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 29
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 29
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 29
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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
1806. The $700 voted in 1805, or what remained of it, was this year voted by the town to be placed at the disposal of the North Parish. This north parish, on petition of the people, was now incorporated by an act of the General Court, March 10, 1806 ; and included all the northern part of the town as far as the south lines of the Stackpole lot on George's river, the Wessaweskeag marshes, and the lot of Josiah In- graham on the shore of Owl's Head Bay; - leaving in the South Parish most of that which is now South Thomaston. The first legal meeting of the north parish was held June 21st ; and D. Fales, M. Wheaton, H. Knox, W. Tilson, and J. Tol- man were appointed a committee to supply the pulpit with a minister. But, in the mean time, Mr. Chealy's popularity had greatly declined, especially with the keen-sighted Knox, who complained of the minister's having too much to say in his own praise, adding that " even Cicero could never speak of himself without appearing ridiculous." The General's hesi- tation was still farther increased by a letter to Rev. Mr. Huse of Warren, from a western clergyman, advising the people of VOL. I. 23
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HISTORY OF THOMASTON,
Thomaston not to be in a hurry about settling him till his character had time to develope itself. Several letters passed between Knox and Mr. Huse on the subject ; in one of which, now before me, the former says, Aug. 17, 1805, " Hitherto I have made no use of the papers you were so good as to trans- mit respecting Mr. Chealy, whom I have not seen since. The , settlement of a proper character as a minister is of great im- portance to the reputation and happiness of this Town. I therefore request to know how far you consider me restricted from a disclosure to Mr. Chealy and others. It is but fair the accused should have an opportunity of defense." The reply to this letter and the proceedings thereupon, do not appear ; but the advice given seems to have been approved of by the General, who declared that the minister of Thomaston must be like Cæsar's wife, " not only pure, but unsuspected." The parochial concerns of the place being now transferred to the North Parish, the connection between Mr. Chealy and the town was brought to a close May 26th; and $600 were paid him in part by subscription and in part by $179 of that raised by the town. The sequel of his life proved the wis- . dom of the advice given and taken. He became a partner with one Martin in a grocery store on Tileston's Wharf, Bos- ton, which was much frequented by the coasters of this and the neighboring towns, with whom for many years he made him- self popular by his wit, jests, and anecdotes, but becoming intemperate, gradually sank into obscurity. One of his say- ings may be given as a specimen of his character and self- esteem. To one who was joking him upon his change of occupation from preaching the Gospel to retailing liquors, he replied that " if Satan should once find out that I, who had long been his greatest opponent, have now come over to his side, and engaged in his business, I am afraid it would go hard with me."
After the departure of Chealy, there was no regular preach- ing until Sept. 7th, when, at the invitation of Gen. Knox, the Rev. Jason Chamberlain, a graduate of Brown University in 1804, came here and supplied the pulpit most ably and ac- ceptably, until the 16th of December following. The parish would gladly have retained his services, and instructed their committee to agree with and continue him as their minister, for a longer period; but the committee were deterred from entering into any permanent engagement by the gloomy shadow which had fallen alike upon the parish, the town, and the community at large ; and Mr. Chamberlain was paid off and allowed to depart, having had the mournful satisfaction
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and the painful duty of paying his last tribute of respect to the character, and officiating at the funeral obsequies of his friend and patron, the leading man of the parish, the bene- factor of the town, the life of the business community, the promoter of every kind of improvement, the friend of virtue. his country, and the human race. Mr. Chamberlain was af- terwards, Jan. 6, 1808, ordained at Guilford, Vt., became a Unitarian, and, on being appointed professor of languages in the University of Vermont, resigned his charge and was dis- missed Feb. 27, 1811. He continued in the professorship till 1814, and died in 1821 .*
Major General Henry Knox died on the 25th of October, 1806. His death was occasioned by his inadvertently swal- lowing one of the minute sharp bones of a chicken, which, lodging in the œsophagus, or stomach, produced an inflam- mation that could not be controlled. His short but distress- ing illness was soothed by the assiduous care and affectionate solicitude of his family, especially of his two daughters, who ministered to every want, reading and offering up prayers at his bed-side.
