USA > Maine > Penobscot County > Garland > History of Garland, Maine > Part 16
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Neat stock was prohibited from running in the roads during the period of growing crops.
The legal voters assembled September 12, 1831, to ballot for governor and other officers.
Samuel E. Smith received fifty-two votes for governor ; Daniel Goodenow received forty-four votes for governor.
Samuel E. Smith, the Democratic candidate, was elected governor. Winthrop Chapman of Exeter, who failed to get a single vote in Garland, was elected repre- sentative to the Legislature.
An Abundant Crop of Corn
The year 1831 was characterized by a large yield of corn. It is doubtful if any season since has been so
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favorable to the growth of that crop. For several seasons following 1831, corn was a very uncertain crop, owing to the recurrence of early frosts which arrested its growth, and prevented its ripening. Years later, it was found that a careful preparation of the soil and selection of seed was generally followed by a good yield.
Garland in 1832
The first town meeting of 1832 was of early occur- rence. Reuben Bartlett, owner of the mill property in the village, contemplated building a new grist-mill. This plan, if carried out, would benefit the surrounding community. It was, therefore, regarded with favor by the inhabitants of the town. It was his purpose to increase the height of his dam to secure a larger and more abundant supply of water. This would enlarge the area of flowage. Two citizens of the town, who owned land on the shore of the pond, threatened suits for damage in case the dam should be raised. Mr. Bartlett, who had no fears of having to pay damage, was conscious of the fact that large bills for costs might be incurred in defense of threatened suits.
A meeting of the inhabitants of the town was held January 28, 1832, when it was voted "to pay all bills of costs that Reuben Bartlett, his heirs or assigns, may have to pay in defending any that may be prosecuted against him for flowing land necessary to the operation of his mills, provided the said Bartlett shall erect a good grist-mill as soon as may be, the damage to flowed lands, if any there be, to be paid by said Bartlett." No action for damage was ever begun.
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At the annual town meeting of 1832, held March 19, Joseph Prescott was chosen moderator ; Charles Reynolds, town clerk; Reuben Bartlett, Benjamin H. Oak and Daniel M. Haskell, selectmen and assessors; Reuben Bartlett, treasurer; Abraham True, collector, compen- sation two per cent., and E. M. Barker, Charles Reynolds and D. M. Haskell, superintending school committee.
It was voted to raise two thousand dollars for high- ways, men, oxen and plows to be paid twelve and one half cents per hour, and not to be allowed more than twelve hours for any single day's work. It was voted to raise three hundred and fifty dollars for the support of schools, and one hundred dollars to defray town charges. It was voted that the annual town meetings thereafter should be held on the second Monday in March.
The meeting to ballot for governor and other officers was held September 10, 1832, when Samuel E. Smith received fifty-six votes for governor; Daniel Goodenow received fifty-eight votes for governor; Reuben Bartlett received fifty-five votes for representative to the Legis- lature; Russell Kitridge received fifty-eight votes for representative to the Legislature.
Samuel E. Smith was elected governor, Reuben Bartlett, representative to the Legislature.
The presidential election of 1832 occurred on the fifth of November. Henry Clay was the Whig candidate and Andrew Jackson was the Democratic candidate. The Whig candidates for electors received fifty-six votes, and the Democratic candidates received sixty-seven votes.
A business meeting was held on the day of the presi- dential election, at which the town voted to appropriate the ministerial lands in the town of Garland to the use of primary schools. In his Annals of Bangor, Judge Godfrey says of the season of 1832-"The spring was
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cold this year. Fires were comfortable up to, and into June."
Garland in 1833
In 1833, the annual town meeting was held March 11th. Joseph Prescott was chosen moderator ; Charles Reynolds, town clerk; Reuben Bartlett, Benjamin H. Oak, and Charles Reynolds, selectmen and assessors; Reuben Bartlett, treasurer ; Charles Reynolds, Alphonzo Adams and Daniel M. Haskell, superintending school committee. Abraham True was chosen collector and the compensation was fixed at two per cent.
It was voted to raise twenty-five hundred dollars to build and repair highways, and to allow twelve and one half cents per hour for the labor of men and oxen until the 15th of September, and eight cents per hour until the opening of winter, when twelve and one half cents was to be paid for the labor of men and oxen. The sum of four hundred dollars was voted for the support of schools, one hundred and fifty dollars to defray town charges and thirty dollars for the support of the poor.
