USA > Maine > Oxford County > Porter > History of Porter > Part 5
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Concerning the other wars fought on foreign soil, we live too close to these events to get a comprehensive perspective and an un- prejudiced appraisal.
X
WOMEN'S PLACE IN THE HISTORY OF PORTER
For some unanalyzable reason, man has always regarded himself as "the pedestal of achievement!" This despite the fact that "the hand that rocks the cradle rules the world." The Greek philoso- pher, Aristotle, asks: "What difference does it make whether women rule, or the rulers are ruled by women?" The message this worthy wishes to convey to his own sex suffering from an inferiority com- plex is that every impulsive outburst; every philosophic speculation of penetrating insight; every epoch-making advance made in litera- ture, music and art has been inspired by a female -- mother, sister, sweetheart, wife, daughter, granddaughter or niece!
There were approximately 255 married women in Porter between 1800 and 1860 -- 255 housewives who often had to be on the alert twenty-four hours a day, thus confirming the old proverb: "A man's work is from sun to sun, but a woman's work is never done!"
Should -- provided they could, these departed ones return to the scenes of their former lives, they would, undoubtedly, express great astonishment over the changes brought about during their absence. We, on the contrary, having had the opportunity to study past events, would naturally view their world with a comparatively mild interest!
Despite our advanced knowledge of human progress, it would still be of interest to many a sentimental soul to be reminded of a few incidents in the every-day life of the pioneer women of Porter.
To the average woman, life began when she got married. The bearing of children; one every other year, for a number of years, con- stituted the highlights in her career. This was her destiny, yet, numerous subordinate incidents in her life made it a most strenuous
Porter's 5-generation family (1956). Alice McDonald, great, great, grandmother (center); Ellen Norton, great grandmother (holding Craig); Arlene Pease, grand- mother (seated at right); Betty Miller, the mother (standing) of Craig Miller.
South Hiram Schoolhouse (1914). This is one of the very few district school- houses still standing. It is not in the town of Porter, but S. Hiram has always been closely allied with Kezar Falls geographically, at least. The only other Porter district schoolhouses now standing and not converted to other uses are the Black, the Cross, and the Village.
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HISTORY OF PORTER
one. To give birth to a child is in itself little short of a miracle; to bring it up equally so, as the latter is beset with an array of per- plexing problems. As a housewife, with a husband and children to feed, her course was set, but not without trials and commensurate recompense.
Sickness in some form or another seemed inevitable, but frequent trips to the herb garden eventually brought the anticipated relief. However, no such surcease from the performance of necessary tasks on the farm was forthcoming. These tasks, as already alluded to, were many and various. These she performed with stoic resignation and dispatch. Let's name and describe some of them. Let us also, for the sake of clarity, call our thrifty housewife, "Mrs. Porter."
Mrs. Porter did all the planning in her household. She knew best what was needed, and where to get it. She never permitted the larder to become empty. She was equal to any emergency!
For further perspicuity, let's assign our exemplary figure to a defi- nate period, say, to the Fall of 1807. The apple orchard; the vege- table garden; the fields of ripened grain -- all stand in readiness to yield a bountiful harvest! These, being stored in cellar and granary, would amply provide for a future time and need.
To even surmise that the produce of the farm could thus easily be gathered for preservation would be an utter fallacy! The apples had to be picked and packed with great care if they were to survive the winter months. The cereal grasses, like the rye, wheat, oats, barley had to be cut down by the sickle or the scythe; this done, the flail was employed to thrash out the kernels from their integu- ment. The next, and last, act consisted of separating and driving off the chaff from the grain -- this final process called for considerable skill. The person who could do it properly was known as the "win- nower." Mrs. Porter could be depended upon to do all these things should necessity demand it. Maize, or Indian corn, was first cut down by hand, then gathered and bound into sheaves; these were promptly shocked, that is, several sheaves were collected and set up together in the field -- a field of such shocks, seen at a short distance closely resembled the Indian tepees of the Great Plains. It is a com- forting thought to know that the apples and corn, besides serving as food, gave rise to wholesome pastimes, such as apple-peeling bees
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WOMAN'S PLACE IN PORTER
and husking bees-a "bee" being a gathering of neighbors or friends for some entertainment.
