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 6
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the blueberries grew and the wild pigeons were plenty ... years ago. Farther up, the road connects with the Sanford Road from Kennebunk Village, through the Day Neighborhood.
The Alfred Road or the Extension of Storer Street
The original road was Storer Street, that being the direct .. route from the Upper mills to the boat landing on Mousam River. Fletcher Street was laid out in 1797. Very near the intersection was the butchering establishment of N. N. Wiggin & Son. Later it was operated by his son, Parker C. Wiggin. The senior Wiggin . came from Dover, N. H., about 1830. He died April 1, 1860, aged 70 years. His son, N. N. Wiggin built a dwelling house !
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and slaughter house on the west side about 1858. It was sold soon after to Edmund Warren, occupied later by O. P. Griffin and W. S. Marsh.
P. C. Wiggin built a new house in 1888; sold after his death to Herbert Hall.
Alva Hill built the next above about the same time. The Parson Fletcher farm was on both sides of the road. Its history is:
Rev. Nathaniel Hill Fletcher was born in Boxborough, Mass., in 1769, and graduated from Harvard College in 1793. He came to Kennebunk as a school teacher. Rev. Mr. Little's health fail- ing, he was chosen as his successor. He was married January 1, 1801, to Sally, daughter of John Storer of Wells. This story is told: A short time after the wedding a number of her father's family came to see Mrs. Fletcher and their new relation, her hus- band. When tea was ready, Parson Fletcher was called in; after he entered, he said abruptly: "When I married my wife I did not think that I had married the whole family." They immediately got up, harnessed their horse and started for home.
When he built his barn he would not have the ridgepole spliced. I heard my father say that his father hauled a stick of timber from Sanford, 60 ft. long, for it. I have heard that when the barn was raised he had a wash tub of sweetened rum and water. His farm then extended on the west side to the George Perkins farm. His intervale was then larger as the dam had not been raised.
In a heavy rain storm in March, 1864, the road gullied near the Ross road-approximately 85x52x19 feet, nearly filling the river channel. I could easily wade across that summer. It was filled with sand from the Fletcher farm, then owned by N. Dane, Jr.
Daniel Perkins had not bought then. His father, George, lived in what was known as the Black House. A little beyond was a part of the old Perkins farmhouse, formerly occupied by Ezra Perkins; in 1860, by David Drawbridge, now by his grand- son, Charles Chesley.
A little beyond the road forks, the right one goes to Alewive.
On the road from the Alfred road to Alewive, just beyond Oliver Perkins', was the old Training field of the early days. Later the Training field was on the Alfred road opposite Oliver Perkins' house. It was here that the Home guards drilled July
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4, 1861,-and there was a large crowd.
The left was, in the old days the direct road to Alfred, through West Kennebunk. The trotting park was built about 1890. The first road to the left below the R. R. goes to Mitchell's mill, now the Kesslen Shoe shop. About all we know is told in the chapter, "Mousam River."
In the saw mill there, April 22, 1850, Alpheus T. Noble, then about 25 years old, was caught between a belt and pulley and carried around a shaft many times. It broke one of his arms, both of his legs and his hip joint; he was always lame.
Kennebunk Depot
Mr. Remich says in one of his Papers that there were five dwelling houses and a grist mill there in 1820. That was before the R. R. It was called Kennebunk Depot for many years. It is now the Eastern Division of the B. & M., but it is called West Kennebunk. The P. S. & P R. R. of 1840-41 made many changes there. I have been told that from the highway bridge at night can be seen the headlight of the engine at North Berwick. The engines of those days were wood burners and it made a large sale for pitch pine wood. A large number of men were employed with buck saws. The power circular saw was some years later. One man pumped water all of the time.
About 1869 and some years later, there was a restaurant. Cars stopped ten minutes for refreshment. The running time to Boston then was about four hours. George Moore operated the restaurant. Saml. Mitchell was the first station agent. He was a son of Robert and grandson of Saml., of Cat Mousam Road. He had lived a few years at the Village when he built the house now the Congregational parsonage. After his return to the Depot he built the large two-story house just below the station. He died in the fall of 1854. I was at the funeral; he was a first cousin of my father. He was succeeded by Ivory Littlefield, which posi- tion he held until 1902. He also kept a country store. After the building of the R. R., Ithama Littlefield did the first trucking for the stores at the Village. He was succeeded by James Littlefield and he by John Wakefield, who did nearly all of it until 1872 when the B. & M. at the Village got the freight and Wm. Ricker was the truckman.
