Illustrated history of Kennebec County, Maine; 1625-1892, Part 116

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 116

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CEMETERIES in Rome are somewhat numerous, numbering twelve or more. They are known as the Furbush, Chesley, two on the Daniel Allen farm, Hayes, Goodrich, Benjamin Fairbanks, Elisha Turner, Robbins, Lemuel Turner, Rankins, Moses Chute and an old ground on Ansel W. Richardson's land, that shows no traces of ever having been used for that purpose.

CIVIL LISTS .- The Selectmen of Rome, with the year of the first election and the number of years of service of each, have been: 1804, David McGaffey, 7, John Locke, 6, Samuel Gilman, 9; 1805, Stephen Philbrick, 2; 1806, Nathan Covel; 1811, Andrew McGaffey, John Gil- breth, 3, Elias Foster, 3; 1813, Robert Hussey, 4, Ezekiel Page; 1815, Isaiah Mills, 5; 1816, William Bly, 8, Joseph Knight; 1817, John Phil- brick, John Colbath, 3; 1818, James Philbrick, Luke Robbins; 1819,

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Richard Furbush, Cyrus Osborn, Christopher Knight; 1820, Samuel Goodridge, 16; 1822, Hosea Spaulding, 8; 1823, Stephen Morrell, Jona- than Palmer: 1824, Nathaniel Tuttle, 2; 1826, George Dunn, 4; 1829, Job N. Tuttle, 5; 1831, no record of meeting; 1834, Thomas Whittier, 10, Nathaniel Morrell, 5; 1836, James L. Varney, 4; 1838, Ansel Rich- ardson, 2, Benjamin Folsom, 2; 1840, Nathaniel Staples, 2, Jonathan Prescott, Ebenezer Tracy, 7, John Hersom; 1842, John Towle, 2; 1844, William Bly ; 1845, Bainbridge Wade ; 1850, Nathan P. Martin, 7, Thomas Tracy, 4, Benjamin Philbrick, 3; 1853, John T. Fifield, 7, David Rockward; 1855, Samuel Goodridge; 1856, James Tibbetts, 3, Hiram Towle, 3; 1857, Benjamin F. Mitchell, 6; 1858, Na- than P. Marten, 3; 1859, William Hoyt, 2; 1860, Charles H. Whittier, 8, Eleazer Kelley, 5; 1862, Christopher Tracy, 7; 1865, Otis Goodwin, Elbridge A. Dutton; 1866, Russel Clement; 1868, R. L. Folsom, 3; 1869, John R. Prescott, 6, Elbridge Blaisdell, 6; 1873, A. Tracy, 2, Selden Works; 1874, A. W. Richardson, 2; 1877, William H. Charles, 3; 1878, T. S. Golder, 4, George Tracy, 4; 1879, A. K. P. Dudley. 2; 1880, William A. Knight, 5; 1882, Ira B. Tracy, 2, S. W. Clement, 7, Elbridge M. Tracy, 2; 1884, William Blaisdell; 1885, John E. Farn- ham; 1886, E. S. Phillips; 1887, H. W. Maguire, 3; 1888, Benjamin F. Charles, 2, L. G. Marten; 1890, A. H. Golder; 1891, A. P. Dudley, 2; 1892, Elbridge Blaisdell.

The Town Clerks, with the years of election, have been: John Locke, 1804; David McGaffey, 1807; John Gilbreth, 1814; Isaiah Mills, 1815; Richard Furbush, 1819; Elias Foster, 1820; Isaiah Mills, 1821; Hosea Spaulding, 1823; Samuel Goodridge, 1825; George Dunn, 1829; Samuel Goodridge, 1830; Job H. Tuttle, 1832; Stephen Morrell, 1833; Job H. Tuttle, 1834; Stephen Morrell, 1836; Job H. Tuttle, 1837; Ste- phen Morrell, 1841; John Turner, 1842; David Rockward, 1843; Na- thaniel Morrell, 1845; David Rockward, 1847; N. Morrell, 1848; David Rockward, 1849; Amaziah Tracy, 1850; David Rockward, 1855; Ira T. Blaisdell, 1856; Stephen Tracy, 1862; Charles H. Whittier, 1865; Ira B. Tracy, 1869; Almond Works, 1873; Levi Whitcomb, 1876; George Tracy, 1878; Almond Works, 1879; and H. W. Maguire in 1880-still in office.

