USA > Maine > Oxford County > Porter > History of Porter > Part 7
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Meeting House Pew Deed
The following document is a true copy of the original - words in italics are used here to represent the original handwriting.
Know all Men by these Presents
THAT We John Moulton and John Roberts and David Colcord a Com- mittee to build a Meetinghouse in the town of Porter. in consideration of the sum of fifty dollars.
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paid by Oliver Stacy of said Porter, State of Maine. Yeoman, the receipt whereof We do hereby acknowledge, do hereby give, grant, bargain, sell and convey unto the said Oliver Stacy to his heirs and assigns forever a certain pew in the aforesaid Meetinghouse and numbered two on the lower story in said house, reserving to the town of Porter the right to hold public town meetings in said town forever. TO HAVE AND TO HOLD, the aforegranted and bargained premises, with all the privileges and appurtenances thereof, to the said Oliver Stacy, his
heirs and assigns, to his & their use and behoof forever. . . . And We do covenant with the said Oliver Stacy in the capacity aforesaid to bis heirs and assigns, that we are lawfully seized in fee of the premises; that they are free from all incumbrances; that We have good right to sell and convey the same to the said Oliver Stacy, ex- cept the incumbrances aforesaid, to hold as aforesaid.
And that We will warrant and defend the same to the said Oliver Stacy his
heirs and assigns forever, against the lawful claims and demands of all persons.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, We the said Moulton, Roberts and Col- cord have hereunto set our hands and seals this twentieth day of Jan. in the year of our Lord, one thousand eight hundred and twenty five. Signed, sealed and delivered John Moulton
in presence of George Stacy Benjamin French
David Colcord
John Roberts
The 10th annual worship service at the Porter Old Meeting House was observed on Labor Day Sunday (1956) by the Parsonsfield- Porter Historical Society. About 150 were present, representing 21 towns and 5 states. The Society's regular speaker, Rev. Curtis L. Stanley of Fitchburg, Mass., was unable to attend because of ill- ness. His place was occupied by Rev. Edwin Chapman of Dayville, Conn .; a native son of Porter. He was assisted by the Rev. Henry O. Megert of the Riverside Methodist Church. Elder Harry Cotton of Limington gave the prayer.
Mr. Lewis Thompson of East Parsonsfield - 91 years of age, sang a solo. Mrs. Flora Carpenter was organist; special music by the
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quartette, Mrs. Ina Emery, Mrs. Iva Cutting, Gordon West and Orion Stanley.
The final musical number, "Blessed Assurance," was played on a musical saw by R. Ven Smith. His rendition of this beautiful hymn was a masterly performance, destined to remain a cherished memory of this solemn and historic occasion.
The Advent Christian Church of Porter
Few places in the town of Porter have had a more colorful history than the Advent Christian Church. We are indebted to the follow- ing persons for this historic sketch which involved painstaking re- search: George W. French, Amanda Fox, Lewis Thompson.
"The Advent Christian Church of our town have as their church home one of the oldest buildings in the town of Porter. This was a school house which, according to the records of school district No. 6, was built by Jacob French during the months between September the twenty-seventh of 1828 and the first of December 1828. He agreed to build the school house for one hundred and thirty seven dollars. The school house was to stand on the hill on Daniel Towle's farm. The town took a lease on the land, on which the school house was placed, of Daniel Towle. Enoch Cousins, Jacob French and Ed- ward Gibbs were appointed committee for that year to look out for maintenance of a school. It is interesting to note that although this school was inspected December 1st, 1828, school commenced January 1st, 1829, that it was not accepted as school building until voted to do so in meeting October 3d, 1829; at which time it was duly ac- cepted by vote of inhabitants of said town. The first teacher re- corded was Sally Bennet of the year 1830. She was paid $8.00 for eight weeks, boarded at Edward Gibbs for $7.92 and school began December the thirteenth of that year.
