History of Penobscot County, Maine; with illustrations and biographical sketches, Part 159

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 159

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But Mr. Needham was a man of resources. He took advantage of the absence of Deacon Clark, the gaoler, and his family at meeting on the next Sunday, to wheedle the servant girl into the belief that he was in love with her, and induced her to get his clothing (which she did, with some apparel for herself belonging to a member of the family), and to release him and one Flanders-an- other prisoner -- from prison and go with them. Their absence was discovered within twenty minutes, but not themselves. They had escaped to the wood. Handbills were issued, and $130 reward was offered for their ap- prehension.

On the next day a girl called at a house in Hampden, near the Sowadabscook bridge, to procure some milk for some children on board a vessel, as she said ; but she was observed, on leaving the house, to go in the direction of the wood. This excited suspicion that she might be the girl referred to in the advertisement, and eight or ten

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HISTORY OF PENOBSCOT COUNTY, MAINE.

men placed themselves in different localities to watch. At about 10 o'clock at night a man and girl were seen crossing the bridge answering to the description of Need- ham and the girl, and they were arrested by Major Jona. Haskins and others, and recommitted to the gaol.

Needham was afterward tried in the Supreme Court, and sentenced to seven years' imprisonment in the State Prison at Thomaston. In October he was indicted in the United States Court, at Wiscasset, for robbing the mail.

There was no great display in the celebration of the Fourth of July this year. The religious portion of the community listened to an excellent address in the meeting- house by Rev. George E. Adams, and several anthems, and a prayer by Professor Smith, of the Theological Seminary. The artillery company fired the several salutes, dined at Andrew Hasey's inn, and in the afternoon amused themselves with firing at a target.

From 12 (midnight) until the artillery saluted the ris- ing sun, there was neither sleep nor slumber for the eye- lids, for the noises of every description made by the boys. It was a time of universal racket. In the evening a meeting was held in the Court-house to devise means for the "suppression of intemperance." The Register thought that, considering "the place, the day, and the hour, the meeting might be called 'taking the bull by the horns .???

The agitation of this subject was becoming greater than ever before. The ruinous effects of the use of alco- holic liquors were everywhere discussed in New England; and pledges to abstain from it were circulated, and gen- erally signed by the best men in the community. The temperance men, meetings, and pledges were sneered at by the lovers of strong drink, but the reformers perse- vered and increased in numbers and power.

The "Independent Volunteers" celebrated their fourth anniversary on the 4th of July. An address was deliv- ered by Charles Gilman at the Court-house "worthy of this occasion," after which the company marched to the Franklin House, "which was handsomely decorated, and partook of a sumptuous dinner provided for the occasion by Mr. Benjamin Garland."

Several gentlemen opened the political campaign in Dover this year on the 23d of July, and nominated Wil- liam Allen, Jr., of Norridgewock, for Representative to Congress, and Thomas Davee, of Dover, for Senator to the Legislature.

This was followed on the 6th of August by a meeting at the Frank.in House of gentlemen friendly to the Ad- ministration. It was then resolved to call a convention of delegates from Penobscot and Somerset counties, to be held at Garland on the 16th of August to nominate candidates for the several offices.

The "Democratic Republicans" in Penobscot and Somerset counties were prompt in their movements. Their Penobscot County Committee was composed of Joseph Kelsey, Jona. Knowles, William R. Lowney, Isaac Jacobs, Alden Nickerson, Joshua Carpenter, Reu- ben Bartlett, James S. Holmes, and Gorham Parks.

Democratic Republicans from all parts of the county

had assembled at Bangor on June 12, and resolved to patronize the Eastern Republican, as the paper solely devoted to the interests of the Republican party ; a journal edited by Nathaniel Haynes, "a gentleman alike distinguished for his talents and for the soundness of his political principles," as a means of uniting the party, in which there had been long wanting a concert of action. At that meeting the above committee was appointed.

The committee at once issued a circular to obtain subscribers for the Republican. Mr. Kelsey, as chair- man of the district and county committees, issued calls for district and county conventions, to nominate a can- didate for Representative to- Congress and a candidate for State Senator, to be held at Dexter on August 20.

The agitation of the subject of the survey of lumber became so serious that several meetings were held at Lumbert's tavern in August to consider the system then existing.

The Eastern Republican began soon after the meeting for its benefit to give evidence of prosperity, and very much disturbed the managers of the Register, who no- ticed it in the following undignified manner :

The "Gemini" has at length (we will not say by what means) at- tained to its " super-royal sheet-new fountof small pica, iron press, and new Blockhead. Elated with the acquisition, the editor in his last number struts and gobbles with all the grace and dignity of a turkey- cock.

