USA > Maine > York County > Kennebunk > Kennebunk history : not a history of Kennebunk but a few items in addition to and a sequel to "The village of Kennebunk, Maine" (revised to 1939) : a description of a few more old homes, a few biographical sketches > Part 4
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).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13
The men on board the ship were Leander Foss, master; Clement Stone, mate; John Crowder, second mate; John Tindel, cook; Wm. J. Thompson, Charles Lord, George P. Lewis, George P. Davis, James C. Murphy, James Young, George T. Hutchins, Daniel H. Perkins, Alvin Huff, Wm. B. Harding, seamen; Capt. Paul Grant, passenger. Thomas King also shipped but ran away before the vessel sailed.
On the morning of Nov. 30, the Isadore spread her canvas to the winds and fanned by a light breeze was wafted out upon the open ocean. The weather looked very threatening. A heavy bank lay in the distant horizon at the southwest and a light breeze from the north indicated a storm at hand. But there were no storm signals then as now telling mariners of approaching danger and warning them of the perils of the deep. Some of the weather observers remarked that a storm was close at hand and it was risky to sail; others said that's only a haze bank, they'll have a good run, and so they started for their place of destination. A terrible gloom seemed to fall upon the crew as they left their homes for the voyage. None of the usual sailors' songs were heard as they hoisted their sails, but noiselessly the canvas was spread and silently the vessel left her moorings.
One of the crew living two miles away did not reach the wharf till she had started. A friend stood by who put him on board in his dory. No words passed between them while rowing to the barque save, "You came near losing your passage"-"I wish I had" was the reply and so deep was the sadness resting on his mind he did not so much as say thank you or good-bye, but climbed silently on board the vessel as if going to his doom. In a short time the barque was out of the river on the waves of the rolling deep. All day long the vessel could be distinctly seen by men on shore, the wind being not sufficiently strong for her to
38
get an offing. But toward night the sky became overcast and soon the snow began to fall and the northeast wind to increase and before midnight it blew a gale. Imagine the feelings of that crew when night shut in upon them on a lee shore with the snow falling and the wind blowing a gale. And imagine, too, the feelings of their friends on shore as they listened to the howling winds which whistled all night around their dwellings and heard the drifting snow beat against their windows. The next day news reached town that a vessel had been wrecked the night be- fore between the village of Ogunquit in Wells and Bald Head in York, Maine, and all hands lost. The news spread rapidly and soon vehicles were moving toward the place of the disaster to learn the sad fate that the new barque which left port only the day before was now a total wreck and all on board had perished. Not one was left to tell the mournful tale of the sufferings of that dreadful night. Only two days later, I stood on that rock- bound shore and gazed solemnly upon the broken fragments of that ill-fated barque torn into a thousand pieces by the surging waves as they dashed in fury against the rocks. Stooping to pick up some pieces of the wreck, I beheld on them the hairs of some of the poor sailors who had been crushed and ground by the crashing of the vessel on the rocks. A deep gloom spread over the town where these men lived. Well do I remember the impression made on all by this sad event.
A singular feature connected with the disaster was the strong presentiment of the crew before they left home that they would never return. Some of them had strange and frightful dreams with relation to the voyage. One strong-hearted seaman it was said would weep an hour at a time because he was going on the voyage. One man dreamed that as they were sailing out between the Piers at the mouth of the Kennebunk River he saw on the Eastern Pier seven coffins. He asked in his dream whose they were and the reply was, "One of them is for you." Just seven of the bodies were found cast upon the shore to be coffined for the grave and that man was among the number.
Thomas King, then a member of the Baptist Church, was so deeply impressed with a dream that he was afraid to go, and though he had shipped and received a month's wages in advance, he hid himself away when the day of sailing came. Search was made for him but he could not be found till after the vessel had sailed, when he made his appearance and is now living in the
39
city of Dover, N. H. The writer had an interview with him in the Autumn of 1883 and found these circumstances still as fresh in his memory as though they had occurred yesterday. He said, "One night after I had shipped and just as the barque was about ready for sea, I retired for rest and soon fell asleep and dreamed we sailed and were soon overtaken by a terrible storm which caused the loss of the vessel and all on board. I awoke from my slumber and was relieved to find it was only a dream. In a little while I was asleep again and dreamed the same dream which awakened me a second time. As I lay musing on the repetition of so singular a dream I again fell asleep and saw in my dream the same frightful scene and as the vessel went over I dreamed I leaped from the side and I actually sprang from my bed to the floor which awakened me from my sleep. My wife who was awakened by my springing to the floor, said, "Thomas, what ails you?' I replied, 'I am not going in that vessel.' 'What,' said she, 'you have already your month's wages in ad- vance. You'll have to go.' 'I will not,' I replied. 'I have had awful dreams.'"
