USA > Maine > York County > Kennebunkport > History of Kennebunk Port, from its first discovery by Bartholomew Gosnold, May 14, 1602, to A. D. 1837 > Part 19
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As the entrance of the harbor is narrow, strangers ought not to attempt to enter it in the night. Near the entrance is a bad rock, called Old Prince, on which a buoy was placed in 1834. Cape Porpoise is a group of islands. That portion of it called the neck, below the house built by Mr. Prentice, is surrounded at spring tides ; and even the part beyond the causeway, near where the old meeting house stood, is surrounded in very high tides. On the eastern part of the cape is a small harbor called Stage Harbor.
At Cape Porpoise were the earliest settlements made in town. It was for more than a century after its first incorporation, the wealthiest and most populous part of the town. The neck of land on which Clem- ent Huff now lives, was called Huff's neck ; and the one where Capt. Eben. Perkins resided, Vaughan's neck. The cove between them was called Clay cove,
* If the orthography of one of the early town clerks could be relied upon, it might be supposed it received its name from the cir- cumstance of its having rabbit or coney burrows in its banks. frequently spelt it ' Coney bunck ' or ' Coney Banck.'
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the one on the eastern side of Huff's neck, Long cove, and Back cove was known as Stepping-stone creek.
Batson's river is a little to the eastward of the cape. It is never used for a harbor, but it is sufficiently deep for small fishing craft. There were mills on this river before 1680; and Gregory Jeffery and others settled near it at a very early period. It was formerly called Little river.
Little river, which was called Eastern or Northern river on the early county records, and which separates this town from Biddeford, is a small stream ; but ves- sels of 200 tons burthen have been built there. Scad- lock, Howell and others, settled there in 1630.
There are no ponds of any magnitude in the town, the only ones being Brimstone pond at the head of the town, and Great pond, formerly called Kennebunk pond, near the sea. There are two curious rocks on the sea shore, between Kennebunk point and Cleaves's cove, called the bouncing and spouting rocks. The bouncing rock is a small cavern, into which the water rushes at half tide with a tremendous noise. In the spouting rock is a small aperture, at the extremity of which is an opening, through which, when the sea is rough, the spray is thrown to a great height.
There are no hills of any note in the town, Mount Scargo or Scargery is the highest, and is seen some distance at sea. There are no plains, but the face of the country is moderately uneven. There is not much swampy or waste land. Button-wood swamp, which is near the village, and probably others, abound in peat. The town is well wooded both with pine and hard wood. Springs abound in all parts of the town, and there is a salt spring near the head of the town, about nine miles from the sea. The soil at the south east part of the town is rocky, but affords abundance of valuable building stone. The salt marshes here are also very valuable.
In other parts of the town it is clayey, and grass is produced abundantly. The best farming lands are at the northwest part of the town. The land laid out to John Miller, William Thomas and William Barton, in 1681, at the 'Desert Marshes,' are the first grants found on record in this part of the town. There were
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no settlers above Saco road till about 1750, when Tin- othy Hodsdon, Joshua Nason, and Isaac Burnham removed there.
By the census just taken by order of the Legislature for apportioning the surplus revenue, there were on the first of March 501 families in the town, 309 persons under the age of 4, 1102 between 4 and 21, and 1317 over 21,-total 2729, being thirty-four less than in 1830.
Within the limits of the Village Corporation, are 116 families, 586 inhabitants, more than one hundred dwelling houses, three meeting houses, having a vestry belonging to each, three school houses, a custom house, post office, observatory, seven retail stores, two public houses and two livery stables.
The congregational meeting house is a" handsome building, with a steeple more than 100 feet high, a clock, bell and a good organ. The Rev. Levi Smith preaches in this house. The number of communicants of this church is 150. The methodist meeting house, which was built in 1835, is a very neat building with a belfry. The Rev. Nathan D. George is the present circuit preacher. The number of communicants is 116. The free meeting house is now occupied by the second baptist society, whose present preacher is the Rev. Clark Sibley. There are 87 members belonging to this church. Two of the school houses are of brick, and are under one roof. It is a handsome building with a belfry and bell. The school house and custom house are the only brick buildings in the town. The dwelling houses in the village are of wood, and mostly two stories high. The village is compactly built, but it never has been visited by a fire. There is but one fire engine belonging to the corporation.
