USA > Maine > Waldo County > Belfast > History of the city of Belfast in the state of Maine v.I, 1770-1875 > Part 57
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87 | Part 88
1842, March 21. Voted to accept and allow a town way beginning at the south-easterly corner of lot No. 92 in the third division of lots ; thence south, 68 degrees west, on the southerly line of said lot No. 92, 53 rods, to the easterly line of Samuel Wight's land. Said road to be 3 rods wide, and to lay on the northerly side of said line or course.
1844, March 18. Voted to accept and allow a town way begin- ning on the westerly line of the road leading from Belfast village to Poor's Mills, 1} rods eastwardly from the dividing line . . between lots No. 55 and 56 in the third division of lots ; thence sonth, 20} degrees east, parallel with said dividing line, 28 rods and 5 links, to a point opposite the north-easterly corner or westerly line of lot No. 59 in said third division. Said road to be 3 rods wide, and on the westerly side of said course and line.
1844, March 18. Voted to accept and allow a town way beginning at a stake and stones north-westerly of Joab Black's barn ; thence north, 40 degrees east, 14 rods, to a stake; thence north, 33 degrees east, 50 rods, to the south-westerly corner of Reu- ben Herrick's land; thence north, 68 degrees, on the southerly line of said Reuben's land, about 56 rods, to the land of George Herrick ; thence, same course, on the dividing line between Reuben Herrick and George Herrick, 82 rods, to a stake and stones ; thence north, 40 degrees east, across Reuben Herrick's land, to the road leading from Peirce's mill to the Dillaway road (so called), 60 rods. Said road to be 4 rods wide, and to lay on the east side of said line. Provided no damage is claimed by any one from the town.
622
HISTORY OF BELFAST.
1845, March 24. Voted to accept and allow a town way beginning at a stake standing on the south side of the bridge or road near J. Y. Mcclintock's, 2 rods and 14 links from the north-east corner of Nathl. Ellis, Jr's., blacksmith shop ; thence south, 1 degree east, 18 rods, to the county road leading from Belfast upper bridge to Swanville. Said road to be 2 rods wide, and to lay on the east side of said course. Provided no damage is claimed by any person from the town.
1846, March 23. Voted to accept and allow a town way (no damages being claimed) beginning at the southwest corner of lot No. 34 ; thence, same course, about 8 rods on the north line of said lot No. 34, to the north-east corner of said lot at the town line of Belfast and Searsport. Said road to be 3 rods wide, and said course to be the centre for the 77 rods : the residue of said road to be 1} rods wide, and on the south side of said course.
1847, March 22. Voted to accept and allow a town way beginning at the corner of lot No. 59 in the third division of lots, near the house of John West ; thence south, 20} degrees east, on the dividing line between lots No. 58 and 59, and lots 62 and 63, about 150 rods, to the town road near the house of Wm. W. West. Said road to be 3 rods wide, and said course to be centre of said road. Provided the owners of land over which the road passes will not claim damages.
1847, June 7. Accepted, without the clause relative to damages.
1848, March 6. Voted to accept and allow a town way begin- ning on the southerly side of the town road leading from Ben- jamin Monroe's, passing by Ephraim A. Pitcher's dwelling-house, and nearly opposite thereto, at a stake; thence south, 15 de- grees east, 50 rods and 12 links, across Oliver Bean's land to Arvida Hayford's land ; thence, same course, on said Hayford's land, 4 rods, to a stake ; thence south, 10 degrees west, on said Hayford's land, 16 rods, to the dividing line between said Hayford's and land occupied by Joseph Wait ; thence, same course, in said dividing line, 30 rods, to the county road. Said road to be 3 rods wide, and to lie on the westerly side of said line and course.
1848, March 6. Voted to accept and allow a town way begin- ning at the south-easterly corner of Nathaniel Shaw's land ; thence sonth, 22 degrees east, on the dividing line between said Shaw and Wm. W. West's land, 103 rods, to the north-easterly corner of Luther Smith's land; thence, same course, on the dividing line
--
623
ROADS.
between said West and Smith's land, 4 rods and 16 links, to John Whitmore's land ; thence, same course, on the dividing line between said Whitmore's and Smith's land, 42 rods and 17 links, to the county road. Said road to be 3 rods wide, and the course or line the centre thereof.
1850, March 18. Voted to accept and allow a town way be- ginning at the south-west corner of Reuben Herrick's land ; thence north, 71} degrees east, 56 rods, on the line between Joab Black's and said Reuben Herrick's land ; thence, same course, on the line between said Reuben Herrick and George Herrick's land, 76 rods ; thence north, 13 degrees east, 56 rods, across the land of said Reuben Herrick to the road on which James Woods lives. Said road to be 4 rods wide.
