USA > Maine > York County > Kennebunk > The village of Kennebunk, Maine : interesting facts from old documents and maps, and observations by the author > Part 6
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was also used to store stock. This was destroyed by fire Nov. 13, 1881. The Waterproof building was struck by lightning July 9, 1885. The beating engines were in the second story of the inill; stock, chests and board machines in first story. In the summer the board was spread on the grass, in the winter dried in the mill. The first driers were in the attic, then over the boiler; later on the first floor, then across the road.
In the early part of 1877 they began to make counter or heel stiffenings and most of the board since that time has been used for that purpose. Many different machines have been built, ex- periments made of different methods. A great many fingers have been lost and hands mutilated, but no fatal accidents.
The material for board and the shipments were all hauled by team until 1889 when the B. & M. spur track was built. This came nearly up to the Mill. A side track and trestle were built, the bottom planked, and freight and coal came that way. A new boiler house was built on the east side of Water Street. Boilers moved and a small car built to haul coal directly into the boiler house. Dry house built below the new boiler house. This was destroyed by fire July 11, 1912. A stable was erected on the hill below in 1891, used for the teams until the auto truck superseded them. In the early days they operated a coal business with a coal wharf at Kennebunkport. Stock houses were built as re- quired.
The purchase of this privilege changed the ownership of the Saw Mill and the Sash and Blind Factory. The Saw Mill closed in the early summer of 1876. Ferguson continued until destroyed by fire Dec. 6, 1888. The Saw Mill burned the same night. It had been used for storage, but there was not much value in it. In 1895 the stone bulkhead was built and head gates installed there and wing dam built making a larger inlet. The dam of 1876 was replaced in 1919 and the wing dam in 1907.
During the World War, 1917, Co. A of Dexter was quartered at the Leatherboard while guarding bridges and other property of the B. & M. R. R. The beating engines were removed to Bar Mills in 1910 where they have a large plant. The Counter ma- chines were all removed to the Kimball shop and a large machine shop operated several years. A little after 1920 a new wheel was installed, a new flume back of the mill and electric equipment, and all machines are now run by motors. The mill was torn down in 1932 and a cement block room built over the wheel.
In 1881 the National Fiber Board Co. was organized, combin- ing the Mousam and several other companies. The same mana- gers were retained for many years, Emery Andrews, Stephen
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Moore and Homer Rogers, "the Big Three." In 1881 the Mou- sam Manf. : Co. bought the Leatheroid Manf. Co. plant then lo- cated at Philadelphia and removed it here, starting in the Colvin Mill. In 1884 this plant began a separate corporate existence under the management of "the Big Three."
In 1898 the Mousam Counter Co. was organized doing business in the Kimball shop until 1930 when it removed to Water Street. The Rogers Fibre Co. was organized in 1915 and took the busi- ness of the three companies. A new office building was built on Water Street in 1912. The old office is a tenement on the exten- sion of Bourne Street.
Leatheroid
In 1881 the Mousam Manf. Co. purchased the Leatheroid Plant of Philadelphia and in December of that year it was removed to Kennebunk starting in the Colvin Mill. In 1884 it was incorpo- rated as the Leatheroid Manf. Co. and continued as such until 1915 when the Rogers Fibre Co. was organized, taking this plant, the National Fibre Board Co. and the Mousam Counter Co. The history of the plant is a little difficult as it was not only under the same management as the National Fibre Board Co. not only in the office but in the erection of buildings and alterations in the plant, and there may be repetitions.
