History of Penobscot County, Maine; with illustrations and biographical sketches, Part 88

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 88

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EDINBURG.

Our story now reaches up the valley of the Penobscot, into one of the more sparsely settled tracts, and stops at Edinburg, on the west bank of the Penobscot, lying be- tween that stream, Lagrange on the west, Howland on the north, and Argyle on the south. On three sides this snug little town is bounded by straight lines-five miles long on the north, four and three-quarters on the south, and five and one half on the west side. The north and south lines are not perfectly parallel, but approach a lit- tle to the eastward, being some forty rods nearer each other on the cast side of the town than on the west. Within its jurisdiction are a number of the Indian islands opposite the Penobscot front, among the principal of which are Long Island, Jo Mitchell, and Nicolar Islands. These, with one other islet, are the northern- most, and there are ten others below them, before passing the south town line. None of them are inhabited.

Edinburg is sixteen miles from the north line of Ban-

gor. It is only settled as yet on the river road running close to the west bank of the Penobscot, which is the only highway of general importance in the town. Nearly six miles of this road are in Edinburg, and settlement is so far almost restricted to the northern half of it, though there are some scattered habitations toward the southeast corner. School-house No. I is in the north part, oppo- site Long Island. The people have no church, post- office, or railroad, but are accommodated in all these particulars at Passadumkeag Station, in the adjoining town, on the European and North American Railway.

Across the southwest angle of Edinburg flows the Hemlock Stream, a water of some twelve miles' length, which rises in the central north part of Lagrange, and flows with a general southeast course into Argyle, where it empties into the Penobscot. A similar statement is true of the Hoyt Brook, which is of about the same length, rises north of Lagrange, in Medford town, Piscat-

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HISTORY OF PENOBSCOT COUNTY, MAINE.

aquis county, and bisects Edinburg by almost a diagonal from northwest to southeast, and also reaches the Pe- nobscot in Argyle. The Pollard Brook, however, rising in Howland, has a course of three to four miles in Edin- burg, where it receives one short tributary from toward the northeast corner, and flows into the river a little be- low Nicolar's Island. One-third of a mile south of its mouth another stream, of a mile and a quarter's length, comes in from the west. A very small tributary also rises near the southeast corner of Edinburg, and flows across the adjacent angle of the town of Argyle to the Penob- scot.

As we shall see when the history of Passadumkeag is reached, there is reason to believe that the French were in this region, at the head of Nicolar's Island, in the river, in the early part of the last century. The authen- tic history of Edinburg, however, begins with 1827, when the first white settlers made their location upon it. Within the short space of seven years the tract had pop- ulation enough to warrant the erection of a town

upon it, and Edinburg was incorporated January 31, 1835, the same year with Passadumkeag, but just thirty days later.

This town had 52 inhabitants in 1840, 93 in 1850, when it seems to have reached the maximum of its growth, 48 in 1860, 55 in 1870, and 45 in 1880.

The number of its polls in 1860 was 17, in 1870 13, and in 1880 II.

The estates of the town in these several years were valued at $13,713, $19,436, and $17,740.

Edinburg is chiefly an agricultural town, so far as de- veloped ; but there is still some lumbering done, and at least one saw-mill is kept going in the town.

The town officers at last report were: Charles W. Eldridge, Charles M. Farnham, Joshua A. Eldridge, Selectmen ; Charles M. Farnham, Town Clerk ; Jere- miah Bachelder, Treasurer ; Charles W. Eldridge, Con- stable ; Charles M. Farnham, School Supervisor.

There was formerly a Free-will Baptist society in this town.

ENFIELD.

