History of York County, Maine, with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 107

Author: Clayton, W. W. (W. Woodford)
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Philadelphia, Everts & Peck
Number of Pages: 730

USA > Maine > York County > History of York County, Maine, with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 107

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The Baptist Church in North Waterborough organized in 1804. The organization was discontinued in 1836, and in 1842 again revived. It is now extinct. Rev. Atherton Clark was pastor from 1826 to 1834.

Another was organized at East Waterborough ; Rev. James Gray was its pastor. After his death the church soon ceased to exist.

The Baptist Churches at Alfred and North Alfred were both set off from the Waterborough Baptist Church. A ehapel was built at South Waterborough village in 1873.

Waterborough has sent fortli the following as clergymen : Revs. John Haines, Stephen Webber, and Timothy Hodg- don. Rev. Frank K. Roberts, ordained in 1864, is now located in Covington, Ind. Edward P. Roberts, a graduate of Colby University, in the class of 1869.

SCHOOLS.

The first school opened in Waterborough was in a barn, in 1784, and was taught by Samuel Robinson.

In 1789, £60 were voted in lumber for the support of schools. Masters Denny, Rogers, and Kinsman were em- ployed before 1795. In 1791 the appropriation was payable in produce and due-bills at Kennebunk. In 1793 they were payable in due-bills from merchants at Little Falls and Kennebunk. Nathan Hanson was master. The appropri- ation was increased to £100 in 1810. The Shakers applied for a separate fund arising from their share in 1811, but were refused by the town. Samuel Fellows, Charles Perry, John Clark, and John Kelsey were teachers previous to 1820. The schools have shown a gradual increase and liberal appropriation during the existence of the town. At first the only branches taught were reading, writing, and arithmetic. In 1820, Maine was separated from Massachu- setts, and a new impulse was given to education by the re- quirement that geography and English grammar should be taught, which brought into the field a new class of

SAMUEL STROUT.

RESIDENCE! OF H. L. . STROUT, NORTH WATERBOROUGH, MAINE.

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TOWN OF WATERBOROUGH.

teachers. Among the first of these were Isaac Deering and Benjamin R. Hamilton. Those of late date are E. A. Bradcen, E. H. Hobbs, S. K. Roberts, Ichabod Roberts, James Hamilton, J. B. Scribner, Joseph Chase, H. M. Littlefield, Levi Hobbs, S. T. Scribner, William H. Johnson, O. G. Hamilton, Albert H. Roberts, and James A. Roberts. The last of these, James A. Roberts, is a graduate of Bow- doin College, in class of 1870, and is now principal of a high school in Buffalo, N. Y.

The thirteen districts in the town contain 461 school children, of whom 370 have attended school during the past year. Twelve school-bouses reported in 1878 are valued at $10,000. The appropriation for schools in 1878 was $1238 by the town alone, with a total expenditure of $2055, under the administration of Levi Hobbs, Esq., school commissioner, with an expense of only $50 for su- pervision during the year.

PROMINENT MEN.

Rev. Henry Hobbs was born in North Berwick, March 3, 1768. He became the first Free-Will Baptist minister in 1801, was elected selectman in 1798, town clerk in 1810, and held that office at intervals until 1834; was town treasurer, representative to the General Court of Massa- chusetts in 1810, '11, '12, and '13; first representative of the town in the Maine Legislature, and member of the Governor's Council in 1838. He became partially paral- yzed in 1845, and died highly respected March 20, 1848. He was buried on his farm, on the southern slope of Ossi- pee Mountain.

Andrew Burley, one of the early settlers, was a leading man. He occupied the positions of justice of the peace and selectman for a number of years, and was clerk of the court while it was held in Waterborough.

James M. and Joseph Deering, B. F. Hamilton, and Benjamin Leavitt, of Saco, Alonzo Hamilton, of Boston, Horace and Porter Ford, of Biddeford, and Abel Jellison, judge of the Municipal Court, Biddeford, are all natives of Waterborough, and successful business men.

LAWYERS.

John Bradeen, Esq., son of Michael Bradeen, studied law, and practiced in the lower courts for many years. He was justice of the peace for several years. He was some- what eccentric, living alone, and keeping his own house.

James Avery, a colored man, son of James and grand- son of Peter Avery, an early settler, read law with John Treat Paine, of Springvale, Sanford, about 1825, and afterwards for many years filled a position of trust under the old Erie Railroad directors in New York. He died in New York City in 1874. He was a full-blooded African, and a man of ability.

Ira T. Drew commenced the practice of law in this town in September, 1842, and continued here until his removal to Alfred, July, 1854.

