USA > Maine > Piscataquis County > Dover-Foxcroft > Old Foxcroft, Maine : traditions and memories, with family records > Part 6
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A man of the keenest intellect, his professional zeal and industry were seldom, if ever, surpassed. He attained a high position as counsellor and as an advocate in the courts. He loved the law in its every phase, and before the jury, or court sitting in Chamber, his classical eloquence and splendid oratory, established his success. A strong Republican, he deserted his party once, to vote for Horace Greeley. I recall it well, and the scathing rebuke, he received from the lips of my father, Col. Lowell, a life-long friend and member of the same profession. (Col. Lowell had come from his adopted state of Louisiana to stump through his native state in behalf of his one time military colleague, General and (then) President Grant.) Mr. Lebroke was generous, acknowledged his short coming, and returned to the Republican ranks; his important services were properly recognized.
He was a valued member of the Maine Legislature, where he often met in debate, Maine's adored son, the Hon. James G. Blaine; and well were they matched! He served "old Foxcroft" in many important local offices and often. An honored member of the I.O.O.F. "he loved its principles with all the intensity" of his extremely intense nature.
He passed from his labors on the morning of July 19, 1889.
Mrs. Sarah J. his wife d. May 19, 1928.
At a Town Meeting held 1825-Feb. 19:
"10th. Voted to hold town meetings at school house in district No. 1. for the future.
12th. Voted to pay our town tax with grain and corn-wheat at $1.00 and Rye and Corn at four shillings, per bushel if paid in to the treasuryer before the first of feb, and Money after.
Voted to put up the Collectorship to the lowest bider and was bid off by Samuel Perce at seven cents and a half on the Dollar, failed every Bondsman and was sot a second time and was bid off by Thatcher Blake at ten cents on the Dollar. Asaph Howard and Cyrus Holmes Bondamen. Voted to Desolve this meeting."
But little can be established about the Richard K. Rices. It is re- corded, that, as early as 1820, he built a fulling and cloth dressing mill in Mt. Vernon Maine; and that after a few years he was succeeded by his brother Nathaniel. It is probable, that the family came to Maine from N. H. and may be descendants of Thomas Rice. Where and how, Richard K. Rice passed the years, between disposing of his mill and 1827, when he came to Foxcroft, has not been definitely determined.
His wife's name was Mary B, and their children: Richard Henry, b. Sept. 1827; Joseph Burton, b. Dec. 25, 1829; True P., b. Mch. 17. 1832.
Mr. Rice's record is that of a good business man, honest and indus-
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trious, high minded and public spirited. He endeavored to establish several industries in "old Foxcroft", but seemed lacking in concentra- tion and perseverance, though desirous, at all times, of having "many irons in the fire".
If the Mt. Vernon records are credible, then Mr. Rice must have been a man of forty or more years of age when he came here. There are some indications that he may have received a college training. He was several times on the board of Selectmen, school committee, a member of the board of Trustees of Foxcroft Academy and Register of Deeds. Among his business enterprises were the second fulling mill, oil mill, and real estate.
In the spring of 1832 he purchased of Peleg Chandler and Samuel Garnsey of Bangor, the lot, on which is now located, the Congregational Church. At that time the house standing there, was the old Medar house. In 1835, Mr. Rice sold the place,-" a certain messuage with ap- purtances to Moses Swett", and moved to the new house, Nathaniel Chamberlain had been erecting for him, now, my own residence. Mr. Rice sold to Timothy Hardin Chamberlain and moved to Dover.
