USA > Maine > York County > Eliot > History of the centennial of the incorporation of the town of Eliot, Maine, August 7th-13, 1910 > Part 3
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Daniel Fogg was born in Hampton, N. H. When he was twelve years old, he was sent to Portsmouth, where he remained until he was of age. He then chose Scar-
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SECOND DAY.
borough as his home, and there married Hannah Libbey. In 1690, the settlement was broken up by the Indians ; and he with his wife and two children went to Ports- mouth.
One of the strong characteristics of the Foggs has always been a love for pleasant places. Daniel looked with longing eyes on the lands up the Piscataqua ; he saw they were fertile, well watered and well wooded, The river provided rich fiishing; wild ducks came up the river in great numbers; and all around was a hunting ground for deer.
In those days the only way to travel to these pleasant places was in fishing canoes. We can imagine the men making these canoes : taking the body of a big tree, peel- ing the bark ; and when the trunk was dry, dig and hew at the solid wood; then, Indian fashion, set the centre aflame, that the fire might gnaw out the centre of the log. When the great pine was hollow as a bucket, it was smoothed and sealed ; the "dug out" was ready for use.
In 1699, Daniel consulted with four of his Scarborough friends, and a decision was reached; they purchased a large tract of land, known as the Bay lands ; extending from the Piscataqua, inland, to what is now known as the Great Brook. The purchase price was 300 pounds.
It is an interesting fact that this property is practically all now in the hands of the descendants of these five pioneers, namely, -Joseph Hammond, David Libbey, - Matthew Libbey, Stephen Tobey and Daniel Fogg.
This land once belonged to William Hawthorne, an ancestor of the famous writer, Nathaniel Hawthorne.
The house at the entrance of the Library grounds, be- longed to William Fogg, one of Daniel's descendants. He built, lived, died in it. William Fogg was a noted gen- ealogist and historian in his time ; and prepared manu- script genealogies of the old families of Kittery, which are noted for their accuracy and completeness ; and which, strange to say, were printed a half century later, in the very room probably, in which they were written, namely,
Wm. Fogg House, Birthplace of Dr. J. S. H. Fogg
-
Dr. J. H. S. Fogg
Wm. Fogg Library
The Fogg Library-Children's Roomn
Reading Room, William Fogg Library
Delivery Room-Wm. Fogg Library
The Old Road, in front of Dr. Willis'.
1
31.
ELIOT CENTENNIAL.
the sitting room of the old Fogg house. He was a man of strong character, prominent in the affairs of the town and state ; and filled acceptably many public offices.
William had two brothers, John and Joseph ; the estate of Joseph was inherited by Joseph F. Kennard ; whose mother was Merriam Fogg ; and is directly opposite the old Fogg house.
A few minutes walk up the road, brings us to the home of the other brother, John. On this estate is the site of the first house,-Daniel's home ; but the old house and hearth- stone have long since departed. This property was in- herited by Dr. J. L. M. Willis, whose mother Was Paulina Fogg.
Now a little more than two hundred years since the purchase of the land, Dr. John Samuel Hill Fogg, son of William, gave his estate, on which to build and maintain from funds donated by him, the Free Public Library for the town ; to be known as the William Fogg Library,- a memorial to his father.
Dr. Fogg was a prominent and successful physician ; practicing in South Boston, up to the time of a severe illness that incapacitated him for further work in that line. He served in the Massachusetts Legislature, and was for many years on the School Board of his adopted city.
For the last twenty years of his life, he was unable to walk ; during this time he busied himself with historical work ; was known all over the country as a great histori- cal scholar, an expert in historic autographs ; a collec- tion of which he gave to the Maine Historical Society, and which is said to be worth more than $50,000.
This Library is especially rich in early American his- tory. Few of the large libraries of this country, and probably no other of its size, can boast of such a collec- tion ; the books came from the private library of Dr. Fogg.
As librarian I am having the opportunity to see the good work that is being done here ; and surely the William Fogg Library is an illustration of the fact that the "good deeds of men live after them."
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SECOND DAY.
THE SITE OF THE HOME OF HON. ANDREW P. LEIGHTON.
JOSEPH H. DIXON.
At this place lived Mr. Andrew Pepperell Leighton, of the sixth generation from William Leighton, who settled on this estate about 1652.
