History of Penobscot County, Maine; with illustrations and biographical sketches, Part 75

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 75

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284

HISTORY OF PENOBSCOT COUNTY MAINE.

No. 3 three and a half miles further up; and School No. 4 about three miles further, and two miles from the northeast corner of the town. Upon this road is also the post-office, above School No. 2, and opposite the resi- dence of Mr. Walter Haynes, Postmaster, is a small cemetery. Near the Medunkeunk Stream a short road connects the river-road with the river. On each side of the stream roads run to the junction of Ebhors and Me- dunkeunk, and thence a neighborhood road some two miles in length runs up on the west side of the latter. The only north and south road completely traversing the town is that before mentioned, which runs about midway of the town, passing the pond near the East and West Branches of the Ebhors, thence through Woodville, and for some miles up the Penobscot and the West Branch. A neighborhood road from this accommodates the settle- ment above School No. 6. The inhabitants of Chester have also ready access to the European & North American Railway at Lincoln, Lincoln Centre, South Winn, and Winn Stations.

SETTLEMENT. *

The sloping hillside of the right bank of the Penobscot River, with its warm southern exposure, early attracted attention from above the ancient Nicatow to Piscataquis. As the left bank is rather in most instances a low, soft- wood shore, therefore the pioneers in the Valley of the Penobscot would locate on the western side in prefer- ence, and prior to the other side. But as the seats of business were afterwards located on the left bank, while the settlements on the right became mainly farming set- tlements, and tributary to the business of the other shore, they have hardly kept pace with them in population. Indeed, as in Mattamiscontis, opposite Lincoln, a once thriving village, it is almost entirely depopulated for more enterprising localities.

The first settlement of Chester was almost contempo- rary with that on the other shore, Winn; and so rapid was its early progress that it had hardly any plantation exist- ence, but was incorporated as early as 1834, while many towns, incorporated not for a quarter of a century later, in the vicinity, have a population far exceeding Chester.

Frink Stratton, the pioneer of Chester, came here from Albion, Kennebec county, Maine, in 1823, and made a clearing on the shore of the Penobscot, near where a small brook flows into the river at the foot of the highland lying opposite Winn village, and only about a quarter of a mile below that place. He was the first to start life in Chester, unless, indeed, the father of Columbus Dunn, who married a daughter of Joseph Snow, of Winn, had made a clearing a year before, where Jeremiah Hildreth located after, on what is now termed the Blood place, or the Henry Haynes or Chesley place ; but as this seems to be very uncertain, Mr. Stratton's brow must still be wreathed with the laurels of an early pioneer experience, a Christian, patriotic, and Quaker life, and which he still enjoys, at a ripe old age, on the very clearing he started, although the wife who endured most of the pioneer life with him has some time since gone to her eternal home.

This clearing was also almost opposite that of Elijah Brackett, the first settler of upper Winn. Following this came settlers for farming and lumbering, and the settle- ment increased rapidly.

In 1824 Moses Babcock made a clearing farther down the Penobscot, some two miles or so, on what is now occupied by the brothers Clukey, formerly the Luther Scott place.

Then, within a year or two afterwards, came two other Babcocks, James and Jesse, the latter the father of James Babcock, of Lincoln county. Christopher Jack- ins also located soon after on what has since been known as the Jo Davis place, the first farm below the Brown schoolhouse, all within a mile and a half of Winn village. Jackins, Moses Babcock, and David · Clindinen married daughters of John Gordon, who built the mill at Gordon Falls, years before, that Lo, the poor Indian, deemed so antagonistic to his peace to remain, and so burned down near 1812. Some of the Babcocks went West and have died since, and, plentiful as they were once, there is not a Babcock in Chester, nor do I think a descendant.

In 1824 John I., Charles, and Moses Brown, of Mont- ville, came to Chester, making the present Abe Brown farm and lumbering on what is now termed the Amos M. Roberts lots, clearing a piece of land close by the Penob- scot River, and lumbering on the land lying back of it and in Woodville lying back of Chester, These families gave the name to the islands which lie from one half to two miles below Winn village, and they have ever since borne the name of the Brown Islands, being mostly of rich, luxurious soil and growth, two or three of which have, since 1878-79, been leased from the Indians and cleared up mostly by George S. Ranney, of Winn, who lives close by.

