Illustrated history of Kennebec County, Maine; 1625-1892, Part 100

Author: Kingsbury, Henry D; Deyo, Simeon L., ed
Publication date: 1892
Publisher: New York, Blake
Number of Pages: 1790

USA > Maine > Kennebec County > Illustrated history of Kennebec County, Maine; 1625-1892 > Part 100

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).

On the lower dam Simeon G. Davis built the only saw mill now running in town, in which he also has a shingle machine. Before en- gaging in his present business he was a cooper on Union street. In 1880 he put a small steam craft on Maranacook lake, and in 1882 he put on a larger boat. In 1891 he had a small boat on Annabessacook lake.

A fulling mill was built in 1791, by Cyrus Baldwin, who sold it to Benjamin Allen, by whom it was sold to Liberty Stanley. John Cole was the next owner, and his son, Hiram Cole, ran it. Then another son, Morrell Cole, owned it, and sold it to Mr. Merrill, and he sold one- half of it to Benjamin & Davis, and the other half to Luther Whit- man. After the fire of 1853, in which it was burned, Mr. Whitman bought the water right of S. Benjamin & Co.

About seventy years ago, in a building where now stands the stone blacksmith shop, on the south side of Main street, was a pottery, in

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which Thomas Fuller made plates, jugs, crocks and jars for family use.

Capitalists from Boston and Hallowell, long familiar with the noted water power at Winthrop village, bought, in 1809, water rights and real estate, and incorporated the Winthrop Woolen and Cotton Manufactory, with Amos Barrett as superintendent. A four story fac- tory was built of brick, in which machinery was placed as fast as it was ready, most, if not all, of it being made in the place, and all of it collected so slowly that five years passed before the mills were ready for operation. For a time the new enterprise was fairly prosperous. but for some reason the profits dwindled till at the end of twenty years the concern was closed and remained idle for seven years, in charge of Stephen Sewall, the last agent of the old company.

In 1841 Josiah Little, of Newburyport, and Josiah Little, jun., of Auburn; Ephraim Wood, of Lewiston; Mr. Jones, of Portland, and a New York city man, bought of the owners in Boston the entire prop- erty for about $22,000. The purchase included a saw mill on the east side of the stream, an empty woolen mill on the west side, and a piece of land that extended up to the street, with a house on it. Seward G. Lee, a skillful machinist and an esteemed citizen of Winthrop from that day until his death, came from Massachusetts and put the mills in complete order for the new company, and remained in charge of the machinery for several years, the factory producing cotton sheet- ing most of the time, and employing about ninety people. In 1847 Mr. Lee bought an interest in the business, of Mr. Wood.

During the time Stephen Sewall was in charge of the old com- pany's property the saw mill and woolen mill were built, the former being known ever after as the Sewall mill. About 1846 Benjamin Cushman, Seward G. Lee and John Metcalf rented the woolen mill and made woolen cloth the first year. Mr. Metcalf sold out to his partners, and Cushman & Lee bought the saw mill and a house of Littles, Wood & Co., and afterward rented the woolen mill to Luther Whitman. Liberty Stanley, the inventor of the shears for shearing cloth, now universally used, carded wool and fulled and dressed cloth in the old woolen mill when it was first built. Lee finally sold his in- terest to David Stanley. In 1850 the firm of Littles, Wood & Co. dis- solved, Mr. Wood bought his partners' interest and ran the business alone, making twine, cotton warp and bunch yarn.

Ephraim Wood died in 1865, and that fall Boston capitalists pur- chased the entire mill property and organized the present Winthrop Mills Company, with a capital stock of $150,000. The new company enlarged the building and thoroughly refitted the inside with new machinery adapted to the manufacture of woolen fabrics. The old woolen mill was subsequently cut in two pieces in 1882 and moved off for dwelling houses. In 1882 the present extensive cotton factory

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was built, and dams No. 2 and 3 combined in one to give the requisite water power.

Philip C. Bradford was the first resident agent for the owners until about 1871, when John McIlroy came to Winthrop as the resident agent for the company, and continued till his death in July. 1891, when he was succeeded by his son, Ronald C. Mellroy. The woolen mills turn out 125,000 pairs of blankets per year. The cotton mills are making cotton warp, and together the two departments employ 150 people.

