History of Penobscot County, Maine; with illustrations and biographical sketches, Part 68

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 68

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).

John Libbey was born in Berwick, York county, Maine; in 1786. He married Abigail Libbey, in York; in 1836 he removed with his family to Bradford, and settled on the farm now owned by Enos and David Young, where he followed the business of farming and milling. He purchased the mill from the Wason brothers, in which business he was engaged until 1858. He held the office of Town Treasurer for a number of years and the office of Selectman one year. In politics he was an old-time Whig. He was the father of four children. Sophronia died at the age of nine. Isaac, who married Mary Worster, of Lebanon, Maine ; he lives in Bradford. Peltia, who died at the age of four. John, jr., who married Mary E. Tasker in 1857. John, jr., moved to California, and afterwards moved to Dead- wood, where he died in 1878.

Isaac Way was born in Berwick in 1813, where he re- ceived a common school education. In 1836 he re- moved to Bradford and settled on the farm with his father, and engaged in farming and milling. In 1837 he married Mary Worster, of Lebanon. He has held the office of Selectman of Bradford for a number of years.

. In politics he is a Republican. Is the father of three children: Daniel, who married Augusta Randell, and was a member of the Second Maine Cavalry, was killed at Blakely, Alabama, in 1865. Elizabeth, who married O. W. Severance ; he died in 1864; she is now married to A. W. Severance, and resides in Bradford. Hebron, who married Alsada T. Rose, died in Bradford in 1868.

Daniel S. Humphrey was born in Bradford in 1844,

where he received a common-school education. At the age of sixteen he attended school at the East Corinth Academy, and studied six terms. At the age of eighteen he commenced teaching school, and followed teaching five years. In 1866 he purchased a store-room and farm R. F. Kingsbury, and bought a stock of goods and en- gaged in the mercantile business, in which business he is now. He also deals extensively in live stock-sheep, cattle, etc. At his store can be found every article usu- ally found in any well-regulated country store. He held the office of Selectman of Bradford five years, and was chairman of the Board two years. He was commissioned Justice of the Peace: first, under Governor Perham, and then under Governor Garcelon, which office he now holds. In politics he is Republican. He is a member of the Baptist Church. In 1870 he married Nellie S. Bean, a native of Corinth, and is the father of two chil- dren-Mabel A. and Maud F.

Caleb Humphrey was born in North Yarmouth in 1810, where he received a common-school education. He is a farmer, in which business he is now engaged. He married Anna Fogg, of Wales, in 1842; came to Pe- nobscot county in 1841, and settled on the farm on which he now lives the same year. He has held the office of Selectman of Bradford one year; is a member of the Baptist Church, and has held the office of Deacon in the church for the past four years. In politics he is Repub- lican. He is the father of three children-William F., who lives in Bradford ; Daniel S., married Nellie Bean, of Corinth, lives at North Bradford, and is engaged in the mercantile business ; and Frederick, who died at the age of five years.

John W. Bailey was born in the town of Palermo, Waldo county, in 1793, where he married Delphos Dean. He followed farming and trading. He came to Brad- ford in 1841, and first settled on the farm now owned by William Bailey. His wife died in Palermo. He mar- ried, for his second wife, Martha Wade, at Bedford. He was a member of the Universalist Church. In politics he was a Democrat. He was the father of five children-William, who married Mary Southard, and lives in Bradford; Harris, who married Jane Kinkade, and lives in Bangor; John, who married Mahala Southard and lives in Bradford ; Betsy, who married Isaac Arnold, and lives in Bradford ; Delphos, who married Daniel Southard, and lives in Bradford. He died in Bradford in 1878. William was born in Albion in 1817; came to Penob- scot county with his father in 1841, and settled on the farm on which he now lives. In 1839 he married Mary Southard, of Oldtown; has held the office of Selectman of Bradford two years ; is a farmer, in which business he is now engaged ; in politics he is a Republican. He is the father of four children-Augustus C., married Sarah Smith, and lives in Bradford ; Albert H., married Fan- nie Mills, and lives in Bradford ; Zelma A., married John B. Southard, and lives in Bradford ; Adeline, who married John Torsey, died in Bangor ; Bradford, married Dolly Willey, and lives in Hudson; Edward, married Ruby Donaldson, and lives at Foxcroft ; Cenus, married Luellin McClure, and lives in Hudson.

