History of York County, Maine, with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 49

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 49

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come and improve the water-power on that side ; but it does not appear that the intended movement was ever made. The renewal of trouble with the Indians probably prevented it.

About three years later, Sampson Sheafe and Samuel Walker, of Boston, became, by purchase from Blackman, part owners of the estate and mills.

In 1691, Capt. George Turfrey built the mill long known as " the lower mill." It continued to be renewed from time to time till 1814, when it was carried away by " the great freshet." The Eddy mill was afterwards built upon nearly the same site. In 1720, Samuel Cole purchased 12 acres lying above the Turfrey mill, including the " steep- fall" privilege, on which he soon after built the Cole mill. In 1740, Mr. Cole sold, as part of his 12 acres, one-half of the Gooch mill-privilege to Thomas Wheelwright, of Wells, and the latter directly after sold one-quarter to Benjamin Gooch, of Wells. Mr. Cole, in his conveyance to Mr. Wheelwright, speaks of his " old mill," referring to the one mentioned above, built in 1720.

In the spring of 1741 the three proprietors built the Gooch mill on the island, then called Gooch Island, sepa- rated from the mainland by a channel formerly ealled Jor- dan's Creek. The right of Mr. Cole to convey any part of the island (containing three or four acres) was long a vexed question, out of which grew innumerable lawsuits.

The improvements made by Mr. Blackman and his asso- ciates.on the east side of the river, of which mention has already been made, were abandoned during the Indian troubles which prevailed from 1688 to 1691. A few fami- lies only remained about the Falls. But the proprietors had laid the foundation on which an enterprising company began to build about the time of the resettlement of the town. In 1716 Samuel Walker, of New Jersey, sold his two-thirds of the Blackman purchase to William Pepperell, Jr., afterwards Sir William, who was then only twenty years of age, but was engaged in extensive business with bis father, Col. William Pepperell, of Kittery. The following year young Pepperell purchased the remaining third part of the tract of Thomas Goodwill, of Boston, who derived the title from his wife, Rebecca, a daughter of Mr. Blackman. The conveyanee included a privilege for timber on 4500 acres northwest of the purchase. Directly after these transactions, Mr. Pepperell sold half of the whole traet to Nathaniel Weare, of Hampton, a millwright and large speculator in mill property, and Humphrey Scamman, Jr., of Saco, mariner, who together, in part payment, erected a large double saw-mill on the site of the old Blackman mill, and a dwelling-house for the accommodation of the mill- men, one-half of which was the property of Mr. Pepperell. A division of the mill and of a lot of land adjoining, 'half a mile square, with a small reservation to be used in com- mon, was made by the partners, Dec. 16, 1717. Mr. Pep- perell took a breadth of eighty rods, comprehending the part of the city east of Main Street to the lower fence of the burying-ground ; Mr. Scamman forty rods next be- low, and Mr. Weare forty rods to the brook near Pipe- Stave, or Gray's Point. They afterwards, on the 20th of October, 1718, divided among them severally the whole tract extending from Nichols' Brook to the upper bounds

The next mill which we find any notice of was one which stood on the east side of the river, east of the island, at a place known to the early inhabitants as Blackman's Falls. Benjamin Blackman built a saw-mill here in 1680, having purchased 100 acres of land, which embraced all the mill- privileges on the east side of the river. In August, 1681, he petitioned the General Assembly for " liberty to cut tim- ber upon the commons for the accommodation of his saw- mill, lying on the east side of Saco River." Three years after he purchased a tract on the river, containing about 640 acres, of John Bonython, and the following year 100 acres of James Gibbins, extending three miles and a half above the Falls. It appears from Blackman's deed that he was acting as agent for a company at Andover, who intended to . of Gibbins' third division, a distance of four and a quarter

172

HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, MAINE.

miles, and in breadth not less than two miles. The com- pany also proceeded to lay out roads and streets. They laid out what is now Main Street, " four rods wide," and the post-road as far as the house of John Foss. Also the Buxton and Ferry road to some extent, and a road along the river through the whole extent of the tract, " with con- venience for men and oxen to pass and repass." The old landings, known as " Dennett's," " Pepperell's," and " Pipe- Stave Point," were established and reserved for public use at this time, and many other improvements made of which it is not our province now to speak.

The valuable island opposite the mills, since known as Cutts' or Factory Island, was claimed by the proprietors under the name of Indian Island, which, however, had been attached to the Phillips estate with the name of Bony- thon's Island, it having been divided between Phillips and Bonython, as we have seen, in 1667, Bonython taking the east half and Phillips that next his residence in Bidde- ford.

