USA > Maine > Franklin County > Farmington > The history of Farmington, Franklin County, Maine, 1776-1885 > Part 5
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HISTORY OF FARMINGTON.
churches were formed, and but few itinerant preachers had found their way to this opening in the wilderness. A certain brotherly kindness and good fellowship marked the relation of these early settlers one to the other, which has been lost amid the conventionalties of modern living. Hospitality was a leading trait among these pioneers. The stranger was welcome to their fireside and table. Industry and frugality marked their daily lives, and most of them lived to find a reward for their virtues in receiving the fruit of their labors, and in transmitting to their children a competency which rendered the privations of their parents unnecessary for them.
CHAPTER III.
INCORPORATION AND SUBSEQUENT HISTORY.
Need of Town Regulations. - Petition for Incorporation. - Protest. - Whit- tier's Protest. - Act of Incorporation. - First Town Meeting. - Federal Tax Assessed. - Local Dissensions.
THE Sandy River Lower Township was never organized as a plantation, and the inhabitants were for the first thirteen years of their history entirely destitute of any form of gov- ernment. They met from time to time as occasion demanded and proceeded in regard to roads, schools, and other matters of public interest, in such a manner as they could agree among themselves. While the Associates claimed authority over the lands, a small tax was levied on each right for the making of roads; but it does not appear that any other tax was ever laid upon the people of the township. But by 1793, serious need of a local government was felt. Impor- tant roads and bridges were necessary; better schools were imperative, and the population was so large that town regu- lations were demanded. At that time the inhabitants num- bered nearly six hundred, and almost every available lot on the river, as well as much of the upland, had been taken. As soon as the question of incorporation began to be agi- tated, however, it became evident that a difference of opin- ion existed upon the propriety of incorporating the town with the same boundaries as established by North's survey. Farmington Falls was then the business center. The principal mills were there, and that was the point of depart-
58
HISTORY OF FARMINGTON.
ure for the Hallowell trade. The town was divided into three parties, of which the two principal ones were composed of those who desired the town incorporated as originally surveyed, and those who wished the lower part of the town united with the upper part of Chester, and a town formed with the Falls as the center. A small party wished the lower part of the town alone to be incorporated.
The first meeting of which we have knowledge, was held at Hartson Cony's, probably April 23, 1793, the exact date being unfortunately omitted from the report. The account of this meeting, as lodged with the other papers referring to the incorporation, in the Secretary of State's office in Boston, is as follows :
SANDY RIVER PLANTATION, ye 23 A. D. 1793.
At a meeting of a number of the inhabitants of said plantation at the house of Mr. Hartson Cony and voted the following arti- cles viz :
Ily. Made choice of Moses Starling Esq. chairman.
2ly. Voted and chose Solomon Adams clerk.
3ly. Voted to draft a petition to leave one mile and a half off the upper end of this plantation and be incorporated.
5ly. Voted to draft a petition to be incorporated as the first survey was.
6ly. Voted to choose a committee to draft the above petitions. Voted and chose Mr. Robert Gower, Moses Starling Esq. and Capt. Supply Belcher committee men.
[ The succeeding portion of the manuscript is so destroyed as to forbid either an exact copy or a complete interpretation; in part, however, it relates to adjournment ].
According to the adjournment the inhabitants met and voted to send the petition to Boston, -to incorporate the plantation as it was first surveyed.
2ly. Voted to leave the petition with Mr. Hartson Cony a few days for the purpose of alteration or signing.
3ly. Voted and chose Capt. Supply Belcher to go to Boston to act as an agent for Sandy River Lower Township so called, on
59
INCORPORATION.
matter of incorporation or such other matters as the committee shall direct.
4ly. Voted and chose Mr. Robert Gower, Mr. Samuel Butter- field, Mr. Jotham Smith, Lieut. John Church, Mr. Peter Gay a committee to give Capt. Supply Belcher his directions on the sub- ject of incorporation.
Attest : A true copy. SOLOMON ADAMS, Clerk for said meeting.