Enfield corners on Edinburg, in the Penobscot River. It is on the east side of the stream, which separates it from Howland and a strip of Mattamiscontis. On the northeast is Lincoln, on the east Lowell, and on the south Lowell and Passadumkeag. Almost the entire eastern part of the town is filled with the Cold Stream Pond, which is wholly in this town, except the extremity of one little bay, something more of another, and about half a square mile of the southern- most bay, which are in Lowell. About one-third of the area of the town is occupied by this water. With- in a few years it has been abundantly stocked with sal- mon by the State Fish Commissioner. Most of the Lit- tle Cold Stream Pond, however, which lies along the northeastern and eastern border, is outside of the town, in Lincoln and Lowell. It is nearly one and one-half miles in width from east to west, and a trifle more in length from north to south. At its south extremity is Bog Island, opposite the mouth of Bog Brook, which is wholly in Lowell. Cold Stream Pond, fiom the northern end near the northeastern boundary of the town, to the southern extremity of the large bay before mentioned, is four and two-thirds miles long. Its extreme breadth, from

the little bay west of the spot known as Weasel Island, is about three miles. It is quite a noble and important sheet of water. On the Lowell side it receives the petty Jack Brook, about two-fifths of the way down the west shore, and the Barnard Brook three-fourths of a mile further down. Its outlet, the Cold Stream, leaves the Pond at Enfield, a mile north of the town line, and flows west and west of south about one and one-half miles, when it passes iuto Passadumkeag, and there to the Passadumkeag River. Across the town westward, Bea- ver Brook heads half a mile from the river, and flows two miles in Enfield, when it also passes into Passadum- keag. One-third of a mile due east of the head of Bea- ver is the source of Bear Brook, which joins the former a little distance above the town line. In the north and west of the town three small tributaries, any one of them scarcely more than a mile in length, flow into the Penob- scot.

Enfield being on the old military road, and also on the European & North American Railway,-which passes through the town on a general parallel with the river, but nearly two miles from it, and has a station and a long switch a mile west of Enfield village,-the town has

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HISTORY OF PENOBSCOT COUNTY, MAINE.

grown more than many other northern towns, and has a respectably numerous population along its leading high- ways. About eight miles of the river-road are in this town. There is a hotel stand upon it, at a road junc- tion a little more than a mile from the south town line, with School No. 7 just below it; and School No. 2 is only a little below the north comer of the same road. Contrary to the general rule, however, in the river towns, the bulk of settlement is not on this road. It is very thinly settled, except at the southwest corner of the town; while the middle north and south road, one to two miles from it, and joining it just before the latter crosses the Lincoln line, is quite densely populated. Upon it, two miles below the north corner of the town, is School No. 5; as far south of that is School No. 6, the road passing a cemetery about three-fifths of the way down. It ends at the east and west road starting at the hotel stand afore- said, and running nearly due east a little more than a mile from the town line to Enfield village, sending off a little east of Bear Brook a road to the town line, where the track of the European & North American Railway crosses it. This, the only east and west road across the town, is four miles long. At Enfield village another road comes in from the direction of Lincoln, along the west shore of Cold Stream Pond, passing School No. 3 and throwing off two or three short neighborhood tracks on the way. It passes through Enfield, and about one and a quarter miles further to the southwest, when it runs into Passadumkeag, and on to the post-office of that name. A little out of the village a road from Lowell, running northwesterly about a mile in this town, termin- ates. A short road from near the Cold Stream outlet, in the village, runs to the highway, completing a small equilateral triangle.

Enfield is the only village and post-office in the town. It has a Baptist church and cemetery, School No. 4, a hotel, a store, and several mills and shops.

The total area of the town is fifteen thousand acres. It is sixteen miles from Bangor. In the river along its front are about ten of the Penobscot reservation islets, among them Gordon, Moon, and Pierce Islands. The last-named is opposite the middle of a long, narrow island, whose lower end is nearly two miles from the southwest corner of the town, and which is formed by a boat canal, of about a mile's length, on the Enfield side of the river.

