Illustrated history of Kennebec County, Maine; 1625-1892, Part 68

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 68

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).

Proceeding up stream we come next to the old carpet factory, built by Windsor & Barrett for a cotton factory, and run by Gilroy more than sixty years ago. He made genuine Wiltshire goods, and several of the first families ordered a carpet in advance to encourage his com- ing. The only trouble with his carpets was that buyers did not live long enough to wear them out and need more. After Gilroy, Israel Johnson made machinery there for woolen mills till William Pearson & Sons bought the property, put up more buildings and established a tannery that used 3,000 cords of bark yearly. About 1854 the Pearsons quit the business and the property stood idle till 1865, when it was bought by H. S. Ricker & Co., refitted and run till 1874, when Mr. Ricker became and has continued to be the sole proprietor. Upper leather made from hides and skins is the special product of this tan- nery, which employs five men and uses yearly 300 cords of bark.

The next dam above the old carpet mill site is the upper dam, on which the water company's pumping station is located. Doctor Mc- Kechnie built a saw mill and a grist mill here on the west side of the stream, before 1780, that disappeared before the memory of any one now living. Election notices were posted in 1788 on "Widow Mc- Kechnie's grist mill." James Crommett built the next dam, and on the east side of the stream he built a saw mill, a grist mill and a card- ing and clothing mill. The mills were run by the builder and his sons, Orrin, Theodore and Llewellyn. The latter ran the grist mill, which had four runs of stones and two bolts, till about 1842, after which it stood idle many years. Orrin Crommett, B. P. Manley, James S. Craig, -- Hill and -- Allen operated the carding mill till Fred Bailey changed it to a grist mill and was succeeded by W. S. B. Run- nells who was burned out in 1884.

Jerry Furbish, in 1872, bought of William Brown the old grist mill

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and half the saw mill, and made sash, doors and blinds till the fire of 1884. He rebuilt and continued business till his death in 1888. Suc- ceeding him, Bangs Brothers, Mr. Dane and Hayden & Robinson did various kinds of wood work till 1891, when the present occupant, Al- bert G. Bowie, architect and builder, took possession. In the various departments of his business fifty men are employed.

On the same dam Winslow Marston bought, in 1858, of Cushman, a part of the Pearson tannery, and made matches till 1890. He was twice burned out, the last time in 1889. Fuller & Haines now use the building for a carpenter shop.

The water privilege and land on the west side of the dam were owned by James Stackpole, who, with Erastus O. and Sumner Wheeler, built a saw mill, before 1830, that ran many years. This privilege and half of the dam below were bought, in 1873, by Henry R. Butter- field. On the latter he built the shovel handle factory he still operates, in which fifteen men are employed, and 35,000 dozen handles are made yearly. On the upper dam, he built in 1875 a building in which B. F. Dow & Co. made furniture. In 1880 the Fiber Ware Company bought the property, and their works were burned in 1884. Near the bridge, Mr. Butterfield also erected, in 1875, a large two-story build- ing, designed for a grist mill, that stood idle till burned in the fire of 1884.

The Maine Water Company, with central offices in Gardiner, built in 1887, and still own the water works in this city. A powerful pump forces water from the Messalonskee to a reservoir 23 miles distant, from whence fifteen miles of iron mains distribute it through the city. The forcing capacity of the pump is 2,000,000 gallons per day, and 1,200 customers now use about half that amount.

The first effort to use the stupendous power of the Kennebec river at Waterville for mechanical purposes was made in 1792, when Nehe- miah Getchell and Asa Redington came from Vassalboro, and con- structed a dam from the west shore to Rock island and built a saw mill. Other mills were soon built, logs were easily obtained from the river, and for the next sixty years this was the manufacturing center, and its vicinity was the business center of the town.

