History of Penobscot County, Maine; with illustrations and biographical sketches, Part 97

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 97

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three other children. Their children were : William, now in Aroostook county, Maine; Rebecca, now Mrs. John Lawry, of Winterport, Maine; Dolly, now Mrs. Kendall, of Hampden; Lucinda and Zebiah (twins). Lucinda is now Mrs. Robert Snow, of Orland. Zebiah is deceased. Clara, wife of Francis Gibbs, of Bangor; John; Alexan- der, now of Limestone, Aroostook county, Maine; Jen- nie, married Joshua Sherman, of Bangor; Ann, deceased wife of Francis Gibbs; and Mary, deceased wife of Miles Hartford. Mr. Phillips died in Hampden at the age of seventy-eight, in November, 1857. Mrs. Phillips died November 2, 1878.

John Phillips was born December 15, 1826. During his early life he followed the sea. In 1855 he settled in Bangor and did a grocery and shipping business. He lived there about twenty years. During the last of the time he was in the ship-building business altogether. He came to Hampden in 1870, and has been engaged principally in farming, though doing some shipping busi- ness. He married Miss Frances E. Bussey, of Newburg, Maine. They have three children, viz: Hattie S., Arthur R., and Edgar E. Mrs. Phillips's grandfather was re- ported as killed in the War of 1812. His funeral ser- mon was preached and his monument erected. He after- ward returned to his family.

Jerry G. Patten, of Hampden, is a son of James and Elizabeth Patten (nee Elizabeth Guptil). James Patten came to Hampden from Merrimac, New Hampshire, when six years of age, and settled on the place where Mr. Jerry Patten now lives. He had five children, viz: Polly, deceased wife of Robert Blaisdell, of Hampden; Oliver, deceased; James, now of Hermon; Elizabeth G .; and Jerry G. Mr. Patten was a man who took promi- nent part in town affairs and held township offices for many years. In 1831 and 1832 he represented his town in the Legislature. He was for many years a captain in the militia, and commanded the company in the battle of Hampden in the War of 1812. He died December II, 1859. Mrs. Patten died May 2, 1851. Jerry G. Patten, the fifth child and youngest of the family, was born December 5, 1817, in Hampden, on the farm where he now lives. He married Betsey C. Cowan, daughter of George and Lucy Cowan, of Hampden. This couple have had six children, viz: Thomas, now of Hampden; Franklin, now of Merrilon, Wisconsin; Agnes, deceased; Fannie, wife of Samuel Babb, of Chippewa Falls, Wis- consin; Jere, deceased; Hamlin, deceased. Mr. Patten has been a member of the Board of Selectmen for sev- eral years. In 1868 and 1869 he was chosen to repre- sent his district in the Legislature. In 1871 he was ap- pointed by Secretary McCulloch as Weigher and Gauger in the Custom House in Bangor, which position he held ten years. He lives in the northwest part of Hermon.

HERMON.

Hermon is another of the neighbors of Bangor, which it immediately and evenly adjoins on the west. Its southern companion is Hampden, its western Carmel, and its northern neighbors, in nearly equal shares, Glen- burn and Levant. It is about an even township in size, but has been made very slightly trapezoidal by the short- ening of its north line about a quarter of a mile below the regulation township length of six miles. The south town line, but for the projection above it of the cape from Hampden already described, would be even six miles long. The east and west lines of the town are also each very nearly six miles long. The symmetry of the town is considerably broken in the southwest part by the intrusion of Hampden. The south line of Her- mon runs from the southeast corner of the town four miles to the outlet of Hermon Pond, then describes a great curve in the pond and goes out by the outlet of Patten Pond to a point a trifle south of the original parallel, and thence strikes westward about one-third of a mile to the corner of the town. On all other sides of Hermon the boundaries are perfectly straight.

Through the southern part of the town, running a little north of east, entering from Bangor two-thirds of a mile above the southeast corner, and passing out into Carmel nearly two miles north of the opposite corner, runs the track of the Maine Central Railroad. It makes a station for Hermon post-office (the first out of Bangor) one and a half miles southeast of the road junctions at the village, and another three and a half miles west, at the crossing of the Sowadabscook Stream, near Hermon Pond, which gives its name to the station. Here are School No. I and a cemetery. A road runs from the station, near the west bank of the Sowadabscook, about a mile to and then into Carmel. Its extension to the southwestward runs out to the west town line, along that a little way and then southeastward into Hampden. Another road from the station crosses the Sowadabscook there, and goes northeast to and through Hermon village to a road from Bangor to Glenburn, across the northeast angle of the town, where, at a point a little below North Hermon post-office, it ends. Another partial diagonal of the town, passing to the northwest from two branches starting respectively from Hampden and Bangor, and uniting something more than a mile from the south and east lines of Hermon, also passes through Hermon post- office, and goes out into Carmel a mile or more below the northwest corner of this town. One and a half miles above the village it receives a southwesterly road coming from Bangor. Shortly before its exit a north and south road from Levant crosses it, makes a jog of one-third of a mile near School No. 2, half-way

