USA > Maine > Franklin County > Industry > History of Industry, Maine : from the first settlement in 1791 > Part 2
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"Given at Head Quarters the eighth day of June, 1783.
G. WASHINGTON.
"By his Excellency's command : - J. TRUMBULL, JR.
"Registered in the Books of the Regt.
"The above Tristram Daggett, Soldier, has been honored with a badge
"of merit for five years faithful service. J. BROOKS,
Lt. Col. Commanding 7th Mass. Reg."
This document he bequeathed to me and is now in a frame as a pic- ture in my possession,
Mr. Daggett was one of the original purchasers of the township of New Vineyard, purchased by subscribers for single lots and drew his hundred acres in the first range adjoining the Lowell strip cast of the New Vineyard mountains, and was the first to commence operations for a settlement in that quarter of the township. In June 1791 he procured a back load of provisions at the settlement at the river, now Farming- ton, and went to the gore by the path and there got Mr. Collins to pilot him up the mountain a mile to the town line which had then been newly run and plainly marked by spotted trees with the corners of the lots marked and numbered on the line. Thence he proceeded "afoot and alone" with his pack on his back and his axe in his hand noticing the numbers of the lots from No. 13 to his lot No. 6, the corner of which he found in a swamp, but on following the check line a short distance he came to good land, made a temporary camp near a good spring of pure water which issued from the mountain, covered his small camp with spruce bark, prepared a bed on the ground with a coat of hemlock boughs with small twigs in the room of feathers, so that he could crawl into his camp to sleep and be protected from the rain. He commenced cutting down the trees in order to make a farm, and soon made an open- ing of five or six acres. He often said he never enjoyed himself better in his life than while thus employed ; that he slept more comfortably in his rude camp than others conld in beds of down who lived in idleness. and quenched his thirst from the spring with a better relish than any epicure ever enjoyed over the choicest wine. None but those who have endured fatigue and thirst in the woods cau form an idea of the delicious treat that a spring of clear water in such places affords. No water in open fields where the sun shines upon it bears any comparison to that found in the woods in a spring issuing from a hill. Mr. Daggett built him a log house and moved into it the next year, where he lived three
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HISTORY OF INDUSTRY.
years and then sold his new farm to Charles Luce and moved to the head of the pond on the Lowell strip now Industry.
Charles Luce, Levi Butler, Asa Merry, Henry Norton and several others commenced settlements in New Vineyard near Mr. Daggett's the same year that he did, and Herbert Boardman, Henry Butler and sons, Joseph Smith and sons, Nathan Daggett, Samuel Daggett. Benjamin Benson and others, the following year.
They cleared a path in which they could pass with a horse sled from Henry Norton's by Charles Luce's to David Merry's and thence through the notch of the mountains to Daniel Luce's (afterwards called the Flint place) and to the settlements on the Gore. This was all the road they had for three years to get out to the older settlements. In 1792 a path was made from the centre of the Gore along the top of the ridge or easterly of it by what is now the Titcomb place to the river and in 1792 another branch was made through the westerly part of the Gore along by the Allen place and intersected the other at the Titcomb place then owned by Peter Norton, Sen. By these routes all the back set- tlers went to mill during several years, and many had to carry their grists on their shoulders in summer and on hand sled in the winter.
The business of going to mill in this way, ten or twelve miles, was one of the hardest of the tasks of new settlers, I know by experience. When a boy of fourteen [ often went to Starling's mill five miles, and once to Wilton, ten miles, with a half bushel of corn on my shoulder.
Tristram Daggett often passed our camp in 1792-3 with a bush- el on his shoulder, or two bushels on a hand sled, a common load ; Simpson White was noted for carrying the largest loads, and I often saw him with a bushel and a half on his back, which he carried fifteen miles to mill.