Redington & Stackpole were the next mill builders after the pioneers, followed by Nehemiah and William Getchell, sons of Nehe- miah, from Vassalboro, and the fathers respectively of Eldridge and Walter Getchell, of this city. The Getchell saw mill was run by the brothers, William and Walter Getchell, from 1830 to 1870, being burned in the fire of 1849, rebuilt, and again burned in 1859. They sold in 1868 to General Franklin Smith, who built a saw and framing mill. He sold to the Lockwood Company. The following well-remembered men built or rented saw mills, and were large lumber cutters and dealers here, during the first half of the present century: John, Samuel and William

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Kendall, the latter a noted man-inventor of the turbine water wheel and the circular saw; Isaac Farrer and Zebulon Sanger, and his sons, William, Samuel and Silas, Asa Redington, Dunlap, Hobson, Parker Sheldon, Deacon Samuel Doolittle, David Paige, Josiah Morrill, Colonel Scribner, Colonel Simonds, William and Daniel Moor, French Brothers, and Jacob and William Wing. The latter made sash and blinds. Waterville did an immense lumber business until the pine forests were exhausted.

Moses Dalton built on the river dam very early a grist mill and a carding mill that were run till they were worn out. Asa Redington built another grist mill on the same site in 1833, that was successively operated by Peltiah and William Penny, Gideon Wing and Horace Tozer. Colonel I. S. Bangs, the next owner, was burned out in 1883, rebuilt and sold to A. F. F. Merrill and he to W. B. S. Runnels, who in 1891 resold to Mr. Merrill, the present proprietor.

W. & D. Moor built in the 'forties a long four story building in which they had gang saws, made iron and steel shovels, and had a plaster mill and a feed mill. A part of it was used for a storehouse, as they were also traders and grain dealers. This building was burned in the great fire of July 15, 1849, and was rebuilt by its owners, who suffered the loss of it the second time in the fire of 1859.

The magnificent possibilities that were running to waste in the Titanic power of Ticonic falls, had long been a matter of deep con- cern with the thoughtful citizens of Waterville. This feeling materi- alized in practical form, when G. A. Phillips, soon after the war, as the originator and representative of a citizens' movement, secured the option of purchase of property extending three-fourths of a mile on the west bank of the Kennebec, and a mile and three fourths on the east bank.

Saturday, February 4, 1866, at a meeting of which Solyman Heath was chairman, and E. R. Drummond was clerk, the Ticonic Water Power & Manufacturing Company was organized, with S. Heath, G. A. Phillips, J. P. Blunt, James Drummond and John P. Richardson as directors.

"An act to incorporate the Ticonic Water Power and Manufactur- ing Company. February 6, 1866.

"Section 1. Dennis L. Milliken, N. R. Boutelle, T. W. Herrick, C. K. Mathews, C. R. McFadden, C. G. Meader, A. A. Plaisted, Na- thaniel Meader, E. L. Getchell, E. F. Webb, Solyman Heath, G. A. Phillips, J. W. Philbrick, I. S. Bangs, jun., Samuel Appleton, W. B. Arnold, E. R. Drummond, James Drummond and John P. Richardson, with their associates and assigns, are hereby created a corporation, with the power and privileges, and subject to the duties and require- ments incident to manufacturing corporations.

"Section 2. The corporation is authorized to carry on at the Ticonic Falls in Waterville and Winslow the manufacture of: Wool, Wood, Cotton, Iron, Steel, Lumber, Leather, Paper, Flax, Paints, Oils,

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Meal, Flour, and other articles necessarily connected therewith, and purchase, hold and possess estate, real and personal, to an amount not to exceed one Million Dollars."

The incorporators at once elected G. A. Phillips treasurer, made assessments on their stock, and proceeded to acquire the water rights and territory necessary to their plans. Through formidable difficulties Mr. Phillips proceeded to buy 400 acres of land adjacent to the falls, costing $80,000. The dam now in use by the Lockwood Company was built in 1868 at a cost of $40,000. Then ensued several years of inac- tion, during which R. B. Dunn bought a controlling portion of the stock at thirty cents on a dollar, pledging himself to pay the floating debt of $50,000, and build a cotton mill. Many citizens assisted in this consummation for the benefit of Waterville, one of the most active and efficient being Reuben Foster.

