USA > Maine > Penobscot County > Garland > History of Garland, Maine > Part 22
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Soon afterward, James J. Chandler raised a barn frame without supplying liquor against the earnest protest of his master workman. In the same year George Curtis raised a barn frame without the aid of liquor. In this case two men demanded payment for assistance rendered. The men who thus early engaged in the crusade against the use of rum were not turned from their purpose by ridicule or threats.
The temperance sentiment had reached a point in 1840 when the presence of rum at a house or barn raising was not expected. Some amusing incidents of the effects of rum at barn raisings are related. At the raising of the barn on the place now occupied by James Rideout several men came from the easterly part of the town who saved considerable travel by crossing a brook on a tree that had been felled across it.
In walking to the site of the prospective barn, they reached the opposite side dry. On their return over the same brook, on the same tree, they were wet when they got to the side nearest their homes.
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The Washingtonian Movement
In 1841, the Washingtonian temperance movement inaugurated at Baltimore three years earlier, which had drawn to its ranks many citizens who had not previously attached themselves to the earlier temperance associa- tions, attracted the favorable attention of a number of the citizens of Garland. A Washingtonian society was organized. Captain Bildad A. Haskell was chosen president and Stephen B. Dockham, secretary. For several years its members worked with zeal and success in advancing the cause of temperance.
In the same year the earlier friends of temperance organized anew, adopting the name of "The Garland Union Temperance Society." The new pledge forbade the use of wine, which was a step in advance. The friends of temperance had been aggressive from the beginning. They had shown that the raising of build- ings and similar undertakings could be accomplished without the use of intoxicants. They had driven the traffic from the stores. The next point of attack was the hotels.
A respectable citizen of Garland, believed that, as he expressed it, "the more radical opponents of the temper- ance movement could be induced to cease their strong opposition to it by a judicious sale of intoxicating drinks." His explanation of such sale was to refuse it to the immoderate drinker, and to furnish to the moder- ate drinker under such limitations as would guard him against its excessive use. This theory failed to satisfy the friends of temperance.
Some of the leading temperance men endeavored, in a friendly way, to induce him to relinquish his purpose, but without avail. A remonstrance against the sale of intoxicating liquors, signed by all the town officers, and
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leading citizens of the town, was placed in his hands. A similar remonstrance of a large number of women was placed in the hands of his wife. As a result of these movements the sale of intoxicating liquors was promptly abandoned.
The year 1848 marks the date when the open sale of intoxicating liquors as a beverage became a thing of the past in the history of Garland. A healthy public senti- ment upon this vital subject has been maintained by temperance organizations, under different names, from 1848 to the present time.
An Event Worthy of Record
In the year 1876, several members of a Reform Club of a neighboring town, visited Garland for the purpose of organizing a Reform Club. Their motives were excel- lent and their zeal was of the fervid type, but to their surprise they found no material upon which to base such an organization.
Garland's Action on a Proposed Amendment of the State Constitution
In 1884, an amendment of the State Constitution, forever prohibiting the manufacture, sale, and keeping for sale of intoxicating liquor for drinking purposes, was submitted to a vote of the people of the State. The voters of Garland gave 176 votes for the amendment and 51 votes against it.
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Before Roads Were Made in the Township
Before roads were made a settler would spot a line through the woods to his nearest neighbor. If a rude bridge were to be built across a stream, or a miry place made passable, the combined efforts of the two would accomplish the work. This neighbor in turn would mark the way to the next neighbor in the same manner. Thus lines of travel were opened through the township.
In marking these ways hills and swamps were avoided when practicable. They were often rough and circuit- ous, and the more they were traveled the worse they became. Excluded from the influence of the sun by the heavy forest growth, they were scarcely dry from spring to autumn. Horses were much used for carrying bur- dens, and it is said that they learned to find solid foot- ing by traveling in footsteps already made.