The sheets were first made in the small building below the Col- vin Mill (Sulphuric Acid process). The first year it was largely experimental cans, boxes and other goods. Several carpenters were employed and other help. The building now known as the Laundry was erected in the fall of 1882, 75x75 ft., with flat roof. Tanks were built for soaking the sheets. A foot bridge was built in 1883 across the river. The Picker building of that mill was used as a paint shop. The first leatheroid trunk was made in the fall of 1883 in the southwest corner of the Laundry building. In the winter of 1883-4 they began to use the basement and sec- ond story of the Reed & Griffin Mill. (The third was being used as a skating rink.) Experiments were being made in construct- ing trunks, cars and boxes. A large press was installed in the basement to press sheets. The paint shop (old picker building of Griffin & Reed Mill) was burned March 27, 1884. It was not re- built. In the summer of 1884 a paint shop was built on Water Street. It is now the first building on the left going down. It was built one-story and flat roof, a few years later raised and a story built underneath. The first unit of the mill on the island was also built that year and the sheets were made there. The ice house back of the paint shop was filled from the bank.
In the summer of 1885 a mill was built on Water Street, three-
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story, about 100x50 ft .; a brick boiler house and ell extending from the lower back corner across the canal, and a water wheel installed; machine shop, dry and lumber house about same size as the mill, one-story, flat roof-later a pitch roof was put on and about 1907 a secnod and third story added. The mill was built by Capt. F. K. Small. The machinery was moved from the Griffin Mill and the new mill started Oct. 1, 1885, leaving the west side of the river for about ten years during which time a large number of trunks, cans, boxes, cars, cases and other goods were manufactured.
The Island plant was enlarged, the ice house built and a deep well, 200 ft. deep, to get cold water for soaking sheets. The Long building was erected in 1894, 400 ft. long, with tank nearly the whole length. In 1910 an ice pond was excavated on the island, approximately 400x150 feet, ice tools bought and the houses filled in the winter of 1910-11, and have been since. Before that it came from the upper pond.
During this time the company had bought or obtained control of the Grist Mill and Colvin Mill and with one-fifth of the water power of the upper dam. The flat roofed building was sold to John H. Ferguson who excavated a basement room about 1885. There was a machine shop in the lower end of the basement. A laundry was started in the basement and upper end in 1886. The lower end was the Eastern Star Printing Office, 1888 to 1929. The Reed & Griffin Mill with two-fifths of the water power was also acquired before 1896. This mill was used by the Knne- bunk Manf. Co. making leatherboard lunch boxes and extension cases from about 1892 to 1906.
In the early spring of 1896 the Leatheroid Co. began getting ready to make paper. They took about one-half of the basement of the Reed & Griffin Mill, excavated below the floor for stock chest, installed a beating engine, built a one-story paper machine room in line with the back side of the mill about 100x25 ft., in- stalled a paper machine with a store room farther down. In the corner of the boiler room a bleach room was built three stories high, and rag room on Brown Street with rag duster, cutters and benches for sorting rags. There was a bridge from this to the third story of the bleach room. This building was about 30x20 ft., afterward extended 20 and 30 and 20 ft., as the mill developed. A 75 h.p. engine was installed for more power-Jordan engine-to finish stock, and commenced making Island Paper from pure cot- ton rags. The wheel under the mill not proving of sufficient power, in the summer of 1897 a stone bulkhead was built into the river a little above the center of the mill, wheel pit exca-
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vated and a pair of twin wheels installed, right and left driving pulley in the center, and a flume built under the mill. A rope drive was installed, 800 ft. endless. This did not prove satisfactory and eight single ropes were used to drive the engine on grooved pulleys and a heavy tightener.
In the spring of 1898 the Dirigo Building was erected on about the site of the old Pierson Tannery Building. A Dirigo fibre machine was installed and tank built to soak sheets which were made by hydrochloride acid or zinc cloride process. The wheel at the western end of the lower dam being worthless, it was re- moved, the wheel pit enlarged and a Trump Turbine wheel in- stalled in 1898. The shaft from this wheel was placed in line with the one already under the mill. The southwest corner of the mill was cut out and trussed, an extension built and No. 2 beater installed. Dirigo Paper made and commenced making Dirigo fibre. In 1889 a wheel pit was excavated at the upper end of the mill, a connection made with the big flume and another Trump Turbine installed. The crown gears of this wheel was placed up- side down. The shaft was in line with the one already under the mill and was arranged to clutch together and form a continuous shaft to the lower wheel. One was driven from the upper dam and one from the lower using the water twice on the same shaft.
