USA > Maine > Oxford County > Rumford > History of Rumford, Oxford County, Maine, from its first settlement in 1779, to the present time > Part 20
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In the early times, it was the custom to celebrate the anniversary of American Independence by burning powder, and the firing usually commenced in the small hours of the morning. Chinese fire-crack- ers were then unknown, and the old Queen's arms were loaded all they would bear. On one occasion, a fatal result followed an over- charged gun. It was in the hands of Jonathan Keyes, son of Francis Keyes, and burst, killing him instantly. He was a prom- ising young man, and his death in this manner caused wide-spread sorrow.
Rufus Virgin was a Mill-wright, and at one time he had a job to erect a mill in Peru, about two miles from his home by way of a mountain, and three to travel around it. He had a hired man who claimed that the longest way was the best, and repeated it so often and so persistently that they agreed to settle it by each taking his preferred way and see which would first reach the end of the trip. They started at the same time, and neither was to run, but were to proceed by their ordinary walking gait. When Virgin reached the top of the mountain, he had a good view of the river road, and there he saw his man running at the top of his speed. Virgin at once put out and by running he reached the goal several minutes ahead, long enough to get well rested. After a while, the other came in puffing and blowing, and surprised to see Virgin quietly at work and show- ing no signs of extra effort. He accused him of running, but when the counter charge was made and he found he was caught, he sub-
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sided, and after that found no fault with the way across the moun- tain.
Jeremiah Richardson was a famous hunter, and brought more bears to grief than any man in town. One day he went out to build some fence in the woods, when he was confronted by an old bear and her two cubs. The bear at once showed fight, and he struck at her with his axe. She parried the blow, knocked the axe aside, and with her huge paw tore out the entire front of his vest. He got in several blows and obliged her to retreat, when seizing one of the cubs, he tied it up in his frock and started for home, which he reached without further molestation.
Several drowning accidents have occurred at the Great Falls. On the fourth of October, 1833, Nathan Knapp invited a few friends to inspect a wall which he had completed to turn the water to his mill. While standing on the wall and explaining his work, the rock on which he was standing overturned and precipitated him into the canal. He was carried down by the swift current to the river, some seventy-five feet distant, and then over the entire fall. His body was recovered a month later, in Canton. He was an energetic and enterprising man, and his death was greatly deplored. He left a family, several of his children being quite young. June 1, 1869, three river drivers were drowned at the foot of the great eddy. They went upon a large rock to break a jam that had formed there, and on returning they lost control of their boat, and three of the five jumped out and were drowned ; the two that remained in the boat crossed in safety.
On one occasion, while blasting the ledge at the Falls, a man named Lewis was blown up and survived only nine days. He was an Englishman. This occurred in the spring of 1833.
William Morse built the first house and blacksmith shop at the Falls, and the second house was by Nathan Knapp. Alvan Bolster and James H. Farnum kept the first store there, and the first fulling mill was built by Moses T. Cross of Bethel, in 1×33. The first clover mill was by Simon Stevens of Paris, in 1835, and the first tavern there was kept by Levi Abbot. The power was utilized first by Rufus Virgin and Nathan Knapp. Afterwards, for some years, by Chaplin Virgin, who also built carriages and sleighs. Business at the Falls has declined within a few years, but it is hoped that it will be greatly increased by the present owners.
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A prominent character in Rumford for many years, was Mr .. Phineas Wood, whose home was near Red Hill. Mr. Wood came- from Dracut, Mass., early in the century. Though without educa- tion, he did a large amount of business, and for his time and with his opportunities, accumulated a large estate. He was a man of vast proportions, towering a head above ordinary men, and broad in proportion to his height. He was a prominent figure at military trainings and musters, at fourth of July celebrations, and agricul- tural exhibitions.
Mr. Wood kept a large stock, and his broad, hill-side ranges contained some of the finest cattle in the county. He was in the habit of salting his stock every Sunday morning, and his method of doing it was unique. He would fill a bag with salt, and placing it across a horse's back, he would get on himself and start for the distant hills. Arriving at the pasture and before entering it, he would untie the bag and holding the open end in one hand, with the other he would guide his horse into the pasture. The cattle, expecting a visit about this time, would be hanging around the entrance to the pasture, and as soon as Mr. Wood entered, the entire herd, bellowing so as to be heard far away, would rush toward him at the top of their speed, and putting his horse into the run, Mr. Wood would scatter salt from the open bag until it was empty. By this time the entire herd would be enjoying their Sun- day morning relish, and Mr. Wood would quietly return to his home.