On the 28th, his funeral was celebrated with military honors. The day was fair, the assemblage numerous, and the services impressive. A prayer, solemn and pertinent, offered up in the deep clear tones of Mr. Chamberlain, penetrated far into the crowds that filled and surrounded the mansion ; and a eulogy was pronounced by Hon. Samuel Thatcher of Warren. A procession was then formed, preceded by the company of militia, marching with arms reversed, under Capt. David Fales, jr., the company of artillery under Lieut I. Cushing, and the company of cavalry under Capt. Wm. Gregory, suc- ceeded by the bearers and coffin, on which lay the General's hat and sword. Behind this was led the departed hero's fa- vorite horse, with the boots of his late rider reversed in the stirrups, followed by the mourning relatives, domestics, cit- izens and strangers. The whole, under the direction of D. S Fales, marshal of the day, marching slowly to the music of a solemn dirge accompanied by the muffled drum, amid the tolling of the bell and minute guns fired on the heights at a distance, moved from the house up the " Lane," now Knox street, to the present Main street, down the same to the wood near Mill River, passed under the lofty pines sighing respon- sive to the weeping friends in concert with the mournfal tune of Roslin Castle, and rendered more sombre by the cloud
* Rev. J. L. Sibley, librarian of Harvard College.
-
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HISTORY OF THOMASTON,
which just then overcast the sun, till they arrived at the tomb under the General's favorite oak, where he, in his contempla- tive moods, loved to linger while living. There the corpse was deposited, a few volleys fired above it, and the proces- sion returned in the same order, the music playing a livelicr air.
This tomb, about half a mile from the mansion,* proving unsatisfactory on account of injuries from frost and water, his remains were, seven years later, removed to a second on the margin of the river, nearer the house, and again, three years afterwards, for similar reasons, to a more suitable place about six rods east of the mansion and separated from it by a small grove of spruce and larches. Here, in the centre of a walled enclosure of some four square rods, was constructed a tomb of granite, surmounted by a modest shaft of marble. On the south side of this, facing the river, within sight and sound of its murmuring waters, was this inscription :
THE TOMB
OF .. MAJOR GENERAL KNOX, WHO DIED OCT. 25TH 1806, AGED 56 YEARS.
"'Tis fate's decree ; Farewell ! thy just renown, The Hero's honor, and the good Man's crown.".
* Whilst resting in its first depository under the oak, the honored dust of the hero was visited by Gen. Henry Jackson, an old companion in arms and friend of the family, then a guest at the mansion Taking a walk to the tomb, he seated himself upon it, and, calling up reminiscences of the past, lingered there far into the twilight. His reverie was suddenly inter- rupted by a voice exclaiming, "in the name of God, what are you here for ?- dear General, I loved and respected you while living - why not rest in peace ?" Rising to give an account of himself, he found it pro- ceeded from Mr Brown, a neighbor of Knox, who, in company with Wm. W. French, had been round to the grist-mill in a canoe and landed to see the recently constructed tomb, but from the dusk of evening and similarity of stature, had mistaken the friend for the veritable ghost of the departed.
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ROCKLAND AND SOUTH THOMASTON.
CHAPTER XIV.
FROM 1806. TO THE COMMENCEMENT OF THE SECOND WAR WITH GREAT BRITAIN.
THE subject of building a work-house, for the employment of the idle and support of the poor, was in 1806 brought be- fore the town, but passed over, and the maintenance of pau- pers voted to be sold to the lowest bidder ; - each to be set up separately. The number of such at this time was four; and they were taken by different individuals at an aggregate cost of 8260,52.
The year 1806 was that in which the town first sent two representatives, instead of one as heretofore, to the General Court; a fact which, as well as the gubernatorial vote, indi- cates a decided Republican majority in the town, and the great effort made here and throughout the State to secure the ascendency of that party in the Legislature.
WVm. Watson (2d) who had long kept a ferry near the point which bears his name, being now deceased, the town, April 7th, of this year, voted that the 'selectmen apply to the Court of Common Pleas to establish a ferry across George's River at that place. This ferry was continued by James Watson, Jr., son of William, until it was superseded by the present lower toll-bridge. Though young Jamie was some- thing of an oddity from his childhood, yet his general man- agement of the ferry was, we believe, unobjectionable ; the following somewhat amusing occurrence being probably an exception. John Wyllie, Jr., on his return from Cushing to his home in Warren, on a hot summer's day, thought it would save a few miles' riding to cross at this ferry, and, embarking in Jamie's float, led his horse as far as he could reach bottom, after which the animal was expected to swim. But, becom- ing restive or frightened when about half way across, he floundered, and jerked his owner into the water; who, being a good swimmer and unwilling to risk his horse without a guide, kept hold of the bridle, making towards shore and ex- pecting the ferryman would soon come to his aid. But, on looking round, he saw Jamie had turned about, and was pad- dling back to the shore he had left. The horse and his rider reached land in safety ; but on asking Watson, the next time he met him, what he meant by leaving him in such a perilous situation in the middle of the river, Wyllie was answered, "Oh! I see'd you helped yourself."
