USA > Maine > Hancock County > Sullivan > Sullivan and Sorrento since 1760 > Part 8
USA > Maine > Hancock County > Sorrento > Sullivan and Sorrento since 1760 > Part 8
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sonry, which they did by reading in turn from the cipher. That these brethren took this matter seriously is shown by the fact that they presented a petition to the next session of the Grand Lodge, in May, 1897, for a dispensation for a new lodge, to be called Sullivan Lodge. This petition came before the committee, and after a thorough examination, it decided the prayer of the peti- tioners be granted. On June 3, 1897, M. W. Joseph A. Locke, Grand Master, granted a dispensation for a lodge at Sullivan, un- der the name of David A. Hooper Lodge, instead of Sullivan Lodge as at first proposed. Brother David A. Hooper, who had been interested in founding a new lodge, and would probably have been its first master, had died September 12, 1896. It was decided to call the new lodge by his name. The first meeting under the dispensation was held June 6, 1897, with the follow- ing officers: Edwin F. Clapham, W. M .; O. G. Newman, S. W .; E. C. Gordon, J. W .; N. S. Bunker, Treasurer; John Mortimer, Secretary; F. Stanley Chaplain; G. F. Hooper, S. D .; N. H. Wil- liams, J. D .; J. S. Jenkins, S. S .; F. W. Bridgham, J. S .; and Peter H. Bunker, Tyler.
On August 5, 1898, M. W. Joseph A. Locke, Grand Master, assisted by R. W. Brothers E. P. Spofford, B. G. Warden, Wil- liam J. Burnham, Grand Marshal J. E. Parsons, D. D. G. M., 21st District, and John B. Redman, Past S. G. Warden, and others, thus admitted David A. Hooper Lodge to the family of the Grand Lodge, equal with the other lodges of the State. The next morning the grand officers were given a buckboard ride around Sorrento, then in its boom era.
A vote of thanks was given October 1, 1898, to Mrs. Louise Hooper and Mrs. B. B. Havey, for the gift of Brother David A. Hooper's portrait that hangs in the lodge room. A suitable hall was the most vital question. Mr. Clapham, and others, sought permission of the town to use the loft of the North Sullivan school house. So funds were raised by subscription for materials, and the work done by themselves, and they soon converted the loft into a pleasant meeting place. In 1910 an old schoolhouse and lot was purchased for $500.00. A committee was appointed, consisting of Brothers Clapham, John Campbell, and E. E. Brag- don, to raise funds by subscription to build a new hall, but was
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unsuccessful. In 1920 and in 1930 more efforts were made. First, to rent the K. of P. Hall, and then to buy it. Neither effort succeeded. In 1935 the meetings were still held in the loft.
There were 284 members September 29, 1934.
The Oasis Chapter, Order of Eastern Star, was organized in March, 1898, and instituted in September, 1898. The charter members were: Maria Clapham, Sarah Havey, Mary A. Hooper, Alice G. Smith, Addie G. Havey, Ella A. Havey, Georgia Clap- ham, Frances M. Havey, Ida A. Gordon, Lillian Crimmins, Ada Williams, Charlotte Stanley, Louise Hooper, Flora Abbott, Helen B. Stevens, Gertie McKusick, Grace E. Mitchell, Ida M. Boyn- ton, Sarah S. Abbott, Arvilla Bunker, Myra Springer, Eva Gor- don, Cora Gordon, Barney Havey, Bradbury Smith, Gilbert Hooper, Henry Boynton, Francis Stanley, Edwin Clapham, and Jessie Mitchell. The first Worthy Matron was Maria Clapham, with Worthy Patron, Edwin Clapham, and Associate Matron, Sarah Havey. Following are the past matrons and patrons with their number of terms. Martha Havey, four terms; Seth Johnson, four terms; Della Jellison, two terms; Gussie Robertson, two terms; Doris Milne, one term; Freda Gordon one term, Edith Abel, two terms; Kathleen Johnson, one term; Muriel Williams, one term; Dorothy Crosby, two terms; Gladys Joy, one term; Zelda Havey, one term. Oasis Chapter celebrated its Fiftieth Anniversary Sept. 27, 1948. Two of the charter members were still living; Cora Gordon and Louise Hooper, but they were unable to attend because of ill health. The dedication of the signet was made by the Worthy Matron, Eleanor Partridge, as- sisted by the conductress, Hilda Hooper. After the unveiling, the Worthy Patron explained the ritualistic significance, and the con- ductress lighted the signet. The program, prepared by Della Jellison, included a history of the chapter, an anniversary poem on the "Years of the Chapter," written by Clara Haskell and letters read from older members who are now residing in dis- tant towns. A three-tier birthday cake, made by Mrs. Elizabeth Phippin, was cut by Mrs. Della Jellison, the oldest member pres- ent during the refreshment period.