In 1900 a wheel pit was excavated above the bridge at the western end of the upper dam, another Trump Turbine installed and a tunnel for the shaft under Main Street to the mill was made. The wheel house was built with double walls to deaden the sound of the gears. No. 3 beater was installed this year in upper end of mill. In the spring of 1900 the Rag Stock house was built in the field in front of the office with trestle to walk to the coal trestle. Rags were wheeled to the top of the beams.
In December, 1900, a 200 h.p. engine was put in to replace the 75 h.p. previously used. A 14-ft. wheel drove to a sleeve on the main shaft with clutch to connect. Boilers were installed at dif- ferent times making four in all with forced draft. Many changes were made in the buildings from 1900 to 1920. Dirigo department was extended and more tanks built, dry room for sheets, and thin sheets dried on frames, and canoes made.
After the Electric Road was extended to York in 1906 a track was built into the Paper Mill yard, a coal trestle built and coal and rags delivered in the yard. After the Lunch Box Co. va- cated the rag department was moved from Water Street and rags were sorted, cut and carried to the bleach from the third story and the Brown Street rag room used for storage of rags.
The first crossing below the lower dam was by footbridge
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which was usually carried away each spring; then two triangular log piers were built and filled with stones. A bridge was built and a private electric road built to carry paper to the island. This was later extended to carry sheets to the field to dry on racks and to a dry room over the paint shop. The sulphuric acid for the island came for many years in carboys, in carload lots; later a large iron tank was placed below the mill on Water Street and the acid came in a tank car delivered by the Sanford & (Cape Porpoise R. R., who had a track on Water Street.
A paper machine was used at one time to dry long thin sheets. This was afterward moved to the island. Horn fibre was made at one time for electric use from linen thread waste. A Foundry was built in the field back of the paint shop and operated a number of years. Patterns were made and machines built too numerous to mention. The Paper machine was moved to Poland about 1920. The old Counting Room was torn down about 1918, the Paper mill in 1922. The Trunk department was sold to the Walton Trunk Co., who now make trunks, cans and cars in the old mill of 1885. The Fibre department Island and Dirigo was sold in 1930 to the Delaware Hard Fibre Co. who removed all ma- chines worth moving. The flume under Main Street was filled in 1930. Dirigo building razed in 1932. The Mousam Counter Co. moved to Water Street in 1931.
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CHAPTER SEVEN
CHURCHES AND SCHOOLS
The inhabitants of the town of Wells living between the Ken- nebunk and Mousam Rivers were incorporated, June 14, 1750, as the Second Congregational Society in Wells. Thirty-five men as follows: John Butland, *Richard Boothby, Philip Brown, John Burke, Ichabod Cousens, *Thomas Cousens, *Benjamin Cousens, John Gillpatrick, Jr., *Richard Kimball, *Nathaniel Kimball, *Thomas Kimball, *Stephen Larrabee, *John Mitchell, *Samuel Shackley, *James Wakefield, Nathaniel Wakefield, *Jeddediah Wakefield, *John Wakefield, *John Wakefield, Jr., John Webber, *Stephen Webber, Joseph Cousens, Samuel Emmons, John Freas, *John Gillpatrick, Samuel Littlefield, *Stephen Titcomb, Joseph Towne, Thomas Towne, *Jesse Towne, John Maddox, Jonathan Webber, *Joseph Wormwood, *Benjamin Wormwood, *Richard Thompson.
A Church was consecrated March 14, 1757, and the members were those marked (*) of the above.
The first Church was built at the Landing just below the Mc- Culloch house. It was begun in 1749 and so far completed that meetings were held in the winter of 1749-50. It was a rough structure 30 ft. long, two-story. In 1752 voted to enlarge it by adding 12 ft. to the length.
