USA > Maine > Cumberland County > Gorham > History of Gorham, Me. > Part 21
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We are able to give the names of but few of the very early min- isters, the custom of the society being to change often, and but little record was kept. But we have Rev. Jesse Lee, who is said to have done much toward a more perfect organization of the Church, Rev. Asa Heath, Rev. Mr. Buck, Rev. James Lewis, Rev. Ebenezer Lombard, Rev. Richard Lombard, Rev. Timothy Merritt, Rev. Mr. Hubbard, and Rev. Joshua Taylor. Few of these were citizens of the town. Mr. Heath must have been a preacher here as early as the first organization, for he stated at the funeral of the Rev. James Lewis in
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1855, " I took the side of the Lord and commenced preaching in the early days of Methodism in this town, and forty-five years ago I baptized Brother Lewis into the Methodist Church, soon after which time he commenced to preach the Gospel."
It will be borne in mind that there was no organized Methodist Church, or Society, at Gorham Village before 1821, although there was occasional preaching by ministers of that denomination in the old town schoolhouse, which stood back of where the house of Simon E. Mclellan now stands.
Rev. Asa Heath, though not a Gorham man, was closely connected with the early Methodists in town. He was born in Hillsdale, N. Y., July 30, 1776. Becoming pious in early life, he joined the Methodist Church, and being fluent of speech, was advised to go into the ministry. He was admitted to preach on trial, September, 1798, at the annual conference in Granville, Mass., and was recom- mended to the then District of Maine. He landed in Portland, about the year 1800, coming as an itinerant preacher, and commenced work in his field of labor, this being the entire State of Maine, as at this time there was scarce a minister of the Methodist denomination in the whole territory, or at most but few of them. Mr. Heath's first ground was from Portland, up through Gorham, Buxton and Standish. Having been recommended to Capt. Hugh Moore of Standish, he made his house his home, and on March 21, 1801, married his daughter, Sarah Moore. Elder Heath died Sept. 1, 1860, aged 84.
Elder Jesse Lee was another Methodist preacher who had a great deal to do with early Methodism in Gorham. Aug. 1, 1793, Elder Lee received an appointment to the Province of Maine.
In 1793 Maine "was a new country in many respects, sparsely settled, with an odd mixture of many 'kindred, nations, tongues and people ' poorly cultivated by a people of plain manners, with a very little refinement, and a loose morality. Of religion, except in a few of the more populous settlements, in so far as it is developed by the presence of ministers, churches, and means of grace, there was very little in the Province. The ministers who waited for calls had not received them ; and as a general thing, they are not received from those who are at ease in sin, and the mere presence of sinners is not regarded as a very potent element in a call. But poor and rude as were the people, they had been redeemed by the precious blood of Christ; and Christ authorized His ministers to preach the gospel to every creature." So the conference at Lynn, Mass., reasoning upon the general principles of Methodist doctrine and usage, con-
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cluded; and resolved to send to the sinners in Maine the word of salvation - and who so fit to carry it to them as Mr. Lee? A few weeks after the adjournment of the conference, he entered upon what, in those days, was a journey of considerable magnitude. Leaving Lynn he passed through Newburyport, Greenland and Portsmouth, preaching as he went, and thence, on Sept. 10, 1793, entered Maine, and, at a " little village called Saco," on the same night preached in a private house crowded with attentive hearers. This, Lee says, was the first sermon preached in the Province, by a Methodist preacher.
Somewhere about the year 1812, the members of the Society in Gorham built a house at White Rock. It stood on the Hurricane road, a little to the east of where the schoolhouse now stands. This house they did not finish, and in 1825, not being conveniently located for the majority of the worshippers, it was taken down and moved. The Methodist minister then in Gorham was the Rev. John Shaw. He was active in moving the house. After it was taken down and loaded on to the teams, some of those who were opposed to the change appeared on the ground, and forbade the moving. But the teams were ordered to start, and start they did. The material was landed in the Johnson neighborhood (so called), at the North, where the house stood for many years. One old gentleman told me that it is hardly worth while to say that one was more enthusiastic than another in the business of having a meeting house ; all joined heart and hand. Mr. Shaw, who was a joiner by trade, worked hard to complete the house, anticipating much satisfaction in being able to assist in the dedication of the first Methodist meeting house in Gor- ham, but Providence ordered it otherwise. He was taken sick, and went to Limington on a visit to recruit himself, and there died, before the day of the dedication, which took place in the autumn of 1825. In 1843 the house was repaired and new pews placed in it. This house was occupied by the Society at the North until 1871, when it was taken down, and the present handsome and commodious build- ing was erected, where a large and influential society now worship.
