USA > Maine > Knox County > South Thomaston > History of Thomaston, Rockland, and South Thomaston, Maine, from their first exploration, A. D. 1605; with family genealogies, Vol. I > Part 27
USA > Maine > Knox County > Rockland > History of Thomaston, Rockland, and South Thomaston, Maine, from their first exploration, A. D. 1605; with family genealogies, Vol. I > Part 27
USA > Maine > Knox County > South Thomaston > History of Thomaston, Rockland, and South Thomaston, Maine, from their first exploration, A. D. 1605; with family genealogies, Vol. I > Part 27
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49
1799. The school-tax voted the last year was now doubled, and, for the first time, a school-committee was chos- en, consisting of Thomas B. Wait, S. Brown, Ephraim Snow, Wm. Spear, J. Reed, Jere Tolman and Wm. Heard. Mr. Wait came from Portland, where he had been a printer and was now in partnership with Joshua Adams, trading at Owl's Head, having a good run of custom from the many coasters that made harbor there, and occasionally building and owning vessels of their own. The firm, however, did not continue many years. Adams was quick and sharp for a bargain, carrying the condition and management of affairs in his hea 1 ; while Wait was a regular methodical book-keeper and wished
21*
. ...
246
HISTORY OF THOMASTON,
to find everything exhibited in the bocks. Of consequence, they and their two systems were often interfering, and de- ranging each other's calculations. They, therefore, soon dis- solved. Adams continued the business, made money, and knew how to keep it; while Wait returned to Portland and published the " Eastern Herald," a weekly paper which cir- culated to some extent in this and the neighboring towns. He afterwards became the head of a somewhat eminent print- ing establishment in Boston.
The meeting-house having now been tastefully finished, the town was called upon at a meeting held at the house of Jona- than Spear, Jr., at the Shore, May 13th, " to see if the town will raise money for the support of the Gospel and to pay for preaching." This question being put to vote was decided in the negative.
1800. The salt-works, most of which had been suspended or interrupted by the enemy during the war, were recommenced by many of the former proprietors and others. The business was prosecuted extensively by Wm. Heard from 1800 to 1810; when, as wood was becoming scarce, the works were sold and taken to St. George. Messrs. Coombs and Rowell also had similar establishments, and carried them on as long as the price made it profitable. Some others occasionally resorted to it at times in a small way; among them H. Batchelder, and Leverett Gray, the last of whom had come from Yar- mouth, Mass., and settled near the Head of the Bay.
During the many aggressions upon our commerce by French cruisers in the few last years of the century and beginning of the next, Elisha Snow, Jr., in command of a lumber-carrying vessel, was captured in the West Indies. A prize-master and seven men were put on board; but, before arriving at any port, Capt. Snow with the aid of his negro cook still on board, regained possession, sent the French crew ashore, and brought the vessel home in safety. Another maritime event of a more. serious nature, made many mourners in that part of the town, now South Thomaston. It was, we believe, in this or the following year, that Capt. Robert Dunning, in the schooner Columbus, sailed from this port with a cargo of spars, and was supposed to have foundered at sea, with all hands on board ; as nothing was ever afterwards heard of either vessel or crew. Among the lost, were Mr. Banks of Castine, mate, Thomas Buckland of Warren, David Haskell and Samuel Pillsbury of this place, seamen .*
* Messrs. R. Rowell, A. Coombs, and others.
247
ROCKLAND AND SOUTH THOMASTON.
An alteration of the road so as to meet a similar alteration in Warren and unite with that town in erecting a new bridge at Oyster River -fourteen feet of it from the bank to be built at the expense of Thomaston, according to agreement between the selectmen of the two towns, was this year voted .. The work was done in 1801, by or under the superintendence of Capt. T. Vose. The former bridge was further up the stream, in a less eligible situation, lying wholly in the town of Warren; and the reluctance of Thomaston to incur the expense of its support had caused a rejection of this change, first proposed in 1794.
The small-pox having prevailed at Warren during the spring and summer with some fatality, apprehensions of its breaking out in this town seem to have been entertained later in the season, if indeed there were not actual cases; and at · a meeting, Dec. 31st, a vote was passed to allow a hospital provided it should be no expense to the town and be under the care of the selectmen, who were also to employ a suitable person as a health officer.