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HISTORY OF PENOBSCOT COUNTY, MAINE.

John Southard was born in Skowhegan, 1777. He was a natural mechanic, and could manufacture any article he turned his hand to. He married Fannie Gulliver, of Waterville, by whom he had fourteen children. He came to Bradford in 1859, and settled on the farm now owned by John Bailey, where he carried on farming. He enlisted in Captain Parlin's company, under Brigadier- General Sewall, in the War of 1812. In 1834 his wife died; he then married Louisa Sampson, a native of Nor- ridgewock, in 1835, by whom he had ten children. He was a member of the Calvinist Baptist church; in poli- tics was a Democrat. He died at Bradford June 25, 1880, at the age of one hundred and three years. His children's names are: William, died at St. Albans; John, died in California; Rachel, died at Fairfield; Joseph, lives in St. Albans; Betsy, lives in Brooklyn, New York; Fannie, died in Bangor; Mary, lives in Bradford, and is married to William Bailey; Daniel, married Delphos Bailey, lives in Bradford; Timothy, married Mary Ann Gulliver, lives in Bangor; Mahaley, married John Bailey, lives in Bradford; Lydania, died in. St. Albans, at the age of nine years; Zachariah, married May Berry, lives in St. George, New Brunswick; Sophrona, died at St.

'Albans; Mariah, married Lewis Frost, he died, she then married William Merrill, lives in Blair; Melissa, married Lucian Tucker, she died in Southboro, Massachusetts ; Cyrus, married Marcha Arnold, and lives in Bradford; Levi, died when six years of age; Henry, died when six years of age.

William Sanford was born in the town of Palermo, Waldo county, Maine, in 1818, where he received a com- mon school education; came to Bradford in 1859, and settled on the farm now owned by Eben Daniels. In 1841 he married Mary Ann Rowe, a native of Waldo, by whom he had three children; she died in Bradford, Au- gust 5, 1848; he then married Jane Erskine. Has held the office of Selectman of Bradford for two years; is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church; in politics is a Republican. Is the father of fourteen children- Isabel H., died in Bradford; Rufus R., died in Bradford; George W., lives at Houlton; Anna M., died in Brad- ford; William H., who married Hattie L. Perry, lives in Bradford; Clara J., married Edwin A. Aldridge, and lives in Bradford; Alford G., John W., Charles C., Ulys- ses S., Rufus R., Nellie M., Daniel B., Minnie B-all at home.

BRADLEY.

Bradley is one of the large towns in the south of the county, east of the Penobscot. The river bounds it on the west, lying between it and the towns of Orono and Oldtown. On the east lies Hancock county; on the south Eddington and Clifton, and the large water known as Nichols's Pond; and on the north Milford town. Only its north and east boundaries are each in one straight line. The southern limit is so broken as to make a great triangle of the southernmost part of the town; and the western is curved somewhat by the winding course of the noble Penobscot. The distance of Bradley from Bangor, by the nearest points of the two towns, from the southwest corner of the former due west across the river, Orono, and Veazie, is but three and a half miles. The greatest breadth of the town, from that corner due eastward to the county line, is very nearly ten miles; its width at the north boundary is six and two-thirds. The extreme length of the town, from the north line to the

angle at the south, in Nichols's Pond, is seven and a half miles.