Mr. Wood was often in law with some of his towns-people ; not that he was litigious himself, for he was generally the defendant in the cases, and somehow he was generally beaten. On one occasion when he had a cause to be tried at Paris, he informed the presiding judge that, as he lost most of his cases when he employed a lawyer, he had concluded to try this case himself. He accordingly took charge of it, and in his argument before the jury, displayed such a knowledge of the law, and such oratorical powers, though of course his language was not grammatical, that the judge, jury and bar were astonished. The jury gave him a verdiet without leaving their seats. On another occasion when Mr. Wood had lost a case, and as he thought unjustly, he sarcastically suggested to the court that he thought he had better leave his pocket-book with him, so that when cases were entered he might settle them and save the expense of a trial.
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In the olden times, there was a small village in the town of Woodstock, on the thoroughfare between Rumford and Paris, where people were in the habit of congregating on Saturday afternoons, to run, wrestle, pitch quoits and engage in other manly sports. At such times the ardent flowed freely, and the exercises would some- times close with almost a tragedy instead of a farce. Rumford people were often here, including Mr. Wood who was fond of ex- hibiting his great strength and not averse to indulging in the use of the ardent. On one occasion, when a party of these merrymakers were present and Mr. Wood among them, something was stolen from somebody, about which there was considerable talk and no small amount of bluster. Finally Mr. Wood took out his pocket- book and stepping up to the store keeper, offered to pay for the missing article. "Why," said the dispenser of liquid rations, "you did not take it, did you Mr. Wood." "No," said Wood, "but I have neighbors who will swear I did, and I may as well pay for it now as hereafter."
Yet, notwithstanding all his peculiarities, Mr. Wood was in many respects, a valuable citizen. He had energy and push, and if there was any difficult work to be done in the town, such as building a bridge or opening a new road, he was always ready to undertake it, and whatever he did undertake he always accomplished. He kept good stock and through his efforts, the stock in the town became much improved. He was generous, kind hearted and neighborly, and in his extensive farming operations he gave employment to many persons, some of whom would have found it difficult to have obtained work anywhere else. His death was a great loss to the farming interests of the neighborhood in which he lived, and to the town. Mr. Wood was fortunate in his family relations. Both of his wives were amiable and intelligent women, and his children grew up to be respected in town and after they went to seek their fortunes elsewhere. Only two remain : John R. Wood of Brooklyn, New York, and Mrs. Vileria Caldwell who now resides at North Waterford.
A charter was granted to build a bridge across the Androscoggin river, at any point between the mouth of Ellis river and Kimball's Ferry, in Rumford, in 1819. The incorporators named in the charter were Daniel Martin, Ezra Smith, Francis Cushman, David Burbank, Luther Bean, Nathaniel Rolfe, Kimball Martin, Joel Howe
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and Peter C. Virgin. It was to be completed in four years. Acts were passed by the Maine Legislature, extending the time for the completion of this bridge, Jan. 15, 1822, and Feb. 17, 1827. An act was passed February 14, 1833, to take effect the April following, for the protection of the bridge, providing a fine of three dollars for crossing it faster than a walk. March 23, 1839, an act was passed increasing the rates of toll, and making the rates at Bethel, Rumford and Jay, uniform. The bridge at Jay was built by the "Oxford Bridge Association" This constitutes all the legislation with regard to the Rumford bridge, nor was this last necessary, for January 26, 1839, this bridge, the one at Bethel and several others on the Androscoggin below, were swept away by a winter freshet. This was nearly half a century ago, and the ferry in Summer and ice in Winter have been the only means of crossing the river between the Corner and the Point since that time.
