
BOODY STREET was accepted by the town in 1853. It was named in honor of Mr. Henry H. Boody, who was then a professor in Bow- doin College, and resided on the corner of Maine and this new street.
CLEAVELAND STREET was laid out early in this century, but pre- cisely when we cannot ascertain. It was in 1821 named Cross Street. Its present name was given to it in 1869 in honor of Professor Parker Cleaveland, who lived on Federal Street opposite the end of this street.
540
HISTORY OF BRUNSWICK, TOPSHAM, AND HARPSWELL.
CENTRE STREET was laid out as a private road in 1810. In 1821 it was named by the town Centre Street, and in 1839 it was accepted by the town.
CUSHING STREET was laid out and accepted by the town in 1847. It was named in honor of Mr. John S. Cushing.
CEDAR STREET was laid out and'accepted in 1845.
COLLEGE STREET was laid out in 1831.
DUNLAP STREET was originally laid out by General Richard T. Dunlap as a private way, and its name was given to it by the town as a mark of respect.
DUNNING STREET was laid out in 1844. It was named for Mr. Robert D. Dunning.
ELM STREET was laid out in 1843.
EVERETT STREET, named in honor of Ebenezer Everett, Esquire, was laid out and accepted by the town in 1865.
ELLIOT STREET was laid out in 1858. It was named in honor of Colonel Daniel Elliot.
FRANKLIN STREET was laid out and accepted in 1846.
FEDERAL STREET was laid out and accepted in 1803. The propri- etors of the land gave the land and made the road. The street received its name in 1821. Referring to this street, a writer in 1820 says, " I understand the original proprietors of the land made it a condition in their grants that all houses on this street should be at least two stories high and on a line twenty feet from the road. With this requisition there seems to have been a punctilious compliance. About twenty houses are already erected with great exactness and symmetry, and the remaining lots of land are correctly proportioned." Although no proof of any agreement of the kind referred to above has been found, it would seem not improbable, judging from the actual appearance of the street, that some agreement was made between the earlier owners of the lots. Such entire uniformity could scarcely result as a matter of chance.
GREEN STREET was laid out in 1828. It was named for James Green, a resident on the street.
GILMAN AVENUE, named in honor of Honorable Charles J. Gilman, was laid out as a private way, but was named by the town as a mark of respect to the owner of the land.
HARPSWELL STREET is a portion of the old road to Harpswell Island, which was laid out in the last century, but at precisely what date is not known.
HIGH STREET was laid out in 1850. It was first called Grove Street, and the name was changed to High in 1872.
541
PUBLIC LANDS, ROADS, BRIDGES, ETC.
ISLAND STREET, from Bow Street to the river opposite Shad Island, was accepted by the town in 1828.
LINCOLN STREET, named in honor of Doctor Isaac Lincoln, has never been accepted by the town.
MAINE STREET has been already described under the head of the " Twelve-Rod Road." The name Maine Street is applied to that portion of the road between the bridge and Mair Brook, as decided by the town in 1821. The name was given in honor of the then newly made State of Maine. It is often incorrectly spelled Main.
MILL STREET was laid out in 1717 by vote of the Pejepscot propri- etors. It originally extended only to the upper falls, or a short dis- tance beyond. In 1817 it was extended to Pleasant Street. It received its name in 1821.
MASON STREET was also laid out by the Pejepscot proprietors in 1717. In 1821 it was called Water Street, The name Mason Street was subsequently applied to it.
MCKEEN STREET, named in honor of Messrs. Joseph and John McKeen, was laid out by the Pejepscot proprietors in 1717. In 1821 it was named Cumberland Street. Its present name was given to it about 18440.
MIDDLE STREET was laid out and accepted in 1856.
NOBLE STREET was laid out in 1833 as a part of Union Street. In 1849 it was called Noble Street, as a mark of respect to Mr. John Noble, who resided upon the street.
O'BRIEN STREET was laid out and accepted in 1841. It was named in honor of Captain John O'Brien.
PLEASANT STREET is a part of the county road to Freeport, which was laid out in 1811. The name applies to that portion of the road between Maine Street and the gully, a short distance west of Powder- House Hill.