In 1832 Sally Molten was the teacher of this school. Other teach- ers were John Libby, Susan Weeks, Exura Gibbs, Mary Emery, Mary Towle, Mary Tibbets, and some of the Agents sworn by Justice of Peace, Ebenezer Blazo, were Joshua Weeks and Thomas Fox. Previ- ous to this a committee of three were appointed instead to conduct business of keeping this school. This school record is from 1827 to 1841.
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Now if we turn to records of the 4th district we will find that a meeting of the inhabitants of said town took place at Kezar Falls meeting house on April 16, 1842, at which time it was voted to buy school house located in said school district on Daniel Towle's farm for twenty dollars. Voted that school house be moved April 16, 1842 and placed somewhere between Edward Gibbs and the corner of the road leading to E. Cousins according to which the committee think best.
This building was used as a school until 1889, at which time a new building was built and winter school this year in said build- ing. During the time this was a school building in the 4th district, the first teacher recorded was Susan Woodbery in 1845. She was paid $10.00 for teaching ten weeks school, and Henry Gibbs was paid $6.60 for her board during this period. Some of the following teachers were C. H. Randall, J. O. Godfry, Clara Cousins, L. A. Poor, Silas McDaniel, Annie Stacy, Lizzie Stacy, Rose Chapman, Ina Edgecomb, A. H. Morten, Jordan Stacy, F. A. Fox, E. F. Gentleman, Blanch Fendersen and Jennie Colomy. We have a picture of this school when Rosella Chapman was teacher. Some of the scholars at that time were Ralph Merifield, Sherman Stanley, Leslie Mason, Addison Ridlon, Clarence Emery, Bernie Ridlon, Myrtle Stacy, Grace Stanley, Flora Lord, Ethel Stacy, Bertha Gilpatrick, Susie Weeks, Nelson Stacy, Vera Ridlon, Minnie Danforth, Lester Weeks, Sidney Stanley, Oliver Stanley, Fred Towle, Bert Smith, Orman Stanley, Arthur Smith, Byron Lord, Wert Ridlon, Ed. Weeks, F. Clemons, Elmer Emery, Charles Hubbard, Florence French, Lizzie Ridlon, Josie Mason, John Clemons, and Gertie Sawyer Stacy.
Miss Chapman taught summer school in the year 1884 and 1887. However, in Town Report of 1884, Rosella Chapman was listed as teacher and some of the above pupils were listed as having a perfect attendance. So much for this building as a school.
On October 26, 1889, the following people appeared and applied to Justice of Peace, Preston Stanley, for organization of Parish Soci- ety in this town. They were Frank Lord and wife Eliza, William and Hannah Ellingworth, Ruth and Moses Norton. This was the legal aspect of organization of our Advent Church. The above men-
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tioned persons were to meet with the Justice of the Peace, Preston Stanley, on Nov. 2, 1889, in the 4th school district school house.
According to the Town Register of 1907, the Advent Church was organized May 2, 1887 by Frank Lord and Moses Norton. The school house was bought by Parish Society in December 1889 and remodeled into a church. According to Lewis Thompson - 91 years in 1956 - formerly of Porter, now of East Parsonsfield, he is the only living charter member of this church. He recalls other charter members, among whom were Bessie Stanley, Moses Norton and wife, Billy Ellingworth and wife, George Mason, etc. He further states that the Society took over this school house; seats were re- moved; church remodeled; Dedication Service was held, and the "Jubilee Harp Hymnal" was used.
According to Lewis Thompson's reminiscences, services previous to 1889 were held in Moses Stacy's Hall - the building now used as a dwelling house near the high school. Mr. Thompson states that he was converted at the age of 18, in 1883, in the Grange Hall, at a service conducted there by a Salvation Army meeting - Brother Clark being the speaker on this particular occasion. Mr. Thompson soon became a member of the Advent Church. Incidentally, there were stairs on the outside of Moses Stacy's Hall that led to the sec- ond story.
