USA > Maine > Androscoggin County > Durham > History of Durham, Maine, with genealogical notes > Part 4
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We now come to two large, two-story houses, built in 1800 and 1801 by the brothers Abel and William Stoddard. Both are still standing and occupied by Everett Macomber and Josiah Williams. The first was "Stoddard's Tavern." Here Secomb Jordan, Esq., afterward lived and kept store in a building near by, which was later moved to S. W. Bend and was for nearly half a century the shop of James H. Eveleth, shoe-maker. Stoddard bought this farm in 1797 of Samuel Merrill for $1000, and Merrill bought it of John Cushing. The row of stately elm trees was planted in 1801. Jordan was succeeded here in trade by the brothers Henry and Joseph Moore from Newfield, Me. Henry married Rhoda, dau. of Secomb Jordan and died 13 Sept. 1843, aged 45 yrs. Joseph married a daughter of Thomas Pierce, Esq., and settled in Lisbon. The Williams farm was also owned by Samuel Merrill, who may have come from New Gloucester. He died in 1800. He was an active business man, farmer, lumbermian and Justice of Peace. His house stood north-west of Williams' and back in the field across the brook. William Stoddard built the present Williams house in 1801. George
THE LITTLE RED SCHOOL-HOUSE.
1
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-
33
ROADS, FERRIES, AND BRIDGES
Williams was employed as a carpenter in the building of the house and bought it in 1825.
"Dam Brook," so called in the town records of a century ago, received its name because of the beaver dams upon it, traces of which and of the elliptical dome-shaped beaver house may still be clearly seen. Here, doubtless, beaver were trapped by Indians, whose stone hatchets and spear-heads have been found on a hill near by. In 1804 Secomb Jordan was paid $87.52 for building a bridge across Dam Brook. Again in 1807 Isaac Lambert and Nathaniel Gerrish were paid $63, for rebuilding this bridge. In 1804 Abel Stoddard was allowed $4, for people passing through his land in time of freshet. These items show how history repeats itself. Many a time have these farms been overflowed. The "great freshet" of 1814, when families had to leave their homes by night in boats, was repeated in 1896.
Just beyond the mouth of Dam Brook lived John Skinner, who sold his farm in 1808 to Samuel Nichols Jr. Later it was occupied by Joseph Miller.
Next we come to the old Secomb Jordan place. The house now occupied by Millard Dingley was built over eighty years ago for Apollos Jordan, whose widow was the second wife of Jeremiah Dingley, who long lived here. The oldest Jordan house stood near the road and further north. It disappeared half a century ago. A few apple-trees mark the site.
The next square, two-story house was built by William Webster in 1798. It was burned in 1893. In front of it, on the river bank we see, in 1801, the first school-house of this district, afterward occupied by Webster as a shop for the manufacture of yokes, ploughs and axe-handles. The second school-house was a few rods below it, afterwards moved and desecrated as a pig- pen by Israel Mitchell. The third school-house was the little red one by the big elm trees below Dingley's, where also stands the fourth, for which there seems to be now no use. Four ancient districts of Durham and So. Auburn must be combined in order to make up a school of fourteen pupils.
Beyond Webster's, now William Stackpole's, and on a hill- top by the rangeway stands, in 1801, the square one-story house facing the river, built by John Stackpole about 1792. It was burned in 1837, and the present house was then built by Samuel