Within five years after the advent of Stratton many others came here to live. But here the writer cannot but note the rapidity of forest growth as evidenced by the Roberts lots, which, stripped largely in 1825 and there- abouts, were, in half a century afterwards, heavy with a growth of lumber, and considered very valuable. Since then they have been sold and largely stripped of timber, while fire, with devastating fury, has spent its force thereon.

Previous to 1829, when the Military Road was built, communication with the outer world was difficult, and and lumbermen and traders would bring up with labored costly effort in the late fall a scow-load of supplies. leaving the greater part of the goods to be transported by horses or oxen on the ice of the Penobscot in the winters. When Stratton came to Chester there were but seven houses between Piscataquis Falls and Houlton. In 1824 James Tabor, while working out logs, was drowned.

In 1828.Samuel Brown came from Albion also, and located just below Stratton's, buying the field where are Brown's pleasant farm buildings and the residence of his son Abraham Brown, long a pilot on the Penobscot River, when boating was the business of this section and the steamboat was one of the links of civilization and business at Bangor and the military frontier of Houlton.

* By B. F. Fernald, Esq., of Winn.

285

HISTORY OF PENOBSCOT COUNTY, MAINE.

THE SURVEY.

The town was lotted with long, narrow lots on the river, where the settlers built on the main running along the river, while a very large section of the back part of the town was laid out in mile squares.

From some cause Chester was a long, rather narrow township, lying opposite both Winn and Lincoln, and but little more than the main river road was built or occupied till the Woodville road led to the water-power on the Ebhors, and more recent roads developing the fertile mile squares on the Medunkeunk Stream, at the very lower and eastern limit of the town.

LATER SETTLEMENTS.

The settling of the lower end of the town was com- menced a little later, but proceeded quite as fast as up- per Chester, becoming, on account of the better soil, the most prosperous part of the town.

In 1825 Ben Walton commenced a farm on the Willis Hamilton placce.

James Lindsays came from Dover, New Hampshire, and made a clearing, and built a place where now A. J. Heald has a first-rate farm and farm buildings, almost op- posite Lincoln Centre, about 1825.

Jerry Bartlett came in 1826 and made a clearing on the present Goodwin Ireland place, near the shore of the Penobscot and near the mouth of the Medway Road.

Living with Ben Walton, an old man, was John Weston, from Hebron, Maine. None of those above have any descendants in Chester now, but several sons of Weston are residing in the vicinity of Molunkus, Aroos- took county. James Lindsay, above referred to, first built a hotel, and with John and George Lindsay also traded very near where Lovitt's house now stands, nearly opposite to Lincoln Centre.

The Lindsay first went to what is known as the Webber mill on the Cambelasse Stream in the upper part of Lincoln, building a dam and starting a mill there, but sold out to Mr. Bemis, and went over to Chester. The mill property has since worked up a large amount of lumber in a very good timbered region, enriching the owners.

In 1827 Edward Beathan came from Pittston, and first located at the very extreme lower end of the town, but afterwards settled just above the Ireland place at the well known Beathan ferry. His son Nat and de, scendants are still in Chester.

In 1825-26 Rice, of Bangor, and Prescott, of Boston, built a saw-mill and grist-mill on the Medunkeunk Stream, about a mile and one-half from Lincoln Centre, near where Hatch now lives, and John Pratt built a shingle-mill near by soon after. John Boobar made a clearing at Medunkeunk Stream in 1829. Walter Haynes went from Dover, Maine, in 1825, and for four years worked on Medunkeunk Stream and vicinity until 1829, when he started a clearing near where James Wy- man has since made a farm, but in 1834 he removed to the place where he now lives, building a large set of buildings in time. His first location was down toward the river, and the old cellar hole may yet be seen. Mr.

