USA > Maine > York County > History of York County, Maine, with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 75
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MILITARY.
Maj. Morgan Lewis, as before mentioned, was first licu- tenant in the army of the Revolution, and served twelve months at Cambridge as acting captain, and was finally pro- moted to major. He marched at the head of the company from Cambridge to Bunker Hill to cover the retreat of Prescott's army. After his return from the war he com- manded a company, and Ebenezer Hall was first lieutenant and William Parsons ensign. Hall was made captain on the promotion of Lewis, and Parsons lieutenant. They both resigned, and Samuel Cluff, the ensign, was made cap- tain, Benjamin Trafton lieutenant, and John Parsons en- sign. Cluff was promoted to major, Paul Webber chosen captain, and Parsons lieutenant, but declined the office, and Henry Day and Jotham Jewett were chosen lieutenant and ensign. After this Daniel Lewis was chosen captain, and in 1814 was chosen colonel of the regiment.
THE UNITED SOCIETY OF BELIEVERS, CALLED SHAKERS .*
Less than two miles north from the court-house is Shaker village, situated upon an eminence that rises between the Bunganut Pond ou the east, and the Massabesic on the west, a most delightful and romantic spot,-a location well calculated for just such a quiet, industrious, orderly people as inhabit there, and a history of Alfred could not be com- plete without a limited history of this peculiar people, who have occupied a prominent place in the community, as well as being extensively known and respected in the county and State at large. There are but two societies of these law-loving, law-abiding, religious people in this State; the other is at New Gloucester, Cumberland Co.
BRIEF HISTORY OF THE SHAKERS.
Ann Lec was the founder of this order of people. She was born in Manchester, England, Feb. 29, 1736. In early childhood she was remarkably devout, and her mind was given to labor upon spiritual and divine things, and in early life she united with James and Jane Wardly, leaders of a branch of the Quaker order, who were greatly gifted in spirit- ual manifestations, and noted for the clear testimony they bore and the purity of their lives. By her exemplary life, deeply spiritual impressions, and soul-searching testimony, she soon became an efficient help and support to that society. Being greatly gifted in visions, revelations, and prophecy, and by her superior gifts and powerful ministrations she
soon became the acknowledged leader among them, and by her followers received the endearing title of Mother, which all her faithful followers repeat with pleasure.
Her testimony was so strong and pointed against the seat of human depravity and sin in every form, so boldly de- clared and so piercing as to rend the covering and expose the deceit and hypocrisy of the corrupt human heart, that it aroused the enmity of the wicked, and she was most cruelly persecuted, mobbed, beaten, and abused, the marks of which she carried with her through life, and finally she was confined in a stone prison in Manchester, and kept fourteen days without food or drink, except once in twenty- four hours a youth named James Whittaker gave her a little wine and milk, which he conveyed to her by pouring it into the bowl of a pipe, the stem of which he inserted in the key-hole of the prison-door. At the end of the fourteen days the prison-door was opened with the hope and expectation of finding her dead, but to their astonish- ment she walked off as smart and strong as on the day she was imprisoned.
She soon after received a revelation directing her to repair to America ; also, that the Second Christian Church would be established in America ; that the Colonies would gain their independence, and that liberty of conscience would be secured to all people, which declaration was re- ceived with great joy by the members of her society.
Accordingly, on the 19th of May, 1774, she and eight of her followers embarked in a vessel called the " Maria," and, after a perilous passage of seventy-nine days, in which they miraculously escaped foundering at sea and all on board perishing, they landed safely in New York on the 6th day of August, 1774. The next morning, while she and her companions were walking up Pearl Street, she saw a woman sitting in the door of her house, when Mother Ann was impressed to step forward and say, "I am a stranger in a strange land, and am directed by the spirit of the Lord to come to your house to find shelter and a home." The woman and her whole family, whose names were Cunning- ham, made her heartily welcome, and treated her with great respect, care, and kindness, where she ever found a com- fortable and quiet home, whenever she needed, until she and her companions, in the month of September, 1776, settled in the wilderness of Nisheuna, now Watervliet, N. Y. Here they at once commenced to clear land, build houses, raise crops, and lay in stores to supply the many people who Mother Ann prophesied would soon flock to them to hear the word of God and embrace her testimony. With great patience they labored on until the spring of 1780, when, as Mother Ann predicted, the gathering com- menced, and she then clearly set forth the principles upon which the Second Christian Church was about to be estab- lished, in which woman, so long downtrodden, would come forward and take her proper place, co-equal with man in the order and government. She taught that Deity was as much female as male, hence we have a Mother in God as well as Father; that Jesus was not one of the " Triune Gods," but was a man born of woman, subject to all the infirmities of his brethren, baptized with the Christ spirit, and made perfect through suffering and obedience to the will of his Father in heaven.