Major-General Hodsdon gave notice that the several regiments in his Division (Third) of Militia would be re- viewed on several days in the month of September, and that it was the intention of the Commander-in-chief to be present during six of the days. After giving various directions to the officers in regard to their respective duties, and to Major Watson, of the Corps of Artillery, to cause a salute of thirteen guns to be fired from "the ordnance of the highest calibre" on the arrival of the Commander-in-chief in the villages of Belfast and Bangor, and on his approach to the parade grounds, the Major-General concludes in this characteristic manner :

The Major-General deems it unadvisable to call the attention of the troops to the performance of any particular evolutions, presuming rather that they are too well acquainted with their respective duties to require it; but will, at the time, direct in person the performance of such manœuvres and evolutions as the discipline of the troops and other circumstances may require.

The Major-General was an exceedingly enthusiastic chieftain and a martinet, and did not hesitate at re- views, if he saw any defect or want of promptness in the manœuvres, to take the command from the Colonel for the time, and give the orders himself, much to the disgust of that officer.

On the 16th of August the friends of the Administra- tion, in convention at Garland, nominated Samuel But- man, of Dixmont, as their candidate for Kepresentative to Congress, and Solomon Parsons, of Sebec, as candi- date for Senator.

The Opposition convention on the 20th, at Dexter, nominated Major-General Isaac Hodsdon as their candi- date for Representative to Congress, and Daniel Wilkins, of Charleston, as candidate for Senator.

Andrew Jackson was now coming into favor with the politicians who called themselves Democratic Republic-

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HISTORY OF PENOBSCOT COUNTY, MAINE.

ans, and the Register, in order to prevent the editor of the Eastern Republican coming into favor with the peo- ple, accused him of hating Adams, and with not daring to avow it.

In the course of the administration of President Madison, disintegration commenced in the two political parties then existing-the Federal and Republican-in consequence of questions which arose in the War of 1812. Mr. Monroe, a Republican, was elected in 1816, with great unanimity, and in 1820 was re-elected with hardly any opposition. Every Electoral vote was given him, except Governor Pluman's, in New Hampshire. During his last term-the "era of good feeding"- the parties from various causes became demoralized, and when a new candidate was to be nominated in 1823, old partisans of the Federal school affiliated with partisans of. the Republican school, in the support of either Adams, Calhoun, Clay, Crawford, or Jackson. There was no choice by the people, and John Quincy Adams was elected by the House of Representatives.

During the administration of Mr. Adams party prin- ciple generally had less to do with the elections than the personal merits, popularity, or successful manœuvering of the candidates, as has been seen during the pitiful crimination and recrimination in several campaigns in the Penobscot Congressional District. But, fortunately, this state of things was not to continue forever. The elements - Federal and Republican - that had been op- posed to Mr. Adams openly and secretly, were combin- ing for the purpose of effecting a strong organization to operate against him in the next election and to nomi- nate candidates as party candidates. When the organi- ation came into existence it adopted the name of " Dem- ocratic Republican," in contradistinction to that of "Na- tional Republican," which was adopted by the supporters of Mr. Adsms.

The Eastern Republican was the offspring of the movement in this District, as has been before stated.

There was much anxiety among the friends of Mr. Adams that the State delegation in Congress should be op -* posed to him. The nominee of the Democratic Republi- cans had always been opposed to Mr. Adams, and al- though yet they were quiet in regard to their preference as a party, there was not much doubt that secretly they were unfriendly to his re-election, and, if they should succeed in electing General Hodsdon, they would declare at once for Jackson.

At a town meeting on the 27th of August, it was voted to purchase the Samuel E. Dutton farm for the the purpose of establishing an alms-house. It was pur- chased and converted into the Poor Farm.

The people of Bangor were grieved to learn that a party of Indians, who had encamped on the banks of the Androscoggin, not far from the village of Brunswick, were attacked by a gang of villains on August 18, who burned their camps, clothing, etc., and nearly frightened them to death by their yells and outrageous conduct. The citizens of Brunswick, however, were prompt to clear themselves of the suspicion of countenancing and outrage, by calling a public meeting and appointing

Benjamin Orr, Jeremiah O'Brien, John McKeen, Ethan Earle, Ebenezer Everett, Robert Eastman, and Charles Packard, a committee to ascertain from the Indians the amount of their loss and to spare no means to detect and bring to justice the perpetrators of the disgraceful act.