Bert Emerson was pastor at the Advent Church at the time of his conversion. Some of the other pastors of the Advent Church in its early history include Jared Whitman of Old Orchard, Jesse Gay of Saco, R. F. Emerson of East Rochester, A. R. Stevens of South Windham, A. B. Blanchard of Westbrook, W. M. Glidden of South Effingham, N. H. According to the Town Register of Porter, Mr. Stevens was preacher here in 1907. The Society had 14 members at this time.
Lewis Thompson makes special mention of one early pastor; namely, John McLucas of Bridgton, Maine. A forceful speaker whose sermons stirred the congregation everywhere. Rev. Sam Thurlow's preaching is also said to have been inspiring - churches were filled to capacity and the only way to get into the buildings was through the windows! The pastors knew the contents of the Bible in those days - one such speaker was John Holman. He
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could give the exact place in the Bible where any particular verse was concerned. Moreover, the Church was very active half a cen- tury ago.
Pastors of the Advent Church since 1928:
Rev. Bert Shorey, 1928-1937. Rev. Henry Simonds, 1938-1940. Rev. Martin Rasmussen, 1940-1942. Rev. Eleon Shuman, 1942-1945. Rev. Walter Bezanson, 1946-1949.
Rev. Samuel Sanders, 1949-1953. Rev. Irvin Verrill, 1953-
Church Incorporated in 1938; Parsonage purchased in 1938.
XV
FIRST GREAT PAGEANT AND CELEBRATION
In his "Preface" to the July 4th Souvenir Album, Rev. Cymbrid Hughes writes:
"In issuing this souvenir of our first great celebration we de- sire to place on record our deep appreciation of the splendid response of all sections of the community to our appeal for co- operative effort. The celebration was one grand success and reflects the highest credit upon all who took part in it. It entailed an expenditure of much time and toil and trouble, and the result was acclaimed by a unanimous chorus of praise and commendation. We have been fortunate in receiving a copy of a letter written by an unprejudiced eye witness of the event to his parents in England, describing the day's proceedings in the dialect of an unlettered agricultural laborer. Our illiterate friend had no idea when he wrote this letter that it would ap- pear in this book, so we make no apologies for presenting it to you in its raw, unvarnished state."
The Parsonage Cymbrid Hughes Aug. 1, 1913
Kezar Falls, Maine
Cornelius Cornshock's Letter to the Owd Foaks at Oam
"Dear Dad an' Mam:
The great Fourth of July that I'd heerd so much talk about has comed an gone an nobody's a penny the worse. I niver said nowt to you afore 'cause I didn't want to scare you like, but now that it's all ower I can tell you I wor a bit skeered. I dunno whether the
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fellers wor cramming me or not but they telled me that iverbody did as they liked on the night afore the Fourth an nobody dare say a word. One year they took a great big farmer's haywagon an hauled it on top o' the roof of anuther feller's barn harf a mile away. My warnt he mad, but it made no difference. Some o' the tricks they played were enuff to make a pig laff, that is if the trick wor not on the pig. So I didn't know but what they might be playin me up a bit, seein I wor just ower from the owd Country. I thowt that mebbe they might be takin the house away durin the night, for they are only made of wood you know an laid on a foundation, but nowt o' the sort 'appened an I slept like a sawmill all night. Leastways that's what Betsey Jane said it sounded like. In a regular way no- body is allowed to sleep that night, for all the bells i' the place are kept a ringin an a clangin all night, but this year the Methodist Praicher axed the fellers in a nice civil sort of a way not to ring the church bell 'cause there wor sumbody sick not far off an they acted real 'andsome and gentlemanly an they didn't ring none o' the bells at all. Now I reckon that wor fine, it showed that under all their sport an hoss play there wor good feelings. I did get a bit of a scare tho. Just as it wor getting dark I saw the Fire Brigade runnin out wi' the watter pipes connecting 'em up to the main an I wondered wheer the fire wor. I niver heerd no bells ringin and I cuddent see no fire, so I ran up to see wheer it wor, but I wor fair took in, 'cause they wor only sprinklin the streets and settlin the dust ready for mornin. Well I mun 'urry up an tell you about the Fourth. I wor up bright an early that mornin an out in the streets to see the decorations, an my, warnt they fine. Reminded me o' the streets o' London when King Ned wor crowned. Flags an streamers an buntin, red, white an blue, stars and stripes iverywheers. Laws, I wor fair dazzled. Of course you don't know the folks here 'cept as I've told you about 'em, but G. W. Towle had a gran, bran new American flag hung out, an Dr. Chellis' house looked splendiferous. The Malvern hotel wor a staggerer, an at night it wor lit up wi' different colored elec- tric lights, a'most like our great Crystal Palace. Dr. McDaniel you remember him, Silas, iverybody calls him here, he had decorated his home in fine shaps. Then there wor Everett Mason and Eddie Erick- son's, Boston's an Cowan's an Chapman's at the corner, Florence
A group of several members of the Maine House of Representatives in the 1920s. From the Porter-Parsonsfield area are Ormond Stanley, seated in rear; Frank Stearns, on left of seated row of five, and J. Merrill Lord, on right of same row.