Mr. Daggett, with his hand sled, was on one occasion overtaken by a boy ou herseback who lived with us coming from mill, and prevailed on the boy to let the horse drag his sled, procured a long wythe, fastened one end to the sled and tied the other end to the horse's tail, took his cane to steer with and hold back going down hill, mounted his sled and was dragged several millsy' The owner of the horse scolded them for abusing the horse. Mr. Daggett being a sailor as well as soldier, made his excuse that he was tired and out of wind, and thought the horse who had better wind "could take him in tow as well as not." "That he did not mean to abuse the horse." He well an honest well meaning man worked hard as long as he was able to work, made a good farm by the pond, which he sold to David Imce. Sen., settled on a lot near by and then on a small lot near West's Mill. He was severely afflicted with sickness in his family many years. His wife was always feeble. She and two of his children after long sickness, died. He was so fortunate as to be placed on the pension list under the Net of !als then under Act
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of 1828, and at last under the Act of 1832, which last he received as long as long as he lived. He married the widow of Sprowell Norton, and in his old age moved to the town of Parkman, where he died, aged nearly ninety years. Mr, Daggett's case is stated in detail as a speci- men of the hardships of early settlers.
In 1794, Ansel Norton purchased the farm of John Oakes and lived on it till he died in 1810.
In 1795 David Davis became a permanent settler on the west part of the Gore. He sustained a good reputation and was possessed of a good property. Ilis family were much respected as good citizens.
In 1792 Daniel Luce, a peaccable, well disposed man, settled in New Vineyard on a lot adjoining the Gore and in 1796 he and his son-in-law Benjamin Cottle. removed to the Lowell strip. He was a pious man as well as his large family, and all united with the different churches in the place. Three or four joined the Congregational Church, Deacon Cottle, a son-in-law and his wife, and Rowland Luce, son of Daniel, were Baptists and one or two daughters were Methodists.
A new road being ent out from Daniel Collins' to Herbert Boardman's Mr. B. moved his family from the river settlement in Dec. 1795 with his furniture on an ox sled, being the first ox team that passed over this road to the north of Mr. Collins. L. in company with a brother, on our way to James Mantor's, who lived a mile or more beyond Mr. Boardman's place, with a package for the relief of Mr. Mantor, who and one of his daughters were dangerously sick, on the route overtook Esq. Boardman with his team moving at a slow pace, the snow being a foot deep with no track and the road extremely rough. We followed along with him that we might have the benefit of the track. In passing the steep side hill, a wing of the mountain south of Butler's Corner, the rigging by which the load was secured gave way and let off part of it, and two or three barrels went bounding down the hill among the bushes. Esy. B. in his excitement exclaimed, "There they go, Isaac and Josh ! Topsey "Turvey !" much to our amusement. After some delay, he re- covered his stray barrels, readjusted his load with our assistance, and near night arrived at his log house, From that place we found the track broken out, and before dark arrived at. Mr. Mantor's and found him in the last stages of the disease which terminated his life in a few days. His daughter Polly died also soon after. He expressed his gratitude for the kindness of his friends and thanked us for bringing him a little wine and a few articles that could not be obtained in the neigh- borhood. We stayed there that night and returned the next day.
"To remnnerate my father for some of the articles which he had pro- cured of Capt. West who then lived on the Rolle place in Farmington, Mir. Mantor's eldest sont. Benjamin Mantor, assisted my father in cut- ting down two acres of trees for Capt. Wert, on the mill lot the next year. 1796 ..
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HISTOSY OF INDUSTRY.
Mr. Boardman was the son of the Rev. Andrew Boardman of Chil- mark, Martha's Vineyard, was a blacksmith by trade, and during the latter part of his life was a worthy magistrate, a successful farmer and a good citizen. Ile married a daughter of David Merry of the Vine- yard who was esteemed as one of the best of housewives, industrions, in- telligent and pious. No one in town was more respected as long as she lived, and her memory is held in kind remembrance. They were worthy members of the Methodist Church. Their honse which was well furnish- ed was burnt near the close of their lives with all its contents. They had three sons, the oldest died at the age of twenty-one, ummarried, the second son married Mrs. Hobbs and died young, leaving two child- ren, his widow afterwards married James Davis, now of Starks. Both these sons were esteemed as very promising young men. A third son is living in Farmington, an enterprising and prosperous trader. They had one daughter, Catherine, who married Richard Fassett.