The proceedings of this meeting not being entirely satis- factory, a second meeting was called, at the house of Samuel Butterfield, May 16 following. The doings of this meeting are related in a letter of instructions given to Supply Belcher, Benjamin Whittier, and Ezekiel Porter, the commit- tee appointed to forward the petition of the inhabitants to the General Court. This letter reads as follows :
To Capt. Supply Belcher, Benjamin Whittier Esq., Capt. Ezekiel Porter,
Gentlemen :
At a meeting of the inhabitants of Sandy River Lower Town- ship at the house of Mr. Samuel Butterfield on Thursday ye 16th of May 1793. After the necessary vote to regulate said meeting etc. etc.
Ist. Voted to petition to the Honorable General Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts for to have incorporation granted to the settlement.
2d. Voted that said petition shall be to have it incorporated as a town as the survey now stands.
3rd. Voted to have this place formerly called Sandy River Lower Township to be called Farmington.
4th. Voted that Capt. Supply Belcher, Benjamin Whittier and Capt. Ezekiel Porter to be a committee to draft and forward a petition to the Honorable Court for incorporation as soon as may be.
Attest a true copy of the records of said meeting.
CHURCH BRAINERD, Clerk for said inhabitants at said meeting.
SANDY RIVER May ye 20th A. D. 1793.
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HISTORY OF FARMINGTON.
In this petition the name Farmington occurs for the first time, and was adopted at the suggestion of Col. Porter, as a name appropriate to the character of the place as a farming town.
Although a majority of the inhabitants were plainly in favor of incorporating the town as a whole, a number of the citizens of the lower part of the town were not ready to give their countenance to the project. During the next week they prepared a protest to the action of this meeting, which they forwarded to the General Court :
COMMONWEALTH
OF MASSACHUSETTS. LINCOLN, SS.
To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of this Common- wealth in General Court assembled.
Your petitioners humbly sheweth that whereas a number of the inhabitants of Sandy River in the county of Lincoln and within the Commonwealth have at a meeting held at Sandy River afore- said on the sixteenth day of this instant May, obtained a vote that the whole tract of land laid out by or under the Plymouth Com- pany on Sandy River should be incorporated with a town which is nine miles in length, and supposed to hold out six miles in width at the upper end or north end, and not to exceed three miles and a half at the south end: Which lies very ill convenient for a town, and whereas there is other tracts of land adjoining, we think that two towns may be formed much more convenient and your petition- ers who live on this tract and others will be much better accommo- dated, and we your petitioners prays that the above tract of land may not be incorporated according to their petition and plan ; whereas there is a range of six miles towns laid out to the north of this tract we your petitioners think that method of locating town- ships to be much more convenient than such long strips to be in- corporated. We pray your Honors to take the matter under your consideration and deal with us as you in your wisdom shall think most convenient : and we your petitioners as in duty bound shall ever pray.
May 22d 1793.
Stephen Titcomb.
Church Brainerd.
Robert Gower. Eben' Jones.
61
INCORPORATION.
Reuben Lowell.
Lemuel Howes.
William Gower.
Ebenezer Blunt.
J. Bartlett Lowell.
Francis Tufts. .
Jonathan Knowlton.
Jesse Gould.
Jesse Butterfield.
Stephen Norton.
Peter Corbett.
Jonas Butterfield.
James Gower.
William Gould.
Samuel Eames.
Samuel Knowlton.
Ely Brainerd.
Henry Sewall.
Samuel Sewall.
John Chandler.
Joel Chandler.
John Winslow.
A part of the signers to this protest, however, soon thought better of the matter, and before the agent left for Boston gave him authority to erase their names from the paper, as is seen from the following document :
This may certify
That we the subscribers, inhabitants of Sandy River Lower Township, do authorize the bearer (Capt. Supply Belcher who is appointed agent for this plantation) to erase our names froni a petition now lodged with the Committee of Incorporation at Boston remonstrating against said plantation being incorporated whole, as we are convinced by mature consideration it will be much more to for the interest of said plantation to remain undivided which senti- ment we have likewise manifested by setting our names to a peti- tion for the purpose of having said plantation incorporated without any division.
Church Brainerd.
Robert Gower.
Peter Corbett.
Ebenezer Blunt.
