USA > Maine > Washington County > Dennysville > Memorial of the 100th anniversary of the settlement of Dennysville, Maine, 1886 > Part 6
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Mr. Sewall soon after left the little church for other fields of labor, and did not return again for many years. After the organization, the history of the church for eleven years is an utter blank. There is no record of any meetings, or any change in its membership. It is known, however, that meetings were held. Missionaries occa- sionally visited the settlement. The next record after the organiza- tion is dated December 8, 1816. Rev. Daniel Lovejoy preached, ad- ministered the sacrament, and received Mrs. Chloe Smith into mem-
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bership. The next entry in the records is as follows: - " The Rev. Abram Jackson, of Machias, visited the church at Dennysville, administered the sacrament, and Mary Kilby, Deborah Mayhew, and Nancy Wood were admitted into the communion and fellowship of the church by profession. No date is given; probably it was in 1812. During the first twenty years of the life of this church, only four persons were added to it.
In 1824, Rev. Plummer Chase came here as a missionary, and re- mained about a year. Fifteen were added to the church in 1825, doubling its membership. Two persons are still living who joined in that year, Mrs. Elizabeth Chickering, of Pembroke, and Mrs. Thompson Lincoln, of Perry. In 1826, four were added; in 1827, eight more were received. The missionary at this time was Rev. A. B. Church.
We have no knowledge of any officers of the church, till the year 1827. Under date of January 27th, 1827, there is this record: - " The members of the church met, agreeably to previous arrange- ment, at the house of Mr. E. Chickering, with a view to form some rules for the future management of their temporal concerns, and to choose officers to carry them into effect. Chose William Kilby, mod- erator; Benjamin R. Jones, clerk; William Kilby and Jonathan Reynolds, deacons; Bela Wilder, treasurer. Voted, that the sacra- ment be observed four times a year, alternating at Pennamaquan and Denny's River. Voted, to hold a conference meeting on the afternoon previous to each communion Sabbath. Voted, that each male member pay to the treasurer twenty-five cents each quarter, to constitute a fund to be at the disposal of the church.
For nearly twenty-five years after the organization of the church, there was no Sabbath school in the town. The first Sabbath school in the State was formed in Brunswick in 1810. The first Sabbath school in this town was organized May 31st, 1829. Deacon William Kilby was superintendent; Benjamin R. Jones, secretary and libra- rian; John Kilby, treasurer; teachers, Benjamin Foster, John Kilby, Solomon Foster, Isaac Eastman, John Mayhew, Eben Mayhew, Sally Lincoln, Caroline L. Jones, Amelia H. Jones, Mary Wilder,. Lydia Kilby, Hannah Wilder, Eliza Eastman. Only three of these persons are now living, Sally Lincoln (Mrs. Tinkham), Caroline L. Jones (Mrs. Thaxter), and Amelia H. Jones (Mrs. Foster).
In 1830, the church numbered thirty-eight members. Only three
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had died, Samuel Jones, Sally Kilby, and Deacon William Kilby. The memorable event of this year was the settlement of a pastor. Mr. Robert Crossett was called to become the pastor, October 16th, 1830. The call was accepted. The council for ordination met at the house of Ebenezer C. Wilder, on the evening of Nov. 2d. Rev. Wakefield Gale, of Eastport, was moderator; Rev. Calvin White, of Robbinston, was scribe. The ordination services were held at ten o'clock, November 3d. Rev. Wales Lewis, of Machias, preached the sermon. Rev. Wakefield Gale offered the ordaining prayer.