There was a ferry established between the Point and Corner, in 1809, and with the exception of the few years when the river was bridged, it has been in operation when the river has been open ever since. There have been times when it was dangerous crossing, and some have had narrow escapes from drowning. At one time a young minister undertook to pull himself over in a small boat, and when in the middle of the river he kicked his boat away and was left hanging on the rope, and half under water, as the water was high. He gave the alarm, but there was no way to reach him ex- cept by means of the large boat. This was pulled off from the bank and started toward him, but in pulling, the rope would be first taut and then slack, which kept him bobbing up and down, part of the time in the water up to his neck. He was rescued in time from a position which was more ludicrous than dangerous. Ile was of that persuasion that believes in immersion, but this time he got more water than was wholly desirable.
At another time, in the spring when the ice interferred with the running of the boat, among others going over, was a young man dressed for a ball which was coming off at the Corner, and where he was to meet the lady he afterward married. Above his other clothing, he wore a fur overcoat. There were cakes of ice in the way and the ferryman was doing his best to keep clear of them, when our young man sang out, "Just let your unele Dudley pull a minute," and seizing hold of the rope, he pulled away with all his
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might. There was a jam of ice ahead, and the ferryman and others .
on the boat, cautioned him not to run into it, but he did not heed them and kept on. When the collision came, the rope was un- shipped from the boat, and the amateur boatman thrown some fifteen feet up stream, and struck the water head foremost. He was pulled out by the heels, and the boat was brought to the shore with great difficulty, a long distance below the landing place. It left the young man in a condition unfit to proceed to the ball, and "Let your uncle Dudley pull," were words he was obliged to hear quite frequently for a long time afterwards, and which he by no means relished.
When Jonathan Keyes first came to Rumford, the place was sometimes visited by roving Indians, and as they came from Canada and the war for independence was in progress, they sometimes appeared in war paint though they never made any very hostile demonstrations toward his family. One time when Jonathan Keyes was absent from home, his son Francis saw several painted Indians approaching the house, and ran and told his mother. Mrs. Keyes was a very large woman, and as fearless as she was large. She told Francis to step into the house and stay there. She then went out and confronted the head Indian, one Tomhegan with whom she was acquainted, and asked whether they were for peace or war? They answered, peace. "Then," said she "hand me your guns." They obeyed and, having received them, she gave them bread and maple sugar to eat ; after they had eaten, they took their guns and passed along. Keyes came home at night, and not liking the aspect of things, took his family and started at once for New Gloucester, where he arrived in safety. This was about the time of the Indian raid into Bethel. These Indians had been to Livermore to attack the settlement there, but finding it too strong, they left without making any demonstration.
Benjamin Rolfe, who came from Concord, N. H., and settled on the south side of the river above Rumford Falls, was among the first in town to receive a commission as Justice of the Peace. It is related of him that wishing to convey a piece of real estate, and there being no other civil magistrate near, he stationed himself before a mirror, and after looking at himself in the glass, he repeated the formula, "Personally appeared before me, etc.," and then signed it officially after having signed as grantor.
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An act was passed February 8, 1819, authorizing the sale of the ministerial and school lands in Rumford, and the trustees of the funds named in the act are: Francis Keyes, William Wheeler, Nathan Adams, Joshua Graham, Daniel Knight, Hezekiah Hutchins and Peter C. Virgin. In 1845, an act was passed directing the trustees acting under the act of 1819, to transfer and deliver up to the municipal officers of the town, all monies, notes and other securities constituting the school funds, virtually repealing the former aet. It is said that a large portion of these funds were lost to the schools by loaning them to irresponsible parties without suffi- cient security.
The Maine Legislature, February 18, 1835, granted a charter to the Rumford Falls Bridge Company, and allowed them five years in which to construct a bridge across the river at or near Rumford Falls. The bridge was commenced but never completed. The following persons constituted the company : Rufus Virgin, Moses F. Kimball, John M. Eustis, Otis C. Bolster, Moses T. Cross, Edward Stevens, Aaron Stevens, David Abbot 4th, Lyman Bolster, Thos. G. Clark, John E. Rolfe, Albert G. Glines, Chas. E. Virgin, Chandler Abbot, Osgood Eaton, Jr., Jacob Abbot 2d, David B. Glines, James H. Farnum, Wm. W. Farnum, Stephen Farnum, Jr., Jesse Putnam, Joseph Adams, Aaron Virgin, David Farnum, Josiah Parker, Daniel Hall, Jeremiah Farnum, Jesse Hoit, Jeremiah Hall, Stephen Putnam, David Knapp, Enoch Knapp and Alvan Bolster.
