USA > Maine > Hancock County > Traditions and records of Southwest Harbor and Somesville, Mount Desert island, Maine > Part 11
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Methodist church, an essay by Miss Myra Powers on Reading, remarks by George R. Fuller, Esq., on the selection of books for the young people.
A poem written for the occasion by Miss Nellie R. Carroll was read by Mrs. O. W. Cousins. Dr. Phillips then delivered the keys of the building to Dr. R. J. Lemont, president of the board of trustees, who accepted them with a few well chosen words. Then the company repaired to Tremont Hall across the way where a supper was served in honor of the occasion, the pro- ceeds to be used for furnishings for the library.
Following is the dedicatory poem :
As in the days of ancient lore Of tithes and mites we read, Which, given with a thankful heart From scanty store and need
Were blessed and grew with great increase, And yielded richest gain, Till temples raised and storehouses Were built and filled with grain,
So gathered we from every source The tithes with thankful hearts ; Though slow our store increased we knew
Great things from small things start.
By work of hands and busy brains, By skill and chance games too, By produce sold and generous gift Our coffers slowly grew,
Until our dreams at last take form. The fruits of toil we see. The object sought for many days, No more a fantasy.
And to our seaside village fair, Our country and our State, To Wisdom's wide and mighty power These walls we dedicate.
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May thoughts inscribed on pages here By those to honor known, Prove wealth to those who knowledge seek And brighten many a home.
May many minds find treasure here, Above their daily cares. May wisdom's influence live and spread Through all the coming years.
The wall around the library grounds was built at the sugges- tion of Albert Mathews and with money contributed by him. The building was declared free from all debt on February 6, 1897. When Southwest Harbor was set off from Tremont, the name was changed to the Southwest Harbor Public Library.
The secretary's records in 1889 show "480 books in the library, exclusive of 42 volumes sent by Mr. Mathews." The first catalogue was printed in 1893. Mr. Mathews was a most generous friend and the records show frequent gifts of $100 and more with wise suggestions as to its use. W. L. Underwood also gave generously of money. The summer guests often gave entertainments, the proceeds from which went to the library. Mr. and Mrs. J. B. Mason were always deeply interested in it and gave freely of their time and counsel for its benefit. Mrs. Carrie D. Phillips, Dr. and Mrs. Lemont, Mrs. Katharine Mason, Mrs. O. W. Cousins, Mrs. Grace Lawton Brown and George R. Fuller are among those whose names have been connected with the library from the first. Dr. J. D. Phillips has always held office in the Association and for many years has been president of the trustees. Dr. George E. Street and Mr. Charles Burke have given many volumes to the library. The Village Improvement Association has contributed large sums of money for the pur- chase of books as well as the general upkeep of the building and the town appropriates annually a sum for its use.
The books are extensively used by the students of the high school for reference and reading; it is well patronized by the summer population and almost every family in the village takes out books regularly. There are about 6000 volumes on the shelves. This number is exclusive of the gifts of many books
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from Miss Alice Fowler, Mr. and Mrs. Roger Underwood and Mr. and Mrs. William J. Miller. Mrs. O. W. Cousins has been the faithful librarian for many years.
In 1937-8 the books were rearranged and catalogued accord- ing to modern methods and Miss Ruth Lawrence, a graduate of the Drexel Library School at Philadelphia, has been acting librarian and has greatly enlarged the usefulness of the library.
MANSET PUBLIC LIBRARY
The Manset Public Library was organized under the Manset Village Improvement Association and at the first meeting Mrs. E. B. Stanley, Miss Gladys Whitmore and Fred Noyes were chosen as a library committee.
Mrs. Stanley presented a small building, 12 by 12 feet, for use as a library and the firm of J. L. Stanley and Sons gave $25 to help in furnishing it. The building was moved to its present site on the church grounds, shelves were installed for books and for some time it enjoyed the distinction of being the smallest library building in the State and perhaps in the nation. A few years later it was enlarged to its present dimensions.
On July 12, 1918, the Library Association was discharged from the Village Improvement Association and for a time was under the direction of the Southwest Harbor Library. In 1921 it became an independent organization. Mrs. Cynthia Stanley has been librarian since October 15, 1921.