23*
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HISTORY OF THOMASTON,
The year 1806 was memorable, June 16th, for that sub- lime phenomenon, a nearly total eclipse of the sun at noonday. It was the nearest approach to a total eclipse ever witnessed · by the inhabitants here, and long formed an epoch among farmers, who used to date from it the commencement of those cold seasons and precarious harvests, which, with some excep- tions, continued with increasing severity for ten years.
Among the wreck's and other disasters of this year may be mentioned the loss of a coaster from this river, on Richmond ledge. She was commanded by Matthias Isley, a native of Waldoboro', but at the time residing in this town in the house now occupied by G. Webster Shibles. He was a man of some smartness for business, but fond of gambling and ca- rousing. Returning from Boston on this occasion, with many passengers on board and a fair wind, he at night intrusted the helm to one of the hands, with directions what course to steer, went below, and joined a number of the passengers at the card-table. There he continued, participating in their play, their liquor, and their consequent merriment, without regard either to time or the vessel's progress, till she struck. Startled and confused, he ran upon deck, utterly at a loss where he could be or what was to be done. The passengers were equally alarmed, and, in the confusion, a boat was launched, and, with a number of passengers in it, was imme- diately upset by the surf. Ano her boat was launched, but, as soon as entered, the plug was found to be out and the water fast gushing in; one of the passengers attempted to stop it with his thumb, which was immediately taken off by the grinding rock beneath; and worst of all, in the eager scramble one life at least was lost. This was the wife of Peter Stone of this town, who was returning with her hus- band from a visit either to his friends in Framingham or hers in Belchertown. The survivors, with one exception, finally got able to manage the boats, and put off for the land, arriv- ing safe in Portland. One of the hands, Alex. Bird of War- ren, a veteran tar, seeing the confusion and deeming the risk of life greater in the boats than on the wreck, took his pipe and quietly sat down in the cabin, where he was found next morning by those who came to see what could be saved from the vessel. Among the passengers saved, besides Mr. Stone, was the late Wm. Rice of Cushing.
1807. The town having been complained of for neglect- ing to make the county road laid out by Tolman's Pond in 1804, chose its new lawyer, Elias Phinney, agent to answer to that and any other matter that may be brought against it.
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ROCKLAND AND SOUTH THOMASTON.
Phinney was born at Lexington in 1778 ; graduated at Har- vard in 1801; and, after studying law, commenced practice in 1804 at this place, in an office over Miss Lydia Webb's pres- ent shop at Mill River ; boarding at Dr. Fales's. There being then no lawyer in this part of Thomaston, except Mir. Thatch- er, before mentioned, he soon had a great run of business, sometimes entering before Esq. Prince, then of St. George, as many as eight, sixteen, and even eighteen actions in one day." These justice actions had formerly been tried by jus- tices of the peace, on writs issued by themselves ; which practice the members of the bar about this time attempted to suppress, by adopting a bar rule that, in case of an appeal, none of its members should lend their aid in advocating such suit in the court above. A countervailing agreement was then entered into by the justices of the county, not to sign any blank writs to be furnished to the lawyers. Prince, however, either not having been a party to the agreement, or having been prevailed on to break through it, was resorted to in his secluded situation, and for a time did a lucrative busi- ness in that way, till, by his means, the agreement was aban- doned. Phinney continued his business about eight years ; built here a ship for his brother in Charleston, S. C .; mar- ried, July 3, 1809, Catharine, daughter of Hon. J. Bartlett of Charlestown, Mass., whither he removed about 1812. He subsequently obtained and for many years kept the office of clerk of the courts in Middlesex county, all the while culti- vating the farm on to which he removed in Lexington, which, though naturally sterile, he brought to the highest state of fertility, and by his own personal superintendence, scientific and practical skill, made it a model for imitation and the wonder of connoiseurs. He died July 24, 1849.+
The town this year, for the first time, chose a superintend- ing committee for the purpose of examining teachers and schools, consisting of Messrs. Dodge, D. Fales, and Phinney. A school-house was built now, or in 1808, in what was then District No. 6, for which a tax of $400 was assessed on it ; and many of the schools underwent a manifest improvement in discipline and instruction. Something in this line was done by David Eaton,t who, in 1-04, had taught some four or five months in the school-house which then stood on Lime- stone hill, or Prison corner. Other successful and popular
* Diary of II. Prince, Esq.
t Rev. J. L. Sibley, librarian of Harvard University. &c.
t A brother of the author, who settled in Portland, N. Y., on the bor- ders of Lake Erie, where he was, in 1864, still living at the age of $2.
