USA > Maine > Waldo County > Belfast > History of the city of Belfast in the state of Maine v.I, 1770-1875 > Part 15
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Ward room, school-house in district No. 7, at Head of Tide.
EAST WARD, No. 5. All the territory in said city on the east side of the river, not included in either the other described wards. Ward room, school-house, district No. 14.1
The first charter election took place on the 14th of March. A general wish on the part of all the citizens, that the new muni- cipal organization might be rightly started, induced an abandon- ment of all party issues and prejudices, and a union in supporting the men best qualified to fill the respective stations. The vote was not a large one, in consequence of there being no strict party contest. Hon. Ralph C. Johnson was chosen mayor almost unani- mously, and without any regular opposition.2 The office of Judge
1 Town records. The boundaries of some of the wards have since been changed. See page 153.
2 Rep. Journal, March 18, 1853. The following is a list of the officers elected, with the votes given for each : -
WARD 1.
Robert White, warden; J. W. Fred- erick, Clerk ; Rowland Carlton, Alderman ; Joseph Williamson, A. N. Noyes, Council- men ; William Salmond, Constable.
BALLOTING. Whole number of votes . 147
Warden.
Robert White
Unanimous. Clerk.
J. W. Frederick Unanimous.
153
MUNICIPAL HISTORY.
of the Police Court was not then elective ; and Joseph Williamson. Jr., was appointed to the position by Governor Crosby.
The new city government was formally inaugurated on Mon- day forenoon, March 21, at Peirce's Hall, in the presence of a large number of persons. After a prayer by the Rev. Edward F. Cutter of the North Church, the oaths of office were adminis- tered by the Judge of the Police Court to the Mayor, Aldermen,
Mayor.
R. C. Johnson 126
Scattering 18
Alderman.
Rowland Carlton
141
Scattering 6
Councilmen.
J. Williamson
140
A. N. Noyes
79
W. T. Colburn 68
Scattering
5
Constable.
Wm. Salmond 140
Scattering
6
WARD 2.
H. W. Cunningham, Warden; J. H. Spring, Clerk ; S. S. Lewis, Alderman ; S. Edwards, A. T. Palmer, Councilmen; T. Mardeo, Constable.
BALLOTING.
Whole number of votes . 196
Warden.
H. W. Cunningham 98
H. G. O. Washburn 61
Clerk.
J. H. Spring
88
W. M. Woods 71
Mayor.
R. C. Johnson 159
Scattering 21
Alderman.
S. S. Lewis
102
P. R. Hazeltine
83
Scattering
11
Councilmen.
Samuel Edwards 117
A. T. Palmer 108
S. Sleeper
88
Freeman Tufts
60
Scattering
16
Constable.
Thomas Marden 112
J. B. Redman, 83
WARD 3.
Calvin Hervey, Warden; James Sta- ples, Clerk; Thomas Marshall, Alderman ; W. H. Conner, Councilman ; John Wales, Constable. No choice of one Councilman.
BALLOTING.
Whole number of votes. 163
Warden.
C. Hervey 67
John Peirce 64
Clerk.
James Staples 72
Scattering
69
Mayor.
R. C. Johnson 163
Alderman.
Thos. Marshall . 84
Ab'm Libby.
52
David Pierce
25
Councilmen.
Wm. H. Conner 1 . 107
Geo. McDonald .
60
N. Abbot .
57
Isaac Allard .
53
S. Nickerson
41
Constable.
John Wales . 106
Geo. G. Taylor .
54
WARD 4.
B. F. Blackstone, Warden; W. E. Mitchell, Clerk ; E. K. Maddocks, Alder- man ; Franklin Brier, Councilman. No choice of one Councilman; no choice of Constable.
BALLOTING.
Whole number of votes
.
99
1 George McDonald was subsequently chosen.
154
HISTORY OF BELFAST.
Councilmen, and Constables. Daniel Haraden, Chairman of the old Board of Selectmen, then announced that the affairs of the city were vested in its new officers ; and the Mayor elect proceeded to pronounce his inaugural address, which occupied fifteen minutes in its delivery.
