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CLARENCE   HALE-FRANK  E.   GUERNSEY-W.   SCOTT   HILL 

CHARLES  F.  HOLDEN— NELLIE  WOODBURY  JORDAN 

JANUARY— FEBRUARY— MARCH 


,3  76 


The  LESLIE  E.  JONES  Co. 

Office  Outfitters 

Typewriters  of  all  Makes.     Wood  & 

Steel  Filing  Equipment 

416-17    EASTERN    TRUST    BLDG. 
BANGOR,    MAINE 


BEYER  &  SMALL 

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WE    OFFER 
Municipal,  Railroad  and  Public  IJtlllty 
Issues.    Specialists  in  Maine  Securities 

Augusta        Portland        Bangor 


Wi\t  Jiatemlb  iTOnrmng  ^^nttu^l 

Goes  to  press  later  than  any  other  paper  reaching  Central  Maine.    It 

handles  messages  by  wire  up  to  3  o'clock  in  the  morning.    If  you 

want   the  latest  news,   READ   THE   SENTINEL. 

$5.00  per  year  by  mail  for  cash. 

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IT  PAYS  TO  SAVE 


Lay  your  plans  to  start  your  savings 
account  with  this  bank  on  your  very 
next  pay-day.  Set  aside  One  Dollar — more  if  you  can  spare  it — come  to 
the  bank  and  make  your  first  deposit.     Small   sums  are   welcome. 

Put  system  into  your  savings.  Save  a  little  every  week  and  save  that 
little  regularly.  Make  it  an  obligation  to  yourself  just  as  you  are  in  duty 
bound  to  pay  the  grocer  or  the  coal  man.  SAVE  FAITHFULLY.  The 
dollars  you  save  now  will  serve  you  later  on  when  you  will  have  greater 
need  for  them. 

PISCATAQUIS   SAVINGS   BANK.    Dover,   Maine, 
r.  E.  GUI:BNSEV,  Pres.  W.  C.  WOODBtXBY,  Treas. 


Money  Back  If  Not  Satisfied— Is  Your  Protection 

JOHN  T.  CLARK  &  CO. 

Clothiers 

BANGOR,  :  :  :  :  :  MAINE 


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What  is  the  width  of  the  spread? 

(Courtesy  of  E.  &  A.  R.  R.) 


CONTENTS 

THE    STATE    OF    MAINE     3 

A   POLITICAE    CAMPAiriN    DOCITINIENT     8 

A  LETTER  TO   KING   JAMES   I    10 

FRANCIS   O.    I.    SMITH    (ILLUSTRATION)     12 

PINE  TREE   FRINGED   PENOBSCOT    13 

A   SKETCH   OF   THE    LIFE    OF    DAVID    RAY    14 

CHARLES    ALCOTT    FLAGG    (ILLUSTRATION)     20 

EARLY   KENNEBEC  TAVERNS    21 

GRAVES    OF    REVOL,UTIONARY    SOLDIERS    23 

A  MAINE   COLONIAL  HOUSE    28 

A  CONGRESSMAN   FROM  PISCATAQUIS    29 

FLAGG'S  ALPHABETICAL  INDEX    31 

THE    EDES    P^AIMILY     32 

A  NOROMBEGA   ITEM    35 

MAINE  HISTORY  IN  THE  SCHOOLS    36 

CATECHISM    OF     CONSTITUTION     40 

COLONIAL   AND    LOCAL    HISTORY    41 

A    GEM    AMONG    MAINE    TOWN    HISTORIES     44 

INDIAN  WOMAN  DESIRES  RIGHT  OF  SUFFRAGE    4  4 

CHARLES  ALCOTT   FLAGG    45 

MAINE  CENTENNIAL  TOWNS   FOR  1921    46 


54 


YEARS   the   Insurance   Man   of   Somerset    County 

Never  a  Failure — Never  a  La^v   Suit — What  more  do  you  ■want? 

(Member  Soc.  Col.  W^ars;  Sons  Am.  Rev.;  Past  A.  A.  G.,  G.  A.  R.) 
CHARLES    FOLSOM-JONES,  Skowhegan,    Maine 

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HONORABLE    CLARENCE    HALE 

Distinguished  Judge  of  the  United  States  District  Court 
for  the  District  of  Maine. 

The  following  is  from  "  Who'^  Who  ir.  America  ":  ,01% 

HALE  Clarence,  Judge;  b.  Turner,  Me.,  Apr.  1.5,  1848;  s.  James  Sullivan  and  Betsey  (Staples) 
H.;  brother  of  Eugene  H.  (q.  v.);  A.  B.  Bowdoin  Coll.,  1869,  later  A.  M.  and  LL.  D.;  m.  Mar- 
garet RolHns,  of  Portland,  Me.,  Mar.  11,  1880.  Admitted  to  bar  1871,  and  practiced  at  Portland. 
City  solicitor,  1879-82;  mem.  Me.  Ho.  of  Rep.,  1883-86;  U.  S.  dist.  judge,  Dist.  of  Me.,  1902—; 
Republican,  Congregationalist,  Pres.  bd.  overseers  Bowdoin  College;  afterwards  Trustee  of 
Bowdoin  College.  Clubs:  Cumberland  (Portland);  Union,  University  (Boston).  Address, 
Portland,  Me. 


Sprague^s  Journal  of  Maine  History 

Vol.  IX  January,  February,  March,  1921  No.   i 


THE    STATE    OF    MAINE 

All  address  delivered  by  Honorable  Clarence  Hale  of  Portland, 
Maine,  before  the  Maine  Society  of  New  York,  March,  ip20. 

The  State  of  Maine  is  a  hundred  years  old.  It  is  a  memorable 
thing  to  be  a  hundred  years  old.  But  Maine  history  is  almost  three 
hundred  years  old.  A  hundred  years  ago  Maine  was  a  new  State 
with  an  old  history.  "While  New  England  is  spoken  of  as  a  new 
country,"  says  John  Fiske,  "its  record  is,  in  fact,  that  of  an  old 
country.  Its  towns  have  a  history  which  dates  back  to  the  times 
of  James  the  First."  The  year  James  First  came  to  the  throne, 
1603,  Martin  Pring  sailed  Penobscot  Bay.  The  year  before  that, 
while  Elizabeth  was  still  Queen,  Gosnold  saw  the  shores  of  Maine. 
In  1605,  Captain  George  Weymouth  set  up  a  cross  on  Monhegan 
in  token  of  the  sovereignty  of  James  the  First;  and  the  dimness 
of  time  does  not  prevent  the  island  of  Monhegan  and  Pentecost 
harbor,  and  the  hard  adventure  of  the  Popham  colony,  from  taking 
their  place  in  Maine  history;  and  all  these  ventures  in  discovery 
were  long  before  the  Mayflower,  long  before  Massachusetts  history 
began.  A  generation  later,  in  the  last  years  of  Charles  the  First, 
came  the  permanent  settlement  under  the  Gorges  patent,  the  pro- 
prietorship of  which  extended  from  the  Piscataqua  to  the  Penob- 
scot, to  which  was  given  the  name  "The  Province  of  Maine." 
These  men  came  to  Richmond's  island  and  made  homes,  set  up 
English  civilization  and  the  English  church  and  English  politics. 
They  were  the  king's  men ;  they  were  aristocrats ;  they  hated  Puri- 
tans and  Puritanism ;  they  hated  Massachusetts  and  all  her  works. 
Their  chief,  Ferdinando  Gorges,  at  70,  fought  for  Charles  the 
First  at  the  Siege  of  Bristol,  and  died  two  years  before  the  death 
of  his  king. 

It  was  not  until  1652,  under  Cromwell,  that  Massachusetts  began 
to  extend  her  sway  over  the  Maine  province.     Then  followed  poll- 


4        SPRAGUE'S    JOURNAL    OF    MAINE    HISTORY 

tics  between  the  rule  of  Massachusetts  and  the  rule  of  the  Royalists. 
Charles  the  Second  took  Maine  away  from  Massachusetts,  as  Fiske 
and  Parkman  have  so  well  told.  Again,  in  1665,  Massachusetts 
took  possession.  After  the  death  of  Gorges,  the  Massachusetts 
Bay  colony  bought  out  his  interests,  paying  1250  pounds;  and  it 
was  not  until  1692  that  the  province  charter  finally  fixed  the  status 
of  Alassachusetts  in  control  of  Maine,  and  called  it  the  District  of 
Maine. 

With  all  the  politics  Maine  has  had,  I  suppose  there  has  been 
nothing  so  full  of  stress  as  those  English  politics  of  the  seventeenth 
century,  translated  to  Alaine  shores.  It  is  interesting  to  note  that 
the  first  politicians  of  Maine  were  English  Royalists.  The  first 
minister  who  made  a  career  in  Maine  was  Robert  Jordan,  the 
English  churchman,  land-ow^ner  and  politician,  the  precursor  of  a 
large  body  of  sturdy  men  and  women  all  over  the  country ;  for  all 
the  Jordans  are  his  descendants ;  and  they  combine  the  blood  of 
English  churchmen  and  Royalists  with  the  blood  of  those  who  came 
to  Massachusetts  Bay  and  laid  the  foundation  of  English  repre- 
sentative government  in  America.  And  so,  I  repeat ;  that  one  hun- 
dred years  ago  Maine  was  a  new  State  with  an  old  history. 

The  two  early  histories  of  Maine  are  histories  of  the  Maine 
Province  and  the  District  of  Maine.  Williamson's  two  volumes, — 
of  great  value  and  of  great  detail, — printed  in  1839,  bring  Maine 
down  only  to  the  year  1920,  the  time  of  the  separation.  Twenty- 
five  years  before  Maine  became  a  State,  its  story  induced  Governor 
Sullivan  to  write  its  history,  one  of  the  best  early  .State  histories. 
Governor  Sullivan  appreciated  the  Maine  mind  and  character ;  he 
says  that  while  "the  soil  of  the  seacoast  was  hard  and  reluctant  to 
the  plow,  its  leading  type  of  men  were  like  Julius  Caesar ;  they 
knew  how  to  distinguish  difficulties  from  impossibilities."  James 
Sullivan  was  a  philosopher  as  well  as  a  historian.  He  shows  how 
the  Maine  character  partook  of  its  history.  He  says:  "The  mind 
of  a  nation  seems  to  be  well  represented  by  the  ocean,  which  is 
forever  in  motion  and  turbulent,  with  but  short  intervals  of  calm- 
ness ;  and  yet,  by  the  nature  of  its  specific  weight,  tending  to  a 
state  of  quiet."  W'hen  he  wrote  that  sentence  he  must  have  had 
his  eye  upon  his  map.  There  was  the  District  of  Maine  spread 
out  before  him ;  York,  Cumberland  and  Lincoln  counties.  There 
was  the  long   stretch   of   shore.     It  is   three  hundred  miles   from 


THE  vSTATE  OF  MAINE 


Kittery  to  Calais,  but  in  that  contour  of  coast  are  many  and  deep 
indentations ;  so  that  the  sailor  man  can  sail  his  boat  in  the  net- 
work of  bays  and  make  a  voyage  along  three  thousand  miles  of 
Maine  seacoast.  The  people  who  lived  there  at  that  time  got  their 
li\ing  and  their  character  from  hard  contests  with  the  forest  and 
the  sea ;  those  two  inherent  sources  of  life ;  those  two  grim  de- 
stroyers of  all  that  is  false. 

With  the  character  which  Maine  men  inherited,  both  on  the 
conservative  and  on  the  progressive  side,  it  was  as  inevitable  as 
the  tidal  march  of  the  ocean  on  her  shore  that  her  citizens  should 
have  the  sturdy  cjualities  w^hich  have  made  Maine  history.  The 
expected  happened ;  the  old  District  has  an  heroic  story.  Liberty 
w-as  something  more  than  a  gesture.  It  had  to  be  fought  for.  At 
the  outbreak  of  King  Philip's  War,  in  1675,  ^^  ilhamson  records 
that  there  were  about  six  thousand  souls  constituting  the  popu- 
lation of  Maine  Province,  and  about  three  times  that  number  of 
Indians  in  the  Maine  forests.  From  that  time  to  1754  there  were 
six  distinct  Indian  wars.  In  other  words,  this  devoted  band  of 
pioneers  were  almost  constantly  fighting  savages  for  eighty  years. 
In  1745,  Sir  William  Pepperill,  of  Kittery,  led  Maine  men  on  the 
modern  crusade  which  captured  Louisburg,  the  stronghold  of  Amer- 
ica;  so  bold  a  project  that  Parkman  gives  to  it,  in  his  history,  the 
simple  heading:  "A  Mad  Scheme."  A  generation  later,  in  1775, 
one  of  the  most  heroic  incidents  of  the  American  Revolution  hap- 
pened on  Maine  soil.  A  thousand  sturdy  men  under  Arnold  en- 
dured the  terrible  privations  of  the  Maine  forest  and  the  rigors  of 
advancing  winter,  in  an  attack  upon  Quebec,  wdiich  barely  failed 
of  success,  and  of  thus  changing  American  history. 

I  have  pointed  out  these  incidents  to  illustrate  the  spirit  of  early 
Maine.  I  have  not  tried  to  tell  its  story.  Mr.  Baxter  and  Dr. 
Burrage  have  done  that  in  enduring  form.  They  are  historians  of 
whom  Maine  is  proud — of  whom  any  State  would  be  proud. 

The  District  of  Maine,  then,  before  she  became  a  State,  had  a 
distinct  history  apart  from  Massachusetts.  She  had  a  character, 
she  had  a  college — for  Bowdoin  is  twenty  years  older  than  the 
State.  There  was  reason,  then,  a  hundred  years  ago,  for  Maine 
people  to  have  the  courage  to  start  out  to  become  a  State. 

In  the  quaint  old  volume  of  the  Record  of  the  Constitutional 
Convention,  in  1819,  I  find  a  fund  of  history.  In  it  is  recorded  a 
letter  of  ex-President  John  Adams  to  Daniel  Cony  of  Augusta,  In 


SPRAGUE'S  JOURNAL  OF  MAINE  HISTORY 


reply  to  a  letter  of  Judge  Cony  asking  the  ex-President's  advice 
in  the  matter  of  Alaine  becoming  a  State.  Adams'  reply  was  clear 
and  sharp  and  typical  of  an  Adams.  He  referred  to  the  debt  of 
gratitude  which  Maine  owed  to  Massachusetts;  but  he  said  that 
sometime  some  bold,  daring  genius  would  arise  in  Maine  who  would 
inspire  her  people  with  his  own  ambition,  and,  he  added:  "He  will 
tear  off  Maine  from  Massachusetts,  and  leave  her  a  State  below 
mediocrity  in  the  Union."  When  Mr.  Adams  gave  this  advice  he 
undoubtedly  had  her  great  past  in  mind.  He  thought  it  would  be 
better  that  Maine  and  Massachusetts  should  continue  to  have  one 
history,  even  though,  generations  before,  they  had  two  histories. 
But  the  world  will  say  whether  he  was  right  in  prophesying  for 
Maine  a  future  ^below  mediocrity."  The  debates  of  the  Consti- 
tutional Convention  do  not  show  Maine  intellectual  character  below 
mediocrity.  They  compare  well  with  the  debates  in  the  great  Con- 
stitutional Conventions  of  Virginia,  Massachusetts  and  New  York. 
They  show  appreciation  of  the  conditions  of  the  country  and  of 
the  State.  They  are  a  valuable  and  fitting  preface  to  Maine  his- 
tory.    They  are  well  worth  reading  today  by  the  men  of  Maine. 

I  need  not  speak  of  the  men  in  that  convention.  They  were  men 
who  rank  high  with  the  other  great  men  of  Massachusetts.  They 
furnished  a  fitting  forecast  of  the  men  of  Maine  who  were  to  suc- 
ceed them,  in  politics  and  statesmanship,  in  literature,  in  commerce 
and  in  industry,  in  every  sphere  of  human  interest  and  labor. 

The  span  of  a  hundred  years,  after  all,  is  not  long.  I  have 
known  one  of  the  descendants  of  Robert  Jordan  who  voted  for 
every  President  from  Washington  to  Lincoln.  As  a  young  man 
I  knew  old  men  who,  when  young,  participated  in  that  convention. 
They  have  been  followed  by  men  like  them  in  character,  attain- 
ments and  ability.  I  cannot  pretend  that  I  am  unprejudiced  in 
speaking  of  the  men  of  Maine  who  followed.  They  are  splendid 
figures  in  the  generations  just  past.  They  made  the  State  famous 
forever.  Longfellow  and  Hawthorne  would  make  any  state  or 
nation  famous.  I  hardly  dare  trust  my  voice  to  speak  of  Fessen- 
den,  Hamlin,  Morrill,  Blaine  and  many  who  have  followed.  The 
world  has  known  them ;  the  Nation  today  feels  the  impress  of  their 
work  and  the  impulse  of  their  memory. 

The  strenuous — the  heroic — spirit  of  the  old  District  has  endured. 
Witness  Maine's  record  in  the  Civil  War,  we  witness  Howard  and 
Chamberlain,  and  a  score  of  other  great  military  chieftains.     Wit- 


THE    STATE    OF    MAINE 


ness  such  an  incident  as  this :  On  a  summer  night  in  1863,  a  Con- 
federate privateer  stole  into  Portland  harbor  and  took  out  the 
Revenue  Cutter  "Caleb  Cushing,"  a  sailing  vessel.  The  next  morn- 
ing the  mayor,  Jacob  McLellan,  did  not  wait  for  the  Army  and 
Navy.  He,  together  with  the  collector,  Jedediah  Jewett,  mobilized 
the  citizens  of  Portland  into  a  fighting  force.  They  rigged  up 
steamers  and  followed  and  caught  the  rebel  craft.  They  captured 
the  privateersman  and  his  crew,  and  held  them  in  prison  until  the 
war  was  over.  This  Maine  incident  is  said  to  be  one  of  the  most 
dramatic  of  the  Civil  \Var.  It  was  little  noted  though  it  will  be 
long  remembered  in  Maine. 

I  am  not  giving  a  Homeric  recitation.  But  no  man  can  refer  to 
Maine  heroism  without  pointing  to  the  most  famous  man  of  the 
generation,  in  Maine,  and  perhaps  in  the  Nation.  We  can  never 
forget  the  thrill  the  world  felt  when  the  message  was  flashed  through 
the  air :  "The  Stars  and  Stripes  are  nailed  to  the  North  Pole"  ; 
and  we  knew  that  what  men  had  long  thought  impossible  had  been 
accomplished  by  Peary  of  Maine — of  Bowdoin  ''j'j. 

I  have  talked  to  you  about  the  forests,  the  seashore,  and  the 
politics  of  the  old  District.  They  are  still  there.  The  unresting 
sea  can  never  change  or  fail.  The  forest,  too,  is  not  vitally  changed 
by  the  busy  axe  of  industry.     Maine  is  still  two-thirds  forest. 

The  total  acreage  of  Maine  is  19,132,800  acres.  The  acreage  of 
forest  lands  of  the  State  is,  today,  over  fifteen  million  acres.  The 
Forest  Commissioner  says  that,  so  far  as  can  be  gathered  from  all 
sources,  it  is  safe  to  say  that  the  forest  lands  of  Maine  have  not 
become  less  since  1870.  In  1902  the  Forest  Commissioner  made 
the  report  that  there  were  31,500  square  miles  of  territory;  and 
of  this  21,000  square  miles  were  forest.  The  forest  lands  appear 
to  have  increased  somewhat.  In  many  parts  of  northern  Maine 
the  forest  acre  is  worth  more  than  the  farm  acre ;  many  old  farms 
are  becoming  young  forests;  in  the  improved  methods  of  forest 
culture  and  wild-land  management,  the  percentage  of  acreage  is 
apparently  increasing.  Of  course  forest  values  are  greatly  grow- 
ing. The  report  of  the  Board  of  State  Assessors  shows  that  the 
assessed  value  of  forest  lands  in  Maine,  in  1870,  was  $5,156,356; 
in  1900,  $19,631,755;  in  1920,  $61,922,567.  The  facts  from  official 
records  afiford  complete  answer  to  the  charge  that  the  forests  of 
Maine  are  disappearing  and  are  losing  their  actual  and  relative 
values.     Be  of  good  cheer.     You  may  still  come  to  Maine  and  find 


8  SPRAGUE'S  JOURNAL  OF   MAINE  HISTORY 

her  forests.  Some  of  them  full  of  game.  You  will  find  her  poli- 
tics, too;  some  of  them,  too,  it  is  said,  full  of  game. 

The  record  of  Alaine  in  shipbuilding  and  fisheries  tells  the  story 
how  the  men  of  Maine  have  used  the  sea.  The  use  of  the  forests 
and  of  the  water  power,  in  the  pulp  and  paper  industry  and  other 
great  labors,  show  ho\\'  the  men  of  Maine  have  drawn  upon  the 
forest,  and  how  they  have  added  value  to  it. 

They  have  added  value  to  the  hand  of  labor  as  well  as  to  prop- 
erty. Maine  has  never  believed  in  some  of  the  modern  philosophy 
of  labor.  She  has  followed  the  doctrine  taught  by  .Vbraham  Lin- 
coln to  the  Workmen's  Association  in  1864:  "Let  not  him  who 
hath  no  house  tear  down  the  house  of  his  neighbor ;  but  rather  let 
him  strive  diligently  to  build  a  house  for  himself." 

The  fat  lands  of  the  \\'est  have  been  called  the  garden  spot  of 
America ;  but  Maine  has  well  attained  her  repute  as  the  summer 
Paradise  of  the  world.  ITer  forests  and  sea  make  their  greatest 
appeal  to  the  world  of  busy  men  and  women  who  here,  in  summer, 
renew  the  strength  which  the  husy  year  has  taxed. 

If  I  am  permitted  to  give  a  ,^ast,  in  these  dry  times  of  prohibition, 
(in  which  also,  by  the  way,  you  must  remember  that  Maine  leads), 
I  will  recall  an  old  toast  which  I  heard  Tom  Reed  give  at  a  great 
Maine  meeting  in  the  earlier  and  wetter  days  of  the  republic : 

"Here's  to  the  State  of  Maine;  settled  mostly  by  the  blood  of 
Old  England,  always  preferring  liberty  to  ancestry;  a  strong  old 
Democratic  State,  yet  among  the  first  to  help  give  liberty  to  the 
slave ;  may  her  future  be  as  noble  as  her  past.  Here's  to  the  State 
of  Maine;  the  land  of  bluest  skies,  of  greenest  earth,  of  richest 
air ;  of  strongest  and  sturdiest  men,  of  fairest  and  truest  women 
under  the  stm." 


A  MAINE  POLITICAL  CAMPAIGN  DOCUMENT  PRINTED 
AND  CIRCULATED  IN   1829 

(Contributed    by    Georg-e    E.    Minot    of    Belgrade.    Maine) 

THE    LAST    BULLETIN    REFUTED 

The  deposition  of  one  Delia  Bodge,  containing  the  most  indecent 
charge^,  against  Mr.  Hunton,  has  been  published  in  an  Extra  from 
the  office  of  the  Bangor  Republican,  and  the  substance  of  it  vaunt- 


A    POLITICAL    CAMPAIGN    DOCUMENT 


ingly  set  forth  in  the  Argus  under  the  head  of  "MORE  EVI- 
DENCE." It  may  seem  superfluous  to  notice  her  statements;  but 
we  are  unwiUing  any  falsehood  of  the  slanderers  should  go  uncon- 
tradicted, be  it  ever  so  base  and  contemptible,  particularly  as  the 
means  of  refutation  are  at  hand.  As  further  evidence  of  the  char- 
acter of  this  Delia  Bodge,  it  may  be  mentioned  that  while  her  father 
by  his  last  will  made  a  handsome  provision  for  each  of  his  other 
children,  he  bequeathed  her  ONE  DOLLAR.  To  what  disgrace- 
ful and  abominable  means  will  an  unprincipled  and  desperate  party 
not  resort ! 

