Illustrated history of Kennebec County, Maine; 1625-1892, Part 128

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 128

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).

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TOWN OF VASSALBORO.

Vassalboro, but the continued success of Oak Grove Seminary has superseded the necessity for the high school.

VILLAGES .- The manufacturing and mercantile enterprises of the town have so generally been known in connection with the post vil- lages near which they have flourished that their history may well be grouped with those communities. There are six post hamlets in the town, known as Vassalboro, North Vassalboro, East Vassalboro, River- side, Cross Hill and South Vassalboro, besides which are five prom- inent localities, known as Priest Hill, Taber Hill, Quaker Lane, Mudgett Hill and Seward's Mills.

VASSALBORO .- The early coming and the business prominence of John Getchell, sen., gave the name of Getchell's Corners. to the post hamlet now known as Vassalboro, sometimes called Vassalboro Cor- ners. Of the settlers of this part of the town, John Getchell, with his several sons, was first. He purchased the lands where the stores stand, and his sons were scattered above and below, along the river road. Among the settlers who felled the huge forest trees at and near the corners were : Stephen Hanson, who was the first blacksmith of the hamlet and who settled where his son, Henry Hanson, resides; Abial Getchell, son of John, settled the next lot south, and made his first clearing and house where the widow Getchell resides, on the street opposite from Philip Hanson's; John Getchell, jun., settled where Marshall F. Higgins resides, on the east bank of Southwick brook, just back of the residence of Isaiah Gifford; Joseph Robinson settled a portion of Isaiah Gifford's farm, a short distance south of the South- wick brook, and Levi Robinson next south, where Augustus Rollins now resides; Samuel Redington, so prominent in the early growth of the town, settled the Stephen Freeman farm, and the next farm south was the first home of Thomas Carlton.

John Getchell, sen., kept the first store here on the road east of the Yates mansion. The present corner store was built early in the cen- tury as a double store, Joseph R. Abbott selling goods in one and Daniel Marshall in the other. Samuel Foster succeeded Abbott, while Jacob Southwick and Prince Hopkins succeeded Marshall. Nichols & Prescott succeeded Southwick & Hopkins, and made the two stores into one, and were succeeded by Josiah and E. W. Prescott and Isaiah Gifford. D. Washburn & Son then kept the store until G. W. Ward became proprietor, who was joined later by his brother, Frank, in the firm of Ward Brothers, who were succeeded in 1892 by Orrett J. Hus- sey & Dodge.

There is the evidence of a dam in the brook back of Isaiah Gif- ford's residence and garden, tradition telling of an ancient pail fac- roty there; also an ashery, both of which were the property of Jacob Southwick. The same man had a plaster mill lower down on the stream, on the east side of the river road. The large tannery at the

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HISTORY OF KENNEBEC COUNTY.

mouth of this brook near the river, is well remembered by the older citizens. It was built about 1816 and stood near where an early saw mill of John Getchell had gone into decay. Prince Hopkins became partner with Mr. Southwick in the tannery as well as store, and the business was successfully run till Mr. Southwick's death in 1855. Thomas Frye had a small tannery near Philip Hanson's barn, in the rear of the hotel, and Thomas or Ebenezer Frye had a tannery where George S. Smiley lives-the house being the old currier's shop.

John Dennett, or Swan & Dennett, had an ancient hat shop in a building that stood near Masonic Hall, and John Hawks had another hatter's shop in a building that stood between Mrs Day's present dwelling and George Smiley's. There was a small building next south of the present post office building, in which Oliver Brackett made clocks. After a number of years Thomas Frye sold goods in the same building.

