History of Penobscot County, Maine; with illustrations and biographical sketches, Part 206

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 206

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

Young Davis was trained in the common schools, mainly in Stetson, to which town his father removed in 1854; but more effectively at the school of the fireside, where his father, who had been a teacher, assisted by the mother, gave him invaluable instruction. He kept up his studies also while at the work of the farm, in which he had to engage much at home and elsewhere, as the family were in limited circumstances. He effected an entrance into the Academy at East Corinth in 1863, but had been there but a few weeks when he left school to join a company of troops for the war then being raised at his old home. He enlisted as a private soldier October 15, 1863, and served until January, 1865, at the close of the war. He

824

HISTORY OF PENOBSCOT COUNTY, MAINE.

had kept up his studies to some extent in camp, and now entered the Academy at Corinth, where he was a pupil for about a year, interrupting his course only to teach a school himself in the winter. He then attended at the Kent's Hill Seminary for about a year and a half, teach- ing again of winters. He had also during this time some very competent private instruction under Professor Sawyer, of the Corinna Academy.

In the winter of 1867-68 Mr. Davis began to read law with the Hon. Lewis Barber, then a resident of Stet- son, and was admitted to the Bar of the State the next year. He commenced practice in East Corinth on the 29th of August, 1869. After holding some local offices and taking the stump from time to time for the Republi- can party, he was elected to the lower House of the State Legislature in 1874, and took an active part in leg- islation and the discussion of pending questions. Four years thereafter he represented Penobscot county in the State Senate, where he took a leading position. The same year (1878) he was more actively in the Republican canvass than ever before, speaking in several counties of Eastern Maine. In 1879 he was nominated as a candi- date for Governor on the Republican ticket. He re- ceived a majority of 46,000 votes over the Democratic candidate and 21,000 votes over the Greenback nominee, and was elected Governor by the Legislature. In that campaign he addressed more than one hundred audiences, in his own State and others, being called to much polit- ical service of the kind in Ohio and Massachusetts. He was re-nominated in 1880, and was constantly in the field from the Fourth of July until the day of election. The Greenback and Democratic parties having fused, the elec- tion was very close; and in the number of votes cast he was only about 130 votes behind his competitor, the present incumbent, General Plaisted, of Bangor. He has since devoted himself to his profession. In January, 1881, he opened an office in Bangor, in partnership with Charles A. Bailey, Esq., of Oldtown, which is still main- tained.

Governor Davis was married in East Corinth, New Year's Day, 1867, to Miss Laura B., only daughter of William and Mary (Ireland) Goodwin, of that place. Her mother was also the child of a minister of the Christian denomination. They have had eight children, five of whom are still living. Two others died in infancy, one unnamed, the other named Bertha ; and still another, Winter S. Davis, died in April, 1876, aged about two years. The surviving children are William Franklin, now thirteen years old ; Frederick Hall, a lad of ten years ; Margaret Ellen, aged five ; Edmund Ireland, three years old ; and Willis Roswell, who is still an infant. All the children were born in East Corinth.

HON. JOHN MORISON.

Robert Morison was born in Portand, Maine, April 6, 1778, where he resided until twenty-two years of age. In the year 1800 he moved to Livermore, Oxford coun- ty, and settled on a farm. He remained in Livermore

until 1815, when he moved to Reedfield, where he pur- chased a farm and remained in Reedfield until 1821, when he sold out his farm, and in March, 1822, he moved to Sebec, and in company with his brother Wil- liam purchased a mill-site and erected a saw- and grist- mill and engaged in the mill business until his death, which occurred in 1838.

Mr. Morison married Sallie Kent, a native of Reed- field, in the year 1801. His wife died October 7, 1875, at Sebec. He was the father of eight children, four boys and four girls: Sibyl, who married Daniel Pack- ard, and lives in Dover. Ruth, married Warren Kent, and lives in Sebec. Robert was twice married ; his first wife was Asenath Gillman; she died, and he afterwards married Abigail Dow, and resides in Sebec engaged in farming. Alvin, married Sallie Pittman, and died in Sebec. Alice, married Benjamin P. Gillman, and resides in Orono. Charles was twice married ; his first wife was Mary A. Lowney ; she died, and he afterwards married Emily Herrick; he died in Corinth in 1855. Sarah, who married John Hellier, died in Bangor.