The organization 1 was completed by the subsequent choice of Joseph Williamson as President of the Common Council, John H.
Warden.
B. F. Blackstone 61
C. Moore .
22
Scattering
5
Clerk.
W. E. Mitchell . Unanimous.
Mayor.
R. C. Johnson 60
Scattering 32
Alderman.
E. K. Maddocks 56
Jas. Gammaus
42
Councilmen.
F. Brier 53
G. M. Armor 45
M. W. Ferguson 45
S. E. Banks .
40
Scattering
7
Constable. No choice.
WARD 5.
Nehemiah Smart, Warden ; William N.
Durham, Clerk ; William Rust, Alderman ;
George Woods, E. Morrill, Councilmen ; Joseph H. Kaler, Constable.
BALLOTING.
Whole number of votes . . 83
Warden.
Nehemiah Smart . Unanimous. Clerk.
Wm. N. Durham Unanimous. Mayor.
R. C. Johnson 42
Scattering 15
Alderman.
Wm. Rust 46
M. H. Young 32
Scattering 5
Councilmen.
Geo. Woods . 57
Elijah Morrill 51
Constable.
Jos. H. Kaler 39
W. B. Stinson 29
Scattering
4
1 "It is a pleasing circumstance attending the change in our municipal organization that a majority of the aldermen elect are of that portliness of form and bearing which time out of mind has invariably been characteristic of the city fathers, in all well-regu- lated and well-governed communities. That an alderman should be a sizable and apparently well-fed personage, is a wise maxim, and one which should never be lost sight of. From its practical observation here, on Monday, we augur a most tranquil and happy state of things for our young city. That the human character is generally influenced by the size of the body, is well known. A lean, hungry, and diminutive man is usually of an uneasy, restless disposition, as his mind, not having sufficient space wherein to work, keeps continually fretting and tossing about. On the other hand, stout and well-built men, "such as sleep o' nights," are enemies to anxiety and what- ever is opposed to ease and honest enjoyment. Loving repose and tranquillity, they are disposed to have the public as tranquil and orderly as themselves. 'Whoever hears,' says a distinguished writer, 'of plump, well-conditioned men heading a riot, or herding together in turbulent mobs ? No, no: it is your meagre, lean men who are con- tinually worrying society, and setting the whole community by the ears.' We hope our citizens will never forget this, and have no doubt they will be so clearly convinced of its truth before the municipal year expires that hereafter weight of body will con- stitute as important a prerequisite in the selection of city magistrates as weight of character." - Republican Journal, March 25, 1853.
155
MUNICIPAL HISTORY.
Quimby as Clerk, and, in convention, by the election of Joseph Wheeler as City Clerk. And thus closed the inaugural cere- monies of the new city, " which occurred," in the language of a local newspaper,1 " on one of the brightest and most genial days of the year."
Under the new form of government, our municipal affairs were naturally divided into appropriate departments. An account of . them is therefore more fully given in the chapters relating to such departments.
A close adherence to the principles of economy seems to have actuated all the members of the new organization. The liabilities of the new city were less than one thousand dollars, and an universal determination to keep even that small sum extinguished was manifested. How incredible would our present indebtedness of over seven hundred times that amount have appeared to the rigid officials of 1853! Our total taxes during the first year were $16,827.74. In 1874, they had increased to $86,091.92.
The first rooms occupied by the Aldermen and Council also accommodated the Police Court. They were at No. 4 Phoenix Row, and furnished at an annual rent of thirty dollars. The earliest ordinance passed fixed the salary of the City Physician at twenty dollars ; of the Solicitor, a like sum ; of the Treasurer, thirty dol- lars ; and of the Clerk, fifty dollars. Police and sanitary regula- tions, provisions for perfect accountability in expenses, and laws to prevent injurious acts and practices, were adopted, resulting in better order and stricter economy than had before obtained.