As I have before said, the Methodists at the village, before the year 1821, had no place of worship other than the schoolhouse. About this time church music took quite an impetus. Much attention was paid to the singing of sacred music. Singing schools were much in fashion. The singing-seats of the, old Congregational church were all the ground there was for display, and there were more musicians than room. There was no organ in the church then, but there were bass viols, violins, cornets and flutes, and they did not make bad
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music. All wanted to occupy the seats. Some wanted to crowd one out, some another, some families were too flat, some too sharp, some were too aristocratic, some were not enough so. This made a lively quarrel, in which there was more music than harmony; and about every family in the village had some one in it; and the female combatants were not in the minority. Two singing societies were formed, the Haydn, and the Handel. Their meetings were held weekly. One occupied March's and the other Hunt's Hall. The Haydns finally got possession of the old seats, and the Handels were out. The outs had the sympathy of a large number. This society had many of the oldest and best singers in town. At once an effort was made to get them a place in which to sing. A subscription was started to build a free meeting house, and it met with great success. Alexander McLellan, Esq., gave them a lot, where the town house now stands, and in 1821 the "Free Meeting House" was built. Here the Handels found a home, and occupied the singing-seats, whoever occupied the pulpit, whether Universalist, Methodist or Baptist. This house was dedicated in June, 1822. Clergymen of several denominations were present and assisted, among whom, old Elder John Buzzell of Parsonsfield, and Elder James Lewis of Gorham took prominent parts. Mr. Buzzell preached the sermon. His text was Haggai, 2: 9, "The glory of the latter house shall be," etc. The Baptists and Methodists occupied the house most of the time; occasionally a preacher of another denomination would come along, but there was never any trouble about who should occupy the pulpit. However, as the Baptists decreased, the Methodists increased, and having become an organ- ized society, with a minister in charge, they occupied the house most of the time. But to obviate all difficulty, and help to hold their members together, when others wished to occupy the Free House, somewhere about the year 1830 they built a vestry, sufficient to accommodate their society, on a lot immediately adjoining the Free Meeting house, where they could worship when the other house was occupied. Thus things went on harmoniously till 1840, when the society, thinking themselves able, and being desirous of having a house of their own, purchased a lot on High St., built a new house of worship and moved their vestry on to their lot and converted it into a parsonage. An excellent organ was purchased and placed in the church, in April, 1871, at a cost of fifteen hundred dollars. In 1880 it was deemed best to build on a different site a larger and better church edifice. The Society accordingly sold the old church
METHODIST CHURCH, GORHAM VILLAGE.
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and parsonage and the lot on which they stood, and purchased the lot on School St., where they built the large and handsome building, which they now occupy.
After the Methodists abandoned the Free House it fell somewhat into decay, and the proprietors petitioned the Court for license to sell, which was granted. The house was sold at auction, and bid off by Toppan Robie, Esq., for the sum of two hundred and fifty dollars ; and he then exchanged it with the town for the old town house, on Fort Hill. After the building came into the possession of the town, some alterations were made by taking down the spire, adding the pillars in front, and adapting the inside to suit its present use.
Thacher, in his Military Journal, speaks of a new order of fanatics ; "That pretend to be a religious sect, but are a disgrace to religion and to human nature. They are called Shaking Quakers, or Danc- ing Quakers ; but have no affinity in principle or character to the established order of Quakers. Their leader is a woman, Ann Lee, niece of Gen. Lee in our Army." She is called ' Mother Ann', and pretends to have received revelations from heaven. The method they practice, under the idea of religious worship, is so obviously impious as to exceed the bounds of credibility. A spectator asserts that the fantastic contortions of body in which these pretended relig- ious exercises consist bear a semblance of supernatural impulse, and the extraordinary conduct of these infatuated people is a burlesque on all moral and religious principles."
