History of Penobscot County, Maine; with illustrations and biographical sketches, Part 67

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 67

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The surface of Argyle bears a common resemblance to that of its neighbor Alton in levelness and general in- difference of soil. It is swampy in some places. Much of the land, however, is fertile, and produces good crops of hay and grain.

A Methodist society has been organized in the town, but its pulpit has not been regularly supplied of late. The temperance interest, however, is kept alive by two lodges of the Independent Order of Good Templars, bearing, respectively, the suggestive and fitting names of "Wide Awake " (No. 248) and Phoenix (No. 268). Both of these meet on Saturday evenings. There was also, we believe, formerly a Freewill Baptist Church in the town.

In addition to the mills before mentioned, the trade and commerce of the town are stimulated by two general stores kept by Miss Lucy A. Bussell and Mr. William W. Spencer. The Argyle Boom is one of the largest and most important on the Penobscot.

Argyle was a part of the ancient Birch Stream Settle-

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HISTORY OF PENOBSCOT COUNTY, MAINE.

ment and of the subsequent Argyle Plantation. Their history, as before given, is in good part that of Argyle. Among the earliest settlers upon this part of the old town, coming about 1810, was John Buzzell, a grandson of the Penobscot pioneer of 1769, who built the first house in Bangor. Another old settler was William Foster, of Bradley, a pioneer of 1815. The Plantation, then including Alton also, was incorporated as a town March 19, 1839, and the town of Argyle was reduced to its present dimensions by the carving from its territory of the town of Alton, March 9, 1844. This will account for the reduction of its population from 527 in 1840 to 338 in 1850. As the population of Alton in the latter year was 252, it appears that the population of the orig- inal town, had it remained intact, would have been 590 in the same year, a good percentage of increase on the census of 1840. In 1860 the people of the reduced Argyle numbered 379; in 1870, 307; and in 1880, 285. Polls in 1860, 87; in 1870, 85; 1880, 92. Estates in these years, respectively, $38,718, $51,502, and $50,389.

The following-named are the public officers of the town in October, 1881: Isaac F. Buzzell, Jr., G. W. Freese, and W. F. Oakes, Selectmen; Samuel L. Freese, Town Clerk ; Alexander McKay, Treasurer ; H. W. Marsh, Gilman Comstock, and William W. Spencer, Constables; William W. Spencer, Collector; Stephen J. Buzzell, School Supervisor; Isaac Foster, Justice.

Mr. Alexander McKay joins to his duties as Treasurer of the town a service under Federal appointment as Postmaster.

Isaac F. Buzzell, Esq., of Argyle, is a son of John and Sarah Buzzell (nee Sarah Freeze). John Buzzell was one of the early settlers. His father, Stephen Buzzell, was a son of Jacob Buzzell, who built the first house in Ban- gor. John and Sarah Buzzell had thirteen children, eight sons and five daughters, viz : Stephen, of Argyle ; Lucy, deceased ; John, deceased ; Isaac F .; George, de- ceased ; Lydia, wife of James B .; Fernald, of Argyle ; Nancy, wife of Abner Spencer; William, deceased ; Sarah, deceased ; Alfred, now of Argyle ; and Isaiah, deceased. Two died while young. Mr. Buzzell was a farmer and lumberman. He died in 1840; Mrs. Buzzell died in 1854. Isaac F. Buzzell was born October 3, 1808, in Milford, ere the town was incorporated or the State became such. He first engaged in lumbering on becoming of age. He has al- ways lived in Argyle since he was two years of age. He has followed lumbering and farming all his life. He married Adeline Orr, daughter of Clement and Nancy Orr, of Oldtown. They have had eleven chil- dren, viz: James, now of Milford ; Hannah, wife of Samuel Lowe, of Milford ; Lucy ; George, in Milford ; Nancy, deceased ; Isaac, of Argyle ; John, also of Ar- gyle ; Adeline, now Mrs. Leroy Sanborn, of Argyle; Ar- thur, of Argyle ; and Evealyn, wife of Isaac Sanborn, of Stillwater. One died in infancy, and one in early life. Mr. Buzzell has held all the prominent town offices at different times. He has been postmaster, justice, etc. He represented his class in the Legislature the year that Hugh J. Anderson was Governor. He has a very good

farm of one hundred acres on the bank of the Penobscot, with a good equipment of farm buildings. He has, as his record shows, been for a long time one of the most prominent men in the town.