Stephen Titcomb.
Ebenezer Jones.
Francis Tufts.
Jesse Gould.
The committee chosen at the meeting of the inhabitants on May 16, 1793, drew up, according to directions, a petition for incorporation without division. This petition, which sets out definitely the boundaries of the town, was as follows :
9
62
HISTORY OF FARMINGTON.
To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, in General Court assembled.
Your petitioners humbly shew
That as they are destitute of the benefit of regulation, they pray that the plantation known by the name of Sandy River Lower Township may be incorporated a town by the name of Farmington which is bounded as followeth viz :
Beginning at a maple tree marked, on the bank of Sandy River at the southeast corner of said township, thence running north eight miles and fifty-six rods to a beech tree marked, thence west five miles and two hundred rods to a bass-wood tree marked; thence running south two miles; thence south thirteen degrees east three miles; thence south twenty-four degrees east three miles; thence south thirty-five degrees east two miles one hundred and fourteen rods to a hemlock tree marked; thence running north sixty-five degrees east one mile and one hundred and eighty rods to Little Norridgewock stream, thence on the bank of said stream one mile one hundred and sixty rods to the said Sandy River, thence down said river about seventy rods to the bounds first mentioned. According to a plan drawn by Joseph North Esq. and agreeable to a plan of said township lodged in the Secretary's office .- And your petitioners further pray they may have the benefit of working out the taxes that may be laid on them for four years (or such a term as the legislature shall see cause ) on roads as they are necessitated to maintain a road near twenty miles out of town for the benefit of getting to seaport with the additional expense of building and maintaining several large bridges. And your petitioners ( in behalf of the inhabitants of said plantation ) as in duty bound will ever pray.
BENJAMIN WHITTIER. S. BELCHER. EZEKIEL PORTER.
SANDY RIVER May 20th 1793.
During the summer and autumn the signatures of the inhabitants were obtained to a citizens' petition for incorpora- tion, and by December, when the petition was closed, all of the settlers with few exceptions had signed it. As this peti- tion, together with the remonstrance, contains the names of
63
INCORPORATION.
nearly every male inhabitant over age at the time of the incorporation, it is here given in full. The spelling of the names is retained as it appears in the original document :
LINCOLN, SS.
To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General Court assembled :
Your petitioners, inhabitants of the Plantation known by the name of Sandy River Lower Township in the county of Lincoln, humbly shew that as they are destitute of the benefit of regulations they pray that they may be incorporated a town by the name of Farmington, and that they may be bounded according to the plan of said township and agreeably to a duplicate of said plan which is lodged in the Secretary's office, Boston and your petitioners as in duty bound will ever pray.
Dec. 24th 1793.
Robert Gower.
Samuel Boyd.
Moses Starling.
Isaac Page.
S. Belcher.
Hn Cony.
Lemuel Perham Jr.
Abel Sweet.
Jos. Bullen.
Elijah Butler Jr.
Benjamin Butler. Peter Corbett.
Sandford Davis.
Ebener Blunt.
Zaccheus Mayhew.
Francis Tufts.
John Brown.
Saml Bullen.
Moses Adams.
Andrew Norton.
Robert Jones.
Thomas Flint.
Enoch Crage.
Ebenezer Sweet.
Elvaton Parker.
Samuel Poole.
Joseph Brown.
Simeon Russ.
Hugh Cox.
Joseph Bradford.
Willm Allen.
Jack Powers.
Samuel Butterfield.
Joseph Sweetser.
Neh. Blodget.
Josiah Everett.
Silas Perham. Abraham Smith.
Reuben Turner.
Thomas Wendell.
Eliphlet Ginans.
Robert Eaton.
John Stowers.
Elijah Norton.
Jacob Sweat.
Calvin Boyd.
64
HISTORY OF FARMINGTON.
Jotham Smith.
William Brackley.
Eliphalet Bailey.
Peter Norton.
Oliver Hartwell.
John Church.
Lemuel Perham.
Peter Gay.
Peter West.
David Cowan.
Samuel Keen.
Aden Briggs.
Reuben Butterfield.
Jabez Gay.
Ebenezer Butterfield.
