USA > Maine > Penobscot County > Old Town > Sketches of the town of Old Town, Penobscot County, Maine from its earliest settlement, to 1879; with biographical sketches > Part 2
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The retaining fee of Daniel Webster, retained by one of the parties to the suit, was one thousand dollars, and paid by sending him a cargo of lumber for his estate at Marshfield.
There was a hearing in the case before the United States Court, then held at Wiscasset. John Neptune was taken there as a witness, and was examined in chief by Webster ; on cross examination, Jere. Mason, who was counsel for Veazie, undertook to break down John's testimony, so he asked him, "Who brought you here ?" In answer John says, "Wadleigh, Purinton." "Did they tell you what to say," was the next query. John answered, "Yes." By this time it begun to look as though Neptune's testimony would not be worth the expense of his travel. Wadleigh begun to ha-a-m and spit, and Purinton gave an extra twist to the lock upon his right temple, and squirmed in his seat as though he
20
SKETCHES OF OLD TOWN.
was sitting upon nettles. "What did they tell you to say," next asked Mason, with all the suavity of an assured victory. "They told me to say what you know about it," was the reply of John, with the true dignity which sat so naturally and gracefully upon him. The Court smiled, Wadleigh and Purinton recovered their breaths, and Mason expressed a willingness to examine another witness.
Previous to 1840, the Williams privileges were advertised for sale at auction, and there was a good deal of competition for their purchase, as the ownership might give the holder a controling interest upon the falls.
Veazie owned seven privileges, and Wadleigh owned seven, and the four now offered for sale, if owned by either party, would give him the majority interest.
At the auction, the bidding was both brisk and determined. Wadleigh bid near up to thirty thousand dollars and stopped ; but the auctioneer kept on, as though he was receiving con- tinuous bids, until the sum of forty thousand dollars was rcached, at which sum they were struck off to. General Veazie, who afterwards learned the fact that he had been run up by the auctioneer on fictitious bids, and when he had paid twenty-seven thousand dollars, that being his next bid after all others had ceased bidding, he refused to pay any more.
Williams sued him for the balance; a hearing was had at Augusta, when the Court shadowed the opinion that Veazie could not be held, unless at the time of sale, the auctioneer was acting as an agent for Williams, in making the bids.
Now arose a sharp contest to see who should first find Henry A. Head, who was the auctioneer-Williams, to induce him to say that he was acting as agent for him, and
21
MILL PROPERTY.
Veazie knowing full well that if he first saw Head, that he would deny being such agent. Both parties procured express teams, and started for Bangor. That was in the days before the telegraph was erected on that route. When Veazie arrived at Unity, the hostler gave him a horse, and told him to be careful, as he would sometimes run away ; and as he was driving along, the General would, as he touched up the horse, enliven the way with this refrain, "Run away will you, that is just what I should like." They arrived in Bangor nearly at the same time, but Veazie being acquainted, went directly to Head's house, while Williams was obliged to hunt up Mr. Bright to attend to the business for him. Head was not the agent of Williams.
The Wadleigh block of mills was burned in April, 1847, and in two or three years thereafter, an arrangement was made between the parties, by which Veazie became sole owner of all the privileges upon the falls; and in 1852 re- built the Wadleigh block. That year the six middle saws were burned, and in 1853, Veazie commenced at the Wad- leigh block, and run a continuous block to the shore-the whole block covering sixteen saws. This whole block was burned in June, 1878, together with the Canal block-and now, (1879,) the falls present an unseemly show of black- ened ruins awaiting the fiat of enterprise to be rebuilt, or to give place to some other business activity.
The road on the shore from here to Orono, was built in 1826 ; before that time there was but a bridle path, and travel and transportation was a difficult operation, except in the winter.
The Bennoch road was built in 1828.
The toll bridge to Milford was built in 1830.
22
SKETCHES OF OLD TOWN.