The name of the old company was changed to the Ticonic Com- pany. Mr. Dunn became the sole owner, paid the debts of the Ticonic Water Power & Manufacturing Company, and built at a heavy ex- pense what is now cotton mill No. 1. Amos D. Lockwood, of Provi- dence, R. I., became enlisted in the enterprise and the present Lockwood Company was formed in 1874. Mr. Dunn received $125,000 stock in the new company for his entire interest in the Ticonic Company, and was reimbursed for all his expenditures in building. Mill No. 1 was completed and began spinning cotton in February, 1876, and made sheeting till 1882, when the additional buildings now standing were erected. The capital now invested in this great enterprise is $1,800,000. The total output of the Lockwood Company for the first half of 1892 was 8,752,682 yards of cotton cloth, weighing 2,978,000 pounds. To produce these large results 2,100 looms, 90,000 spindles and the labor of 1,250 people ten hours each week day are required. From fifty to seventy-five skilled mechanics are constantly employed, capable of reconstructing any machinery in use. This plant, perfect and effective as it is, does but imperfect honor to the admirable man, Amos D. Lockwood, whose name it bears. The grandeur of his character as a man exceeded even the enviable equipment and adjustment of his mental gifts. R. B. Dunn was the first president of the Lockwood Company, succeeded by the present incumbent, J. H. McMullen, of Portland. Amos D. Lockwood, the first treasurer, was succeeded at his death in 1882 by the present treasurer, J. W. Danielson, of Provi- dence, R. I. The very capable agent, S. I. Abbott, of Waterville, has held that position from the start, and his son, W. H. K. Abbott, has been superintendent since 1883.

Any locality that secures the construction and repair shops of a great railroad is fortunate. The Maine Central in 1886-7 built the Waterville shops-750 feet long and two stories high-filled with all modern machinery for repairing or making every variety of cars.

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This department, including the painting and upholstering of passenger cars, employs 125 men. In the engine department 125 out of 149 en- gines belonging to the road were in the shop during the past year for repairs. Ninety men are employed in this work.

The earliest brick yard in Waterville that is now remembered, was at the foot of Sherwin street, owned by Colonel Sherwin and Deacon Dimond. In it were made the brick for the Moses Dalton and Edward Estee stores. The next yard belonged to Peter Crabtree Getchell, who made the brick used in the college buildings, on premises near there now owned by Arthur Alden. In 1829 Mr. Getchell made the brick and built the Waterville Academy; Timothy Boutelle gave the land. George and Stacy Wentworth bought the Getchell yard and continued the business. In 1886 Norton & Purinton opened a brick yard in the north part of the town and the next year Amos Purinton bought Mr. Norton's interest. Since then Purinton Brothers have made 1,500,000 brick in that yard each year. They employ fifteen men. Proctor & Flood make 600,000 brick per year. Their yard is near the Fairfield line.

The first tanneries in Waterville were small affairs, but were equal to the demand for their products. The Sanborn tannery, situated a little north of Samuel Appleton's, on Main street, and the Powers es- tablishment ou Silver street, were the pioneers. But the largest by far, and the longest continued tannery ever in town was built by Will- iam Pearson, who rode into Waterville from Exeter, N. H., one June day in the cold summer of 1816, through fast falling snow that covered the ground six inches deep. He located where the Lockwood Mill stands, and manufactured sole leather there till about 1836, when with his sons the business was transferred to the Messalonskee. When the ground was being fitted for the cotton mill, one of the old vats was uncovered, in which several sides of leather were found in the pickle where they had lain over forty years. Upon examination they proved to be in superb condition, and more than one man declared they made the most durable shoe soles he ever wore.

John Goodell began in 1873 the manufacture of cook stoves. In his employ were Edmund D. Noyes and James P. Goddard, who be- came his partners in 1879. In 1886 the young men bought Mr. Goodell out and the new firm of Noyes & Goddard continued the old business till their works were burned in October, 1892.

