USA > Maine > Piscataquis County > History of Piscataquis County, Maine : from its earliest settlement to 1880 > Part 14
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FIRST SETTLEMENT. This was peculiar, and indicative of its future. When the townships below were being settled, this eastern side of the Million Acre tract was not under any oversight. Whosoever would, entered it to cut timber, or to take peaceable possession of its soil. A large and inviting interval at the north of the mountain and river had caught the eye of several who had no objection to settling where pine trees were tall and sound, and where the rivers made a natural highway for transportation. So, one pleasant after- noon, as Ebenezer Deane was busy in his field, in Moores- town, Peter Brawn came along and said: "Well, to-morrow I start up river, to fell an opening on the great interval." Deane kept still, but, knowing that, in taking up wild land, the first that comes drives the stake, as soon as Brawn was out of sight, began to grind his axes, pack provisions, and get ready for a week's absence in the woods. By night-fall he and his oldest son Daniel shouldered their burdens, and started. The river must be their guide, however its 'bank
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might be obstructed by entering brooks, swamps, windfalls and ledges. But men who knew how to steal a march, knew how to scale steep difficulties. By daylight they were at the interval. A well relished breakfast over, the sturdy maples came thundering down. Brawn, true to his purpose, started early in the morning, and by ten o'clock drew near the de- sired landscape. But his ear caught the echoes of those busy axes, and he began to fear that some one had stepped in be- fore him. And so he found it, and found that it was his neigh- bor Deane, to whom he had unwisely divulged his intentions. The dialogue that ensued cannot, and need not, be repeated. As the winning party stood two to one, nothing was hurled more weighty than profane and stinging words. Brawn see- ing that he was out-generaled, and thinking that he might not like to settle near such neighbors, looked no further and left Deane in full possession of the coveted prize. Thus the settlement of Blanchard began. This was in 1813. Deane in due time moved up his family, the first to enter the town- ship, and soon after Thomas Chase brought his. The cold seasons cut off their crops, and made the times hard for these pioneers. But they could make clapboards and shin- gles, and run them down to markets, and blueberries grow- ing luxuriantly upon Russell mountain did much to allay their sharpened appetites. Deane and his sons toiled on, and soon had a fine farm cleared, and comfortable buildings. He and his sons occupied those premises when Blanchard and Davee bought the township, but these purchasers did not claim but one dollar per acre for the soil. In 1834 they obtained a deed of 200 acres of the best soil in Blanchard. They eventually sold out and moved to other places. The first birth in the township occurred in this family. John Deane was born Jan. 1, 1817.
Thomas Chase had lived several years in Atkinson, before going to the "Million of Acres." He was quite a waterman, and had already obtained quite a notoriety as a raftsman. Rafts bound down river were taken apart at the Foxcroft dam, and hauled by this and the Great Falls in Dover, and then re-rafted, none thinking it safe to run those falls.
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In the spring of 1811, a raft was put together, below the Foxcroft dam, and in a high pitch of water Thomas Chase and Benjamin Spaulding ran it safely over those falls. This was regarded as a superior display of raftsmanship. Chase was distinguished for this, though for want of coolness, he would sometimes break down in some fearful crisis. Guy Carleton Esq. once employed him to run a raft of lumber to Bangor. As they neared the "Schoodic Rock," in the town of Medford, a very difficult pass on account of the set of the current, "Uncle Thomas'" courage failed him; he ceased all effort, and cried out, "Tis no use, 'tis no use, the set of wa- ter, let her run, let her run!" The raft did run upon the ledge, and lay there, a pile of wrecked and injured lumber, causing a severe loss to its owner. This was no uncommon event in their rafting adventures. As an incident connected with this mishap, we mention that Mr. Carleton had packed such valuables as he expected to need, in his leather saddle-bags. In the crash, they went down river. Several weeks after- ward, they were picked up on the banks of the Penobscot, in the town of Hampden, and he recovered them. They had drifted some 60 miles down these rivers, and floated in the tide waters, and finally lodged on the shore.
