USA > Maine > Knox County > Camden > History of Camden and Rockport, Maine > Part 37
USA > Maine > Knox County > Rockport > History of Camden and Rockport, Maine > Part 37
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48
Dr. O. D. Ross died at Charleston, S. C., where he went for his health. He was assistant surgeon in the army in the Eighth Vermont Regiment, being commissioned Sept. 17, 1863, and serving until the close of the civil war, shortly after which he located at Rockport where he practised his profession until his health failed, a short time prior to his death. Dr. Ross enjoyed the respect and esteem of all classes. As a physician he was a "friend indeed," doing his best to relieve suffering without thought of future remuneration. At the time of his death he was Master of St. Paul's Lodge, F. & A. M. He married Carrie Barrett.
William E. Norwood, a native and former citizen of Camden, died in September of this year at San Francisco, Cal. Mr. Nor- wood was the son of William Norwood and was a successful and highly respected business man of the town. In the civil war he enlisted in Co. F., 26 Maine Regiment, of which he was com-
3 L.1
:
480
HISTORY OF CAMDEN AND ROCKPORT
missioned Lieutenant. He was an able officer and capable soldier, tireless on the march and fearless in battle. After the war he removed to California where he became a successful stock broker and at the time of his death was President of the San Francisco Stock & Exchange Board. He married Isabel Hooper. They had one daughter, Evelyn.
Gen. John D. Rust was a native of Belmont, Maine, and brother of Hon. William Rust, late editor of the Belfast Age. When about twenty years of age, in the year 1855, Gen. Rust came to Rockport. Shortly after coming here he was for a time proprietor of the Rockport House. He began his military career in 1858 as Aid-de-Camp upon Gov. Lot M. Morrill's staff with the rank of Colonel. In 1861, he organized Co. H. Eighth Maine Regiment, and enrolled his name as a private therein but was afterwards commissioned Captain, and shortly afterwards was made Lieutenant Colonel of the Regiment. He soon became Colonel on the resignation of Col. Lee Strickland. He was afterwards brevetted Brigadier General by the President. The record of this commander and his gallant troops in active service from Septem- ber 1861, has already been given and constitutes a bright page in the annals of the war. After the war Gen. Rust went into the ice and lumber business at Rockport, being one of the founders and managers of the Rockport Ice Co. He was also a member of the firm of Rust, Mowry, Payson & Co., clothing manufacturers at Rockland. Gen. Rust was an active politician and took a lively interest in the Republican party. He also took great in- terest in the welfare of his town and village. He possessed generous impulses, strong convictions and great executive ability which made him a successful leader in both military and civil life. He was one of the founders and first commander of the Fred .A. Norwood Post, G. A. R. Gen. Rust was twice married, his first wife being Miss Ann Rust, by whom he had two children, Georgia and Oscar. His second wife was Mrs. Sarah M. Payson, nee Loring.
481
THE TOWN DIVIDED
1891. Early in the year the question of an electric rail- road to Rockland was discussed. The Rockland, Thomaston & Camden Street Railway was to be chartered by the Legislature and its promoters were anxious to have the right to build and operate a line from Rockland to Camden village in the spring of 1891, and with that purpose in view petitioned the Selectmen for a location. A hearing was had by the Selectmen early in January and much opposition developed ยท in town, especially in Camden village, where the hope of eventually getting a steam road was not yet dead. The hearing was a lively and spicy one and the Selectmen decided adversely to the petition of the street railway people, giving as the reasons for their action, "Because it would be for the best interests of the town to have a steam road which an electric road would hinder, and because the sentiment of the town is strongly against the construction of an electric road."