across the town, and goes on south to Hermon Pond. Another north and south road from Levant to the pond runs in the interior of Hermon, at varying distances of one to one and a half miles from the former road. They intersect an east and west road from Hermon village, which passes into Carmel. These are the great roads of the town. Of course, in a region so finely settled as Hermon, the necessary shorter roads are not wanting.

Hermon Pond is an attractive body of water, nearly two miles in extreme length from the end of the bay at the northeast, and about a mile in greatest breadth to- ward the outlet into Stetson Pond. Its average length, however, is only about one and one-eighth miles, and its average width perhaps half a mile. At its northwest bay the Sowadabscook Stream enters, after a flow of over a mile and a half in the west part of the town. A small af- fluent also comes in about the middle of the north bank of the Pond. This beautiful sheet adds a great charm to the scenery of the town, and it is a favorite resort for picnics, and for boating and fishing.

George's Pond is a little sheet half a mile long by about half the breadth, less than a mile east of Hermon Pond, and with its south end pretty close upon the town line. Its outlet is into the Sowadabscook, below Stetson Pond, and into it debouches the Wheeler Stream, This has two heads in the north central and central western parts of the town, and flows to a point of junction a mile east of Hermon village, with a tributary of near three miles' length, rising near North Hermon. Thence the stream runs about two and one-half miles further to George's Pond, half a mile before entering it receiving a very short tributary from a pond west of it. A petty stream crosses the extreme southeast of the town, and another heads about three miles north of it, and also flows into Bangor. Near the north half of the west line of the town the Little Kenduskeag Stream, heading in the north of Levant, and running with a general south- ward course, passes to the Sowadabscook at the town line, a mile and a half above Hermon Pond Station.

Hermon is an old and well populated town. About exactly at the centre of its territory, just halt-way across from east to west, and but a trifle below the middle point from north to south, is Hermon village and post-office. Here are the Town House and Masonic Hall, the public pound, Baptist and Universalist churches, and a public school-house. Three miles northeast of it is North Her- mon post-office, with an Advent church and a cemetery. The cemetery for Hermon village is at School No. 13, nearly a mile from the cross roads at Hermon. Although these are so near the centre of the town, there is a sep- arate "Hermon Centre" post-office at the Hermon depot.

379

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HISTORY OF PENOBSCOT COUNTY, MAINE

Hermon Pond Station, whose position has already been indicated, has also a post-office. All parts of the town are tolerably well settled, but population is perhaps densest in the northeast quarter.

The surface of Hermon is quite picturesquely broken, but is not unduly rolling or hilly.

The settlement of Hermon began nearly a quarter of a century before it became a full-fledged town. About 1790 the pioneers are believed to have got this far into the interior from Bangor and the Penobscot. They were Julius Hewes, Collins Hewes, Jotham Mason, William Patten, and a few others, who came that year, or no long time after. They were all originally from New Hamp- shire. In the spring of 1798, when the energetic pioneer Baptist, Paul Ruggles, was pushing his way into the wil- derness of Carmel with his young wife, and became the guest of this Hermon settler, we find a Mr. Garland upon the soil, but are not notified of the year of his coming. Mr. and Mrs. Ruggles were his guests for several weeks, until the weather permitted them to paddle up the Sow- adabscook and make their own settlement. The growth of the plantation was slow for many years, but there were about twenty families in the township when it was erected into a town in 1814.

This was one of the four townships selected within the present territory of Penobscot county, with Bangor, Hampden, and Newburg, and assigned February 5, 1800, to make up a deficiency in the tract surveyed for the Waldo Patent. Of course here, as in the other town- ships, the lots actually occupied by settlers were not dis- tributed, and their titles, derived only from occupancy, were quieted for nominal sums. The remainders in the four townships, amounting to about eighty-three thou- sand acres, were assigned to the Waldo heirs. General Henry Knox, of Revolutionary fame, had married one of these, and although the share of the Patent in which she had an interest had been confiscated and sold, the General's high favor and influence with the Government, together with liberal purchases on his own account, en- abled him to get a very large landed estate in this quarter. About half the Waldo property in this county, says Mr. Williamson, in the History of Maine, was as- signed to the old hero, "the friend of Washington." It is generally known that Knox county was named from him in 1860, as he for twelve years, after his resignation as Secretary of War, resided at Thomaston, where he died in October, 1806. The railway station at that place is in the brick building that was once General Knox's stable.

