USA > Maine > York County > History of York County, Maine, with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 48
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INSURANCE.
The Mutual Fire Insurance Company of Saco was in- corporated Feb. 22, 1827, and was organized April 19, 1827. The corporators were Robert Rogers, Geo. Thacher, John Spring, John Shepley, John Fairfield, George Scam- man, Reuben H. Greene, Samuel Peirson, Jona. King, Lauriston Ward. The presidents have been, 1827-28, Robert Rogers ; 1829-32, Samuel Moody; 1832-52, Josiah Calef; 1852-65, Nathaniel M. Towle; 1865-76, David Fernald; 1876-79, John A. Berry ; 1879, Cornelius Sweet- ser. The secretaries and treasurers have been, 1827-38, Samuel Peirson ; 1838-41, Nathaniel Goodwin ; 1841-45, John F. Scamman ; 1845-53, John Skeele ; April 18, 1853 -80, Edward P. Burnham. The directors have been, 1827- 36, John Fairfield ; 1827-28, Samuel Hartley ; 1827-32 and 1835-38, Jonathan King; 1827-35, Jonathan Tucker; 1827-28, James B. Thornton; 1827-28, Isaac Emery ; 1827-30, Daniel Deshon ; 1829-36, Ether Shepley ; 1829- 35, George Thacher; 1829-36, Ezra Dean; 1830-55, Edward S. Moulton; 1832-35, Samuel Bachelder; 1835, John F. Scamman ; 1835-52, Seth S. Fairfield; 1836-37, Nath'l Burbank ; 1836-45, Samuel Emery ; 1836-65, David Fernald; 1836-46, George H. Adams; 1838, Jonathan Tucker, Jr .; 1838-47, James M. Deering; 1839-50, Ab- ner Blaisdell; 1845-52, Nathaniel M. Towle ; 1846-52, Horace Porter ; 1847-52, John P. Mellen; 1850-76, John A. Berry ; 1852-67, Daniel Smith, Jr. ; 1852-70, Samuel T. Shannon ; 1852-53, 1862-63, William Lord; 1853- 64 and 1865-75, Charles Hill ; 1854-61, Thomas Lord ; 1855-79, Cornelius Sweetser; 1864, William Noyes; 1864-80, Henry J. Rice; 1865-78, Moses Lowell ;
1867, Charles G. Burleigh ; 1868-73, James Beatty ; 1870-80, William P. Moody; 1874-80, Alfred G. Pren- tiss; 1875-80, Oliver Freeman; 1876-80, Roscoe L. Bowers.
PROVIDENT ASSOCIATION.
The Saco Provident Association was organized October, 1855, and has from that time to October, 1879, received in cash, from all sources, $6306.19 for distribution among the poor. The value of the garments and wood received is not estimated. The annual meeting is held on the first Monday of October. The board of managers meet on the first Mon- day of each month. There are twenty-one visitors, who visit the families in their districts, search out, advise, and relieve the poor, and collect funds for the work of the association. A sermon is preached on the second Sunday in January, at which time a collection is taken. The presidents have been, 1855-58, Amos H. Boyd; 1858, Philip Eastman ; 1859- 62, D. T. Giveen ; 1861-65, H. Temple; 1865-69. Philip Eastman ; 1869-74, Charles C. Sawyer ; 1874 to present time, James W. Littlefield. Since 1875, John C. Bradbury has been vice-président. The treasurers have been, 1855 to March, 1857, Jarvis Williams; from March 5, 1857, Edward P. Burnham. The secretaries have been, 1855- 57, Mrs. B. F. Hamilton ; from 1857, Edward P. Burn- ham. The general agents have been, 1855-68, Samuel V. Loring ; 1868-71, F. Newell Hodsdon ; from 1871, George A. Emery. The advisers are, the clergyman and a lady from each society.
MASONIC LODGES.
