History of Penobscot County, Maine; with illustrations and biographical sketches, Part 165

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 165

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In July more than two hundred dwelling-houses, stores, and shops were building in the town. Rents were enor- mously high, and nearly every building about to be erected was rented as soon as the plan was drawn. The court- house and bridge across the Penobscot were commenced, and wharves and piers were springing up in the harbor.

There were two celebrations of the Fourth of July this year-one by the citizens, the other by the Jackson par- tisans.

The citizens' celebration was by a procession, oration, and dinner. The procession was escorted by a company of citizen volunteers, under command of Captain Samuel P. Dutton. The reading of the Declaration of Independence was by Peleg Chandler, Esq .; the oration was by Dr. Barker; and the dinner was presided over by Hon. Allen Gilman, assisted by Samuel Lowder and Edward Kent.

Although a citizens' celebration, the regular toasts in- dicated partisanism the reverse of Jacksonism, as :

"The President of the United States. He said a wise thing when he expressed an opinion against being a can- didate for re-election; he would do a wise thing if he would follow his own prescription."

"Henry Clay. The advocate of liberty in every clime. We trust to see him President of these United States." (Received with three cheers.)

Of the volunteer sentiments, this by Nathaniel Hatch: "The present Administration are for fixing our limits in the bed of a river,-we trust yet to find them on a Clay hill."

And this by J. Appleton, Esq., of Sebec [afterwards Chief Justice Supreme Court]: "Our Governor. A bet- ter speculator on his own account than in behalf of the State."

The excitement was considerable in the State, because the Administration party was inclined to adopt the award of the King of the Netherlands, fixing our northeast boundary in the bed of the St. John River for a con- sideration-virtually selling all the territory north of that river, and several of the sentiments referred to that.

A notable feature in the celebration of the day was a company of truckmen and others in white frocks, with blue ribbons about the neck and white trousers, on horse- back. Their fine riding and evolutions occasioned much favorable comment.

Colonel Samuel Lowder, Jr., of this town, a fine clas- sical scholar and a gentleman very highly esteemed, died on the Fourth of July, in Exuma, Turk's Island, where he had gone for the improvement of his health. His re- mains were brought to Bangor for interment. He was buried with appropriate civil and military honors. Ma- jor-General Hodsdon (to whose staff he belonged) and his staff, Brigadier-General Williams and his staff, and the officers of the regiment, with the military companies of the place and vicinity, and .citizens generally, attended the funeral. Colonel Lowder was a native of Dedham, Massachusetts.

William F., only son of Hon. William D. Williamson, died on the 6th of September, at the age of eighteen.

At this time the following table was published, showing the men supplied by each State to the regular army dur- ing the Revolution, between 1775 and 1783, inclusive, and the population of the States in round numbers :-

STATES

Regulars.

1790. ....

lation in

Free Popu-

New Hampshire

12,497

141,000

Massachusetts (including Maine).

67,907

475,000

Rhode Island.

5,098

68,000

Connecticut

31,939

235,000

New York.

17,781

319,000

New Jersey

10,726

176,000

Pennsylvania

25,778

431,000

Delaware

2,386

51,000

Maryland

13,912

216,000

Virginia.

26,677

561,000

North Carolina

7,263

293,000

South Carolina.

6,447

133,000

Georgia.

2,697

51,000

The votes of Bangor, on September 10, at the State annual meeting, were: For Samuel E. Smith, Democrat,

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HISTORY OF PENOBSCOT COUNTY, MAINE.

434 ; Daniel Goodenow, National Republican, 512. Smith was re-elected.

Captain Andrew W. Hasey, who kept a hotel at the corner of Hammond and Franklin streets (where the Davis Block now stands), received much credit for aban- doning his lucrative traffic in ardent spirits.

The National Republicans made great complaint against General Mark Trafton, the "Jackson Postmaster" of the town, for abuse of the franking privilege in dis- tributing partisan circulars through the post-office urging his party to organize, and said that they thought it incon- sistent with the utterances of President Jackson in his inaugural, where he accused the Administration of John Quincy Adams of having brought the " power and pat- ronage of the General Government into conflict with the freedom of elections." The complaint, however, was abortive ; the State and county were Jacksonian, and the dominant party held to the principle, " To the victors be- long the spoils."

Lawlessness prevailed to some extent in the fall. A fire-engine on the west side of the Kenduskeag was mis- chievously removed from its place of deposit ; a valuable elm tree on Hammond street was cut down; signs were pulled down, and other acts of wanton mischief were done, and the Selectmen offered a reward of $50 for evi- dence that would convict the principal offenders.