Amos F. Allen, Esq., graduated at Bowdoin College, in the class of 1860 ; studied law with Appleton & Goodenow at Alfred, and graduated at Columbia Law School, Wash- ington, D. C. He is now clerk of the courts of York County.

Chas. F. Leavitt, Esq., son of Jonathan Leavitt, studied law with Ira T. Drew, and is now practicing his profession in Missouri.

B. F. Hamilton, a graduate of Cambridge Law School, and J. K. Hamilton, a graduate of Exeter Scientific School, both students of Mr. Drew, are law partners in Biddeford.

REPRESENTATIVES IN THE GENERAL COURT.

Samuel Scribner, 1789-91 ; none, 1800-7 ; Rev. Henry Hobbs, 1810, '11, '12, and'13; none, 1814-17 ; none, 1819.

PHYSICIANS.

Dr. Chase, the first physician who settled in Water- borough, was a skillful practitioner. Dr. Daniel Smith fol- lowed in 1814, and continued his practice here until his death, in 1828. Dr. James H. Pierce, a graduate of Brunswick Medical School, opened an office in 1825, and is still practicing, though gradually giving over his profes- sional business to his son, Dr. James Pierec, Jr. Dr. Wil- liam Sayward was located here in 1830-35, and also Dr. John Sayward, who was selectman in 1833,'34, '35, and '38.

The late Dr. Jefferson Smith, of Dover, N. H., Dr. Dry- den Smith, of Biddeford, Dr. Nathaniel Brooks, of Saco, and Dr. Avery Brooks, of Springvale, removed from Water- borough. Benjamin F. Pierce, M. D., son of James H. Pierce, was a surgeon in the United States Navy, and was drowned in the Mississippi River in 1862. Hle was a young man of much promise.

Dr. Frank Rogers left the town in 1878. Dr. J. T. G. Emery, a late physician, has become successful in practice.

Among the leading military men of the town have been Capt. John Hamilton, 1811, colonel in 1813; Col. Samuel Bradeen, 1820 ; Capt. Samuel Carll, 1820; Maj. Jeremiah Roberts, 1831 ; Col. Ivory Parcher and Paul Chadbourne, who was a soldier in the war of 1812.

Nathaniel Carpenter was second lieutenant of a volunteer company, organized Dec. 12, 1846, to go to Mexico, but was not called into service.

During the Rebellion the hardy sons of Waterborough forsook the axe and the plow, and took up the musket. One hundred and eighty-four men enlisted from this town. Bounties paid to soldiers, $46,270.61 ; aid to soldiers' fam- ilies, $5535.74; contributions for soldiers' relief, $000; total, $52,706.35.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH.

THE STROUT FAMILY.

The earliest of the family of Strout of whom we can obtain any definite information was George Strout, living in Gorham about the middle of the last century. His son Samuel was born in Gorham, April 13, 1767; lived in Limington, Raymond, Casco; and died in Otisfield, Feb. 13, 1856. His wife was Jerusha Emery, of Limington, by whom he had cleven children, all of whom reached ma- turity. The second son, Samuel, was born in Limington, Dec. 15, 1789. He obtained a fair education despite the

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HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, MAINE.

many disadvantages of his early days, learned the trade of cooper and ship-carpenter, working at the former business more or less during his life. He was a soldier in the war of 1812-14, and at its close returned to his trade. He married, in 1823, Nancy A. Chadbourne, daughter of Deacon Joseph Chadbourne, of Hiram, and settled on a farm in Cornish, Me. In 1834, with their family of five children, they came to Waterborough, where the aged wife

and widow is still living, in the family of Harrison L., their fourth son. The father died March 22, 1878, at the age of eighty-eight. His religious preferences were with the Free- Will Baptists. In politics he was a Democrat formerly, but afterwards a Republican. His family of eight children all reached maturity.

Benjamin C. was born May 4, 1824. A strong, energetic, whole-sonled boy and young man. Spent several years of his early manhood in the cotton-factories of Salmon Falls, where he was universally trusted and respected. In 1851 he, with his wife, Abby N. Chadbourne, of Fryeburg, re- moved to Illinois, where he lived until his death, in 1862. IJe was a radical temperance man, a thoroughly consecrated Christian, a tireless and self-sacrificing worker in the church of his choice (Congregational ), and held several important and honorable offices at the time of his death. Ilis son, Charles E., is living at David City, Neb., and Mrs. Strout has remarried and lives at Rising City, Neb. William H. was born May 8, 1826. He early showed an aptness for books, being generally far ahead of the boys of his age. By his own efforts he secured a liberal academie education, read law in the offices of John Jameson, of Cornish, and Bradley and Eastman, of Saco, and upon examination was admitted to the bar.

