History of Penobscot County, Maine; with illustrations and biographical sketches, Part 99

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 99

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).

HOWLAND.

Howland town occupies a unique position, above all | other towns in the county-not only as being at the - mouth of the most important tributary of the Penob- scot, but as lying between the Penobscot and a corner of the county. No other town thus bridges over the 1 - space between the noble river and any territory that is foreign to Penobscot. Its favorable situation, especially with reference to the rivers, must some time make it a populous and prosperous town. It is situated twenty- two miles north of Bangor, the western part of Howland being nearly due north of the eastern part of Bangor.

Howland is bounded on the north and northwest by Maxfield; on the northeast by Mattamiscontis; on the east by the Penobscot, beyond which lies Enfield; on the south by Edinburg and a very narrow strip of Lagrange; and on the west by Lagrange. At the northwest corner it is touched by the town of Medford, in Piscataquis county. Its boundaries, except on the river side, are in five straight lines. That on the northeast is not quite one and two-thirds miles long; on the northwest five and one-fourth; on the north, between Howland and Max- field, a little less than one mile; on the west two and two-thirds miles; on the south, a continuous line from Lagrange to the river, nearly five and one-sixth miles. The greatest length of the town, from the north corner to the south line, is six and five-sixths miles; the great- est width, from the corner on Piscataquis county, straight to the Peuobscot, is six and one-eighth miles. The width from the northeast corner, on the Penobscot, straight across, is about four miles.

A number of the islands, already noted as off the west front of Enfield, are in the river opposite Howland, as Gordon, Pine, and several others. Moon Island is just above the northeast corner.

The chief water of Howland is of course the Penob- scot, which needs no further description. The banks of the river, in this part of its course, are low and very beautiful. It is joined in this town by the well-known river Piscataquis, which gives the name to the county through which it mainly flows. This stream has several headwaters in the west of that county, and flows with a general easterly direction to the border of Penobscot, where it makes its way eastward throuh Maxfield, and in a winding southeasterly course about five miles through Howland to the larger stream at Howland village. About a dozen islands-three of them of some size, and one at least half a mile long-are in the upper part of its course through Howland. It receives in this town the Little Seboois Stream, outlet of the Little Seboois Lake, flowing a very little way in Howland from the northwest part of the pond, then in Maxfield about two miles, tak-

ing there the waters of the Seboois Stream, and flowing one mile in Howland to the Piscataquis just at the head of the islands. The Little Seboois Lake, out of which this tributary flows, is a beautiful sheet of water half a mile south of the north corner of the town, wholly with- in the limits of Howland, a mile and a half long by an average of half a mile broad. A third of a mile east of it passes another and larger Seboois Stream, which rises in Township No. 3, flows across the northeast angle of Maxfield and the southwest corner of Mattamiscontis, from which it receives a small tributary a little below the Howland line, and thence flows southward three miles to the Piscataquis below the islands. Almost immediately at the foot of the islands, from the southward, comes in the Meadow Brook, which half a mile from its mouth is formed by the union of the North and South Branches, the former of which rises on the Maxfield line, and flows south of east two miles to the junction. The latter heads very near the other, but flows south two miles, then, receiving a tiny affluent, makes a semi-circular bend, near the end of which it has another tributary, this from the north, and runs thence to the union with the North Branch-a total course of about five miles. Crossing the northeast angle of the town is the Gordon Brook, which rises in Townships No. 2 and 3, and runs across Mattamiscontis and this corner a mile and a half in Howland to the mouth on the Penobscot opposite Gordon's Island. Close to its mouth a small brook from the westward reaches it. Two-thirds of a mile below, on the Howland side, begins the curved channel for logs and lumber known as "Merrill Run Round," which is about two miles long, a third of a mile distant from the river at the middle of the arc, and re-enters the river at Pine Island. When a little more than half-way round, the Mile Brook, so named from its length, connects the Run Round with the Piscataquis. On the south side of this river near its mouth, opposite Howland village, a natural channel called "Ellerson Run Round" courses a mile and a half to the Penobscot near the southeast corner of the town. Across the opposite or southwest corner runs a short section of Hoyt Brook, which makes thence into Edinburg.

The needs of the people of Howland have yet called for few roads. The western river highway traverses its east side the whole length of the town, with a break, however, at the mouth of the Piscataquis, but crossing the Ellerson and Merrill Run Rounds. Just south of that river it sends a branch up the southwest bank into Maxfield and Piscataquis counties, and another westward, which at the town line joines the Bunker Hill road, which comes down from Maxfield and runs about half a

387

388

HISTORY OF PENOBSCOT COUNTY, MAINE.

mile across the angle of Howland. From Howland vil- lage another highway runs near the northeast bank of the Piscataquis into Maxfield and beyond. Nearly four miles from the village, at the school-house, it sends a branch route up the Seboois, on the east side of the lake, across the corners of Mattamiscontis and Maxfield, into Township No. 2.