The benevolence of the people was taxed in behalf of the people of the Cape de Verde Islands, and contribu- tions were taken in the several churches, with the follow- ing result :

First Parish (Congregational), Rev. Mr. Pomroy. $158 25

First Baptist, Rev. Mr. Ripley. 46 00

Union Street (Unitarian), Rev. Mr. Huntoon 103 09 Methodist. 43 00

The Madawaska "insult" afforded the Major-General of the Third Division of Militia, Isaac Hodsdon, through John Hodgdon, his aid-de-camp, opportunity to manifest his patriotism under the head of "Division Orders." An extract or two from the manifesto will give an idea of the gallant spirit that prevailed among. the military worthies at the time. Referring to the call of the Governor to be ready for service, he says:

In reiterating this call of the Commander-in-chief to the officers and soldiers of the Division, it affords peculiar pleasure to the Major-General to know that they have anticipated such a requisition with that zeal and satisfaction which the occasion demands, and are impatient to manifest their alacrity in obeying it.

The proximity of this Division to the place where the outrage was committed is a sufficient guarantee to the troops of which it is. com- posed that they will be allowed to participate in avenging (if necessary) the indignity which would otherwise be cast upon the escutcheon of the Republic. A spirit of forbearance only has restrained them until now from avenging it, either by capture or reprisal.

The volunteer corps, and particularly the companies of light infantry and riflemen, are reminded that an opportunity may soon be presented them to evince the ability of their knowledge of military evolutions and discipline for which which they have been so deservedly distinguished.

The Presidential election occurred on November 6. The vote of Bangor was: For Henry Clay, 504; for An- drew Jackson, 367. The vote of Brewer was: For Clay, 117; Jackson, III. Of Orrington: For Clay, 131; Jack- son, 44.

Samuel Snow, Jr., of Bangor, was killed on the night of

November 1 by a blow from William Dwelley, a neighbor and relative. Dwelley and his wife had been absent from home. On returning they heard the cries of their chil- dren as if terrified. On entering his house, Dwelley found Snow there, and that he was the cause of the chil- dren's alarm. On seeing Dwelley, Snow ran, and Dwel- ley gave him a blow upon his stomach which caused his instant death.

On November 6 appeared the petition to the Legisla- ture of 1833, of Moses Greenleaf and others, for the incor- poration of the "Bangor and Piscataquis Canal and Rail- way Company," to construct canals and railways from the tide-waters of Penobscot River to places on the Pis- cataquis River.

Judge William D. Williamson, of Bangor, published his History of Maine, in two volumes, this year.

The deaths in Bangor for four years ending December, 1832, were :

From January, 1829, to January, 1830. 54

From January, 1830, to January, 1831. . 34

From January, 1831, to January, 1832. 54

From January, 1832, to January, 1833. 95

CHAPTER XXVI.

John Hodgdon Councillor-Dennet's Cove-" Washington" Engine at Oldtown-District of Belfast-The Littlefields' School-Town so Changed -- Town Lands for Sale-New Religious Society Proposed --- Fast Driving-Chapel of Theological Seminary Burned-Art-Fire -Mr. Kent's Addresses on Temperance, in Convention and Views of Dr. Pond, Mr. Appleton, and Others-Penobscot Mill-dam Company Organized-A. G. Jewett, County Attorney -- Bonds of Real Estate-Anecdotes-General Hodsdon Reappointed .Clerk- Companies Incorporated-Many Strangers-Annual Town Meeting -Fire and Marine Company Organized-Hammond Street Society- Major Moulthrop-Wax Figures-Bangor House Contemplated- Savings Bank and Mercantile" Bank Organized-Travesty of Timber Land Speculation-Adventure with a Bear-Ice-New Translation of Bible-Schools-Appropriations-Votes for Governor, etc .- Irish Laborers-Mob at Carr's Wharf -- Mob in the Town-Preparation for City Government.

1833. After the organization of the Legislature this year John Hodgdon, Esq., (Democrat) a young lawyer of Bangor and Aid de-Camp of Major-General Isaac Hods- don, was elected a member of Governor Smith's Council.

Proposals for building a granite wall three hundred feet long, three feet thick, and fifteen feet high, on the . north shore of Dennet's Cove, were advertised for by M. & A. Patten and J. B. Fiske. This was a beautiful cove about a quarter of a mile below the mouth of the Ken- duskeag. It was a depot for rafts of lumber, but has since been filled and the Maine Central Railroad now oc- cupies the ground for a station and other purposes.