Hon. John Morison, the subject of this sketch, was born September 14, 1817, in the town of Livermore, Oxford county. In 1821 he moved to Sebec with his father, where he received a liberal education. He re- mained with his father until twenty-one years of age, and was taught the mill business in all its branches. When eighteen years of age he was chosen second lieu- tenant of a company of militia at Sebec ; he was after- wards promoted to first lieutenant, and afterwards to the rank of captain. At the age of twenty-one years he started out in business for himself, with no capital but his brain and muscle. He found his father's estate em- barrassed, and an aged mother and one sister to support. He went to work by the day, month, and year, as the opprotunity offered itself ; saved his money, and cleared the old homestead of its indebtedness, and left it as a home for his mother, where she lived until her death, which occurred in 1875. In 1847 he went to Orono, where he purchased the Island Mills property. The same year, in company with other parties, he purchased the township of land on the Passadumkeag River now known as the Morison and Gillman town. It contains thirty-two thousand acres of heavy timber. He remained in Orono until 1856, when he sold his mill property to James Hamilton, came to Corinth, purchased the beauti- ful farm-a view of which is on the opposite page, and in 1858 he moved on the premises, where he now lives, surrounded by all the comforts that heart could wish, and enjoying the blessings of a well-spent life. He is now engaged extensively in the lumbering business, and has in his employ from one hundred to one hundred and fifty men every year. He has been one of the con- tractors on the West Branch for four years. In 1861 he was elected by the towns of Corinth, Kenduskeag, Hud- son, and Alton to represent them in the State Legisla- ture, and in 1873 and 1874 he was elected State Senator. While a member of the House he was a member of the Committee of Interior Waters and Committee on Manu- factures. While in the Senate he was Chairman of the

VIEW OF TENANT HOUSE AND BARNS, OPPOSITE RESIDENCE

825

HISTORY OF PENOBSCOT COUNTY, MAINE.

above committee, also member of Committee on Indian Affairs and Fisheries. He also has held the office of Selectman of Corinth for four years. In politics he was originally an old-line Whig, and became a member of the Republican party, of which he is now an active member. He was one of the Trustees of the West Penobscot Agricultural Society four years; and in 1873, when the Central Penobscot Agricultural Society was chartered, he was chosen its President. He served as Trustee of the State Agricultural Society three years, and is now one of the Directors of Penobscot Lumber Asso- ciation, and is also one of the Directors of the West Branch Log-Driving Company; he has also been Presi- dent and Director of the Passadumkeag Boom Associa- tion.

He was twice married. His first wife was Emily Low- ney, a native of Sebec. She died in Orono in 1848. He afterwards married Eliza J. Ford, a native of Sebec, and is the father of six children: William Harrison, died in Corinth at the age of twelve years ; John Am- brose, died in Corinth when thirteen years of age ; Hor- ace Bray, lives at home ; Fannie Britton, died when two years and six months old; Frank Pearl, and Abner Ford live at home.

HON. JOHN THISSELL.

Richard Thissell was born in Beverly, Massachusetts, where he lived several years. He was a seafaring man, and followed the sea many years. He abandoned the sea, moved to New Salem, Massachusetts, gave up his seafaring life, and turned his attention to farming, where he remained a few years, when he sold out, purchased a farm in Newbury, New Hampshire, then almost a wilder- ness, where he cleared up a farm and remained in that vi- cinity the balance of his life. He was twice married. His first wife was a Miss Lovett. She died in New Hampshire. He afterwards married Sarah Withington. They had eleven children. Richard married Mary Chase. He died in New Hampshire. Hezekiah L. mar- ried a lady from Connecticut and died in New York. He was a soldier in the War of 1812, and afterwards com- manded a company in the Mexican war, after which he was appointed agent of the United States in Flor- ida for the protection of the property of the Government. Hannah, deceased; Apphia, deceased; Sarah, deceased; Rachael, deceased; William, deceased; Josiah, lives in Minnesota; John, living; Rachael, 2d, deceased; Thorn- dyke, deceased.

Hon. John Thissell, the subject of this sketch, was born in Fishersfield, now called Newbury, New Hamp- shire, December 31, 1804. He lived in New Hampshire until he was twenty-one years of age, where he received a common school education. His business has always been farming, and he is one of the most successful farm- ers in the State of Maine. In 1831 he came to Corinth and settled on the East Ridge, on the farm now occupied by Stephen H. Worth. He cleared up the farm and erected the buildings now occupied by Worth. In 1869

he purchased the farm on which he now lives, and moved on to it the same year.

