Illustrated history of Kennebec County, Maine; 1625-1892, Part 86

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 86

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).

John W. Tucker, born in 1854, is the youngest of three children of John and Rhoda J. (Jack) Tucker, and grandson of Jesse and Rebecca (Fisher) Tucker. Mrs. Rhoda J. Tucker died in January, 1886. Mr. Tucker carries on the farm where his father lived from 1840 until his death, in 1885. He married Carrie M., daughter of William H. Wood- bury. Their children are: George, Sarah W., Dexter B., Ralph, Lucena M., John R., Fred W. and Estelle.

George Webber, a son of George and grandson of Richard Web- ber, was born in Richmond, Me., in 1811. His father served seven years in the revolutionary war. His wife, Rebecca (married in 1836), is a daughter of Benjamin and Margaret (Curtis) Merriman, and grand- daughter of Walter Merriman, of Harpswell, Me. Their children are: Reuel S., Adaline C., Rebecca A., Mary E., Sophronia H., Arista, Thirza E., George F., Pauline S., Nellie E. and Charles H., who mar- ried Lillian M. Maxwell, and now lives with his parents on the home- stead farm. He has one son, Milton E.

David G. Wilson, one of four children of Nehemiah and Alice (Davis) Wilson, was born in 1826. He is a farmer and mechanic. He married Martha A., daughter of Andrew, and granddaughter of Simeon

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HISTORY OF KENNEBEC COUNTY.

Goodwin, who came from Pittston to Litchfield in 1795. Her mother was Margaret Clifford.

Charles H. Waldron, son of Charles D. and Julia A. (Allen) Wal- dron, was born in 1841. He has been employed by the E. Plimpton & Sons Manufacturing Company since 1863, with the exception of the years 1867, '68 and '69. His wife, Margaret A. Goodwin, is a sister of Mrs. Wilson, above.

JOHN WOODBURY was born in Litchfield, Me., August 10, 1818, and died on the 25th of February, 1882. Through nearly all his life he was an influential and useful citizen, always interested for the best interests of his native town, which he served many years in official capacity, as appears from the preceding records. His parents were Hugh Woodbury, born in Danville, Me., in 1780, and Elizabeth (Plum- mer) Woodbury, born in 1788. They came from Danville to Litchfield in 1806, and bought 225 acres on the south line of the Sawyer Tract, where Thomas Davis, a " squatter," had built a log habitation. Here their ten children were born: William, the eldest, was born in 1812 and died in 1820; Susan, born 1814, died 1886; Abigail, born 1816, died 1825; Hannah, born 1821, died 1851; Mary Ann, born 1824, married Jesse Davis, of Lisbon, and has two children-Emma and Louisa Davis; Hugh, born 1822, died 1825: Benjamin, born December 29, 1826: Sarah, born 1829, died 1856; Horatio, the youngest of the ten, was born in 1831. He read law with Samuel Titcomb, practiced in Hallowell. Me., also in Kentucky and in Leavenworth, Indiana. He was a soldier -- lieutenant colonel of the 35th Indiana Cavalry-and died in 1881. Thus Benjamin Woodbury, of Litchfield, and Mrs. Davis, of Lisbon, are the only survivors of this large family.

The name originated iu Cheshire county, England, but the family records only extend to Hugh Woodbury's father, True Woodbury, who was born in Massachusetts January 15, 1756, and died in Danville, Me., April 28, 1828. As a family, by industry and economy, they acquired a good property on their farm in Litchfield.

John Woodbury. perhaps the best known of his generation, gave more careful attention to books. He became a practical surveyor, was representative from Litchfield in 1854, '57 and '75, and in 1876 was elected to the state senate. During his active life no man in Litch- field was more frequently consulted upon business matters, and such men as Doctor Kindrick and David Springer say that no man's in- fluence was more widely felt in the political affairs of the town. He was never married, and when his usefulness was ended and death fol- lowed, Litchfield found that men were very scarce who could fill the place which was once so ably filled by John Woodbury."