This library has an annual appropriation from the town and has had some generous gifts of books and money.
SOUTHWEST HARBOR VILLAGE IMPROVEMENT ASSOCIATION
The value of the work of the Village Improvement Associa- tion cannot be overestimated. It was organized July 27, 1914, with Dr. J. D. Phillips as president, E. A. Lawler, Dr. G. D. Latimer, Dr. Charles H. Cutler and Miss Mary S. Snow, vice presidents and George R. Fuller, Esq., secretary and treasurer.
During the years of its existence the permanent residents have worked with the summer folk for the betterment of the village and much has been accomplished.
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The laying out of the first trails or paths to the mountain summits and other scenic points was done by this Association and much credit is due those faithful members who spent so much time and did so much work to accomplish the purpose. At first the signs for the trails were rude affairs, whittled out by the members when funds were low, and gradually replaced with better ones until recently the matter of path signs has been taken over by Acadia Park and gracefully designed markers uniform all over the island, have been placed by the Rangers. In the first days of the organization it did some repairing of roads- removing stones and filling in low places and replacing the old plank sidewalks with those of gravel, which later were replaced with cement walks by the town.
In 1915, the sum of $300 was spent for setting shade trees along the village roads and these trees are now a valuable asset to the community as well as to property owners. The beautiful lindens along the High Road add greatly to the beauty of that part of the village.
The work of keeping the village roads clean was one of the early projects, continued to the present day. The plan of bridging the Mill Pond originated with the Association and most of the cost of the work was borne by it, as has also been the repairs and additions since to which the property owners near the Dam have generously contributed also.
A committee was appointed to suggest suitable names for the village roads and their choice was very satisfactory. The Asso- ciation had road signs made and put in place, uniform in style.
The public library has always been one of the prime objects and much money has been contributed for books and furnish- ings. A modern dictionary and encyclopedia have been pur- chased as well as some furniture and a building fund for enlarg- ing the library has been started.
Prizes were offered for several years for essays on local his- tory in the schools with most satisfactory results in arousing interest among the young people in the early history of the community.
The first oil for the roads was purchased by the V. I. A. For a few seasons prizes were given for improvement in private grounds with good results. A guide book was issued and also
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a pamphlet describing the accomplishments of the Association and its aspirations. During the World War a contribution was made to the fund of disabled soldiers.
A baseball field was rented and put in order by the Associa- tion, contributions made to the Sea Coast Mission, prizes given for the yacht races in memory of the sailing men of Southwest Harbor, both past and present, a mooring placed near Acadia Mountain, seats placed in different parts of the village, trash cans purchased and cared for during the summer, and contribu- tions made to the fund for the District Nurse.
The purchase of fire-fighting equipment was first agitated in this organization, and the excellent parking place at the entrance to Valley Cove was constructed by the Park authorities in re- sponse to an appeal by a committee from the V. I. A.
The year of the George Washington bi-centennial the V. I. A. purchased six elm trees which were set on the grounds of the schoolhouses in memory of the occasion.
The idea of the Village Green originated with the Village Improvement Association and the money for the first payment on the land was raised by the society.
Entertainments of choice quality have been brought to the village by the society. A concert by the Boston Symphony Orchestra was given through the interest of one of the summer resident members and many other concerts and recitals have been brought to the community as well as many entertainments of varying kinds that have been given for the benefit of the Village Improvement Association.
As the years have passed, many of the duties undertaken in earlier days have been taken over by the town or the Park authorities and at present the public library is the chief interest with some money and attention being given to the paths and trails as well as keeping clean the village roads. Many of those who were among the organizers have worked faithfully all the years for the benefit and the beautification of the village, with results whose value cannot be counted. Mr. George R. Fuller served the Association as treasurer from its organization to the summer of 1936 when his resignation was accepted with deep regret and with appreciation of the careful and accurate work which he had done.
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LODGES, ORDERS AND SOCIETIES
Tremont Lodge, No. 77, F. and A. M., was organized at Southwest Harbor in 1854 and was the first Masonic lodge on Mount Desert Island.
