USA > Maine > Cumberland County > Gorham > History of Gorham, Me. > Part 30
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After the monument was procured it was set by the northeast corner of Capt. Robie's store (now Dea. Ridlon's) ; from that place it was moved across the street to near the old Hatch store (since burned, situated about where Mr. Simon E. Mclellan's garden spot is, south of his house). After a time it was moved back to its former location by Capt. Robie's store ; and from here it was moved to the corner of the Congregational church platform. In 1886, at the time of the celebration of the one hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the settlement of the town, it was removed to its present location.
The inscription on the monument is as follows :
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HISTORY OF GORHAM.
On the West Side.
" Gorham is one of the seven townships granted by Gen. Court in the year 1732, to the Narragansett settlers. On a division of the property among the original grantees, this town was assigned to Capt. John Gorham and one hundred and nineteen others, and was then called Narragansett, No. 7."
North Side.
"Capt. John Phinney commenced the first settlement in this town May, 1736. This event celebrated May 26, 1836, May 26, 1886."
South Side.
" This town was incorporated by the name of Gorham, Oct. 30, 1764."
East Side.
" This monument was erected by direction and at the expense of this town, May 6, 1805. Placed upon its present base, May 26, 1886."
Notwithstanding the very large amount of tomatoes now used in town, the day of the introduction of this vegetable is not very far back. And I will state the fact that probably the first, or nearly so, of the raising of tomatoes in Maine, was in Gorham. In the year 1820, the family of the Rev. Timothy Hilliard, then living on the Madam Tyng place, so called, in Gorham, raised a quantity of what were then called " Love Apples." Some of the family brought an old-fashioned champagne-basket full of them to the village for sale. No one knew what they were, or how they were to be eaten, whether raw or cooked. They were handsome, every one admitted, but none loved them. They were an entirely new article in the vegetable mar- ket for this region of the country. They were left at the store for sale. A few were purchased at a cent each, as curiosities for the children ; the remainder rotted and were thrown into the street. The seed, or plants, were sent to the Hilliard family, from the Botanic Gardens in Cambridge, by their uncle Mr. Peck, Professor of Botany in Harvard College, and were highly recommended as a vegetable not to be neglected by the healthy, wealthy or wise. But like many other good things, the people's taste had to be educated, before their good qualities were duly appreciated.
Many of us remember the old Pound at Gorham village. Follow- ing is the vote on record in relation thereto. At a town meeting held in the schoolhouse at Gorham corner on the first day of April, 1805:
" Voted, That a Stone Pound be built at the Corner, and that it be set on the South east corner of the Burying Ground, and that it be built thirty feet wide and thirty five feet long, and that the Sum
305
FIRE ENGINES.
of one hundred and fifty dollars be raised to defray the expense thereof. That the Selectmen be a Committee to let out and Super- intend the building of said pound."
The pound was built of stone, and was about thirty feet square on the inside. The walls were two feet in thickness, and were six feet high. Around the top was run a timber, one foot square, sawed diagonally. A heavy barred gate, five feet in height, and four and one-half feet in width, was set in a stout frame. It was hung by making the joist, which formed one of the side pieces, longer than the gate itself, and rounded at the ends. Holes were then cut in the sill and cap-piece, into which these rounded ends fitted, thus making the hinge. Field-drivers drove into the pound whatever stray cattle they found, and the poundkeeper turned the key on them. The owner was obliged to pay a fine before he could recover his missing property ; the poundkeeper receiving so much a head for the cattle thus impounded. In 1840, the town voted to discontinue the pound at the village, and to dispose of the rocks.
The first we find in Gorham in relation to fire engines was in 1812. It appears that a subscription was started for the purchase of an engine, and at a town meeting it was voted "to raise the sum of two hundred dollars, for the purpose of aiding these persons that have subscribed for the purchase of an engine, for the use of said subscribers, and the town." At a meeting held subsequently, and called expressly for that purpose, this vote was reconsidered. Public enthusiasm, however, ran high, and in spite of the withdrawal of the town's offer of aid, enough money was subscribed to purchase an engine. This was an ordinary wooden "tub," with hand brakes, which worked by being pushed forward and back. The hose, which was about five or six feet in length, rose from the middle of the machine. After using this engine for many years, the citizens, about 1848, held a meeting and decided to purchase a new engine. The Hon. James Mann was appointed to procure one ; but when bought it did not prove satisfactory, being large and clumsy, and requiring the strength of some sixty men to manipulate it. On occount of this fact, another meeting of the citizens was held, and it was voted to dispose of this machine. Liberal subscriptions were then made, and the engine which has been in use until the introduction of the water system in our village was procured. This.engine was a new one and has done excellent service in its day.
