History of Penobscot County, Maine; with illustrations and biographical sketches, Part 71

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 71

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).

Daniel Robinson was born in Saco, Maine, April 4, 1772, and came to the Penobscot in about the year- 1794. In 1805 he was married to Mary Kenney, daugh-

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HISTORY OF PENOBSCOT COUNTY, MAINE.

ter of Henry and Mary Kenney. Henna Kenney was born in Berwick, January 14, 1745, and married Mary Book, of Marshfield. To them were born two children, John T., and Mary. The children of Daniel Robinson were: Almira C., Henry K., Susan, Elizabeth, Mary, Mary (second), Daniel Jr., Joseph, Isaac, Charles I., and an infant, which died unnamed. Of the above Henry K. is the only' one now living. He was the second child, and was born in Orrington (now Brewer) October 14, 1807, and married Adaline E. Trafton, who bore one son, John H., and died. For a second wife he married Sarah G. Libbey, and has two daughters, Addie E. and Mary Abby, and one son, James W. The latter died from poison, taken by mistake. His second wife died and he married Ellen F. McClintock, of Canada, and has had three children: Sarah E., Susan W. (deceased), and Henry W. Henry K. Robinson was postmaster in the year 1845; was president of an agricultural society four years, also captain of a cavalry company two or three years. He is a member of the Hammond street church at Bangor; in politics is a. Democrat.

Peter Littlefield was born in Prospect, Waldo county, Maine, in 1799, where he lived until his death in 1874, engaged in farming. He married Charlotte Holbrook, who was born in 1799, in Stratford, New Hampshire. She died in 1866. Their children were: Loisa S., who is the wife of William C. Perkins, has five children, one deceased; Goodwin, who died at the age of twenty-three, unmarried ; A. D., who married Elizabeth W. Stuart, and has two children living ; Mary E., residing in Mass- achusetts ; James H., who married Clara Gunn, lives at the old homestead ; Martha J., who died at the age of thirty-seven years. John Littlefield, the second child of Peter Littlefield, was born August 20, 1825, and devoted his life to ship-carpentering. He is now a dealer in ship timber. In 1850 he married Lizzie Hitchborn, by whom he had one child, Freeman H., who was lost at sea at the age of twenty years. For his second wife he married Julia A. Potter, daughter of Joseph Potter, deceased, who was born in Jackson in 1839, and has had two children : John Elmer, and Freeman. Mr. Littlefield has not taken the time from his business to hold office of any kind. He is an out-and-out Republican, and has a good residence in the village of Brewer.

Cornelius Dougherty was born in Ireland in 1795. He came with his wife to America in 1848, and lived in this county until his death in 1858, engaged in farming. His wife's name was Bridget McCormack. She was born in 1790, and died in 1855. Their children are : Patrick, born in Ireland, settled in this county, and mar- ried Mary Galaher, by whom he had five children ; both himself and his wife are dead. Margaret married a Mr. Galaher, and died leaving two children. Frank married Ann Judge, and has six children. Hugh came to this country with the rest of the family, but his where- abouts and history are now not known. Agnes, wife of Thomas McGuire, died leaving no children. John Dougherty was married in this county to Alice McAvoy, August 5, 1855, and has three children : Hugh J., Rose Anna, and William T., all living at home. Mr.

Dougherty lives on an improved farm of one hundred and fifty acres, furnished with good buildings. He is a Democrat, but has held no political offices. He is a member of the Catholic church, under Father Mc- Sweeny.

The father of Frank S. Gratien, Pierre Salaberry, was born in France, in 1795, where he died in 1855. His business was blacksmithing. His wife, Jeanette Elicade, was born in France, and died in 1866. Frank S. Gratien was born in France in 1827, and when about twenty-two years of age emigrated to America and settled at St. Peters, Newfoundland, where he remained a short time. He then lived in different places until 1855, when he settled in the place where he now resides. He is by oc- cupation a blacksmith, stonemason, and brick manu- facturer. He was married in 1869 to Mary E. Trask, or Nobleboro, and has two children: Nettie A., and Effie L., both of whom reside at home. By a previous mar- riage his wife had four children. Mr. Gratien served in the army three years and seven months.