The legal voters assembled on September 9th to ballot for governor, representative to Congress, representative to the Legislature and other officers.
Robert P. Dunlap, Democrat, received seventy-six votes for governor; Daniel Goodenow, Whig, received thirty-one votes for governor.
Gorham Parks, Democrat, received seventy-six votes for representative to Congress; Ebenezer Hutchinson, Whig, received thirty-one votes for representative to Congress.
Joseph Bridgham, Democrat, received seventy-six votes for representative to the Legislature, and Russell
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Kitridge, Whig, received thirty-two votes for the same office. Mr. Dunlap was the successful candidate for governor.
The town refused to grant licenses to sell spirituous liquors to be drank in the stores and shops of retailers.
The lower road from West Garland to Dexter, near the north shore of Pleasant Pond, was laid out in 1833. The section of the county road leading from Dover to Dexter, across the northwest corner of Garland, was made in 1833. The section from Dover line to Main Stream was made by James J. Chandler and Jacob Greeley at eighty cents per rod. The section from Main Stream to Dexter line, was made by Thomas M. and William A. Murray at eighty-two cents per rod.
Garland in 1834
At the annual meeting of the town in 1834, held March 11, Joseph Prescott was chosen moderator; Charles Reynolds, town clerk ; Reuben Bartlett, Benjamin H. Oak and Charles Reynolds, selectmen and assessors ; Reuben Bartlett, treasurer ; Charles Reynolds, Alphonzo Adams and Daniel M. Haskell, superintending school committee; James J. Chandler, collector, at two and one half per cent.
It was voted to raise two thousand dollars for high- ways, three hundred and fifty dollars for schools, one hundred and twenty-five dollars for town charges, thirty dollars for the support of the poor, sixty dollars to com- plete the northwest county road, and to allow the same price as last year for men, oxen and the use of tools.
The legal voters of Garland assembled September 8, 1834, to ballot for governor and other officers.
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For governor, Robert P. Dunlap received ninety-nine votes ; Peleg Sprague received sixty-one votes and Thomas A. Hill received four votes.
For representative to Congress, Gorham Parks received ninety-nine votes; Edward Kent received sixty-three votes.
For senators, Reuben Bartlett, Democrat, received ninety-one votes; Ira Fish, Democrat, received ninety- eight votes; Waldo T. Pierce, Whig, received sixty-one votes ; Richard H. Rice, Whig, received sixty-one votes.
For representative to Legislature, William Hutchins received ninety-nine votes; Jefferson Cushing received sixty-three votes.
The majorities for the Democratic candidates in 1834 were larger than usual.
A Business Center
The locality of Bangor at the head of navigation of Maine's largest river, and at a central point of one of its best agricultural regions, made it a place of great importance to the inhabitants of many of the surround- ing towns. After recovering from the effects of the War of 1812, and the disastrous results of the cold season of 1816, its growth was rapid. Here, the farmers of a larger region, including the counties of Penobscot, Piscataquis and sections of Somerset, found a market for their surplus crops. It became the largest lumber market in the world. The manufacture of shingles by hand in the country towns in winter was an industry of considerable importance. The farmers could make a few thousand of shingles, without interference with their regular farm work, which would always bring money in
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Bangor in the latter part of winter and spring. The bright light of burning shavings from the "shingle weaver's camp" through the long winter evenings was a feature of the times.
Any change of conditions that contributed to the growth and increase of business in Bangor was of advantage to the towns around it. The business rela- tions of Bangor with Boston were important. Previous to 1834, the transportation of merchandise and passen- gers between the two places was through the medium of sailing vessels. The time required for the trips of the vessels was always uncertain, and often protracted.
In 1834, the steamer Bangor, which has since become historic, was built and placed on the route between Ban- gor and Boston to carry passengers and freight. The merchant who now went to Boston for the purchase of goods, could determine with proximate certainty the time of his return with such merchandise as was immed- iately wanted. The successful accomplishment of this new enterprise was of advantage to the business men of the country towns as well as to those of Bangor. It opened new markets to the farmers and manufacturers of central Maine.
The Hop Industry
The cultivation of hops for the market had become an industry of some importance in a few of the towns adjoining Garland. The picking, curing and packing the hops had given employment to troops of girls and boys during the harvest season as well as profit to the farmers. In 1834, Honorable Reuben Bartlett provided
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the necessary building and fixtures for curing and pack- ing. Thus encouraged, a number of the farmers turned their attention to the cultivation of hops. The business in this section was soon overdone; the price of hops fell, and the hop industry was abandoned.
