Illustrated history of Kennebec County, Maine; 1625-1892, Part 117

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 117

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Two years later the inhabitants of a considerable part of Rome petitioned to the legislature to be set off from that town and joined to Belgrade, but the legislature was merciful to Belgrade in this case, and refused to grant what they asked.

For many years after its incorporation the town felt the need of a public meeting place of some kind. The town meetings were gen- erally held at dwelling houses, sometimes at Joseph Greely's, at other times at the house of Samuel Smith, near Rockwood's Corner, at Joseph Linnell's house, at the tavern of John Crosby, near the steam bridge, and in 1811 the election was held at the barn of Wentworth Stuart.

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In 1806 a motion was made to build a town house, but it was defeated. It was brought up at every town meeting for several years, but until 1813 did not meet with the favor of the taxpayers. Then it was voted to raise $200 to build such a structure, and the site selected was near the burying ground at Pinkham's Corner. Hezekiah Sawtelle, Moses Carr and Sherebiah Clark were appointed a committee to superintend its construction. It was first occupied about 1815, but was not entirely completed until 1834. All town meetings were held there until 1873. In 1872 a case of small pox appeared in town, and the victim, who was an Indian visiting here, was carried to the town house, for want of a better place, and a man hired to take care of him. He soon recovered and left town, but the town authorities did not like the idea of hold- ing public meetings in a small pox hospital, so they hired Masonic Hall, at the Depot, where town meetings and elections have been held since. The old town house has been repaired and altered, and is now used for a hearse house.

Until 1849 the town's poor were boarded out to whoever would take them the cheapest. Several fruitful families have kept up the supply of persons depending upon the town for support, though at this time Belgrade is nearer being free from paupers than ever before. In 1849 the town bought for $700 the farm of Moses White, situated in the north end of the town, near Great pond, which was used as a poor farm until 1887, when it was sold by George B. Staples for $800. A year of the old system of boarding out the paupers was tried again, but in 1888 the farm of Noah Hersom was bought for $1,000, and is now used as the town poor farm.

After the revolutionary war nearly every town of any size in the country maintained one or more militia companies, and about 1800 two were organized in this town. One, known as the East company, was made up of men from the neighborhood of Belgrade hill and the Depot; the other, known as the West company, of men from the west- ern portion of the town. They had four regular meetings each year for inspection and practice, called "trainings," besides the annual muster of the brigade, which was usually held at Waterville. When the second war with England broke out the roll of the two companies was as follows:

East Company .- Captain, James Minot; lieutenant, John Page; en- sign, Jesse Page; sergeants, Richard Mills, Lewis Page, Samuel Page and Lemuel Lombard; corporals, Charles Lombard, Wentworth Stuart, Beriah Fall and James Block, jun .; musicians, David Wyman, Davi- son Hubbard, David Mosher and Jeremiah Tilton; and 49 privates.

West Company .- Captain, Joseph Sylvester; lieutenant, Levi Bean; ensign, Isaac Lord; sergeants, Daniel Stevens, Samuel Smith, John Sylvester and William Stevens, jun .; corporals, Jonathan H. Hill,

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Ephraim Tibbetts, William Wells and Samuel Tucker; musicians, Samuel Littlefield and Isaac Farnham; and 36 privates.

During the first part of the war they remained at their peaceful vocations in Belgrade, but in 1814 were ordered to Augusta. Here they staid a few weeks, and then, with several other companies, were ordered to the coast to prevent the British from ascending the Ken- nebec. They marched to the mouth of the river, to Wiscasset and several other seaport towns, and finally returned safely home without having fired a hostile gun. Thus far the war record of Belgrade was not a very brilliant one, but in the late civil war few small towns did more for the cause of the Union, as another chapter shows. The or- ganization of these companies was kept up until about 1845, since which time no military company has existed here.

The year 1816, which is remembered throughout New England as the cold season, brought special hardships to the people of Belgrade. Not even in the days of the first settlers, twenty-five years before, when hunting and fishing, as well as tilling the soil, were depended upon to furnish food, and when what few store supplies the settlers had were brought upon their backs many miles through the woods from Hallowell and Gardiner, was there more suffering or privation among the inhabitants. The crops were all failures, and less than twenty-five bushels of corn were raised in town. Paul Yeaton, who raised twelve bushels from several acres of land, was regarded as a wonderfully fortunate man. The snow storm of June 12th drove the men from the fields, and snow began to fall again in October. The next spring the price of hay was $20 a ton and higher; wheat, 15 shil- lings a bushel; potatoes, 4 shillings; and corn, $2. These were ex- ceedingly high prices for the times, and no less than a score of fami- lies in town, becoming discouraged and fearing the cold season would be followed by another like it, moved away. Most of them moved to Ohio, then regarded as the land of promise. 'There were twenty-eight births in town during the cold season.