The church was now fully equipped with pastor and other officers, and a goodly number of members for its work of advancing the cause of Christ in its wide field of labor. The parish virtually ex- tended from Whiting to Robbinston. In the first year of Mr. Cros- sett's ministry, twenty-one persons were admitted to the church. In 1832, there were twenty-two admissions. In 1831, the monthly con- cert of prayer for missions was commenced, and in 1832, the church conference began to be held each month, and these two meetings have been held regularly till the present time. The first meetings, in 1801 and subsequently, were held in private houses or in the small schoolhouse near the lower bridge. The first schoolhouse that was built on the hill was intended in part for a meeting-house, and the meetings were held there. But the schoolhouse must have been incommodious and far too small for the meetings. It is not strange, then, that plans were formed in 1833 to build a meeting-house. This house in which we are now assembled was dedicated Nov. 18th, 1834. It is a plain but most substantial structure, and " beautiful for situation " on this sightly spot. It was no small undertaking for this little community to build this house; and great must have been the rejoicing of many hearts, when the people assembled here to dedicate this house to the worship of God. The sermon was preached by the pastor. The "Long Prayer " was offered by Rev. T. T. Stone, of East Machias. The church now had a local habita- tion. The church now numbered about one hundred names. The largest number added to it in any year is thirty-four. Many of the members lived in Pembroke. The pastor preached every fourth Sabbath in that village. The large township which was incorporated in 1818, was divided in 1832, the new town taking much the larger part of the territory and population. As the villages of Dennysville and Pembroke were five miles apart, it was thought best that the
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united church should become two bands. Accordingly, on the sev- enth of September, 1835, eighteen persons residing in Pembroke, asked for and received dismission from this church, in order to form a church in Pembroke.
Mr. Crossett resigned his pastorate August 21, 1842, having held the office twelve years. He was an able, earnest and instructive preacher, and a devoted and laborious pastor. He died in Cincin- nati in 1872, aged seventy-eight years.
For nearly two years the church was without a pastor. Mr. Josiah H. Stearns was called to the pastorate May 22, 1844. He was or- dained November 5, of that year. Rev. S. H. Keeler, of Calais, preached the sermon at the ordination. Until the year 1856, the prayer-meetings had usually been held in the schoolhouse. At this time the Academy building was for sale. It was purchased by indi- viduals, and the use of it given to the church for a vestry. It has proved to be as well adapted for a vestry, as if it had been planned and built for that purpose. Mr. Stearns resigned his charge April 11, 1857. He had previously received a call to the pastorate of the *Congregational church in Epping, N. H. He was a faithful, useful and successful pastor and teacher. Mr. Edward P. Baker com- menced his labors as acting pastor, August 1, 1857. During the first year of his ministry, thirty-three persons were added to the church. He was ordained as evangelist October 12th, 1858. The sermon was by Rev. E. P. Parker; prayer of ordination by Rev. S. H. Keeler. Mr. Baker closed his labors in July, 1860. Mr. Charles Whittier was called to the pastorate in September, 1860, and was ordained Novem- ber 12th, of that year. Sermon by Rev. S. H. Keeler; ordaining prayer by Rev. William Warren.
In 1862, the commodious and beautiful parsonage was built. It was a gift to the church from Deacon John Kilby and Mr. John Allan. Mr. Allan gave five hundred dollars, and Mr. Kilby gave the rest. The cost was about twenty-six hundred dollars, exclusive of the land. Deacon Kilby died in 1867, and by his will the church came into possession of a fund of two thousand three hundred and fifty dol- lars, the income of which to be applied to the support of the pastor. The church has had nine deacons, - William Kilby, Jonathan Rey- nolds, Bela Wilder, Benjamin Foster, John Kilby, Peter E. Vose, Charles Eastman, Eben A. Wilder, and Lyman K. Gardner.
The original creed of the church remained unchanged for seventy -
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five years. A new creed, in simpler language and form, was adopted in 1880. It is a fact worthy of mention, that millerism, spiritualism, and other isms that have come up from time to time, have scarcely touched this community. The people have generally accepted the great, cardinal truths of the Bible, and have been little interested in novel and transient speculations. The church here occupies a unique position. It is the only church the town has ever had within its borders. In a small community like this, it would be worse than folly to have more than one church. A church for a town must be essentially a union church. Such a church this has ever been. Baptists and Congregationalists united to form it. Its creed is in substantial harmony with the views of the great majority of Chris- tians. It invites to its fellowship all who give evidence, -by belief and work, - that they are one with Christ. In all the past century there has been no serious attempt to form another church here.
Dennysville is a very small town. Like Bethlehem of old, it is one of "the least of the thousands of Judah," but it has a name and reputation befitting a much larger place. May I not say that this good name that it has, -not only in the county, but in the state and even beyond, -is owing to good work done by our fathers. From an early period, they gave great prominence to the interests of education, morality, and religion. These interests have ever re- mained -strong and controlling- in forming the characters of the successive generations, and as we enter upon our second century, we carry with us this rich legacy of the past. As God was with our fathers, so may he be with us.