Garland in 1835
At the annual town meeting of 1835, held March 9th, Bildad A. Haskell was chosen moderator; Charles Reynolds, town clerk ; Daniel M. Haskell, David Pierce and Bildad A. Haskell, selectmen and assessors ; Reuben Bartlett, treasurer ; Daniel M. Haskell, Enoch Hunting- ton and Alphonzo Adams, superintending school com- mittee.
The town voted to raise two thousand five hundred dollars for making and mending roads, three hundred and fifty dollars for schools, three hundred dollars for town charges, fifty dollars to support the poor and one hundred and twenty-five dollars towards making the section of the county road, running in a northwesterly direction from a point a few rods south of the residence of Benjamin True, by the site of the schoolhouse in District No. 10, and the residence of Henry Merrill, to the point of divergence of the original route from the Sangerville road.
It will be difficult for later generations to realize that the travel and heavy transportation each way between Bangor and western Piscataquis, including the towns of Abbot, Guilford and Sangerville, previous to the year 1836, passed over the circuitous and hilly route leading by the schoolhouse in District No. 1, and Maple Grove Cemetery, to the center of Garland village.
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An Irate Citizen
In the year 1817, the route for a county road to extend from Bangor to what is now western Piscataquis through the town of Garland having been established, the town commenced making its section of the road. Philip Greeley and William Godwin were a committee to take charge of the work. Mr. Godwin was, at this time, the owner of a tavern stand on the site now occu- pied by the buildings of the late William H. Knight, opposite the site of the Maple Grove Cemetery.
The route as established would carry the travel about forty rods east of this tavern stand, thereby depriving Mr. Godwin of patronage. A slight change of route to accommodate Mr. Godwin was willingly made by the committee. In 1834, a change was made in the route which diverted the travel from western Piscataquis from Mr. Godwin's tavern stand. Mr. Godwin was greatly exasperated by this change and, as a measure of revenge, blocked up the section of road which had been illegally made across his land at his own request.
Several young men living in the vicinity, willing to annoy an unpopular citizen, cleared the road on the fol- lowing night. Large logs were hauled across the road the next day and removed at night. This procedure was repeated until Mr. Godwin and his grown-up sons threatened to arm themselves and shoot the intruders, whereupon the selectmen of the town assumed the offen- sive, and brought a suit against Mr. Godwin for thus interrupting the local travel on a road which was much used by families living in the northwest part of the town.
The decision was against Mr. Godwin, and he found himself in debt of inconvenient dimensions incurred by the trial. But this was not to him the most mortifying
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feature in the case. He was brought face to face with the necessity of taking a contract in the making of the obnoxious road to secure money to pay in part the costs of defense.
The town initiated the policy of allowing each school district to choose its own agent in 1835. It also instructed the selectmen to make lists of the scholars in the several districts.
Division of the Ministerial Fund
The question of an equitable division of the fund derived from the sale of the ministerial lands, among the several religious societies, became the occasion of a some- what acrimonious contention. At the annual meeting of 1835, it was voted to submit the matters in dispute to two disinterested men; one of them should be named by the town, and the other by a representative of the sev- eral religious societies.
Judge Seba French, a prominent citizen of Dexter, was chosen on the part of the town, and John B. Hill, Esquire, of Exeter, afterwards a prominent lawyer of Bangor, was chosen to act for the religious societies. Benjamin H. Oak was appointed to present the case in behalf of the town, and Elder Josiah Bartlett presented the case of the religious societies. A list of the male members of each society had been made by its clerk in 1829 and entered upon the town records.
The names upon the Free Will Baptist list numbered forty-two and were:
John Page,
Jacob Quimby,
Josiah Bartlett,
James Powers,
Amos Higgins,
William Soule,
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Daniel Ladd,
John E. Ladd,
Enoch Clough,
Jacob Staples,
Enoch Rollins,
Benjamin Mayo, Isaiah Stillings,
Asa Soule,
Mason Skinner,
David Soule,
Lewis Soule,
Gideon Soule,
John Hamilton,
Israel Colley,
Joseph Strout,
Fifield Lyford,
Eliab Stewart,
Isaac F. Ladd,
David Burton,
John Batchelder,
Warner Taylor,
William Rollins,
Samuel W. Knight,
Benjamin Page,
Zebulon Knight,
John Trefethen,
John Soule, John B. Stevens,
Henry Amazeen,
William Ladd,
Cutteon F. Flanders,
Nathaniel Emerson,
James J. Chandler,
Hiram Lyford,
Rufus Inman,
Jeremiah Ladd.