In March of 1854, William Heath and Dr. W. A. Spear hap- pened to meet at the store of the former and discussed the possi- bility of forming a lodge in the town. A number of the sea- faring men were Masons and they were consulted, the lodge at Ellsworth conferred with, and on June 12, 1854, a dispensation was granted and the first meeting held in the hall over Freeman's store (the building which stood on the site of the A. I. Holmes cottage at the village corner), on August 9, 1854. Fourteen new members were initiated during the first year.
As the meeting place was too small for convenience, Andrew Tarr built a hall connected with his residence, rented it to the Masons and it was dedicated October 21, 1858, with appropriate ceremonies and a supper.
This lodge had jurisdiction over all of Mount Desert, Bart- lett's Island, Cranberry Isles, Swan Island, Gott's Island and Sutton.
On January 3, 1867, the Masons at Somesville applied for the privilege of forming a lodge of their own and on March 2, 1882, the Bar Harbor lodge was formed.
Having outgrown in numbers the accommodations at the Tarr hall, on February 10, 1881, it was voted to buy the building in the village, now known as Masonic Hall. Jacob W. Carroll, Levi Lurvey and Capt. Jacob S. Mayo were appointed as a com- mittee to arrange for the purchase, and a public installation of officers was held in the new quarters on February 20, 1883.
Mount Mansell Chapter of Royal Arch Masons was organized December 14, 1913. The Order of the Eastern Star was organ- ized in 1897.
The Odd Fellows lodge was organized in Southwest Harbor May 7, 1895, with twenty-two charter members. E. A. Lawler was the first Noble Grand. He had joined the order in Massa- chusetts and A. E. Farnsworth, Dr. J. D. Phillips, George R. Fuller and Alvah Rich joined at Bar Harbor to make the neces- sary number for the formation of the new lodge. In 1897 the
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Odd Fellows' building was erected and in 1922 it was destroyed by fire. It was rebuilt the following year.
The Rebekah lodge was formed soon after the Odd Fellows.
Good Templar Lodges flourished in the 1880's and Ocean Echo lodge was formed at Norwood's Cove in 1884 with G. L. Lurvey at the head and Levi Lurvey assisting. This was a pop- ular organization and well attended. Later one was formed at Manset with Clarence Moore at the head and in 1898 there were thirteen Good Templar lodges on Mount Desert Island.
The first Southwest Harbor band was formed in the 80's.
The two oldest organizations formed to work for the common good and for church and charity, were the sewing circles of the early fifties at Manset and at Norwood's Cove, of which an account is given in the chapter on churches.
The W. C. T. U. was organized in 1892 by Mrs. Elvira Ire- land and Mrs. Evelyn Wilder Neal and the Y's were an active group of young people who raised a good deal of money for church and temperance work by giving plays, etc.
And among the many societies for the teaching of temper- ance must be included the Juvenile Temple ; an organization of grade school children, carried on for many years by Mrs. Levi Lurvey. Every Saturday afternoon this good woman assembled a large group of children at her home, where they conducted their ceremonies, learning much about the proper conduct of a public meeting, and received instruction as to the evils of alco- holic liquors. Many of the men and women of today remember with pleasure those sessions and realize Mrs. Lurvey's patience and the value of her precepts. In recent years Mrs. Fred A. Walls has conducted a Loyal Legion along much the same line.
At Norwood's Cove a society was formed in 1894 to raise money to build sidewalks in that part of the village. Mrs. Ste- phen Gilley was the leader, and through her efforts, plank walks were laid for a considerable distance along the roads.
A Knights of Pythias lodge was formed in Southwest Harbor August 18, 1899, with sixty charter members, but it had a brief life.
The Owl Club was formed in 1894 among the young people to raise funds for a library building, in which it was very suc- cessful.
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Lyceums were held in the 1850's which were very popular.
The first literary or reading club was formed in 1897 by Rev. George H. Hefflon, a Yale graduate, then pastor of the Congre- gational church. The first meeting was held at the home of Mrs. Nathan Clark on March 2, 1897. Mrs. William Mason was the first president. This was very popular for several years, but it finally died out.
A few years later it was reorganized as a women's club and called "The Sphinx Study Club." In 1914 the time of meeting was changed to Friday evening to accommodate the teachers and the name changed to the Friday Club. During the World War the club worked at Red Cross work, but in 1919 it was again called together and Mrs. Allen J. Lawler was made president. The club was federated in 1914. It functions as an important feature of the literary and social life of the community.