The Vassalboro post office was established April 1, 1796, with Jere- miah Fairfield as postmaster. His successors have been: Thomas Odiorne, October 1, 1798; Lathrop Chase, April 1, 1813; Abial Get- chell, March 25, 1818; Philip Leach, January 14, 1826; Daniel Marshall, October 16, 1832; Thomas Frye, April 7, 1842; Goodloe H. Getchell, September 23, 1845; James W. Sylvester, March 2, 1852; Thomas Frye, March 15, 1852; Jonathan Snow, March 31, 1854; Hiram Pishon, Feb- ruary 25, 1863; Edward W. Bush, April 26, 1869; Mary A. Hanson, June 15, 1885, and Annie W. Gilbert, April 19, 1889.

The most important industry of the hamlet at present is a canning factory, built in 1882 by the Portland Canning Company. The can- ning of corn and apples is the special feature. The daily capacity is 30,000 cans, and an average of 25,000 cans are put up daily during the canning season. In 1890 over 6,000 one-gallon cans of apples were put up here.

The early importance of the little village-then the first above Augusta-called for a hotel, and the first one in the town was estab- lished here. The present hotel, George Gibson, proprietor, was opened to the public as a tavern soon after the war of 1812 by Daniel Marshall, succeeded by John Hussey, Francis Day, John W. Thomas, Jonathan Snow, Charles Simpson, Roscoe Gilbert and the late Samuel Gibson. This hotel was of much central interest during the stage days, when daily lines between Augusta and Bangor-both ways- made their halt and change of horses here. Tradition tells us of an inn kept by Mr. Leonard in the old house opposite from Henry Han- son's, and which was burned in 1830. This was probably the house in which John Getchell had the first store of the place.

Years ago the boot and shoe industry was prominent here. About 1835 Franklin D. Dunham began the manufacture of boots in a build- ing that stood in front of his present dwelling, and which was burned

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TOWN OF VASSALBORO.

some years after; he removed his business to the building that now stands next south of the post office, where he continued till 1879 or 1880, a period of forty-five years. He employed sometimes one hun- dred hands in his manufactory. He turned the business into the manufacture of brogans prior to and during the civil war. Joseph Estes had a shoe factory in the building now Grange Hall, where fifty hands were employed. He carried on business while the Dunham factory was running. Caleb Nichols opened a shoe factory over his store, which he ran for several years; and William Tarbell had a fac- tory in a building that stood on the green next north of the Congre- gational chapel, and which is now doing service elsewhere as a stable.

These factories, with the large amount of other business, induced the Southwicks to organize and operate a bank here, called Negeum- keag bank. The capital was $50,000, and the state reports of Janu- ary 1, 1829, showed its bills in circulation to be $50,615. It was wound up about 1840. Dr. Edward Southwick was the president and Amos Stickney cashier. Its location was in the building now the residence of Mrs. Day, and after its close the queer old strap, wrought iron safe was removed to Burnham, Me., where the Southwicks owned a large tannery.

Less than thirty years ago there was a steam saw mill, built as a water mill first, on the river shore on what was then the Lang farm, now Hall C. Burleigh's. John D. Lang erected the mill for cutting the logs of the farm, but after a few years it was abandoned.

After the removal of Vassalboro Lodge, No. 54, to North Vassalboro a second Lodge of Free Masons was established at Getchell's Corners January 25, 1872, under a dispensation, with Warren Colby as master. The charter was granted and the first meeting under it was June 20, 1872, with William Tarbell, W. M. The masters have been: Caleb F. Graves, George W. Reynolds, Arioch Wentworth, Daniel Rollins, Charles A. Stillson, Charles W. Jones, William S. Dutton and Charles L. Gifford. Daniel Rollins has been the secretary since 1881. Nege- umkeag Lodge, No. 166, as it is designated, owns its hall and numbers forty-six members.

December 21, 1889, Kennebec Lodge, No. 121, I.O.O. F., commenced work in Masonic Hall with five charter members, and now has thirty- one. The noble grands have been: H. M. Coleman, Jabez Dunn, and E. S. Colbath from January, 1891.