# Furnished by Elder Otis Sawyer.
SHAKER VILLAGE, ALFRED, MAINE.
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TOWN OF ALFRED.
That sin and the nature of sin separated souls from God, therefore the heart must be purified by an honest confession to God, in presence of His witnesses, of every known sin and transgression of His laws, " with the mouth confession is made to salvation," and " whoso confesseth and forsaketh his sins shall find mercy." Those composing the completed order of Christ's Church must live pure virgin lives, forsake the relation of father, mother, wife, and children, in the natural order, as Jesus required. " Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God" In Christ there is no selfishness nor private interest, but all property, time, and talents, are consecrated to God; and if serving God is worship, then may we worship Him in every act of our lives. That Christ Jesus was the Prince of Peace, and his true followers could not raise their hands in violence against their fellow-man. If " Peace-makers are the chil- dren of God," it was plain to discover the parentage of war-makers. That these were some of the revelations she received while in England, and the same spirit that revealed them to her, directed her to repair to America, where God would prepare a people who would co-operate with her in establishing the Second Christian Church upon this " Rock," -the revelation of God.
Her testimony was often keen and powerful against every sinful indulgence, which aroused a spirit of opposition, and for proclaiming the truth above expressed she was destined to meet the same cruel spirit of persecution that she suf- fered while in England. Often were they interrupted in their meetings by mohs and lawless bands of wicked men, beateu and abused, and finally, with a hope of suppressing her testimony and crushing the infant church, Mother Ann and most of the principal leaders were arrested under various pretexts and imprisoned in the jail in Albany ; but this only served to increase sympathy for those who were perseented on account of their religious belief, it being a violation of one of the cardinal principles for which the American people were then contending,-liberty of conscience,- and hundreds flocked to the prison to hear and embrace her testimony, as the truths of the gospel were boldly declared to the eager multitude through the iron grates of the prison windows.
At length Mother Ann was separated from the rest of her companions and sent down the river to Poughkeepsie, it being the intention of her persecutors to banish her to the British army, which then lay in New York City, when word was conveyed to Governor Clinton, of New York, who at once ordered her release aud that of all those con- fined in jail at Albany. This was the last of their im- prisonment, but persecution did not cease. In Harvard, Mass., Elder James Whittaker was stripped to his waist, tied to a tree, and beaten until from his neck to his waist his flesh was cut and lacerated till his whole back was a gore of blood.
ORIGIN OF SHAKERS IN MAINE.
The fame of Mother Ann and her peculiar testimony, with a report of these cruel persecutions, reached Maine and excited an interest to investigate her doctrine, and the first person in this State to receive faith in her testimony was John Cotton, of Alfred, which was on the 26th of
May, 1783. He was son of John Cotton, born in Port- land, in what is now called Cotton Street, Feb. 16, 1760. In July of that same year three disciples of Mother Ann, called Shaker preachers, came to this place from the West, namely, Ebenezer Cooley, of New Lebanon, Columbia Co., N. Y .; Eliphalet Comstock, of Pittsfield, Mass .; and James Jewett, of Enfield, Grafton Co., N. H. They held their first nicetings in the house of Benjamin Barnes, whose farm was centrally situated in the present large planta- tion now owned by the society. Meetings were held in sev- eral places in this town, Waterborough, and Lyman. They then extended their missionary labors to Gorham, where they were well received, and they preached to large audi- ences. Other missionaries came from the West during that season, and before the expiration of one year from the time of John Cotton's conversion, many persons, old and young, had embraced the Shaker faith. Among them were Ben- jamin Barnes and all his numerons family, two of whose sons, John and David, were married; Daniel Hodsdon, Josiah and Aaron Whitney, Jonathan Nowell, Isaac Coffin, Joshua and Stephen Emery, and others, all of whom had families and resided in this town and vicinity, besides a good many young, unmarried people; and, in Gorham, Nathan Freeman, Sr., Joshua Harding, Robert MeFarland, Ezekiel Hatch, Joseph Whitney, Samnel Brown, and many others, male and female. In 1788 they built their first honse for worship, which was 30 by 36 feet and one story in height, situated near the house of Benjamin Barnes.