Saco Lodge, No. 9, of Free and Accepted Masons, was chartered June 14, 1802. The original members were Jeremiah Hill, Joseph Leland, Thomas Cutts, Jr., William Fairfield, Asa Stevens, John Allen, Samuel Collyer, Rich- ard C. Shannon, Nathaniel Seamman, Jr., Samuel Nut- ting, Jr., Michael Nason, James Murch, Alvan Bacon, William Marshall. Owing to the stagnation of business, growing out of the embargo and the war with England, the lodge was closed from June 6, 1811, to Nov. 14, 1816, and again, on account of the anti-Masonic excitement, from Jan. 11, 1832, to May 6, 1846, since which latter date it has been active. The Masters have been : July, 1802, to December, 1806, and 1808 to 1809, Jeremiah Hill, of Biddeford ; 1806, Joseph Leland (who was initiated in an army lodge); 1807-10, Daniel Granger (until closing of lodge in 1811); 1816-19, Daniel Granger; 1819-20, Edward S. Moulton; 1821-22, George Thacher, Jr. ; 1823, John Spring; 1824-25, John Chadwick ; 1826, Charles Hayes; 1827, Seth S. Fairfield; 1828-29, Josiah Beard ; 1830-31, Thomas P. Tufts (until closing of lodge in 1832); 1846, Thomas P. Tufts; 1847-53, Frederick D. Edgerly, of Biddeford ; 1853-54, Elijah Smith ; 1855, Timothy J. Murray ; 1856, Edward P. Burnham ; 1857, and 1866-67, William Hobson ; 1858, Mark Prime; 1859- 60, Andrew Hobson, Jr .; 1861-64, Joseph Milliken ; 1864, Israel S. Hodsdon ; 1865 and 1873, Nathaniel Scam- man ; 1868, Moses J. Haines ; 1869-70, William G. Davis ; 1871-72, Enoch Lowell; 1874-75, George F. Owen ; 1876-77, Stephen G. Dorman; 1878-79, Winfield S. Dennett. Since January, 1865, the meetings have been
.
Photo, by E. H. McKenney, Biddeford.
Comja Patterson
Robert Patterson, of Irish birth and Scotch descent, born about 1690, came to this country in the early part of the eigh- teenth century, and settled near the mouth of Saco River, where he was engaged for many years as ferryman prior to bridges being built across the river at Saco. In due time bis wife and children came, and he brought them from Ports- mouth, where they landed, and settled on the farm near the Saco Ferry, known as the Stephen's place, where four succes- sive generations afterwards lived. He was suceceded by his son Robert on the old homestead, and he in turn by his son
Benjamin, father of the subject of this narrative. Benjamin Patterson, senior, married Elizabeth, daughter of Actor Pat- ten, of Topsham. Their children were Actor Patten, born Feb. 12, 1791, a shipmaster at Kennebunkport, married, Sept. 26, 1821, Lydia Hutchins. He died Jan. 11, 1869. She died June 1, 1869, leaving two daughters,-Lydia, wife of Daniel W. Lord, and Miss Mary Patterson. Elizabeth, born Oct. 25, 1795, married, Nov. 5, 1835, Joseph H. Davis, of Lim- ington, who died while a resident of New Jersey. Benjamin Patterson, born Aug. 20, 1798, married Lucinda Truesdell Aug. 11, 1825. She was born March 7, 1800, at Hudson, N. Y., and died in Saco Nov. 9, 1874.
Benjamin Patterson spent his boyhood at the old homestead. At the age of seventeen, in the year 1815, be went to sea in the ship " Victory," Capt. Redman commanding ; the vessel was cast away, and he with five others were taken from the wreck and carried to Halifax ; but nothing deterred him from grati- fying his desire to lead a seafaring life. Soon after reaching his majority he became a ship-master, sailing from Saco, after- wards from New York, to South America, East Indies, and European ports. On one of his voyages he carried the first steam engine to Buenos Ayres ever landed or used in South America. For many years he was engaged in the cotton trade, sailing from New Orleans and Mobile to Europe, and returning laden with emigrant passengers. He commanded for several years the sailing ship " Hungarian," built at Saco. His last voyage was made in command of the " Alameda," sailing from Boston to Liverpool, where he arrived on Christmas day, 1862. While preparing for his return he was taken ill, and sailed for home in the steamer " Bohemian." In 1864 he visited Europe to look after the three ships,-" Lincoln," "Stars and Stripes," and " Harvest," the former of which was afterwards com- manded by his son, Capt. Alfred Patterson ; and upon his return in the spring of 1865, he retired from the sea, and mostly from the active duties of life. Capt. Patterson was a
successful, judicious, and intelligent mariner, and during bis nearly a half century's experience on the sea, he never lost a vessel or suffered any serious accident. He well understood his duties as a seaman and commander of a ship, and aside from which he was more than usually well versed and well read in the customs of other nations and in the laws that govern the commercial intercourse of the world. He was known to the citizens of Saco as a man of gentlemanly bearing, of a soci- able and happy disposition, and possessed of strict integrity in all his business relations. As a member of the Democratic party he was once selected as a candidate to represent Saco in the State Legislature, and several times as a city officer, but the minority of his party always barred his election, which was no disappointment to him, as he never sought political preferment. He was ever interested in the prosperity of mat- ters at home, but was never officially connected with any local institutions except to serve as trustee of the Saco and Biddeford Savings Institution for a few years. He died at his resi- dence in Saco Ang. 31, 1877, esteemed by all who knew him for his moral worth, his correct habits, and general intelli- gence.