In 1772 the Parish voted to build a new Meeting House, 56x46 feet with porch in front on the west side of the County Road near James Kimball's, 46 pews on the lower floor, 24 in the gal- lery. This was commenced in 1773 and so far completed that it was voted Nov. 22, 1773, "That the Worship of God be hereby re- moved from the Old to the New Meeting House." The lot was given by Joseph Storer for so long as it shall be used for church purposes. Voted to take down the Old Church and use such parts as are suitable in the new one.
At that time all of the inhabitants of the Parish were taxed for the support of the Church as well as for Town and Provin- cial purposes. John Gillpatrick, Jr., was the Tax Collector for the Second Parish in Wells in 1774. I have the books, three in number. The Town and Provincial are signed by the Selectmen of Wells. As the list may be of interest, I give it:
"Mr. John Gillpatrick Jun., Collector for the second parish in Wells. You are hereby required to Collect the several sums an- nexed to the respective names in this list and pay in the one half of the same to Joseph Storer, Esq. Treasurer for 2nd Parish or his successor in office on or before the last day of October next
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ensuing & the other half on or before the twentieth day of March next following."
John Mitchell, Ebr. Rice, Saml. Burnham,
Assessors for the Second Parish in Wells.
Wells, June 11, 1774.
The Parish Tax was 91 pounds 13 shillings.
There are 129 names on the list-3 women, 3 of them no tax, 39 no real estate .; 10 were taxed for their faculty.
I have had these books since 1859 (G. A. G.).
They are of interest as showing who were residents of the 2d Parish in Wells (now Kennebunk) in 1774; they also show the amount taxed.
Richard Boothby
Jabez Emery, Jr.
Thomas Boothby
Job Emery
John Butland
Joseph Emerson
John Butland, Jr.
William Emerson
William Butland
Stephen Fairfield
Samuel Burnham
Mark Fisk
Philip Brown
John Fisk
Jacob Blaisdell
John Gilpatrick
Moses Blaisdell
John Gilpatrick, Jr.
*John Cole
Richard Gilpatrick
*John Cousens
Saml. Gilpatrick
John Cousens, Jr.
Jerediah Gooch
Samuel Cousens
Jerediah Gooch, Jr.
Samuel Cousens, Jr.
Thomas Gypson
John Cousens
James Hubbard
Nathaniel Cousens
Rheuben Hatch
Thomas Cousens
Nathaniel Hatch
Joseph Cousens Edmund Currier
Daniel Hatch
Jacob Curtis, Jr.
Nathaniel Kimball
Ebenezer Coburn Daniel Clark
Richard Kimball
Joseph Churchill
Richard Kimball, Jr.
Joseph Clark
Mary Kimball
James Kimball
Benjamin Day *Joseph Day Abram Day Samuel Day
Isaac Kimball Israel Kimball
Ebenezer Day
Stephen Larrabee
John Dennet
Stephen Larrabee, Jr.
Aron Drown
Widow Olive Emerson, Admx. of Est. Waldo Emerson
Samuel Emmons Pembleton Emmons Obadiah Emmons Jabez Emery
Jesse Larrabee Joel Larrabee Obadiah Littlefield
Samuel Littlefield
Anthony Littlefield Edmond Littlefield James Lord
Obadiah Hatch
Nathaniel Kimball, Jr.
Samuel Kimball
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Abram Littlefield
Richard Thompson
Daniel Medar
Caleb Thompson
John Mitchell Samuel Mitchell
Seth Taylor
Rebeccah Towne
Jotham Mitchell
Stephen Webber
John Maddock
John Wakefield
John Maddock, Jr.