Persecution followed this testimony of Mother Ann wherever it was received; but in this State it assumed a different form. There was not so much open violence used as in other places, except occasional interruptions of their meetings and in threats and warnings to the believers to abandon their faith; but there were those who gave full vent to the abusive tongue of slander ; wild and most in- consistent stories were put in circulation of the impropri- eties of these inoffensive but zealons Shakers, and the famed historian of Alfred, Dr. U. Parsons, and others, were deluded enough, innocently, we believe, to help perpet- nate these disgraceful stories, which never had foundation, only in the brain of the malicious persecutor.
The organization of the society was begun in March, 1793, under the leadership of Elders John Barnes, Robert McFarland, and Eldresses Sarah Kendall and Lucy Pres- cott. Trustees were then appointed, namely, Gowen Wilson and Jonathan Nowell, to manage and superintend the secular affairs.
Preparations were made the year previous for building a larger and more convenient house of worship, which was erected but not finished until the following year, when it was completed and dedicated to the service of God, which is now used and in good repair ; the shingles put on the roof at that time are on it now.
About this time all the members composing the society, both male and female, convened for the purpose of entering into a verbal covenant to consecrate their property, their time, and talents to the service of God, for the support of the Church of Christ, and for such other pious and char- itable purposes as the gospel may require, and never to bring debt or demand against the society, nor any member
268
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, MAINE.
thereof, for any property they might have brought in, nor for any services they have or might render while considered members of the community. Here, then, was formed the first communistic society ever known in Maine, which was after the pattern of the Apostolic Christian Church estab- lished at Jerusalem. "Neither said any of them that aught of the things which he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common," etc. (See Acts, chapter iv., verse 32, ete.) Lumber and other material was collected to build a central dwelling for the community, and at the close of the year 1795, a large and, for that time, commodious dwelling was completed on the opposite side of the street, fronting the church, and the 1st of January, 1796, as many as could find accommodations moved into it.
Not far from this time three middle-aged men, brothers, from Londonderry, N. H., united and became members of the society, namely, James, John, and William Anderson. James, the eldest, received a collegiate education, with a design of entering the ministry of the Congregational order, but was diverted from that purpose by receiving faith in the Shaker doctrine. John was, in a great degree, a self-edu- cated lawyer, and an uncommonly shrewd financier, and all three were mechanics, and introduced the trade of wheel- making, such as large woolen and linen wheels, clock reels, wooden spectacles, and. it is said, were the first of these kind of articles made in this State. All of the timber used was rived out and turned by hand in a foot-lathe. The society, to a limited extent, then entered into the man- ufaeture of other wooden wares, such as tubs, pails, ehurns, broonis, dry measures in sets, whips, hair-sieves, oval boxes in nests, aud mortars. Tanning was carried on for many years after the manner of such establishments in those days. The sisterhood spun and wove cotton cloth for the market, and, although laborious work, it was good-paying business for those times. After cotton yarn was manufactured they wove and whitened cloth for Portland merchants, receiving 20 eents per yard for weaving and whitening No. 30, and 2 cents more or less according to the number of yarn. The raising and preparing garden-seeds for the market was successfully carried on for many years. The fault was, they carried on too many branches of manufacture, and the income was very limited; a few of them might have been successfully conducted with far more profit.
The society, from small beginnings, gradually increased, and was able to ercet houses, work-shops, and mills, and occasionally added to their real estate in this town, Lyman, and Waterborough, and have successfully carried out the principles of a communistic life, establishing beyond a doubt the true method and principles by which a perfeet Church of Christ should be established. The succession of trustees from the first have been men of good principle and true to their trust, with one exception, although differing very materially in their exeentive financial ability ; and the ten- poral success and progress of the society has been in like proportion.