His children are : Mary Elizabeth, died May, 1833, aged six years ; John Benjamin, for many years a sailor, was chief officer of the ship " International," and died of yellow fever in New Orleans Sept. 28, 1856, aged twenty-five years ; Henry, died in infancy ; Margaret Rodman, wife of David T. Giveen, Saco ; Emma, wife of Albion Sands, of Saco; Maria L., a graduate of Albany, N. Y., normal school, in the class of 1860. She left New York (where she had spent the winter) in rne spring of 1867 to return home in the steamer "Old Colony," and has never been heard from since, although her trunk came safely to Saco.
Capt. Alfred, youngest son of Capt. Benjamin Patterson, went to sea with his father in the ship " Hungarian" at the age of thirteen. At the age of twenty-five, in 1863, he took command of the steamer "George S. Wright," and was in government service during the war. He afterwards com- manded the steamer " North Point." For five years be com- manded the English ship " Waterloo," sailing from London, England. He sailed mostly from New York and Boston, and has visited nearly every port on the habitable globe, and for twenty-five years followed maritime pursuits. Upon his retirement from the sea, in 1878, he settled in Saco, his native city, where he opened an office and engaged in in- surance and real-estate business.
CITY OF SACO.
169
in Calef Block, on Cutts' Island. Degrees have been con- ferred upon 383 persons. The present number of members is 160. The oldest person known to be living who re- ceived the degrees in the lodge is Stephen Hanson, of Buxton, who was initiated in 1827.
York Chapter, No. 5, of Royal Arch Masons, at Saco, was chartered in 1828. The charter members were Fred- erick Clarke, Edward S. Moulton, Josiah Beard, Luke Whitney, Rufus Nichols, Stephen Fairfield, Henry S. Smith, Jacob Marston, John Spring, Robert Patterson, James B. Thornton, John C. Donlevie. The three principal officers were Frederick Clark, James B. Thornton, Luke Whitney. The first book of records cannot be found. The Chapter was closed from about 1832 to 1853. The charter was restored, May 5, 1853, to Jacob Marston, John Spring, Stephen Fairfield, Edward S. Moulton, Seth S. Fairfield, Thomas P. Tufts, John Chadwick, John Johnson, Nathan Leonard, Daniel B. Emerson, Thurston Libby, Elijah Smith, Timothy J. Murray. From 1853 the presiding officers (High Priests) have been : 1853-54, Daniel B. Emerson ; 1855-56, Timothy J. Murray ; 1857-58, 1863-67, 1869- 70, Elijah Smith ; 1859, Edward P. Burnham; 1860, Frederick D. Edgerly ; 1861, Mark Prime; 1862, An- drew Hobson, Jr .; 1867-68, Joseph Milliken ; 1871, Gilman P. Littlefield ; 1872, David Buck; 1873, William G. Davis ; 1874-75, Edwin A. Coffin ; 1876-77, Tristram Hanson ; 1878-79, John S. Derby. Since 1853, degrees have been conferred upon 239 persons. The persons now living who earliest received degrees are Edward P. Burn- ham, Nathaniel T. Moulton, and Lewis B. Weeks, Aug. 19, 1853. The membership is 123.
