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 40
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 40
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 40
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
374
HISTORY OF THOMASTON,
lap, a supporter of Ruggles, was nominated for governor without the withdrawal of Gov. S. E. Smith, whose influence for senator was supposed to be exerted in another direction. On this, Mr. Cilley joined Smith's friends against the nomi- nation, as part of a scheme for the election of Mr. Ruggles as Senator; but though their efforts met with favor in this and neighboring towns, yet Dunlap received a majority of votes. When the Legislature met the following Jan., 1834, " the Ruggles party obtained a temporary triumph over Mr. Cilley, and effected his expulsion from the Democratic caucuses for having opposed the regular party nomination. But in the lapse of a few weeks, he became the acknowledged head and leader of the Democratic party in the Legislature ; and at the session of 1835 was elected Speaker of the House, which office he also filled in 1836 ; all parties awarding him the praise of being the best presiding officer the House ever 'had."*
In 1832, parties had become so warm and acrimonious, that a single weekly paper in the town could no longer accommodate both; and the NATIONAL REPUBLICAN. was accordingly commenced in October, as the organ of the Whig party ; printed by John Ramsey at the western village at first, and edited by Wm. J. Farley. After a few years, Ram- sey removed his establishment to East Thomaston, where his . paper was discontinued or merged in the THOMASTON RE- PUBLICAN.
1833. At the annual meeting, April 15th, a committee was appointed " to report to a future meeting a site and the probable expense of a Town House." Town meetings since 1795 had generally been held in the old Mill River church, but now the town having become so populous as to render such meetings inconvenient to the society worshipping there, the proprietors of the Cong. Church in West Thomaston of- fered the use of their vestry for the sum of $20 a year; which was accepted. Eight years later, a similar committee was appointed, probably with a like result; as a town house has never been erected. Town meetings in Thomaston prop- er, are now usually held in Union Hall.
A new Baptist church, (that now known as the First Bap- tist Church in Rockland,) was organized, Feb. 2d. Thir- ty-five persons were dismissed from the other churches in town, and recognised at the time as the Third Baptist Church in Thomaston. Of these original members, only six remain-
* Democratic Review, Sept. 1833.
375
ROCKLAND AND SOUTH THOMASTON.
ed connected with it in 1862 ; viz. : - Dea. Henry Ingraham and wife, Mrs. Eliza Thorndike, Mrs. Hannah Harden, Mrs. Mary Rider, and Mrs. Ann Jones. In March, 1834, Rev. Amariah Kalloch was settled as their first pastor, with a sal- ary of $312, and remained with them till 1848. In August, 1835, a union house, built by this society and Dea. Iddo Kimball, as detailed on a subsequent page, was dedicated; but, in 1838, the Baptists sold out their share to the Congre- gationalists, and built the house which they now occupy. This edifice, which cost about $8000, was dedicated Jan. 1, 1839; and, in 1854, was repaired, galleries put in, contain- ing thirty additional pews, and an organ and chandelier sup- plied, at an expense of some $2000. Four years later, the society was said to be free from debt; and the proceeds of a social tea-party, held by the ladies of its sewing circle on Thanksgiving, were presented to their pastor. The pastors succeeding Mr. Kalloch have been, Rev. Silas Ilsley, from May, 1848, to March, 1849 ; Rev. Jos. Belcher, D. D., from July, 1849, to Feb., 1850 ; Rev. Isaac S. Kalloch, from April, 1851, to 1855; Rev. Nathaniel Butler, from Jan., 1856, to Sept., 1859 ; and the present incumbent, Rev. H. A. Hart, of Portland, a graduate of Newton Theological Seminary, ordained August 2, 1860. This church has enjoyed several seasons of revival, more especially the great one of 1842-3, when 185 members were added. In the twenty-nine years of its existence, 710 persons have been united with it; and its present members amount to 272. Its deacons have been David Crockett, Henry Ingraham, George Thomas, and Isaac Gregory. Its Sabbath school consists of 225 scholars, and has a library of 400 volumes."
-
About this time, besides Mr. Knowles, before mentioned, at Mill River, the legal profession in West Thomaston _was strengthened by the arrival of John S. Abbot, who, after eight years successful practice here, removed to Vassalboro' and Norridgewock, and has ably filled the office of County Attorney, Visitor in 1849 to West Point Academy, and other stations. His brother, George Abbot, succeeded to his prac- tice here, till his early death in 1850. Manassah H. Smith, also, came here from Hope, but, after the burning of his of- fice mentioned on the next page, returned to his native War- ren, resumed his practice, entered on political life, and in 1860 removed to Portland.