William Wyman, born in South China, May 15, 1823, is a son of *The fine engraving accompanying this sketch is a fitting tribute to his mem- ory by his only surviving brother.

John Wood bury

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TOWN OF LITCHFIELD.

Ezekiel and Mary (Libby) Wyman, grandson of Ezekiel and Mary (Bran) Wyman, and great-grandson of Francis Wyman. Mr. Wyman was for several years prior to 1860 engaged in the business of tanner and currier. He came to Litchfield in 1860 from Troy, Me., and has since been a farmer, excepting one year, during which he served in the late war with Company F, 24th Maine volunteers. His wife is Catherine, daughter of Jesse and Esther B. (Work) Young, and grand- daughter of Solomon Young. Their children are: George A., Mary E. (deceased), Frank C., Clara E. (deceased), Flora A. (Mrs. S. L. Gowell), and Etta M.

. Frank C. Wyman, son of William Wyman, was born in the town of Troy in 1853. In addition to operating his farm, Mr. Wyman is a wagon maker, at which he works in his own shops in the cold part of the year. In 1882 he married Thirsa E., daughter of George and Re- becca Webber. Their children are: Alice E., Jesse L. and Herbert S.

CHAPTER XXVII.

TOWN OF PITTSTON.

Erection of Old Pittston .- Settlement .- Pioneers .- Development .- Villages .- Chief Localities .- Civil History .- Town Officers .- Churches .- Schools .- Cemeteries .- Personal Paragraphs.

T HE original town of Pittston included Gardiner and West Gar- diner on the west side of the Kennebec, and Pittston and Ran- dolph on the east side. In 1670 Alexander Brown settled in old Pittston, but was killed by Indians in 1676. In 1751 Captain John North laid out the town in lots, and in 1754 a few settlers made their appearance. Settlements were made on both sides of the river as early as 1760, and the entire territory of the four towns was comprised in the plantation of Gardinerston, so named in honor of Dr. Sylvester Gardiner, who in 1754 received large tracts within the domain and later was instrumental in inducing settlers to emigrate thither. In February, 1779, the territory mentioned, with the exception of lots 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10, on the south edge of the west side, which were joined to Bowdoinham, was incorporated into a town called Pittston. It was at first proposed to call the new town Gardiner, but the attitude of Doctor Gardiner during the revolution debarred him from this honor, and it was named for the Pitt family -- Hon. John Pitt having, in 1779, introduced the bill for its incorporation in the legislature.

The first town meeting was held in the inn of Henry Smith, on the east side of the river (known as Smithtown in the present Pittston), from which the ferry was run for many years. For twenty-four years the territory as first incorporated remained a single town, but in 1803 all the tract west of the river was set off to form the then new town of Gardiner. The region comprised in the present town of Pittston is the most southern of Kennebec county, east of the river. It is bounded by the town of Dresden on the south; Alna and Whitefield on the east; Chelsea and Randolph, the new town more recently erected from Pittston, on the north; and Kennebec river on the west.

SETTLERS .- The first settlers made their clearings along the river. Henry Smith located in 1764 on the west side of the river, and Au- gust 5, 1772, he moved to the east side and settled above Agry's point, opening the first inn of the town. Thomas Agry came to the point which still bears his name-where the ice houses of the Independent

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TOWN OF PITTSTON.

Ice Company stand-in 1774. Here were built the first vessels above Bath. Seth Soper settled, in 1779, next to Agry, and William and Moses Springer took up land near Agry's point about the same time. In 1761, four brothers, Reuben, Jeremiah, Oliver and Benjamin Col- burn, settled above Agry's, and formed a settlement then known as Colburntown. Here they built vessels, and where the late Gustavus A. Colburn resided, Major Colburn, his grandfather, constructed the bateaux for the Arnold expedition to Quebec, the beautiful growth of white oaks that covered the bank of the river making it a most suitable spot for the work. He was assisted in his labors by the Agrys, Edward Fuller and others, all settlers on the river.