Names on Congregational list numbered twenty-four :
Isaac Wheeler,
Daniel M. Haskell,
Joseph True,
Justus Harriman,
Samuel Johnson,
David Fogg,
Levi Johnson,
Jacob Greeley,
Lewis Goulding,
Aaron Hill,
Joseph True, Jr.,
John S. Haskell,
Ansel Field,
Herbert Thorndike,
James Parker,
Walter Holbrook,
George Curtis,
Bray Wilkins,
Abraham True,
John S. Fogg,
Charles Reynolds,
William God win,
Russell Murdock,
Samuel Greeley.
Universalists numbered nineteen :
Ezekiel Straw, Zenas Flanders,
Bildad A. Haskell,
Reuben Bartlett,
Jeremiah Flanders, Moses Gordon,
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Joshua Silver,
Moses Buswell,
Reuben Marrow,
Daniel Moore,
Edward Fifield,
John Hayes,
Samuel P. Buswell,
Jesse Straw,
Solomon Soule,
Amos G. Gordon,
James Dinsmore,
John Chandler,
Eben Battles.
The Calvinist Baptists numbered thirteen :
Thomas S. Tyler,
John Jackman,
Hollis Mansfield,
Amos Gordon,
James March,
Samuel Mansfield,
Joseph Sargent,
Robert Seward,
Joseph Prescott,
Benjamin Mayo,
George W. Gordon,
Shepherd Packard,
Jonathan L. Haskell.
The town records do not show what the action of the referees was in relation to the distribution of the minis- terial fund in 1835. There being no reference to it after this date, shows that their decision was regarded as final.
The Aid of the Town to Some of Its Poorer Citizens
There were industrious citizens among the early set- tlers of Garland who were still owing balances to the original proprietors of the township for their lands. By dint of persevering industry, they had cleared lands, erected buildings, and made improvements. All these things they had done through years of toil with the use of little money, but the debts they owed for their lands must be paid in money or its equivalent. They were forced to turn over their cattle to their creditors at
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prices merely nominal to pay the interest on their debts. Some of our older citizens will remember the droves of cattle that were collected from year to year in this, and neighboring towns, and driven to Massachusetts to pay these interest debts.
At a special meeting held April 18, 1835, the town voted to raise one hundred dollars to pay the balance due Calvin Sanger, one of the original proprietors of the township, by David Soule. By this generous act of the town, the home of Mr. Soule was saved to himself and family.
Tragic Death of a Prominent Citizen
Early in the morning of July 3, 1835, the Hon. Reuben Bartlett called his son Joseph, afterward editor of the Bangor Jeffersonian, to assist in starting some logs down the slope towards the saw-mill. Going directly to the mill, and starting a log downward toward the mill, he lost his balance and fell across it, when his coat sleeve was caught by a sharp knot, and he was thrown violently over and almost instantly killed by the rolling log. Joseph reached the mill yard just in season to witness the terrible accident.
Mr. Bartlett emigrated from Nottingham, N. H., in 1820, having purchased the village mill property of Mr. Church. He was an energetic, enterprising and use- ful citizen. His mental qualities, and his experience in municipal affairs fitted him for leadership, and he became the leading citizen of the town from the first year of his residence in it.
In his first year here, he was chosen chairman of an important committee, and the records show that he filled
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one or more important offices each year during his fifteen years of residence in town. He was several times elected to one or the other branches of the State Legislature.
In politics, Mr. Bartlett was an earnest and unwaver- ing Democrat. During his residence here of fifteen years, there were no defections in the Democratic ranks. As an able and wise counsellor, he was held in high esteem, and his death cast a gloom over the entire town.
An Important Road Contemplated
A geographical chart of the District of Maine, pub- lished in 1816, showed existing roads within the Province of Maine, also routes for roads that would be needed to meet the wants of advancing population. One of these routes extended from Bangor through the towns of Glen- burn, Levant, Exeter, Garland, Dexter, Sangerville, Guilford and Monson to Moosehead Lake, thence to the Canadian line.