" Abstract from Church Records, furnished by Rev. H. A. Hart ; Rock- land Gazette, &c.
376
HISTORY OF THOMASTON,
8
One fire took place in November, by which some offices and the store of Wm. C. Killsa and Thos. R. Jenks, owned by Rose & Keith, were totally consumed. The site is now oc- cupied by buildings owned by Messrs. Singer and Keith. On the morning after this fire, the late Jos. Berry, it is said, marked out. the ground near by for a reservoir, and began to solicit contributions from the citizens as they passed, and, when enough was obtained, constructed the first of the seven or eight excavations of the kind since made for a supply of water, in case of fires, in what is now Thomaston.
Several weeks in February and March were distinguished for remarkable severity. Georges River was frozen up as far down as the islands ; ice entirely covered the bay, from the Shore village to Fox islands, extended out as far as the Muscle Ridges, and boys skated around Owl's Head. On the 8th April, a storm of rain, of two days' duration, flooded the lower floors in the vicinity of Mill River. During a heavy thunder storm, July 8th, the lightning struck the house of David Gay at the eastern village, knocked down three of his children without materially injuring them, and passed into the lower story, occupied as a store, where it stove and set on fire a cask of brandy.
In consequence of recent freshets and the defects or inad- equacy of the bridge at Mill River rebuilt two years previous, the town voted, April 22, 1833, that the same " be built fifty feet wide, the watercourse to be four feet higher than it now is, and forty feet in width, under superintendence of some suitable person employed by the selectmen." From these de- fects, injury had been done by the rise of water; and, in 1834, the town voted to pay $308 damage to M. Copeland and others. The sum of $1800 was voted in August, for repair of roads and bridges, swelling the whole amount of road tax to $4300.
1834. The first marine insurance company in Thomas- ton, and the oldest east of Portland, was started at the wes- tern village and incorporated Feb. 6, 1834, by the name of the Georges Insurance Company, with a capital of $100,000. Its first directors were Wm. Singer, its first and only presi- dent; R. Foster, R. Robinson, J. Gilchrist, and E. Robin- son, of West Thomaston ; K. Crockett of East Thomaston ; S. Handley of Newcastle ; W. Mclellan and E. Smith of Warren. It commenced and continued business, with varied, but, for some years, with rather discouraging success. In 1842, on petition of the company, its stock was reduced to $60,000, and E. Snow, to whom K. Crockett and J. Spear
377
ROCKLAND AND SOUTH THOMASTON.
succeeded, W. Singer, B. Webb, J. Gilchrist, E. Robinson, succeeded by E. O'Brien in 1847, R. C. Counce of Thomas- ton, and A. H. Hodgman of Warren, were chosen directors ; after which it did a very prosperous business up to 1864, when its chamter expired. It then, after paying back the original stock, divided $60,000, or 100 per cent. profits ; - having insured $14,655,350 worth of property, earned $889,- 162,96 of premiums, and paid out $822,000 in losses and expenses. Its secretaries have been H. Prince, Jr., till his death, July 24, 1843, Geo. Prince, till his resignation, Au- gust 18, 1851, and C. Prince to its close.
A second Light Infantry company was this year formed, the former one being now disbanded; and its first officers were G. A. Starr, C. S. Tilson, and John Ramsey. This com- pany flourished for a time, but was dissolved by order of Council, Feb. 25, 1843.
About this time Lucius H. Chandler of Warren, after spending some time as a teacher and marrying in Virginia, came to this place and commenced the practice of law at the Bank corner, West Thomaston. Possessing ready talents, a genial and companionable disposition, he rose in his profes- sion, took an efficient part in politics, and became editor of the " Republican," a whig paper at East Thomaston; but, in 1845, removed to Boston and subsequently to Norfolk, Va. There he held a leading position ut the Virginia bar, and was one of the Bell and Everett electors in the canvass of 1860; but, on the breaking out of the rebellion, withdrew, and, after being once arrested at Yorktown and sent under guard to Richmond on suspicion, escaped and arrived safely among his numerous friends in Rockland. In Oct., 1861, he was ap- pointed U. S. consul at Matanzas, Cuba ; and, in the spring of 1863, District Attorney for the Eastern district of Virginia.