All the cereal grain had to be ground into coarse or fine flour, hence taken to the grist mill on Mill Brook. Sometimes, as in bad weather, this could not be done; in such a case, the mortar and pes- tle were put into service. With all the above mentioned grain avail- able, you have to create a mental picture of what the busy housewife accomplished the next few days! Beside grain and apples, there were numerous vegetables to be taken care of -- pickling cucumber; preserving beans, peas, squash, beets -- the work was seemingly end- less.
Since there were few vegetarians in Porter, meat, milk, butter, cheese, eggs and other animal products were regarded as essential foods, but before they could be enjoyed they had to be produced. This meant the raising of cattle, sheep, hogs, chickens; to mention a few of the most common domestic animals. To take care of these creatures was often assigned to the housewife -- when her husband was away lumbering, building roads, hunting, fishing, or attending a town meeting.
Sometimes Mrs. Porter would find time to attend a sewing bee or a quilting bee, and probably once or twice in her life enjoy with her children a boating party on Bickford Pond and a sliding party on a nearby hill. Sugaring-off parties were held each year in various parts of the town, and was well attended by both young and old. When Sabbath came, Mrs. Porter and her children walked to where divine service was held, usually at a settler's who had a roomy house. Every day of the year was filled to capacity with honest toil, and her reaction to it was a patient submission that called for no reproach!
Mrs. Porter of today lives in a different environment. She has numerous labor-saving devices, hence more leisure for social activi- ties. She has acquired, through years of painstaking efforts, the right to vote, and by so doing placed in the most favorable position for combating the evils of mankind.
XI HUNTING AND FISHING
The first account we have of a hunting experience comes from Meshach Libby-the very first person to settle in the town of Porter. It is allowable, I think, to do some theorizing at the very outset - first, respecting the type of firearm carried by our erstwhile nimrod. Judging by the irregular incidents involved, we are led to believe that Meshach used a blunderbuss; that is, a flintlock with a flaring muzzle.
Thus armed, Meshach set out on his hunting expedition. Since game was plentiful in Porter at that time, he did not have to go far from home to satisfy his taste for adventure. He first came within blunderbuss range of a deer browsing amongst acorns, but a mere look into the warm, soft eyes of the doe was enervating hence dis- couraged the use of the gun. A short distance away he espied a real adversary - a black bear ensconced in the crotch of a huge oak. Meshach could display no leniency toward this fellow creature; male or female, because he had recently been bereft of several sheep, and this bear could have been the very one who perpetrated that foul deed!
At this critical moment, the narrator does not say whether Meshach discharged his weapon at the bear or not, but he evidently pulled the trigger, and the sound of the explosion by itself was suf- ficient to cause a concussion in both man and beast.
That the bear sustained the severest shock of the two is evidenced by the fact that the bear lay prostrate at the foot of the tree when Meshach had regained his consciousness. Thinking the bruin dead, Meshach approached it with more or less confidence and with the object of removing its hide, when, to his astonishment, the animal
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HUNTING AND FISHING
suddenly and defiantly faced him! To fight it would be madness; to climb the tree, equally absurd. The only alternative lay in flight, but how? The only way open for an escape was to outmatch his opponent in a Marathon race! A bright idea, and he immediately put it into practice - the restricted space around that oak became the race-course!
Around and around the tree the two "contestants" ran-a "merry- go-round of suspense!" After half a dozen laps, Meshach got his "second wind" and began ransacking his brain for some idea that would outwit the bear - running indefinitely in circles would get him nowhere! Why not reload his gun? Yes, Why not! He did, and never before in his life had he worked so fast and under such a trying circumstance!
Since his gun was a muzzle-loader, he had to run another six laps before it was made ready for action. At this critical moment the original narrative reads: "Meshach turns suddenly, and his pursuer is stretched on the race course in the agonies of death." Nothing is said about Meshach's firing the gun, therefore we are led to sur- mise that the bear died from fright!
The second authentic bear hunt in Porter comes from Dearborn's "History of Parsonsfield." The incident concerns John Stacy (1763- 1837); first Treasurer of the town of Porter, 1807, 1808, 1809; and selectman for several years. The story reads as follows: "John Stacy was a good marksman - he killed at one shot three cub bears soon after he moved to Porter." He came to Porter, from Parsonsfield, on April 9, 1804.
Rattlesnakes were, as previously pointed out, a scourge through- out the hilly and mountainous regions of New England during the colonial period, and there was a bounty on noxious animals, includ- ing rattlers.