POTTER STREET was laid out and accepted in 1845, as far as Cap- tain William Potter's, for whom it was named. In 1858 it was con- tinued to Union Street.
PEARL STREET, from Federal to Stetson Street, was laid out and accepted in 1845, and subsequently extended to a short distance east of the railroad.
PAGE STREET, SO named in honor of Doctor Jonathan Page, was laid out as'a private road.
SCHOOL STREET was laid out early in this century. It received its name in 1828. The name was given to it because of the school which was for many years kept in the " old red school-house " on this street.
542
HISTORY OF BRUNSWICK, TOPSHAM, AND HARPSWELL.
In 1850, School Street was widened, by adding to the northern side thirteen feet and nine inches on Federal Street, and six feet on Maine Street.
SPRING STREET was laid out and accepted in 1850, as far as the railroad.
STETSON STREET was laid out and accepted in 1850.
THOMPSON STREET was laid out and accepted in 1850. It was named for General A. B. Thompson.
UNION STREET, from O'Brien to Pleasant Streets, was laid out in 1828. In 1833 it was laid out from Mill Street as far as what is now Noble Street, the latter street then being a portion of Union Street. In 1849 the location of Union Street, between Pleasant and Noble Streets, was slightly altered. In 1858 it was continued south to Page Street, and subsequently to McKeen Street.
WATER STREET is the easterly portion of the Four-Rod road, laid out in 1717, from the fort to the landing. In 1828 the name was applied to the whole street, from Maine Street to the landing. Subsequently that portion of the street between Maine and Federal Streets was named Mason Street.
ROADS IN TOPSHAM.
Although the number of roads which have been laid out in Topsham is not so large as that of Brunswick it has been found nearly as diffi- cult to locate many of the early roads in the former place as it was in the latter. As an illustration of the indefinite manner in which many of the roads are recorded, the following is copied : " The Road begin- ing at Issabella's Barn Running to William Alexander's house was laid out by the Selectmen in October 1774." It is, perhaps, needless to say that we have found no allusions to Isabella's barn elsewhere.
The first road laid out in Topsham was unquestionably one which was laid out by the lejepscot proprietors, from the Narrows to the Cathance River. There is no record in the Pejepscot company's books of the laying out of this road, but the Topsham town records allude to it in 1764 as having been previously granted by the propri- etors, and it is shown on the plan of the town, which was made for the proprietors in 1768, by John Merrill. This road started from the Androscoggin River, a few rods below the present residence of Mr. James Mustard, crossed the "Foreside" road, following the line of the Mustard and Hunter lots to the Cathance River. It was origi- nally laid out four rods wide, but in 1764 the town voted to reduce it to two rods in width and to sell the remaining two rods. This road is
543
PUBLIC LANDS, ROADS, BRIDGES, ETC.
still in existence. The portion between the "Foreside " road and the county road to Bowdoinham is still travelled, and is known as " Lover's Lane." From the county road to the Cathance and from the " Fore- side " road to the river the road is unused, but is fenced on each side, and is plainly distinguishable from the adjoining lots.
The second road was the county road to Bowdoinham, which was laid out before the incorporation of the town, about 1761 or 1762.1 From allusions to this road in the town records, it appears to have begun a short distance east of the village cemetery, where there was a ferry across the river to the landing on the Brunswick side.2 From this point the road ran substantially as it now runs, passing the tan- yard and straight on to the old graveyard, thence turning to the left, passing the estate of the late George A. Rogers to the Cathance River, where there was a ferry, and from thence in about its present course to Bowdoinham.
'These two roads were all the public roads that were in existence at the time of the incorporation of the town. There were doubtless a number of hay and wood roads in existence, but their location is not now known.
At the first meeting of the town in its corporate capacity, Thomas Wilson. Adam Hunter, John Reed, John Fulton, and John Merrill were chosen a committee to lay out the highways and roads through the town.