The coal-burning engines made short stops and the increased speed of the train put the restaurant out of commission. Dur- ing the Civil War all of the soldiers from Maine went through
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Kennebunk Depot. In the early days of the war the schools were dismissed that the children might see the soldiers. I saw the first regiment that passed through. It was May 15, 1861, the 2nd Maine Regiment, Col. Jamison of Bangor. They were in 15 cars. The 1st Regiment was not quite ready, and the 2nd went first. I saw several others pass through and a few return. In the early days of the war there was a company of oldish men who used to drill on the old training field in front of Oliver Per- kins', also on July 4, 1861-62, Col. Wakefield, drillmaster. I re- member quite a crowd July 4th.
There were several R. R. accidents near here in the early days. Probably the worst happened December 20, 1873. A long freight train with two engines bound west was stalled in a north- east snow storm a little west of Kennebunk River. They sent one of the engines to Kennebunk Depot to notify and warn the down evening passenger train of their trouble. The engineer left word at the depot to hold the train, and then went back. Some- body blundered. The passenger train went on and the trains could not pass on one track going in opposite directions. There was a bad wreck and several killed. I do not remember the ver- dict of the coroner's jury. (J. W. Sargent of Kennebunk was coroner.) November 22, 1854, there were 22 tons of poultry shipped from Kennebunk Depot (probably nearly all turkeys).
The Methodist Church was built in 1868. Oliver Perkins, Sen., lost both arms November 17, 1854, while in the act of load- ing a cannon at the funeral of Gen. Wm. Frost of Sanford.
The first road to the right goes through Lower Alewive and across Kennebunk River and parallel with the R. R. to Bidde- ford. In the old days the road to the Cat Mill was the one far- thest up, running near the house of John Gillpatrick, Jr., to the Mill road, straightened about 1856. The house was built in 1755, destroyed by fire October 13, 1912.
There are three brick houses on the Alfred road built by John Treadwell, Charles Holland and Capt. Joshua Treadwell. There used to be a brick yard on Alewive Brook. On arriving at School District No. 10, there are three roads: the left to the Old Falls and beyond this the traveler can go to Sanford or to Alfred by the Mouse Lane road. The middle road was the old direct road to Alfred, and the right hand road was to Lyman and conecting with the branch across to the Grange Hall. It was a long, long road to Alfred after the 7 P. M. train from Boston
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reached Kennebunk Depot, especially in a northeast snow storm -and the mail had to go. All of the ship timber from the back towns was hauled with ox teams down this road.
Alewive Road-East
A little beyond Charles Chesley's, the right hand road goes to Alewive. A short distance up on the right are a number of small houses now known as Little Canada. There is a swamp between this road and the one near the Kennebunk River called Punky Swamp, only used when frozen in the winter. This road is now the direct road to Alfred through Upper Alewive to the Grange Hall, thence to the right across the Kennebunk River. It was straightened about 1933 and a cement bridge built. From there over to the Jackson schoolhouse and the cement road from Biddeford to Alfred, through Raccoon Gully and out by the jail.
But above Little Canada we soon reach the R. R. bridge; a short distance beyond the road connects with the road from West Kennebunk. In 1752, a grant of 600 acres of land was made to Caleb Littlefield and Co. and soon after was developed the finest farms in the town. The farmers of those days went a long dis- tance with their ox teams. February 26, 1830, Mr. Joshua Thompson of Alewive was killed near Portland. His ox team got out of control going down a hill; he fell and the wheel went over his chest. He had two sons, who in after life became sail- ors and master mariners.
There was a dam and saw mill on Alewive Brook in the early days. I haven't names or dates. In 1873 James Smith re- built the dam and built a saw mill which he operated for several years. June 29, 1889, he fell on a saw and was killed. It was later sold to Edmund Warren. Now all are gone, dam and mill. A little beyond Alewive Brook the road branches, one road over and across the road from Bartlett's Mill to that leading into Kennebunkport, the other to Upper Alewive. The road from Bartlett's probably was used more in the early days. Its set- tlers were Ross, Larrabee, Shackley, Peabody and others. Be- tween the roads in the early days was the farm of Capt., after- ward Major, Sam. Waterhouse. At the corner of the road to Bartlett's was the greenhouse of Frank Emmons. The names of Emmons, Smith, Walker, Ross, Jacobs (now the summer home of John W. Coombs), Taylor, Kimball, Titcomb, and many others- some owned by descendants, other by strangers to the town.