When the old cotton company bought the upper dam, Samuel Ben- jamin owned a water power on one corner of the property, on which he had a cabinet and repair shop, with some primitive machinery in it. The new concern purchased this of Mr. Benjamin, but allowed it to stand for two years after, and employed him to make various fix- tures and some machinery for the new mill, till the room where it stood was needed. Mr. Benjamin then built a shop on the north side of Main street, where for twenty years prior to 1834 he turned his at- tention to his old trade of cabinet and chair making. In 1834 he made for J. A. & H. A. Pitts, in this shop, the first practical grain thresher and separator ever made, and continued making them until the Pitts brothers left town. In 1838 Mr. Benjamin and Cyrus Davis formed a partnership, and in 1841 opened a machine shop on the Cole dam, where they succeeded the Pitts brothers in the manufacture of grain threshing machinery. Benjamin & Davis dissolved in 1851 and John M. Benjamin became a partner in the business with his father. S. Benjamin & Co. were burned out in the fire of 1853. The same year John M. and his brother, Albion P. Benjamin, built a machine shop near the railroad, south of the depot, in which, early in 1854, they continued the manufacture of horse powers, threshers and separators. This continued till 1862, when they sold the building to C. M. Bailey for his oilcloth works, and closed up their business.

By far the most important manufacturing industry in town is the making of oilcloth by C. M. Bailey's Sons & Co. Their works at Baileyville comprise four very extensive buildings and at Winthrop village thirteen buildings. Steam to the amount of 240 horse power and the labor of 200 people are constantly employed, turning out 1,800 pieces per week. The history of the origin and growth of this business is interesting. Ezekiel Bailey lived at Baileyville and had four sons-Dr. Daniel, Moses, George and Charles M. The two former made table oilcloths for several years by hand, and Charles M. trav- eled and sold them. About 1842 Charles M. bought his father's inter- est and in company with his brother, Moses, began making floor cloths. After a while Moses bought out his brother, Charles M., and ran the factory alone. In 1847 he resold the entire business to his brother, Charles M., and built a new plant at Baileyville. In 1856 Charles M. Bailey was again burned out at Baileyville, but had pur-

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chased the plant of Robbins & Hayward, who had recently built an oilcloth factory at Winthrop village. In 1862 these works also were nearly destroyed by fire. He purchased the large machine shop of Benjamin & Davis at Winthrop, and as soon as possible added other buildings and resumed business. From that time to the present en- largements and improvements of his plant, both at Baileyville and Winthrop village, have been made almost every year.

In 1870 Moses Bailey's works at Baileyville were burned and re- built within a year. Before 1880 C. M. Bailey bonght Moses Bailey's entire plant and operated it till 1891, when it was again consumed by fire, but workmen were collected to the size of a small army and in less than three months the buildings were replaced, larger and better than ever before, and the entire plant was again in active operation. At Skowhegan C. M. Bailey's Sons & Co. have other works, making them one of the first, if not the largest, manufacturers of oilcloths in America.

The manufacture of boots and shoes for the wholesale trade was once an important industry in Winthrop. Between 1830 and 1840 Joshua Wing, Isaac Nelson, Joshua Trufant and S. Johnson Phil- brook, all living on the Monmouth road, had shops at their houses, where they each employed several men making men's boots and shoes. The most of this work was sold in New England, but Mr. Nelson used to take some of his goods to New Orleans, which was re- garded as quite a trip in those days. In the village Charles A. & B. F. Wing, S. N. Tufts & Co., Israel Matthews & Co. and E. M. Clark made boots and shoes extensively for those times. The Wing brothers em- ployed from twenty to thirty hands, and Benjamin F. Wing took their goods to California after 1849, where also a large part of the products of the other shops found a ready market. C. A. Wing continued the longest, but quit in 1889.