The old machine was taken out for a frolic by a party of youngsters, and destroyed by some irate Irishmen.
CHAPTER XVII.
FIRES IN GORHAM.
1745. About this time a small grist mill on Little River, above Fort Hill, was burned by the Indians.
1745. At this time the Indians also burned the first little log meeting house of the settlers, situated near Fort Hill.
1766, Oct. 25. Mr. Elisha Cobb's house was burned. This house was situated on the northern side of the Flaggy Meadow road, about one half-mile from the village.
1774, Jan. 15. The house of Capt. Daniel Eldridge, situated westerly from where Col. Colman Harding recently lived, was burned. This fire was on one of the coldest nights of the winter. There were no neighbors within half a mile. The family, consisting of sixteen persons, were all in bed when the fire was discovered. The light was seen from Flaggy Meadow road, where some dozen or more men started for the scene. As there was no road broken through the woods, and the snow deep, they had to form in Indian file, and make their way as best they could. When they arrived, the house was entirely consumed. The family were found in the barn, some of them nearly naked, and frost-bitten, having saved scarcely an article of any kind. The rescuers immediately divested themselves of every article they could spare, divided them amongst the sufferers, wrapped up the children as well as they could, took on their backs all that could not well travel, and carried them through the woods to the house of Mr. Zephaniah Harding (where the late Mr. Chas. Whitney has since lived), where the sufferers were kindly cared for by their friends and neighbors. One of Mr. Eldridge's children, a boy about eight years of age, was burned up in the house. Capt. Eldridge often made ballads and songs, famous for singing at huskings and social gatherings about town. He made a very pathetic one in relation to the loss of his house, death of his son, and the sufferings of his family on this night.
1780. About this time a two-story dwelling house being built by Dr. Jeremiah Barker, nearly opposite where the house of Mrs. Rufus Mosher now stands, was burned while the Doctor and the workmen were at dinner. Another house was immediately built around the
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FIRES IN GORHAM.
standing chimney : afterwards moved and called the David Elder house. It was hauled across the fields back of Mr. Coburn's build- ings to its present location. (See Dec. 21, 1889.)
1798, June. Andrew Cobb's house, situated on the hundred acre lot 38, was burned on a Sunday in this month, while the men were at a Free Will Baptist Convention, and the women at home cooking dinner.
1802. About this time the Fickett house situated on land lately owned by James Larrabee, nearly opposite the house on the farm of William M. Dyer, was burned.
1805, Sept. 5. Mr. Joseph Cressey's two-story house, with barn and outbuildings, standing on Flaggy Meadow road where the late Samuel Cressey lived, together with a two-story store on the opposite corner, five buildings in all, were burned.
1807, June. The dwelling house of Madam Elizabeth Tyng was burned on a Sabbath afternoon. It was a nice mansion, situated on the northerly side of the old road to Saccarappa. This house was built by Madam Ross, the widow of Alexander Ross, Esq., dur- ing the Revolution, or before the year 1781. On the decease of Mrs. Ross, it went to her daughter, Madam Tyng and her husband Col. William Tyng. It stood on the spot where the present house on the old Tyng place now stands. When burned it was occupied by Mrs. Tyng and the family of the Rev. Timothy Hilliard, who married the niece of Madam Tyng.
J808, April. Samuel Elder's two-story dwelling house, situated on the southerly side of the old road to Portland, three-fourths of a mile from the village, was burned.
1808, June. The house and buildings of Thomas Bangs, situated on lot 88, on Queen street, were burned on a Sunday morning. This was about the time Mr. Bangs's wife and some of his family had joined the Shakers. It was intimated to him that this was a judgment sent upon him for his obstinacy, and opposition to the brethren. He soon after joined the Family, and carried with him a large property, and moved with them to Poland where he died.
1812. Samuel Mclellan lost by fire his joiner's shop, situated back of his dwelling house.
1813, Aug. 29. Willard Buttrick's fulling and clothing mill, situated on Blenham's falls, Little River, above Fort Hill, some twenty rods below the bridge, burned.
1820 or 1821. David Mains's house and barn at Great Falls were burned; situated where the schoolhouse now stands.
308
HISTORY OF GORHAM.
1825, June 3. Dr. Dudley Folsom's nice dwelling house, stable and outbuildings, on South St. at Gorham village, where the house of Mrs. Tolford now stands, were all burned on the night of the 3d. It was supposed to have been fired by their negro girl, in revenge for some fancied injury. The present house was mostly built for the Doctor by his friends and neighbors. It was framed and raised by a grand turn-out of the citizens of the town on the 4th of July, 1825, when a handsome and substantial collation was furnished, and served by the young ladies of the village.