The Upper Stillwater toll bridge was built in 1835. It was an X work bridge, strengthened by circular braces, which were too long to allow the bridge to settle into its proper po- sition ; the consequence was it toppled over sidewise, and fell down. It was rebuilt in 1836, and was maintained as a toll bridge until 1870, when it was purchased by the town for the sum of two thousand dollars, and made a free bridge.
The Veazie block, three stores, was built in 1832.
The Richardson & Kennedy block, four stores, was built in 1833.
The J. C. Bradbury block, five stores, was built in 1855. The T. M. Chapman block, five stores, was built in 1858. The Folsom block, seven stores, was built in 1869.
The Ounegan block, five stores, was built in 1870.
The Rines block, six tenements, was built in 1837; and was burned in the great fire of April 19, 1865.
The Pushaw bridge was built in 1847.
The Kirkland road was built in 1849.
The road to Argyle was built in 1853.
CHAPTER VI.
THE BOOM-LINCOLN FIRE-EARLY RECORDS.
Some of the lumbermen, in 1825, having obtained a char- ter from the legislature, erected a boom, for stopping their lumber, at Argyle. Before that time they had to go through the slow process of picking up their lumber, being obliged to keep crews and boats out day and night, building large fires upon the shore to make light upon the water, to enable them to see the logs as they went floating by in the darkness.
Rufus Dwinel, in 1827, purchased the franchise of the Ar- gyle boom, and in 1832, under a new charter, erected the boom at Pea Cove, where it now exists-and truly the situa- tion seems to have been designed for the very purpose. Gen- eral Veazie gave him twenty thousand dollars for half of his interest, and the next year, after helping to erect the boom, gave him a like sum for the balance of his interest-thus be- coming sole owner, remaining as such until 1847, when he sold out to David Pingree and others, for ninety thousand dollars.
In 1842, by direction of the legislature, there was a careful survey made of the boom and all its fixtures, and an estimate made of the cost of construction, by William P. Parrott, se- lected by the lumbermen, and Lore Alford, designated by the
24
SKETCHES OF OLD TOWN
Boom Corporation-and the structure was found to contain :
54 buoys,
pine timber,
15,635 feet.
357 boom sticks,
pine timber, 322,056
37 large piers,
pine timber,
51,988
oak timber,
120,202
66
hemlock timber,
253,547
66
mixed timber,
495,595
66
36 sunken piers,
hemlock timber,
141,651
66
1,400,674 66
Irons for boom, 102,895} pounds.
Rocks for piers, 1,613 15-16 cords.
Length of boom, 3 1-10 miles.
Estimated cost of material and construction, $65,573 77.
From 1842 to 1854, large additions had to be made to the boom, to accommodate the increasing amount of lumber, of which a more careful account was kept, which, added to the cost of the original structure, brought the whole value up to the large sum of $100,504 27.
The charter of 1832, was for a period of thirty years, fix . ing the price of boomage at thirty-eight cents per thousand teet, board measure, but the price might be changed after ten years ; accordingly, in 1842, the lumbermen petitioned the legislature for a reduction of the rate of boomage, and the Corporation petitioned for an increase of rate. The matter was in violent agitation for two years, and in 1844 the rate of boomage was established at thirty-six and one-half cents per thousand feet, for ten years.
Pingree and others continued to carry on the boom until 1854, when the rate of boomage, like Banquo's ghost, again arose to disturb the harmony existing between the parties,
25
THE BOOM.
and the controversy was finally ended by a legislative enact- ment authorizing an association of lumbermen to lease the boom for a period of fifteen years, by keeping the erections in repair, making all necessary additions, paying all accruing expenses and taxes connected with the boom, in carrying it on, and paying the owners a royalty of ten cents upon each and every thousand feet of lumber which might come through the boom, as interest on the capital invested. The same act extended the boom charter twenty years.