The rafting business was full of wild adventures, and of great risk to owners and raftsmen. There was so much of exposure, that rum was regarded as an absolute necessity. No one could be trusted as a pilot, unless he was thoroughly acquainted with the best channels, the numerous falls, the dangerous rocks, the set of the currents and the eddies, existing through the whole length of the streams, and could remember their locations. When dams were built across these rivers, a broad, sloping platform was attached to the lower side of the dam, called a slip, upon which the rush- ing water would glide the raft over, if it entered favorably. To run these sluices was a pleasant excitement to the rafts- men, and a fine entertainment to spectators. In early times lumber was rafted from Brownville, Sebec and Milo, and all the towns on the Piscataquis, as far up as Blanchard. But the multiplying of dams made it more expensive than haul-
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ing it with teams, and this branch of business was abandoned. But this and adjoining townships still remained the busy center of lumbering. As clapboard and shingle machines came into use, the riving and shaving of clapboards, and of shingles too, to a large extent, ceased, and the best trees were worked into cuts, the poorer, into logs, and driven down the river. This business attracted a peculiar class of men. Not all who engaged in it, dwelt in the settle- ment, but they were soon so assimilated that they passed for genuine "Million-Acre-men." They could distinguish a sound from ' a hollow tree at first sight. They could cut a log so as to show soundness at the ends, and have the rot entirely concealed in the middle. They could work in the cold water, and sleep around their camp-fire, with little or no shelter. They would brave fearful risks in breaking jams at the head of falls, or upon dams, and make hair-breadth es- capes in getting safe ashore, though often badly bruised, by the rush of lumber. Still, with all these fearful adventures, but one river-driver on the Piscataquis has ever been drowned. Mr. Jesse Davis of Sangerville lost his life in Blanchard, in 1855, while at work on Gilman's drive, hav- ing fallen from what is called Davis' rock.
This settlement was much affected by lumbering. The work upon the river diverted them from farming, and kept them dependent upon the down river traders. None owned the soil they were clearing and improving. Col. Black, the agent of the proprietors, never visited them until late in the winter of 1824. At that time, a large number of persons had gone up these streams, and cut a large amount of tim- ber. As he was returning from the Kennebec towns, he met one of those teams on its way home. He made inquiries where they had operated, how they had done, and what stumpage they had agreed to pay, etc. As he was unknown, they gave marvelous accounts of their winter's work, and also of that of others. He silently set his face towards Chase's mills, and put an attachment upon the whole amount these various plunderers had cut. Col. Black gave the actual settlers what they had cut, for driving out what
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others had put in. This stopped the bold plundering of its pine. But the Million-Acre people run considerable quan- tities of lumber down to the merchants and mill-owners be- low. Other parties obtained permits to cut from Col. Black, by paying for the stumpage. At an early date Thomas Chase built a saw-mill on the Blanchard mills' priv- ilege, and afterwards put in a clapboard machine. Captain Lamb and brother kept a small store there.
Col. R. Carleton, in 1827, opened a store there, and purchased the clapboard machine. He had no trouble in buying timber enough to keep it running. He did not find the business profitable, and sold out to Reuben Ord- way, who continued the business a few years.
In 1828, Eleazer Coburn was employed to lot out this town- ship. Three years later, March 12, 1831, Charles Blanchard Esq. of Portland, and Hon. Thomas Davee of Dover pur- chased the whole township for $4,000. They engaged to sell to the settlers the lots, which they had been clearing, for one dollar per acre. Blanchard owned three fourths, and Davee one fourth. This opened a new era in the history of that settlement. It might be said that then it was born again.
A number of good, substantial citizens came from Cum- berland, bought out the possessions of the former occupants, and entered upon agricultural pursuits. Others flocked in from other places, and many of those early pioneers moved away. A new population brought into being a new order of domestic life, business, morals and religion.
INCORPORATION. March 17, 1831, it was incorporated. Why called Blanchard, is easily seen. Algur Chase Esq., who had resided there several years, was chosen town clerk and one of the selectmen.
In 1832, Mr. Davee moved his family into town, and es- tablished his residence there. Blanchard and Davee bought out the mills, and rebuilt both dam and mills, also adding a grist-mill. Previous to purchasing the township, they had a store here, and this was continued. A good covered bridge was built across the river. A Congregational church was organized, and in the fall of 1834, a minister was settled.
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The same year Mr. Blanchard raised a meeting-house, and when finished, sold what pews he could, to stated worshipers.
The land speculation was now in full blast. Abner Co- burn and his brothers offered $2.00 per acre for the west half of the township, and 14,000 acres passed over to them in July, 1835, some of which they still own. The State road from Athens to Moosehead Lake passed through Kingsbury and Blanchard, and a portion of the travel to the lake passes that way. It passed over the west slope of Russell Mountain, and encountered hard hills in Kingsbury. By an increase of two miles only, a much easier route was available. This was opened, and that portion of the State road was discontinued.