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Perkins an Orman Stanley agen Town Hall an oh, lots of others that I can't remember. I reckon iverybody must ha' laid therselves out to paint the town red, white an blue. I never seed anythin to beat it in my life. It wor like walkin thro Fairyland. I heerd sum- body say that there wor sumwheers about twenty thousand yards o' stuff out altogether, to say nothin about the flags. But the Parade, Padjant, I think I heerd 'em call it, that capt all. I can't pretend to describe that. Let me just scratch my head a bit. First of all, there- wor the Marshal, Dr. Chellis, a fine figure of a man on a noble black hoss wi' brass mountings. He rode his hoss like that gran Crusader on the pictur in our front parlor at oam. Then there wor a platoon o' police, followed by our own Brass Band an I can tell you that we are rare an proud to call it "our own," too. Why they had been practicin only about a month an some o' them hadn't blowed a horn for fifteen years, as green as grass, an there they wor a steppin it out at the head o' the procession in their new white uniforms lookin so nice an cool an turning out such fine music, why it made me wish I wor a musishiner. The Band Master wor Press Warren an he owt to be a prowd man for iverybody said we cuddent have had any bet- ter music from any band in the State o' Maine, an they niver charged a cent. They bowt their music an instruments an uniforms an played all day in the broilin hot sun for love. That's the sort o' men we have here. The Goddess of Liberty rode in the parade in a Motor Car owned and drove by Mester W. A. Garner. This wor Mrs. Tuttle of Tremlin, N. J., an she made a perfect pictur o' the statue, as straight as an arrer, dignified in pose and dressed in char- acter. She just did it fine. Then there came a Company of Rough Riders under Captain Moses Chapman, I heerd one man say he wor tickled to death to see 'em. I couldn't see anybody ticklin him, so I reckon he meant it pleased him awfully. Well, iverybody wor pleased an Moses looked well at the head of his men. Then there wor a Drum an Fife Band an my stars, didn't they just make my feet itch. I cuddent keep 'em still. I just had to step out after 'em. Marshel music allus did affect me like that an them fellers knew their job. Next wor the Decorated Carriages, an oh laws, what shall I say? It wor like a Royal procession in the Arabian Nights. Pythian Sisterhood presented a Pythian Lodge Room in miniature
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an the Knights of Pythias had a strikin tabblo. There sat a noble massive looking man in Kingly robes with attendants. An execu- tioner's block wore placed afore him an the headsman stood beside it wi' gleamin axe. A captive wor brought out an his head placed on the block. The headsman lifted the glitterin axe an I stood spellbound with 'orrer. Just at that critical moment another man dashed on the scene an pulled the doomed man away from the I don't remember how they come but the one as got first prize wor a cute little turnout drawn by a tiny Shetland Pony an attended by outriders an postillion in fancy costume. It represented the Kezar Falls Library "small but growing," and the children who wor in charge won smiles of admiration all along the route. The second prize wor won by the Young Women's Thursday Club and the Ladies Magazine Reading Club combined. This flote wor magnifi- cently got up in White, Blue an Gold an the ladies dresses to match. It sartainly wor a sight to see. The prize for the 'andsomest Dressed Lady went to Miss Ina Stanley who wor dressed in the National Colors, an the prize for the most 'orrible Lookin Costume wor given to George Quint o' South Hiram, who surely deserved it. Myron H. Ridlon won the prize for the Most Strikin Flote, with the representa- tion of a Yatt bearing his name on the sail. But you know there warnt half enuff prizes. They all owt to ha' had one an I wuddent ha' been a judge for anythin. The committee cuddent ha' made