USA > Maine > Waldo County > Brooks > Sketches of Brooks history > Part 18
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Mr. Dow came from China, Kennebec County, some twenty-nine years ago, and located here; he has been successful and built up a good property, a pleasant home and a fine farm. In this, we com- . mend his example to the young men of our county, and think his success must satisfy the doubtful, when they ask, "Does farming pay?". Industry and economy are the mainsprings of success in farm- ing, when coupled with the requisite knowledge that adapts ends to means, and means to ends. The State of Maine offers, we become more and more satisfied as we investigate, inducements as good, nay better, than any other State, to the young men who are natives of her soil. Taking a view of every advantage and every defect, com- paring our own stock with others, we are satisfied, and forced to the conclusion that his is so. The success of our farmers amply backs up the statement.
NUMBER OF TONS OF POTATOES AND APPLES SHIPPED FROM BROOKS 1921 and 1922
From the Records of the Maine Central Railroad Company
Information prior to these dates are not available as the records are destroyed every five years.
Tonnage of Potatoes from September 1921 to April 1922, 59 tons; Apples 118 tons; September 1922 to April 1923, 30 tons; Apples 6 tons; September 1923 to April 1924, Potatoes 69 tons; Apples 29 tons; September 1924 to April 1925, Potatoes 50 tons; Apples 32 tons; Sep- tember 1925 to December 1925, Potatoes 7 tons; Apples 15 tons.
The following information has been received from the State of Maine Department of Agriculture; prior to 1925 an Agricultural sur- vey has not been taken.
In 1925 number of farms 113; total land in farms 13,186 acres; land in crops harvested 4,702 acres; idle or fallow land 21 acres; pasture land, plowable, 349 acres; woodland pasture 4,193 acres; woodland not used for pasture 2,230 acres; value of land $105,550; value of buildings $200,850; total value of land and buildings $306,- 400; value of implements and machinery $48,140.
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Acreage and production of principal crops in 1924: corn comprises the total acreage of corn for all purposes, exclusive of sweet corn. Total acres for 1924, 37; corn for silage 3 acres; corn for silage 30 tons; sweet corn 12 acres; wheat 6 acres, 150 bushels; oats threshed for grain 264 acres, 9,165 bushels; hay production of all kinds 3,149 tons; potatoes, white, 174 acres, 40,615 bushels.
Livestock on farms January 1, 1925, and livestock products in 1924: Dairy cows two years old or over 101; number of cows milked dur- ing 1924, 375; milk produced in 1924, 164,185 gallons; butter made on farms 11,758 pounds; butter fat sold in 1924, 57,160 pounds; cream sold 1924 none; whole milk sold 1924, 7,223 gallons; ewes one year old or over 1925, 108; rams and wethers one year old and over in
A Product of the Orchard
1925, 4; wool produced 1924, 945 pounds; breeding sows six months old and over in 1925, 22; all other hogs six months old and over in 1925, 56; chickens on farms 1925, 7,335.
Apple trees: trees of bearing age 1924, 7,716; trees not of bearing age 1924, 4,729; fire wood cut on farms, 1,172 cords; forest or wood- land burned in 1924, 6 acres; forest or woodland cleared in 1919 to 1924, 1 acre.
Kind of roads January 1, 1925: conerete, none; brick, none; Maca- dam, none; gravel, 25 miles; improved dirt, 5 miles; unimproved dirt, 76 miles; all others, 7 miles.
Co-operative marketing: value of farm products sold 1924-none; value of farm supplies purchased $400.00.
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Charles Dayton Woods
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CHARLES DAYTON WOODS
Dr. Charles D. Woods, an active member of the Association of Official Agricultural Chemists for a number of years, died at his home in Newton, Mass., March 30, 1925.
Dr. Woods was born in Brooks, Maine, September 11, 1856. He was the son of Henry J. and Maria (Colcord) Woods. When Charles was a lad in his early teens the family moved to Newton, where the elder Woods engaged in business and lived, with the exception of a few years spent in Orono, until his death a few years ago. The aged mother was still living at the time of Dr. Woods' death, and he is also survived by his wife, Mary Morgan Woods, whom he married in 1882, and by two sons, Harry D. and Dr. William C.