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Benj. Lord was an early settler. He bought a farm and built a house some rods from the road, later owned by his grand- son, Rufus Smith. Benj. had a son, Jeremiah, born in 1782, who, in early life was a sailor. In 1805, while on board a Ken- nebunk ship, called the Olive Branch, bound from Nantez to Ca- diz, he was impressed on board an English frigate of 32 guns be- longing to the fleet under Lord Nelson then stationed off Cadiz, waiting for the French and Spanish fleets to put to sea. On the 21st of October, 1805, was fought the renowned naval battle of Trafalgar. As no ship of less than 64 guns was admitted in the line of battle the duty of this frigate was to assist disabled ships. After the action was over, this vessel being uninjured and a rapid sailer, was detailed from the fleet to convey to England news of the victory and death of Lord Nelson. A few days after the frigate arrived at Plymouth the American consul there re- leased Mr. Lord from his impressment of nine week and two days and he was restored to the ship from which he was origi- nally taken. Mr. Lord was one of the selectmen 1821-1827, in- clusive. He died March 28, 1858, aged 75 years. He has de- scendants now living in Kennebunk.
The road straight up leads to Lyman. The Grange Hall is on the corner of the road by Day's Mill . One perhaps one-half mile below into North Kennebunkport.
About 1775, Benj. Titcomb purchased a large farm on the shore of Alewive pond. He was one of the selectmen for 30 years and his son, grandson and great grandson have each held that office.
Eastern Boundary
The eastern boundary of Kennebunk is the Kennebunk River which rises in Kennebunk pond in Lyman. The pond has two outlets which join a few miles down. It flows between the two towns and enters the ocean at the piers. Just back of the beach was the ferry of the King's highway. At Kennebunkport the present bridge was formerly a toll bridge. The channel was dredged a few years ago. The history of the Lower Village would be interesting. Something of it can be found in Capt. Chas. Bradbury's History of Kennebunkport (Kennebunk Library for reference.)
There has been much shipbuilding at the Lower Village, each side of the river. All of the ships built at the Landing went down to the Port and were rigged and ballasted and sailed, and
THE "OLD BRICK" AND MOUSAM HOUSE
The first brick building erected in Kennebunk. Built by Water- ston and Pray in 1806. Length of building is shown by balustrade. The wooden annex on east end was built in 1825 by Daniel Wise, Jr., and opened as the Mousam House by Jonathan Stone of Ken- nebunkport. It was continued as a hotel until April 10, 1861, when Mr. B. F. Goodwin, the then proprietor, moved his business to Jef- ferds Tavern. The "Old Brick" and hotel were destroyed by fire, De- cember 3, 1869. Complete description appears on another page.
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but few of them ever returned. The R. R. built an extension there in 1883 and there have been many river carnivals. It is now a favorite summer resort. The lock has been described. Durrell's bridge. The shipbuilding at the Landing, once a busy place, with seven ship yards, now has a auto filling station.
The road through the village or the upper road to Saco and the east, crosses the river at what used to be called Littlefield's Mill, now known as Bartett's, which was a busy place in the early history of the town. There are three dams and in the early days there was a road by the side of the river to tide water.
The Boston and Maine R. R. extension of 1871-2 is a little below. There is now a cement bridge and a three-lane cement road beyond. The next crossing is the old P. S. & P. R. R. bridge of 1841-42, and a little above that is a bridge from Lower Alewive toward Biddeford and the so-called Mountain Road. The next from Upper Alewive toward North Chapel. The next near the upper end of the town goes from the Grange Hall toward Goodwins Mills. The road was straightened and a con- crete bridge built about 1933.
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CHAPTER VI
The Mousam River-Its Different Channels-Shipbuilding on the Mousam-The Larrabee Garrison-Mitchell's Mill-The Twine Mill-Cat Mousam Mill-Origin of the Name.
Mousam River, Kennebunk, and Shipbuilding on the Mousam
I will try in perhaps a crude way to describe what I have seen of it and the information that I have obtained from local historical Papers, and my own observations.