Early Lines of Approach to the Township
The earliest line of approach to the township, now Garland, was by the way of Bangor through the present towns of Glenburn, Kenduskeag, Corinth, and a corner of Charleston. After leaving Charleston it extended in a northwesterly direction to a spring of excellent water near the former residence of S. O. Davis, thence to the site of Garland village. It was by this route that those eighteen stalwart men, who made beginnings of homes in 1802, reached the township. It was by this route that the heroic family of Joseph Garland, which after- wards gave name to the town, found their way to their little cabin by the brookside in the northwest part of the township.
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The second line of approach, diverging from the above line at Kenduskeag, passed through West Corinth and a corner of Exeter to Garland. The old county road from western Piscataquis to Bangor, afterwards made, was nearly coincident with this second line of approach.
This was the line of travel for Moses Hodsdon and his men from Kenduskeag to Garland when building the sawmill in the latter township in 1802. The third line of approach was from a point on the Kennebec River through the towns of Harmony, Ripley and Dexter to Garland. The Gordon and Chandler families passed along this line to reach Garland in 1805.
Early Roads
Many of the most serious hardships of pioneer life result from the absence of roads. This is especially true of communities surrounded by other communities in like destitute condition. The first settlers of Garland were obliged to travel many a weary mile to find a road over which a vehicle, other than a clumsy oxsled or wagon, could be used.
During the unorganized condition of the township, but little was done in the way of road-making. A few public-spirited residents, conspicuous among whom was Edward Fifield of West Garland, did what they could to induce other residents to contribute voluntary labor to the making of roads, but their success was not encour- aging. A large majority of the residents preferred to await the application of a compulsory process.
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History of the Principal Existing Roads
The first road established by the town was the road from Dexter through the center of Garland to Charles- ton. It is six miles in length and was established April 22, 1811. Living upon or near the route of this road in 1811, were Joshua Silver, Jeremiah Flanders, Thomas S. Tyler, Amos Gordon, Simeon Morgan, Joseph Gar- land, Jacob Garland, John Tyler, Oliver Woodward, Joseph Treadwell, JJosiah Bartlett and John M. Chase.
Second Road
The route of the second road established on the same date was one mile north of the center road and parallel to it. Beginning at the west line of the town, it ran easterly between the eighth and ninth ranges of lots, on the summit of the range of hills in the northerly part of the town, to a point near the base of High Cut. There were living on or near this route in 1811 the families of Thomas Gilpatrick, William Dustin, Philip Greeley, Justus Harriman, John Chandler, Samuel Mansfield, Rev. John Sawyer, William Blaisdell and Joseph Saunders.
The route of this road was established in accordance with the policy of the original proprietors, who had checked the township into lots of a mile square by range- ways for roads. Some sections of this route, in the easterly part of the town, were found impracticable for public travel and, were never used for this purpose. The families in the easterly part of the town, living on or near the abandoned section of this route, are supplied with roads running north from the east and west center road to the line of the abandoned route.
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Road to Dexter
The third road established in 1811, is the road run- ning from the center of Garland village to the west line of the town towards Dexter village. The families living on the line of this road in 1811 were those of William Godwin, James Holbrook, Enoch Clough, Moses Gordon, John S. Haskell and Isaac Copeland. Two short pieces of road were established in the southwest part of the town in 1811. Living upon the lines of these roads were the families of Edward Fifield, John Hayes and Cutteon Flanders.
The fifth road established on the 22d day of April, 1811, is the road with slight variations, beginning where D. F. Patten now lives at the top of the hill about two miles directly north from the center of the present vil- lage and extending southerly through the village to a point about one half mile south. Some years later this road was extended to Exeter line. An angle in it, a half mile below the village, gave the road a southeas- terly direction. It crossed the south line of the town about one and one half miles west of its southeast corner.
The families living on or near this road in 1811, were those of the Rev. John Sawyer, Abner Bond, John Jackman, Ezekiel Straw, Isaac Wheeler, William Church, John Grant and John Knight. About 1816, the section of this road extending from the center of Garland village to its south line, became a section of the county road from western Piscataquis to Bangor which has been known as the old county road to Bangor.