In 1834 was built the present Congregationalist church, the first house of public worship at the Shore village, and the second within the limits of what is now Rockland. It accommodated 500 persons ; and is valued with its site, in the census of 1860, at $5000. The expense was defraved. one half by the Baptists, and one half by Iddo Kimball for the use of the Congregationalists of that part of the town. The Baptists subsequently sold their half to Mr. Kimball: who, after selling about one half of the pews and reserving one for his own family, three years before his death presented his remaining 28 pews, together with a house and lot for a parsonage, as a gift to the Congregational Church and Society of Rockland. To this gift he also added by his
32*
378
HISTORY OF THOMASTON,
will an annuity of $150 to be paid in April and October of each year, till the close of 1870, out of 35 shares in the Thomaston Bank; which shares, in case the said annuity should remain unpaid for six months, were themselves to be- come the property of the said church and .parish. This church, consisting of 14 members, was constituted March 8, 1838 ; and May 30th, Rev. Samuel C. Fessenden from Port- land, was ordained its pastor. On this occasion, the ser- vices were by Rev. Messrs. Chapman of Camden, McKeen of Belfast, Cutter of Warren, and Woodhull of West Thomas- ton. Mr. F.'s salary, 8500 at first, was increased from time to time to $800, and raised by subscription. In addition to this, the society having sold the parsonage presented by Mr. Kimball, for $2,300, procured another at a cost of $3,334, and made a present of the same to Mr. F. on the condition that Seth Grosvenor of N. Y., a maternal uncle of Mrs. Fes- senden, should relinquish his claim of $1400, which the soci- ety had borrowed of him. Mr. F.'s acceptable services con- tinued till Oct. 28th, 1855, when he resigned with intent of aiding in the establishment of a new denominational paper ; and his resignation was accepted by advice of council, Feb. 4, 1856. Rev. Finlay Wallace, a native of Scotland, was ordained Dec. 23, 1856, with a salary varying from $700 to $800 a year; but his resignation took place Oct. 7, 1859, and he has since returned to Great Bitian. Rev. Wm. A. Smith succeeded, who was ordained May 14, 1861, with a salary of $800; but in 1863 left for the army as chaplain of the 19th Maine regiment. The pulpit is at present supplied by Rev. E. F. Cutter, late of Belfast. The deacons of the church have been Iddo Kimball, Cephas Starrett, and Jos. G. Torrey. The chuch has, with more or less steadiness at different in- tervals, increased from the original 14 members to 100, the present number. It is somwhat remarkable that its Sabbath school has generally kept even pace with the church, com- mencing with 7 scholars and now numbering about 100. It has a library of about 300 vols .*
June 7th, 1834, the Christian Telescope, a small semi- monthly paper, was commenced by Rev. N. C. Fletcher, and printed by John Ramsey, at the western village the first year, but removed in May, 1835, to the eastern. It was devoted to the propagation and defence of the doctrine of Universal sal- vation; and, by the strenuous exertions of its editor, support- ed itself nearly two years, when it was merged in the Chris-
* Geo. W. Kimball, Esq , and Records. Will of Iddo Kimball, Esq.
379
ROCKLAND AND SOUTH THOMASTON.
tian Intelligencer, Gardiner, of which Mr. F. became editor. In 1833, this gentleman had come to East Thomaston, and taken charge of the Universalist Society there, since known as the Universalist Society of Rockland; of which he con- tinued pastor, with exception of a few intervals, till 1847, - preaching half of the time in 1833 and '34 at West Thomas- ton. The society consisted of scattered individuals and fam- ilies gathered from different parts of the town, and held its meetings in the old Brick edifice near Brown's Corner. In 1837, that house was sold; and their present house of wor- ship in Rockland was erected and finished in 1838. In 1843, a church of 60 members was organized; and the so- ciety was very flourishing. Mr. F.'s salary was raised by subscription, and besides his onerous clerical and editorial la- bors, he was an active member of the School committee, and is said to have attended more funerals and marriages at that time than all the other settled ministers of East Thomaston. His immediate successor was Rev. John Bovee Dods, who preached half the time in Union, where he resided, and half the time here, where he was soon succeeded by Rev. H. A. Walworth of N. York. After a short time the latter resigned his charge here, and removed to Lincoln. In 1850, the pro- prietors incorporated themselves into a regular society accord- ing to the statute ; and their first meeting was held Sept. 19th, when a constitution was adopted, all the old debts against the house assumed, and a tax on the pews of $800 for their payment voted. In 1852 $750, were subscribed to induce Rev. L. B. Mason of Haverhill, who had preached here two Sabbaths, to become the pastor, but he declined; and there was only occasional preaching in 1853 by Revs. E. G. Brooks' of Lynn, and G. G. Strickland from Saco. In August, however, Rev. J. O. Skinner from Chester, Vt., ac- cepted an invitation and continued his very acceptable ser- vices as pastor six years, till his resignation Oct. 9, 1859. He has since been settled at Nashua, N. H. His salary was raised a portion of the time by a tax on the pews, several of which, in default of payment, were sold. Before his coming, the house was put in thorough repair ; in 1854 an organ was added, and in 1857 gas and other improvements. In the census of 1860 it was valued at $6000; and there was at that time a S. S. library of 550 volumes .*
1835. During the winter of 1834-5, in the week end-
* Ch. Telescope, Nos. 16 and 23, Vol. I .; com. of Rev. N. C. Fletcher ; Records of Society, &c.