In politics he was originally a member of the Demo- cratic party, but became a Republican at the organization of the party. He is a man highly respected by all, and has been repeatedly chosen by his party to fill many hon- orable offices, having held the office of Selectman of Corinth for nearly twenty years, and was chairman of the Board nearly all the time he held the office. In 1848 he was elected by his class, consisting of Corinth, Charleston, and Bradford, to represent them in the State Legislature. While a member of the Legislature he served on several important committees. In 1859 and 1860 he was elected State Senator from his county. While in the Senate he was chairman of the Committee on State Lands and State Roads, State Prison, and was also member of several other important committees. He was also a member of the State Board of Agriculture for three years. He is an active Christian, having professed religion in 1841. He became a member of the Free-will Baptist Church, and since that time has contributed lib- erally to the support of the gospel. He was twice mar- ried. In 1831 he married his first wife, Allaseba B. Ramsdell, a native of Lunenburg, Massachusetts. She died in Corinth, and was the mother of two children. He afterwards married Mrs. Abby True, a native of Mont- ville, Maine, his present wife.

He is the father of two children-Charles T., who married Mariett French and lives in Corinth, engaged in farming; Henry W., died in Corinth at the age of twenty- seven years.

When Mr. Thissell started in life his sole capital was what Providence had given him-a strong constitution and an active brain. He started in life in the midst of a vast wilderness, but by industry and economy has suc- ceeded in securing for himself and family a large fortune. He always took an active part in educational matters. During the term of his office as State Senator he secured a grant of one-half township of land for the support of the Corinth Academy.

JOSIAH CROSBY

was born November 24, 1816, in Dover, New Hamp- shire, and is the son of Oliver Crosby and Hariot Chase, his wife. The family removed to Atkinson, Maine, in 1820. Josiah was fitted for college at Foxcroft Academy ; entered Bowdoin College in February, 1832, at the second term of the freshman class; was graduated with the class in 1835, and took the degree of A. M. at Bowdoin in 1838. He remained at home some months in ill-health and then studied law one year with Hon. Alfred Johnson, at Belfast, six months with Hon. Frederick Hobbs, at Bangor, six months with Hon. Charles P. Chandler, at Dover, and was admitted to the Bar in Pis- cataquis county in September, 1838. He practiced law with Mr. Chandler, in copartnership six months, then moved to Levant (now Kenduskeag); tarried there a year and a half, and then removed to Exeter, from which place

104

826

HISTORY OF PENOBSCOT COUNTY, MAINE.

he removed to Dexter in January, 1845, where he has remained to the present time, practicing in the courts of Penobscot, Piscataquis, and Somerset counties, and in the United States courts for Maine.

He was married February 15, 1844, to Henrietta Hill, daughter of Henry Hill, Esq., of Exeter. By her he had two children who died in earliest infancy. His wife died December 28, 1846. For his second wife he mar- ried Mary Bradbury Foss, daughter of Simon Foss, of Dexter, February 27, 1849, born March 22, 1834, by whom he has nine children, eight of whom are now living, as follows: Henrietta Hill, born February 18, 1850; May May 1, 1852; Oliver, January 29, 1856 ; Simon Percy, September 24, 1858; Josiah Willis, May 29, 1862; Annie Cornelia, February 9, 1866; Philip Sidney, February 4, 1869, died July 25, 1870; Charles James Fox, December 12, 1871; Clara Ingersoll, March 23, 1878.

Henrietta Hill, educated in part at Antioch College, was married in 1871 to Humphrey M. Blaisdell, a sur- veyor in Fairmount, Martin county, Minnesota, where they now reside. Oliver, a graduate of the State College at Orono in 1876, married Lizzie Wood, of Dexter, in 1878. He is a machinist, and they now reside in St. Paul, Minnesota. The other children are unmarried. May is in the Treasury Department at Washington, D. C. Simon Percy is in his senior year at the State College. Josiah Willis entered the freshman class at Bowdoin in 1868, and the others are at home.

