History of Penobscot County, Maine; with illustrations and biographical sketches, Part 105

Author: Williams, Chase & Co., Cleveland (Ohio)
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Cleveland, Williams, Chase & Co.
Number of Pages: 1100

USA > Maine > Penobscot County > History of Penobscot County, Maine; with illustrations and biographical sketches > Part 105

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Frederick E. Nute is a son of Israel and Hannah Nute. Israel Nute was a native of Milton, New Hamp-

shire, and Mrs. Nute (nee Fish) was born in Wakefield, New Hampshire. They had six children, four sons and two daughters, viz : John F., now of Franklinville, New Jersey ; Frederick E .; Deborah, deceased wife of Asa Bither, formerly of Lincoln; George H., now in Pennsylvania ; Hannah A., wife of Milton Hunt- ress, now of Michigan ; Charles W., died in the army. I. Nute died in 1835 at Milton, New Hamp- shire, and Mrs. Nute died in Saginaw in 1876. Fred- erick E. Nute was born June 24, 1821, in Milton, New Hampshire, and spent his boyhood on the farm. On be- coming of age he engaged in the business of house car- penter, having learned the trade during his minority. At the age of seventeen, and before he learned his trade, he came to Lincoln. He followed this business until the fall of 1850, when he went to California, where he re- mained until 1855, engaged in mining and ranching. In 1855 he came back to Lincoln, where he has since lived. He followed his trade three years, when he went into the mercantile business with his brother John, in which he continued until 1878, though not with his brother, when he went to farming, in which he is now engaged. He married for his first wife Eunice Heald, by whom he has four children : Israel H., now of Springfield; Jane L., now Mrs. Chapman, of Chicago, Illinois ; Frederick E., deceased ; John A., also deceased. Mrs. Nute died in 1851, on her way to California, and was buried on the island of St. Catharine's. Mr. Nute married for his sec- ond wife Laura A. Ingersoll, by whom he had four chil- dren, three of whom are living, viz : Charles A., now in Michigan ; Carrie May ; Ida M., deceased ; Frederick W., at home. Mr. Nute lost his second wife in 1865, and married for his third wife Mrs. Betsey H. Richard- son, with whom he is now living. They have two chil- dren, viz : Afa A. and Carrie. Mr. Nute has been Dep- uty Sheriff of this county nine years; he held the office of United States Deputy Collector also for three years; he was Inspector of Customs of the Bangor District about five years, and has also held several of the town offices.

Stockbridge Lindsey is a son of George and Ruth Lindsey, formerly of Vermont. In 1830 he came to Chester from Vermont, and lived there some ten or twelve years before moving to Lincoln. He lived about one mile above the village of Lincoln until 1867, when he moved to the place where Stockbridge Lindsey now lives. George Lindsey had six children, viz : George W., now in Anoka, Minnesota ; Stockbridge ; Carrie E., wife of Ira Hammond, of Lincoln ; Julia M., now Mrs. E. B. Hammond, of Lincoln ; Angelia, wife of P. McClure, of St. Francis, Minnesota ; and Thomas, now in Minnesota. Stockbridge Lindsey was born September 11, 1834. He married Sarah Heald, of Chester, daughter of Jackson Heald. They have no children. George Lindsey died in 1872. Mrs. Lindsey is still living with her son Stock- bridge.

Dr. Charles Fuller, of Lincoln, is a son of Timothy and Deborah E. Fuller, of Dedham, Massachusetts. Timothy and Deborah Fuller had six sons, five of whom are still living - Horace B., of Newtonville, Massachusetts;

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HISTORY OF PENOBSCOT COUNTY, MAINE

