USA > Maine > Oxford County > Peru > The history of Peru in the County of Oxford and State of Maine, from 1789 to 1911. Residents and genealogies of their families, also a part of Franklin plan > Part 30
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The third route was, like the second, as far as Wilson pond, at North Monmouth; thence down the Wilson stream into the south, or Annabessacook pond; thence into the Cobbosseecontee pond, and down the outlet into the Kennebec river ; thence to Merrymeeting Bay. It is worthy of note. by the last route the waters of Andros- coggin pond and Dead river in Leeds can be diverted from the Androscoggin river to the Kennebec by excavation of earth a dis- tance of about one mile between Androscoggin pond and Wilson pond. Dead river, it is said, is so nearly level that it flows both ways, serving both an outlet and an inlet to Androscoggin pond at different periods. There is nearly a continuous waterway be- tween the two great rivers, a peculiar freak of nature. All of these ponds except Wilson took their names from the Anasagunticooks. Wilson was named after a white man. Sabattus was the name of an Indian chief who in 1775 acted as guide to Benedict Arnold when he ascended the Kennebec river on his expedition to Quebec. At his death he was buried on a mountain in Wales that bears his name. He belonged to the Anasagunticook tribe.
At one time the Anasagunticooks numbering seven hundred as- sembled at Rocomoco (Canton Point) with the intention of attack- ing and burning Gostown, the name given by the first settlers to Brunswick. They glided down the Androscoggin in their canoes at dead of night. Before reaching the dangerous rapids of Ameris- coggin (Lewiston Falls) the chief detached a brave from the fleet, with the injunction to paddle with all haste to the highlands above
the falls, and there build a signal fire; seeing which, the fleet would land, make a portage around the falls, and re-embark in the smooth river below. It so happened that Daniel Malcolm of Gos- town, a noted Indian hunter, by them known as Surgurnumby, i. e., "a very strong man," arrived on the scene just as the Indian was fanning into a flame the faint spark that he had produced with
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flint and steel. Malcolm's keen perception read in this act the whole scheme. Creeping up softly, he dispatched the plotting brave, and, hastily extinguishing the flames, ran to a high point of land below the falls, and there raised a broad gleaming beacon. The unsuspecting savages paddled down the river in apparent so- curity. They saw the light, and supposing it to be the one their confederate had built, paddled into the very jaws of the rapids. Nearly every brave in the fleet was either mangled on the rocks or drowned in the current. This exploit not only saved the people of Gostown from a worse fate than that shared by the savages, but completely shattered the strength of the Anasagunticooks. It was their last expedition of warfare. I note the Lewiston Journal of Apr. 15, 1905, giving the history of the carly settlers of Canton, designates the Indians at Canton Point, "Rockomekos." This trib- al name doubtless was given them by white men many years after they became extinct. and it originated from the Indian name, Rocomoco, as given by them to the place they then occupied. or in other words, this name, or Rockomeka, as now spelled, was their Indian name of the town or locality occupied by the Ana-agunti- cooks, one of the tribes of the Abenaques in the province of Maine. The main line of land travel from the village of wigwams extending north was confined to the east bank of Androscoggin. Their vil- lage was located on this side of the river.
The old Indian trail extending up the river through Dixfield, Mexico, Rumford, and on to the lakes, is worthy of mention. It curved around spotted trees that served as beacon lights in the dense forest and was the sole line of travel for the first settlers in Peru and the other towns named nearly a score of years and before carriages were in use. The early pioneers came and went either on foot or on back of horse by this route. It is in evidence 'this con- tinued in 1809, when Oliver Hopkins and wife came from Mon- mouth to Peru.
Expedition of 1645 against Narroheganset Indians and their confederates. The name of the tribe was abbreviated to Narragan- sett. They had from four to five thousand fighting men occupying the most of Rhode Island, and to the west as far as Narragansett Bay, including the islands. Their sachems. Canonieus and Anti- nomo, were friends to the English through Roger Williams, but Indians were Indians, and there were constant rumors of an up- rising that were many times true. There were forty men from Plymouth colony. Duxbury's quota was six. Their names were
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Samuel Nash, Wm. Brewster, Wm. Clark, John Washburn, Nath'l Chandler and Edward Hall (the father of the race of Dixfield and Peru Halls). The length of service was seventeen days. The cost of the expedition to the colony was 70 pounds, 8 shillings, 6 pence ; of this, Duxbury paid 8 pounds, 11 shillings. Capt. Miles Standish was in command of the Plymouth contingent and occupied the river bank opposite Providence ten days before the Mass. (colony) · troops were a field. As the Providence people under guise of neu- trality were openly furnishing supplies not a mile from this en- campment, he compelled them to take sides and suspend their hos- tile traffic. Fortunately war was averted by the prompt show of the English forces. Extracts from history.