He spent a year in traveling and teaching in Illinois, Iowa, and Maine, 1851-52, and returning to Maine settled in York. In 1853 he left the practice of the law and joined the Maine Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church. where he continued till 1866, when, on account of ill health, he took a transfer to the Rock River Conference, Ill., where he is now successfully laboring. His wife is Elizabeth F., daughter of Capt. David Simpson, of York. They have four sons; the eldest son is deceased.

Cyrus W., a native of Cornish, born 1828, served an apprenticeship as house-carpenter. After following his trade several years, he engaged in manufacturing at Bath, Milltown, Boston, and Hallowell. At the latter place he filled honorable and responsible positions in church and state, and undermined his health by too severe application to business, which was partially restored by rest and travel. At present he finds quiet and repose in his rural home in

Springfield, Mass. An earnest worker in the church of his choice (Methodist), he enjoys large confidence wherever known. His wife, Harriet J. Storer, died early of con- sumption. He married subsequently, and has a family of boys growing up around him. Joseph C., born in Cornish, 1832, became interested in religion at an early age. De- eiding to preach, he joined the Maine Conference, and met with marked success in his different fields of labor. His earnest devotion to his work proving stronger than his constitution, he died of consumption in Acton, in 1862. " He died at his post." His wife, Sarah Milligan, of Calais, Me., a lady of superior mental endowments, has won con- siderable distinction as a writer. He left one son, Frank Mansfield, a young man of much promise.

Erastus B., born in Waterborough, 1835, a ripe scholar and successful teacher, early laid the foundation of disease by undue application to books, and died in early manhood, while brilliant prospects of success were just within his grasp, aged thirty years.

Martha E., the only daughter, was born in Waterborough, in 1839. She finished life's great work early, and died in 1858. " Death loves a shining mark."

Samuel, Jr., the youngest, born in Waterborough, 1841. He enlisted in the United States service, and was enrolled a private in Company I, 1st Maine Cavalry. He was wounded and taken prisoner by the rebels, and nearly starved in Libby prison. He was released, but died soon after at Annapolis, Md., Sept. 6, 1864. He left a wife and one child. His remains were brought to Waterborough, and interred in the family burying-ground.

Harrison L., the fourth son, was born in Cornish, in 1829. He acquired a fair education, which he turned to some account as teacher of district schools, but has made farming his ehosen occupation. Living on the old home- stead, " unvexed by all the cares of gain," enjoying the comforts of an enterprising and moderately successful farmer. Always avoiding the schemes and intrigues of party poli- ticians, though a warm friend of the Republican party, he has given more attention to the moral aud religious ques- tions of the day. He became in youth a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church in Hollis, where he has ever enjoyed the respect and confidence of his associates. He married Louisa, daughter of Hugh Milliken, of Scarbor- ough, a woman of rare virtues, good understanding, and an exemplary Christian.

The family comprise six children (all natives of Water- borough), four of whom are now living, viz., Martha Ellen, Howard Leslie, Mary Louisa, and Henry Eugene, who give flattering promise of future excellence.

WELLS.

SITUATION AND BOUNDARIES.

THIS town is situated in north latitude 43º 20', and west longitude 70° 35'. It is bounded on the southwest by a line which divides it from the town of York, beginning at the west corner of Wells Bay, and running north west nearly eight miles to a noted spring called Baker's Spring, at the east corner of Berwick ; thence, by the Berwick line, about north by west to the south corner of Sanford ; thence north- east by Sanford about four miles to a small river commonly called the Branch River ; thence by said river, which divides it from Kennebunk, in nearly a southeast direction to the sea ; and thence by Wells Bay in a direction nearly southwest eight miles and a half to the bounds first men- tioned ; containing about 40,000 acres. The original grant included the town of Kennebunk, and was nearly double the area above stated.

RIVERS AND HARBORS.

The town of Wells is well watered. There are nine small rivers or brooks running through it in various direc- tions, which have water sufficient to carry mills a part of the year. On these streams three are now in operation.

One of these streams runs in a southwest direction into Berwick ; the others run southeasterly, and, after falling into the marsh, form three rivers, which run into the sea. The principal of these rivers is near the centre of the town, and was called by the Indians Webhannet, but it is now generally called the Town River. At the place where it discharges itself into the sea a considerable harbor is formed, but a sand-bar renders the entrance to it quite difficult. In common tides the depth on the bar at high water is about nine feet, and at low water not more than two feet. An- ciently all the traveling from York to Saco was on the beach, and the bar made a convenient place for a ford.