C
34
HISTORY OF DURHAM
O. Stackpole. Nothing but a bridle-path along spotted trees led to it before 1800.
"House's Brook River" is so named in the town records nearly a century ago. Tradition says that on the head waters of this stream lived at one time a man named House. He tried one dark night to cross on a log the brook swollen by rains. Was it the favorite beverage that caused him to fall into the water? At any rate he was drowned, and the brook has immortalized his name. Another forni of the legend is that he was acci- dentally drowned while employed in the construction of a bridge over the brook. Who was this man House? No mention of his name is found on the town records. No living person remembers aught of him or of his family. Among the papers of Col. Jonathan Bagley at Amesbury, Mass., there is found an agreement, dated 26 July 1773, between Bagley and Elisha House of Sherburn, Mass. The said House was to enter upon, cut down the trees and clear up all the stuff and fix for sowing grain, planting corn and pasturing, the northwesterly half of a 100 acre lot, No. 82, in Royalsborough, within the space of five vears, to clear ten acres every year and build a good sufficient lawful fence on the line in the middle and on each end, said Bagley to find one half the grass seed to sow what land he shall improve the first year, to find one half the seed corn and half the grain to sow and plant yearly, to provide one yoke of oxen and build a barn. Bagley was to have half the produce and half the hay, and at the end of five years to give to the said Elisha House a good and lawful Warrantee Deed of the other half of the lot. Here is probably the man for whom was named "House's Brook River." The agreement was never fulfilled. House's Brook has been famous for pickerel for a century. I have seen a score of persons fishing there by the light of bon- fires.
North of the Brook we come to the farm of Samnel Mitchell who brought his wife, Betsey Dingley, all the way from Cape Elizabeth on horse-back and moved into a corn-barn as a tem- porary residence, while his house was being built. The next house is that of Dea. Isaac Lambert. The original house is still standing and occupied by Herbert Wagg. Here was born the Ilon. Nelson Dingley, Jr. ; also William Henry Lambert. See biographical sketches.
35
ROADS, FERRIES, AND BRIDGES
If we were to continue our ride to the northern limit of ancient Durham we would pass the spot where now is the ceme- tery, in which sleep many of the persons already mentioned, and come to the house of John Dow, which became some years later Simeon Blethen's, where later dwelt for many years Dea. William Dingley. Then we should come to Thomas Proctor's house. He was succeeded by his son William, and he by Augustus Parker. Next was the farm of Elias Staten who is said to have come from Virginia. He married in Cape Eliza- beth, 13 Nov. 1796 Keziah Atwood. He died in Lewiston 3 May 1850, aged 79 yrs. His farm was occupied later by Elder Shimmel Owen, who was born in Topsham 2 April 1771 and died here 29 Dec. 1851, a preacher of the old Calvinistic school.
Above Staten's we come to William Dingley's, ancestor of about all by that surname in Androscoggin County. The old house is still standing, one of the most ancient landmarks along the road. The Ferry here was once much in use.
There is very little found in the records of Royalsborough about road-making. A few days' works were voted on the County and private roads. March 25, 1774, it was voted that each man in the town do four days' work on the " road between the first and second range of lots, said road leading to the County Road that leads by North Yarmouth and the private road." This road, laid out by the Proprietors across the southern part of the town past the Friends' meeting-house and on to Freeport, is still in use. In the early times it extended easterly straight on to the river, where there was a ferry to connect with the Topsham road and with Little River Plantation, that lay between Little and Sabattus Rivers. Little River was once an industrious place, having six saw-mills and a woolen mill upon its narrow waters. Lisbon Falls, built a half mile above it, must be distinguished from the ancient village of "Little River." The ferry just alluded to is called on the old Records "Jones' Ferry," since Lemuel Jones lived close by it on lot No. 9. Later it is called "Estes Ferry."
On petition of the Pejepscot Proprietors a road was accepted by the town of Brunswick in 1773, leading from that village to Rovalsborough. It was a crooked thing and kept pretty close to the bank of the Androscoggin. It was extended up to meet the rangeway between lots 78 and 62. This led to a distinct settlement. Among the early families on this road were those of
36
HISTORY OF DURHAM
Rev. Christopher Tracy. Reuben Blethen, Jonathan Beal, the Getchells, Joseph Knight, Solomon and David Crossman, Lemuel Jones, and Andrew Pinkham.
There was an old mast road leading from the County road at the meeting-house to a mast camp near Chandler's Mill. This is mentioned as an old road in 1789. It probably existed as early as 1766, when the Mill was built. It has long been discon- tinued, yet traces of corduroy construction along swampy lands may still be seen.
