Illustrated history of Kennebec County, Maine; 1625-1892, Part 46

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 46

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).

*The following, added to those in the text, complete the list: fence-viewers, Barnabas Lambard, Matthew Hayward; surveyors of highways, David Wall, jun., Benjamin Pettingill, Isaac Clark, Joseph Blackman, Anthony Bracket, James Child, Moses Cass, Thomas Densmore, Alpheus Lyon ; surveyors of lum- ber, Amos Partridge, Theophilus Hamlen, Charles Gill, James Black, Barnabas Lambard, Elias Craig, Brian Fletcher, Beriah Ingraham, Simeon Paine, Ezra Ingraham, Isaac Lincoln, Daniel Hartford, Moses Partridge ; tything-men, Asa Williams, Ezra Ingraham, Benjamin Pettingill, Theophilus Hamlen; sealers of leather, Constant Abbot, Josiah Blackman; measurers of wood, Theophilus Hamlen, Seth Williams, James Child, Samuel Colman; field-drivers, William Hewins, Moses Ingraham, Phineas Paine, Simeon Paine, jun .; pound-keepers, William Usher, George Andros; inspectors of lime and brick, Henry Sewall, Daniel Foster ; cullers of hoops and staves, and packers of beef and fish, Will- iam Usher, Benjamin Wade, Theophilus Hamlen, James Burton ; town agent, James Bridge ; fish committee, Shubael Pitts, Benjamin Wade, Moses Pollard, Asa Williams, Jeremiah Babcock, Charles Gill, Isaac Lincoln.

406

HISTORY OF KENNEBEC COUNTY.

The new town now hopefully entered upon its career, unhampered by any faction inimical to its development. But the name which the act of incorporation had bestowed upon it proved exceedingly unac- ceptable to the people. It was discarded as soon as possible. The reason for its rejection has never been given to the public,-is not even hinted in the records. The selectmen were summarily ordered by the town to procure a change, and those officers said in their peti- tion to the legislature, "that for many reasons which operate in the minds of your petitioners they are desirous that the name of Harring- ton may be changed to Augusta," and forbearing to give " a lengthy detail of reasons," they doubt not the favor " will be granted." The favor was readily granted, June 9, 1797, changing the name from Har- rington to Augusta. The migratory fish in the Kennebec were then common for food and commerce, and the head of the tide, at Cushnoc rapids, was a seat of industry for catching them. The wits of dis- gruntled Hallowell graphically corrupted the name Harrington into Herring-town, which spoiled it for sentimental local use. This fact rather than any other seems to have led the dignified fathers of the new town to look for another less susceptible to profane travesty. Why the substitute name Augusta was selected does not clearly appear and is not certainly known. Like Harrington it had once been con- ferred upon an early Maine seaboard town. The Pejepscot Company began a plant at Small point (now in Phippsburg), about the year 1716, calling it Augusta ; but the Indians destroyed it in 1722, leaving the place without the need of a name. It is more than probable that the lost town at Small point suggested the half romantic name that was permanently adopted and which the satirical neighboring humor- ists could not successfully ridicule.

Each of the new towns started on its career with the spirit and vigor of youth. Hallowell retained as its inheritance the name of the mother town; and being freed from all irksome subjection to the elder sister, she prospered phenomenally, and before the end of three decades had become the commercial metropolis of the Kennebec. Augusta, being located less favorably for the packet ship trade, developed differently and more slowly. Both were benefitted by the act of division. Augusta, no longer embarrassed by Hook opposition, began at once such local improvements as were desirable.

The first year (1797) a town pound for stray cattle and other va- grant domestic animals was built "on the west side of the gully, near the goal on the north side of Winthrop road." This was by the bury- ing ground (Mrs. Anthony's lot), and where the town house was after- ward located. The road that is now State street was opened from Laurel hill as far as the present Western avenue in 1800, and named Court street, in honor of the new court house that was then being built on the present jail site (see page 79). The bridge across the

407

AUGUSTA.

ravine near by (now filled) was built by Samuel Titcomb (grandfather of Lendall Titcomb), at a cost of $112.37. A temporary court house had previously (in 1790) been built on the "eight-rod rangeway " (Winthrop street), near the present dwelling site of Peleg Morton. The terms of court of the preceding two years had been held in Pol- lard's tavern. As early as 1775 the town had ordered the erection of public stocks. In 1786 a whipping post was added, and set up on the site of the present property of Mrs. Ai Staples on Winthrop street. The erection of such terrors to evil doers was compulsory upon towns in those years, and a fine was exacted for neglect to establish them. These fell into disuse after the jail was erected near them in 1793.