The first road mentioned in the records is what is now known as the " Foreside " road, beginning at Muddy River and following along the bay, and up the river to the county road at the top of the hill near the residence of Mr. Cyrus Purington. The county road, as previ- ously stated, ended a short distance east of the village burying-ground. At this point a town highway began, which ran westerly, as Elm Street now runs, up by the Free-Will Baptist Meeting-House, and so on " to the first brook beyond John Whitten's house," which was a short dis- tance beyond the Merrill homestead. In 1767 the road was continued to Little River. Various slight changes in the courses of this road were subsequently made.
The next road which was laid out by the town in 1764 was " from the county road near the meeting-house to the house of Gowen Ful- ton." This was what is now called the " lower road to Bowdoinham," in distinction from that which passes over the Cathance River. At
1 Records of Court of General Sessions for Lincoln County.
2 The ferry from " Ferry Point" to the landing was of a later date.
544
HISTORY OF BRUNSWICK, TOPSHAM, AND HARPSWELL.
the same time a road was laid out from the meeting-house to the " Foreside " road, which was substantially the same as that which is now travelled from the Bowdoinham road to Bay Bridge.
In 1781, Samnel Thompson, John Merrill, Nathan Thwing, James Hunter. and David. Reed were appointed by the Court of General Sessions, for Lincoln County, to lay out a road from the county road at Gideon Walker's, to the Bowdoin Line. It was doubtless soon afterwards laid out.
In 1790 what is now Main Street was laid out from the Granny-Hole Mill-right to the county road at Gideon Walker's Corner. This road was accepted in 1792 as a public highway.
In 1791 a road was accepted leading from the Bowdoin line over to the county road to Bowdoinham, which it entered " not far from Mr. Joseph Graves's house."
In 1792 a road was laid ont from 'Main Street, at a point about opposite Summer Street, running across the grounds of the estate of the late Charles Thompson, to the river.
The road leading from the Little River road at " Whitehouse's Corner" to the county road to Bowdoin, near the residence of Mr. Benjamin Thompson, was laid out in 1792.
In 1795 the road across the island to the toll-bridge was laid out, two rods wide.
In 1797 a road was laid out from what is now Elm Street, between the Walker homestead and the Baptist Church, or very near there, running down the hill across the grounds of the late Doctor James McKeen to the town landing. Mr. James Wilson remembers this road, and says it was fenced on either side for its whole length. Mr. Wilson's father owned the land, and as the town would not vote to pay him for it, he closed it up.
The next year, 1798, a road corresponding to what is now Thomp- son Street was laid out from Main Street to the landing. The same year two county roads were laid out. One was from Littleborough, through Green, Lewiston, Bowdoin, Little River, and Topsham, to the Androscoggin Bridge. The other was from the same bridge to the south line of Litchfield. The course of both these roads through Topsham was over the town roads previously established.
In 1799 what is known as the Meadow road was laid out. What is now known as Green Street, from the Congregational Church to the Granny-Hole Bridge, was accepted by the town in 1799. A portion of this road from the church to Thompson Street had been made previously by Mr. James Wilson, Senior, as a private road, for
545
PUBLIC LANDS, ROADS, BRIDGES, ETC.
his own use, he making a log-bridge or causeway across what was then a gully, and which has since been filled up, the depression between the church and the Bowman House.
In 1803 the town was indicted by the grand jury for having bad roads. What is now known as Summer Street was laid out in 1826, and accepted by the town the following year. Pleasant Street, as far as Union Street, was laid out and accepted in 1828.
In 1851 the selectmen, by order of the town, assigned names to the streets and caused signs to be put up at the corners.
Orr Street was laid out in 1856.
At a meeting held in September, 1859, a committee was chosen to meet the county commissioners of the county of Cumberland, in Brunswick, for the purpose of opposing the laying out of a road from Cushing Street in Brunswick, so as to cross the Androscoggin River over Goose Rock, so called, and to continue through Topsham to the Lisbon road.
In 1862 the town voted to accept the road as laid out by the county commissioners from near Rufus Rogers's mill to the Andros- coggin railroad bridge.
On October 10, 1863, a road or street was accepted leading from Main Street, on the Island, across the sand-bed to Water Street, opposite the residence of Mr. Eben Colby.
At a meeting. held September 12, 1864, the town voted to build the bridge across the drain and to discontinue the rest of the street, which was laid out in October, 1863, from Main Street (on the Island) to Water Street.