The "road leading from O. Israel Bagley's to Chandler's Mill" is incidentally mentioned in a deed in 1780 and is dotted, in part, on the chart of the town. It passes through Methodist Corner to the County Road. In 1796 a road was surveyed along this route from New Gloucester to Brunswick, entering Durham and running "to the flowing of the Pond nearly 4 rods above Chandler's saw-mill so-called, thence across said Pond, computed eight rods, to the height of a rock by the side of said Pond .... to a rangeway in Durham near Samuel York's house ...... in the above mentioned rangeway .. . .four rods 8 links N. 26 E. from the Back door of William True's dwelling house, to the County Road leading from Hildrake's Landing to Freeport Landing, near Capt. Bagley's Potash, ...... to a County Road, the three last courses being in said County Road,. . .. to the Range Road near W. Sanborn's dwelling house in said Range Road, ...... to the middle of the town road near the Quaker .. and so on to Brunswick.
Meeting House in said Durham,".
The "road that leads from the North Church to Gerrish's Mill," is mentioned in 1775. It was laid out by the Proprietors' surveyor. Its continuance to the river, near Christopher Tracy's, lot 78, is called the Rangeway in 1795, when a road was laid out by the town connecting this rangeway with Beal's Landing and Ferry, opposite lot 61, where Jonathan Beal lived. This Ferry was continued till 1818, when the bridges were built at S. W. Bend and Little River.
In 1789 a road was laid out "beginning at the Town Line between land of G. Ferguson and Joseph Paul, thence running N. E. about 224 rods or till it come within about five rods of the N. Easterly Corner of G. Goodwin's Land, thence N. W. and by N. between the Land of the said Goodwin and Land of E. Warren about 46 rods till it strike the westerly line of the said
37
ROADS, FERRIES, AND BRIDGES
Warren's Land, thence North Easterly on said Line till it come within Seven Rods of Abil True's Land, thence about North till it strikes the Line between the said Abil True's Land, and Land of Arch Morrill Seven Rods from the S. W. Corner of the said Abil's Land, thence on the line between the said Abil and Arch's Land 160 rods to the road leading from the County Road "near Capt. Bagley's to Chandler's Mill." There seems to have been a road leading from where the one just mentioned ends to the Meet- ing-House and so connecting with the road leading to Gerrish's Mill and Beal's Ferry. In 1803 a County Road was laid out lead- ing along this route from Walnut Hill to Tracy's Narrows, a distance of fourteen and a half miles. It entered Durham near George Ferguson's dwelling house, "4 rods and 21 links south- east of the east corner thereof,. . abreast with the back side of Ebenezer Warren's dwelling house, and two rods and 14 links distant from the southeast corner thereof ... . abreast of the front side of Enoch Davis's dwelling house and 5 rods and 9 links from the southeasterly corner thereof,. .. abreast with the east end of Durham meeting house and three rods and 4 links distant from the southeast corner thereof ....... to Andro- scoggin River at Tracy's Narrows." There were allowed for damages to William True $380, to Enoch Davis $80, to John Cushing $40. This road was changed by the Commissioners, on petition, in 1805, to run from Ferguson's "to the County Road leading from New Gloucester to Brunswick .. .by Deacon True's ....... northwest of William Mitchell's barn .. ... to the center of the bridge southwesterly of John Cushing Jun's Dwelling House,. . .. to the center of the town road by Martin
Rourke's leading to the North Meeting House,. . .to the brow of a Gully, .to the cross Range road leading by Benjamin Vining's,. . to the center of the river County Road two rods from the easterly corner of David Dyer's House, thence 10 rods to two rods in front of Symond Baker's eastern end door, ...... to the river opposite Boswell's Point." There were allowed for damages to Ebenezer Warren $30, to William Mitchell $75, to Michael Dyer $25. June 26, 1805, it was voted to "give George Ferguson the old road in lieu of the post road laid out by the County." The road from Methodist Corner to S. W. Bend, through which this post road ran, is mentioned as a "Rangeway" in use in 1791. It was laid out on
38
HISTORY OF DURHAM
the Proprietors' plan. It was long called the "Hallowell Road," since this was the stage line from Portland to Hallowell. Let the old names continue to be used.