The Knights of Pythias was organized in 1896 at West Sulli- van, with 125 charter members. The K of P lodge owned the
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hall then and later sold it to the members of the Masonic lodge.
Oct. 22, 1898, West Sullivan-An assembly of the Pythian Sisterhood was organized Wednesday and Thursday evenings by Mrs. E. C. Bean, G.C., and Mrs. I. W. Gross, G.K.R.S., of Ber- wick, members of the Grand Assembly of Pythians. The new order, Puritan Assembly of Pythians No. 32, has 46 charter mem- bers. Officers chosen were: P.C., Mrs. Harvey Ash; C.C., Mrs. James B. Havey; V.C., Mrs. Will A. Clark; M. at A., Mrs. Frank Stanley; Assistant M. at A., Mrs. B. K. Joy; K. R. S., Mrs. Arthur L. Bunker; M. of F., Mrs. Pearl B. Tripp; M. of E., Mrs. Melvin Gordon; Mystic one, Miss Rubie Havey; organist, Mrs. Myra Pease.
THE GRANGE PATRONS OF HUSBANDRY
Oliver Hudson Kelley first came to Maine in 1847. In 1848 he went West and married Miss Temperance Lane, a school- teacher in Minnesota, where their four daughters were born. Later he was called to Washington, D.C., where he received a commission from Isaac Newton, who was commissioner of agriculture at the time. Kelley's immediate job was to visit the Southern States and obtain information in regard to agricul- ture and mineral resources. This kind of information had been difficult to procure during the War just concluded. He started his trip Jan. 13, 1866. On his mission to the South he attended the Masonic lodge. After the meeting one of the members in- vited him to his home for the night. On nearing the house the southerner said, "I once made a vow that no northerner should ever enter my home." He immediately opened the door and said, "walk in Bro. Kelley, you are welcome." Mr. Kelley felt that if a fraternal order could bind such strong friendship he was more determined than ever to organize a farmers' secret order, on which he had been working for some time. On his return to Washington he consulted a few influential men who agreed to assist him in his great undertaking, with the aid of his niece, Miss Carrie Hall. She advised him to admit the ladies into full membership, to which he agreed. She also assisted him in preparing the manual of Patrons of Husbandry. For the mot-
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to they decided upon, "Esto Perpetria" (Let it be perpetual). The seven degrees are: National, State, County and Subordinate, which consists of four degrees. On Dec. 4, 1867, the Order of Patrons of Husbandry, National Grange, was organized in Wash- ington, D.C. The following officers were chosen: Master, Wil- liam Ireland; Overseer, Anson Bartlett; Lecturer, J. R. Thomp- son; Secretary, Oliver H. Kelley; Steward, Mr. Muir; Assistant Steward, A. S. Moss; Treasurer, William Saunders; Gatekeeper, Dr. John Trimble.
Oliver Hudson Kelley, the pioneer of this great work, died Jan. 13, 1915, and was buried with his wife and daughters at Rock Creek Cemetery in Washington, D.C.