MUNICIPAL AND STATISTICAL HISTORY OF DENNYSVILLE.
BY P. E. VOSE, ESQ.
Mr. President : -
The Centennial Committee in the following program has given me a large task to perform. To do justice to all its parts, would require a great deal of research and time. The records too, in many respects, are very scanty. Very many matters of interest and importance in the history of the town are forever lost, because there was no scribe to write them down. But what I have been able to gather during the time allotted to me (without vouching for the correctness of all) I now impart to you, concerning "the municipal his- tory of the town, including the account of its incorporation and division to form the town of Pembroke, its population at the several decades, its wealth at the several decades, its town officers and representatives to the legislature, and other public officers, its doings in the war of the rebellion, including the names of those who served in the army and navy, their rank, etc., etc., and the genealogy of the leading families of the town."
Townships Numbers One and Two in the " East Division " of the then county of Lincoln, in the " District of Maine, " were conveyed by a committee appointed under a Resolve of the General Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts passed October 28th, 1783 - to General Benjamin Lincoln, two-fifths, Thomas Russell, two-fifths, and John Lowell, one-fifth.
Township Number One contained twenty thousand seven hundred and twenty-six acres, and Number Two twenty-nine thousand nine hundred and seventy-one acres. The date of the deed is March 7th, 1786, the consideration being £8,910 2s 6d "in the consolidated
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securities of the United States of America," which securities were worth at that time in the market, about " one shilling to the dollar."* The proprietors were also required by their deed to reserve one thou- sand seven hundred and sixty acres in all, in the two townships, for public uses, and to settle or cause to be settled on the townships, " ten families annually for the six next succeeding years," all of which conditions were faithfully complied with, and six thousand acres in the two townships were given by deeds for one hundred acres to each of sixty actual settlers.
On June 25th, 1789, the County of Washington, taken from the County of Lincoln, was incorporated, in which John Cooper Esquire, son of William Cooper Esquire, the long time town clerk of Boston, was soon after appointed the first high sheriff, and townships number one and two became a part of its territory.
How the inhabitants of township number two, from the date of its permanent settlement in 1786 until the close of the century, planned and arranged with reference to their public needs, such as religious worship, the establishment of schools, the making of high- ways, the care of the poor, etc., we do not know, having been unable to find any record whatever, respecting such matters, but we may reasonably conclude they were by no means left uncared for.
The municipal history of the township naturally divides into three periods -its organized plantation life, from 1800 to 1818, its existence as the town of Dennysville, from 1818 to 1832, and its history as Dennysville, separate from that portion of the original township which became the town of Pembroke, from 1832 until the present time.
We find no record of any organization of the township into a plantation. All we can gather is the record of the several plantation meetings, on separate and somewhat dilapidated sheets of paper, by the clerk, commencing with March 24th, 1800. On that day the meeting was organized at the house of Joseph Bridges, probably
*Apparently a small price for so much land. "Two of the proprietors were men of con- siderable estate ; but Lincoln held securities for services and costs during the war of the Revolution and had little beside. It was then so generally feared that these funds must soon become entirely worthless, that it seemed no such rash venture as it did afterward- the exchange of such property for these remote wild lands, then deemed of scarcely more prospective value than the funds parted with. As these securities were finally redeemed by the government, and as in 1786 money rated much higher in value than at this day probably more than twice as high, it will be seen that the price here stated was very far above the real value."-Ms. of Thomas Lincoln.
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near Ox Cove. Captain Theophilus Wilder was chosen moderator and William Kilby clerk, and Ebenezer C. Wilder, Nathan Preston, and John Clark assessors. One hundred dollars were raised for highways, and a committee of "eight people " were chosen to lay out roads, viz .: Nathan Preston, William Mayhew, Joseph Bridges, Edmund Mahar, Hatevil Leighton, Warren Gardner, Isaiah Hersey, and Abiah Damon. The annual meeting, March 9th, 1801, was held at the house of Joseph Bridges. At this meeting, Ebenezer C. Wilder, Hosea Smith, and John Clark were chosen assessors, one hundred dollars raised for roads and fifty dollars for bridges.