William Barker settled in 1780 and opened an early store near Wil- liam B. Grant's. He sold four settlers' lots, in 1781, to Eleazar Tar- box, who, fifty-one years afterward, was buried on the land. Edward Fuller, about 1760, settled on the farm now occupied by his grandson, Benjamin F. Fuller. Next north of this Nathaniel Bailey settled in 1762; and later, next north of his lot, Frederick Jackins settled. In 1787 David Mooers settled on the lands of George A. Yeaton. Next south of Edward Fuller was the clearing of Abner Marson, made in 1768. Marson was subsequently captured and carried away by the Indians. Henry Bodge settled early next below Marson's; and below Bodge lived Dea. Elijah Jackson, who settled in 1781. Hubbard Eastman settled below, next to Jackson's. On this lot are the Pebble hills, where a hole eighty feet deep was made in digging for gold. Search for the precious metal was prosecuted nearly every summer for many years, but without substantial results.

In 1763 Martin Haley bought one hundred acres next below East- man, in the southwestern corner of the town, and here was raised the first English hay of the town. Up the river Samuel Oakman, a ship- builder, settled in 1772, and near Smith's Hotel John and Henry No- ble settled. John Taggart bought a farm, in 1773, of Major Reuben Colburn; and after the revolutionary war Levi Shepherd settled where John F. Bragden lives.

The west side of the town, along the Kennebec river, was of the most importance in those early days. Shipbuilding was carried on at every available place along the river; a ferry was run from near Smith's tavern, to the opposite side of the river; and the tavern itself was the central gathering place for town meetings well into the present century. On the uplands the early settlers found an abundance of oak, and in the intervales, pine, from which vessels were made, and of which large quantities were rafted to other localities. The first saw mill and the first grist mill stood at the mouth of Nehumkeag creek. They were owned and run by Edward Lawrence and Franklin Flitner.

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HISTORY OF KENNEBEC COUNTY.

The service of these important mills was continued into and during the first quarter of the present century.

After the separation, in 1803, the present Pittston increased rapidly in business and population. The tax list of 1803 will show the resi- dents of that date, many of them being the descendants of pioneers. The list included Thomas Freeman, Dennis Gould, Charles Glidden, Arnold Glidden, Joseph Green, Freeborn Groves, Susannah Hunt, Betsey Haley, Martin Haley, Nathaniel Haley, Nathaniel Hall, Wil- liam Hanover, William Hanover, jun., Silas Hunt, Ephraim Hatch, Jedediah Jewett, Charles Osgood, Samuel Oakman, Esq., Samuel Oak- man, jun., Robert Mcknight, Samuel Marson, Samuel Marson, jun., William Moody, Scribner Moody, David Moore, George Marson, Ste- phen Marson, Abner Marson, Abner Marson, jun., Trustam Mores, John Law, Jacob Loud, Peleg Loud, Elihu Loud, Samuel Little. James Laplane, Roger Lapham, Abiathar Kendall, Jonathan Jewett, Daniel Jewett, Enoch Jewett, Samuel Jones, Benjamin Jackson, Thomas Jack- son, Christopher Jackins and his son of the same name, James Jack- ins, Andrew Johnson, James and Levi Johnson, Samuel Cutts, Wil- liam Stevens, Leonard Cooper, Joseph Colman, Richard Cookson, Isaac Clark, Burnham Clark, Eldred Crowell, Reuben Colburn, Benjamin and Joseph Colburn, William Church, Samuel Clark, Richard Calvert, Thomas Coss, Widow Margaret Colburn, Captain Oliver Colburn, Jacob Daniells, Ezra Davis, Samuel Davis, James Dudley, Alvan Dim- mick, Hobart Eastman, Judah Eldred, Micah Eldred, Francis Flitner, Joseph and Benjamin Flitner, Benjamin Follensbie, Edward Fuller, Edward Palmer, Samuel Palmer, Jeremiah and James Pickard, Benja- min Pulsifer, Joseph Pulsifer, jun., Joseph, James and David Rawlings, Stephen Rowe, Obadiah Read, Isaac Read, Henry Smith, George Standley, John Stephens, Levi Shepherd, Henry Smith, jun., John, James and Jeremiah Smith, Seth Soper's heirs, Caleb Stephens and son Caleb, Daniel Scott, Alexander Troop, John and Robert Taggard, Sam- uel Thomas, Simeon Town, Benjamin Trask, Jonathan Winslow, David Young and his son David, Hannah Agry, a widow, Captain David Agry, Widow Hannah Bailey, Nathaniel Bailey and son Nathaniel, David Bailey, Henry Bodge, John Barker, Jonathan and William Blanchard, John Bailey, Nathan Bailey, jun., Peter Benner and Joseph Blodgett.