One of the first settlers in Alton was Mr. William Foster, who came here from Bradley in 1815. He was a native of Gray, Maine, and married Lucy Spencer. They had ten children, viz : Philip, Isaac, Mary, Martha, Joseph, Jane, Nancy, Lucy, William C., and Heman N. Mr. Foster followed farming and lumbering as a busi- ness. He died about 1860. Isaac Foster, the second son, was born March 21, 1807, in Bradley, then "No. 4 Plantation." He came to Argyle when eight years of age, where he has since lived. He married for his first wife Rachel Jane Cheever, of Argyle. By her he had two children-John W. and Sarah Jane. Mrs. Foster died in 1838, and Mr. Foster married for his second wife Miss Sarah J. Howard. From this union there are four children, viz .: William S., of Argyle; Stephen J. K., de- ceased; Harvey H., of Waterville; Martha, now Mrs. John B. Buzzell, of Argyle. Mr. Foster has been one of the prominent men of Argyle for many years; he has served as Selectman for the long period of forty years. In 1864 he represented his district in the Legislature, and again in 1868 and in 1869. Mr. Foster has followed lumbering principally for business, though having a farm in Argyle. His place is near the center of the town, on the river road.

Mr. H. N. Foster, of Argyle, is a son of William Fos- ter, who was born in Gray, Maine, in 1781, and settled in Argyle in 1815. He was for years one of the leading men of the town, holding many of the prominent town offices, and for a time was Justice of the Peace. He married Lucy Spencer, who died in 1826. Mr. Foster died in 1867. H. N. Foster married Eliza Moore, March 13, 1849. They have had ten children, viz : Henrietta ; Lucy J., deceased; Sarah E .; Nancy E., de- ceased; Ruel H .; Adoniram, deceased; Andrew W .; Adelbert A .; Arthur M., deceased; and Norah M., de- ceased. Mr. Foster is a farmer and lumberman, and lives on the west bank of the Penobscot River, in Argyle.

Mr. Gilbert W. Frees, of Argyle, was born, August 18, 1819, in the town of Argyle ere it was incorporated and ere Maine was a State. His father, Isaac Frees, came here from Bangor. He was a native of Portland, Maine. His father's name was also Isaac. He married for his first wife Rebecca Hathorn, and for his second wife Me- hitabel J. Warren. By his first wife he had four children who grew up, viz : Jeremiah M., William L., Reuben, and Samuel. By his second wife he had three children -Rebecca H., Isaac, now of Argyle, and Gilbert W. Mr. Frees followed lumbering principally. He was one of the early lumbermen on the river. He died in 1858. Mrs. Frees died in 1859. Gilbert W. Frees lives on the old place settled by his father about 1800. He married Miss Martha A. Lowe, daughter of Thomas Lowe, of Argyle. They have four children, viz : Nettie W., wife of William W. Brown, of Argyle; Gilbert C., of Argyle; Samuel L., of Argyle; Hattie F. W., at home. Mr. Frees has followed lumbering in days past, though at

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HISTORY OF PENOBSCOT COUNTY, MAINE.

25I

present he is engaged in farming. He lives on the river road in Argyle, owns one hundred and thirty acres of land, and is well situated. Mr. Frees is at present one of the Selectmen of his town. He has held several other offices. William L. Frees was born in Argyle, April 8, 1807. (For his father's history see that of Gilbert W. Frees.) Mr. Frees has always lived in Argyle. He married Louisa

Marsh, daughter of John Marsh, Jr., of Argyle. They have two children, viz : Lottie H. and Jeremiah. Mr. Frees has always followed lumbering for a business, until within a few years. He owns a part of the old home- stead-seventy-five acres. He was one of the first town officers in Argyle, and has held various local offices. He is now seventy-four years of age.

