History of Penobscot County, Maine; with illustrations and biographical sketches, Part 137

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 137

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The religious people were not indifferent to the relig- ious needs of Bangor. The appropriation of $300 for preaching is evidence that their influence was increasing. They even procured a vote appointing a committee, con- sisting of William Boyd, Samuel E. Dutton, and Luke Wilder, to get information in regard to the most advan- tageous plan for a meeting-house, and receive proposals for erecting such a house, and to report at a future meet- ing.

The town reconsidered the vote by which they gave to the Superintending School Committee greater power over the first district than they had over the third, fourth, and fifth districts.

* Spelled so for the first time.

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HISTORY OF PENOBSCOT COUNTY MAINE.

The votes for County Treasurer were: For Martin Kinsley, 40; Eben Floyd, 28. For Representative to the Legislature, James Thomas had 44 votes; Luke Wilder, 10.

The contractors for building the bridge proposed to the town to exchange the contract with them, as individuals, for one with the President and Directors of the Bangor Bridge Company, incorporated; and to extend the time for completing the bridge until the last of September, 1808. The propositions were not acceded to. The con- tract required its completion by the Ist of May, 1808.

On December 30 the town met for the purpose of con- sidering propositions for the removal of the courts from Castine to Buckstown, and for petitioning the Legislature for a division of the county of Hancock. The Select- men were instructed to remonstrate against the removal of the Courts. The county project was not acted on.

War existed in Europe. Bonaparte's Berlin and Milan decrees were promulgated -the first in November, de- claring the British Islands in a state of blockade; the last, on December 17, declaring that any ship which should be found on a voyage to the British dominions, or should pay that Government a tax or duty, or submit to be searched by the English, could be lawfully seized. These decrees were followed by the retaliatory Orders in Council of the British of January 7 and November II, 1807, interdicting the trade of all neutrals not in amity with Great Britain, and by the direction of the King of Great Britain that subjects born in his dominions should be seized, in whatever foreign service they might be found.

American commerce suffered from these orders and decrees. American vessels in the carrying trade were seized; they were also brought to by British men-of-war and boarded, and not only Englishmen, but Americans, were impressed, under the pretense that they were Eng- lish.

With the remembrance of the wrongs the Americans had suffered from the British fresh in their minds, and with that natural sensitiveness that weaker nations pos- sess at any seeming manifestation of supremacy over them by a more powerful nation, it was not difficult to revive their ancient feelings of hostility. The taking of one white man and four black men by the British frigate Leopard from the American Chesapeake, a weaker vessel, and the hanging of the white and forcing the blacks into the British navy, although there was no question that they were Americans, aroused the whole country. President Jefferson ordered British ships to leave American waters, and demanded reparation. The British Government disavowed the act, recalled Admiral Berkeley, under whose orders it was committed, and offered to restore the black sailors, and a pecuniary satisfaction to the families of the killed and to the wounded of the Chesapeake, on condition that the President would revoke his proclama- tion closing American ports to British ships. This he refused to do. But the British Government would not abandon the right of search and impressment on board private ships. On December 18, 1807, Mr. Jefferson sent a message to both Houses of Congress, recommend-

ing the first measure of the "Restrictive System," "an in- hibition of the departure of our vessels from the ports of the United States." The Federalists opposed it, and John Quincy Adams, who had before acted with them, joined the Democrats and voted for the Embargo, which became a law in four days after its recommendation. This was felt to be a great calamity by the commercial men of Massachusetts .*

The people of Bangor, however, were not so much in- terested in navigation as to condemn Mr. Jefferson for proposing the measure, as they deemed it retaliatory on the British nation and would operate to its injury and to our benefit; therefore their vote for James Sullivan, the Democratic candidate for Governor, continued to increase. Whether their perseverance was to receive no check, re- mains to be disclosed.

The year 1808 was an era in the history of Bangor, for the two sides of the stream then became untted by a connection that has never yet been broken, and which will continue as long as there is a living people within its limits, viz., the bridge.

A meeting was held on January 14 to act upon a re- quest to pay Rev. John Sawyer for his ministerial labors, and to see if the town would agree upon the appropria- tion of the money raised for the support of the Gospel which was not yet expended. They voted to give Mr. Sawyer four dollars a day for the days he had preached, then reconsidered the vote and voted to give him " fifty dollars for his attention on funeral occasions in said town ;" then voted to suspend the appropriation of the money unexpended until the next annual meeting, and refused to raise a committee to secure preaching while the funds were sufficient.