Equally unsatisfactory, is it to assemble data, relative to our Civil War Congressman, Hon. John H. Rice. He also came from Mt. Ver- non Maine but what, if any, was his relationship to R. K. Rice, at pres- ent, is mere conjecture. John Hovey Rice was b. in Mt. Vernon Me. Feb. 5, 1816. He received a common school education, but, at the age of sixteen, was allowed to accept a clerkship in the Registry of Deeds at Augusta, in the meantime reading law in an office. In 1838, he de- cided to cast his fortunes, among the hardy pioneers of the infant Pis- cataquis County, locating at Monson. Ever a loyal Republican, he was sent as a delegate to the first Republican Convention at Phila. 1856. In 1858 Mr. Rice moved to Foxcroft, to the office of Hon. Chas. P. Chandler, who died a few months before. In 1861 a partnership was formed of Rice and Lowell, young Lowell being a son-in-law of Esq. Chandler. That year Mr. Rice was elected to Congress, from the still sturdy fourth district, for three terms; coming perhaps at the most try- ing period in our history, that of the Civil War. He served us and re- tired in 1867. In that year he was appointed collector of the port of Bangor, having already moved his family there. Mr. Rice m. Grace Elizabeth Burleigh in 1847. They had three children; F. Willis, Anna and Mary. Mrs. Rice d. 1898. Mr. Rice d. Mar. 14, 1911.
Soon after he came to Foxcroft, Mr. Rice established his home in the Ivory Jordan house. Later, moving to the now known, Pillsbury house, on Main St. west.
On the site of the two family house on Lincoln St., now the residence of Mrs. Annie Emery, there stood, in 1827, a small one story building known for many years as the Young house. To this house in 1830 came, from Cambridge Maine, Mr. William Mayhew Jr., his wife, the
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former Miss Anna Packard, and a family of ten children. Mr. Mayhew was the son of William* and Joanna Mayhew of Buckfield, old friends of our citizens, Nathaniel, Daniel and Moses Buck. William*Sr. was a Revolutionary War soldier. Mr. Wm. Mayhew purchased of Salmon Holmes, the Thomas Wentworth farm, on which he, Wentworth, had made an opening and erected a house. Mr. Wentworth had moved to lot 17 in the 6th range. Moses Buck had moved in from Buckfield in 1825 and started an opening on lot #16 in the 7th range, opposite the road down Gray Hill (so called). He erected a house and in 1826 moved his family, consisting of his wife, the former Miss Sally Landor, dau. of Edmund and Hannah (Seabury) Landor of Minot, and cousin of Mrs. Nathaniel Buck, and nine children to it.
Moses later moved to New York State. But the arrival in that neighborhood of the Buck family, and also Moses Weston on the Hos- mer farm, persuaded the town of the necessity of making the bridle path, then existing, into a road, extending from Nathaniel Buck's on the so-called Center Road to the Gray district, or school district #6; and thus the Mayhews were enabled easy eccess to the village. William Mayhew was an excellent farmer, although, one visiting his old neigh- borhood today can hardly realize it, so run out and forsaken, is the once fine old home. He had a large, and for those days, fine orchard; raised much corn, fifty bushels of wheat, six bushels of rye, twenty-six bushels of oats, three bushels of beans and same quantity of peas, three hundred bushels of potatoes, twenty-five pounds of wool, fifty bushels of apples, twenty pounds of maple sugar ; kept two horses, a yoke of oxen, one cow, three steers, thirteen sheep, two swine, netting six hundred pounds of pork, made one hundred pounds of butter,-a fair showing for a man of sixty-four years and having lived on the farm but six years. In 1841, Mr. Mayhew deeded the farm to his sons, Franklin A. and Dan- ville D. Mayhew, twin brothers.
As early as April 1st, 1827 do I find a young man, Silas Paul of Solon, in town and industriously at work, as throughout life.
The following bill speaks for itself :
1827
Apr. 1st To letter postage 10 and paper 13 $.23
May 1 one day preparing books, etc 1.00
" 6 one days taking valuation " 2.00
" 41/2 days maik Highway Tax dividing school money 4.67
July 4 " 31/2 days maik money tax 3.50
" one day running road 1.00
9
" mailk list of voters .50
postage of letter from Camden . 12 1%
Charleston .0614
Oct. 2 " assisting in remove the Dead from Greeley pasture one day to burying ground . 1.00
" maik returns to State Treas. of school funds .67
* Revolutionary War.