In 1803 the poll list bore the names of Henry Adams, Ebenezer Blodgett, Bisbee Boulton, Rufus Cushman, Daniel Davis, Samuel Dud- ley, Oliver Foster, John Follensbie, Samuel Follensbie, Daniel Fol- lensbie, Jedediah Cowin, Simeon Cunningham, John C. Gookin, Wil- liam Hatch, Setlı Hunt, Paul Horne, Thomas Mead, Benjamin Mar- son, David Philbrooks, Samuel Tarbox, Joseph Trask, David and John White, John Robertson and Mr. Nowal.

These old men, young men and widows of old settlers were scat-

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TOWN OF PITTSTON.

tered among the hills and valleys of Pittston in 1803, and their de- scendants occupy many of the lands then assessed. The community lived near to nature's heart in those bygone days, and obtained the larger share of their food supply from the virgin soil of the clearings, from the forests abounding with game, and from waters teeming with fish. Indeed, fish were so plentiful, especially alewives, in the brook running from Nehumkeag pond, and in the Togus stream, that for domestic use it was only necessary to shove them out into dishes.

Nehumkeag pond, lying nearly in the center of the town, covers 175 acres, and this, with Joy's pond, in the northeast corner, are the only ponds of considerable extent in the town. Besides the streams already mentioned there are Eastman, Bailey, Blair and Follensbie creeks. These empty into the Kennebec, and were named from the settlers on their banks, who could not have selected a better site, the soil being a rich, clayey loam, and well watered. Besides the streams mentioned, the Eastern river, entering from Whitefield, passes through the eastern part of the town, southerly, and empties into the Kennebec at Dresden. At the point where this river leaves Pittston it measures twenty-three rods from bank to bank, and the tides from the Kennebec set up into Pittston three miles.

The early increase in the wealth of the town was phenomenal. In 1820 the statistics for Pittston showed 446 acres under cultivation, 1,747 of meadow, 1,613 acres of pasture, 2,061 bushels of corn, 870 of wheat, 222 of oats, 101 of barley, 86 of peas, and 1,511 tons of hay; the statistics also showed 176 barns. 478 cows, 278 oxen, 116 horses and 251 swine. There were then 633 tons of shipping owned in the town.

Town meetings had been held at the inn of Henry Smith for sev- eral years, but when the old Congregational church was sold to the town, in 1820, religious and town meetings were held in that build- ing. This old church, which stood where the hearse house now stands, on G. A. Colburn's farm, was begun by Major Colburn and others in 1788, but the society was unable to finish it, and it was used by the town as above stated until 1846, when it was again sold, and tradition says it is now in part doing service as a barn for Mrs. E. H. Lapham, near Grange Hall. Subsequent to 1846 a town house was erected at Beech hill, and was used until a few years ago, when it was sold to George Stanley, upon whose land it stood. In 1884 the town rented, for one year, the lower part of Grange Hall for a town hall, and in 1886 the use of Grange Hall for town meetings and selectmen's office was resumed.