Mr. Sawyer came to Bangor about 1807. He was born in Hebron, Connecticut, October 9, 1755, therefore was over fifty years of age when he came. He was a volun- teer in the American army in 1777, and was at Saratoga at the surrender of Burgoyne. He afterwards gave his attention to study and was graduated at Dartmouth Col- lege in 1786, having entered in 1781. He studied the- ology and was ordained to preach in Oxford in 1787. After nine years he accepted a call to preach in Booth- bay. There he remained ten years, when he was dis- missed by his own request, and removed to Newcastle. From this time his work commenced as a missionary, and believing that he could accomplish something among the people of Penobscot, he pitched his tent in Bangor. There was need of his services. He said that when he came here there was but one man who gave him evidence of being a true Christian. This was, probably, Deacon Boyd.

Besides preaching Mr. Sawyer taught school, by which he eked out a livelihood. He was promised two hundred dollars, probably by leading men, under the belief that the town would give him two hundred of the three hun- dred dollars that had been voted. But the town refused to give him more than fifty dollars, and that only for his services at funerals-emphatically nothing for preaching. Dr. Shepard says: "It is said that those in power

* Life of Josiah Quincy, 121.

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HISTORY OF PENOBSCOT COUNTY, MAINE.

about this time, or some of them, though not learned, yet affected literary reputation, and attempted to reach it by using some large words, declaring on one occasion, after an examination, that they had perambulated the school-master and found him qualified."

Mr. Sawyer was a great preacher of the doctrines, and was not interesting to the " unregenerate," of whom evi- dently the community was mainly composed. Besides, he was extremely prolix. Captain Hart, a relic of the Revolution, used to say of him : "Mr. Sawyer is a good man and a strong preacher, but he has a little too much of 'once more, my brethren; twentiethly, once more, my brethren; and again; H-m-m."

Mr. Sawyer remained in Bangor about six years, in which period occurred that terrible epidemic called the "black death." It was so fatal that he officiated at a hundred funerals in the course of a year. He removed to Garland, where he made his home. He was devoted to his work ; made frequent and long journeys on horse- back to minister to the religious needs of the people.

He was largely instrumental in establishing the Theo- logical Seminary, which has flourished for more than half a century in Bangor. He accomplished much good. It is said that in the old town meeting-house in Brewer he received sixty persons into the church and baptized thirty children in one day. He lived to the age of one hundred and three, maintaining his mental faculties nearly to his death. On his hundredth birthday he de- livered a discourse to a large assembly in the Central Congregational church in Bangor. He was quite vigor- ous. His voice was strong, his delivery clear, and his discourse very well connected. His death occured on October 14, 1858.

The annual meeting in 1808 occurred on March 14. It was held in the school-house in the second district. Mr. Bradbury was again elected Town Clerk; Andrew Morse, David W. Haynes, and James Carr, Selectmen; the same Selectmen were constituted Superintending School Committee; William Forbes, Treasurer ; Jacob McGaw, Town Agent. Dr. Hosea Rich, who had made his residence here since 1806, was made one of the Health Officers. Among the appropriations were $650 for schools ; $200 for preaching; $400 for town charges. William Boyd, Jonathan Plummer, and Joseph Carr were appointed to expend the money for preaching.

A committee was appointed to purchase land for a burial ground, and the Selectmen were recommended to purchase a pall.

Jeremiah Dudley, Moses Patten, and Jacob McGaw were made a committee on accounts, and to them was referred a claim of Deacon Boyd for services and ex- penditures in the recovery of one John Horton, who, when Mr. Boyd was Selectman in 1798, was left upon his hands by the master of a vessel who brought him into port as a passenger from Boston, sick of yellow fever. Deacon Boyd took Horton's note for his indebt- edness, but as he could not collect it, he called upon the town for reimbursement. The committee reported that from the manner in which the business had been done, the town had no remedy against the town where Horton

had his legal settlement, therefore should not pay any- thing of Mr. Boyd's claim. They, however, recom- mended that the town make a present of $15 to Mr. Boyd "as a testimony of the estimation with which we behold every charitable act by a citizen of said town towards . a stranger in distress." The report was ac- cepted and $15 voted to Deacon Boyd. This is the first sum voted by Bangor for a purpose not authorized by law.

Messrs. Amasa Stetson, Zadock French, and Robert Lapish proposed to give the town a piece of land near the school-house to be kept forever for a market- place, and Jacob McGaw, John Balch, and James Carr were made a committee to confer with them in relation thereto.

