USA > Maine > Kennebec County > Waterville > The centennial history of Waterville, Kennebec County, Maine, including the oration, the historical address and the poem presented at the celebration of the centennial anniversary of the incorporation of the town, June 23d, 1902 > Part 37
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The company has built and furnished this club house, and admits to its use all employes without charge. The house is managed by an association of the employes who charge a small sum for billiards, pool and bowling, such receipts being used for the benefit of entertainments.
There is a comfortable library with about 3000 volumes and all the leading magazines and daily and weekly papers; a billiard room with two billiard tables and two pool tables; two bowling alleys and a very complete gymnasium ; smoking room with good comfortable chairs and card tables ; a large hall for entertain-
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HISTORY OF WATERVILLE.
ments and meetings; and there are toilet rooms with shower baths.
The house is pleasantly situated on high ground, overlook- ing the Kennebec and the City of Waterville. It has large piazzas and abundant grounds.
A resting place like this, kept clean and orderly, with varied means of amusement, and open to all well behaved of the people employed, is profitable both to the company and its employees.
In other places there are some such club houses supported and managed by the employes ; but some wage earners do not feel like devoting any part of their pay to such purposes, so all do not enjoy the use of the club. By true and faithful service men have earned the good will of the company ; they have also earned the comfort they get out of this house.
The total cost of the building, grounds, etc., amounts to about $20,000.00. The estimated cost of maintaining this establish- ment is about $2500.00 per year.
Twenty years ago the president of this company arranged to make stockholders of the men who were to direct the work of the various branches of its business, and to-day a very large amount of its stock is owned by the active working men, in amounts from ten to four hundred and fifty shares each, and all paid for out of their earnings and dividends. The loyal and faithful service of these men has been of great assistance to the company, which during this time has doubled its capital and increased its business to five times its volume of twenty years ago.
MAINE CENTRAL RAILROAD.
Another large corporation within our limits employing skilled mechanics to a good number, is the Maine Central Railroad Company. Its repair shops have been a source of much benefit to Waterville's business interests since the railroad first entered our borders. Within a comparatively few years these works have been vastly increased and now have taken on an importance second only to the Lockwood Company in their money value to Waterville, speaking of them as a strictly Waterville industry. Appended is a statement of its present status, containing also comparative figures for the years 1879 and 1901.
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HISTORY OF WATERVILLE.
The railroad company employs many men outside of these shops, such as engineers, firemen, trackmen, conductors, train men, etc., who make their homes in Waterville and contribute largely to her prosperity.
Those who are familiar with the past may compare the figures given below with those of an earlier period of our history.
Maine Central Freight Business for Waterville.
1901.
1879.
Gross
Tons. Frt. Charges. Tons. Frt. Charges.
Freight received
89,307
$118,003.62 3,885 $14,724.62
Freight forwarded 51,991 100,870.41 8,492 22,743.94
Included in the freight business for 1901 is all the business done at Waterville and Winslow by the Hollingsworth & Whit- ney Co.
Tickets.
1901.
1879.
No. Pass.
Gross Amount.
No. Pass.
83,995
$81,610 98
17,831
Amount. $18,482 69
This company received over its road and unloaded at Water- ville for its use 30,937 tons, or 1237 cars averaging 25 tons each of bituminous coal for locomotives and shop use.
There are approximately 320 cars, freight and passenger, repaired at Waterville shops each month, making a total for the year of 3840 cars. Last year about 55 locomotives went through the shops for general repairs. There were built at Waterville shops during the year ending June 30, 1901, 16 flat cars, 5 passen- ger, mail and baggage cars, and one caboose car.
Note. Mr. F. E. Boothby, a native of Waterville and ever loyal to her interests, now Mayor of Portland and General Passenger and Ticket Agent of the Maine Central Railroad Company, is entitled to our thanks for the statement of the Rail- road's Waterville business as given above.
In connection with the history of the Maine Central Railroad from its entrance into Waterville, it should be mentioned that our fellow townsman, Mr. William Bodge, was acting as brakeman on the first freight that came into the town, Dec. 7, 1849. His brother, Almaren Bodge, was conductor on the first pas- senger train, Dec. 6, 1849, and Marshall Barrelle was conductor on the first train out of Waterville. Mr. William Bodge is the only living citizen of Waterville who was then in the employ of the railroad company. He served the company as brakeman only a few months, was then promoted to the position of baggage master, and shortly after to that of conductor, which position he filled until about two years ago, retiring with a service of nearly fifty years to his credit.