The Association carried on the boom until 1869, when a new lease was made for an additional fifteen years, with a royalty of nine cents, and the boom charter extended fifteen years. In case the Association refused or neglected to carry on the boom, the Corporation was to resume its management, with the rate of boomage fixed at fifty-three cents ; and un- der the second lease, at sixty-five cents.
Although it has cost the lumbermen more to raft the lum- ber than the established price, they are disposed to carry on the boom, as they escape what to them seemed an unjust au- thority or supervision over their property-the boom owners rafting or neglecting to raft the logs, without regard to the interests of the lumber owners.
Appended is the amount of lumber rafted from the boom yearly, for the first twenty-five years after its construction in its present locality, showing the increase of business, and the decrease in the size of lumber cut :
Year.
Feet Rafted.
Per Log.
Year.
Feet Rafted.
Per Log.
1833,
25,906,000
343
1837,
54,345,000
330
1834,
10,242,000
320
1838,
55,813,000
298
1835,
81,820,000
354
1839,
53,449,000
329
1836,
44,527,000
373
1840,
35,042,000
354
Average per log, for eight years, 337 feet.
4
26
SKETCHES OF OLD TOWN.
Year.
Feet Rafted.
Per Log.
Year.
Feet Rafted.
Per Log
1841,
48,223,000
355
1845,
98,557,000
281
1842,
74,215,000
348
1846,
88,128,000
236
1843,
70,896,000
304
1847,
146,880,000
261
1844,
57,417,000
284
1848,
176,968,000
277
Average per log, for eight years, 293 feet.
Year.
Feet Rafted.
Per Log.
Year.
Feet Rafted.
Per Log.
1849,
73,693,000
260
1854,
125,874,000
180
1850,
169,159,000
216
1855,
181,809,000
168
1851,
158,121,000
223
1856,
143,271,000
169
1852,
129,192,000
184
1857,
62,416,000
192
1853,
161,564,000
167
Average per log, for nine years, 196 feet.
On the nineteenth day of April, 1865, the people of the town assembled to pay the last sad tribute of respect and veneration to the memory of their late President, Abraham Lincoln, who had fallen, in the zenith of his glory, by the assassin's murderous hand, and listen to a discourse suited to the occasion, by Rev. Professor Shepard, and had hardly re- turned to their domicils, when a fire alarm roused them to the knowledge that the most extensive fire, (which had caught in the Rines block,) that had ever visited the town, was in progress, and which, aided by a high wind, continued its de- structive career until two churches, two school houses, one block of mills containing six saws, a door and blind factory, one railroad depot, and twenty-two dwellings were destroyed, in value more than one hundred thousand dollars.
Naturally, some curiosity exists in the minds of many to know who was the first child born on the territory of Old Town. Unfortunately, both the record and the evidence is involved in a great deal of obscurity.
27
EARLY RECORDS.
The following is found upon the records of the town : Hannah Lunt, born February 23, 1800. Adah Tucker, born February 21, 1801. Rebecca Tucker, born March 13, 1801. Seth Orcut, born May 25, 1802. Robert Averill, born August 7, 1805. Harriet Averill, born December 12, 1806. Jane Averill, born February 19, 1808. Seth Averill, born November 14, 1808. Betsey Averill, born November 14, 1809.
During the same period, there must have been a great ma- ny other children born, of whom no public record has been made.
CHAPTER VII.
-
CRADLE OF LIBERTY.
No history of Old Town would be complete that failed to give, at least a passing notice to the old school house, famil- iarly and universally known as the "Old Cradle of Liberty."