1850, March 18. Voted to discontinue so much of the road, as laid out by the selectmen in 1848, as lies between the county road and Luther Smith's house and the land of Nathaniel Shaw.
1851, March 17. Voted to accept and allow a town way be- ginning at a stake and stones on the northerly edge of the road between J. Q. A. Davidson's house and Pond Brook Bridge; thence running north, 28 degrees west, 82 rods, to Belfast River ; thence across said river to Wm. T. Wiley's land. Said way to be 2 rods wide, and on the easterly side of said line.
1852, March 15. Voted to accept and allow a town way beginning at a stake marked R., 1} rods easterly from the north-westerly corner of E. Philbrook's lot; thence south, 19 degrees west, 76 rods, to a stake marked R .; thence cast, 86 rods, to a stake marked R .; thence south, 36 degrees east, 55 rods, to the bridge ; thence south, 29 degrees east, 23 rods, to the road leading from Poor's Mills, so called, to the Head of the Tide, said line being the centre of said road.
1858, Aug. 2. Survey of road leading from M. H. Young's to Searsport, commencing at the south-east corner of lot No. 11 in the third division ; thence north, 86} degrees west, in the head-line of lots, 497 rods, to the south-west corner of lot No. 15 ; thence south, 73 degrees west, 88 rods ; thence south, 49 degrees. Accepted in Board of Aldermen and in Council.
1862, March 24. Ordered that the road leading over the Frank Stephenson Hill, so called, on the east side of the river, be and . hereby is discontinued.
1864, Sept. 15. Voted to accept a road beginning at a stake in the westerly line of the road leading from James Durham's
624
HISTORY OF BELFAST.
house to the upper bridge, so called, said stake being distant about 50 rods northerly from the southerly termination of the Patter- son road or lane, so called ; thence north, 37 degrees west, 62 rods ; thence north, 45 degrees west, 28 rods and 16 links ; thence north, 53} degrees west, 26 rods, 15 links, to a stake in front of John Robbins's house ; thence north, 51 degrees west, 4 rods; thence north, 35} degrees west, 4 rods and 16 links ; thence by the shore, 29 degrees west, 9 rods, 3 links; thence by the shore, 46 degrees west, 13 rods, 8 links ; thence by the shore, 24 degrees west, 10 rods, 16 links ; thence by the shore (as follows), 42 degrees west, 17 rods, 16 links ; thence, 54 degrees west, 16 rods and 18 links ; thence, 65 degrees west, 11 rods ; thence, 62 degrees west, 12 rods and 5 links, to the southerly line of the road near the upper bridge; thence, on and by the aforesaid road, westerly 4 rods, being the distance necessary to form the intersection of the roads. This description gives the courses and distances of the centre line of the road; whole distance being 254 rods, 8 links, said road to be 4 rods wide.
1872, June 3. Voted to accept a highway beginning at the corner of Luther Perry's land ; thence east, across land of John Stevens, 16 rods, to a stake, being the north-east corner of William Robbins's land ; thence in a north-easterly direction, across said Stevens's land, 18 rods, to the town way. The line described to be the northerly line of said highway, and said highway to be 2 rods wide.
625
STREETS.
CHAPTER XXXVII.
STREETS.
First Streets named. - Guide-posts. - Aqueduct. - Numbering. - Sprinkler. - Alpha- betical List of Streets, showing Location and Acceptance of each.
T HE first streets accepted in town were Market and High Streets, in 1803. Before that, the principal ways were designated as roads, at the angles of which guide-posts were main- tained. Such a post at Nesmith's Corner in 1808 had two signs, one pointing " To Northport, 6 miles," and the other, "To Mont- ville, 12 miles," those towns being then the next ones to Belfast. In 1811, James McCrillis received four dollars for making eight guide-boards, and Nicholas Phillips four dollars for painting them. Signs were placed at the corners of several streets in 1855.
In 1803, Daniel Kirkpatrick laid an aqueduct from a well near the corner of Church and Market Streets, through Main Street. The water was conducted through wooden pipes, portions of which have been exhumed within a few years.
In April, 1859, Lewis Waterman numbered the streets, and affixed figures to the houses of all who paid for them. The system was not general or correct.
A street-sprinkler, purchased by subscription, was introduced in July, 1866, and has since been used during the summer months in diffusing water taken from the harbor through the business streets.