Wolves had also been numerous up to the time of the American Revolution, but the early settlers in Porter were not bothered by them. George Kezar, however, was much annoyed by these "adroit and persistent robbers of his traps." Foxes, bears and bobcats have been a menace to sheep and poultry raisers until a few decades ago. But, let's go back to the bears again.
George Kezar had a serious fight with a bear once; exactly where
Bickford Pond, originally called Deer Pond. Fishermen were Claude Kelley, left, and Jack Greenan.
9
Cornshop Workers around 1900. Front row, left to right: Roy Ridlon, Guy Dur- gin, Mabel Sawyer, Bertha Gilpatrick, Pink Stanley, Etta Cole, Angie Ridlon, Roy Pendexter, Joe Taylor. Second row, left to right: Frank Gilpatrick, Harold W. Gerrish, Alton Goodwin, Abbie Stanley, Nell Brooks, Florence Lord, Mary Page, ? Hodgdon, Mrs. Chas. Wescott, Eliza Goodwin, ? Pendexter. Third row, left to right: Frank Pendexter, ? (the boy), Wyman Cotton, Charles Wescott, Ed. Libby, Chas. Hodgdon, Seth Spring, Everett Cole, John Spring, Jesse Gil- patrick (back of Cole and Spring), Frank Brooks, Owen Gilpatrick, John Taylor. Fourth row, left to right: Linwood Pendexter, Harry Burbank.
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HUNTING AND FISHING
is not known, as there are two versions of the same happening. One report has it that Kezar gave the bear a knockout with his hatchet at the foot of Mudgett's Hill, near West Pond, Parsonsfield; the other story, of a later date, puts the scene "near the base of Rattle- snake Mountain," in the town of Porter. In this second case, Kezar thrusts his hunting knife through the bear's open jaws into her throat - killing her, of course! The final act in both versions had the same outcome: "Kezar sustained a lacerated and bleeding arm."
The caves and crags of the county adjacent to Mine Pond and Plain Pond were formerly - about one hundred years ago, the fav- orite haunts of the black bear, according to the information furnished the writer by the late Ellsworth W. Sawyer. On a stroll down to Plain Pond - some twenty-seven years ago, Mr. Sawyer pointed out the cave where his grandfather, W. T. Sawyer, who lived only half a mile from the place, used to trap bears. In recent years, bears have been shot on Whale's Back and Bald Ledge. A profusion of beech- nuts in this area may account for their frequency.
Pine Hill, Davis Mountain and Devil's Den are the homes of the porcupine - an animal very destructive to trees. Its only usefulness seems to be when no other food is available - to a starving man this "pincushioned porker" is the last resort!
Both deer and moose are to be found in Porter; the former being quite common; the latter only occasionally met with. Among the smaller, fur-bearing animals, none are more abundant than the beaver; in fact, at no other time in the history of Porter has there been so many beaver colonies - practically every stream of any size has one or several beaver dams and at least one lodge in every flooded area. The muskrat - "a little cousin of the beaver," as the Indian called it, has also increased in number, but the mink, otter, fisher and the weasel have not multiplied in recent years. Coon hunting has reduced the raccoon population considerably - the hare and the cony have had two setbacks - one from hunters and his hounds; the other from an epidemic. The red fox has also been hard hit by a wide-spread disease which accounts for the "mangy-looking" creatures skulking along the highways. The odoriferous skunk - noted more for its fetid odor when irritated or alarmed than its looks is well known to all motorists! This charming animal is usually
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HISTORY OF PORTER
found where it is not wanted - under buildings and near chicken- coops. After having been "deodorized," the skunk becomes a most affectionate "parlor-pet." The gray and the red squirrel are still with us, but not as many an formerly. The red squirrel has a bad reputa- tion, living chiefly on eggs and small birds; the gray squirrel, on the contrary, subsists chiefly on nuts, and its flesh is considered to be a delicacy by the epicurean.
Among our game-birds, the goose, duck, grouse and pheasant are outstanding. The wild turkey, once so plentiful, are now extinct - an old hunter informed the writer a few years ago, that he saw sev- eral in the woods of Hiram and Porter as late as 1890. The plant- ing of wild rice along the margin of our ponds and bogs would help greatly to increase our game-birds; without such feeding-grounds we need not expect any return!