The soil of the western half of Enfield is for the most part level, and consists of a clayey loam, which needs manuring in order to its best productivity. The eastern part is more broken, but the soil is stronger, and produces crops in usual quantity and variety for this re- gion. In the northeast of the town are some fine gran- ite ledges, which are available for building material. There is excellent water-power in the town, which has been utilized to some extent for grist- and saw-mills and shingle-machines. Freshets on the one hand, and drought on the other, do not often interfere with the efficiency of the powers.

The first settlers in this town were from down the river and to the westward, from Bangor and from Buck-

field, in Oxford county. The earliest one, John Wood, is generally supposed to have got in by 18r9, though he may not have been on the ground before 1820. He made a clearing near the present south line of the town. Soon after, in 1821, Mr. Joseph Treat, of the old Rangor family, who had an extensive grant in this quarter, had a saw- and gist mill constructed at the mouth of the Cold Stream, which aided to stimulate settlement. It was subsequently destroyed, and then was rebuilt by his brother, John Treat, in partnership with John, Jr., and Edward W. Treat, sons of the latter.

The Treat Grant consisted of five thousand acres of woodland, lying in the south part of the present town. North of it was Township No. I, east of the Penobscot river, comprising about ten thousand acres. January 31, 1835, the same day that Edinburg was erected, these two tracts were united by the State Legislature to form the new town of Enfield.

In 1840 this town had 346 people; in 1850, 396; in 1860, 526; in 1870, 545; and in 1880, 489.

Its polls numbered in 1860, 101; in 1870, 120; and in 1880, 133.

Its estates in the same years were $47,886, $90,204, and $64,224.

Enfield has one Regular Baptist society, owning a meeting-house, and ministered to by Elder Alvan Messer. A "Church of God" was also formerly organized here.

The district school-houses of the town number seven.

The Morning Star Lodge, Independent Order of Good Templars, was until lately in existence, but is not now actively working. The Crystal Fountain Grange, No. 227, Patrons of Husbandry, appears to be now the only semi-public society in the town.

One general store is kept in town, and there is one smith. Among the lumber industries of the town, be- sides those before mentioned, a peculiar manufacture is that of rafting wedges, of which a million or more were formerly made yearly.

The town officers of Enfield for 1880 were as follow: Henry W. Fiske, James W. McKenney, George H. John- son, Selectmen; Rev. Alvan Messer, Clerk ; J. E. M. Gilman, Constable; John Treat, Treasurer, who is also Postmaster and a Justice of the Peace; Mrs. Clara M. Cleaves, School Supervisor; M. L. Dyer, John Treat, (quorum) Justices.

.NOTES OF SETTLEMENT.

Alvan Messer, of Enfield, is a son of Stephen Messer, second. Stephen Messer, first, was born in Scotland, and emigrated to this country about the year 1765. He settled in Andover, Massachusetts, where Stephen the second was born in 1773. About the year 1780 he [Stephen the first] removed to Shelburne, New Hamp- shire. In the Revolutionary war he was driven off with others by the Indians. He, however, returned and had command of a guard of men sent in by the Government to protect the settlers from the Indians. He had twelve children, four sons and eight daughters. Stephen the second, who first settled in Lowell, Maine, married Mary Darling, born 1774. They had seven children, four sons and three daughters, of whom only Alvan and Hannah

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HISTORY OF PENOBSCOT COUNTY, MAINE.

[Mrs. Gray ]are living. He died in 1833 in Lowell. Mrs. Messer died 'in 1849. Alvan Messer was born in Blue Hill in 1808. He married Jane Guptill, who was born February 3, 1811." They were married October 29, 1829. Their children are Stephen D, deceased; Sarah P., now Mrs. Staples; Harriet N., deceased. Mr. Messer is a Baptist minister by profession, and by trade a house- carpenter and builder. He has made two missionary tours to the Far West.