The all absorbing question at this time, before which all other matters had to take a surbordinate position, was the division of the town. Notwithstanding that the town had voted not to divide, a large number of the people of Camden village determined to ask the Legislature to set off the northerly part of the town from the original township and a very large petition early in the session, was presented to the Legislature. The Rockport people and others from the southern portion of the town as strenuously opposed the division and a very large remonstrance was also pre- sented. Meetings were held in both villages to arouse the people for and against the division, sectional feeling ran high and section- al virulence became so acute that for a time it was hardly safe for a Rockport man to favor the proposition to "divide " or a Cam- den man to oppose it. All this resulted in almost every voter on the Camden side of the proposed line, whatever his original feeling on the question may have been, signing the petition and almost every voter on the Rockport side attaching his name to the re- monstrance. The bill dividing the town was referred to the legislative committee on towns. A bill embodying a charter to
1-
E
482
HISTORY OF CAMDEN AND ROCKPORT
make Camden a city was also referred to the same committee. A large number of the prominent men of both sections made Augusta their home for a greater portion of the time while the bills were pending and the committee hearings were attended by many others. When the committee reported it was found that it was equally divided, five reporting that the bill "ought to pass " and five giving the petitioners "leave to withdraw," and the fight was at once transferred to the House of Representatives, where after a long and stubborn debate it was passed in February, almost one hundred years to a day from the date of the act of incorpora- tion of the town. 1 The act was also passed by the Senate, and reads as follows :
SECT. 1. All that part of the town of Camden lying norther- ly of the following described line, namely: beginning on the shore of Penobscot bay, on the original north line of the Daniel Barrett farm ; thence north forty-five degrees west, by said line, thirty-six hundred feet to stake and stones at the head of Lily Pond, so called, in southerly line of Jacobs' farm, so called ; thence north twenty-nine degrees and forty minutes west, nearly, by said Jacobs' line and over Union street, one thousand three hundred and ninety-seven feet, to the Carleton burying ground ; thence northeasterly on line of burying ground, thirty-two feet to the easterly corner thereof; thence north twenty-nine degrees and forty minutes west by line of said burying ground, one hundred and forty-two feet to the northerly corner thereof; thence south- westerly on line of said burying ground, thirty-two feet to the Jacobs' line aforesaid ; thence north twenty-nine degrees and forty minutes west on said line, one thousand two hundred and forty feet to the southeasterly side of the back road to Rockport ; thence north sixty one degrees west to summit of Ragged mountain at a copper bolt set in the ledge by the United States coast survey ; thence to Hope line by a line parallel to the north line of Rockland; together with the inhabitants thereof, is in - corporated into a separate town by the name of Camden, and the said town of Camden is hereby invested with all the powers and
1. This fact was noted by some of the legislative speakers against the bill who suggested in their remarks, in substance, that the people of Camden ought, at that time, to be celebrating their centennial anniversary instead of fighting for a divorce.
483
THE TOWN DIVIDED
privileges and subject to all the duties and obligations incident to other towns of the state, and the name of the residue of the town of Camden, southerly of the line aforsaid, is hereby changed to Rockport.
SECT. 2. The several inhabitants of the town of Camden shall be holden to pay all taxes which have been legally assessed upon them by the town of Camden, and collectors of taxes for said town of Camden are hereby authorized and required to collect and pay all taxes to them already committed according to their respective warrants. All moneys now in the treasury of said town of Camden and all sums which shall hereafter be re- ceived from taxes heretofore assessed, shall be applied to the several purposes for which they were raised, and in case of any excess, said excess shall be applied by the treasurer of Rockport in payment of the indebtedness of the original town of Camden.
SECT. 3. The existing liabilities and obligations of the town of Camden shall be divided as follows: the town debt shall be borne by said towns in proportion to the valuation of their respective territories as taken by the assessors in April, 1890, in- cluding the property of the Camden Woolen Company and the property of the Megunticook Woolen Company, at an appraisal, ratable to the appraisal of property of similar industries the same year. The obligations of the town of Camden shall be borne by each town in the foregoing proportion except its contract with the Camden and Rockland Water Company, which shall be borne by each town in proportion to the number of hydrants used by each. All paupers now supported by the aid of the town of Camden, shall after division, be maintained and supported by the town in whose territory they resided when they became paupers, except those now supported on the poor farm and insane asylum, the support of which shall be borne by the two towns in proportion to their respective valuations. Each town shall henceforth bear all ex- penses for the care and maintenance of all roads and bridges with- in its respective limits.
SECT. 4. The town farm of the town of Camden and all the personal property therein shall be held and owned in common by the said town of Camden and said town of Rockport in propor- tion to the valuation of their respective territories and they shall sell and convey said farm and personal property at the request of either, and distribute the proceeds thereof between them, in the
-. . . ...
484
HISTORY OF CAMDEN AND ROCKPORT
like proportion, or may partition said farm according to law. All the other real property of the town of Camden shall be held and owned by the said towns of Camden and Rockport respectively, by the town where said property is located. All the personal property of the town of Camden shall be held and owned by the town in possession thereof. The books and papers and records of the town of Camden shall be retained by said town of Rockport, and each town shall have access to the same. No compensation for this apportionment of the real and personal property of the town of Camden is to be made by either town.