Andrew P. Leighton was, on his mother's side, a descendant in the fifth generation of Dr. Reginald Fer- nald, of Portsmouth and Kittery, the progenitor of the Fernald family in this town. Also, on the same side, descendant in the sixth generation of Nicholas Frost, of historic fame, from whom he was also descended on his father's side, in the seventh generation. He was also a descendant of the Pepperell family in the fifth generation, deriving his name of Andrew Pepperell from his great grandfather.
Mr. Leighton was born June 9th, 1793; he married Sarah, daughter of William Odiorne, Nov. 29th, 1814. His eldest daughter, Miriam, married William Hill; these were the parents of Gov. John F. Hill.
Mr. Leighton held various offices in the town; was its Representative in the Legislature ; also State Senator ; a man respected and beloved as a citizen and neighbor.
His house which was taken down a few years ago, occupied the site of this one. Here for several years was kept the Eliot Social Library, of which Mr. Leighton was Librarian.
It contained about one hundred and fifty volumes, which were eagerly read.
We have reason to believe that the use of this little Library in his youth, was an inspiration to Dr. John S. H. Fogg, which led to his bequest to his native town, of our present beautiful Library.
Andrew P. Leighton
Old Leighton House
. 1
1
33.
ELIOT CENTENNIAL.
THE SITE OF WILLIAM EVERETT'S TAVERN.
J. L. M. WILLIS.
One of the good things of the Centennial, is the revival not only of memories and phases of long ago life, but also historic localities,-ancient structures and important events.
There is one section of our old town that is of interest to both Maine and Massachusetts; and we revive its memory in these Centennial hours :-
On the banks of our Piscataqua, at the corner of the very road a part of which we have come over today, and the road to Knight's Ferry, was a building, an immense structure for its time : Three stories in height, and front rooms like halls,-known as William Everett's Tavern.
To this house, two hundred and seventy-five years ago, went the citizens of old Kittery, when they attended public meeting, which for many years, (till 1690 at least), were held here.
The house was built by Capt. William Everett, before 1648. We know but little of the man :- A sea captain, tall and muscular, as tradition says, and a leader among his townsmen.
We find him, January 25, 1640, with others from Kittery, attending Court, at Saco.
October 16, 1649, the Court at Gorgeana licensed William Everett to keep an Ordinary ;- "he to give a just account unto the Treasurer of what wine or licor he shall draw."
He was drowned at sea, in 1665 ; and later, his son met the same fate.
His widow, Margery, soon married Isaac Nash, of Dover ; and went there,-selling the Tavern, and other property, to William Leighton, in 1656.
For all these years the land at the river was known as Leighton's Point; though primarily known as Joselyn's Point.
William Leighton's son John, took down the old house in 1690; and built on the spot another great house, in which was held the Court of General Sessions, Town and
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SECOND DAY.
other important meetings, -as in its predecessor. This house stood till 1851,-when it was taken down.
John Leighton was High Sheriff of York, and Kittery which for many years was practically all of Maine.
But, one event more than all others, gives the old Everett Tavern an historic interest : and that was Maine's Submission to Massachusett's,-which was here signed November 16, 1652.
Let us look for a moment at the causes which led up to this important act :
Massachusetts' settlers had come for religious tolera- tion; and yet were very intolerant of any religion but their own.
Maine did not allow any one form of religion to limit or restrict the wishes or efforts of her colonists. They were principally of the English Episcopal faith and form of worship; but without any restriction, if other modes were preferred. In fact business ventures came before religious forms.
Massachusetts was afraid this freedom of thought and manner would interfere with such government as they wished to establish in New England. So Gov. Winthrop and his Government, began shrewdly to change it all ; and in 1652, a new survey of the entire territory was made ; and the report was that Massachusetts owned the entire land as far as Presumpsit River; and she immediately set about to take possession. An address was sent to Maine, in which it was asserted, "that the town of Kittery, and many miles to the north thereof, is comprehended within the Massachusetts Grant."
And, "taking into consideration the premises and the commodiousness of the River Piscataqua, that it would be prejudicial if the river should be possessed by people who were no friends to Massachusetts," they decided to send a "loving and friendly letter," and commissioned Governor Bradstreet, Maj. Denison and Capt. Hawthorne, to treat with them, and receive them under the Mass'tts Government.
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35.
ELIOT CENTENNIAL.
were not successful. They returned and declared Gov'r Godfrey, of Maine, need not be further consulted.