On the 26th of January a portion of the Fire Depart- ment and several citizens, went to Oldtown to assist in extinguishing a fire at General Veazie's mills, occasioned by throwing coals and brands from the stove in one of

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HISTORY OF PENOBSCOT COUNTY, MAINE.

the mills on the slabs on the outside. The mills were saved.

The towns of Bangor, Hampden, Frankfort, Prospect, and Camden were at this time included in the customs district of Belfast. In this district there were registered and enrolled, in 1832, four new brigs, thirty-four schoon- ers, and one sloop. The amount of tonnage was 14,014 tons.

Mr. and Mrs. Joseph E. Littlefield opened a young ladies' school. Lectures were to be given in physiology, chemistry, astronomy, etc. Terms, French and English, $6 per quarter ; English, $5. A class of misses between eight and twelve years of age would be admitted at $4 per quarter.

On the 12th of February an "Old Inhabitant of Bos- ton" said through the Penobscot Journal:

Within a few years our town has so essentially altered its appear- ance that a person who resided here about ten years since, and who recently paid us a visit, said that he could hardly believe the fact that he was in Bangor ; that the last year more than two hundred buildings, wharves, etc., were erected, and the present season there will probably be as many more, including a meeting-house and a spacious hotel.

On February 13 Philip Coombs advertised for sale three parcels of land on State street, within two hundred rods of the Kenduskeag bridge. One of the lots con- sisted of thirty-two acres on the north side of the street; one lot on the south side between the street and low water mark, comprising ten acres; and one lot twenty- seven rods on the street and twenty-three rods on New- bury street, containing ten acres, with a house forty by forty-four, three stories high, and twenty finished rooms.

On the 16th a meeting was notified by the request of George W. B., James B. Fiske, George Starrett, and twenty-five others, to be held at Hill & Starrett's office on February 26, for organizing a "parish or religious society."

Fast driving was, as it ever will be, until drivers be- come decent, a cause of complaint. Somebody was very properly indignant that "a sleigh drove directly across the path" of two ladies who were on their way to church on Sunday, and struck one of the ladies "with such force as to tear in tatters a thick broadcloth cape, cloak, and under silk cape, and then passed on without stopping."

On the 18th of February a building on the lot now occupied by ex-Vice-President Hamlin, owned by the Theological Institute, and used by them as a chapel and school-house, was destroyed by fire. The loss was $1,000, for which it was insured. Counsellor Peleg Chandler tendered his thanks to the fire wards, engine men, and all the citizens whose "cool, prompt, and energetic exer- tions," and "calm and affective aid, saved his house and outbuildings-which were near the chapel-from a like fate."

Mr. Major Moulthrop, from Connecticut, at this time commenced a course of instruction in landscape draw- ing and painting at the Franklin House on the 26th of February.

A fire which destroyed a building of Judge William- son's, occupied as a dry-goods store (by William H. Hart-

well), and in which were two lawyers' offices (S. H. Blake's and N. Haynes's), and the Democratic Republican (newspaper) office, causing a loss of some $5,000 or more, led to the suggestion that a fire department be organized in town. Something more was wanting than men mounting ridge-poles and bawling "fire!" "water !" on the one hand and females passing water on the other.

A temperance celebration occurred on the 26th of Feb- ruary. An address was delivered by Edward Kent, and contained these memorable words:

But there are objectors to this system of total abstinence. Perhaps you say, "I care but little about my glass; I can drink, or I can omit drinking without any painful effort. I occasionally take my glass, but -

have no fixed habit. It would be no great effort for me to abandon it altogether. But I do not choose to do so. I will not pledge myself to abandon it."

Waiving all appeals to you in respect to your own danger of yet find- ing yourself on the downward road, let us reason a moment together in relation to your influence upon others. I ask you, what hope is there of effecting the great moral reformation we aim at, and you admit you desire, if men should act upon your principle? Would you depend upon the fines and imprisonment, and the house of correction, to bring to disgrace and punishment the hopeless drunkard? But our object is not only, and in truth not so much, to cure, as to prevent intemperance. We would not despair of the habitual and confirmed drunkard. But we honestly confess that our hopes and our aims lie in resisting the beginning of evils; in drying up the fountain from which issues the deadly stream-in staying the steps of the unfortunate ere yet the fatal habit is formed, or the fatal spell cast around them. And now, I ask, how can you assist in this work whilst you are in the daily or common use of ardent spirits? The youth who is just forming his habits of in- temperance, replies to your remonstrance, "Why do you upbraid or advise me? You, too, drink; why should not I?" You may say: " I never drink to excess; I can command myself; I have no fear of any bad effects." But will he believe it, or admit that he is not your equal in resolution? Will self-love thus decide? Will not your example give confidence and encouragement in this self-relying course of tem- perate drinking, which has been the smooth, worn path of thousands to a drunkard's grave?