Howland village is at the junction of the Piscataquis with the Penobscot River, nearly one and a half miles above the southeast corner of the town, and a mile below Pine Island. Here are the town post-office, School No. 2, two stores, a saw-mill, a hotel, a shop or two, and a cemetery a little north of the village. Settlements are scattered somewhat thinly for a short distance north and south of it, but the denser population is on the Piscataquis road in the west of the town, between the Seboois and the Little Seboois Streams.

The surface of Howland is varied-somewhat high and broken in places, but with rich intervales along the noble rivers which traverse its territory. The agricultural ca- pabilities of the town are therefore quite superior to those of some other towns in the county.

EARLY HISTORY.

Some time before the year 1820, Major William Ham- mett, of Massachusetts, and one William Emerson, pur- chased this tract of the State in which the former had his home. By 1820 a number of settlers were already upon its soil. The following list of Howland pioneers, for the first ten years of its civilized history, has been made up:

Came in 1818-John Bryer, John Hook, Jeremiah Douglass, Jacob Doe.

1819-Jeremiah Fifield, Jonathan Chase, Charles Davis, William Douglass.

1820-Joseph Emery, Levi Lancaster, Dennis Car- penter.

1821-Joshua Carpenter, Thomas Tourtillott, Bart Moulton.

1822-John Babcock.

1823-John Smart, Duty Inman, Daniel Inman, Stephen Tourtillott.

1824-John Shaw, William Hammett, William C. Hammett, Rufus Atkinson, Moses Emerson, John Haley, William R. Miller, Tristram Scammon, and James Mer- rill.

1828-William S. Lee.

Major Hammett, one of the original proprietors and of the colonists of 1824, was a strong man and valued citi- zen, reputed to be of Puritan blood and closely allied by descent to the Pilgrim Fathers.

The Hon. William C. Hammett was son of the Major. He became conspicuous as a politician and an office- holder, serving as Representative in the State Legislature, as Collector of Customs at Bangor during General Tay- lor's administration, and in various other prominent pub- lic positions, holding one or another of them until near his death in 1876.

Hon. William R. Miller, also of the immigration of 1824, became a large property-holder in this region, in-

vesting largely in timber lands and mill property. He was for a time a member of the State Legislature.

Col. William S. Lee, the only colonist of 1828 whose name has been preserved, obtained his military rank in the State militia. He was also a Representative in the State Legislature, and was otherwise a prominent citizen.

It will be seen thus that Howland for its population has had a large share of intelligent and successful resi- dents.

ORGANIZATION, ETC.

Howland was erected as a town February 10, 1826. Plymouth was the only other town in this county incor- porated the same year.

The last census taken before the incorporation of Howland-that of 1820-reckoned it with Maxfield, and found the population of both to be 150. In 1830 the former town had 329, and the latter 186, a proportion of about 16 to 9. It thus appears that when Maxfield was erected in 1824, or Howland in 1826, that the latter must have had the larger population, as it has had most of the time since. In 1840 it had 322 people; in 1850, 214; in 1860, 174; in 1870, 176; and in 1880, 137.

The number of polls in 1860 was 46, in 1870 41, and 42 in 1880. Estates the same years, $34,629, $40,665, and $30,343.

The first minister to preach regularly in Howland was Elder Elias McGregor, a Baptist, who was settled about 1839.

Lumbering was formerly a large and brisk business in this town, and there is still an immense amount of boom- ing and driving annually upon the rivers within its bor- ders. A general store is kept at the post-office.

The officers of Howland for 1881 were: A. H. Wey- mouth, W. C. Hill, N. Emery, Selectmen; H. N. Wey- mouth, Town Clerk; F. Davis, Treasurer; W. C. Hill, O. C. Sweat, Constables; W. C. Hill, School Supervisor; E. R. Bailey, A. H. Weymouth (Quorum), Justices.

Mr. Weymouth is the Postmaster of the town.