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Jan. 14 List of voters
.50
Tending of the Drawing of 8 Jurors 1.00
16.26
COMMITTEE ON ACCOUNTS
I hereby approve the above amount
(Signed) SAMUEL CHAMBERLAIN
March 27th 1828 Recd pay by order
(Signed) SILAS PAUL
It would seem that Mr. Paul came from Solon, and hired a small blacksmith shop, on the site of the present harness shop of Leonard Robinson. In a short time the building was destroyed by fire and Paul, undecided as to his course, worked at odd jobs. In 1828 he pur- chased of Isaac Blethen, the old Sarchwell Lane Blacksmith shop, built by Daniel Carter Brother-in-law of James Thompson in 1814, located on the road, running from Nathaniel Bradbury's store to the village pound, now North street, and the road to Sebec Lake, as far as Goff's Corner The pound was just north of Bert Brawns'. The land on which the shop was located "ran southwest to the road from Greeley's Mills to the Town House" as described June 21, 1814.
In July 1829 Mr. Paul purchased of J. S. Holmes, land on what is now Main street, from the northwest line of that purchased by him, in 1828 of Blethen, to the present Purington-Blood line; and extending back as at present under the name of Hilman. On this lot over the cellar of the present two story house, he built a story and half house; also shed and barn. To this house on - he brought his bride Rovena, born 1806, the daughter of Thomas and Hannah (Gibbs) Mansfield of Camden, Me.
Mr. Silas Paul was Col. of Militia several years and always retained the title. He was born Jan. 4, 1806, the son of William6 (William!) and Catherine (Rice) Paul of Methuen Mass.
Mrs. Rovena Paul died early in 1844 and Col. Paul, on Aug. 11, 1844, married her younger sister, Jane Hosmer Mansfield, born in Camden, Jan., 5, 1819.
In 1847 Col. Paul sold to Daniel D. Vaughan, a small piece of land, now the Dr. Purington homestead, on which Mr. Vaughan erected the house now standing, though much changed. In 1852, with an increas- ing family, Col. Paul decided to move the small house in which he lived to the lot between his house and Vaughan's. Without disturbance to his family, he moved the house and them to the new site. At once he commenced the erection of the present two story residence, and when completed the following year his family moved to it. In 1854 he sold the smaller house to Mr. Archelaus Jackson. But Mr. Jackson did not enjoy village life, and in a few years purchased the large farm on Sum- mer street. The Milo road from New Sweden to the school house in Chandler district had not been thought of !
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Mr. Jackson sold his village house to Mr. Orin Morse, the father of Dr. Buck's wife who lived there a few years: Mr. Morse sold to Na- thaniel Buck where his wife, Mrs. Elizabeth (Quayle) Buck died, in 1880. The lower part of ell of the present house, known to us, affec- tionately, as "Dr. Buck's", was the original "Paul House". Col. Silas Paul gave up his "blacksmith business" about 1846, to one Joshua Young, and devoted himself to his large farm on the Main street exten- sion. The farm comprised the land along Main St. west; from the Stanhope-Bennett line, to the "old Dr. Tucker" place; and extending north beyond the B. and A. R. R. line. In my childhood days, the farm was our "Mecca" for wild strawberries and raspberries, May flowers and "checkerberry plums"; but, as it was so far out in the country, we were never allowed there except as accompanied by the older Paul, Chase, Holmes and Emery girls.
Col. Paul was always very kind and indulgent, with the neighbor- hood children; and not only generously allowed us in his fields, but would take us there in his hayrack, stopping along the street, to gather us and our tinware! In winter, too, he was never so hurried (because of short days) to stop his team, and allow us to "hitch on " our sleds, but never above the, now, Winter St. line, could we go.
In 1827, John Stedman, while with others repairing the flume to the mill, was drowned. The planking which shut out the water suddenly burst, letting in large volumes of water.
In 1832 Mr. Moses Swett and brother Jeremiah, sons of Stephen6 (John1) of Effingham N. H. came here; they were men of large means, for those days, and controlled much property here and in adjoining towns.