a better selection o' judges. They wor Mrs. Jameson, o' Cornish, The Hon. Merrill Lord Esq. o' Parsonsfield an the Rev. H. A. Peare o' Conway Center an they showed good judgment in their awards. There wor a flote from South Hiram that looked for all the world like a Gipsy Tribe, ragged an disheveled, gay misery and flashily dressed poverty. The occupants wor riotously merry an as happy as that theer beggar who hadn't a shirt to his back. It wor a strikinly picturesque group. There wor one flote that reminded me o' the tales I'd heerd o' the wild red men o' North America a band o' Red Indians in the midst of Forest Glades, around a camp fire. Dressed in war paint an feathers, a typical tribe o' Red Men. I expected every minute to hear the wild whoop an feel me scalp bein lifted, but I found it represented the Improved Order o' Red Men. The block an then pleaded wi' outstretched arms afore the King that he
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might take his place. The other refused to give way an there we saw two men beggin to be allowed to die in each others stead. The King stepped down from his throne an set both men at liberty. The scene wor true to life an they told me after that it wor something about two fellers called Damon an Pythias who lived an did this 2000 years ago. Anyway, that chap had a narrow squeak. The Sun- day School Children made a gran show. Their carriage wor just one glorious mass o' decoration. Even the hosses wor transformed into Oriental chargers by their gorgeous trappings. The girls o' the Junior Department or Junior League wor sittin in rows one above the other a'most on a pinnacle o' red, white an blue. They looked beautiful in their dresses o' white, wi' fancy paper sun hats, an the escort o' boys in costume wor just the finishin touch. The Hotel Malvern made a good show in the parade an Mr. Frank Holmes auto wor just a dream o' beauty, an I wor real pleased to see Uncle Rastus and Aunt Dinah lookin so well in their new buggy, altho my private opinion is that Aunt Dinah is a terrible flirt. There wor one flote that made me feel real oamsick, a cluster o' Daisies, Eng- lish Daisies, a livin glowin mass o' daisies, the carriage wor deco- rated in the colors of the daisy. The wheels wor representin daisies, the dresses wor paper daisies, the wearers wor dainty daisies. It wor the Daisy Clu o' the M. E. Sunday School. There wor another flote that reminded me that it wor near dinner time an I had breakfast early. It wor a representation of Frank E. Stearns' business at both ends. The raw material and the finished article. Two magnificent specimens o' young beef in harness, drawin in a 'andsome wagon splendid specimens of Future American Citizens. One carriage an pair o' hosses decorated wi' white wi' a bevy of ladies all dressed in white an white bows all ower the whole consarn, drew the involun- tary question, "What are these arrayed in white?" An the answer wor "The Woman's Christian Temperance Union." The Ladies Aid Society o' the M. E. Church rode in a blue an white equipage drove by Uncle Sam hisself, an all their decorations wor o' the same color. I dunno what else there wor, for my poor brain wor fair mazed wi' the strange sites I had seen. Why there must ha' been s mint o' money spent on the parade alone, an Oh dear, the time it must ha' taken to get it done so well. I heerd lots o' people say that the
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cuddent ha' seen anythin better even in the large cities, an I reckon they are not far wrong either. The whole procession passed for re- view an judgin afore a Reviewing Stand which had been built on purpose by John Chapman, one of the Selectmen, that wor anuther chap who worked for nowt. After the prizes had been given out there wor some speechifyin, etc. There wor quite a heap o' minis- ters on the platform with Dr. McDaniel, Miss Ellen Libby an the Goddess of Liberty. I heerd Mester Hughes hollerin for the Repre- sentatives to the Legislature an the Town Officials