Isaiah Wakefield
Adam Ross
Jerediah Wakefield
Ebenezar Rand John Ross
James Wakefield
Ebenezar Rice
Nath'l Wakefield
Joseph Storer
Joseph Wormwood
Benjamin Stevens
Benj. Wormwood
Moses Stevens
William Wormwood
Samuel Stevens Joel Stevens Ame Shackley
Samuel Waterhouse
John Shackley
John Waterhouse
John Shackley, Jr.
John Wormwood
James Smith Stephen Titcomb
Eliphet Walker
John Webber
Benjamin Titcomb
Daniel Merrill
Samuel Towne
James Ross
Joseph Hobbs
Joseph Taylor Jonathan Taylor John Taylor No Tax.
There were horse sheds near the western corner and at right angles to the house and a horse block between them and the road. Jan. 30, 1803, Voted, to add 28 ft. to the length and erect a belfry. The building was sawed in two, the rear half moved back 28 ft. and the intervening space connected by walls and a new roof over the whole making it end to the street as at pres- ent. This was done in 1803. In 1804 the tower having been erected as far as the floor of the belfry, the spire was erected and the Paul Revere bell hung, the second bell in the County. It was all one room until 1838 when the galleries were floored across and the present rooms below arranged.
The first Town Meeting was held in this Church, Aug. 14, 1820, and continued to be held here until 1858, after which they were held in Washington Hall, except the time from the burning of that Hall until the erection of the Town Hall when they were held here again. After the galleries were floored across the room used as a Sunday School room was called the Town Hall and used for many large gatherings. The Selectmen formerly had an office in the southwest corner with an entrace from the schoolhouse yard. The first stoves were put in the church in 1821. In this Church in 1814 York Lodge of Masons was consecrated and its
Paul Shackford
Ezekiel Wakefield
William Wells
Joseph Titcomb
Thomas Wormwood
Eli Wormwood
Hezekiah Wakefield
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officers installed. In 1864 political lectures were held here. In 1865 Memorial Services were held at noon of the day of Presi- dent Lincoln's funeral in Washington. In 1857 the first Christ- mas Tree and Christmas celebration was held.
April 4, 1859, Capt. Wm. Lord, Jr., gave the Unitarian So- ciety a clock with three dials in the tower and one in the singing seats. Formerly the bell was rung at 7 a.m., 12 m. and 6 p. m. Also after a death it was tolled one stroke for each year of the age of the deceased.
The changes, alterations and additions have been so many that it does not resemble much the Church of the early days.
The Second Congregational Church, Dane Street, was dedicated Oct. 7, 1828. The vestry was built in 1860, enlarged in 1905. Outside front steps taken off, a new spire, level floor and new pews and other repairs were made in 1869.
Baptist Church dedicated Oct. 15, 1840, chapel built 1873.
Methodist Church, Portland St., dedicated July 28, 1858.
Scandinavians' Church, Hall St., 1893.
St. Monica Catholic Church, Storer St., 1904.
Unitarian Parsonage given by Mrs. Swan in 1890.
The Second Congregational Parsonage purchased in 1867.
Methodist Parsonage devised by Miss Burnham in 1864. Baptist Parsonage devised by Mrs. Hill in 1904.
Methodist Campmeeting in Kennebunkport Woods, 1832.
Methodist Campmeeting removed to Old Orchard, 1873.
Schoolhouses
In the Yard of the First Parish, built 1797.
Union Academy, Dane Street, built 1833.
Swan Street built 1856.
Grove Street built 1884.
High and Grammar built 1870.
High and Grammar remodeled 1898.
High and Grammar built 1921.
Volume 1, Second Parish in Wells Records, has this: "1757, Voted to hire a Schoolmaster for One Year from the time we get him. Voted to keep the first three months at the Meeting House, the next three months at Mousam and three months at Alewife Brook and the last three months in the lower part of the Parish.
"1764, Voted that the School be kept four months at the Meet- ing House, three months at Alewife Brook and Cat Mousam, and two months at the lower part of the Parish."
The records do not say who the schoolmaster was or how much he received for his services.