At the gubernatorial meeting, April 4, the vote for James Sullivan, for Governor, was 92, for Christopher Gore 35; for Levi Lincoln, for Lieutenant-Governor, 91, for David Cobb 37; for William King, for Senator, 90, and Francis Carr 96, for William Vinall 5, for Samuel Thatcher and Theodore Lincoln, each 36.

At an adjourned meeting the Committee on the Burial Ground reported that they had examined two pieces of ground, one belonging to Captain Hatch on the west side of the stream, and a piece belonging to Messrs. Stetson and Lapish on the east side; that the piece of Captain Hatch contained one and three-quarters acres, and could be had for $200; the piece owned by Messrs. Stetson and Lapish was on a gravelly swell of ground on the new road made through the lots about half a mile from the Point, but the owners were absent and they could not consult them. That on the west, side was a gravelly hill, or rather bluff, extending from where the court-house now is to where the Savary House stands. The highest point of this bluff was about easterly from the Savary House over where Court street is. It was a beautiful spot, and no one at that time dreamed that in thirty or forty years its contents would have been spread over the streets, and that far below its summit would pass one of the most used thoroughfares of a city. The committee proposed that action be deferred until more could be learned respecting the lot on the east side of the stream.

The town accepted a street between the end of Wash- ington street and what is now Hancock street, at Boyd's Eddy; "approbated " a petition of individuals to the Legislature to be incorporated for the purpose of build- ing a meeting-house; accepted Broad street from the Kenduskeag Bridge to Water street; Hammond street from the Bridge to Ohio street; Independent street, and the road near John Weeks's, crossing land of Widow Smart. This was near " Morse's Hill."

The report of a committee, consisting of James Carr, Allen Gilman, and Andrew Morse, to settle with the Bridge Company, was accepted, and the taxed inhabitants of the town, with every member of their family and per- son in their employ-a certificate of the fact having been left with the toll-gatherer two days before availing them- selves of the right-were to pass free of toll for twenty years from November 1, 1808, also all horses, carriages, teams in the employ, and all cows, oxen, sheep, and

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HISTORY OF PENOBSCOT COUNTY, MAINE.

swine, the property of said inhabitants. The bridge, thirty-two feet in width, with sidewalks four feet in width, was to be maintained by the corporation during twenty years, and then surrendered fully to the town, they hav- ing paid annually agreeably to the contract proposed on March 30, and completed on April 13, 1807.

The effects of the embargo had now been for some time experienced in the depression of the market for lumber and fish, which were the chief exports of Bangor. “ Busi- ness of every kind was in a ruinous condition. Dwelling houses were so far advanced as to supply shelter to families in most cases, but remained in such an un- finished state as to indicate the poverty or great embar- rassment of their owners."*

Mechanics could find employment barely sufficient for support, and traders found it difficult to maintain their standing with Boston merchants, and habits of extreme economy were adopted.

The opponents of the administration took advantage of this state of affairs to inflame the people against it. A meeting was held October ro, called by the "request of a number of inhabitants," to see if the inhabitants would petition the President to suspend the embargo acts, so far as by law authorized, and to "take the opinion of the inhabitants on such other matters in relation to the safety and support of our Federal Republican Govern- ment " as might be brought before the town.

The record of. the proceedings of that meeting is very concise. With the exception of the first, under which Major John Balch was made moderator. Every article in the warrant was dismissed.

This year James Thomas had sixty votes for Repre- sentative to the Legislature, and Luke Wilder twenty- one. Barzillai Gannett had fifty-four votes for Repre- sentative to Congress, and Thomas Rice thirty-four.

In addition to the depression in business and dis- couragement necessarily occasioned by governmental ac- tion for the purpose of compelling the more respectful regard of the British, was the epidemic before mentioned, which continued from the year 1808 to 1810, and was so fatal that in Hampden, from one point, were counted eighteen houses, in each of which was the dead body of at least one of its victims. f It was doubtless in one of these years that Rev. Mr. Sawyer attended one hundred funerals.

Notwithstanding all these calamities, the people com- menced the municipal year 1809 by dismissing the con- sideration of the proposition to raise money for the "sup- port of the Gospel," and contenting themselves with rais- ing $650 for schools; $1,000 for roads; $400 for town charges; and $400 for the bridge.

Thomas Bradbury disappears as Town Clerk, and Samuel W. Hayes is elected ; Andrew Morse, Asa Davis, and Jonathan Plummer are made Selectmen ; James Carr, Abner Taylor, and William Forbes, Assessors; Joseph Carr, Treasurer ; Jacob McGaw, Town Agent; and Jacob McGaw, Samuel E. Dutton and William D. Williamson, Superintending School Committee.