Haynes eventually did much for the development of this locality, as in 1840 he built a mill and dam on the Eber Horse, or Eb Horse, or Ebhors Stream, a brook rising in Woodville, flowing into Chester, and tributary to the . Medunkeunk Stream, This, in 1843, was burned down, and again in that year rebuilt. It had then been sold to William R. Hersey, who, with his cousin, General S. F. Hersey, afterwards member of Congress for the Fourth Maine Congressional District, were in trade at Lincoln Centre. S. F. Hersey had removed to Bangor, and William R. made a farm a short distance above Lincoln Centre

Afterwards there had been a mill-dam built down by the road, and in 1853 Haynes bought out Hersey, the mill was torn down, and Hersey rebuilt.

Saw-mills on that stream have been burnt down some four or five times.

THE PROFESSIONS IN CHESTER.

In 1831 Dr. Thomas Lindsay, a brother of John, George, and James, came to Chester township with his son Thomas, also a physician, and engaged in the prac- tice of medicine. Here they remained some three or four years or more. The young man died soon after, and the old doctor removed to Lincoln below the village. Here he died some time since. None of his descend- ants live in Chester, though a few are still living in Lin- coln. These have been the only doctors living in Chester. There has been no lawyer, although George H. Wyman has resided there with his father, James Wy- man ; and of the ministry Rev. S. Besse has resided in Chester for the last decade, though the church where he holds service (the Baptist), is at Lincoln Centre.

CHURCHES AND SCHOOLS.

Under the preaching of Elder Lewis, and later of Elder Jones, a church was early formed in Chester-as early as 1831 or 1832. Contemporary with religion was education, and in 1831 a school-house was built on one of the Roberts lots near Mr. Kyles's, which is the upper district in town. Afterwards one was built where the Mattamiscontis and Wyman roads separate near the Medunkeunk Stream, near Sylvanus Hatch's; then a house near the Chesleys. New houses have since been built on the two lots, the latter known as the Blood school-house, and the fourth house was built just below Walter Haynes's, which is yet standing.

Two other districts cover the school territory of the town-that is the Tash neighborhood, on the Medunke- unk brook, among the mile-square lots and the east or Nash mill on Temple Ireland neighborhood, where, in 1832, near the very edge of the town and Woodville, Temple Ireland, removing from Starks, took up a large tract of land. He died but a few years since, but his widow, a bright, girlish looking, but quite old lady, still survives him, living in the old house built years ago with plain, homelike aspect, and most of her sons and daughters living about her.

A TRAGEDY.

Here an incident is related by a daughter as one of her fixers of time, when in their first experiences. One

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HISTORY OF PENOBSCOT COUNTY, MAINE.

Otis, who boarded with her father, came home one night much the worse for liquor, and was ordered by him to sit over on the other side of the fire in the big logging camp and pioneer's home, and not to bother the cook, when seizing a knife, he made a plunge at Ireland to cut his throat; but by a quick movement Ireland escaped with but a slight scratch in his arm, while Otis was cap- tured and soon after imprisoned.

A Mr. Miller, of Portland, whose brother, William H., lived in Howland, and owned considerable property about Piscatiquis Falls, then owned most of the township of Chester, excepting the few locations where parties had bought farms and several lots of land. Joshua Carpen- ter owned several lots.

MORE OF THE SURVEY AND SETTLEMENT.

In 1827-28 the Township No. 1, Range eight, after- wards Chester, was lotted and surveyed by George H. Moore, and he seemed to divine that the back part of the town needed not to be cut into small lots for farming pur- poses as the front, by leaving them in large lots, while the front was made into long strips with a river frontage of about sixty or seventy rods. In that year also came S. Warren Coombs, a brother of Mrs. Frank Stratton, from Albion, a carpenter and land surveyor, who taught several schools in town. He at once built a large num- ber of houses in town-one the Abe Brown residence. He held office for several years in various capacities after the town was incorporated, and afterwards, in 1837, re- moved to Mattawamkeag, having married a daughter of Mr. Jenkins and granddaughter of John Gordon, the mill builder, where he now lives, largely employed in land and lumber surveying.