It is about 222 miles long. It rises in Mousam pond, north of Sanford. It takes its name from the Indian name of the town of Sanford, "Mousam." It flows through Springvale and South Sanford where it is joined by two large tributaries, one from Shaker pond and one from North Alfred. Thence through about the center of the town of Kennebunk to the Atlantic Ocean.
Its mouth was originally just east of Hart's Rocks where it had flowed no doubt long before the visit of the Norsemen to these shores. This was near the ferry and wading place of the King's highway from Portsmouth to Portland; thence back and near the beach, perhaps a mile to the present channel, from Clay Hill bridge to the ocean; there it turned nearly at right angles and went a more or less crooked channel to the Village of Ken- nebunk, nearly three miles. This was the route of the small coasters that brought the machinery and supplies for Sayward's Mill, 1672-73, and carried to market the sawed lumber.
The Larrabee Settlement and Garrison
(Picture in Bourne's History)
March 26, 1713, the town granted to Wm. Larrabee, Sen., 100 acres of upland on the northeast side of Mousam River which was laid out the twenty-seventh of the following October. This was the initiatory step in the formation of the Larrabee village where was built the garrison described by Jurge Bourne as fol- lows: "It covered an acre of ground. Timber was abundant and close at hand. The walls were of large square timbers about 14 ft. high. The structure was in the form of a parallelogram, fac- ing southeast. Within the walls were five houses. In this entire
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structure exclusive of the dwelling houses must have been at least 13,000 cubic feet of lumber. It was probably built near the time of the Lovewell war, which was June, 1722 - Dec., 1725." It was not far from where was later the tracks of the Kenne- bunkport railroad and on its site is the bronze tablet erected by Mr. William Barry. In or near this garrison were frequently gathered all the inhabitants of Kennebunk together with other persons (sometimes over 200) driven by the exigencies of war for the preservation of their lives. I have seen it stated that previous to 1750 nearly all persons who died in the village were buried near the garrison.
......
Shipbuilding on the Mousam River
... ...
Judge Bourne's History, pages 571-72, says that shipbuilding began at the Larrabee settlement. No date given. The first ves- sel that was put up on the river was a small one by John But- land for a gentleman of Newburyport. Neither historian gives date. She was built a little below the fort. After this, he built six or seven for men in Boston, Salem and Newburyport. At some time during the Revolution, he built a large ship as she was called in those days, designed as a Letter of Marque or Pri- vateer for Sam'l Coffin of Newburyport. She was about 240 tons and was pierced for 14 guns. I have no record of her as a pri- vateer. Before this, vessels had been built up the stream at the foot of the falls. More than 20 vessels-brigs, schooners and sloops-were launched from the yards on both sides of the river, from this period to the time shipbuilding ceased on the Mousam River. We have no record of whether they were fully rigged before sailing or towed to some other port for that. There is mention in one place of a ropewalk near the marsh, but no de- scription; if there was they were probably rigged before leaving.
We have attempted to describe briefly the old channel of the river and the first shipbuilding. The river was very crooked and there was a sand-bar at the mouth which prevented the entrance of any but small vessels.
After shipbuilding was transferred to the Kennebunk River, the merchants of Kennebunk decided to try and improve the river and regain the trade and shipbuilding on the Mousam. A peti- tion was presented to the General Court, 1792 (see Bourne page 573). A corporation was formed under the name of the Pro-
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prietors of the Mousam Canal, with power to demand toll on all lumber passing out of the river. In 1793, a survey was made and it was decided to attempt an outlet at the western end of Great Hill. A contract was made with Nathaniel Spinney, who lived on the Neck, to build the dam and make the channel. The dam was erected, the canal excavated to nearly low water mark, but a severe storm came on and the dam was carried away. The river immediately resumed its old channel and the new one filled up and Spinney refused to fulfill his contract. The com- pany changed their plans and decided to attempt it on the east- ern side of Great Hill. Richard Gillpatrick contracted to build the new canal. The dam was rebuilt, but the survey was inade- quate to the necessities of the work. A ledge was encountered which extended a great part of the distance and there were no funds to remove it, but the water was let in and it was left for 50 years. The first vessel which went through the new canal was a schooner belonging to Theodore Lyman, February 1, 1794. About this time John Butland built a large ship for Joseph and Clement Stone. It was with difficulty and expense that she was got to sea. A vessel was soon after built on Two Acres.
