History of York County, Maine, with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 69

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

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As the village about the depot grew, the Methodists occu- pied the field by preaching and religious services, and suffi- cient encouragement warranted the erection of a meeting- house there, which was done in 1868, and a church organ-

ized, consisting of 25 members. The church building was dedicated September 23, 1868, by Rev. Joseph Colby. Israel Downing was largely instrumental in gathering the church and was its first pastor. He was followed by Con- ference appointments of John H. Pillsbury and Frost S. Dresser, and in the spring of 1871 Charles W. Blackman became pastor. In 1871 a good site was secured for a par- sonage, and a very comfortable one erected for the use of the minister. Probable value of church property, $3500.

The present pastor is Rev. W. B. Bartlett.

The church of the Second Adventists first became a dis- tinct religious body about 1846. Their first place of wor- ship was fitted up in 1847, and is now occupied as a dwell- ing. Their present meeting-house was erected in 1852. They have never had a settled minister, their pulpit being supplied by traveling preachers.

PRINCIPAL PLACES OF BUSINESS.

The principal places of business in the town are the vil- lage, the landing, and the depot.

Kennebunk village is by far the most populous and wealthy centre of trade in the town. It is well laid out, and contains a large number of fine residences and stores. It contains four churches, a high school, several large man- ufacturing establishments, the Ocean National Bank, Jo- seph Dane, President ; Christopher Littlefield, Cashier ; the Kennebunk Savings Bank, Joseph Titcomb, President; Joseph Dane, Treasurer; a weekly newspaper, the Eastern Star, W. Lester Watson, publisher ; Marens Watson, editor.

Among the leading merchants are W. Downing, C. L. Dresser, M. H. Ford, J. Cousens, J. G. Littlefield, W. Fairfield, F. P. Hall, Tobias S. Nason, dry-goods and gro- ceries ; G. W. Wallingford, L. Richards, S. Clark, O. Ross & Co., drugs and medicines ; J. Getchell, stoves and hardware.

The lawyers are Joseph Dane, Edward E. Bourne, James M. Stone, and A. E. Haley. The physicians are Orrin Ross, Lemuel Richards, Frank M. Ross, J. B. Wentworth, and E. W. Morton.

The Boston and Maine Railroad, whose station is at the edge of the village, supplies all needed facility for com- munication and travel east and west, and the merchant ma- rine, of which about fifty vessels are owned in Kennebunk, affords all other needed advantage for trade and commerce. The Eastern Railroad passes through the town about two miles north of the village, at which point quite a little vil- lage has sprung up.

The principal hotel in the village is the Mousam House, by John G. Baker. It is an old and well-established place of entertainment.

The population of the town in 1870 was 2603; valua- tion of estates, $1,577,504.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.

DANIEL REMICH,

son and only child of James K. and Elizabeth (Twombly) Remich, was born in Dover, N. H., April 11, 1809, and was brought to Kennebunk when three months old. He

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Daniel Remich

James the Newich

245

TOWN OF KENNEBUNK.

was fitted for Yale College, but was compelled by an affec- tion of the eyes to abandon the idea of pursuing a collegiate course, and for more than a year, by direction of his medi- cal adviser, did not read as much as a page of a book. Partially recovering from his trouble, he took charge of his father's bookstore, occasionally working in the printing- office. Pursued the business of a bookseller about forty years.

He was editor of the Kennebunk Gazette fifteen years. Was chosen by a young men's county convention one of the delegates to represent York County in the Young Men's National Republican Convention held in Washington in 1832. Again, by a county convention, a delegate to rep- resent York County in the Whig National Convention held in Baltimore in 1840.

He was chairman of the committee of arrangements for the Whig County celebration held in Kennebunk July +, 1840, believed to be the largest, and, in its results, the most important political gathering in the State up to that time.

Mr. Remich was collector of the customs for the Dis- trict of Kennebunk from 1841 to 1845, and again from 1849 to 1853. As agent of the War Department he had charge of the piers at the mouth of Kennebunk River for several years. A considerable part of the stone pier on the eastern side of the channel was built under his superin- tendence.

He was chairman of the supervisory school committee of Kennebunk some thirty years, and has been chairman of supervisory school committee of School District No. 5, in said town, since its incorporation.

He held the office of town agent one year, when he de- clined a re-election. He held the office of town treasurer in 1865 ; again in 1867, and continuously to this date. He was appointed town historian, and delivered a historical address before citizens of Kennebunk and vicinity July 4, 1876.