There are four wharves extending to the channel of the river, besides the short ones and the piers built by government. There are three public schools kept in the village six months in the year, one male and two female. The whole number of children of age to attend these schools is 246. Besides the public schools, there are usually one or more private female schools kept through the year, and a man's school during the winter. This village is connected in business with a village in Ken- nebunk, and united with it by a draw bridge. In the
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Kennebunk village* are three wharves, a meeting house of the christian society, a school house, a public house, and three retail stores.
There are three other houses of public worship, be- sides those in the village ;- the old congregational meeting house, now occupied by a portion of the first parish ; the methodist meeting house on Saco road which was built in 1719; and the meeting house of the first baptist society, which is not at present occupied.+ The methodist church on Saco road consists of 91 members. They have preaching one half of the time. The Rev. John Clough is the present circuit preacher.} There are but six members belonging to the Union So- ciety and they have no house, but have preaching half the time.
Besides these religious denominations, there are in-
"The principal village in Kennebunk is four miles from the port.
tMr. Day was dismissed about 1827, since which time the first baptist society have had no regular meetings, and the society now scarcely exists.
#As from the frequent changes of the Methodist circuit preach- ers, less notice has been taken of this denomination of christians in the course of this work than of others, the following brief ac- count of the growth of methodism may not be uninteresting.
The society was first formed in 1729, by John Wesley and three others. In 1736, Methodism was introduced into this country by John and Charles Wesley. John remained in America more than a year. The first society was formed in New York, in 1766; and the first conference holden at Philadelphia in 1773. In 1791, a class was formed in Lynn, Mass. by Elder Jesse Lee of Virginia, who afterwards travelled into Maine and preached the first meth- odist sermon in the State, September 10th, at Saco. He soon after formed the first circuit in Maine, called the Readfield circuit. The second circuit was formed at Portland ; and the first quarterly meeting was holden at Poland in 1795. In 1797, Maine, which had heretofore belonged to the Boston District, was formed into a district by itself. In 1802 the name of the Portland circuit, which embraced the western part of Maine, was changed to that of Fal- mouth circuit. In 1806, Maine was divided into two districts, Portland and Kennebec. The first class was formed in Kennebunk- port in 1814 by Elder Leonard Bennet. In 1815 Falmouth circuit was called Buxton circuit. In 1820 the Arundel circuit was formed, comprising Arundel, Lyman, Hollis, and Biddeford ; and Ebenezer Lombard was the local, and James Jaques the travelling preacher. Since 1820 other circuits have been taken from the Arundel or Kennebunk-port circuit; and it now includes but little more than the town.
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dividuals belonging to the Freewill Baptist, Christian, Unitarian and Universalist societies, who attend meet- ings in neighboring towns.
The town is divided into thirteen school districts ; and there are 1102 school children.
There are about 80 miles of public road within the limits of the town. There are also 15 or 20 bridges and a large number of expensive causeways wholly supported by the town, besides eight bridges over Ken- nebunk and Little rivers, two with draws, partly main- tained at the cost of the town. The average amount of the highway tax for the last ten years, has been about $3000, one tenth of which was cash and nine tenths labor. The amount of school money raised yearly, is $1200, which a little exceeds the sum requir- ed by law, besides the town's share of the bank tax, which is $218. The yearly expense for the poor is $550. There were, on the first of March, but two in- dividuals wholly supported by the town. There is no state tax at present, and the county tax of the town is $612. The whole amount of money raised the present year is $6,800.
The town is not only free from debt, but there are nearly a thousand dollars unappropriated in the treas- ury, beside the town's share of the surplus revenue, a- mounting to about $8000. This sum, by a vote of the town, is to be loaned to individuals of the town at six per cent. in sums not exceeding $500. The income arising from it is unappropriated.
The present amount of registered, licensed, and en- rolled tonnage belonging to this district, is about 9000 tons. The amount of duties paid at the custom house in 1835, was only $2,021, being a smaller sum by two thirds than has ever been collected in any other year since the district was established. The amount in 1836 was $6,997. The whole amount of duties collected in the district since 1800, is about $1,200,000 ; and the amount paid by citizens of the district in other ports, would at least equal this sum. The duty on articles imported being about equal to one third their worth, the value of goods subject to duty, imported by mer- chants of this port in thirty-four years, amount to more than $7,000,000. The amount of free goods, or arti-
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cles on which no duty was collected, and cash, would probably swell the amount to nearly $12,000,000.