The Treasurers have been: David McGaffey, 1804; John Locke, 1806; Edward Locke, 1807; William Allen, 1808; David McGaffey, 1811; John Gilbreth, 1814; Isaiah Mills, 1815; William Allen, 1816; Richard Fur- nish, 1817; Isaiah Mills, 1818; Elias Foster, 1819; John Goodridge, 1821; Stephen Morrell, 1824; James L. Varney, 1832; Hosea Spaulding, 1836; Stephen Morrell, 1837; John Turner, 1839; Christopher Knight, 1841: Moses Blanchard, 1842; Jere Goodridge, 1843; Eben Tracy, 1844; Otis Goodwin, 1845; Eben Tracy, 1853; Otis Goodwin, 1854; C. Tracy, 1858; John Fletcher, 1860; Otis Goodwin, 1869; J. H. Goodwin, 1876; J. B. Tracy, 1878; J. H. Goodwin, 1879; Manley H. Blaisdell, 1882; and A. H. Golder since 1891.

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HISTORY OF KENNEBEC COUNTY.

PERSONAL PARAGRAPHS.

Eli Blaisdell (1807-1882) was a son of Elijah, who settled in Rome in 1807 and died there in 1845, leaving eight sons. Eli married Pau- lina, daughter of Asa Turner, and granddaughter of Starbird Turner, who was a soldier in the revolution and died in Rome in 1838. Their children were: Stilman, Jeanette, Almeda, Asa H., Sarah, Frank and Marcia. Asa married Josie Davis and lives with Frank on the old homestead, where their father settled when he was married. Frank married Mary Hodgeson and has two daughters: Delma and Carrie.

Albion P. Dudley, born in Rome in 1863, is a son of Albion K. P. and Margaret (Tuttle) Dudley, who came to Rome in 1862, and had five children: Asahel M., Uriah T., William P., Albion P. and Ellen E. Albion P. went to California in 1887, after having been in gro- cery stores in Augusta and Waterville for two years. He returned to Rome and is now chairman of the board of selectmen and a mem- ber of the school committee.

Alanson Farnham, born in 1831, is a son of Halloway and Ann Farnham. His wife was Charlotte Watson, of Rome. Mr. Farnham has been for the past twenty-two years connected with the spool mills at Belgrade Mills. He moved to his present home in 1870, where he does some farming.

Albert H. Golder, born in Waterville in 1842, is a son of William Golder, who kept a shoe store for thirty years at Waterville previous to his coming to Belgrade Mills, where he died in 1875. Albert H. went to Boston in 1864, where he was in business until 1887, excepting four years spent in California. He moved to Rome in 1887, where he is a farmer. He served one year on the board of selectmen and is now treasurer of the town. His wife was Mildred French, who died in 1886.

Edward L. Richardson, born in 1854, is a son of Ansel W. and Hannah D. (Barton) Richardson, and grandson of Ansel and Wealthy Richardson, who were married in 1820. Their children were: Ange- line F., Laurinda H., Ansel W., Martha A., Rowena W. and Clemen- tina F. Ansel's father, Joel, was a son of Joel Richardson, who came from Attleboro, Mass., and settled in Belgrade. Ansel W. Richard- son's first wife died in 1860, and in 1864 he married Annette Crowell, of Smithfield. Edward L. married Laura A. Page, of Belgrade, and has two children: Carroll R. and Irma. His only brother is Henry S.

George S. Tibbetts, born in Berwick, Me., in 1833, is a son of Jesse and Ruth, and grandson of Ephraim Tibbetts, who had four sons: Ephraim, Stephen, John and Jesse. Jesse had five sons: Jesse, George S., Daniel, Charles and Isaac. George S. married Ellen E. Welts, and they have one son, Charles H. Mr. Tibbetts came to the farm where he now lives in 1870. He is a stone mason by trade, though now a farmer.

CHAPTER XXXIX.