George, of Lincoln; Charles; Frank H., of New York; Edward T., of Lincoln. They lost one in infancy. Dr. Charles Fuller is the third son living of this family. He was born in Lincoln June 19, 1843, and attended school at Greenwood, Massachusetts, from the time he was eleven until about fifteen. He came from there to Lin- coln and attended the academy about two years, when he went to Antioch College, Ohio, where he remained one year, when he returned to Maine and entered Bow- doin College at Brunswick, in 1861, and gradu- ated in 1865. He then went to Meadville, Pennsyl- vania, and served as tutor in the Meadville Theological Seminary one year. In 1867 he entered the Medical Department of Bowdoin College, from which he was graduated in 1869. In the spring of 1870 he went to Hampden, Maine, where he opened an office and prac- ticed until June, 1873, when he removed to Lincoln, where he has since lived in the practice of his profession. He married Charlotte W. Rice, daughter of John M. Rice, of Hampden. They have four children now liv- ing-Herbert L., Louis N., Timothy, and Catharine R. They lost two in early life, He was appointed United States Examining Surgeon in 1875, which position he still holds.

Joseph Keef, of Lincoln, is a son of Thomas and Jane Keef, of St. John, New Brunswick. Joseph Keef had six children, five sons and one daughter-James, de- ceased; John, now of St. John; William, also living in St. John; Michael, now of Howard City, Michigan; Margaret A., wife of John Sanders, of St. John; and Joseph. Mr. Keef died in 1877, and Mrs. Keef in 1876. Joseph Keef was born June 4, 1821. He spent his early life on the farm in St. John, where he lived until he was twenty-two, when he went to Hanson, Kennebec county, Maine, where he remained two years. In 1844 he came to Lincoln and worked until about 1845, when he bought the farm where he now lives. He has always followed the business of farming. He married Susan Hutchinson, daughter of David Hutchinson, of Lincoln. They have had fourteen children, of whom nine are now living. The names of the living are George, David H., Joseph, in Washington Territory; Charles F., of Lincoln; Leslie, at home; Eddie, at home; Bertrand, Alma, and Ralph.

Moses B. Hersey is a son of Samuel and Eunice Hersey (nee Bradbury). Samuel and Eunice Hersey had six children, five sons and one daughter-William R., deceased, one of the first settlers in Lincoln; Hiram, now in Nebraska; Samuel, deceased; Moses B .; Jason, in Ab- ington, Massachusetts; Julia A., deceased wife of Frank Reed, of Springfield, Massachusetts. Samuel Hersey was a native of Sumner, Oxford county. He died in 1869. His first wife dying he married for his second wife Polly Bradbury, by whom he had two children. Moses B. Hersey, the fourth son of this family, was born September 26, 1816, and spent his minority on the farm. Taught school during the winter several terms. He first settled in life on the farm where he now lives, about one and a half miles north of the village of Lincoln Centre. He married Alathea P. Hammond, daughter of Ben-

jamin and Ruth Hammond, of this town. They have four children, having lost three in early life. The names of the living are Mary Etta, wife of O. Keith, of Spring- field, Maine; Alvan B., at Franconia Notch, White Mountains; Benjamin H., with his father at home; and Sadie A., now at home.

One of the old settlers of Lincoln half-township, as it is called, is David G. Hutchinson. He is a son of Sam- uel and Mary Hutchinson, who came to Fayette, Ken- nebec-county, Maine, from New Hampshire, before they were married. Here they lived several years; he also lived at Grand Falls and on Swift River. He came to Glenburn in this county in 1815, where he lived about twenty years, and where he died. Mrs. Hutchinson sur- vived him many years, and died at her son David's in Lincoln. Samuel and Mary Hutchinson had but one child, David, the subject of this sketch, who was born February 22, 1804. He has always been a farmer and lived with his father until he died. He came to Lincoln about 1851. He first cleared land about four miles from Lee, but sold there and bought where he now lives, about six miles from Lee. He married Susan Babbidge, of Bangor. . By her he had fourteen children, all of whom are dead except three. The living are: Eleazer, now of Lee; Solomon, in the South somewhere; Alden J., living with his father on the farm. Mrs. Hutchinson died in 1856, and Mr. Hutchinson married for his second wife Betsey Chapman. They have one son living, David, having lost two daughters.