Alben Emery began in 1846 pulling wool and tanning sheep skins. He died in 1873 and the business was continued for several years by his sons: James H., Alben F. and Albert P. For the past eight years Albert P. Emery has been sole proprietor, tanning now about 8,000 skins, and handling 75,000 pounds of fleece wool per year.

CHURCHES .- The First Baptist Church in Waterville was consti- tuted August 27, 1818, at the house of Rev. Jeremiah Chaplin. Twenty

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persons presented letters of dismission from other churches-thirteen of them from the First Baptist church in Sidney. Baptism was first administered September 6, 1818, and during the same month Rev. Jeremiah Chaplin, then professor of theology in Maine Literary and Theological Institution, became the first pastor. A notable event was the baptism July 16, 1820, by Doctor Chaplin, of George Dana Board- man, who became a world renowned missionary. In 1823 Stephen Chapin and Avery Briggs, professors in the college, were made asso- ciate pastors, which arrangement lasted one year, when Rev. Stephen Chapin was made sole pastor.

The society erected the present house of worship in 1826 at a cost of about $4,000, and dedicated it December 6th of the same year. In 1828 Professor Chapin left Waterville, and Hervy Fittz succeeded him in 1829. He was succeeded in 1831 by Rev. Henry K. Green. Rev. S. F. Smith, author of the national hymn America, was ordained in 1834. Rev. D. N. Sheldon succeeded in 1842, but was soon elected president of the college and was pastor but one year. Forty-four mem- bers of this church were dismissed by letter in 1844, to form a church in West Waterville. The same year John C. Stockbridge came to Waterville and was installed pastor January 8, 1845. He resigned in 1847, and Rev. William Crowell followed in 1849, succeeded in 1852 by Rev. N. M. Wood, and in 1860 by G. D. B. Pepper, who resigned in 1865. The next year the church substituted Sabbath school exercises for the morning preaching service. In 1867 B. F. Shaw became pastor and was succeeded by Henry S. Burrage, January 1, 1870; by S. P. Merrill in 1874, and in 1879 by the present pastor, W. H. Spencer.

The old meeting house was repaired and reseated in 1846, and again in 1875, when it was remodeled and enlarged at an expense of $17,000. The services are largely attended, also the Sabbath school, which numbers 369. The church membership is 385. The deacons of this church have been: William Lewis, Thomas Parker, John Par- tridge, Oliver Welch, Daniel Wells, Nathaniel Russell, Constantine Bates, Clifford Williams, W. A. F. Stevens, Samuel Scammon, J. W. Philbrick, David Webb, Charles A. Dow, James H. Hanson, Charles F. Gardner.

Mr. Allen, in his History of Methodism, says: " The early methodist itinerants in Maine strangely avoided Waterville." Rev. Ezekiel Robinson in 1827 was the first preacher, and organized the first class. In 1832 Martin Ward preached here and formed a class of seven, of which J. Parker was leader. In 1833 P. P. Morrill, and in 1835 M. Wight, followed by Asa Heath, ministered to a small band of twenty- five members, who gave up in discouragement soon after.

In 1843 Waterville was made a mission station, with an appropria- tion of $25, and Luther P. French was appointed preacher in charge. Meetings were held in the town hall, class and prayer meetings were

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held, a Sunday school was started, and thirty-five members joined the church. S. Allen was the preacher in 1844, Asahel Moore in 1845, and C. Munger in 1846. To sustain preaching, $150 was appropriated each year from the missionary fund, but no church was built. The people again became discouraged, and the charge was again abandoned. S. Allen was returned to Waterville in 1851 with an appropriation of $100, and staid two years. D. Waterhouse came in 1853, and C. Fuller the next two years.