Like most boys of his time, his early education was obtained in the public schools. In 1876 he entered Wesleyan University and was graduated with the class of 1880, receiving a degree of B. S. for work in the sciences. He specialized in chemistry under Dr. W. O. At- water, who at that time was working on human foods and was an enthusiast on the subject. This was the beginning of the · extensive food work carried on by Atwater and Woods in the following years.
After graduation Woods remained at Wesleyan for three years as assistant chemist. It was during this period, 1881-1883, that he be- came actively interested in the problem of the sources of the nitrogen of plants. Atwater, in his article "Acquisition of Atmospheric Nitrogen" published early in 1885 in the American Chemical Journal, expresses obligations to Woods for the faithful and skillful performance of the details of the experimental work upon which the article was based. The first part of this work was done in 1881, and the results were reported briefly by Atwater at the meeting of the American Asso- ciaton for the Advancement of Science that year. A second series of experiments, essentially a duplication of that conducted in 1881, was performed in 1882. and both afforded what is perhaps the first posi- tive evidence of the acquisition of large quantities of nitrogen from the air by certain plants during their period of growth. Peas were used in these experiments. Whether the nitrogen obtained by them from the air was free or combined was not conclusively proved at this time, but the quantities acquired were in many instances so large as to leave little doubt that the peas were in some way utilizing the free nitrogen of the air.
From 1883-1888 Woods was employed as a teacher of the sciences at Wilbraham Academy. Wilbraham, Mass. In 1888, after the pas- sage of the Hatch Act, the Storrs Agricultural Experiment Station
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was established and Dr. Atwater was made director and Dr. Woods chemist with offices and chemical laboratories located at Wesleyan University, Middletown, Conn. In 1891 Dr. Woods was made vice- director and chemist, which position he filled until 1896. In the eight years he was connected with the Storrs Station he was engaged con- tinuously in. the study of problems important to agriculture and in connection with the food of man. The question of the utilization of the free nitrogen of the air by plants continued to be of great agri- cultural and scientific interest. European investigators were vigor- ously pursuing studies along this line and Atwater and Woods re- sumed their work at the Storrs Station. Reports of very extensive and carefully conducted investigations by them are included in the Station reports for 1889 and later years.
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In glancing through the Storrs reports for the years 1888-1892, other publications on problems studied and reported by Woods are to be found. Such, for example, are: "Roots of Plants as Manure", in the report for 1888; "Effects of Different Fertilizers Upon the Compo- sition of Corn", in the report for 1889; "Fertilizing Ingredients in Crop and in Roots of Legumes", in the report for 1890; and "Effect of Nitrogenous Fertilizers Upon the Percentages of Protein in Grasses and Grain", in the report for 1892. In the reports for 1893, 1894, and 1895 are found studies of rations for milch cows, experiments in feeding sheep, and digestion experiments with sheep.
Aside from the purely agricultural work, Dr. Woods was closely as- sociated with Dr. Atwater in his extensive investigations on the food of man. All the analytical work necessary in connection with their investigations, the results of which fill many pages of the Storrs re- ports were in his charge, and many of the dietary studies which were carried on with people in various walks of life were planned and car- ried out under his supervision. The mass of data obtained by At- water and Woods in their investigations of human foods furnishes the knowledge now utilized continually by many dietitians. The Storrs Station was the first to publish caloric values of foods and feeding stuffs in the United States.
While with Dr. Atwater, Dr. Woods assisted in developing an effi- cient bomb calorimeter, by means of which the energy value of foods is obtained. He was also closely associated with the construction of probably the best type of respiration calorimeter that had been de- vised at that time.