Church Service in Duxbury
The first church was gathered about 1632. A handful of people who spent their summers in Duxbury had services in a very small building which stood about seventy years. The first five years they had no settled pastor, Elder Brewster officiating. Rev. Ralph Partridge was settled in 1637. He d. in 1658. Rev. John Holmes was the second, and Ichabod Wiswell came in 1676. The Rev. Josiah Moore, one time pastor of the church, says in "Soul's Sprague Memorial": "I am informed that the church records were burned, together with those of the town, at a fire which oc- curred at Pembroke, where they were deposited. This was a part of Duxbury originally." Gov. Bradford says, 1632, the people of Plymouth begin to grow in their outward estates by the flowing of many into the country, especially into the Mass. colony, by which means cattle and corn rise to a great price. Goods grow plentiful and many are enriched, and now the stock increasing and the in- crease vendible, there is no longer holding them together. They must go to their great lots. They cannot otherwise keep their cattle, and, having oxen grown, they must have more land for till- age. By this means they scatter around the bay quickly and the town where they lived compactly is soon left very thin, and in a short time almost desolate. The church also came to be divided, and those who have lived so long together in Christian and com- fortable fellowship must now part. Alden, Standish, Brewster, Prince, Collin, Delano, who had moved to Duxbury, promised to return winters. There is much pathos in this parting when we think of all they had suffered together. Eventually not many of
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the "first comers" remained in Plymouth, and but few of their descendants are there now. Duxbury had the largest number of any one place, and there are today many descendants of those "first comers" living in town. Go back about three generations and everybody most is related to each other and to several of the Pil- grims. The grant of the town was made by Wm. Bradford, Esq., and his associates, to Miles Standish and others. In 1643, 80 persons were able to bear arms, and population about 400. Quite . a number of gristmills, sawmills, etc., were operated at different times. Four school districts in 1735. Nov. 25, 1668, was a day of thanksgiving throughout the colony. In 1641 there were eight churches in Plymouth colony, eight churches in Conn., and 24 in Mass. colony. There had been 84 deaths in Duxbury, 16SS. Dux- bury incorporated June 17, 1637. In 1690 the ratable estate amounted to about $7500. In 1793 there were living in Duxbury sixty-three persons over 80 years of age, two of them nearly 90 years, and six past that age. Dec. 3, 1724, a whale was captured off the beach.
Bradford's list of Mayflower passengers. The list according to families :
John Carver, his wife, Katherine; Desire Minter; John How- land; Roger Wilder; Wm. Latham; Jasper More; William Brad- ford and wife, Dorothy May (their son, John, came afterwards) ; Edward Winslow, his wife, Elizabeth Barker; George Soul; Elias Story ; Ellen More; William Brewster, his wife, Mary, their sons, Love and Wrestling; Richard More and his brother; Isaac Aler- ton, his wife, Mary Norris, their children, Bartholomew, Remem- ber and Mary; John Hooke; John Crackston and son, John ; Capt. Miles Standish and his wife, Rose; Samuel Fuller (his wife and child came 1623) ; Christopher Martin, his wife; Solomon Prower ; John Langemore (employees) ; Wm. Mullins and wife, their chil- dren, Joseph and Priscilla; Robert Carter; Stephen Hopkins, his wife, Elizabeth, their children, Giles, Constance (by a former wife), Damaris and Oceanus ; Edward Dotey (or Doten) and Edward Lis- ter (employees) ; William White, his wife, Susanna, and son, Re- solved; William Holbeck; Edward Thompson (employees), d. be- fore end of March, 1621; Richard Warren (his wife and five daugh- ters came in 1623, two sons probably in 1621) ; Francis Cook and son, John (wife came in 1622) ; John Billington and wife, Eleanor, and son, John Francis; Edward Tilley and his wife, Ann, their cousins, Henry Sampson and Humility Cooper : John Tilley, wife,
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Bridget Van du Velde, their Elizabeth; Thomas Rogers and son, Joseph ; Thomas Tinker, his wife and their son; John Ridgedale and his wife, Alice; James Chilton, his wife and their dau., Mary ; Edward Fuller, his wife and their son, Samuel; John Turner and his two sons : Francis Eaton, his wife, Sarah, and infant son, Sam- uel : Dagony Priest (his wife and children came in 1622) ; Moses Fletcher; John Goodman; Thomas Williams; Edmund Margeson ; Richard Britteridge ; John Allerton ; Richard Clark; Thomas Eng- lish ; Peter Brown ; Gilbert Winslow; Richard Gardner ; John Alden (cooper) ; William Trever, and Ely (hired seaman), d. be- fore end of March, 1621. Just half their number, fifty-one, sur- vived the first sickness.