In 1827 David Bunker came from Canaan, not the promised land, but from Somerset county, Maine, and located in Chester where I think Mr. Copeland had made a clearing on what has since been known as the Twombly and Talbot place, nearly opposite where he now resides in Winn. Here he resided till 1832, when he engaged in dam and mill building in Mattawamkeag and business in other localities, and afterwards returned to Chester, where he held many offices. He afterwards removed to Winn, where he now resides on a pleasant farm on Bunker Hill, with pleasant surroundings, a re- markably healthy looking man for one so well advanced in years. His wife, a daughter of James Scott, a pio- neer of Chester, Aunt Phebe, as she was called, died in 1881.

Bunker first built the house where William Scott now lives, having married a sister of his, and as he was build- ing at the time the Military Road was in process of con- struction through Winn, Richard Libby, who had a con- tract of a mile or so on the road, went across the Penob- scot to help raise the house with his crew of road builders. Libby afterwards kept a hotel in Mattawamkeag.

In 1827, and perhaps previous, Samuel Chester came to Chester from Chester, New Hampshire, and gave the name to the town, where he resided many years, after- wards building a large two-story house about midway the length of the town, kept a hotel, started large orchards,

became an active business man, holding many offices in the town and being Representative.

Freeman Crocker was an early pioneer in Chester, where the Wymans long since built up old and good farms and old-fashioned, homelike houses. The Crockers have several descendants now in Lincoln. Lee and Freeman seem to be favorite names with them. The Wymans- William, James, and Robert -- came from Orono and started orchards and good farms on rather a high point of land nearly opposite Lincoln Village, Indian Island, or Mattawamcook, lying between, on which are several Indian families, and the Lieutenant-Gov- ernor of the Penobscots usually has his seat of empire here. Penuel Shumway and son-in-law; Ira Pitman, moving planets, settled on the lower Roberts lot, where the Brown school-house now stands, or rather near the shore, and his name is immortalized in Shumway Cove, near by in the Penobscot River. They afterwards made settlements in Winn, near by, and also in Matta- wamkeag, afterwards removing to Minnesota, where but a few years since death set at rest his migratory tenden- cies for the last time, unless religious theory otherwise instructs. James Scott was an early settler in Chester, and his sons, William, Moses, and Luther, still reside in Chester, and also several of their descendants. Most early went to Woodville. William still resides at the old place. Moses and Luther are on the Babcock and other of the oldest farms in Chester. Luther removed to King- man. Most of them have large families, and nearly all have the Scott characteristics.

ORGANIZATION, ETC.

On February 26, 1834, an act of incorporation of Chester was passed by the Legislature at the time of the Governorship of Robert P. Dunlap, and on March 29, 1834, the inhabitants of Township I, Range 8 met at the house of Jeremiah Hildreth, nearly midway of the town, on the warrant of Gideon J. Newton, Justice of the Peace of Chester, directed to David Haynes, the father of Alvin, of Winn, afterwards prominent in county offices and mail agent, and first mail carrier from Houl- ton to Bangor. The officers chosen were: Samuel Chesley, Moderator; John M. Lindsay, Clerk; Samuel Chesley, John M. Lindsay, and Alva Chesley, Selectmen, Assessors, and Overseers of the Poor; Dowd Haynes, Constable and Collector; Samuel Chesley, Treasurer. April 21 a voters' meeting was called at the Bartlett House and the Selectinen were made School Committee; four school districts were formed. One hundred and twenty-five dollars was raised for town expenses, includ- ing support of the poor, and the then generous sum of two hundred and fifty dollars for support of schools, five hundred dollars for roads, and voted to accept the road as laid out by the Selectmen, three rods wide. It was also voted to have this road opened in three years from June, 1834. This road was some nine and a quarter miles in length, and extended nearly the whole length of the town. This twenty-second article was voted not to authorize the licensing of persons to sell wine, rum, and other spirituous liquors, to be drunk in their stores or shops.

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HISTORY OF PENOBSCOT COUNTY, MAINE.