The business of Kennebunk-port has not yet fully recovered from the shock given it in 1829 and 1830 ; but there is evidently an increasing spirit of enterprise which will undoubtedly overcome this lethargy. Real estate and rents have advanced at least one third from the rates of 1830, and there is a confidence that they will approach nearer their intrinsic worth.
The larger part of the navigation of the port is in freighting ships, there being only five or six vessels trading regularly to the West Indies. The freighting vessels from this river, have without an exception, pro- cured good freights this season ; and those trading to the West Indies are doing a fair business. There are two ships and one brig, about 1100 tons, now building on the river. Five or six packets and coasters run reg- ularly between this port and Boston. The articles shipped to the West Indies, New Orleans and other southern ports, New York and Boston, are boards, hoops, shooks, staves, casks, ship timber, fish, leather, hay, potatoes, wood, rough and dressed granite, bricks, &c.
Fishing business has been gradually increasing, and there is now a larger amount invested in it, than at any former period. A fishing company is just formed with a capital of $20,000. The business of Cape Porpoise is principally fishing. This ancient village is situated on a good harbor, which is probably exceeded by none of its size for this employment. For several years it has increased in wealth and population more rapidly perhaps than any other part of the town ;- and it is to be hoped that its prosperity may equal the present in- dustry of its inhabitants, and the local advantages of their harbor.
Not only are commerce and fishery prosperous, but agriculture is also in a flourishing condition. Since the lumber business has in a great measure ceased, on account of the scarcity of timber, farmers have paid more attention to cultivating their farms, and have found a ready market for their surplus produce, in the village and in the neighboring manufacturing towns.
In consequence of the limited demand for building
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materials in New York, the principal market for the stone of this town, there is but little doing by the differ- ent quarrying associations ; but there is scarcely a doubt that a profitable business will be done by them, when the present general pressure is taken from business.
The United States Quarry,-so called because the stone for the government piers was taken from it,-is owned by a company incorporated by the name of the " Maine Quarrying Association." This company have a capital of $350,000, divided into two thousand shares, one thousand of which belong to the association as a corporate body. Their officers are Jolin Neal, Daniel Winslow, and Mason Greenwood, Managers ; Nathan- iel Mitchell, Treasurer ; William Cutter, Clerk. According to the published report of the Managers, the affairs of this company are in a flourishing condition, and they have a large amount of stone on their wharf ready for shipping.
The " Kennebunk Port Granite and Railroad Com- pany" are incorporated with a capital of $200,000. The officers are, Daniel W. Lord, President ; Robert Towne, Secretary ; Jacob Mitchell, Treasurer. This company have shipped a large quantity of dressed stone.
The " New York City and Kennebunk Port Granite Company" were incorporated the last session of the Legislature, but have not yet organized.
The " Kennebunk Granite Company" were also in- corporated the last session of the Legislature, but have not organized. They have however quarried a large amount of stone.
Besides these four incorporated companies, several others have been formed, some of which have commen- ced operations.
There is but little difference in the quality of the stone belonging to these companies, and the sup- ply is inexhaustible. It is extremely hard, and was first worked at an advance of fifteen per cent. above the Quincy stone ; but owing to its tenacity and tough- ness, it is now worked by those accustomed to it, at the same rate of the Hallowell, or ten per cent. less than the Quincy .* Professor Cleaveland, of Brunswick,
*Report of the Managers of the Maine Quarrying Association.
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says " its texture is uncommonly firm ;" and adds, that " different granites possess very different powers of resisting injury from sudden heat and cooling. In this respect also, I found the Kennebunk granite superior to many others. I examined it by heating the specimens to 750 degrees or 800 degrees of Farenheit, and then suddenly projecting cold water upon them. Other specimens of sienite and granite employed as building stones, suffered much when subjected to similar trials." Dr. Jackson, Geologist to the State of Maine, also speaks highly of this stone.