The division of the mill was made between Pepperell, Weare, and Scamman, as follows : " Pepperell takes the saw and frame next to the land, and the piling-place next to the land ; and the saw and frame next to the river said Weare and said Scamman are to have, and the piling-place on the rock next to the river. Each owner of said saw is to maintain and keep in order his running-gear and saw, and all that belongs to each frame. As to the house, said Pepperell has the eastern half, and said Weare and Seam- man the western half." Capt. Scamman was the only one of the proprietors resident in the town. He continued to carry on the mill till his death, which occurred in 1734. The estate of Capt. Scamman, soon after his decease, was divided among his children.

Scamman's mill was probably burnt by the Indians, July 19, 1745. We find in Parson Smith's journal of that date an account of the Indians burning the garrison and saw- mill at Saco.

In 1750 we find that the settlement on the western side of the river was the most considerable. The three saw- mills-those of Gooch and Cole and the Lower Mill-gave employment to many individuals who were settled in that vicinity. A ferry had been established several years before, just below the lower bridges. It was kept on the western side by Elisha Allen, who traded and entertained travelers in a small one-story house. Such were the mercantile and hotel accommodations of Biddeford one hundred and twenty-nine years ago.

Until 1731, Capt. Scamman, and the persons employed in his saw-mill and their families, were all the residents on the eastern side at the Falls, or what is now the city of Saco. The inhabitants of the town up to that time were chiefly located near the sea, at Old Orchard, and towards the mouth of the river.

In 1731, Mr. Weare transferred three-fourths of his land and mill to Richard Berry, John Elden, and John Sellea, and soon after one-eighth to Thomas Dearborn, and the re- mainder to Abraham Tyler and Jeremiah Moulton. Dear- born sold a part to James Berry in 1737, and Tyler and Moulton to William Berry, the year following. The Berrys all lived at the Falls.

Up to this date few improvements had been made on the island known as Great or Indian Island. Col. Thomas Cutts, afterwards the eminent merchant, was the first to perceive and appreciate the importance of the island for manufacturing and commercial purposes, and he resolved to make it the seat of his business. He came to Saco in 1758, with a capital of only $100. In 1759 he purchased a small undivided part of the island, being a fourth of Weare's original share, for about $90, and soon after built a small house with conveniences for a store on the southwest end of the island, to which he removed. A bridge had been recently thrown across the narrow part of the stream on the east side and a road laid out. A ferry was at the same time established from that part of the island to Alden's, on the west side, thereby avoiding more than half the distance of the old route from Pepperell's Wharf. After the erec- tion of the proprietor's bridge at the same place, in 1767, with which the inhabitants on the west side were highly gratified, Mr. Cutts began to reap the full advantages of a situation so judiciously chosen. Besides the business of his store, which became greater than that of any other in the vicinity, he entered into ship-building and navigation, and up to the commencement of the Revolution was en- gaged in a timber trade with the West India Islands equally profitable and extensive. He continued to occupy his first house about twenty years, in which were born all but one of his eight children. In 1782 the family removed to the elegant mansion-house on the upper part of the island, where Col. Cutts passed the remainder of his life. The Pepperell estate being confiscated by the government, on account of the loyalty of the proprietor to the king in the war for independence, Col. Cutts became the purchaser of a large share of it. Half of Great Lot (about 1200 acres) was purchased by him in different portions, and he also ob- tained the title to nearly 1000 acres of the remainder of the tract, valued by the appraisers of his estate at $20,450. The Pepperell half of the saw-mill also became his, with other parts of the confiscated property. Col. Cutts died Jan. 10, 1821 ; his real estate at that time was estimated at $100,000 in value.

SACO AND BIDDEFORD MANUFACTURES.

The enterprises of Col. Cutts brought the advantages of the island, as the seat of manufacturing interests, before the public. The improvements on the island at the time of his death were a large iron-factory, two saw-mills, double and treble, a treble grist-mill, and various mechanics' shops. The iron-works were erected under the direction of Josiah Calef, Esq., in 1811, and were owned jointly by Mr. Calef and Col. Cutts. They comprised a rolling-mill, slitting- mill, and 11 machines for the manufacture of nails, turning out at least 3500 pounds of nails per day. The manufac- ture of lumber was also a large interest here before 1800, there being 17 saws on and about the Falls. The lumber cut per day has been estimated at 50,000 feet. Clapboards, staves, shooks, heading, hoops, shingles, lath, ship- and building-timber, were manufactured for the West Indies and points on the coast. For the year ending Sept. 30, 1827, 21,000,000 feet had been sawn,-the greater part for the home trade.