Mr. Moses Swett married on Jan. 18, 1829, Miss Mary Moulton of Porter, Maine. She was well educated, highly cultivated, and was warmly welcomed to "old Foxcroft". Her education had been re- ceived in the public schools of Porter, the private Seminary for Young ladies at Parsonsfield and Saco (now Thornton) Academy. Previous to her marriage, she had been a most successful teacher.
They had one child, Mary Moulton, born in Foxcroft Dec. 2, 1836. She died in Porter Maine, July 4, 1852. Mrs. Swett, the mother, died in Foxcroft Dec. 16, 1836. Mr. Swett married (2) Mary Robinson, dau. of Leonard. She d. Mar. 30, 1850.
About the time that the Swetts moved here, there also came Mrs. Swett's two brothers and their families. Joseph6 Moulton, (John1) born July 23 1797, married Feb. 10, 1823, Abigail G, daughter of Zache- riah Beal of Portsmouth N. H. They moved to our town in 1835. Mr. Moulton, although a shoemaker and tanner by trade, decided to become an innkeeper, and purchased of Nathan Carpenter, the old Beniah P. Sturges Tavern, located on "Blake-acre ", so called; now that section comprising the Buck and Hall block, the old Exchange stable to Col. Paul line, the stable yard and Inn building which was the "Tav- ern". Mr. Moulton also held the following license :
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FOXCROFT oct. 24, 1835
We hereby license Joseph Moulton as an Inn holder for the town of Foxcroft from this date to the first Monday of September next; hereby granting him all the privileges of an Innholder with this exception and reservation (viz); that the said Moulton is not to furnish spiritous liquors or mixed liquors part of which is spiritous to any persons except to travellers,-meaning to be understood that said Moulton is not so to furnish such liquors to the inhabitants of this vicinity only for . medicine
CALEB PRENTISS SAMUEL CHAMBERLAIN Selectmen of Foxcroft. CALEB PRENTISS, Town Clerk.
Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Moulton had a family of three children, when they moved here, and two were born here. Sarah Abigail, born in Porter, Nov. 12, 1823 married Joel Kelsey son of Joseph Kelsey Esq. of Guilford who, in 1854 became a Foxcroft citizen and purchased the residence now owned by Mr. and Mrs. Everett Kitchen. Joel Kelsey and wife went at once to Michigan where he became (it has been said) the richest man ever having lived in Piscataquis County. Mr. Joseph Moulton d. in Deering, Me. Oct 2 1880. His widow & Sons David of Portland & George of New York City survived.
David, born in Porter, Nov. 21, 1825, married Elizabeth Wentworth. He died Jan. 31. 1886. For twenty-three years he was Deputy Col- lector of the Portland Custom House. He had two sons and two daugh- ters. Mr. Moulton was an accomplished humorous reader, and was widely known in this character, under the pseudonym, of Elder Craw- ford.
John Henry, born in Porter, Mar. 29, 1830, married Mary E. Scott. He died Aug. 26, 1870 in New York City. Hannah, born in Foxcroft 1835, died 1836. Geo. Edwin, born in Foxcroft Nov. 7, 1839 married Mary Bailey of Brooklyn, N. Y.
Mr. David Moulton came in, some four years, in advance of his brother Joseph and sister, Mrs. Swett. He cleared much of the farm later known as the George LeBroke place. His wife was Miss Phoebe Wentworth, daughter of Samuel Wentworth Esq. of South Berwick. Mr. David Moulton was a very public spirited man, jovial, and a good story teller. For years, he held a commission of Justice of the Peace, and was very popular, securing many marriage knots. His oldest son Isaac Hodson, born in Porter, Nov. 28, 1828 married Hannah Maxwell, and moved to LaCrosse Wis. He retained, during his life, a warm in- terest in "old Foxcroft" and often visited the town "to tell one more story," of which he had just thought, "of 'old Foxcroft.'"
Thomas, born in Foxcroft Dec. 25, 1834, married Martha Moody of St. Anthony Minn. where he had gone "to seek his fortune and found it in her."