A beautiful monument, and the lot on which it stands, was presented to the National Grange. The lot and monument are under the perpetual care of the National Grange.
The John Dority Grange No. 381, at East Sullivan, was or- ganized Jan. 10, 1902, with 23 charter members as follows: Herman Smith, Bernice Smith, Fred L. Orcutt, Addie V. Or- cutt, Walter and Joan Estabrook, Abbie Estabrook, Herbert Johnson, Luella Johnson, Edwin and Linda Doyle, Jennie Doyle, George and Maggie Graham, Frederick A. and Julia E. Noyes. Bradbury Smith, Arthur and Mabel Bunker, Oscar and Edith Hysom, Josie Bunker and Medora Bunker.
In 1948 there were over 800,000 members of the Grange in the United States.
BUILDING AND WORKING
Information to write these pages has been gleaned from records, research and interviews with those who remember tra- ditional stories and explorations. Logic has balanced the true facts.
When our ancestors came to these shores, by cart, oxen, boats or whatever other means that might have been available, they surely had to have a shelter. And as none of our old substantial and livable houses date back to pre-revolutionary days, they must have had quickly made huts and shacks.
It seems to have been the second generation, and sometimes the third, that started the real building.
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The style of the structures were fundamentally the same, the Queen Anne style. Or, as they call it now, Cape Cod style, with one and a half stories. Every house had a well built cellar for storing their winter's supply of food, and a substantial stone or rock underpinning. Lacking stoves, a huge brick oven was built in the center of the house, with a baking oven in the kitchen and fireplaces in all the other rooms. Five rooms and a front hall surrounded this brick structure. Steep stairs ascended from the hall to the upstairs landing, which entered into a chamber on both sides with very low ceilings. Every house had, for sure, A PARLOR, which contained all the best furniture, rugs, brick- a-brac, pictures, and always a whatknot that held the choice or- naments. This room with the shades drawn, to keep "things" from fading, was closed to family use and kept in readiness for company. There was also a "spare chamber" in much the same manner.
A few of the more prosperous built two story houses, like the Bean house that Fred and Doris Bean Potter lived in, and was inherited by her; also Hillcroft, which was inherited by Mrs. Alice Thomsen from Eben Hill, the Hawkins House, and the Clapham House, which is now owned by Linwood Gray. The Bridgham House atop of Bridgham Hill, was built by Oakman Ford around 1800 and sold to Dr. Roland Bridgham, as near as can be figured in 1824 or 25. It was sold to Mr. John D. Holmes of Brewer in 1834, for that was the date that Dr. Roland Bridg- ham and his family moved to Castine. Mr. and Mrs. Holmes were summer residents. Charles Holmes, their son, studied medi- cine and went to New York to practice his profession at Belle- vue Hospital. His daughter, Annie Holmes, taught school, I think in Brewer. After Mr. and Mrs. Holmes died the house was vacant for some years, and fell into a run-down and delapi- dated condition. Mr. and Mrs. John Spring of Gloucester, Mass., seeing possibilities in this grand old model of a house, bought it in 1927. They restored it to its original structure, brick oven, fireplaces and all. But they did build an ell on the back which contains a very commodious and convenient kitchen.
Stoves in the United States were not made until the year 1838. There were a few imported from Europe but they were clumsy
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and undesirable. But after 1838, both heaters and cook stoves began being manufactured. Bathtubs also are recent commodi- ties, not being installed in houses until 1870, and then only the most fastidious had them.
Several people think that the John U. Hill house is probably the oldest house in town, built in 1803. After Mr. Hill died at the age of 94, in 1910, the house was vacant, except for short rentings, until purchased by Blanche Jackson around 1930. She lived there for ten or twelve years with her young family, Viola, who married Samuel Lounder of Ellsworth; Arnold, Donald and William. After her family made their own way in life, she was employed in Ellsworth until her death in 1849. Mr. and Mrs. Belton Westhaven are now the recent occupants of the house. They have made extensive repairs, have built cabins, painted their doors red and have named it, "Red Door". Mr. Belton is a retired businessman.
