USA > Maine > York County > Kennebunk > The village of Kennebunk, Maine : interesting facts from old documents and maps, and observations by the author > Part 5
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In the early 1820's it was badly damaged by freshets and not repaired for many years. About 1825 the Kennebunk Manf. Co. at the Village endeavored to buy the different shares and were partially successful securing a controlling interest, but did not develop it. In 1855 Joseph Dane and Oliver Perkins purchased all available shares, built a new dam and mill which they op- erated for many years, doing a large lumber business. They sold to B. C. Jordan of Alfred, who also did a large business. The mill was destroyed by fire September 2, 1904. The water privi- lege was purchased by the R. W. Lord & Co., who used it for a storage basin. I have never seen any record or description of when the first dam was built at Mitchell's. Mr. Remich in his de- scription of Kennebunk Depot in 1820 says that there was a Grist Mill. I know that there was a saw mill there before 1850. About 1860 R. W. Lord & Co. started the Net and Twine Mill, which is now a part of the American Net and Twine Co. The first dam and saw mill at the Village was built by Henry Say- ward in 1670. See Chapter Five.
The Histories say that the Big Freshet of 1755 destroyed every dam and bridge on the river. The records are rather indefinite as to when the first dam was built on the site of the present up- per dam or who built it. In the description of Kennebunk of 1790 it was at its present location with the saw mill at the east- ern end then owned by Joseph Storer. After the Kennebunk Manf. Co. acquired the property in 1825 they built a new dam (see Chapter Five).
Extensive repairs were made to this dam in 1869. A new dam was built in 1873. The mill property was then owned by Capt. N. L. Thompson. This dam lasted until 1920 when it was re- placed by the present one. The present owners are: The Rogers.
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Fibre Co., 3-5; Town of Kennebunk, 2-5. There is no record of when the first lower dam was built, evidently in 1770 or 80 or before 1790. A new dam was built by the Leatherboard Co. in 1876 with a long flume by the side of the river to the mill. The stone bulkhead and wing dam were built in 1895. It was re- placed in 1907. A new lower dam was built in 1919. Each of the Town Histories say that there was a dam about 1770 at the head of tide water, that there was not then an island. There was a Grist Mill and Iron Works.
The dam was carried away by the freshet of 1785. There was no trace of the dam when the Leatherboard built in 1876. I do not find in either of the Town Histories any reference or mention of any changes in the course of the river below the village, but it is very evident that at some time years ago the hill where the Leatherboard stable was built extended to the west bank. Even in 1860 there was a high hill extending to the eastern channel of the river. Hundreds of loads of clay gravel have been hauled from there and spread upon the streets of the Village.
I quote from a book written by Mr. W. E. Barry entitled "A Stroll by a Familiar River": "But is there aught of interest con- cerning the small inlet crossed by a bridge just abreast the west side of the island and with the sunken land beyond? I am re- minded by it of some earlier river channel.
"Truly so, friend.
"You shall hear that one of our former aged residents once assured me, that long ago, when his grandparent was a youth, a great freshet caused the stream which then flowed in a loop far around in the pasture yonder, then ye river began to force a pas- sage for itself through the narrow neck of land at the extreme west side. This the people seeing were pleased with and aided the stream, and a new channel was formed."
Unfortunately he gives no dates, but it indicates that he knew of the old channel. Mr. Barry's description indicates that this change happened after there were settlers in Kennebunk. If that is the case it seems strange that the historians do not mention it. In 1860 the lower east corner of what was later the Leatherboard yard was a swamp. There was a stone culvert near there on Water Street. The ground where the coal pocket was built was then a frog pond extending by the later extension of Grove Street, thence around east of the Kimball shoe shop and into the low marsh south of the field where the Leatherboard Co. dried their board; thence to the channel below the island which then had a hard gravel bottom. There was a substantial log bridge a little below where the Leatherboard stable was built and boats used to
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come up to the bridge. When the ice pond was excavated in 1910 we found in one place, about three feet below the surface, quite a large area of fresh grass sods, showing that it had once been much lower ground.
My explanation of the new channel would be this (all guess work) : That in the former days when the hill or neck of land extended to the west bank that it was covered with large trees. The river flowing against the bank would in time undermine it and in a big freshet the heavy trees on the bank would cause it to slip on the clay beneath. If the water got started across it would make a new channel and it would go quicker if, as Mr. Barry says, the people aided.