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Mary Maria, born in Foxcroft June 2, 1837 married Joshua S. Stevens.
Benjamin Leavitt came in 1830, opened lot 6 in the 6th range. Not long after opening it he discovered a good vein of slate and Welchmen were brought in to work it. A large quantity of roofing slate was taken out,-that on the Tash (now Haskell) house on Main St. being some of it. Later S. O. Brown of Dover purchased it.
That one should select the northern fifty acres of lot #12 in the 2nd range, without a public outlet, to make a home for his wife and five children, we may well wonder.
Midway between the road that ran from Foxcroft bridge to the pound and the road running from Nathaniel Buck's (near Augustus Chandler's) to the river road and without right of way to either road, James Howe made a clearing and located a small frame house in 1819. His family consisted of his wife, Betsey and children,
Thadeus Ames born April 2, 1809 Sally July 8, 1812 Eliza Feb. 9, 1814 Mary Charlotte 66 Mar. 15, 1816 Hannah 66 July 9, 1818
and two years after their arrival, their fifth daughter, Susannah Briant was born Jan. 1821.
Mrs. Betsey Howe died Oct. 1, 1822 and Mr. Howe married (2) Cynthia, b. Dec. 10, 1796, dau. of William Jackson of Sangerville. She was a sister of Archelaus Jackson. To them were born, Hulda · Robinson, Aug. 2, 1824; Albina, Jan. 12, 1826.
Mr. Howe has been described as a man of powerful physique, and I accept the statement, for the tax sheet of 1822 credits him, with having improved, in the two years of his occupancy, six of the fifty acres for which he was taxed. He also had two oxen, a cow and one two-year- old heifer and five scholars! His bridge tax assessment was for $4.39, and yet he had no way of leaving his home, except by trespassing! This the town made an effort to remedy, as is shown by the following:
"Laid out for the use of the town of Foxcroft a road as follows viz, Beginning on the road leading from Foxcroft Village to the town Pound near Nathaniel Chamberlain Esq. and running west on the line be- tween the 2rd and 3rd ranges three hundred rods until it strikes the road leading by Samuel Chamberlains Esq. Said road to be four rods wide, two rods on each side of said line.
FOXCROFT September 5th, 1826
THOMAS WENTWORTH DANIEL BUCK Selectmen
This road was located just below Snow's Pond, not far from Mr. Howe's home, but through a very boggy piece of land, so that in the spring or
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after heavy rains, it was impassable, although it did relieve Mr. Howe somewhat for his children could reach the school in the district #4.
With the same courage for human municipal attacks, as he displayed in providing a home in the wilderness, again he is found "humbly pray- ing" for an exit,-
"To the Select Men of the town of foxcroft as I Live Back from any road and Now Way to Git to any plas of Bizins Except I trespass on Sum persons Land I the Subscriber Humbly pray that you will Lay out a road for my benefit as Sun as posibel and La it Before the town and Se if the town will except it the first Metine.
FOXCROFT June the 3- 1829
(Signed) JAMES HOWE
The Selectmen gave attention as follows :-
"Laid out for the benefit of James Howe and the town, a road begin- ning on the road between lots No. 10 and 11 range 2rd,-40 rods north of the south end of said lots, thence W 30° N 125 rods to the line of James Howes lot to be 4. rods wide the line the center.
FOXCROFT June 15, 1829
SAMUEL CHAMBERLAIN R. K. RICE Selectmen of Foxcroft
And here we have our present Park Street, years later, extended through to the "road by Samuel Chamberlain's Esq."
Young Thadeus Howe attained his majority in 1830, and his name appeared on the voting list for 1831, and with his father's, remained there until 1836. In 1835, they sold the farm to Silas Paul; and on Aug. 12, 1836, Silas and Rovena Paul, by deed, conveyed it to Nathan Carpenter, who disposed of the old place he had cleared up on the hill and where his children were born, to Aaron Prouty, of Hampden who lived there a few years.