While this account of the doings of the early Shakers may, possibly, not be overdrawn, the Shakers of the present day must be conceded to be of an entirely different style, and are most orderly in all their ways. They are worthy, industrious members of the communities in which they dwell, and are noted for their neatness, industry and hon- orable dealing. They pay much attention to agriculture, and engage in many kinds of manufacturing interests.
The first Shaker that came to Gorham was Henry Clough. He came from Loudon, N. H .; and was accompanied by a female Shaker. He stopped with the Brown family at West Gorham, and commenced preaching his peculiar doctrines. This was about the year 1780, at the time of the New Light excitement among the Rev. Josiah Thacher's people. About all the disaffected, or "New Lights," went to hear the new preaching. The first convert to Shakerism in Gor- ham was Barbara Brown, Samuel Brown's wife. The Browns lived in the house where J. Hanson Clement recently lived, and which was
I American Army of the Revolution.
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HISTORY OF GORHAM.
lately owned and occupied by Simon Lewis. Soon others joined them till there was quite a society. The Loudon Shakers did not remain long after having established this Society. Mr. Brown became the leading man among them.
In the early days of Shakerism in Gorham, it was concluded by the Society to be necessary to make a pilgrimage to the head of the clan, Mother Ann Lee, whose home was at Niskenna (now Watervliet), near Albany, N. Y. The Gorham, Alfred and Sabbath Day Pond (New Gloucester) families joined, and chartered in Portland a small schooner of twenty-eight tons burthen called the "Shark." She was owned by Capt. Greenfield Pote. They victualled and fitted her out, and in the month of August, 1784, started on their journey. Samuel Brown was commander and Enoch Waite assistant skipper. It is said that Mother Ann in a vision saw them on the way, and that on their arrival at Niskenna they were met at the door with the words "Welcome here, we were expecting you. Mother saw you some days ago and told us to prepare for you."
On the 7th of September the party left New York, and on the suc- ceeding Sabbath reached Portland.
The following are the names of those that made the journey :
Robert McFarland,
Dora Abigail Thoms,
Barnabas Bangs,
Lydia Freeman,
Nathan Freeman, Sen.,
Barbara Brown,
Samuel Brown,
Nory Hatch,
Moses Hanscome,
Catherine Bangs,
Nathaniel Stevens,
Betty Cotton,
Ezekiel Hatch,
Hannah Whitney,
James Merrill, Sen.,
Betty Stevens,
Nathan Merrill,
Molly Merrill,
Solomon Twombly, Gowen Wilson, Enoch Waite, Thomas Bangs,
Raichael Merrill,
Molly Wilson,
Hannah Starbird.
The most important convert to Shakerism, made in Gorham, was Barnabas Bangs, who owned a large tract of land. This land, when Mr. Bangs joined the Society, became the common property of the Family. The story is, that Mr. Bangs was in the habit of taking a daily allowance of grog. To this expense the Society objected. Mr. Bangs then threatened to withdraw from the Shakers; but was unable to get back his land. He, however, finally obtained his allow- ance, and concluded to remain in the Family.
The Shakers a few years after their organization here split up, and most of the Family moved to Alfred. Some remained in town, and settled, and had a village on Mr. Bangs's land, which is where Frank
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Merrill now lives, where they remained many years; but they made little addition to their numbers, and finally disposed of their property and removed to Poland, where the Family now lives.
Of the buildings which formed their village, Rev. Asa Rand, a'cting for the Congregational Society, and Capt. Robert Mclellan purchased one and about the year 1819 hauled it to Gorham Village. Mr. Rand placed his half of this building on South St., just south of the burying ground, and made it into a Conference House. Capt. Mclellan con- verted his half into the dwelling house, situated just north of the old church, and lately owned by Mrs. Marcia Parkhurst. About 1826, the old Conference House was moved on to the new road to Sacca- rappa, and altered into the dwelling house occupied by the late Geo. Jewett. The house on High St. in which Alfred Bailey and his sister live was also one of the Shaker houses. There still remain in the old neighborhood three of the original buildings, the small house, formerly occupied by Ichabod Leighton, and the large ones, in one of which the late Andrew Twombly lived, and the other of which is occupied by Frank Merrill. In the Merrill house is still to be seen, in one of the upper back rooms, the marks in the floor worn by the feet of the Shakers in their dances.