DEPOSITION    OF    THE    NURSE 

I,  Margaret  Chandler  of  W'inthrop  in  the  County  of  Kennebec, 
of  lawful  age,  do  testify  and  say,  that  I  was  in  the  family  of  Jona- 
than G.  Hunton^  for  the  last  three  weeks  previous  to  the  death  of 
Mrs.  Hunton,  and  that  I  saw  nothing  unkind  or  improper,  but  on 
the  contrary  he  was  very  kind  and  attentive  to  her  in  her  sickness. 
I  was  the  nurse  in  the  family ;  and  I  further  say  that  I  never  told 
Delia  Craig,  who  afterwards  married  a  Cottle,  and  then  run  away 
with  a  man  named  Bodge,  anything  of  the  kind,  which  she  has 
stated  in  her  deposition  of  September  the  eighth,  A.  D.  1829,  taken 
before  Nathaniel  McMahon,  Justice  of  the  Peace.  I  further  state 
that  the  said  Delia  Bodge  was  generally  considered  a  woman  of 
loose  character,  and  whose  word  would  not  go  far  where  she  was 
known.  I  further  state  that  previous  to  the  three  weeks  above 
mentioned  I  had  lived  in  the  family  of  Mr.  Hunton  for  the  space 
of  seven  months,  during  all  which  time  he  was  kind  and  attentive 
to  his  wife  and  family. 

Margaret  Chandler. 

Kennebec  ss. — Sept.  11,  1829. — Then  personally  appeared  the 
above-named  Margaret  Chandler,  and  made  oath  to  the  truth  of 
the  foregoing  deposition  by  her  subscribed. 

Before  me,  Seth  May,  Justice  of  the  Peace. 

1. Jonathan    G.    Hunton   of   Readfleld    was   Governor    of    Maine    1830-31. 


lo        SPRAGUE'S  JOURNAL  OF   MAINE  HISTORY 


Wlnthrop,  Sept.  ii,  1829. — We  the  subscribers,  having  been  ac- 
quainted with  the  above-said  Margaret  Chandler  for  a  long  time, 
are  satisfied  that  she  is  a  woman  of  truth  and  veracity. 

Samuel  Wood, 
Seth  May, 
Alex  Belcher, 
John  May, 
H.  B.  Farnham, 
Samuel  Cordis, 
Saaiuel  Wood,  Jr. 

REGISTER'S  CERTIFICATE 
I  hereby  certify  that  it  appears  by  the  records  in  my  office  that 
Rachael  Craig,  the  widow  of  Thomas  Craig  dec'd,  was  appointed 
sole  Executrix,  of  his  will,  and  that  subsequently  George  Waugh 
was  appointed  administrator  of  the  goods  and  Estate  of  said  Craig, 
not  administered  upon  by  said  Executrix  with  the  will  annexed, 
and  returned  an  inventory  August  5,  1817;  and  I  find  no  evidence 
on  my  records  of  any  other  Executor  or  Administrator  on  the 
Estate  of  said  Thomas  Craig  dec'd. 

^^'ILLIAMS  Emmons, 
Register  of  Probate  Co.  Kennebec. 


A  LETTER  FROM  GEORGE  POPHAM  TO  KING  JAMES  I., 
WRITTEN  DEC.  13,  1607 
The  Lewiston  Journal  Magazine  recently  published  the  follow- 
ing, its  editor  saying  that  it  is  "an  exact  copy  of  an  interesting 
paper,  found  among  the  treasures  of  a  Bath  attic."  The  paper 
was  written  at  the  settlement  of  the  Popham  Colony  in  the  Province 
of  Maine,  when  all  of  the  territory  now  comprising  what  Captain 
John  Smith  later  named  New  England,  was  known  as  Northern 
Virginia. 

THE   FIRST   STATE   PAPER  WRITTEN   IN   AMERICA 

George  Popham  to  King  James  I.,  13  December,  1607 
At  the  feet  of  his  Most  Serene  King,  humbly  prostrates  himself 
George  Popham,  President  of  the  Second  Colony  of  Virginia.  If 
it  may  please  the  patience  of  your  devine  Majesty  to  receive  a 
few  things  from  your  most  observant  and  devoted  though  unworthy 
servant,  I  trust  it  will  derogate  nothing  from  the  lustre  of  your 


A  LETTER   TO   KING  JAMES   I  n 


Highness,  since  they  seem  to  redound  to  the  Glory  of  God,  tlie 
greatness  of  your  Majesty  and  the  utihty  of  Great  Britain. 

I  have  thought  it,  therefore,  very  just,  that  it  should  be  made 
known  to  your  Majesty,  that  among  the  Virginians  and  Moassons, 
there  is  none  in  the  world  more  admired  than  King  James,  Sov- 
ereign Lord  of  Great  Britain,  on  account  of  his  admirable  justice 
and  incredible  constancy,  which  gives  no  small  pleasure  to  the 
natives  of  these  regions,  who  say,  moreover,  that  James,  under 
whoes  rule  and  reign  they  would  gladly  fight.  Tahanida,  one  of 
the  natives  who  was  in  Great  Britain,  here  proclaimed  to  them 
your  praises  and  virtues.  What  and  how  much  I  may  avail  in 
transacting  these  affairs  and  in  confirming  their  minds,  let  those 
judge  who  are  well  versed  in  these  matters  at  home,  which  I  wit- 
tingly avow  that  all  my  endeavors  are  as  nothing,  when  considered 
in  comparison  with  my  duty  towards  my  Prince. 

My  well  considered  opinion  is  that  in  these  regions  the  glory  of 
God  may  be  easily  evidenced,  the  empire  of  your  Majesty  enlarged, 
and  the  welfare  of  Great  Brittain  speedily  augmented.  So  far  as 
relates  to  commerce,  there  are  in  these  parts,  shagbarks,  nutmeg 
and  cinnamon,  besides  pine  Avood  and  Brazillian  cochineal  and 
Ambergris,  with  many  other  products  of  great  value,  and  these  in 
the  greatest  abundance. 

Besides,  they  positively  assure  me  that  there  is  a  sea  in  the  oppo- 
site or  western  part  of  the  Province,  distant  not  more  than  seven 
days'  journey  from  our  fort  of  St.  George  in  Sagadahock;  a  sea 
large,  wide  and  deep,  the  boundaries  of  which  they  are  wholly 
ignorant  of.  This  cannot  be  any  other  than  the  Southern  Ocean, 
reaching  to  the  regions  of  China,  which  unciuestionably  cannot  be 
far  from  these  regions. 

If,  therefore,  it  may  please  you  to  keep  open  your  devine  eyes 
on  this  matter  of  my  report,  I  doubt  not  but  your  Majesty  will 
perform  a  work  most  pleasing  to  God,  most  honorable  to  your 
greatness,  and  most  conducive  to  the  wealth  of  your  kingdom,  which 
with  ardent  prayers  I  most  vehemently  desire.  And  may  God 
Almighty  grant  that  the  Majesty  of  my  Sovereign  Lord,  King 
James,  may  remain  glorious  for  ages  to  come. 

At  the  Fort  of  St.  George,  in  Sagadahock  of  Virginia,  13  Decem- 
ber, 1607. 

In  all  things  your  ]\Iajesty's  devoted  servant 

George  Popham. 


12        SPRAGUE'S  JOURNAL  OF   MAINE   HISTORY 


Francis  Ormax  Jefferson  v'^^riTii 

One  of  the  most  brilliant  lawyers  and  versatile  minds  at  the 
Cumberland  bar  was  Francis  Orman  Jefferson  Smith.  He  was 
born  in  Brentwood,  N.  H.,  Nov.  23,  1806,  and  died  in  Deering, 
Maine,  October  15,  1876. 

Of  positive  convictions  regarding  all  subjects  of  importance 
which  commanded  his  attention,  possessing  a  natural  aggressive- 
ness in  advocating  and  acting  upon  them,  as  a  lawyer,  political 
leader,  Congressman  and  publicist,  the  name  of  F.  O.  J.  Smith 
was,  for  a  lifetime,  very  much  in  the  public  eye  in  both  state  and 
nation. 


MAINE    IN    POETRY  13 


WHERE   THE  PINE   TREE    FRINGED    PENOBSCOT 
RIVER   FLOWS 

There   Katahdin   lifts   supreme 

O'er  the  hnk  of  lake  and  stream 
That  bind  the  hills  of  green  that  ever  glows, 

With  a  mighty  water  chain 
In  the  intervales  of  Maine 

Where   the   Pine  Tree   fringed   Penobscot  River  flows. 

Plere  the  Alaster  wrought  with   love 

In  the  skies  so  fair  above, 
At  every  vista's  turn  his   favor  shows, 

Castled  rock,  and  bloom  of  plain. 
In  the  intervales  of  Maine 

Where  the   Pine  Tree  fringed   Penobscot   River   tlows. 

Blest  the  water  ways  to  roam. 

Blest  the  sacred  forest  gloam. 
Where  the  twin  flower,  and  the   loved  arbutus  blows. 

Sweet  the  thrush's  twilight   strain 
In  the  intervales  of  Maine, 

Where  the   Pine  Tree  fringed   Penobscot  River   flows. 

Other  skies  may  be  as  fair. 

Other   scenes  may  be  as   rare. 
But  'tis  here  a  lasting  memory  ever  goes. 

With  a  love  that  ne'er  can  wane 
For  the  intervales  of  Maine, 

Where  the   Pine  Tree   fringed   Penobscot   Ri\er   flows. 

Geo.  a.  Cleveland. 


14        SPRAGUE'S  JOURNAL  OF  MAINE  HISTORY 

A   SKETCH    OF   THE   LIFE   OF   DAVID   RAY,   AND   THE 

EARLY  HISTORY  OF  THE  TOWN  OF  OTISFIELD, 

COUNTY    OF    CUMBERLAND 

(By    Charles    F.    Holden.) 

David  Ray,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  was  born  in  \\'rentham, 
Mass.,  September  7th,  1742,  the  son  of  Samuel  and  EHzabeth,  and 
the  oldest  of  nine  children.     His  mother's  maiden  name  was  Tuel. 

November  15th,  1770,  David  married  Eunice  Whiting,  the  daugh- 
ter of  a  prominent  Wrentham  family.  At  the  breaking  out  of  the 
war  of  the  Revolution  he  belonged  to  a  company  of  Minute-men 
and  was  ordered  into  action  on  the  day  of  the  battle  of  Lexington. 
He  served  in  the  Ticonderoga  campaign  under  Gen.  Gates,  and 
in  what  was  known  as  the  "Secret  Expedition  to  Rhode  Island." 
In  all  a  service  of  about  five  years,  during  which  he  received  an 
officer's  commission. 

The  Continental  money  he  received  for  his  service  had  depreci- 
ated till  forty  dollars  would  bring  but  one  dollar  in  specie,  and  a 
pair  of  boots  cost  live  to  six  hundred.      (Barnes'  School  History.) 

Mr.  Ray  at  the  time  of  leaving  the  army  was  38  years  of  age 
and  had  a  wife  and  two  young  daughters — Eunice  and  Polly.  A 
company  of  men  in  Boston  and  vicinity  owned  at  that  time  a  town- 
ship of  land  in  the  Province  of  Maine,  and  held  out  inducements 
for  families  to  go  there  and  settle.  Mr.  Ray  made  a  journey  of 
exploration  and  concluded  to  move  his  family  to  the  new  district, 
which  he  did  in  the  spring  of  1780,  locating  at  first  on  the  west 
side  of  Crooked  River  near  what  is  now  Ede's  Falls,  in  the  town 
of  Naples,  then  a  part  of  Otisfield ;  he  made  a  clearing  and  built 
a  house  in  which  he  lived  for  about  three  years,  and  where  his 
third  daughter — Betsey  Whiting — was  born. 

Before  leaving  Wrentham  Mr.  Ray  had  agreed  with  the  propri- 
etors of  the  town  to  build  a  grist-mill  for  grinding  corn  and  rye, 
if  a  suitable  site  was  found ;  he  discovered  such  a  site  at  the  outlet 
of  Saturday  Pond,  and  in  the  year  1781  had  a  mill  in  operation; 
this  proved  a  great  public  benefit  not  only  to  the  few  people  who 
had  settled  in  Otisfield,  but  others  who  for  many  years  came  from 
Norway,  Paris  and  Hebron  (now  Oxford)  ;  the  mill  being  situated 
several  miles  from  where  he  lived,  Mr.  Ray  set  aside  two  days  each 
week,  when  he  staid  and  ground  for  whoever  came. 

At  the  end  of  two  years  he  built  a  log  house  near  the  mill  and 


A   SKETCH   OF   THE   LIFE   OF   DAVID   RAY  15 

moved  his  family  into  it  May  6th,  1783 — moving  by  ox-cart  or  sled 
over  what  was  but  a  bare  semblance  of  a  road.  A  few  years  later 
Mr.  Ray  built  on  the  same  stream,  a  saw-mill,  also  by  contract  with 
the  town  proprietors,  entered  into  at  Groton,  Mass.,  Sept.  6th,  1786. 
For  building  these  two  mills  Mr.  Ray  received  deeds  to  about  three 
hundred  acres  of  land  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  Saturday  Pond. 
David  Ray  was  not  the  very  first  of  the  Otisfield  pioneers,  a  few 
families  having  preceded  him  by  short  periods.  These  were  George 
Pierce,  Esquire,  Benjamin  Patch,  Daniel  Cobb,  Joseph  Spurr,  Jona- 
than Moors,  and  Samuel  Reed ;  these  were  all  located  at  various 
intervals  south  of  where  Mr.  Ray  established  himself  and  his  mills, 
beyond  which  to  the  north  was  still  an  unbroken  forest. 

By  the  year  1787  various  other  families  had  come  to  the  new 
township,  and  Mr.  Ray  started  a  movement  to  organize  some  sort 
of  local  town  government,  and  a  petition  was  drawn  up  and  signed 
as  follows : 

To  George  Pierce,  Esq.,  one  of  the  Justices  of  the 
Peace  for  the  County  of  Cumberland,  Common- 
wealth  of   Massachusetts : 

We  the   subscribers,  being  five  of   the  inhabitants 
of  the  Plantation  of  Otisfield,  do  hereby  apply  to  your 
Honor  for  a  warrant  to  call  a  meeting  of  the  inhab- 
itants of  said  plantation  at  the  dwelling-house  of  Dea. 
Stephen   Phinney,   in  Otisfield,  on  Tuesday,  ye   15th 
day  of  May  next,  at  ten  o'clock,  A.  M.,  to  act  on  the 
following  questions,  to  wit: 
I  St,  to  choose  a  Moderator. 
2nd,  to  choose  a  Plantation  Clerk. 
3d,  to  choose  Selectmen. 

4th,  to  choose  Assessors,  and  to  do  such  other  busi- 
ness  as  may  be  thought  necessary. 

(Signed)     David  Ray, 

Benjamin  Patch, 
Joseph  Hancock, 

JOH NATHAN    MoORS, 

Samuel  Gammon. 
Dated  April  23,  1787. 
This  was  the  first  public  meeting  for  town  purposes  held  in  Otis- 
field.    At  that  meeting  David  Ray  was  chosen  Moderator;  Joseph 
Wight,  Jr.,  clerk;  David   Ray,  Benjamin  Patch  and   Noah   Reed, 
Assessors;  and  Johnathan  Moors,  Collector. 


i6        SPRAGUE'S  JOURNAL  OF  MAINE  HISTORY 


Though  assessors  were  elected,  no  money  tax  was  assessed  for 
several  years.  They  made  assessment  for  highway  taxes  to  be 
worked  out  on  the  roads,  which  at  that  time  meant  felling  trees, 
cutting  away  stumps  and  moving  the  larger  stones  to  make  a  chance 
for  ox-carts. 

From  the  time  of  this  first  meeting  Mr.  Ray  served  the  town  in 
some  official  capacity  for  twenty-five  consecutive  years.  In  1794 
he  was  chosen  its  first  treasurer;  in  1810  he  was  elected  to  repre- 
sent his  district  in  the  General  Court  of  Massachusetts. 

In  1 812 — Sept.  2 — a  convention  was  called  to  meet  in  the  town 
of  Gray,  "to  consider  the  distressed  condition  of  our  country,"  and 
Mr.  Ray  elected  as  delegate,  and  the  following  were  chosen  as  a 
committee  to  draft  resolutions:  Dr.  Silas  Blake,  Grinfill  Blake, 
Esq.,  Captain  Daniel  Holden,  Benjamin  Wight  and  David  Ray. 
Just  what  resolutions  were  reported  by  this  committee  or  what 
action  was  taken  by  the  convention  at  Gray  I  am  not  informed. 

As  Mr.  Ray  was  now  about  seventy  years  of  age  this  was  prob- 
ably about  the  last  of  his  public  service;  I  will  therefore  take  up 
again  the  more  personal  side  of  his  life.  After  moving  into  his 
log  house  near  the  mill  his  fourth  daughter — Abigail  Mann — was 
born,  and  in  1795  he  built  a  frame  addition  to  the  log  house  for 
a  schoolroom,  and  employed  Major  \\'illiam  Swann  at  his  own 
expense,  to  teach.  The  school  was  intended  for  the  benefit  of  his 
daughters,  and  though  the  eldest  was  then  married,  she  was  a  reg- 
ular attendant,  as  were  several  others  from  families  living  within 
reasonable  distance.  An  interesting  fact  incident  to  this  primitive 
school,  was  the  making  from  birch  bark  by  the  Ray  daughters,  of 
copy  books  for  the  schoolroom,  from  which  they  learned  to  write — 
pa])er  being  very  scarce  and  expensive. 

The  first  valuation  of  the  town  was  made  in  April,  1795,  and 
Mr.  Ray's  name  was  highest  on  the  list,  so  that  in  those  days  of 
small  values  he  was  considered  as  in  good  circumstances.  He  was 
a  public-spirited  man  in  the  sphere  in  which  he  moved.  He  gave 
an  acre  of  land  for  the  site  of  the  first  meeting-house  built  in  town, 
and  a  large  lot  adjoining  for  a  public  burial-ground. 

In  January,  1795,  he  entered  into  a  contract  at  Groton  with  the 
proprietors  of  the  town,  to  build  the  first  meeting-house ;  this  was 
situated  on  the  summit  of  "Otisfield  Hill,"  afterward  known  as 
"Meeting-House  Hill,"  and  in  later  years  as  "Bell  Hill" ;  Mr.  Ray 
was  so  much  interested  in  this  undertaking  that  he  furnished  needed 


A    SKETCH    OF   THE   EIFE   OF   DAVID    RAY        17 


material  and  money,  and  when  the  house  was  completed  he  took 
six  of  the  pews. 

During  this  same  year  he  built  for  himself  a  new  two-story  frame 
house  near  the  log  house  in  which  he  was  living;  this  new  dwelling 
was  a  fortress  for  strength.  The  timbers  were  mostly  eight  inches 
square,  and  it  was  boarded  with  two-inch  oak  plank  firmly  pinned 
to  plates  and  sills  wnth  oaken  pins.  The  heaviest  winds  never  shook 
it.  The  chimney  was  a  marvel  in  itself — fifteen  feet  square  in  the 
lower  story,  with  three  open  fireplaces  and  two  brick  ovens ;  the 
largest  fireplace  would  take  wood  six  feet  long,  and  each  of  the 
ovens  was  large  enough  for  a  village  bakery.  In  this  house  the 
"First  Congregational  Church"  was  organized  and  the  Rev.  Thomas 
Roby  installed  as  pastor. 

Mr.  Ray  was  a  man  of  benevolent  and  kindly  character.  If 
people  whom  he  knew  to  be  poor  came  to  his  mill  with  grain  to  be 
ground,  he  took  no  pay;  if  a  man  was  down,  he  did  not  pass  him 
by  on  the  other  side,  but  gave  him  a  helping  hand ;  he  instructed 
his  daughters  to  be  kind  and  courteous  to  strangers,  telling  them 
they  might  be  entertaining  angels  unawares. 

I  have  previously  omitted  to  state  that  Mr.  Ray  was,  for  that 
day,  a  skilful  physician — the  first  in  Otisfield — having  studied  in 
earlier  life  with  Dr.  Mann  of  Wrentham,  and  possessing  quite  an 
extensive  medical  library ;  his  services  were  of  great  value  and 
were  much  sought  for  many  miles  about.  He  died  December  ist, 
1822,  aged  80  years  and  84  days. 

Mrs.  Eunice  Ray  was  a  woman  of  genial  and  sunny  disposition, 
who  made  those  around  her  cheerful  and  happy.  Of  settled  re- 
ligious convictions,  she  brought  up  her  family  in  the  fear  and  ad- 
monition of  the  Lord.  She  was  an  excellent  horsewoman  and  rode 
much  in  the  saddle,  as  did  all  her  daughters ;  there  Avere  no  wagon 
roads  for  twenty  years  in  their  section,  and  all  travel  was  on  horse- 
back; Mrs.  Ray  made  frequent  trips  to  Portland,  and  twice  went 
as  far  as  Wrentham  in  the  saddle.  She  w'as  a  skillful  weaver,  and 
wrought  many  curious  fabrics  for  the  use  of  her  family,  and  for 
bedding  and  table  use ;  her  w^ell-trained  fingers  could  spin  the  finest 
quality  of  linen  thread.  This  remarkable  woman  never  grew  old 
in  her  own  mind — at  the  age  of  ninety-five  she  would  walk  a  third 
of  a  mile  to  a  neighbor's  and  back.  She  died  July  4th,  1843,  lack- 
ing but  a  few  days  of  97  years.  She  was  buried  by  the  side  of 
her  husband,  on  Meeting-House  Hill,  in  the  cemetery  donated  by 
him  for  public  use. 


i8        SPRAGUE'S  JOURNAL  OF  MAINE  HISTORY 


A  few  years  subsequent  to  the  coming  of  David  Ray  and  family, 
there  came  to  Otisfield  the  family  of  John  Holden,  from  Groton — 
probably  about  1785 — and  later  that  of  Captain  Daniel  Holden, 
both  of  whom  had  served  in  the  Army  of  the  Revolution.  In  this 
connection  it  is  a  matter  of  pride  with  me  to  state  that  from  Mas- 
sachusetts alone  no  less  than  147  Holdens  took  part  in  that  fateful 
war  which  was  destined  to  become  so  important  an  epoch  in  the 
world's  history.  These  were  descendants  of  Richard  and  Justinian 
Holden,  who  came  from  Sultolk,  England,  in  the  brig  Francis,  in 
the  year  1634,  and  landed  at  Watertown. 

In  John  Hoi  den's  family  were  four  sons — John,  George,  Jesse 
and  Henry.  Two  of  these  sons  married  daughters  of  David  Ray — 
John  choosing  Polly,  the  second,  and  Henry  taking  Abigail  Alann, 
die  youngest ;  this  latter  couple  making  their  home  with  their  father 
and  mother  Ray,  and  caring  for  them  in  their  old  age,  receiving 
in  return  the  larger  portion  of  David  Ray's  estate. 

Henry  Holden  and  his  wife  raised  a  family  of  eight  sons  and 
three  daughters,  all  of  whom  lived  to  adult  age,  and  several  to 
unusual  advanced  age.  This  large  family  was  born  and  reared  in 
the  large  frame  dwelling  house  previously  referred  to  as  built  by 
Mr.  Ray  in  1795.  With  the  assistance  of  his  growing  sons  he 
cultivated  many  acres  of  the  farm  land,  and  operated  the  grist-mill 
and  saw-mills;  the  writer,  a  grandson  of  Henry  Holden,  well  re- 
members the  remarkable  old  homestead  which  was  almost  as  much 
home  to  the  grandchildren  as  their  own. 

I  recall  the  big  open  attic  with  its  various  objects  of  interest — 
a  great  hand-made  cradle  in  which  every  Holden  of  that  family, 
and  the  children  of  many  visitors,  had  been  rocked;  old-fashioned 
beds  on  which  one  could  lie  through  storm  or  shower  and  listen 
to  such  soothing  music  as  can  be  heard  only  from  the  rain  upon 
the  roof ;  among  other  things  were  three  swords,  each  of  a  different 
style  of  blade  and  hilt — these  had  belonged  to  David  Ray  and  used 
by  him  during  his  service  in  the  army. 