Oak Grove Grange, No. 167, P. of H., which was instituted at North Vassalboro May 11, 1875, was removed to this village a few years ago. The masters have been: George Taylor, M. B. F. Carter, M. G. Hus- sey, E. B. Merrill, Gustavus Hussey (to fill vacancy), and E. H. Cook in 1881. In April, 1883, a re organization was made, and O. W. Jones was elected presiding officer; he was succeeded by Charles W. Jones, Gustavus Hussey, Nathan F. Hall, Seth B. Richardson, Everard L.

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HISTORY OF KENNEBEC COUNTY.

Priest, Merton A. Robbins and F. C. Drummond. The society meet in their hall a few rods south of the Congregational chapel, where the Grange opened a store November, 1889, of which Isaiah Gifford is manager.

As the outgrowth of a strong temperance feeling a Lodge of Good Templars is sustained, meeting at Grange Hall.

NORTH VASSALBORO .- Of the several post villages within the limits of the town, North Vassalboro is the most important. The large woolen mills located here are the principal factors to the busi- ness of the village. In the broad valley through which the outlet of China lake hastens to join the waters of the Sebasticook this beauti- ful village nestles among the noble elms that line its streets. It was early an important point for settlement, and here the indomitable John Getchell had a square mile of land, which did not long after furnish game for the Indians. He had come from Cape Cod, and with his brother, Dennison Getchell, became the chief man in the north part of the town. The coming of Dr. Edward Southwick from Danvers, Mass., to North Vassalboro, was an important event. He purchased of John Getchell the water privilege here, and within the first two decades of this century had established here what was, in 1820, the largest tannery in New England. This he successfully managed while his brother, Jacob, had another at Getchell's Corners. Later, Doctor Southwick secured the assistance of Prince Hopkins, and seems to have planned to control the tanning business of the state, and did it to a remarkable degree for that day. His business was the life of North Vassalboro. West of Jonathan Nowell's house he had more than an aere covered with sheds for his tan bark, which he bought from the surrounding towns.

While Friend Southwick was at the zenith of his transitory pros- perity John D. Lang, from Providence, R. I .- a man, probably, worth $100,000-came to the town. His brothers-in-law, Alton Pope and Peter Morrill Stackpole, had a wool carding and cloth dressing mill on the dam here, and Friend Lang furnished some needed capital, and Lang, Stackpole & Pope began the woolen manufacture, which has, from that day to this, been the chief industrial pursuit here. Their woolen mill was in successful operation in 1836, on the dam. About 1850 John D. Lang bought the tannery property, and in 1851 the brick woolen mill was erected. A brick kiln was built, and after the brick were burned the walls of the mill were built around it. Sam- . ples of cassimere from this mill took the first prize-a gold medal -- at the World's Fair, London, 1851. After the erection of the brick mill the old mill on the dam was moved a few rods to the street, where it has since done duty as a dry house and later as a boarding house. It is now a dwelling and a hall.

Soon after the brick mill was erected Boston parties took shares,

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TOWN OF VASSALBORO.

and the North Vassalboro Woolen Manufacturing Company was organized before 1856. Mr. Lang was president and his son, Thomas, was agent. In 1861 the company erected the new mill, 47 by 200 feet, making the plant, as it still is, the largest woolen mill in New Eng- land. These two mills-practically one-are on the site of the old tannery. The last of the tannery buildings were burned after the 1851 part was built. Since the beginning of the brick mills Lang and Pope were the only Vassalboro people owning shares in it, and it is now owned wholly by Boston people.

Several residents here have been prominent in the operation of the mills. Albert Cook, Joseph White, Warren A. Evans, Dennis Coughlin, William Reddick and J. C. Evans have been successively superintendents. Jonathan Nowell has been boss of the dyeing works forty years, and John C. Mullen for twenty-eight years has had charge of the wool sorting, succeeding his father, Richard. Ebenezer Gould was boss carder thirty years. J. C. Evans, the present super- intendent, was boss weaver when promoted in August, 1890, and his brother-in-law, Mark R. Shorey, who began as apprentice in 1868, has been boss weaver since. Levi Webber was for thirty-nine years master mechanic for the mills.