For the past twenty years coat making for Boston parties has been an established industry in Winthrop. The business was undertaken in 1870, by Henry Penniman, who had been a dry goods and clothing merchant since 1865. He found it so profitable that in 1874 he closed out his store goods and built a shop by the pond, and gave his atten- tion wholly to manufacturing, having in his employ frequently over one hundred people. Since 1884 his son, Edgar H. Penniman, has been the proprietor of the manufacturing business, which gives work to twenty hands. Henry Penniman again became a merchant and moved into the Packard Block in 1878, the year it was built.

The first manufacture of brick in considerable quantities in Win- throp was for the old woolen and cotton mill, built between 1809 and 1814. These brick were furnished by Isaac Bonney, father of Samuel and William Bonney. His kiln, where more than a million brick were made, stood down by the railroad on land now occupied by the Bailey

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HISTORY OF KENNEBEC COUNTY.

oilcloth buildings. His next brick yard was on land now owned by Samuel Bonney, near the mill stream, south of the village. Major Elijah Wood burned and sold a good many kilns of brick a little north of west from W. H. Keith's house. Charles Nelson burned brick on the Pond road, on the west side of the pond. At an early day brick were burned near Francis Perley's. Oakes Howard and Nathan Cobb burned a kiln for their own use on Howard's land. Two brick kilns once stood on Deacon John Cumming's land, at East Winthrop. Amanda Jackson owns land one was on, and William Nason owns where the other was.

The first tannery in the village of Winthrop was built where the woolen mill is, by Colonel Fairbanks, before 1800. Captain Samuel Clark came from Francistown, N. H., in 1803, and built a tannery on the stream below, which he operated till succeeded by his son, E. Miller Clark, in 1837, who ran the business forty years and then sold the property to Bradford and Levi Jones.

Wagon making in Winthrop seems to have been substantially in the hands of the Stanley family for four generations. Aden Stanley settled in the eastern part of the town in 1795 and made cart wheels and cider mill screws, besides his farm work. His sons, Lemuel and Morrell, became noted wagon and chaise makers. Lemuel and his son, Sumner H., located in Winthrop village, where they had a shop for many years. Morrell succeeded to his father's business. rebuilt the old shop in 1838, and made wagon makers of his sons, Charles and Henry. In 1877 Henry built another shop just north of the old one, where he and his son, Albert A., still follow the old trade. Charles and his son, Oren E., retain the original business founded by Aden Stanley nearly a hundred years ago.

Always watchful to keep abreast with the times, several enterpris- farmers in 1875 organized the Winthrop Dairy Association, with a stock capital of $10,000, and built the butter and cheese factory still in operation in the northwestern part of the village. J. R. Nelson was the first president, Rutillus Alden was the second, and for the last seven years Albert C. Carr has filled that office. A. D. King, Rutillus Alden, B. W. Chandler and A. C. Carr are directors, Elliott Wood sec- retary, and George Howard treasurer.

The Portland Packing Company in 1882 leased land at the foot of the lake and put up their present factory, where they filled 250,000 cans in 1891, employing one hundred hands for about a month. Five men are kept the remainder of the year making the tin cans.

OLD SETTLERS .-- Beginning at the village, on the Portland road, Gideon Lambert was an old settler, owning the land where the rail- road depot stands. He was one of Abercrombie's soldiers, and fought in the war that preceded the revolution. Ichabod How, afterward a member of the continental congress that met at Cambridge, Mass., was

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his neighbor. Deacon Johnson was another, and further along were Nathan Howard, father of Oakes Howard, a house builder, active in politics and foremost in matters of public concern; Deacon Joseph Fairbanks, a Mr. Orcott, Isaac Nelson and Nathan F. Cobb, a mason by trade.

Major Elijah Wood, who had a store on Main street early, subse- quently built a store opposite William H. Keith's present residence, about 1815, where he traded for twenty years under a sign reading, "English and West India Goods," the foremost article of which, in those days, was rum.