Benja Heath.
Stephen Titcomb.
Samuel Brown.
Theophilus Hopkins.
Wm. Kannady.
John Clayton.
Elijah Butler.
Eben' Norton.
Jason Cony.
Josiah Blake.
Ephraim Norton.
John Rice.
John Kinne.
David Wentworth.
Ezekiel Porter.
John Huston.
Joseph Battle.
Silvanus Tower.
John Astins.
Zeblun True.
James Gower.
Gershom Collier.
Joseph Riant.
Church Brainerd.
Elisha Gay.
This petition bears the following endorsement :
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Jan. 18, 1794. Read and committed to the Standing Committee on incorpora- tion of towns and sent up for concurrence.
EDWARD H. ROBBINS, Speaker.
IN SENATE Jan. 18 1794 Read and concurred. SAMUEL PHILLIPS, President.
A part of the inhabitants of the lower portion of the town were not yet ready to yield their preference for a union with the upper part of Chester. No sooner was the forego- ing petition with its formidable array of signatures dis- patched, than they joined with certain of the citizens of Chester in a counter-petition urging the incorporation of another town formed from the lower part of the Sandy River Township and the upper part of Chester, under the name of Parkeford. This petition, drawn up in the handwriting of Rev. Jotham Sewall, is filed with the other papers in the State archives.
65
INCORPORATION.
LINCOLN, SS :
COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS.
To the Honorable the Senate and the House of Representatives in General Court assembled :
We your petitioners living in the plantation of Chester and the southerly part of the lower township on Sandy River humbly shew, that whereas the plantation of Chester is so situated that it can not be conveniently connected with any other tract of land and when the Lower Township of Sandy River is inconvenient with respect to its length to be incorporated whole, we pray that a town may be incorporated by the name of Parkeford beginning at the east line of said lower township five and a half miles ( or other ways six miles) from the north line thence running west (or as near that as may be without injuring the lots) to the west side of said township with the proportionable part of the public land together with the whole of Chester plantation bounded agreeable to a plan accompanying this as we your petitioners as in duty bound shall ever pray.
December 26th 1793.
( Signed )
Jotham Sewall.
Thomas Gordon.
Jonathan Knowlton.
Jonathan Gordon.
Samuel Sewall.
Moses Whittier.
Ely Brainerd.
Richard Maddock.
Reuben Lowell.
William Whittier.
Jesse Butterfield.
Phineas Whittier.
William Gould.
Samuel Eames.
Ephraim Butterfield.
James Winslow, Jr.
Stephen Norton.
Thomas Davenport.
Samuel Pease.
Abraham Davenport.
Benjamin Luce.
William Gower.
Samuel Knowlton.
Jonas Butterfield.
William Bradbury.
J. Bartlett Lowell.
Samuel Linscott.
Jonas Butterfield, Jr.
John Mitchell.
Thomas More.
Dummer Sewall.
Clark Whittier.
John Bradbury.
John Butterfield.
Reuben Lowell, Jr.
Newell Gordon.
Lemuel Howes.
66
HISTORY OF FARMINGTON.
This may certify that at a meeting of the inhabitants of Ches- ter and lower part of Sandy River Lower Township on the 26th day of December 1793 Mr. Reuben Lowell was chosen an agent to forward a petition for incorporation.
( Signed ) JOTHAM SEWALL, Clerk.
But there was one gentleman who was not satisfied simply to sign a protest or counter-petition. Having served on the committee which drew up the first petition, Mr. Benjamin Whittier felt that more was demanded of him than of the ordinary citizen. He resolved to petition by himself. We are at liberty to suppose that the good man was so earnest and excited that he was careful neither of his spelling nor grammar. The petition is something of a curiosity and is here inserted verbatim et literatim.
To the Commetty of Incorporation of this Commonwelth at Boston : Gentelmen.