February 13, 1814, in the midst of the stern alarums of war in Eastern Maine, Hermon was incorporated as the 207th town erected in the District. Sangerville, now in Piscataquis county, was incorporated on the same day, and Newport, now in Penobscot, on the next.

As before noted, the town had then about twenty families, with a goodly proportion of men without family. The population had numbered 82 fourteen years before, in 1800, and 179 four years before, by the census of 1810. In 1812 the polls in the plantation counted up 33, with estates valued at $9,229.02. In 1820 Hermon

town had a population of 277, 55 polls, and $22,056 in officially valued estates. The people had increased to 535 in 1830, 1,042 in 1840, 1,374 in 1850, 1,433 in 1860, 1,489 in 1870, and 1,394 in 1880. Until within the last decade, as thus appears, Hermon has not only held its own in population, but has quite satisfactorily increased.

In 1860 the votes of this town numbered 315; in 1870, 342; in 1880, 369.

The valuations of estates for these years, respectively were $197, 120, $294, 189, and $399,999.

Hermon has two religious societies,-the Free Baptist and the Universalist,-the pulpits of both of which are, or were recently, vacant.

The leading associations of Hermon at this writing are only the Lynde Lodge, No. 74, of Free and Ac- cepted Masons, and the Union Grange, No. 26, of Patrons of Husbandry. There lately existed in the town the "New Era" branch, No. 34, of Sovereigns of Industry, and the Star Lodge of the Independent Order of Good Templars.

The manufacturers of the town were formerly some- what numerous, but of late have included but one firm, engaged in cooperage at Hermon village. Under the business stimulus pervading the country, however, the manufacturing interests of this region are beginning again to look up.

The firm mentioned also keep a general store, and there is one other in the town.

One of the partners, Mr. J. G. Eaton, is Postmaster at the village, Mr. George W. Patten at Hermon Pond, S. Gerow at North Hermon, and Thurston Hunt at Her- mon Centre.

The officers of the town for 1881 were :

Rufus Robinson, Jr., W. F. Harding, and Gideon Andrews, Jr., Selectmen; George D. Higgins, Town Clerk; John D. Miller, Treasurer; C. E. Phillips, Con- stable and Collector; W. A. Swan, C. H. Cates, W. F. Harding, School Committee; J. Kimball, Russell B. Miller, Charles N. Patten, John Kimball, Justices.

SETTLEMENT NOTES.

Alva Patten is a son of William and Hannah Patten, who settled in Hermon in an early day. He built a house by driving down stakes and covering them with peeled bark, and lived in it some time, subsisting on fish and potatoes. The first season he felled thirty acres of timber, burnt the ground, and raised five hundred bushels of corn. He also built a house of hewn logs, in which he lived about sixty years, or until his death, using one end of it for his stock. He was in the War of 1812 and died at the age of seventy-nine. He preached the gos- pel for thirty years. He was a delegate to the conven- tion which separated the State, and was Selectman until his death. He served as Representative a number of terms, and held all the township offices. He did all the justice business for a great many years and in that time officiated at the marriage of a large number of the towns- men. He married Hannah Godell, of Prospect, by whom he had the following children: Chesley, William, Gibson, John, Alva, Gibson, Jr., Polly, Olive, and Jane.

381

HISTORY OF PENOBSCOT COUNTY, MAINE.

Alva was born July 4, 1807, in Hermon; kept the hotel in Hermon about twenty years, but after the railroad went through the State business became dull, and he sold his interest and bought the farm on which he has since resided. Alva Patten's first wife was Lyana Celson, of Frankfort, by whom he had six children: Simeon, Caroline, Melissa, Amanda, Gibson, and Josephine. None of these are living except Melissa, who was matron in the Little Girls' Home at Portland until a year ago, and now resides in Boston. For his second wife Alva Patten married Sarah Perry, daughter of Edmond and Lydia Perry, of Carmel, Maine, February 20, 1858, and they have had one child, Helen J., who was born Sep- tember 4, 1861, and now lives at home. Chester W. Patten, son of William Patten, was born in Hermon, March 31, 1847. After receiving a common school edu- cation he began devoting his energies to farming, in which pursuit he has made a great success. He now has a fine farm in a good state of cultivation, and supplied with good buildings. He married Syvil Kimble, daughter of James Kimble, of Hermon, April 22, 1865, and has had three children, viz : Elmer C., born February 10, 1865; William E., born January 20, 1874; and Elter May, born August 24, 1878.