Meldon Nealy was born in the town of Ellsworth, March 26, 1849. His early life was passed in Ellsworth, Eddington, Brewer, and Bangor, and he finally settled permanently at Brewer, where he is engaged in farming and as a lumberman. He was married May 13, 1868, to Rachel D. Dresser, and has two children: Charles A., and Carrie G. The father of Mrs. Nealy was Samuel P. Dresser; her mother Elcy C. Ward, before marriage. Mr. Dresser died some twenty years since.

Isaac Green was born in Madison, Somerset county, Maine, and now lives in Fairfield, Maine, at the age of seventy-eight years. He has devoted his life to farming and blacksmithing. He married Carissa Lovell, who died about twelve years ago, aged about fifty-five years. Their family consisted of the following children: Wil- liam and David, deceased; Isaac, married Lucy Whit- man, of Skowhegan, who died leaving him with four children-William, Lucy, Augusta, and Isaiah; Hannah married Oliver Noble, and at her death left six children; Alvin married Augusta Knox and has four children; David, now dead, married a Miss Wyman and had one child; Henry married Miss Knox, and has four children; Almira married Mr. Lawrence, and has one child. Charles A. Green was born in Madison, Maine, Septem- ber 24, 1826. After living ten years in Madison, four years in Skowhegan and ten years in Bangor, he re- moved to Brewer, where he now resides. His life has been spent in lumbering, brick-making and farming. He married, November 10, 1849, Rebecca M. Gorham, who died leaving one son now living in Oregon. For his second wife he married Harriet B. Leach, April 17, 1857, and has by this union two children-Rebecca T., aged twenty-one years, and Walter, aged fourteen years. Mr. Green has heen a constable in Brewer for fourteen years, Street Commissioner five years, and for five years was captain of a cavalry company in Bangor. He has a fine residence at Brewer.

Francis Burton Hunter was born in Haddington, Scot- land, in 1784. When about seven years of age, he went to Hull, England, where he served an apprenticeship as

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HISTORY OF PENOBSCOT COUNTY, MAINE.

sail-maker. He then went to sea as sail-maker in the whale fishery, where he remained' about six years. On his return he opened a hotel at Hull, and aferwards had one in London, and still later at Wapping. He died at the Sail-makers' Almshouse, Bow Road, Middlesex, London, England, aged eighty-four years.

Walter Francis Hunter was born in Hull, England, in a public house called the George and Dragon, South End. On the 4th of July, 1818, he went to London, and when ten years of age went to sea, where he served seven years in the coal trade, and then sailed around the world. He settled in Brewer in 1853. In 1842 he was married to Caroline E. Boggis, who died the 19th of May, 1866, leaving one child. Mr. Hunter was again married in 1866 to Sarah Lowe, of Guilford, Maine, but has no children by this union. His son, by the first wife, is Walter John Boggis Hunter, who has three chil- dren: Caroline, John B., and Ella A. Three died in infancy. Mr. Hunter, Sr., is by trade a ship rigger, and has a rigging loft and dwelling-house on Main street, op- posite the cemetery, in Brewer. This property he has accumulated in fifteen years by leaving off rum and to- bacco. His first wife was born in Brumly-near-Bow, Middlesex county, England. Mr. Hunter has been a shipmaster of some of the largest vessels that sailed in those days from England.