ROADS IN HARPSWELL.
It is not known precisely when the main roads on Harpswell Neck and on the Island were laid out. The earliest mention of them that we have found is in the records of the town for 1760, when it was voted " that the road through the Neck should stand as last laid ont by Mr. Jonathan Flint, surveyor." The courses of the road, as laid out, were very nearly the same as those of the present one, but the road did not then go the end of Potts's Point.1
In 1761 it was voted that " the road on the Island laid out by the Proprietors should be a Town Road." No description of it is given at this date, but in 1786 Stephen Gatchell made a survey of " the main road " and other roads on the Island. It appears that this sur-
1 See map, page 531.
35
546
HISTORY OF BRUNSWICK, TOPSHAM, AND HARPSWELL.
vey was simply to put on record the courses of the roads as formerly laid out.
The road from the ferry around the head of Long Reach was laid out in 1764.
In 1821 the road on Orr's Island was accepted as a town road, and a road on Great Island, from the Orr's Island bridge to the main road, was also accepted.
Various private roads and public roads of minor importance have also been laid out, from time to time, as the convenience of the inhab- itants required.
FERRIES AND BRIDGES.
Before bridges were built, all the streams in this vicinity that were not sufficiently shoal to be safely fordable were crossed by means of ferries.
The earliest ferry of which there is any record was across the New Meadows River at the point of land a short distance below the pres- ent residence of Mr. Bartlett Adams. This was "Brown's Ferry." Precisely when it was established is not known. The earliest mention of it in the Brunswick town records is in 1765, and it is probable that it was established a short time previously to that date, by Benjamin Brown, who lived on the Georgetown (now Bath) side of the river. Brown kept this ferry until 1792.
At the annual meeting of the town of Brunswick in 1792, the town expressed its desire " that John Peterson, Esquire, would keep a ferry across New Meadows River where Benjamin Brown has kept for some years past." Peterson complied with this request, and maintained a ferry at this point until a bridge was built, which was somewhere about the year 1796, the precise date not being known.
A ferry across the Androscoggin, from Mr. James Mustard's in Topsham to a point a short distance below the present residence of Mr. Martin Storer in Brunswick, was established as early, probably, as 1768, at which time there was a road from the Cathance to the Androscoggin at Mustard's, and from the New Meadows River to a point nearly opposite Mustard's. It is known that there was for many years a ferry at this point called " Mustard's Ferry," but the date of its establishment is not known.+ James Mustard, of Topsham, was licensed by the Court of General Sessions for Lincoln County, to keep this ferry in 1784, but there must have been one kept at this spot long before. The ferry landing is still plainly discernible.
In 1781, Ezra Randall, of Topsham, was licensed to keep a ferry
547
PUBLIC LANDS, ROADS, BRIDGES, ETC.
from his landing to that of Stephen Andrews. This ferry was a short distance below the present Bay bridge.
There was also a ferry, at an early period in the last century, from the landing in Brunswick to the Topsham shore. On September 8, 1761, Samuel Wilson was licensed to keep a ferry over the Andros- coggin River, about one hundred rods below the falls, and gave bonds in the sum of £20 for the faithful discharge of his trust. He was per- mitted to demand and receive of every passenger three " coppers," and three " coppers" for each horse ferried across. The Topsham landing-place was at first, probably, a short distance east of the present village burying-ground. Later, about 1783 to 1796, it was near the point at the end of the iron railroad bridge, which then went by the name of Ferry Point. During this later period, the ferry was kept by Brigadier Samuel Thompson.
It is stated in North's " History of Augusta " 1 that in 1790, Henry Sewall and General Dearborn, who had been appointed marshal of the District, in going to Portland on horseback, to attend the District Court, went by the way of "Cobbosee " and Fort Richmond, and " swam the river at Abagadussett, and crossed Cathance and Bruns- wick Rivers in ferry-bouts." Where the ferry across the Cathance was situated, we do not know, but it was probably at Bowdoinham village. as a bridge had been constructed long previously at the Cathance mill- right in Topsham, where the county road crossed that river. The ferry across the Androscoggin was doubtless that kept by Brigadier Thompson.
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