In the southerly part of the town the Ogunquit River forms another harbor, which can be entered by small ves- sels only, the depth of water there being but about eight feet. In a sketch of this town, written in 1825 by Jere- miah Hubbard and Jonathan Greenleaf, the following fact about this river is noticed : " Within the memory of men now living the outlet of this river into the sea has shifted nearly a mile. It formerly ran out about where it now does ; but in a great storm the outlet became somewhat obstructed, and the main river broke through the beach nearly a mile to the eastward. The river having thus found vent, its former channel was wholly filled up. However, the river gradually wore away the beach, and with it a small island, which lay very near to it, and in a few years regained its former channel, where it has ever since remained."

At the session of Congress in January, 1824, a grant was made to the town of Wells of the sum of $5000 for

the purpose of improving the main harbor. This sum was appropriated in the construction of a pier 800 feet in length in the summer of 1824.

SOIL AND PRODUCTIONS.

Wells contains a great variety of soil, though its general character is sandy. In 1824 the following estimate was made of the qualities of different kinds of soil of the town, viz. :

Acres.

Salt marsh ..

1,800

Natural meadow.

300

Very goed land, improved.

5,000

Clay and loam, improved.

1,200

bushes, but capable ef improvement.

800

Barren heath.

600

Ledges and beaches, unimprovable ...

Pitch-pine plains, searee worth improving. 900

5,000

Sandy and gravelly land, rather poor .. 9,400

Land capable of improvement, but covered at

present with wood and timber ... 10,000

Total 35,000

EARLY SETTLEMENT.

The settlement of this town began as early as 1641, the province of Maine belonging then to Sir Ferdinando Gorges. From any surviving record it is impossible to de- termine to whom belongs the honor of being its founder. Historians have generally awarded it to Rev. John Wheel- wright. But probably Edmund Littlefield had been estab- lished here before Wheelwright came to Wells. In conse- quence of the usurpation of New Hampshire by the colony of Massachusetts, Wheelwright was obliged to abandon Exeter and move farther east. He and several others of the combination took refuge in Wells, and Thomas Gorges, agent for Sir Ferdinando, appointed him, Henry Boad, and Edward Rishworth commissioners to survey and allot the lands to persons whom they should judge suitable to initiate and build up a township, they paying annually 5s. for every 100 acres. Whether any survey of the plantation was made or not, no record informs us. The first volume of the town records, probably a very small book, was burnt in the town clerk's house in 1667, so that we have no definite boundaries of the original plantation. All which we can now say is, that on the westerly side the line began at the sea, at a noted place called White Rock, and ran north- westerly to a great rock near Baker's Spring, and from White Flint by the beach to Kennebunk River, about ten miles ; then by the river abont eight miles into the interior ; then to Baker's Spring; this inclosed about 40,000 acres.

Wheelwright had a large grant himself, but he remained in Wells not over three years. His grant was located near and adjoining the Ogunquit River, on the east side; but his house was erected near the eastern end of the present Wells village. Edmund Littlefield had established himself

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Low and healthy land, mostly covered with

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HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, MAINE.

nearer the other end of the village, having there built his saw-mill before Wheelwright came to Wells.

During the ten succeeding years about 25 families came into the plantation, and in 1653 it was duly incorporated by commissioners of the colony of Massachusetts, the heads of these families having first signed the agreement of sub- mission to that jurisdiction. The commissioners having brought the settlers into subjection, the principal object of their mission, then declared " that. Wells should be a town- ship of itself," with the rights and privileges appurtenant to other corporations of that character. They then ap- pointed ITenry Boad, Ezekiel Knight, John Wadley, and John Gooch, selectmen, to manage the prudential affairs of the town. Ezekiel Knight was appointed a grand juror. The selectmen were directed to appoint a meet persou to keep an ordinary for the entertainment of strangers. John Sanders and Jonathan Thing were appointed sergeants to exercise the military company. Henry Boad and Thomas Wheelwright were appointed commissioners " to end small causes under 40s., according to law." Jonathan Thing was also appointed constable ; Joseph Bowles, clerk of the writs, -that is, town clerk,-with power "to grant warrants, attachments," etc.

The commissioners then went to work and broke up the church, on the plea that it had made trouble among the people, and soon afterwards, July 1, 1661, the court which had been established, at its meeting in York, and then sit- ting, " ordered, until the inhabitants could better provide for themselves, that Mr. Ezekiel Knight and William Ham- mon should duly attend the place of public meeting on the Lord's day, and improve their best abilities in speaking out of the word of God, praying, singing of psalms, and read- ing some good orthodox sermons. as might most tend to the edification of them that hear, and the sanctification of the Sabbath."