Hitherto the votes for governor and other executive officers, though more or less divided among the friends and opponents of a federal constitution, under the party names of federalists and anti-federalists or republicans, as they began to be called, had yet exhibited more or less of personal preference rather than of party discipline. But a change was now taking place; and it will be seen by Table VIII that the vote for governor was this year divided between the two parties ; though Gen. Knox, a federalist, was in May chosen to repre- sent the town in the General Court, apparently by a unani- mous vote.
The first Social Library in this town, was established this year by a sub-division of the Friendly Society, founded in Sept. 1787, by various individuals, between Newcastle and Ducktrap. Among its first members were the following from this town, with the sums each subscribed for laying its foundation, viz. : - D. Fales and D. Jenks, each £1 8s .. E. G. Dodge and Benj. Webb, each £2 16s., and John Paine, then of Bristol, but afterwards of Thomaston, £2. Its meet- ings were held at Waldoboro', Warren. and Thomaston, and, by means of public addresses, exhilarating conviviality, and the new books which assessments and fines enabled them to purchase, grew to be very popular. Its members became so numerous that, in Feb., 1792, a division took place, and the eastern portion of the members, 16 in number, were or- ganized as the " Friendly Society on St. George's River." For eight years thereafter, the annual meeting in January
248
HISTORY OF THOMASTON,
was held, and the Library kept, at Warren and Thomaston, in alternate years. In 1799 its members were 86 in number, paying an annual contribution of $43; but in January of . this year, 1800, the society was again divided, and the mem- bers belonging to this town, with their portion of the books, incorporated themselves as the " First Social Library in Thomaston." This society continued to flourish, more or less at different intervals, meeting and keeping its books at East and West Thomaston, in turn, till 1831, when it was again divided between these two villages. A meeting of the Wes- tern branch was held early that year, 1831, and, perhaps, in connection with it, the " Thomaston Athencum" was formed, for the purpose of establishing a well selected library, obtain- ing chemical and philosophical apparatus, and holding meet -. ings for discussion, but probably died out or was merged in other similar associations. The Eastern branch also flour- ished for a time, and accumulated books to the number of 500 volumes, kept by different persons, but gradually declin- ed and ran down. Mr. Pillsbury was its last librarian.
A company of cavalry, the first of the kind in this quarter, was organized about 1800; * and chiefly composed of citi- zens of this town and Camden. Its first set of officers, com- missioned Jan. and Feb. 1801, were Wm. Gregory, Jr., captain ; Phillip Hanson, first lieut .; Dr. Isaac Bernard, 2d lieut. ; and David Gay, cornet. This company made a fine appearance in their uniform of scarlet coats and buff under- clothes, which, about 1812, were changed to black close jack- ets and pantaloons trimmed with white cord; high cavalry boots and caps of leather with bear-skin over the crown and a plume of white tipped with red. It numbered as the 1st squadron in the 1st brigade of the 8th division of Massachu- setts militia. At the same time the infantry companies of this town together with those of Camden, Hope, Union, War- ren, Cushing, Friendship, and St. George, formed the 4th regiment of the same Ist brigade and 8th division, and so continued till about 1808, when by a new organization they became the 3d regiment, 2d brigade, and 11th division.
Signs of continued prosperity became every year more and more apparent, particularly in the erection of dwellings in a more stately and commodious style, mostly of two stories with hipped roofs. One of the most conspicuous of these, built the present year, was that of Dr. D. Fales, - a large
* Mr. Locke, Hist. of Camden, p. 95, says this company, as near as he could ascertain, was formed in 1813, and Dr. Bernard chosen its first cap- tain ; but, the Gregory papers and the aged Capt. John Gregory, concur with my own memory as far back as 1805, in setting the matter right.
一
249
ROCKLAND AND SOUTH THOMASTON.