In politics Mr. Crosby was always a Whig until the Republican party came into existence, which, in a small way, he aided in forming, and remained an earnest mem- ber of the party to the present time. In 1857, 1863, and 1865 he was a member of the House of Representatives of Maine from the class composed of Dexter and Corinna. In 1867-68 he was a member of the Senate from Pe- nobscot county, serving on the Judiciary Committee dur- ing the years of his membership of either House, except in 1868, when he was President of the Senate. He al- ways took an active part in legislation and occasionally wrote out his speeches, which were published-one in 1857 in opposition to the bill to create an additional Judge of the Supreme Judicial Court (the purpose of the bill being to restore Judge Davis). In 1863, aided materially by Hon. Daniel Elliot, of Brunswick, then in the Senate, he introduced and carried through a bill to reduce the salary of the Land Agent, after an arduous struggle. The report of committee, drawn by him, and signed by Mr. Elliot and himself, was published. In 1865 he made a speech in opposition to report of Com- mittee on Elections ejecting Mr. Jordan, of Berwick, from his seat, which was published in the Kennebec Journal and copied into the Maine Democrat. In 1867 he made a speech on a resolve to amend the State Con- stitution so as to grant State aid to railroads, which was published in the Kennebec Journal, copied into the Bel- fast Progressive Age, and subsequently, by request, pub- lished in pamplet form. In 1856 he made a speech, published in the Kennebec Journal, favoring the re- sumption of Town debts to the extent of $200 per man instead of $100 as proposed by the bill.

In 1870, when not a member, he made a speech before the Committee on Railroads, in presence of most mem- bers of the Legislature, in opposition to consolidation of railroads, which by request was written out and pub- lished in the Kennebec Journal. This speech attracted as much attention from the public as any ever made by Mr. Crosby, and in the minds of some it had the credit of defeating the bill. In 1861 he pronounced an eulogy at the ceremony of erecting a monument to Lieutenant Lyman S. Richardson, of Garland, killed at the first Bull Run battle, published in the Bangor Whig and Courier. In 1874, at the request of the members of the Penobscot Bar he pronounced an eulogy before the Su- preme Court on the character of the late Daniel Barker, published in the Whig and Courier and Dexter Gazette, and a portion of it included in a biographical sketch in- troductory to a volume of his poems subsequently pub- lished. In 1878 he made a short address at the funeral of Benjamin F. Horton, in Dexter, published in the Dexter Gazette and a portion of it copied into a Boston newspaper.

In law he has had a varied practice, in civil, equity and criminal cases, before the jury and before the full court, in the State courts and in the United States courts for Maine. He has defended two capital cases for arson successfully. In 1873, associated with Hon. Josiah H. Drummond, he defended Henry Hudson, a lawyer of Guilford, and Charles Foss, then Sheriff of Piscataquis county, in the United States District Court, on a charge of resisting a United States Deputy Marshal, a sort of "treason." Foss was acquitted. Hudson was convicted, unjustly in the opinion of Mr. Crosby. He has de- fended successfully two cases of indictments charging an assault, one with a pitchfork, one with a loaded pistol with intent to kill. In January, 1878, Arthur Annette, of Dexter, was arrested and examined before Judge Goodenow, of the Police Court, Bangor, on a charge of robbing the safe of the Eastern Express Company in Dexter of $4,000. Judge Goodenow came to Dexter to hear the case. Mr. Crosby defended him before the Judge, and wrote out his argument, which was published in the Dexter Gazette February 8, 1878. Annette was subsequently indicted for the robbery but was discharged without a trial, the public almost unanimously believing him innocent. Mr. Crosby has been counsel for the Dexter & Newport Railroad Company from its organiza- tion in 1867 to the present time. He took great interest in forwarding the enterprise, making a great many speeches to the farmers, endeavoring to make them be- lieve that the stock would pay them annually a dividend of six per cent., which has proved to be correct.

On Memorial Day, May 30, 1878, he delivered an ad- dress before the members of H. F. Safford Post, G. A. R., in Dexter, published in the Dexter Gazette May 31.

He has occasionally written other articles or short essays on topics of temporary interest, and published the same in the newspapers over his own signature, of which he has retained no copies-particularly on favoring the policy of President Grant for the annexation of San Domingo, and earnestly advocating it.

V. A. Sprague

827

HISTORY OF PENOBSCOT COUNTY, MAINE.

Mr. Crosby became a member of the Maine Historical Society in 1868. He has ever been a Unitarian in relig- ion, of temperate habits and very industrious, but not so industrious as to endanger his life, as too many men, es- pecially Yankees, do. In pecuniary affairs with some up and downs, he has upon the whole been moderately prosperous ; has enjoyed the comforts of life to a rea- sonable extent, some but not many of its luxuries, but visited "The Centennial " with his wife, and thence visited his daughter in Minnesota. He desires much to visit Europe. Mr. Crosby is a director in the First National Bank of Dexter. He settled in the country in prefer- ence to the city for the reason that he thought the physi- cal activity of a country practice would be more con- ducive to health than the more lucrative but more stationary habits of a city life. His family is the source of measureless happiness to him, far beyond the dreams of wealth. Upon the whole he has but little inclination or cause to find fault with the world. -

VOLNEY A. SPRAGUE.