Just above the old tannery site, easterly and adjoining the street, is a factory where boxes and cases for shipping goods are made for the mills, and operated by the same management, with the waste water from the dam. On this site stood the old grist mill, and adjoin- ing it was a small woolen mill owned by John D. Lang. These were destroyed by fire. Across the stream from the grist mill stood the old North Vassalboro saw mill. This was owned by John D. Lang, Peter Morrill Stackpole and Alton Pope when it was burned in 1848. They immediately began rebuilding, and while raising the frame Mr. Stackpole was killed, November 12, 1848. This new mill which Lang & Pope completed, was destroyed by fire in 1862.

A house of entertainment was needed in the place when the infiux of strangers was so great, and Prince Hopkins erected the building now occupied by William Murray as a hotel, and there a Mr. Wilson kept an inn, succeeded by Prince Hopkins until November, 1866, when he sold to the present proprietor.

Twenty-two postmasters, beginning with Joses Southwick, March 22, 1828, have been commissioned for North Vassalboro. Elijah Rob- inson and Joseph Southwick preceded John C. Taber, who was ap- pointed March 22, 1837. He served six years. His successors have been: George Pillsbury, jun., January 14, 1843; Henry Weeks, May 1, 1844; Howard C. Keith, May 17, 1848; Henry Weeks, June 8, 1849; Charles A. Priest, July 1, 1853; Thomas Stackpole, February 10, 1855; Seth Nickerson, March 11, 1856; Thomas Stackpole, August 21, 1856; Edward S. Stackpole, March 10, 1857: Henry C. Wing, Septem-

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HISTORY OF KENNEBEC COUNTY.

ber 22, 1859; Timothy Rowell, July 2, 1861; James A. Varney, Feb- ruary 4, 1868; George H. Ramsell, December 5, 1877; Josiah P. Burgess, June 15, 1885; William Murray, October 1, 1887; Charles E. Crowell, April 12, 1889, and Samuel S. Lightbody, December 26, 1890.

The first store here that tradition mentions was one by John C. Taber prior to 1831, in what is now called the Daguerrean building. The next was the tannery store, known as the " old yellow store," on the present woolen mill property, in the grove. Prior to about 1850 this was the only store here, the tannery owners having operated it until it passed into the hands of the woolen mill people. Thomas Suell was running this store in 1837. Hiram Simpson ran it during the war. The old building-more brown than yellow with the lapse of years-is now on the opposite side of the street, occupied as a mil- linery store.

Howard G. Abbott kept a store from 1849 to 1888, in a building since burned, opposite the Burgess store. The store of R. C. Burgess on the corner was built by Levi Gardner in 1859. In this store the same year Benjamin McDonald and Orrick Hawes were partners with Mr. Gardner a short time, then sold to him. In 1866 R. C. and his brother, H. R. Burgess, nephews and clerks of Mr. Gardner, became partners with him. This relation continued eleven years, when these brothers became sole proprietors under the firm name of Burgess Brothers until the death of H. R. Burgess in March, 1886, since when R. C. Burgess has continued the business. In 1877, after the sale to his nephews, Mr. Gardner opened a grocery store in the company building on the other corner east. I. P. Burgess, his clerk, succeeded in this store at the death of Mr. Gardner in 1880, and closed the busi- ness out in a short time. Since then the store has only been used for short periods until in 1890, when J. E. Bessey opened a grocery busi- ness, which he continues.