The sixth road established in 1811 was described as extending from Thomas S. Tyler's to Enoch Jackman's. Enoch Jackman then lived in the house afterward occu- pied by Henry Calef and Asa Cram, located on the
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opposite side of the road from the present residence of Edwin Greeley, and a little to the south of it.
The seventh and last road, established in 1811, extended easterly from a point a little south of the vil- lage mills, to the site of the Burnham Cemetery, thence northerly to the point of intersection with the east and west center road. There were but two families living upon this road in 1811, William Sargent upon the site of the present residence of James Rideout, and James McCluer on the site of the present residence of David Allen. A few years later the section of this road run- ning easterly to the cemetery near the schoolhouse in district seven, gave place to the present road.
These roads were established at the first town meeting by the authority of the town, the previous meeting hav- ing assembled under the authority of the State of Massa- chusetts. Their aggregate length was about twenty miles, equal to fully one-fourth of the aggregate mileage of the roads of the town to-day.
The inquiry naturally arises why so many miles of road were required for the number of families living in the town in 1811. This is easily explained. By the policy of the original proprietors every alternate range of lots from east to west was withheld from sale with the expectation that these lots would ultimately bring higher prices. This policy had the effect to scatter the homes of the early settlers widely over the town.
The road that leads from the southwest corner of the mills at West Garland was established in 1816. This road originally terminated at the Murdock place but upon the completion of the Avenue road in 1842 this section was discontinued.
The road running north from the east and west Center road, passing the present residence of George Ricker, was established in 1819. This was the first road lead-
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ing north from the east and west center road toward the summit of the hilly range. The road running north from the east and west center road, passing the residence of E. B. Strout, was established in 1821.
The road running north from the east and west center road on the east line of the town was established in 1825 for the convenience of the Robert Seward place, later occupied by the late J. Clark Richardson. The road running north from the east and west center road from a point a few rods east of the schoolhouse in school district No. 4, to the summit of the hilly range, was established in 1826.
Among the early residents on this road, were the families of Eben Battles, Jacob Quimby, Samuel, Isaac, John and Stephen Ladd, David Stewart, John Perry and John Whiting. The road extending from Garland vil- lage to the south line of the town toward Exeter Corner was established on the route now traveled, in 1830. The early families living on or near this road were those of Benjamin H. Oak, George Curtis, David Johnson, Samuel W. Knight, Israel Colley, Zebulon Knight and Elijah Norton.
The northwest county road, which was a section of the county road extending from Dover to Dexter, was established about the year 1830, by authority of the county of Penobscot. In 1824 the road extending east- erly from Garland village to the site of the Burnham Cemetery was continued to the site of the present resi- dence of Thomas B. Packard, and in 1830 it was con- tinued to the east line of the town. There have been slight changes in the route of this road from time to time, the most important of which was made in 1855 from the foot of the hill, known as the Preble hill, to the Oak store.
Among the earlier residents upon this road were the
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families of Enoch Clough, the Rev. S. Rice, Daniel Ladd, Stephen Smith, William Sargent, Joseph Sargent, Joseph Prescott, Jeremiah Avery, Gilbert Wallace, Edward Richardson, Mark Burnham, George R. Coffin, Leonard Skillin, George Field and Henry Hicks.
The south road from Garland village to West Garland was established in 1823. The early families upon this road were those of Elisha Nye, Benjamin Pressey, Andrew Smith, Charles Shepherd, Noah Parkman, Shepherd Parkman, Albert Parkman, Oreson Parkman, William, Gideon, David and John Soule, Jonathan Lyford and the Rev. Asa Burnham.
The Avenue road was established by the county in 1835. The section within the limits of Garland is about four miles in length. It was not passable for heavy teams until 1844.
The road from the site of Evergreen Cemetery to the Crowell mill site was established about the year 1834 and was continued to the old county road a few years later. The early families upon or near this road were those of Josiah, Samuel and James Skillin, James Pillsbury and Solomon Allen. The road running from the schoolhouse at West Garland, to the west line of the town toward Dexter village was established in 1833. The early families upon this road were those of Daniel M. and William S. Haskell.