SECT. 5. The several school districts divided by this act shall be subject to all the provisions of law applicable to school districts composed of parts of towns.
SECT. 6. Any justice of the peace in the County of Knox may issue his warrant to any legal voter in the town of Camden, directing him to notify the inhabitants thereof to meet at a time and place specified in said warrant, giving at least seven days notice therefor, for the choice of town officers and to transact such business as towns are authorized to do.
SECT. 7. This act shall take effect when approved. 2
After the approval of the above act by the governor on Feb- ruary 25, 1891, the old town of Camden ceased to exist and the two present towns took its place. Since then the most of the resent- ment and heart burnings engendered by the division struggle have dissappeared and the two beautiful neighbors join friendly hands in the promotion of whatever may be for their common interests.
2. Private and Special Acts of Maine, 1891, page 177. On page 244 of same Acts, another Act approved March 4, 1891, set off the lime quarries to Rockport because their owners lived in that town. This act is as follows:
"The following tract of land together with the inhabitants thereof, is hereby set off from the town of Camden and annexed to the town of Rockport: beginning at a stake and stones at head of Lily Pond, so called, in the southerly line of the Jacobs' farm, so called, thence running south eighty-five degrees east on the westerly line of the Ogier farm, about forty rods to land of Gershom F. Burgess ; thence north twenty degrees west by land of said Burgess and land of Carleton, Norwood and Company, about seventy rods to the westerly side of Union street, fourteen rods northerly of the northerly side of the quarry of Carleton, Norwood and Company ; thence southerly by the westerly side of Union street, to the
485
THE TOWN DIVIDED
southerly line of said Jacobs' farm ; thence on said southerly line to the point of beginning."
By the following act approved March 28, 1893, the Chestnut street cemetery was set off to Rockport, viz :
"The following tract of land is hereby set off from the town of Camden and annexed to the town of Rockport: a certain cemetery known as the Bay cemetery, situated on the east side of the road leading from Rockport to Camden village past the residence of Amos Barrett, and bounded northerly .and easterly by land of A. M. Judson, southerly by land of estate of H. B. Eaton and westerly by road above mentioned." See Private and Special Acts of Maine, 1893, page 913.
486
HISTORY OF CAMDEN AND ROCKPORT
CHAPTER LVII.
THE GREAT FIRE.
1891. In March following the act of division the two new town governments were organized and henceforth the two separate sections of the old town were to travel different though parallel paths.
The first Camden town meeting was called as provided in the act, on March 16. It was a lively and more or less turbulent meeting, presaging to a certain degree what the town's municipal life was to be. A large vote was cast for the town officers and the elections were very close, the first selectman being elected by only two majority. The town elected a separate board of Selectmen and Assessors, which, however, it discontinued to do after this year. The principal officers elected were . as follows : Charles C. Wood, Town Clerk ; T. A. Hunt, O. B. Wooster and Rodney Beverage, Selectmen ; J. W. Ogier, M. C. Whitmore and Charles Murphy, Assessors ; and Isaac Coombs, Treasurer. Among the amounts raised for various purposes were the following : school, $2,000; support of poor; $1500; repair of roads and bridges, $2200 ; labor on roads and bridges, $7,000; expense of dividing town, $3900. The whole amount of tax assessed this year was $25,134.46. The meeting was adjourned to a future date for the purpose of considering an article in the warrant rel- ative to raising by loan a sum of money to aid in the extension of the Knox & Lincoln, R. R., to Camden. When the meeting re-
487
THE GREAT FIRE
assembled on June 8, it was voted to raise the sum of $25,000 for that purpose, thus doing in the new town what the old town had failed to do the year before. A celebration followed this vote and Camden people again heard in imagination the whistle of the iron horse re-echoing among their hills; but as ever their expectations were not realized.
The first Rockport town meeting was called upon the same day (March 16) by a warrant issued by the Selectmen of the old town, two of whom lived within the limits of Rockport. This meeting was conducted calmly and without any serious contest, presaging the quiet and peaceful course of the town's future municipal life. The principal officers elected were as follows : Clarence Paul, Town Clerk ; G. H. M. Barrett, E. Orbeton, and Chas. A. Sylvester, Selectmen ; L. H. Lovejoy, Treasurer. Among the amounts raised for various town purposes were the following : schools, $2200; support of poor, $1800; repair of roads and bridges (by cash tax) $4,000; on town debt, $5,000. 1 The whole amount of tax assessed this year was $24,459.60.