The summer and fall of 1825 are remembered as the dry season, and the old inhabitants say that no year this century has been its equal in this respect. In the early autumn raged the only destructive forest fire that Belgrade has ever known. It started in the southwest- ern part of the town, on the Mt. Vernon line, and burned over most of the region lying between the Wing's mill road and the road run- ning south from Rockwood's Corner, including what is now known as " Location," Weston's meadow, and the large tracts of neighboring forest. Most of the land was wooded, and the fire raged for a week, laying waste in all four or five hundred acres. The people in the vicinity fought the fire night and day to protect their lands and homes, and tried to stop its course by ploughing long strips, and with difficulty got it under control when it had reached the roads

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before mentioned. Many families had their possessions ready for instant flight, and it was a time of dismay and terror to all this part of the town.

CIVIL AND POLITICAL .- The men who manage the affairs of a town are generally its most prominent and substantial citizens, and so it is valuable to preserve the lists of those to whom their fellow townsmen have committed these responsible trusts. Following is a list of the clerks, selectmen and treasurers of Belgrade since its incorporation. With each man's name is the year of his first election and the whole number of years he served :

Town Clerks .- 1796, Benjamin Bisbee, 10: 1806, Moses Carr, 9; 1808, Hezekiah Sawtelle, 2; 1817, John Rockwood, 2; 1819, Moses Page, 9; 1828, Joel Spaulding. 10; 1837, Stephen Smith; 1839. John S. Minot, 5; 1842, George Smith; 1845, Ariel Hinkley, 15; 1860, A. H. Wyman; 1861, C. A. Yeaton, 7; 1868, John C. Taylor, 3; 1869, George E. Minot; 1872, James C. Mosher, 20.

Selectmen .- 1796, John V. Davis, Joseph Sylvester, 2, James Lom- bard, 16; 1797, Simeon Clark, 2, Andrew Kimball, Paul Yeaton, 2; 1798, Joel Richardson, 10; 1799, George Penney, 12; 1802, John Rock- wood, 15; 1803, Moses Carr, 2; 1807, John Rollins; 1808, John Chand- ler, 13, Sherebiah Clark, 6; 1809, Seth Paine, 2; 1815, Hezekiah Sawtelle, 2; 1816, Samuel C. Clark, 3; 1819, Moses Page, 13, Richard Mills, 4; 1822, Solomon Easty, jun., 11, John Page, 7; 1824, Samuel Taylor; 1827, Hannibal Dillingham, 2; 1831, Samuel Frost; 1832, Jos- eph Taylor, 2; 1833, Anson P. Morrill; 1835, Wentworth Stuart, 3; 1837, George Richardson, 4; 1839, Thomas Eldred, 13; 1842, Jacob Main, 3, Joseph S. Cummings, 2; 1843, Adam Wilber, 2; 1844, Paul Yeaton, jun., 2; 1845, Greenlief Wing; 1846, Stephen Smith, Joseph Stuart, 4; 1847, John S. Minot, George Smith, 6; 1848, James H. Mosher, 11, Rufus K. Stuart; 1849, Isaac Weaver, 3; 1850, Cyrus Weston; 1852, Joel Richardson, Samuel Kimball; 1853, Andrew Yeaton, 3; 1855, Al- mond H. Wyman; 1856, Ichabod Smith, Emery Tillson; 1857, Charles D. Heald, 2, Reuel W. Mosher, 4; 1858, Reuel S. Page, 2; 1859, Samuel E. Judkins, 4, Hiram Goodwin; 1860, Charles B. Crowell, 3; 1861, David Rockwood; 1865, David Golder, Gilmon J. Page, 7, James Alex- ander, 2; 1867, C. A. Yeaton, 8: 1868, Crowell Taylor; 1869, John Partridge, William H. Hersum; 1870, George H. Ward, 2, Henry W. Golder; 1872, C. M. Weston, 2, B. F. Mitchell, 4, A. E. Faught, 3; 1873, M. H. Alexander: 1876, Charles H. Wyman, 14; 1877, George W. Cottle, 4; 1878, Sewell Spaulding, 6; 1879, Samuel Y. Spaulding, 2; 1880, John C. Taylor; 1884, Edwin F.Yeaton, 4; 1886, George E. Minot, 2, E. H. Mosher, 2; 1888, Joseph Hersum; 1889, Charles H. Hallett, 4.