It will be noticed that the road from S. W. Bend to Methodist Corner was originally straight. It came out over the hill west of the Methodist Church, and at the other end it terminated some rods north of where Wesley Day now lives.
The road from S. W. Bend to Gerrish's Mill was laid out in 1795. A county Road from Brunswick to S. W. Bend by Gerrish's Mill "through Noyes' Land" was laid out in 1801. South of Noyes' 800 acres the road was laid out to Brunswick line in 1789. Edward Estes, Micajah Dudley, Elijah Douglas, Hugh Getchel, Josiah Day, Joshua Babb and Benjamin Babb are mentioned as then living along this road.
In 1791 a road was accepted leading from the "Northwest corner of Benjamin Vining's lot, No. 71, on the Rangeway running Southwest to a Rangeway adjoining lot 103, thence running Northwest to the head of the Town." This is the "Back Road" one tier of lots from the river. The Rangeway to connect it with the " River Road," between the lots of Stackpole and Webster was accepted in 1801, though it had been used in a rough state for several years. At the same date were accepted Rangeways between lots 85 and 86 and between lots 83 and 84, but these roads seem never to have been completed.
"Aug. 13, 1801. This day run a Rangeway :- Beginning at southwest corner of Lott: No. 127 and 128: thence North- easterly to Androscoggin river" -signed by Isaac Davis and George l'erguson, Selectmen.
In 1793 the Selectmen of Durham and of Freeport agreed that "the Road commonly known as the Quaker Road shall be the line by which said Durham and Freeport shall tax to, till such a time as the line may be settled between Prout's and Bagley's Gores by the Proprietors of said Gores, likewise to the ancient N. Yarmouth line from said Road to the Head of said Freeport." This old "Quaker Road" ran from the Friends' Meeting House to the County Road, over the hills, nearly parallel with and perhaps a mile distant from the oldest Mast Road above mentioned that ran by the original cabin of Major Charles Gerrish. This "Quaker Road" has long been out of use.
39
ROADS, FERRIES, AND BRIDGES
The road between lots 95 and 96 running "southwest the length of two lots" was laid out in 1800. It was on the Proprietors' Chart and must have been somewhat in use before that date. This road was continued in 1813 till it met the "Minot Road," so called.
The County Road through the Northwest corner of the town was built in 1806. It was long called the "Minot Road," since it was the regular stage line from Portland to Minot, or to that part of Minot which was afterward called " Goff's Corner " and is now better known as the city of Auburn. The Town Treasurer's book gives the names of the men employed in building the road, who were nearly all settlers in that vicinity. They were Isaac Davis, Thomas Larrabee, Job Larrabee, John Larrabee, Vinson Fickett, Meshack Purington, Moses Larrabee, William Libby, Moses Hunnewell, William McKenney, John Martin, Lemuel Rice, Robert Hunnewell, Benjamin Hunnewell, Thomas Water- house, Dominicus Libby, Dennis Libby, Benjamin Hunnewell Jr., Nathaniel Larrabee, Joseph Larrabee, Joshua Fickett, Joseph Weeman, and John Cushing Jr.
1Guide Posts, in 1823, were erected, by advice of James Strout, Elijah Macomber, and Thomas Pierce, Selectmen, "at Josiah Day Jr., Lisbon Bridge, South West Bend, Friends' Meeting House, George Gerrish's, Samuel Sawyer's, Methodist Corner, James Gerrish's Mill, North Meeting House, Ebenezer Newell's, Barnabas Strout's, Joseph Philbrook's, Josiah Day's, Waitstill Webber's."
Jones's Ferry, afterward called Estes' Ferry, has already been mentioned at the southern part of the town, at the terminus of the first rangeway. It was kept for many years by Jeremiah Getchell, who also became the first toll collector when the bridge was built at Lisbon Falls in 1818. Beal's Ferry has also been mentioned, opposite lot 61 ---- just below Tracy's Island. It was first thought to build the bridge between Durham and Lisbon at or near this place, but South West Bend and Little River each wanted it and as neither would yield to its rival, two bridges were built the same year. The one near the Bend took the place of " Dyer's Ferry " that had long been in existence.
