USA > Maine > Knox County > Camden > History of Camden and Rockport, Maine > Part 45
USA > Maine > Knox County > Rockport > History of Camden and Rockport, Maine > Part 45
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ECCLESIASTICAL
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Methodist Church, Camden
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HISTORY OF CAMDEN AND ROCKPORT
the Harbor village." The house was built on the corner of Mechanic street, on the lot now owned by the Odd Fellows, by Moses Young and completed in 1841 at a cost of $4,737.60. The dedicatory sermon was preached by Rev. John Hobart. In 1844 it was given the name of "Trinity Chapel." Mr. Locke gives the following as a summary of the most interesting facts re- lating to the affairs of the Camden and Rockport churches down to the year 1858 : "For the most of the time the societies in the two villages were united, and the statistics given embrace both places. Preachers : 1840, Revs. C. Munger at the Harbor and S. S. Cummings at the River ; 1841, C. Munger; 1842, H. M. Eaton ; members in society, 33; 1843- 44 ; P. Jacques at the Harbor and F. A. Bean at the River; 80 members; 1845, Jas. Thurston ; 36 members; 1846, A. Hatch ; 37 members ; 1847, the station was left to be supplied ; 1848, Camden was made a mission and John C. Prince appointed here. He labored with untiring zeal and succeeded in securing the erection of the Rock- port church ; 54 members reported. 1849, Thos. B. Tupper. Under his ministrations, assisted by B. M. Mitchell, an extensive revival was enjoyed. He reports at the end of the year, 79 members in full and 100 on trial. 1850, T. B. Tupper at the Harbor and E. A. Helmershansen at the River; they report 129 members in full and 65 on trial ; 1851, P. Higgins at the Harbor and R. Walker at the River; 1852- 53, D. P. Thompson at both villages, 122 members ; 1854, S. H. Beale at the Harbor, 76 members, and D. Dyer at the River; 1855 - 56, S. Bray at the Harbor, 76 members; W. McK. Bray at the River, 48 mem- bers ; 1857 - 58, N. Webb at the Harbor, 76 members and 32 on trial; A. C. Godfrey and Lewis Wentworth at the River, 73 members and 49 on trial."1 In 1852 the Camden Methodists built a parsonage and in 1857 their bretheren at Rockport also built a parsonage. May 20, 1857, the East Maine Conference held its annual session in the Camden church.
1. Locke's Sketches, Page 203.
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Camden. From 1859 the history of the Camden church is in brief as follows : 1859, W. T. Jewell was given charge of the station ; 1860- 61, W. L. Brown ; 1862, S. F. Chase ; 1863, E. F. Hinks ; 1864-65, True P. Adams; 1866, B. B. Byrne ; 1867, Camden was left to be supplied. The church was repaired . 1868- 69, W. H. Crawford ; 1870- 71, L. L. Hanscom ; 1872 - 73-74, J. W. Day. During this pastorate there were many additions to the church membership. 1875- 76, B. S. Arey ; 1877 - 78, no pastor, the pulpit was supplied a portion of the time by A. J. Clifford of the Rockport church ; 1879, A. Church ; 1880, Chas. E. Libby ; 1881-82-83, B. C. Wentworth. This was a prosperous pastorate. The church was removed from Mechanic street to Washington street and thoroughly repaired at the expense of some $3,000. It was then located just northerly of where the "Camden Block " now stands. 1884 - 85 - 86 - 87, J. R. Clifford ; in 1884 the East Maine Conference again met with this church ; 1888-89, J. D. Payson ; vestry building built just northerly of church at cost of $1700; 1889 - 90, V. P. Wardwell ; 1891-92-93-94, C. C. Phelan. During this pastorate, the church and vestry were burned in the great fire of 1892. The old " McGlathry " or "Clay House" on Mountain street, was purchased by the society, the house sold and moved to Sea street and the present fine new edifice erected at a cost, including lot, of some $15,000, and dedicated. In October, 1894, Mr. Phelan was transfered to the Maine Conference and J. L. Hoyle succeed_ ed him; 1895, G. G. Winslow ; 1896 - 97 - 98 - 99 - 1900, T. S. Ross. During his pastorate the debt on the new church was fully paid. 1900, W. W. Ogier; after three months service he was transferred to Calais, Maine ; 1900-1-2-3-4, G. M. Bailey. During this pastorate the old parsonage on Mechanic street was sold and the present one on Mountain street purchased. In 1905, the present pastor, Rev. E. H. Boynton took charge. Mr. Boyn- ton has served the full time limit in all of his charges, and was for six years presiding Elder of the Bangor District. He has had many
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HISTORY OF CAMDEN AND ROCKPORT
revivals and has been successful in building new churches, among them being the beautiful stone church, costing $20,000, at Brewer, Me., his last charge prior to his coming to Camden. During his pastorate here he has won the respect and regard of the people of the town, both within and without his church. Much of the financial success of the church is due to the Ladi. s' Aid Society. The pipe organ in the new church and the piano were purchased by the Epworth League. Today this church has the finest edifice in the two towns and is in a prosperous condition. Its membership is about 100, and its Sunday School has 130 or more scholars.