1826, Feb. 21. William Ashley's barn was burned by carelessness, while " smoking " a sick horse.
1827. About this time Mrs. Martha Nason, widow of Samuel, who was the son of Uriah Nason, the first, had her house and barn burned.
1834. Schoolhouse in District No. 9, White Rock, which stood on the corner where the last house stood, was burned ; also the school- house at Horse Beef, which stood where Perry Stevens' house now (1875) stands.
1834. On the same night that the schoolhouses were burned, the barn of Mr. B. R. Sturgis, on the Elkanah Harding farm ; the barn of Everett Wescott, and the barn of Isaac Richardson, at Winship's corner, were burned.
1836, Dec. David Mclellan's house on the cross-road by Water- house's. This house was built by Mr. William Mclellan in 1782.
1840. Peter Whitney's mills on Little River, above Fort Hill, burned.
1841, April 20. Jeremiah Lord's house, store and barn were burned at the south part of the town.
1841, Nov. 29. William Cotton's house and buildings, standing on his farm above West Gorham, where he lived, were burned.
1842. Daniel Broad's shop was burned. It stood at the junction of the old and new roads to Portland.
1842, Sept. 9. Silas Libby, in the south part of the town, had two barns destroyed by lightning.
1843. Solomon Libby's buildings were burned; situated on Horse Meadow road, so called, near where the late Reuben Bangs lived.
1843. Samuel R. Clement had a barn burned at West Gorham.
1844, June 26. Robert Lowrey's house and carpet factory were burned at Gorham village.
1844, Oct. II. John Watson's store at West Gorham was burned.
RESIDENCE OF MRS. J. G. TOLFORD.
309
FIRES IN GORHAM.
1845. Simon Elder's workshop, on the old Portland road, oppo- site his house, was burned.
1845, May 2. Old Longfellow store, so called, on the corner of South and Main Sts., was burned. It was occupied below as a store by Mr. Jones ; above by the Farmers' and Mechanics' Fire Insurance office ; Dr. S. W. Baker, secretary. This building was built by Mr. Daniel Cressey for a store about the year 1795. It stood on the spot where the brick store owned by F. H. Emery now stands.
1845 (?), June 6. Capt. Joshua Swett's house and buildings, at Little Falls.
1845, June. Col. William B. Freeman's grist and saw mill on Little River, above Fort Hill.
1846, Aug. 15. Dea. Nahum Chadbourn's building, situated on the Parish lot, near the Congregational meeting house, occupied below as a harness-maker's shop, and above as lawyers' offices, was burned ; also the David Harding store, occupied by Russell Linnell as a store ; the old Hatch store, built by Capt. Ebenezer Hatch about 1810, and occupied by Mrs. Bangs as a fancy goods store ; the Eben Preble store, owned by Charles Hunt, Esq., and unoccupied ; Stevens Smith's jeweller's and watchmaker's shop. Mr. Joseph Hunt's hatter's shop was burned at the same time with the foregoing five buildings. Here many old-fashioned and fantastically shaped hats came to light, and not a bareheaded boy could be found in the village for many a day after this fire.
1847, Sept. 3. Aaron Clark's house on Fort Hill was burned. Known as the James Phinney house. It stood where Samuel Roberts lately lived.
1848, April 26. Joseph Cressey's two-story house, on the road to Standish, was burned.
1848, Dec. 12. Israel Harmon had a building burned in the north part of the town.
1850. Thomas Phinney's barn at the village was burned. Occu- pied by Charles C. Bangs.
1850, Dec. The Congregational Church took fire, and was some- what damaged. It came near being a serious fire.
1851, Nov. Arthur M. Drown's shop at West Gorham was burned.
1853. Henry Broad's barn was burned this spring, on the old Parson Jewett place. Lost a horse, two cows, hog, carriage and farming tools.
1854, June 13. Berry's shoe-shop at White Rock. Capt. John Sturgis was badly burned at this fire, and died in about twelve hours
310
HISTORY OF GORHAM.
in consequence. His son was also very badly burned at the same time.
1854, July I. William Cotton's buildings were damaged by fire.
1856, Nov. The Cotton Factory at Little Falls. This factory was built by the Cumberland Manufacturing Company in 1824 : after- wards owned by the Casco Company.
1857, Aug. 12. Schoolhouse in Dist. No. 4 ("Fogg District ") was burned ; also schoolhouse in District No. 5, West Gorham, the same night.