Photo, by A. S. McKenney, Saco.

JOHN JOHNSON,

second son of Bradbury and Rachel (Short) John- son, was born in Haverhill, Mass., Aug. 21, 1789. His father was a contractor and builder ; came to Saco, in 1802, with his family, and was engaged in building many of the best structures of Saco prior to his death, Dec. 14, 1820; among which was the old Orthodox church, which has since ·been burned, and also the Captain Stephen's house at the ferry.

John Johnson learned the business of a builder with his father, which he carried on during his life. He erected many of the finest and most substantial residences and public buildings in Saco and Bidde- ford, among which is the Unitarian church edifice.

He was a member of the Calvinist Baptist Church for many years prior to his decease, Nov. 22, 1875. He was a member of the Masonic fraternity for many years. He was known to the people of Saco as a man of sterling integrity in all his busi-

ness relations, of a very social nature, a good neigh- bor, a man of correct habits, and one who fulfilled the whole duty of the citizen. He first married, June 30, 1814, Jane Chandler, who was born Oct. 13, 1796. The children of this union living are Mrs. Joseph Emery, of San Francisco, Cal. ; Mrs. Jotham Moulton, of Biddeford; Mrs. Samuel Tay, of Medford, Mass. Mrs. Johnson died Oct. 18, 1831.

He married, second, Mary, daughter of Henry and Sarah (Cleaves) Jameson, Ang. 3, 1834. She was born March 18, 1802, and survives in 1879. She has one son living, William T. Johnson, a piano and music dealer in New York City. Her maternal grandfather, John Cleaves, kept the States tavern for forty years, prior to the use of rail- roads. He was an active and influential citizen of Saco, and died there at the age of about seventy years.

173

CITY OF SACO.

COTTON-MILLS.

SACO MANUFACTURING COMPANY.

In the spring of 1825 the island, with the exception of a small part, the property of Mr. D. Cutts, was purchased by a company, principally of Boston, called the Saco Man- ufacturing Company, for the purpose of erecting a cotton- factory. The iron-works, with the other improvements, were included in the purchase. The whole cost to the company was $110,000. They bought at the same time a considerable part of the privileges on the opposite side of the river for $10,000. The operations were rather mod- erate in their progress, so that preparations only were made during the first year. In 1826 a mill was erected 210 feet in length and 47 in width, consisting of 7 floors, and caleu- lated to contain 12,000 spindles and 300 looms. The ex- eavation of a eanal, leading from the head of the fall to the site of the factory, and carried in part through a bed of solid rock, was attended with great labor and expense. A large number of experienced and skillful workmen were employed in the construction of the necessary machinery, and the establishment was gradually put in operation. In the summer of 1829 there were about 500 persons con- neeted with it, of whom more than 400 occupied the com- pany's tenements on the island. The goods manufactured acquired a high reputation in the market, and notwithstand- ing the pressure of the times, a handsome profit was realized from the products. Early in 1829 the stock of machinery for the whole establishment was completed, on which the sum of $200,000 had been expended by the company. But the fruits of all this labor (much of which was exe- cuted with a skill and ingenuity seldom equalcd ) was swept away in a disastrous conflagration, which commenced about two o'clock P.M., on Sunday, Feb. 21, 1830,* in the basement story, and rapidly extended through every part of the build- ing. In the course of three hours this fine structure, with its complete equipments,-one of the noblest monuments of New England enterprise,-was a heap of smouldering ruins. This losst was so severe a blow to the Saco Manufacturing Company that they deemed it advisable not to rebuild. The advantages of the situation, however, were too impor- tant to allow the site to remain long unoccupied.

YORK MANUFACTURING COMPANY.

On the 16th of March, 1831, the York Company was incorporated with a capital of $1,200,000. The original incorporators were Charles Bradbury, Charles W. Cart- wright, and James Johnson, of Boston ; Ether Shepley, Jonathan King, George Thacher, and Josiah Calef, of Saco. The company's buildings occupy about 10 acres of ground on Factory, formerly Indian, or Cutts' Island. The mills and other buildings are of briek, substantially built, with slate roofs, and both in structure and equipments will compare favorably with any in the manufacturing towns of New England. The mills of the York Company are three, as follows : No. 1 Mill proper, 488 by 46 feet, five stories ; attached at one end is a picker-building, 85 by 55, five