-
GOVERNMENT OF SHAKER SOCIETIES.
The ministry are the central executive, generally eom- posed of four persons, two of each sex, and in this state preside over the society at New Gloucester as well as this,
dividing their time equally between the two. Here fol- low the names, in regular succession, of the leaders in that office :
Elder John Barnes, resigned July 1, 1815. Succeeded by Elder Thomas Cushman, a man of strong mind and great ability, who died Oct. 21, 1816, aged fifty-seven years and eight months, much lamented by all the people.
Elisha Pote was his successor, and remained until age and infirmity compelled him to resign, Oct. 25, 1841. He died in 1845, aged eighty-one, succeeded by Joseph Brackett, who resigned October, 1859.
Eldress Sarah Kendall, resigned June 1, 1818, succeeded by Eldress Lucy Prescott, and the leadership has fallen in regular succession upon Rebecca Hodsdon, Deborah Fuller, and Lavina P. McIntire. Nov. 1, 1859, Elder Joseph Brackett and Eldress Lavina MeIntire were needed to fill important places of trust in the society at New Gloucester, and returned there from whence they came, and Otis Saw- yer, Hester Ann Adams, and Mary Ann Gillespie were appointed successors, and are still the presiding ministry over the two societies in Maine. Elders stand next in the order and government, composed of two of each sex, and preside over the families in which they live, direct the meetings, see that good order is maintained, attend to all the domestic affairs of the family, like parents in a well- regnlated household, and settle all minor difficulties, if any arise. To give the names of all who have worthily filled this important place would occupy too much space. The present faithful and talented elders of the church family are John B. Vance, G. Henry Green, Harriet Goodwin, Mary P. Vanee, and at the second family, or Novitiate order, Joshua H. Bussell and Eliza R. Smith.
Thus has woman's rights been acknowledged, and all im- portant places of care and trust are filled in the same dual order, and here, right here in the Shaker Society in Alfred (the same may be said of all Shaker communities), the zeal- ous advocates of " Woman's Rights" may find a realization of their ideal, which has been practically and successfully carried out since the year 1794.
SUCCESSION OF TRUSTEES.
Oct. 12, 1801, Goweu Wilson and Jonathan Nowell were succeeded in the trusteeship by Thomas Cushman and John Anderson, two most able and talented men, under whose judicious management the society was very prosper- ous. They were followed in regular suecession by John Wooley, Nathan Merrill, Ezekiel IIatch, Paul Nowell, Nathan Freeman, Isaac Brackett,* Edward Goodrich, Benjamin Bailey, Merrill Bailey, Hiram Tarbox, and the present talented and judicious trustees are John B. Vance and James H. Pender.
In the year 1870 the people in the two societies-Alfred and New Gloucester-finding their mechanical industries waning by the cheapness of the same kind of wares pro- dueed by large manufacturing establishments,-seed-growers of the West had glutted the markets by their over-produc- tions, and having learned by long years of experience the impracticability of depending upon agriculture alone for the support of a large community,-that is, in this, or most of
# Betrayed his trust.
JOHN B. VANCE,
eldest son of Shubael B. and Elizabeth Moshier Vance, and grandson of the late Hon. William Vance, of Readfield, Me., who was a large land-holder in the eastern part of the State, and was a member of the convention for forming the constitu- tion of this State after its separation from Massachusetts.
John Bell Vance was born in Baileyville, Washington Co., Me., May 9, 1833, where his father was in trade and proprietor of a hotel. He subsequently moved to Calais, Me., and was there engaged in lumbering and mill business.
In the season of 1838, Shubael moved into the western part of the State, and on the 14th of September of that year be- came a convert to the Shaker faith, and joined the United Society in Alfred, taking his son John with him, where he was reared and educated. At a very early age he evinced great tact for learning, and was a close student of his books, improving every leisure moment in study and storing his mind with useful
knowledge. At the age of sixteen years, he commenced teach- ing in the district school of the Society, and has taught the winter school more than half the terms since.