In 1798 Capt. Peter West built a house on the mill lot and moved his family into it. Ile was an eccentric man, possessed of more than common intellect, a carpenter by trade, married a daughter of Hon. Shubael Cottle, a worthy woman of Tisbury, Martha's Vineyard. He came from the Vineyard to Sandy river in 1791, settled first on the Tobey place which he sold and moved on to the Rolfe farm now Parker's and in 1796 moved to ITallowell, where he built a small vessel which he named Bonaparte, in honor of Napoleon, and thence moved to In- dustry, where he built mills, ever since called West's Mills. He was a passionate restless man and when excited seemed almost insane. Two of his children, John and Hannah were decidedly insane, also a grand danghter. ITe had three other sons who were respectable members of society. Two of them, Shubael and William settled at Hallowell .-- His youngest son, Peter, inherited the homestead and owned the mills and was a successful trader many years, was killed by a fall from his wagon. Capt. West had four other daughters, one married Israel But- ler, one Benjamin Mantor, one Abraham HI. Willis and one Heury Mantor, all were esteemed for their good qualities as was also the wife of Peter, who was a sister to Israel Butler, and raised np large families esteemed for their intelligence and talents. The grand sons of Capt. West have always been among the most active business members of the community. One grandson has been County Commissioner and County Treasurer. One has been Town Clerk twenty-six years in succession .- Others in different respectable town offices, Representatives and other places of honor and trust.
Capt. West, among other foibles, believed in witchcraft. When he built his saw mill there was some defect in the machinery and the saw did not run true. He thought the mill saw bewitched, and told me he had no doubt of it. .. But he said he drove the old hag off by threatening her with a horse shoe," and marked with chalk the form of a horse shoe on the gate of the saw.
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He was continually on the move and failed to acquire a large estate ; but was reputed to be worth more than any other man in town when he settled there in 1798, being called worth eight hundred dollars, but lost all by a injudic- ious contract for wild land made with Francis C. Lowell, and in his last days was reduced to the verge of bankruptcy. He received a small pension which helped to support him in his last years. His wife was a worthy woman, a daugh- ter of Judge Cottle of Tisbury.
In 1795 Samuel Crompton an Englishman, settled on the lot adjoining New Sharon, Thomas Johnson and sons and Zoe Withee near Withee's Corner, 1796 Natha'l Willard and sons at Thomp- son's Corner, and Joseph Badger also settled near Starks line, and Archelaus Luce on the north side of Bannock Hill. In 1798 he sold to Jonathan Knowlton, Jr. and settled on the Davis lot. In the fall of 1796, Capt. William Allen took possession of three lots near the outlet of the pond, and I cut down the first tree on what is called Allen's hill, in Oct. of that year. The next year we cut eight acres, built a log house and on the last day of April, 1798 moved into it from Farmington, where we lived nearly six years. There was then no house or clearing within two miles in any direction and no road for that distance. Jonathan Bunker from Nan- tucket, a rope maker, moved in on the road east of Bannock Hill in 1797 where he lived fifteen years and then removed to the far west. He was a member of the Congregational Church and a good citizen. Capt. John Thompson moy- ed from Vienna the same year and in 1798
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James Thompson from Norridgewock, both formerly from New Hampshire, William Ladd and John Stevens from Mount Vernon, James Eveleth from Wiscasset, James Winslow a carpenter and Alvin Hawes from Farmington, Atkins Ellis from Harwick and Ben- jamin Burgess from Martha's Vineyard in 1799. In 1800 Joseph, Ephraim and Samnel Moody and John Goodrich from Shapleigh, John Marshall & Sons., from Lewiston, and David Maxwell and Benjamin Jewett from Wells. James Winslow from Farmington, was a good citizen, and was worth abont $600 when he came here in 1799.
The first settlers in Industry on the patent were Joseph Taylor and Peter Witham in 1792, on that part set off to New Sharon, also a- bont the same time Nathaniel Chapman who was a Revolutionary soldier, who removed to Kingfield where he was placed on the pen- sion list and died. The ten last named were all very poor; Mr. Marshall was a carpenter and had four sons the most of whom ac_ quired a good standing in society ; one was a Colonel of a regiment, and one, namely Alfred, became a Brigadier General and was Rep- resentative in Congress and held other offices of honor and trust, they all left the place after a few years.
ORGANIZATION OF A MILITARY COMPANY.