TOWN OF BELGRADE .*

By J. CLAIR MINOT.

Location .- Physical Characteristics .- First Settlers .- Incorporation and Early Events .- Civil and Political History .- Churches .- Societies .- Cemeteries .- Schools .- Industries and People .- Villages and Post Offices .- Personal Paragraphs.

T HE town of Belgrade is situated in the northwestern part of Ken- nebec county, bordering on Somerset county, ten miles from Augusta, with which city it is connected by a stage line. It is on the Maine Central railroad, sixty-eight miles from Portland, and about the same distance from Bangor. Whatever advantages other towns of old Kennebec may have over Belgrade in respect to popula- tion or prosperity, there are some things in which few can equal it. Among these are irregularity of shape and amount of water surface in it and around it. Seven towns border upon it: Smithfield and Oak- land on the north, Rome and Mt. Vernon on the west, Readfield and Manchester on the south, and Sidney on the east.

Besides these towns, five large lakes or ponds form part of its boundary lines and make its outline extremely irregular. McGrath pond and Richardson pond-otherwise known as Little pond, Ellis pond, or Rowe pond-lie on the northeast, between Belgrade and Oakland. A little stream, about a mile long, connects them with Great pond, which is the largest and most irregular of all, and, while lying on the north and east boundaries, extends south into the center of the town. It contains several large islands, among them being Hoyt's, Oak and Pine. A stream at Belgrade Mills, half a mile long, flows from Great pond into Long pond, which, for over five miles, marks the western boundary of the town. This body of water is so narrow at one place-the " Narrows"-that a bridge has been built con- necting Belgrade and Rome. From the south extremity of Long

* If there is anything of value and interest to the reader in this brief sketch of my native town, the preparation of which has been so pleasant to me, let the credit be given to the memory of my grandfather, the late John S. Minot, who possessed a remarkable knowledge of local history, and dictated to me, when a lad, much of the material contained in this chapter .- J. C. M.

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HISTORY OF KENNEBEC COUNTY.

pond issues Belgrade stream, a sluggish, meandering current, not less than ten miles in length, for two miles on the line between Belgrade and Mt. Vernon, then flowing for about the same distance in the lat- ter town, the rest of its winding course being through the south part of Belgrade. At last it empties into Messalonskee lake, commonly called Snow pond, a beautiful sheet of water, for about six miles the eastern boundary of the town. The north end of this pond is in Oak- land, and its outlet flows into the Kennebec at Waterville. Thus the water of all these lakes and streams, after flowing from the northeast- ern part of Belgrade around the town to very near its starting point, at last finds its way to the ocean. Many smaller ponds and streams are within the town, Hamilton pond and Stuart pond in the central part being among the prettiest by nature.

It is hard to state the exact area of Belgrade. Its greatest meas- urement, from Smithfield on the north to Manchester on the south, is fourteen miles; at other places it measures only five or six miles in the same direction. Its measurement east and west varies from about a mile at North Belgrade to three miles at other places, and even six miles at the center. Much of its area, as has been shown, is covered by water; a large portion is covered by forests.

The surface of the town is uneven. Were it different it would not be the true New England town that it is. In the northern and west- ern parts the hills are highest and most prominent, while in the cen- tral and southern portions the surface is more gently rolling, and level and low in places. The principal hills are Belgrade, Bickford's, Lord's and those of the so-called west road. Beautiful and grand indeed, and hard to excel even in Maine, is the varied and extended land- scape which stretches away from the observer upon some of these elevations. The White mountains of New Hampshire and the mount- ains of northern Maine can be plainly seen on clear days.

FIRST SETTLERS .- Most of what is now Belgrade was formerly in- cluded in Washington Plantation, and previous to that was an un- known part of the great Plymouth grant, with wild beasts and wild men for inhabitants. The beginning of the change toward civiliza- tion was not made until 1774. Back of that date nothing is known of the region now called Belgrade. Even Indian legends and traditions are lacking, and no aboriginal burial places can be located, though some have imagined that certain peculiarly shaped mounds are the work of the red men's hands. Hunters and explorers doubtless passed through the forests here, but they did not stop and they left no trace behind them.