The Board of Trade was formed in the spring of 1922, after the fire which destroyed five buildings in the center of the village on March 27 of that year. J. E. Wass was the first president and he served two years. This organization has done much to promote the best interests of the town. In 1935 the name was changed to Chamber of Commerce.
The Christian Endeavor society was formed in 1888. The Episcopal church has a Girls' Friendly Society as well as a Guild and Women's Auxiliary.
Troop 99, Boy Scouts, began in December, 1930. The 4-H Clubs for both boys and girls have been active at times and done valuable work.
The local branch of the Red Cross came into being during the war and is still carried on under direction of Mrs. Alice C. Young and Dr. G. A. Neal.
The Maine Public Health Association cooperates with the community in employing a public nurse for Southwest Harbor and Tremont, and the Southwest Harbor-Tremont Nursing Association aids in raising funds.
A Parent-Teachers Association was formed in 1937.
There is a branch of the Farm Bureau Extension which in- cludes members from this town and from Tremont.
The Country Club was formed in 1920 and it owns the fine property east of the Mill Pond, which was taken up by the first
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settler in Southwest Harbor (William Gilley) and which re- mained in his family until its purchase by the Country Club. In 1921, the house was renovated and decorated, and the large barn made into a dancing floor and hall. It has a nine-hole golf course, tennis courts and swimming pool.
In 1897, the different societies in the village combined to raise funds for street lights. The lamps were bought and placed near those houses whose owners were willing to furnish the kero- sene and keep the lamps trimmed and lighted. These lamps did duty until the installation of electricity in the summer of 1917.
At Manset several societies are connected with the church ; two Ladies' Aids meet each week and also two societies com- posed of the younger women.
In 1934, Mrs. R. W. Gifford organized a Women's Club under the auspices of the combined churches. This club is divided into groups with various interests but all raising money for church support.
A Men's Club meets weekly during the winter in rooms in the Salisbury building and there is a Masonic Club formed to raise money for charity.
HISTORY OF THE HOUSES OF SOUTHWEST HARBOR
It was nearly twenty years after Abraham Somes came with his family to make his home at Somesville before William Gilley, first permanent settler in Southwest Harbor, built his log cabin at Norwood's Cove on land now owned by the Southwest Harbor Country Club and which remained in the Gilley family from William's time to the date of selling to the present owners.
William Gilley was at Cranberry Isles in 1777 and it was probably four or five years after that date that he went to South- west Harbor and took up land which was sheltered from the sea though close to it.
Shore lots were not as popular in those days as they are at present. The pioneers knew too many instances of pillage and burning along the coast by the crews of warships to risk making their homes on the shores of a harbor sure to be entered by ships cruising in these waters while the ownership of the land was a matter of dispute between England and France.
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It was not until the treaty of 1763 after the Battle of Quebec, that France relinquished her claim, and it was several years after that event before the cautious settlers dared locate in numbers at Southwest Harbor.
The first settlers took up land and built their first houses according to their occupations; those who followed the sea set- tling near the shore and those who were lumbermen or farmers selecting sites near the forest or where the land was especially fertile.
The following descriptions were gathered from the older resi- dents, from old letters and papers, and much of it may be new even to the present owners of the old homes.
In early days there were several houses in the woods toward the mountains, north of the present village where the owners had cleared fields and planted fruit trees and where families lived for many years, raised their crops and brought up their children. Walking through the forest in that section one may still come upon traces of a cellar, gnarled old apple trees, a few garden lilies or a spring with a worn stone where those of long ago knelt to dip up water for house or for flocks.
About 1800 Liab Gott had a log house at Canada Hollow. In 1816 he and his wife and children were working in their field leaving the baby asleep in the house. They were out of sight of the house. Daniel Fernald came through the woods and found the house on fire and heard a child crying inside. He rushed in and rescued it. The house burned to the ground and the family found shelter at the home of relatives at Fernald Point.