Before 1810 Dr. Peleg Benson, who lived where Moses C. Frost does, built on what was then known as the Sewall Page, but now called the Maxwell brook, a cloth dressing mill on the north side of the road, on what is now the Leonard N. Berry farm. Joseph Fairbanks, in 1814, had a trip-hammer, run by water, in the same building, with shops for iron and wood working. After this James Curtis used the build- ing for a cider mill, grinding the apples by water power. On the other side of the road Charles Foss had a tannery, and a water wheel to run his bark mill. John Maxwell continued the tanning business after Mr. Foss, till 1845. The land now belongs to Willard Maxwell. There was also an ashery on Doctor Benson's farm.

On the cross road were Captain Barney Haskell, Henry Stanley, Samuel King, Thomas Jacobs, an English sailor, Samuel Harvey, Wil- liam Lowell, from Bath, son of Dea. J. K. Lowell; John Lewis, a stone cutter and a great mathematician; Lafayette Chandler, grandson of John Chandler, who built mills in the village; Noah Chandler, Enoch Swift, on lot No. 145, on the top of Pisgah; Barnabas Wing, Gideon Dexter and John Frost. On the road from Haskell's Corner were: Richard Humphrey, Jabez Bacon, a great Bible reader; Rial Stanley, Eli Lake, Mordica Morton, Jonathan Buzzell, Captain John Fuller, at Fuller's hill, who came from Cape Cod; and the Hazel- ton family, where Rufus K. Berry lives. In the north west part of the town some of the old settlers were: Mr. Fellows, on whose farm a moose was killed about 1800 (the lot where it was killed is still called " Moose pasture "); John Fuller, and Freeman Dexter, a carpenter, who built the Congregational church. Of the next generation were Jona- than Buzzell and ex Sheriff William C. Fuller.

SCHOOLS .- The attendance in 1891 was as follows: East Winthrop, 35; Winthrop Center, 31; Snell school, 22; Howard school, 12; Mt. Pisgah, 17; Union school, 13; Kimball district, 15; Maranacook, 9; Vil- lage district-primary department 68, intermediate 38, grammar 47, free high school 40. In 1887 the Knight district was consolidated with the Village district, and in 1890 the Sturtevant district was joined with a district in Readfield. In 1891 the school committee shortened the terms of the Village school and lengthened the terms of some of the

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other districts, making them all the uniform time of thirty weeks each. It is confidently believed the schools of the town of Winthrop have never been in as satisfactory a condition as now, particularly the high school, in charge of Professor Frederic W. Plummer.

The number of school children in town who drew public money in 1804, was 685; but in 1891 was only 520. A small family of children was as rare then as a large one is now. Considering the scarcity of money, the taxes must have been burdensome a hundred years ago. In 1792 the school tax was £35; in 1794, 660; in 1797, $333; and in 1807 and for several years following it was $700.

TOWN REPORTS .- The sixth annual report of Charles A. Wing, chief engineer of the fire department, shows a most favorable, and in some respects a remarkable, series of facts. For the past two years there has been no fire within the village limits requiring the use of hydrant or hose. The entire department is maintained in a condition of continual readiness and efficiency, at a cost to the town of less than $100 a year.

The Winthrop water works were constructed in 1883, as the only practical way to reduce insurance rates. After fierce agitation the village raised $1,000 by subscription, and the town voted $3,000, with which 3,000 feet of four-inch iron pipe was laid, ten hydrants were lo- cated, a powerful pump was placed in the basement of the woolen fac- tory, and a thousand feet of hose and two hose carts were purchased. Since then a hose house, with a drying tower fifty feet high, has been built, and other necessary fixtures purchased, increasing the total cost to $5,000, which is an unusually low figure for the results achieved. To operate this effective fire apparatus, the Payson Tucker Hose Com- pany was organized in 1883, with twenty-five active, able-bodied mem- bers, which number is still maintained.

The latest report of the selectmen shows that when it was made the town farm had but one charity boarder. This farm was purchased in 1837 of Jesse L. Fairbanks, for $2,100, with money received as Win- throp's share of surplus revenue divided by the general government among the different states that year. This step was in keeping with a growing disapproval of the oft-abused practice of farming out the unfortunate poor to the lowest bidder. In 1887 the house on the town farm was burned, necessitating the expenditure of over $3,000 in re- building.