A list of the passengers of The Fortune. Nov. 20. 1621, just one year from the day the Mayflower sighted the hills of Cape Cod, The Fortune was sighted by the sentry at Fort Hill, greatly to the surprise and joy of the little band with thirty-three new colonists, to wit: John Adams, Wm. Bassett and Elizabeth, Edward Bum- pass, Jonathan Brewster, Clement Briggs, Thomas Cushman, Steph- en Deane, Philipdela Noye, widow Martha Ford, with children, William, John and Martha, Robert Hicks, William Palmer, Wil- liam Palmer, Jr., Thomas Prences, Moses Simonson, John Winslow, William Wright, William Beal, John Cannon, William Cannon. Thomas Flavel and son, William Hilton, Bennet Morgan, Thomas Morton, Austin Nicholas, William Pitt, Hugh Statie, James Stew- art, William Tench. The last thirteen d. or removed before 1827.
Captain' John Paul Jones
John Paul Jones, b. at Arbigland, in Scotland, 1747, the son of a gardener named John Paul. He became a sailor and was for a short time engaged in the slave trade. He afterwards settled in Va., assuming the name of Jones. He ardently embraced the cause of the American colonies. When the congress in 1775 re- solved to fit out a naval force, he offered his services; and visiting the British coast in a brig of 18 guns, performed some remarkably bold exploits and took advantage of his familiarity with the scenes of his boyhood to make a hostile visit to the shores of the Solway Firth. In 1779 he was appointed to the command of a small squadron of French ships displaying the American flag, with which he again visited the British coasts, causing great alarm and taking some prizes. The King of France made him a chevalier of the order of Military Merit. In 1787 he accepted an appointment in the Russian service and the command of a fleet at the mouth of the Dneiper, in which he took an active part in the Turkish war, but soon left the service. He d. at Paris, 1792. It is well known that about a century later his remains were brought to the U. S. as a token of the high esteem of the American people for his achievements and valor in our behalf.
America's Most Famous Flag
Of all the thousands of flags which have waved over the heads of Americans, one of them stands supreme in its unequaled fame. This one is the flag of Capt. John Paul Jones, the "Founder of the American Navy." It was the naval hero's proud boast that he and the flag were twins, having been born together. "As long as we float, we shall float together," was the pledge which he kept to the end. It was fitting that the first flag to float over an Amer- ican vessel was hoisted on the Ranger by Jones himself, July 4, 1777. The flag was made by a quilting party of young ladies at Portsmouth, N. H., where the Ranger was launched. The thir- teen white stars were cut from a white silk dress in which Helen Seavey had been married to a young officer the May before. The
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blue field and the red and white stripes were also of silk and were furnished and made up by Mary Langdon, Caroline Chandler, Helen Seavey, Angusta Pierce and Dorothy Hall, the last a niece of Elijah Hall, second lieutenant of the Ranger. It was the first example of the new symbol of liberty to be seen in European waters, and the first to be saluted by European powers in those waters, by the French at Quiberon bay, Dec. 14, 1472.
This was only the beginning of its fame. Jones took the flag with him when he gave up the Ranger and spread it to the salt breeze when he stepped on the quarter deck of the old Bon Homme Richard. But before that he had fought the Drake, and this was the first naval victory gained by the stars and stripes. This flag was the first ever hoisted over a foreign enemy after an American victory on the seas. Fierce as the fighting was that day off the Irish coast. and though it was the first time a British ship of war ever struck its colors to an inferior force, the flag came through the battle without a scar. This was also true of the fighting with the Serapis, September 13, 1779, the bloodiest battle ever won at sea.
When Capt. Pearson struck at last. his sailors were cowed by the indomitable valor of Jones and his men. The Serapis was uninjured, while the Bon Homme Richard was a total wreck. This engagement is the only one in the history of the sea in which the victor sank and the vanquished floated. Transferring his wounded to the English ship, Capt. Jones had no more than time to save the living. His sixty gallant dead went down with the ship. As a final tribute to the valor of the brave Americans. this most famous flag went down with them.