The action of the General Government had begun to have its influence upon the politics of the State in 1808, and upon the politics of Bangor in 1809. Governor Sullivan's majority was reduced in 1808. In 1809 Christopher Gore, the Federal candidate, was elected over Levi Lincoln by a majority of 2,788 votes, and David Cobb was elected Lieutenant-Governor over -Jos- eph B. Varnum. The vote of Bangor for Lincoln was 80, six less than the Democratic vote of 1808, and the vote for Gore was 55, twenty more than in the year before.

Francis Carr and William King each had 87 votes for Senator ; Theodore Lincoln & Mark L. Hill, each 51; Ephraim Goodale had 56 votes for County Treasurer; Ebenezer Floyd, 44.

The votes for Representative to the Legislature were: for James Carr, 70; Joseph Treat, 40; Charles Ham- mond, I.

In 1810 the town exchanged Mr. Samuel W. Hayes, (whose method of keeping records would not at all com- pare with that of his grandson, who was elected City Clerk of Bangor in 1871), for Thomas Bradbury again. The Selectmen this year were Moses Patten, Joseph Carr, and James Drummond; Assessors, James Carr, Wiltiam Forbes, Moses Giddings; Treasurer, William D. Wil- liamson; Moses Patten, Joseph Carr, and James Drum- mond, Superintending School Committee ; and seventeen of the most respectable men in the town, Hog-reeves for the amusement of the wags; $roo were raised to defray town charges; $800 for schools; nothing for the "sup- port of the Gospel ;" $200 for the Bridge Company; $1,000 for highways. The erection of a hay-scale was provided for ; a communication from the town of Milton, relating to the kine-pock, was referred to a committee consisting of Jacob McGaw, James Carr, and William D. Williamson, who had been appointed to draft a by-law for the future regulation of the Health Committee; and voted to accept any lands which might be offered for public use.

William D. Williamson now appears as "T. Clerk pro tempore." How he was appointed, the records do not show, but his hand-writing, though not so elegant as Mr. Savage's, is bold and vigorous, and his records are clear and intelligible. His first record is that of a war- rant directed to John Ham, constable, requiring him to warn the "male inhabitants" having an annual income of three pounds or any estate of the value of sixty pounds, to give in their votes for Governor, Lieutenant Gov- ernor, Senators, and "Counsellors," on April 2, at the school-house, second district.

At this meeting Elbridge Gerry had 82 votes and Christopher Gore 58 votes for Governor; William Gray, 84 votes for Lieutenant Governor, and David Cobb, 57. The number of votes for the other officers was nearly the same. For County Treasurer, Ephraim Goodale had 43 votes; Bradshaw Hall, 37; Benjamin Poor, 7.

At a meeting on May 12, Mr. Bradbury, the Town Clerk, being still absent William D. Williamson was made and sworn Town Clerk pro tem. For Representative to the General Court James Carr had 59 votes, Robert Parker, 30, and Moses Patten, I. Carr was elected.

*McGaw's Sketch. +Bangor Centennial, 46.

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HISTORY OF PENOBSCOT COUNTY, MAINE.

A road laid out by Messrs. Patten and Le Gro, from Hammond street to the west line of the town, "in a direc- tion for Miller's Mills, in Hampden," and certain roads and streets laid out by Amasa Stetson and others, were accepted.

The Representative in Congress this year, Barzillai Gannett, had 24 votes; Thomas Rice 19. The meet- ing was held Nov. 5.

This year Joseph Leavitt, Esq., with his wife, removed from Lee, New Hampshire, to Bangor. He came by land, by way of Augusta. He found the road generally good, with the exception of about thirty miles, from Unity to Bangor. Twenty miles of road was "intolerably bad. Over ten miles his wife rode on a hired horse, while with the help of a man he hired he got his own horse and chaise over it. He arrived on the 8th of October. We have his description and views of the town at that time in the following extract from his journal :

Bangor is a pleasantly situated town at the westerly side and at the head of the tide of the great Penobscot River, at the confluence of the Kenduskeag Stream. The principal settlements which are now made are about equally divided by the stream, the whole containing about two hundred families.