It was expected that this road would be opened by the proprietors of lands upon the route, and that it would prove of more importance than any other road in this section of Maine. But through the pressure of the need of roads to accommodate a more limited area, this larger scheme was held in abeyance until 1835.
In 1835, a petition numerously signed, asked for a road, to be known as the Avenue Road, extending from Bangor to Moosehead Lake, through central Penobscot and western Piscataquis. This appears to have been a renewal of the old scheme of 1816. Garland had been heavily burdened with building roads. At a special meeting held September 24, 1835, the town appointed Moses Gordon, Ezekiel Straw, Bildad A. Haskell, James
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J. Chandler and Daniel M. Haskell to appear before the commissioners in opposition to the road. The oppo- sition proved unavailing. The road was located and subsequently made.
The First Meeting House in Garland
Preliminary measures for the building of a meeting house by the Congregational parish of Garland were entered upon in 1835. The parish was small and of limited resources. How to raise the necessary funds was a perplexing question. But inspired by the faith of that veteran pioneer missionary, the Rev. John Sawyer, through whose efforts the Congregational church had been brought into existence twenty-five years earlier, the parish reached the decision to build.
By the friendly aid of Charles P. Chandler, Esq., of Foxcroft, an act of incorporation was obtained from the Legislature, under which a company was formed with the title of "The Congregational Meeting House Company of Garland." A constitution and by-laws were adopted which provided that the stock should be divided into twenty-four shares of fifty dollars each, and that when eighteen shares had been taken, the site of the buildings should be determined, and the work of con- struction entered upon.
There was considerable discussion respecting size and style of the building. All the members of the company were impressed with the necessity of economy of expendi- ture. Some favored a plain building, bare of belfry and steeple. Others expressed a different opinion. Lewis Goulding, a member of the church, who was always ready with a facetious remark, said that the purpose was
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to build a house for God. Without belfry and steeple, the building would be God's barn, and not God's house.
The size and style including belfry and steeple were at length determined and plans procured. Benjamin H. Oak was chosen treasurer and chairman of the build- ing committee. The other members of this committee were the Rev. John Sawyer and William Godwin. The prescribed amount of stock having been taken, Austin Newell of Monson, an experienced builder, was employed to take charge of the construction of the building. One of the by-laws forbade the use of any alcoholic drink by any person employed on the building, and that no such drink should be furnished at its raising. This action was in advance of the public sentiment of the times but the by-law was strictly observed.
An incident worthy of record occurred at the raising of the building. The foundation timbers had been laid, and the timbers of the broad sides had been put in place and securely fastened together. Muscular men were ranged in close touch with each other the entire length of the broad side, awaiting in silence the command, "Pick him up," when the venerable Father Sawyer, then eighty-two years of age, suddenly appeared with bared head, his long thin locks of snowy whiteness float- ing in the breeze, and offered a brief and earnest prayer for a successful and safe termination of the day's work, and that the building when completed might aid in the spread of the Gospel. During this digression, the men listened in reverential silence.
This building, which had its beginning in 1835, was not completed until 1837. Mr. Newell, who had taken charge of the work in 1835, and had completed the out- side of the building before the close of the season, entered into a contract with the parish to finish it in the. following year, but the cold of the late autumn compelled
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him to await the warmer weather of the following spring to complete his contract.
In the meantime, he entered into a contract with our well-remembered citizen, Isaac Fall, to complete the work of building, which was accomplished in the summer of 1837. Mr. Newell, after having paid bills for materials and work, and provided for the payment of Mr. Fall for the completion of the job, had eighteen dollars to show for his work in the season of 1836. The Meeting House Company, with credit to itself, made him a reasonable additional compensation.
While the work on the building was in progress, it became apparent to the Meeting House Company that its cost would largely exceed the original estimate, to meet which was a perplexing problem. In their extrem- ity, kind friends of other places helped them. Father Sawyer, the original mover in the building, obtained aid to meet the deficiency from citizens of other places. Among these were S. J. Foster, George W. Ricker, S. Smith, George A. Thatcher, S. S. Crosby, J. W. Mason, W. D. Williamson, R. & R. Haskins & Co., D. M. McDougal, A. Davis, J. B. Fisk, J. Carr, Cram & Dutton, and McGaw of Bangor, also D. Barstow and Holyoke & Page of Brewer. Edward Hill of New York, a brother of Mrs. Josiah Merriam, was a liberal contributor.
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