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HISTORY OF THOMASTON,
teachers succeeded, among whom were this year, Jos. H. Underwood in the same district, and Fiske at Mill River, the former of whom became a skilful trader, manufac- turer, and stock farmer in Fayette, Maine, and the latter a merchant in Concord, N. II. - both of whom were, in 1964, still living, in the enjoyment of wealth and honor, at the age of 80 years and upwards.
After the staggering blow which the business of this town received in the death of Gen. Knox, it still survived, though in a less commanding form, in the hands of those who had a little before that event, or soon after, engaged in it. Capt. T. Vose continued merchandise at the upper wharf, until near his death, in 1810. Mrs. Sarah Dunton, who, after being abandoned by her husband, had commenced a milliner's shop which was gradually extended to fancy goods, then to Eng- lish, and ultimately to a general assortment of W. I. goods and groceries, continued the business with profit and success, to the time of her death, June 28, 1812, in the house which she had built on Main street, now occupied by Mrs. R. Rob- inson. John Paine, also, was now a resident of the place ; having come about 1805, and, finding no suitable place for sale lower down, built a store and wharf near the foot of the Narrows, and, soon after, on the Shibles' lot, the mansion now occupied by his son's widow. He did an extensive busi - ness in .the lumber trade from here to Liverpool, Bristol, and other foreign ports, -sometimes loading English vessels on contract, and freighting others owned or chartered by him- self; bringing back the proceeds in salt, coal, dry goods, and hardware, for this or the Boston market, according to the de- mand This trade, particularly in pine timber, was brisk and profitable, till it was suddenly stopped by the embargo laid upon all American vessels, on the 22d Dec. of this year, 1807. During this embargo, the non-intercourse which suc- ceeded it, March 1st, 1809, and the war which followed, Mr. Paine continued to carry on a precarious but active business, preserving, by use, his shipping from decay, and without any heavy or material losses. At Mill River, goods had been sold at different periods, or were now selling, by J. Reed, whose store stood on Mill-river hill, about 100 rods from E. G. Dodge's ; by Henry J. Knox, a partner with Reed; by Samuel M. Martin, and Major Nathan Parsons, east of the bridge; by Jackson Durand, "below the town landing; by David Fales (2d). before 1800 for himself, and after 1802 as clerk for Dr. Webb, near the bridge ; and by John Blacking- ton, who removed there from Blackington's corner and bought
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ROCKLAND AND SOUTH THOMASTON.
out Durand & Abrams. Parsons, as before noted, continued business as a blacksmith, made axes and warranted them ; which term, on trial, turned out to mean " warranted only to be axes." He had been in the army of the Revolution, an officer, if his title of Major were not apocryphal, as some have supposed ; but, being fond of money, he was not over scrupulous as to the means of amassing it. The following anecdotes, whether true or not, are handed down of him, here. Graves, who was tending for him, told him, one night, that a man had been in and got some articles on credit, but he had neglected to ascertain his name till he had gone, and now knew not whom to charge them to. "Charge them to Carny !" said the Major. " Bud," (this was one of his sons,) " have you charged that rum ?" "Hav'nt drawn any, sir." " Yes, you have-two gallons ; - charge it to Oliver Smith." " Sparrowhawk," (another son.) " is not that Matthew Kel- loch going over the bridge ?" " Yes, sir." " Charge him with a mug of flip." If these floating traditions were but caricatures of his real dealings, it is not strange that he soon became able to loan money, for doing which, at twelve per cent., he was indicted, as before noted, and subsequently re- moved to Bangor. His store was at the corner east of Mill River bridge, on the northern side, now owned by Mr. Fish.