BRADFORD.

Bradford is one of the dozen even townships in the west- erly projection of the county. The municipal organiza- tion of the town has left its regularity unimpaired; and it lies in beautiful shape, a regular township of six miles on each side, or thirty-six square miles in all, and one of the finest and best settled tracts in the county. It lies on the north line of Penobscot, adjoining Piscataquis, the fourth town in order from the northwest corner of the former county. Its northerly neighbor is Orne- ville, in Piscataquis county; it is bounded on the east by Lagrange and Alton towns; on the south by Hudson, and on the west by Charleston. It has no natural boun- dary, and is enclosed altogether by artificial and straight lines, but not running exactly with the cardinal points of the compass. There is a slight deflection of the north and south lines to the eastward of the meridian, and the east and west lines are accordingly also a little out of due position. Its distance from the north line of Bangor, on right lines running due south, is the width of two surveyed townships-across Hudson and Glenburn -or about twelve miles.

Bradford has no large waters, as the Penobscot or any lakes, upon or within its borders; but is nevertheless ex- ceedingly well watered. The headwaters of the West Branch of the Dead Stream are but little beyond the northwest corner of the town, in Piscataquis, and it in- tersects the entire town in a long, irregular diagonal of twelve miles or more, almost precisely from corner to corner. Its principal tributary in this town is the Beaver Brook, which heads in three branches near the centre of the north line of the town, and flows southward to a junction with the Dead Stream a mile and a quarter north of East Bradford post-office. Upon the middle one of these branches, about a mile below its source, is a mill- site. Further down, the Dead Stream is expanded into ponds at several places, as at East Bradford and on each side of School No. 6, which furnish eligible sites

that have been improved for shingle and other mills In the northeast angle of the town is Bear Brook, which rises"in Orneville, receives a small tributary from the westward near the east line of Bradford, and flows thence a short distance into Lagrange, where its waters reach the East Branch of Dead Stream, and by that the Pe- nobscot. South of the Bear Brook some miles, two other tributaries of Dead Stream have their sources in Bradford, and flow out into Alton. In the southern part of the town, west of the West Branch, are the head- waters of two little streams that also flow into the Dead Stream. : West of them is Fletcher Brook, which heads heads northwest of East Bradford, and a petty runlet which is also a tributary of Forbes Brook. This is a stream of some importance for mill-sites, whose extreme headwaters are in the northwest corner of the town, near North Bradford post-office, and which also has a source something more than two miles due south of the other. From the latter point the two streams flow with general parallelism until their junction a little southwest of School No. 3. Just below this junction several mill-ponds have been formed, and shingle, grist, and saw-mills put in. Still west of the Forbes Brook, rising near the centre of the west line of the town, and watering the country thence southward, is the Mohawk Stream. This and Forbes Brook presently unite their waters in Hudson, and flow thence into Pushaw Stream. All these several streams furnish Bradford abundantly with water, and add importantly to its natural resources, especially in the development of mill-sites.

This town is also uncommonly well provided with wagon roads, although it has no railway as yet; and it is a peculiarity of the roads of Bradford, compared with many other towns of the county, that many of them run upon straight lines and nearly with the cardinal points of the compass-like the Western roads, upon or near the section lines. East and west, about midway of the

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HISTORY OF PENOBSCOT COUNTY, MAINE.