In 1802 the meeting was held at house of Jacob Bridges; assessors same as in 1801; William Kilby chosen treasurer; raised one hundred and fifty dollars for schools and chose Ebenezer C. Wilder, Joseph Bridges, Isaiah Hersey, Captain Theophilus Wilder, and Hatevil Leighton a committee to divide the plantation into school districts, and " voted that the men chosen as a committee should be the heads of the districts "; one hundred dollars raised for highways. At : meeting August 7th, same year, John Blossom was drawn a grand juror and Abiah Damon a petit juror. It was also voted at that meeting " that Hatevil Leighton should be turned out of being head of the class, and that John Clark should be head of the same class of school committee."
Meeting in 1803 at Joseph Bridges' house; Theodore Lincoln, William Kilby, and Nathan Preston, assessors; one hundred dollars for roads, in labor - man's labor one dollar per day and ox labor fifty cents.
In 1804, met at Joseph Bridges' house; Theodore Lincoln, William Kilby, and John Blossom, assessors, by written vote; one hundred and twenty dollars raised for highways.
In 1805, met at house of Joseph Bridges; Solomon Cushing, Bela Wilder, and Perez Hersey, assessors; one hundred and thirty dollars raised for roads. At this time money must have been difficult to raise and services rendered valuable, as the assessors agreed to pay the collector of taxes ten per cent, and the treasurer ten per cent. It is recorded that they chose George Stillman Smith register of deeds; whole number of votes thirty. Record of meeting for 1806 not full, but one hundred and thirty dollars was raised for roads. In 1807, Solo. Cushing, Ebenezer C. Wilder, and Perez Hersey were elected assessors ; Adna Hersey collector of taxes at seven per cent.
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It was voted that a new bridge be built across Dennys River Falls. Theodore Lincoln agreed to build it for thirty days' work.
On the 4th of April, 1807, the assessors made the following report: " The assessors, appointed a committee to lay out a road across " Lowell's Neck and likewise to examine the situation of the bridge " across Penmequan River in the county road, report that they have " attended to that business and have laid out said road, beginning at " the bounds between John Leighton's and John Clark's lot on " Penmequan road and running with the line between said lots to " the head of John Clark's lot ; thence across vacant land of the " proprietors and land of Edmund Mahar at the head of Mr. Dudley's "lot, on to the proprietor's vacant lot between Messrs. J. Dudley's " and Jas. Mahar's lots, and through the length of said lot to the " road before laid out; that they have given directions to Mr. William " Clark, highway surveyor, to proceed to expend the labor due from " Mr. Leighton on the same ; that they have examined the situation " of the aforesaid bridge and give it as their opinion that the place " pointed out by the inhabitants of Penmequan, viz., from a flat rock " a little below Crow's Brook, so called, is the most eligible situation " for said bridge, both for the accommodation of the adjacent settle- " ments and of travelers in general, particularly in facilitating the " passing the high hill on the opposite shore ; that the probable " expense will not be more than the cost of that now across Denny's " River; that the distance across, between each high water mark, is " one hundred and fifty feet; that the height from the bottom to the " lower side of the stringers must be seventeen feet."
SOLOMON CUSHING, EBENEZER C. WILDER, & Committee. PEREZ HEARSEY,
The above report is in Mr. Cushing's handwriting.
In 1808 the meeting was held at house of Abraham Bridges; a vote was passed to lay out the county road four rods wide, and the town roads three rods.
The meeting in 1809, was held at the house of Joseph Bridges, and chose James Mahar, John Leighton, and Bela Wilder a committee to lay out a road across Penmaquan Neck.
The meeting in 1810, was held at the house of Joseph Bridges, and Theodore Lincoln, E. C. Wilder, and Wm. Kilby, were chosen assessors, and Caleb Hersey, collector, at six per cent.
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The annual meeting in 1811, at Joseph Bridges' house; same assessors were chosen as in 1810.
Up to this time, all the plantation meetings had been held in the houses of Joseph, Jacob, and Abraham Bridges - generally at the house of Joseph. How the citizens would have managed for a suit- able and convenient place to hold their meetings from year to year, had it not been for these "three, three, three Bridgeses," we cannot tell.
Joseph Bridges, who came in the company of the first settlers, May 17, 1786, was a native of York, Maine, whose wife was Polly Moody. They had sons, Abraham, John, Jacob, Isaac, Thomas, and William. Abraham, son of Abraham, son of Joseph and Polly, is living in Marion, in the ninety-second year of his age. Among the children of John, son of Joseph, were Otis L. Bridges, who was at one time attorney-general of Maine, and Sarah Jane, wife of Joseph Newmarch Prescott - parents of Harriet Prescott Spofford.