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HISTORY OF WATERVILLE.
The average number of men employed at Waterville shops is 250. They receive approximately $14,000 per month. In addi- tion to this, about $16,000 is paid to employes other than shop- men, making a total of $360,000 a year paid to employes at Waterville. The estimated value of manufactured products at Waterville shops for a year is $355,000, including the entire cost of repairing all cars and locomotives.
Waterville yard has three miles of main line and twelve miles of side track ; with a capacity of 1252 cars.
THE WISCASSET, WATERVILLE AND FARMINGTON RAILROAD.
Very soon we shall have a new railroad line, extending from the Rangeley Lakes to the sea, having its southern terminus at the large and deep harbor in the historic old town of Wiscasset. This road, while a narrow gauge, will be, to some extent, a com- peting line with the Maine Central, and will operate to the advan- tage of shippers of merchandise. It will make Waterville a bill- ing point and cause a concentration of railroad interests in our city. This little road, commencing in Wiscasset, wends its way through the fertile valleys of central Maine, connecting the towns of Wiscasset, Sheepscot, Alna Centre, Head Tide, Whitefield, Preble's, North Whitefield, Cooper's Mills, Maxey's Weeks' Mills, Newel's Palermo, Cole's China, South China, East Vas- salboro, North Vassalboro, Winslow, Albion and South Albion, on the east, and Oakland, Smithfield, Rome, Mercer, New Sharon, Farmington, Phillips and the Rangeley region, on the west ; and Waterville is in the centre of this chain of municipali- ties and has the further advantage of being the largest and most prosperous. It follows, as a natural consequence, that the great amount of business flowing from these well-to-do farming and manufacturing communities will gravitate to this city.
The personnel of the company is as follows : L. Atwood, presi- dent; G. P. Farley, vice-president ; F. B. Hubbard, superinten- dent ; J. H. Gould, treasurer. This road has about forty-two miles of track laid and is already doing business and running trains on schedule time.
422
HISTORY OF WATERVILLE.
THE RIVERVIEW WORSTED MILLS.
The Riverview Worsted Mills is among the new but very important industries. It was founded in 1900 by Mr. Thomas Sampson, who had had a long and successful experience in woolen manufacturing and was largely interested in the mills at North Vassalboro until they were sold to the American Woolen Company. Mr. Sampson associated with him some of the lead- ing business men of the city and the enterprise was a success from the start. Soon it became necessary to enlarge the mills and a second enlargement is in process which will increase the number of operatives to about three hundred, and the pay-roll to $150,000 per year. Only goods of a high grade are manu- factured.
THE HATHAWAY SHIRT FACTORY.
The Hathaway Shirt Factory employs 150 hands, and has a pay-roll of $60,000 per annum. The building has been enlarged recently, is finely equipped and has place on the highest list of such manufactories.
THE SAWYER PUBLISHING COMPANY.
The Sawyer Publishing Company, perhaps, comes next in the number of employes, and is of far-reaching importance to our city, employing as it does a large number of young ladies, who are thus enabled to earn a livelihood without going from home. It employs hands to the number of 100; its pay-roll is $48,000. Its business is the publication of "mail order" papers and maga- zines.
THE WATERVILLE IRON WORKS.
In speaking of the next industry-the Waterville Iron Works -it may be in order to state that it, the oldest of our industries, in common with nearly all which were once located on the banks of the beautiful Messalonskee, has taken up its abode elsewhere. The location of the Waterville Iron Works is now at the "Head of the Falls," and the proprietors, Messrs. Webber & Philbrick, are doing a thriving business. They have a foundry department and a department of machinery. Most of the machinery con-
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HISTORY OF WATERVILLE.
structed is for mills, especially for pulp mills. They employ an average of thirty-four hands, have a pay-roll of $16,800.
THE WHITTEMORE FURNITURE COMPANY.
The Whittemore Furniture Company is a comparatively new industry, having been established a little over two years. Its business is the manufacture of couches, lounges, Morris chairs, etc. It employs from fifteen to twenty-five hands, according to the season. It has an annual pay-roll of about $9,600. It has been enlarged in 1902 and its future growth is only a matter of time.
In the embryo state is a woolen mill, now building, erected by the Chase Manufacturing Company on the Messalonskee, at the Crommett's Mills bridge. This will employ about twenty hands, and will be a one-set mill, having a water power of 60 h. p. It will have a stimulating effect on our mercantile affairs.