In  a  room  below  was  the  weaving  and  spinning  equipment  of 
my  great-grandmother  Eunice  Ray — the  old  loom  with  its  heavy 
hard-wood  frame,  the  spinning  wheel  and  reel,  and  a  smaller  wheel 
for  flax.  All  these  were  also  used  by  my  grandmother  in  the  earlier 
portion  of  her  married  life.  In  the  large  square  living-room  on 
the  lower  floor  was  the  immense  fireplace  with  its  long  swinging 
crane  and  an  assortment  of  iron  cooking  utensils  of  varied  shapes 
and  sizes,  and  on  either  side  a  great  oven  built  into  the  massive 


A   SKETCH   OF   THE   LIFE   OF   DAVID   RAY         19 

chimney;  these  ovens  were  filled  every  Saturday  with  quantities 
of  the  wholesome  foods  which  nourished  the  stalwart  sons  and 
healthy  daughters  of  our  New  England  ancestors.  Before  my  own 
day  an  addition  had  been  connected  with  the  big  house,  and  this 
contained  a  large  pantry,  a  feature  of  which  was  the  "meal  chest" ; 
this  was  a  long  covered  chest  with  four  divisions,  each  holding 
several  bushels,  in  which  was  kept  flour  and  meal  of  wheat,  corn, 
rye,  and  barley,  ground  in  the  grist-mill  nearby,  from  grains  raised 
on  the  farm. 

At  a  later  period — probably  about  1820 — the  town  having  become 
more  closely  populated,  another  meeting-house  was  built  under  the 
hill,  and  known  as  the  "Free-Will  Baptist"  house;  this  site  was 
also  taken  from  die  Ray  estate,  and  here  for  many  years  the  "Free- 
Willers"  met  and  listened  to  the  vigorous  expounding  of  that  doc- 
trine by  various  preachers  from  round  about.  This  meeting-house 
was  situated  a  few  minutes'  walk  from  Henry  Flolden's  home,  and 
every  Sunday  the  Hoidens  literally  kept  "open  house,"  and  I  might 
add,  "open  barn,"  for  here  came  the  minister  often  on  Saturday, 
to  remain  perhaps  till  Monday — sure  of  a  welcome  and  good  fare 
for  himself  and  horse — and  here  came  various  friends  and  rela- 
tives who  lived  several  miles  away  to  "bait"  their  horses,  and  during 
the  hour  and  a  half  between  sermons,  to  partake  of  the  generous 
hospitality  of  the  Holden  house ;  the  big  round  family  table  was 
always  filled,  often  a  second  time,  while  others  found  their  way 
into  the  pantry  and  freely  helped  themselves  to  pie  and  cheese  which 
was  abundantly  set  out  upon  the  broad  shelf.  Mr.  Holden  himself 
was  a  reserved  sort  of  man,  and  little  given  to  conversation,  yet 
this  open  hospitality  was  one  of  his  chief  pleasures,  and  I  mention 
it  as  illustrative  of  the  sterling  type  of  citizens  who  were  among 
the  earlier  settlers  of  the  old  State  of  Maine. 

Xearly  fifty  years  later  still,  the  old  Free-W'ill  house  was  re- 
modeled and  became  the  "Union  Meeting-House,"  to  which  came 
those  of  any  and  every  denomination  and  creed,  and  where  some 
of  the  descendants  of  the  earlier  generations  still  meet  for  Avorship. 

Across  the  level  road,  directly  opposite  this  little  church,  in  the 
peaceful  cjuiet  of  the  beautiful  country  cemetery,  is  the  last  resting 
place  of  Henry  Holden  and  all  of  his  children ;  several  grand- 
children— great-grandchildren  of  David  and  Eunice  Ray — are  yet 
living,  but  their  number  is  small,  and  they  too  must  soon  "cross 
the  road." 


20        SPRAGUE'S  JOURNAL  OF  MAINE  HISTORY 


CHARLES    ALCOTT    FLAGG 

Was  born  in  Sandwich,  Massachusetts,  October  1,  1870.  Graduated  from  Bowdoin  College 
in  1894.  Soon  after  this  he  commenced  his  life  work  as  librarian  by  entering  the  New  York  State 
Library  School  at  Albany.  In  1896  he  became  assistant  and  later  sub-hbrarian  in  charge  of  4 
history  and  genealogy  at  the  New  York  State  Library  at  Albany.  In  1900  he  resigned  this  posi- 
tion to  accept  the  charge  of  American  History  in  the  Catalogue  Division  of  the  Library  of  Congress, 
Washington,  D.  C.  He  remained  there  until  1913  when  he  was  called  to  assume  charge  of  the 
Public  Library  of  Bangor,  Maine,  where  he  remained  until  the  time  of  his  death. 

He  received  the  degree  of  B.  L.  S.  in  1899  from  the  New  York  State  Library  School,  and  inT1902 
the  George  Washington  University  conferred  on  him  the  degree  of  M.  A.  He  was  a  member 
of  the  American  Library  Association,  the  Maine  Library  Association,  the  Maine  and  the  Bangor 
Historical  Societies,  the  New  England  Historic  and  Genealogical  Association,  the  American  His- 
torical Association,  an  honorary  member  of  the  Piscataquis  Historical  Society.  His  church  was 
the  Unitarian  and  his  political  party  the  Republican.     He  died  in  Bangor.  March  28,  1920. 

He  was  compiler  and  author  of  "An  .\IphabeticaI  Index  of  Revolutionary  Soldiers  Living  in 
Maine  "  which  has  recently  been  published  as  a  serial  in  the  Journal.  It  is  one  of  the  most  valu- 
able Maine  historical  items  ever  presented  to  the  public  and  is  the  only  complete  authentic  col- 
lection of  the  names  and  data  of  Maine  Revolutionary  Soldiers  now  existing. 


EARLY  KENNEBEC  TAVERNS         21 
EARLY  KENNEBEC  TAVERNS 

(By    W.    Scott    Hill.) 

Read  before  the  Maine  IVriters'  Research  Club  by  Mrs.  Mabel 
Guodzvin  Hall,  at  its  z'ery  interesting  annual  meeting  at  the  Hallo- 
well  House,  Halloivell,  Maine,  February  iS,  ig2i. 

The  colonists  to  New  England  brought  many  of  the  home  customs 
with  them,  and  in  time  came  the  demand  for  the  tavern,  the  com- 
bination of  all  the  services  of  public  houses  in  England,  where  food, 
wines  and  liquors  were  sold,  lodging  for  travelers  and  strangers,  as 
well  as  stabling  and  feeding  horses  and  cattle.  There  were  strin- 
gent laws  for  failing  or  refusing  to  care  for  man  or  beast.  Taverns 
were  also  places  for  public  meetings  and  social  gatherings. 

The  first  tavern  in  Cushnoc,  now  Augusta,  on  the  west  side  of 
the  river,  was  on  the  corner  of  what  is  now  Grove  and  Green 
streets,  and  was  built  and  kept  by  Josiah  French  probably  in  1763. 
This  was  a  log  house.  David  Thomas  kept  the  first  house  of 
entertainment  on  the  east  side  in  1764,  just  above  Whitney  Brook. 
He  afterward  moved  to  the  Fort  lot  where  he  had  another  tavern. 
I  think  this  was  afterwards  used  as  a  cooper's  shop  by  Freeman 
Barker  when  burned  about  40  years  ago.  In  1784,  Amos  Pollard 
had  a  tavern  on  the  south  side  of  what  is  now  Market  square, 
probably  where  the  Opera  House  block  now  stands.  It  was  fre- 
quently used  for  public  meetings  and  was  an  important  place  in 
the  village.  Hilton's  tavern  was  a  large  farm  building  just  north 
of  Whitney  Brook,  built  before  Bangor  road  was  laid  out,  and 
faced  on  the  Shirley  military  road,  as  did  the  Great  House  of 
Col.  Howard  built  in  1770.  Wdiitney  Tavern  w^as  another  early 
tavern  at  the  corner  of  Clark  street  and  Bangor  street.  The  brass 
knocker  was  taken  from  its  front  door.  This  tavern  had  a  two- 
story  piazza  like  the  old  Cushnoc  House.  It  was  torn  down  many 
years  ago.  Reed's  tavern  was  a  later  one,  and  stood  on  the  site 
of  40  and  42  Bangor  street,  into  which  it  was  remodeled  a  few- 
years  ago. 

Currier's  tavern  in  Hallowell  was  a  noted  tavern  when  Hallowell 
was  the  center  of  trade  on  the  Kennebec.  The  site  was  on  that 
part  of  Water  street  known  as  Joppa,  a  large  square  two-story 
house.  It  was  torn  down  years  ago  after  being  used  as  a  boarding 
house  known  as  the  Granite  House. 

Gage's  tavern  was  one  of  the  early  taverns  before  the  laying  out 


22        SPRAGUE'S  JOURNAL  OF   MAINE   HISTORY 

of  the  present  \\^estern  avenue.  This  was  on  the  farm  formerly 
owned  by  James  R.  Townsend.  At  the  time  this  tavern  was  built, 
all  the  teaming  from  Farmington  and  intervening  towns  to  Hallo- 
well,  then  the  seaport,  was  over  the  road  near  here,  long  since  dis- 
continued, which  ran  in  a  direct  line  from  the  Whitman  corner 
to  Hallowell.  The  shack  built  for  the  Italians  a  few  years  ago 
and  still  standing  was  on  this  abandoned  roadbed.  The  tavern  was 
burned  about  twenty  years  ago,  and  the  old  sign  "Gage's  Tavern" 
stored  in  the  cellar  was  destroyed  with  it.  It  was  a  two-story 
frame  house. 

Norris's  tavern  is  still  standing  on  the  old  road  from  Hallowell 
to  Manchester  Cross-Roads.  It  was  a  finely  built  house,  the  inside 
finish  being  much  better  than  most  houses  built  at  that  time,  which 
was  in  the  early  years  of  1800.  This,  like  Gage's  tavern,  was  for 
travelers  west  of  there  going  and  coming  from  Hallowell.  It  is, 
or  was  occupied  by  Italians  and  a  sad  wreck  of  its  former  self. 
The  large  barn  connected  with  it  was  struck  by  lightning  and  burned 
a  few  vears  ago. 

The  business  of  the  Norris,  Gage  and  Currier  taverns  was  ruined 
by  the  building  of  the  back  route  railroad  from  Lewiston,  through 
Greene,  Leeds,  Monmouth  and  other  towns,  to  Waterville,  and  the 
Leeds  and  Farmington  railroad,  and  Hallowell  lost  its  prestige  as 
a  commercial  center. 

Piper's  tavern,  still  standing  on  upper  AX'ater  street,  was  a  noted 
tavern.  \\^ater  street  was  originally  laid  out  from  this  house.  The 
handsome  wrought-iron  sign  frame  is  still  in  place,  but  the  sign 
long  since  disappeared.  The  Fuller  tavern  on  Maintop,  built  and 
kept  by  the  late  John  J.  Fuller,  was  a  favorite  house  for  the  travel- 
ing public  from  the  country  north  of  Augusta.  It  was  moved  to 
the  west  side  of  Northern  avenue,  and  is  now  occupied  as  a  farm- 
house by  C.  Wesley  Cummings.  The  old  Cushnoc  House  was  built 
by  Amos  Partridge  in  1803.  For  eighty-five  years  it  bore  a  con- 
spicuous part  in  the  business  life  of  Augusta,  especially  the  period 
of  the  Civil  War,  1861-1865.  It  was  ruuied  by  fire  Dec.  i,  1888, 
and  one  week  later  sold  with  the  two  stables  adjoining  to  the  Lith- 
gow  Library  Association  for  the  site  of  Lithgow  Library. 

One  of  the  reminders  of  stage  coach  days  is  the  house  at  Brown's 
Corner,  built  for  a  tavern  by  Samuel  Homans  more  than  a  century 
ago,  and  occupied  more  than  sixty  years  by  the  late  Howes  Robbins 
and  his  son,  Prescott.     It  was  a  finely  built  house,  still  standing 


EARLY  KENNEBEC  TAVERNS         23 

and  now  ttsed  as  a  farmhouse.  The  long  bowHng  alley  still  remains, 
though  used  for  other  purposes.  This  was  a  favorite  resort  for 
pleasure  parties  in  days  long  gone  by,  as  well  as  for  travelers. 

Bachelder's  Tavern,  in  Litchfield,  still  standing,  was  a  noted 
tavern  in  stage  coach  days  from  Augusta  to  Portland.  It  was  a 
station  for  changing  horses,  and  for  many  years  after  the  passing 
of  the  stage  coach  a  fa\'orite  house  for  merry-makers  in  that  section. 


GRAVES    OF   REVOLUTIONARY    SOLDIERS    IN   THE 

KENNEBEC    REGION,    INSCRIPTIONS 

COPIED    IN    1921 

(By    Mrs.    Mabel    Goodwin   Hall,    HaUowel],    INIaine.) 

Joseph  Abbot — Died  Nov.  30,  1832,  and  is  buried  at  Strickland's 
Ferry.  He  was  private  and  corporal.  He  served  as  corporal 
in  Capt.  William  Smith's  co..  Col.  Abijah  Pierce's  regt.,  enlisting 
from  Lincoln  Co. 

Samuel  Adams — Died  Jan.  7,  1828,  aged  67.  Buried  at  Greene, 
beside  wife  Susanna,  who  died  Sept.  6,  1852,  aged  85.  She  rec'd 
pension  in  Greene  in  1840,  giving  age  as  J 2. 

Thomas  Agry — Born  in  Barnstable,  Aug.  6,  1756,  came  to  Hallo- 
well  in  1781,  died  April  25,  1821,  and  is  buried  at  Hallowell. 
Corporal  in  Capt.  Oliver  Colburn's  co..  Col.  Arnold's  regt.,  1775. 

John  Allen — Died  Dec.  22,  1834,  aged  74,  and  is  buried  at  Greene, 
beside  his  wife  Cynthia,  who  died  Sept.  6,  1844,  aged  85.  He 
was  on  the  Rev.  pension  rolls  July  1834.  Cynthia  was  on  the 
pension  list,  1840. 

Thomas  Allen — He  died  at  Winthrop  (later  Manchester),  Jan.  31, 
1814,  aged  74  yrs.  He  is  buried  in  the  small  cemetery  at  Monk's 
Hill,  Manchester,  beside  his  wife  Rachel.  His  headstone  is 
broken  and  the  inscription  destroyed.  His  tax  was  remitted  by 
the  town  in  1778  on  account  of  military  service  in  1775. 

Samuel  Ballon — Died  March  2,  1819,  aged  61,  and  is  buried  in 
small  cemetery  on  State  road  near  No.  Monmouth,  beside  his 
wife  Hannah,  who  died  Sept.  8,  1841,  aged  78.  Hannah  was 
on  the  pension  list,  1841. 

John  Beeman — Died  March  1,  1827,  aged  y2,  formerly  of  Deer- 
field,  Mass.  He  served  in  Capt.  Alexander's  co.  in  the  march 
to  Canada,  March,  1776.     He  Is  buried  at  Hallowell. 


24        SPRAGUE'S  JOURNAL  OF  MAINE   HISTORY 

Batchelder  Bennett — Born  in  1743,  died  March  7,  1820.  Buried 
at  W'inthrop.  He  served  as  corporal  in  Capt.  Abiel  Pearce's  co., 
which  marched   from  Middleborough,  Mass. 

Squier  Bishop,  Deacon — Born  Nov.  4,  1733,  died  Sept.  6,  1801 ; 
buried  near  Stanley's  at  Winthrop.  He  served  as  private  in 
Capt.  John  Blunt's  co.,  Col.  Samuel  McCobb's  regt.,  and  was 
M'Ounded,  receiving  a  pension  in  1793. 

Zadock  Bishop — Born  in  Rehoboth,  April  24,  1749.  He  died  after 
1840  and  is  buried  at  Leeds,  having  a  gov't  stone.  He  served  as 
private  in  Capt.  John  Wood's  co..  Col.  I\iul  Dudley  Sargent's 
regt. 

John  Blake — Died  Jan.  20,  1848,  aged  90,  and  is  buried  in  Gardiner. 
He  was  on  the  Rev.  pension  rolls  in  1833  and  1840. 

Benjamin  Brainerd — Born  in  Haddam,  Conn.,  Jan.  25,  1747-8.  Died 
Dec.  16,  1788,  and  is  buried  near  Stanley's,  Winthrop.  He  was 
allowed  12s.  by  vote  of  the  town  for  military  service. 

Reuben  Brainerd — Born  in  Haddam,  Conn.,  Apr.  13,  1752,  died 
May  31,  1824.  Buried  at  East  W'inthrop.  He  served  as  private 
in  Capt.  Edward  Eell's  co..  Col.  Comfort  Sage's  regt. 

Josiah  Brown — Born  Nov.  5,  1761,  probably  in  Epping,  N.  11. 
Died  Oct.  15,  1816,  and  is  buried  at  Monmouth,  beside  his  wife 
Mary,  who  died  May  3,  1847,  aged  81.  Mary  rec'd  a  Rev.  pen- 
sion 1840. 

Ichabod  Burgess — Died  Dec.  17,  1834,  aged  82  yrs.,  8  mos.,  and 
is  buried  between  A\'ayne  and  Strickland's,  beside  his  wife, 
Keziah,  who  died  Sept.  5,  1842,  aged  82  yrs.,  4  mos.  He  served 
3  yrs.  in  Capt.  Chas.  Church's  co.  and  re-enlisted  for  during  the 
war. 

Isaac  Case — Born  in  Rehoboth,  Mass.,  Feb.  25,  1761,  was  ordained 
a  Baptist  preacher,  1783;  came  to  Maine  and  gathered  the  first 
church  in  Thomaston,  1784,  and  was  its  pastor  8  yrs. ;  came  to 
Readfield,  1792,  gathered  a  church,  and  officiated  as  its  pastor 
till  1800.  Died  Nov.  3,  1852.  He  is  buried  at  Monk's  Hill, 
Manchester.  He  enlisted  from  Swanzey,  in  Capt.  Peleg  Shear- 
man's CO.,  Col.  John  Hathaway's  regt. ;  also,  same  Capt.,  Col. 
Thomas  Carpenter's  regt. ;  also  served  in  2  other  companies. 

Joel  Chandler — Born  New  Ipswich,  N.  H.,  Sept.  10,  1757.  He 
died  Apr.  19,  1794,  and  is  buried  at  Winthrop.  Served  as  pri- 
vate in  Capt.  Nathan  Smith's  co.,  Col.  Samuel  McCobb's  regt., 
also  in  Col.  Henry  Jackson's  regt.  in  1781  for  3  yrs. 


GRAVES    OF    REVOLUTIONARY    SOLDIERS        25 

John  Chandler — Born  New  Ipswich,  N.  H.,  Nov.  17,  1754.  He 
died  Nov.  7,  1837,  and  is  buried  at  Winthrop.  He  came  to  this 
tow^n  in  1769,  then  a  wilderness.  Served  as  2d  Lieut.,  Capt. 
Timothy  Foster's  co.,  Col.  Joseph  North's  regt.  Commissioned 
July  2T^,  1776.     He  was  at  Ticonderoga  in   1776. 

Nathaniel  Chase — Died  June  3,  1850,  aged  90,  and  is  buried  at 
Litchfield.  He  served  as  private  in  Capt.  Nathan  JMerrill's  co., 
in  a  detachment  raised  in  Cumberland  co.,  on  Penobscot  Ex- 
pedition. 

Jonas  Childs — Born  Apr.  15,  176 1-2.  He  died  Feb.  14,  181 5,  and 
is  buried  at  Hallowell.  Served  in  Capt.  Hastings'  co.,  Col.  Jack- 
son's regt.,  enlisting  from  AVatertown.     Rec'd  a  pension. 

Isaac  Clark — Born  in  Attleborough,  Aug.  16,  1741,  died  June  30, 
1824,  and  is  buried  at  Hallowell.     Served  in  Castine  Expedition. 

Benjamin  Clough — Born  Oct.  7,  1764,  died  June  12,  1840;  buried 
at  Monmouth.  Enlisted  from  Winthrop;  is  on  pension  rolls  in 
1835  and  1840. 

Thomas  Colby — Born  1762,  died  March  2^,  1806,  and  is  burled  at 
Litchfield.  He  enlisted  near  the  close  of  the  war  at  the  age  of 
16,  from  Amesbury.  Served  as  private  in  Capt.  Moses  Nowell's 
CO.,  Col.  Titcomb's  regt. 

Samuel  Cole — Died  March  29,  1844,  aged  88;  buried  at  Barker's 
Mills,  Lewiston.  He  served  as  private  in  Capt.  Nathan  A\'atkins' 
CO.,  and  was  at  Valley  Forge,  1777-1778;  also  other  service. 

Saul  Cook — Born  in  Marshfield,  May,  1758;  died  Jan.  8,  1846; 
buried  at  Litchfield.  He  was  a  revered  citizen.  On  pension 
rolls  of  1835  and  1840. 

John  Coombs — Died  Nov.  20,  1835,  aged  76.  and  is  buried  at  Read- 
field.  He  was  formerly  from  Stratham,  N.  H.  He  served  5 
yrs.,  9  mos.  in  the  Rev.  war,  one  enlistment  was  in  Capt.  Richard 
Weare's  co.,  Col.  Scammell's  regt. 

John  Couch — Born  1760  in  Wiscasset,  died  March  14,  1830,  and  is 
buried  in  Hallowell.  He  enlisted  from  Hallowell,  Capt.  Cocks' 
CO.,  Col.  North's  regt. 

Hugh  Cox — Died  Nov.  17,  1835,  aged  y6,  and  is  buried  at  Farm- 
ingdale.     He  served  as  private,  enlisting  from  Bristol,  Lincoln  Co. 

Thomas  Davis — Died  Nov.  16,  1844,  aged  85 ;  buried  on  Litchfield 
road,  Hallowell-Farmingdale.  "He  was  a  Frenchman  by  birth 
and  came  to  this  country  with  Count  De  Grasse  to  assist  our 
countrymen  In  fighting  the  battles  of  Liberty."     He  enlisted  from 


26        SPRAGUE'S  JOURNAL  OF  MAINE  HISTORY 


Falmouth,  served  as  private  in  Capt.  Joseph  Pahiier's  co. 
Simon  Dearborn — Died  July   17,   1853,  aged  92;  buried  near  No. 

Monmouth.     He  served  in  the  3rd  N.  H.  regt.  and  enlisted  from 

Epping  as  private. 
John  Dennis— Born  May  10,  1741  ;  died  Apr.  30,  1816;  buried  in 

the  Grant  Neighborhood,  Litchheld.     He  was  a  mariner,  and  was 

appointed  Prize  jMaster  of  the  ship  "Franklin"  during  the  Rev. 

war. 
Jeremiah  Dummer — Born  in  Newbury;  died  Aug.   18,   1834,  aged 

71  ;  buried  at   Hallowell.     Private,  Capt.  Thomas  Mighill's  co., 

Col.  Nathaniel  Wade's  regt.,  service  3  mos.,  4  days.     Pensioner, 

1833- 

Nathaniel  Dummer — Born  at  Byfield,  March  9,  1755;  died  Sept. 
15,  181 5,  and  is  buried  at  Hallowell.  Came  to  Hallowell,  1789. 
He  was  appointed  Commissary  of  prisoners  in  Rev.  war,  stationed 
at  Providence. 

Richard  Dummer — Born  in  Newbury,  A-Iay  19,  1757;  died  Sept.  2, 
1832;  buried  at  Hallowell.  Same  military  service  as  brother 
Jeremiah   (Dummer). 

Abijah  Fairbanks — Born  in  Medvvay,  Mass.,  Jan.  21,  1745.  Setded 
in  A\'inthrop,  1800.  Died  Aug.  13,  1830,  and  is  buried  near  Stan- 
ley's. Served  as  Corp.,  Capt.  Joshua  Partridge's  co..  Col.  John 
Smith's  regt. 