Caleb Estes, grandfather of John Estes, was a native of England. He was a farmer, and died in 1830. His son, also named Caleb (father of John Estes), was born in 1780. He married Charlotte Day, daughter of Josiah Day, a native of England. Of their children there are living: Wealthy, now Mrs. Robinson, of Massachusetts; Jeremiah D., of Vassalboro, Maine; George, now in China, Maine; Valentine, now in Dedham, Maine; Char- lotte, now Mrs. Lothrop, of China, Maine; Sarah, now Mrs. Taylor, of Massachusetts; and John. Mr. Estes was a member of the Society of Friends. He was a farmer and mill owner, and not engaged in public life. He lived in Durham until 1809, when he moved to Chi- na, where he died in 1869. Mrs. Estes died in 1810. John Estes, of Lincoln, was born in Harlem, now China, Maine, August 18, 1810. On becoming of age he en- gaged in farming and afterwards in mercantile business. He was also for a number of years engaged in lumber- ing and mill business. He served as Constable, Collec- tor, Selectman, and deputy Sheriff, while living in Har- lem or China. In 1849 he moved to Smyrna, Aroostook county, where he engaged in trade, lumbering, and farm- ing. There he served as Justice and deputy Sheriff. In 1852 he moved to Lincoln, where he has since lived, engaged in lumber business. He has been Collector, Constable, deputy Sheriff, and Trial Justice.' In 1872 he was elected to the Legislature as member of the House. Mr. Estes married for his first wife Miss Eliza- beth L. Kennedy; she died in 1847, and he married Miss Nancy M. Ayer, who died August 31, 1872. Mr. Estes is now living with his third wife, Esther P., daugh-

V R. Myers

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HISTORY OF PENOBSCOT COUNTY, MAINE.

ter of William C. Hammatt, of Howland, Maine. He has seven children now living, viz: Caroline R., now Mrs. Berry; George M., Anna, now Mrs. Woodbury; Susan, now Mrs. Stratton; Charles A., Edwin P., Willie F., and Mary A., deceased.

Harrison Piper, a native of Newfield, Maine, married Sarah Hill, of the same place. They had six children, one son and five daughters-Susan(deceased), wife of Oscar F. Dowe; Elizabeth H., now Mrs. Joseph A. Ap- plebee, of Worcester, Massachusetts; Mary A., deceased ; Lucy, deceased; Jennie, wife of C. A. Sargent, of Bos- ton; and Harrison, the youngest and only son of this family, subject of this sketch. Harrison Piper was born March 17, 1839, in Great Falls, New Hampshire. He came to Lincoln in October, 1859, and engaged in the watch-making and jewelry business, in which he has ever since continued. He married Miss Abbie Huntress, daughter of James Huntress, of Lincoln. They have two children-Mabel H. and Ida M. Mr. Piper has served his town in the various offices in the gift of his townsmen, such as Town Clerk, Town Treasurer, Select- man, etc. He is at present Postmaster, and in 1878 was the Representative of his class in the State Legislature.

Mr. A. W. Weatherbee, of Lincoln, is a son of Wash- ington and Elizabeth Wetherbee (nee Elizabeth Griley). Washington Weatherbee had three wives. By his first wife he had ten children, by his second one, and by his third wife two. A. W. Weatherbee is the fourth son of this family, born April 30, 1841. His father lived in Bangor when the son was three years old, and when he was six his mother died and he went to Boston and lived with his aunt Maria Allen, wife of Steven M. Allen. Here he attended the public school till he was fourteen, when he went to Calais, Maine, and attended the Calais Academy for three years. From Calais he went to New Haven, Connecticut, and remained until he was twenty, when he went to Springfield and engaged in the tin and hardware business, which he continued for about four