Mr. Prescott's dwelling house at North Gorham, near Esq. Hodg- don's, was burned.
Schoolhouse in District No. 15, near where Isaiah Nason lives, was burned.
1858, May II. William P. Sturgis lost a blacksmith's shop by fire at West Gorham.
1859, Mar. 9. Old Yellow Shop, so called, owned by Mrs. Mary J. Lewis and others, on the northerly corner of Main and School Sts., Gorham village. This store was built by Mr. Samuel Prentiss about the year 1784, and occupied by him for many years. After he left it, it had many occupants, and was used for various purposes. Becoming badly dilapidated, it finally went up. Many a jolly shine has been cut up in this old building, eyes blacked and noses flattened, in days when it was thought no sin to drink rum, and fun to get drunk on flip, toddy and punch.
I do not think our old citizens took much time to study into the right or wrong of a case when they went into a muss. Sometime before the War of 1812, one of our national vessels came into Port- land, where several of her crew deserted, and found their way into the " old yellow shop," where an officer and four men, sent from the ship in pursuit, found them drinking with a crowd of citizens, who were listening to their recital of their wrongs and injuries. The officer and his men were invited to drink, which they did. When this was over, the officer told his business, and ordered the deserters to return with him, which they refused to do; the crowd sympathiz- ing with the deserters. A general arming took place from a pile of hogshead staves at the door, and a free fight came off. If heads were not broken, it was no fault of the heads. It was said that some blood ran. The officer fired his pistol into the crowd, but no one was hit. He was immediately knocked down and disarmed, and his men surrendered. After the victory the victors did not know exactly what to do with the prisoners. They were, however, liberated
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FIRES IN GORHAM.
on condition that they would make tracks for Portland as fast as boots would let them. And the deserters were hurried off the other way, amidst the shouts of the conquerors and of all the boys in the . village. No one ever knew what the officer reported on his return to his ship.
1859, May II. Augustus J. Stackpole had a loss by fire.
1859, July 12, and Dec. 3. Gorham Female Seminary damaged by fire.
1859, July 31. Daniel Davis had a store burned at the north part of the town.
1859. John F. Smith's shoe shop at Little Falls was burned about this time.
1860, Mar. 12. Charles H. Sykes's shop was burned, situated on the ground where the Methodist Church now stands. Occupied by the Misses Lowrey, milliners.
1860, Nov. 9. Jacob C. Baker's barn, at the entrance of the Gray road, was burned.
1860. Samuel R. Clement's old mill house, near Stephenson's bridge, burned about this time.
1861, Mar. 31. William Johnson's barn, on the old Jacob Ham- blen place.
1861, April 23. Mrs. Mary Tyler's barn, on the place now owned by Willis I. Bickford, was burned.
1861, Dec. 7. Charles B. Cotton's store, near the Standish line, North Gorham, was burned.
1864, Jan. The Free Baptist meeting house, at Little Falls, was burned.
1864, Feb. 20. Ichabod W. Leighton's store burned at Little Falls.
1864, June 4. Mrs. Lucy Emery's house and buildings burned. Formerly owned by Oliver Hanson, near Standish.
Barnabas Cannell's house and barn burned at Great Falls. 1865, Jan. 2. Alfred Libby's buildings at Great Falls.
1865, Jan. 15. Col. James Larrabee's house and barn burned. This was on the strip taken from Scarborough.
1865, Feb. 28. A. A. Waterhouse, and others, partial loss by fire, at Little Falls.
1865, Aug. Charles H. Cressey : the Mann barn, on southerly side of road, burned about this time.
1866, Nov. Harris Barnes's barn burned, on the old McDougall farm.
1869, July 5. Stephen Anderson's house, barn and workshop were burned at Great Falls.
312
HISTORY OF GORHAM.
1869, Nov. Stephen Hinkley & Co.'s tannery buildings, at Gorham village, caught fire near the engine house on Nov. 12, 1869, but by great exertion a total conflagration of the establishment was prevented. On the 14th day of the same month and. year, the prin- cipal building again took fire, at about half past eight in the evening, when the establishment was totally consumed, excepting the office, which with the Hinkley dwelling house and stable, was saved only with great difficulty. Loss about thirty thousand dollars. Insured for about twenty-one thousand dollars. This was the largest fire ever known in town, notwithstanding that a large amount of property was saved in hides, bark and unfinished leather.
1870, Jan. 21. Gorham Fruit Preserving Company's iron build- ing was burned at Gorham village.