BANKS .-- The Winthrop Bank, incorporated in 1824, with a capital of $50,000, when the only banks in Kennebec county were at Hallo- well, Augusta and Gardiner, shows the business requirements of that day. Samuel Wood was president, and Thomas J. Lee was cashier. Its business was done in the southeast corner room of Dr. A. P. Snow's present residence. After a short but honorable career, its owners decided to close its affairs. After redeeming most of its bills

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and settling with its depositors, Samuel Wood became responsible for the adjustment of the balance of its affairs. Mr. Lee, who was a teacher and a school book author of some note, opened a school in the room the bank had used, and attended to all the details of final settle- ment.

The Bank of Winthrop was incorporated under the state laws in 1853. E. M. Clark, Stephen Sewall, Erastus W. Kelley, David Stan- ley, Charles M. Bailey, Wellington Hunton, Benjamin Stockin, Ste- phen Gammon and Otis Hayford were directors; Charles M. Bailey was president and David Stanley cashier. The capital stock was $70,000, increased to $75,000, and bills were issued. After doing a prosperous business for about ten years, the directors chose to close up their business rather than pay the ten per cent. on their circula- tion then required by act of congress.

The National Bank of Winthrop was organized with Charles M. Bailey, David Stanley, Ephraim Wood, Philip C. Bradford and Levi Jones as directors. The doors were opened for business November 28, 1864, with Charles M. Bailey, president, and John M. Benjamin cashier. That portion of the affairs of the Bank of Winthrop then unsettled was assumed by the new bank. At the end of twenty years the charter was renewed. In addition to those named, Moses Bailey, Francis H. McIntyre, Charles A. Wing, Reuben T. Jones, George A. Longfellow and Henry Winslow are, or have been, directors. During all these years there has been no change in the executive officers of the bank. Mr. Benjamin's labors have been particularly arduous and his services eminently satisfactory.

The Winthrop Savings Bank was chartered and began doing busi- ness in February, 1872, in the banking room of the Winthrop Na- tional Bank. The trustees were: Levi Jones, Charles A. Wing, Moses Bailey, F. H. McIntyre and Joseph S. Berry. Levi Jones was presi- dent and John M. Benjamin was treasurer. This institution was very prosperous till, on the night of July 22, 1875, the building was entered by professional burglars, both safes were blown open, and cash and bonds taken in amounts that ultimately made each bank a loser of over $10,000. The savings bank closed up its business and paid its depositors seventy-three cents on a dollar.

POST OFFICES .- Winthrop village has one of the five post offices which were established in the county in 1795. The first postmaster, Benjamin Allen, was commissioned January 1st. The successive incumbents have been: Silas Lambert, appointed March 14, 1797: David W. Pierce, April 17, 1823; George W. Stanley, January 27, 1830; David Stanley, December 21, 1835: Cyrus Bishop, June 12, 1841; David Stanley, May 2, 1845; Cyrus Bishop, June 4, 1849; Joseph R. Stanley, May 16, 1853; Cyrus Bishop, August 7, 1861; Charles Morrill, January 17, 1862; Mary M. Stanley, September 1, 1868; Henry Woodward,

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HISTORY OF KENNEBEC COUNTY.

March 10, 1877; Elliott Wood, March 28, 1881; Henry Penniman, De- cember 3, 1886; and Charles D. Wood, December 6, 1890.

The Winthrop Centre post office has been in care of Levi Rich- mond since its establishment, on the 15th of January, 1886.

East Winthrop has had a post office since December 26, 1828, when David Eastman was made postmaster. Horace Parlin took the office in June, 1830, and was succeeded in October, 1847, by Azel Perkins, who kept the office twenty years. Lyman White was succeeded in 1871, by George A. Wadsworth.