town, a highway, starting from the road near Birch Stream, in Lagrange, strikes straight across Bradford, Charleston, and Garland, beyond which it bends to the southwest and runs to Dexter village. This goes through East Bradford. Through Bradford village passes another east and west road, which enters from Alton and goes out into Charleston by a zigzag course, joining a north and south road about half-way across the town. About a mile from the north line of Dexter, another east and west road of some three miles' length joins the termini of two roads coming in from Orneville, one from the northeast, the other from the northwest. A mile or more south of this is another and shorter route having the same general direction. In north and south roads the town is even better supplied. Two of them traverse the whole length of the town, and others large portions of it. The westernmost, about mid- way between Mohawk Stream and the west line of the town, comes in from Hudson, passes the cemetery a little more than a half a mile from the town and School No. I a mile further, and a mile beyond the latter ends at the road through Bradford village. Through this place also comes a road from Bradford, which passes another ceme- tery nearly due east of the former, School No. 2 shortly after, then Bradford village, School No. 3 at the junction of the central east and west road, another cemetery a mile beyond, School No. 4 at the junction of the next main road, a mile south of North Bradford, which it also reaches, and then divides into two forks, by which it reaches Orneville. The other through road in the same direction enters from Hudson about the middle of the south line, passes Schools No. 11 and 9, the latter near East Bradford post-office, and after some deflection to the east also passes into Orneville. Half-way between these two highways another road runs nearly across the town, striking the Birch Stream at a saw-mill half a mile west of School No. 15, and something more than a mile further joining the road to North Bradford. A number of short lines, most of them neighborhood roads, also aid to give the town admirable highway service.

As may be inferred from some of the foregoing state- ments, Bradford may be considered exceedingly well set- tled. Much of it, indeed, may be called densely settled, and with a very excellent class of population. Farms and garden spots are almost continuous over a large part of the town. In four places the settlements are so thick as to form villages, at Bradford in the southwestern quar- ter of the town ; at North Bradford, near the northwest corner; East Bradford, whose location has already been sufficiently indicated; and Bradford Centre. Each of these has a post-office.

The surface of Bradford is generally smooth, with gen- tle undulations. The land is tolerably free from stone, and is quite fertile, producing well of the various crops peculiar to this climate and region. There is little waste about it, no lakes, ponds, or swamps occupying any part of its surface. The country here was originally covered with a dense forest, consisting of the hard and resinous woods still commonly known in the Maine woods.

The first inroads of civilization upon the forests here

were made by the single pioneer in the summer of 1804 -James White, probably from Thomaston, who pushed up hither into the wilderness with his family and began his clearing preparatory to settlement. Some time dur- ing the year also came two settlers named Jennison and Rogers, from Union, in Knox county, who made their location in what is now the south part of the town. The next spring (1805), arrived Robert Marshall, also of Thomaston, who is generally credited as being a joint pioneer with White the year before. He was still living in 1859. The settlers of 1806 were two men or families named Wilson and Hildreth, from Thomaston. After that there was a moderate and tolerably steady growth of the settlement year by year.

It was seventeen years, however, before a sufficient colony had collected in this quarter to justify organiza- tion, when, in 1820, a plantation was erected under the the name Blakesburgh ; it had at this time eleven voters. For about eleven years this answered the needs of the rather sparse population, and then the town of Bradford was incorporated. The date of this act was March 12, 1831. It has since become one of the most populous towns of the county. In 1830, the year before incorpo- ration as a town, Blakesburgh Plantation had a popula- tion of four hundred and three. Ten years thereafter Bradford town had 1,000 people; in 1850, 1,296; in 1860, 1,558; in 1870, 1,487, and in 1880, 1,460. The num- ber of polls in 1860 was 314; in 1870, 359; in 1880, 374. Estates in these years, respectively, $186,107, $233,734, and $252,413.

Religious and reformatory interests have had a good growth in this town. Calvinistic Baptist, Free Baptist, and Methodist churches have been organized. Two ministers of the second denomination reside in the town, and three of the last.

The Town House was formerly used for a time for services by the Universalists.

The Independent Order of Good Templars is organized in Felicity Lodge No. 181, which meets on Saturday evenings; and the Patrons of Husbandry have the In- dependent Grange No. 77.

One lawyer and one physician represent the profes- sions other than clerical.