His wife endeavored to reason the case with him. No plead- ings would prevail. He was satisfied that the dream was a warning from God to escape. He put on his clothes when & friend of his called at the door to whom he related his dream and then said, "I am not going in that barque." "Thomas," said his friend, "I don't blame you." He then went to the wharf where the vessel lay and found the captain on board. He told the captain he did not want to go on the voyage and pleaded with him to let him off. The captain was very decided and would not grant his request. He then saw his only chance for escape was to run away which he did and was thus saved from perishing with the rest of the crew.
There is a God in heaven who revealeth secrets and sees the end from the beginning and watches the footsteps of those that trust in him. He only could have known what would befall that vessel and her crew and he made known to those men that dan- ger awaited them. But only one heeded the warning and was saved. That same God has revealed in his word the doom of a sinful world. Who will heed the warning and escape?
Road Below the Landing
The road forks below the McCulloch house. The left hand road
40
goes to Arundel over Durrell's Bridge. The first bridge was built in 1764, a drawbridge in 1801, a new bridge in 1932. The right hand road winds around to the top of the hill in front of Evergreen Cemetery, incorporated November 3, 1877 (before that known as the Titcomb Cemetery). It turns to the left. The straight road through the woods was laid out in 1831. The old road by the site of the Garrison house of Capt. Stephen Titcomb (built before 1750) nearly to Kennebunk River, thence nearly parallel with the river until it intersects with the new road through the woods.
The demand for larger ships, the growing scarcity of oak tim- ber and the lack of water on the falls led to the building in 1848 of a lock to raise the water on the falls. It was perhaps one- half way from Durrell's bridge to the Port bridge. I suppose that the location still shows.
Lock on Kennebunk River
A company was incorporated with 294 shares which were owned by 25 individuals. The size of the lock was: Width, 42 ft .; height, 16 ft., and the gates were 14 ft. 8 in, by 23 ft. 5 in. with a beam extending 27 ft. as a balance. The gates were built at the shipyard of Bourne and Kingsbury and floated down. The sides were of split stones; part of them were used in the founda- tion walls of the first shoe shop wing in 1884. The ships were launched on a high run of tides. The lock gates were closed at high tide and the natural flow of the river raised the water on the falls, and the vessel was floated down to the lock, then at the next high tide to Kennebunkport. The lock was in operation 19 years during which time 29 vessels were floated through, aggre- gating 23,080 tons. The last to pass through was the ship Haw- thorn, built at the Landing in 1867. Shipbuilding was then transferred to the Lower Village.
The rigging had probably always been done there-masts, sails, and finishing around the masts. There used to be a ropewalk at Kennebunkport.
There were ship-yards on both sides of the river at Kenne- bunkport. From 1800 to 1890 there were 627 vessels built on the Kennebunk River and nearly all sailed in ballast and never re- turned. I think that about all of the rigging was done on the Kennebunkport side of the river.
The road from Wells had a toll bridge in 1813.
41
The ship-yard of Capt. N. L. Thompson was on the western side of the river, not far from where the passenger station of the K'Port R. R. was. He built a gunboat for the U. S. Navy, named the Aroostook which was launched November 9, 1861. In his yard, 1870-74, were built the largest vessels ever built on the Kennebunk River. The largest was the Ocean King, launched October 26, 1874. Its size was: Length, 263 ft .; 238 ft. keel; 43 ft. beam; 30 ft. hold; 4 masts; 2516 tons.
During the World War a ship was built by C. W. Goodnow and A. J. Smith, called Kennebunk, with four masts.
The Mitchell Garrison House
(Written by Mr. Wm. E. Barry, about 1900)
"At Kennebunk Lower Village (now belonging to the lately acquired Rogers estate) was built by John Mitchell in 1744-45. It is not known if the L part was first built or the main house. During the French and Indian Wars the building was protected by oaken palisades or pickets, two of which in recent years were found built into a barn or outbuilding on the place. The eastern room of the main house has a beaded ceiling and a quaint buffet (pronounced beaufay) in its corner with arched top, scalloped shelves and cupboard beneath. This was for the exhibition of best dishes. The house occupied a commanding site. And near by on the river was the ferry used by passing travelers in days gone by."