In 1896 Dr. Woods was called to the University of Maine, as pro- fessor of agriculture and director of the Maine Agricultural Experi-
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ment Station, a position which his previous training at Storrs had ad- mirably fitted him to fill. He continued in the dual position until 1904 when he resigned the professorship to devote his entire time to the work of the Experiment Station. Under his direction the Station prospered and the scope of its work was considerably increased, but in this brief memorial it is only possible to mention a few of the many things he accomplished during the nearly twenty-five years of his directorship.
In reviewing the Maine Station reports it is found that the studies relating to human food, in which he had become so much interested at the Storrs Station, were continued in Maine. In the report for 1898 important digestion experiments with human subjects are given. In the report for 1899 an extensive study of nuts as food and of cereal breakfast foods, which attracted wide-spread attention, are reported.
Dr. Woods acted as food expert to the U. S. Department of Agri- culture 1894 to 1908, when the Federal appropriation for this purpose was discontinued. Under his direction the growth of the Station was rapid; the working staff was nearly doubled in a few years, and the Station building was enlarged to make room for several much needed laboratories and offices. Two experimental farms were acquired, one in the potato growing region and the other in the dairy and orchard section of the state.
In 1897 he was instrumental in getting a feeding stuffs inspection law passed by the Maine legislature and later a law for the inspec- tion of agricultural seeds. Likewise, in 1905, he took a prominent part in obtaining the Maine pure food and drug inspection law, of which he was made the executive for several years. In this position he was highly regarded by the food and drug officials of the country, and he took a prominent part in their activities, occupying many positions of honor.
Dr. Woods was a firm believer in scientific research as the best- means of solving most agricultural problems; therefore, under his di- rection the work of the Agricultural Experiment Station, Orono, Maine, was largely of an investigational nature. He had little use for the so-called popular experiments. He believed in handling a few subjects well rather than attempting to cover a large field of inquiry.
The criticism that was sometimes made that the Maine bulletins were too technical or scientific for the average reader was probably true in some cases, but in lieu of issuing a more popular bulletin for the general reader. Dr. Woods wrote weekly, for several years, what was known as a "publicity letter" on some timely agricultural
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topic. These letters were published by most of the daily and weekly papers in the state and together made quite a volume.
After leaving Maine Dr. Woods was called to Camp Devens in 1921 to act as consultant in agriculture to the U. S. War Department and later to a position as technical adviser in agricultural science for the state of Massachusetts. He held the latter position until a few weeks before his death. Therefore, practically his whole life was devoted to the improvement of agriculture. His work was regarded highly by his co-workers in similar institutions. As a member of the Asso -· ciation of Land Grant Colleges and Agricultural Experiment Stations his councils and opinions were considered with confidence and he oc- cupied many positions of honor.
Dr. Woods was a strong man with a sterling character, but he held very positive convictions; he was outspoken and somewhat blunt in his remarks at times but at heart he was kind, generous, and sympa- thetic. He was best liked by those who knew him best. He was a useful citizen, taking an active interest in town and church affairs wherever he lived and in his death not only agriculture but the coun- try has lost a valuable public servant.
AGRICULTURAL CLUBS
On January 16, 1914, F. H. Bickford, State leader of boys agri- culture club work for the State of Maine under the supervision of Leon S. Merrill, Dean of the College of Agriculture of the University of Maine organized at Brooks, the second club to be organized in this state in this line of work.
The principal of Brooks High School was appointed local leader for the towns of Brooks, Jackson and Knox, as students from those towns were enrolled as members of the club from Brooks high school.
The first year's work was very successful, much interest was man- ifest by the members of the club and after the harvest of the crops a local exhibit was held at Union Hall, Brooks. . John W. Hobbs, Jr., was the champion of the potato division and later at an exhibit of the clubs for the State of Maine, held at the University of Maine at Orono, Maine, he was awarded the prize as the State champion of the potato division.
Since the first club its membership and activities have increased and the members of the Brooks club have not only been awarded lo- cal, county and State championships but have received special men- tion from various agricultural organizations.
A former principal of Brooks High School, Lester H. Shibles is now State director of the boys' Agricultural club work.