In the years between 1850 and 1900 there have been many slides from the bank into the river above the bridge and thou- sands of cubic yards of sand washed in and all this within two miles of the Village. The early settlers probably had the most of their supplies and the machinery for their mills brought by water in small vessels from Boston, and exporting the sawed lumber from the mills. These vessels entered the Mousam River east of Hart's Rocks, followed its winding course by Stony Bridge, thence up to the Landing. This perhaps would be hard to locate exactly now. Reference is made in one of the Histories to its being near a big stump, which is probably gone now.
There was shipbuilding on the banks of the river, 1750 to 1800, near and below the Larrabee Garrison. The sawed lumber re- quired was probably brought down from the Landing in scows, as there was a sand bar at the mouth of the river. A company was formed and incorporated to change the outlet. A dam was built nearly opposite the Hart place and a new channel dug east of Great Hill in 1793. This was a failure as a ledge was en- countered. But the Mousam flowed into the cove until Nov. 5, 1846, when the present channel west of Great Hill was opened. But this was not what was anticipated.
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CHAPTER FIVE
MANUFACTURING AND MILLS 1670-1888
The first dam and saw mill at Kennebunk was built in 1670, at what was known at one time as Emerson's Falls, a little above the present Sayward Street. It was built by Henry Sayward. This mill and other buildings were destroyed by the Indians in 1688, and for 40 years it was again a wilderness. In 1730 a new dam and mill was built on the old site. The raceway from the wheel used to be called the gut and extended nearly to the pres- ent dam. Reference is made to a mill which had not been oper- ated since the freshet of 1708, being rebuilt in 1750, but we are told that the great freshet of 1755 destroyed every dam and bridge on the river. In 1759 a dam was built on the site of the present uppper dam. It was probably owned by Col. Joseph Storer or he had a controling interest in it, as a few years later he had a saw mill there. There does not seem to be any record of when the first dam was built on the site of the present lower dam. There is a record of Iron Works at the western end of the lower dam in the early 1770's. The Chapter "Kennebunk in 1790" says that there were iron factories then. There was a mill at the eastern end which with additions became the Mayal Mill, then the machine shop of the Mousam Manf. Co. and it was de- stroyed by fire in 1840. Maj. Wm. Jefferds had a Fulling or Cloth Mill on the western side in 1790 and probably many years after. Richard Gilpatric also had a Grist Mill at the western end of the lower dam. Edmund Pierson removed his Tan Yard here in 1811 from Curtis Lane. He built the buildings afterwards used by George Leach as a machine shop and by John H. Fer- guson & Co. Planing, Sash, Blind and Door Manf.
There was a dam, Grist Mill and Iron Works at the head of tide water in 1770. The dam was destroyed by the freshet of 1785. A part of the lower dam Iron Works was removed soon after 1800 to the intersection of York and High Streets and was the blacksmith shop of Dimon Gilpatric. One of the Jefferds buildings was removed to Pleasant Street.
Kennebunk Manufacturing Company
In 1825 a Company was formed and incorporated as the Ken- nebunk Manf. Co., who bought all of the property on both dams, also of Joseph Storer 60 acres of woodland and 25 acres of grass and pasture land, on the east side of the river (the old Factory Pasture), and of Richard Gilpatric his homestead (the old board- ing house), and 50 acres or more of grass and pasture land on the west side including both sides of what is now Brown Street.
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They also purchased a controlling interest of the shares of the Cat Mousam Saw Mill and probably the Old or Fluellen Falls property. They began to make peparations to build a large cot- ton factory. They built a new upper dam in 1825 and it was built 26 inches higher than the one it replaced. The flowage damages were $1,800.00, the largest amount being at the Parson Fletcher farm. Aaron Littlefield was master carpenter. This company did not prosper and all of the property was sold at auc- tion Nov. 10 and Dec. 1, 1828. When the property was advertised for sale mention was made of two dams nearly new, which would indicate that a second dam had been built at the lower pond.
When the Leatherboard Co. built their dam in 1876 no record could be found of when the old dam was built. It was old and rotten but judging from the time other dams have lasted, it does not seem probable that it was a hundred years old. The dam of 1876, like the one it replaced, was built straight to the eastern bank with head gates to a flume by the side of the river to the Leatherboard Mill. In 1895 a stone bulkhead was built a little farther down the river and a wing dam built, the head gates being in the bulkhead. The wing dam was replaced in 1907 and there was a new lower dam built in 1919. The sale of the prop- erty in 1828 did not realize enough to pay their debts.