Maine Council, No. 7, of Royal and Select Masters, at Saco, was authorized Dec. 27, 1855, by dispensation to Timothy J. Murray, Edward P. Burnham, Daniel B. Emer- son, Jacob Marston, Samuel Mendum, Joshua Herriek, S. J. Lord, D. W. Quinby, and four others. The presiding officers have been : 1855-58, Timothy J. Murray ; 1858- 63, Edward P. Burnham ; 1863-64, Frederick D. Edgerly ; 1865-75, Elijah Smith ; 1875-78, John S. Derby ; 1878, William S. Noyes ; 1879, George H. Monroe. The de- grees have been conferred upon about 50 persons. Mem- bership, 45.
SACO RIVER AND WATER-POWER.
The basin or drainage district of the Saco is situated in the southeast part of the State, covering the belt of coun- try between the White Mountains and their south westerly extensions and the sea. It is therefore in comparatively close proximity to the seaboard aud to the great mauufac- turing district of New England exterior to the State. The west and northwest portion of the basin is located iu New Hampshire. The form of this basin is that of an oblong figure, gradually widening from its southern point interior- ward twenty miles; thence to its northern boundary it is of nearly uniform width, with the larger proportion of the drainage territory on the right bank of the main stream. The greatest length of this basin, which is on a line from the ocean to Mount Washington, is about seventy-four miles. Its greatest breadth, across the head of the basin, is about thirty miles; the area being about 800 square
miles in Maine, and 600 in New Hampshire, making a total of 1400 square miles.
The following table of elevations at different points within this basin is given by John F. Anderson, Esq., engineer of the Western Division of the Hydrographic Survey :
Hall's Survey of Saco River Railroad marked H.
Wadsworth's Survey of Saco River Railroad marked W. Authorities { Anderson's Survey of Port. & Roch. Railroad marked A. Grant's Survey of Port. & Odgensburg R. R. marked Gr. Guyot's Paper upon the Appalachian System marked G.
Feet above high tide.
Miles.
Localities.
Surface
[of Land.
Water.
Initial point, the centre of the Portland, Saco end Ports- month Railroad track, 400 feet east of Saco Depot, assumed and computed height (II.)
63
8.4
Saco River, about 400 feet above Salmon Falls (H.).
109
9.6
Port. & Roch, Railroad crossing above Bar Mills (A.) ...
137
14
Below Moderation Mills ( II.)
142
16.7
Top of a " horseback" ridge (H)
270
20
Little Ossipee (H.) ..
232
21.6
Half mile west of Steep Falls (H.).
278
27.07
Saco River, quarter mile above Gould's Island (H.) Great Ossipee (W.)
271
34
Foot of Great Falls, Saco River (W.).
271
34.95
Head of Great Falls, Saco River, low water (W.) Head of Great Falls, Saco River, high water ( W
346
35
Saco River at Hiram bridge, low water ( W.).
344
39
Ten-Mile Brook (H.)
359
42
Shepard's River, near Brownfield Centre (H.)
368
44.50
Fryeburg, on plains (H.)
388
48
Fryeburg, near village (H.).
414
South Conway post-office (G.).
450
56
North Conway.
62
Crossing of road junction of Ellis & Saco River (G.) water (Gr.) Saco River (Gr.).
576
543
62.75
63.50
=
=
571
65.25
66.16
=
618
67.9
=
4
653
68,89
46
=
46
700
70.1
70.94 Water in Saco River (Gr.)
8S7
74 12
Underpinning old Crawford House (Gr.).
994
74 12
! Old Crawford House or Davis Tavern (G.).
986
75.52
Water iu Saco River (Gr.)
1055
76.09
=
78.3
79.23
11
79.8
1324
79.86
Underpinning of Willey House (Gr.).
1340
81.1
Water in Saco River (Gr.)
1493
81.73
=
1672
82.2
1886
82.72
Crawford House (G.).
1920
Hollis Centre.
173
Weymouth's, near west line of Hollis.
277
Hanson's, near Waterborough Centre.
285
755
821
72.72
1155
1242
1:284
=
Willey House (G.)
1335
The Notch (G.)