It was situated on Water street, next south of the Col. Hoskins homestead, and well and worthily was the name earned and bestowed. It was there, that under the inspir- ing or depressing influence of the pedagogue, who, for the time being wielded the sceptre of authority, that the young ideas had the "liberty" to burst forth in all the brilliancy of budding genius, or to lay dormant in all the pertinacity of listless or idle stupidity. It was there, that the jack-knife joiner had, or took the "liberty" of plying his trade in all its branches, from the carved dog, lion, or jackall, up to the noble elephant, or in more mechanical operations, as displayed in more practical diagram of curved or parallel lines, the desk forming a convenient easel, and the lumber of which it was composed furnishing the material, without cost to the artist. It was there, the pedagogue had "liberty" to instil ideas into the opening mind of the pupil by any process, which he deemed most likely in the end to prove successful, whether it were by coaxing or by threatening, by flattery or
29
CRADLE OF LIBERTY.
blows, or by ridicule or denunciation. It was there, that justices, in trials of note and of interest to the public, took "liberty" to hold the scales of justice in attitude of menace to the rogue, or in position of protection to innocence. It was there, the inhabitants of the town, took the "liberty" to hold their meetings for the discussion and action upon municipal affairs.
It was there, that lyceums took the "liberty " to discuss and settle the great questions of the age, upon which hung the fate and interest of succeeding generations for all com- ing time. One of the questions discussed was of such over- whelming importance, that it has entirely passed from mem- ory. J. C. Bradbury was appointed disputant on one side, and D. Norton on the other ; it is impossible to remember which one was on the affirmative or negative, and judging by the arguments, it may be doubtful if the disputants did. Norton had been holding forth with such soaring eloquence, that the eagle's flight, when compared with it, was but the skip of the grasshopper. Bradbury, instead of attempting to reply to the arguments, sought to break their force by ridicule, saying the gentleman put him in mind of a story, which he begged the privilege of relating. " A hungry fox, who was prowling about the country in search of food to appease the gnawings of hunger, heard in the distance a cow bell's tinkle; it was new music to him, and wondering if danger lurked in its merry jingle, his apprehension and curiosity both conspired to urge him to investigate the matter; and so traveling around in ever decreasing circles, as the jackall approaches its intended victims, he in time came near enough to enable him to look up into the bell; quite sur- ·prised at the simple contrivance, he turned away in disgust,
30
SKETCHES OF OLD TOWN.
mentally remarking to the bell, 'You have a noisy tongue, but a very hollow head. ' "
Of course Norton was bound to have the last word-and an episode in the doctor's life gave him the desired opportu- nity, and for which he had been waiting the chance to venti- late. The Misses Dalton had a dress making shop in the front room, over the Hellenbrand store. The doctor had an office in the same block, and went up the same stairway ; the ladies being agreeable and chatty, it was natural that the doctor should drop into their room occasionally for a social chat. One day one of the sisters was absent, but there was an old, decrepid, and rather homely looking squaw in the room, when Miss Dalton, hearing the doctor coming up the stairs, and being in a sportive mood, thought to have some fun at his expense, and placing the squaw on a chair in the darkest corner of the room, covered her over with a cloak. The doctor came in beaming all over with his usual fascinat- ing smile, and seeing only Miss Dalton present, and she not the enticing one, he asked where her sister was. Miss Dal- ton said never a word, but nodded her head significantly to- wards the corner. The doctor, perceiving that some one was concealed there, took it as a challenge for a romp, and nothing loth, supposing the hidden one to be the pretty Miss Dalton, he dodged under the cloak, and at once proceeded to take pay for his trouble by bestowing a buss upon the lips of the unknown one that might outrival the report of a bursting beer bottle. One can in some measure imagine the doctor's chagrin when the squaw threw off the cloak, with the re- mark, "You kiss em squaw-think he Miss Dalton." Nor- ton's application was in this wise : He remarked that if one of the aborigines was present he would lend her his cloak,
31
CRADLE OF LIBERTY.
and he had no doubt but the gentleman would play a farce that would amuse them as much as the one he had just gone through, and quite as much to his credit. It took the doctor six months to get over the seeming affront.
It was here, that itinerant preachers took the "liberty " to hold forth to listening crowds, the glorious truths of the gospel.
It was a " liberty " that politicians took to gather there to concoct schemes for personal aggrandizement and preferment, or the furtherance of party interest. It was there that the singing master had the " liberty " to teach the initiates their do ra mi, and taught them the rise and fall of the scale, from B flat to C sharp.