In 1798 the road to Sidney on the Belgrade road was laid out; also Stone street (east side), named in honor of Rev. Daniel Stone. June 21, 1802, Jonathan Maynard and Lothrop Lewis were appointed by the commonwealth "to explore and lay out a road four rods wide in the most direct route the nature of the ground and the accommo- dations of the public will admit, from the bridge at Augusta to the town of Bangor, near the head of the tide on the Penobscot, and form an expense of the cutting, clearing, and making said road." The committee performed the duty, and on the 26th of February, 1803, were paid $610.04, " in full for their services and provisions supplied and money advanced." This was the origin of the highway that is now called the Bangor road, but more frequently Bangor street (to Pettengill's Corner).

In 1799 fire wardens were first chosen by the town: Elias Craig, Theophilus Hamlen, Peter T. Vose, George Crosby (who built the " old castle"-so named because of its size-in 1796, and whose name survives in Crosby street), Samuel Howard, jun., Samuel Cony, 2d. An engine "for the purpose of extinguishing fires" was bought. The first company of firemen was organized this year, consisting of The- ophilus Hamlen, Amos Bond, Lewis Hamlen (grandfather of Freder- ick), Daniel Hartford, Barnabas Lambard (father of Colonel Thomas Lambard), John Brooks (father of Samuel S. Brooks, of S. S. Brooks & Co.), James Child, Perez Hamlen (grandfather of Horace H. Hamlen), Charles Gill, Joseph North, Samuel Page and Church Williams.

In the year of its incorporation, the town was divided into eight school districts-two on the east side of the river and six on the west side. The two former were numbered 1 and 2,-No. 1 comprising the territory of the South parish on that side of the river, and No. 2 the adjoining territory of the North parish. No. 3 comprised as much of the south parish on the west side as extended two miles from the river; No. 4 comprised as much of the North parish as extended one mile from the river; Nos. 5 and 6 comprised the remainder of the South parish westward of No. 3-along the Hallowell line; No. 7 was north of No. 6 at the westerly end of the North parish, or in the north-

408

HISTORY OF KENNEBEC COUNTY.

western corner of the town; No. 8 was the remainder of the North parish between Nos. 7 and 4.

As early as 1796 the first military company was formed, which had for its captains-Seth Williams, Samuel Cony and Shubael and Thomas Pitts. In 1806 the Augusta Light Infantry was organized, with the following named officers : Captain, Solomon Vose ; lieuten- ants, Amos Partridge (grandfather of Charles K., Frank R. and Allen Partridge), and Peter T. Vose ; ensign, Joseph Wales; first sergeant, Joseph Wales; second sergeant, John Partridge; third sergeant, James Williams; fourth sergeant, Cyrus Alden; fifer, Stephen Jewett; drum- mer, Lorain Judkins.

The intelligence of the death of Washington, December 14, 1799, reached Augusta on New Year's day, following. Ceremonies in commemoration of the event were held February 22, 1800. The com- mittee of arrangements were : Henry Sewall,* Peter T. Vose, George Crosby, Samuel Colman, William Brooks, James Bridge and Benjamin Whitwell. The latter gentleman, a lawyer, delivered the oration in the meeting house. The procession marched across the river on the ice to the sound of muffled drums, and having passed by Fort West- ern, returned over the bridge. This homage to Fort Western as the local acropolis was always a feature in the public parades of the young town. The first court house was built by the citizens of the town (in 1790). The courts were held in this building for a period of about twelve years. The next court house was built on the site of the Ken- nebec jail. It served as a court house for twenty-eight years. Re- ligious meetings were frequently held in it, and sometimes town meetings. When abandoned as a court house, it was converted into a religious chapel, and later into an amusement resort under the name of Concert Hall. Upon the building of the present jail, it was removed to the corner of Court and Winthrop streets, and its present public use is that of a ward room on election days.

The Mansion House was built opposite the new court house in 1803, for the special convenience of guests in attendance at court. It continued uninterruptedly as a public house until its destruction by fire on June 11, 1877. It had been repeatedly enlarged and modern- ized. At the time of the destruction, it was conducted by the late W. M. Thayer, father of A. W. Thayer, the present landlord of the

* Henry Sewall had been a captain in the war of the revolution, and was under Washington's immediate command at Valley Forge, in the winter of 1778. He had received the distinguished honor of an election to the Society of the Cin- cinnati. According to the rules of that society which are based on the law of primogeniture, the honor descended to his son, Charles, born 1790, then to his grandson, Henry, born 1822 (an officer in the Union army), then to his great- grandson, Harry, born 1848, now a citizen of Augusta. The latter has resigned the honor in favor of his cousin, Hon. Joseph H. Manley, a collateral descendant, in whom the right to all of the honors of the celebrated society now resides.