Rockport. In 1859, Lewis Wentworth concluded his pastor- ate at Rockport ; 1860, Josiah Fletcher ; 1861 - 62, G. G. Wins- low ; 1863, G. L. Williams and Samuel Fuller ; 1864, Rufus Day ; 1865- 66, C. B. Day ; 1867-68, W. L. Brown ; 1869, Joseph King ; 1870, L. L. Hanscome ; 1870 - 71 - 72 - 73 - 74, C. E. Knowlton. During this pastorate there was a great religious awakening in the town. This was one of the largest revivals ever known in this section, hundreds being converted and scores join- ing this church giving it a large and enthusiastic membership. The old church building was purchased by David Talbot and made into a tenement house and the new church was erected and dedicated. 1875, B. L. Arey ; 1877- 78, A. J. Clifford. The pipe organ was installed in the church during this pastorate. 1879- 80, C. E. Libby; 1881- 82-83, W. F. Chase ; 1884 - 85 - 86, C. I. Mills ; 1887- 88, C. A. Main; 1889, supplied ; 1890 - 91, M. G. Prescott ; 1892-93, W. W. Ogier. During this
pastorate the parsonage was extensively repaired. 1894-95, J. L. Folsom. 1896- 97- 98- 99, N. R. Pearson ; 1900 - 1-2, J. H. Gray ; 1903- 4, H. I. Holt ; 1905, Chas. Smith, the present pastor. Among the members of the church who have entered the ministry might be mentioned Rev. G. R. Palmer of the Maine Conference, Rev. J. P. Simonton and Rev. Lewis Pressey of the East Maine Conference. The church has at the present
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time a membership of 100 or more, a large Sunday School and is in a flourishing condition.
Episcopal.
St. Thomas' Episcopal Church. The St. Thomas' Parish was organized in Camden village, Oct. 1, 1855, with the following officers ; Rev. George Slattery, Rector; N. G. Bourne, Senior Warden ; John Spaulding, Junior Warden ; Edward Cushing, Aaron Brown, D. M. Hosmer, E. K. Smart, Paul Stevens, Jona- than Huse, Joseph H. Jones, S. Hutchings, E. C. Daniels, Vestrymen ; N. G. Bourne, Treasurer ; E. Cushing, Clerk. Im- mediately afterwards the use of the meetinghouse of the Univer- salist society was secured, and services were held in that house and in April, 1856, the meetinghouse was purchased of the Universalists for $2,000 and "consecrated to the worship of Al- mighty God according to the discipline and usages of the Protestant Episcopal Church of the United States" on June 26, 1856, by Rt. Rev. George Burgess, D. D., Bishop of the Church in the Diocese of Maine. The Rector had another charge at Rockland and divided his time between the two places, officiat- ing at Camden Sabbath forenoons and at Rockland afternoons. Mr. Slattery resigned in 1860 at which time the church had six communicants. Rev. James Holwell Kidder, a deacon succeeded him only to remain a few months, after which services were held occasionally by Rev. Henry Howard of Rockland and Rev. Mr. Murry, the rector at Dresden, Maine, until 1864, when the Rev. James D. Reid accepted a call to the Parish and remained its rector until 1867. He was a man of fine literary attainments and an excellent preacher. Mr. Reid reported thirteen com- municants in his last report to the convention of 1866. Rev. D. F. Smith, D. D., was the next rector. He took charge of the Parish in 1868 and resigned the following year. The next rector was the Rev. Benj. B. W. Atwell, D. D. Mr. Atwell re- ported to the convention of 1870, "a debt of $800 liquidated,
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the congregation slowly but steadily increasing." During his incumbency he opened a school at Rockport, but his departure from the Diocese in 1873 closed the school. In the fall of 1875 the Rev. George M. Stanley was rector for a short time. The next rector, Rev. Arthur H. Locke, was a deacon when he came to the Parish, but was ordained priest while here, Nov. 1, 1878. He had charge of the Parish from May 19, 1876, to 1879. At the latter date the communicants had been reduced to 21. The Rev. A. D. Markel came next, being rector from 1880 to 1882, and then for a period of two years the church remained closed. In 1884 the Rev. Henry Jones, the present rector, accepted a call to the Parish, which has been prosperous under his ministra- tion, for the long period of 22 years. In addition to repairing and refurnishing the church building during that period, the mem- bers have purchased a new pipe organ and built the present fine rectory on Eaton avenue,-both in 1902. The new rectory is inferior to very few in the Diocese. Mr. Jones, during his long residence in the town, has endeared himself to our people, who hope he may long remain a citizen of Camden. On Sunday, Oct. 1, 1905, the Parish celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of its organization in a most successful manner, the historical address being delivered by the rector from which we learn that during the fifty years of the Parish's existence, 177 have been baptized, 65 confirmed, 71 couples united in holy matrimony, 155 buried, and of these 92 were baptized, 41 confirmed, 50 married and 121 buried during the incumbency of the present rector.1 The church is now self-supporting and prosperous.