INDIAN WARS.

The history of this town for three-quarters of a century is full of interest. The adversities which the people were called to meet seem to have been almost too much for human endurance. But there were among them noble men, who inspirited the settlers to present a bold front to and amidst all pending terrors. The Indian wars began in 1676, and the ravage, of the revengeful natives during its continuance were enough to appall the stoutest hearts. But the afflictions which came upon them during this short con- fliet were light in the contrast with those which befell them in King William's and Queen Anne's wars, which followed soon afterwards, devastating all the territory east of Wells, and thus leaving this as the frontier town, and compelling the inhabitants to breast the fury of all the combined savage and French forces which could be brought against it. During the first of these wars, in 1692, was fonght on its soil one of the most remarkable battles ever fought on these shores. Five hundred French and Indians, under French officers, attacked the garrison of Joseph Storer, a place of refuge which he, at his own espense, had built for all the towns- men, and for others who had been driven from their homes in various places at the eastward. There were but 15 sol- diers stationed in it, under Capt. Convers, while about half a mile distant were two coasters, under the command of

Capts. Gooch and Storer, having on board 14 additional men for the garrison. Every means was applied by the enemy to capture the garrison and destroy the vessels, but all their machinations were ineffectual, and after two days' unintermitted struggle they were compelled to abandon the enterprise, with the loss of Labrocree, their commander, though they had presented themselves before the garrison in the full confidence of a successful attack. The battle with the two coasters was not less fierce and determined, but the brave men effectually resisted all their stratagems, losing only one of their number.

During this bloody war, when all the counsel and energies of the best men were required for the common protection, that memorable delusion which brought so many innocent persons under the plea of witchcraft to the scaffold, was raging in Massachusetts. Among the number of these was Rev. George Burrows, of Wells, who was devoting all his powers to save the town from destruction, and its inhabitants from the scalping-knife. Under such aggravated as well as fearful circumstances, it is a wonder that every person did not flee from the town, aud abandon it to the ravages of the enemy. The only reason for their perseverance was, perhaps, that there was no place to which they could flee.

During these wars, which did not end till 1713, many of the inhabitants were murdered, many houses burned, farms laid waste, and cattle killed. A new war beginning ten years after, the people had not recovered their former position. Many of them were called into the public ser- vice abroad, and their farms left without culture, though no very serious damage resulted to the town from those re- newed hostilities. But in 1745 the memorable expedition for the capture of Louisbourg was set on foot, and at least one-third of all the able-bodied men rushed into the enter- prise. Believing that the French had been the instigators of all the savage raids and cruelties of the wars which they had gone through, they went to this new work with their whole souls. Several of them laid down their lives in it, but the success of the expedition, so unexpected, paralyzed the arms of the natives, and they never afterwards made any incursions upon the inhabitants of Wells.

During all the wars after that of 1676, John Wheel- wright, grandson of Rev. John, inspired by a true and ar- dent patriotism, was at work in the cause of the people, at home and in the eastern part of the province. In the many discouragements which he experienced he never fal- tered, but persevered in duty wherever it called him, so that, in the words of Rev. William Allen, " he was deemed the bulwark of Massachusetts against the assaults of the Indians on the east."

WAR OF THE REVOLUTION.

During the Revolutionary war which followed, Wells con- tributed largely to the army. At times, it is believed, at least one-third of the able-bodied men were in the ser- vice ; no other town furnished a greater number of officers. Col. Joseph Storer, Maj. Daniel Littlefield, Capt. James Hubbard, Capt. Daniel Wheelwright, Capt. Samuel Saw- yer, died in the war. Gen. Noah M. Littlefield, Maj. Na- thaniel Consens, Maj. Isaac Pope, Capt. James Littlefield, Ensign John Littlefield, and others, were also in active

397

TOWN OF WELLS.

service. Sometimes the people were driven to the utmost extremities to provide for enlistments, the quotas required drawing so largely on the population. The bounties de- manded exhausted their entire pecuniary ability, so that some were obliged to take the feathers from their beds, send them to Boston and sell them, to meet their propor- tion of these publie burdens.

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History of York County, Maine, with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 107

Author: Clayton, W. W. (W. Woodford) Publication date: 1880 Publisher: Philadelphia, Everts & Peck Number of Pages: 730

Author: Clayton, W. W. (W. Woodford)
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Philadelphia, Everts & Peck
Number of Pages: 730