The first few years after Gardiner was separated from Pittston the latter town maintained its pound in various farm barn-yards. In 1815 it was " voted to use Abiathar Kendall's barn-yard for a pound, and he be the pound master." In 1818 not only Kendall, but Obadiah Reed and William Stevens were appointed pound masters, and the

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HISTORY OF KENNEBEC COUNTY.

barn-yards of these men were the legal pounds. Later a pound, sur- rounded by a stone fence, was erected, but it has been abandoned for years. The peculiarities of the Pittston settlers may be inferred from the vote of the town in 1791, when forty-five votes against and five for making Maine an independent state were cast. In the same year a like peculiarity was displayed when, the small pox having broken out seriously, the town voted that " It was not expedient to inoculate for the disease." In 1807 the town was again opposed to erecting Maine into a separate state; and in 1808 the town meeting refused to peti- tion the president to remove the embargo, but passed resolutions to uphold the government and the president.

The assistance of the general court was asked, in 1811, to place in order a bridge over Togus creek, and a township of land was granted for the purpose. The bridge was repaired and placed in use at an expense of $18,000.

Active measures were taken relative to the sale of liquor in 1833, no licenses being granted, and a committee appointed to prosecute all violations.

The poor of the town have never been numerous and are perhaps less than in many others of the same population. In 1819 only one- a poor woman-was the care of the town, and her keeping for a year was bid off at forty-six cents per week by a farmer. For years the poor were bid off in like manner; but prior to 1860 the town pur- chased a farm of sixty-five or seventy acres, of the heirs of Alexander Troop. on Beech hill, where these unfortunates have been since kept.

NORTH PITTSTON .- The post-village of North Pittston is beauti- fully situated in the northeast corner of the town, and was early a central location for that portion of the community. It was usually called Colburn's Corners, having been settled by George Colburn, on the land where James Crowell now resides. Reuben Freeman was another settler, where John McGlugen lives. John Barker settled next below, on the land now owned by John Dunn. An old settler was a Mr. Crowell, where Washington Lawrence recently lived. Cap- tain Micah Eldredge settled where Joseph Kenny dwells; Dennis Gould made his clearing on the spot now occupied by Frederick Gould, and Joseph Kidder settled where George Putman resides.

In olden time Colburn's Corners was a lively center. In the school house ministers discoursed and singing schools were held. There was a potash factory where Isaac Green lives, and John Barker had a saw mill upon a stream there; but nothing is left of either building now. George Colburn's shoe shop was the first store established, and Gor- ham Jewett opened the next store. About 1860 Joseph G. Colburn started a store which, during the war, he disposed of; then Fred P. Morrill, who had been burned out of a small store in 1888, built and opened his present store in 1889, in which he keeps the post office.

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TOWN OF PITTSTON.

Of the other old enterprises here were the inn of James Crowell, an early settler, and the shoe shop of Daniel Kelly, another early settler where James Ware lives.

North and East Pittston possessed shipping advantages that were in themselves modest and laborious; but the lumber, hay, shingles and other products found their way to the outside world by hauling them to the Eastern river, one mile south of East Pittston, where the tide enabled boats to land and load with goods to be conveyed to the schooners at the Dresden landing. This carry-way is still used for the shipment of heavy goods down and up the stream.

April 15, 1850, a post office was established at North Pittston and Jesse Gould was appointed postmaster. He was succeeded October 18, 1883, by Benjamin B. Hanson, and he, September 25, 1885, by Fred P. Morrill, who still keeps it in his store.

EAST PITTSTON .- In the eastern part of the town is East Pittston, a considerable post-village. It is pleasantly situated in the valley of the Eastern river, and enjoys in itself all the comforts of a New Eng- land village. It was early settled, on account of the fertility of the soil and superior mill advantages. Among the first dwellers there were the Dudleys and Burnham Clark, and just below, at the landing, was the Call family. Harrison Hunt owns the Call's landing farm now; it is the head of navigation on the Eastern river. The stream furnished power for mills, and very early the Dudleys had a saw mill near where the road from Beech hill crosses the stream. This was called the upper mill, while just below was the middle mill, to which, on the south side, was added a grist mill by James Cunningham. Another saw mill, further down, and owned by Obadiah Reed, was known as the lower mill; and a pail factory, owned by Eliakim Scam- mon, was on the north side. A box factory, run by Jonathan Young, was near the middle mill. These mills were in their day run con- stantly, a ready sale being found for their products; but the bare rocks in the bed of the stream, and the suggestive sites for power, are all that remain of the busy past.