Mr. Japhet Emery, of Howland, is a son of Joseph and Lydia Emery (nee Lydia Bryer). Joseph Emery was a son of Jotham Emery, who came to Maxfield from Shap- leigh, Maine, about 1822 or 1823. Joseph and Lydia Emery had seven children, viz .: Betsey E., Deborah, Lucretia, Ada, Bethiah, Japhet, and Lydia. Mr. Emery always followed the business of farming. He died in Maxfield in 1865. Mrs. Emery is still living with her son in Maxfield. Japhet Emery was born April 26, 1838, in Howland. Here he has always lived, and fol- lowed farming for a business. He married Roxannah Sawyer, daughter of Andrew and Harriet Sawyer (nee Harriet Lombard). The Sawyer family in this county spring from two brothers, who came from England. One settled in the West, and the other, named David, settled in Maine and raised up five sons, viz .: David, Joel, John, Abner, and William, and two daughters-Sally and Elleanor. The son Joel had ten children, named El- leanor, Joel, Hepsibeth, Andrew S., Nancy, Polly, Betsey, Daniel, Hannah, and Tristram. Andrew S. was father of fourteen children-Alphia, Joel, Edmund, Luther, Andrew, Freeman, Thomas, Elizabeth, Arthur, Marshall,

389

HISTORY OF PENOBSCOT COUNTY, MAINE.

Daniel, Ruth, Gorham, and Ira. Andrew Sawyer had seven children-Roxannah, wife of J. Emery; Franklin L., Ether C. G., A. Freeman, Hattie A., Andrew Y., and Wanietta, Mr. and Mrs. Emery have two children- Ralph Wald and Harriet L. Mr. Emery owns a good farm of one hundred and sixty acres, located on the bank of the Piscataquis River. He has served as Town Treas- urer of his town.

Mr. Emory' R. Bailey, of Howland, is a son of James and Elizabeth Bailey, who came from New Brunswick to Phillips, Maine, in an early day. They had nine chil- dren, viz .: James A., Eliza A., Henry E., Rebecca, Abner S., Catharine, Mary A, John C., and Emory R. Mr. Bailey moved from Phillips to Howland many years ago. He died in 1861. He was a farmer. Emory R. Bailey was born July 8, 1831, in Phillips, Maine. He came to Howland when a lad with his father. On be- coming of age he settled on the old place, and lived a few years. He was also engaged in trade two years. Mr. Bailey has followed farming more than any other busi- ness. He married for his first wife Anna S. Harden, by whom he had two children-Edgar, deceased, and Anna, also deceased. Mrs. Bailey and both children died in 1857, with diphtheria. Mr. Bailey married for his second wife Miss Frances Emerson. They had three children, viz., Harry J., Fred A., and Grace H. Mr. Bailey has held prominent town offices, having been on the Board of Selectmen several terms, and Town Clerk for seventeen years in succession, and Justice for fifteen years.

Moses Emerson, grandfather of John Emerson, came over to this country from England with two brothers. The three came with their father, whose name is not now known by John. Moses settled first in Haverhill, Mas- sachusetts, and afterward in Durham, Maine. Two or his sons, John and William, came to Bangor. Moses Emerson was a soldier in the Revolutionary war. He was a Commissary, and died soon after the declaration of independence, in Philadelphia. He married Lydia Burnham, who died in Durham, New Hampshire, in 1823, aged seventy-seven. John Emerson died Octo- ber 4, 1822, aged forty-four years. William died in March, 1860, aged eighty-two years, both unmarried. The surviving members of the family are Moses Emer- son, Howland, Maine, Mrs. Samuel, of Orono, Albert, of Bangor, Louisa, now in Holyoke, Massachusetts, Lydia B., John, residing in Howland, Susan, wife of Mr. Griffin, Boston, Massachusetts, Mrs. Caroline E. Young,

of Bangor, and George W., of Nevada. John Emerson is unmarried. He was born in Durham, New Hamp- shire, in 1815. He lost his sense of hearing at the age of four years, by scarlet fever, and is therefore not able to talk, though he is a very intelligent man. When four- teen years of age he attended the American Asylum for the Deaf and Dumb at Hartford, Connecticut, where he was graduated in 1838. The same year he came to Howland and settled as a farmer. The writer found him gathering in his fine crop of corn and apples, and thought as he left him what a grand thing schools for the deaf and dumb are. Tnis man's life would have been a blank but for such a school.