In October, 1652, another commission was sent to Kittery ; and they carried a notice that declared that Massachusetts "just right," and "interest to, and Juris- diction over the Land you inhabit," required "their Sub- jection ;" assuring them that they should "enjoye equal protection and privilege."
And, they added, that they not "only desired," but Massachusetts "requires you, and every one of you," to assemble at the Tavern of William Everett, 16 Nov'r, 1652, and at that time and place they were to "setle the Government amongst you."-And on the 16th of Nov'r, the Commissioners were at the famous old Inn.
It was a day of bitter words; and one Kittery man,- John Bursley,-spoke so severely, that he was carried into court, but on submitting, he was afterward pardoned. Others present used strong language; and strenuously objected ; but after long discussion and argument, forty men and one woman,-Mary Bachellor, said to be the original of Hawthorne's Scarlet Letter,-signed the docu- ment, and "Acknowledged ourselves subject to Massa- chusetts."
Soon after the section was called Yorkshire; the officers were at once appointed for the new Shire :-
Nicholas Shapleigh, County Treasurer. (He had been the bitterest and strongest opposer to the submission. He is called the most marked public character of that day ; )
Thomas Dunstan and Robert Mendam, were sworn Constables ;
Hugh Gunnison, was licenced to keep an Ordinary ;- sell wine and strong water, and pay the Government 20S per butt.
And thus our Kittery began its new life in 1652 ;- with two Inns and Ordinarys; two Constables ; and the equip- ments of office and men.
William Everett was the last man to sign the submission. Of the signers, fragments of personal history can be found:
Philip Babb, lived at the Isles of Shoals ; and he was
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SECOND DAY.
earnest in asking that the Shoals might be regarded as a town.
Mary Bacheller was the wife of the Rev. Stephen Bacheller, of Hamptou, who, later, was divorced from him.
John Bursley was a Constable.
Humphrey Chadburn was a Selectman, 1651 ; Repre- sentative to General Court, 1657-9.
William Chadburn was a Carpenter ; erected the First Sawmill in New England.
Abraham Conley, Selectman, 1657.
John Diamond, Constable.
Dennis Downing, lived on the estate now owned by Mrs. James Coleman ; his son was shot by Indians at Ambush Rock, with Major Charles Frost and John Heard's wife.
Thomas Dustin, was the father of Thomas Dustin whose wife, Hannah, was of noted Indian captivity.
Nicholas Shapleigh was the son of Alexander, who built the first house in Kittery.
John Heard was renowned as an Indian fighter.
And thus we have brief gleanings of historic places, of strong mem,-who began the settlement, laid the corner stone of the most ancient town in Maine :-
And we do not wonder that it is a pleasant Centennial thought, that our own Eliot history is thus allied and blended with the old locality that had open doors and gave welcome to all who came-with true, free principles, without limitations to any whose life would radiate light.
-0~ -
GENERAL SAMUEL LEIGHTON,
AND
CAPT. SAMUEL LEIGHTON. DR. H. I. DURGIN
The large house built by Capt. Leighton, is the present residence of Clifford Trefethen; and the Leighton tomb may be seen near the residence of Millard Goodwin.
This is the place. Stand still my steed ! Let me review the scene,
And summon from the shadowy Past
The forms that once have been.
Gen'l. Samuel Leightons, Home of C. Trefethern
Residence of Dr. Henry I. Durgin.
37.
ELIOT CENTENNIAL.
Samuel Leighton, to whom we shall hereafter apply the title of Major and Capt., son of John and Mary ( Hill) Leighton, was born March 10, 1740 ; married Abigail Frost great grandaughter of Maj. Charles Frost, Oct. 15, 1767.
To them were born nine children. Major Samuel Leigh- ton owned a farm on the North Road, as this was then called ; and built a large house upon it.
When the last of the remaining regiments at Boston, after the siege and evacuation, were ordered, in the summer of 1776, to march to reinforce the northern army at Lake Champlain, their places were filled by regiments organized from the militia for short service. One of the regiments in which Maine is interested, was Col. Ebenezer Francis' ; in which was Capt. Samuel Leighton's York County Company.
Under date of April 24, 1775, Gen. Warren, who met death heroically at Bunker Hill, wrote officially to Major Leighton, empowering him to raise and enlist the Company of fifty-six soldiers. To his commission as Captain, then and there received, John Hancock set his name and seal.