As for fish, we are solely dependent upon the fish hatcheries for this game - in the November 2, 1911 issue of "The Ossipee Valley Weekly," we read: "Ned K. Woodbury of Cornish received 5000 red-spot trout from the state hatcheries to be placed in Colcord Pond, Porter." Salmon and shad used to ascend the Saco River and the Great Ossipee to their spawning-grounds at the headwaters of these streams. This migration has been curtailed by dams. The building of fish-ways at these dams would rejuvenate the fishing industry. Pickerel is found in every pond - from the smaller; Jaybird pond, Hubbard Pond, Plain Pond, to the biggest, Bickford Pond. The last named body of water has recently been stocked with salmon. The lower end of this pond is good "bass-water." Several species of trout are found in the ponds and brooks. Yellow perch, sunfish, sucker and bullhead - these complete the list of edible fish found enjoy- ing the crystal clear waters of the ponds and streams of Porter.
XII
MINERAL RESOURCES
According to Joseph Scott's "Gazatteer of the United States," pub. 1795, in Philadelphia, Pa., "A species of stone is found in York County which yields copperas (crystallized ferrous sulphate) and sulphur." This report must have excited the people of Porterfield! As already pointed out, this plantation was situated in the county of York - it was possible that this "mysterious" stone could be found within the confines of Porterfield! Many substances could be obtained from this greenish rock, such as sulphuric acid, pigments and gunpowder. Even William Shakespeare knew the value - the medicinal property of its sulphur content when he explained: "Quick, nurse, burn some sulphur; the cure of all ills!" In those days, sul- phur was also associated with brimstone or hell-fire!
Porter's response to the above-mentioned "news" was not to be- come immediately engaged in any mining enterprise by digging or blasting, but, conversely, to make proper use of the material already at hand. The making of charcoal occupied the attention of many of Porter's industrious citizens. A kiln was one of the two requi- sites - a kiln of the most primitive kind, and plenty of wood. The wood was neatly piled forming a circular mound; this was covered with turf and moist earth to a thickness of several feet. The wood was ignited through a small opening leading into the center of the pile; this done, it was firmly closed. A close watch had to be kept on the burning wood so as not to permit its breaking out into flames. A week or ten days, sometimes longer - all depending upon the size of the pile, were required for the fire to char the wood, reducing it to charcoal. A cord of wood would turn out from 20 to 30 bush- els of charcoal.
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HISTORY OF PORTER
The making of potash and soap were thriving home industries in the early part of the 19th century. Four or five tons of beech bark, oak bark, or the wood and bark of other kinds of trees burned to ashes would produce about forty pounds of potash. By lixiviating these ashes or impure potash you would have pearlash, purified potash (potassium carbonate); a detergent widely employed in mak- ing soap and in tanning.
Eben. T. Nutter bought a tract of land from Stephen Libby in 1805, situated near the upper Spectacle Pond, and presently discov- ered on his newly acquired property a deposit of clay suitable for making bricks. This place eventually became known as "Nutter's Brick Yard." An interesting document having a direct bearing on this brickyard has very recently been brought to the attention of the present writer. This document reads as follows:
"Article of agreement, made and concluded, this Fourth day of April in the year One Thousand Eight Hundred and Forty by and between Eben. T. Nutter of Porter, County of Oxford, State of Maine, as the one part and F. & E. H. Newbegin of Parsonsfield, County of York, State of Maine, as the other part, that the said Nutter for the consideration hereafter mentioned hath agreed and doth hereby covenant and agree that he will furnish the said New- begins with thirty-five thousand good brick, suitable to build a brick house, are to be eight and a half inches long, four inches wide & two inches & 3/8 thick before they are burnt, to be deliv- ered at the said Nutter Brick Yard in Porter on or before the mid- dle of August A. D. 1840, and the said Newbegins and their part doth hereby covenant and agree, that they will pay the said Nutter four dollars & forty-four cents per thousand for the said bricks, to the true and faithful performance of the several covenants and agreements aforesaid, the said Nutter & Newbegins doth hereby respectively bind themselves, their several and respective heirs, executors and administrators, each to the other in this final sum of Forty dollars. In witness whereof the parties have hereunto and their hands & seals the day and year above written.