Mousam Manufacturing Company
In the spring of 1832 a company was formed and the Count- ing Room built (1832). A Cotton Mill was built, date not given. A charter was granted by the State of Maine, approved Feb. 22, 1834, for the purpose of Manufacturing Iron and Steel, Cotton and Woolen Goods; to purchase Real and Personal Property not to exceed $100,000.00. Jonathan Fiske was chosen Agent. In ad- dition to operating the Cotton Mill they built what was known as the Old Factory Barn on Water Street and carried on an exten- sive farm business. They probably did their own teaming as their cotton would naturally come by coaster to Kennebunkport. They either operated or leased the Saw Mill on the eastern end of the upper dam until 1843 when they voted to take it down and build a new one on the site of the machine shop burned in 1840; also to locate a street through the Gilpatric field. In 1847 they voted that the Town may take Brown Street and continue it to the Sea Road if they will keep it in repair. I do not find any record of any building on the site of the saw mill of Joseph Storer. I know that Oliver Littlefield had a Planing, Sash, Blind and Door Mill there before 1850. He bought the first wood planer in Town in 1844 and must have had a mill of some kind to put it in. I do not find any record of the use that Mousam
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Mfg. Co. made of the Pierson buildings. I am wondering if the machinery of Littlefield was not removed there about 1851 and either operated by him or sold to J. H. Ferguson & Co.
The Mousam Manf. Co. made many changes on the river bank. A wall of split stone was built the entire length of their plant and around the lower dam wheel pit, west side of the river. This company probably built the large and expensive flume at the western end of the upper dam. There was a bank wall above the dam, and a large head chamber, a flume nearly the size of the building now at the end of the dam. The bottom was as low as the river bottom. There were four large head gates with rack above. From this head flume there was another extending under the street in to the Mill Yard and nearly down to boiler room of the Griffin and Reed Mill. This was 14 ft. wide and 6 ft. high. A smaller one 6x6 ft. carried the water to the wheel. These flumes were of oak timber planked both sides and puddled be- tween with blue clay. There were also logs with 2 in. holes bored through for drainage in the yard. The Richard Gilpat- ric house was converted into two tenements.
In March, 1850, an agreement was made with Capt. Wm. Lord, Jr., to increase the capital stock and enlarge the business, which probably meant new buildings or additions. April 5, 1850, the factory, machinery and stock in the factory were destroyed by fire.
Warp Mill
In 1851 the record says that machinery was put in the Sash and Blind Factory of Oliver Littlefield and a company formed called the Warp Mill, to spin cotton yarn, John Cobby, manager. This was in operation several years, probably leasing building and power from the Mousam Manf. Co. June 29, 1854, voted to sell all of the property, real and personal, to Mr. Wm. Lord for $25,000.00 and that the Treasurer pay the debts and divide the property. From this time until 1865 all that was doing at the upper dam was the Grist Mill operated either by Sam'l Kimball, A. F. Wormwood or Johnson Webber. The Warp Mill was closed and there was nothing in the old Counting Room.
At the lower dam Sam'l Clark was operating the Saw Mill most of the time. In the Pierson buildings George Leach had a machine shop and J. H. Ferguson & Co. a Planing, Sash, Blind and Door manufactory. Dec. 22, 1863, all of this property was sold to Capt. N. L. Thompson, Joseph Dane and Joseph Titcomb, for $31,000.00. I do not know how long it had three owners. I think not long.
The Kimball Shoe Shop from West End of Bridge
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Hewitt Mill
In September, 1865, work was commenced to repair the Warp and Twine Mill. The old building stood end to the road. The old roof was taken off, additions made and a new roof put on, side to the street. There was a belfry on the roof, with bell. A new Picker building was erected and I think a new water wheel in- stalled. The mill was let to Mr. Hewitt for spinning cotton yarn and was in operation late in 1865.
Colvin Mill
In the fall of 1867 a mill was built below the Grist Mill by or for Capt. Robert Cleaves of Saco. This was also used for spin- ning cotton yarn. I do not know whether Capt. Cleaves operated it himself or leased it, but a few years later Raymond N. Colvin was there and his occupancy named the mill. He removed to New Hampshire in 1878.