James  Fillebrown — Died  Apr.  4,  1838,  aged  81  ;  buried  at  Readtield. 
He  served  as  corporal,  enlisting  from  Mansfield,  Mass.,  service 
5  mos.,  19  d. 

Thomas  Fillebrown — Born  A\'oburn,  Mass.,  Oct.  8,  1768;  died  June 
14,  1844;  buried  at  East  Winthrop.  Resided  in  Hallowell,  re- 
moved to  Winthrop,  1810.  Served  as  private,  Capt.  John  Berr's 
CO.,  Col.  Jacob  Gerrish's  regt.,  service  4  mos.,  3  days. 

Jirah  Gish — Buried  at  Leeds,  having  a  gov't  stone.  He  served  as 
private  in  Capt.  Simeon  Fish's  co..  Col.  Freeman's  regt. 

Caleb  Fogg,  Rev. — Died  Sept.  6,  1839,  aged  78.  Buried  near  No. 
Monmouth.  He  enlisted  from  Newburyport  in  Capt.  Phineas 
Parker's  co. 

Enoch  Greeley — Born,  Kingston,  N.  H.,  Aug.  i,  1754;  died  Feb. 
28,  1815;  buried  at  Hallowell.  Served  in  Capt.  Phillip  Tilton's 
CO.,  Col.  Enoch  Poor's  regt. 

John  Hains — Died  May  16,  1809,  aged  71.  (He  was  born  in  Ex- 
eter, N.  H.,  Oct.  6,  1738.)     Buried  in  Hallowell.     Came  to  H. 


GRAVES    OF    REVOLUTIONARY    SOLDIERS        27 

1785.     Served  in  Capt.  John  Rice's  co.,  service  3  days. 

John  Ham.  Died  No\.  29,  1848,  aged  90  yrs.,  8  mos.  He  is  buried 
at  Monmouth.  He  enhsted  June  24,  1779,  from  Newington, 
N.  H.,  for  duration  of  war. 

Levi  Harriman — Born  Jan.  17,  1760,  in  Henniker,  N.  H.  Died 
Sept.  2,  1832,  and  is  buried  in  the  Grant  Neighborhood,  Litch- 
field. He  was  assigned  to  Capt.  Bagley's  co.,  duty  during  the 
battle  of  Bennington.  He  enlisted  again,  Aug.  6,  1778,  and  joined 
the  army  in  R.  I. 

Obadiah  Harris — Born  in  \\'rentham,  July  7,  1736;  died  July  5, 
1800;  buried  at  Hallovvell.  Served  in  Capt.  Samuel  Fisher's  co.. 
Col.  Ephraim  Wheelock's  regt.,  service  4  days. 

Israel  Herrick — Born  Dec.  3,  1721 ;  died  Sept.  14,  1782;  buried  at 
Barker's  Mills,  Levviston.  He  lived  in  Topsfield,  Methuen,  Box- 
ford,  and  Lewiston,  Maine.  Entered  the  army  as  Lieut.,  1745. 
Served  in  19  campaigns ;  left  army  1763,  as  brevet-major.  Fought 
at  Bunker  Hill. 

Thomas  Hinkley — Born  at  Brtuiswick,  Dec.  7,  1736,  died  Dec.  11, 
1821  ;  buried  at  Hallowell.  Enlisted  July  3,  1778,  service  6  mos., 
12  days. 

Asa  Hutchinson — Died  June  26,  1848,  aged  88  yrs.,  7  mos.,  and  is 
buried  at  Fayette.  He  was  a  native  of  Amherst,  N.  H.,  and 
served  in  the  N.  H.  militia.  He  is  on  the  pension  rolls  of  1835 
and  1840. 

Israel  Hutchinson — Born  in  Amherst,  N.  H.,  March  3,  1765.  He 
entered  the  army  at  the  age  of  14.  Was  chosen  by  Washington 
as  one  of  his  Life  Guards,  where  he  served  18  mos.,  till  the  army 
was  disbanded.  He  drove  the  first  team  through  the  forest  from 
Litchfield  to  Hallowell.  He  died  June  12,  1850,  and  is  buried 
on  Litchfield  road,  Hallowell-Farmingdale. 

Bartholomew  Jackson — Died  Sept.  27,  1S37,  aged  89.  Buried  at 
East  AVales.     Rev.  pensioner. 

John  Kezer — Died  July  20,  1843,  aged  80 ;  buried  at  East  Winthrop. 
Private,  Capt.  Samuel  Huse's  co..  Col.  Jacob  Gerrish's  regt.,  ser- 
vice 3  mos.,  4  days. 

(To    be    continued.) 


^8        SPRAGUE'S  JOURNAL  OF  MAINE  HISTORY 


A    MAINE    COLONIAL    HOUSE 

^Contributed    by    Evelyn    L.    Gilmore,    Librarian,     Maine    Historical     Society) 


House  built  by  Capt.  George  Tate,  mast-agent  for  George  II, 
succeeding  Col.  Thomas  W'estbrook.  Tate  bought  the  land,  near 
the  Stroudwater  river,  in  1753;  the  house  was  completed  in  1755. 
The  timber  for  its  frame  came  from  the  woods  near  by,  but  the 
fine  carved  work  was  brought  from  England.  Fireplaces  are  in 
every  room,  including  the  slaves'  cjuarters.  The  house  was  never 
painted  and  is  entirely  without  closets. 


A   CONGRESSMAN    FROM    PISCATAQUIS  29 

A    MAINE    CONGRESSMAN    FROM    PISCATAQUIS 
COUNTY   IN    1847 

(By    Frank    E.    Guernsey.) 

Hon.  James  S.  \\'iley,  a  member  of  the  Piscataquis  bar,  and  for 
many  years  a  practitioner  at  Dover,  Maine,  was  born  in  the  town 
of  Mercer,  Mame,  January  22,  1808.  When  he  first  came  to  Dover 
he  was  an  instructor  in  the  Foxcroft  Academy.  In  1846  he  was 
elected  as  a  Democrat  to  the  Congress  of  the  United  States,  and 
served  as  Representative  in  the  thirtieth  Congress  from  March  4, 
1847,  to  March  3,  1849.     He  died  at  Fryeburg,  Maine,  in  1891. 

It  is  related  that  when  he  sought  the  nomination  for  Congress, 
being  a  man  of  limited  means  he  traveled  the  entire  district  on  foot, 
defeating  for  the  nomination,  his  chief  opponent,  the  late  Alexander 
M.  Robinson,  also  of  Dover,  an  eminent  lawyer  in  his  day,  who 
conducted  his  canvass  with  greater  ease  and  speed,  as  he  traveled 
about  the  district  with  a  horse  and  buggy.  Mr.  Wiley's  service  in 
Congress,  while  it  was  not  long,  being  confined  to  a  single  term, 
nevertheless  was  not  without  practical  result  as  he  managed  to  save 
from  his  salary,  which  was  then  $6  per  day,  a  sufficient  amount  to 
build  on  his  retirement  from  public  life  a  splendid  home  at  Dover, 
constructed  after  the  architecture  of  the  colonial  houses  of  Virginia. 
Due  to  his  comparatively  short  service  in  Congress  his  activity 
there  was  necessarily  limited,  but  he  made  a  speech,  which  in  the 
light  of  subsequent  events  was  prophetic  and  of  interest  to  this  day. 
When  Mr.  Wiley  entered  Congress,  this  country  was  at  war  with 
Mexico,  and  during  the  latter  part  of  his  services,  the  war  having 
ended,  terms  of  peace  were  under  discussion  in  the  United  States, 
and  questions  of  indemnity  involving  the  ceding  of  New  Mexico 
and  California  to  the  United  States  were  under  consideration.  The 
most  distinguished  senator  of  the  times,  Daniel  Webster,  was  un- 
compromisingly opposed  to  the  policy  of  the  acquisition  of  more 
territory  by  the  United  States  on  the  grounds  of  the  unconstitu- 
tionality of  the  measure  and  of  the  worthlessness  of  the  territory 
involved,  as  he  asserted.  Webster  stated  on  the  floor  of  the  Senate, 
"I  am  against  the  creation  of  new  States."  Again,  "I  say,  sir,  if 
I  am  asked  today  whether,  for  the  sake  of  peace,  I  will  take  a 
treaty  which  brings  two  new  States  into  this  Union,  on  its  southern 
boundary,  I  say  No — distinctly,  no.  I  have  said  on  the  southern 
boundary,  because  there  the  present  proposition  takes  its  locality. 


30        SPRAGUE'S  JOURNAL  OF  MAINE  HISTORY 

I  would  say  the  same  of  the  western,  the  eastern,  or  any  other 
boundary.  I  would  resist  today,  and  to  the  end,  here  and  every- 
where, any  proposition  to  add  any  foreign  territory  on  the  south 
or  west,  north  or  east,  to  the  States  of  this  Union  as  they  are  now 
constituted  and  held  together  under  the  Constitution.  Sir,  I  hold 
this  question  to  be  vital,  permanent,  elementary,  to  the  future  pros- 
perity of  this  country  and  the  maintenance  of  the  Constitution." 
And  the  distinguished  senator  added  that  the  opposition  on  consti- 
tutional grounds,  "if  not  the  undivided  was  the  preponderating  sen- 
timent of  the  whole  North." 

On  the  1 6th  day  of  May,  1848,  Mr.  \\'iley  in  the  House  of  Rep- 
resentatives made  a  speech  replying  especially  to  Mr.  Webster's 
argument.  In  the  course  of  his  speech  he  stated,  "No  doubt  the 
senator  is  correct  in  his  opinion  so  far  as  the  Federal  States  of  the 
North  are  concerned,  but,  sir,  I  am  confident  that  such  is  not  the 
sentiment  of  New  Hampshire.  No,  sir,  the  recent  election  there 
has  told  the  story  for  the  Granite  State,  and  I  know,  sir,  that  such 
is  not  the  sentiment  of  INIaine. 

"But,  sir,  opposition  to  the  measure  of  acquisition  is  just  what  we 
should  expect  from  Whig  States,  and  Whig  Representatives  and 
Senators  here.  They  have  always  been  opposed  to  the  enlargement 
of  our  border.  Their  policy  has  rather  been  to  curtail  and  contract 
the  area  of  freedom.  Yes,  sir,  the  Senator  from  Massachusetts  is 
in  principle  opposed  to  the  acquisition  of  any  more  territory,  except 
a  harbor  or  two  on  the  coast  of  Massachusetts,  There  are  some 
whale  men  from  that  State  who  pursue  their  occupation  in  !the 
Pacific  and  they  must  be  provided  for  of  course,  but  no  more  new 
States  must  be  added  to  the  Union,  for  Massachusetts  might  not 
in  that  case,  exert  her  due  weight  of  influence  in  the  councils  of 
the  nation.  On  the  other  hand  when  you  come  to  the  question  of 
ceding  away — selling  out  territory,  inhabitants  and  all,  for  a  mere 
nominal  equivalent,  why,  then  the  Senator  is  not  quite  so  scrupulous 
as  to  the  right  to  do  so — as  the  State  which  I  have  the  honor  in 
part  to  represent  once  had  the  misfortune  to  learn,  to  her  ever- 
lasting regret." 

In  the  course  of  his  remarks  Air.  A\'iley,  with  prophetic  vision, 
declared  that  the  territory  we  would  acquire  was  far  from  being 
worthless  territory  and  only  an  Indian  country,  as  Mr.  Webster 
claimed.  He  predicted  the  development  of  California  into  a  rich 
agricultural  country,  particularly  Upper  California.     He  predicted 


A   CONGRESSMAN    FROM    PISCATAQUIS  31 

the  vast  mineral  wealth  of  the  Pacific  slope  and  rich  deposits  of 
gold  within  the  territory  to  be  acquired.  This  speech  was  made 
on  ]\Iay  16,  1S48. 

Gold  in  large  Cjuantities  was  discovered  in  1848,  and  in  the  spring 
of  '49  there  was  the  greatest  rush  of  peaceful  migration  westward 
that  the  world  has  ever  witnessed.  Upwards  of  50,000  emigrants 
went  by  land  and  sea  from  the  east  to  the  region  west  of  the  Rocky 
I\Iountains  to  California,  where  many  of  them  remained  and  laid 
the  foundation  of  the  development  of  one  of  the  largest  and  richest 
States  in  the  Union. 

Had  the  views  of  Mr.  Webster  prevailed,  California  would  have 
been  a  part  of  Mexico  today  and  the  development  of  the  United 
States  in  the  west  would  have  been  far  different  than  at  present. 
Instead  of  a  nation  reaching  from  ocean  to  ocean,  the  republic  of 
InIcxIco,  a  far  more  populous  and  powerful  nation,  w"Ould  have  cut 
us  off  from  the  Pacific,  and  Japanese  who  are  attracted  to  Cali- 
fornia by  soil  and  climate,  would  have  swarmed  on  to  the  coast 
unrestricted,  and  have  presented  to  us  a  Japanese  question  that 
would  have  been  of  tremendous  national  embarrassment,  rather  than 
of  local  importance,  as  it  is  at  the  present  moment. 

The  vision  of  the  Down  East  Yankee  was  sound,  though  it  was 
at  variance  with  the  ablest  legislator  of  that  day,  Daniel  A\'ebster. 


FLAGG'S  ALPHABETICAL  INDEX  OF  REVOLUTIONARY 
PENSIONERS    IN    MAINE 

This  exceedingly  valuable  work  compiled  by  the  late  Charles 
Alcott  Flagg,  was  published  as  a  serial  in  the  last  two  volumes  of 
the  Journal.  Only  two  hundred  copies  of  this  have  been  preserved 
in  book  form.  It  makes  a  book  of  91  pages  with  3  illustrations. 
It  contains  the  names  and  data  of  fourteen  thousand  one  hundred 
and  sixty-one  such  pensioners.  It  is  neatly  bound  in  paper  boards, 
schoolbook  style  with  label  titles.  This  is  the  only  authoritative 
work  of  any  extent  upon  this  subject  ever  published  in  Maine  and 
is  invaluable  to  all  interested  in  Revolutionary  history  and  ancestry. 
Price,  $3.00.  Orders  for  this  may  be  mailed  to  Sprague's  Journal, 
Dover,  Me.,  or  to  A.  J.  Huston,  192  Exchange  St.,  Portland,  Maine. 


32        SPRAGUE'S  JOURNAL  OF  MAINE  HISTORY 
THE   EDES    FAMILY 

(By  Edgar   C.    Smith) 
Prinninent   in   the  Printing-  Industry   for  170   Years 

I  recently  had  an  interesting  interview  with  Samuel  D.  Edes 
of  Foxcroft,  the  veteran  printer  and  former  editor  and  publisher 
of  the  Piscataquis  Observer.  Mr.  Edes  retired  from  active  labors 
many  years  ago  and  now  resides  at  the  old  homestead  on  Edes 
avenue,  Foxcroft.  His  physical  infirmities  confine  him  to  the 
house,  but  his  active  mind  is  unimpaired  and  his  reminiscences 
of  his  more  than  seventy  years'  residence  in  Dover  and  Foxcroft 
and  of  the  printing  trade  in  general  are  of  much  interest. 

Mr.  Edes  comes  from  a  race  of  printers.  The  name  Edes  has 
been  prominent  in  the  annals  of  the  printing  trade  in  New  England 
for  nearly  one  hundred  and  seventy  years.  The  great-grandfather 
of  Samuel  was  Benjamin  Edes  of  Boston,  who,  with  John  Gill  in 
1754,  founded  the  Boston  Gazette  and  Country  Journal.  This  paper 
was  the  official  organ  of  the  Massachusetts  Bay  Colonists  before 
and  during  the  Revolution  and  in  those  stirring  times  numbered 
among  its  conlrilnttors  such  men  as  John  Adams,  James  Otis, 
Samuel  \\'arren,  John  Hancock  and  many  others  of  equal  note. 

The  paper  was  the  official  gazette  of  the  town  of  Boston  as  well, 
and  all  public  notices  of  the  town  were  printed  in  its  columns. 

Benjamin  Edes  besides  being  an  editor  and  publisher  was  a  man 
of  considerable  note  in  his  day.  When  the  Revolution  of  the  col- 
onists broke  out  he  had  acquired  a  comfortable  fortune  for  those 
times.  But  the  war  ended  and  the  Constitution  of  the  new  nation 
adopted,  the  interest  in  his  paper  waned ;  no  longer  those  great  men 
of  the  day  contributed  their  able  and  patriotic  articles  to  its  columns, 
and  its  list  of  subscribers  gradually  fell  off.  Notwithstanding  the 
loss  of  patronage,  he  continued  the  publication  of  his  paper  until 
September  17,  1798,  and  after  that  date  maintained  a  small  job- 
printing  office,  up  to  the  time  of  his  death,  which  occurred  in  De- 
cember,  1803. 

Another  notable  member  of  the  Edes  family  was  Peter,  the  son 
of  Benjamin,  and  a  great-uncle  of  Samuel  D.  Edes  of  Foxcroft. 
He  was  born  in  Boston,  December  17,  1756,  and  died  in  Bangor, 
March  29,  1840.  Peter  Edes  was  the  first  printer  in  Augusta  and 
the  first  in  Bangor.  After  attaining  his  majority  he  was  in  com- 
pany with  his  father  in  the  publication  of  the  Boston  Gazette. 
After  withdrawing  from  the  partnership  he  conducted  a  job  printing 


THE    EDES    FAMILY  33 

office  In  Boston  for  a  time,  then  located  in  Newport,  R.  I.,  and  pub- 
lished a  newspaper  called  the  Newport  Herald. 

In  1795  Mr.  Edes  located  in  Hallowell,  in  that  part  of  the  ancient 
town  which  is  now  Augusta,  and  commenced  the  publication  of  the 
"Kennebeck  Intelligencer."  He  remained  at  Augusta  until  18 15, 
publishing  his  newspaper  and  maintaining  a  job  printing  office. 
The  name  of  the  paper  was  changed  in  1800  to  the  "Kennebec 
Gazette,"  and  in  1810  the  name  was  again  changed  to  the  "Herald 
of  Liberty."  In  1815  Peter  Edes  removed  to  Bangor  and  founded 
the  Bangor  Register.  He  published  the  Register  a  little  more  than 
two  years  and  then  sold  it  out. 

After  disposing  of  his  interests  in  Bangor,  Mr.  Edes  went  to 
Baltimore  to  live  with  his  son  Benjamin,  who  was  a  printer  in  that 
city.  He  remained  there  until  his  son's  death  in  jST)2,  when  he 
returned  to  Bangor  and  passed  his  few  remaining  years  in  the 
family  of  his  daughter,  Mrs.  Michael  Sargent.  As  a  pioneer 
printer  of  Maine,  Peter  lules  is  in  the  front  ranks.  From  his  press 
were  issued  many  of  the  important,  and  now  rare  books  and 
pamphlets  connected  with  the  founding  of  the  printing  trade  in 
Maine. 

George  Valentine  Edes,  father  of  Samuel,  was  a  pioneer  printer 
of  Somerset  County,  also  the  first  printer  to  locate  in  the  County 
of  Piscataquis.  He  was  born  in  Boston,  February  14,  1797,  and 
died  in  Foxcroft,  November  26,  1875.  His  father  died  in  1805, 
when  George  was  but  eight  years  of  age,  and  he  was  placed  in  the 
family  of  his  uncle,  Peter  Edes.  In  1810,  when  but  thirteen  years 
of  age,  he  commenced  his  apprenticeship  in  his  uncle's  office  at 
Augusta.  In  1815  when  his  uncle  Peter  removed  to  Bangor,  he 
remained  with  him  and  was  employed  at  the  printing  office  there 
until  1S17,  when  Peter  Edes  sold  out. 

After  this,  George  returned  to  Hallowell  and  worked  for  a  time 
in  the  office  of  Ezekiel  Goodale.  In  1823,  in  com])ai]y  with  Thomas 
J.  Copeland  under  the  firm  name  of  Edes  &  Copeland,  they  estab- 
lished the  first  printing  office  in  Somerset  County  at  Norridgewock 
and  commenced  the  publication  of  the  Somerset  Journal.  This 
partnership  continued  only  about  a  year  and  a  half  when  Mr.  Cope- 
land purchased  the  Edes  interest.  Mr.  Edes,  however,  continued 
as  an  employee  until  1836.  In  1838  when  Piscataquis  County  was 
incorporated  George  V.  Edes  came  to  Dover  and  opened  a  printing 


34        SPRAGUE'S  JOURNAL  OF   MAINE  HISTORY 

office  and  commenced  the  publication  of  the  Piscataquis  Herald, 
the  first  number  being  issued  June  i,  1838. 

This  paper  espoused  the  Whig  cause  and  it  is  said  to  have  been 
the  first  newspaper  in  the  country  to  advocate  the  nomination  of 
William  Henry  Harrison  for  the  presidency.  In  1842  the  name 
was  changed  to  the  Piscataquis  Farmer,  and  again,  in  November, 
1847,  the  name  was  changed  to  the  Piscataquis  Observer,  under 
which  title  it  has  ever  since  made  its  weekly  appearance.  From 
1838  until  some  time  in  the  early  70's  George  V.  Edes  was  the  sole 
proprietor  and  publisher  of  this  paper,  but  at  that  time  a  partner- 
ship was  formed  with  his  son  Samuel  D.  Edes,  under  the  firm  name 
of  G.  V.  Edes  &  Son. 

On  January  i,  1875,  Fred  D.  Barrows  was  admitted  as  a  partner 
and  the  firm  name  changed  to  Edes  &  Barrows.  After  the  death 
of  the  senior  member  of  the  firm,  in  November  of  that  year,  Samuel 
D.  Edes  took  over  his  father's  interest  and  the  publication  of  the 
paper  was  continued  under  the  firm  name  of  Edes  &  Barrows  until 
1888,  when  the  Observer  Publishing  Company  was  formed,  and 
Samuel  D.  Edes  retired  from  active  interest  in  the  Observer, 
although  for  a  number  of  years  he  acted  as  editor  of  the  paper. 
Another  brother,  George  A.  Edes,  learned  the  printers'  trade  and 
when  a  young  man  located  in  a  South  Dakota  town  and  established 
a  newspaper  there ;  after  he  removed  to  Morgan  Hill,  California, 
and  twenty-two  years  ago  established  in  the  latter  town  the  Morgan 
Hill  Times,  which  is  still  published  by  Mr.  Edes'  svtccessor  in  busi- 
ness, he  having  died  about  eleven  years  ago. 

It  is  doubtful  if  another  family  in  the  State  of  Maine  can  boast 
of  such  a  record.  The  foundmg  of  six  New  England  newspapers, 
four  of  which  were  State  of  Maine  publications ;  the  establishing 
of  four  pioneer  printing  offices  in  Maine,  in  localities  where  none 
before  existed,  are  achievements  worthy  of  a  permanent  memorial. 
The  last  survivor  in  the  State  of  this  family  of  printers  is  Samuel 
D.  Edes,  above  referred  to.  He  learned  his  trade  in  his  father's 
cases.  Learned  every  phase  of  this  business  as  those  old-time 
printers  always  did,  they  edited  the  newspaper,  were  compositor 
and  pressman  and  in  many  instances  were  printer's  devil.  They 
are  a  type  of  a  bygone  day  and  only  a  scattered  few  of  these  vet- 
erans like  Mr.  Edes  remain  to  link  the  present  with  the  past. 


A  NOROMBEGA  ITEM  35 

A  NOROMBEGA  ITEM 

(Contributed    by    Nellie    C.    Dodge,    Ellsworth,    IMaine.) 

I  find  the  following  on  page  52  of  an  old  English  book  entitled : 
"God's  Wonders  in  the  Great  Deep,  recorded  in  Several  wonderful 
and  amazing  accounts  of  Sailors  who  have  met  with  unexpected 
Deliverance  from  Death  when  in  greatest  danger."  "Gravesend; 
Re-printed  by  R.  Pocock,  and  sold  by  the  Booksellers  in  Paternoster 
Row,  1803." 