Whereas I Benjamin Whittier of the Lower Town of Sandy River so called, sind a Petition as a Commetty to the Present Gen- eral assembly of this Commonwelth for that whole Tract of Land Layd out under the Plymouth Company to be incorporated into a Town whereas the inhabants of this Place hath had sevral meet- ings and have agreed to Divide this Place or Tract and are very uneasy about Being incorporated altogether by it being so long ; and Thinks that by Taking five milles and one half of the Length it will then admit of on other Town by Taking that Tract of Land called Chestor, as you will see by the Plan. Som Parsang have taking Grate Pains in order to influence the minds of the Pople to be incorporated altogether which upon a consideration I think It will not be so good for the People and will Injer the Publick and corate a grate Deal of Difficulty and Troble I pray that the Com- mitty would Look into the Sityation of the Land Round, all Purchd Land of the State at one Time and not Layd out in Ragler Towns. A Town on Sandy River will admit of Being Smaller by reason of it Likely of being a Thick settled Place and situation for Trade and Bisness.
From your most Humble and obedent servt BENJAMIN WHITTIER.
SANDY RIVER, Jan. 10th 1794.
1
67
INCORPORATION.
The petitions having been duly presented, together with a plan of the township, a bill incorporating the town accord- ing to the first petition was presented by the committee, which passed the Senate Jan. 22, 1794. Before it received the concurrence of the House of Representatives, the peti- tion of Jotham Sewall and others arrived. Some delay occurred. The bill was returned to the committee for re- consideration, and reported again unchanged, the 27th of January, with the following endorsement :
COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS.
The standing committee on applications for Incorporations have again attended to the bill entitled An Act to incorporate the plantation of Sandy River with the inhabitants thereof into a town together with the remonstrance of Jotham Sewall and others and after a full hearing of the parties are still of the opinion that the said bill pass, the aforesaid remonstrance notwithstanding which is submitted.
STEPHEN CHOATE.
IN SENATE, Jan. 27, 1794. IN HOUSE, Jan. 27, 1794. Per Order.
The original bill passed the House of Representatives without alteration or modification, Jan. 28, and received the signature of the Governor February I. The Act of Incor- poration reads as follows :
COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS.
In the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and ninety- four. An Act to incorporate the plantation of Sandy River with the inhabitants thereof into a town by the name of Farmington.
Whereas application has been made to this Court by a number of the inhabitants of the plantation called Sandy River, in the county of Lincoln to have said plantation with the inhabitants thereon, incorporated into a town and the same being considered of public utility.
68
HISTORY OF FARMINGTON.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, that the plantation called Sandy River in the county of Lincoln bounded as follows, viz:
Beginning at a maple tree marked on the bank of Sandy River at the southeast corner of said plantation, thence running north eight miles and fifty-six rods to a beech tree marked, thence west five miles and two hundred rods to a bass-wood tree marked, thence south two miles, thence south thirteen degrees east three miles, thence south twenty-five degrees east three miles, thence south thirty-five degrees east two miles one hundred and fourteen rods to a hemlock tree marked, thence north sixty-seven degrees east one mile one hundred and ninety rods, thence north forty-nine degrees east one mile and ninety rods to Sandy River, thence down said river about half a mile to the bound first mentioned, together with the inhabitants thereon be and hereby are incorporated into a town by the name of Farmington and vested with all the power and privileges and immunities, which towns in this Commonwealth do, or may by law enjoy.
And be it further enacted that William Reed, Esq., be, and he hereby is empowered to make out a warrant directed to some principal inhabitant of said town to notify the inhabitants thereof qualified by law to vote in town affairs to assemble and meet at some suitable time and place in said town to choose all such town officers as towns are required by law to choose in the month of March or April annually.
Agreeable to the provisions of this act, William Reed, Esq., issued a warrant for the assembling of the first town- meeting at the house of Dr. Thomas Flint, April 7, 1794, at "ten of the clock in the forenoon." At this meeting votes were received for a governor and lieutenant-governor, sena- tor, county treasurer, and town officers. Seventy votes were cast for governor, and all for Samuel Adams. The votes for lieutenant-governor were all for Moses Gill; and Nathaniel Thwing, of Woolwich, received the unanimous vote for county treasurer. For senator, Daniel Cony received seventy-four votes and Nathaniel Dummer one. The warrant provided for the election of no less than seventeen different kinds of town officers, and so large a number of citizens were required
FIRST TOWN MEETING. 69
to fill them that few inhabitants went from town-meeting without receiving the suffrage of their fellows. From a township without name or rules, Farmington in one brief day was converted into a municipality, with thirty-two of its citizens armed with the authority of government.