Union Lace Company
In the summer of 1868 Capt. Thompson built a mill nearly on the site of the Cotton Mill of the Mousam Manf. Co., 87x42 ft., three-story tower in the front center; a brick boiler house, a two-story picker building connected with the main mill on the river side by a two-story covered passage. Probably a new wheel was installed. This plant was leased to the Union Lace Co., Griffin & Reed coming here from Attleboro, Mass. They manu- factured shoe strings, round and flat. They took the cotton from the bale to the picker, then to mules in the attic, then to a braid- ing machine; the brass tips were put on by a patent process. This company used the Old Counting Room for a dye house. They also used the Hewitt Mill several years. This company removed to Lake Village, N. H., in 1878.
The building over the head gates was built in 1869. The gates operated inside the building. Later the building was moved nearer the street and the gates operated outside. The first story has been used for a store and barber shop. The second story is a tene- ment.
The building (Griffin & Reed Mill) was used as a shoe shop in 1881 and 1882 by Mawhenny and Co. In 1883-4-5 parts of the mill was used by the Leatheroid Co. (described under that head). In 1883 the third story was finished for roller skating and used for that purpose about three seasons. In 1886 the Merino Co., makers of felt boots, occupied the mill and were there until about 1890. They used a great deal of steam in their business, and extensive repairs were necessary after their removal. The Kennebunk Manf. Co. (Spaulding and others), makers of leather-
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board lunch boxes and extension cases, occupied all or parts of the building until about 1906.
About 1895 the property was bought by the Leatheroid Manf. Co. and with it two-fifths of the water rights of the upper dam. In 1896 they took a part of the first story, built Paper Machine building and from that time it is fully described under that head. It has been called the Paper Mill since 1896.
Grist Mill
In 1869 Capt. Thompson built a new Grist Mill. A part of the old mill was torn down and a part removed across Water Street. The old mill was a short distance from the street. There is no record available of when it was built. It was here in the de- scription of Kennebunk 1790, but the street was moved up river 17 feet in 1830, and they did not move the mill.
The Colvin Mill was used by the Leatheroid Mfg. Co. in 1881- 85, or perhaps longer. Then Mr. Haskell used it for manufactur- ing leatherboard extension cases. There was a Sea Food Co. there one or more seasons. I think that it was vacant part of the time afterward. The property was acquired at some time by the Leatheroid Co. In the dividing of the water rights during the different transfers of property, one-fifth of the power of the upper dam belonged to the Grist and Colvin Mill. The Leatheroid Co. had also acquired the Grist Mill. The Laundry building built by the Leatheroid Co. in 1883 was sold to J. H. Ferguson with the agreement to furnish power for a certain number of years. This was done from the Colvin Mill wheel, that wheel getting its water from the Grist Mill flume. The Shoe Shop fire destroying those buildings, a rope drive was installed from the Paper Mill to the upper corner of the Laundry building. The Leatheroid Co. then owned both sides of the river with three- fifths rights of the upper dam. They have since used it all on the western side of the river.
In 1873 or 74 the property on the lower dam was sold or sup- posed to be to the Cummings Shoe Co. of Springvale, but there was a slip somewhere and they went to South Berwick.
The Leatherboard Co. bought and built in 1876 and will be described under that head.
Kennebunk Mill Co.
In the summer of 1877 the Kennebunk Mill Co. was formed for the purpose of building a Shoe Shop. A lot was secured on the corner of Main and Storer Street and a building erected 160x35 ft., four stories with boiler room at the upper end. This was framed by the local carpenters and raised by Kennebunkport
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ship riggers. The power was from the Hewitt Mill wheel. It was occupied in Dec., 1877, by the Ventilating Waterproof Shoe Co., coming here from Mechanic Falls, Maine. In 1884 a wing was built at right angles to the upper end, 60x60 ft, four-story. The stones for the foundation were from the lock on the Kenne- bunk River. By vote the Town reliquished its road or right of way to the river which it had for many years.
In 1885 more room being wanted, the Hewitt Mill site was se- cured and that mill removed to Water Street, where it was later converted into a dwelling house or hotel, and called the Kenne- bunk House. It is now owned by Geo. E. Cousens. On the site thus secured was erected a second wing 50x72 ft, also four-story with a tower between the two wings. During these years the property had come into the possession of Joseph Davis of Lynn. He failed May 20, 1891, Spinney & Co., Assignees. In 1893 the Town voted to buy the property for an Electric Light Plant. In the division of the water rights the Shoe Shop had two-fifths. The first lights on Main Street were Aug. 31, 1894. The upper part of the mill was leased in 1894 to the Mason Cobb Shoe Co. of Auburn, Maine, who were here several years. They were fol- lowed by the Rice & Hutchins Shoe Co. They vacated the latter part of 1902. It was not occupied in the winter of 1902-3. The water was drawn out of the sprinkler system, and the insurance expired. And May 3, 1903, there was the biggest fire that this Village ever saw. The Shoe Shop, Grist Mill, Colvin Mill and Annex, Old Corner Grocery and Parsons Block totally destroyed, Dresser's store badly damaged, North Star Wheel house and wheel damaged.