The peculiarity of settlement in Bradley is that it clings almost exclusively to one road, that along the Pe- nobscot River. The character of the soil is such, and the direction of industries has been so determined by other natural causes, that the interior of this town, and the country eastward for a range of seven townships in Han- cock and Washington counties, is almost unbroken by the plow, or even by excavation for a cellar. A shingle and stave-mill has been located on Nichols's Stream, in the southwest part of the town, about a mile and a half from the river; and a few settlements, including the Town Farm on Great Works Stream, about the same distance from the Penobscot, have pushed out a little way on that Stream and its sole southern tributary; but apart from these there is scarcely a farm-house or habita- tion of civilized man in this town half a mile back from

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HISTORY OF PENOBSCOT COUNTY, MAINE.

the river. Along the river road, however, settlement is so dense that the population of the town, as may be seen below, mounts to quite a respectable figure. Indeed, it is almost a continuous village from one corner of the town to the other, upon this side. The village proper, however, is near the northwest corner, upon the Penob- scot, and takes the name Great Works from its manu- facturing industries, although the post-office is known as Bradley. Its companion village, West Great Works, is on the opposite side of the river, in Oldtown, and has a post-office name to correspond with its own designa- tion.

The river road, a section of the same highway which follows the west bank of the Penobscot from its south- ern end to Mattawamkeag, runs for about five miles in . Bradley. All the schools of the town, three in number, are situated upon it, as also the village of Great Works, the cemetery a little below that place, and another a little above the mouth of Nichols Stream. The sparse settlements on that and the Great Works Streams have of course short neighborhood or "plug roads;" but the wagon-tracks further in the interior are few and insignifi- cant, as there is little demand for them by the settlement of this and the townships to the westward. The town has no railroad, but has easy access across the river to the European & North American line.

The waters of Bradley are not numerous, but are of good size, and somewhat important. It has the Penob- scot, which needs no further description here. Nichols's Pond, which lies in the extreme south part of the town, parts of it being also in Clifton and Eddington, is a fine sheet of water, lying in a general direction from north- west to southeast, about three miles in greatest length by two miles in breadth. Its outlet is made through Nichols Stream, a brook of respectable dimensions and a little more than four. miles' length, which furnishes a water-power at the point before mentioned, and de- bouches into the Penobscot a mile above Orono. The Great Works Stream has several heads on the east side of Bradley and the middle eastern part of Clifton, and runs northwesterly about eleven miles, making pretty nearly a diagonal through the town, to its mouth at the Great Works. A mile from this place it receives a tributary of small volume and about four miles' length, which runs in from the south. Much rolling ground diversifies the scenery, but none of the hills are of imposing height. As may be inferred from preceding remarks, there is little agriculture in the town, as the infertile nature of he soil back from the river forbids it. The tract was once covered densely with timber, chiefly pine; and a great deal of lumbering is still carried on along the river. Upon this industry the inhabitants mainly rely for sup- port. So long ago as 1859 there were at the village alone fourteen single-board saw-mills, three mills with gangs of saws, four clapboard machines, four lath machines, and three shingle mills ... There were more then than there are now.

The earliest settlers in Bradley got up the river and in their rude habitations upon its banks in 1817. They were mostly from different parts of the "District of

Maine" and from old Massachusetts. There was a toler- ably satisfactory growth, and in 1835, February 3d, the town was incorporated under its present name. It had then about 300 inhabitants. In 1840, when its first cen- sus as a municipality was taken, it had 395 people; in 1850 more than double that number, or 796-a truly surprising growth; in 1860 there were 844; in 1870, 866; and in 1880, 829.

The number of polls in Bradford in 1860 was 182; in 1870, 210; in 1880, 234.

The valuation of estates in this town in the first year was $116,300; in the second, $158, 166; and in the last, $118,998.

A Free Baptist church has been established in the town, whose pulpit is just now vacant. There is also a society of Spiritualists, with a "Children's Progressive Lyceum" holding its sessions on Sundays. The Wom- en's Christian Temperance Union and the Independent Order of Good Templars have also had branches here recently. The lodge of the latter had the name "Excel- sior." There are three grocers in the town, and the business men have had the enterprise to secure telephone connection with the city of Bangor.