The first mills in Rumford were erected by Capt. John Chandler of Concord, N. H. He was the son of Lient. John and Mary (Carter) Chandler, and was born in Concord, December 11, 1752. An ac- count of his contract with the proprietors to build mills on Concord river in New Pennacook may be found in the abstract of the records of the proprietary. None of this Chandler family ever lived in Rum- ford. April 15, 1792, John Chandler sold the mills on Concord river, together with one hundred acres of land, to Aaron Moor who had been a resident here for several years. February, 1796, Aaron Moor sold the mill property and land to Gustavus A. Goss, and bought land in Number 2, now Franklin Plantation, where he moved with his family. June 15, 1804, Aaron Moor of Number 2 sold a lot of land adjoining the one on which Francis Hemmingway settled, to Josiah Bean of Bethel. The mills on Concord river finally came into the hands of David Abbot, who operated them for many years
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and they have since been known as Abbot's mills. Mr. Abbot exchanged other lands for the mill property, including lands with Goss, and gave one hundred and ten thousand feet of pine lumber in addition, about the year 1800. Samuel V. Abbot succeeded his father in the ownership of the mills and still continues to operate them. A few years ago he erected a new and very fine grist mill, which has been well patronized, and the saw mill has turned out a great deal of lumber.
Silas Howe came from Berlin, Mass., quite early and settled at Rumford Centre. Some of the early town meetings were held at his house. He put up frames for a saw and grist mill at the mouth of Split brook, but he did not finish them, and January 12, 1803, he sold his house and land with the mill privilege and frames to Phineas Wood. June 1, 1803, Phineas Wood sold to Nathan Hunting of Chelmsford, Mass., one hundred acres of land, together with house and one-half of the mill frames near the mouth of Split brook and privilege. The lot of land conveyed was number eighty- three, on the north side of the Great river. August 30, 1804, Wood sold to Hunting, his wife Patty joining in the conveyance, the other half of the mills and privilege. Hunting had then moved into town and he continued here and to operate the mills with Francis Smart for some years. Reference is made to Hunting and the mills in abstracts of town records. These mills were afterward owned by Joshua Graham and were known as Graham's mills. Since that time they have been owned by Wade Moor, Chaplin Virgin and others.
It is said that Stephen Greenleaf Stevens sold to Jesse Duston, blacksmith, the lot of land on which Rumford Point village now is. Mr. Duston married a daughter of Phineas Howard of Howard's Gore. He was the son of Jesse Duston, an early settler of Bethel, and a lineal descendant of the famous Hannah (Emerson) Duston who killed the band of Indians at Pennacook, N. H., which had made her and her nurse captives at Haverhill. Mr. Duston moved from Rumford to Brunswick where some of his descendants still reside. February 27, 1810, Stephen Greenleaf Stevens sold to Jesse Duston, blacksmith, one-half of lot numbered forty-eight in the third division of lots, containing one hundred and twenty-two acres.
Lydia, daughter of Francis Keyes, Esq., married Francis Cush- man, and after his death she became insane. She was harmlessly
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crazy, but sometimes she was very annoying to public gatherings which she chose to attend. She had the impression that her husband had been swindled out of his property, and this made her very bitter toward some of the prominent families in town. At the funeral of Porter Kimball she refused to give up her pew to the mourners, and whenever the minister, in the course of his funeral sermon, said anything in praise of the deceased, "Aunt Lydia," as she was always called, would audibly contradiet him. There was a large funeral, he being a member of the Sons of Temperance, and a large number of the members of the fraternity was present from adjoining towns, on which account Aunt Lydia's interruptions were especially annoying.
On a certain occasion there was a Universalist conference meet- ing at Rumford, and Aunt Lydia Cushman was present. Among the ministers there, was Rev. J. C. Snow who had lately come into the State, and was settled in Norway. Mr. Snow was a young man, beardless, with rosy cheeks which made him appear much younger than he really was. He took part in the meeting, and at one of the sessions, made a very eloquent and soul-stirring speech. Aunt Lydia listened very attentively, and when he closed she sprang to her feet and quoted in a clear voice the first part of the second verse of the eighth psalm, "Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength." There was a smile upon the faces of the audience and an audible titter among the younger portion, but Aunt Lydia looked as grave as a judge, and no doubt felt that her little speech was a climax to the eloquence of the youthful preacher.