John Conner was born in Portsmouth, New Hamp- shire, where he lived until about twenty-four years of age, when he removed to Penobscot, Maine, where he died in 1824, aged forty-six years. He was by trade a master carpenter. His wife was Deborah Westcott, born in Castine, Maine, where she lived until her marriage. They lived some twenty years at Penobscot, and then removed to Surry, where she died at the age of seventy- two years. Francis A. was the seventh child, and was born March 25, 1818, in Penobscot. When twelve years of age he went to sea, which he followed until twenty-three years of age. He then located in Surry, and from thence went to Ellsworth, and finally settled in Brewer, where he now resides. He has been a practic- ing physician for the past fifteen years. He was married to Miss A. T. Young, in 1845, and by this union has eight children: Frances D., Joseph A. (deceased), An- netta (deceased), John (deceased), N. H., one that died in infancy, Estelle (deceased), and Louis W. (deceased). Dr. Conner also has a store containing a good assort- ment of drugs. The names of his brothers and sisters are: John (deceased); Rhoda, married Mark Patten, and died, leaving seven children; Lydia, married Amos Arnold, and died leaving five children; Charles, married Mary Blaisdel, and died leaving two children; Sylvanus, married Abigail Pattriger, and left three children; Louis W. married Mary Higgins, of Hampden, and has one daughter; Harriet N. married Andrew Haskell, and has three children; Nancy J. married Samuel Peck, and died leaving three children; Jeremiah married Annie French, and left five children.

Oliver Farrington was born in the town of Orrington, and came to Brewer, now Holden, where he lived about twenty-five years, when he moved to the present town of

Brewer, where he passed the remainder of his days, and died September 19, 1863, aged sixty-six years. He fol- lowed farming through life. His wife was Hannah Ryder, who was born in Orrington, near Brewer, March 31, 1804. They were married November 11, 1822, and now reside at the homestead. Henry Martyn Farrington, the oldest child, was born at Brewer, January 12, 1824. His business is farming and brickmaking. He was married April 18, 1861, to Deborah Baker, who died December 6, 1865, leaving two children, Jennie L. and Henry B. Mrs. Farrington was again married Sep- tember 29, 1869, to Susan D. Colburn. He is a church member, and in politics a Republican. The other chil- dren of Oliver Farrington were: Joseph Ryder, who married Ellen E. Holyoke, by whom he had six children; he is is now Superintendent of the State Reform School. Sarah E. married Rev. George A. Perkins, and has three children. Lucy lives in Salem, New Hampshire. Clarissa lives at home, unmarried. Charles O. married Sarah B. Chamberlain, of Brewer, and has had five children, two now living. Edward P. married Georgiana Hall. George S. married Laura Jackson ; has had two children, one of whom is now living. Caroline A. married Myron W. Jones, of Denver, Colorado, and has no children.

The father of Rev. Clarence A. Beckwith was born in Charlemont, Franklin county, Massachusetts, in 1823. After living there twenty-nine years he moved to Victor, Clinton county, Michigan, where he now resides, a farmer and manufacturer. He married Sarah Upton, who was born in his native town in 1821. They have three chil- dren, viz : Flora A., who married J. Emmet Jameison, has two children, and lives at Muskegon, Michigan; Osmond L., who married Miss Allie Green, and lives at Victor, Michigan ; Clarence A., the second child, was born July 21, 1849, and at the age of twelve moved to the West with his parents. He spent two years at the seminary in New Haven, and one year at the seminary in Bangor, then became pastor of the Congregational Church at Brewer, where he has since remained. He married V. Eugenie Lober, daughter of Frederick and Julia (Sider) Lober, September 25, 1878. Mr. Beck- with is a graduate of Olivet College, Olivet, Michigan, and has held his present pastorate four years.

Charles V. Lancil was born in Bordeaux, France, and emigrating to America, settled in Truro, Cape Cod, Massachusetts, where he married Ruth Paine, by whom he had eight children. After living at various places he died at Bangor at the age of fifty-two years, and his wife died at the same place at same age. Their children were as follows : Thomas, died some ten years ago; Mary, died twenty-five years ago; Betsey, resides at the old home in Bangor; Asa T., lives at Dorchester, Massachu- setts, and is a cooper; Captain James P., is a ship- master at Bangor; Ephraim P., is a cistern manufacturer at Bangor ; George W. died thirty years ago. Captain Charles V. Lancil, the fourth child, was born in Chatham, Massachusetts, September 16, 1808, and settled in Ban- gor, where he now resides, at the age of seventy-three years. His business is that of a sea captain. He mar- ried Louisa Hartford about 1836, and has had five chil-

HISTORY OF PENOBSCOT COUNTY, MAINE.