The Gorham family of Shakers possessed a grist mill of their own, for grinding their corn. It was situated in what is now Frank Hopkin- son's pasture on "Tommy's brook," not far from where it empties Little River.
The following is a specimen of the early Shaker songs :
" Come Life Etarnal ! Come Life Etarnal !
Shake, shake out of me All that is carnal ! All thatis carnal !
" I'll take nimble steps, I'll be a David !
I'll tell as much as twice How he behaved ! How he behaved !"
The first Friends (or Quakers, as they are usually called) in this country, came to America about the middle of the 17th century, from England, where they originated not many years before. At this time, in Massachusetts, the Quakers were designated as a religious sect " who were foes to forms, fashions, oaths, parish taxes, wars, and the dictates of magistracy ; - believing the outer and inner man should 'be yea, yea, and nay, nay.'" A law was passed in 1677, which rendered the mere attendance upon a Quaker-meeting a misdemeanor, punishable by a fine.
The first meeting held for worship by the Friends, in Maine, was at Newichawanic (York Co.), in December, 1662. This, however,
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HISTORY OF GORHAM.
was only a transient meeting; the first permanent meeting being held at what is now Eliot, in the year 1730. In 1743 a meeting for worship was established in Falmouth. Under date of May 6, 1779, Parson Deane of Falmouth says, "Continental fast. Four Quakers at our meeting - sat with hats on, all the forenoon service, and then harangued."
Previous to the year 1696 the Friends held meetings for worship on the first day of the week only, but in that year they established four kinds of meetings, known as Preparative, Monthly, Quarterly and Yearly. The Monthly meetings were for the transaction of business, such as certifying membership, approbating marriages, pro- viding for their poor, disciplining members, etc. The Quarterly meetings were composed of two or more Monthly meetings, to hear and determine any appeals from the latter, while the Yearly meeting, composed of several Quarterly meetings, heard appeals, made laws and looked out for the general interests of the whole body.
The first Quarterly meeting of Friends, held in Maine after being set off from the Salem Quarterly meetings, occurred on the 4th of 12 month (December) 1794. It was held in the town of Durham.
The first meeting of this sect in Gorham, of which we have any record, was held in June, 1777, at a dwelling house, by David Sands, who probably did more than any other man to plant this denomina- tion in Maine. There was, however, a small society in Windham previous to this date. As was the case with the Baptists and Shak- ers, the Quakers owed the formation of their Society, or at least owed a large number of their members, to the New Light excitement, already mentioned. Among these members were George Hamblen and his family, William Burton, Jedediah Cobb and his son William, Stephen Harris, James Bangs, Decker Phinney and others. Their meetings, for some years, were held at the houses of different mem- bers of the Society, until, in 1804, it was decided to build a meeting house. This house was erected during the following year at a cost of three hundred dollars. It was located on land which belonged to Jedediah Cobb, in what is called the Horton District, not far from the farm now owned by Isaac L. Johnson, and stood near the maple trees, on the western side of the road, nearly opposite where the schoolhouse lately stood. It was a small, plain building, about thirty feet square, and with ten-foot posts. At the end of the audience room were situated what were called " facing seats," where only the ministers and elders sat. These seats were raised, and so placed that their occupants faced the door and the congregation. The congrega-
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tion was divided by the aisle, the men sitting on the right and the women on the left.
Preparative meetings were established quite early in Gorham. They were held on the 4th day of the week, before the third 5th day of the week in each month. As early as the 28th day of 7th month, 1815, the Preparative meeting of Gorham sent delegates - who were John Hamblen and Wm. Harris - to the Windham Monthly meeting. This Windham Monthly meeting was first held on Ist month, 29th day, 1803 ; and to it the Gorham Society sent their delegates, and on its records the minutes of the Gorham meetings were inserted.
Gorham Friends held religious services twice each week, Sundays and Wednesdays, beginning at 11 o'clock and lasting for an hour and a half, with no evening services, except on special occasions. One of the principles of the Quaker religion is that women, equally with men, shall "know, possess and perform their offices and services in the house of God," and take part in all the affairs of the Church. It is not surprising, therefore, that we find a woman, Mary Barker of Nan- tucket, the first minister coming from a distance to conduct a service in the new meeting house at Gorham. This was in 1807. Strangers frequently preached in this little house, one of whom is said to have foretold the death of two young men, Stephen P. Mayberry and John Elder, who on the 10th of June, 1824, were drowned in Little River, near Harding's Bridge, by falling from a raft.