Philip Snow, doubtless from Massachusetts, was the first to open the way to white settlers, and show the trackless wilderness that it had found its master. For several years he hunted in Sidney, then very thinly settled; and in 1774, with a hunter's yearning for new

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grounds, he crossed the large body of water to the west of that town and landed on the Belgrade shore. Tradition claims for him the honor of being the first white man to cross this beautiful lake, and to this day it is called Snow pond, though its old Indian name, Messa- lonskee, still clings to it. He landed on the farm now owned by Damren Brothers, on the Oakland road, about two miles north of Bel- grade Depot, and not far from the shore of the pond he built a log hut, the first dwelling place erected in town. Philip Snow brought no wife or family with him, and came more with the intention of hunting than of making a permanent home, but with his arrival be- gins the known history of the town. Mt. Philip, near Belgrade Mills, was named in honor of his famous hunting exploits in its vicinity, and that, with Snow pond, will perpetuate his memory here. That same year, a few months later than Snow, two more settlers came across the pond and established homes in the forests along its shore, not far from the hut of the hunter.

Simeon Wyman came with his family from Massachusetts, and settled on the south slope of Belgrade hill, on the farm now owned by his descendant, Charles Wyman. This family, which has ever since been a prominent one in Belgrade, was the first white family in town, and this farm was the first one to be cleared. Afterward his son, David, kept a public house there for many years, the old tavern build- ing being burned in 1875. Shortly after Simeon Wyman began to found his home, Joel Richardson, an unmarried man, twenty-four years of age, came from Attleboro, Mass. He came up the east side of the Kennebec, and with only his axe and gun, crossed Sidney and Snow pond and settled on the north slope of Belgrade hill, near the present railroad station. During the revolutionary war, then under way, the Massachusetts authorities drafted Richardson to serve in the army. He started for the seat of war, but when he had gone a part of the distance he met a negro whom he hired to go as a substitute. The colored man went to the war and Richardson returned to the farm he was clearing. This is all Belgrade did to free America from British rule. In 1776 Joel Richardson married Sarah, the daughter of his neighbor, Simeon Wyman, but no record is known which shows the exact date or who married them. This was the first couple mar- ried in the present limits of Belgrade. The first white child born in town was Simeon, son of Simeon and Thankful Wyman, born April 20, 1775, the day after the Lexington fight. This family had six chil- dren when they settled here in 1774.

There is a story that these early settlers, during their first summer here, discovered the large intervale now known as Weston's meadow, a great opening in the forest where grass grew abundantly, and hauled hay from there, a distance of over four miles, to support their stock during the long, cold winter that followed. Of course their own

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HISTORY OF KENNEBEC COUNTY.

clearings soon began to be productive. The first horse ever brought to town belonged to Simeon Wyman, and the night after its arrival became homesick and swam back across Snow pond to Sidney. Richardson and Wyman were soon followed by other families, and in 1790, sixteen years after they came, Washington Plantation had a population of 159 souls. In the case of many of the early settlers the date of arrival and the place whence they came are unknown or un- certain.

Caleb Page came from New Hampshire in 1775 and settled on the north slope of Belgrade hill. He cleared an immense farm and kept a tavern there, where he died in 1830. James Lombard, the first to settle near Belgrade depot, came about 1776 from Barnstable, Mass., to the farm now owned by C. A. Yeaton. Doctor Williams, about 1780, settled on the farm now owned by Hon. C. M. Weston. A few years later he sold it to John V. Davis, who came from Augusta. Abram Page came from New Hampshire in 1784 to the farm of Sam- uel Spaulding. He died in 1822. Chase Page, his brother, also came in 1784, from Kensington, N. H., and cleared the farm now owned by Hon. George E. Minot, about a mile west of the depot. In 1804 he sold the farm to Captain James Minot, who came with his family from Concord, Mass. Eleazer Burbank, who came from near Portland, lived, from 1778 until his death in 1840, on the farm of G. J. Cum- mings. He was the father of eleven children, some of whom have won high names for themselves. Elisha Mosher came from Nan- tucket, Mass., about 1788, and setiled on the place now owned by James Tibbetts, at the Depot. Samuel Taylor came from Augusta in 1790 to Belgrade hill, and cleared the farm of Samuel E. Judkins. He died in 1856. Valentine Rollins came from New Hampshire about 1790 and settled on the farm of Isaac Weaver, where he died. He had nine children. Benjamin Bisbee, a Baptist minister, came from Sandwich, Mass., about 1790, to the farm of Joseph Knowles, near the steam bridge.