Elijah W. Sprague was born in Bethel, Oxford county, Maine, December 23, 1784. His father moved from Hingham, Massachusetts (the former home of all the good Spragues), to Bethel about 1782. When quite young Elijah went to live with his uncle William, in the town of Greene, where he lived until twenty years of age, then came to Dexter. He had learned the blacksmith's trade, and as soon as he had located he set up his forge in the open air and commenced doing the blacksmithing for Dexter and Corinna. The joke is told of him that a Corinna man enquired how far it was to Sprague's black- smith shop, and was told that he was then in the shop, but that he was then three and one-half miles from the anvil. In 1812 he married Phoba Parker. He had five children, all of whom are now living-two in Illinois, one in Kansas, and two in Maine. He never had the advantages of a school, as he never attended school but six weeks. His education was fair, however, he having the reputation of being the best mathematician in town. He held many town offices, and for twelve years held the office of Deputy-Sheriff. While holding this office he detected and broke up a gang of counterfeiters in the town of Exeter; found their plates and printing materials, and obtained sufficient evidence to send the whole gang to the State prison. In 1858 he removed to the State of Illinois, and died at Joliet in 1879, at the advanced age of ninety-five years, being the last of the original settlers of Dexter.

His second son, V. A. Sprague, the subject of this sketch, and whose portrait is herein represented, was born January 28, 1817. He lived at home until fourteen years of age, when he came to the village of Dexter and entered the employ of Eli Winslow as painter. When sixteen years of age he taught his first school, and spent his time, until twenty-one years of age, in painting, attend- ing school, and teaching school. He then entered Colby University (then Waterville College), where he graduated

in 1842. On account of ill health he was obliged to travel, and went south as far as Maryland and Virginia, where he remained five years, teaching school when able. In 1847, his health being improved, he returned to Dex- ter and commenced the study of law with the Hon. Jo- siah Crosby, and in 1848 was admitted to the Bar, and immediately commenced the practice of law in Corinna, where he continued in practice twenty-three years, when he returned to Dexter, where he now lives, and is now the senior member of the law firm of V. A. & M. Sprague. While in Corinna he held the office of Post- master thirteen years. In every sense of the word he is a specimen of a self-made man, and the history of his past life furnishes additional evidence that integrity of purpose, coupled with perseverance and assiduous labor, will overcome all the difficulties which may beset the path of the young American, and enable him to fully fit himself for honorable and useful positions in society. In politics he was a member of the Democratic party until 1856, when he became a member of the Republican party, of which party he is now an active member. In 1849 he married Susan M. Sloper, of Waterville, and is the father of two children: Morrill, who married Edith E. Edgerly, and resides in Dexter, engaged in the prac- tice of law with his father, and Wilson, who lives in Port- land, Maine, engaged as mechanical draftsman for the Portland Company's locomotive works.

HON. CHARLES SHAW.

Hon. Charles Shaw was born in Corrington, Hamp- shire county, Massachusetts, in 1811. He was one of a family of thirteen children. When sixteen years of age he made an agreement with his father that if he would give him his time he would pay him $100. He ap- prenticed himself to a shoemaker in Corrington, where he served nearly four years. At the end of three years he went to Hingham, where he followed his trade, work- ing one year for Caleb Stetson. From there he returned to Corrington, where he went into partnership with his brother in the shoe business, which partnership continued seven years, and in 1837 he purchased one-half interest in his brother Breckly's tannery in Corrington. He re- mained in partnership with his brother three years, when he sold out and returned to the shoe business, in which he was engaged five years. He afterwards purchased an interest in the old Hubbard tannery, where he remained until 1851, when he sold out his interest and came to Dexter, Penobscot county, and immediately purchased the tannery which he now owns, in company with F. Shaw & Brothers. The partnership existed about nine years, when he purchased his partners' interest, and has re- mained in the business as sole owner up to the present time. He is one of the most extensive manufacturers of leather in the State of Maine, having had control of six tanneries at one time, with an average capacity of two hundred and twenty-five tons each. He has now in his employ, to carry on his extensive business, seventy-two men. He is a thorough-going, upright business man, and has the

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

History of Penobscot County, Maine; with illustrations and biographical sketches, Part 206

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