Mrs. Clara M. Cleaves, of Enfiell, is a daughter of Nathaniel and Clarissa Jones [nee Clarissa Wickwire]. Nathaniel Jones was a son of Isaac Jones, of Bowdoin. He was born in Bowdoin, June 14, 1797, and came into Penobscot county when a young man, and settled first at Oldtown. He afterward; kept hotels at Lincoln, Haynes- ville, Houlton, Passadumkeag, and in Enfield, at the mouth of the Piscataquis. He had four children, viz .: Esther S., Margaret, wife of Samuel Crocker ; Isaac M., of Patten, Maine; and Clara M., now Mrs. Cleaves. Mr. Jones held prominent offices in towns where he lived. He was First Selectman at the time of his death. He was a successful business man, and accumulated a good property. He was well and favorably known throughout the county. He died in August, 1876; Mrs. Jones died in December, 1875. Clara M., now Mrs. Appleton Cleaves, is with her sister in Enfield. Mr. Cleaves is engaged in lumbering in the Province of New- foundland. Mrs. Cleaves is Supervisor of Schools of En- field at the present time.

Mr. William Edgecomb, of Enfield, is a son of Levi Edgecomb, of Parsonsfield, Maine. He was a son of Thomas Edgecomb, of the same town, but who was born in Hollis, Maine. Levi Edgecomb married Harriet Sut- ton, of Limington, Maine. They had nine children, viz: Jolin S., now of Parsonsfield; Louisa, deceased; Cyrus, now of Bradley, Maine; Williams; Ezekiel, in California ; James; Joseph, in Porter, Maine, and Harriet J. They lost one in infancy. Levi Edgecomb died July 22, 1864. Mrs. Edgecomb died March 13, 1872. William Edgecomb was born August 3, 1823. He first setiled in Brewer, where he lived about ten years, en- gaged in farming. He moved to Enfield in 1854 and bought the farm where he now resides. He married Susan S. Clapp, daughter of Billings and Emily Clapp, of Boston. They have eight children, viz: Levi B., of Enfield; Hattie E., wife of Joseph Walker, of Iowa; Wil- liam H., of Enfield; Annie A .; Minnie C., now Mrs. Winfield Scott, of Enfield; Mary A .; George W., and Susie L. They lost one in infancy.

Among the carliest settlers in Enfield was Mr. Smith Gilman. He came here about 1822 from Freedom, Kennebec county. He was born in 1792, August 16, in Gilmanton, New Hampshire. His father's name was William Gilman, and his mother Annie Gilman (nee Thomas). They had ten children, of whom Smith is the seventh. When he came here there were but four acres of trees felled. He has cleared up the lind where he now lives. He married Jane Whitten. They had seven children: Abigail, deceased; Jane, deceased; Annie; Caroline ; Susan; Smith, deceased, and David. He is

now living with his son Smith's family. Mrs. Gilman died February 19, 1868. When he came here they had no road in summer and brought supplies by boat or on sleds in winter. They had to go on horseback through . the woods. His son, Smith Gilman, died January 2.4, 1872. Mr. Gilman in his carly manhood and middle life often held prominent offices in the town. He was. also a Representative in the State Legislature in 1855. He is now eighty-nine years old, and still retains, his .. faculties to a remarkable degree, stating clearly the facts and incidents of seventy years ago.

Mr. John Treat, of Enfield, is a son of John and Ro- sanna L. Treat, nee Rosanna Duggins. John Treat, Sr., was a son of Robert Treat, who lived in. Bangor but came originally from Haverhill, Massachusetts. John Treat, Sr., came to Enfield from Bangor in 1823. John and Rosanna Treat had nine children, of whom John is the eldest now living. Their names were Mary E., John, Harriet, Edward H., Joseph, Sarah, Rosanna, Margaret A., and Caroline P. Of the girls only Caroline is now living. Mr. Treat died in 1867. Mrs. Treat died in 1842. John Treat, Jr., was born July 10, 1817, in Bangor. He came here when a lad and has been en- gaged in milling and merchandising all his life. He owns the mill in the town which manufactures about two million rafting wedges each season. Mr. Treat has a fine residence in the village. He has long been «Town Treasurer, and in 1861 he was sent to the State Legislature, being a member at the time the war broke out. He married Elizabeth W. Buzwell, of Atkinson, Maine. They have five children, viz: Ella M., wife of Robert Brady, Jr., of Brooklyn, New York; Silas B., now of Brooklyn, New York; Mary E., and Charles B., at home.