Capt. Samuel Leighton's company was composed en- tirely of York County men, and their names are both interesting and familiar : We note,-Bartlett, Emery, Frost, Goold, Kennard, Lydston, Paul, Remick and Staples among them. They did what was required of them during their service, and are entitled to the gratitude of their Country.
For three years our subject was a Captain in the Revo- lution. In 1778, we find him Second Major in Colonel Ichabod Goodwin's 2nd Vork Co. Reg't. That he did not lose interest in town and church affairs, is evidenced by the fact that in 1792 he was appointed one of a committee of five "to transact ye providential business of ye town for ye present year ;" and, June 4, 1792, one of a commit- tee of four men to negotiate with the Rev. Samuel Chandler to supply the church pulpit.
Capt. Leighton died suddenly, February 27, 1802, aged sixty-one years. He was a man of positive patriotic prin- ciples, who animated others with the same.
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ELIOL CENTENNIAL.
Samuel Leighton, jr. to whom we shall hereafter refer as General,-the son of Capt. Samuel and Abigail (Frost) Leighton, was born May 25, 1771, and married Frances Usher Parsons, of Alfred, Dec. 29, 1799.
He lived at his father's homestead till 1820, then kept the Inn, at Alfred.
General Leighton represented Kittery in the General Court, held in Boston, in 1809; and Eliot in 1810-11-12-13 ; thereby gaining the distinction of being Eliot's first rep- resentative to the General Court, after the severance from Kittery.
On Sept. 17, 1814, at a town meeting, the following vote was passed, " That Samuel Leighton, Esq. and five (5) others, constitute a Committee of Defence and Safety of this town ; and by correspondence with similar Committees of other towns, do those things proper for said Committee to do."
In the same year, 1814, he had charge of building a fort on land of Joseph Dixon, and adjusting through the office of the U. S. War Department the claims of said Dixon.
Under date of Sept. 6, 1815, we copy the following from William Fogg's diary :
" This day I received a commission and took the oath of a Lieutenant of the Company to which I belong. Said oath being administered by Brigadier General Samuel Leighton."
He was a man much occupied in public affairs.
He was one of the Justices of the Court of Sessions for York County ; and filled other offices of trust.
His last military act was to escort President Monroe through his brigade.
He died April, 1848, aged 77 years.
James A. Coleman
Roadway to Knight's Ferry
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39.
ELIOT CENTENNIAL.
THE OLD FERRIES.
JAMES A. COLEMAN
History tells us that Edward Hilton, and his brother William, made the first settlement on the Piscataqua River at Dover Point, in 1623. But we must not think that those two men were all the people involved in this settlement.
The settlement was backed by the Laconia Company, consisting of merchants of London, Bristol, Exeter, Ply- mouth and Dorchester, whose strong idea was to establish a fishing station. The Hilton's, fish dealers of London, had charge. There were other people. Furnished with all the necessities to carry out their design, they selected Dover Point as the place to build their town, which is protected on three sides by the river,-the only highway in those days.
We are not told what was included in all the necessities to establish a successful colony ; but we do know that many colonies brought cattle ; and we may feel safe to say that the Piscataqua colony was not different from the others ; nor that Edwin Hilton and his company did not take into consideration the fact, that our Bay land offered good feed for the cattle, when they selected the nearby point of land for houses.
The Bay Land in 1623, was a large marsh extending from what is now Lanier Camp to Frank's Fort. The land is now salt flats over which the tide flows twice a day. There are several early deeds to cover this water.
The settlers at once took up claims on the east side of the river. Some claims were made for land, on what is now Eliot; even the Hiltons securing several acres. With houses on one side of the river, and fields on the other, a constant crossing and re-crossing must have become a necessity.
The Piscataqua plantation was a commercial enterprise, pure and simple ; and as such it was a success.
From the first, its growth was slow, but sure. As early as 1638, a church had been organized at Hilton's Point, now Dover Point. To this church came all the settlers of
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the Piscataqua ; and the necessity of crossing the river became the question of the day.
Richard Waldron had built a saw mill at the falls of the Cocheco, by 1640 ; and had his home there. Thus we see that in only seventeen years, the Piscataqua Settlement had grown from the mouth of the river, along its banks, to the places we are now familiar with,-Portsmouth, Dover, Kittery, Eliot, and others.
Another citizen of Dover at this early date, was Thomas Trickey. He being an enterprising man, soon started a Ferry,-which for years ran from Bloody Point.