St. Mark's Mission, Rockport, was organized Sept. 1, 1869, principally through the instrumentality of Rev. Wm. H. Wash- burn, then a lay-reader. The same year the church building, which had been leased by the Episcopal people in 1867 of the Second Universalist Church, was purchased of that society. The building was improved, the tower built and the bell purchased
11. See Historical Address of Rev. Henry Jones.
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the same year. The church was consecrated July 27, 1870. P. J. Carleton was for many years warden of the church. There was never any regular settled rector of the Mission, but services were usually conducted by the rector of St. Thomas' Parish of Camden. The society was always small, and some twenty years ago preach- ing there ceased, the Mission became extinct and its supporters joined with the Camden church. The church building has for a long time been dismantled and is now used as a sail loft.
Adventists.
There are quite a number of Adventists in Camden and Rock- port, but not enough to support regular preaching. A chapel built about 1890 and owned by Benj. P. Paul1 on Paul's Hill, Rockport, known as "Union Chapel," was to be used by the people of this persuasion in this vicinity, but it was superceded by the chapel at the foot of the hill on Commercial street, Rock- port, where occasional services are still held, but no regular preacher is employed.
Christian Science.
A society known as the Christian Science Society of Camden, was organized Nov. 6, 1896, with seven members. They met each week in the front room over the Camden National Bank until Feb. 10, 1898, when they went into more convenient quarters in the "French " now "Camden " Block. They held their first Sunday service on Easter Sunday, 1899, and in June of the same year, the attendance had so increased that the Univer-
1. Mr. Paul was born in Camden, March 15, 1825, and died in Rockport, October 6, 1896. He was one of the best known men of this section. In early manhood he chose the trade of contractor and building mover, which, with farm- ing, he carried on all his life. He married C. Augusta Upham in 1849, by whom he had seven children, viz .: Frances, (who married Joseph Clough) Arabella. Josephine, (who married Willard Wall) Jessie, (who married George Sprowl) Benj. H., Leander M. and William A. Mr. Paul was a kind friend and neighbor and a man of great originality. He was a Baptist in religious belief, but inde- pendent and built the Union Chapel with the intention of having it used by all denominations.
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HISTORY OF CAMDEN AND ROCKPORT
salist church was leased, in which the society has since held its services. On Dec. 23, 1896, the society was organized as a corporation, known as First Church of Christ, Scientist, in Camden, Maine, a branch of the church in Boston, Mass. The incorporators were, Henry L. Upton, Margaret S. Conant, Ruth A. Ordway, Viola C. Bucklin and Leila M. Bucklin, and the cor- poration started with sixteen members. On May 7, 1900, the society opened a free public reading room in the Curtis Block, which was later removed to the Burd Block, where it is still locat- ed. This society gives one public lecture each year. Its pres- ent membership is something over twenty.
Roman Catholic.
Until within recent years there have been very few Roman Catholics in Camden and Rockport. During the past ten years, however, they have been gradually increasing, particularly in Camden, until at the present time the town contains quite a good- ly number of members of this persuasion. In the summer this number is largely increased, and for the past four years, Roman Catholic services have been held in some of the small halls in Camden village during the summer season and during the sum- mer of 1906 in the Opera House, Rev. Fr. R. W. Phelan and his curate of Rockland, officiating. The Catholic membership in Camden has now become so strong that a lot has been procured and a fund is being accumulated for a church edifice, which will probably be built in the near future.
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CHAPTER LXIV.
EDUCATIONAL.