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dren: Amanda, died at the age of two years; Albert, lived to be three years, and Franklin, six months of age; Nellie, is the wife of Warren Pierce; Mary, married

James L. Grant, and has three children-Alice, Annie, and Charles. Captain Lancil has a good residence on Main street, Brewer.

BURLINGTON.

Burlington is a large but as yet sparsely settled town, lying twenty-five miles from Bangor at their nearest points of approach. It is west and northwest of the northwest corner of Hancock county, and only twelve miles distant in its southern part from Washington county. It is a regular parallelogram, all its boundaries being straight lines. It has only the regulation town- ship width, six miles, and is a township and a half, or nine miles, in length. It thus comprises an area of one and a half surveyed townships, fifty-four square miles, or 34,560 acres, many of which, however, are covered with water. The town is in the oldest survey of the middle section of the county, and its lines are not run precisely with the cardinal points of the compass.

It is bounded on the north by the still larger town of Lincoln, on the east by township three and a strip of Hancock county, on the south by No. 2, Grand Falls Plantation, and on the west by Lowell, which is in its eastern part of the same length as Burlington.

Upon the south line of the town lies the Suponic Pond; upon the west line Eskutassis Pond; and upon the northern part of the east line, near the northeast corner of the town, the Madagascal Pond, most of which is within the limits of Burlington. Suponic Pond has an area of about a square mile; Eskutassis something more; and Madagascal something less. About a mile and a quarter north of east from the second of these is Little Eskutassis Pond, about a "quarter-section" in size, with a small stream connecting it with its bigger sister, and another "run" of two miles' length coming in from the northwest corner of the town. Through the southern part of Suponic comes the Passadumkeag Stream, here a quite respectable body of water, which flows for a little more than a mile through the southwest angle of Burlington and thence through Lowell and Passadumkeag, by an exceedingly winding course, to the Penobscot. The north part of Suponic Pond receives a small tributary from the central southern part of the town. From the Madagascal Pond to the Passadum- keag flows the Madagascal Stream in a general north and south direction, making a course of nearly ten miles be-

tween the two. At the exact geographical centre of the town it receives a small branch from the northwest.

The southwestern quarter of Burlington is remarkably well settled for a town so far in the interior. Burlington village and post-office are in this region, near the cross- roads half a mile from the west town line, and a little more than two miles from the south line. They are at the terminus of the stage line from Burlington to Ole- mon, on the European & North American Railway, which supplies the town with its only public facilities of travel at present. The bulk of the population of the town lies within a distance of two miles each way, north and south, from these cross-roads. Upon the roads, within a mile and a half of this point, are the two ceme- teries of the town and three school-houses, and at the village itself is a union church. The north and south road here is the principal one, and the only one that goes entirely through the town in any direction. It begins at the Passadumkeag Stream, half a mile from the south- west corner of Burlington, runs nearly due north to the village, and thence northeasterly to a point a mile and a half from the northeast corner, where it leaves the town for Lincoln. It thus describes nearly a diagonal of the town. Half a mile southeast of the Little Eskutassis Pond a road branches off to the northwestward, and joins the principal north and south road through the eastern part of Lowell. Near the junction of the roads in Burlington is another school, and two others no great way north of the junction of a road joining the road into Lowell by a northerly and northwesterly route with Lincoln post-office, on the European & North Ameri- can. From the Passadumkeag Stream in the Allen tract, two miles southeast of Suponic Pond, a highway of some importance comes up from the southeast, by the head of the pond, to Burlington village, for a mile south of that village running nearly parallel to and within a short distance of the other road to the Passadumkeag. At the south end of the mile, upon three roads, is one of the cemeteries, and here a short road runs off into Lowell, joining the highway through Lowell village about half a mile west of the Eskutassis Stream. The same

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road in Lowell, running thence to Olemon Station, is reached more directly from Burlington post-office by a west road to East Lowell; and this is the stage route. The other roads of the town are mostly short "plug" roads from the great north and south highway, accommo- dating neighborhoods and isolated settlements.