About 1849, the Society, having become much reduced in numbers, through the death, and removals from the neighborhood, of many of its members, decided to merge itself with the Windham Society, which it accordingly did, and sold its meeting house, which was moved to Little Falls, and converted into a dwelling house on Brackett St., at present occupied by Mrs. Samuel Rand.
CHAPTER XI.
EDUCATION.
TOWN SCHOOLS - GORHAM ACADEMY AND SEMINARY - NORMAL SCHOOL.
In granting townships for settlement, either as bounty lands to sol- diers, or otherwise, in early times, the General Court of Massachu- setts held the grantees to conform in all things to the laws relating to education and schools. Having in mind the well-being of the rising generation, the cause of religion and education were the first things for consideration when a new settlement was to be made. All grants were made with the express condition that one share of the town- ship so granted should be set off for schools. The laws in relation to schools, about the year 1700, - and we can find no material alteration for many years after the settlement of our town - appear to us of the present day somewhat curious, when we read from the " Act Respecting Schools, Section 1 ; It being one chief project of Satan to keep man from the knowledge of the Scriptures, as in former times keeping them in unknown tongues * *; to the end that learning may not be buried in the graves of our forefathers, in the church and commonwealth, the Lord assisting our endeavors ; It is therefore ordered by this Court and authority thereof that every township within this jurisdiction, after the Lord has increased them to the number of fifty householders, shall then forthwith appoint one within their town to teach all such children, as shall resort to him, to write and read. The instruction to be paid by the parents or by the inhabitants in general, as a major part of those that order the pru- dential concerns of the town shall appoint. The teacher shall be Orthodox and no Minister of any town shall be deemed, or held accepted to be Schoolmaster of such town. That no person shall presume to set up, or keep, a school for teaching children in reading, writing, or other sciences, but such as are of sober and good conver- sation, and have the allowance of the Selectmen. When this town has one hundred householders, or more, there shall be kept a gram- mar school, whose teacher shall have the approbation of the minister of the town." These laws and regulations were to be observed under penalty of a fine.
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At a meeting of the Proprietors of Gorhamtown, held at the house of Mr. William Pote in said town, Sept. 9, 1743, it was " Voted, that there be a right allowed by this proprietary, for the use of the school, that is, to help to the maintenance of a school in said town; said right to be No. 123, and that the Committee chosen to lay out a hun- dred acres to the Minister, and Ministerial lot be also empowered to lay out one hundred acres for the use of the Schools." This appears to have been a good start for the cause of education in the town, but unfortunately, the vote seems to have been the last of it. After this we find no allusion to the subject for some time. This right, No. 123, was not entered on the plan of the thirty acre lots, nor was it recognized in the after divisions of the hundred or the seventy acre lots.
On the 22d day of March, 1753, the Proprietors passed a vote that the right numbered 106 be appropriated for schools. This right, or the thirty acre lot belonging thereto, is the Col. Edmund Phinney homestead, on the old road to Portland; and the hundred acre lot drawn to this thirty is 85, and the seventy acre lot is 112. This vote was eleven and a half years previous to the incorporation of the town. The right may have been sold, and the proceeds used for the school in the plantation, but there is no record that we can find, other than that it was taxed to Capt. John Phinney in 1762, to help raise Mr. Lombard's salary, and to build bridges and repair roads.
From the first settlement of the township to the time of its incor- poration, we have no record, and but little of tradition, informing us of schools kept in the plantation, but as there was about thirty years of time we must believe that the children were not allowed to grow up without some instruction. During this time a learned orthodox minister had been settled, and well supported; and a large number of settlers had come in, amongst whom were some men well-educated for the times, who knew the worth of education. Tradition says that while in the fort the younger children were instructed by some of the older boys, and that the latter had a fixed salary per week for their work, which was paid in mink and muskrat skins ; and it is said that one of the females, while in the fort during the Indian war, used to take the children into a room, and keep them out of mischief, teach- ing the boys to read and spell, and the girls to sew and knit.
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