But little is known of the schools of Camden's earliest period. Among the first settlers there were practically no schools, an education not being considered essential as an aid in clearing the forests, tilling the land and hunting wild beasts. Besides the people were poor and it was impracticable to employ teachers to instruct the youth of this remote, sparsely settled and widely scattered pioneer community. What training the children of that day received was mostly obtained at home and consisted of the simplest rudiments of an education. There were some educated people among the early settlers and later many others arrived from New Hampshire and Massachusetts, when school privileges be- came somewhat better, while those who were able sent their children back to their former homes, to go to school. After the incorporation of the town nothing seems to have been done in the way of instituting public schools until about the year 1794, when the first school-house in town was built at the Harbor and Mr. Asa Hosmer was employed as the first schoolmaster.1 The next year the "Twenty Associates " granted to the town the "school lot," No. 58, and in 1796 the sum of $130 was appropriated by the town for the support of schools. From that time the town continued to appropriate small amounts for school purposes until 1802, when it raised the sum of $800. The same year the town
1. See ante, Page 98.
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HISTORY OF CAMDEN AND ROCKPORT
adopted the "District System " and as the population increased school-houses were built in other localities and the scholars of the town had the privilege of two terms of school per year, one in the summer and one in the winter, where reading, spelling, arithmetic, geography and some grammar were the principal branches taught. When Maine was admitted to the Union in 1820, the town was still raising $800 for schools. In 1850 the appropriation had reached $1530. In 1891, after the division, Camden raised $2,000, and
Camden High School
Rockport $2200 for common schools. In 1906, Camden's appro- priation for schools, including High School and text books was $6300, while for the same purposes Rockport raised $4650, aggregating $10,950, for the two towns.
About the year 1820, the large "yellow school-house " was built at the Harbor and did good service for forty years. It was a wooden building of two stories, surmounted by a belfry con-
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taining a bell. It contained two school rooms. This building was located on the site of the present grammar school building on Elm street. In 1852-53, the brick school-house on Mountain street, was built. It took the place of a little old fashioned one story brick, "district school-house," with a quaint little porch appended for an entry, which was demolished and the brick in it used in the building of the new house, which was then considered the finest school building in the town. It had green blinds,
Rockport High School
black walnut desks mounted on iron pedestals, something before unknown, and the people were so pleased with the building that they voted at their school meeting, not to admit scholars from outside districts. In 1855, however, this vote was rescinded and Mr. George W. Simonton began a series of select schools, pupils coming from all parts of the town and from Hope and Lincolnville, requiring assistant teachers to help carry on the schools. These schools were continued by Mr. Simonton until 1859, when he left
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HISTORY OF CAMDEN AND ROCKPORT
for California where he resided for the remainder of his life dying in Los Angelos in 1905. Mr. Simonton was an exceeding popular and able teacher and his departure was greatly regretted. He continued his interest in educational matters in his new home and became one of the ablest and best known educators on the Pacific coast.
In 1860, the old "yellow school-house " was sold and moved to Mechanic street for a block-mill and later burned. A new school-house was erected on the old site, in the second story of which was a hall, known as the "School-house Hall " which was the principal hall in the village and was used for all sorts of entertainments and meetings. This house was burned in 1868. It was supposed that the fire was of an incendiary origin. The following year the present grammar school building was com- pleted which was known as the "High School" until the erection of the present High School building.
The schools in Camden village were graded in May, 1862, the two village districts being united in one known as the "Megunticook District " which was regularly incorporated by the Legislature in 1874.1 Shortly after the schools were graded a regular curriculum was adopted for all the village schools with three terms per year. In 1904, the town recognized the necessity of providing more and better conveniences for the instruction of its youth and voted to build the present fine High School building. An excellent lot of four and one-half acres on Knowlton street and running back to the river was purchased, and the building which is of wood, was completed in the fall of 1904, at a cost, including the lot, of about $20,000. The architects were Thomas & Crowell of Bangor and the builder, W. E. Schwartz of Camden. This building in architectural beauty, heating and ventilating plant, school rooms, recitation rooms, chemical laboratory, and all modern school conveniences is surpassed by but few in the state.
At the time of the grading of the schools in 1862, Mr. Cal-
1. Acts and Resolves of 1874. Private and Special Laws, Chapter 53.
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vin Bickford was employed as Principal of the High School. From that time to the present, the Camden High School has been presided over by the following Principals, viz .: Alonzo Towle, Russell Woodman, J. B. Stetson, John Harkness, A. A. Fletcher, Calesta C. Meader, John E. Clark, J. H. Montgomery, Clarence Barker, A. M. Burton, Charles Lamont, Galen Tribou, W. P. Foster, Reuel Robinson, W. B. Cutts, H. O. Dorr, E. F. Heath, F. S. Libbey, Eli Edgecomb, C. B. Allen, E. S. Lovejoy and Fred C. Mitchell.