John Mitchell was one of the early settlers at the Lower Village. He came from York about 1740, bought 200 acres of land of Sir Wm. Pepperrell and built a garrison house near the present entrance to the Rogers estate described by Mr. Barry. He built a wharf nearby, the first on the river, and was a part owner in the first vessel built at the Port, also the first clerk of the Second Parish in Wells. Stackpole's "Old Kittery Families" gives a different record of his ancestors than Mr. Remich does. He had a large family and left many descendants (Saml. Mitch- ell of the Cat Mousam road and the builder of the first Mitchell mill was a son of his). About 1900 Wm. A. Rogers of Buffalo, N. Y., bought nearly all of the original estate and built a hand- some residence. He had the grounds landscaped and now has one of the finest on the New England Coast. The estate now
42
called Fairfields, was sold in 1936 to Col. Wm. Campbell of San- ford and Brookline, Mass.
John Mitchell was the son of Joseph and Joanna (Couch) Mitchell, born April 28, 1708, died April 3, 1799. He married Lydia, daughter of Saml. Sewell of York. She died June 8, 1770, aged 54. They had 13 children who have left many descendants.
Their children: Dummer, b. November 8, 1736, lived on Saco Road (two wives) ; Joanna, b. April 31, 1738, mar. Nathan Kim- ball; John, b. September 10, 1740, died in the Army, 1763; Sam- uel, b. December 20, 1742, mar. Mary Mitchell; Lydia, b. Novem- ember 13, 1744; Jotham, b. November 2, 1746, ancestor of Rev. William; Lucy, b. March 28, 1749; James, b. June 18, 1751; Ben- jamin, b. July 10, 1753; Mary, b. June 17, 1755, mar. Abram Hill; Daniel, b. January 18, 1757, mar. Sarah Titcomb; Eben- ezer, b. October 16, 1759; John, b. December 17, 1763.
Just beyond we cross an inlet of the Kennebunk River on the Stephen Harding bridge of 1936, named to commemorate Harding's memorable escape from the Indians. This is near the summer hotel of the late Isaac P. Gooch, the place made famous by Kenneth Roberts' book "Arundel." Just back of the beach were the bath houses of the late Edgar Towne, now removed and new ones built, where the summer residents of Kennebunkport come by boat, and about where the old ferry was in Colonial days.
THE SUBJECTS OF THESE PAPERS ARE ROADS
We have attempted to describe Summer Street and its continu- ation through the Landing, once the busiest part of the town in shipbuilding days. The shipyards. are now grown up to grass and the only business is an auto filling station. We followed the old post road by the lock of 1848 to 1867 to the Lower Village, by the site of John Mitchell's Garrison house to the Beach and the Ferry above the piers and are at the southeast corner of the town.
The old road of Colonial days was. called the King's High- way. It probably followed the back of the beach in the places where there was the least resistance, no doubt changing as the sea encroached on the shore. We will not attempt to give the route. Probably Great Hill once extended to the Point. The river is now at its third entrance to the sea that we know of.
43
The road from Wells over Clay Hill bridge was made a State road in 1932-33, making a good road from the west to Ken- nebunkport. We will not attempt to say when it was first laid out or when the first Clay Hill bridge was built. Probably not until shipbuilding was over on the Mousam.
Kennebunk Beach
A brief description of Kennebunk Beach will be all that we can give in these papers. A detailed history would be interesting, but is not available. We are now in the southeast corner of the town. As we go west we pass the Sagamore Hotel; the Narra- gansett, whose proprietor is a grandson of the pioneer Beach hotel keeper; then over a branch road leading to the Mineral Spring hotel; the Granite State House, past the first cottages of Edw. E. Bourne, Jr., and Jos. Dane; the Atlantis and the Eagle Rock, Hubbard's, Ramanascho Hall and soon reach the Dipsy Baths at the Two Acres where there was once a ship built, and which could once have been bought for a song, as the saying is. The King's Highway went over Great Hill, is in sight of River- hurst, the handsome residence of Mr. Henry Parsons; thence to Hart's Rock, the old entrance to Mousam River, now known as Crescent Surf, where many handsome houses have been erected; thence to Little River and the ferry to what is now the Town of Wells, and the southwest corner of Kennebunk. We will now go back to what was laid out in 1812 as an ancient highway. As we are going from the sea we soon pass the hotel of Owen Went- worth, the pioneer summer hotel keeper, and a little farther on is his old house of one and one-half stories where he entertained the first guests and later moved it; past the R. R. tracks and station of the Kennebunkport railroad which at one time carried many passengers; across the Wells road to Kennebunkport. The Larrabee Garrison is between the road and the river. Then to Summer Street, between the houses of George Wise and Joseph Sargent.