Deacon and Mrs. Carpenter earnestly desired to be nearer their church as well as for their oldest children the advantages of the Academy and social life of the village.
Later, as Dea. Carpenter wished to be relieved from the cares of the farm, his youngest child, Mr. Nathan Sheldon Carpenter and his esti- mable wife, presided over the home.
Mrs. Susan Proctor Carpenter died in 1860, but I remember, so well, the old Deacon, as he passed the small contribution box in church. He was, in those days as a man of 78 years of age, rather below the average in height and weight, solemn of countenance, taking life very seriously and suggesting, by looks, that he expected his example to be followed! A man of the average education of those days, but with more than the average amount of desire and disposition, to further the best interests of the church and community
Though of serious mien in the later years of life, Dea. Carpenter was
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very human ; and what a delight it is, to picture the young man in the fall of 1810, trudging along,-was it with light step and buoyancy of spirit, or in serious reflection upon the reality of life? Reason there was for either. He had, during two years in that restricted area of wilder- ness, felled the trees for a good sized clearing, and seen them hauled away as logs, and returned as lumber; he had removed stumps and stones, burned and planted; and had left behind him a commodious house into which to bring his bride-elect; a cellar well stored with vege- tables, and a barn replete with fodder for his oxen. Added to the above, he had, in his pocket the evidences of a united and growing young settlement, with such ample faith and confidence in him, as to make him their first ambassador, taking to Col. Foxcroft their cherished peti- tion for incorporation !
And then, in that early March of 1811, may we not again, try to imagine his sensations, as, the wedding journey in an ox cart, surrounded by their penates, was completed, he and his bride opened the ninth home - in "old Foxcroft."
Early in the summer, when the river could be forded near the mouth of Black Stream, Nathan's brother Walter, rode over on the horse given Mrs. Carpenter by her father, as a wedding gift. And it was the faith- ful steed that carried Mrs. Carpenter back and forth to Garland to church service and on three different occasions, with a babe in her arms for baptismal service.
And it was our first deacon, Nathan Carpenter, whose cooperation was sought by Esq. Holmes and Rev. Mr. Williams, when they were ready to ask for the charter for Foxcroft Academy, and the necessary tour of soliciting funds for the building. One hundred and twelve years removed from the arena of that incident, one wonders, how men, of Esq. Holmes' and Capt. Chamberlain's quick-wittedness, could have been so taken in; but Joshua Carpenter, the deacon's younger brother, a bold, arrogant opportunist, with the title and conceit of the country colonel, located in the adjoining town of Dover in 1820; he lauded his brother Nathan's efforts, and then saw to it that the act of incorpora- tion contained "Section 3rd,-Be it further enacted, That Joshua Car- penter Esq. is hereby authorized to call the first meeting of said Trus- tees, in such manner as he shall deem proper!" And the Col., Joshua Carpenter, then assumed command and "was appointed agent to su- perintend the erection of a building for an Academy." A masterpiece of satire for the masterly pen of Oliver Wendall Holmes!
But Col. Joshua soon tired of the quiet life and piney atmosphere of Dover, and welcomed an appointment to the Custom House at Castine; yet soon became convinced that to be High Sheriff of Penobscot County was more in keeping with a Colonelcy!
The Deacon was, at once, on his brother's departure, given the posi- tion justly his due, and remained on the Board of Trustees of Foxcroft Academy until his death.
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On a later occasion, after the burning of the second Congregational Church, Dea. Carpenter was asked to solicit aid in rebuilding and to travel to Oxford and Cumberland counties for that purpose. He was then nearly sixty-five years old. The following letter is of interest :-
NEW GLOUCESTER Feb. 26, 1851
CHARLES P. CHANDLER ESQ.,
Dear Chas.
I am informed that Mr. M- - has returned home and now I shall be glad to have my debt collected as soon as it can Conveniently be done.
Dea. Carpenter is here in good health and says he is as successful as he expected.
You and your people have truly been unfortunate in M-H (Meeting house) but Providence is infinitely wise and I hope you will all yet find it has been for the best.
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