Burlington has no railway station, and but one post- office as yet, which accommodates the people of Grand Falls Plantation as well as its own.

The first civilized settlers got upon the Burlington tract in 1824. Tristram Hurd is said to have been the pioneer, and from him the region received its . first name, "Hurd's Ridge." It is asserted in a notice below, however, that Edmund Page came to Burlington in 1821, and settled on Bingham land. Three or four years after him came his brother Caleb, and their cousin Mrs. Page. The venerable Deacon Philip Page, still living in a hale old age near Burlington, came with his father Caleb from Lowell in 1825, being a boy of sixteen. Another settler of the next year was. Thomas Page, son of Philip and Hannah Chadbourne Page, then a man of about thirty years, but a veteran of eighty-seven when he died at last, June 25, 1878, in Burlington, its oldest citizen. Moses Peaslee came very near him, however, in both dates of arrival and of death. He was an emigrant of 1825, and de- parted this life January 2, 1878. Among the settlers of 1827 was Theodore Taylor, who became a colonel of the State militia in 1837, and survived until March 28, 1879.

Within less than eight years after the first settler in- vaded the forest hereaway, the population of this tract had become sufficient to warrant their demand for in- corporation as a town. Under the name of. Burlington, it was consequently incorporated, March 8, 1832.

At the next Federal census, that of 1840, the new town had 350 inhabitants. Ten years thereafter, the number had increased by 131, or to 481. In 1860 there was manifest a further increase of 97, the whole of the people in Burlington being then 578. The population in 1870 was 553, and in 1880, 536.

The town had 118 polls in 1860; in 1870, 120; and in 1880, 128.

The estates of the town were valued in these years, respectively, at $64,734, $91,507, and $89,041.

The people of Burlington are chiefly engaged in lum- bering and farming. There is still a great deal of valu- able timber standing in this tract, and much of it goes down the Passadumkeag and other streams to the Penob- scot, to be worked up into lumber.' Manufactures with- in the town are as yet limited to the work of three black- smiths and one engaged in woodwork and repairs. Four or five persons are engaged in keeping general stores in the town ; a hotel is kept by Jeremiah Page, and there is one resident physician. There is no resident clergyman, the Union (mainly Congregational) church being min- istered to by occasional supplies.

The people of Burlington have more than ordinary in- telligence, and manifest considerable talent for organiza- tion. The ladies of the town have a "Burlington Be-

nevolent Association," of which Mrs. Nancy Carey is President. A temperance " Reform Club" has also been formed, over which Mr. George Witham presides,. .. The " Eskutassis Grange" of Patrons of Husbandry was lately in existence here; but does not seem now to be actively working.

The town officers for the last year reported were : Thomas W. Porter, Andrew W. Page, Thomas Shorey, Selectmen ; Simeon C. Page, Town Clerk; Jason L. Pierce, Treasurer; Thomas Shorey, Joseph W. Brad- bury, C. Willis White, Constables; Joseph W. Bradbury, Collector ; Jason L. Pierce, Andrew W. Page, George M. Page, School Committee; Colonel J. W. Porter, re- moved to Bangor, Jeremiah Page, Quorum; Thomas W. Porter, Trial, Justices.

Thomas W. Porter is also Postmaster of Burlington.

SETTLEMENT NOTES.