years, when he bought a store in Lincoln and entered into a partnership with Mr. Cyrus E. Messer under the firm name of Messer & Weatherbee, which was con- tinued four years, when he went to Minnesota, leaving the business in charge of Mr. Messer. In Minnesota he engaged in the lumber business, following it one year, being there during the great freshet and losing several thousand dollars. Mr. Weatherbee continued the store until 1873, reading law during the time, and finally sold out and went to the Law School at Albany, New York, graduating in 1875. He married Lucinda E. Butterfield, daughter of James Butterfield, of Springfield, Maine. They have nine children, viz: James B., Washington E., Edward A., Artemas, Almira E., Millie E., Mary E .; William W., and the baby, now called Blucher. Mr. Weath- erbee has not been engaged in public life other than on the Superintendending School Committee. His store and office is on Main street. During all the hard times he has never failed to pay one hundred cents on the dollar.

James Babcock, proprietor of the Babcock House in Lincoln Centre, was born April 2, 1819. He is a son of Jesse and Mary E. Babcock, of Orono, Maine. Jesse's father's name was William Babcock, a native of York, Maine. Jesse and Mary Babcock had six children, all sons, viz; John, Moses, James, David, William, Newell, all of whom are deceased except James. James was reared on a farm and on becoming of age he engaged in lumbering, which he has always followed more or less. In 1862 he opened a public house at Mattawamkeag, which he kept two years. In 1867 he came to Lincoln Centre and opened the Babcock House, which he has ever since kept. He married Hannah P. Miller, daugh- ter of Timothy Miller, of Lincoln. They have four children living, viz : Alphea, now Mrs. George W. Smith, of Mattawamkeag; Evelyn, wife of John H. Reed, of Lincoln; Josephine, and A. F. G., now in Michigan. Mr. Babcock served in office as Justice, Constable, Selectman, etc. He has the only hotel in Lincoln Centre.

LOWELL.

NOTES OF SITUATION, ETC.

Lowell is another pretty large town, made so by the addition to the regular township area of a considerable parallelogram, left to it between Burlington and Enfield. It is only one and one-half miles from the European & North American Railroad at the nearest point, on the north line of the south or square part of the town; it is but two and one-half miles from the river, and only

twenty and one-half miles from Bangor. The careless ness with which statements concerning these towns are sometimes reported, is illustrated by the fact that one of the very best authorities accessible gives the last distance as forty-eight miles, more than twice the actual space of separation, and the first distance as eight miles, more than five times too much.

Lowell is bounded on the north, the oblong part by

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HISTORY OF PENOBSCOT COUNTY, MAINE.

Lincoln and the rest by Enfield; on the east by Burling- ton, whose length corresponds to its own eastern part; on the south by Township No. 1; and on the west, the lower tract by Passadumkeag, and the oblong by Enfield. The east line of the town is perfectly straight, and about eight miles long, passing through Eskutassis Pond and Turtle Island within it. The south boundary is also a right line, and six miles long, but, running a little to the northward, does not make an exact right angle at the southeast corner. The west line, in the middle of the lower part, is deflected slightly to the eastward, making a very obtuse angle, and narrowing the width of the town about one-fourth of a mile on the north line toward En- field, which passes through the south bay of Cold Stream Pond. The (nearly) parallelogram in the north of the town also narrows a very little to the north line. It is over two and one-half miles long, which is the length of the west boundary, on Enfield; and about one and three- fourths miles in breadth.