380
HISTORY OF THOMASTON,
ing Dec. 20, the mercury ranged at sunrise, in East Thomas- ton, from 40 to 12º below zero. In March following, severe weather was experienced at sea. Joshua, son of Job Perry of that village, was lost overboard from ship Franklin, on her outward bound passage; and, on the tempestuous night of March 22d, the schooner Glide, Capt. John Pillsbury, from Boston, with passengers on board for the same village, was, with great difficulty and loss of her masts, saved from de- struction at White Head, by the active aid of Jos. Berry, light-keeper, and other inhabitants there.
As proof that education was advancing, we note that, April 20, the town authorized the Report of the Superintend- ing School Committee to be published. But no report was made for the next ten years, on the ground that the first one, carefully and elaborately prepared by Rev. N. C. Fletcher, was refused a hearing at the meeting to which it was pre- sented. In 1846, however, the town voted that such reports should be made.
The meeting for the election of State officers, Sept. 14, was held in the vestry of the new meeting-house at East Thomaston ; its few occasional meetings called there having been heretofore held in school-houses. Cilley was re-elected to the Legislature by a decided majority ; but, for a choice of his colleague, the meeting was adjourned from week to week, till Oct. 5th, when Rev. N. C. Fletcher was elected by a majority of one. His chief competitor on this occasion was Charles Pope, who received at the several trials 239, 187, and 228 votes. Mr. Pope, a resident of the place for more than twenty years, was endowed with a graceful exte- rior, an easy address, a fine taste, keen feelings, a cultivated imagination, and a high relish for all the amenities of social life. But he lacked self control, too readily yielded to the temptations of appetite ; and, having been disappointed in love as well as in business, he lived a single life, with no steady employment or family attractions to awaken the strong- er sensations, without which life became a burden, and, to ob- tain which, he too often resorted to animal indulgences and oc- casional moral obliquities. His friends hoped at this time that a seat in the Legislature, with its responsibility and excitement, might be the means of arresting his downward progress and saving him to himself and the community. They failed, how- ever, to elect him, and this man, so noble in many respects, but so infirm of purpose, felt the failure as the extinguish- ment of his last hope. It was not without many a pang that he beheld the gulf into which he was sinking, but from which
م
331
ROCKLAND AND SOUTH THOMASTON.
now he had not the necessary energy of will to escape; and, gradually losing his strength of body and mind, ended his days in the poor-house.
A Fair, the first in the place. it is believed, of those de- vices since so frequently resorted to in raising money for va- rious objects, was held July 4th, by the ladies of West Thom- aston, with much success.
The house of Abner Knowles, Esq., built by Capt. Piper, on the site of that now owned by Mr. E. D. Blood, was, in September, together with his barn and valuable horse, des- troyed by fire. Its origin was unknown; and Mr. Knowles becoming dissatisfied with his situation, soon removed to Bangor.
1836. This year, by order of the town, a committee of which Edward Robinson was chairman, purchased ten acres of land near C. S. Tilson's and built a large two-story Poor- house and house of correction, for which the treasurer was authorized to borrow $3000. Here the paupers were main- tained under overseers, Thos. Tolman, John Spear, and per- haps others, till it was sold on the division of the town in 1848.
A road was this year laid out from Mrs. Walker's in this town to meet one in Warren leading from the new or Upper Toll-bridge" then erecting ; - a work opposed, at the time, by Warren on the ground that it would be, as it has since proved, an obstruction to the navigation of the river by small vessels, gondolas, and newly built ships in their passage down from the shipyards above. But it was highly advantageous to this town, opening as it did a market for the wood and bringing hither the trade of the south-western portion of Warren; and, being urged in the legislature by the talents and influence of Mr. Cilley, was obtained without difficulty.