THE WATERVILLE STOVE FOUNDRY.
The Waterville Stove Foundry on Chaplin street, is one of our desirable manufacturing establishments, employing twenty hands, and having a good pay-roll. The men are skilled in their work and command high wages.
THE JAYNES CREAMERY COMPANY.
The Jaynes Creamery Company, located on Toward street, was organized in December, 1899, with ten thousand dollars capital ; Amos F. Gerald, president, and R. F. Jaynes, treasurer. It has three hundred patrons among the farmers. It has a branch at Thorndike. This company pays annually, fifty thousand dollars to the farmers. The company sends 5,000 gallons of cream, monthly. to Boston. It handles also butter and cheese in large quantities. Ten hands are employed by this corporation.
Wesley Fitzgerald, on upper College avenue, employs several hands in jobbing in wood work. He has a large machine plant.
A. P. Emery does some business in the tanning of sheepskins, which he has carried on for years.
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HISTORY OF WATERVILLE.
Many of our citizens are unaware of what is being done in the line of bee culture by Mr. F. F. Graves. The city of Waterville consumes, annually, from six to eight tons of honey ; about five tons are produced by city bred bees, and of this amount Mr. Graves raises four and one-half tons, which sells at an average of fifteen cents per pound, or a total of $1,275.
THE WATERVILLE & FAIRFIELD RAILWAY AND LIGHT COMPANY.
The Waterville & Fairfield Railway and Light Company, while not perhaps to be classed as a manufacturing plant, yet does man- ufacture one of the greatest, most dangerous and least understood products-if it is a product-of these strenuous times. It does all it can to turn night into day and to control the elements for man's advancement and emancipation. It furnishes electric lights for our homes, stores, factories and streets. It also sup- plies power for many of our other plants, viz. : the Worsted Mill, a part of the Hollingsworth & Whitney Co's. mills, the Water- ville Iron Works, and many others. The electric railway is a part of this plant and brings into and carries out of Waterville, 517,895 passengers per year. This electric road is in itself of vast and incalculable importance to Waterville's financial inter- ests. Take away this road and you would take from our mer- chants a good percentage of business. The extension of this railroad is eagerly looked forward to by the citizens, not only for the accommodation it would afford but because it would add to our monetary advantage.
This company employs thirty-eight hands, and has a pay-roll of $20,000. It has 1,000 h. p. water and 500 h. p. steam. It operates four and three-quarters miles of track, located in Fair- field and Waterville. It runs its cars every half hour from six A. M to ten P. M., and made, last year, 11,765 trips. The com- pany could develop 1,000 h. p. more from its present control- ment.
THE UNION GAS AND ELECTRIC COMPANY.
The Union Gas and Electric Company, owned by Mr. Spauld- ing of Boston, is managed from the office of the Waterville & Fairfield Railway and Light Co. It is a plant constructed by Frank Chase on the lower Messalonskee, just below the site of
425
HISTORY OF WATERVILLE.
the old Webber & Haviland foundry. It has a capacity of 1,500 h. p., water, and uses at present about half of its full power. It is equipped for electric lighting and motor power and is of very even and steady force.
THE MESSALONSKEE ELECTRIC COMPANY.
The Messalonskee Electric Company is a newly organized electrical corporation which bids fair to have a successful future. Its employes, at present, are seven in number and it has an annual pay-roll of $4,500. It is sure to grow, and its growth can but prove to Waterville's advantage. At present it holds the contract for the street lighting in the city.
THE WATERVILLE BEEF COMPANY.
The Waterville Beef Company, owned and controlled by Armour & Company, is an innovation on the old method of sup- plying our meat markets. Most of the meats which we get now come from Chicago in refrigerator cars, and are distributed from stations in different cities of the State. This company has a plant here, located beside the Maine Central track, and unloads from the car direct to its refrigerator. It has a substantial brick building, especially adapted to its uses. As a distributing centre for this business, Waterville is one of the best in the State. This company employs five hands, but is of much importance to our business interests. It does a business of $200,000 per year ; handling over six carloads per month.
THE AMERICAN EXPRESS COMPANY AND HOYT'S EXPRESS COMPANY.
The American Express Company and Hoyt's Express Com- pany are both doing a large and increasing business.
THE NEW ENGLAND TELEPHONE AND TELEGRAPH COMPANY.