The trading and mercantile interests consist of about twenty traders, with small stocks, and, I believe, with small capitals. Little or no nav- gation is now owned, although several vessels the present season have been built, to wit: a brig by John Barker, and a brig by Perkins & Parker of about two hundred tons. The Carrs own, and have sent out to Europe, a schooner of about eighty or ninety tons, with timber. Another company of eight have purchased and loaded a ship of about two hundred tons and sent her to Liverpool. But a part of the com- pany live in Bangor. Marshall owns a small sloop of about thirty tons, The above-named, I believe, comprise all the mercantile interest here. No meeting-house, several school-houses, several tolerable houses, partly finished. On the whole, the place has the appearance of but little wealth. The inhabitants generally complain of the effects of the late embargo law, and the other restrictions on our general commerce, and attribute the slow improvement to that cause. It may be just, but I am of the opinion that there are other causes-say idleness, stupor, drinking, and some extravagance, etc.

The country around is new. But few settlers, very poor, want credit; obtain it, and goes directly to their ruin; never pay till sued, then their stock, if any they have, is taken; otherwise their land goes, and they go to jail.

However, there are some few likely, industrious men, lately moved into the back settlements, do well, and will soon be wealthy farmers. They report generally favorably of the interior. At this time lumber is the staple; some fish.

Mr. Leavitt immediately went into trade with James Bartlett, with whom he had previously been in company in Portland. Trade not being found profitable there, they removed their stock to Bangor in September, and Mr. Lea- vitt made it up to $7,000. In November he completed a contract with "Lieuetenant Daniel Webster of Bangor, and tenant Ebenezer Webster of Orono (two brothers), for a ship, burthen 250 tons, to be got off the Ist day of Octo- ber, 1811."

On November 22 a new single-deck brig of the Pattens & Taylor, sailed for Liverpool.

CHAPTER VII.

Unpropitious Opening of the Year 18Ir-Religious Freedom-Law -- Preaching-Rev. Harvey Loomis-Organization of First Congre- gational Church-Ordination of Mr. Loomis-Effect on the Town -- Effect of the Non-intercourse Act in Bangor-Penobscot County Contemplated-Cold Opening of the Year 1812-Town Election- Twenty-seven Hog-reeves-Fish Street-Mr. Leavitt's Trade with James Penniman -- Embargo April 4, 1814-Pushaw Road-Efforts to Provide a Place of Public Worship-Court-House Projected-Vote to Petition Legislature for a New County-Singular Proposition- Mr. Leavitt's Experience with Shipping.

1811-1812-1813. The year 1811 opened unpropi- tiously for Bangor. The restrictions on commerce con- tinued. Business continued dull, and, says Mr. Leavitt's journal, "a very extraordinary time for bread, corn, etc. All provisions scarce."

The administration of Massachusetts was Democratic in 1810 and 1811. Elbridge Gerry was Governor and William Gray Lieutenant-Governor. Several important acts were passed, such as the "Religious Freedom" law, by which when a town issued money for religious pur- poses, every individual might have that portion assessed to him applied towards supporting a minister of his own denomination. Circuit Courts of Common Pleas were established. There were three Circuits in Maine; the Third embraced the eastern counties, Hancock and Washington ; and William Crosby, of Belfast, Martin Kinsley, of Hampden, and William Campbell, of Har- rington, were appointed the Judges in this Circuit.

At the annual meeting Mr. Bradbury was again elected Town Clerk; Joseph Carr, James Drummond, Edward Sargent, were elected Selectmen and Overseers of the Poor. This is the first year in which any action appears by the records to have been taken in relation to the poor.

William D. Williamson was made Treasurer and Town Agent. Jacob McGaw, Joseph Carr, and William D. Williamson, Superintending School Committee.

The sum raised for town charges was $400; for schools, $600; for highways, $1,300, and $200 for the Bridge Company.

The votes for Governor were for Elbridge Gerry 71, Christopher Gore 43; for Lieutenant-Governor, William Gray had 72, William Phillips 44; Joseph Carr had 48 votes for Representative to the Legislature, and was elected; Robert Parker had 37.

Notwithstanding the niggardliness of the town in re- gard to paying for preaching, they were occasionally favored with it. Sometimes a Congregationalist, some- times a Methodist, and sometimes a Baptist would oc- cupy the desk of the school-house, and the attention of the people was directed to the consideration of religious concerns. On Sunday, January 6th, Rev. Mr. May, Congregationalist, preached; on the 27th, Rev. Mr. Mudge, Methodist; on February 3, Rev. Mr. Sawyer, Congregationalist; on the 10th Rev. Mr. Merrill, Baptist ; March 3, 17, 31, April 7, and July 29, Rev. Mr. Oli- phant, Methodist. Mr. Leavitt says :

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History of Penobscot County, Maine; with illustrations and biographical sketches, Part 137

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