1904
The mean elevation of the basin as a whole is below that of the Androscoggin, but above that of any other river dis- trict of which a proportionally large part is so near the sea. Its upper section covers an important portion of the highest mass of land (the White-Mountain plateau) of any consid- erable extent east of the highlands of the Rocky Moun- tains, with the exception of a limited traet in North Caro- lina. The whole basin is occupied with granite, or gneiss, scarcely distinguishable from granite, with patches of mica sehist here and there. In all parts of the district stone of good quality for construction purposes is abundant. A quarry of excellent granite has been worked extensively at Biddeford. The district, in its northwestern part, is ex- ceedingly mountainous ; thence southeastward it subsides successively into hilly, undulating, and finally quite level surfaces near the sea. The great body of pulverized mate- rial lying above the bed-rock is made up of sand and gravel, with sandy and gravelly loams. The lower portion of the basin is quite thoroughly denuded of forests ; the upper
22
Above Moderation Mills (11).
1GO
252
30.22
343
Saco River, 400 feet above low water (H.)
35)
555
605
170
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, MAINE.
half is still heavily wooded, being cleared only upon the intervals of the streams and the more cultivated portions.
The estimated rain-fall, from the average for the State, is 135,000,000,000 cubic feet yearly. It is probably some- what in excess of the mean for the State, owing to the in- fluence of the mountains and the lower latitude of the basin ; but the amount of excess, if any, is not known, and is accordingly not represented in the figures.
The mean direction of the Saco River is southeast. The chief deviation from this course occurs at Fryeburg, where it originally, and prior to a cut across an inclosed peninsula, traversed, and to this day in part traverses, an extensive loop or curve, and finally leaves the town only about four miles from the point of access. Otherwise, and excepting mere local sinuosities, it flows in nearly the shortest line from the mountains to the sea.
The principal affluents are the following :
Name. Where Received.
From the right bank
[ Little Ossipee,
Limington. Cornish.
From the left bank
Great Ossipee, Upper Kezar, Great Cold,
Fryeburg. Stowe.
BASIN.
STREAM.
NAME.
Length, Breadth, miles. miles.
Area, sq. miles.
Length, miles.
Estimated Dis- charge, cubic feet.
Little O-sipee ...
17
16
182
30
7,100,000,000
Great Ossipee ...
27
18
240
33
9,300,000,000
Upper Krzar.
12
8
62
14
2,400,000,000
Great Cold.
12
7
60
12
2,340,000,000
1
The length of the streams as given above does not in- clude their local windings.
The Saco in its upper part is drawn around the southern slope of the White Mountains in such a manner as to carry off a considerable part of the surplus waters which would otherwise be discharged by the Merrimac ; this contributes largely to its annual delivery, but uot to its uniformity of volume at different seasons.
The length of the main river from its source among the mountains to the sea, not including the minuter windings, is about ninety-five miles, twenty-five of which, more or less, are in New Hampshire. The main water-power sec- tion of the river is about thirty-five miles long, from Hiram Falls to the tide. The stream is about six hundred feet wide in the vicinity of Saco. The yearly discharge, esti- mated at forty per cent. of the annual precipitation, is, from the entire basin, both within and beyond the State, about 54,000,000,000 cubic feet.
The variation of volume is excessive in the upper part, owing to the mountainous character of the country. The lower portion of the river likewise fluctuates widely in its mass of waters at different seasons, though much less than the upper, owing, first, to the narrowness of the " Gates"-the passage at Iliram Falls-which dams back the mountain water over extensive intervals and marshes above; owing, secondly, to the comparative levelness of the lower portion of the basin ; and thirdly, to the improvement of the lakes and ponds for storage. In the drought of summer nearly 40,000 cubic feet per minute for eleven hours a day are commanded at Saco, or 18,000 cubic feet per minute for
the whole twenty-four hours. The low-run continued day and night throughout the year would carry off over 9,000,000,000 cubic feet, or about one-sixth of the esti- mated delivery of the river for the year. The volume at low water can be increased two or threefold by the use of the reservoirs of the river. The discharge of the river in ordinary freshets-eight feet on the middle dam at Saco- is about 1,900,000 cubic feet per minute. Ten feet are alleged to be found on the dam in extreme freshets.
The range from lowest to highest water at different points is as follows :
Localities.
Feet.
Localities.
Feet.
Saco Falls
8 to 10
Bonny Eagle Falls
6
Union Falls ...
7
Great Falls, Hiram ... 12
Salmon Falls.
8
Fryeburg Centre ...
14
Bar Mills Falls.