The New England Telephone and Telegraph Company first located in Waterville in 1880. It has now (June, 1902) 439 instruments in use with a constantly increasing business. It is safe to say that no business man in Waterville or elsewhere gets
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HISTORY OF WATERVILLE.
so much for his money from any other modern convenience as he does from his telephone connection.
THE STANDARD OIL COMPANY.
The Standard Oil Company has had a branch of its business established here for nearly thirteen years. It handles for Water- ville and vicinity over 300,000 gallons of oil per year and repre- sents a business value of from $30,000 to $35,000. It has its plant beside the railroad track, just west of the Whittemore Fur- niture Company. It unloads direct from car to storage tanks. The company sells to jobbers and large consumers only.
NEWSPAPERS.
The Mail Publishing Company is a corporation which does a large printing business in addition to issuing the daily and weekly editions of the Waterville Mail. It employes from fourteen to twenty hands and has an annual pay-roll of about $5,800.
The W. M. Ladd Company is another large printing concern. It also publishes the Waterville Sentinel-a semi-weekly paper. It employs an average of twelve hands and has a pay-roll of $5,668 annually.
THE CITY GREENHOUSES.
Several years ago "Uncle Wendell" had a small greenhouse on Front street, where he, a true lover of flowers, cultivated and sold, in limited quantities, both cut flowers and potted plants. He maintained this establishment for some time, but at length the worker and the work disappeared.
Later, Amos C. Stark established a small greenhouse in con- nection with his residence on Main street, where he gave special attention to the cultivation of potted plants and, in the spring, of seedlings, both vegetable and floral, and bedding plants. He also did quite a business in filling urns for the cemetery. But failing health has compelled him to abandon the work entirely.
It remained for the firm of H. R. Mitchell & Son to build up in Waterville the florist business on a scale in any way commen- surate with the growing business of our city and with the demands of an industry which has developed into mammoth pro- portions in the country during the last twenty-five years.
427
HISTORY OF WATERVILLE.
In the fall of 1896, H. R. Mitchell, who had been a pastor of Baptist churches for over twenty years, and his son, Frank H., who left a good position in a bank, bought quite a section of land on the south side of Highwood street, and erected a large greenhouse.
The patronage of the people of Waterville has been constant and hearty. The new firm soon discovered that they must have more room ; so the next summer they erected two more houses, more than doubling their capacity. Trade continued to increase, and the firm began to send their goods to surrounding towns, establishing agencies in many of the thriving villages in Ken- nebec, Somerset and even Penobscot counties.
The building and equipping of new houses has been almost constant until they have now one of the largest and best equipped florist establishments in Maine. They have about 14,000 square feet of glass, and the greenhouses and other buildings connected with them cover nearly a third of an acre of ground. They ship their goods to all parts of the State and even to other states : their shipping facilities being absolutely the best in Maine.
THE WATERVILLE POST-OFFICE.
The Waterville Post-office has kept pace with the growth of the city. The present incumbent, Mr. W. M. Dunn, is one of the most efficient postmasters the city has ever had. His ability is acknowledged by all, and the public are highly pleased with the treatment accorded them and the manner in which the business of the office is conducted. Mr. Dunn served as postmaster four years under President Hayes' administration. When Grover Cleveland was elected President, F. L. Thayer was appointed to the position, and Mr. Dunn was again appointed when President Harrison came into power, and has served since, to the entire satisfaction of all concerned. Mr. J. F. Larrabee, the assistant postmaster, comes in for a full share of the public approval.
Note. A curious custom of the oldtime post office is noted In the Chaplin MS. The postmaster after arranging the mail would tap on the table for silence. The people who thronged the office would then keep measurably quiet while the post master in a loud voice read the names upon the letters received. The letters were then passed from hand to hand to their owners. This process sometimes was the occasion of considerable mirth and sometimes, as in the suspense which fol- lowed the rumored death of Lieutenant Moor, it showed the quick sympathy of the townsmen.
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HISTORY OF WATERVILLE.
The office force now consists of seven clerks, five carriers and one substitute. This office does a business of $40,000 a year, and it is only a matter of a short time when it will be numbered among the first-class offices.
ELMWOOD HOTEL.
Among the hotels of Waterville the first established and by far the largest is the Elmwood. Its location, equipment and man- agement are unsurpassed. A recent addition made necessary by the increasing business, has made the capacity of the house one hundred and fifty rooms. To the success of the hotel during the last twelve years the proprietor, Mr. Henry E. Judkins and his wife, have contributed the best qualities of host and hostess.
The Bay View Hotel with forty rooms and the Park with twenty-five, are located on Main street and do a good business.