The description of Summer Street says that the road on the east side of Mousam River was an ancient highway; resur- veyed in 1812; it leaves Summer Street between the houses now owned by the heirs of Jos. Sargent and William W. Bunnell; fol- lowing its present course except for some straightening, this road has been improved and is now the best and the most direct road to either of the beaches. This road was probably one of the direct to the Larrabee Garrison. There was in 1860 on the west
44
side and a little below the gravel bed, a path from the top of the hill down across a deep gulley and across the factory pasture to Water Street and thence to Main Street. Mr. Remich says in a Paper written for a local organization that the settlers at Larrabee's and those living below them on the Sea Road, reached the Landing (on the Mousam), and the mills, by a path leading through what is now known as Wise pasture, the Factory woods, Remich's woodlot and field; thence across the old brickyard in Capt. Chas. Thompson's pasture (there was a good bridge of logs across the gully) and along the brow of the hill to the main road.
Questions: Where was the gully? Was the old brickyard mentioned the one near the Kimball shoe shop? Was the brow of the hill back of the Grove Street schoolhouse? It is a pity Mr. Remich did not make a rough map of the route.
Down the Sea Road
But to continue. Down the Sea Road on the right in 1860 was the house occupied by John Larrabee, a descendant of the builder of Larrabee Garrison which was nearer the river and where Mr. Barry placed a bronze tablet for a marker inscribed to mark the spot.
A description of the Larrabee Garrison will be found in the Chapter on Mousam River.
John Larrabee sold to Dr. F. M. Ross, who remodeled it for a summer residence. His heirs sold it in 1935 to W. W. Hen- derson.
A paper that I have seen says that nearly all who died in the Village before 1750 were buried in a graveyard near the garrison. In 1860, Frank Furbish lived nearly opposite John Larrabee; the farm is now occupied by his son, Horace B. Fur- bísh. The road passes the Pine Grove schoolhouse; thence across the road from Wells to Kennebunkport. On the left is the Web- hannet Golf links. Pass the Chas. Wentworth and English houses and down the hill is where in. 1883 the Kennebunkport Railroad tracks were located, with depot on the east side. Nearly up the hill on the west side is a one and one-half story house which was moved from the hotel site and belonged to Owen Wentworth, the pioneer hotel keeper of Kennebunk Beach. A volume might be written describing the development of the Beach from the time that E. E. Bourne, Jr., and Jos. Dane built their cottages, and the Sea Shore Co. purchased and developed the old rocky farms, but we will not attempt it.
45
CHAPTER IV
The Western Side of Mousam River to the Sea-The Turnpike High Street Houses on the Western Side about 1860-Biog- raphy of Maj. Nathaniel Cousens and Description of the House.
The road on the western side of the river was probably a path through the woods at an early date, but no road was laid out until 1796 when one came into the village on the west side of Jefferd's Tavern and was a part of what is now York and Day Streets, by the schoolhouse of 1934. Brown Street was laid out about 1843-4-5 by the Mousam Manf. Co. and is now the direct route. In 1860, there was no house on Brown Street west of Ivory Fernald's. The first house down the Sea Road was Worm- wood's, later Harriman's,-then two Bragdon houses-Fernald's, cross the brook at the top of the hill, turn left, then a lane lead- ing to the house of Abner Wormwood near the river; farther on Nathan Wells and his son, Nathan, with a large family. John Wells lived in a barn near the river. Across the Wells road Ivory Chick's from Wells Branch. He married the daughter of Joseph Wells. This is now Riverhurst, the estate of Henry Par- sons, who has relocated the roads and enlarged and improved the buildings.
Back to the hill below Fernald's and follow the straight road: One house on the left, nearly down to the Wells Road, a Mr. Kimball; below the Wells Road it wound through the woods to Hart's Beach, so called, and near the original mouth of the Mousam River, was the house of Henry Hart. This place was sold about 1870 to Charles Parsons. It is now known as Crescent Surf and many fine cottages have been built.
Little River was probably ferried or forded in Colonial times.
The Turnpike was built in 1803-4. It was mostly through a swamp, a corduroy road, the building of. which diverted travel from the Harriseekit road. Why it was not made straight to the intersection with the road from the beach we do not know, nor how far York Street then extended. In 1860 there were . only three houses west of Swan Streeet, and a brick powder house on the northwest side nearly over to the cemetery. Mt. Pleasant cemetery was incorporated in 1843. The Water Company laid
46
their pipes in 1894 and built a dam and pumping station at Branch River and house for their employees.
In 1865, there was a big woods fire; it burned on both sides of the Turnpike and by the side of Branch River to the Harri- seekit Road. The last day that it burned it came near the vil- lage.