Dr. Francis N. Wheeler, died June 12, 1891. Dr. Wheeler was born in Corinth, Me., March 12, 1844. He received his early education in the common schools and afterwards graduated from the Commercial College at Bangor. Later he began the study of medicine and graduated from the Maine Medical College in 1871 and at once began the practise of his profession at Stet- son, but three years later settled in Exeter where he had a success- ful and extensive practise for thirteen years. The hard country practise, however, was too much for his health and in 1886 he sold out and came to Camden and formed a partnership with his brother-in-law, Dr. Oscar W. Stone, which continued until his death. Sept. 5, 1873, Dr. Wheeler married Miss Sarah E. Pierce, a teacher in the Bangor schools. He was from his youth
1. The town debt of the old town at the time of division amounted to $50,111 .- 15. This amount was apportioned to the two new towns as follows : Camden, $27,766.59 ; Rockport, $22,344.56.
488
HISTORY OF CAMDEN AND ROCKPORT
a consistent member of the Methodist Episcopal Church and ex- emplified his religious professions in all his daily walks.
James Perry died February 19, 1891, at the age of 72 years. He was born in North Haven, June 21, 1819, being the eldest of eight children of Wilder Perry. His paternal grandfather, John Perry, one of the earliest settlers of Fox Islands, who came there from Boston, was somewhat distinguished during the Revolution,
A Camden Village Home Residence of Mr. H. L. Alden
by holding a commission from Gov. Hancock of Massachusetts as Captain of the sloop, Fly. At one time while defending his own log house from a party of British from a vessel, who were coming to take his provisions, he succeeding in keeping them off, not, however, until he had killed two of them at one shot of his gun. James Perry, before he was 21 years of age, began
489
THE GREAT FIRE
trading at Northport, afterwards moving to Lincolnville Beach, where he kept a general store until 1856, when he came to Cam- den. In Lincolnville he was Postmaster under President Polk's administration. In Camden he began trade with James Seward, in a store situated where the Russell block now stands, and about a year afterwards purchased of Joshua G. Norwood the frame block now occupied by G. E. Rollins, where he traded for many years, building up a good "cash " business, at a time when "credit" was the usual plan of the country store. In addition to being in trade he was for many years a wool-buyer for the Knox Woolen Co. and for Portland and Boston parties. Mr. Perry served his town as Treasurer and in other official capacities and in 1868 repre- sented Camden in the State Legislature as a Republican, although later he identified himself with the Greenback party. In his middle life Mr. Perry was much interested in Masonry, joining King David's Lodge at Lincolnville but after moving to Camden he joined Amity Lodge. He was one of the charter members and first King of Keystone R. A. Chapter, and was also a member of Claremont Commandery, K. T., of Rockland. Mr. Perry married Sybil Sherman, and to them were born the following children : Wilder W., Lelia F. (who married Willis Williams), Cora I., (who married Nicholas L. Berry), Frank W., Annie P., (who married Burton H. Winslow) and Grace D., (who married Edward H. Baker).
Prof. Alvin R. Dunton died this year on Oct. 8, at the age of 79 years. Prof. Dunton was born in Hope, Maine, but lived in Camden many years. He was the son of Abner Dunton and grandson of Abner Dunton, one of the first settlers of the town of Lincolnville. His father was the second child born in that town. Abner, the grandfather, was a man of giant statue and great strength. After Molineaux's mill was established at the outlet of Lake Megunticook he was in the habit of taking his corn there to be ground. In 1787 he went to the mill across the lake on the ice and when returning hauling his meal on a sled in the dark he
490
HISTORY OF CAMDEN AND ROCKPORT
broke through and was drowned. The next day it was found that he had broken up a half acre of ice in his powerful efforts to save himself. The accident occured near what is still called "Dunton's Rock." 1 Prof. Dunton was chiefly distinguished for his great skill as a pen artist. As a writer and teacher of pen- manship he probably never has had a superior. He was the author of the Duntonian System of Penmanship, and his pen pictures prove that he was an artist of much ability. Prof. Dunton travelled extensively and taught penmanship in nearly all the states in the union, and also travelled in Europe. He also acted as an expert on hand writing and for a long time had charge of the penmanship in the Boston schools. He was the author of " The True Story of the Hart - Meservey Murder Trial," a book of over 300 pages, in which he undertakes to prove that Nathan F. Hart was unjustly convicted of the murder of Sarah H. Meservey at Tenant's Harbor in 1878. Prof. Dunton was a man of strong and positive convictions and possessed nerve and deter- mination to carry his convictions into execution. He was twice married. His first wife was Elizabeth Harris and his second wife Laura Pendleton. He had no children.