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الجوف
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1914 Local Leader-Seth W. Norwood, John W. Hobbs, Jr., as a state win- in 1914-potato. 1915
Local Leader-Seth W. Norwood. Enrolled 3 Potato. Reported 2 Potato.
1916
No club as far as is known.
1917
Local Leader-Lester H. Shibles, Principal High School. Clyde Smith, County Champion Sweet Corn. Ashbury Marden, County Champion Potato. Clarence R. Bowden, County Champion Pig. Hattie McKinley, County Champion Poultry.
1918
Local Leader-W. W. Wilder and Mrs. George W. Miller. 12 Girls, 32 Boys.
Jerome Quimby, County Champion. Jerome Quimby, State Champion Flint Corn. Ima Roberts, County Champion Poultry. William Smith, County Champion Sweet Corn. Ruth Streeter, County Champion Cooking and House- keeping.
1919
Local Leader-Russell S. Greenwood. 51 projects enrolled. Earl Curtis, County Champion Potato. Local Leaders-Russell Greenwood and Eva L. Toner. Enrollment 8 girls' projects, 15 boys' projects. William Nickerson, County Champion Sweet Corn. Jerome Quimby, County Champion Potato. Norman Webber, County Champion Flint Corn.
1920
Local Leaders-Russell S. Greenwood and Eva L. Toner. Enrollment 8 girls' projects, 15 boys' projects. William Nickerson, County Champion Sweet Corn. Jerome Quimby, County Champion Potato. Norman Webber, County Champion Flint Corn.
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1921
Local Leaders-Mrs. Jennie M. Hamlin and W. C. Sturtevant. 21 girls' projects enrolled; 24 boys' projects enrolled. Abbie Nickerson, County Champion Canning. Hattie McKinley, County Champion Pig. Jerome Quimby, County Champion Potato. Dorothy Webber, County Champion Sewing. Lloyd Wentworth, County Champion Sweet. Corn.
1922
Local Leaders-Carl LeGrow, Principal High School and Mrs. Ray- mond Steward. 12 boys' projects enrolled; 19 girls' projects enrolled. Elzada Nickerson, County Champion Canning. Dorothy Webber, County Champion Sewing. Hattie McKinley, County Champion Poultry. Bennett Kelly, County Champion Pig.
1923
Local Leader-Roland L. Wilkins, Principal High School. Enroll- ment, 13 boys' projects, 23 girls' projects. Reporting, 7 boys' projects, 14 girls' projects. Elzada Nickerson, County Champion Cooking and Housekeeping.
1924
Local Leader-Miss Elzada Nickerson, Club Member. Enrollment, 11 boys' projects, 24 girls' projects. Reporting, 7 boys' projects, 14 girls' projects. Mary E. Brown and Elzada Nickerson, canning dem- onstration team, representing Maine at Camp Vail, Eastern States Exposition. .
1925
Local Leaders-Miss Elzada Nickerson, club member and Judson Grant, Principal High School. Enrollment, 12 girls' projects, 21 boys' projects. Reporting, 10 girls' pro- jects, 14 boys' projects. Mary E. Brown, County Champion Canning.
1926
Local Leaders-Mr. Judson Grant, Principal High School and Miss Mary Brown.
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MISS MABEL ROSE
Actual leader and assistant leader when Miss Elzada Nickerson started in. Much credit is due Miss Rose.
JEROME QUIMBY
Jerome Quimby-national flint corn champion-581% bushels raised on a quarter acre-(rate of 234 bushels to the acre).
Hattie Mckinley of the Brooks Club in 1919 at the County ex- . hibit held at Belfast on October 30, 1920 carried off the honors in two projects, those of canning and poultry raising. Jerome Quimby of Brooks, who in 1919 lead the Boys Club Work for raising Flint Corn, was Potato Champion in 1920. Norman Webber of Brooks and William Nickerson of Brooks, carried off Championship Honors in Sweet Corn .raising. Brooks attendance was 100%, was awarded five championships and received $65.75 in cash prizes.