Adoniram J. Darling, of Enfield, is a son of Walker Darling, who came here from Blue Hill in 1825. His father was Jonathan Darling, who was a son of Jonathan Darling, who came from England. Walker Darling married for his first wife Susan Shorey, from Canaan, Maine. By her he had five children, three sons and two daughters, viz: Jonathan, now of Lowell ; Adon- iram; Emeline, deceased; Emily, deceased ; George Washington, deceased. Mr. Darling died in 1878, and Mrs. Darling died in 1845. Mr. Darling used to hold prominent town offices during his life. He was a major in the Madawaska war. Adoniram J. Darling was born August 9, 1832, in Enfield. Here he has always lived. His present farm is a part of the old homestead where his father settled. He married Mary Louisa Hathorn, daughter of Robert and Lydia Hathorn (nee Lydia Dar- ling). They have three children, viz: Henry W., Charlie E., and Hattie L. Mr. Darling has held the office of Selectman, Town Agent, etc. His place is in the south part of Enfield, on the Shore of Cold Stream Lake, called by the Indians Ammadamast. This is a beautiful lake of clear, cold water, stocked with salmon and trout.

James Skillings, of Enfield, is a son of Nathaniel and Sarah Skillings (nee Sarah Doane). Nathaniel Skillings was a native of Westbrook, Maine. Here he lived and

HISTORY OF PENOBSCOT COUNTY, MAINE.

343

died. He was a soldier in the War of 1812. Nathaniel and Sarah Skillings had ten children, viz: Affie, Har- riet, William, Eunice, Jane, Edward, James, Sophia, William Henry, Charles Henry. Nathaniel Skillings died in 1836. James Skillings, the third son of this family, was born December 25, IS21. He went into the army before he was eighteen, and remained until 1873. He was in the war with Mexico and with Taylor at Buena Vista, Palo Alto, Resaca de la Palma, and other

engagements. During his army life he was stationed at various places. In 1873 he came to Enfield and settled on a farm with his son. His son died in 1879, and Mr. Skillings is now carrying on the business. He married Rubie Haskell, daughter of James Haskell, of Houlton, Maine. They have had five children, all of whom are deceased except one, Kate H. lle has a good farm of one hundred acres on the Ridge road, north of Enfield . Station about one mile.

ETNA.

The narrative now moves a long way to the southwest, and gets again west of Bangor, from which Etna is dis- tant but twelve miles, the breadth of the intervening towns, Carmel and Hermon. Carmel is the bounding town of Etna on the east; on the south Dixmont, be- yond which is Waldo county; on the west Plymouth, with Somerset county beyond; and on the north Stetson and a narrow strip of Newport. Like all the towns in its neighborhood, Etna is six miles long; but has been squeezed in between Plymouth and Carmel to greater narrowness, being only four miles wide through five miles of its length, and only three and three-eighths broad dur- ing the remaining mile.

Within this space, however, a prosperous and some- what numerous population has been settled, numbering, by the last census, eight hundred and ninety-five, or about thirty to the square mile. Against the experience, too, of most of the towns of Penobscot, the population has never been more than this; and these figures repre- sent an increase of six per cent. on the census of 1870. Etna village is a thriving place about a cross-roads a little more than a mile from the north line of the town, and in the vicinity of Parker Pond. It has a Baptist church, a school, and other public and semi-public buildings, and a station of the Maine Central Railroad, which passes a little north of the village, and has about three and one- third miles of its track in this town. Until of late years, this place had the only post-office in Etna; but the in- creasing demands of the people have led to the estab- lishment of the Etna Centre office at the cross roads about two miles south of Etna village, and also South Etna, in the I. A. King neighborhood. Along the mid- dle of the east and west road, half a mile from the south line of the town, coming in from Carmel, running nearly three miles west, and then dipping off southwest into