1892. The Camden annual town meeting was held this year on March 28, Charles C. Wood was elected Town Clerk ; D. A. Campbell, O. B. Wooster and F. K. Shaw, Selectmen ; Alden Miller, Jr., Treasurer. At this meeting the town voted against authorizing "the County Commissioners to erect a jail in Rockland at an expense not to exceed $15,000," by a vote of 233 to 17.
The Rockport annual town meeting was held on March 21, at which the Town Clerk and Selectmen elected in 1891, were re-elected, and J. S. Foster was elected Treasurer. On the jail
1. We are indebted for these facts to Mr. Abner Dunton of Hope, grandson of the first Abner. This venerable and wonderful man is now (1906) in his 100th year, yet he is smart and vigorous, in the full possession of his faculties and is a familiar figure on our streets, brisk, active and erect.
491
THE GREAT FIRE
question the vote stood 93 in favor and 29 against building it. 1
This year the several political parties made the following gubernatorial nominations : Henry B. Cleaves, Republican, Charles F. Johnson, Democrat, Timothy B. Hussey, Prohibition, Luther C. Bateman, People's and E. F. Knowlton, Union Labor, Mr. Cleaves being the successful candidate. In Camden the vote stood as follows : Cleaves, 236 ; Johnson, 183; Hussey, 15; Bateman, 93; Knowlton, 4. In Rockport the vote was: Cleaves, 179 ; Johnson, 221; Hussey, 22; Bateman, 27; Knowlton, 1. Thus Camden began its existence as a Republican town and Rockport as a Democratic town.
The two towns had been classed together for the election of a Representative to the Legislature and it was mutually agreed that the candidates this year should be Rockport men. Ralph W. Carleton, Democrat, was elected. He received in Camden 183 votes while his opponents, Simeon J. Treat, Republican, received 219, L. K. Morse, Prohibition, 13, and C. E. Eells, People's, 92. In Rockport the vote was: Carleton, 276; Treat, 146; Morse, 19; Eells, 19. Oliver Farnsworth and W. W. Perry of Camden were Prohibition candidates for Senator and County Attorney, receiving in their own town 17 and 18 votes respective- ly. S. D. Sanford and G. R. Sanford of Camden were the can- didates of the Union Labor party for County Treasurer and Representative to Congress, the former receiving in Camden 6 votes and the latter 5. V. D. Wellman of Camden was the can- didate of the People's party for Register of Probate and received 93 votes in his own town. In Camden on the proposed amend- ment to the constitution requiring an educational qualification for voters, 23 votes were cast in favor of the amendment and 32 against it. In Rockport the vote was 61 in favor and 19 against said amendment. 2 At the presidential election following, which 1. The aggregate vote of the County towns was favorable to building the jail, and the result was the erection of our present county jail.
2. This amendment was adopted and is now a part of the State Constitution. See Amendment 8, of Constitution.
492
HISTORY OF CAMDEN AND ROCKPORT
resulted in the election of Grover Cleveland, Camden cast about the same vote as at the September election while Rockport gave a Republican plurality of 17. One of the Democratic candidates for electors was Isaac W. Sherman of Camden.
This year, after more or less discussion, the municipal officers of both towns granted to the Rockland, Thomaston & Camden Street Railway, the right to construct its road from Rockland to Camden village and the road was completed that summer. The cars came into Rockport village July 30, and a few days later reached Camden.
This year the Mt. Battie Mfg. Co., was organized with the following first officers : W. G. Alden, Pres .; W. H. Pascal, Treas .; W. G. Alden, W. H. Pascal, W. H. Faunce, E. F. Knowlton, J. H. Montgomery, D. H. Bisbee, I. W. Sherman, W. R. Gill, H. L. Alden and G. F. Burgess, Directors. The mill was sub- sequently built on the site of the Bisbee powder mill on Megun- ticook river.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.