LESTER HALE SHIBLES, born December 3, 1890 at Rockport, Maine; father was Edgar Paul, born at Rockport Maine; married August 14, 1889; mother was H. Augusta Spear, born Rockport, Maine. Mr. Shibles married Nellie Maud Maxcy, daughter of Egbert and Flora (Benner) Maxcy, August 3, 1915 at (Glen Cove) Rockport, Maine; had one son Neil Lester, born July 23, 1916, (Glen Cove) Rockport, Maine.
Education: Grades, Rockport, Maine; graduated Rockport High School, 1909; Colby College, 1909-1910, Zeta Psi Fraternity; stayed out one year; 1911-1912; stayed out one year; 1913-1914, Mason; 1914-1915; 1925, 1926, 1927, University of Maine Summer School. Teaching experience: 1911 (Spring Term) Prin. Liberty High; 1912 (Spring) Substitute Corinna Union Academy; 1912-1913 Prin. King- man High; 1915-1916 Prin. Brooks High; 1916-1917 Prin. Brooks High; 1917-1918 Prin. Guilford High; 1918-1919 Prin. Farmington High; 1919-1920 Prin. Farmington High. Present position: State Club Leader Agriculture Extension Service since July 6, 1920.
FRANK HORACE QUIMBY, born August 10, 1867 at Wiscasset, Maine, son of Harvey and Angeline Quimby. Died April 28. 1923. Married Mary Reynolds at Brooks, Maine, May 2, 1890. Children: Ruth, married Albert J. Lowe; Raymond married Muriel Golden; Jerome married Nina Webb; grandchildren: Henry Lowe, Mary Lowe, Shirley Lowe, Frank Quimby, 2nd .. Betty Quimby. In his young manhood Mr. Quimby for a time followed the sea, was in the West several years, and returned to Brooks and engaged in extensive farming, and was very
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Frank H. Quimby and Natalia Dorcas
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Xena Bell
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successful in stock raising, developing a herd of high grade milch cows, Natalia Dorcas and Xena Bell which appear in the illustrations. Mr. Quimby was for several years a member of the Board of Se- lectmen, and school committee, was active in Grange work, member of the Knights of Pythias, and Maccabees, his religious preference was Congregationalist, and a Republican in Politics.
AMUSEMENTS
One hundred years may have changed the character of entertain- ment but the pleasure and enjoyment could not have been any greater if measured by the expression of enthusiasm manifested in the atti- tude of the older residents of Brooks in their recital of the memo- ries of the social activities enjoyed by them during. their youth. From an early period the building of snow forts, snow men, and snow women was one of the season's pleasures entered into by the boys and girls of the town. They always looked forward to skating by Thanksgiving, followed by coasting, then came the sleigh parties, ice boating, ice races and the recital of the huge. fires built on the ice in Marsh Mill Pond and suggest that youth of today overlooked a genuine pleasure. During the winter months they would assemble at the several homes and enjoy the candy pulls and surprise parties with the games to follow such as "Spin the cover, "Clap in and Clap out", "Button", "Post-Office", "Drop the Handkerchief", and "Good Night".
Then there were the lyceums, speaking contests, school exhibitions, box suppers, fish ponds, the grab bag, dramatic club, writing, spelling and singing schools. Maybasket time, corn and potato roasts, husking parties, quilting parties, chopping bees, corn raising, sleigh rides and straw rides. The dances, fore and after, the Minuet, the Waltz, the Quadrille, Portland fancy, Lady of the Lake, Money musk, Tempest, Dixie, Virginia reel, Sailor's hornpipe, and clog danc- ing. The annual Minstrel Show, out-door sports, tug of war, climb- ing the greased pole, catching the greased pig, wheelbarrow race, pitch- fork race, three-legged race, sack race, running races, walking races, tub race, log races, raft race, swimming and diving contest, wrestling contest, lifting contest, drawing contest of oxen and horses. After harvest time the annual season exhibit of live stock, vegetables, pre- serves, jellies, jams, of drawn rugs, braided rugs, cloth, knitted arti- cles, crocheted articles, and patch work quilts. All had their place covering the period of time. Many were the exciting contests en- joyed by the rivalry of the base ball teams. The town, with the ad- vance of progress, today enjoys its opera house and picture theatre, and the amusements of the times. For over a score of years the an- nual ball under the auspices of Brooks Lodge K. of P. has been the primary winter social function. Special trains were at one time run from Burnham and Belfast to attend these annual balls at Union Hall.