Possessing a deeply religious and spiritual nature, he imbibed the faith and principles of the United Society of Believers, and as he advanced in life, became an able debater and firm defender of the faith in the second manifestation of Christ, as held by these peculiar people, and expounder of their entire religious belief. He is their principal public speaker, and is remarkable for sound reasoning, and perspicuity in his sermons and exhor- tation.
At the age of twenty years, he was appointed elder in the Novitiate Order, and in January, 1872, at the reorganization of the Society, he was appointed elder of the Church Family, and also senior trustee of the Society, and for financial and execu- tive ability is ranked among the best the Society has ever had.
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TOWN OF ALFRED.
the New England States,-they began to earnestly discuss the subject of disposing of their property in Maine and of moving West to some milder climate in a more fertile region. Two of the brothers were deputed to go West on a prospeeting tour, and find some desirable place where the two societies combined might locate. Accordingly, in April of that year, they started westward, and made their first explorations in the Shenandoah Valley, Va. The inhabitants greeted them kindly, and they were shown many splendid plantations, but the oscillating armies in the late civil strife had denuded the country of wood and timber, the people were sad, and a cloud of gloom seemed to rest over that once cheerful, lovely valley. They moved on through Ohio and into Kentucky, in the not distant vieinity of the very prosperous communities in those States, where they found so many most desirable locations, that it was difficult to decide which was hest. On their return the property of the community was advertised for sale, both in this country and in England; but parties who came with a view of purchasing found so many buildings in close proximity, extending a little over half a mile, all on one street, with more than 2000 acres of land spread ont from this village, nearly half of which lay some four miles dis- tant, that no one offered to purchase, except two wealthy men, Horace Woodman and Edward Eastman, Esq .. from Saco, Me., who made an offer for the two large tracts of wood and timber-lands situated in the town of Water- borough. After making a thorough survey, they made an offer which the society through their trustees accepted, and at the close of the year 1871 the bargain was ratified, and a good clear title-deed was given the purchasers of that large tract of land long known as the " Mast Camp" prop- erty, comprising over 800 aeres of land. The trade was mutually satisfactory, the purchasers were satisfied they had got all they bargained for, and willingly paid the price, $28,000, and the society were perfectly satisfied with that. no more and no less.
At the commencement of the year 1872 the society was reorganized, placing members in more fitting positions, where every talent could be developed and put to good use, and the proceeds of sales of the land above described was intrusted in the hands of one of the ablest financiers the society ever had, in the person of Elder John B. Vance, which was carefully and safely invested in Western lands, with the income of which a line of building and improve- ments have been carried on in the last eight years une- qualled in the history of the society ; and his associate, James H. Pender, is a man of excellent judgment and good business ability, and under their judicious management the society was never more prosperous financially.
The plantation now consists of some over one thousand acres of land, a portion of which, though contiguous, lies in the towns of Lyman and Waterborough. Within the limits there is an excellent mill-privilege, on the outlet of the Bunganut Pond, as it flows into the Massabesic, which is only partially utilized.
With propriety it may be added, that not only prosperous financially, the moral and spiritual status of the society was never more progressive and encouraging, and hesides the talented members named, G. H. Green, associate elder, is
a man of good education, a very active mechanic, and of persevering habit ; Elder J. H. Bussell is a pillar in the society, and other conspicuous persons of high merit, both among the brothers and sisters. The church is open for publie service from June first until the month of October, during which time the house is filled with intelligent au- diences, who manifest an increasing interest in the worship, especially the instructive and eloquent discourses delivered with great elearness and perspicnity by Elder John B. Vance. Services commence at ten o'clock A.M.
The Shakers are a reading people. The society has a library of select reading, consisting of some three hundred volumes, which is yearly receiving additions from the best anthors, and of papers take the following at the present time: Eastern Argus, weekly, I copy ; Portland Trans- cript, 3 copies ; Maine Democrat, I copy ; Boston Journal, semi-weekly, I copy ; New York Tribune, semi-weekly, I copy ; the Household Monthly, 3 copies ; also 50 copies of the Shaker Manifesto, a monthly periodical, published by the United Society.
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