The first schoolhouse in the Village was erected in 1770 on the
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corner in front of the house of Abial Kelley (corner of Summer Street and the Sea Road). It was a small one-story building. Some years afterwards it was moved to near the present en- trance to Hope Cemetery. After the new one was built by the Church (1797) it was sold and occupied as a dwelling house. After being moved several times it reached Brown Street where it was the property of Mrs. (Taylor) Roberts, then of her son-in- law, S. Frank Fairfield. It was destroyed by fire Feb. 5, 1886.
School District No. 5 of Kennebunk
The bounds of the district were made by the Town in April, 1804, and remained practically the same. It comprised the Vil- lage, Cat Mousam Road to and including the farm of Elisha L. Mitchell, just below Jones' Hill, Sanford Road; Branch River on the Branch and Harryseekit Roads; York Street to the Wells line; the Sea Road to and including Wormwood's, afterwards Harriman's; Summer Street included Capt. Isaac Downing; Saco Road the Hedge Farm and Owen Burnham's; Alfred Road to George Perkins' and David Drawbridge's.
The schoolhouse lot by the Church was bought of Joseph Storer for the sum of ten dollars with reservations by a syndicate of citizens and a schoolhouse built about 1797. This was the school- house of the Village for many years. Here the school meetings of the District were held and some of them lively ones, until the attendance became so large that they had to use the Town Hall. There was a small one-story schoolhouse on the western side « the river, southeast corner of York and Friend Streets. When built or first used for a school unknown.
Union Academy was built by subscription in the summer and fall of 1833, and incorporated in 1834. This was a Baptist In- stitution and was at the foot of Union Street. After several years it was found not to be a financial success and it was sold at auction Dec. 30, 1850, to Capt. Nathaniel L. Thompson who moved it one hundred feet in front of its original location. The District voted July 21, 1855, to purchase the building for school purposes. It was repaired, remodeled and furnished. In April, 1857, the district voted to maintain three schools,-a Grammar School, one Primary on the West side, and one on the East side. The old house by the Church then became the Primary. The Swan Street schoolhouse was built in 1856, the first story only finished. The District had graded schools in 1867. A Special Act was passed by the Legislature in 1868 giving authority to District No. 5 to elect S. S. Com., Clerk, Treasurer, Agent, As- sessors, Fire Wardens, Policeman, and to raise money by assess- ment for the same.
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The Academy building was destroyed by fire April 10, 1870. A new brick building was built the same year. The first gradu- ating class of the High school was in 1872. The District voted in 1873 to make it a free High School.
Centennial Hill schoolhouse was built in 1884. The High school building was remodeled and enlarged in 1898, razed and the present building erected in 1921.
In 1893 School Districts were abolished by the State. In 1896 District No. 5 gave up its Charter and since then the Town Com- mittee has managed it. The old house by the Church was torn down about 1925 or 26. The books of the District were deposited by the last Clerk of the District (G. A. G.) in the vault of the Town Hall. I don't know their condition after the fire of 1921.
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CHAPTER EIGHT
OLD BUILDINGS
Kennebunk Village has some old buildings, or some parts of them are old. The most of them have been so altered and mod- ernized that little remains of their original appearance. A few have not been much changed. The Wallingford house on York Street, built by Geo. W. Wallingford, Sen., in 1804. The Parsons house on Bourne Street, the only three-storied house in the Vil- lage, built in 1812 by John U. Parsons. The house on Main Street, back of the Lexington Elms, built by Nathaniel Frost in 1799, would look much as it used to if the balustrade was put back on the roof and the front portico removed. We give dates of some of the buildings. For Churches, see that head. For Mill buildings sce manufacturing pages.
Washington Hall built by Kimball & Webster, 1805.
Warren Block, Kelly and Warren, 1818.
Lord's Block, Wm. Lord, Water District Office, 1825.
The Old Brick, Waterston and Pray, 1806.
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