Paul Yeaton, a revolutionary soldier, first brought this numerous family's name to Belgrade from Great Falls, N. H., in 1794, and lived on the farm of Edwin F. Yeaton until he died in 1856, at the age of ninety-six years. Four of his eight children are still living, each being over eighty years of age. His brothers, Philip and Joshua, came soon after him. Hezekiah Sawtelle came from Groton, Mass., in 1792. In 1785 Samuel, Reuben, David and Benjamin Frost, all brothers, and John, Moses, Nahum and Samuel Austin, the first three being brothers, all came with their families from the western part of Maine. Most of them settled near the central part of the town. Joseph Greely came about 1780 and bought the farm of Philip Snow, who then left town, and thus the last part of his life is as much of a mystery to the local historian as the first part is. Greely's wife was shunned by the super-

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stitious ones of the times, who firmly believed her to be a witch. John Rockwood came from Oxford, Mass., in 1800, and settled on the farm of Albion Rockwood, where he died September 15, 1874, at the age of one hundred years. He was the father of seventeen children.

Among many other early settlers of the town who came before 1800 were the following, a great part of whom came with their fami- lies from Massachusetts or New Hampshire; Aaron Page, Simeon Clark, David Mosher, Ezekiel Page, David Buffington, Joseph Linnell, Cornelius Tilton, Roberson Mills, Noah Cluff, J. Nudd, Hamilton, Jonah Davenport, Seth Paine, Samuel Brown, Robert Townsend, Joseph Sylvester, Samuel Smith, Andrew Kimball, George Penney, John Crosby, Ezekiel Crowell, Moses Carr, Abraham Wellman, Jacob Jones, Jonathan and William Stevens, Simon Lord, Anderson Taylor, David Farnham, Joseph Joiles, Nathaniel Branch, Isaac Page, Daniel Mosher, Abijah Bickford, Joel Proctor, Amos Page, Jabeth Robinson, Elisha Bisbee, Jonathan Wyman, Henry Kinney, Ebenezer Gilman, Caleb Tinkham, John Littlefield, John Abbott, Zachariah Hussey, John Hersom, Matthew Farnham, Shadrack Rollins, Asa Littlefield, Moses Tibbetts, Asa Libby, Robert Rowe, James Mills, Edward Mer- chant, Eliphalet Dudley, David Champney, Joseph Godey, Nicholas Lord, Samuel Stuart, Jepiah Hall, Noyes Smith and Samuel Bach- eldor.

Of course, a large proportion of the present population directly descended from these first settlers and bear their names, but it is sur- prising that so many of the old names, so prominent here less than a century ago, have no representatives now in town.

INCORPORATION AND EARLY EVENTS .- Before Washington Planta- tion was organized the territory was surveyed and mapped about 1780, by Doctor Williams and John Jones, both of whom lived here. In 1796 the population of Washington Plantation was about 250, quite a town for those days, and the inhabitants began to desire the greater rights and privileges which their incorporation as a town would grant them. Accordingly a petition was signed by the citizens and sent to the general court of Massachusetts, praying that Washington Planta- tion be incorporated into a town with the name of Belgrade. Why this name was chosen is uncertain, but it was selected by John V. Davis, who had traveled in Europe when a young man, and had been a clerk under the English government in the East Indies. It is thought to have been named in honor of the city of Belgrade, in southeastern Europe, but whether Davis ever visited that city, or what special reason he had for borrowing its name, is unknown.

The petition was received with favor by the general court, and the incorporation act, after being passed by both branches, was signed by Samuel Adams, governor of Massachusetts, February 3, 1796, making

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HISTORY OF KENNEBEC COUNTY.