The inhabitants of Kennebunk-port have not been backward in promoting the religious, moral and benev- olent institutions of the day. The " Temperance Society" was formed in 1831 and has now 777 members. The " Seaman's Friend Society" was formed 1833, and has monthly meetings. Besides these, there are many other associations, such as abound in all our towns and villages. By vote of the town, there have been no licenses granted for selling ardent spirits, for several years. For the nature of their employment, the in- habitants of this town have generally been remarkable for their sobriety. In their habits they have been fru- gal,-even perhaps to a fault, particularly in their public expenditures. They do not yet take sufficient interest in public schools, many individuals neglecting to avail themselves of this opportunity to educate their children ; and the compensation allowed to instructors, in some districts, being insufficient to induce suitable persons to take charge of their schools. The first na- tive of the town who received a collegiate education, graduated in 1823; and since that time two others have received a public education .*
Very few professional men have ever resided in the town. The first physician that lived in the place was Dr. Thacher Goddard, who came here in 1786, and
*Jonas Burnham, now the Precepter of Bridgeton Academy, graduated at Brunswick in 1823; Charles A. Lord, now of New York, merchant, in 1826; and Horatio N. Perkins, Esq. of Boston, in 1828. George Wheelwright, jr. born at Kennebunkport, but now a citizen of Bangor, graduates the present year ; and Geo. Jefferds in 1838. Edward Smith, who belonged to the Sophomore class, died in 1836.
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remained but two years. No other one resided in the town till 1810, when Dr. Langdon commenced prac- tice. There are now two physicians residing in the town.
S. P. S. Thatcher, Esq. attempted to practice law here during the last war, and John R. Adams, Esq. sev- eral years afterwards, but the business of the town would not support a lawyer. Kennebunk-port has al- ways been dependant upon Saco and Kennebunk for legal aid ; and for medical assistance till within a few years.
Although the town has been settled more than 200 years, and incorporated 184 years, and for the last twenty five years been one of the wealthiest towns in the state, yet the only person belonging to it, who ever filled any public office,-except a few inspectors in the Custom House, and the post masters of the town,-was a county commissioner, whose compensation was in- sufficient to pay the expenses of the office. The present officers of the customs are Barnabas Palmer, Collector, -who succeeded George Wheelwright in 1829,-whose annual compensation is $286 ; Joshua Herrick, Depu- ty Collector, $650; Eliphalet Perkins, jr. inspector, weigher and guager, $600 ; Elisha S. Goodwin, inspec- tor at Cape Porpoise, $450; and Joseph Wilson, in- spector at Wells, $320.
Oliver Bourne, who succeeded James D. Downing, is the present Post-Master at the village, and Edmund Currier, jr. of the North Kennebunk-port post office.
At present there are three public houses in Kenne- bunk-port, two of which are in the village. The village being four* miles below the post road, there is but little travelling through it ; and for several years since 1728, there was no public house kept there. The mail is brought down twice daily from the Kennebunk post office.
The people of this town having always done less but- siness than their means would warrant, do not feel the present pressure in the money market only incidentally in the suspension of the demand for building materials.
*The distance from Wells to Saco, through the village of Ken- nebunk-port, is less than two miles further, than by the post road.
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Upon the whole, the present prospect of the town is very encouraging, and it may reasonably be hoped that it may again rank with the wealthy towns of the state. That it may do so, mainly depends upon the rising generation. If they rightly improve the su- perior advantages they now enjoy for acquiring a good education, with correct conduct and a proper degree of energy, the town may again become,-if not compara- tively so wealthy as it has been,-yet a place of more note than it is at present.
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CHAPTER XI.
[NOTE. ALTHOUGH the following brief notices of the earlier settlers of this town, after it took the name of Arundel, are be- lieved to be essentially correct, yet on account of the almost total want of records of births and marriages, they must ne- cessarily be imperfect. The materials have been collected with great care and labor from the Genealogical Register of John Farmer, Folsom's History of Saco and Biddeford, and other town histories; from the Massachusetts, county, town, proprietors, and family records ; from Mr. Hovey's journal and other private papers ; and by personal enquiry, from persons of this and other towns. For the genealogy of the families of his name, and several connected with them by marriage, the com- piler is indebted to H. N. Perkins, Esq. of Boston ; and to B. Palmer, Esq. of Kennebunk, for the list of the soldiers of the revolution, and for many facts relative to that event.