The road running from the schoolhouse in district No. 10 to the north line of the town toward Dover vil- lage, was established in 1837. The early families upon this road were those of James Straw, Samuel Bridge, Stephen A. Berry, Simon French, James Hall, William Hunt and Richard Bickell. The road extending southerly from the northwest corner of the farm owned by Thomas B. Packard to the south line of the town was established in 1837.
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The road running west on the north line of the town from the Dover to the Sangerville road was established in 1844. The early families upon this road were those of Mr. Merrill and Hermon Beal on the Dover side and George W. Ricker and George W. Ireland on the Gar- land side. The county road leading from the southeast corner of the town to Garland village was established in two sections at different dates. The first section, termi- nating at Holt's Mills, was established in 1858. Four years later the route was continued to Garland village.
The notch county road derives its name from the notch or cut through the hilly range traversing the northerly section of the town from east to west. This road was established in 1846 by the joint action of the county commissioners of Penobscot and Piscataquis Counties. Its construction had just been completed at large expense when the advent of the Bangor & Piscata- quis Railroad rendered it practically useless.
The Present Trend of Merchandise
Since the advent of railroads to this section the trend of merchandise has been to and from the various railroad stations instead of Bangor as a common center. Hence the town roads leading to and from railroad stations have become of more importance to the public than the earlier county roads, the latter being but little used except for local travel.
There have been but few calls for new roads since the completion of the notch road. The total length of roads in town is fully sixty miles. The history of the roads in Garland, which has been briefly given, includes
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the date of their establishment, their extent, the hard- ships of the earlier settlers in opening channels of com- munication with each other and the inhabitants of other towns, the dates of the settlement of the different sec- tions of the town, the names of the families who settled upon these roads, and the date when the transportation of heavy merchandise was transferred from the county roads to town roads leading to railroad stations.
A Sketch of the History of the Congrega- tional Church of Garland
The early records of this church were accidentally burned. Its early history is therefore mainly tradi- tional. The incidents herein given were obtained many years ago from the lips of some of its original members and their accuracy is confirmed by testimony from inde- pendent sources. Religious meetings were not of frequent or regular occurrence during the first years of the settlement. Many of the early settlers of the town- ship, then known as Lincolntown, having been religiously educated in the distant homes of their childhood keenly felt their destitution of religious privileges. The
Christian Sabbath, which they had formerly observed as a day of rest and devoted to religious and spiritual improvement, now gave no sign of its presence save by a partial cessation of the ordinary employments of the week and the interchange of visits among the scattered families.
Such was the condition of affairs when in the winter of 1806 the Rev. Samuel Sewall, one of the ubiquitous family of ministers of that name, first visited the town-
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ship and preached, as good Deacon Haskell afterwards expressed it, "to the starving souls of the wilderness." Mr. Sewall was the first minister to visit the township. He preached at the residence of Joseph Garland. This was the first sermon in the township and the people from the scattering families heard him gladly. In their eagerness to hear the words of the living preacher, denominational preferences were forgotten.
Mr. Sewall subsequently made several visits to the township. In sentiment he was a Congregationalist. Afterwards Mr. Lord of Harmony, a Methodist, preached several times in different parts of the township, once at Deacon Haskell's residence. A Mr. Cayford preached occasionally in Mr. Garland's barn in the warm season of the year. The Rev. Mr. Kilby, a Methodist, and a brother of Mrs. Joseph Garland, preached occa- sionally in the township.
No other ministers are known to have been in the township until the advent of the Rev. John Sawyer in the year 1809. Mr. Sawyer bore with him a commis- sion from the Maine Missionary Society, then recently organized, and entered upon his work in the wilderness with characteristic zeal. Through his efforts a church was organized in the month of March, 1810, at the resi- dence of Joseph Garland, the first settler. The ministers officiating at the organization were Reverends John Sawyer, Hezekiah May of Brownville township, Jonathan Fisher of Bluehill, and perhaps Mighill Blood of Bucks- port.