A seal, bearing the name of the city and date of its incorpora- tion, was established by order of the municipal authorities, June 3, 1855.
July 3, 1855, an order directing signs to be placed at the corners of the principal streets was passed.
In 1856, a change in the State Constitution required the election of Judge of the Police Court by the people; and Joseph Williamson was chosen March 12, for a term of four years, receiving seven hundred and seventy-five votes out of seven hundred and seventy-six thrown.
Nov. 6, 1857, an ordinance for renumbering the school districts in geographical order from the south limit of the city to Searsport line was passed. There were then fifteen districts, besides the Central District.
1 Belfast Signal, March 24, 1853.
156
HISTORY OF BELFAST.
Measures to secure the erection of a building for city purposes, to accommodate all the departments, with engine-rooms, armories, and a public hall, received the attention of the city council in 1857, but resulted in nothing definite.
Under a provision of the charter, authorizing general meetings of the citizens to be held to consult upon public affairs, a public meeting took place March 5, 1859, at which it was voted to return to the old system of working out highway taxes, and also that the city authorities be instructed to purchase a farm for the town paupers. But at a more formal meeting, held June 13, the latter measure was rejected by a vote of two hundred and twenty-two against it, to one hundred and fifty-one in its favor. A contract was thereupon made with Harrison Hayford to keep the poor for five years, at an annual compensation of fourteen hundred dollars, which contract was renewed in 1864, for an additional five years. Since 1869, Mr. Hayford has received twenty-two hundred dollars a year.
A vote on the Aroostook land bill, June 6, 1859, gave a majority of one hundred and fifty against the act.
The office of Chief of Police was established April 5, 1858.
By an order of the Aldermen, Oct. 3, 1859, the watering-trough, which had occupied a position at the head of Main Street since 1844, was removed to the corner of Franklin Street.
An ordinance, approved Dec. 7, 1859, provided “that the owners of all buildings with slate or metallic roofs, situated upon Main Street between the honse known as the ' Peck House ' and the shore, and upon High Street between Bridge and Spring Streets, and all on Church Street occupied as stores, be and hereby are required to place upon the roofs fronting the aforesaid streets, suitable guards for the effectual protection of persons and property against injury from the sliding of snow and ice from the aforesaid roofs." This was repealed March 3, 1862.
In 1863, a vote was passed by the citizens to tax dogs, by two hundred and sixty-four in favor to ninety-five in opposition. An ordinance provided that no dog should run at large without a collar containing in plain letters the name of his owner and the number of his license, and every dog found without such collar was liable to be destroyed.
July 6, 1863, a vote authorized the publication of two hundred copics of the charter and ordinances, and rules and orders of the
157
MUNICIPAL HISTORY.
city council, which was done in a pamphlet of forty-three pages. A similar pamphlet was published in 1854.
In view of apprehended rebel raids, and disturbances by soldiers and persons drawn here on account of enrolments, a citizens' watch was established July 25, 1863, and maintained until November 10. One hundred citizens enrolled themselves, five of whom constituted the watch, headed by a police officer or constable. The territory patrolled extended from Condon Street to the east bridge. A similar watch was kept during the winter of 1864-65. Three hundred and sixty-seven men were designated under the pro- visions of the statute. Each watch consisted of eight men, under the charge of Fred. D. Aldus as captain, who was succeeded after a month's service by Charles E. Greenlaw. The watch-house was in the court-house, where a lock-up with cells for offenders was constructed, and placed under the charge of the Chief of Police.
On the 4th of March, 1868, the boundaries of the wards were re-established by the following ordinance : -
CITY OF BELFAST.
An Ordinance establishing and defining the Boundaries of the Wards of the City of Belfast.