He has delivered temperance and lyceum lectures, has been secretary of temperance and literary societies, and has served on many committees appointed by town and district to consider and report upon matters of public interest.

Mr. Remich married Ann Twombly, daughter of Capt. James Twombly, of Durham, N. H., June 20, 1854. They have no children, but have an adopted daughter,-Carrie Etta Remich.

JAMES KINSMAN REMICH

was born in Dover, N. H., April 30, 1783. At the age of fifteen he entered the printing-office of his uncle, Samuel Bragg, Jr., as an apprentice, having received as good an education as the public and private schools of the time in that locality afforded. With good natural abilities and studious and moral habits, this position was an excellent one for him, inasmuch as he had access to a good library,-a privilege he well improved,-while the every-day labors in the office could not fail to acquaint him with passing events in our own country and abroad and to store his mind with other useful knowledge. Mr. Bragg was a prominent and an influential man in the State, was proprietor and editor

of the Dover Sun, and the publisher of several valuable works, historical and miscellaneous.

Soon after completing his apprenticeship, Mr. Remich was employed as a journeyman in the office of the Boston Gazette, then a semi-weekly, Russell & Cutler proprietors and editors, where he remained two or three years. In 1808, having supplied himself with the necessary apparatus (at the earnest request of his uncle, who frequently needed his services), he opened a job-office, temporarily, in Dover, while looking for a desirable place for a permanent location. In June, of this year, he was married to Elizabeth Twombly, daughter of Reuben Twombly, then late of Madbury, N. H., and well known as the former owner and operator of a large farm in Madbury, and as a member of a mercantile firm in Portsmouth.

At the solicitation of several friends who had, in previous years, removed from Dover and Berwick to Kennebunk, and who were at the time among the most prominent and influential citizens of the town, Mr. Remich concluded to establish himself in business there, and on the 24th day of June, 1809, 'he issued the first number of the Weekly Visitor. At this time there were only five newspapers published in Maine, viz., two in Portland and one in each of the towns of Hallowell, Augusta, and Castine; the two last named, however, were discontinued a short time subse- quently, for want of patronage. Three times previously to this date attempts had been made to maintain a newspaper in Kennebunk, but in each case, after a brief trial, the enterprise was abandoned as profitless. For three or four years Mr. Remich was obliged to contend against many difficulties, and at one time had determined to remove his establishment to South Berwick, but, at the urgent request of friends in Kennebunk, and other towns in the county, he consented to remain another year. Unexpected occur- rences, during the year, gave a favorable turn to his affairs ; the circulation of his paper was increased, and his business in every department became remunerative and satisfactory. At the commencement of its fifth volume the Visitor was enlarged. After the incorporation of the town, in 1820, the paper was again enlarged, and its title changed to Ken- nebunk Gazette, and in 1831 he purchased the printing apparatus and good-will of the Maine Palladium,-for several years published in Saco,-when his paper was for the third time enlarged, and its title changed to Kennebunk Gazette and Maine Palladium. In June, 1842, on the completion of the thirty-third volume of the paper, the Gazette was discontinued, not so much in consequence of lack of patronage as for the purpose of settling up the very large number of outstanding accounts, which had been suffered to remain unadjusted and uncollected until earnest attention to them became a matter of imperative necessity ; and this course was adopted as the only one by which the desired end could be accomplished, inasmuch as Mr. Remich had satisfied himself upon repeated experiments that, while he was in any way connected with the publication of the paper, a satisfactory adjustment of them could not be effected. It was not designed to permanently relinquish the publica- tion of the Gazette, but no effort was made for its resusci- tation, for the reason that, after a year's retirement, Mr. Remich preferred employment on his farm to active business

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HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, MAINE.

pursuits, and his son, under whose editorial management the paper had been for some fifteen years preceding its dis- continuanee, having other business, and possessing no es- pecial fondness for the vocation of publisher and editor, did not wish to engage in the undertaking.

Mr. Remicb, as a politician, was a Federalist until the disintegration of that party, subsequently a Whig. Al- though popular and influential, and an earnest and inde- fatigable worker for the success of his party, he never held a publie office. His friends frequently solicited him to become a candidate for State senator, town representative, selectman, etc., but he invariably and sturdily refused. A copy of a letter to a friend in Berwick, in reply to a request that he would consent to be nominated for State senator, gives his reasons : "In the first place, I have no desire for office of any kind,-town, county, State, or national ; in the second place, I would not leave my home three months in a year for the best office in the gift of the people; and in the third place, my business demands my constant presenee and care,-' united we stand,' etc. . . . I thank you sincerely for your kind letter, but no candidacy for me, now or ever." In religions faith, Mr. Remich's views accorded with those held by the Unitarian denomination.