The meeting was adjourned from the Methodist meeting-house (then on Union street) to the First Parish meeting-house in the evening, when William Abbot, Esq., was chosen Chairman, and Rev. Joseph C. Lovejoy, Secretary.

Rev. T. B. Ripley (Baptist) spoke to a resolution ex- pressing gratitude to the Almighty for the success which had attended the efforts of the American Temperance Society. He said that "previous to its operations our country was in a most deplorable situation. The history of the past exhibited a fearful and rapid progress of the evil, and our forebodings of the future were still more dreary." Some previous efforts had been made, but with little success: "It was at last discovered that nothing could be done without entire abstinence."

From the best information the committee of that so- ciety had been able to obtain, "more than 1,500,000 people in the United States now abstain from the use of ardent spirits, and from furnishing it for the use of others; there are more than 4,000 temperance societies, embrac- ing more than 500,000 members ; more than 1,500 dis- tilléries have been stopped ; more than 4,000 merchants have ceased to trafficin it; and more than 4,500 drunkards ceased to use intoxicating drinks. There is reason to believe that 20,000 persons are now sober, who but for the temperance reformation would have been sots; 20,- ooo families are in comfort who would have been in

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HISTORY OF PENOBSCOT COUNTY, MAINE.

poverty ; and 50,000 children saved from the blasting in- fluence of drunken parents."

John Appleton, Esq. (now Chief Justice Appleton), spoke to this resolution :

Resolved, That moderate drinking is the real and true cause of in- temperance, and should be so considered and treated by the friends of temperance.

He said :

Drunkenness is supported by no one. The very sight of the drunk- ard is sufficient to disgust all who see him. He is looked upon by all as a criminal, loathed and avoided. But who made him a drunkard? From what class do drunkards come? From the temperate drinkers. Let no one who uses a little presume to say, "I am safe." Let him not in the fire of conscious strength say, "I shall never be moved." When he is warned of danger let him not say, "Am I a dog that I should become a drunkard?" No one goes to ruin at once. No one can say, " I can set bounds that I will not pass." Every drunkard has said this, and yet not one has kept his word. Temperate drinkers, these are the supporters of drunkenness, the very class from which the more daring and brave are promoted to the honors and titles and wounds and bruises, disgrace and death of drunkards; this is the path to glory in which all temperate drinkers are walking. I repeat it, moderate drinkers are the only efficient friends of intemperance.

Rev. Mr. Husted (Methodist), to the resolution that the traffic in ardent spirits is a moral wrong, said if ardent spirits do evil, the conclusion follows that it is wrong to deal in them. "The fact was evident from looking into even one province of its ravages. Look at its desola- tions in the empire of mind."

Rev. Professor Pond (Congregationalist) in seconding the resolution, said that he arose "not to reproach the dealer, but to expostulate with him." . "You have seen the mischief it [rum] has done, and you know what it will do. Now if you not only suffer it to go but send it out, who, I beseech you, is to blame ? Are not you to blame ?"

Rev. Mr. Pomroy (Congregationalist) in advocating the resolution said about forty stores now sold ardent spirits in Bangor; and the influence the traffic exerted upon the inhabitants of the county was very great and disastrous.

Rev. J. C. Lovejoy (Congregationalist) presented a resolution that a committee of five be appointed to labor for three months in the cause of temperance in the county , and said that the American Congress in 1776 resolved to carry on the war of the Revolution to save the country from tyranny, and "they conquered. A day of joyful triumph has ever since been kept. I trust the day will come when this anniversary shall be kept as a day of jubilee, a day of songs, of joy and grateful anthems of praise to God. But the war is yet for a long time to be carried on. We may, if we will, banish the monster from our shores."

The committee appointed were the Rev. J. C. Love- joy, Edward Kent, Esq., Rev. T. B. Ripley, and Rev. Mr. Husted.

The Penobscot Mill-dam Company was organized and proceeded to build their dam and mills at McMahan's Falls for the manufacture of lumber.

Albert G. Jewett, Esq., had been appointed by the Governor and Council County Attorney for Penobscot. The tenure of the office was seven years.