At the date of this organization there were only two Congregational churches within the present limits of Penobscot County. One at Brewer, organized Septem- ber 7, 1800, and one at Dixmont, organized November 16, 1807, which is now extinct. The church at Garland was called the Congregational church of Lincolntown
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and vicinity until the incorporation of the town in 1811 and its organization has been perpetuated to the present time. It included in its membership residents of other towns. The persons uniting with the church at the time of its organization were John S. Haskell, Joshua Silver and wife, Jacob Silver, Theophilus Morgan, Mrs. Nancy Gordon, Mrs. Justus Harriman, Mrs. Garland, Mrs. Bond and Mrs. Morgan.
A meeting was held in July, 1810, to complete the organization, when John Pratt, Mrs. Ezekiel Straw, Mrs. Weatherbee of Elkinstown, now Dexter, and Mrs. Haskell, probably Deacon John S. Haskell's wife, were admitted to membership. At this meeting, nineteen persons, adults and children, received the ordinance of baptism. The ministers in attendance were Reverends John Sawyer and Hezekiah Bailey of New Castle.
A few years later members were received into this church from Piscataquis County. Among these were Deacon Carpenter and wife, Mr. and Mrs. Turner, Mrs. Mitchell, Mr. and Mrs. Bradbury, Mrs. Chamberlain and Mrs. Sherburne from Foxcroft; Mrs. Bolton, Mrs. Buck and others from Dover, and Mr. Loring and wife from Guilford. This relatively large addition was the occasion of great interest and encouragement to the little church in the wilderness and the sympathy between those who came and those who received was warm and active. The late Rev. Amasa Loring, the historian of Piscataquis County, said in a letter to the writer, "This was the heroic age of Christian life in this new region. If a notice was sent forward that a lecture would be preached at a certain time and place, the news was spread from house to house, and when the preacher arrived, all who could were sure to be present. When a communion season occurred, distant members, both men and women, would ride on horseback twelve or fifteen
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miles over rough and miry paths, guided on their dubi- ous way by spotted trees to attend church conference on Saturday afternoon, tarry with Christian friends over night, participate in the solemnities of the Sabbath and retrace their steps homeward on Monday morning through those gloomy forestways, cheered and strength- ened by the spiritual repast they had just enjoyed. In winter, whole families were sometimes carried those long distances on sleds drawn by oxen that they might enjoy Christian communion and fellowship, and that parents might secure the rite of baptism for their children." In after days, one good old church member of Foxcroft, when recounting the incidents of his journeys to Garland to attend meetings would, in his enthusiasm, get a little mixed. On one such occasion he averred that he would hitch his oxen to the sled and drive to Garland with his children and wife, good woman, she's gone to heaven now by a spotted line. The church at Garland was blessed with a healthy growth for several years under the ministrations of Father Sawyer.
He may have received the assistance of other ministers but to what extent or by whom, tradition does not inform us. In 1822, the church suffered severe loss by the withdrawal of the members, eighteen in number, liv- ing in the Piscataquis valley, to organize a church after- wards known as the church of Foxcroft and vicinity. The first pastor of the new church at Foxcroft was the Rev. Thomas Williams. This withdrawal left but a single male member in the church at Garland, Deacon John S. Haskell. According to the Congregational policy of the times it required at least two male members to make valid the dismissal of members to other church organizations. Happily Ansel Field and wife became residents of Garland about that time and soon united with the church. The difficulty in the way of giving
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the Piscataquis members a formal dismission was thus overcome.
At the time of the dismissal of these members Deacon Pratt of Foxcroft was clerk of the Garland church and had its records at his house which was burned shortly after and the records were thus lost. This explains the absence of the church's records for the first twelve years of its existence. In the period from 1810 to 1822 some of the original resident members of the church renounced Congregationalism and embraced the Universalist faith. This was another source of depletion, and was undoubt- edly due to the severity of Father Sawyer's religious creed. But in spite of these discouragements the little church lost neither faith nor hope. It was strengthened from time to time by in-coming residents who entered its ranks.
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