Mr. William C. Hill, of Howland, is a son of William and Abigail Hill (nee Abigail Dennett). William Hill was a native of Waterboro, Maine, a son of John Hill, a Revolutionary soldier. He had four children, viz: Wil- liam C .; Mary, widow of the late William Lowell, of St. Paul, Minnesota; Melinda, now Mrs. Levi Newcomb, of Oldtown, Maine; John, now of California. Mr. Hill is now living, being eighty-seven years of age. He has always been a farmer. He now makes his home with William C., in Howland. Mrs. Hill died in 1872. Wil- liam C. Hill was born July 22, 1825. He received a common school education and first settled in Lowell, Massachusetts, where he married Susan L. Abbott, of Bangor, daughter of Joseph and Sally Abbott. Mr. Hill made a voyage to California in 1849, and spent about a year, engaged in mining, hunting, and exploring. Re- turning from California he made a voyage around the world, and returned to New York City and engaged in box manufacturing. Went to Lowell in 1852 and worked four years as foreman of their river work for O. Allen & Co. In 1856 he moved to Bangor and engaged in farm- ing for six years, when he sold out and moved to How- land. In 1864 he made a tour through the Western States and returned to Howland, where he has since lived. He owns a fine farm on the Piscataquis, of 103 acres. He made veterinary surgery a study, and has been very successful in its practice. He is very fond of hunting, and has killed fifty-two bears since he lived in Howland. Mr. Hill has held most of the prominent town offices, and is now on the Board of Selectmen, Su- pervisor of Schools, and Constable. In 1879 he was elected to the House of Representatives, and again in 1880, on the Greenback ticket. Mr. and Mrs. Hill have no children, but have one adopted daughter, Annie.

HUDSON.

Hudson is an even township of thirty-six square miles, conveniently situated six miles north of Bangor, by the east line of Glenburn, seven and one-half miles from the Penobscot River, and but three and a half miles at the northeast corner from the Bangor & Piscat- aquis Railroad. Its neighbor on the north is Bradford, which alone separates it from Orneville, Piscataquis county; on the east are Alton and a short breadth of Oldtown; on the south a little more of Oldtown, the whole upper width of Glenburn, and about half of Kenduskeag; and on the west Corinth. It is beautifully regular in its formation, each of its sides being an even six miles in length.

The Little Pushaw Pond is the only water of size that lies wholly within the town. It lies in the northwest an- gle of Hudson, with its northwestern extremity three- fourths of a mile below the north line and but one-fourth of a mile from the west boundary. It stretches east of south one and a half miles long, and two-thirds of a mile in greatest breadth. The easternmost outline of this pond has a singular resemblance to a grotesque face, with a proboscis of a nose and an exaggerated mouth. A tributary one mile long comes in from Corinth at the northwestern extremity; and for some three miles across the northeast angle of Corinth and a mile in Hudson the Bear Brook comes in at the opposite extremity or foot of the lake, receiving a little before reaching the lake the West Brook from its heads two miles south, and at the pond receiving an outlet as the Pushaw Stream in its upper section. This runs southeasterly across the town four and a half miles to the head of Pushaw Lake. About midway of its course at Hudson village, it receives from Bradford and the central north of Hudson the waters of the Mohawk Brook, which is joined by the Forbes Brook a mile below the town line. Further down the stream receives three small affluents from the north; and above Hudson village half a mile the Beaver Brook comes in, flowing north from Glenburn entirely across the central south half of the town. One and a half miles west of this is a two-mile tributary to the Baker Brook, which itself flows for half a mile across the south- west corner of this town. In the middle eastern part of Hudson heads a small affluent of the main Pushaw Stream. At the southeast of the upper section of Pushaw Lake, in this town, a tributary comes in from Old- town.

The part of this famous sheet of water which lies in Hudson is two miles long, one and one-eighth miles in greatest breadth, and one-fourth of a mile at its narrow- est on the neck connecting it, near the southeast corner of the town, with the main sheet of the lake. It is a

superb stretch of water, adding not a little to the attrac tions of the towns in which it lies.

Although Hudson is so near to Bangor, to the Penob- scot, and to the railroad, it is as yet rather sparsely inhabited, especially in the northeast quarter. The principal road is the old stage-route from Bangor across Glenburn and through Hudson in a generally north course to and into Bradford. One and a half miles west of north from Hudson village, a branch highway strikes off northwest to a point near the northwest corner of the town, where it turns to the southwest, and joins a through north and south road in the east of Corinth. A mile from its point of departure it sends off a north road into Bradford, and, about a mile and a half further, another into the same town. Between these roads, one-third of a mile from the former, is School No. 4. Half a mile south of Hudson village a road begins, which runs due west past School No. 2, and southwest beyond the town line, to the South Corinth post-office. One and a half miles further south, at School No. 3, another westward road starts off, which two and a fourth miles to the west, at School No. 5, crosses a north and south road from the highway last before mentioned about due south into Glenburn. A mile further it has the terminus of another north and south road simply connecting the two east and west roads, and beginning on the other at School No. 2 over half a mile from the town line. Near the southern end of this the main road angles southwestward, across the corner of Corinth into Kenduskeag. One-fourth of a mile before reaching the town line, a southeast road, making an angle to the east at School No. 6, connects with the north and south road crossing at School No. 6. At Hudson village an important east and west road comes in from Orono, across Oldtown and an angle of Alton, receiving another near a church hard upon the town line, coming down through Alton from the north- east. About half-way across it passes School No. 7.