The amount of good farming land in Blanchard is small, though larger than is now improved. The population has ever been small. In 1840, it was 270, larger than it has been since. Mr. Davee, while residing in Blanchard, was speaker of the House of Representatives in this State, sheriff of Somerset County, and twice a Representative in Congress. He eventually died in Blanchard in the year 1842, a great loss, and much lamented.
In 1876, the Bangor & Piscataquis Railroad was extended to Blanchard, and there now is its terminus, teams and stages connecting with it, and extending its business to the lake. A slate quarry has also been discovered and opened. Messrs. Hayford and Hamlin of Bangor have become large owners in it. Up to this time it has not been operated suf- ficiently to determine its extent or promise. Another quarry has been discovered in the north-east part of the town, which appears to contain a large amount of superior slate. A com- pany has purchased it, are opening it, and are now putting in machinery for operations.
The building of a clapboard mill by Blanchard and Davee, upon Thorn Brook, in the west part of the town, was not men- tioned in its proper place. This is still occupied by a shin- gle machine, J. L. Robinson & Sons successfully running it.
Blanchard now has but one school district, with two long terms kept annually. Its school fund, obtained from the sale of its reserved lands, amounts to $600.
CHAPTER XXI.
MONSON.
MONSON,-Number Nine, Eighth Range,-was granted, one- half to Hebron Academy, and the other half to the Academy in Monson, Mass. The Range in which this township lies, is seven miles or more in width, so that it contained more than the usual amount. As the grant to Hebron Academy was limited to six miles in length, and three in width, a sur- plus at the north end of this tract, within the limits of this township, remained unappropriated. The trustees of Mon- son Academy, on learning this, petitioned the General Court for the ungranted part of the township, and obtained the east half and this surplus also.
About one-half of it is good soil for agriculture, while quite a portion of it is low and stony, and has never been cleared. It has far more water power than has been im- proved, and much wealth in its recently opened slate quarries.
EARLY SETTLEMENT. In 1811, the trustees of Hebron Academy employed A. Greenwood Esq. to lot out their grant, and he run the ranges of lots, north and south, six ranges, 160 rods wide, just including their allotment. To en- courage settlement, they offered to give fifty acres each to any persons who would enter upon it, and perform "settlers' duties."
Joseph Bearce of Hebron felled the first opening, in 1815. The next summer, famous for its frosts, he attempted to raise a crop, sowed wheat and planted corn and potatoes, but it well nigh proved a failure. This year George Doughty and Simeon Irish both felled openings, and in 1817 harvested their first crops. Mr. Irish put up a small framed house,
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covering the walls with shaved clapboards, the roof with long shingles, and into this he moved his family, the first which settled in town, in the year 1817. In March, 1818, Mr. Doughty brought in his,-a wife and five children, and soon after, Mr. Bearce brought in his newly married wife also. To him history is indebted for the " Moosehorn's" notoriety. Finding a pair of broad antlers, he put them on a stout pole, and reared them against a tree, to mark the point where a path turned off northward toward the center of the township, and thence the roads have diverged to this date, and the name Moosehorns has become a fixture.
A settlement had already been made on the "Million of Acres," now Blanchard, and by the road to this, these first settlers came in. The earlier of them located in the west part of the township.
Mr. Bearce in the fall of 1818 was removed by death, the first event of the kind in the new settlement. Elder Zenas Hall, then of Guilford, attended his funeral and preached the first sermon in town, and the first of his many funeral dis- courses. Other settlers now came in, and one, James Stinchfield, began on the east half, previous to 1820.
The main settlement of the east part began on this wise: In the fall of 1818, the trustees of Monson Academy sent Dea. Abel Goodell to explore their portion and bring back an account of its settling attractions. He stopped at Mr. George Doughty's for entertainment, but they and their neighbors had neither bread in the cupboard, nor meat in the barrel. But their fields were loaded with well-filled corn and splendid potatoes, a cow afforded milk and butter, and on these they fed their welcome guest. With a few ears of boiled corn in his pocket, he had to start for a day's tramp through unbroken forests. His explorations were prevented in part by heavy rains, producing such a freshet that the low lands and large streams were impassable. He returned with a favorable report. The Trustees of the academy offered to give one hundred acres of land to each of a certain number who would go and settle upon it. Induced by this, and re-
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HISTORY OF PISCATAQUIS COUNTY.