It was not at first intended to notice any families that have become residents since the revolutionary war, and the accounts of them, having been hastily collected, are less full than they otherwise would have been. The names of many persons who remained here but a short time, have been purposely omitted, and probably several unintentionally. The births and mar- riages were brought down to the present generation, but on account of the great increase of matter, they were suppressed. For the same reason, many family and revolutionary anec- dotes, that were collected, have been withheld.
The names are placed Alphabetically, for the convenience of finding them, without regard to priority of citizenship. At the close of the chapter, are lists of the revolutionary soldiers, the representatives, and the town clerks.]
e ABBOT, SILAS, came from Scarborough to Arundel before the revolutionary war, and joined the continental army. His first wife was Anes Hutchins, whose chil- dren were Benjamin and Anes. His second wife was Lydia Cluff, whose children were Stephen, Martha, Enoch, Betsey, Lydia, Mary and Electa.
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e ACCERMAN, STEPHEN, had a grant of land in 1720, but it is not known how long he remained in the town.
ADAMS, JOSEPII, came to this town from Kittery about 1740. His wife was Dorothy Dearing. He had three sons, John, James, and William ; and three daughters, Sarah, m .* Mr. Stevens and Aaron Gray ; Susan, Mr. Gray, Joseph Hill and Mr. Johnson ; and Mary, Sanı- uel Benson.
1. John married Sarah Larrabee, whose children were Dorothy, m. Robert W. Benson ; Elizabeth, Ben- jamin Goodwin and David Rumery ; Sarah, Pierce Murphy ; Lydia, Daniel Goodwin ; Benjamin, Sarah Thomas ; and Hannah, Bartholomew Goodwin.
2. James married Lydia Benson. His children were, James, m. Betsey Tarbox and Lydia Benson ; Hannah, William Maxwell ; Phebe, Alexander Lewis and West- brook Berry ; Joseph, Priscilla Jeffery ; Henry ; Lydia, m. William Hopping ; two that died young ; and John, m. Lydia Stone.
3. William died in the army.
e ADAMS, JOHN R. a lawyer, came from Boston about 1821. He resided here but a short time, and removed to Lowell.
e ALLTIMES, JOHN, was one of the first settlers on Saco road in 1728. He lived near where the present school- house is. He died Oct. 10, 1750, after twelve months sickness. He left two sons, John and William, who resided near the same place, and a daughter Lucy. They all moved eastward. A daughter of John jr. Frances, married Ephraim Thompson.
ANDERSON, SAMUEL, a mariner, came from Virginia about 1803. He married Sally Denico.
ANDREWS, JOHN, came from Chebacco, (Essex) in 1783. His father, deacon John Andrews, died with a cancer in 1750. His wife was Susan Chote.
e ASPINWALL, WILLIAM, a mariner, came to this town about 1800, and married Sarah Gorman. He died at sea.
AVERILL, JOSEPH, Samuel, Stephen and Job, were
e The families of persons to whose names the letter e is prefixed, have either removed from the town, become extinct, or have no lineal male descendants residing in the town.
*The letter m. is an abbreviation for marriage.
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brothers, and came to this town from Kittery soon after it was resettled in 1714. Job left no children.
1. Joseph married Jane McLellen. Seven of their children died with the throat distemper in 1735. Four survived, Joseph, who married Hannah Watson ; Jane, Hugh McLellen ; Margaret, Mr. Hodge ; and Molly, Mr. Clark. The children of Joseph jr. were Shadrach, who married Hannah Smith; Sarah, David Boothby ; Joseph, who had three wives, Mary Stone, Martha Ty- ler, and Polly Haley ; Jane, who died young ; Samuel, who died at sea ; Stephen (crazy ;) William, who mar- ried Susan Boothby, and subsequently Mary Wecks ; Hannah, Ebenezer Huff ; and John, who married Cath- arine Kimball.
2. Samuel was cast away at Mount Desert in 1747, and drowned. His wife was Ruth Watson. Four of their children died young, and three were married. Ruth to James Huff; Eunice to Jesse Dorman ; and Mary to Joseph Bickford.
3. Stephen's children were Phebe, m. Nicholas Weeks; Rebecca, m. in the country ; Sarah, m. a Mr. Maddox; and Samuel, and another boy died young. Mr. Hovey speaks of a Jacob Averill, a joiner, who lived here in 1747.
C AYER, GEORGE, lived at Saco road about 1760. He married Susannah Weeks, and moved east.
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