In 1812 the annual meeting was held at the house of Samuel Leighton, but in 1813 and thereafter, a school-house was the annual place of meeting; but there is no record of any money having been raised in plantation meeting for any such purpose as to build a school-house. In all the years during which plantation meetings were held-from 1800 to 1818-only one vote was passed to raise money for the support of schools, viz. : one hundred and fifty dollars in 1802, and none for building school-houses. But, inasmuch as there were chosen at the meeting in 1802 a large committee of prominent citizens to divide the plantation into school districts and to be heads of the districts, we may feel assured that the interests of education were not neglected. I think the first school-house of much account in this village of Dennysville, built where the meeting- house now stands " for a place of worship and a school-house," was the property of private persons, who purchased the land on which it was erected of Theo. Lincoln Esquire during or before the year 1817. Perhaps other school-houses were built and schools supported by the liberality of the people as individuals. The meeting in 1814 was held in a school-house, and chose Theo. Lincoln, Eben. C. Wilder, Wm. Kilby, assessors. It was voted to accept the proposalc of Theo. Lincoln for filling up the piers of the bridge across the Dock, so called. Twenty-three votes were cast for Caleb Strong for governor, and thirteen for Samuel Dexter. Monday, May 20th,
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1816, the plantation voted on the question of the separation of the District of Maine from Massachusetts. The whole number of votes was sixty, largely I think in opposition, but the record is blotted.
The plantation was increasing in population and importance, and the people began to desire a town organization. At the annual meeting in 1817, Eben. C. Wilder, Wm. Kilby, and Zenas Wilder Jr. were chosen assessors. And it was then voted, " that the assessors should have power to warn the inhabitants at a convenient time, to see whether they would agree to petition for a corporation." It was also " voted, that the assessors should put into the warrant to see whether any, or what part of plantation Number Ten, would be glad to join with us in being incorporated with us."
At a meeting soon after called, in pursuance of the votes passed at the annual meeting in 1817, a vote was passed in "favor of being incorporated into a town." A committee of five was then chosen to draw up a petition, and send it to the General Court, for an act of incorporation. The committee consisted of Solo. Cushing, Benj. R. Jones, and the board of assessors, viz. : Eben. C. Wilder, William Kilby, Zenas Wilder Jr. It was voted that in " case of an incorpo- ration the town should be called Dennysville." Also "voted, that the committee are authorized to take in such part of Number Ten as they shall think proper."
This meeting was, doubtless, the last one held in the plantation. In all the annual meetings of the plantation, from 1800 to 1817, Captain Theophilus Wilder presided as moderator, and William Kilby was the only clerk. William Kilby and Eben. C. Wilder were the treasurers. The assessors were Eben. C. Wilder twelve years, Nathan Preston two years, John Clark three years, Hosea Smith two years, Theo. Lincoln eight years, William Kilby ten years, John Blossom one year, Solomon Cushing two years, Bela Wilder one year, Perez Hersey two years, and Zenas Wilder Jr. two years .. The valuation of the improved real estate and the personal estate of the plantation in 1803, was twenty-six thousand three hundred and fifty-nine dollars, and of the wild lands, fifteen thousand and eighty- three dollars-in all, forty-one thousand four hundred and forty- two dollars; number of polls, sixty-five. Valuation of 1808: Total, fifty-one thousand one hundred and sixty-eight dollars ; number of polls, eighty-one. In 1818, the whole tax list was three hundred forty-seven dollars and seventy-five cents; number of polls, one hundred and thirty-two.
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At this time, or a little before, there was a property test, and no one could vote unless he had real estate of the rental value of ten dollars a year, or other property amounting to two hundred dollars. Tradition says that one of the young men above named became of age shortly before election day in 1812. His vote was wanted, but he suggested that being just out of his time and without property, he did not see how he had a right to vote. But the assessors said, " Why, of course Daniel has a right to vote; he has got his clothes and his watch, and of course a young man like him is worth two hundred dollars." So his name was put on the list.
The petition of the committee for act of incorporation reads thus : -
To the Honorable Senate & House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, in General Court Assembled.
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