At the present time Camden offers facilities for education, second to no city or town in the state. In 1905, the High School was placed upon the approved list of fitting schools for New England colleges, allowing its students to enter these colleges on certificate without examination and under the efficient manage- ment of Prof. Mitchell it is ranked by the Maine colleges as one of the first among the best college preparatory schools in the state.
Rockport village has had an educational history very similar to that of Camden. The first school-house stood on Main street and it was succeeded by a brick house located on Main street not far from where Mr. H. G. Tibbetts now lives. The old High School building which was a square structure of two stories with a belfry and bell was built in 1858, and what is known as the "Hoboken " school-house in the southerly part of the village was built just prior to the civil war. This is also a building of two stories with a belfry containing a bell. Prior to the building of this house there had been a little red school-house on the same lot. Following the example of its sister village, Rockport united the two village districts and incorporated the Rockport School Corporation by an act of the Legislature in 1881.1 Rock- port recognized earlier than Camden the necessity of better school facilities and in 1892, erected the present High School building at an expense of some $10,000. It consists of the old building
1. Acts and Resolves of 1881. Private and Special Laws, Chapter 621.
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greatly enlarged and rebuilt, making a handsome, large and modern school-building, which well meets the requirements of the present day. It is surmounted by a belfry which contains the town clock. At about the same time Rockport fully graded its village schools. At the time of the grading of the Rockport schools, Charles J. Ross was employed as Principal of the High School and his successors have been, C. C. Brackett, G. L. Mil- dram, R. N. Millett, H. L. Withee and Carleton Steward. Few towns offer better educational facilities than Rockport at the present time.
Neither Camden nor Rockport has been the seat of any institution of learning outside of its public schools except an academy which existed in the old town for about one year, in 1851-52, and an occasional private school. Nevertheless both places can boast of many fine scholars whom they have sent out to make their marks in the educational and professional world.
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CHAPTER LXV.
INDUSTRIAL.
During the one hundred and twenty odd years that have elapsed since the close of the Revolution, Camden (including the present town of Rockport) has, a greater portion of the time, been ex- ceedingly prosperous in an industrial sense. Its industries have been many and varied as might well be the case from its favorable situation. Seated by the sea with two excellent harbors, it could profitably engage in commerce, fishing and shipbuilding. Con- taining beneath its surface an apparently inexhaustible supply of the best calcareous rock, it has been able to successfully en- gage in the manufacture of lime. Possessing a wonderful little river, that contains many mill privileges in its three miles of length from its almost never failing source to the bay, it has re- markable facilities for manufactories of all kinds. Its pure lakes furnish the best of ice for the market. Surrounded by a pros- perous country, its villages have always been busy centres of trade. Of the many industries of the two towns we shall be able to men- tion specifically, only a few of the most important.
Ship-building.
Ship-building was one of the earliest, and has always been one of the most important industries of Camden and Rockport. Just when the first vessel that could be dignified with the name "ship " was built here, we are unable to ascertain. Doubtless
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sailboats, fishing crafts and other small vessels were built in town by the earliest settlers. Probably the earliest actual "shipbuilder" in town was Capt. William McGlathry. Rev. Paul Coffin in his journal under date of Aug. 15, 1796, says, "One ship and a schooner have this year been launched here and six or seven heavy vessels are on the stocks."1 What in those days would be designated as "heavy vessels " would now, however, be rather insignificant crafts. Capt. McGlathry's shipyard was probably located on the westerly side of Camden harbor where vessels were built for so many years afterwards. This property which extended from Chestnut street to the shore of the harbor where M. C. Whitmore & Co.'s wharf now is, 2 afterwards came into the possession of Benjamin Cushing who built ships there and later continued the business in company with Capt. Noah Brooks. Capt. Brooks afterwards carried on the business alone until after the war of 1812, when he removed to South Boston, where he continued to build vessels and became a prominent citizen of that place. Capt. Joseph Stetson after having worked for a time with Capt. Brooks, began ship-building on his own account about the year 1816, in the same yard, and followed the business in Camden for nearly forty years, being one of the largest and most successful builders of vessels of his time on the Maine coast and one of the most successful that Camden has produced. He occupied the same yard as his predecessors for many years and while there had as an apprentice Chas. Bartlett, whom at the age of 21, he took into the business with him for a time. Capt. Stetson removed his business to the yard at the head of the harbor, now familiarly known as the "Coombs yard," 3 about 1840, and Bartlett continued for a while to occupy the old yard, but we can-
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