409

AUGUSTA.

Augusta House. The Cushnoc House, burned September 13, 1892, was built the same year as the Mansion House, by Amos Partridge, for a store and dwelling, but it was afterward remodeled into a hotel. Pitt Dillingham was one of its early landlords. It was bought in 1835 by Henry Johnson (father of Robert B. Johnson, Augusta, now a printer). Among its later landlords were E. P. Norton, T. J. Cox (about 1840), Henry Lincoln, Orrin Rowe and Jabez and Thomas Bal- lard. It was finally purchased by the trustees of the Lithgow Library in view of erecting a fine library building on its site. Amos Pollard's tavern was bought by Peter T. Vose, in 1797, and enlarged into the Kennebec House, which was burned October 13, 1862. In 1829 the the New England House stood on the present site of the railroad machine shop. The Franklin House was built by Gershom North (uncle of the late James W. North). It stood on the present site of Hotel North, and was burned in the great fire of September 17, 1865, which consumed all of the buildings save four between Bridge street and Market Square. The Augusta House was built in 1831, by an association of citizens, for the convenience of members of the legisla- ture; Thomas Stevens was its first landlord.

In 1805 the town authorized the selectmen to procure a domicile for the homeless poor, which was done. The next year George Reed was elected the first superintendent of the town's poor house. This house stood north of Ballard's Corner and immediately south of W. W. Curtis' residence. A well on the east side of the road and an old sweet apple tree mark the spot. In 1834 the present poor farm was bought of Church Williams (father-in-law of Alfred Redington) for $3,000. The purchasing committee were Reuel Williams, John Potter (father of the Potter brothers) and James Wade. The house has since been enlarged and considerably remodeled.

The year 1806 was made melancholy in the annals of the town by an awful tragedy committed by a maniac. James Purrinton (aged forty-six) came to Augusta with his wife (aged forty five) and family from Bowdoinham in 1805, and occupied the farm on the Belgrade road that was owned by the late George Cony (who built the Cony House). Purrinton had eight children: Polly, aged 19 years; James, aged 17; Martha, 15; Benjamin, 12; Anna, 10; Nathaniel, 8; Nathan, 6; Louisa, 18 months. On the morning of July 9th, between two and three o'clock, the maniacal monster stealthily assailed with an axe every member of his family, and killed instantly all except two- James (who recovered from his wounds), and Martha, who died July 30th. The maniac then cut his own throat and fell dead in his blood. The news of the deed spread horror everywhere. Elias Craig, as coroner, summoned a jury of inquest, consisting of John Eveleth (foreman), Theophilus Hamlen, James Child, Kendall Nichols, Shu- bael Pitts, Caleb Heath, Jonathan Perkins, Oliver Pollard, Samuel

410

HISTORY OF KENNEBEC COUNTY.

Bond, Ezekiel Page, Ephraim Ballard, jun. This jury found that Purrinton " of his malice aforethought" did kill and murder his wife and children, " and as a felon did voluntarily kill and murder himself."

The selectmen caused the bodies to be carried to the meeting house, but that of the suicide was denied admission beyond the porch, where it was detained with the axe and razor spectacularly displayed on the coffin. The funeral was held the day after the tragedy, attended by many hundreds of people from the surrounding country. A platform was set up in Market Square for the minister. Daniel Stone offered prayer and Joshua Taylor (Methodist) preached to the multitude. The procession was headed by the coroner and his jury, behind whom were the seven victims' bodies, "supported by bearers and attended by pall bearers," and they were followed by the surviv- ing son (James) and relatives and people. Purrinton's body was hauled on a cart behind. The procession marched across the bridge to Fort Western, and having passed by it returned over the river and went via Bridge and State streets to the Winthrop road, and from thence to the burying ground (Mt. Vernon Cemetery), where, in the northeast corner, and near to the powder house (built in 1805) the bodies of the mother and her six children were buried side by side in graves that are unmarked. Purrinton's body, with axe and razor, was buried between the road-side and the cemetery, but tradition hints that it was secretly exhumed in the darkness of the following night for the benefit of science at Bowdoin College.