stories, and at the other a building 72 by 70, four stories, making No. 1 Mill with an entire length of 650 feet. Nos. 2 and 3 Mills are 160 by 46 feet each, five stories high. The pieker attached to No. 3 Mill is 50 by 80 feet, and two stories. There are two dyeing-, drying-, and finishing-houses ; the first is 156 by 70 feet, three stories,-the first story being used exclusively for dyeing, the second for finishing cloth, called the fioishing-room, or cloth hall. The third story is used for skein-winding, filling-winding, twisting, and warping. The other building is three stories, 90 by 70 feet, the lower part used for dying, and the other two stories for drying purposes. The company make their own gas from petroleum. The office and counting-rooms are in a substantial brick building ; the store-rooms are of large capacity ; the machine-shops, carpenter-shops, and other appendages being such as usually belong to first-class man- ufacturing establishments. Besides the buildings men- tioned there are 28 briek boarding-houses, agent's house, stables, ete., the whole occupying about 10 aeres on Factory Island.

The York Mills have 1000 looms, 33,000 spindles, and give employment to 1000 operatives. Their monthly pay- roll is $25,000. They manufacture colored cotton goods of every variety, the products amounting to 9,000,000 yards per annum. Up to February, 1878, the capital stock of the company was $1,200,000; it was then re- dueed to 8900,000. The goods of the company are all sold by George C. Richardson & Co., Boston and New York.

The agents of the York Company have been Mr. Samuel Bachelder, who took charge of the manufacturing in 1831, and remained till 1844; Amos H. Boyd, 1844-54; S. J. Wetherell, 1854-56 ; Hannaniah Temple, 1856-67 ; Ira H. Foss, 1867, and still in charge.

The following have been the treasurers : Pliny Cutler, William Dwight, Samuel Bachelder, Hannaniah Temple, Walter Hastings, and William G. Saltonstall.

SACO WATER-POWER COMPANY.

Before giving a sketch of the other manufacturing com- panies it will be proper to refer to the operations of the Saco Water-Power Company, by whose labors and enter- prise the valuable power at the Falls has been rendered so largely available. This company was organized in 1839, and purchased the eastern half of Factory Island of the York Company. In order to its control and utilization the company also purchased all the water-power in Saco and Bid- deford, including Spring's and Bradbury's dams at Spring's Island, about an eighth of a mile above the Falls. These were secured in order to economize the flow of water in dry seasons. The dams extend from the island to the main- land on either side, and are provided with sets of gates which are kept shut at night to retain the water for use at the mills. The head thus gained is considerable, being suf- ficient in twenty-four hours to cause a baek-flow to Union Falls, some eight or nine miles up the river.

As a part of their plan for increasing the value of the power at Saco and Biddeford, the company in 1847 pur- chased the water-powers up the river at Union Falls and Salmon Falls, and have since, by different purchases, obtained

* See Kennebunk Gazette, Feb. 27, 1830, on file in the York Insti- tute, for full particulars of this fire.

+ Loss, $250,000; insurance, $80,000.

174

HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, MAINE.

control of the principal reservoirs of the river-Great Ossi- pee, in Ossipee and Freedom, N. H .; Moose Pond, in Den- mark ; Upper Kezar, in Lovell and Stowe; Watchie Pond, in Standish ; Horn Pond, in Limington; Little Ossipee, in Waterborough, and others .*

The great freshet in 1843 swept away all the dams at Saco and Biddeford. It was caused by the unusually deep snow in April, which, melting rapidly, produced the freshet, with its disastrous consequences, May 1st. The Water- Power Company rebuilt the dams in such a permanent manner that they have since remained, and may be eonsid- ered proof against the contingencies of any freshet that may ever oceur.

The engineering done by this company, in the plan and location of the Pepperell and Laconia Mills, is one of the most interesting features connected with these extensive manufacturing establishments. The mills are so located that the water brought in a eanal from the head of the Falls supplies each set alternately. The canal is 48 feet wide, 500 feet long, and excavated the whole distance through the solid roek. It was constructed by the Water-Power Company in 1840. A similar canal also supplies water to the York Mills on the island, and was first constructed by the Saco Manufacturing Company in 1826.

The Saco Water-Power Company was instrumental in giving the first impulse to the growth of the city of Bid- deford. In 1841, when they built their machine- and blacksmith-shops, there were but two brick houses in the place. These were the Tracy House and the residence of Mr. Charles Gould. on Alfred Street. Besides the erection of the Laconia and Pepperell Mills, Nos. 1 and 2, in 1841 and 1848, respectively, and the extensive boarding-houses of these companies, the Water-Power Company also built the Biddeford House block and others within the city corpora- tion. Up to 1870 they leased the water to the Pepperell and Laconia Companies, since which these companies have owned the powers.