Alpheus Hayden, father of John W. Hayden, was the oldest son of Richard Hayden, who was the third son of Richard Hayden, the common ancestor of the family in this State. The stock all sprang from Richard and Mary Hayden, who were born in Braintree, Massachusetts, and about 1735 moved into the town of Gray, before the Revolution; from there into the town of Madison in 1800, where they died in 1818 and 1828. They had the following sons and daughters: Elisha, Jonathan, Rich- ard, David, Cleinent, Jedediah, Enoch, and Daniel. There were two daughters in the family-Thankful (mar- ried to John Tenny) and Sally (married to David H. Davis). Elisha, the eldest son, married a Noble, and had the fol- lowing sons and daughters: Samuel, Nathan, and Elisha. Samuel died in New Brunswick, and Nathan and Elisha died in Ohio with their father. The girls were Mary, Lucy, and Anna. Mary went to the Provinces and died there. Lucy married a Delano, and died in New York. Anna married Thomas Elliot and died in Levant. Jonathan, the second son, married Lydia Young. Their children were Jonathan, James, David, Edith, and Lydia. Jonathan married Nancy Thompson, and moved to Wis- consin. James married a Sawyer, and died in Illinois. David married Larony Hayden, and died in Wisconsin. His wife married again to Isaac Cone. The two daugh- ters, Edith and Lydia, married brothers, Daniel and Rufus Elliot, and are all dead. Lydia married a second time, with Henry Moor, buried him and died in Cali- fornia. Richard, the third son, married Diana ' White, and the following were the names of their children: Alpheus, Henry, Elias, White, Richard, Hiram, Olive, Lucy, Larony, and Eleanor. Alpheus married Han- nah, daughter of Butler Lombard, and had the follow- ing sons and daughters: Lowell, John W., Lewis, Rachel, Jemima, and Nancy N. He moved into a planta- tion called Long Ridge, the twenty-ninth of March, 1821. It was then a wilderness, he being the first settler, some fifty miles from Bangor, in a a north- easterly direction. In 1837 the plantation was incor- porated into a town by the name of Huntressville, and afterwards changed to Lowell, in honor of Lowell Hayden, he being the first male child ever born in the place (July 16, 1821). He died July 26, 1845. Alpheus

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HISTORY OF PENOBSCOT COUNTY, MAINE.

Hayden took an active part in incorporating the town, and was one of its leading men for a long time. In 1852 he moved into Lincoln, and there died, aged ninety years and seven months. John W. married Eunice P. Brown April 8, 1852, and had the following sons and daughters: Silas E., Josiah W., Henry H., Frank, Ella L., Saville M., Anna F., and Ida M. He moved into Burlington in 1848, was Chairman of the Board of Selectmen in 1857-58-59, Treasurer and Collector in 1858 and 1859. His business is farming now and has long been. Lewis lives in Lincoln ; he married Elizabeth Strickland. Rachel married Joshua Doan, and lives in Wisconsin. Jemima married David Moor, and is dead. Nancy N. married Jonathan Darling, and lives in Lowell.

Deacon Philip Page, of Burlington, is a son of Caleb and Nancy (Crockett) Page, who came from New Hamp- shire and settled on that part of the Bingham Purchase now Lowell. He was born in Concord, New Hamp- shire, and Mrs. Page in Gorham, Maine. He, with a few others, built the first mill on the Passadumkeag River at Lowell. Mr. Page died January 17, 1852, and his wife soon after on April 14, 1854. Their surviving children are Mrs. Susan Chase, of Peabody, Massachu- setts ; Samuel C. Page, of Burlington ; Mrs. Caroline Hall, of Portland, Maine; Mrs. Mary Morrell, of Winter- port, Maine, and Henry H. Page, of New London, Wis- consin. Deacon Philip Page, the subject of this sketch, was born June 25, 1809, in Conway, New Hampshire. In 1825, when sixteen years of age, he came to Burling- ton. In 1841 he married Miss Hannah Moody, of Brunswick, Maine. By her he had five children, viz: Albert C., of Burlington; Hannah C., deceased; Caleb A., of Massachusetts; Nancy, deceased, and Andrew W. now at home. Deacon Page has long been connected with the Congregational church here, and is now an honored officer in it. He has a fine place near the vil- lage, one of the prettiest in town.

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History of Penobscot County, Maine; with illustrations and biographical sketches, Part 71

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