Common Ancestor
The Pettengills of East Livermore, of whom Waldo Pettengill. Esq., of Rumford, is a lineal descendant; the Bisbees of Sumner. the offspring of Elisha Bisbee, senior, of whom Geo. Washington Bisbee of Peru, the father of Lieut. Geo. D. Bisbee, was a grand- son ; and the Turner family, that branch who are the offspring of Robinson Turner, senior, of Peru. all have one ancestral mother in Sarah Gannett of Duxbury, Mass. It is worthy of note that she was the progenitor of three races of people, and that some representative of each race lived and died in Peru.
Sarah Gannett m. about 1755, Daniel Pettengill in Duxbury. Their children :- Mathew, b. June 1. 1756 ; Daniel, Jr., and Molly.
Mrs. Mary Bisbee, 1818-1885. wife of George W. Bisbce.
I THE NEW YORK PUBLIC 1150٨١Y
STATIONS.
George W. Bisbee was born in Buckfield, July 6th. 1812. He died in Peru, January 27th. 1872.
THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY
III. LENOX AND A FOUNDATIONS.
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The parent Daniel was killed by overturn of load of mast timber in 1263. His widow remarried, May 10, 1766, Amos Ford, in Duxbury, and had by him daughter Lillis, who m. Robinson Turner, senior. Daughter Molly Pettengill, b. Jan. 9, 1760, m. at Duxbury, 1779, Elisha Bisbee, senior, b. Mar. 4, 1757, a Lient. in war of Revolution. They had twenty children. He d. at Sumner, Dec. 1, 1826. Wife d. Aug. 20, 1811. Mathew Petten- gill m. around 1785, Bethia Ford, and had nine children. The first was Elisha, b. May 28, 1786. The seventh was Polly, who in. Perkins Turner in Peru. Elisha Pettengill m. Mehitable Hub- bard. and had ten children. The first was Oliver, b. Oct. 15, 1814, m. Oct. 19, 1813, Huldah Baker, had son, Waldo, above mentioned. b. Dec. 1, 1844, and two daughters.
Elisha Bisbee, Jr., a worthy member of the Baptist church, m. and settled in Buckfield, where were b. July 6, 1812, twin sons, George Washington and Thomas Jefferson Bisbee. Family re- moved to Sumner in 1815, where several other children were b. and reared. He had also a good family of children by a second wife, of whom in part were Sabre W. Bisbee, who m. Orville Rob- inson ; Jane Y. Bisbee, who m. Oct. 1. 1855, James McDonald, a leader of band in the 11th Me. Regt. He d. in Nevada, 1880. His widow d. at Rumford, in the family of her adopted daughter, Mr. and Mrs. James Kerr. Elisha Bisbee, Jr., d. Dec. 18, 1874, on home farm. George Washington Bisbee, m. Mary Howe of Rumford, b. Jan. 27, 1813, and d. in Buckfield, June 25, 1885. He settled in Hartford and learned the blacksmith's trade. Their only child, Geo. D. Bisbee, was b. there in 1841. Both parents were members of the Baptist church. Family removed to Peru in 1857, having purchased the old Benj. Fobes farm with new buildings erected by John Lara, and subsequently sold to Edward Barbar. Mr. Bisbee was a prosperous farmer here a term of vears. With other farm products he had several acres of hops in fine culture. Health failing, he sold farm, and d. in Peru, Jan. 27, 1872.
In the fall of 1859, two of the prominent pupils who attend- ed a tuition term of school in district No. ? in Peru, taught by writer, were Roscoe Smith and Geo. D. Bisbee. Their leading studies were arithmetic and English grammar. They made thor- ough progress in their studies and laid the foundation for their professional careers, and continued their studies under Preceptor Henry B. Walton at West Pern in fall of 1860. Now came our
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country's call to war. Geo. D. Bisbee, ae. 21, Peru, Must. 1st Sergt., Aug. 14, 1862, Co. C, 16th Regt., Me. Vols .; promoted 2nd Lieut., wounded Dec. 10, 1862, discharged by reason of wounds Apr. 25, 1863. Notwithstanding a running sore and dis- charge of fragments of bone from wounds in arm, he rushed to the front and participated in the surrender at Appomattox Court House, Apr. 9, 1865. He next resumed the study of law and was admitted to Oxford Bar. He is quite eminent as a business lawyer in heavy cases in different parts of the state. He is a member of the Baptist church, has always stood for temperance, is president of the Rumford Falls Trust Co., has been director and attorney for the P. & R. F. Ry. and is now one of the attorneys for the M. C. Ry. He has proved a noble son of a long line of nobility. an honor to his race.