There are eight general stores, and one millinery estab- lishment, in various parts of the town. Sixteen citizens of Bradford are engaged in manufacturing or in shops as proprietors, chiefly smiths, tanners, and lumbermen.

Mr. John Coy keeps the only hotel as yet in the town.

The officers of Bradford for 1881 were: Rev. Alvah Strout, Luther Gary, Alfred Streete, Selectmen; Henry T. Williams, Town Clerk; M. D. Strout, Constable and Collector ; George Elden, Treasurer; E. M. Wilson, School Supervisor; John W. Herrick, Thomas R. Kingsbury, Isaac Libby, M. D. Kingsbury, D. S. Humphrey, L. S. Bickmore, Quorum ; Thomas H. Wentworth, Charles H. Robbins, Trial; H. S. Wilson, Thomas H. Wentworth, Dedimus-Justices.

T. R. Kingsbury is Postmaster at Bradford Post -- office, Charles P. Church at East Bradford, M. D.

Thomas & Kingsbury

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HISTORY OF PENOBSCOT COUNTY, MAINE.

Kingsbury at North Bradford, and Henry D. Barton at Bradford Centre.

SETTTEMENT NOTES.

Emmons Kingsbury was born in Foxburg, Massachu- setts, November 11, 1779. He came to Penobscot county in 1800, and settled in Brewer, where he remained until 1820, when he removed to Bradford. He was a farmer, in which business he remained all his life. While in Brewer, and during the War of 1812, he commanded a company of infantry under General Blake, and took part in the battle at Hampden. He was one of the in- corporators of Brewer, and filled many of the town and village offices. He married Hannah Rider, a native of Brewer, in 1802, by whom he had twelve children. He died April 24, 1862. His wife died September 18, 1860. His children's names were: Malinda, Susan, Rachel, Emmons, jr., Otis, William, Hannah A., Thomas R. John R., Richard H., Walter F., and Chester.

Thomas R. Kingsbury was born in Brewer in 1817, and came to Bradford with his father when three years old, where he received a common school education and also attended school at the Charleston Academy. During the early part of his life he followed farming. In 1843 he entered into partnership in the mercantile business with Gorham Davis, in Bradford, where he remained seven years, when he purchased Davis's interest and con- ducted the business at the old stand for a short time, when he erected the store that he now occupies. He has held the office of Selectman of Bradford fifteen years, of Town Treasurer twelve years, School Commit- tee several years, and Town Agent five years, also Col- lector of Taxes two years. He also represented his class in the Legislature one year, and in 1869 and 1870 was elected to the State Senate. In politics he was originally a Democrat, until 1861, when he became a Republican. He has been twice married. His first wife was Mary S. Dean, a native of Hampden. She died August 6, 1844. He then married Amanda L. Clark, a native of Atkinson. He is the father of seven children, viz : Marcus D., who married Sarah M. French, and lives at North Bradford; Roscoe A., mar- ried Linda S. Clark, and lives at East Corinth; Emma A., died at Bradford; Wilber T., lives at home; Ellwood E., died at Bradford; Freddie C., died at Bradford; Birtie M., lives at home. He was appointed postmaster during the administration of Franklin Pierce (1853), and has held the office to the present time, with the excep- tion of two years. He has been commissioned Justice of the Peace five terms in succession.

Cyrus P. Church was born in the town of Readfield, Kennebec county, Maine, in 1820. In 1823 he with his parents removed to Gardiner in the same county, where he received all the common school education that was available in those times. In 1844 he married Hannah C. Plaisted, a native of New Hampshire, and settled in Gardiner, where he carried on the business of farming. In 1846 he removed to Mercer, Somerset county, Maine, where he carried on the tanning business, and remained there until 1852. While in Mercer, he held the office of Selectman for two years. In 1852 he

removed to East Bradford, and settled on the farm now owned by Charles P. Church. He has held. the office of Selectman of Bradford for two years, and in 1865 was elected Representative from Penobscot county to the State Legislature, which office he held one term. In politics he was a Republican until 1878, when he united with the Greenback party, to which he now belongs. He is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church. His first wife, Hannah C. Plaisted, died in 1857. She was the mother of five children : Charles A., dead; Charles P., who married Hattie M. Folsom, and lives in East Bradford; and Katie E., who also resides in East Brad- ford. In 1858 he married Mary A. Hill, of Exeter, by whom he has three children: Georgie E., dead; Harry L., and Harlan P., who reside at home. In 1880 he moved to Houlton, where he entered into partnership with G. W. Houlton and built a new tannery, but re- mained there only one year, when he returned to East Bradford.