Treasurers .- 1796, Samuel Smith, 5; 1799, Ezekiel Crowell, 2; 1801, John Crosby, 2; 1803, Anderson Taylor, 2; 1807, John Rockwood; 1808, Eleazer Burbank; 1809, Cornelius Tilton, 2; 1811, James Lombard, 2;

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1813, Sherebiah Clark, 3; 1816, Samuel Taylor, 3; 1819, David Wyman; 1820, Wentworth Stuart, 3; 1821, Calvin Stuart; 1822, Samuel Austin, 3; 1825, Samuel Page, 8; 1827, Silas Richardson, 2; 1832, Anson P. Morrill; 1833, John Hoxie, 2; 1836, John S. Minot, 9; 1841, Charles Page; 1842, Daniel Stevens; 1843, Stephen Smith; 1844, Andrew Yea- ton; 1845, Amos Rollins, 1846, George Smith; 1847, Rufus K. Stuart, 2; 1848, David L. Page; 1849, Ariel Hinkley, 6; 1855, Joseph Taylor; 1856, Reuel S. Page; 1858, Rufus Hill; 1860, Albert Caswell, 5; 1861, Horace Bartlett, 4; 1869, Samuel Whitehouse; 1877, L. W. Bachelder, 15; 1892, John H. Thing.

The fact that many of these officers were reelected so many times shows both their popularity among their fellow citizens and the effi- cient and faithful service they rendered the town. For almost a cen- tury the servants of the town have managed its affairs well, and in very few cases have any of them been false to their trust. Two only have so basely betrayed the confidence of their townsmen as to feel the strong hand of the law, and these two exceptions only prove the rule of the honesty and ability of Belgrade's town officers. In 1813 Simon Lord, the collector of the town, forged an order on the treasury. His crime was at once detected, and he served a term of years in the Massachusetts state prison. The second case was that of Albert Cas- well, who was a prominent citizen of the town, and for five years had been town treasurer. At the March election of 1869 he failed to be reëlected, and late the following night a fire broke out in his store at the Depot. The neighbors rushed in and extinguished it, and were somewhat surprised to find in the midst of the flames the trunk con- taining the treasurer's books, which was usually kept in another part of the building. The books were somewhat damaged, but a careful examination soon showed that for years he had carried on a systematic method of defrauding the town out of large sums, and it was at once thought that he had attempted to burn the building to conceal his crime. He was unable to make good the deficiency, and his bonds- men, R. K. Stuart, John Partridge and George Wadleigh, were obliged to come forward and do it for him. Caswell was indicted, and kept in jail for a time, but he made over his store and other property to his bondsmen, so that their loss was small, and he was never brought to trial. Soon afterward he left town.

In few towns has so strong party feeling been carried into munic- ipal elections, and party lines so closely drawn there, as has been the case of Belgrade. The party which has polled the most votes at state and national elections, when party lines were drawn on the great is- sues of the day, has, in most cases, controlled the municipal elections. Previous to 1840 the old federalist and then the whig party cast a majority of the votes in town, but the annexation of Dearborn in that year gave the democrats a majority. After that the political fortunes

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varied. From the organization of the republican party in 1856 it was the dominant party until about 1878, when the greenback movement thinned their ranks and again gave the democrats a small majority, which they have retained most of the time to the present; and to-day Belgrade is one of the very few towns in Kennebec county where the republicans are in a minority.

A few score years ago there was rather more political unanimity in Belgrade than at present. In 1796, when the town voted for the first time for president, 25 votes were cast and every one was for Stephen Longfellow, of Portland, the federalist candidate for elector. In 1888 141 votes were cast for Harrison and 150 for Cleveland. In 1820, for the election of Maine's first governor, William King received 100 of the 104 votes cast. In 1890 Burleigh, the republican candidate, received 123 votes, and Thompson, the democratic candidate, 135. At one presidential election, 1876, there was no vote on account of some illegality in the warrant.

The vote on the question of Maine's separation from Massachu- setts at the several times when such vote was taken was as follows: 1796, yeas 24, nays 1: 1807, yeas 68, nays 35; 1816, May 20, yeas 66, nays 7; 1816, September 2, yeas 62, nays 12; 1819, July 20, yeas 84, nays 8. At this last vote the separation movement in Maine was suc- cessful, and the vote for a delegate from Belgrade to the constitu- tional convention at Portland that year was: Rev. Elias Taylor 61, John Chandler 20, Samuel Titcomb 10, John Rockwood 5. The vote on the adoption of the constitution framed at this convention was taken December 6th-yeas 28, nays 2. In 1798 a convention was held at Hallowell in relation to dividing Lincoln county into two counties, and Samuel Smith was sent as delegate from this town. The vote for delegate to the Brunswick convention of 1816 was: John Chandler 49 votes, Moses Carr 21.