From this time till 1866 the society was connected with Kendall's Mills charge, but only got now and then a sermon. , In 1859 Hobart Richardson, a local preacher, established weekly prayer meetings at his house, and in 1866 he preached at Kendall's Mills and at Water- ville, as a supply. A. R. Sylvester was appointed this year to Ken- dall's Mills and Waterville. The next year Waterville was again made a separate charge, with J. H. Mowers as preacher. In 1868 J. W. Hathaway was appointed to this mission, with an appropriation of $200. An active start was at once made toward building a church, which was broken by Mr. Hathaway's retirement from the ministry. True Whittier was appointed to the vacancy, but was transferred to South Carolina soon after. John Allen and students from Kents Hill ministered until A. S. Ladd was sent here in 1869.

In the meantime a church had been erected and partly finished. Sunday meetings were held in the town hall, and prayer meetings in Marston's Block. The first meeting in the vestry was on the second Sunday in July. At length the church was finished at a cost of $16,- 000, of which R. B. Dunn paid $14,000. After furnishing it, which cost $5,000, it was dedicated March 23, 1870. A. S. Ladd preached here three years, leaving a prosperous society, of whom eighty were church members. A. W. Pottle was appointed in 1872 and in 1881; W. S. Jones in 1875; Roscoe Sanderson, 1876; Ezekiel Martin, 1878; W. S. McIntire, 1883; W. M. Sterling, 1885; G. C. Crawford, 1887; C. I. Mills, 1888; Howard A. Clifford, 1889; L. B. Codding, 1890, and Wilber F. Berry in 1892.

The First Congregational Church of Waterville was organized at the house of Captain William Pearson, August 21, 1828, by an ecclesi- astical council, of which Rev. David Thurston, from Winthrop, was moderator, and Rev. Thomas Adams, scribe. There were twelve charter members, seven of whom came by letter from other churches, and five by confession of faith. There was no settled ministry until 1834, when Rev. Thomas Adams was invited to preach, and was in- stalled as the first pastor September 27, 1836, and served until 1838. The church building was erected in the autumn of 1835. In Septem- ber, 1838, Calvin E. Park was installed pastor, and held the office until April, 1844. Mr. Roswell D. Hitchcock then occupied the pulpit for nearly a year, and in October, 1846, Richard B. Thurston was settled

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on a salary of $500, one-half of which was paid by the church and society, and the balance by the Maine Missionary Society. Mr. Thur- ston resigned in March, 1855. William B. Greene was installed in November, 1855. Edward Hawes was ordained in 1858 on a salary of $700, and closed a very useful pastorate by removing to Philadelphia in 1864. The pulpit was then supplied a few months by Rev. P. C. Headly until August, 1865.

Mr. B. A. Robie was settled at a salary of $1,000 by an ordaining council in March, 1866. He resigned December 18, 1870, giving as his chief reason, his "inability to find a suitable house to live in, and the inadequacy of his salary if he could find one." Calvin G. Hill preached from August, 1871, to April, 1872. In September, 1872, Rev. James Cameron became acting pastor, and continued until April, 1874, dur- ing which time the church was repaired and beautified. July 28, 1874, Mr. John T. Crumrine was ordained and installed, remaining only until May of the following year. He was followed by Rev. C. D. Crane July, 1875. In July, 1877, Rev. Ezra N. Smith began his labors, and though not installed, remained until 1888 -- salary, $1,000. Rev. Leavitt H. Hallock, of Portland, was extended a unanimous call at a salary of $2,000. He commenced work June 1, 1889 (without installa- tion), and remained until December 1, 1892, when he became pastor of the First Congregational church in Tacoma, Washington.

During July and August of 1869 the church was thoroughly re- paired at a cost of nearly $3,000, and re-dedicated free of debt. At the first annual church meeting December 31, 1889, the pastor announced the gift of $500 from a personal friend toward the building of a suit- able parsonage, provided it should be completed during 1890. The Mayo lot on Park street was purchased for $3,000, and a parsonage was erected, and was occupied by the pastor and his family in the autumn of 1890. The present membership of the church is 222.