In 1847 Benjamin O. Foster built the first tannery in the town. It burned down in the fall of 1851. In the spring of 1852 Cyrus P. Church and Francis A. Plaisted purchased the site, and immediately built a new tannery on the old site. They remained in partnership about three years, when Mr. Cyrus Church purchased Plaisted's interest, and ran the business in his own name until the fall of. 1868, when it again burned. He immediately re- built, and continued the business alone until April 1, 1871, when he took his son, Charles P. Church, into partnership. They remained in partnership three years, when he sold out his whole interest to Charles P. Church, who continues the business at the present time. The number of vats in the new tannery, originally forty- seven, has been extended to one hundred and twenty- one, and the annual business amounts to about four hun- dred tons of leather.

Charles P. Church was born in the town of Mercer, Somerset county, in 1849. In 1852 he came to Penob- scot county with his brother, and settled in East Brad- ford, where he now resides. The Bradford tannery, which was built in 1868 by Cyrus P. Church, was sold to Charles P. Church in 1874. The latter now carries on the business. He manufactures four hundred tons of leather yearly, and makes a specialty of buffalo leather. The hides are imported from the East Indies, and after being tanned, are shipped to Boston, Massachusetts. He is also engaged in the mercantile business, and there can be found at his store anything in the regular line of dry goods, groceries, etc. In 1880 he was appointed Postmaster under President Hayes' administration, which office he now holds. In 1880 he married Hattie M. Folsom.

Alvah Strout was born in the town of Limington, York county, Maine, in 1810, where he received a common school education. He learned the cabinet and chair- making trade in Buxton, and followed his trade but two years, when he commenced mercantile business in the town of Limington, where he remained three years, when he sold out, and in 1833 removed to Penobscot county. He first settled on the farm now owned by Dennis E.

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Willson, in Bradford, and engaged in the manufacture of oars, in which business he was engaged ten years. He then turned his attention to teaching and preaching the Gospel, in the Free-will Baptist Church, as an itinerant minister, and has filled the pulpit in several different parishes. In 1879 he gave up the ministry and turned his attention to farming, in which business he is now engaged. In 1863 he was elected to the office of Select- man in Bradford town, which he held one year. In 1880 he was again elected to the same office, and holds it at the present time. He married Keziah Wilson in Brad- ford, June 2, 1835, and is the father of ten children : Mary E., married Isaac T. Bailey, who died in the army; she then married Thomas J. Roberts ; she died Decem- ber II, 1874, in Bradford. Emily J., who married William Randell ; he died in Bradford, August 6, 1865 ; she then married Richard Soule, and lives in Bradford. Alvah D. M. lives in Bradford. Andrew W., killed at the battle of Mansfield, Louisiana, 1864, while a mem- ber of the Thirtieth Maine Infantry. Enoch B. married Hattie Treadwell, of Garland, and resides in that town. Waham W., married Lizzie A. Moulton, of, Lowell, Massachusetts. Sarah M., married Orlando Townsend, and lives in Denver, Colorado. George H., lives in Bradford. Daniel E. and Fannie L., live at home. In politics he was first a Jacksonian Democrat, until the Anti-Slavery party was organized, and cast the third Anti-Slavery vote in Bradford town. He became a Re- publican at the organization of that party, and at the present time is a Greenbacker.

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History of Penobscot County, Maine; with illustrations and biographical sketches, Part 67

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