No considerable lakes are wholly on the soil of Lowell; but it does not want for water, either in sheets or streams. Nearly half of the lower section or bay of the Little Cold Stream Pond, three-fourths of a mile from north to south, lies in the farther northwest angle of the town. Beginning near the lower part of the parallelogram, a lit- tle more than half of Eskutassis Pond-which, as before noted, is on the Burlington line-lies in Lowell, not quite two miles long in this town. Hayden Cove, at its northwest part, receives a little tributary from two branches; and Varney Cove is a short distance below, on the west side of the Pond. Just south of the en- trance to this is a small, rounded island, abreast of which, with nearly three times the length, is Turtle Island, through which goes the east line of the town. The Es- kutassis Stream, flowing four miles to the Passadumkeag Stream over a mile from the southeast corner, is the out- let of this lake. Less than half a mile from its parent water it passes the foot of Pickerel Pond, a very small sheet. More than a mile further it is expanded into a lakelet of about a mile in length and perhaps an average breadth of forty rods. Two very small lakes or mill- ponds are made in the mile and a quarter's further course to the Passadumkeag. This stream waters two regions of Lowell-the southwest angle, which has as yet no in- habitants; and, before making a winding course of some miles in Township No. 2, it comes in from Burlington very near the southeast corner of Lowell, makes a great, irregular arc of four to five miles in that angle of the town, and passes out southward. About midway between the east town line and the Eskutassis it receives the Fogg Brook from Township No. I. A mile below the Eskutassis a short tributary called Kimball Brook comes in from the north; then, after welcoming another affluent on the same side, which rises in two heads in the north central part of the town, it takes in the Dead Brook, which also has two headwaters, rising just below the east and west road across the center of the lower part of the town.

In the more northerly part of Lowell, the Bog Brook rises in a tiny pond two-thirds of a mile northwest of

Hayden Cove, and flows one mile northeast to the Little Cold Stream Pond at the town line, just below Bog Isl- and, which lies partly in Lowell. Within a mile and a quarter south from this pond, the large Cold Stream Pond projects two small bays from its east side a little way into the town. The northerly one receives the name of Mckinney Cove, and has a short brook flowing into it bearing a correspondent name. The other is Long Cove, which has a Long Cove Brook coming into it at its head, rising in Cranberry Pond, about two miles to the southward. West of this brook and close to it lies in Lowell the greater part of a square mile of water, being the south bay of Cold Stream Pond, or the Webb Cove, which in like manner with the others has a small "Webb Cove Brook" flowing into it. The Cold Stream waters in Lowell are finally closed with the Little Cold Stream, which has one head toward the northeast corner of the town, near the cemetery at School No. 5, and an- other rising within a third of a mile of the east branch of Dead Brook, the two uniting about half a mile before reaching the west town line, and passing about as much further to the Cold Stream, the outlet of Cold Stream Pond to the Passadumkeag.

'The southwest quarter of Lowell, as before intimated, is almost or quite destitute of inhabitants; and the north- ern part, or parallelogram, has but few. The rest of the town is moderately well settled. Its road-centre is the East Lowell post-office, established in recent years near the foot of the long, narrow pond on Eskutassis Stream, two miles above the south town line. Hence runs the stage-road into Burlington, turning sharply northeastward a little way across the line at Burlington post-office. Hence also runs a road southwesterly to Lowell post- office, and then southerly into Township No. I, a branch also going to the same southwest along the other side of the Passadumkeag. A little out" from East Lowell a southeast route starts off and goes into Burlington. From East Lowell a road makes north all the rest of the way through the town, passing between Pickerel and Eskutas- sis Ponds, and between Eskutassis and Webb Pond to the north line, and thence out between the Little Cold Stream Pond and the nearest Cold Stream Pond to the east of it. A little more than a mile before leaving the town it sends off a road easterly to the stage-road in Bur- lington.

From East Lowell also goes off an important highway northwest, which branches about a mile out for a road which runs west about two miles, and then north one and a half miles to School No. 5 and the adjacent cemetery, where it rejoins the main road, which a mile further passes into Enfield, one mile southeast of the post-office.

THE VILLAGES AND THEIR BUSINESS.

Lowell village is still small, but has a valuable manu- factory of sole leather, owned by Messrs. A. Webb & Co., a mill for long lumber and spool stock, owned by the Lowell Mills Company, a grocery store kept by the same, and also two general stores. School No. 4 is on the south road just below the village, and the cemetery is just above, at the angle of the road.

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HISTORY OF PENOBSCOT COUNTY, MAINE.