The second, third and sometimes fourth generations have built annexes to the one and a half story houses, and nearly all have taken the brick ovens out to make room, and also to repair the chimneys. Some built an ell on the side, and some on the back, and others raised the roofs and a few did all three, as the house now owned by Edwin Doyle.
There are a very few of the old houses left. Many have been burned, either from defective chimneys or other reasons. But those that are standing lend a homey and colonial atmosphere to the community.
FARMING
By the frequent encounter of rock piles and tumbled-down stone fences, although these piles of rock have gradually been used for cement structures in recent years, one can judge that our pioneers worked hard to clear their lands. They had to grow their food, for importing was too slow to keep their big families clothed and fed. The grist mill at Morancy Stream was first a carding mill. The wives did all the spinning and weaving. Then, with larger carding mills out of town, it was used for grain, finally nothing but oats were thrashed there. The fee for wool, grain and oats was a share of the product. Probably Fred Or-
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rour arthur.
Top-VIEW OF WEST SULLIVAN, SHOWING GRANITE HOTEL, MILLON HALL, FALLS POINT AND SULLIVAN FALLS Center-QUARRY SCENE USING OXEN Bottom-BLAKE HALL
cutt had the largest flock of sheep. Henry Ashley and Hiram Preble also had quite a few, and others had lesser numbers.
East Sullivan is the only real farming land in town. There never were any very extensive farms. However, there were a few truck farmers. Two that we remember the best were Theo- dore Johnson and William Martin. Beside vegetables, they picked up eggs, poultry and dairy products around the country side, loaded their sailboats twice a week, and made trips to Bar Harbor. Watching the tides they sailed at high tide through the gut and over the bar between Seward's Island (now Treasure Island) as it was a much shorter distance. Others had smaller truck farms and marketed their goods nearer home in Sorrento, Sullivan Harbor and Winter Harbor.
Herbert Johnson had a dairy farm and aspired to blooded stock. He kept from ten to fifteen cows and ran a milk route for quite a few years. He started with just cows, perhaps a little on the guernsey strain, by buying a full-blooded guernsey bull every year or two, and bred them to 127/128, when the Guern- sey Association would register them. His failing health and ad- vanced years prohibited him from a continued work in his breed- ing line and he had to be happy with just two or three of his best cows in his later years. His son, Lamont, and grandson, Ellis, carried on dairy farms and the milk business for a few years.
Philip Martin, Sr., is now the only real farmer who does farm trucking, he has also cultivated berries as quite a few others do.
SAW MILLS
The first settlement seems to have been at Falls Point, and there at the beginning sawmills were built. By their pioneering ingenuity they seem to have harnessed up the tidal falls for their power. We have records that men were drowned there doing mill work. John Johnson was one of them. He was the first Johnson ancestor who came (1760). He left a large young fam- ily. Also the first religious services and the first town meeting were held at Falls Point to substantiate the settling thereof.
Daniel Sullivan "had several saw mills on Waukeag Neck" before the revolution. There are no large streams in Sorrento,
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the millmen say, "not large enough for power to run a saw mill". But again the old timers say that his mills were run by tidal waters; on the bar between the mainland and Seward Island, and also in both coves where the isthmus joins the main- land. There was also an early mill at the mouth of Flanders Stream, but no one remembers who had it. Oakman Ford built the carding mill on Morancy Stream just above the bridge, while the Bean brothers built a lumber mill near the pond.
The Wallace brothers built a mill around 1800 on Flanders Stream near the pond. Later it was moved to just above the bridge on the back Flanders Pond road. Smith Bean had a mill just below the bridge, and sawed mostly shingles. The next gen- eration of Wallaces built a mill, still on Flanders Stream, but just above the bridge on the main highway. It was probably in the 1870's that they leased that mill to Albion Havey and Charles Doyle, known as the Havey and Doyle Company. They ceased operations in 1905 and the mill was sold to Dunbar Bros., who ran it until May, 1923, when the mill was washed out in a storm that caused a flood.