Be it Ordained by the Mayor, Aldermen, and Common Council of the City of Belfast, in City Council assembled, as follows : -
SEC. 1. That so much of the territory of the City of Belfast as lies south of the following described bounds, to wit : beginning at a point in the bed of the river directly opposite the centre line of said Pearl Street in a direct course to the lane leading south from Miller Street and formerly known as the " Pillsbury Lane; " thence north by the centre line of said lane to the centre of Miller Street ; thence westwardly by the centre line of said Miller Street to the " Stanley Road," so called; thence southwardly by the centre line of said " Stanley Road " to the road leading to " Hall's Corner," Belmont, and by the centre of said road to the Belmont town line, shall be, and is hereby, established and designated as South Ward No. One.
SEC. 2. That so much of the territory of the City of Belfast as lies between the northern boundary of South Ward No. One and the following described bounds, to wit : beginning at the extreme easterly line of the Haraden and Sibley Wharf, called "Main
158
HISTORY OF BELFAST.
Wharf;" thence westerly to and by the centre of Main Street to the centre of the Augusta road leading by the cemetery ; and thence by the centre of said Augusta road to the Belmont town line, shall be, and is hereby, established and designated as Central Ward No. Two.
SEC. 3. That so much of the territory of the City of Belfast as is contained within the following described bounds, to wit: be- ginning at the northerly corner of Central Ward No. Two; thence northwardly by the channel of the river to the "Nicker- son Narrows," at the former location of the upper toll-bridge ; thence west to the shore and to the road leading to the Point ; thence westwardly by the centre of said Point road to the road leading over the " McMullin Hill," and by the centre of said road, over said hill, to Waldo Avenue; thence northwardly by the centre of said avenue to the road leading by the residence of Wales L. Miller; thence westwardly by the centre of said road to and by the house of Alden Newbitt, and to the Augusta road; thence eastwardly by the north line of Central Ward No. Two, to the place of beginning, shall be, and is hereby, established and designated as Middle Ward No. Three.
SEC. 4. That so much of the territory of the City of Belfast as lies between the north boundaries of Wards Two and Three and the following described bounds, to wit : beginning at the Nicker- son Narrows, at the north-westwardly corner of Middle Ward No. Three ; thence north-westwardly by the channel of the river to the "Fish Cove," so called, to the line between school districts Nos. 10 and 11; thence by said dividing line to the Waldo town line ; and thence westwardly and southwardly on the town line of Waldo, Morrill, and Belmont to the Augusta road, shall be, and is hereby, established and designated as North Ward No. Four.
SEC. 5. That all the territory of the City of Belfast lying on the east side of the river, and not included in either the other described wards, shall be, and is hereby, established and designated as East Ward No. Five.
SEC. 6. This ordinance shall take effect and be in full force from and after its final passage ; and all ordinances and regulations establishing bounds of the several wards of this city, heretofore adopted and inconsistent with this, are hereby repealed.
The first street lamps anthorized by the city were lighted on the evening of July 16, 1868. They were six in number, and were
159
MUNICIPAL HISTORY.
located at the corner of High and Miller Streets, of Church and Miller Streets, of High and Main Streets, in front of Hayford Hall, and at the north end of Phoenix Row.
In May, 1869, the office of Chief of Police was abolished, and that of City Marshal substituted.
160
HISTORY OF BELFAST.
CHAPTER XI.
BELFAST DURING THE REVOLUTION.
Patriotism of the Scotch-Irish. - Belfast takes a Bold Stand for Liberty. - Committees of Inspection and Safety. - New Government recognized. - Petition to Congress. - Fort Pownall dismantled. - Penobscot Indians friendly to America. - Arrival of British Prisoners. - Privations of the Inhabitants. - British Cruisers. - Want of Ammunition. - Interview with Colonel Goldthwait. - Powder and Ball supplied. - Scarcity of Provisions. - Letter of John Durham, Jr. - Samuel Houston, Jr. - James Cargill. - Enrolment of Militia. - Penalties for avoiding Service. - Decla- ration of Independence. - Soldiers stationed for Defence of the Penobscot. - Loan by the General Court to Different Towns. - Resolve for Distribution of Powder. - Solon Stephenson chosen Censor. - Names on Belfast Quota. - New Constitution approved. - Apprehensions of an Indian and Tory Raid. - Nichols's House gar- risoned. - Arrival of a British Fleet in the Bay.