square house with five chimneys, long remembered by emi- grants as one of the three buildings first seen on approaching the place by George's River; the other two being the Knox mansion and North or Congregational meeting-house. It has lately been remodeled by his grandson, D. Thorpe Fales, the present occupant. A less conspicuous but well-known house was this year built in Wadsworth street by Benjamin Hast- ings, for a tavern. In excavating the cellar of this house a piece of ordnance was unearthed, which proved to be an iron six-pounder. When or why it was buried, no one knew ; but some asserted that there had been two such pieces here in the time of the revolution, and conjectured that they might have both been buried by Gen. Wadsworth when preparing to leave the place in 1781, for fear of their falling into the hands of the British or tories. But, had this been the case, it seems improbable that Col. Wheaton, who was then and some years afterwards living, should not have known and divulged the fact. If two were buried, one yet remains to be discov- ered. Some have supposed that the gun might have been buried at a much earlier period, during the French and Indian troubles ; but I can think of no probable occasion for such a transaction at this place, unless it were on the breaking up of the first trading establishment of Ashley and Pierce about 1675, in consequence of the Indian War. Nine or ten years after its exhumation, this cannon was purchased by Mallard and Chase, taken to Union Commion for use on festive occa- sions, passed into the hands of Major Gilmore, returned to Thomaston, and helped to arm the privateer "Fame," as re- lated elsewhere, in 1814,*
It was about this time, also, we believe, that the Wads- worth house or " castle" was enlarged, and a new story added to it by Gen. Knox, who rented it as a boarding house for his workmen. It was taken at first by Wm. Stevens, who this year came from Concord, N. H., with his wife and five children, and boarded as many lime-burners and brick-makers as the house would hold. He and his family were brought hither by land, all in a double or two-horse sleigh, which was subsequently sold to Col. Starrett of Warren, and, being the only vehicle of the kind, was long known in that place under the name of " the brig." Stevens was a cooper by trade, and afterwards owned a small square house, (originally a school-house,) on the place which his son, William K., has since occupied and adorned.t
* Capt. S. M. Shibles, Hon. Wm. Singer, &c.
t Mrs Mary Kenniston, &c.
250
HISTORY OF THOMASTON,
CHAPTER XIII.
INCIDENTS IN THE NEW CENTURY DOWN TO THE DEATH 1 OF KNOX.
1801. THE first year of the new century, 1801, was signalized by the accession of Thomas Jefferson to the presi- dency and the inauguration of the party at this time styled by themselves Republicans and by their opponents " Demo- crats," "Jacobins," and " French Jacobins;" -terms of re- proach which they retaliated by denominating the Federalists " tories," "British tories," and " d-d tories." With the change of the administration, this town seems to have ex- perienced a similar change, for the time, in its politics : the majority of its votes, which had hitherto been given for Fed- eral candidates, being in April of this year given to the Re- publican candidate for Governor. Yet Gen. Knox, who was one of the Federal candidates for the Senate, received here the unanimous vote, 65 in number, of both parties ; and in May was in like manner re-elected representative. Thus did the town show itself not altogether unmindful of the munifi- cence, enterprise, and public spirit of its distinguished citi- zen, the hero of Trenton and Monmouth.
The destruction of the corn-crop by crows, had become so. great about this time as to induce the town, April 6, 1801, to vote a bounty of 20 cents for destroying them. In 1802 this bounty was reduced to 9d. and thenceforth discontinued until 1811 ; when a bounty of 20 cents was again voted, and the same again in 1816.
A suit, probably for teaching school, was commenced against the town in January, 1801, by Robert D. Sullivan in the Court of Common Pleas to be holden at Warren, now be- come a half-shire town. This was caused only by inability of the town to collect its taxes, or to get a settlement with its collectors ; and was got rid of by borrowing the money of Dr. Fales. Among the school teachers employed about this time, may be enumerated John Holland at Ash Point ; Abra- ham Gushe and Mrs. Robert Snow at Wessaweskeag ; O'iver Beals in the Thompson district, and Samuel Rinds in district No. 1, all in 1798; Martin Marsh in the N. E. and also W. Meadow district : Sabra Fales in N. part of western Meadow district ; and Joseph Underwood in district No. 1, from I. Lovett's to Cushing line, in 1799; Mrs. Micah Packard and Ruth Perry at Wessaweskeag; Betsey Underwood and Eben
R
ROCKLAND AND SOUTH THOMASTON.
251
Newell, both in Western district in 1800; and Robert D. Sullivan in the district extending from Maj. Otis Robbins's to Cushing line, in 1801. Of these, Holland at South Thomas- ton and Marsh on the Mountain farm now Rockland, became permanent residents.