Allyn Street was allowed and accepted without any name in 1837, as follows : "beginning two rods from the north-westerly corner of the Pound, in the easterly line of the Northport road ; thence north, seventy-nine and one half degrees east, at right angles with said road, about eighty rods to the shore or bay at bigh-water mark, to be four rods in width from the shore until the southerly line thereof intersects the southerly line of the McFarland farm, near said Pound; thence, by said line and the
40
626
HISTORY OF BELFAST.
Pound, to the Northport road, aforesaid." It was not made in its present condition until 1855, after the establishment of the ship- yard, now owned by Captain Henry McGilvery. The present name was bestowed in 1874, in memory of the late Rufus B. Allyn. When first constructed, it was called Steamboat Street, from the fact that the steamer " Bangor" landed passengers at its foot.
Bay View Street was accepted Oct. 22, 1873, and built the next season, according to the following location : " beginning at the north-easterly corner of H. W. Trundy's house-lot on Commercial Street ; thence running south, thirty-seven degrees cast, thirty-five rods, to a stake on the land of Samuel Miller; thence south, thirteen degrees east, thirty-seven and one-half rods across said Miller's land, to said Miller's south line. Said street to lie on the easterly side of the before-named lines, and to be three rods wide ; to be called Bay View Street."
Beaver Street, accepted in 1822, and named of record in 1874, is described as "a street leading from Peter Rowe's house or store (where Hayford's Block now stands) to the dwelling-house 1 where William Moody lives." On the map of Belfast, published in 1855, it is designated as Range Street.
Bell Street was accepted without name in 1852, as follows : " beginning on High Street, at the north-west corner of D. Put- nam's (now C. P. Carter's) lot ; thence north-east, sixteen rods, to Street, on condition that no damages are claimed." 2
Belmont Avenue. See Main Street.
Bradbury Street. A report of a committee of the municipal officers was accepted July 6, 1866, " that the new street from Con- gress to Cedar Street be continued to High Street, and be called Bradbury Street." No location is recorded. The name was given in memory of the late Nathaniel H. Bradbury.
Bridge Street was laid out in 1806. The transcript of the location of the upper part, from Church Street to Main Street, is as follows : " beginning at a stake and stones on the westerly side of the street leading from Thomas Whittier's to Dr. Osborn's, run- ning south, fifty-three degrees west, forty-five rods and six links, through said Whittier's garden and John Durham's field, to a
1 This is the house built hy Captain John Lymburner, afterwards owned and occu- pied by Rev. John L. Locke.
2 As is stated in the previous chapter, such a condition rendered the acceptance nugatory.
627
STREETS.
stake and stones on the north side of the road leading from the Beach to Davistown. Said way to be four rods wide, one-half on each side of said course."
The southerly portion of Bridge Street was laid out in 1806. It began " at the centre of the Belfast new or lower bridge, ou the westwardly side of the river, running south, thirty-two degrees west, twenty-nine rods, to the north line of High Street : to be four rods wide, one-half on each side of said course." A note in the town records says that this road was not accepted by the town, in town meeting, but generously given by some, and otherwise procured by the proprietors of the bridge.
The remaining portion was not formally accepted until 1850. Its description is as follows: "beginning at a stake standing in the easterly line of Middle Street; thence running south, thirty- two degrees east, and seven feet from the southerly end of Mrs. Alden's house, and parallel with the end of said house to Bridge Street ; thence south, fifty-four degrees east, to Washington Street ; thence south, seventy degrees east, to a stake standing in the easterly line of Washington Street, where it intersects with Pleasant Street. Said street to be three rods wide, and on the southerly side of said line." 1
Cedar Street was named and accepted in 1824, as follows : "beginning at a stake on the south side of Miller Street, and thirty-six rods from the west side of Church Street ; thence run- ning south, thirty-four degrees east, parallel with Church Street, to the south line of lot No. 382 in the first division : to be on the south-westerly side of said line, and to be four rods wide; also, to be continued north, thirty-four degrees west, to the north line of said lot No. 38." In 1839, it was extended in a straight line to Main Street, and south-eastwardly to Grove Street ; and in 1852, from Grove Street, south, thirty-four degrees east, thirty-one rods,
1 1833, April 8. In town meeting, "Voted to accept this article." (Art. 27.)