The discussion of the merits of the several candidates was very much more unobjectionable during the present canvass, since the organization of the two parties than before, as in all cases a warfare is less bitter between open enemies than it is between ostensible friends.

The meeting for the choice of Governor, Representa- tive to Congress, and other officers, was held on Septem- ber 10. The votes cast in Bangor for Governor were: for Enoch Lincoln 90 ; scattering 4. For Representa- tive: Samuel Butman IIO, Isaac Hodsdon 43; for Senator, Solomon Parsons 138, Daniel Wilkins 36, scattering 10. For Representative to the Legislature, Jo- seph Treat 95, Gorham Parks 39, James Tilton 33, Bennock 3.

Mr. Lincoln was re-elected Governor, Mr. Butman was elected to Congress, and Mr. Parsons Senator. Mr. Butman received 1,926 votes, General Hodsdon, 1,427.

On the 8th of September Mrs. Mary Howard died. She came to Bangor with her husband, Thomas Howard, in 1772, within three years after the first settlement of the town. She had lived with her husband sixty-two years. From the time she came to Bangor her family had lived upon the lot upon which she and her husband first settled (16, Holland's survey), and there her daugh- ter Mary, the first white child in Bangor, was born. She was an energetic and intelligent woman, and a worthy member of the Methodist church. Her age was eighty- one.

A company of light infantry in Brewer, called the Washington Guards, first made its public appearance on September 19, under the command of Captain Jonathan Burr. A standard was presented to it at the house of Deodat Brastow, from the ladies, by Miss Mary Ann Burr, with a patriotic address. Ensign Watson Holbrook received it and assured the ladies that "this consecrated symbol of Columbia's pride should never be insulted with impunity ; and the breeze on which it floated should re- sound either with our dying groans or shouts of tri- umph."

After the close of the ceremonies the ladies and com- pany sat down "to an excellent dinner provided by Mr. David Doane."

The circus made its appearance again this month at Mr. Hutchins's hotel, and entertained the lovers of such things with a grand display by six beautiful horses, ground and lofty tumbling, Shetland pony, hunted tailor, etc.

Hops were first raised in the county this year, and be- came an article of export. Mr. David Damon, of Stet- son, raised upwards of four thousand pounds, which he brought into Bangor in bales.

In October Madame Anna Royal, a somewhat noto- rious character, whose occupation was to show herself and write people up and down, visited Bangor. She kept a "black book" in which she had the autographs of many

HISTORY OF PENOBSCOT COUNTY, MAINE.

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famous persons of the time, and recorded the names of such others as she became acquainted with, favorably or unfavorably, as the notion seized her. With the editors she chose to be on good terms, and was very complaisant towards them ; but the missionaries were too honest to flatter her, therefore were not favorites. Her opinion of Bangor was not in the main favorable, and perhaps the town was not strikingly benefited by her visit.

At this time there was much excitement in regard to the arrest of Mr. Baker, at Madawaska, by Mr. Miller, High Sheriff of the county of York, New Brunswick, and his imprisonment in Fredericton gaol, on the charges "of having stopped the British mail, resisting a British peace-officer in the discharge of his duty, and for excit- ing and stirring up a spirit of sedition, insurrection, and revolt amongst the people."

The American account of the affair was that Baker had a deed of his land from Messrs. Coffin & Irish, Land Agents of Massachusetts and Maine ; that the Provincial mail-carrier proceeding over his land, was forbidden by Baker to pass over it in future, as he was holding his land under American title. He then caused the Amer- ican flag to be raised.

This was deemed an insult by the Provincial Govern- ment, and they sent the High Sheriff, with deputies, militia officers, and others, numbering forty all told, in fifteen canoes. Baker made no resistance, and was in- carcerated as before stated.

The Provincials had exercised other jurisdiction over the Aroostook country, such as summoning the American settlers on the Madawaska to answer for trespass on the Crown lands, seizing the cow of a debtor on the Aroos- took River, forty miles within the American line, and in other ways.

Mr. Baker was afterward sentenced to imprisonment for six months, and to pay a fine of $750 for obstructing the passage of the mail.

The proceedings of the Provincial authorities had be- come so offensive that loyal Americans who could get away, were leaving. Mr. Dalton, an Aroostook settler, was not willing to live where such a state of things ex- isted, and sacrificed his house, thirty acres of cleared land, the products of the season,-150 bushels of wheat, 200 of potatoes, 75 of corn,-barn and farming utensils, worth $700, for $184.38, and left for the West. On reaching Bangor he stated that "the inhabitants were in constant fear, and dared not sleep in their houses."