It was there the writing master taught the young pupils the science of chirography, from pot hooks and trammels to German text.
Dear old school house ! around thy memory yet lingers the aroma of some of the happiest days of our early manhood, when hope was most ardent, and young ambition looked through the kaleidoscope of a bright and promising future. It is most fitting that some token of thy remembrance should be placed upon record, to carry the fact of your existence down the lapse of time to generations yet unborn.
The last use made of the old house, was to hold the Sep- tember election, in 1849; then for two or three years it was a shelter for " lowing kine and groveling swine," and well might one exclaim, "To what base uses !"
Apropos of schools in Old Town village-in 1847 a new school house was built on the lower side of Brunswick street,
32
SKETCHES OF OLD TOWN.
on a lot in exchange for the old lot, at an expense of twelve hundred dollars, containing three rooms, two below and one above.
From this time the schools were graded into four classes- Primary, Intermediate, Grammar, and High schools. The rapid increase in the number of scholars made more room necessary, and in 1850 a second house was built in the south- erly part of the village, with rooms for a Primary and an In- termediate school ; and in 1852, a third house was erected on Fourth street, near Asa DeWitt's, with a room in the lower story for an Intermediate, and for a Grammar school above. The scholars in the district now numbered over six hundred, and a fourth house was erected on Treat & Webster's island, chiefly to accommodate the French population.
In April, 1865, the Grammar school house was burned in the great Lincoln fire, and has not been rebuilt.
In 1873, under the act creating free high schools, the trustees of Union Academy transferred their property in Old Town to School District No. 2, and the building was remod- eled and repaired, at an expense of $2,300, and from that time to 1879, when the free high school act was suspended, the district raised annually the sum of $500, and received from the state a like sum for the maintenance of such school.
The school so far has been very fortunate in its instructors, many of its graduates entering the various colleges of the state ; and in no instance has it come to my knowledge that an applicant has been denied admission, or had conditions precedent imposed upon his entry ; showing a very thorough and intelligent drill in the course of study.
CHAPTER VIII.
MILL PROPERTY.
SHORE MILL-UPPER STILLWATER.
In the latter part of the eighteenth century, General Joseph Treat, who was the owner of large tracts of land in the vicinity, built a single saw mill on the west side of the river at Upper Stillwater, on the site where the present mill now stands. Like most mills built in those times, it was slightly constructed, and soon went out of repair, and out of use before 1808.
In 1833, the Orono Company built, on the same spot, a block of mills containing five saws, being the first block on the river under one roof. This mill passed through various hands after 1841, as Hersey & Co., William Jameson, Gul- lifer & Co., Moses Buck, Arthur B. Sutton, and others, until in 1863, it met the common fate of mills, of being burnt, after which it was rebuilt by Moses Buck and A. B. Sutton. It finally went into the hands of William B. Hayford, who is (1879,) the present proprietor.
EAST SIDE MILL-UPPER STILLWATER.
Before 1800, Joshua Fall built a single saw mill on the west side of Marsh Island, at Upper Stillwater, on the front of original lot No. 8, which afterwards went into the hands
5
34
SKETCHES OF OLD TOWN.
of Mark Trafton, and John Bright. C. & S. Ramsdell, about 1825, built two and a half more saws, and Thomas A. Hill built half a saw. The four saws were burned in 1832. W. Jameson and others rebuilt in 1833-'34, extending the mill to eight saws. There were various owners until 1835, when the Orono Company bought the whole, except half a saw owned by William McLellan, and held the property until 1842, when it was again burned. After that the saws were gradually rebuilt, and in 1847, the whole eight saws had been resurrected, passing through the hands of Hersey & Co., Moses Buck, Dudley Hall, Hunt & Jameson, Chas. D. Jameson, and George P. Sewall, to be destroyed by fire in 1864. The four outside saws were rebuilt in 1866 ; and two years after, Joseph S. Smith became the owner, and in that season, in connection with William T. Pearson, the four shore saws were rebuilt, and kept partly in operation, but to meet the old fate, destruction by fire, in 1878; and it is not probable that they will ever be built over, as the decreased extent of the lumber business, does not require so many mills as formerly.