Daniel Remieh, the son (and only child) of the subject of this memoir, in a letter to a committee of the York In- stitute, at Saco, presenting to that institution the thirty- three bound volumes of his father's paper, says, " I consider the volumes of my father's paper exceedingly valuable, not only beeause they furnish an interesting account of gen- eral events during the years that the paper was published, but especially because they afford an important contribution to the political history of the State during a most exciting period. As it was for several years the only paper in the county, its columns were open to all parties, and among its correspondents were many of the most distinguished men of the period. To myself, however, these volumes are of inestimable value as a part of the life's work-the toil, the perseverance, and the unyielding firmness in defense of what he believed the right-of my honored father, who now 'rests from his labors.' He was, I think, the first news- paper editor in the State who openly and fearlessly espoused the cause of temperanee, and, notwithstanding his aetion in this particular eost him the loss of personal friends, of patronage, and of political influenee, he never for a moment faltered in the work. For a number of years his office was a favorite resort of many of the prominent supporters of the temperance movement in this State and elsewhere."

James K. Remich died Sept. 3, 1863. He was an honest, industrious, and energetie man, a reliable friend, and his record as a citizen will show that he was among the foremost in many movements for the public good. His naturally strong constitution had been perceptibly breaking down for two years previous to his death, and the pains and infirmities of old age were visited heavily upon him. He was confined to his chamber only three weeks, but during this time his sufferings were very great. Still, not a mur- mur escaped his lips, not even a sign of impatience did he manifest. Ile passed away without a struggle or a groan, and breathed his last " as gently and as peacefully as the infant slumbers."

GENEALOGICAL.

James K. Remich, the subject of the foregoing memoir, was the son of James and Mary (Kinsman) Remieh, of Dover, N. H.

James Remich was the son of Capt. David and -

- (Whittier) Remich, and was born in Haverhill, Mass., Aug. 15, 1760. In 1782 he married Mary Kinsman, of Ips- wich, who was left an orphan at an early age, and thence- forth until her marriage was a member of the family of " old Dr. Manning," of Ipswich, her unele and guardian. In 1776, James Remieh enlisted, in Haverhill, Mass., as a member of Capt. Marsh's company (Col. Pickering's regiment). Ilis term of service having expired, he again enlisted ( August, 1777), in Captain Eaton's company (Col. Johnson's regiment), and remained in the service until after the capture of Burgoyne; was a participant in the battle of Oct. 7, 1777, and was in one of the lines of the vieto- rious army between which the surrendered British army passed. Ile enlisted twice subsequently for short terms, in response to ealls for troops for speeial serviee. He removed from Haverhill to Berwick in 1781, from thence to Dover in 1792, and from thenee, in 1795, to Barrington, where he died July 18, 1836.

David Remich removed from Charlestown to Haverhill in early manhood. He married - Whittier, a descendant of Col. John Whittier, one of the early settlers of Haver- hill. They had five sons and three daughters. All the sons were in the country's service,-three in the army (one of whom died while in the service) and two in the navy (one of whom was killed in an engagement). David was commissioned second lieutenant of Capt. Gideon Par- ker's company, attached to Col. Willard's regiment, by Gov. Pownal, of " Massachusetts Bay," May 21, 1759; was at Ticonderoga, Crown Point, etc. He distinguished himself for bravery while in the service; was promoted to a cap- taincy, and received a grant of a township of land in Maine.

The father of David (so says a family tradition) emi- grated from England to this country near the middle of the eighteenth century, landed at Boston, and made Charles- town his place of residence ; was a " decorative painter and wonderfully skilled in his profession." It is also a family tradition that the last named and a brother eame to this country together ; that the brother made Kittery his place of residence, and that the many persons bearing the name in Kittery and Eliot are his descendants. Remich is a German surname, and it is probable that the above-named brothers were not more than two or three generations re- moved from the German stoek. The name properly spelled gives h as the terminal letter, and not k as generally written.

JAMES OSBORN

was born in Kennebunk, May 24, 1793, and resided there until his death, Oct. 25, 1876. He married, May 17, 1821, Lydia, daughter of Seth and Lydia (Lassel) Burn- ham, of Kennebunkport. She was born May 10, 1786, died Dee. 24, 1858. Their children are Pamelia Parsons, born June 28, 1824, now residing at Kennebunk ; Mary Ann, born Feb. 10, 1827, married, Sept. 5, 1854, Edward

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James Osborn

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TOWN OF KENNEBUNK.