The counties of Hertford, Devon, and Cornwallis, in Lower Canada, at separate meetings, passed resolves that that part of the country was surcharged with inhabitants; that there was an extent of land containing a superficies of about fifteen leagues, on the waters of the St. John, fit for the formation of "a new establishment" upon, and offering an "opening for the superabundant population of the ancient establishments." But that their "neighbors of the United States could not see without coveting the fine plains of this part of North America, that the meas- ures for the establishment of this part of the province are unhappily arrested by the pretensions of the Government of the United States to the lands from the sources of the | the American argument very ably and clearly.

St. John to from two to twelve leagues from the banks of the St. Lawrence, and that it is for the greatest interest of Lower Canada generally, that the just rights of His Majesty upon this extensive country be properly recog- nized and established." The Quebec Gazette said that the future importance of Lower Canada depended en- tirely upon the decision of this question-"that it would no longer be anything if they took from it fifteen hundred leagues of its territory in one of its most fertile parts."

On October 13 William V. Cram gave notice of a meeting of subscribers for the erection of a Methodist meeting-house "at the Old School-house" on the east side of the Kenduskeag, on the 25th.

On the 22d of October the Commander-in-chief issued an order by Samuel Cony, Adjutant-General, in which he announced that he had inspected and reviewed fourteen regiments in the counties of Waldo, Hancock, Penob- scot, Somerset, and Oxford, and that he was "enabled to speak of their appearance as proof that Maine was not disposed to abandon or neglect an institution by means of which the Independence of this country was achieved." The watchword is, "Militia of Maine, march forward."

A meeting to consider the matter of building a Uni- tarian meeting-house was held on October 25.

On November 3 Dr. Elisha Skinner died in Brewer, at the age of seventy three. He came to Brewer (then a part of Orrington) in 1787, from Mansfield, Massachu- setts. He entered the army in the early part of the Revolution as surgeon's mate, and was shortly promoted to the office of surgeon, which he held until the war closed. His service was in the Southern army. He was a good and faithful surgeon in the army, and a successful physician in private life. When he died he was deacon of the Congregational church in Brewer, and was for many years Master in the Rising Virtue Lodge of Free Masons.

Samuel Veazie and seven others published a petition to the Legislature for incorporation as the Orono Canal Company, to make a canal on the westerly side of the Penobscot at the falls and rapids at Indian Oldtown; and Thomas Bartlett and others published a petition for a road on the westerly side of the river from Oldtown to Howland, which they declared was "loudly called for."

Charles S. Daveis, of Portland, was appointed by the Executive to inquire into the nature and extent of the difficulties on the frontier and to act in behalf of the State.

Governor Lincoln issued his proclamation on the 9th of November, referring to the arrest of Baker and other infringements on the rights of Maine by a foreign power, ! and exhorted to forbearance and peace, so that the preparations for preventing the removal of our land- marks might not be embarrassed by any unauthorized acts.

The Northeastern boundary question attracted much attention at this time, and several papers were published over the signature of "A Citizen of Portland," in the Portland Advertiser; of "Cato," in the Ellsworth Courier, and "Terminus," in the Bangor Register, setting forth

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HISTORY OF PENOBSCOT COUNTY, MAINE.

There was fear at this time that the questions of the boundary, fisheries, and the colonial trade would lead to war between England and America. The two nations had long been rivals in commerce and were beginning to be so in manufactures. Great Britain could not bear a rival. It was a proud and supercilious nation. The English people loved war. According to Sir John Frois- sart, at the time of the attempted treaty at Amiens in 1391, they were "fonder of war than of peace," and they had not as yet given much evidence that Christianity had produced a change in them for the better.

The submission of the boundary question to an arbi- ter was under consideration, it is true, but it was rather too much to expect that England would submit to a de- cision that was not favorable to that nation.

Isaac R. Park, the sign painter and author of the famous transparencies that figured on the occasion of the celebration of John Quincy Adams's inauguration; Mr. Jacob Chick's Fourth of July, and at other times, accord- ing to his own account, came near being lost to Bangor and the world about this time. He engaged a man "at an extra price" to convey him safely across the river at Oldtown, and therefore sat still, and did not deem it necessary to take thought for his safety until he found himself near going over the falls "from this world into eternity on Tuesday, 20th November." His navigator deserted the batteau, leaving him no means to get on shore; so he was saved by accident. In his opinion that man was "only fit for a journeyman for old Charon, who ferries across the river Styx." He tendered his thanks to the gentlemen for saving him "from going to the world of spirits before he got ready," "not being able to dis- tinguish or call all of them by name, in consequence of being thinly clad at the time."