1The first mention of Guide Boards is in an order given March S, 1795 "to Ebenezer Ayers for making & panting four goid bords @ 9s I.16.0."
40
HISTORY OF DURHAM
The Town Records mention both bridges in 1819 as having been recently built. The bridge near the Bend fell Aug. 8, 1829, carrying down a loaded team and two men. One of them, Joseph Weeman, was killed; the other, Orlando Merrill, escaped. It was twice rebuilt, once in 1833. This fell in 1839. The last one was carried away by a freshet in 1844. Tradition says that James Sawyer, William Green, and Lemuel McGray were on it and were carried down river four hundred rods and taken off in a boat. Many attempts have beeen made to induce the towns and the County to rebuild but without success. "McGray's Ferry" was the immediate successor to the bridge, and under other names there has been a ferry there unto this day.
"Dain's Ferry" was a mile or more above the island, and was kept 1799-1818 by Jolin Dain, who lived on the Wagg farm, on the Lisbon side. The landing on the Durham side was opposite where Mr. White now lives. Just above this ferry was the fording place, where in my boyhood I have seen droves of cattle fording the river, on their way to Brighton market.
It may not be known to many that there was once a ferry at the northern part of the town, opposite the dwelling house of Samuel Stackpole. The Rangeway once terminated near a pine tree still standing a little north of the present terminus, and the ferry landing was just south of that tree. I have heard my father speak of it and I remember seeing on the opposite bank traces of the timbers to which the rope was fastened. Here lived David Thompson, who married Lydia Stackpole. They were the grandparents of Hon. W. W. Stetson, Supt. of the Schools of Maine.
Ancient Durham had another ferry, called "Dingley's" or "Garcelon's" according as one approached it from the Durhan or from the Lewiston side. The line between Durham and Danville was for years 1805-15 on the northern boundary of the oid Dingley farm, now occupied by Orrin Libby of South Auburn. This was until recent years a much frequented crossing place.
The accompanying map will enable the reader better to understand the location of roads and ferries. A comparison of this with the former map shows that the actual roads differ
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41
ROADS, FERRIES, AND BRIDGES
greatly from those projected upon the surveyor's chart. Ry comparing the following numbers with those on the map one may learn the location of churches, mills and most of the original settlers. The figures on the map indicate pretty nearly the loca- tion of the oldest houses.
I. North Meeting House.
44.
William Webster.
2. Friends' Meeting House.
45. John Stackpole.
3. M. E. Church.
46. Samuel Mitchell.
4. Union Church.
47. Isaac Lambert.
5. F. B. Church.
48. Samuel Robinson.
6. Cong. Church.
49. David Miller.
7. Stone Mill.
50. Joshua Miller.
8. Gerrish's or Plummer's Mill.
51. Joshua Jones.
9.
Mayall's Mill.
52. Joseph Weeman.
IO. Tracy's Mill.
53. Edward Fifield.
II. Steam Mill.
54
Isaac Davis.
12. Josiah Burnham.
I3. John Scott.
56.
Nathaniel Parker.
14. Nathaniel Osgood.
15. John Sydleman.
58. George Bowie.
16. Elisha Stetson.
59. Magnus Ridlon.
I7. Aaron Osgood.
60. Nathaniel Wilbur.
18. John Lincoln.
61. 62.
Thomas Waterhouse.
Harmon.
64. Wm. Pollister.
22. O. Israel Bagley.
23. Stephen Weston.
24. Parson Herrick.
25. John Dean and Wm. McGray. 70.
26. Joshua Strout.
and Ebenezer 72.
John Randall, Ezekiel Turner?
73. William True.
Abel True, Wm. Miller.
Jonathan Currier, Daniel Har- mon.
30. Universalist Church.
Ebenezer Warren.
31. Samuel Nichols.
George Goodwin.
32. Micah Dyer.
78.
George Ferguson.