At the mouth of Flanders Stream the older generation re- member relics of a saw mill, but no definite information can be obtained. There is also suggestions of a cellar on the brow of the hill opposite Mrs. Herman Thomsen's. Perhaps with these signs a real geologist could fix a definite date of residence, but "us amateurs" will just have to go on searching for more evi- dence.
With the age of machinery and gasoline, saw mills were con- verted from water power to engines. A Mr. Ober had a portable mill in Sorrento in 1914, located between the schoolhouses and the crossroads going to Sorrento neck. Harrison Reed had a mill on the Long Pond road. Earl Sutherland, who came here from Lincoln, with his wife, Hazel, and his four children, Robert Louis, Doris and Cynthia Gay, operated a mill on the Tunk Lake Road in 1931. He sold his first load of lumber to Mrs. Blanche Jackson to build a hen house. He discontinued his busi- ness and sold his machinery to Charles G. Small, in Ashville, in 1947. John, Keith, Blaine and Shirley were born to the Suth- erland family after they moved to East Sullivan.
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PULP WOOD
The pulp wood business followed the saw mills and lumber- ing, which was in demand around 1915. Eugene C. Hanna was one of the first to engage in the business, and bought large tracts of land for that purpose. Last year, 1950-51, he sold about 500 acres to Prentice-Carlyle Co. from Bangor. They built a road about three miles in to their place of operation and built camps to accommodate their crew, and are operating quite an exten- sive business. They have also extended the road through to Black Woods. Oscar Havey has also been an early pulper. William Rowe, one of the summer residents, bought 500 acres from the Benvenue Granite Co., and beside what stone cutting he has done, has operated in pulp wood also. Emery Dunbar has men cutting pulp and also buys and ships pulp wood.
As these large tracts of land were cleared of wood, both pulp and lumber, they became plains, which have been cleared of stumps and underbrush and cultivated into blueberry plains. Burning them over every two or three years they yield tons and tons of berries which are carted to the factories for canning. Earl Sutherland, Oscar Havey, Eugene Hanna, Sidney Doyle, Edwin Doyle and Eugene Havey are among the men who are interested in the blueberry industry.
SHIP BUILDING
(Taken from Town Register 1910)
Soon after the sawmills were producing lumber, ship building started. Daniel Sullivan was engaged in ship building and navi- gating small boats along the coast. Josiah Simpson, one of the settlers on Falls Point, built several vessels in which he himself occasionally made voyages to sea. John Simpson, his son, built the "Rachel", which was lost off Cape Cod in the severe storm of November 20, 1789. Many of the Simpson family were well known sea captains, among them: Josiah Simpson, Jr., who sailed from Castine, Sullivan and Belfast; Amos B. Simpson, son of James and Jane Simpson, who probably commands more ves- sels than any other man in Sullivan.
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MINES
(Taken from Town Register 1910)
About 1876 a great mining boom in this section, particularly in Hancock and Sullivan, brought a period of great prosperity. Valuable plants were erected, shafts were sunk and prospectors from all over the country rushed here. Among the important mines were the Fanuel Hall and Sullivan Waukeag, Sullivan, Pine Tree, Milton, Richmond, Salem Sullivan, Boss of the Bay, and the Golden Circle mines, which were owned by Copperopo- lis, Huronian, Starr, Milton, Richmond, Pine Tree and Sullivan Mining Companies.