The young town of Augusta and many others that were located on the Plymouth Company's lands were many times filled with agita- tion and panic during the so-called Malta war. By 1807 there had been outrages approximating to bloodshed, committed by lawless squatters in revenge for being molested in their possession of lands to which they had no technical title. By 1808 public excitement ran so high that the "Augusta patrol"-a volunteer organization-was formed, adopting for its motto "Custodia est Clypeus"-the watch is our safety. The association was composed of twenty eight members, two of whom served nightly, taking their turns every fortnight. Jo- seph North, Ezekiel Page, Elias Craig, James Bridge and Peter T. Vose were the standing committee. Henry Sewall and Daniel Cony began their rounds on the night of January 15, 1808. The prescribed route was: "Commencing at Burton's inn [Kennebec House], from thence through Water street into Court [State] street by way of Cap- tain Joshua Gage's [the residence of the late Ira D. Sturgis] on Grove street; thence passing the new meeting house [Parson Tappan's] into Middle [now Laurel] street, to the Mill stream [Bond's brook]; thence passing by Judge Bridge's house [washed away in the freshet of 1839], down through Mill street near the mills [now Webber and Gage's] to Kennebec bridge; thence over the bridge through Bridge [now

411

AUGUSTA.

Cony] street; thence to the school house [on Arsenal street], thence down to the town landing; thence back to said Burton's by way of Fort Western; thence up Winthrop street, passing Hamlen's [Perham street] to the court house [where jail now is], and through Whitwell [now Green] street to said Burton's."

On the 16th of March following, the jail was set on fire and burned. The prisoners were taken to Lot Hamlen's house (on the lot of Judge Libbey's residence). The court house was fired by an incendiary the same night, but saved. Although it was soon discovered that the jail had been fired by a prisoner, there continued to be great public un- rest. A temporary jail was erected in the rear of the court house to hold the prisoners until the new stone jail could be built-which was ready for occupancy in December, 1808 .* The next year, September 8, 1809, Paul Chadwick was killed by assassination in the town of Malta (now Windsor). The suspected criminals-seven in number- were captured and brought to Augusta, and lodged in the new stone jail. On October 3d, about seventy men, some disguised as Indians, approached the village on the east side of the river, within 150 rods of the bridge. It was apparently an attempt to release the Malta prisoners. A spy was caught by the local patrol near what is now the corner of Cony and Bangor streets. Public excitement was intense. The court house bell -- the only one in town -- was rung, alarm guns were fired, and the Light Infantry turned out under arms. The streets were lively with panic stricken people. Three hundred militiamen from the surrounding towns were summoned to the res- cue.+ A cannon was brought from Hallowell by Captain Page and his men, and trained to sweep the bridge with grape and canister. Bullets were cast by boys and young women in the meeting house in the square. But contrary to general expectation, the trial of the prisoners, which began November 16th and lasted about a week, re- sulted in an acquittal. This had the effect of mollifying the partisans of the prisoners, and ending all further danger of bloodshed. The good people of Augusta were now relieved from the terrible strain which the Malta war had inflicted on their nerves.

At last the old town meeting house in Market Square had fallen into disuse and neglect. The new South parish meeting house (dedicated

*Joseph J. Sager, of Gardiner, was accused of poisoning his wife, October 4, 1834. He was tried and convicted of murder, and sentenced by Judge Weston to be executed January 2, 1835. On that day he was led forth from the jail to his doom, and expiated his crime from a scaffold that had been erected in Win- throp Street Square, Many thousands of people had assembled on the occasion from all parts of the state. George W. Stanley was the officiating sheriff. A part of the gallows still exists as a ghastly relic among the rubbish in the base- ment of the present court house.

+There were eight companies, one each from the towns of Augusta, Hal- lowell, Gardiner, Winthrop, Readfield, Sidney, Vassalboro and Fayette.

412

HISTORY OF KENNEBEC COUNTY.

December 20, 1809) had wholly supplanted it as a place of worship. The court house had been preferred to it as a place for town meetings. The old building, venerable from its twenty-six years of service, was finally officially declared to be a nuisance for standing in the range- way. It was therefore torn down by Jason Livermore in his capacity of highway surveyor, on the 20th of March, 1810. The timbers were massive and as sound as ever, and most of the other parts were still serviceable. The surveyor sold the material to Lewis Hamlen, who in turn sold it to the town for the sum of $176. The town then bought of Joseph North for fifty dollars the lot which was already a burial place and the site of the pound. It was described in the deed as be- ing on the "Winthrop road near the pound " (now Mrs. Anthony's lot). On that lot the town reerected the old meeting house as a town house. The first town meeting was held in it December 25, 1811. It continued to be the town house until 1848, when the town being about to become a city sold the building to the late Ai Staples, who moved it easterly across Elm street, upon the now unoccupied lot westerly of Charles B. Morton's house, and remodeled it into Win- throp Hall. The city sold the lot for nine hundred dollars in 1852. Mr. Staples remodeled the old town house into Waverly Hall. The main building was afterward removed to its present location on the old jail lot, where its early cotemporaries, the stocks and whipping post," were erected for the discipline of sinners who did not profit by the sermons which in their day echoed within its walls.