Signed, sealed and delivered in presence of
GEO. W. NEWBEGIN F. & E. H. NEWBEGIN E. T. NUTTER"
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MINERAL RESOURCES
The first mining operations made in the vicinity of Porter took place in the town of Parsonsfield, a short distance to the south of Kezar Falls, near the reservoir. Thomas Randall, the "poet of Eaton," and his son, Gideon M., were part owners in the project which had its beginning in 1829. The outcrop was, and still is, rich in sulphides - galena, pyrite, sphalerite. The mine was worked for about 20 years.
During that period, however, desultory prospecting was carried on in the adjoining town of Porter. Half a dozen places bear the marks of mining activities, more or less successful. The first mineral de- posit to be worked was probably the one situated on the precipitous face of Mine Mountain-the abandoned mine shaft is 390 feet above Mine Pond at the foot of the mountain. The ore worked was gal- ena, a sulphide of lead; traces of wolframite - a tungstate of iron and manganese, have been detected here in recent years. Also, close by, there is a large deposit of syenite; capable of taking a high pol- ish, hence a source of monumental stone.
Magnetite occurs sporadically on Pine Hill, and its presence was surmised by early surveyors because of the deviation of the compass; and the ridge to the east, at the J. H. Cole Place (see the 1880-map of Porter), a deposit of pyrite (iron disulphide - burned for mak- ing sulphuric acid), has been worked now and then for decades.
The "Mount Eagle Mineral Spring" on the northern slope of Rat- tlesnake Mountain - formerly known as Mt. Eagle, has an inter- esting history - it was told to the present writer one day in early autumn, some fifteen years ago, by Mr. Harvey D. Granville, at the now abandoned "E. Hartford Place" at the foot of Rattlesnake Mountain. The "career" of this mineral spring seems to have been a short one. The only reason advanced for its brief existence was that the quantity of its crystal clear water was not sufficient to meet the growing demand. The quality was excellent - it still is, but a bigger water-vein needs to be opened to make the enterprise com- mercially successful. The water of the spring is moderately radio- active, but it has to be drunk at the spring to be effective. Indian Spring, near Porter Village, is the best known spring in town.
The precipitous side of Rattlesnake Mountain has an outcrop of what is technically known as hematite; one of the most important
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HISTORY OF PORTER
ores of iron. Davis Mountain, situated north of, and adjacent to, Rattlesnake Mountain, has an outcrop of pegmatite (coarse granite) that shows, according to the Geiger counter, a high percentage of uranium.
Chalk Pond, a small kettle-pond, close to the Maine-New Hamp- shire line, rests upon a foundation of limestone - a rock consisting chiefly of calcium carbonate. A small kiln, used in calcining the limestone, was operating here some decades ago. The pond is fed by springs and has two outlets. Industrialists ought to investigate this extensive deposit of commercially valuable limestone.
The abandoned "silver-lead mine" on the land of the late Seth I. Day might also yield ore of commercial value. An open shaft, now almost closed, formerly led to the ore-bodies far below. The silver- lead (argentiferous galena) obtained here were, according to one rep- utable account, of good quality.
XIII
WALKS AND TALKS
Due to a favorable circumstance, only one set of farm buildings at Porterfield was destroyed by the devastating forest fires that swept through the adjoining towns of Fryeburg, Brownfield and Hiram in October, 1947. Thus, almost unscathed, Porter holds a "monopoly" on scenic grandeur! Taking this fact for granted, we need experience little difficulty about forming a mental picture of the town of Porter as it was, say, in 1807. Except for the numerous buildings, winding roads and a partly depleted evergreen forest, the physical features of the town are essentially the same now as they were at that time.
The every-day life of most people in those days was, however, quite different from ours in many respects. Everything was somewhat primitive. Work as well as play were more in conformity with simplicity than they are today. Dreams and aspirations arose from a less sophisticated environment!
We have one thing in common with these early settlers; namely, restlessness, and because of this uneasiness, they moved from place to place. We follow them in their wanderings when we inadver- tently come to caved-in cellars along the highways and byways. We often pause before these remains to wonder -- who lived here? And if our curiosity is genuine, we make the necessary inquiries. The "discovery" of the site of a schoolhouse is equally interesting. What fond memories they recall in many a sentimental breast!
Every year someone returns to the scenes of his or her childhood. There is something uncanny about that urge to revisit the old home- stead or the place where it once stood; not forgetting the burying- ground! Father Time seems to have added interest to such visits -- here is where we have the advantage over our predecessors.
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