In the summer of 1903 the brick mill was erected for the Light Plant which is in the basement. The upper stories were leased to the Goodall Matting Co., who occupied them several years. They were followed by the Goodall Worsted Co., who vacated in 1927, then leased to the Kesslen Shoe Co.
The Goodall Mill was built in 1918 by the Goodall Co. of San- ford. The Town voted to buy it Oct. 15, 1929, and it is now leased to the Kesslen Shoe Co.
Union Mill Co.
The Union Mill Co. was organized in 1888 by local residents of Kennebunk for the purpose of building a Shoe Shop. A lot was secured in the eastern corner of the Leatherboard field. Grove Street was extended down the hill around the lower corner of the proposed mill to Winter Street. Work was commenced Jan. 1, 1889. The frame was bought in Fairfield, Maine, framed ready to raise. Joseph Day and Wm. L. Littlefield, contractors. The
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building was completed and formally dedicated April 11, 1889, with public exercises which were largely attended and the mill was in operation soon after. Alfred and Warren Kimball, shoe manufacturers of Lawrence, Mass., were the lessees. In the winter of 1889, while the mill was building, the Boston and Maine R. R. were constructing a spur track from their main line. This was in operation in time to bring the shoe machinery to the mill, the track serving this mill on the eastern side. Kimball Bros. remained here until Oct., 1893, when they removed to Lawrence.
The next occupant was the Queen Refrigerator Co., which was in the mill a few years. In 1898 the Mousam Counter Co. was organized and purchased this mill. Some years later all of the counter machinery was moved here (Roger Fibre Co.) from the Leatherboard Mill. A new office building built on the east cor- ner, and large stock houses. They moved to Water Street in 1930 (see Leatherboard). A fire on the first floor, Aug. 16, 1931, damaged it. Oct. 28, 1933, mill, boiler house, stock houses, office building and water tank were totally destroyed by fire.
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CHAPTER SIX
LEATHERBOARD-LEATHEROID-ROGERS FIBRE CO.
Leatherboard
In 1875 a company was organized consisting of Emery An- drews, who had operated a Leatherboard Mill at Welchville, Maine, and S. B. Rogers, Stephen Moore, Homer Rogers and others who had had a mill at South Sudbury, Mass., and were in- corporated as the Mousam Manufacturing Co. (taking the name of the Cotton Mill of 1834 to 1850). This company bought the lower dam privilege on the Mousam River in Kennebunk. Their bounds were six feet above the foot of the dam and on a line parallel with it from Water Street to Brown Street; on Brown Street to land of Wm. Downing, thence following the top of the hill to the lower side of the island. On Water Street from a lit- tle above the Paint Shop to the top of the hill back of the Grove Street Schoolhouse, and following the top of the hill to a little below where was afterward built the Kimball Shoe Shop; thence in a straight line below the island to the line on the western side of the river.
Mr. Andrews moved here as resident manager. They com- menced operations early in the summer of 1876, built the first unit of the mill about 100x50 ft, three-story, bleach room on the west side, brick boiler room, and tall brick chimney, a little be- low and nearer the river; the office building northwest corner of the yard, which was enclosed with a high picket fence. The buildings were painted red. A large wheel pit was excavated, the water to discharge into the east channel. (There was then an island between the mill and the west bank.) The material taken out was dumped into the east channel above the wheel pit, which was entirely filled, thus diverting all of the water to the west channel except that which went through the wheel. An open flume was dug and planked to the lower dam with head gates under the saw mill. A few years later the channel below was dredged and blasted deeper. Now at high tide the water backs into the wheel pit. The Mill was in operation in the late fall of 1876. It was built by a Lewiston contractor.
A new dam was built to replace the old one of which there was no record as to when it was built. A whistle was placed over the boiler and the first morning that it blew the Town woke up and wondered. In 1877, 50 ft. was added to the length. In 1883 50 more and a tower outside in front, and water tank on the roof. The Waterproof building was built about 1877. During the first few years the teams were kept in the old factory barn, which
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