The Stillwater bridge, in Orono, was completed as a toll bridge and offered for lease.

Mr. Thomas Howard, the death of whose wife oc- curred in September, died in December. He had been a soldier in Wolfe's army, and was at the taking of Que- bec. He came to Bangor in 1772, and occupied one lot (No. 16) to the time of his death. He lived an exem- plary life, and was a good citizen. He was a member of the Methodist church for thirty years before his decease, which occurred when he was eighty-six years of age.

The New Brunswick Royal Gazette claimed that the actual possession of the disputed territory northward of the highlands, commencing at Mars Hill, "and of course all the lands on the Restook, as we call the river, or Aroostook," as the Americans call it, had always been in Great Britain.

The St. John British Colonist said: "It is certainly revolting to the feelings of Englishmen to witness the provoking and insulting language of such an infant na- tion towards the greatest power on the terrestrial globe. She who has had almost every other nation with the Americans united in colleague against her, and has com- bated and subdued them without assistance, is now to be insulted by one of the most infant governments on the earth; by a nation whose greatest trait is chicanery and duplicity !"

On December 22d the "Clarion," a small four-page weekly literary paper, edited by Charles Gilman, was issued from the Register office.

The supercilious and arrogant tone of the British press led to the discussion, in Maine, of a military road from Bangor to Houlton. The latter place was about 140 miles from any shire town. In from thirty to forty miles of the distance there was no road, or scarcely a track; and the traveler was obliged in passing to camp over night in the woods. The mail was received there but once a month. It was conveyed a part of the way by land and a part by water-the mail-carrier's back being the vehicle for much of the distance. The number of inhabitants south of Mars Hill was nearly 1,500 ; and in Madawaska about 3,000. With a good road and the boundary question settled, it was predicted that the population would double in six years.

The subject of the arrest of Baker was discussed by Mr. Clay, Secretary of State, and Mr. Charles R. Vaughn, the British Minister. The latter said that it was evident that the offensive conduct of Baker "was not confined to stopping the mail, but that he had hoisted the flag of the United States in defiance of British claims, and had sought to engage a party in an ancient British settlement to transfer the possession to the United States," and produced depositions from Frenchmen, that a paper was circulated in a Madawaska settlement for signatures, by which the signers bound themselves to re- sist British authority. The Minister urged that too much vigilance could not be exerted by the different Gov- ernments to remove misapprehension and control pas- sion among the settlers.

The brig Bold Jack, of Bangor, was wrecked on a voy- age to the West Indies. She was discovered, about No -- vember 24, drifting among the rocks off the Bermudas, and appeared to have been dismantled and drifting about the ocean, full of water, for some months. She had an assorted cargo.

The business men who established themselves or formed new connections in Bangor in the year 1827 were Nathaniel Haynes, Ira Chamberlain (tailor), James Tol- man, Edward Kent and Jonathan P. Rogers, became a business firm 'as lawyers, George Perry, William Cutter, Theodore S. Dodd, Joseph N. Downe and Bartlett Willis (wheelwrights), Philip H. and John E. Hesseltine, Charles Reynolds, Ammi West, Shadrack Roberts and George Hervey (tailors), Charles Buck, John Hoyt and O. N. Brad- ford, Erastus and J. M. Learned, Joseph Leavitt, Jr., Wil- lis Patten, Samuel Fellows (blacksmith), Haren Mitchell, William W. Emerson, Horatio P. Blood, Peleg Chandler and Gorham Parks (law firm), James H. Mills, Henry A. Head (bought out Elmore Parker), Mighill H. Blood, Dr. Cary, Isaac W. Patten and Charles Lowell (company), Joseph C. Stevens (boots and shoes), George W. Picker- ing, formed company with George A. Thatcher (Pickering & Thatcher), A. A. Dillingham (baker, bought out David J. Bent), Mark L. Hill, formed company with John C. Dexter (Hill & Dexter), Romulus Haskins & Company, French, Quimby, and Benjamin Weed (French, Weed & Co.), Preston Jones (cabinet-maker), Henry Nolen.

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History of Penobscot County, Maine; with illustrations and biographical sketches, Part 159

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