Among the sea-captains in Mr. Paine's employ about this time and later, were his son John (+. Paine, James Spalding, Niven and Lawrence Crawford of Warren, and Stephen Clough. The last had been in France at the time of the Revolution, and brought away emigrants fleeing for their lives and freighting his vessel with their goods ; - was at one time in possession of a fortune and lived in an elegant mansion on Wiscasset Point ; - but met with losses and subsequently re- moved to this town. After residing here and at Warren in different houses, he was employed as commander of a river steamboat in the South-west, where he died of sun-stroke, having previously lost by sickness all the crew who com- menced the voyage with him. He having requested to be buried on land and a stone bearing his name to be erected, it was done accordingly at Mobile ; and the grave has been vis- ited by some of his relatives since. His wife, a woman of energy and public spirit, kept for some years before and after his death a milliner's shop in Warren, and resided there till married late in life, to Capt. Pendleton of Camden.
At the Shore village, business was at this time on the in- crease in the hands of the Ulmers, C. Spofford, and Josiah Ingraham. The only regular coaster, at this time, was the
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HISTORY OF THOMASTON,
sloop William, commanded by Wm. Spear, which was after- wards wrecked on Monhegan with a cargo of lime ; but her place was soon supplied by a schooner built for him and named the Oliver from Oliver Fales, one of the principal owners, who, not long after this date, commenced his success- ful career in business, at the corner of what are now Main and Lime Rock streets, Rockland. Lindsey's and Spear's were still the only wharves in the place.
The question of Separation of the State was again voted upon this year, with the following result; viz., 22 in favor, and 148 against the measure. A project was also in agita- tion at this time for a separation of the town, and making a , new one of the south parish; but the citizens, April 6, 1807, passed a vote disapproving of the measure. The year seems to have been one of a somewhat disorderly character, both among men and cattle, judging from the following votes. Having chosen four pound-keepers, the town voted to accept the offer of Samuel Lindsey to build a pound, of boards, free of expense to the town; and also to accept on the same terms the barn-yard of Jacob Ulmer and that of Capt. Elisha Snow, as pounds for the present year ; making some half dozen in all. And, on an article to see if the town would provide Stocks for confining disorderly persons, the town " voted not to have stocks the present year."
In the North Parish, the zeal for settling a minister was partially revived by Rev. J. Warren Dow, who preached nine Sabbaths prior to July 21st, 1807; and it was quite .re- kindled in the autumn by the preaching of Rev. Richard Briggs, a promising candidate for the ministry who had been here a short time. He was born in Halifax, Mass., and graduated at Brown University in 1804. To him a call was extended, and a yearly salary of $650 voted, Nov. 9th, at a parish meeting. 1808. At a subsequent meeting, Jan. 20, 1808, the answer of Mr. Briggs, declining the call given him. was taken into consideration, and a motion to renew the call was passed, to appearance unanimously ; with a salary of $600 and in addition a settlement of $300. This was ac- cepted Feb. 10th, by Mr. Briggs, who expressed his happi- ness that the divisions which prevented his accepting their call at first, were now composed. Thus far, everything seem- ed fair and auspicious; a day was fixed for the ordination ; and the young minister went home to prepare for the event. But an undertow was soon perceived beneath the surface, in- dicative of an approaching storm. At a meeting called by request of a large number of signers of different denomina-
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ROCKLAND AND SOUTH THOMASTON.
tions and of no denomination, April 2, it was voted "to reconsider and disannul the vote for the settlement of Mr. Richard Briggs, -to reconsider the vote for raising monies for his support, -to employ Rev. Aaron Humphrey as a re- ligious instructor; - and to give him $100 per annum." Though a committee was appointed to acquaint Mr. Hum- phrey with these proceedings, it does not appear that any money of the parish was ever paid to him. He was a Methodist minister ; but his adherents in the parish were too few, to have carried or even asked for such a measure, had they not been joined by others, who, from personal mo- tives wished to prevent the settlement of any minister. These votes were passed so late, that Mr. Briggs could not be ap- . prized of them till he arrived all prepared for the ordination, which he supposed was to take place under the most encour- aging auspices. His chagrin and disappointment were great ; but could hardly be more keen than that of many, his friends in the parish. At subsequent meetings, April 25th, and May 27th, a less hostile spirit was manifested; a committee was appointed to take measures for dividing the parish into two, but was unable to agree upon any line of division ; and nothing was done, except to vote $300 to Mr. Briggs in con- sideration of his disappointment and expense incurred by his preparation and journey hither. In the following year, May 24, 1809, Mr. Briggs was ordained it Mansfield, Mass., and, by his interesting and amiable character and demeanor, won and retained the confidence and love of his people till his dismission, Dec. 8, 1834; which he asked for in consequence of ill health and mental derangement, terminating in his death July 5, 1837.
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