TINOM DEUMA
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They were but an enlarged activity over that of the early settlers who in their time enjoyed the same pleasure. In the early day the Friends did not participate in any activity for which there was any award in any game of chance.
The older citizens recall the Spanish and Hop, the Cotillion, and the barn'dances following the erection of a new barn, and the house- warming on the occupancy of a new home, and the donations to the home of the minister of the times of the past.
PASSAGASSAWAUKEAG POND
Passagassawaukeag Pond also known as Randall Pond, is the larg- est body of water in town, being about one mile in length and about one-half mile in width. It is the source of the river of the same name, which empties into Belfast Bay. For several years prior to 1924 there were a number of summer homes and cottages located along the shores of the lake, owned by the citizens of Brooks.
In 1924, Mrs. Dickey White of Portland, Maine, purchased a lot of land and the cottage thereon from Dr. Norman R. Cook and about the same time the entire east shore lots were purchased from Edwin R. Knowlton. The first girls' and boys' camps were established in 1925. The Elmer G. Roberts' lot and cottage were acquired in 1925. W. S. Jones' lot and cottage in 1926. Percy H. Grant's lot and cot- tage in 1927. Albert B. Payson's lot and cottage in 1927. Reynolds' farm and Charles Gibbs farm in 1927. Thomas H. Decrow's farm in 1928. The camp was originally called Passagassawaukeag and camp Paysock, incorporated as the Dickey Camps in 1928. Joseph, Emery, Barrack and Caroline Dickey being the principal owners. A new bath house was erected in 1927. Horse stable in 1929. Base ball field in 1929 and pressure water system installed in 1929. There are twenty cottages for girls and fifteen for boys. The average enrollment at the camps is about one hundred and sixty. . Those enrolled have the enjoyment of motor boats, canoes, horses, tennis, rifle range, archery, base ball, swimming, fishing, hunting, golf, boat racing and out board motor boats. An assembly hall for both the boys and girls where dancing and calesthenics are a part of the regular routine.
BOARD OF TRADE
A demand for some civic organization, was the origin of the Brooks Board of Trade, May 4, 1906. On March 22, 1908, application for an incorporation of the Brooks Board of Trade was made by John H. Gordon, Ezra A. Carpenter, William H. Rolfe, Norman R. Cook, Albert R. Pilley, A. E. Chase, Frank R. York, Thaddeus I. Huxford, Albert E. Kilgore.
The first officers elected were: President, John H. Gordon; Vice- Presidents, Ezra A. Carpenter, William H. Rolfe; Clerk, Norman R. Cook; Assistant Clerk, Otis W. Lane; Treasurer, Albert R. Pilley; Trustees, A. E. Chase, Frank R. York, Thaddeus I. Huxford, Albert E. Kilgore, Charles E. Lane. The incorporation was completed and signed on March 24, 1908 by the above officers. The following men- bers were present and paid membership fees: Albert R. Pilley, Nor- man R. Cook, Otis W. Lane, Charles O. Varney, John H. Gordon, William H. Rolfe, Willard S. Jones, Albert E. Kilgore, Frank R. York, Elmer G. Roberts, J. D. Abbott, Harry M. Brown, Marcellus J. Dow, Thaddeus I. Huxford, Norman R. Cook, Charles E. Lane, A. E. Chase, C. F. Files, Henry Cunningham, Harry E. Staples, J. E. Stimpson, H. J. Hamlin, Ezra A. Carpenter, F. S. Staples, John W. Hobbs, R. A. Hall, Henry H. Webb, C. A. Lane, Albert B. Payson, W. E. Barker, W. F. Emmons, W. H. H. Roberts, C. E. Bowen.
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