The year after the removal of the meeting house from Market Square, Benjamin Whitwell, Bartholomew Nason and Joshua Gage erected a block of stores on the north side of the square. A year later (1812) a brick building was built by the Kennebec Bank on the south side of the present court house lot. It was occupied as a bank until 1816, when it was remodeled into a dwelling house. At one time it was the post office. It was sold to the county in 1851, when the present court house, which had been located on its present lot and built in 1828, was enlarged.

The beneficence of Daniel Cony in founding (1815) the Cony Fe- male Academy for " for promoting the education of youth, and more especially females " (as expressed in the act of February 20, 1818, in- corporating the trustees), gave an impulse and quickening to the in- tellectual life of the town, and led to the formation of a reading room and social library association (organized October 1, 1817). It was organized anew June 2, 1819, under the name of Augusta Union

*April 17, 1786, " a thief was whipped at ye post for stealing clothes from Ebenezer Farwell." As late as 1796, two men were whipped, one for horse stealing, and the other for counterfeiting. Amos Partridge, jailer, stood by with drawn sword, and Johnson, his deputy, applied the lashes."-North's History.

413

AUGUSTA.

Society, and incorporated June 20, 1820, " exclusivsly for the improve- ment of morals and the diffusion of useful knowledge."* It observed a yearly anniversary, calling upon one of its members for an ad- dress on the occasion. It collected a large library. A smaller circu- lating library had been established by William Dewey. The library of the academy grew to be large and valuable. In time its shelves received most of the books of the disbanded Union Society. At one time the academy library numbered 1,200 volumes. Through the suspension of the work of the academy its library ultimately became considerably dispersed, but about eight hundred of its books-some with old and rare imprints, one as early as 1612-have fallen into the custody of the Kennebec Natural History and Antiquarian Society, organized May 7, 1891. The Augusta Lyceum, formed October, 1829, succeeded the Union Society as the organized exponent of the intelli- gence of the town. Its life membership fee was forty dollars; yearly dues fifty cents. It held meetings weekly. Its first officers were: Dr. E. S. Tappan, president; William Dewey, vice-president; Eben Fuller, treasurer; E. Caldwell, secretary; P. A. Brinsmade, curator. Every fourth meeting was assigned for debates, which were sometimes bril- liant and exciting.

The town was favored with a rousing double celebration July 4, 1832. The national republicans and the democrats contested for the honor of having the most impressive ceremonies. R. H. Vose was the orator for the republicans, and James W. Bradbury for the demo- crats. The exercises of the former party were held on the Gage (now Sturgis) place, Grove street. The democrats had Parson Tappan's meeting house. The fiftieth anniversary of the declaration of inde- pendence had been observed by the town in 1826, with great festivity. The committee of arrangements were: Pitt Dillingham, Joseph Chandler, R. C. Vose, Daniel Williams. The oration was by Williams Emmons in Parson Tappan's meeting house, and R. H. Vose read a poem. The centennial celebration of the erection of Fort Western was held July 4, 1854. The oration was by Judge Weston, from a platform covered with an awning over the gateway of the state house yard. The city promoted the celebration by paying for it to the amount of $1,659.08. The city council requested of the orator a copy

*The corporators of the Augusta Union Society were : Amos Nichols, James Loring Child, Elias Cobb, Samuel D. Nason, William A. Brooks, Albert A. Dil- lingham, Benjamin Davis, Mark Nason, Edmund T. Bridge, Daniel Williams, Artemas Kimball, Henry Gage, George W. Morton, William H. Dillingham, Rufus C. Vose, Joseph P. Dillingham, Allen Lambard, Eben Fuller, Elias Craig, jun., Hannibal Dillingham, Luke N. Barton, Moses F. Davis, William Dewey, Lewis B. Hamlen, Abishai Soule, E. J. Vassal Davis, James Bridge, jun., Richard H. Vose, George H. Vose, Henry Williams, William Pillsbury, Asaph Nichols, John Cony Brooks, Charles Keen.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

Illustrated history of Kennebec County, Maine; 1625-1892, Part 46

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