an School board to come forrard but they wor too bashful, I reckon, to face such a big crowd. Dr. Silas A. McDaniel read the Declaration of Inde- pendence an my, didn't his chest swell as he protested against the iniquitous oppression of dead King George. As his voice rang out in challenge an appeal. I wished that owd King George could ha' heerd it. I don't wonder that those early Americans threw off the British yoke, if they made it as stiff as that for 'em. Only a lunatic would ha' done the things he did, although it wor the best thing that could ha' happened to both nations. Miss Libby recited in stirrin manner, "Old Glory," which had a great reception, The Rev. H. A. Peare paid a 'andsome tribute to Kezar Falls Citizens for get- ting up such a fine program. I liked him. The Rev. Frank C. Pot- ter of Cornish, delivered a fine speech on "The Flag of Peace," while the Christian Flag floted on the breeze, a large white flag with a red cross on a blue ground. I wish you could ha' heerd him. He fairly electrified that vast crowd an although there wor considerable talkin goin on when he started, there wor not a sound when he'd done. I could ha' listened to him for an hour. Then he introduced the Rev. John Dunstan o' North Conway, N. H., who said a few good things an then gave way to what he called the orator of the day, the Rev. C. Hughes. He didn't speak long, for one thing it wor near dinner time an another thing he seemed tired. I cuddent see why he should be, for iverybody knows that a minister's job is a soft snap anyway. As soon as he finished speakin Mester Potter jumped up again an called for three cheers for Mester Hughes an my didn't that crowd give it lip. I didn't cheer, I cuddent see what there wor to cheer for. He didn't seem to be doing nowt. I never seed him do a thing all day. He didn't even praich the following Sunday morning, but the
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man who did take the service gave us a good sermon, let me tell you. It wor Rev. Lewis Swan of Cornish. After dinner there wor some sports, on the Fourth I mean, not the Sunday. Here are the names of the winners, you won't know any of them but I might as well give you the whole bag o' tricks:
Three Legged Race - Winners, Erwin Stanley and Clarence Sawyer.
Human Wheelbarrow Race - Winners, Harry Fox and Leon Stanley.
Sack Race - 1st Frost, 2nd Jewett.
100 Yards Dash - 1st Clarence Small, 2nd Brooks.
Ball Throwing Contest - Men, 1st Sweat, 2nd Collomy.
Ball Throwing Contest - Ladies, 1st Jessie Gilman, 2nd Sarah Weeks.
Broad Jump - 1st Clarence Small, 2nd Cecil Weeks.
High Jump - 1st Clarence Small, 2nd Roscoe Durgin.
Egg and Spoon Race - 1st Bernice Ridlon, 2nd Jessie Gilman.
Pillow Fight - 1st Archie Stanley, 2nd Geo. Day.
Fat Men's Race - Melvin Kennard.
25 Yards Dash - Ladies - 1st Miss Knox, 2nd Miss Gilman.
There wor one thing that pleased me, and that wor in the early af- ternoon, the fine fellow on the black hoss pranced on to the field leadin the Band an a lot o' soldiers from one o' the Forts, who had come ower to play our club at Base Ball, which is the great national game. As soon as they got on the "diamond," as they called it, Mes- ter Potter out with a big brown horn thing which he put to his mouth. I thowt it were some new fangled kind of trumpet an I listened for the tune, but he just talked through it an you wuddent believe how far his voice carried. He said some nice things about the soldiers bein the defenders o' the coast and all that and then called for three cheers fo 'em, an I did join in this time. Now I reckon that wor a real nice thing to do, to give the soldier boys a cheer. Then the Ball Game, that wore real sport. At any rate I think it wor, for there wor ower a thousand folks watchin it for nearly three hours. BaseBall is something like our old English Game of Rounders, only instead of having a nice rubber ball an hit- ting it with your hands, it's a hard ball an a feller throws it at you
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