East Lowell is only a mile distant from Lowell post- office. It also has a post-office, the mill of O. H. Wake- field, turning out shingles and spools, and his grocery store, the saw-mill of John W. Fox, with another store and two or three shops and a public school-house. School No. I is a mile and a half northwest of this place, and School No. 6 a little over a mile southwest of that.

SOIL, ETC.

The land in Lowell is somewhat stony, but still pos- sesses considerable fertility-enough to justify agriculture as a leading industry in the town. There are extensive tracts of meadow land by the streams and other waters, some of which have high value. The pastures on the hills are highly esteemed for grazing purposes. Generally, the surface of this tract is not greatly broken ; but there are some elevations of tolerable height in the north part of the town. The scenery of the town, taken by and large, is justly accounted quite varied and pleasant, and, in places decidedly picturesque. The giant bulk of Mt. Katahdin is plainly visible to the northwestward, from nearly all parts of Lowell, fifty to sixty miles away.

It is altogether probable that valuable minerals and ores will yet be developed in this town. Traces of gold are believed to have been found at Harvey Hill, within its borders. A valuable deposit of slate has been found at Wakefield's Corner.

A great amount of valuable timber has been cut out, and much lumber manufactured within this town; and for many years the chief business of the inhabitants has been lumbering. The supply is even yet not entirely exhausted.

THE SETTLEMENT OF LOWELL

dates from March, 1819, when Alpheus Hayden and Levi Deane, immigrants from Canaan, Somerset county, Maine, came in and made their locations. It had already been purchased from the State.

Among other early settlers upon this tract were Samuel Shorey, Gorden Duren, Nathaniel Coffin, F. D. Huntress, Eliphalet Pettengill, John Austin, Seth Webb, and a Mr. Good. The names of Shorey, Webb, Pettengill, and others of these pioneers, are still quite prominent in the town; and from Mr. Huntress the infant settlement re- ceived its primitive name of "Huntressville."

ORGANIZATION AND ANNEXATIONS.

The Huntressville name entitled this tract and what- ever municipal organization there was upon it until Feb- ruary 9, 1837, when the town of Lowell was erected from it. The local tradition is that the first male child born upon its territory received the given name of "Lowell," and that in compliment to him the personal cognomen was transferred to the new town as a geographical desig- nation.

In 1841, according to one doubtful authority, the "Page's Mills Settlement" (now a village and post-office) was annexed to Lowell from Hancock county.

March 16, 1842 (the Maine Register says 1841), the State Legislature added to the Lowell territory the "Cold Stream Settlement," or the "Strip," six miles long by two wide, north of Township No. 1, from the northwest

corner of Bingham's Penobscot Purchase. It was de- scribed as "all that part of the town of Passadumkeag situated east of a line drawn due north from the north- west corner of Bingham's Penobscot Purchase." The area of the town was thus increased to its present dimen- sions of six by eight miles, about forty-eight square miles, or 30,720 acres. The settlers upon the "Strip," it is said, derived their titles from the Bingham heirs.

SOME FIRST THINGS.

The first settled preacher in this region was the Rev. Pindar Field. When the religious interest and denom- inational growth hereaway warranted it, the people to the west of Burlington united with the worshippers in the town to build a Congregational church, which was erected near the town line. A Baptist society has since been organized in the town, but is at present without pastoral supply.

The first school-teacher was Miss Mary C. Dean, later Mrs. Stephen Kimball. She taught in the Page's Mills Settlement, and was, like the reverend gentleman before named, very highly esteemed by the residents. It is re- lated that so much was thought of her that the name of the settlement, which appears to have been a plantation title, was changed to "Deanfield " in her honor.

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History of Penobscot County, Maine; with illustrations and biographical sketches, Part 105

Author: Williams, Chase & Co., Cleveland (Ohio) Publication date: 1882 Publisher: Cleveland, Williams, Chase & Co. Number of Pages: 1100

Author: Williams, Chase & Co., Cleveland (Ohio)
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Cleveland, Williams, Chase & Co.
Number of Pages: 1100