The first Universalist minister here was Rev. Thomas Barnes, of Poland, Me., who was ordained in 1802, the first ordained minister of the Universalist faith in the state, and he died in 1816. November 20, 1820, Rev. Sylvanus Cobb, of Norway, the second Universalist minis- ter ordained in Maine, preached in Waterville for the first time, and after his ordination, in 1821, settled here, preaching at Waterville and West Waterville, in the old town meeting houses in both places. The Eastern Association of Universalists met in Waterville June 25, 1823, when Rev. Hosea Ballou, of Boston, the great leader of Universalism in America, was present and preached a sermon of remarkable power. Jediah Morrill became from that hour a life-long Universalist.

The first Universalist church in Maine was organized by Reverend Cobb in Waterville, May 28, 1826. It consisted of twenty members; eleven belonged in Waterville, four in Sidney, four in Fairfield and one in Winslow. None of the original members are now living. He

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continued his labors here till 1828, when he removed to Malden, Mass. After his removal Rev. W. A. Drew, of Augusta, preached a good deal, and Rev. Dr. J. G. Adams, of Massachusetts, was here as a supply.

In 1831, having matured a plan to erect a church edifice, the society was formally organized. The original signers to the petition to Tim- othy Boutelle, requesting him to issue his warrant notifying and call- ing a meeting for the purpose of organizing a Universalist society in Waterville, were as follows: James Crommett, Jediah Morrill, Simeon Mathews, Elah Esty, David Page, Abijah Smith, Moses Healy, Daniel Moor, Erastus O. Wheeler, Cyrenus C. Wheeler, Alpheus Lyon, Charles Hayden, jun., David McFarland, Israel S. Savage, Jarvis Bar- ney, Ebenezer Bolkcom, J. M. Harris, Thomas McFarland, William Ellis, Alfred J. Crommett, Jacob M. Crooker, Tufton Simpson, Samuel Kendall and George W. Lincoln. To these were subsequently added the following names: James W. Ford, William H. Dow, Alexander McKechnie, Daniel Paine, Sumner Townsend, Fuller G. Cook, Calvin Gardner, J. P. Harris, R. W. Dorr, Silas Redington, Benjamin P. Manley, John R. Philbrick, David Wing, Sumner A. Wheeler, Walter Getchell. This list, as will be readily seen by the old residents of the town, contains a very large proportion of the prominent citizens at that time. Only one of the number still remains connected with the society-Walter Getchell, now about eighty-three years old.

At the first meeting of the new society it was voted to build a meeting house. There have been different reports in regard to whether the donor of the lot on which the church stands was James Crommett or Simeon Mathews. The deed has unfortunately been lost. At the annual meeting of the society January 28, 1833, the thanks of the society were voted to Simeon Mathews for his gift of a part of the meeting house lot, valued at $100; and there is no record of any one having given any other part. The southern point of the triangle was bought of Mr. James Crommett for $50. The house, raised July 9, 1832, contains sixty pews and cost $4,200. It was dedi- cated January 1, 1833. Jediah Morrill was the largest contributor to the building fund and gave the town clock still in use, which cost $350. He also bore the expense of winding it and keeping it in order.

Rev. Calvin Gardner was pastor from September, 1833, for nearly twenty years. November 25, 1842, having neglected to hold its meet- ings regularly, the society was reorganized. After the close of Mr. Gardner's long pastorate, Rev. W. B. Lovejoy preached one year. The organ was bought in 1852 and in 1854 the church edifice was thor- oughly repaired, at an expense of $600. Rev. Henry C. Leonard be- came pastor in 1854 and continued so till 1861, when he became chap- lain of the 3d Maine Infantry. In 1861 Rev. W. A. P. Dillingham, of Sidney, was engaged to supply the pulpit and remained pastor till near the close of 1864. Rev. Frank Magwin succeeded Mr. Dillingham

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Illustrated history of Kennebec County, Maine; 1625-1892, Part 68

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