"Rich^l  Clark,  of  Weymouth,  was  master  of  a  ship  called  the 
Delight,  which  in  1583,  went  with  Sir  H.  Gilbert  for  the  discovery 
of  Noremberga ;  it  happened  that  the  ship  struck  on  the  ground, 
and  was  cast  away.  Of  those  that  escaped  shipwreck,  sixteen  got 
into  a  small  boat  of  a  ton  and  a  half,  and  had  but  one  oar  to  work 
with.  They  were  seventy  leagues  from  land,  and  the  weather  foul. 
The  boat  being  over  burthened,  Mr.  Hedley  made  a  motion  to  cast 
lots,  that  those  four  who  drew  the  shortest  should  be  thrown  over- 
board, provided  if  one  lot  fell  on  the  master,  yet  he  should  be 
preserved  for  all  their  safeties.  The  master  disavowed  the  accept- 
ance of  any  such  privilege,  replying  that  they  would  live  and  die 
together.  On  the  fifth  day  Mr.  Hedley  and  another  died,  whereby 
their  boat  was  lightened.  Five  days  and  nights  they  saw  the  sun 
and  stars  but  once,  so  that  they  only  kept  up  their  boat  with  their 
single  oar,  as  the  sea  drove  it.  They  continued  four  days  wdthout 
sustenance,  except  what  the  weeds  in  the  sea  and  the  salt  water 
did  afford.  On  the  seventh  day  they  had  sight  of  Newfoundland, 
and  came  to  the  south  part  thereof.  All  the  time  of  their  being 
at  sea  the  wind  kept  south  ;  if  it  had  shifted  she  had  never  come 
to  land  ;  but  it  turned  to  the  north  in  half  an  hour  after.  Being 
all  come  to  shore,  they  gave  God  praise  for  their  miraculous  de- 
liverance. There  they  remained  three  days  and  three  nights,  making 
a  plentiful  repast  upon  berries  and  w^ild  pease.  After  five  days 
rowing  along  the  shore,  they  happened  to  meet  a  Spanish  ship  of 
St.  John  de  Luz,  who  brought  them  to  Biscay,  where  the  visitors 
of  the  Spanish  Inquisition  came  aboard,  but  by  the  master's  favour, 
and  some  general  answers  they  escaped ;  yet  fearing  a  second  search, 
by  going  twelve  miles  one  night,  they  got  into  France,  and  safely 
arrived  in  England." 


j6        SPRAGUE'S  JOURNAL  OF  MAINE  HISTORY 


MAINE  HISTORY  IN  THE  SCHOOLS 


This  Department  is  open  to 
contributions  from  all  teach- 
ers and  pupils. 


Conducted  by  Augustus  O. 
Thomas,  State  Superintend- 
ent of  Schools,  Augusta,  Me. 


PROJECTS   IN  LOCAL  HISTORY  IN  THE  AROOSTOOK 
STATE    NORMAL    SCHOOL 

Maine's  Centennial  Celebration  is  over  but  not  so  its  memories. 
They  will  continue  to  thrill  with  pride  the  hearts  of  her  sons  and 
daughters  until  another  hundred  years  of  achievement,  greater  even 
than  the  last,  shall  inspire  those  living  in  2020  to  prepare  a  better 
and  more  worthy  commemoration. 

Something  like  seventy  towns  and  cities  from  Kittery  to  ]\Iada- 
waska,  from  Eastport  to  Upton,  and  a  large  number  of  schools 
have  in  some  way  contributed  to  the  success  of  the  Centennial  and 
have  given  citizens  in  all  parts  of  the  State  a  renewed  interest  in 
its  history. 

History  like  charity  should  begin  at  home,  and  in  order  that  our 
boys  and  girls  may  become  the  best  2\merican  citizens  they  must 
know  something  of  home  affairs  and  local  interests.  No  man  or 
woman  can  be  considered  broad-minded  or  well  educated  who  is 
indifferent  to  the  conditions  of  the  community  of  which  he  or  she 
is  a  part. 

In  our  schools  then,  the  child  must  be  taught  that  his  town  is  a 
unit  of  the  county,  the  county  of  the  state,  the  state  of  the  nation, 
in  order  to  develop  an  intelligent  and  elevating  civic  patriotism 
and  to  i)ut  him  more  fully  in  touch  with  his  local  political,  social 
and  industrial  environment.  In  doing  this  a  long  stride  has  been 
made  toward  teaching  him  to  know  and  love  his  country. 

Local  history  has  received  far  too  little  attention  in  our  land. 
We  are  careless  of  our  relics  and  monuments,  which  to  be  sure 
are  of  a  different  kind  from  those  of  Europe  but  no  less  interesting 
and  important  to  preserve.  Let  us  trust  that  a  deep  appreciation 
of  the  value  of  Maine's  splendid  history  shall  be  one  lesson  learned 
and  remembered  from  the  Centennial. 

During  the  year  Dr.  Thomas.  State  Superintendent  of  Schools, 
issued  a  booklet  called  "One  Hundred  Years  of  Statehood,"  which 


MAINE    HISTORY    IN    THE    SCHOOL  37 

contains  many  helpful  suggestions  for  studying  local  history  accord- 
ing to  the  "source"  method. 

This  little  book  so  fascinated  me  that  I  was  seized  with  a  desire 
to  see  how  big  a  project  could  be  worked  out  in  my  history  class, 
so  when  the  fall  term  opened,  each  student  was  given  a  copy  and 
it  was  read  aloud  during  the  recitation  period  with  a  view  to  carry- 
ing out  many  of  its  suggestions. 

There  were  thirty- four  members  in  the  class.  They  came  from 
all  parts  of  the  county  and  from  several  towns  outside  of  Aroos- 
took. The  variety  of  interest  added  zest  to  the  problem  and  from 
that  day  until  the  project  was  completed,  there  was  no  lack  of 
interest  shown. 

To  describe  fully  each  project  would  make  this  article  too  long, 
but  in  order  to  give  an  adequate  idea  of  the  scope  of  the  under- 
taking, perhaps  it  is  best  to  enumerate  them  and  to  state  briefly 
the  sources  from  which  material  was  secured. 

History  of  Railroads  in  Aroostook — Material  obtained  from  old 
newspaper  clippings  and  scrap-book. 

History  of  the  Presque  Isle  Public  Library — Obtained  from  libra- 
rian and  members  of  committee  at  time  of  establishment. 

The  Churches  of  Presque  Isle — From  past  and  present  ministers 
and  church  records. 

The  Village  Schools  of  Presque  Isle — From  Rev.  G.  M.  Park, 
town  historian  ;  past  and  present  superintendents  of  schools  ;  town 
reports ;  school  reports  and  catalogs. 

The  Rural  Schools  of  Presque  Isle — From  History  of  Aroostook 
by  Hon.  lidward  Wiggin  ;  Supt.  S.  E.  Preble;  town  reports  1883- 
1920;  "Star  Herald." 

Our  Service  Flag — A  story  of  Presque  Isle's  war  service,  from 
information  secured  from  Col.  Frank  M.  Hume ;  Capt.  E.  H. 
Cooper;  Principal  of  P.  I.  H.  S. ;  Ernest  M.  Libby,  Y.  M.  C.  A. 
worker ;  Y.  D.  Roster,  and  several  ex-service  men. 

History  of  Madawaska — Pictures,  data  from  old  citizens. 

Churches  of  Madawaska — From  History  of  Madawaska,  super- 
intendent of  schools,  citizens. 

History  of  Madawaska  Training  School — From  Miss  Mary  Now- 
land,  many  years  the  principal. 

Protection  of  Wild  Lands — From  Maine  Forestry  Department ; 
Chas.  L.  Weeks,  Chief  Warden  of  Aroostook  and  Big  Machias 
Rivers. 


38        SPRAGUE'S  JOURNAL  OF  MAINE  HISTORY 

The  Canning  Industry  in  Maine — From  E.  M.  Lang,  Jr.,  Port- 
land; Miss  Alfreda  Ellis,  Assistant  State  Ckib  Leader,  Orono. 

Northern  Maine  Fair- — From  secretary's  reports ;  president  of 
association. 

Potato  Industry  in  Aroostook — From  F.  P.  Loring,  Instructor 
in  Agriculture ;  Maine  Department  Agriculture  Year  Book ;  school 
library ;  farmers. 

An  Aroostook  Industry,  Lime — From  Mr.  Dane  Willard,  pro- 
moter of  the  idea. 

Automobiles  in  Presque  Isle — From  L.  S.  Bean  and  other  deal- 
ers ;  papers. 

History  of  Fort  Fairfield — From  Ellis'  History;  Census  Book 
1920;  citizens. 

Town  Schools  of  Fort  Fairfield — From  Fort  Fairfield  Register; 
Public  Library ;  Town  Reports. 

Churches  of  Fort  Fairfield — From  Ellis'  History;  Report  of 
1904 ;  pastors  ;  citizens. 

Sports  that  Children  Enjoy — From  Playground  Magazines,  per- 
sonal observation  and  experience. 

History  of  Aroostook  State  Normal  School — From  Rev.  G.  M. 
Park;  teachers  in  the  school  at  its  opening;  school  catalogs;  "Sal- 
magundi," the  school  paper. 

Lumbering  in  Penobscot — From  Thoreau's  "Maine  Woods"; 
E.  B.  Draper,  Bangor;  Delmont  Emerson,  Island  Falls;  Merrill 
Mill  Co.,  Patten;  Henry  Prentiss,  Bangor;  Bangor  Commercial, 
April  20,   1920. 

Lumbering  in  Aroostook — From  woodsmen,  dealers  in  lumber. 

History  of  New  Sweden — From  a  book  written  about  New  Swe- 
den in  1880  by  M.  E.  Olson  ;  citizens. 

History  of   Maine  Central   Institute — Catalogs,   reports,  alumni. 

The  vStarch  Industry — From  Rev.  G.  M.   Park,   H.  E.  Duncan. 

History  of  Sherman — From  a  descendant  of  the  pioneer  settler 
and  other  citizens ;  town  records. 

History  of  Caribou — From  A.  W.  Spaulding,  a  prominent  citizen, 
newspaper  articles.  Public  Library,  Hon.  Edward  Wiggin's  history. 

History  of  Hartland — From  Eastern  Somerset  County  Register, 
selectmen,  citizens,  American  Woolen  Co. 

Great  Northern  Paper  Co. — From  employees. 

History  of  Houlton  Higli  School,  1899-1920 — "North  Star";  the 
school  paper;  pictures  and  information  from  alumni,  teachers. 


MAINE    HISTORY   IN    THE    SCHOOLS  39 

The  Playground — From  State  Department  of  Education. 

Sports  in  Maine — Pictures  and  information  from  proprietors  of 
sporting  camps. 

This  hst  shows  that  data  was  gathered  from  ex-town  officers, 
present  officers,  pastors,  school  superintendents,  oldest  living  citi- 
zens in  the  towns ;  from  county,  town,  school  and  church  records ; 
from  old  diaries,  newspapers,  school  catalogs,  scrap-books,  from 
the  public  libraries. 

\\'hen  the  students  had  selected  what  they  considered  important 
and  authentic  material  they  proceeded  to  preserve  it  in  books  of 
their  own  making,  which  exhibit  originality  and  artistic  ability  in 
arrangement  and  decoration. 

Those  who  chose  to  write  the  history  of  a  school  finished  the 
binding  in  school  colors,  and  in  one  instance  the  school  seal  fur- 
nished the  decoration  for  the  cover. 

From  their  research  these  students  discovered  the  truth  of  the 
old  adage,  "where  there's  will  there's  a  way,"  and  pursued  in  the 
face  of  discouragement  many  voyages  to  obscure  sources  to  be 
happily  rewarded  with  the  information  they  were  seeking.  Present 
day  afifairs  were  not  forgotten  and  in  some  instances  old  and  new 
methods  are  contrasted. 

Nearly  all  of  the  books  are  illustrated  with  kodak  pictures  snapped 
by  the  girls  themselves  or  solicited  from  their  friends,  and  there 
are  many  beautiful  Aroostook  scenes  as  well  as  pictures  of  homes, 
schools,  churches,  barns,  potato-houses  and  farm  machinery. 

Aside  from  the  knowledge  gleaned  in  local  history,  they  have 
had  practice  in  writing  business  letters  to  persons  in  responsible 
positions.  I  feel  sure  in  every  case  they  have  courteously  expressed 
their  appreciation  for  the  material  and  information  given  them. 
Several  dedicated  their  booklet  to  the  man  or  woman  who  gave 
them  assistance. 

They  have  learned  something  about  the  make-up  of  a  book;  its 
title  page,  table  of  contents,  index,  arrangement  of  illustrations  and 
binding,  and  are  convinced  that  art  plays  an  important  part  in  book- 
making. 

More  valuable  than  all  this  is  the  fact  that  these  student-teachers 
are  going  out  in  all  sections  of  the  State  to  quicken  an  interest  in 
history  for  Maine  children.  They  have  learned  and  will  pass  it 
on  that  our  State  has  a  local  history  worthy  of  study  and  that  she 


40        SPRAGUE'S  JOURNAL  OF   MAINE   HISTORY 

will  continue  to  play  in  the  future  as  she  has  in  the  past,  an  im- 
portant part  in  the  Nation's  development. 

We  hope  the  interest  aroused  will  continue  to  grow,  and  develop 
such  a  strong  love  for  Maine  that  the  priceless  traditions  of  strength, 
manliness,  patience,  uprightness  and  confidence  in  God  possessed 
by  her  pioneers  shall  continue  to  be  exhibited  in  her  posterity  in 
order  that  she  may  be  an  "enlightened,  cultivated.  God-fearing, 
free  democrac}." 

Nellie  Woodbury  Jordan. 


CATECHISM    OF    CONSTITUTION 
(Published   by   arrangement   with  The   National    Security   League.) 

LESSON    I 

O.     W'hat  is  the  Constitution? 

A.  The  Constitution  is  a  written  document  providing  a  form 
of  government  for  the  United  States. 

O.     Who  framed  the  Constitution? 

A.     Representatives  of   the  people   in   Philadelphia  in   1787. 

O.     Who  was  the  President  of  the  Constitutional  Convention? 

A.     George  \\'ashington. 

O.     AMiat  made  the  Constitution  necessary? 

A.  The  Articles  of  Confederation,  which  preceded  the  Con- 
stitution,  were   inadequate   to  hold  the   States  together. 

O.     Why  was  the  Constitution  adopted? 

A.  The  preamble  of  the  Constitution  declares  that  "we,  the 
people  of  the  United  vStates,  in  order  to  form  a  more  perfect  union, 
establish  justice,  insure  domestic  trancjuility,  provide  for  the  com- 
mon defense,  promote  the  general  welfare  and  secure  the  blessings 
of  liberty  to  ourselves  and  our  posterity,  do  ordain  and  establish 
this  Constitution   for  the  LTnited  States  of  America." 

O.     How  was  the  Constitution  ratified? 

A.  By  the  people  of  the  United  States,  acting  through  special 
conventions,  "chosen   in  each   State  by  the  people  thereof." 

O.     When  did  it  become  efifective? 

A.     On  the  first  Wednesday  in  March,   1789. 


SPRAGUE'S  JOURNAL   OF  MAINE  HISTORY 

PUBLISHED     QUARTERLY 


Entered  as  second  class  matter  at  the  post  office,  Dover,  Maine,  by 
John  Francis  Sprague,  Editor  and  Publisher. 

Terms:  For  all  numbers  issued  during  the  year,  including  an  index 
and  all  special  issues,  $2.00.  Single  copies  of  current  and  previous  vol- 
umes, 50  cents.     Bound  volumes,  $2.50  each. 

Postage  prepaid  on  all  items,  except  bound  volumes  west  of  Mississippi 
River. 

This  publication  will  be  mailed  to  subscribers  until  ordered  discontinued. 


OUR   MESSAGE    TO    YOU 

FIRST  TEACH  THE  BOY  AND  GIRL  TO  KNOW  AND  LOVE 
THEIR  OWN  TOWN,  COUNTY  AND  STATE  AND  YOU  HAVE 
GONE  A  LONG  WAY  TOWARD  TEACHING  THEM  TO  KNOW 
AND   LOVE   THEIR   COUNTRY. 


Preserve  this  issue  of  the  Journal.  You  will  then  always  have 
what  will  be  of  exceeding  interest  and  worth  to  yourself  and  family. 
Hand  it  along  to  future  generations!  It  will  be  of  priceless  value 
to  them. 


COLONIAL  AND  LOCAL  HISTORY  IN  OUR  SCHOOLS 
During  the  past  year,  while  Col.  Edward  L.  Logan  was  com- 
mander of  the  Massachusetts  department  of  the  American  Legion, 
he  instituted  a  campaign  there  for  stimulating  and  intensifying  the 
study  of  American  and  local  history  in  the  public  schools  as  a  first 
step  towards  the  promulgation  of  true  Americanism. 

The  Boston  Transcript  in  commenting  upon  this  at  the  time, 
reached  to  the  roots  of  the  entire  subject  in  saying: 

"Colonel  Logan  finds,  in  his  investigations  through  the  Ameri- 
canization committee  of  the  Legion,  that  there  are  many  schools 
which  ignore  our  Colonial  history  altogether,  beginning  their  in- 
struction with  the  Revolution.  To  do  that,  it  is  needless  to  say, 
is  to  ignore  the  most  interesting  part  of  Massachusetts  history, 
and  really  to  leave  the  Commonwealth  up  in  the  air  without  any 


42        SPRAGUE'S  JOURNAL  OF  MAINE  HISTORY 


underpinning.  The  secret  of  interesting  children  in  history  is  the 
abihty  to  vitalize  it  with  personages  and  with  incidents,  and  such 
vitalizing  persons  and  incidents  are  comparatively  rare  after  the 
Revolutionary  period.  By  that  we  do  not  mean  to  imply  that  our 
post-Revolutionary  history  should  be  neglected.  To  leave  out 
Webster,  Sumner  and  the  Yankee  Division  would  be  as  grievous 
and  stupid  a  fault  as  to  leave  out  the  Pilgrim  Fathers.  Rut  all 
these  later  heroes  stand  on  the  Fathers'  shoulders ;  it  is  through 
an  interest  in  and  knowledge  of  them  that  the  boy  or  girl  of  today 
mav  readily  acquire  an  interest  in  the  history  of  the  Commonwealth 
since  it  became  a  State  of  the  American  Union. 

"Really  to  interest  the  young  in  historical  study  and  knowledge 
is  a  gift  on  the  part  of  a  teacher,  but  it  need  not  be  so  rare  a  gift 
as  some  suppose,  because  the  interest  is  latent  m  every  child,  ask- 
ing only  to  be  intelligently  met.  Does  not  the  dramatic  appeal  to 
the  child?  And  what  is  history  but  a  drama?  The  great  trouble 
is  that  historical  study  is  deliberately  made  a  thing  of  rote,  a  droned 
rigmarole,  in  many  of  the  schools.  It  wants  the  element  of  human 
interest ;  and  if  teachers  do  not  know  how  to  impart  this  element, 
they  should  be  taught  how.  It  may  be  a  good  thing  for  Colonel 
Logan  and  the  committee  to  overhaul  the  normal  schools  in  this 
regard." 

What  the  Transcript  urges  regarding  the  study  of  the  colonial 
history  of  Massachusetts,  is  of  ecjual  importance  in  this  State, 
possibly  more  so,  as  our  colonial  period  begins  with  the  French 
settlement  at  St.  Croix  Island  in  1604,  sixteen  years  before  adverse 
winds  compelled  the  Pilgrims  to  begin  the  making  of  history  at 
Plymouth  Rock. 

Moreover,  there  is  yet  another  fact  augmenting  the  value  of  all 
American  colonial  history — fully  as  cogent  a  reason  for  its  study 
as  any,  and  yet  seldom  referred  to ;  and  that  is  that  when  one  begins 
its  study  on  any  line  of  research,  from  any  angle  whatsoever,  one 
is  at  once  in  the  most  interesting  part  of  European  history.  Our 
history  is  so  intertwined  with  old  world  political  convulsions  of 
two  and  three  centuries  ago — momentous  epochs  in  the  world  strug- 
gle of  the  ages  between  the  forces  of  freedom  and  despotism,  that 
it  is  impossible  to  read  the  one  without  a  desire  to  more  fully  under- 
stand the  other. 

If  a  knowledge  of  the  evolution  of  freedom  and  human  rights 
from  Magna  Charta  to  the  armistice  of  1918  is  essential  in  germi- 


COLONIAL   AND    LOCAL   HISTORY  43 

nating  Americanism,  the  schools  of  this  country  have  a  grave  duty 
to  perform  in  this  regard  which  cannot  be  doubted  or  ignored.  To 
neglect  it  would  be  as  illogical  as  for  the  Bible  student  to  ignore 
the  history  of  the  Children  of  Israel. 

Those  who  were  privileged  to  listen  to  the  address  of  Major 
William  B.  D wight  of  New  York,  representing  the  National 
Security  League,  at  the  S.  A.  R.  Washington  Anniversary  Banquet, 
in  Portland,  Feb.  22,  1920,  will  recall  with  what  earnestness  and 
eloquence  he  advocated  an  awakening  along  these  same  lines,  if 
we  in  America  are  to  successfully  resist  the  Karl  Marx  peril.  He 
criticised  much  of  the  present  method  of  studying  history  in  the 
schools,  and  very  forcefully  urged  that  it  be  localized  and  Ameri- 
canized. 


James  Mathison,  Superintendent  of  the  Oquossoc  Angling  Asso- 
ciation at  Indian  Rock,  Maine,  in  the  Rangeley  region,  contributes 
to  the  Journal  the  following  copy  of  the  records  of  that  Associa- 
tion, dated  May  24,   1884: 

"James  P.  Baxter,  Portland,  Maine,  May  24th  to  June  3rd,  inclu- 
sive, six  days'  fishing  with  his  son,  Percival  P.,  took  fifty-two  fish, 
four  of  which  weighed  twenty-four  pounds.  The  largest  w^as  taken 
in  Cupsuptic  Lake  June  3rd  by  Percival  and  weighed  7f  pounds 
before  being  dressed.  The  guide  made  his  weight  8  pounds  when 
taken  from  the  water.  The  weight  of  the  four  fish  when  caught 
was  as  follows:  8  lbs.,  6^  lbs.,  5  lbs.,  and  4I  lbs. — 24  lbs. 

W'ritten  by  Mr.   James  P.   Baxter." 


A   GEM   AMONG   MAINE   TOWN   HISTORIES 

Minnie  Atkinson  of  Newburyport,  Mass.,  is  the  author  of  a 
neatly  bound  book  of  122  pages  and  twelve  illustrations,  entitled 
"Hinckley  Township  or  Grand  Lake  Stream  Plantation,"  which 
is  a  real  gem.  Already  we  believe  between  eight  and  nine  hundred 
Maine  Town  Histories  have  been  published.  So  far  as  we  know 
this  is  the  second  one  of  a  Maine  plantation  that  has  ever  been 
printed,  the  first  one  having  been  the  historical  sketch  of  Jackman 
and  Moose  River  Plantation  which  appeared  in  the  Journal,  Vol.  3, 
No.  2. 

Any  true  story  of  the  developments  of  a  town  from  its  pioneer 
days  to  its  time  of  maturity  and  prosperity  as  a  municipality,  is  a 


44        SPRAGUE'S  JOURNAL  OF  MAINE  HISTORY 

bit  of  history  of  the  utmost  xakie  and  interest  to  the  student  of  the 
history  and  growth  of  a  conimonweahh ;  ahvays  a  fascinating  tale 
of  human  endeavor  and  uhimate  achievement. 