The officers of the town for 1881 were: A. E. Per- kins, O. S. Cram, R. Hinckley, Selectmen; James A. Rich, Town Clerk; James A. Rich, Treasurer; H. C. Bean, Jerry Bell, Constables; H. F. Brawn, J. E. White, J. W. Knapp, jr., School Committee; Joel C. Pease, James A. Rich, Justices.

The Postmaster at Bradley (Great Works Village) is Mr. G. F. Barton.

NOTES OF SETTLEMENT.

The records in possession of the Knapp family date back to 1747, at the birth of Samuel Knapp, of Mansfield, Bristol county, Massachusetts. He married Rachel Grover. They had ten children, three boys and seven girls, viz: Sylvia, Rachel, Sebra, Betsy, Gideon, Rachel, Hepzibah, Roxana, Moses, and Samuel.

Moses Knapp, of this family, married Abigail Eddy. They had ten children, viz: Samuel, Hiram, John N., Sabra S., Sewell C., Cyrus, James I., Sylva S., Abby A., Levi G. Of this family John N., the subject of the sketch, was born March 21, 1815, in this town. His grandfather, Samuel, settled in Brewer December 16, 1785, and moved to this town in the fall of 1799.

He settled near the centre of the town, being among the first settlers. John N. married Eliza Whitney, daugh- ter of Robinson Whitney, of Newburg. They have had eight children, three of whom are now living-John N., Jr., Moses E., and Irvin S., all of whom now live in Bradley. The names of the deceased are, Agnes A., Salome, Ella A., May, and Fred T. None of the living are now married. Mr. Knapp owns twelve hundred acres of farming and timber land. He now lives about one and a half miles south of the village, on land first cleared by his grandfather in the year 1799.

Alonzo E. Perkins, son of Eben Perkins, of the town of Penobscot, Hancock county, lived some time in Bucksport. He married Paulina Perkins, daughter of Abraham Perkins, of Penobscot. £ They were among

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HISTORY OF PENOBSCOT COUNTY, MAINE.

the first settlers of that town. They had twelve children, six boys and six girls, ten of whom are now living, viz : Alonzo E., the subject of this sketch; Amos W., now of the town of Penobscot; Charles E., now living in Brad- ley; Louisa J., now Mrs. Livermore, of this town; Mary A., now Mrs. Sanborn, of Bradley; Eleanor E., now Mrs. Tarrio, still living in Bradley; Preston E., of this town; Rosa, now Mrs. Stetson, of Bradley ; Franklin M., of Bradley; Lilla D., of the town of Penobscot, Hancock county. The deceased were named Samuel and Emily. Samuel died in 1864, and Emily in 1865. Mr. Perkins died in 1865. Mrs. Perkins married for her second hus- band John Hanson, with whom she is now living. Alonzo E. Perkins was born in 1835. After receiving a common school education he followed the sea during the summer seasons. He married Miss Frances M. Tripp, by whom he had two children, who died in infancy. Mrs. Perkins died in 1868. Mr. Perkins is now and has been Chairman of the Board of Selectmen for three years. He is the overseer in the large milling interest of L. & F. H. Strickland, of Bangor, formerly the firm of Babb and Strickland. Mr. Perkins has held this po- sition for twenty years. These facts speak louder than words as to his ability and integrity as a business man.

Ransom Hinkley is son of William Hinkley, of this town, who came here in an early day. He married El mira Mason, daughter of Andrew Mason, of Searsport. They had nine children, five boys and four girls: James W., now deceased; Cynthia, now Mrs. Knowlton, of this town; Mary A., now Mrs. Brown, of Bradley; Ransom ; Charles, now of Massachusetts; Jane A., now . deceased; Elwin, now in Washington Territory; Abbie, now Mrs. Swett, of Bradley; Frederick, of Bradley. Mr. Hinkley died in 1873, and Mrs. Hinkley in 187I.