Asa G. Wyman is the son of Daniel and Hannah Wyman, of Herman, who emigrated from Hartland. The father, Daniel Wymon, cleared up quite a portion of the land, helped cut the road through, and died at the age of eighty-eight. He married Hannah Greely, by whom he had seven children: Cornelia, Asa G., Thomas, Moses, Daniel, James, and John, two of whom are living. Asa G. was born March 8, 1829, in Hartland, but has spent the greater part of his life in Hermon, except five years years in the lumber business in Michigan. He is one of the successful farmers in Hermon, having become such by hard work and attention to business. He started out in life without assistance, and is what may be termed a self-made man. He married Sarah Carr, daughter of Ester Carr, of Hampden, and has had two children, Mel- lin, deceased, and Anna, born April 19, 1872.

Abel Pettingill emigrated to Hampden forty-seven years ago and settled on the place now owned by Mr. Jones, clearing the farm from its rude state and putting up the present buildings. He died at the age of sixty- five. He married Dorris Davis and raised thirteen chil- dren, viz: Thankful, Mary, Daniel, Lucy, Abel, Abram, Lydia, John, Amos, Aaron, William, Simeon, and Charles, six of whom are living. Abram Pettingill was born April 6, 1814, and received a common school edu- cation ; went to sea for a few years, after which he settled on the place now occupied by him, clearing it up by hard work and bringing it to a good state of cultiva- tion, putting up fine buildings. He settled on the place without a helpmeet, but after a few years married Mary, daughter of Samuel and Ester Emerson, of Hampden. They have brought up a number of children, viz: Orren Thayre, Lydia J. Porter, Alfred N. Pettingill, Thomas Whitney, Cora Whitney, and Charles Whitney, who under their watchful care have grown up likely, steady, and respected men and women. The first-named child,

Orrin, learned the painter's trade, but as it did not agree with him, he went to Hampden and bought a farm. After his death his wife sold the farm and went to Bucksport. to live with her father, taking her little girl, aged four years. While living with her father, a man by the name of Smith called upon her to borrow some money, and when she refused the desired loan, he murdered the whole family, father, daughter, and child. He afterward burned the buildings, but was arrested and sentenced for life to the Thomaston State Prison.

Reuben Prescott, the subject of this sketch, is the son of John Prescott, of Hermon, and was born November 25, 1820, in Lincolnville, Maine. He has devoted his life successfully to farming, and is a member of the Sove- reigns of Industry No. 26, West Bangor, also a Good Templar. He married Elmira J. Cowen, of Hampden, November 14, 1850, in which union four children were born, viz: Frederick; James, now in Minnesota; Joseph P., who married Mary A. Smith, and lives in Hermon; Fanny M., and George A., both at home.

Benjamine Swett was born December 29, 1769, and emigrated from Massachusetts and settled in Hampden in 1793. He died in Hampden in 1854, after following farming all his life. He married Mehitable Atwood, and was the father of the following children: Mrs. Doane, of Hampden; Mrs. Row, of Bangor; Mrs. Mayo, of Chi- cago, Illinois; Benjamin Sweet, Portland, Maine; James Swett, Bangor; Mrs. Hopkins, Bangor; Mrs. Snow, Hampden; Mrs. Rusbank, Bangor; Charles M. Swett, Hermon; William A. Swett, Bangor, and D. W. Swett, Gloucester, Massachusetts. Charles M. Swett married Ruth H. Atwood, January 11, 1848, who bore the following children; Cynthia, Mary, Discas, Horace, Frank, Helen, Discat, Lewis. Mr. Swett makes farm- ing his occupation.

John Littlefield settled in North Dixmont in an early day, and cleared more land than any other man in the town. He has for many years been deacon of the Free- will Baptist church. He married Martha Colson, of Winterport, and had eleven children: Gilman, Samuel, Oliver H., Sarah A., Susan, William H., Jason, Almedia, John, Jr., Elizabeth, Rebecca, seven of whom are now living. Gilman was born in Dixmont, June 17, 1828, and received a common school education. At the age of twenty-one he bought a farm, paying twenty-five dol- lars down, and by hard work digging the remainder of the price out of the soil. After living in Etna seven years he settled on the place he now occupies. It was in a rude state when he bought it, but he has brought it up to a high state of cultivation, having upon it over three miles of fencing. Mr. Littlefield is a member of West Bangor Lodge, No. 26, Sovereigns of Industry, and has held minor town offices. March 27, 1850, he married Mary Eldrich, of Etna, and has four children: Laura E., born March r6, 1856, married Eugene Robinson, April 12, 1874, and lives in Macwahoc, Aroostook county ; Alva G., born May 15, 1861, lives at home; Cora M., born August 2, 1867; and Nellie F., born June 17, 1869.