Rufus Nichols was the first superintendent. In 1841, Mr. Thomas Quinby took charge of the engineering depart- ment, and has been engineer and agent ever since, with the exception of about five years' absence.

THE LACONIA MANUFACTURING COMPANY

was incorporated Feb. 19, 1841, the incorporators being Parker MeCobb, Samuel Bachelder, Rufus Nichols, James Montgomery, and their associates. No. 1 Mill was built in 1844, and went into operation in July, 1845. Dimen- sions, 260 by 50 feet, and five stories high. No. 2 Mill was built in 1845. It is 313 by 60 feet; height, four stories and attie. No. 3 Mill, built in 1846-47, and put in opera- tion in 1848. Dimensions, 262 by 62 feet, four stories. No. 4 Mill was built in 1873, and went into operation in 1874. Size, 274 by 74 feet, and five stories. The other buildings are as follows : No. 1 Picker, 80 by 44 feet, three stories; Nos. 2 and 3 Pieker, 175 by 84 feet, three stories ; three cotton-houses, respectively, 225 by 36 feet, 200 by 40 feet, and 100 by 60 feet ; repair-shop, boiler-shop, belt-

shop, reed-shop, and harness-shop, 275 by 36 feet, including also on first floor, office, counting-room, and packing-hall. There are four blocks of boarding-houses, each 150 by 36 feet, three stories ; earpenter-shop, box-making, and napping- room for eanton-flannel, 150 by 30 feet ; waste-house, 44 by 30 feet.

The Laconia Company operate 2000 looms, 76,000 spin- dles, and employ 1400 operatives, with a monthly pay-roll of from 820,000 to $25,000. They manufacture annually 19,756,000 yards, or 6,250,000 pounds, of cotton fabrics.

The agents of the Laconia have been as follows: Otis Holmes, 1845 to March, 1848; Rufus Nichols, March, 1848, to November, 1848 ; Augustine Haines, November, 1848, to May, 1872; William P. Haines; May, 1872, to July, 1879 ;} James G. Brackett, since July, 1879.

THE PEPPERELL MANUFACTURING COMPANY

was incorporated Feb. 16, 1844, with a capital of $1,200,- 000. The incorporators were Josiah Calef, Samuel Bach- elder, Rufus Nichols, and Jonathan King, of Saeo, and John Anderson, Parker MeCobb, and Charles S. Daveis, of Portland, and their associates.

This company own and operate three mills. Nos. 1 and 2 are joined by a building 76 by 75 feet, the whole structure thus joined being 659 by 75 feet, and five stories in height. No. 3 Mill is the same height, 332 by 75 feet, and has two pieker buildings attached at the ends,-118 by 50. One cotton- and cloth-house is 394 by 50 feet, three stories ; the other is 147 by 40 feet, one story and basement. Repair- shops, 128 by 50; lumber-room, 120 by 50, three stories. Boarding-house block, 416 by 50, containing 16 tenements. These buildings are all of briek, substantially eoustrueted. No. 1 Mill is surmounted by a fine belfry and cloek-tower. The office and counting-rooms of the company occupy a convenient building of briek 60 by 50 feet, two stories high.

The Pepperell Mills contain 2200 looms, 82,000 spindles; 1700 operators are employed; the monthly pay-roll is 825,000, and the number of yards of shirtings, sheetings, jeans, and drills made average about 20,000,000 per annum.

The following have been the agents of this company : William P. Haines, 1851-64 ; Ferguson Haines, 1864-67 ; William P. Haines, 1867-79 ;} Reuben M. Hobbs, since July 2, 1879.

THE SACO WATER-POWER MACHINE-SHOP

was incorporated in 1867, and purchased the machine-shops of the Saeo Water-Power Company. A. D. Lockwood, William Dwight, Benjamin E. Bates, Josiah Bardwell, James H. McMullan, and William P. Haines were the in- corporators. The capital stock of the company is $300,000, and they are engaged in the manufacture of cotton ma- chinery, employing 500 hands, to whom they pay monthly au aggregate sum of from $15,000 to $20,000. Mr. James H. MeMullan is the agent of the company, who has had charge of the business from the first. The officers of the company are A. D. Loekwood, President ; Speneer W. Richardson, Treasurer ; and Charles M. Moses, Clerk. Directors, Nathaniel Walker, A. D. Lockwood, John Web- ster, John D. Parker, and S. W. Richardson.

The areas of these ponds are respectively : Great Ossipee, 3800 acres ; Moose Pond, 1650 acres; Upper Kezar, 2065 acres; Little Ossipee, 525 acres : Watchic, 425 aeres ; Horn Pond, 150 acres,

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History of York County, Maine, with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 49

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