In the winter of 1799, the number of families in the settlements which now composed a part of the towns. of Industry the whole of Mercer and part of Smithfield, a tract of territory near twenty miles in extent, was abont forty. Representation was made to head-quar- ters by ardent patriots of adjoining towns, and military officers who wished to extend their jurisdiction, and some of our settlers devoterl to rum and idleness, that the number on these plantations was suf- ficient to form a company in the militia ; and thereupon orders were issued for a choice of officers and John Thompson was chosen Cap- tain, Ambrose Arnold of the river settlement, Lientenant, and Jabez Norton, Jr., Ensign. At a meeting for the choice of these officers, my father proposed the name of Industry for the military territory which was adopted by the company, and when the westerly portion of the territory was incorporated it retained the name.
When the company was called ont on the first Tuesday of May 1799 for training, I was designated by Capt. Thompson to distribute the orders. The spring was cold and nuusually backward, and the snow was more than two feet deep in the woods and no road in any direct course from one settlement to the other. After spending one day to go to see the Captain personally, it took me a full day to go
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from my father's by way of Farmington Village, Farmington Falls, over Cape Cod hill in New Sharon, to Lieutenant Arnold's, a dis- tance of twenty-four miles, and another day to get home. On the fifth of May the snow was so deep as to be impassable where there was no track, but with snow shoes. Some went on snow shoes, I followed the only track to get from home to the place of training near Withee's corner, by going first north to Hinkley's corner, then east to Thompsom's corner, and then south to Withee's being four times the distance in a direct line, where there was no path.
When the company met for inspection the whole number wass less than forty ; ragged, rude and undiciplined, a considerable portion in- temperate in their habits and too poor to equip themselves. Not one fourth part were equiped. The visionary project of organizing the company was extremely oppressive to those liable to do duty and the inhabitants at large. The time spent was worse than lost and no benefit was derived from our military trainings. The price of pow- der was a dollar a pound at Hallowell, and the cost of furnishing powder for town stock and to be used at musters exceeded all our other money taxes for several years to say nothing about the cost of rum. All in these times were in the habit of drinking on public occasions, especially at military trainings, and many of course would drink to excess. Nothing short of an over-ruling providence pre- vented the then rising generation from becoming drunkards. Not- witlistanding the unfavorable circumstances which attended the first settlement in this town, a religious element was in operation in the community and a goodly number of the early settlers became pious 'The first military officers were all professors of religion. Capt' Thompson was a zealous local preacher ; Lient. Arnold was a mem- ber of the Baptist church in good and regular standing and much res- pected ; Ensign Norton was a methodist, esteemed for his prudence, industry and piety.
At the first training Capt. Thompson kneeled down on the snow before his company and made a fervant prayer commending his men to the protection of Almighty God, and eutreated for wisdom and discretion in the performance of his duties.
At the first general mnster at Farmington, one of the Farmington companies took offense at the posting of the companies in the line, thought the company degraded by being assigned a lower position than they were entitled to ; on a concerted signal, mutibied withont a word being said and left the field. Capt Thompson being extreme- ly ardent and patriotic in all his movements, immediately tendered his services to the Field Officers to go with his Fulstaff company and bring back the deserters with force and arms; but more prudent
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councils prevailed, and the General and Field Officers after a long parley prevailed on the deserters to come back and take their place. There was so much time spent, however, in adjusting the matter, that the line was not formed and inspected and the men treated till the day was nearly spent and all were tired and disorderly.
When all things were arranged for the maneanvers of the day, the word of command was given "to form column on the right." One of the captains being deaf could not hear from a distance, enquired of his orderly sergeant "Look, what did the Col. say?" Look replied "to the right about face, dismissed." The Captain gave the word ac- cordingly and away went his men with a shont. Here then was another case that required skill and explanation to restore order.
At length order was in some measure restored and the rations be- ing all consumod the regiment was dismissed and but little benefit derived ; but few left the field any wiser than they came and many were manifestly worse for the days indulgence : which was the re- sult, generally, so long as all were inclined to drink who attended mnster for more than thirty years. Even after the temperance ref_ ormation had made good improvement in the habits of the commun- ity, rum and military musters continued to be inseparably connected, and if reports be true, many of our army officers were a disgrace to our nation by their habits of intoxication which unfited them for duty .
STATE AND COUNTY TAXES.