Henry A. Priest was in a general trade for years where John Dougherty is. Mr. Dougherty began business in 1882, in the corner store where Michael Herbert's daughter has a variety store. He suc- ceeded John M. Cook, who had kept a shoe store there several years. Mr. Dougherty removed to his present place in December, 1890. Benjamin Homans in 1860 built the corner store where W. E. Hall is. Homans kept it a time and sold to Wellington & Crowell, who were succeeded by Mr. Hall in 1891. A little building in rear of and south of the store of Mr. Bessey was in use as a store for twenty years by Mrs. Western, and was closed at her death in the spring of 1891.

The first exclusively hardware business was opened in 1880 by George S. Hawes, on the south side of the street opposite the mill grove. The drug trade of the place has been in the hands of Samuel S. Lightbody since the fall of 1888, when he succeeded Freeman A. Libby. Earlier than 1870 J. Roberts was the druggist and was succeeded by

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TOWN OF VASSALBORO.

Frederick H. Wilson. Charles Nowell, whose father, Jonathan, owns the building, was the village druggist before Mr. Libby. Hiram Simpson built, in 1862, the store his son, Albert, now runs.

In March, 1870, Vassalboro Lodge, No. 54, F. &. A. M., which had met at Getchell's Corners since June, 1827, changed its place of meet- ing to North Vassalboro by a vote of forty-five to eighteen. Holman Johnson was the first master and Daniel Marshall the next, under whose administration the members ceased to regularly meet during the Morgan excitement. In the 'forties the Lodge work declined with the interest of the members, and the charter was lost, but in 1853 Abial Getchell and others petitioned for and received a copy of the original charter and resumed work in June. William Redington was elected master, the missing charter was found, and the Lodge in July, 1857, joined with Samuel Gibson in the erection of a building of which the second floor was to be Masonic Hall, and which was dedicated February 23, 1858. This hall is the Masonic Hall now in use at Get- chell's Corners, by the fraternity there. In 1870 a suitable hall was secured at North Vassalboro, in which stated communications are held. The successive masters prior to the removal were: E. Small, John Homans, Joseph E. Wing, William Tarbell, A. M. Bragg, Charles Blanchard and Peter Williams. Since the removal to North Vassal- boro the masters have been: B. J. Rackliff, W. A. Evans, J. C. Evans in 1880 and again in 1890; Henry Ewer, E. C. Coombs, R. C. Burgess and F. A. Libby.

The Good Templars, organized in 1866 in this village, still retain their charter but have done little or no work since 1887, when an order of the Sons of Temperance, now numbering fifty, was organized with thirty-two members. The worthy patriarchs have been: Samuel Lee, Dr. Charles Mabray and Samuel McWellyn.

Kennebec Lodge, A. O. U. W., No. 22, was here organized February 4, 1884, with fourteen charter members, and now numbers forty-one. The master workmen have been: R. C. Burgess, F. A. Vinal, S. S. Lightbody and Daniel Clark. Charles E. Crowell has been secretary since the organization.

EAST VASSALBORO .- The location of this pretty post village is sug- gested by its name. The outlet of China lake furnishes here a valu- able water power, and around the nucleus of the mills and manufac- tories upon it, the village has gradually grown, surrounded by a good farming country. The proprietors understood the value of this stream as the outlet of so large a body of water, and probably were instrumental in the erection of the first saw mill here, a few rods be- low the village bridge, before this portion of their territory was settled. This saw mill, or its successor, was subsequently owned by John Getchell, and in it was cut material for the settlers' first houses, and immense quantities to raft down the Kennebec. Moses Breed

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HISTORY OF KENNEBEC COUNTY. .

had some relation to the business of this old mill. The site of this mill is a historic spot where, after the mill had served its day, Moses Dow built a tannery; here, grinding the bark by horse power, he became a thrifty tanner and added hat making to his business. A water-wheel succeeded the old horse at the grinding, and Franklin Dow succeeded his father, Moses, as the owner. Tanning became profitable and steam power superseded the water-wheel, and after its destruction by fire the plant was rebuilt by Franklin Dow before his death in 1848. That year Caleb Nichols and William H. Cates purchased the busi- ness. James C. Pierce became a partner with Mr. Cates in 1854 and they continued until 1873, tanning some 1,500 hides per annum.