Ransom Hinkley, the subject of this sketch, was born in the town of Jackson, on the 12th of April, 1841. He came to this town when a child with his parents. After obtaining a common school education he went to work in the mill here, where he has ever since been em- ployed, now being engaged in running logs. In 1864 he married Miss Maria L. Witham, daughter of Philip Witham, of Bangor. To this couple have been born three children-George A., now fifteen; Earnest L., now ten; Willie H., now four years old. Mr. Hinkley has served as Selectman, School Agent, and School Committee of this town in years past.

Eugene Leufest is son of Steven E. Leufest, of Swan- ville, Waldo county, where he has lived most of his life. He married Paulina Nickerson, of Swanville. They had five children, one boy and four girls, viz : Lydia A., now Mrs. Hamilton, Milford; Mary E., deceased, wife of

Captain Joshua Dunnels, of Belfast; Jane P., now Mrs. Patterson, of Astoria, Oregon ; Eugene, and Martha E., now deceased. Steven Leufest died during the year 1857 or 1858. He was drowned by the capsizing of a flat-boat on the Missouri River, while on his way East to get his family to move to Kansas. Mrs. Leufest died in 1856.

Eugene Leufest, the only son of this family, was born February 22d, 1835. He married Mary U. Blackman, daughter of Adam Blackman, of Bradley, and settled in this town in 1859, where he has ever since lived. He now lives opposite the town of Orono, where he owns a good farm of one hundred acres. To this couple have been born two children, viz: Elmer, and one that died in infancy. Elmer is now sixteen, and is at home. Mr. Leufest has served his town as one of the Selectmen several years.

Charles R. Richardson is a son of Charles G. Richard- son, of Burlington, in this county. His mother's maiden name was Angeline Eddy, of Eddington. Charles G. Richardson had seven children: Albert, now deceased ; Charles R .; Charlotte, now deceased ; Frances, also dead; Edward, deceased; Frank, now in St. Paul, Minnesota; Ada, now Mrs. Eben Files, of Caribou, Maine. Mr. Richardson is still living in Burlington. Mrs. R. died in April 2, 1869. Charles R. Richardson was born Decem- ber 31, 1841, in Burlington. He came to Bradley in 1861 and engaged in the mill business, in which busisnes he still is engaged. In 1870 he married Mrs. Mary Metcalf, of Bradley. Mrs. M. had been married before this union and had one child, William A. Metcalf. Mr. and Mrs. R. had one child, Frank L., now seven years old. Mrs. R. died November 1, 1879. Mr. R. has served as Selectman of the town.

Samuel Bullin is a son of Philip Bullin, of Hallowell. His father's name was Samuel Bullin, who came from Billerica, Massachusetts. Phillip Bullin had five sons and two daughters, viz: Hannah, now Mrs. Hunt, of Pittston; Paulina, now Mrs. Bliss, of Eau Claire, Wiscon- sin; Henry M., now in California; Laura, deceased wife of Oliver Goodwin, and Samuel, the subject of this sketch, was born in 1813. He married Olive Banks, of Saco, daughter of Cummings Banks. He settled in Bradley in 1835 as a blacksmith, though he has a farm. He did the blacksmith work of the mills here when they were built. Mr. Bullin has now living four children- Anna, now Mrs. Tyler, of this town; Lizzie, Henry H., Abbie J., all of whom now live here. Mr. B. has served his term as Postmaster, Selectman, and Town Treasurer, in days past. He is much interested in all that pertains in the welfare of the town, having lived here so long.

BREWER.

DESCRIPTION.

This important old town is in one of the most prom- inent positions in the county, lying as it does immediately adjoining Bangor, with only the river between them. Beyond the Penobscot lie Veazie, on the north of Brewer, Bangor on the northwest, and a small part of the northeast corner of Hampden at the west. East of the river the town is bounded by Eddington on the northwest, Holden on the southeast, and Orrington at the southwest. The tract is thus seen to lie in a general direction of northeast and southwest. It is in extreme length, from the northernmost angle above North Brewer to the south line east of the jog, a little more than five and a half miles ; the greatest breadth, from a point on the river opposite the cemetery below Brewer, is three and one-fifth miles. From that point northeastward the width of the town is gradually reduced by the eastward trend of the river, and finally by angles in the northeast boundary of the town, until it is reduced to nothing a little above North Brewer.