"To see if the town will approve and allow a town way as laid out by the selectmen of said town as follows: beginning on High Street, at the west corner of R. C. John- son's red building ; thence running north, three degrees west, eight rods, to a mark on the Baptist meeting-house, to wit, a x, being the point of intersection with Bridge Street ; thence south, three degrees east, one and one-third rods, to High Street ; thence on a line of High Street, three rods and twenty-three links, to the place of beginning ; the same being a road three rods wide, intersecting High and Bridge Streets. And to see if the town will discontinue so much of Bridge Street as is laid out over lot No. 36 in first division, north-east of said High Street, and not covered by a continuation of said three rod street across said Bridge Street."
2 Now Pine Street.
628
HISTORY OF BELFAST.
to a stone wall, being the southerly line of the McFarland lot,1 so called ; thence south, thirty-two rods, to the leading road between lots Nos. 40 and 41 : 2 to be four rods wide, and to be on the west- erly side of said line."
Charles Street was accepted in 1824, according to the follow- ing transcript: " beginning at a stake on the south side of Miller Street, fifty rods from the west side of Church Street; thence south, thirty-four degrees east, parallel with Church Street, to the south line of lot No. 38 : to be two rods wide, and on the south- westerly side of said line; also, to be extended on the same line north, thirty-four degrees west, seventeen rods." In 1839, it was continued from Franklin Street, as contemplated, to Charter, now Spring Street ; and, in 1866, a report that it be continued to Sal- mond Street was accepted.
Charter Street was approved and allowed in 1837, as follows : " beginning on the west side of Church Street, opposite the north- west corner of Spring Street ; thence south, fifty-six degrees west, twenty-three rods and fifteen links, to Stephen Longfellow's land ; thence, same course, eighteen rods and ten links, to Congress Street : to be three rods wide, and to lay on the southerly side of said course." In 1855, the name was changed to Spring Street, of which it is a continuance.
Church Street. In 1803, it was voted "to accept the road from Esq: Whittier's house & to Market Street, and to the contry road, subject, however, from Market Street to the contry road, to remain clos'd during the pleasure of Mr. John Durham : the west line of said road is about eleven feet east of Esq. Whittier's house, running parallel with the house." In 1805, it was discontinued "from Dr. Osborn's house + to the Davistown road," and was not laid out until 1845, when it was accepted as follows: "beginning on the northerly line of Main Street, one foot from the westerly end of Joseph Williamson's brick store occupied by John Peirce ; 5 thence north, thirty-three and one-half degrees west, forty-three rods or thereabouts, crossing Market and Bridge Streets, to oppo- site the front of A. Johnson's dwelling-house : to be three rods wide." It was accepted from Main to Spring Streets, Nov. 2,
1 Lot No. 39.
2 Now Salmond Street.
8 The Alfred Johnson house. From there to Main Street, it is mentioned on the town records, in 1809, as "a contemplated street." The triangular piece of land opposite seems to have been dedicated to public uses by Mr. Whittier.
4 Where the court-house now stands.
5 Now the store of Mrs. A. D. Chase.
629
STREETS.
1818, as follows : " beginning at the southerly side of the road leading from Belmont to Belfast, near Peter Rowe's store, at a stake and stones ; thence south, thirty-two degrees east, corresponding with the westwardly line of Mr. Sleeper's lot, till it intersects Spring Street : said street or town way to be four rods wide, to be on the westwardly side of said line or course, and to be called Church Street." In 1824, the town voted " to accept the location of the continuance of Church Street, beginning at the southerly extremity of said street, at the easterly corner of William Avery's house-lot; thence south, thirty-four degrees east, to the north line of the Academy lot."1 The next year, the street was located " in its full width from the north line of said Academy lot, across said lot, and a corner of William Salmond's land, to the road leading to North- port, excepting the land which the Academy building now stands upon and actually covers."2 This location was accepted by a majority of nine.
Cobbett's Lane. See Vine Street.
Common Street. No location appears of record. It extends from the foot of Main Street to the foot of Market Street, on the westerly side of the old Common. The name was formally given in 1874.
Condon Street was laid out two rods wide, from High Street (now Northport Avenue) to the shore, in 1857, and accepted ac- cording to the following transcript : "beginning at the face side of the south wall on the R. B. Allyn pound lot; thence, on a line of said wall, north, eighty-seven and one-quarter degrees east, to the shore of Belfast Bay, to high-water mark, being fifty rods : said line to be the north line of said road, and the said road to be two rods wide, to be called Condon Street." In 1872, its width was doubled : viz., " beginning at the easterly side of the Northport
1 At this time, a path led into High Street, between the sites of Unitarian Parsonage and the house of William T. Colburn, as at present. But it was never located or accepted by the town. As late as 1834, Judge Read attempted to cause a discontinu- ance of so much of the street as passed over the Academy lot, but was defeated in town meeting by a vote of seventy to one.