Stores sprang up, the first within the remembrance of the oldest of the present denizens being that of Jonathan Young, built about 1835. After a few years James Norris purchased the business, took Isaac Reed as partner, and three years later sold out to Henry Dearborn, who dis- posed of the store to the firm of Cate & Alley. Five years later this firm sold out to Lorenzo S. Clark, who took George W. Mansir as partner. At the death of Mansir, a score of years after, the business was con- ducted by Lorenzo S. Clark, until 1889, when he sold to Henry A. Clark, his son. About 1830 Henry Trundy kept a store where Henry Knight lives. Thomas Eldredge was an old trader in a building where now stands the barn of the Rundlett estate. David Crowell became a partner after a few years. The stores of three-fourths of a

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HISTORY OF KENNEBEC COUNTY.

century ago sold rum, then an important item of trade, and this firm sold in one winter over fifty hogsheads. The lumbermen of the time were the principal purchasers. Isaac Reed started a store where Alonzo McDonald lives, and his "dry goods" was also rum. Just prior to 1840 strenuous measures were taken by the town to stop the retail of liquor within its borders, since which time fortunes have not been made by its sale.

Other branches of business naturally sprang up here, prominent among which was the manufacture of carriages by Howard Lampson, in 1850. He was the successor of John Boynton. Lampson sold to Frederick W. Mansir, in 1870. The factory was then where the store of E. E. Hanley was later; but in 1875 Mansir erected the present fac- tory and moved thereto. He has added other buildings as needed, and all the branches of the sleigh and carriage business find room here.

Another and new feature of business-the creamery-was insti- tuted here in 1890, by over one hundred of the farming community. It was successfully conducted during the season of 1890, and in April, 1891, Edward E. Hanley took the entire control of the business. The creamery is on Solomon Hopkins' land, and is run by steam power.

William S. Cleaves keeps a general store. He bought the build- ing now in use as a store in 1871, and put in a stock, which he subse- quently sold to Edward E. Hanley, who remained in the same store for two years, and then fitted a building a few rods to the south, into which he moved. In 1890 he sold the balance of his stock to Cleaves and went out of the mercantile business. Mr. Cleaves stocked this store, and continuing also in his former store.

December 9, 1820, a post office was established here, with Jonathan Young as postmaster. James Norris, jun., succeeded him, April 22, 1832, and William Kendall was appointed in the following March. Cyrus Rundlett was postmaster from June, 1836, to April, 1846, when Joel Johnson served until his death, six months later, whereupon Eliakim Scammon was appointed, keeping the office at his residence, where Frank Leonard now lives. He was succeeded, April 10, 1855, by Dr. Harrison Small, in the Cyrus Rundlett house, and he, on Au- gust 7, 1861, by George W. Mansir, jun., who held the office 16} years. Lorenzo S. Clark was the next postmaster, keeping the office at his store. Thomas Hanley was appointed January 20, 1886, and the pres- ent incumbent, Henry A. Clark, was appointed April 4, 1889, and keeps the office at his store.

The meeting house of the East Parish, Methodist church, is located here.

BEECH HILL is a so-called locality just north of the center of the town, where the town house one stood, and the old stone pound is yet to be seen, though in a dilapidated condition. Doors and

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TOWN OF PITTSTON.

even hinges may be removed by the lapse of three-score years; but the stone fence, four feet thick at the base and tapering up seven feet, may yet remain for many years to show the characteristics of the an- cestors of present generations.

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Illustrated history of Kennebec County, Maine; 1625-1892, Part 86

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