lying upon the truthfulness and good judgment of Dea. Good- ell, several of the Monson people resolved to settle on it. Capt. Amasa Chapin exchanged his farm in Monson, Mass., for a mile square in the "Academy town," and moved his family into a house in Number Seven, in the fall of 1819, stopping there until he could clear an opening and build a house upon his own soil. The next spring, April, 1820, Capt. Samuel Whitney and William A. Hyde, with their wives, Justin Colton with his whole family, Calvin Colton, Dea. Lucius Hyde and Abel Goodell, without their families, Royal Day, Austin Newell and Horatio Sherman, single men, all started from Monson, to commence a settlement under these regulations.
Those having families took passage from Boston to Ban- gor in a packet, the others loaded a single horse wagon with materials necessary for life in the woods, each riding in turn, to drive the horse, while the rest kept pace on foot. Three weeks were spent in making the journey, and both parties met at Capt. Chapin's, May 6th, and spent the next day there, as it was Sunday. Monday morning, the men started for the woods, the women and children remaining there. It is prob- able that several of these men had come the summer pre- vious, and selected the lots, which they now commenced clearing.
Many years previous, a furious hurricane had passed through the center of this township, prostrating the primary growth in its course. This had decayed, and a second growth replaced it, smaller and more easily cleared. Most of the first settlers chose this lighter clearing, for some of it was the best farming land in the township.
The Trustees had also offered to give the mill privilege at the outlet of Hebron Pond, and two hundred acres of land, to any party that would put a saw- and grist-mill in opera- tion, within two years. Whitney, Hyde and Fay had taken this contract. Whitney and Hyde came on in person, and Mr. Fay sent William A. Hyde in his place, and these three commenced clearing the spot now occupied by Monson Vil-
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lage. For a few days they stopped with James Stinchfield, then living on the well known Stinchfield place, afterward, with Amos Atkinson, who lived on the north side of the pond, as it was much nearer. Those who began to clear their various lots, tried their hand at camping out.
After clearing a small opening, the mill company com- menced a house to live in, and soon the second framed house in town was raised. With the fragments of slate ledges then on the banks of the stream, they constructed a chimney, nearly equal to one of brick. As soon as their new habita- tion would comfortably shelter them, they brought in their women, and set up housekeeping. This house accommodated Whitney's, William A. and Lucius Hyde's families for a few years, and also afforded a stopping place for new comers, until they could put up quarters of their own. In one year five families of twenty-four persons in all, were housed in it.
These first pioneers were not adepts in back-woods life. Capt. Whitney and William A. Hyde, at the close of a foggy day, started for Mr. Atkinson's. Darkness began to obscure the pathway, and fearing that they should wander off into the boundless forest, they lay down and spent the night, though not one fourth of a mile from their destined habita- tion. During the summer of 1820, the dam across the out- let of the pond was built, and other preparations made for the future mills. Many new openings were felled, and homes prepared for new settlers.
January 1st, 1821, William A. Hyde and wife had a daugh- ter born, in the Whitney and Hyde house, the first birth in that part of the township. This house was truly prolific in the incipient events of this town. In this, the Congregation- al Church was organized, the first town meeting was held, and the first post-office was eventually kept.
In the winter and spring of this year, Deacon Lucius Hyde, Calvin Colton and Capt. A. Chapin moved their families in, and others came, of whose in-coming we can not give a reli- able date.
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Mr. Calvin Colton brought in the first cook stove ever used in these parts.
In August of this year, 1821, the Congregational Church was formed. Religious meetings had been held upon the Sabbath, from the first arrival of this Old Monson colony. At first they met in the house that Mr. Bearce built, far over towards the Million-Acre settlement, then in Mr. James Stinchfield's, as more central. These meetings were conduct- ed by pious laymen, but were very generally attended by those widely scattered and hard toiling new settlers. This summer, missionaries, both Baptist and Congregational, had visited the settlement, and under the lead of Father Sawyer, measures were taken to organize a church.