The location of his early home is not known ; but by 1657, his business demanded much of his attention ; and he had built him a home there. This Ferry connected what is now three towns,-Eliot, York Co. Maine, New- ington, Rockingham Co. and Dover, Strafford Co, N. H.
All roads seem to have led to the William Everett Tavern, which stood at the right of Mrs. Rebecca Ham- mond's home. The highway ran to the east of the house, and also east of the Burying Ground in which the Rev'd John Rogers is buried, and then turned short to the river. Thus business boomed for the proprietor of the Trickey Ferry. For nearly a quarter of a century he continued to meet the public wants, until his death, which occurred early in 1680.
He left several heirs, including his wife, Elizabeth Trickey, who conveyed all he interest in the Trickey . plantation and ferry to her son Zechariah Trlckey, June 16, 1680.
Zechariah Trickey after a quarterof a century of owner- ship, and half a century after it had been opened by his father, sold the ferry out of the family.
John Knight, a French Huguenot of some means had settled in the colony, and on Oct. 8, 1702, he purchased of the Carters their farm at Pine Point, near Bloody Point, for which he paid £100. A few weeks later he purchases of Benjamin Bickford and his wife, sixteen acres of meadow land adjoining. Three years later he bought the Trickey ferry, and fourteen acres of upland. This deed is recorded
Cammock's Creek
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ELIOT CENTENNIAL.
November 22, 1705, and includes the gondolas and other equipments of the ferry.
December 8, of the same year, Capt. John Knight peti- tioned the General Assembly of New Hampshire for a license to run the Trickey Ferry, stating that it had always been run by the owners of that estate, and as he had pur- chased the same, he wished the privilege conferred on him. His request was granted; and the rate of fare established by the State government.
Capt. John Knight was a leader in the affairs of the colony, and something of a politician .. At the election of town officers in Dover, April 22, 1706, Capt. Knight was elected as one of the surveyors of highways; and also surveyor of fences at Bloody Point.
And again, the following year, at the town meeting held May 10, 1708, it was voted that Thomas Roberts, sen'r, Richard Waldron, Capt. John Knight, Mr. Francis Math- ews, be chosen selectmen. Capt. Knight re-elected every year until 1712 ; and the following year Newington became an independent town.
The success of the Bloody Point Ferry called the attention of others to the business, and in 1717, Nicholas Hartford was licensed to run a Ferry from Beck's Slip to Kittery. This Ferry was later called Morrell's Ferry, also the Cold Water Ferry.
How long Hartford continued in the business is unknown; but by 1736, Capt. Thomas Gage sold to Joseph Roberts five acres of land, and buildings, and the privilege of running the Ferry. This is up the river about two miles, where it is quite narrow.
What the earliest mode of transportation was, I do not know, but after theownership was transferred to Maine, it was no uncommon thing to take the carriage and the passengers in a small gondola, and swim the horse across the river.
It appears that the Morrill Ferry failed ; perhaps because the Knight Ferry was better. The Ferry owned by John Knight and his successors, ran until the bridge was built across the river from Bloody Point to Dover Point.
John Knight's grave is to be seen today near the end of the Dover and Portsmouth Bridge at Bloody Point.
42.
ELIOL CENTENNIAL.
NOAH EMERY.
AARON B. COLE, ESQ.
Noah Emery, the first King's 'Counsel in the province of Maine, was born in that part of Kittery now Eliot, December 11, 1699 ; son of Daniel and Margaret (Gowen) Emery. He was the fourth generation descended from Anthony Emery, who with his brother John, sailed from Rumsey, England, on the ship James, and landed in in Boston, June 3, 1635.
Anthony Emery seems to have been of strong tempera- ment, and pugnacious disposition. He lived in Ipswich and Newbury, Mass., and Dover, N. H., and about 1649 settled in Kittery, probably on the spot where the house formerly occupied by Noah Emery now stands.
He was one of the signers of the Submission to the Mass'tts Bay Colony, November, 16 1652.
He received four grants of land in town, besides pur- chasing his first trust from John White, Nov. 16, 1648, and another of Joseph Austin, July 15, 1650.
He was several times fined for entertaining Quakers ; and was finally distranchised. He then left Kittery, and removed to Portsmouth, R. I., where greater liberty was allowed.
He seems to have been a man of importance in the com- munity, having filled various offices during his residence in Kittery. That he was a man of means is shown by the fact that he sold his property in Kittery, May 12, 1660, just prior to his departure for Rhode Island, for £150, a large sum in those days.
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