In 1806 Moses Carr was sent as representative to the general court of Massachusetts, and was reëlected each year until 1813, when Shere- biah Clark was chosen, receiving 36 votes, with none opposed-the only instance of the unanimous election of a representative in the his- tory of the town. He was followed in 1819 by Samuel Titcomb.

CHURCHES .- The inhabitants of Belgrade are called a law-abiding and God-fearing people, as the world goes, but the strong religious feeling that pervaded the town in the good old times is lacking to- day, as it is in nearly all country districts of Maine. Churches and parish organizations once played an important part in the affairs of the town, and every Sunday witnessed worship in several churches, but to-day there is no regular place of public worship open in Bel- grade. Perhaps this is not due to a total lack of religious interest so much as to the fact that there are so many different beliefs and creeds represented in town, and so few belonging to any one of these, that it

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is almost impossible for each to support a church, while the spirit of union seems to be lacking. Sometimes, however, as was often the case in the early days, small religious gatherings are held at dwelling houses, school houses, or some other convenient place. Until 1826 all religious services in town were held in that way, but since then four places of public worship have been erected.

The first house of worship was built in 1826-7 at Rockwood's Corner, and was known as the South meeting house. It stands there still, a long, white, steeple-less structure, but little occupied of late. It was built principally by the Baptist denomination, and has always been called a Baptist church, although members of other denomina- tions helped in its construction and have worshipped there from time to time. It was dedicated July 18, 1828. Rev. Elias Taylor first preached there, and was pastor of the church for many years. He was followed by Lucius Packard, D. McMaster, Asa W. Cummings, T. Goldthwait, Z. Morton, Adam Wilson, E. Cox, D. B. Small and J. S. Cummings, all ordained ministers; while others have occupied its pulpit temporarily at different times. The membership of the Bap- tist society here was 108 in 1831, 80 in 1833, 60 in 1840, 66 in 1844, 52 in 1855, 39 in 1860, and has since decreased so that it is now practically dead.

Through the efforts of John Pitts and Samuel Titcomb, two wealthy and influential men who lived near Belgrade hill, a church was built there in 1827, and dedicated the following year. It was one of those churches common to the old days, with no fire-place or chance for stove within it, and worshipping there in cold weather must have been a strain on the piety of even those good people. It was built by a union of the Unitarians and Freewill Baptists, and its cost was about $1,300. William Farmer, who was also principal for a time of the old Titcomb Academy near by, was its first pastor and preached there for many years. Samuel Hutchins also occupied its pulpit sev- eral years, and others from time to time, but the church has had no other regular pastors. It was occupied more or less regularly until 1885, when the spirit of their fathers seemed to desert the residents of the Hill, and by special act of the legislature the old church was torn down and the timbers sold to Benjamin Gleason. He hauled them to his farm in Oakland and made them into a barn.

In 1839 the Quakers, or Friends, of whom there were quite a large number then in town, built a small meeting house in the southwest corner of the Quaker burying ground, about a mile north of the depot. They occupied it until 1853, when it was hauled by ox teams a mile further north, near the farm now owned by Frank Page. Here they held meetings for several years, but the society gradually died out, and the structure was sold to Joseph Taylor for a barn. It was burned in 1880.

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By the combined efforts of the Adventists and the Methodists a small church was built at Belgrade Mills in 1870. The greater part of its cost was contributed by David Golder, one of the most promi- nent and public spirited men of his day in Belgrade. At present it is but little used.

The Adventist camp ground at Lakeside has a fame extending far beyond the limits of Maine, and for a week or two each autumn thou- sands are attracted here, both by religious zeal and by the beautiful surroundings of the picturesque spot. It is situated in a hardwood grove on the western shore of Snow pond, about midway in its length, and is as charming and romantic a spot as one can desire to find. Not least among the attractions of the place is a spring of pure water of unusually beneficial quality, quantities of which are often shipped to distant places. The line of the Maine Central runs through the grounds, which are but a short distance from the North Belgrade sta- tion. Facing the speaker's stand are seats enough for a large multi- tude, on gently rising ground, so that persons in the rear can easily hear and see, while back of these, in a semi-circle, are two scores of cottages, with numerous other buildings and tents. Overhead is a thick canopy of leafy branches, which furnishes ample protection against the sun, while in the evening and in stormy weather the meetings are held in a large canvas pavilion. The Adventists first began to worship in this beautiful temple of nature on the lake front in 1880, and since then have made many improvements there. It was situated on the farm of Frank Hallett, but they secured a lease of it for a long term of years.