P. Burnham, of Saco. Mr. Osborn married, Oct. 24, 1859, Mrs. Hannah Gilpatrick (born Sept. 14, 1806), who sur- vives him. Mr. Osborn was a trader for sixty years, occu- pying the same store at the corner of Main Street, and that leading to Alfred. He was a Jacksonian Democrat, and was postmaster from 1829 to 1841; senator, 1845; collector of customs for the district of Kennebunk, 1845 to 1847. From 1847 to 1872, he was interested in navigation. For twenty-one years he was an officer of artillery in the mi- litia, viz., lieutenant, 1819 to 1823; captain, 1823 to 1825 ; major, 1825 to 1840. He was a careful and in- dustrious man of business. He was a firm believer in the doctrine of universal salvation, having a child-like trust in his Heavenly Father's love for all. He possessed de- cided opinions, and had a kind and benevolent nature, ever ready to aid the poor. His father, James Osborn, born in Charlestown, Mass., Feb. 20, 1760, was the son of John and Mary (Kidder) Osborn. He was six years in the army of the Revolution ; was a fifer, and the close of his service, fife-major; was a part of the time in Capt. Jabez Lane's com- pany, and was under Col. Nickerson and Col. Wm. Hull ; was at the battle of Saratoga. He was afterwards in a priva- teer of fourteen guns, which captured an armed vessel on

the coast of Ireland. Ife was put ou board the prize, which was recaptured, and taken to Halifax ; he escaped and walked home through the woods in winter. From 1782 to 1784, he was a clerk in the store of Dr. Ivory Hovey, of Berwick, and June 24, 1784, married Nancy, daughter of Samuel and Lydia (Wallingford ) Lord, of Berwick. She was born June 7, 1762, and died Jan. 10, 1832. Ile came to Kennebunk, in 1784, as clerk for To- bias Lord. In 1792 he built the house in which he resided until his death, Nov. 10, 1836. For many years he taught school in Kennebunk and the neighboring towns. His other children were John, born 1785, died 1861 ; married, 1850, Mrs. Paulina Ford. Mary, born 1786, died 1868. Samuel L., born 1788, died 1857 ; married, 1820, Mary Woods. James Osborn, Sr.'s, father, was John, born at Charlestown, Sept. 25, 1737; was a chocolate-grinder, who died in 1764, at Granada, while on a voyage to obtain cocoa. He married, March 4, 1757, Mary, daughter of Isaac Kidder, and who, after his death, married Paul Wy- man, of Woburn. His other son was John, born 1758, died in Ware, 1838. John, the chocolate-grinder, was son of James and Mary (Lane) Osborn, and grandson of Elkanah and Elizabeth Osborn, all of Charlestown.

LITTLE

JOSEPH HATCH.

JOSEPH HATCH

was born in Wells, York Co., Me., Oct. 10, 1766. He was the eldest son of Joshua and Susanna ( Heath) Hatch. They had nine children: 1, Ann, who married Joseph Woodcock, of Boston. She died Sept. 22, 1855, aged ninety-one. They had two children, who died in infancy ; 2, Joseph; 3, Jotham, died (unmarried) March 14, 1794; 4, Elizabeth, married Jotham Clark, of Wells. They had

four children, none of whom survive; 5, Samuel, married Mary Gilman, of Exeter, N. H., where he settled in early manhood, and died Feb. 22, 1861, aged eighty-seven. His wife, though in health at his decease, survived but forty- five hours. They had nine sons and one daughter. John- son Hatch, Esq., of Jacksonville, Ill., alone survives ; 6, Mary, married Benjamin Bourne, of Wells. They had nine children, none of whom survive; 7, Johnson, married

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HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, MAINE.

Jane Averill, of Alfred. He died at Trinidad, Dec. 21, 1805. aged twenty-six, leaving one child,-Jane Johnson, the wife of Oliver Bourne, Esq., of Kennebunkport ; 8, Susanna, married Samuel Black Littlefield, of Wells. She died May 3, 1806, aged twenty-four, leaving one son,- Christopher,-now residing in Kennebunk ; 9, Abigail, died (unmarried) in Boston, Feb. 15, 1852, aged sixty-six.