We  recall  many  such  items  of  jMaine  history  which  are  classics, 
such  as  "Old  Hallovvell"  by  Emma  Huntington  Nason,  "An  Old 
River  Town" — a  history  of  Winterport — by  Ada  Douglas  Little- 
field,  etc.  None  of  these  superior  literary  productions  has  sur- 
passed and  but  few  equal  Miss  Atkinson's  book.  She  commences 
with  much  of  importance  relative  to  the  Indians  in  the  Passama- 
quoddv  region  prior  to  and  during  the  Revolution,  when  Colonel 
John  Allen,  under  General  Washington,  was  the  superintendent  of 
all  the  Indian  Tribes  in  eastern  Maine,  and  follows  the  develop- 
ment of  this  plantation  full  of  interesting,  fascinating  and  impor- 
tant historical  details  to  the  present  day.  After  a  careful  perusal 
of  this  book  we  do  not  hesitate  in  heartily  recommending  it  to  our 
readers. 


AN    OLD   TOWN    INDIAN    WOMAN    DESIRES    THE 
RIGHT    OF    SUFFRAGE 

The  following  was  recently  received  by  Governor  Baxter: 

Old  Town,  ]\Iaine,  February  21,  1921. 
Percival   P.  Piaxter, 

Governor  of  Maine, 

Augusta,  Maine. 
Dear  Sir : 

Now  that  the  women  of  Maine  ha\"c  full  suffrage,  we,  the  wards 
of  the  State  of  Maine,  members  of  the  Penobscot  tribe,  believe  that 
we  should  have  the  right  to  vote  in  all  tribal  meetings.  We  are 
informed  that  the  present  agent  of  our  tribe  submitted  the  question 
of  whetlier  Indian  women  had  such  right  to  the  last  State  admin- 
istration but  that  Secretary  Ball  gave  no  definite  answer.  Local 
attorney  advises  that  we  always  had  the  right  to  vote  and  that  the 
agent  cannot  refuse  to  accept  our  votes  at  election  time  and  sort 
and  count  the  same,  as  provided  by  statute. 

W^ill  you  not  kindly  refer  this  matter  to  the  attorney  general's 
■office  that  our  agent  may  be  fully  informed  in  the  premises. 

Yours  very  truly, 

(Signed)     Mrs.   Peter  Nicolar. 


CHARLES  ALCOTT  FLAGG  45, 

CHARLES  ALCOTT  FLAGG 

Report  Co:\r:MiTTEE  on   Resolutions 

The  year  1920,  so  eventful  historically,  has  for  the  Bangor  His- 
torical Society  been  notable  necrologically,  for  among  officials  here 
one  year  ago  and  not  witlf^tis  today  are  Charles  Alcott  Flagg,  Libra- 
rian and  Cabinet  Keeper,  and  also  a  valued  member  of  the  Ex- 
ecutive Committee ;  Dr.  Thomas  Upham  Coe,  for  nearly  forty  years 
Treasurer  and  also  prominent  on  the  Executive  Committee;  and 
William  Warren  Fellows  and  James  Putnam  \Valker,  both  faithful 
and  exceedingly   useful  members  of   the   Executive   Committee. 

Resolved,  That  the  Bangor  Historical  Society,  assembled  in  an- 
nual session,  and  with  a  full  realization  of  the  great  loss  sustained, 
gives  voice  to  heartfelt  appreciation  of  the  zealous  and  devoted 
services  of  our  departed  associates. 

Resolved,  That  these  resolutions  be  spread  upon  the  records,  and 
copies  be  given  to  the  press  for  publication. 

Edward   M.   Blanding, 
William   C.    Mason, 
Fannie  Hardy  Eckstorm, 

Committee  on  Resolutions. 
Bangor,  Maine,  Jan.  4,  192 1. 

Adopted  by  Bangor  Historical  Society  at  annual  meeting,  Jan.  4, 
1921. 

Attest :         Edward  Mitchell  Blanding, 

Secretary. 


MAINE    CENTENNIAL    TOWNS    FOR    1921 

The  Maine  Centennial  towns  for  1921  are  Concord,  Peru,  Canton 
and  Cumberland,  rather  less  than  the  usual  number.  Concord  is 
a  little  farming  towm  far  up  the  Kennebec  valley,  in  Somerset 
County,  bordering  on  the  river.  It  does  not  appear  in  the  records 
why  it  was  named  Concord,  but  its  name  may  have  suggested  some- 
thing to  the  late  incorporators  of  the  next  town  to  the  west,  which 
was  called  Lexington.  Concord  was  settled  soon  after  the  Revo- 
lution by  Major  Ephraim  Heald,  who  came  from  Temple,  N.  H. 
There  are  people  enough  to  have  a  celebration  with  the  help  of 
the  neighbors. 


46        SPRAGUE'S  JOURNAL  OF  MAINE  HISTORY 

Peru  and  Canton  are  adjoining  towns  in  Oxford  County,  on  the 
Androscoggin  river,  and  may  possibly  have  a  combination  cele- 
bration. If  they  don't  it  will  be  a  rival  affair,  although  the  town 
with  the  Chinese  name  is  somewhat  larger  than  the  other.  Both 
are  on  the  Rangeley  division  of  the  Maine  Central  Railroad.  The 
towns  are  twins,  having  been  incorporated  on  the  same  day,  Feb.  5, 
1821. 

Canton  is  a  lively  town  and  will  have  a  big  centennial  celebration 
some  time  in  the  summer.  It  has  about  2000  people,  three  churches, 
an  opera  house,  summer  hotel,  several  garages  and  all  the  outfit  of 
an  up-to-date  town.  Peru  with  the  villages  of  West  Peru  and 
East  Peru  has  about  1000  people  in  its  borders.  The  town  was 
originally  a  grant  of  land  to  citizens  of  Falmouth  who  moved  there, 
the  Knight,  Lunt,  Brackett  and  Bradish  families,  followed  by  the 
Walkers,  Trasks  and  Baileys.  Peru  will  no  doubt  have  a  cele- 
bration. 

Cumberland  is  a  town  on  Casco  Bay  and  may  be  a  part  of  Greater 
Portland  some  time.  It  takes  in  numerous  islands  off  shore,  in- 
cluding Chebeague  Island,  where  there's  a  postoffice,  also  Crow, 
Goose,  Hope,  Bangs,  Sand,  Sturdivant,  Stave,  Ministerial,  Bates, 
Broken  Cave  and  others  of  the  365  islands  in  the  bay.  Cumberland 
Center  is  the  largest  community  in  the  town  and  Greeley  Institute 
is  an  old  preparatory  school.  Cumberland  Foreside  has  numerous 
summer  residences  and  on  Chebeague  Island  there  are  half  a  dozen 
summer  hotels  and  cottagers  are  numerous. 

— Kennebec  Journal. 


Coin  and  Stamp  Collectors 

ILLUSTRATED  CATALOGUE 

Priocs    I    I'jiy — of    every    U.    S.    Coin 
■»vorlli    over   face — 15    cts. 

WANTED  What  are  your  wants?     Perhaps 

Rare  Coins,    Stamps   and   Curios  I   can   supply   them 

Stamp    Catalogues    and    other    Philatelic    and    Numismatic 
literature    at   publishers'    prices 

W,  B.  GOULD 

292  Hammond  St.  Bangor,  Maine 


APRIL— MAY— JUNE 


The  LESLIE  E.  JONES  Co. 

Office  Outfitters 

Typewriters  of  all  Makes.     Wood  & 

Steel  Filing  Equipment 

416-17    EASTERN    TRUST    BLDG. 
BANGOR,    MAINE 


BEYER  &  SMALL 

Conservative  Investment  Bonds 

"WE    OFFER 
Municipal,  Railroad  and  Public  Utility 
lasueei.    Specialists  In  Maine  Securities 

Augusta        Portland        Bangor 


SIll^  Uatfrnilb  ilnrmng  ^^nttn^l 

Goes  to  press  later  than  any  other  paper  reaching  Central  Maine.    It 

handles  messages  by  wire  up  to  3  o'clock  in  the  morning.    If  you 

want  the  latest  news,   READ   THE   SENTINEL. 

$5.00  per  year  by  mail  for  cash. 

WatpruiUf  ^nttittel  Publtsliing  (Company 


IT  PAYS  TO  SAVE 


Lay  your  plans  to  start  your  savings 
account  with  this  bank  on  your  very 
next  pay-day.  Set  aside  One  Dollar — more  If  you  can  spare  it — come  to 
the  bank  and  make  your  first  deposit.     Small   sums  are  welcome. 

Put  system  into  your  savings.  Save  a  little  every  week  and  save  that 
little  regularly.  Make  it  an  obligation  to  yourself  just  as  you  are  in  duty 
bound  to  pay  the  grocer  or  the  coal  man.  SAVE  FAITHFULLY.  The 
dollars  you  save  now  will  serve  you  later  on  when  you  will  have  greater 
need  for  them. 

PISCATAQUIS   SAVINGS   BANK,    Dover,    Maine, 
p.  E.   GU£BNSi:V,  Pres.  W.  C.  WOODBUBY,  Treas. 


Money  Back  If  Not  Satisfied — Is  Your  Protection 

JOHN  T.  CLARK  &  CO. 

Clothiers 

BANGOR,  :  :  :  :  :  MAINE 


We  hav«  positive  evidence  of  the  reliability  of  advertisers  on  ti.ese  pages 


MAINE    INLAND    SCENERY 


A  Canoe  Iioad  of  Trophies 

(Courtesy  of  B.  &  A.   R.   R.) 


CONTENTS 

John   Gardiner,    Barrister    49 

Indians 61 

Poem — To  the  Pine  Tree   State    69 

Poem — A  Bit  of   Maine    70 

Washburn  Family.  Livermore,  Maine    71 

Letters    72 

Patten  Library 76 

James    Phinney    Baxter    78 

Samuel  L.   Boardman    80 

Karly  Churches   in    Maine      81 

Early  Settlement   on   Kennebec    83 

Peter   Edes    85 

Maine  History  in  the  Schools   87 

Editorial     93 

^  YEARS   the  Insurance   Man   of   Somerset   County 

^^^  /   I        Never  a  Failure — Never  a  La'w  Suit — Wliat  more  do  you  Trant? 

^^      T     (Member  Soc.  Col.  Wars;  Sons  Am.  Rev.;  Past  A.  A.  G..  G.  A.  R.) 
CHARLES    FOLSOM-JONES,  Slsowliegan,    Maine 

We  have  positive  evidence  of  the  reliability  of  advertisers  on  these  pages 


JOHN    GARDINER 


Sprague's  Journal  of  Maine  History 

Vol.  IX  April,  jNIay,  June,  1921  No.  2 


JOHN    GARDINER,    BARRISTER 

(By  Bertram  E.  Packard) 

There  are  two  houses  still  standing  in  Maine  which  are  inti- 
mately associated  with  the  subject  of  this  sketch. 

On  the  eastern  bank  of  the  Kennebec,  a  little  way  above,  and 
opposite  the  little  village  of  Richmond,  stands  a  large,  rambling, 
wooden  structure,  known  as  the  Old  Pownalborough  Court  House. 
It  was  built  about  the  year  1753  by  Major  Samuel  Goodwin,  the 
agent  of  the  Plymouth  Company,  as  his  official  residence,  and  as 
a  Court  House  for  Lincoln  County,  at  that  time  comprising  the 
larger  portion  of  central  and  eastern  Maine.  The  old  house  Is 
of  great  historic  interest  and  is  still  occupied  by  the  descendants 
of  the  original  proprietor.  Here  the  lawyers  of  that  early  period 
argued  their  cases  and  transacted  their  customary  legal  business. 
The  voices  of  John  Adams,  James  Otis,  James  Sullivan  and  David 
Sewall  were  often  heard  w'ithin  its  walls.  Here  the  early  Justices 
came  on  horseback  to  preside  when  on  the  Circuit.  The  building 
also  served  the  purposes  of  an  inn  and  was  their  temporary  domi- 
cile. And  here  also,  the  able,  eloquent  and  scholarly  laAvyer, 
John  Gardiner,  often  appeared,  clad  in  the  wig  and  gown  of  an 
English  barrister.  Some  three  miles  distant  in  the  little  hamlet 
now  known  as  Dresden  Mills,  he  resided  in  the  two  story  tarm 
house  erected  by  his  father,  Dr.  Sihester  Gardiner,  sometime  prior 
to  1760,  and  still  standing  in  an  excellent  state  of  preservation. 

Although  the  family  of  Gardiner  is  one  of  the  most  prominent 
in  our  New  England  history,  numbering  among  its  members  many 
who  have  been  celebrated  in  our  annals,  yet  history  is  strangely 
silent  concerning  John  Gardiner.  One  of  the  most  prominent  men 
in  Boston  and  Maine  during  the  years  immediately  subsequent  to 
the  Revolution,  and  probably  the  most  talked  of  man  in  the  news- 
papers of  that  day,  only  the  most  fragmentary  glimpses  of  his 


50      SPRAGUE'S    JOURNAL    OF    AIAINE    HISTORY 

life  and  career  can  be  gleamed  from  our  numerous  historical  and 
biographical  records. 

He  was  the  oldest  son  of  Dr.  SiKester  Gardiner  and  was  born 
in  Boston,  December,  4th,  1731.  The  career  of  Dr.  Gardiner  is 
too  well  known  to  need  more  than  passing  mention.  He  was  one 
of  the  most  distinguished  men  of  his  time  and  was  very  wealthy 
for  those  days.  He  became  the  largest  single  owner  in  what  was 
known  as  the  Kennebeck  Purchase,  a  corporation  formed  in  1753. 
He  first  estabhshed  settlements  in  Pownalborough,  and  later  in 
what  was  at  that  time  known  as  Gardinerstown.  He  brought  to 
this  work  of  development  an  uncommon  zeal  and  energy  and  was 
very  successful.  The  city  of  Gardiner  was  named  in  his  honor, 
and  his  decendants  still  reside  in  the  beautiful  old  English  manor 
house  just  outside  the  city  on  the  banks  of  the  Kennebec. 

John  recei\ed  his  early  education  in  Boston,  and  in  1745,  at 
the  age  of  14,  he  was  placed  in  the  ofiice  of  Benjamin  Pratt,  after- 
wards Chief  Justice  of  New  York,  to  study  law.  He  remained 
there  three  years,  and  in  1748  was  sent  to  London  to  pursue  his 
legal  studies.  Broader  and  more  liberal  ideas  prevailed  in  England 
than  were  common  in  Puritan  Boston  and  he  found  a  wider  field 
for  his  talents.  The  profession  of  law  was  looked  upon  with  less 
aversion  than  was  the  custom  in  a  community  where  church  offi- 
cials were  also  the  legal  officers.  He  studied  at  the  Inner  Temple, 
and  was  under  the  instruction  of  Sir  Charles  Pratt,  who  after- 
wards became  Lord  Chancellor  Camden.  In  1761,  at  the  age  of 
30,  he  was  admitted  a  barrister  by  the  Honorable  Benchers  of  the 
Inner  Temple  and  the  Courts  of  Westminster  Hall.  He  practised 
before  Lord  Mansfield,  and  soon  won  his  distinguished  favor. 
He  acquired  a  brilliant  reputation  and  it  appeared  at  one  time 
that  he  was  destined  for  very  high  legal  honors.  He  also  prac- 
tised law  on  the  Welsh  Circuit,  and  while  there  married  Margaret 
Harries  of  Haverford  \\'est,  a  woman  of  most  excellent  family. 
Here  his  oldest  son,  John  Silvester  John,  was  born  in  1765.  Of 
his  private  life  in  England  but  little  is  known.  He  frequented 
Drury  Lane  Theatre  when  David  Garrick  and  Mrs.  Gibber  were 
famous  there,  and  it  is  related  that  Jacob  Bailey,  the  early  pio- 
neer missionary  to  Maine,  when  in  London  for  ordination,  was  his 
companion  to  the  theatre. 

But  while  in  London  he  became  intimate  with  the  poet  Churchill, 
and  the  reformer  John  Wilkes,  and  when  the  latter  was  arrested 


JOHN    Gx\RDINER,    BARRISTER  51 


on  a  general  Secretary  of  State's  warrant,  he  was  junior  counsel 
for  his  defense.  He  also  argued  with  success  in  the  defense  of 
Beardmore  and  Meredith,  who,  for  writings  in  support  of  Wilkes, 
had  been  imprisoned  on  a  general  warrant.  His  pronounced  Whig 
principles  as  opposed  to  the  prevailing  Tory  sentiment  in  Eng- 
land at  that  time,  greatly  surprised  Lord  Mansfield,  and  blasted 
all  hopes  of  his  political  success.  In  reference  to  his  efforts  in 
these  trials,  there  now  remains  in  the  possession  of  Mrs.  William 
R.  Cabot  of  Boston,  his  great-great-granddaughter,  a  valuable  and 
beautiful  piece  of  plate,  bearing  this  inscription:  "  '  Pro  libertate 
semper  strenuus.'  To  John  Gardiner,  Esq.,  this  waiter  is  pre- 
sented by  Arthur  Beardmore,  as  a  small  token  ot  gratitude,  for 
pleading  his  cause  and  that  of  his  clerk,  David  Meredith,  against 
the  Earl  of  Halifax,  then  Secretary  of  State,  for  false  imprison- 
ment, under  his  warrant,  commonly  called  a  Secretary  ot  State's 
warrant,  that  canker  of  English  liberty —  1766." 

It  is  of  more  than  passing  interest  to  consider  a  little  more  in 
detail  Mr.  Gardiner's  connection  with  this  celebrated  case,  for  it 
illustrates  forcibly  that  in  most  of  his  ideas  he  was  far  in  ad\'ance 
of  his  age  and  generation.  Wilkes,  although  a  rake  and  a  prodi- 
gal, unfaithful  to  his  wife,  whose  fortune  he  wasted,  lacking  in 
generous  de\otion  to  any  political  ideal,  nevertheless  by  sheer 
pluck  and  impudence  led  in  the  fight  to  establish  in  the  law  of  all 
English  speaking  countries  five  great  principles  of  political  free- 
dom: the  immunity  of  political  criticisms  from  prosecution;  the 
publicity  of  legislati\e  debates;  the  abolition  of  outlawry  which 
condemned  a  man  in  his  absence;  the  protection  of  property  of 
houses  from  unreasonable  search  and  seizure;  and  the  right  of 
the  duly  elected  representative  to  a  constituency  to  sit  in  the 
legislature,  unless  disqualified  by  law.  No  matter  what  personal 
objections  his  colleagues  may  have  had  to  his  opinions  and  writings, 
so  great  were  his  achievements  that  his  name  became  a  household 
word  in  America.  In  the  eyes  of  our  forefathers,  he  was  one  of 
the  most  conspicuous  combatants  against  the  doctrine  so  obnox- 
ious to  them:  that  men  might  be  maltreated,  imprisoned,  exiled 
and  disfranchised  for  the  supposedly  evil  tendencies  of  their  politi- 
cal opinions.  Lord  Camden  said  of  the  warrant:  "  If  such  a 
power  is  truly  invested  in  a  Secretary  of  State,  and  he  can  dele- 
gate this  power,  it  certainly  may  affect  the  person  and  property 
of  every  man  in  this  kingdom,  and  is  totally  subversive  to  the 


SPRAGUE'S    fOURNAL    OF    MAINE    HISTORY 


liberty  of  the  subject."  The  law  of  the  case  with  which  Mr. 
Gardiner  was  connected,  namely,  that  search  must  be  by  warrant, 
describing  the  property  to  be  seized,  is  embodied  in  the  Consti- 
tution of  the  I'nited  States. 

At  a  time  when  party  feeling  ran  high  it  can  readily  be  seen 
that  his  espousal  of  such  a  cause  would  seem  nothing  less  than 
heretical  to  the  prexailing  Tory  influences.  It  was  probably  a 
political  move  to  tender  him  the  Chief  Justiceship  of  the  province 
of  New  York  in  1766,  which  he  promptly  declined.  Two  years 
later,  howe\er,  in  1768,  he  accepted  an  appointment  as  Attorney 
General  of  St.  Kitts,  one  of  the  West  India  islands.  It  is  probable 
that  this  was  a  position  which  he  would  ha\e  hardly  chosen  for 
himself  save  for  necessit\',  for  it  was  \irtually  a  political  banish- 
ment. Here  he  became  so  active  as  a  Whig  that  it  was  found 
expedient  tor  him  to  leave  the  island,  and  after  remaining  in 
Jamaica  for  a  time,  he  went  to  Martinicpie,  where  he  successively 
held  ofiice  under  the  British  and  French  governments. 

The  following  letter  to  his  father,  dated  St.  Kitts,  January  8th, 
1783,  well  illustrates  his  political  principles:  "  I  am  a  staunch 
Revolutionary  Whig,  you  know,  and  abhor  all  king  craft  and 
priest  craft.  Such  have  been  my  principles  since  I  could  judge 
for  myself,  and  such,  I  trust,  will  be  the  principles  I  will  carry 
with  me  to  the  grave.  I  have  borne  a  place  here  under  his  most 
Christian  Majesty  which  I  have  discharged  the  duties  of  with  the 
utmost  fidelity  and  integrit\',  and  without  the  least  view  to  gain, 
and  in  such  a  manner  as  I  would  have  served  his  Brittanick  Maj- 
esty, had  I  been  entrusted.  And  it  is  with  gratitude  I  mention 
it,  I  ha\e  recei\ed  e\ery  protection  and  every  mark  of  friendship 
from  His  Excellency,  Count  Dillon  and  the  French  officers  here, 
insomuch  so  that  time  shall  not  obliterate  my  regards  to  them." 

In  the  early  summer  of  1783,  at  the  instance  and  through  the 
efforts  of  James  Sullivan,  he  returned  to  Boston,  and  in  a  letter 
to  his  father,  dated  Boston,  July  14th,  1783,  he  writes:  "Gov- 
ernor Hancock,  Samuel  Harris,  and  Dr.  Cooper  have  all  received 
me  with  the  greatest  cordialit\',  and  General  Washington,  in  con- 
sequence of  letters  from  the  French  Ministry,  overwhelmed  me 
with  civility  during  the  four  days  I  stayed  with  him." 

He  immediately  resumed  the  practice  of  his  profession,  and  in- 
duced his  brethren  to  resume  the  legal  costume,  which  had  been 
laid  aside.    The  custom,  however,  was  not  of  long  continuance, 


JOHN    GARDINER,    BARRISTER  53 

and  it  was  said  to  have  been  gi\en  up  from  a  countnman  hearing 
one  of  the  judges,  in  his  gown,  using  most  profane  language  towards 
a  man  from  whom  he  was  purchasing  wood,  and  expressing  his 
astonishment  to  his  friends  as  to  how  the  Boston  parsons  would 
swear. 

That  he  visited  Maine  during  the  year  of  his  return  to  Boston 
is  e\idenced  by  a  letter  written  by  Major  Goodwin  of  Pownal- 
borough  to  Jacob  Bailey  in  Nova  Scotia,  under  date  of  September 
9,  1783,  in  which  he  says:  "John  Gardiner  is  with  his  brother 
William,  looking  after  his  father's  interests."  Rev.  Samuel  Parker 
of  Trinity  Church  wrote  to  Bailey,  December  22nd,  of  the  same 
year,  saying:  "  Your  old  triend.  Dr.  Gardiner,  has  a  son  returned 
from  the  West  Indies,  who  in  order  to  ingratiate  himself  with  the 
ruling  party,  does  little  else  than  curse  and  damn  his  father  as 
an  old  fool.  .  .  .  Howe\'er,  it  won't  do.  He  will  not  get  his 
father's  estate  by  this  conduct." 

In  October,  1783,  he  petitioned  the  General  Court,  "  Although 
the  Father  hath  eaten  sour  Grapes,  yet  your  Petitioner's  Teeth 
have  not  been  set  on  edge, —  his  political  opinions  have  been,  and 
are  in  total,  the  very  re\'erse  of  his  said  Father's,"  and  prayed 
not  to  be  "  visited  for  the  political  sins  and  offences  of  his  said 
Father." 

But  that  he  was  held  in  high  esteem  in  Boston  is  evidenced  by 
the  fact  that  he  and  his  family  were  recognized  as  citizens  of 
Massachusetts  by  a  special  act  of  the  Commonwealth  passed 
February  13th,  1784,  reading:  "  An  act  declaring  and  confirming 
the  citizenship  of  John  Gardiner,  his  wife,  and  of  Anne,  John 
Silvester  John,  and  William  Gardiner,  their  children. 