OBITUARIES
Marcellus S. Atkins
Marcellus S. Atkins, mentioned on pages 49 and 50, closed this life around Nov. 1, 1911, at West Peru. In war of 1861-5 he was Must. Pvt., ae. 19, Dec. 23, 1863, from Peru, Co. I, First Regt. H. A., and subsequently promoted Corp. He was Must. out with command Sept. 11, 1865. Pending his twenty months and twenty-one days' service he gained record of the following dis- abilities, to wit: Measles, lung fever, lumbago, and sciatica rheu- matism, chills and fever. He was treated in four different hos- pitals. {Records made it easy to substantiate a pension claim. It was just here the personality of this man was revealed to a marked degree. The filing of pension claims in town began in 1886. In June of that year writer had filed eight, for soldiers in town. He sought Mr. Atkins, who promptly replied, "No pen- sion for me so long as I can work." It was a year before he yield- ed. During thirty years' practice as ,pension attorney, writer has found only one other similar case, and that was in town of Mon- mouth.
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1841. LIEUT. GEO. D. BISBEE.
Attorney, and President of Maine Baptist Missionary Convention, 1911.
THENEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY
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Daniel W. Walker, Peru
Peru, Me., Jan. 2, 1912 (Special) .- On Sunday occurred the death of Dan W. Walker, a'life-long resident of Peru. For the past 15 years he had served the people and the M. C. R. R. faith- fully and well as station agent, being constantly at his post of duty till two weeks ago, when he was taken suddenly ill, and since that time has been a great sufferer. He leaves a mother, whose home was with him, a widow, two sons and four daughters.
Errata
Page 17-Sixth line-Valentine should read Volentine.
Page 22-Fourteenth line-Same correction ; this man spelled his name Volentine.
Page 31-Twenty-first line-Number of Mayflower passengers should be fifty-one.
Page 40-Tenth line-Omit "at."
Page 42-Seventeenth line-Rothrus should read Rotheus.
Page 56-Twenty-second line-Make date of Ira M. Andrews' death 1895 instead of 895.
Page 80-Thirty-third line -- Pond. R. T. Ry. should read P. and R. T. Ry.
Page ,82-Thirty-seventh line-Refore should read reform.
Page 97-Twenty-first line-Selme should read Salome.
Page 11 ?- Twenty-ninth line-Zodac should read Zadoc .. Page 124-Welds should read Wells.
Page 124-Weld should read Wells.
Page 131-Thirty-eighth line-Insert "who" after Cross.
Page 143-Seventh line-Hamilton should read Hodsdon.
Page 187-Fifth line from bottom-Knigh should read Knight. Page 197-Thirteenth line-Lary should read Leary.
Page 201-Fourth line from bottom-Omit "wife of" and "school." Sarah R. should read Sarah R. Hall.
Page ?26-Seventh line-Omit "except."
REVILLA A. KNIGHT
1
Another man who has done honor to his race and to the town is Revilla A. Knight. He is a lineal descendant of Merrill Knight, the first settler of Township No. I, of the fourth generation. His mother was the daughter of Rev. Wm. Woodsum; Esther W. by name, of noble sentiments and refinement. She was well calculated to obey Divine in- junction: "Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it." Actuated by ambition and high ideals, he has made good. His success the same as all young men is due to living a temperate and virtuous life. He acquired a common school education that fitted him for teaching; and taught in Peru winters, three years from 1875, when he began railroading on the Old Colo- ny R. R. as brakeman, summers, same period. Then he worked on home farm with parents for three years. His father had been in feeble health from disease of throat, and died suddenly from bursting of the Aorta, June 3, 1881. It was in this year that Mr. Knight returned to the employ of the Old Colony R. R. and was promoted to Passenger Con- ductor in 1884, and has remained there ever since ( 1913).
'Revilla A. Knight married Ist February 9tl1, 1878, Alma W., daughter of Seth W. Jackson in Peru. Their only child Florice A. was born January 3d, 1879. Married January Ist 1900 F. E. Irwin in Waltham, Mass. Their children are Es- ther and F. E. Irving, Jr., residence Portland, Me. Wife Alma W. died October 25, 1883. Mr. Knight married 2d on December 31st, 1887, Edith M. Dunbar of Dorchester, Mass., no issue. This man is the last of his branch to preserve the family name. It is reported that Aubrey Mellen, son of Na- thaniel Knight a banker, died the past year.
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