We do not know the way that travelers went after the dam was built at Hart's. Great Hill was then on the western side of the river. Stony Bridge probably was soon built. When Clay Hill bridge was built is uncertain. Question: Was there a bridge over the new channel?
After the incorporation of the Mousam Manf. Co. at the Village (the old cotton mill) another attempt was made to im- prove the channel of the river. The raw material of the mill came to Kennebunkport. Manufactured goods were shipped from there. Goods for the stores came there. It was a distance of four miles and the expense of freighting was considerable, prob- ably by ox teams.
After considerable discussion a vote was passed at the An- nual Town Meeting, 1846 (unanimously), approving the same. A petition was made to the Legislature for a charter, which was granted to the Mousam Navigation Co., and was accepted July 30, 1846. But action evidently was not done in a very business like way. A layer of turf and roots was discovered and many were in too much of a hurry to see the water flow in the new channel. It was finally opened November 5, 1846, but was not a success. And only a passage for small boats was obtained.
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Charles Parsons built a wharf near the mouth of the river, west side in 1882. It was only used for a few loads of wood.
I think that there has been no bridge below the Clay Hill since the last channel was opened. It was many years before the channel of 1793 was completely closed on the top of the beach. When I first went to the eastern side in the late 1850's passage could not be had to the Point until the tide was about half way out. There was a swift current in the old river channel. This filled a few years later
Excursions Down River Were Popular
As we go up the river from the Larrabee Garrison, we come to the Boston and Maine R. R. bridge, built in 1871-2, before reaching the boat-landing. There used to be a fish-house on the east bank, I think, a little above the bridge. There used to be a great deal of fishing from the Mousam. But what we would like to know is where was the big stump? Was it near the fish-house, or up nearer what we call the Island? It seems from Mr. Rem- ich's History that excursions down the river to the beach were popular and that large parties went on the 4th of July and other occasions. The gondolas which had been used to carry lumber to the vessels were still in existence. The beach was free to all. Now there are only a few small boats, perhaps a few motorboats. The question now is, how far did Water Street extend in those days? Was it a town road to the big stump, or a private way? And where was the channel of the Mousam River?
I am going to repeat here what was said in "The Village of Kennebunk," which was quoted from a book of Mr. Barry's: "But is there aught of interest concerning the small inlet crossed by a bridge just abreast the west side of the Island and with the sunken land beyond. I am reminded by it of some earlier river channel. Truly so, Friend. You shall hear that one of our former aged residents once assured me that long ago when his grandparent. was a youth, a great freshet caused the stream which then flowed in a loop far around in the pasture yonder. Then ye river began to force a passage for itself through the narrow neck of land at the extreme west side. This, the people seeing, were pleased with and aided the stream and a new chan- nel was formed." Question: "What was the date?
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Old River Bed
Anyone familiar with the land before and after the Leather- board mill was built could trace an old river-bed below the hill where was a bridge across the inlet, then through the swamp to and east of the Kimball shop, then close to the bank back of Charles Kelley's; thence across the extension of Grove street to Water Street, near the boiler house, across Water Street diag- onally to back side of the Waterproof building, and over to near the west bank. The hill in 1860 went to the east channel. The histories say that there was no island in 1770 when a dam was built at the head of tide-water. That it was not then an island but a neck of land from the mainland. A grist mill was built and there was an iron factory. The freshet of 1785 destroyed the dam, and it was not rebuilt.
In 1876, a channel by the side of the flume ran straight to the lower side of the island and the present channel on the west side was then making an island. When the Leatherboard race- way was deepened the material was dumped back of the mill in the then east channel and its upper end was filled up.
The first unit of the Leatheroid (Island Plant) was built in 1884. Additions were made in different years. Ice houses were built. In 1910, the ice pond was excavated. Teams were hired, scrapers bought and the ice pond built under my supervision. (G. A. G.) I found in one place near the lower end fresh grass-sods covered with about three feet of sand and gravel.
This describes the river up to the Village as well as can be done now. There are many things that we don't know. Water Street is now discontinued below the building that was the Leath- eroid Paint Shop in 1885; all below is private.
The banks of the river were heavily wooded. There were heavy pine woods in the Factory Pasture and in Remich's and Capt. Jos. Hatch's. The Factory woods were cut in 1864. They had been sold to Jos. Dane and Saml. Clark. The logs were sawed at the mill on the lower dam on Water Street.
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