SOCIETIES .- Exclusive of religious societies and organizations quite a number of organized bodies have existed at different times in Belgrade. Some existed so long ago and were so short lived that nothing remains of them now but a memory; some have not even left so much as that, while others are to-day live forces among the people of the town. The lyceum, declaiming society, singing school and temperance club were prominent factors years ago, while the great orders, of which a few are now represented here, were unknown. In the days before the famous Maine law, and during the early years of temperance agitation in the state, the better class of people organized several societies against the evils of the liquor traffic. One of these, called the Belgrade Temperance Society, of which Elias Taylor was president, and John S. Minot secretary, had 276 members when orga- nized May 11, 1833, and for several years was a powerful force in the good work. Another, the Sons of Temperance, was composed entirely of young men, and had a short life. Recent years have not entirely removed the need of such societies.

In 1825 some of the citizens saw the good that would arise from having a library in their midst, and an organization was formed to

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procure books for a circulating library. It was called the Belgrade Social Library, and John Hoxie, who lived on the place now owned by Edmund Yeaton, was its librarian. The management was in the hands of five trustees, elected each year, and those who served in this capacity during the five years of the library's existence were: John Pitts, John Rockwood, Samuel Taylor, Moses Page, Cyrus Weston, Reuben C. Morrill, Charles Page, George Richardson, Hannibal Dil- lingham, Richard Mills, David Wyman, Silas Richardson, John S. Minot, Joseph Taylor and Daniel Stevens. In 1868 the library move- ment was revived, and with money raised by a course of sociables new books were bought and a new Belgrade Social Library brought into existence. William Y. Bartlett and Dr. W. W. Springer were in turn librarians. The books were read and re-read, and finally became scattered beyond all hope of recall, while, as no money was raised to buy more, the fate of the library was soon sealed.

Relief Lodge, No. 108, F. & A. M., at Belgrade Depot, was insti- tuted May 8, 1862. Its charter members were: J. C. Mosher, A. P. Crooker, I. W. Damon, W. W. Springer, L. B. Weston, G. J. Penney, David Golder, John W. Greely, S. E. Judkins and C. W. Stuart, of whom but three are now living. Its masters have been: J. C. Mosher, A. P. Crooker, C. A. Yeaton, B. F. Mitchell, J. M. Rockwood, Frank Yeaton, James Tibbetts and E. C. Taylor. At one time its member- ship was over one hundred and it was one of the foremost Lodges of the state, but recently its condition has been less prosperous. Its early meetings were held in the small hall in the store of R. K. Stuart, but in 1873 the Lodge built Masonic Hall at the Depot, with rooms on the second floor for its own meetings and a large hall below, which has been used for town elections, public meetings and entertainments.

The Iron Clad Reform Club was organized at North Belgrade in 1876, and was one of the temperance organizations which have existed a few years in town. In 1878 the club built Iron Clad Hall at that place, and the following members were elected trustees of the structure: Alpheus Spaulding, Joseph Merrow, Jacob Furbush, Jacob Willey, Charles Bickford and Milford Bickford. It has been used for public meetings and entertainments, for the meetings of the Good Templars' Lodge, and for occasional religious services by the Free- will Baptists, a denomination which has had a society for many years in this part of the town.

Belgrade Grange, No. 292, P. of H., was organized September 10, 1887, by Deputy Watson, of Oakland, and received its charter soon after. Its number of charter members was twenty-six and its total roll was afterward increased to fifty-six, though it has fewer members now. Its meetings have been held in Masonic Hall, and its masters have been C. M. Weston and James Tibbetts.

Cyclone Lodge, No. 344, I. O. G. T., at North Belgrade, was char-

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tered July 29, 1884, and has held regular meetings since then at Iron Clad Hall. It had twenty charter members, and has since received about thirty new members. Its chief templars have been: Charles Hutchins, A. M. Alexander, L. E. Watson, H. M. Merrow, A. P. Wat- son, Walter Stuart, Edwin Huff, A. M. Branch, A. P. Wyman and Leslie Hersom.

CEMETERIES .- There are four public burial places in Belgrade. One is situated at North Belgrade, in what was once Dearborn, and is a very old burying ground, containing the remains of many of the early inhabitants of that part of the town. It is a small plot of ground, and is situated near the shore of the pond on a low level-too low, in fact, to be used for such a purpose. It is not much used now.

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Illustrated history of Kennebec County, Maine; 1625-1892, Part 117

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