6 Toll-bridge, Fryeburg ..... 11.50
The range in feet above the Great Falls is not a fair ex- pression of the volume of the river in that section in time of flood, the water being diffused over an immense expanse of lowland, as before noticed, and of course proportion- ately reduced in elevation.
The descent of the river in Maine is moderately steep, being from the State line at Fryeburg, 67 miles to the tide at Biddeford, 450 feet, or about 7 feet to the mile, which gives an average angular depression of 4'.3 per mile. The current is generally moderate, the greater part of the descent taking place in sudden breaks or falls. The level of tide is reached about four miles from the coast, at Biddeford, and there by a comparatively abrupt pitch of 40 feet.
The slope in the 35 miles constituting the principal water-power portion of the river, from Biddeford to Hiram Great Falls, is at the rate of 9.8 feet per mile, correspond- iug to au angular descent of 6'.8 per mile. In this portion it is a succession of rapids and falls, and offers numerous sites for manufacturing of the highest value.
The total number of lakes in the portion of the Saco basin situated in Maine, and represented on the State map, is 75, or more than twice the number due to the average for the whole State. The small ponds are undoubtedly more fully represented ou the map for the thickly-settled than for the wilderness portions of the State. The lakes are small compared with the average for Maine, and there are none strictly first-class in size.
The sum total of lake surface connected with the Saco, as computed from the State and county maps, is 55 square miles in Maine, 29 in New Hampshire, 84 in all, or one square mile to each 16.66 square miles of basin. The lakes average 0.75 of a square mile each in extent.
Forty hours are required for the passage of water from Ossipee Pond to Saco in an ordinary stage of the river.
POWER ON THE LOWER SECTION OF THE SACO.
If the mean volume of water that, in the present condi- tion of its reservoirs, can be commanded on the Saco River from Hiram Falls to the tide, be assumed to be 27,000 cubic feet per minute, for eleven hours a day, in the low run of summer, the gross power developed in the 343 feet of fall is 17,493 horse-power for the hours specified, or 699,720 spindles. A large proportion of this power can be economically improved, the opportunities for dams, canals, aud mills being unusually good. The judicious use
171
CITY OF SACO.
of the reservoirs would undoubtedly increase this amount of power by 200 per cent.
EARLY MILLS.
The first saw-mill at Saco was erected by Capt. Roger Spencer, some time prior to 1654. On the 17th of Janu- ary of that year the town granted to John Davis, of York, " the privilege to set up a saw-mill on the great falls of the river Saco." According to the terms of the grant he was to " have accommodations sufficient for that work the most convenient that can be fixed upon next to Roger Spencer," and to " have timber-land and meadow sufficient for his work." The probability is that Mr. Davis never erected his mill, as we hear nothing further of it. In June, 1659, Lieut. William Phillips obtained of Richard Vines a grant of land at Biddeford, and the year following removed to the place from Boston. He built his house a few rods below the falls on the Biddeford side, which was a garrison dur- ing the first Indian war, and the seene of a fierce and bloody encounter with the savages. Mr. Phillips owned large estates in Boston, and came here for the purpose of lumbering, which he carried on extensively for those times. The year after his removal he purchased one-fourth of Capt. Spencer's saw-mill, and the next year employed Capt. John Alden, his son-in-law, to build another, conveying to him a one-fourth interest after it was completed. In 1667, we find him conveying one-half of " the Island against the mill (now Factory Island) to Capt. John Bonython, for the consideration of eight hundred pine-trees suitable to make merchantable boards." The spring after he made a contract for his lumber in England, for we find him engaging to pay Mr. Richard Hutchinson, of London, merchant, £151 sterling, " in good merchantable pine boards, at the saw- mills, at Saco Falls." He also had a grist-mill situated near his saw-mill.
Maj. Phillips was an extensive owner of lands in this section, having purchased of the sagamore Fluellen, in 1661, eight miles square, comprising nearly all of the present towns of Sandford, Alfred, and Waterborough. His mills were burnt by the Indians during their attack upon the settlement in 1675. The saw-mill was probably rebuilt, for we find in his will that he bequeathed his lands and saw-mill at Saco in equal proportions to his wife and sons, Samuel and William, reserving one-quarter, which had been sold to William Taylor for Abraham Harmon, of Fayal, and a lot near the falls, sold to William Frost.
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