Above the village bridge is the reservoir dam controlling the sup- ply of water for the mills below. On the east end of the dam John Mower once had a bark mill, while his father, Nathan, had a tannery on the place where John now resides. On the hill to the eastward Thomas Sewall also had a tannery. Across the stream from the bark mill stood Thomas Greenlow's shop, with its four forges and trip- hammers run by water.

After John Getchell's time, a saw mill appears on a site below the original one. This was owned by Jacob Butterfield, then by his son, Henry R. The North Vassalboro Woolen Company purchased it, and in 1890 it passed through S. Williams, of Boston, to Warren Seward, who had leased it since 1866. The grist mill here was erected before 1810. Its lower story, of stone, was built by Jabez Dow. The early owners were some retired ship captains - Captains Alley, Macy, Jerry Crowell and others. Zachariah Butterfield was the miller several years from 1812. Still further down the outlet, but within East Vassalboro, is another grist mill.

Northwest of Seward's saw mill stood the old-time carding mill, three stories high. In 1816, after Jeremiah Hacker had owned it, Thomas Pinkham was engaged here in cloth dressing and wool card- ing. The building was enlarged, and, after John Collins, Jesse Dor- man made satinet here with six looms. The North Vassalboro Woolen Company bought the mill before it was torn down in 1870. Zachariah Butterfield, the old miller, had a potash works near the mill, which he ran, and up stream by the lake his son, Zachariah, and Peter Rollins had two other asheries. On the site of one, in 1876, Jeremiah S. and Andrew C. Butterfield, by transforming their brother's old ashery, established their present steam saw mill, adding a planer, shingle and lath machines.

Tradition says of some of the old residences, that Moses Dow, in 1798, built the house now owned by Benjamin Bryant; the house now occupied by Richard Bennett was built in 1801 by Amos Stiles; Wil- liam Getchell built the house opposite the Revere House on the corner -- known now as the Bradley House -- and here kept an early

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TOWN OF VASSALBORO.

store. South of this a house, burned nearly a score of years ago, was built in 1801 by Nathan Breed. The house opposite the last was built in 1827 by Francis M. Rollins, who in 1804 had built the house now occupied by William H. Cates. Doctor Moody the same year built the house opposite. Nathan Mower came here in 1799 to attend the store of Nathan Breed, on the corner now occupied by the Revere House. Webster & Colby kept a store on the corner opposite the Revere House in 1802. Captain William's house was erected by Wil- liam Getchell in 1803, and Isaac Hussey settled where Charles E. Col- lins lives.

This point was a fitting place for the inn keeper, and prior to 1814 John Brackett built one of the best frame buildings then in the town and opened an inn, which was popular for many years. It stood north of David M. Wyer's present residence on land he now owns. Prior to 1824 John Soule kept tavern in the house that stood where the Re- vere House is. In 1828 Jacob Butterfield added to the size and changed the shape of the Getchell store and he there ran an inn till about 1848; then John O. Page succeeded him. In 1858 Albert M. Bradley erected the Revere House, which has been the hotel since.

The government established the East Vassalboro post office March 26, 1827, with Amos Stickney in charge. After one year John Col- lins was appointed, and he was succeeded in January, 1841, by John Hatch, and six months later by Jacob Butterfield. Since then Addi- son Stinchfield was appointed April 11, 1845; Jeremiah S. Butterfield, October 7, 1847; Benjamin F. Homans, April 27, 1854; Joseph Bow- man, May 27, 1854; Benjamin F. Homans, September 27, 1855; Jere- miah S. Butterfield, April 22, 1861; Charles W. Mower, December 7, 1885; and in April, 1889, Levi C. Barker.

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Illustrated history of Kennebec County, Maine; 1625-1892, Part 128

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