In 1906, the electric road extended their line to York, on York Street to the woods, then a few rods above and parallel with the road to the Wells line. York Street and the Turnpike are now three lane cement roads with several filling stations on the way. In 1934, an airport was graded above the farther end.
High Street from the Village, to straighten Pleasant Street, laid out about 1800; was, in 1860, called the Sanford road and has several branching roads. On the left the first is the Harri- seekit road which was the old road to the lower part of the town; this branches to the left; straight on is the upper post road to Berwick, through the Branch.
The house built for the Acadians who were allotted to the Town of Wells about 1755 was on the upper side of the Post road to Berwick. There does not seem to be much record of them. Judge Bourne says their descendants became useful citizens; he also says the John Cooper Mitchell was a descendant. Mr. Remich does not agree with him. In the book, "The Village of Kennebunk" (page 41), in the names of the children of John Mitchell, Margaret should have been Mary.
The road was straightened and a new concrete bridge built about 1933. The first road to the right is the old Sanford Road, up by Day's, across the Railroad. There are old cellars and ruins of orchards on the way, showing traces of settler below the Railroad. A short distance up that road another turns to the right and intersects with the Cat Mousam road above the Railroad. In the woods between that road and High Street 1s an old burying ground where Deacon Obadiah Hatch, James. Mitchell and Hooker John Mitchell and others are buried. There are a few stones with inscriptions, more are only field stones. On the Sanford road were several families of Days. In 1887 a road was opened from the Sanford road to Webber Hill. A little beyond on the left is a road to Wells Branch, on which I have located the tragedy of the Furbish twins.
Some items of the western side of the river as it looked in 1860 when I first remember it: I will describe the location of
47
houses and some items of earlier and later date.
A description of the bridges, dams and manufactories will be found on pages 46 to 50 of "The Village of Kennebunk" and will not be repeated here.
Pleasant Street-River Side
Commencing on Pleasant Street at the Main Street bridge of 1830 and going west, on the river side, is the planked plat- form of the head gates of the Mousam Manf. Co.'s flume. It was not covered until a building was built by Capt. N. L. Thompson in 1869. The high water in the Spring of 1936 under- mined the buildiing and it was taken down. It had been used for store and barber shop; tenement in second story. The house just beyond, occupied in 1860 by Eben Huff, was the store of George Jefferds; moved across the street in 1827; afterwards remodeled by Chas. Sawyer. Next, Sam'l Kimball's house, moved from the Triangle by James Ross in 1823. Kimball had several daughters and one son. He was the miller part of the time. The house was later moved to the back side of Swan Street school- house.
Mark Ford lived in a two tenement house with Mr. Stanley in the other, part of the time.
There was a vacant lot to which was moved the store of John Cousens and fitted for tenements. The low wide house next was occupied by Simon Ross (Dr. Orren's father) built on the site of the news stand in 1793 by Caleb Burbank. At one time it was occupied by Thomas Cousens, and others. Vacant lots ".
A house was built by Edmund Lord on the site of one built by his father, Dominicus Lord. It was sold in 1855 to Rev. Ed- mund Worth, pastor of the Baptist Church, who occupied it until his death in 1895, aged 91. It is now owned and occupied by Mrs. Willis Hill, daughter of Ivory, and granddaughter of Edmund Lord.
The next was occupied by Judge E. E. Bourne. It was built by Richard Gilpatrick in 1825, after he sold his factory prop- erty. Judge Bourne's first wife was his daughter. Judge Bourne died September 23, 1873. After Judge Bourne's death the property was sold to Addison E. Haley. He died October 24, 1910 It is now owned by his daughters, Mrs. Walter Burke and. Miss Margaret Haley. Next, the one story house of Asa Ste- vens, now owned by Mark H. Ford's daughter, Mrs. Lillian Haw-
48
ley. Vacant lots on which handsome houses have been erected.
The house occupied by George Mendum (son of Nathaniel) in 1860 and whose wife was blind, was framed and boarded be- tween 1788 and 1790 by Nathaniel Cousens, Jr. Sold to and fin- ished by Judge Joseph Thomas, who resided there until his death in 1830. It is now owned by E. I. Downing. This is near where the path to the upper wading place left Pleasant Street, somewhere back of Mr. Downing's. Tradition says the Cousens burying ground was in the field now owned by Mrs. Frank Parsons. The next lot, probably part of the Ichabod Cousens farm, was that of Dr. Samuel Emerson. The house was built about 1798 and occupied by him until his death in 1851. It was sold in 1855 to Joseph Parsons, coming here from Kennebunkport, but a native of Alfred. He made aditions to the house and his son, Frank, the next owner, built a new barn. Frank's widow (who was Susan Bonser) now owns it.
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.