Notwitstanding the steady advance which the town had been making since the peace and the stagnation of business which followed, it still, at the close of the eighteenth century, and for some years into the next, continued to present all the appearances of a new country. The clearings, except near the Fort and along the river banks, still abounded with stumps of trees ; the rough fields were enclosed with fences of large hemlock logs ; few or no orchards or gardens, except the re- cently formed ones of Gen. Knox, were to be seen; and no cultivated fruits were found, except a clump of red cherry trees and currants near some of the dwellings. From Mill River to Dea. Tilson's was a mere bog, through which a road was made of logs laid crosswise, so rough and miry that two yoke of oxen and a horse were required to haul three 50-gal- lon casks of lime from the quarries to the landing. A dense spruce thicket extended the whole distance, and beyond, with slight interruptions, to the Ulmer neighborhood, and was the usual resort for the spruce poles used in the repair of roads. On this road, going eastward, were situated at this time, the houses of P. Tilson ; Capt. Jas. Blackington ; Wm. M. Dawes, afterwards an officer in the custom-house ; James Morse, now Joshua Allen's ; James Howard; Thomas Stevens, with his wife and son Nehemiah, now removed hither and living in a small log house of one room and an entry ; Daniel Morse ; Ebenezer Blye, whose house is still, or was lately, standing ; Samuel Hammond, though probably five or six years later ; Matthias Ulmer ; and Jacob Ulmer, in the order of their names. Through these woods the cattle of the settlers used to range for subsistence, not without danger from the bears and other beasts of prey, and sometimes from less honest depredators. One autumn a cow of Esq. Reed's, and soon after a neighbor's yoke of oxen, were missed. After some time, John Butler (4th) and another boy were in the woods on land afterwards that of Dr. Dodge, and found in a dark retreat the beef of the slaughtered animals partly suspended from trees and part- ly barrelled up. This discovery being made known, the theft was traced to two persons by the name of Benjamin Aulds and Moses Brown. The roads being as yet but half made, and horse wagons and other light carriages not yet introduc- ed, horses were generally used in transporting men and other
- ... - 544
الـ
252
HISTORY OF THOMASTON,
light burdens. Old Mr. Creighton usually kept two, three, or four; on one of which, his grandson, J. Butler, before mentioned, living in the family, used, mounted on three bags of corn, to traverse the lonesome road to Tolman's mill, and, in certain seasons, even to Richards's mill, in Camden, when only ten or twelve years old. .
About this time a number of Highland Scottish families were brought into this place, by one of the George's River vessels ; probably coming on invitation from Gen. Knox. Most of them found quarters in the large house subsequently belonging to the late Wm. Nicholson, which Knox had re- cently built and designed for four families. Others found accommodation, by aid of their countryman and interpreter, McCallum, for themselves or their children at Warren, where one of them, George Moriston, a promising lad, was unfortu- nately drowned in the river, Aug. 26, 1804. They excited considerable curiosity here, clad, as they were, in their native costume, plaided and kilted, and speaking for the most part only their native Erse. Besides the name of Moriston, there were, among them, M'Cullochs, M'Leods, &c. After a few years they all removed to Nova Scotia, settled a new town- ship, and became thriving men.
1802. In April the subject of " swine running at large, well yoked and ringed," was brought before the town ; and it was voted to grant no such permission in any part of the town. So much interest was felt in education that a sum two- thirds higher than for three previous years, was voted for schools. The struggle which had for many years been going on in the town between the capability for office on the one side and the unpopularity on the other of Dr. or Esquire David Fales, seems to have been brought to a crisis this year. Notwithstanding the care and correctness with which he com- menced the records of the town, he was seldom, after the two first years, allowed to hold the Clerk's office, (which appears to have been his hobby,) though frequently elected as select- man or treasurer. Tradition has it that he was so tenacious of correctness, that he offered to make the records without compensation, and refused to give up the town book to what he considered incompetent hands. The story went that no- body could get the book from him ; but selectmen were, this year, chosen, pledged to do so or commence a suit, and were moreover appointed a committee to settle with him as treas- . urer ; - he being excluded from every office. This was not effected till Messrs. Jenks and Adams were appointed agents to commence prosecution ; when a settlement was made, and
253
ROCKLAND AND. SOUTH THOMASTON.
the town found itself indebted to Mr. Fales for services ren- dered, past orders unpaid, and monies advanced for its use, to the amount of $526,46. After this, he was elected on a board of assessors, separate, for the first time in 24 years, from the selectmen ; and, with the record of their doings. the handwriting of this exemplary, careful, and scholarly gentle- man disappears from the town records ; - to the regret of the writer, who has reason to bless his memory for the infor- mation imparted by his pen.
1803. In 1803 many of the highways were laid out anew, re-surveyed by J. Gleason, and re-accepted by the town. One consequence of this, was the leaving unoccupied a small portion of land between the new straight and the old curving road ; - since fenced, adorned with trees by Wmn. R. Keith and other public spirited individuals, and now denomi- nated the PARK or MALL in Main street, Thomaston. The town this year voted to pay Dr. Benj. Webb, then of Warren, $7,33, for damage done to his chaise at Mill River Bridge, and chose D. Jenks agent to answer to complaint of Daniel Davis at the S. J. Court for defective roads.