Whereas,  the  said  John  Gardiner  was  born  in  Boston,  the  me- 
tro|)olis  of  this  Commonwealth,  and  while  a  minor  was,  by  his 
father,  sent  to  Great  Britain  tor  his  education,  where  for  a  suc- 
cession of  years  he  remained  a  distinguished  friend  to,  and  through 
a  vicissitude  of  fortune,  hath  continued  an  avowed  and  inflexible 
assertor  of  the  rights  and  liberties  of  his  native  country,  and  a 
bold  opposer  of  the  enemies  thereof;  and  ha\ing  lately  returned 
to  reside  in  the  said  metropolis,  and  soon  expecting  his  said  wife 
and  children,  he  and  they  ought  to  be  declared  free  citizens  of 
this  said  Commonwealth." 

On  July  4th,  1785,  he  was  selected  as  the  town  orator  and  dedi- 
cated his  oration  "  To  the  First  Citizen  of  the  World,  The  Most 


54       SPRAGUE'S    JOURNAL    OF    MAINE    HISTORY 

Illustrious  George  Washington,  Esq.,  late  Commander-in-Chief  of 
the  forces  of  the  free  United  States  of  America,  with  the  most 
afTectionate  respect.  By  his  most  obliged  fellow  citizen,  The 
Author."  It  contains  the  following  allusion  to  Bunker  Hill: 
"Again  the  battle  bleeds;  nor  do  fair  freedom's  sons  give  way 
till  their  whole  stock  of  ammunition's  quite  expended.  Regardless 
of  his  precious  life,  disdaining  shameful  flight,  the  illustrious 
Warren  falls,  his  country's  hero,  and  his  country's  pride!  What 
though  within  these  hallowed  walls  his  mouldering  relicks  lie, 
without  a  sculptured  stone  to  mark  the  spot,  yet  shall  his  fame 
be  known,  his  memory  live,  to  latest  ages!" 

It  is  not  strange  that  there  should  ha\'e  been  violent  and  often 
times  bitter  controversies  between  John  Gardiner  and  his  father. 
Dr.  Gardiner  was  an  avowed  Loyalist,  spending  the  3'ears  of  the 
Revolution  in  England  because  of  his  political  beliefs.  He  was 
also  a  zealous  and  consistent  believer  in  the  forms  and  doctrines 
of  the  Church  of  England.  John,  on  the  contrary,  was  as  we 
have  seen,  a  Whig  in  political  belief,  and  at  the  same  time  was  a 
Unitarian  as  to  religious  belief.  He  took  an  active  part  in  the 
alteration  of  the  Hturgy  of  King's  Chapel,  of  which  his  father  had 
been  tor  many  years  warden  and  an  acti\'e  member,  and  was 
largely  instrumental  in  its  becoming  the  first  Unitarian  Congre- 
gational Church  in  the  United  States.  He  would  attend  services 
at  Trinity  Church,  where  his  son,  adhering  to  the  ancient  faith, 
was  assistant  minister,  for  he  said  he  must  hear  Jack  preach,  and 
would  make  the  responses  from  his  altered  book  while  the  people 
were  repeating  from  the  Book  of  Common  Prayer. 

It  was  in  consequence  of  these  disagreements  that  Dr.  Gardiner 
devised  the  bulk  of  his  property  to  his  second  son,  William,  be- 
queathing "  To  John  Gardiner,  Esq.,  Barrister  at  Law,  late  of 
the  island  of  St.  Christopher,  now  resident  at  Boston,  New  England 
(as  'tis  said)  I  gi\-e  only  the  sum  of  one  guinea."  He  relented 
however,  and  in  a  codicil  made  the  same  year,  1786,  gave  him 
one  thousand  pounds,  and  devised  to  him  his  house  and  lot  on 
Marlborough  Street  and  one  half  his  Pownalborough  farm.  While 
it  may  be  observed  that  these  estates  were  without  limitations, 
while  the  estates  devised  to  William  were  entailed,  yet  it  is  clearly 
evident  that  Dr.  Gardiner  intended  that  the  bulk  of  his  property 
should  pass  to  W^illiam,  and  in  event  of  his  dying  without  issue, 
to  his  grandson,  Robert  Hallowell. 


JOHN    GARDINER,    BARRISTER  55 

In  1786,  his  wife  having  died,  John  Gardiner  removed  to  Pownal- 
borough  with  his  three  children.  It  might  seem  strange  that  a 
man  possessed  of  his  brilHant  talents  and  accustomed  to  move  in 
the  best  society,  should  have  moved  to  what  must  have  been  at 
that  time  nearly  an  unbroken  wilderness.  But  we  must  remember 
that  he  was  nearly  sixty  years  of  age,  and  here  w^as  a  valuable 
property  which  he  had  just  inherited;  he  might  have  seen  the 
opportunity  to  represent  the  town  in  the  General  Court,  which 
position  he  later  occupied;  furthermore  he  was  near  the  bulk  of 
his  father's  estate,  and  at  one  time  it  seemed  very  uncertain  that 
it  would  descend  as  his  father  had  planned.  But  these  are  mere 
suppositions,  and  no  reliable  information  can  be  ascertained  as  to 
his  real  motives.  He  took  an  active  part  in  the  affairs  of  the 
town  and  in  1788  was  the  moderator  of  the  town  meeting.  Among 
his  gifts  to  the  town  was  a  lot  of  land  for  church  purposes,  pro- 
vided the  minister  kept  a  school  for  instruction  in  English.  He 
often  appeared  as  counsel  in  cases  tried  in  the  nearby  Pownal- 
borough  Court  House,  where  he  invariably  attracted  attention 
from  his  copious  learning,  his  polished  manners,  and  his  attractive 
elocution.  He  was  easily  the  most  learned  and  cultivated  lawyer 
in  Maine;  and  no  one  at  the  bar  of  Massachusetts  excelled  him 
as  a  general  scholar,  or  in  the  variety  of  his  intormation. 

Possibly  the  most  important  case  in  which  he  appeared  as 
counsel  was  that  of  the  Frenchman,  Louis  Porronveau,  from 
Penobscot,  1791,  for  murder.  The  judges  were  Increase  Sumner, 
Robert  Treat  Paine  and  Nathan  Gushing.  Mr.  Gardiner  and 
William  Lithgow,  Jr.,  were  the  counsel  for  the  defense,  and  secured 
an  acquittal.  It  is  claimed,  however,  that  strong  prejudices  favor- 
ing the  French  influenced  the  verdict.  The  case  was  of  sufficient 
importance,  so  it  is  said,  that  the  French  Consul  came  down  from 
Boston  for  the  trial. 

In  1787  he  was  elected  as  a  representative  to  the  Massachusetts 
General  Court  from  Pownalborough.  During  his  live  years  in  the 
Legislature  he  achieved  his  greatest  eminence  because  of  his  decided 
stand  concerning  many  important  questions  of  the  day.  His  ripe 
scholarship,  rare  w-it,  and  ability  as  a  strong  and  vigorous  writer, 
caused  him  to  be  one  of  the  best  known  men  in  New  England. 
In  debate  he  was  fearless,  and  exceedingly  sarcastic  and  vitupera- 
tive tow^ard  his  opponents.  The  w-riter  is  indebted  to  an  unpub- 
lished manuscript  of  the  late  Charles  Allen,  Esq.,  for  a  valuable 
summary  of  the  measures  he  advocated  while  a  member  of  the 


S6       SPRAGUE'vS    JOURNAL    OF    MAINE    HISTORY 


General  Court.     He  plcnsed  his  friends  and  irritated  his  enemies 
by  advocating:  — 

1.  A  removal  of  the  restrictions  on  theatres.  This  was  in  direct 
opposition  to  the  current  pul:»Hc  opinion.  Among  his  opponents 
on  this  question  were  Governor  John  Hancock,  Samuel  Adams  and 
Harrison  Gray  Otis.  His  famous  speech  on  this  subject  was  de- 
livered of  date  January  22nd,  1792,  and  while  the  measure  failed 
of  passage  at  that  time  it  was  finally  passed  in  1794. 

2.  He  was  strenuous  in  his  ad\-ocacy  of  laws  to  prevent  the 
entailment  of  estates  and  lor  abolishing  such  as  might  then  be  in 
existence.  He  aided  effectually  in  abolishing  the  law  by  which 
the  oldest  son  inherited  a  double  portion  of  his  parent's  estate; 
and  another  to  alwlish  the  clumsy  process  of  common  reco\ery, 
so  that  a  tenant  in  tail  could  by  deed  dock  the  entailment. 

3.  He  opposed  the  formation  of  certain  associations  b>-  lawyers, 
whereby  they  made  a  sort  of  close  corporation  of  law  and  con- 
spired to  injure  the  people  in  their  rights.  By  these  organizations 
called  by  him  the  "  Bar  Call,"  none  but  those  especially  favored 
were  admitted  to  practise. 

4.  He  attacked  lawyer-made  law  generally  and  wished  for  its 
reform,  winning  for  himself  the  title  of  the  "  Law  Reformer." 

5.  He  ad\ocated  the  abolition  of  special  pleading,  so  as  to  sim- 
plify the  practise  in  the  courts.  He  was  zealously  opposed  in  this 
by  the  celebrated  Parsons  and  other  lawyers,  and  the  measure 
failed  of  passage.  Forty  years  after,  however,  this  measure  was 
adopted  to  general  acceptance  in  both  Massachusetts  and  Maine. 

6.  He  opposed  the  custom  of  permitting  men  who  held  ofihce 
under  the  United  States  government  to  be  officials  under  the 
state  government  also.  Da^■id  Sewall  was  a  federal  judge,  and 
while  such  was  chosen  a  member  of  the  General  Court.  Mr. 
Gardiner  held  that  the  federal  government,  was  in  its  relation  to 
the  state  government,  a  foreign  government.  He  was  sustained 
in  his  contention  both  by  the  legislature  and  public  opinion. 

7.  He  repeatedly  favored  and  labored  for  the  separation  of 
Maine  from  Massachusetts. 

8.  He  early  proposed  establishing  a  college  in  Maine,  and  Bow- 
doin  College  was  chartered  in  1794,  a  year  after  his  death. 

9.  He  advocated  the  granting  of  land  to  soldiers  of  the  Revo- 
lutionary War. 

10.  He  favored  putting  a  gallery  into  the  House  of  Representa- 


JOHN    CxARDINER,    BARRISTER  57 

ti\es,  for  the  conxenience  of  the  pubhc,  which  might  thereby  be 
enabled  to  observe  their  proceedings. 

11.  He  repeatedly  derided  the  common  application  of  the  prin- 
ciple expressed  in  the  Latin  saying:  "  De  Mortuis  nil  nisi  bonum," 
declaring  that  if  it  were  obeyed  both  the  pen  of  the  historian  and 
the  voice  of  the  orator  would  be  stopped. 

12.  He  introduced  and  ad\ocated  a  bill  creating  a  lottery  to 
build  what  is  now  known  as  the  upper  bridge  over  the  Eastern 
Ri\er  in  Dresden. 

For  his  opinions  the  papers  of  that  period  at  times  reported  him 
approvingly,  and  at  other  times  criticised,  ridiculed  and  abused 
him.  Correspondents  wrote  about  him  o\-er  fantastic  and  fictitious 
signatures,  at  times  calling  him  eloquent  and  learned  and  at  other 
times  referring  to  him  as  a  fool.  But  from  the  character  of  the 
measures  he  advocated  and  opposed,  it  may  be  gathered  that  he 
was  from  his  earliest  years,  in  the  uncomfortable  but  none  the 
less  commendable  position  of  being  far  in  advance  of  his  genera- 
tion. While,  as  was  natural,  he  failed  in  passing  most  of  his 
measures,  >et  it  must  be  conceded  that  he  was  a  man  of  genius 
and  marked  ability. 

In  October,  1793,  he  started  for  Boston  from  Pownalborough  on 
the  packet  Londoner,  wiiich  carried  a  heavy  deck  load  of  lumber. 
A  severe  storm  came  up  and  the  vessel  w^ent  down  off  Cape  Ann, 
October  15th,  1793,  and  all  on  board  were  lost.  Later  his  chest 
of  clothing  floated  ashore  which  confirmed  his  fate. 

He  had  dreamed  of  being  drowned  on  the  trip;  but  he  laughed 
at  such  superstitions.  Homer  would  have  told  him  that  "  dreams 
proceed  from  Jo\c." 

Mr.  Gardiner  was  one  of  six  lawyers  in  Maine  raised  to  the 
degree  of  barrister,  the  others  being  William  Cushing,  David 
Sewall,  Theophilus  Bradbury,  David  Wyer,  and  William  Wet- 
more.  The  rule  for  a  barrister  in  England  was  that  this  degree 
should  not  be  received  unless  the  candidate  had  resided  three 
years  in  one  of  the  Inner  Courts,  if  a  graduate  of  Oxford  or  Cam- 
bridge, and  five  years  provided  he  was  not  a  graduate  of  either 
of  these  colleges.  Although  Mr.  Gardiner  was  not  a  college  gradu- 
ate, he  receixed  his  Master's  Degree  from  the  University  of  Glas- 
gow in  1755,  and  from  Harvard  University  in  1791.  In  1791  he 
appears  to  have  been  a  member  of  the  Ancient  and  Honorable 
Artillery  of  Boston.  His  nephew,  Hon.  Robert  H.  Gardiner,  in 
his  autobiography,  says  of  him:    "  He  had  an  astonishing  memory. 


58      SPRAGUE'S    JOURNAL    OF    AIAINE    HISTORY 

was  an  admirable  belles-lettres  scholar,  and  particularly  distin- 
guished for  his  wit  and  eloquence.  He  was  a  very  fine  classical 
scholar,  and  could  repeat  entire  books  from  his  favorite  Greek 
authors."  The  same  writer  records  his  recollections  of  "his  short, 
stout  person;  his  hair  tied  up  in  a  silk  bag,  and  his  quick,  loud, 
commanding  voice." 

His  son,  Rev.  Dr.  John  Sih'ester  John  Gardiner,  was  a  marxel- 
ous  scholar  in  the  classics,  and  was  prominent  as  the  rector  of 
Trinity  Church  for  twenty-fi\e  years.  Phillips  Brooks  refers  to 
him  as  the  most  eloquent  and  influential  clergyman  in  Boston 
during  those  years. 

His  speech  on  the  theatre  constitutes  probably  the  most  mas- 
terly- defense  of  theatrical  representations  ever  made  in  America. 
This  speech  was  never  delivered,  as  he  was  told  that  it  would  be 
wholly  above  the  comprehension  of  his  audience,  and  he  acceded 
to  the  advice,  printing  it  instead  of  delivering  it  in  the  House  of 
Representatives.  It  fairly  bristles  with  Latin  and  Greek  quota- 
tions, the  notes  are  more  copious  than  the  text  itself,  and  it  makes 
an  octavo  volume  of  some  one  hundred  sixty  pages.  He  finds 
Biblical  authority  for  his  contention,  stating  that  "  whoever  is 
read  in  the  history  of  the  Drama,  must  know  that  the  ancient 
drama  took  its  rise  in  religion."  He  cites  St.  Paul  as  borrowing 
whole  sentences  and  quoting  several  passages  from  the  Greek 
writers  of  comedy.  He  supports  his  argument  by  the  Song  of 
Moses,  the  Psalms  of  David,  the  Songs  of  Solomon  and  the  Reve- 
lations of  St.  John  the  Divine.  He  goes  at  great  length  into  the 
early  development  of  the  Greek  and  Roman  theatres  and  presents 
an  elaborate  sketch  of  the  early  Greek  stage.  He  then  comes 
down  to  more  modern  times  making  an  exhausti\e  argument  as 
to  dramatic  representations  in  Italy,  France,  Spain,  Holland, 
Germany  and  England.  He  brings  out  many  specific  advantages 
to  be  deri\-ed  as  to  improvement  in  speech  and  pronunciation, 
ease  and  grace  in  public  speaking,  and  thinks  the  theatre  would 
have  a  very  beneficent  effect  on  young  clergymen.  Referring  to 
Whitefield,  he  says:  "  Whitefield,  Sir,  if  I  have  been  rightly  in- 
formed, was  originally  a  stage  player;  he  carried  the  oratory  and 
the  action  of  the  Theatre  into  the  Pulpit,  and  from  the  tones  of 
his  voice,  assisted  by  gestures  and  action,  (although  his  eye  was 
against  him)  he  captivated  and  carried  away  the  multitude!  " 

The  writer  recently  ascertained  the  fact  that  there  is  in  the 
possession  of  Harvard  University,  a  Bible  presented  b>'  John  Gar- 


JOHN    GARDINER,    BARRISTER  59 

diner.  It  is  a  Latin  Bible,  perfect  in  the  fine  t\'pe  of  1514.  The 
following  inscription  in  the  handwriting  of  Mr.  Gardiner  is  found 
pasted  inside  the  Bible:  "This  Bil)le  was  delivered  to  John  Gar- 
diner upon  his  return  from  Great  Britain  in  October,  1755,  by  his 
father,  Dr.  Silvester  Gardiner,  who  informed  him  that  in  his  last 
illness  the  preceding  year.  Dr.  Charles  Brockwcll,  who  was  then 
the  King's  Chaplain  at  the  Chapel  in  Boston,  delivered  this  to 
him,  saying  '  Doctor,  you  have  been  very  kind  at  all  times  to  me 
and  my  family,  and  have  attended  us,  and  administered  medicine 
to  us  from  time  to  time,  without  charging  or  taking  anything  from 
me,  therefore:  I  have  nothing  to  recompense  you  with,  but  to 
show  my  respect  and  gratitude  as  far  as  I  can,  permit  me  to  re- 
quest you  to  take  care  of  this  Bible,  and  in  my  name  to  present 
it  to  your  son,  John,  when  he  returns  from  Glasgow.  I  value  it 
very  much.  It  was  given  to  my  father  by  King  Charles  the  First, 
who  presented  it  to  him  with  his  own  hand,  alter  having  taken  it 
down  from  a  shelf  in  his  library  when  my  father  was  there  with 
the  royal  martyr.'  " 

Relative  to  the  unknown  reasons  which  actuated  Mr.  Gardiner 
in  removing  from  Boston  to  Pownalborough,  the  waiter  has  re- 
cently discovered  a  letter  written  by  Mrs.  Robert  Hallowell  Gar- 
diner from  Oaklands  in  1863,  to  Mrs.  Margaret  Elton,  in  w^hich 
she  says:  "  Distinguished  as  a  scholar,  his  associates  were  of  the 
aristocratic  class,  into  which  he  also  married,  an  accomplished 
Welsh  lady  of  family.  He  returned  to  his  own  country  at  the 
close  of  the  Revolution,  when  wise  men  were  striving  to  allay 
excitement  and  promote  tranquillit>'.  His  position  was  peculiar, 
and  it  was  probabh-  in  disgust  of  manners  to  which  he  would  not 
conform  that  he  retired  to  the  estate  his  children  had  inherited 
from  his  father." 

In  this  letter  Mrs.  Gardiner  seems  to  con\-e\'  the  impression 
that  although  an  enthusiastic  advocate  of  democratic  principles, 
yet  Mr.  Gardiner  by  birth,  education  and  en\'ironment  was  essen- 
tially an  aristocrat.  Upon  coming  to  Boston  he  found  a  new 
democracy,  where  all  men  were  free  and  equal  regardless  of  birth 
or  education.  While  he  firmly  believed  in  the  principles  of  this 
democracy,  yet  he  found  it  impossible  to  conform  with  dignity 
to  their  manners  and  customs.  This  explanation  may  throw  a 
little  light  upon  his  reasons  for  removing  to  Pownalborough. 

Note  — The  writer  wishes   to   express   his   indebtedness  to   the   unpublished   autobiography 

of  Hon.  Robert  Hallowell  Gardiner,  1st.  of  Oaklands:    to  an  unpublished  manuscript  written  by 

the  late    Charles  Allen.  Esq.,  of  Wiscasset:    to  Foote's  "Annals  of  King's  Chapel:    "Updyke's 

History  of    the  Xarraganset  Church:"    and  to  the  Journals  of  the  Massachusetts    Legislature 

from  all  of  which  he  has  freely  drawn  for  information  contained  in  this  brief  sketch. 

Sanford,  Me  ,  Feb.  24,  1921. 


6o      SPRAGUE'S    TOURNAL    OF    MAINE    HISTORY 


^  5 


MAINE  INDIANS,  AND  THEIR  RELATIONS         6i 

THE  MAINE   INDIANS,  AND  THEIR  RELATIONS  WITH 
THE   WHITE   SETTLERS 

(By  Ethel  M.  Wood) 

I.  Aboriginal  Tribes  of  Maine. — ^  The  aborigines  of  the  state  of 
Maine,  comprising  something  less  than  one-third  of  the  Indian 
population  of  New  England,  belonged  to  one  of  the  four  nations 
of  the  greatest  of  the  nati\-e  races  of  North  America,  the  Algic 
or  Algonquin.  The  Algonquins  occupied  a  large  territory,  their 
domain  extending  along  the  eastern  coast  from  Newfoundland  to 
Virginia  and  westward  to  the  Mississippi  Ri\er,  and  this  people 
played  a  much  more  important  part  in  the  early  history  of  the 
United  States  than  any  of  the  other  aboriginal  nations.  Those 
of  the  Algonquins  who  occupied  the  territory  included  in  the 
present  state  of  Maine  separated  into  two  distinct  families,  although 
they  trace  their  descent  from  a  common  ancestry.  These  two 
divisions  are  the  Abenakis'  and  the  Etechemins.  The  very  der- 
ivation of  the  name  Abenakis  our  ancestors  of  the  East)/  as 
well  as  their  legends  and  traditions  in  regard  to  their  creation  by 
the  Great  Spirit,  tends  to  give  us  the  impression  that  they  were 
an  original  people.  They  inhabited  the  land  from  Mount  Aga- 
menticus  in  the  extreme  south-western  part  of  Maine,  as  far  east 
as  the  St.  George  River. 

Of  the  Abenakis,  there  were  four  tribes:  the  Sokokis  or  Sockhi- 
gones,  the . Anasagunticooks,  the  Canibas  or  Kennabas,'  and  the 
Wawenocks.  The  Sokokis  were  a  large  tribe  living  along  the  Saco 
River  with  two  principal  villages,  one  at  Pegwacket,  the  site  of 
the  modern  Fryeburg,  and  the  other  about  twenty  miles  below  on 
the  Great  Ossipee  Ri\'er.  The  powerful  and  warlike  Anasagunti- 
cooks had  their  habitation  along  the  Androscoggin  River,  claiming 
jurisdiction  over  the  ^-alle^'  of  the  i\ndroscoggin  from  its  source 
to  the  sea.  Their  fa\orite  meeting  place  was  at  Pejepscot  situated 
by  the  lower  falls  of  the  Androscoggin,  later  known  as  Brunswick 
Falls,  and  here  they  often  held  councils  with  members  of  other 
tribes.  In  the  Kennebec  Valley  the  Canibas  held  sway,  —  a  numer- 
ous people  made  up  of  four  subordinate  tribes,  the  Sagadahocs, 
the  Cussenocks,  the  Ticonnets,  and  the  Norridgewocks,  all  under 

1  This  name  is  also  found  in  the  following  forms:    Abenakis,  Abanaquis,    Abaniquois,  Waba' 
naki,  Wambanaghi,  and  Abenaques. 