Hudson village is on the Pushaw Stream, no great dis- tance from the mouth of Beaver Brook on the west, and its eastern edge at the mouth of Mohawk Brook. The place is very happily situated, at the exact geographical centre of the town. It has the only post-office in Hud- son, a saw-mill, a shingle-mill, and a saw- and shingle- mill, two stores, cooper and other shops. Some shops are also found in other parts of the town, as at School No. 3, and midway between that and Hudson village.

The soil in Hudson is rather stony and hard, but fur- nishes much good grass and hay for stock. Formerly the valuable timber on the lands prompted most of the inhabitants to engage in lumbering ; but of late years the tendency has been rather to the pursuits of agriculture.

390

361

HISTORY OF PENOBSCOT COUNTY, MAINE.

Notwithstanding the existence of several mills at the vil- lage, but one person in the town has of late been reported as occupied in manufacturing lumber.

The township which constitutes Hudson was purchased at an early day, of the State of Massachusetts, by Wil- liam Sullivan, of Boston. In 1800 white settlement began to arrive and locate. Messrs. Luke Wilder, Wareham Briggs, David Pierce, Tristram Warner, and others, were among the first settlers. It was long before the growth of the settlement warranted even the erection of a planta- tion; but after about a quarter of a century, in 1824, the tract was incorporated under the name of Jackson Plan- tation. It did not long remain in the transition stage, however; but the very next year, February 25, 1825, it became a full-fledged town, though not under its present name. It was called "Kirkland," and subsisted under this title for nearly thirty years, or until 1854, when by legislative resolve it took its present name of "Hud- son."

In 1810 the township had 54 persons within its bounds; in 1820 it had 72. Kirkland town had 249 in 1830, 351 in 1840, and 717 in 1850. In 1860 Hudson comprised 771 people, 739 in 1870, and 659 in 1880.

The polls of Hudson counted 159 in 1860, 152 in 1870, and 185 in 1880.

The valuation of the estates of the town for these years, respectively, was $70,360, $101,497, and $93,806.

One hotel is kept in the town-the Hudson House. By the reports to the Maine Register for 1881, Hudson 1 had one lumber manufacturer, one carriage- and one cabinet-maker, one shoemaker, two smiths, one butcher, two general stores, and one coal-dealer.

The officers of the town for 1881 were: Henry W. Briggs, David Potter, George I. Smith, Selectmen; Hen- ry W. Briggs, Town Clerk; Joseph Goodwin, Treasurer; Elihu B. Colomy, Joseph Robbins, Samuel A. Goodwin, Constables; Andrew J. Pierce, Collector; George W. Howe, School Supervisor; George W. Howe, Henry M.

Beale, B. F. Brookings, H. W. Briggs (Quorum), George W. Howe (Trial), Justices.

Mr. H. M. Beale is Postmaster. A sketch of his life and family is subjoined.

Hon. Charles Beale was born in Kennebec county, 1806. He married Laura Chandler, of Minot, and came to Penobscot county about the year 1857, and settled in Bangor, where he remained about three years. In 1840 he came to Hudson and settled on the farm now owned by Isaiah Davis. He has followed the business of lum- bering and trading, and is still engaged in the lumber business. Has held the office of Selectman, Clerk, and Treasurer of the town of 'Hudson for many years. He also represented his class in the Maine Legislature three terms, and has been twice elected State Senator of his district. In politics he is a Republican. He is the father of seven children: Llewellyn C., died in Hudson; Henry M., married Laura E. Briggs and lives in Hud- son; Howard C., died in Hudson; Everett P., lives in Corinth; Mary J., lives in Hudson, and Emma, died in Hudson. Henry M., was born in Hudson in 1838, where hereceived acommon school education. He also attended the academies at Bucksport and Hampden. In 1858 he went to Washington via the Isthmus, where he engaged in mining and trading and where he remained ten years, when he returned to his native place and pur- chased an interest in a store in company with H. W. Briggs, where he remained two years He was afterwards in company with L. K. Webber two years, and in 1875 built the store in which he is now doing business, and purchased a new stock of dry goods, notions, &c. In 1871 he was appointed postmaster under Grant's ad- ministration, and has held the office up to the present time; has also held the office of Selectman two terms and the office of Town Clerk seven years. In 1880 he married Laura E. Briggs, a native of Bangor. In poli- tics is a Republican.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

History of Penobscot County, Maine; with illustrations and biographical sketches, Part 99

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