BUSINESS BLOCKS.
One can readily see that all these industries which have been mentioned must necessarily create a demand for merchants, shops, stores, doctors, lawyers, ministers, and humanity's crea- tions and inventions, in nearly all varieties. And we have in Waterville all of the above in large measure.
Our stores are much better than the average throughout the State; our merchants are thrifty, yet generous ; and our stocks and stores are large and commodious enough to supply the demands of a city much larger than Waterville now is. We have approximately 150 stores in this city. Many of our mer- chants are now housed in splendid brick blocks, among which are the Soper, Clukey, Peavy, Masonic, Haines, Plaisted, Bur- leigh, Hanson, Webber & Dunham, Redington, Arnold, Ware, Milliken, Elden, Boutelle, Flood and Pulsifer blocks ; the Ticonic Bank, the Peoples' Bank and the Savings Bank blocks; all of which contribute toward beautifying our streets and enlarging our business interests. A new Savings Bank block is to be soon built at the corner of Main and Appleton streets, and is to be the best block in the city. Its cost, as planned for, is something over $50,000.
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THE ELMWOOD HOTEL.
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HISTORY OF WATERVILLE.
It may be of interest to the older one-time citizens of Water- ville, now located elsewhere, to mention some of the changes that have taken place.
Beginning at the lower end of Main street, the old Ticonic block still stands, without external change. The first modern brick building, as you go north, is the Milliken block, which took the place of the old Waterville Savings Bank. On the opposite corner at the junction of Main and Silver streets, where used to stand the old wooden building owned by the Kimball heirs and occupied by David Gallert as a dry goods store, and including the next building that was owned by Joseph Nudd and rented for a saloon for years, now stands a splendid block, three stories, and modern in all respects. This block is of brick, trimmed with granite, and was erected by F. L. Thayer. It is now owned by C. J. Clukey. Next in order is the Plaisted block, one of the best in town. This takes the place of the old stores occupied by J. G. Darrah, Wadsworth Chipman, J. H. Plaisted, William Caffrey and E. Blumenthal. L. H. Soper's large brick block comes next and is among the best. It is three stories. Last April Mr. Soper had a passenger elevator put in to run from basement to top floor. This is the first elevator put into any store in the city ; that is run by motor power and used for the accommodation of customers. The three story wooden building owned by Theo- philus Gilman adjoins the Soper block. The next brick block is the Barrelle block, three stories, and a fine structure. It stands on the site of the J. P. Caffrey store. The Ware block, similar to the Barrelle block, is next in order. This is a double block, all connected, and closing up the right of way which lay between the old buildings, which were occupied respectively by C. M. Barrelle and C. R. McFadden. Alongside of this is the H. L. Emery block. Passing along, we come to the Savings Bank block, a good brick structure of two stories. There are no more brick buildings until we reach the Peoples' Bank building; but the intervening space is occupied by good substantial wooden buildings. The land on which these buildings stand is probably the most valuable on Main street. The Peoples' Bank and the Ticonic Bank buildings are three story, brick structures and occu- pied by the owners for banking purposes. Then comes the old Phoenix Block, which looks as it did years ago. A wooden build-
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HISTORY OF WATERVILLE.
ing stands on the corner, called the Rogers building. On the next corner, at the junction of Main and Temple streets, is the Burleigh block, a three story brick building and of modern style ; this takes the place of the old tumble-down wooden affair once occupied by Manley & Tozier as a grocery store. There are two quite good wooden buildings before we reach the Pulsifer and Flood blocks, which were built last year and which are of three stories and modern in all particulars. Then wooden buildings extend to the property owned by the Unitarian Church Society.
The east side of Main street, going south, is practically as it has been for many years, until you get to Temple street. Com- mencing here, the old brick buildings have been remodelled and present an unbroken front as far as the old Burleigh property, once occupied by Thomas Herrick as a hardware store. These blocks are the Boutelle, Elden, Arnold. and Hanson, Webber & Dunham blocks. From here to the square, or the hay scales, as the boys used to call it, there are no brick buildings, but some of the wooden ones have been remodelled. From common street south we have no brick blocks until we reach the Gallert building, and adjoining this is the Peavy block, one of the best in the city. Then come the same old brick buildings with the roofs pitching toward the street that have stood for years and years. The last pretentious building on the east side of the street is the R. B. Dunn block, used for stores on the ground floor and the Bay View Hotel above. It is one of the largest brick business blocks in the city.
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