On another occasion Aunt Lydia was at a meeting where several of her imaginary enemies were present, and she became so wild and noisy that it became necessary to remove her, after she had per- sistently refused to hold her peace or go out of her own accord. So two strong men undertook to put her out and after skirmishing a little they seized her, one on each side, and began to carry her down the isle toward the door. She stopped all resistance, and looking down with contempt, first on one of her bearers and then on the other, she raised her eyes to the audience and said: "I am more favored than was the Saviour of the world ; he had to be con- tent with riding on one ass, while I am borne on the backs of a pair of them."
Aunt Lydia Cushman often went to Augusta when the Legislature
The Ofilums Homestead, Rumford. 1805.
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was in session, and tried to obtain legislation to protect the property rights of women. Dressed partly in male attire, she would sit in the galleries at the State House with knitting work in hand, through entire sessions closely watching the proceedings and listening to the debates, and when anything was said that especially pleased her, she would heartily respond with "amen" or "double amen to that." Her insanity rather increased with her years, and she was sent to the Insane Hospital, where in the old ladies' ward, she was tenderly cared for, until her mind and body became weakened, when as a harmless incurable, on account of the crowded condition of the Hospital, she was taken back to Rumford and soon after died.
In a letter written by Aunt Lydia Cushman, dated Rumford, October, 1874, she says : "The Beans came from Standish to Bethel ; there were three of them, Josiah, Jonathan and Daniel. Josiah was my grandfather ; he married Molly Crocker and they had nine children. The rest of the Crocker family moved to Machias. I never saw my great grandfather, but I have seen my great grand- mother. She was a short little Dutchman ; when she stood up, her head was just as high as the distaff of a little old fashioned spinning wheel, and the old fashioned wheels were not as high by one foot as the present ones. My great grandfather one night hurried his wife off to bed and assisted her about the children. When she woke up in the night he had not come to bed ; she called him but he did not answer, and on getting up she found him hanging by the neck and stone dead. Neither she nor the children had ever thought of such a thing ; death was its own interpreter." She signed her name as "Lydia Cushman, a teacher of righteousness to this generation, not that a female should carry the reins, sit on the right and drive the horse, but if her husband dies, she should have the privilege born with her, to speak the truth."
Nathan Adams was one of the proprietors of Andover. This town was granted to inhabitants of Andover, Mass., and neighbor- ing towns, and was largely settled by people from Andover. The early Merrills, Poors, Adamses Wardwells and Abbots came from there, while others came from Newbury, Amesbury and Bradford. Nathan Adams sold out his interest in Andover, having previously bought of Sarah Stevens a full right amounting to nearly four hun- dred acres of New Pennacook lands. His tract was next to Bethel, now Hanover line. He first moved into Bethel and remained while
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he cleared land and built a house upon his own territory. While in Bethel he was chosen one of the selectmen, and one of his children was born in Bethel. He was one of the more forehanded of the early settlers of Andover, and also of Rumford, having been a well- to-do farmer in Andover, Mass. His was not one of the old Andover families, the Adamses having moved there probably from New Hampshire, perhaps from New Ipswich. He descended from William Adams who was a resident of Ipswich, Mass., in 1640.
The schools of Rumford are not as well attended as they were fifty years ago. Then nearly all the seats were filled even in the cross road school-houses. The school on the west side of Ellis river in the Howe district once had fifty or sixty pupils in winter, and thirty to forty in summer, but not half that number attends there now. Once a young man applied for and obtained the winter school in this district, but when he made his appearance he found so many bouncing girls present that his heart failed him. He man- aged to get through the day, but at night, he announced his inten- tion of keeping the school no longer. The girls really liked his appearance and thought he would make a good teacher, and so they urged him to stay and continue the school and promised to respect and obey him, but it was all to no purpose. Calvin Howe who lived in this district, had eleven daughters, enough to make more than an average country school of the present day.
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