In consequence of Revolutionary reminiscences and later difficulties with France, a military spirit at this time generally pervaded the community. The militia was in various ways encouraged ; ambitious men eagerly sought promotion in its ranks; and, by not less than four days drilling every year, its discipline was brought to such a degree of exactness that its parades, evolutions, and sham battles, became the chief amusements of the time, and never failed to attract large crowds of every age, sex, and condition. In that spirit, this town had furnished its two companies of ordinary militia with colours, four years before, at a cost of $22; and, this year, voted that each militia man should be allowed one quarter of a pound of powder from the town's stock, to be used on the 4th of July under direction of company officers.
In consequence of the increase of town paupers, the num- ber of selectmen was increased this year to five, who were to be overseers of the poor, also. April 4th, Shepard Robbins, Capt. D. Fales, and Lieut. Hanson, were appointed a com- mittee to inquire into the condition of Joseph Stackpole and re- port to the town what ought to be done in regard to him. This committee reported, May 2d, that, "in their opinion, the said Joseph ought not to be allowed to ramble or stroll about the country as he now does, and has done for a long time, and that the Overseers of the Poor ought to bind him out to ser- vice, according to law." This was easier to vote than. to ex-
VOL. I. 22
254
HISTORY OF THOMASTON.
ecute. Joseph was a hard case. Born with a stiff and obsti- nate temper, which, irritated perhaps but not subdued in early childhood, seemed to grow with his growth, he became so viciously spiteful and malignant as to defy all attempts at coercion, and set at nought alike parental authority and the laws of the land. The slightest offence would be brooded over in secret, and nursed into an insane desire of revenge which no time could allay. He studied to appear ragged and filthy; travelled about the country, retailing scandal from house to house, sometimes exciting pity by tales of ill usage or disappointed love, and oftener extorting favors from the fear of his witty sarcasm or bitter slander. He would take infinite pains to gratify his revenge, especially upon his excel- lent father, -going great distances to intercept him at some known stopping place on a journey, and covertly shear his horse's mane and tail, or otherwise render his appearance ridiculous. On the occasion of his father's second marriage, when the guests were assembled and the ceremonies about to commence, Joseph made his appearance in his most squalid attire which he had taken great pains to scent with the per- fume of the skunk." To Mr. Fales's inquiry as to the cause of the smell, Joe replied, " it is your character, Squire Fales." Yet there were those to whom he could be kind and for a time take pleasure in obliging, cunningly ingratiating himself into favor by ridiculing the defects and exaggerating the faults of those they were known to dislike; but his friendship was precarious, liable to be interrupted by the slightest opposi- tion. He particularly hated the earnest friends of good or- der at Mill River ; whom he used to represent to his audit- ors as depending for subsistence in the spring upon smelts, " which," he said, "in scarce seasons a kind Providence, in pity to their necessity, sent a month earlier than usual." The present attempt of the town to restrain him was prob- ably unsuccessful, as all later attempts were. Although, while the British in the war of 1812 occupied Castine, he contrived, under pretence of visiting his sister there, to carry on the smuggling business in a small way, and was supposed to have acquired some little property, yet, if such he had, he took care to keep it out of the way, and, by real or atfected sickness in some distant place, often caused a heavy bill to be brought against the town for his support. To prevent this in
* This animal, though native to the country, was unknown here, it is said, in early times, but made its appearance, with other emigrants, to- ward the close of the last century.
----
ROCKLAND AND SOUTH THOMASTON.
255
future, various means were resorted to. In 1830 he was ad- vertised, and all persons forbidden to harbor or trust him. This not availing, a year or two afterwards, while the poor were under the care of Jeremiah Berry, he was many times brought home, and at length locked up in the powder-house for a time. At the first opportunity, however, Joe made his escape, complained to the grand jury, and, the confinement being in cold weather, obtained a verdict against Mr. Berry, - the fine and cost together amounting to $130,40, which the town, April 15, 1833, voted to reimburse. Similar difficulties continued to occur, and once at least with a similar issue, - as April 18, 1836, it was voted that the town pay the cost in the case of Joseph Stackpole against the selectmen of Thom- aston. This perverse and pitiable man was obliged at last to succumb to age or disease, and died the March preceding that vote, 1836, unwept and unregretted, in the town poor-house.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.