Joshua, the father, was the son of Joseph and Jerusha Hatch, and the grandson of Samuel, of whom honorable mention is made in Judge Bourne's " History of Wells" as serving on several committees chosen for important civil and parochial purposes. He lived to a great age, attending court at Alfred as a witness when upwards of ninety years of age. Like one of still more ancient times, he was greatly attached to his son Joseph. Tradition says that one day, during the absence of the latter, the aged father sat at his door, inquiring of every passer-by if they had seen his son Joseph. One man, after replying in the negative, added, " I have not been to the land of Egypt." Although Samuel had five elder sons, he devised his homestead farm, with all its appurtenances, to his son Joseph. His will was executed Feb. 7, 1741. The farm descended through Joshua to the subject of this sketch.

Joseph died March 9, 1752, aged forty-two. His wife, Jerusha, died Jan. 3, 1776, aged sixty-four. They had two sons,-Joshua and one who died young.

Joshua took up arms iu the service of his country during the Revolutionary war, being engaged in the battles of Ti- conderoga and Crown Point. He died Jan. 9, 1807. His wife, Susanna Heath, was born in Boston. She was the granddaughter of Joseph and Hannah ( Goff ) Parsons, of that town. She died Dec. 28, 1805.

Joseph, being the eldest son of Joshua, took upon him- self-although only eleven years of age-the care of the family during his father's absence in the war. He culti- vated to his best ability the homestead farm, securing also all that was possible of the seanty educational advantages of the times. When Theodore Lyman was selling corn at two dollars per bushel, it is probable that other articles were correspondingly exorbitant in price ; so the lad, with a char- acteristie ingenuity and skill which continued through life, carved for his use an inkstand of wood, and, in order to fill it, compounded from various kinds of bark an article so excellent that the schoolmaster inquired where he obtained such good ink.

As years passed on the young man,-born in full view of the ocean,-wearied probably of the monotony of the : farm, and longing to see more of the world, entered upon a seafaring life. It was asserted by his shipmates that having never heard a profane word fall from his lips, they determined to compel him to utter what they probably con- sidered essential to the qualifications of a scaman. Ac- cordingly, they one day confined him in the hold of the vessel, where preparations had been made to smoke hitu into a compliance with their wishes, but without suceess. Whether this was a fact or a myth, it equally proves the firm stand which he took at this early period of his life for uprightness of character. We have no hesitancy in assert- ing that no one in the course of his long life ever heard him utter a profane oath. As a navigator he was so prosperous, .

making swift, safe, and successful voyages, that it was play- fully declared by other shipmasters that Captain Hatch had a " track of his own to the West Indies," by which he was enabled to go and return in safety. While master of a vessel he never met with a disaster nor lost a man. His success was probably owing to his acute observation of all sights and sounds bearing on the safety of his vessel. Subse- quently, when engaged in agricultural pursuits, the same keen perception of the ageney of nature enabled him to fore- tell with great accuracy the changes of weather.

On the 16th day of November, 1797, Capt. Hatch was married, by the Rev. Dr. Hemmenway, to Miss Hannah Littlefield, of Wells, daughter of Daniel and Hannah (Low) Littlefield. She was born July 28, 1774. Her father, Maj. Littlefield, is represented in " Bourne's History of Wells" as a " brave man and valiant officer ;" as one of the " most careful and energetic men" of the town ; as one of "its most valuable citizens, whose services the country needed." He was killed in the battle of Bagaduce, " his loss being deeply felt throughout the town." She died Dec. 15, 1846, aged seventy-two. Of this union were born nine children : 1, Joseph, who married Mary E., daughter of Benjamin and Sarah (Gilpatrick) Smith. He died Feb. 28, 1856, aged fifty-eight. His widow died Dec. 6, 1874, aged seventy-four. 2, Mary P., who died Dec. 24, 1874, aged seventy-four. 3, Charlotte, who died May 23, 1822, aged twenty. 4, Hannah A., who died Jan. 31, 1863, aged fifty-eight. 5, Daniel L., now living in Kennebunk, who mar- ried Mary T., daughter of Robert and Elizabeth (Couch) Smith. She died Jan. 5, 1855, aged forty-three. He subse- quently married Julia A., daughter of Joshua and Hannah (Littlefield ) Thompson. 6, Susan, who died June 13, 1812, aged four. 7, Elizabeth W., residing in Kennebunk. 8, Emeline L., who married Edwin Manley, of North Easton, Mass. She died in Taunton, Aug. 11, 1872. 9, Susan, who married Capt. Tobias Lord, son of Samuel and Hannah (Jefferds) Lord. He died June 5, 1839, aged twenty-six. In 1853 she married Hon. E. E. Bourne.

It was the intention of the father to give his eldest son a collegiate education, and to this end sent him three years to Phillips (Exeter) Academy, but at the close of that period he acquiesced in the son's preference for a business life.

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History of York County, Maine, with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 69

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