In the fall of this year, the buildings for the saw- and grist-mill were raised. A company of eight men from San- gerville and Guilford went up to assist at the raising. The day proved to be rainy, but they persevered and put up the frames. But night overtook these men from Guilford, be- fore they reached home. When they arrived at Alder Brook, in Number Seven, within two miles of some of their abodes, the freshet had overflowed the bridge, and cut off their ad- vance. Before ascertaining this, they got into the water, which proved an inconvenient outfit for lying out. But as a shelter was far in the rear, they made the best of their sit- uation, finding a dry place upon a log, or at the roots of a tree, and whiled away the night. In the light of morning they found a place to cross over, and safely reached their homes.
In the early months of 1822, other families moved in. Dea. Andrew Cushman brought his wife and seven children from Oxford, on an ox-sled. Drifting snows retarded their progress, and they were fourteen days on the road. Three men, Calvin Colton, Royal Day and Hiram Vinton moved, in the same slow but sure way, from Monson, Mass. It re- quired three weeks to accomplish the journey in this man- ner. Soon after Dea. Cushman's arrival, Isaac Tyler brought his newly married wife from New Gloucester, and Austin Newell his, also, from Monson, Mass.
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In February, 1822, this township and the inhabitants thereof were legally incorporated as the town of Monson. Pursuant to a warrant from Samuel Pingree Esq., the first town meeting was called, April 22, following, at the dwelling- house of Whitney & Hyde. Capt. S. Whitney was cho- sen town clerk, and Dea. Abel Goodell, whose family then resided in Harmony, was elected as one of the selectmen. In March, 1821, he moved his family from Massachusetts to Harmony, and began to clear land and provide a home in Monson. The next spring, he moved to Guilford, and after a year spent there, he made another move on to his own place. Here he toiled on for about ten years, encountering a large share of hardships. One spring, he needed seed wheat. Starting early one morning, he walked to Sanger- ville, and purchased four bushels. Shouldering a bag that contained two of it, he started toward home. When wea- ried with this heavy burden, he laid it down by the roadside, and walked back, resting as he went, and took the other bag. With this he went past the first, then laid it down, and went back for the one in the rear, proceeding in such relays and changes, until he reached home, a distance of more than ten miles, traveling that day full forty miles, and one-half of it, with two bushels of wheat upon his back.
ยท In 1833, he left town, and settled in Galesburgh, Ill. Some twenty years later, he started with others, to join a son in Oregon. He was taken sick on the way, and died in the forest. A more reliable, quiet, kind Christian it would be hard to find, always embarrassed in his pecuniary affairs, not because he was too honest, but, perhaps, because others were not honest enough.
Before the grist-mill was put in operation in Monson, all these early settlers were compelled to go to Sangerville, to mill. Many a grist was carried upon the shoulders of men, if not upon horseback. Many a hard experience, in this line has been related. A whole day and sometimes a part of the evening would be spent, ere they could recross their rude threshold, and lay down the materials for their desired supper. 13
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HISTORY OF PISCATAQUIS COUNTY.
When incorporated, there were twenty-five voters in town, and about ninety inhabitants. A steady increase was going on. In the spring of 1823, F. F. Gates bought Mr. Fay's share in the mills and the land thereunto belonging, and moved into the house owned by the company.
Dea. Lucius Hyde, this summer, built a house for his own . separate use. Whitney, Hyde and Gates soon dissolved the copartnership, and divided the property. Capt. Whit- ney retained the mills, while Hyde and Gates divided the land between them. This spring, 1823, Alexander Green- wood Esq., who had surveyed most of the townships in this vicinity, moved in to Monson.
He selected a lot for himself, when lotting out the township, and, with the help of a large family of sons, was clearing it up, and getting up good buildings. In the winter of 1826-7, he engaged in lumbering in Fullerstown. In April, while superintending the "drive," he met with a fatal accident. They had got the last log over the falls upon which the mills in Howard now stand. He said to his men, "we have got safely by this bad place, and we will take a drink and a lunch." While sitting in a little group, a blast of wind hurled a dead tree directly at them. All dodged it but Mr. Green- wood. He was severely smitten. One of the company made all speed to Monson for assistance, but he expired before the messenger reached there. A relief party started immediate- ly, but upon reaching the place, they could only bring out his lifeless form to his grief-stricken friends and family. Greenwood Falls, as they have ever since been called, per- petuate the memory of that deplorable event. Mr. Green- wood was a worthy and highly esteemed citizen. He was urbane and affable in his manners, upright in his dealings, and in all respects reliable. He possessed more than an or- dinary amount of natural and acquired abilities. He had represented the town of Hebron in the General Court of Massachusetts, and had won unlimited confidence as a land surveyor.
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