Solomon Adams was chosen moderator; Capt. Supply Belcher, clerk; Peter Corbett, Capt. Ezekiel Porter, and Enoch Craig, selectmen and assessors; Moses Starling, Esq., treasurer ; Benjamin Whittier, Esq., constable and col- lector ; Samuel Sewall, Benjamin Weathern, Stephen Tit- comb, Joshua Bullen, Robert Jones, Ebenezer Sweet, Moses Starling, Esq., Jotham Smith, Oliver Bailey, and Ephraim Butterfield, surveyors of the highway; Benjamin Butler and Benjamin Whittier, Esq., surveyors of lumber; Lemuel Per- ham and Samuel Butterfield, wardens; Moses Chandler and Church Brainerd, tithing-men; Capt. Elijah Butler and Reu- ben Lowell, sealers of leather; Lieut. John Church, Peter Gay, Thomas Hiscock, and Solomon Adams, fence-viewers ; Andrew Norton, Peter Gay, and Stephen Titcomb, inspect- ors of fisheries; Thomas Wendell and Reuben Butterfield, field-drivers; Elijah Norton and James Cowen, hog-reeves ; and Thomas Flint, pound-keeper.
The shades of night were probably falling when the newly- fledged citizens wended their way homeward, after disposing of the weighty matters offered for their deliberation at this first town-meeting. Within six weeks another meeting was called for May 22, to take into consideration necessary meas- ures for town improvements. Three hundred pounds* were voted for the improvement of roads, a part of which was devoted to the building of a bridge across the mill-stream at the site of the present Norcross bridge. Moses Starling, Esq., took the contract to build the bridge for a hundred and fifty bushels of merchantable wheat. The sum of sixty pounds was also voted to the support of schools, and fifteen pounds to defray town charges. It was also voted to build
* A pound was equal to three dollars and thirty-three and one-third cents of federal currency.
IO
70
HISTORY OF FARMINGTON.
a pound, on Thomas Flint's lot, thirty feet square between joints and seven feet high.
For a time all ran smoothly in town politics; but it was not long before the leaven of federal animosities began to work. The inhabitants of the little hamlet had been some- what agitated by the party spirit which had run so high dur- ing the exciting period when Jay's treaty was pending. It has even been said that one good and staunch democrat, or republican as they were then styled, cherished the bad blood engendered by the consummation of that treaty for more than twenty years, and refused to attend Fast Day services, saying he had no need to go to fast, but it was all very well for the federalists. For the first four years of its organiza- tion the town voted to send no representative to General Court, but in 1798 the citizens deemed it best to make their voice felt in the halls of legislation. Two candidates were in the field, Supply Belcher as a federalist, and Ezekiel Por- ter as a republican. Mr. Belcher received fifty-seven votes, a majority of twelve over his opponent, and took his seat in the session of the General Court which convened at Boston the last Wednesday of May, 1798. During that year Con- gress imposed a direct tax of two million of dollars to be laid upon the United States and apportioned to the several states. To the State of Massachusetts the sum of $260,- 435.34 was apportioned. Massachusetts was divided into nine districts, the first consisting of the counties of Hancock, Washington, and Lincoln. There were three supervisors, viz .: Maj .- Gen. Benjamin Lincoln, then Collector of the Port of Boston, Col. John Brooks, afterwards Governor, and Mr. Jackson. The eleventh district of the first division of the State of Massachusetts included the towns of Farming- ton, New Sharon, and Anson, and the plantations of Tyng- town (Wilton), Wyman's Plantation (Chesterville), and Greenstown. Supply Belcher was appointed the principal assessor of this district, and his assistants were Reuben Lowell, Zachariah Norton, of Farmington; Joshua B. Low- ell, and Dummer Sewall, of Chester; Cornelius Norton, Jr., of New Vineyard ; Jeremiah Smith, of New Sharon, and Isaiah Wood.
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