The following note on Milton, the largest of these silver mines, was published in the "Sullivan Weekly Bulletin" Sept. 11, 1880:
Milton,-Notwithstanding the very hard nature of the rock encountered in running the cross-cut, which is characteristic and peculiar to the country rock, just before reaching the ore chan- nel, which constitutes the Sullivan lode, the cross-cut was ad- vanced eight feet during the present week. Since last Wednesday evening, the Burleigh drill has been running steadily day and night, without any interruption; the ground is getting somewhat easier, and it is expected that even better progress will be made the coming week. There is hardly any doubt, whatever, but that the outer vein, if no unfortunate accidents should occur, will be reached in a very few weeks. We put a great deal of stress and importance on the coming event, because we can foresee the important bearing the anticipated strike in the Milton will have on the whole mining industry of the State; it will not only recom- pense the present owners of the property, who have shown great perserverance and confidence in their enterprise, in erecting the best and most modern mining works in the United States, but it will go far to show, that when mining is conducted legiti- mately and intelligently, and with practical experience, the risk of mining is not any greater than farming or any other legiti- mately conducted enterprise. Shaft No. 1 is still timbering, and on completion of which, sinking will again be resumed, and as soon as the required depth shall have been attained a cross-cut
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will be started for the purpose of reaching the inner of quartz- ite vein. The sawmills start on Monday next."
The mines doubtless contained deposits of silver, as well as some copper and gold, but it was found to be expensive to work them and the mining boom ultimately ran its course of extinc- tion.
GRANITE QUARRIES
One of the biggest industries was, and still is, to a much lesser degree, the Granite Quarries at West and North Sullivan. The first stone, quarried to be shipped, was for a contract taken by William G. Mosley to build a jail at St. Andrews, N.B., about 1830; the granite was taken from a tract known as the College Land, a quarry later owned by Dunbar Bros. About a year later, Edward Rouse of Augusta purchased the Paul Blaisdell farm, built the first wharf for shipping granite here and began business by cutting stone for the construction of a building at Nantucket, Mass. The Hopewell Granite Co., Charles Porter of New York principal owner, was organized soon afterward to take over the property and continue the shipment of stone. The quarry was operated under different managements for many years.
In the summer of 1851, E. H. and H. S. Dyer leased the Hinman wharf and quarry. They furnished stone for the Phila- delphia Navy Yard and other places, and built the piers and abutments for the contemplated bridge to Hancock, which was destroyed by ice before the wood work was put on the piers.
The firm of Crabtree & Havey, who had the largest quarrying business in town, succeeded in the business begun by Mr. Crab- tree's father. Their specialty was edge stone. Among the firms that had been engaged in the Granite industry here have been: Dunbar Bros. and E. F. Clapham, the Sullivan Granite Com- pany, whose quarries formed the nucleus of the Granite at West Sullivan, the Stimson Granite Co., Wakefield and Orcutt, Sher- man Bunker, Hooper, Havey & Co., Alonzo Abbott, Robertson and Havey, Arno Wooster, Alex Taylor, W. T. Havey, Jr., Blais- dell & Abbott, Jos. Cameron, Charles Hammer in company with Dunbar Bros., and the Benvenue Granite Co.
This report is taken from the Town Register about 1910.
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The companies in business at that time were: Crabtree & Havey, Hooper, Havey & Co., and Robertson and Dunbar Bros. Several of the stores made fortunes out of the stone and all had stores operating with their business. Several of the quarries were owned by Capt. Van Gordon, who leased them to the several firms engaged in the industry. The granite, out of which edge- stone and paving blocks are now the principal product, has been the most potent factor in the prosperity of the town.
In the depression of 1929, unemployment mounted to tremen- dous proportions. Sullivan was affected, as well as the country at large. And just previous to that depression a stone cutters' strike was called for much higher wages. In 1932 the government started many projects to employ men, and mostly at a barely livable wage. The O.P.A. was a temporary organization for that purpose, to fill the need, but it absorbed the stone cutters so that the quarries never boomed as they did before.
As this article is written, Harvey Robertson, who inherited his father's, Ira Robertson's business, is the only survivor of the quarry industry, except William Rowe who bought the Benvenue Granite Works. They both cut edge stone and paving blocks.
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