2 1868, May 4. James P. White represented to the City Council that "he is the owner of a parcel of land lying at the south junction of High and Church Streets; that the surveyor of city district has laid upon said land a sidewalk from Church to High Street ; that he is perfectly willing that the city should occupy said land for such pur- pose, but does not wish to forfeit any claim to his land for allowing said walk to be laid as a public way, and does therefore grant to said city the privilege of maintain- ing said walk, and requests that this consent be entered of record." Ordered to be recorded. - Ald. Records, Vol. II. p. 124.
630
HISTORY OF BELFAST.
road, the line on the southerly side of said street runs east, four degrees, forty-five minutes south, seventy-seven rods and fifteen links, to high-water mark. By widening said street to four rods northerly from said southerly line, it required a section of land two rods in width, to be taken from the Allyn lot, so called, and sev- enty-seven rods, fifteen links in length, between the Northport road and high-water mark. Area of land taken 156 } rods." It is a portion of the road granted by the original proprietors, between lots Nos. 40 and 41.
Congress Street was laid out and accepted in 1824: "beginning at a stake on the south side of Miller Street, and sixty-two rods from the west side of Church Street; thence south, thirty-one degrees east, to the south line of lot No. 38 : to be four rods wide, and on the south-westerly side of said line; also, to be extended north, thirty-one degrees west, to the north line of said lot No. 38." It was extended south-easterly to Grove Street, and from Miller Street to Main Street, in 1839, and in 1866 to Salmond Street. In 1869, it was ordered to be extended and laid out in a direct line from Miller Street to Main Street, according to the original sur- vey and location in 1824, of four rods wide.
Court Street was laid out and accepted in 1824 from Miller to Park Street, as follows : "beginning at a stake on the south side of Miller Street, and sixteen rods from the west side of Church Street ; thence south, thirty-four degrees east, and parallel with Church Street, to the south line of lot No. 38 : to be on the south- westerly side of said line, and to be four rods wide." In 1828, it was extended from Miller to Franklin Street, the land being given by the proprietors.
Cross Street was accepted in 1818 : " beginning on Main Street, seven rods and about eight links castwardly from the north-east corner of Andrew Derby's store ; thence south, forty-two degrees east, twenty-four rods and ten links, to Spring Street, passing the south-west corner of the house owned by the late Lemuel Weeks, and the north-east corner of the house occupied by George Hop- kins. Said street to be two rods wide, and to be on the westwardly side of said course, and to be called Cross Street." In 1821, it was accepted from Spring to Summer (now Miller) Street, and in 1835 to Pearl Street.
Eldorado Street, on the east side of the river, was ordered by the Board of Aldermen, Nov. 2, 1874, to be accepted as a town way, as follows : " beginning at a point on the south-easterly side
631
STREETS.
of the above described (Mitchell) street, forty-one rods and five links from its intersection with said Searsport road, and running thence south, fifty-five and one-quarter degrees cast, thirty-five rods and four links on the land of Wm. O. Alden and his children, and on said course six rods on land of H. E. Peirce. . Said street to be three rods wide, and to lie on the south-westerly side of said line." The name does not appear of record, but is given on San- ford & Leggett's map.
Elm Street was accepted in 1856, as follows : " commencing at the southerly side of Church Street, at the easterly corner of L. B. Wetherbee's house-lot ; thence south, fifty-six degrees west, thirty-six rods, to Cedar Street : to be three rods wide, and to lie on the easterly side of said line. Said street to be called Elm Street."
Federal Street was laid out and accepted in 1807: "beginning on the east side of Main Street, at the north-west corner of the late Lemuel Weeks's lot; running from said corner east, twenty rods, to a lot on the river belonging to Benjamin Palmer. Said street to be two rods wide, and to lie on the north side of said course."
Field Street was accepted in 1831, as follows: "beginning on the southerly side of Peirce Street, so called, eight rods westerly from high-water mark ; thence south, six degrees east, thirty-nine rods, to Green Street : to be three rods wide, and the course to be in the centre thereof." It was also "approved and allowed " the following year, beginning ten rods from high-water mark. The name should be changed to Bridge Street, of which it is a con- tinuation.
Field1 Street was accepted Oct. 2, 1865 : "beginning at a cedar post northerly of Walton's house, and in the west line of the road leading to the Upper Bridge, so called ; thence south, eighty-three and three-fourths degrees west, thirty-four rods and twenty-one links, to a cedar post in the easterly line of Waldo Avenue. The road to be three rods wide, and on the north side of this described line ; to be called Field Street."
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.