1870, Feb. 4. Rev. Charles Cressey's house and barn, on the Mann farm, so called.
1871, May 15. Gorham corn-packing house was totally consumed. This building was originally Irish's tannery, then the carpet factory, and finally a corn-packing factory.
1871, May 18. Henry B. Johnson's brick hotel was burned. This house was built by Maj. Farnham in 1805, and recently owned and occupied by Gen. James Irish. The fire communicated to several neighboring houses, but little damage was done to them. Thaddeus P. Irish's new house now stands on the spot at Gorham village.
1871, Aug. 13. Col. William B. Freeman's house, barn and out- buildings, on his farm above Fort Hill, were burned.
1871, Oct. 18. Charles Osborne's house was burned; it stood where his new house now stands. It was formerly the William Paine house. The family were at dinner ; the fire made such rapid progress that nothing was saved.
1871, Dec. Goff & Plummer's dry-house, a little above Great Falls. The loss was five thousand dollars.
1872, Mar. 26. John Lindsay's shop at Great Falls.
1872, Nov. 8. Edward P. Weston's barn was burned, on the John Harding farm, so called, at Gorham village.
1873, July 4. White's Mills, so called; chair factory, boarding house; including grist and saw mill, with the Great Falls bridge. Most of this property was in Windham.
1873, Sept. 21. John Lindsay's store burned at Great Falls. Occupied by Jeremiah Parker, Esq., as a clothing-shop.
-- George D. Beck's store at depot, White Rock Station.
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FIRES IN GORHAM.
1874, Mar. 23. John Lindsay's two-story store at Great Falls. Store stood near the end of the Canal bridge, and was occupied by Chamberlain & Seeley as a store.
1874, July 11. Clinton D. W. Shaw's house and barn burned, near Great Falls.
1874, Sept. 8. Enoch Mayberry's house at Great Falls.
- Joseph Plummer's store, at the north part of the town, near the house of Caleb Hodgdon, Esq.
1875, Jan. 9. Col. Frederick Robie lost a row of tenement houses, standing on the northerly side of the old burying ground at Gorham village, occupied by Mr. Flaherty, Mr. Whitmore and Mrs. Cochran. These buildings were old settlers, and have a history. The first building was probably built by Capt. Cary Mclellan, on the easterly side of the road, and used by him and others as a store, soon after the Revolution. The second was originally a potash house, built on the Bryant Morton lot, - more recently known as the Longfellow lot- and was afterwards used as a pottery for the manufacturing of brown earthern ware, such as cups and saucers, pots, milk-pans, bowls and pitchers. After the close of the Revolution imported ware was scarce and high, and people were compelled to use coarse articles. The writer can remember when brown earthern table-ware, such as cups and saucers, bowls, pitchers and plates were in use, and an article of sale in the stores. The other building was, as long ago as the year 1808, an old cooper shop, standing on the easterly side of the road, in front of the (now) new schoolhouse. The first two of these buildings were moved across the road, placed near the burying ground, facing the street, and used by Mr. David McLellan as a soap factory, in the days when brown bar soap was quite an article of manufacture in Gorham, at which time there were three of these factories in the village doing a good business. The old store was used for a drying house, and the other for a boiling house. In this there were two large kettles, set with big wooden curbs, that would hold several hogsheads of soap. When the property came into the hands of Capt. Robie, these buildings were moved back, and faced to the north, on to the line of the burying yard. The old cooper shop was taken across the street, and joined on to the west- erly end of the row, and all converted into tenement houses.
These buildings, at this time, stood on a court that ran from South St., westerly. State St. was not then open. The old hay scales were moved into this court, and there was a large barn standing beyond the burying yard, where Mr. Winship's blacksmith
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HISTORY OF GORHAM.
shop now stands. The hay scales were built by Isaac Gilkey, and at that time, and for many years afterwards, stood in the street, opposite the new school house, reaching nearly half way across the street. These scales were a curiously constructed machine. I cannot liken them to anything now about, but will describe them as nearly as I can. Their general appearance was that of a sort of open shed, under which the loads to be weighed were driven. From the under side of the roof was suspended a horizontal bar, the principle of whose working was precisely that of a pair of old-fashioned steel- yards. From the short end of the lever hung two chains, one of which was attached to each of the clumsy wooden hubs of the great wheels. (It must be borne in mind that the ox-carts then in
Old Hay Scales
use, were all of the old-fashioned two-wheeled variety.) Heavy weights were then placed in the scale-pan, which was suspended from the long arm of the bar : in this way the load was weighed; the cart when balanced being lifted bodily clear of the ground.
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