Near the southwest corner, at Brewer Village, the Segeunkedunk Stream, which furnishes the outlet through Orrington for Brewer's and Field's Ponds, flows into the Penobscot at a little bay, the south shore of which is in the extreme corner of the town. The stream runs for nearly a mile in Brewer, and furnishes a water-power to grist- and other mills just beyond the town line .. About midway between Brewer Village and Brewer post-office, a very small tributary enters the Penobscot. Another and larger one enters at the south part of the latter place. Half-way between that and North Brewer comes in Felt's Brook, which intersects a large part of the town, having a total course of about seven miles within it. It heads in the southeast part of the town, and at about two miles, distance receives a small tributary from Holden, flowing thence in a quite tortuous course to the Penobscot. The northeast part of the town is watered by the Eaton Brook, which flows across its whole breadth, entering from Holden, and receiving a modest affluent from Eddington. The Penobscot furnishes to Brewer not only its great facilities for navigation, but also the chief industries of the town, in ship-building and the allied labors.

This region is also remarkably well supplied with roads. Only one leading highway, however, intersects it con- tinuously along its entire length-the River road, which runs about seven miles in this town, from corner to cor- ner, clinging close to the Penobscot all the way. Brewer Village, the larger cluster about Brewer post-office, and the hamlet of North Brewer, are all upon this road, as also a large part of all other settlements in the town. About a mile below the bridges over the Penobscot is the

cemetery, and a little further above them one of the pub- lic school-houses stands on the same road. Several short roads-prominent among which is Green Point Road, about half-way across the southwest part of the town- connect the highways that traverse its breadth. These are four in number, lying generally not more than a mile apart. One runs from Brewer Village into Holden, with a branch just out of the village running into Orrington. Another strikes from Brewer post-office, with three branches connecting with the wagon bridge over the Pen- obscot, and points a little above and below it, straight across to Holden, whence it passes into Dedham, Han- cock county. Another road across the town diverges from the middle of the three branches just mentioned, and crosses the town further to the northeast. Near its passage of Felt's Brook, a cross-road connects it with the other road from Brewer post-office, and a quarter of a mile beyond the brook another connects it with the route fron North Brewer southward across the town, and runs half a mile beyond it. Near the intersection of the latter two roads another school-house is located. On the roads and waters a number of mills, brick-yards, and other fac- tories, mostly of modest size, are situated.

The Bangor & Bucksport railroad, now a narrow-guage, enters the town from the railway bridge at Brewer post- office, and runs near the river, but on the land side of the river road, for something less than three miles, pass- ing Brewer Village on the way, and below that running into Orrington.

EARLY HISTORY.

Brewer was one of the first tracts settled in the Penob- scot Valley. The very next year after the pioneer Bussell built his cabin on the hillside at Kadesquit, or Kendus- keag (now Bangor), the earliest settler planted the stakes of civilization on the opposite side of the river at what is now Brewer Village, attracted thither, probably, not only by the beauty of the location, but by the admirable water-power afforded there by the Segeunkedunk Stream. This was in the summer of 1770, and the pioneer was Colonel John Brewer, formerly of Worcester, Massachu- setts, from whom the town takes its name. Some ac- count of the peculiar conditions of his settlement will be found in the history of Orrington. He was the first postmaster of the first post-office established within its limits. He was a stout-hearted veteran of the wars and the wilderness, and rendered important service to the cause of independence during the Revolution, especially in July, 1779, during the movement of Saltonstall and Lovell against the. British works on the summit of the Castine Peninsula. A foot-note to page 472, in the sec- ond volume of Williamson's History of Maine, says :-

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History of Penobscot County, Maine; with illustrations and biographical sketches, Part 68

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