The school districts were: No. I, to include 3-12, in- clusive of back lots 24 and 25, also 1, 2, 9, 10, 16, 17, 21, and 22; No. 2 was 14-25 inclusive, and back lots 3, II, 18, 19, and 23; No. 3 was 26-37 inclusive, and back lots 5, 6, 13, 14, and 20; No. 4, 38-50, and back lots 7, 8, and 15. At the fall election, at the Bartlett house, the votes were: For Governor, Peleg Sprague 10, Robert Dunlap 21 ; Representative to Congress, Ed- ward Kent 10, Gorham Parks 21; and the same through- out for Pierce and Rice, Bartlett and Fish, Taylor and Bradley, Carter and Carpenter, while the amendment to the Constitution stood: yeas, 18; nays, I. On the 29th day of September, 1834, the inhabitants met at the house of Edward Beathan to attend to the jury-box, and to ac- cept alterations in the main road, and to see what the town would do to assist the Irelands to a road. At that meeting S. Warren Coombs was chosen Collector, at seven cents on the dollar, and Edmund Watson, Alvah Chesley, and Frink Stratton were accepted as jurymen, and that the Irelands expend their own road money on their own road to get to the main road.

The following March the inhabitants met at the house of Samuel Chesley. Though only one year a town, they had become suspicious, and chose an Investigating Com- mittee to investigate the affairs of the town, and Edmund Watson, Samuel Chesley, and Jason Weston were chosen. That year there was a sad fall in school money raised, being only seventy-five dollars. But five hundred dollars was raised for roads, and five hundred dollars for town expenses and poor, and Rachel Oaks, one of the poor, was struck off to the lowest bidder, Samuel White, at one dollar and a half per week. But a better considera- tion was had for the schools, and instead of seventy-five dollars two hundred dollars were raised.

In June, 1835, several marriages were intended, as ap- pears by the records.

In the fall of 1825 it appears only one side voted, as Dunlap for Governor had but ten votes, and so with all the candidates of that party, with not a vote on the other side.

The marriage of William Wynson and Mary B. Adams, of Linden, December 8, 1833, seems to be the first mar- riage recorded in Chester, by Samuel Chesley, Justice of the Peace, while David Haines married Stephen Haines, of Chester, to Rhoda Wheeler, of Molunkus, July 5, 1835; and James Pond, of Swansville, and Nancy Beathan, of Chester, August 16, 1835, as the records state.

In 1836 the votes at election seem to have been much reduced, being Dunlap thirteen, Kent five. The place of meeting then varied from the house of Samuel Ches- ley to that of Andrew Spencer, but during all their ani- mosities they were true to the schools, raising two hun- dred and fifty dollars each year.

May 2, 1837, they held a town meeting to dispose of the public money or surplus revenue from the State, the money being in the hands of Jeremy Nelson, and hav- ing given every man, woman, and child a share, they felt so happy they voted to dissolve the meeting without day.

In the election of 1837, Kent, for Governor, had twenty votes, and Gorham Parks seventeen, with others at same rate, and increase of six votes over the previous year. At the election in 1838 Edward Kent had twenty- six votes, and John Fairfield eighteen votes. In that year Samuel Chesley was candidate for the Legislature, and had twenty-four votes. In 1840 they tired of the responsibilities of a town, and chose W. R. Miller as agent to go to Augusta to get the act of incorporation repealed, and Samuel Chesley agent to instruct Miller, but did not succeed. In 1844, ten years after incorpora- tion, the vote was twenty-six and twenty-two, and the same in 1848.

The memory of man or woman I find runneth not to tell of the first birth, death, or marriage in Chester, and the records of Chester, although in black and white, do not distinguish those to the manner born and those from foreign soil.

But one post-office has been established in Chester, supplied by the mail-route from Lincoln Centre to Med- way, Walter Haynes being postmaster most of the time.

REMARKS.