CEMETERIES .- One of the first provisions of the infant town of Winthrop was to secure a lot for burial purposes. At an adjourned town meeting, held one week from its first session, the selectmen re- ported " A burying place which will best commode the present inhab- itants lies upon the highway running by Mr. Bishop's, on Mr. Pullen's lot, bounded southerly on said highway, containing one acre lying in a square form." This well known ground, sacred to the memory of so many men and women who founded Winthrop, is the oldest within its borders. An infant daughter of Stephen Pullen had been buried on this plot before the town was incorporated. The next ground ac- cepted by the town was given by John Chandler, and is now the vil- lage cemetery. The East Winthrop ground must have been in use very early, from its proximity to the neighborhood that formed the first Baptist society. The Fairbanks grave yard, near the town farm, is also the resting place of many pioneers.

Eighty-three years ago Josiah Bacon gave one-half acre of land for a public burying ground. The town took charge of the lot, which in process of time was filled. About 1880 a piece, which is also nearly covered with graves, was taken from the Jonathan L. Stanley estate. Here the tired bodies of a large number of the best known residents have been laid in their last earthly repose. Some of them are: Samuel King, William Lowell, Thomas Jacobs, Jabez Bacon, Rial Stanley, Jo- seph Fairbanks, Nathan Howard, Nathan T. Cobb, William Buzzell, Barney Haskell, Nathaniel Kimball and the wife of each.

HOTELS .-- The Winthrop Hotel was built for a two-story residence about 1800, by Captain Barney Haskell, since which time it has been enlarged and remodeled, but the old building is still a part of the present one. Mrs. Miller owned and kept it after Captain Haskell. Since then some of its landlords have been: A. M. Shaw, John Lover- ing, --

Dakin, - Cooledge, Zack Morgan, Sherburn Morrell, Almaren Bodge, Crosby Shorey, Orrin M. Shaw, Elijah L. Stanton, W. F. Lovejoy and Richardson & Webb. Joseph Warren Eaton, the present owner, bought it, and after running it awhile, leased it to other parties.

Deacon Daniel Carr came to Winthrop about 1814, and succeeded Dean Howard in the hotel business until 1849, in the house now owned

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by his daughter, Mrs. Helen C. Flint. Becoming convinced that sell- ing liquor was wrong, he closed the bar and kept the first temperance house in Maine. Colonel Fairbanks at one time kept a hotel where now is L. O. Cobb's hardware store. Joel Chandler kept an early inn a few rods east of the present town hall.

SOCIETIES .- The order of Masonry was planted very early in Win- throp. The charter issued by the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts reads that upon petition, " Nathaniel Herrick, Thomas Beckett, Josiah Dewey, Abisha Benson, Jonathan Judkins, John Harvey, Daniel Cros- man and Jonathan G. Hunton were constituted and appointed The Temple Lodge No. 25, September 8, 1817." The Lodge's first meeting under the new charter, held October 20th following, was presided over by Nathaniel Herrick, the first master. His successors have been: David Campbell, 1818; Dr. Issacher Snell, 1819; Abiel Dailey, 1820; Alexander Belcher, 1822; Lory Bacon, 1824; Isaac Snell, 1825; Jedediah B. Prescott, 1826; Asa Fairbanks, 1827; W. D. Eastman, 1828; Samuel Webb, 1829; Asa Fairbanks, 1830. For the next twenty-seven years there are no records, and probably there were no meetings. David Cargill was elected chief officer in 1858; Sumner H. Stanley in 1860; F. E. Webb, 1861; A. P. Snow, 1863; F. E. Webb, 1866; L. P. Moody, 1867; A. R. Sylvester, 1870; P. H. Snell, 1871; Luther Cobb, 1873; El- liott Wood, 1874; W. E. Whitman, 1876; W. H. Pettingill, 1878; R. C. McIlroy, 1879; E. A. Wood, 1881; J. H. McIlroy, 1883; C. H. Robin- son, 1884; Elliott Wood, 1885; E. H. Penniman, 1887; F. I. Bishop, 1889; and J. E. McIlroy, 1891.

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Illustrated history of Kennebec County, Maine; 1625-1892, Part 100

Author: Kingsbury, Henry D; Deyo, Simeon L., ed Publication date: 1892 Publisher: New York, Blake Number of Pages: 1790

Author: Kingsbury, Henry D; Deyo, Simeon L., ed
Publication date: 1892
Publisher: New York, Blake
Number of Pages: 1790