The Lime Rock Bank, the first institution of the kind in what is now Rockland, was incorporated April 1, 1836, with a capital of 850,000, which, by Act passed July 3, 1847, was increased to $100,000, but which again, in consequence of losses by bad debts and depreciation of real estate, was reduc- ed to $75,000. Its charter was renewed in 1846. The first president was Knott Crockett, who held the office till the time of his death in 1857, and has since been succeeded by Hiram G. Berry, till his death June 3, 1863, since which, John T. Berry has been acting president. Wm. Thomas was
* This bridge was at first wholly situated in Warren ; but, by an altera- tion of boundary made in 1864, the eastern half is now in Thomaston.
-
382
HISTORY OF THOMASTON,
the first cashier, succeeded by E. M. Perry, Alonzo D. Nich- ols, and the present incumbent, C. C. Chandler. The build- ing at first provided for it, was of granite, situated in Main street, Rockland; but the Bank was, in Oct. 1857, removed to the Berry Block on the same street, and, since the estab- lishment of Knox county, the former building has been used as an office by the clerk of the courts. The present capital of this Bank, according to the commissioners' report, is $70,000, -paying in 1863 an annual dividend of 5 8-10th per cent., to its 151 stockholders.
The selectmen, April 18th, according to a legal provision, defined the territorial limits of the three militia companies then contained in the town; which limits corresponded in the main with those of the three subsequent divisions of Old Thomaston. These companies were at this time commanded as follows; viz., company A, in the north-east by Capt. Wm. S. Ulmer; company I, in the south-west by Lieut. Alfred Rollins; and company E, in the south-east by Capt. James Dow.
In September, the votes for Representative to Congress were, in this town, for Jere. Bailey, whig, who at that time represented the district, 116; for Jonathan Cilley, democrat, 309; Edwin Smith, democrat, 13. A second trial was made Nov. 7th, when Presidential electors were chosen ; at which Cilley received 318 votes, only two short of the vote given to Van Buren electors, who represented the full strength of the party. On the third trial, however, Feb. 6, 1837, al- though Judge Bailey received about the same number as be- fore, and John D. M'Crate, 15 votes, Cilley's vote was swelled to 377, and he was elected. Thus, in spite of the common opposition of the whig party, then powerful in the district, and that of a remnant of the late opposing faction led on by J. D. McCrate of Wiscasset, a political aspirant and former friend of Cilley, the latter had the satisfaction to see himself tri- umphant over them all, and placed in a position where his talents, energy, and independence might find a more extended field of action. " At this time," writes his classmate, friend, and biographer, Nat. Hawthorne of literary celebrity, who had been spending a few days here reviving the former intimacy, there was in Mr. Cilley " very little change, and that little was for the better; he had an impending brow, deep-set eyes, and a thin and thoughtful countenance, which, in his abstracted moments, seemed almost stern; but, in the inter- course of society, it was brightened with a kindly smile, that will live in the recollection of all who knew him.
-
383
ROCKLAND AND SOUTH THOMASTON.
His continual struggles in the political arena had strengthened his bones and sinews; opposition had kept him ardent; while success had cherished the generous warmth of his na- ture and assisted the growth both of his powers and sympa- thies. . . . It appeared to me that his triumphant war- fare had been no less beneficial to his heart than to his mind. I was aware, indeed, that his harsher traits had grown apace with his milder ones -that he possessed iron resolution, in- domitable perseverance, and an almost terrible energy - but these features had imparted no hardness to his character in private intercourse. . In his private and domestic re-
lations, Mr. Cilley enjoyed no less happiness than he conferred. He had been the father of four children, two of whom were in the grave, -leaving, I thought, a more abiding impression of tenderness and regret, than the death of infants usually makes on the masculine mind. Two boys, the elder seven or eight and the younger two years of age, still remained to him ; and the fondness of these children for their father - their evident enjoyment of his society - was proof enough. of his gentle and amiable character within the precincts of his family. Simple and primitive, . . . it made me smile, though with anything but scorn, in contrast to the aristocratic stateliness which I have witnessed in men of his station elsewhere, to see him driving home his own cow, after a long search for her through the village. That trait alone would have marked him as a man whose greatness lay within himself. He appeared to take much interest in the cultiva- tion of his garden, and was very fond of flowers. He kept bees, and told me that he loved to sit for whole hours by the hives, watching the labors of the insects, and soothed by the hum with which they filled the air. I glance at these minute particulars of his daily life, because they form so strange a contrast with the circumstances of his death. Who could have believed that, with his thoroughly New England charac- ter, in so short a time after I had seen him in that peaceful and happy home, among those simple occupations and pure enjoyments, he would be stretched in his own blood - slain for an almost impalpable punctilio !"
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.