When twin daughters were born to Mrs. Gott soon after, she died. Liab Gott married again and built a frame house on the site of the first one where the grass-grown ruins may still (1937) be seen. A few old apple trees and a row of ancient currant bushes still bloom there every spring since they were planted nearly a century and a half ago by young people starting on the hard task of carving a home from the wilderness.
Jacob Lurvey, who came with his family from Newburyport, Mass., in 1790 and settled on the Norwood Cove shore, near the present Tyssowski cottage on land bought of Joseph Bunker,
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lived some years in his log cabin there and then built another cabin on the high ridge of fertile land now owned by Ben C. Worcester. Later Mr. Lurvey built a good-sized frame house of Colonial design where he lived for many years and his young- est son, Enoch, inherited the place, spent his life there and his sons also lived a lifetime on the place. The house was burned in 1900. The land on this lot is very fertile and the farm yielded a good living during the life of Jacob Lurvey and his son Enoch who tilled the soil and kept much stock.
There was a large barn and a garden enclosed by a low stone wall where grew the cinnamon roses and other blossoming plants brought by Hannah Boynton Lurvey from her home in Byfield, Mass. There was a never-failing well in the cellar which was considered a great convenience when compared with the heavy well sweeps on most of the home places. There was good furni- ture in the house, all of which was destroyed by the fire which consumed the house. Mr. Worcester bought the place after the death of the last of the third generation of Lurveys and he built the present buildings.
A man by the name of - Denning had a house south of the present camping ground of the Appalachian Mountain Club, and Echo Lake was for many years known as Denning's Pond.
The Appalachian Mountain Camp at Echo Lake was estab- lished in 1922 and the Mount Desert Island Camp was built in 1934 for the use of the inhabitants of Mount Desert Island as a social meeting place. The furnishings were made by hand in rustic fashion and at present (1937) the CCC camp aids in its care and upkeep.
The Gilley field near Long Pond was cleared by Edward Gilley who built a house there, afterwards brought out to Nor- wood Cove and rebuilt there. Jacob Lurvey gave his son Samuel a lot west of his home property where he built a house and made his home.
Southwest of the Lurvey place is the Herrick field where Isaac Herrick built his house and raised a large family whose descendants still live in Southwest Harbor. Isaac Herrick was born at Northport, Maine, and came here from Castine about 1823-25. He was a millwright and wheelwright and was em-
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ployed at the tide mill at the mill dam which was owned and operated by Leonard Holmes. He also made the rough ox carts needed by the settlers. He married Lovina Harper of Seal Cove. After his family of eight children outgrew the log cabin, Mr. Herrick built a frame house, the cellar of which can plainly be seen.
Andrew Herrick, father of Isaac, was at Southwest Harbor for some years and owned land at Cranberry Island. At the time of the "battle of Norwood's Cove", in August of 1814, Andrew Herrick rowed to Castine to obtain a supply of ammuni- tion from the fort at that place. He returned to Northport a few years later.
Isaac Herrick was also a lumberman and quite good-sized vessels used to come into the Mill Pond at Norwood's Cove to load with his logs at "The Landing" as it has been called ever since.
Horace Durgain owned a large lot of land between Southwest Harbor and Somesville including part of Robinson Mountain, now called Acadia. The ledges at Echo Hill have always been called Durgain's Ledges. He sold this land to John G. Richard- son of Beech Hill for one hundred dollars.
Mr. Richardson sold a lot fronting on Somes Sound to Henry Robinson, who built a house and lived there for many years. The house was burned. One of Mr. Robinson's descendants relates that at the time of his marriage, the fee he gave the minister for performing the ceremony was fifty cents and a quarter of veal. In his later years he became obsessed with the idea that Capt. Kidd, the pirate, had hidden great treasure on his land and he spent much time in digging for it and excavated a great cave in the mountain, but found no treasure.
Mr. Richardson sold a strip of this land along Echo Lake to A. J. Whiting, who sold it to a man by the name of Babbage, who built a house on the lake shore which was afterward burned.
The Carroll house at the foot of St. Sauveur mountain was built in 1825 by John Carroll, who was born in Borrisoleigh, Ireland, October 8, 1790, and sailed from Waterford, Ireland, for America on May 24, 1814. He landed at St. John, New- foundland, where lived relatives of his mother by the name of Burke. Here he remained for six years, doing anything that
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