Bonds for the conveyance of timber-lands and house- lots had now become articles of speculation, and the

demand for them was so great that the values of all kinds of real estate became so enormous as almost to craze the community. There were cool heads, but the many were engaged in making the country wealthy by giving fic- titious values to the manufacture or transfer of bonds for their conveyance for a certain sum within a fixed time. Men would make bonds of lands to which they had no title whatever, find purchasers, and run the risk of being required to make the conveyance. As these bonds were the subject of speculation, and not the lands, they would finally get into the hands of some one who neither could sell them again nor raise the money to pay for the lands, and they would expire in his possession. Sometimes the obligor, if possessed of means, would prepare himself for the emergency of conveying by afterwards getting a bond of the owner with the value of the lands fixed at a far less sum than he was to be paid. Some actual sales were made under such contracts.

But the poor people had heard so much in regard to large sums of money being made by "bonds " that much imposition was practiced. It is recorded that a conceited man of color was so impressed with the idea that his fortune was to come to him in this way that he was determined to be the possessor of a bond at some price. He found a person who was willing to aid him- This person-a wag-gave him a bond; and his bond was a bond-no more. The effect upon the obligee was astonishing. He conceived that he had a fortune, and he became very much excited and could not sleep. He could not comprehend why it should produce such a change in his feelings. He seemed to be beside him self, and finally disappeared altogether from the town.

Another speculator, who was a deacon of a church, became so involved in bond speculation that his pastor deemed it his duty to refer to the questionable character of the business. The deacon's reply was, "My dear sir, I would that that thou wast altogether such as I am, ex- cept these bonds." The poor deacon, like St. Paul, had some bonds that did not affect him comfortably.

General Isaac Hodsdon was this year reappointed Clerk of the Courts for Penobscot county.

The Legislature passed acts to increase the capital stock of the Kenduskeag Bank, Bangor; to incorporate Bangor Savings Institution; to incorporate the Bangor and Pisca- taquis Railroad Company; additional act to incorporate Commercial Bank, Bangor; to incorporate Penobscot Stage Company; to incorporate Bangor & Pushaw Canal Company; to incorporate Bangor Insurance Company ; to incorporate Penobscot Log Driving Company; to in- corporate Bangor House Proprietary; additional act to incorporate Panobscot Mill-dam Company; to regulate the survey of lumber in Penobscot county.

On March 19 the Journal said:

Our town, at the present moment, is overflowing with strangers. The taverns are filled, and it is with difficulty that those who come last can get accommodations. In a list of about sixty arrivals at the Ex- change Coffee House, the last week, we find the names of gentlemen from New York, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and from all parts of the State. Some are here, we suppose, with a view to make their fortunes-others are intending to settle-and not a few are honor- able Legislators returning home.

---

665

HISTORY OF PENOBSCOT COUNTY, MAINE.

At the annual town-meeting (11th of March) Henry Call was elected Town Clerk; William Abbott, George W. Brown and Royal Clark, Selectmen and Overseers of the Poor; Ford Whitman, Treasurer; William Rice, Harbor-master; Thornton McGaw, Town Agent; William Abbott, Benjamin Nourse, Joseph R. Lumbert, William Thompson, Andrew Webster, School Committee.

The Bangor Fire and Marine Insurance Company was organized and on March 13 elected George W. Picker- ing, Amos Patten, Caleb C. Billings, James Crosby, Samuel Smith, Waldo T. Pierce, Ebenezer French, Thomas A. Hill, and Amos Davis, Directors. George W. Pickering was elected by the Directors, President.

The committee of the Hammond Street Congrega- tional Society, John Godfrey, Thomas A. Hill, Levi Cram, Moses Patten, and Edmund Dole, gave notice that they would receive proposals for building a house of worship for the society until the Ist day of April.

The regular line of packets between Bangor and Bos- ton, at this time, consisted of schooners Free Trade, Madawaska, Albion, and Herald.

The editor of the Journal was delighted with Mr. Moulthrop's paintings, and with sixteen wax figures on exhibition, representing Gibbs and Mourley, the pirates, the Salein murder, the Siamese twins, and advised all who desired to patronize the painter, as he would leave them soon; and as to the wax display, no one could "view them without deriving peculiar satisfaction."

The Directors of the Bangor House Proprietary ad- vertised for proposals for building the Bangor House. They would be received until April 6th. The Directors were William Emerson, Moses Patten, Charles Thomas, Rufus Dwinel, and John Hodgdon.

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History of Penobscot County, Maine; with illustrations and biographical sketches, Part 165

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