Benjamin L. Barnes was born in Massachusetts, and went to Camden when a small boy, where he lived until

382

HISTORY OF PENOBSCOT COUNTY, MAINE.

about twenty-five years of age. He came to the town- ship of Hermon about thirty-five years ago and settled .on the place occupied by him and his son. The farm was in its rude state and by hard work Mr. Barnes has . brought it to a high state of cultivation. He started from home without aid from any one. He married Lydia Fletcher, of Lincolnville, by whom ten children were born, viz: Nancy, Benjamin, Hannah, Mary, Edwin, Hattie, Frank, Lydia, and two infants that died; six are living. Frank was born in Camden April 22, 1842. He received a common-school education, and has always lived with his father, taking care of his parents in their old age. He has made farming his occupation. He was a member of the Sovereigns of Industry, West Bangor, No. 26. He married Sarah M. Eldridge, daughter of John and Mary Eldridge, of Etna, October 24, 1826. They have one child, George E., born March 22, 1867.

R. B. Miller is a son of Silas Miller, of Hermon, whose father, John Miller, came here from Hampden. John Miller had nine children, of whom Silas was the second son. Silas Miller married Clara Myrick, daugh- ter of Nathaniel Myrick, of Hampden. By this union there have been three children-Russell B., Justena, and Cora B. Mr. Miller has always been engaged in farming and lumbering business. He was often asked by his townsmen to allow his name to be used for election to places of public trust, but with the exception of the office of Selectman, he declined to allow his name to be used on a ticket. He is now living on his farm in this town. R. B. Miller was born in 1849. After receiving

a common-school education he attended the academy at Corinth three terms. He married Miss Almira E. Hink- ley, daughter of John H. Hinkley, of Hermon, and set- tled on the place where he now lives, in the village of Hermon. To this couple have been born a son, Gard- ner H., now three years old. Mr. Miller has served as Collector, deputy Sheriff, member of the School Board, and deputy Census Marshal. He is a young man of good education, having taught school several terms.

Uriah Roundy, of Hermon, is the son of Lacy Roundy, who was a native of Clinton, Kennebec county. He married Jane Libbey. They had two children, viz: Uriah and Joshua. Joshua is now deceased. Uriah Roundy, the subject of this sketch, was born in 1810. He first settled in the town of Frankfort, now Winter- port, Maine, where he married Mary A. Downs, daughter cf Thomas Downs. After living in Monroe and Jackson, . in Waldo county, where Mrs. Roundy died in 1858, and where he married for his second wife Mary A. Jones, he moved to this town. By his first wife Mr. Roundy had four children, viz: Dorcas, Silas A., now of Lewiston, Oliver W., and Helen, all of whom are now deceased except Silas A. By his second wife there are two children, Edward F. and Nellie E., who are living at home. Mr. Roundy moved here in 1863, where he has since lived. He has 140 acres of land and is engaged in farming and stock-raising. He has a good orchard and raises con- siderable fruit. He is a remarkably well preserved man for one of his age, and still takes a lively interest in pol- itics and the general news of the day.

HOLDEN.

BY WAY OF DESCRIPTION.

Holden is largely upon one of the old settled tracts of the county, but is one of the later municipal formations, having been set off from Brewer and incorporated April 13, 1852. It is distant from Bangor only by the width of Brewer and the Penobscot, or about three miles, and is situated upon the old stage route from Bangor to Ells- worth, Mt. Desert, Cherryfield, and the East of Maine. The general direction of its length and its east and west boundary lines is from the northeast to southwest. It is eight and one-half miles in greatest length from the north line to the southernmost point of the town, near the southeast end of Brewer Pond. Most of the town, how- ever, all except that running down into the "gore," is but the length of the west boundary, five and two thirds

miles. Its width enlarges slightly, from the divergence of the east line of the town eastward, from four and one- half miles on the south line to about four and five-sixths from the angle in the east line near Holbrook Pond, almost three and one-half miles above the southeast cor ner. Thence it dwindles by the deflection of the east line westward, to four and one-third miles at the north line of the town. The width of the gore in the south part of the town, at its beginning, two-thirds of a mile from the west corner, and a little over two and one-third miles from the south corner, is about one and one-third miles, whence it narrows by straight boundaries, a little zigzagged near Field's Pond, to a point nearly three miles below. Large part of this gore is covered by Brewer Pond, and the rest seems to be unsettled as yet. The

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History of Penobscot County, Maine; with illustrations and biographical sketches, Part 97

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