A MONG the most decided in resistance to the oppressive acts of British domination were the Scotch-Irish colonists. The encroachments upon the civil and religious rights of their fathers in the mother country prepared them to espouse, and steadily to maintain, the cause of American Independence.1 Although dwell- ing within a few miles from Fort Pownall, whose officers were loyal to the Crown, the people of Belfast did not hesitate, at an early period of the Revolution, to take an open and bold stand in favor of Liberty. The war message from Lexington, which, in the language of Bancroft, "was never suffered to droop, till it had been borne north, and south, and east, and west, throughout the land," and "spread over the bays that receive the Saco and the Penobscot," soon breathed its inspiring word to our wilderness set- tlement. At the first town meeting after the important events of 1775, a committee of safety and inspection was chosen, consisting of John Tuft, John Brown, Solon Stephenson, James Patterson, and Samuel Houston. The new government of Massachusetts was promptly recognized ; and after the destruction of Falmonth, in view of their defenceless condition, the inhabitants voted "to Send a Petition to the Congress by the first Oppertunity, and that
1 Parker's Hist. Londonderry, 102.
161
BELFAST DURING THE REVOLUTION.
Deacon John Tuft go to y' Congress, if need Require, and that Mr. Solon Stephenson go, if said Tuft cannot." During this year, Fort Pownall was dismantled by Captain Mowatt, afterwards known as the destroyer of Falmouth, and the guns carried away in the sloop of war "Canseau," which he commanded. This meas- ure interrupted the traffic with the Indians, who were inclined towards the American cause; and Captain Jonathan Buck, of Bucksport, was appointed provincial agent to take charge of the fort and its contents. Under his superintendence, a truck-house was re-established, which, by liberal presents, secured the good- will of the whole Penobscot tribe during the war.
In the summer of 1775, relates John Davidson, "my neighbor Durham came to my house in great haste, out of breath, and frightened by seeing red coats and glistening guns, which he said were in his field, approaching the road from the shore. He said to my wife, 'Run, run !' She replied, ' Where shall I run to, - down cellar?' 'No,' was. the reply, ' they will burn the house over your head. Run to the woods.' And she did so. As soon as the men came so near as to be recognized, I knew two of them ; viz., Captain Shute, of Sandy Point, and a Mr. Black, his neigh- bor. There were twelve red-coats, British prisoners,1 who were taken further east, and were on their way to Boston, head-quarters at the westward, having been escorted or guarded from one place to another by different individuals. They were brought here by Captain Shute, Mr. Black, and another man. John Durham, Jr., Samuel Mitchell, and myself, took them into a boat, and carried them to Camden. We three sat in the stern of the boat, with our guns in good order and loaded. No doubt the prisoners could have taken us, as they probably had each a knife, had they at- tempted it. Some of them appeared cross and ill-natured, but they made no attempts to go from us or to harm us. When we reached Camden, we delivered them to Minard,2 to be sent on by another file of men to another place, and from that to another, and so on, until they should arrive at head-quarters." 8
Next to Boston, the greatest sufferers during the first year of hostilities were the towns in eastern Maine. British cruisers in-
1 They bad been taken at Machias, and were delivered to General Washington, at Cambridge. The question as to the treatment to he accorded to these prisoners led to the memorable correspondence upon the subject between Washington and the British commander, Gage. Drake's Life of Knox, 19.