Belgrade the one hundred and second town in the district of Maine to be incorporated, and the thirteenth in what is now Kennebec county. Witham Brooks, who signed himself a " Justis of Peas," was author- ized by the incorporation act to issue a warrant to some suitable person in Belgrade, who should call a meeting of the inhabitants to effect the town organization and elect officers. He selected John V. Davis, who, by virtue of this authority, issued a warrant announc- ing the dwelling house of Joseph Greely as the place, and March 8, 1796, at 10 A. M., as the time of the first town meeting of the new town of Belgrade.

According to the records and local tradition, this John V. Davis was the leading man in town at this time and for several years later. He had come from Massachusetts to Augusta in 1792, and soon after moved here. About 1800 he moved back to Augusta, where for over twenty years he was very prominent in political and business circles, held important city, county and state offices; drew $10,000 in a lottery, fought a duel, indulged in costly experiments in breeding fancy stock, built an elegant mansion and surrounded it with grounds not equalled in the state; then sold this and moved to a farm in Wayne. In 1830 he was appointed to a clerkship in Wash- ington, where he served until he died, in 1848, at the age of seventy- nine. He married a Hallowell lady, and had ten children. He was a fine scholar and brilliant speaker, shrewd in politics but not always in business, and was rather haughty and aristocratic, priding himself greatly on his descent from the noble Vassall family of England. He wore spectacles, an unusual thing for those times, and to this day he is spoken of as " Spec " Davis.

At the time and place appointed for the first town meeting about fifty voters assembled, Belgrade was formally organized as a town and the first board of officers elected. Five town meetings were held dur- ing 1796, and at one of these $80 was raised for schools, $600 for high- ways and $120 for town expenses; at another Abraham Page was chosen town collector, and two cents for each dollar collected was to be his pay. Among town officers regularly elected during these early years were hog reeves and field drivers. Fences seem not to have been fashionable in those days, and farmers were apt to be careless as to whether their live stock remained near home or not. Thus arose the need of these officers and also that of a pound keeper. For a long time the town pound, an enclosure for stray animals, was located on Pine plains, so-called, near the old town house, and the pound keeper was far from being the unimportant officer he is now. Tything men, who enforced the observance of the Sabbath, were also regularly chosen. At the present time the need of these officers, except perhaps in the case of the last named, is not so pressing.

At these early meetings much time was used in discussing whether

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to " except " or " not to except" certain roads which the selectmen had laid out, and it was many years-as the growth of the town de- manded-before all the roads that now thread Belgrade were in use. The question of highways and bridges has never ceased to be an im- portant and much discussed one, and much of the welfare of the town still depends upon its thoughtful treatment.

This same year (1796), by consent of the general court of Massa- chusetts, a small part of Sidney was annexed to Belgrade. The part thus joined lies between Belgrade hill and the Oakland line. At a special town meeting called to consider the question of receiving this tract of land, it was voted by a majority of eight to accept it as part of the town. Then the voters repented of their decision and, holding another meeting, voted to reconsider the first vote. But the general court seemed to have little regard for their likes and dislikes, and made the town receive the tract, whether it would or not.

Nearly half a century later another acquisition of territory was made by the annexation of part of Dearborn. This town was situated northwest of Belgrade, and previous to its incorporation, in 1812, was known as West Pond Plantation. As it did not thrive much in popu- lation or industry, it petitioned to the Maine legislature to be annexed to some of the surrounding towns. In answer to this petition an act was passed in 1839 annexing the southern half to Belgrade and divid- ing the rest between Waterville and Smithfield. Thusthe name Dear- born passed from the map. The area of land then gained by this town is that lying north of the stream at North Belgrade, and con- stitutes about one-fifth of the whole town. The population was in- creased about three hundred, and the size of the town made the same as it is to-day. This addition of territory also was made in opposition to the wishes of the inhabitants of Belgrade, and at a special meeting they vehemently protested against being forced to take upon their hands the greater part of impoverished and pauper-laden Dearborn. They instructed their representative in the legislature, Ephraim Tib- betts, to use every possible means to defeat the measure, but it was necessary to do something with Dearborn, and the prayer of its inhab- itants for annexation was granted.

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Illustrated history of Kennebec County, Maine; 1625-1892, Part 116

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