Dixmont, is a tolerably crowded settlement; and School No. 4 stands a little below the angle it makes in the southwest of the town. Only one of the three north and south roads that strike this highway crosses it -- the easternmost of them, which is the only one traversing the entire length of the town. It comes in from Stetson, near the Etna and Carmel Pond, runs through Etna vil- lage and by Etna Centre post-office, and so on southward with a general distance from the east town line of one- half to three-quarters of a mile. It passes a school- house half a mile above the cast and west road, and a mile further runs out into Dixmont. The westernmost of the north and south roads begins near School No. 4, and after two or three zigzags strikes off due north, pass- ing School No. 5 at the intersection of the east and west road through Etna Centre, and almost two miles further ends at a highway running from the northernmost cast and west road southwesterly to Plymouth. West of this latter road another and shorter line connects it and the road next previously mentioned. This comes in from Carmel post-office, running northwest to the Etna line, and thence north of west through Etna post office and by a cemetery over half-way across the town to its exit into Plymouth, very nearly at the northwest corner of the town. School No. 8 is at the intersection of roads a mile from the corner. Just west of Etna village a neighborhood road from Etna Station crosses the ma'n route, and goes zigzagging off into the country. The only other road of importance is one of two and one third miles in length, running north and south one and a half miles from the west line of the town, and connecting the road through Etna Centre with the east and west road at the south of the town. Apart from the centers of popula- tion before referred to, the settlers, are quite cvenly dis- tributed along the highways.

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HISTORY OF PENOBSCOT COUNTY, MAINE.

The most conspicuous of the Etna waters is the Etna and Carmel Pond, with Parker Pond in close associa- tion. They have been described in our account of Car- mel. They lie in the northeast angle of the town, and about ohe-third of their surface of, say, one square mile lies in Etna. Parker Pond receives at its west end, from the southwestward, a small tributary about two miles · long, rising in the north central part of the town. Half a mile southwest of its source heads another brook, which runs off in the same direction to Plymouth Pond, receiv- ing in Etna one tributary from the northward, rising in Plymouth, and one on the south, flowing wholly in Etna, South of the last a petty rill runs into the stream con- necting Skinner and Plymouth Ponds. The headquar- ters of a pretty long tributary of Kingsley Stream, flow- ing westward, are near the center of Etna, and the be- ginning of another affluent of the Kingsley is about the · middle of the south line of the town. The creeks that head about the north center of Etna end with one rising about two miles southwest of Etna post-office, and flow- ing northerly some two and a half miles toward the north town line.

The surface of this town is rather broken, but its soil is generally good, and proves well adapted to the raising of grass and grain crops.

ORIGINAL PROPRIETORSHIP .*

This township was granted by the Legislature of Mas- sachusetts, in 1794, to Bowdoin College, with five other townships at the same time, and was sold by the trustees of the college soon after for ten cents per acre. . The town then contained 23,040 acres ; it now contains 14,880. acres, "more or less." It was lotted out in 1806 by Herrick & Brother into eighty acre lots, under the direc- tion of John Crosby, of Hampden. He had become owner of the township, and afterwards sold it to William Gray, of Boston, Massachusetts, reserving what he had sold to settlers and one-sixth part which he had previ- ously sold to Ruel Williams. One thousand two hundred acres were also reserved. for schools, for the support of the gospel, and for the first settled minister. But the first settled minister never got the land, and no part of it ever went to support the gospel, but in the end went to support schools. This land sold for about $1.50 per acre, and in the course of events it all went into the town treasury and was used to pay running expenses. While it was in the hands of trustees it took quite a portion of the interest to pay the expense of looking after it and the other matters.

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History of Penobscot County, Maine; with illustrations and biographical sketches, Part 88

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