LOWER OLD TOWN MILLS.
Early in the nineteenth century, William Dall built a dou- ble saw mill at lower Old Town village, which soon after went into the hands of Col. Eben Webster and his brother ; and in 1817 they built another mill outside, and continued to operate these mills until 1823, when they sold out and moved to Lower Stillwater. These mills were burned in 1824, and two or three years after were rebuilt by William Dall and Thomas A. Hill.
In 1832, Edward Smith was the owner; Thayer, Jewett & Dunlap held them from 1833 to 1835 ; and Richard Libbey
35
MILL PROPERTY.
was proprietor from 1836 to 1839. They then went into the hands of Lincoln, Foster & Co., who carried them on a cou- ple of years, and in 1841 they were burned.
In 1845, Rufus Dwinel bought the privilege and erected four saws, and in 1861 added a gang of saws outside, and built an extensive door, sash and blind factory, and continued to keep the whole in operation until the whole was burned on Lincoln's funeral day, April 19, 1865. Dwinel rebuilt the mills in 1866, and after his death in 1870, the Veazie heirs bought the property for the purpose of putting an end to vexatious law suits for damage on account of their mills above. This mill, containing one gang and four single saws, was burned again in 1877, and has not been rebuilt.
TREAT & WEBSTER ISLAND MILL. 1136497
Previous to 1824, John Roberts and William Ingalls built a double saw mill at lower Old Town, on the island side. In years after the mill was built, the water wore out a wide channel between the mill and the island. John Roberts car- ried on the mill several years. In 1833, one-half the mill went into the ownership of Samuel Veazie-and his heirs still own the privilege. The other half went into the hands of Edward Blake, and its ownership since is to the writer unknown. This mill did no business after 1832, and was burned, with the shore mill, in 1841.
GREAT WORKS.
Dwinel, Sawyer & Co., erected a double mill at Great Works, in 1833, and in 1834 built five more mills, in all cov- ering twelve saws. These mills were carried on mostly by Rufus Dwinel for over twenty years, until they were burned in 1856. They were rebuilt under one roof, one-half in 1857, and the rest in 1859, and contained ten saws, some being left
36
SKETCHES OF OLD TOWN.
out to make room for gang saws-and Dwinel continued to carry them on until 1866, when they were again burned. The privilege was then sold to other parties, and the mills were rebuilt the same year. The property has passed through several hands since, but now (1879) is owned wholly by Wil- liam T. Pearson, Esq., of Bangor.
WASHBURN BLOCK.
In 1833, a company for milling and manufacturing lumber, was organized under the title of Orono Company, and it be- came the owner of all the mill privileges and water power on both sides of the river at Upper Stillwater, except the privi- lege for half a saw, owned by William McLellan. The Com- pany erected several blocks of mills, and among others, the " Washburn Block," so called, in honor of the individual who superintended its construction ; it contained six saws, although two of them, after a few years, were taken out, to be replaced by machinery for the manufacture of short lum- ber. The Company occupied the mills in the manufacture of lumber until 1841, since which time various parties have been more or less interested in their ownership, viz: Samuel F. Hersey, Moses Buck, Dudley Hall, Joseph Milliken, D. & R. S. Morrison, Thomas Harlow, William Cousens, and others. The mill was usually employed when there was sufficient water in the river, but on account of the want of water it was obliged to lay idle so much of the year as to detract very much from its value ; and when, in 1863, it was destroyed by fire, it was not thought worth while to rebuild. At that time lumber manufacturers were turning their attention to and putting their capital into steam mills farther down river. This block of mills was on the west side of the river, outside of the "Shore Block," so called.
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