To increase our troubles, a State Tax was laid on the Plantation of Industry in 1802, of $44, also a county tax to near the same amount . The Sheriff was directed to serve the warrants on some principal inhabitant who was able to pay the amount if he did not cause the tax to be duly assessed. He passed through both parts of the plantation and told me he could not find any such principal inhabitant, and con- cluded to leave the warrants with me. I had been of age but one year, had no estate except the produce of some burnt land, and a remnant of a few months wages left after purchasing a suit of clothes ; for fear of the consequences of neglecting my duty, after due inquiry I procured a warrant from a Justice of the Peace for calling a plan- tation meeting, and Nahum Baldwin was chosen Clerk and first as- sessor, and Luther Burr and myself the other assessors; Samuel Hinkley was chosen Treasurer, and a plautatiou tax was raised to pay for powder for muster and for other expenses.
The meeting was holden at Lieut. Arnold's at the river settlement and all the officers, except myself, were chosen from that settlement. The next year the voters in the back settlement out-mimbered the
n
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others and chose all the officers in their section although none in that section were so well qualified to do business as Mr. Baldwin, who was dropped.
On taking the valuation in 1802, no settler had any title to real es- tate, and Peter Daggett was the only settler in the back settlement who had a house ; all others lived in log cabins ; his house cost him $300.
At the Plantation meeting on the first Monday in April 1803, the inhabitants for the first time gave in their votes for Governor, all for Caleb Strong, except three, who voted for Gerry, (these voters not knowing the christian name of Mr. Gerry) and the return was made accordingly. The next year our Republicans, as the supporters of Mr. Gerry were called, were seasonably furnished with the Argus which had then been established as a Republican paper, were then, as ever after, prepared to give their votes according to order, and had a leading majority for forty years of about two to one except one year. The other party was for many years known as federalists .- In 1806, Strong had 15, and Sullivan 33 votes.
INCORPORATION OF THE TOWN.
In the winter of 1803 at, the request of James Thompson, our plantation Clerk, and others, I prepared a petition to the General Conrt for an act of incorporation of that part of the plantation lying west of Starks in which we ascertained there were more than fifty ratable polls and stated our valnation as 24 to twenty compared with the other part or 6-11 of the whole plantation according to the val- nation in 1800. An order of notice was obtained and published, and on the 20th day of June 1803, the town was incorporated and bound- ed, west by the Vineyard gore, north by New Vineyard, east by Starks and a line running south from S. W. corner of Starks half a mile to New Sharon, south-west by New Sharon and by a line from the north point of New Sharon and running north to the N.E. corner of the Vineyard gore. These lines have all been altered since by seven separate acts of the Legislature. Samuel Prescott Esq. of New Sharon was authorized to call the first town meeting which was holden at the dwelling house of William Allen, in October 1809 when James Thompson was choson Moderator; William Allen, Town Clerk ; William Allen, Jr., Capt. Peter West, Daniel Luce, Select- men, Assessors and Overseers of the Poor ; John Thompson, Town Treasurer.
The law then required all over sixteen years of age to pay a poll tax and a specific sum to be set to each. poll, which by the role of
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law put more than half of the tax on the polls, in this town, which bore severely on poor men who had several boys liable to pay a poll tax. No one was qualified to vote unless he paid two thirds as much tax for his estate as was set to his poll. By this rule there were but seven legal voters in town affairs in 1805 in the whole town ; -- four of whom claiming to be republicans constituted a majority and did all the business and clected all the town officers, from their own party. Complaints being made the rule for assessing taxes was al- tered by the Legislature, first so that but one third part of the tax should be set to the polls and minors were exempted ; afterwards one fifth then one sixth part was to be set to the polls and in no case, not more than one dollar of any money tax was allowed to be set to the polls, and the residue to be set to the estates. And by the con- stitution and laws of this State, all persons residing in any town three months prior to any election or town-meeting (except paupers and Indians not taxed) are allowed to vote. In 1864 provision was made to set one sixth part of cach tax on the polls, but not more than two dollars.
MILLS, ROADS, &c.,
Henry Norton built a grist mill on a small stream in 1799, he had to carry his provisions and part of his mill irons on his shoulder through the woods and over the mountain nearly six miles. He car- ried out potatoes for his men to cat from Abner Norton's when they were finishing his mill, following a spotted line over the mountain .- The mill proved to be useless for want of water and for want of suitable gear.
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