33. John Cushing and Abel Curtis. 79.
Joseph Paul, Matthew Duran.
34 Dr. John Converse.
80. Ezekiel Jones, Thomas Pierce.
35. Joseph Proctor's Tavern.
81. Ebenezer Roberts.
36. Proprietor's House, built by
82. Joshua Snow.
Little.
Bagley, James
84.
Batchelder Ring.
38. Elijah Macomber.
85. Reuben Tuttle.
39. Jonathan Strout.
86.
Joseph Estes.
40. Abel Stoddard.
87.
Samuel Clough.
Noah Jones, Jotham Johnson.
89. Micajah Dudley.
Andrew Pinkham.
91. Lemuel Jones.
92. David Crossman.
43. Secomb Jordan.
Samuel York.
Zebulon York.
71. Wm. Roberts.
27. Charles Hill Newell.
Benjamin Vining.
28. 29. David Dyer(?) and Barnabas Strout.
74. 75. 76. 77.
83. Stephen Hart, Nicholas Var- ney.
37. Jonathan Strout.
Francis 63.
George Rice.
21 Pelatiah Warren and Job Syl- 65. vester.
Robert Plummer.
66.
Samuel Roberts.
67. John Ellis.
Judah Chandler, Isaac Turner.
68. 69.
Thomas Larrabee.
19. Major Chas. Gerrish.
55. William Roak.
57. Wm. Larrabee.
20. Reuben Dyer and
41. Samuel Merrill, William Stod- 88. dard, George Williams. 42. John Skinner, Samuel 90. Nichols, Jr.
42
HISTORY OF DURHAM
93. Hugh Getchell.
104. Andrew Adams.
94. Waitstill Webber.
105. Bela Vining.
95 Cornelius Douglas.
106. Peter Mitchell.
96. Caleb Estes.
107. Martin Rourk.
97. Job Blethen, Josiah Day.
98. Jonathan Beal.
108. Nathan Lewis, Benjamin Os- good.
99. James Blethen.
109. John Cushing.
100. Christopher Tracy.
IIO. John Hoyt.
IOI. Ebenezer Woodbury.
102. John Vining.
103. William Gerrish.
III. Samuel Collins.
II2. Israel Estes, Amos Knight.
43
ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY
V.
ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY
At the first town meeting of Royalsborough, O. Israel Bagley, William Gerrish and Stephen Chase were chosen a committee for "Fixing a place for a ministerial (lot) and likewise a place on said lot for a meeting House and burying yard."
Feb. 9, 1775, the following proclamation was issued :
"To the Congregational Inhabitants of the Township of Royalsborough. Whereas it is commanded unto all men to call on the name of the Lord to confess their manyfold Sins and Implore his divine assistance both for Spiritual and Temporal blessings Publicly. So it is nessery that Some Public place of Worship Should be provided and in providing it Every Person Conserned ought to have a voice in the Providing the same and it is appointed for all men once to die. So it is Incumbent on every Person In time of life to provide a Proper Decent Place for the reception of his body when so dead. And whereas the Proprietors of the town who Expect to be at considerable Part of the charge In building a place for Public worship are content it Should be built on Mr. John Dean's lot and some of the Inhabitants have begun to clear the ground therefor, but least it should not be agreeable to the major Part of the Present Inhabitants. This is to Desire them to meet on Thursday the sixteenth day of Feb. Instant at one of the clock in the afternoon at the Dwelling house of Mr. John Dean's in said Town to know the minds of the Inhabitants if the said place is agreeable to them if not to agree on and Clear Some Place more Sutible."
Jonathan Bagley in behalf of himself and for the Proprietors."
Agreeably to the above call the Inhabitants voted, 16 Feb. 1775, that "the most Sutible place to build a meeting house is on the Hill to the Southward of Mr. Dean's house on his lot by the County Road." It was also voted to allow Mr. Dean two dollars per acre for the gore of land lying between the County Road and the road that leads to Micah Dyer's "from the Croch of the Road to the Spruce tree to the North of the Hill." It included nine acres. Voted to cut the trees on said land before
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