2 Probably Major William Minot, a prominent citizen of Camden.
8 Davidson's Narrative.
11
162
HISTORY OF BELFAST.
fested the coast. There was little demand for wood or lumber ; and, unless provisions had been supplied from other parts of the coun- try, many families must have perished from starvation. A memo- rial was sent to the Provincial Congress from the inhabitants on Penobscot Bay and River, setting forth their distress and their want of ammunition. A stock of the latter had been furnished to Goldthwait, before he was superseded at Fort Pownall, for distri- bution to the destitute people, who were in a state of anxiety on account of the Indians; but he had already taken the side of the king, and withheld from the inhabitants what was intended for them. Two of the citizens of Belfast made application to him. "They were treated," says Davidson, " in a haughty and imperi- ous manner, and sent away empty. We were short of provisions, partly from a want of powder, as in those days many depended upon hunting for subsistence. So we determined upon vigorous measures, and set out by water, with our guns in good order, and with the little ammunition left. Leaving our water crafts at Cape Jellison harbor, lest we should be discovered, we marched through the woods three miles to the fort. Mr. James Nichols1 and my- self were chosen to introduce the subject to Colonel Goldthwait. So we proceeded to the fort, and told the Colonel we had come once more to ask for some of the ammunition he had been in- trusted with, for the defence of the inhabitants of Belfast, as they were suffering for want of it, and we had no other way of getting any. He was still obstinate, and would not say any thing like condescending to comply with our request. We told him we were determined to have it by force of arms, if we could not get it without. By this time our company was close in sight. We said : 'Here comes our assistance, and you may see them. We are determined not to be treated as the two men were who came to you on this business before. We want nothing more than our rights.' He cooled down, and asked us to invite the men to come in, when he gave each a pound of powder, and ball and flint. The next we heard of the Colonel, he had gathered up all and gone on board a British vessel out of the country. We heard nothing of him afterwards, so that what we received at that time was clear gain."
" I think it was the same summer, and probably a month after our visit to the fort, provisions being very scarce, those with large families had hard coming along with them, Mr. Nichols as much
1 He lived in what is now Searsport, near Mr. Davidson.
163
BELFAST DURING THE REVOLUTION.
as any one. Three vessels came into the harbor one afternoon, and Nichols bought two bags of Indian corn with butter which he brought from home. As it was night, and he eight miles away, he went ashore to Mr. Miller's, intending to go on board the next day, and take the corn. But in the morning the three vessels were captured by an American named James Cargill,1 and Nichols entirely lost his corn and bags. Cargill came not weak-handed. We were few in number compared to him and his two hundred men. He then went to Fort Point, and burnt the fort to ashes. I saw Mr. Nichols soon after he had lost his corn ; and, speaking of the manner in which he had been used by Cargill, he said, ' If he ever comes within the length of my arm off Sabbath day, I will blacken his eye for him.' But we neither saw or heard any thing more of Cargill until the next summer, when he came poor, and begging our assistance to clear him from what he had so unright- eously done when he was here before and burnt the fort. He and Mr. Houston then went to Mr. Clark's, where Nichols found him, and at the first salutation knocked him down, and blackened his eye, as he said he would do. I mention this circumstance to show the spirit of the times, and some of the trials the inhabi- tants endured." 2
1 Colonel James Cargill, of Newcastle, commanded the eastern militia at this time. How long he retained his office is uncertain. Eaton's Warren, 160.
2 The following letter, written by John Durham to his father, illustrates the priva- tions occasioned by the war. I received the original from Joseph J. Durham, of Chelsea, Mass.
HONERED FATIIER AND MOTHER, - I send yon These few lines to let you know that I am well at present, blessed be God for it, and hope these lines will find you well. The times is grown harder, there is nothing to be bought without Giving [illegible] prices. I Cold not git Corn in Derry under fifteen Shilings a bushil, and the haling wold make it as it was in newbry, which is Twenty Shilings a bushil, and I did not bie any, for the Congress has Rated Corn at 8 shilings a bushel, and if thay can make the acts take Place, it is the opinion of every body that things will be Cheaper, and in the Country it' is as bad as in the town, for They will not sell theyr goods at any rate. I have Sold the Land you had in new Chester for three hundred and fifty dolers, and taken a note for the money and given an obligation for the deed and sent it down to you, and I have sent the obligation down for you to draw a deed by, and you must get the deed up as Quick as Possable. Joshua Tolford said he would lave the money with Hemphill if the deed was not Com.
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