Not much more can be said of Chester. It is a quiet farming town, all pursuing the even tenor of their way, devoting themselves to farming and a littie lumbering. Several good farms attract attention. John W. Coombs, near Winn, and Abram B. Brown have good, well-kept farms. George Henry Haynes, on the old Chesley place; the sons of Andrew Fleming, Wells Carper, near the centre of the town; A. J. Heald, Rev. S. Besse, the Wymans, and several others near the southean extremity of the town, all have good farms. Several good-sized orchards are to be found in town, notably that of G. H. Haynes.

In 1850 William R. Hersey traded his mill on the Ebhors Stream, and the Scotts have traded it since.

Communication is had with the eastern side of the river by ferry at Lincoln Centre, kept by Lovetts and William Scott; by ferry of Ziba Burrill, near the Winn and Lincoln line, and by Moses Scott's ferry, coming out at Este's mill, in Winn, about two and a half miles below Winn village.

A bridge has been talked of across the Penobscot at Winn village, but it is hardly likely to succeed for several years at any rate.

A new road was laid out in 1881 nearly opposite Winn village, accommodating new settlers in Woodville and those on the county road. On its completion, a ferry will probably be established, running over to Winn village.

Politically, Chester has always been strongly Repub- lican, although the Greenback party captured many in its greatest force.

The first church-Free-will Baptist -- was organized at John O. Kyle's in 1831, with about fifty members.

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTICES.

SAMUEL CHESLEY, EsQ., one of the early settlers of the county, was born in Paris, Maine, October 31, 1788. He received a common town school and academic edu-

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HISTORY OF PENOBSCOT COUNTY, MAINE

cation, and resided in Paris until he moved with his fam- ily to that part of Penobscot county then Township No. 3, now the town of Chester. He came to look for land in 1825, and selected lots Nos. 29 and 30 for a farm, upon which he moved his family in January, 1826. The river was the public road, and this entire region was com- paratively a wilderness. He was married March 26, 1814, to Miss Martha Perry, of Paris, who was born November 27, 1791, and died June 23, 1859. Her father, Asa Perry, one of the early settlers of Paris, was formerly of Bridgewater, Massachusetts; her mother was from Taunton, Massachusetts. They first settled on a farm in Paris, where they had five children, viz: Samuel H., of Fort Fairfield, Maine; Addison P., of Minneapolis, Minnesota; Martha J. (Mrs. N. Crockett), deceased; B. Franklin, deceased, and C. Columbus, of Mattawam- keag. After their removal to this county they had five more children: Mary A. (Mrs. Alvin Haynos, 2d), of Lincoln; N. Lincoln, of Milford; Albion P., of Lincoln; Cynthia (Mrs. R. Wyman), of Winn, and Louisa (Mrs. E. Babcock), of Lincoln. Franklin, a member of Com- pany G, Twenty-second Regiment Maine Volunteers, died at Franklin City, Louisiana, May 3, 1862. Samuel was the son of Nicholas Chesley, one of the first settlers of Paris, but formerly of New Hampshire. He had five brothers and three sisters, viz: Benjamin, deceased; Nicholas, deceased; Jonathan, deceased; David, de- ceased; William, deceased ; Sarah (Mrs. D. Farrar), de- ceased; Betsey (Mrs. J. Dinsamore), deceased; Char- lotte (Mrs. A. White), of Dixfield, Maine, only survivor. Jonathan, a graduate of Bowdoin College, was for many years a school teacher, but afterwards studied law. He died in Saco, Maine, about the time he was to begin its practice. Samuel, the pioneer, died October 19, 1869, in Chester. To his efforts was the town largely indebted for its incorporation, and he held one or more of its mu- nicipal officers during the most of his residence there. He also served as a Representative in the State Legisla- ture. He was a prominent Justice of the Peace, and possessed a judicial mind, with an uncommon share of legal attainments; though but a plain farmer and lumber- man, his counsel was often sought in legal questions, and he was more than a match for common cases. Posses- sing a comprehensive intelligence, connected with a sound and cautious judgment, he was placed higher in the estimation of an intelligent public than is the com- mon lot of man He shared the privations, struggles, and toils of a pioneer life, and maintained his integrity of character to the last, sharing in part the fruition of his labors.

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History of Penobscot County, Maine; with illustrations and biographical sketches, Part 75

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