2  Vetromile's  "  History  of  the  Abenakis,"  page  26. 

3  Called  also  Cannibas  and  Kanibals. 


62       SPRAGUE'S    JOURNAL    OF    MAINE    HISTORY 


the  leadership  of  the  great  chief,  the  Bashaba/  as  they  called  him, 
who  dwelt  tipon  Swan  Island,  a  small  island  in  the  Kennebec  be- 
tween the  present  towns  of  Richmond  and  Dresden.  The  Bashaba 
ot  the  Canibas  held  a  nominal  sway  oxer  the  other  Maine  tribes, 
and  his  influence  extended  even  beyond  the  borders  of  the  prov- 
ince. The  most  easterly  of  the  great  tribal  divisions  was  that  of 
the  Wawenocks,  inhabiting  the  country  from  the  Sagadahoc  to 
the  St.  George  River.  These  Indians  were  particularly  strong  and 
athletic,  unsurpassed  in  bravery,  and  were  faithful  allies  oi  their 
neighbors,  the  Canibas.  The  principal  tribes  of  the  Etechemins 
were  the  Tarratines,  the  native  inhabitants  of  the  Penobscot 
region,  and  the  Openangos,  or  Quoddy  Indians,  to  be  found  about 
Passamaquoddy  Ba>-  and  the  Schoodic  River.  It  has  been  esti- 
mated that  the  Abenaki  warriors  numbered  in  1615  about  five 
thousand  and  the  Etechemins,  six  thousand,  making  a  total  of 
eleven  thousand.  From  this  it  may  be  inferred  that  the  whole 
native  population,  men,  women,  and  children,  numbered  not  more 
than  thirty-six  or  thirty-seven  thousand. 

II.  Indian  Life.  —  From  a  physical  standpoint  the  Algonquins 
were  the  best  of  the  aborigines.  They  were  of  medium  height, 
very  erect  in  bearing,  and  ne\er  among  them  was  one  found  to 
be  deformed  or  ill-proportioned.  Their  features  were  finer  and 
more  regular  than  the  races  of  the  North  and  West.  Their  eyes 
were  black  and  brilliant,  their  teeth  ivory-white,  and  their  beard- 
less faces  of  a  reddish  copper  hue.  They  were  quick,  alert,  keen, 
and  acute  of  perception.  Accustomed  to  all  manner  of  hardship 
from  childhood,  they  were  possessed  of  great  strength  and  marvel- 
ous powers  of    physical  endurance  and  were  noted  for  longevity. 

The  dress  of  the  Maine  Indian  consisted  mostly  of  skins,  espe- 
cially of  deer  and  sable,  being  worn  with  the  fur  in  winter,  while 
the  skin  shorn  of  the  fur  was  the  garment  for  summer.  Some 
of  these  mantles  were  painted,  or  elaborately  embroidered  with 
beads.  Others  were  made  by  interweaving  threads  and  feathers. 
Both  men  and  women  were  tond  of  liright  colors.  The  warriors 
painted  their  faces  and  all  delighted  in  ornaments  of  plumes  and 
shells.  Their  particular  admiration  was  for  anything  that  glit- 
tered, and  they  adorned  themselves  with  brooches,  bracelets,  and 
ear-rings  of  bright  silver.  The  Indians  near  the  Penobscot  and 
Kennebec  rivers  were  even  more  gaudy  in  their  personal  adorn- 

4  "  Bashaba"  is  generally  considered  an  official  title,  although  some  authorities  regard  it  as 
the  name  of  an  Indian  chief.  This  latter  view  does  not  agree  with  that  of  Southgate  who  speaks 
of  "  Madockawando,  Sagamore  of  Penobscot,  and  Bashaba  of  the  Indian  Tribes."  History  of 
Scarborough,  page  102.— [Coll.  Me.  Hist.  Soc.  Vol.  Ill,  p.  IO2I 


MAINE  INDIANS,  AND  THEIR  RELATIONS         63 

ment  than  those  further  west.  Weymouth,  the  early  voyager, 
says  of  them,  —  "  They  painted  their  faces  very  deep,  some  all 
black,  some  red,  with  stripes  of  excellent  blue  over  their  upper 
lips,  nose  and  chin,  and  wore  the  white-feathered  skins  of  some 
fowl  round  about  their  head,  jewels  in  their  ears,  and  bracelets  of 
little,  white,  round  bone  fastened  together  upon  a  leather  string."^ 

Their  homes  were  fashioned  of  boughs  and  bark.  The  best 
wig^vams  were  oblong,  from  twenty  to  forty  feet  in  length  and  one 
story  in  height.  They  were  supported  on  crotched  posts  and 
thatched  with  bark.  A  fur  rug  hung  at  the  entrance  in  place  of 
a  door  and  there  w'ere  no  windows.  Inside  platforms  were  built 
around  the  walls  for  seats  and  the  floor  was  strewed  with  fragrant 
hemlock  boughs. 

For  temporary  hal^itations  they  often  used  conical  wigwams  less 
firmly  built  and  smaller,  being  only  about  twehe  or  fifteen  feet 
in  diameter.  The  fire  was  built  in  the  center  and  the  smoke 
escaped  through  an  opening  at  the  top.  The  Indians  were  ex- 
tremely hospitable  and  always  glad  to  welcome  strangers  to  their 
homes  where  they  would  share  with  them  their  meals,  consisting 
of  fish  or  game  and  such  vegetables  as  they  could  raise  with  their 
scanty  knowledge  of  agriculture.  An  exception  should  be  noted 
in  the  case  of  the  Etechemins,  however,  tor  they  did  not  till  the 
soil,*"  but  depended  for  food  solely  upon  what  they  obtained  by 
hunting  and  fishing. 

Although  in  a  state  of  barbarism,  the  industrial  life  of  the  Indian 
is  worthy  of  note.  The  Abenakis  were  more  or  less  skilled  in 
agriculture  and  made  rude  tools  for  themselves.  They  ingeniously 
planted  their  corn  and  beans  in  the  same  hills  in  order  that  the 
corn-stalks  might  serve  as  poles  for  the  beans.  They  well  knew 
how  to  boil  the  sap  of  the  maple  tree  into  sugar  and  syrup,  but 
it  was  not  until  after  the  advent  of  the  white  man  that  the  Indian 
learned  how  to  make  his  maize  into  bread.  The  tradition  of  the 
proverbial  indolence  of  the  Indian  warrior  does  not  seem  to  be 
borne  out  in  the  life  of  these  tribes. 

Their  government  was  very  simple  in  character,  permitting 
great  freedom  to  the  individual  and  exacting  little  political  sub- 
ordination. As  has  been  said,-'  the  Bashaba  was  the  great  mon- 
arch of  the  region.     The  natives  were  divided  into  tribes  in  accord- 

5  Weymouth's  True  Relation,  p.  146. 

6  Parkman,  Jesuits  in  America,  page  xxii 

7  See  page  62. 


64       SPRACIUE'S    JOURNAL    OF    MAINE    HISTORY 


ance  with  the  totcmic  clan  system.  In  other  words,  the  clans 
traced  their  origin  to  a  common  ancestor,  the  mystical  bird  or 
arjmal,  and  traced  descent  through  the  maternal  line.  Each  tribe 
had  its  sagamore  or  chief  and  council  of  wise  men  known  as  sachems. 
It  was  their  business  to  determine  all  questions  pertaining  to  war 
and  peace.  The  sagamore  was  chosen  for  life  and  was  generally 
succeeded  by  his  son  or  a  near  relative.  Chiefs  of  the  larger 
nations  had  under  them  subordinate  chiefs  who  conducted  the 
affairs  of  small  tribes,  and  at  stated  seasons  of  the  year  special 
meetings  of  all  the  chiefs  were  held  for  the  purpose  of  settling 
cjuestions  affecting  the  whole  nation. 

The  Abenaki  Indian  was  famous  tor  his  gentleness  and  docility, 
and  indeed  he  did  lack  that  instinct  of  cruelt\-  which  was  so  evi- 
dent in  the  Iroquois  and  others.  He  was  scrupulously  honest 
with  his  neighbors,  and  was  never  given  to  unfair  or  treacherous 
dealings.  He  had  a  social  code  emanating  from  custom  which 
was  his  law.  His  morals  were  generally  good.  His  gratitude  for 
favors  received  was  deep  and  lasting,  but  just  as  deep  and  lasting 
was  his  remembrance  ot  an  injury,  —  for  "an  Indian  never  for- 
gets." He  was  jealous  and  revengeful  and  felt  it  perfectly  right 
to  return  evil  for  evil.  Cruelty  for  its  own  sake  he  did  not  prac- 
tice, but  only  in  revenge  or  retaliation.  He  was  very  bra\e  and 
daring,  the  result  of  a  se\'ere  earh-  training  and  he  was  wont  to 
boast  of  his  valorous  deeds.  Patience  w^as  one  of  his  virtues, 
even  in  the  face  of  real  abuse.  Although  naturally  silent,  yet  in 
the  Indian  councils  he  was  often  an  impassioned  orator.  He  was 
ambitious  ot  power  and  would  strain  every  nerve  in  order  to  gain 
some  coveted  position.  His  thirst  for  intoxicating  liqi\ors  was  in- 
tense and  the  white  man's  "  fire  water  "  proved  a  great  curse  to 
him. 

The  primitive  religious  conception  of  the  Maine  Indian  was 
animistic.  He  was  wont  to  invest  the  inanimate  things  ot  nature 
with  flesh  and  blood;   in  other  words  he  did  indeed 

"  See  God  in  clouds  and  hear  Him  in  the  wind."^ 
The  Indian  was  polytheistic  belie\ing  in  a  Great  Spirit'   and  many 
lesser  spirits,  both  good  and  evil.     He  was  very  superstitious  and 
everything  which  partook  ot  the  nature  of  the  mysterious  had  for 
him  a  peculiar  fascination.     The  name  "  manitou,"  given  to  good 

8  Pope;    "  Essay  on  Man",  Book  I,  line  100. 

9  Some  recent  authorities  are  of  the  opinion  that  the  idea  of  a  creative  or  all-powerful  spirit 
was  beyond  the  Indian's  conception,  and  that  the  Indian's  "  Great  Spirit"  was  the  invention  of 
the  Englishman  and  was  elaborated  by  him. 


MAINE   INDIANS,  AND   THEIR  RELATIONS         65 

spirits,  in  itself  signifies  mystery.  Tiie  Indian's  God  was  hardly 
more  than  a  personification  of  mystery  for  the  Indian  does  not 
ascribe  to  his  God  an  ideal  character  since  he  regards  him  as  little 
better  than  his  worshippers.  He  had  his  dwelling  in  a  remote 
region  somewhere  in  the  West  where  he  received  the  good  Indian 
after  death  to  enjoy  immortal  life  in  this  blest  abode.  The  un- 
worthy ones  were  gi\en  o\er  to  be  scalped  by  their  enemies.  The 
good  spirits  or  tutelar  deities  were  thought  to  ha\'e  their  abode  in 
some  tree,  rock,  or  animal,  which  was  venerated  accordingly  almost 
to  the  extent  of  idol  worship.  There  were  also  many  evil  spirits, 
the  most  baleful  ot  which  was  a  female  spirit,  who  was  regarded 
as  the  dispenser  of  death.  By  the  performance  of  many  rites  and 
sacrifices  the  Indian  sought  to  appease  the  wrath  ot  such  enemies 
and  to  avert  their  evil  influence.  Among  the  Penobscot  Indians 
there  was  a  strong  belie!  in  an  evil  spirit  called  Pamola  who  dwelt 
on  Mount  Katahdin.  They  feared  to  approach  this  place  lest  he 
devour  them  and  nothing  could  induce  them  to  overcome  their  fear. 
Interesting  legends  were  handed  down  among  them  relating  the 
experiences  of  luckless  Indians  whom  he  had  sjjirited  away  to  his 
wigwam  in  the  interior  of  the  mountain.  Another  evidence  of  the 
superstitious  nature  of  the  Indian  is  the  powerful  influence  exerted 
over  him  b>'  his  Pow-wows,  a  sort  of  combination  of  priest  and 
physician.  In  his  eyes  these  men  were  vested  with  marvelous 
and  supernatural  powers,  and  were  supposed  to  hold  communion 
with  spirits  and  demons.  Great  was  the  veneration  in  which  these 
men  were  held,  and  this  part  of  their  religion  seemed  to  be  the 
most  firmly  grounded,  for  it  was  the  last  to  surrender  to  the  teach- 
ings of  Christianit\'.  —  Such,  in  brief,  was  the  life  of  the  Maine 
Indian  when  first  the  European  invaded  these  shores. 

III.  Early  English  Relations  ivith  the  Indians.  —  The  British 
government,  encouraged  by  the  glowing  reports  of  the  pioneer 
voyagers,  Gosnold  and  Pring,'°  and  stirred  with  jealousy  by  rumors 
of  French  expeditions  to  the  New  World,  sent  out  George  Weymouth 
in  1605  to  explore  the  region  along  the  coast  of  Maine  and  take 
possession  in  the  name  of  the  king.  From  this  voyage  dates 
almost  the  first  knowledge  we  have  of  intercourse  between  the 
Maine  Indians  and  the  English.  The  policy  followed  by  Weymouth 
in  respect  to  the  natives  was  unfortunate  enough  when  viewed  in 
the  light  of  subsequent  history,  and  his  action  is  to  be  regretted. 

10  Bartholomew  Gosnold  and  Martin  Pring  had  explored  the  coast  of  Maine  in  1602-3. 


66      SPRAGUE'S    JOURNAL    OF    MAINE    HISTORY 

The  beginning  of  the  acquaintance  of  EngHsh  and  Indian,  however, 
was  most  auspicious,  for  friendUness  was  manifested  on  both  sides. 
After  exploring  the  coast  for  some  distance  Weymouth  anchored 
in  Penobscot  Bay  and  his  men  hunted,  fished,  and  planted  vege- 
tables on  the  fertile  shore.  The  movements  of  the  strangers  soon 
attracted  the  natives  and  a  party  of  the  Indians  encamped  on  the 
shore  nearby,  in  order  that  they  might  better  observe  the  men 
on  the  vessel.  Three  of  the  natives  in  a  canoe  approached  to 
within  a  short  distance  of  the  ship  but  no  amount  of  coaxing  or 
of  bribing  with  trinkets  would  induce  the  timid  savages  to  come 
on  board.  A  few  kni\'es  and  beads  were  thrown  to  them  in  the 
canoe  and  they  departed  seemingly  much  delighted.  In  the  morn- 
ing they  returned  and  this  time  ventured  on  board.  They  were 
kindly  recei\'ed,  and  the  white  men  told  them  by  means  of  signs 
that  they  wished  to  open  trade  with  them.  This  evidently  pleased 
them,  and  after  being  bountifully  fed,  they  paddled  away.  From 
this  time  on  more  Indians  were  attracted  to  the  strange  ship  and 
an  extensive  trade  was  opened,  the  natives  exchanging  skins  of 
beaver,  otter,  and  sable  for  the  beads,  knix'es,  combs,  and  hatchets 
of  the  white  men. 

The  Indians  would  remain  on  deck  for  hours  in  the  most  friendly 
way  and  often  the  hospitable  captain  would  in\ite  them  to  a  meal. 
They  were  particularly  fond  of  peas,  and  on  one  occasion  asked 
that  they  might  take  some  to  their  squaws.  The  peas  were  given 
them  in  a  pewter  dish.  That  the>'  were  honest  is  shown  b\-  the 
fact  that  they  caretulK-  returned  the  shining  pewter  dish,  which, 
because  of  their  inherent  lo\-e  of  glittering  things,  we  know  they 
must  have  co\eted.  The  white  men  in  turn  visited  the  Indians 
on  shore  where  they  were  most  hospitably  entertained.  One 
Owen  Grififin  remained  over  night  with  the  natives,  three  of  their 
number  having  been  sent  on  board  as  hostages.  All  went  well 
for  a  time  and  trade  flourished,  much  to  the  advantage  of  the 
English,  who,  for  trinkets  of  the  value  of  five  shillings,  could  obtain 
sometimes  as  many  as  forty  valuable  skins.  One  day  a  canoe 
approached  the  ship  and  its  occupants  made  known  to  \Ve>'mouth 
that  their  chief  and  his  men  were  at  a  little  distance  inland,  where 
they  had  man\'  furs  for  sale.  \\'e\'mouth,  suspecting  treachery  as 
usual,  sent  Griflin  on  shore  to  reconnoitre.  He  found  two  hundred 
and  eight>-three  men  with  the  chief,  and  their  bows  and  arrows, 
dogs  and  trained  wolves  so  terrified  him  that  he  was  sure  of  foul 


MAINE  INDIANS,  AND  THEIR   RELATIONS         67 

dealing  on  the  part  of  the  innocent  red  men.  He  returned  to  the 
ship  with  his  tale,  and  that  night  three  Indians  were  decoyed  on 
board  by  offers  of  the  peas  of  which  they  were  so  fond,  and  locked 
into  the  cabin.  Later  the  captain  sent  out  a  boat  and  two  others 
were  kidnapped  by  treachery  and  deceit.  Hardly  had  they  been 
hidden  when  royal  messengers  from  the  Bashaba  drew  near  the 
ship,  ignorant  as  }et  of  the  fate  of  their  friends.  They  were  con- 
veying a  very  gracious  invitation  from  the  great  chief,  asking  the 
strangers  to  visit  him,  but  the  guilty  Weymouth,  thinking  it  best  to 
depart  immediatel}' ,  did  not  accept.  When  the  kidnapping  of  their 
warriors  was  discovered,  friends  of  the  prisoners  came  pite  ously 
begging  that  they  be  returned,  but  the  captain  was  inexorable  and 
set  sail  with  his  prey. 

Nahanada,  one  of  the  kidnapped  men,  was  a  sagamore  while 
his  companions,  Skitwarroes,''  Assecomet,  Tisquantum,  and  Deha- 
mida  were  men  of  high  rank.  They  were  kindly  treated,  but  the 
act  of  We>'mouth  had  made  the  name  of  Englishman  a  synonym 
for  treachery  and  consequently  the  English  settler  was  hated  and 
feared  by  the  native  upon  the  coast  of  Maine.  The  captives  were 
taken  to  England  where  they  attracted  much  attention.  Three 
of  them  were  given  to  Sir  Ferdinando  Gorges  who  taught  them 
English  and  learned  from  them  much  concerning  the  land  from 
which  they  had  come.  By  the  information  thus  obtained  he 
learned  that  this  must  be  a  goodly  land,  and,  as  a  result  the  Plym- 
outh Company  was  formed  for  the  purpose  of  colonizing  it.  Gorges 
himself  says  of  the  kidnapping  of  the  Indians, —  "This  accident 
must  be  acknowledged  to  be  the  means  of  God  of  putting  on  foot 
and  giving  life  to  all  our  plantations.'"" 

Two  years  later  the  Popham  colony  was  sent  out  and  Skitwarroes, 
with  them,  returned  to  his  native  shores.  They  anchored  off  Stage 
Island,  and  the  Indians  soon  began  paddling  about  them  in  their 
canoes.  These  natives  had  probably  not  heard  of  the  treachery  of 
Weymouth,  for  they  gladly  began  to  trade  with  the  Englishmen 
and  seemed  to  rejoice  at  their  coming.  As  Popham  approached 
Pemaquid,  however,  the  attitude  of  the  natives  changed  and  they 
fled  from  the  white  men  in  terror.  It  happened  by  some  chance 
that  Nahanada  had  found  his  way  back  to  his  home  and  he  recog- 
nized Skitwarroes  who  had  for  so  long  a  time  been  his  companion 

11  Other  spellings  of  the  name  are  Skidwarroes  and  Shetwarroes. 

12  Drake's  Book  of  the  Indians:  chap.  2,  p.  2. 


68       SPRAGUE'S    JOURNAL    OF    MAINE    HISTORY 

in  captivity.  They  embraced  with  great  joy,  and  Popham's  wel- 
come was  assured.  The  natives  invited  them  to  visit  the  Bashaba, 
and  Gilbert  sailed  eastward  toward  his  abode  until  forced  by  un- 
iavorable  weather  to  return.  The  chief,  when  he  heard  of  the 
effort  which  had  been  made,  sent  his  own  son  to  open  negotiations 
with  reference  to  establishing  trade.  Gilbert  received  the  envoys 
kindh",  and  on  the  following  day,  which  was  Sunda>',  they  attended 
public  worship  with  the  white  men,  conducting  themseKes  with 
dignity  and  reverence. 

These  Indians  farther  toward  the  East  were  more  approachable 
and  kindlier  in  spirit  than  those  on  the  Sagadahoc  and  the  Popham 
colonists  carried  on  a  flourishing  trade  with  them.  It  is  a  recog- 
nized fact  that  this  trade  was  a  great  stimulus  to  further  coloniza- 
tion. In  addition  to  the  other  hardships  which  the  little  band  of 
Englishmen  suffered  during  the  following  w^inter,  they  in  some  way 
became  involved  in  a  quarrel  with  the  Indians.  After  the  death 
of  Popham,  there  was  little  law  and  order  in  the  colony  and  the 
Indians  were  ill-treated  and  insulted.  There  are  various  stories 
concerning  their  relations  with  each  other  during  the  winter,  but 
the  authenticity  of  these  stories  is  uncertain.  At  any  rate  the 
Popham  store-house  was  burned,  whether  by  accident  or  by  in- 
cendiary Indians,  and  the  discouraged  Gilbert  with  his  remaining 
colonists  abandoned  their  fort  and  returned  to  England  where  they 
painted  the  character  of  the  Maine  Indian  in  the  blackest  of  terms. 

The  English  still  visited  the  Maine  coast  for  the  purpose  of 
trade,  and  two  of  the  captains,  Edward  Harlow  in  1611,  and  Thomas 
Hunt  in  1614,  had  kidnapped  several  Indians  and  were  more  cruel 
than  Weymouth  because  they  sold  them  into  slavery.  John  Smith, 
in  1614,  and  Thomas  Dermer,  in  1619,  attempted  to  revive  the 
settlements  at  Sagadahoc,  and  Hubbard  says  in  his  "  Narrative:" 
"  By  Dermer's  prudence  and  care,  a  lasting  peace  was  effected 
betwixt  the  nati\es  of  the  place  and  the  English;  and  mutual 
confidence  was  restored  so  that  the  plantation  began  to  prosper.'"^ 

By  reason  of  this  peace  the  settlements  ot  that  region  had  an 
unbroken  existence  until  the  outbreak  of  the  First  Indian  War. 
Traders  from  the  Plymouth  colony  established  a  post  at  Cushe- 
nock,  the  site  of  Augusta,  in  1628,  and  a  peaceful  traffic  was  carried 
on  for  thirty-four  years.  During  this  whole  period  of  comparative 
friendliness   they   did    nothing   to    impro\e   the   condition   of   the 

13  Hubbard,  Narrative  of  Indian  Wars:  p.  289. 


MAINE  INDIANS,  AND  THEIR  RELATIONS         69 

Indians  and  provided  them  with  neither  teachers  nor  preachers. 
When  trade  ceased  to  be  profitable  they  lett  them.  Many  of  the 
coast  settlers  were  a  reckless,  almost  godless  class  ot  people,  who 
dealt  in  all  ways  treacherously  with  the  Indians.  Suffering  from 
the  lack  of  a  clerg>'man  in  their  midst  and  the  habit  of  Sabbath 
observance  they  gave  themselves  o\'er  to  license  and  dissipation 
and  inspired  little  respect  and  much  terror  in  the  hearts  of  their 
red  neighbors. 

(  To  be  continued  ) 

TO   THE    PINE   TREE   STATE 

(Arthur  W.  Stewart) 

I  Hail  Thee,  Pine  Tree  State, 

The  land  that  gave  me  birth ; 
There  is  no  fairer  spot  to  me 

On  God's  green  earth. 

I  Hail  Thee,  Pine  Tree  State 

And  my  heart  with  rapture  thrills 

As  I  look  upon  thy  rivers,  lakes 
And  pine  clad  hills. 

I  Hail  Thee  as  a  state 

Conservative  'tis  true, 
But  sure  to  reach  success 

In  whate'er  you  tr>-  to  do. 

I  Hail  Thee  for  thy  statesmen 

Who  have  helped  to  place  thy  name 

High  among  thy  sister  states, 
High  in  the  halls  of  fame. 

I  Hail  Thee  for  th\'  writers. 

And  the  good  that  they  have  done 

In  all  the  evils  we've  attacked, 
And  the  victories  we  have  won. 

I  Hail  Thee  for  thy  sires  and  dames, 

Of  sturdy  stock  were  they; 
We  little  know  what  they  endured 

For  this  enlightened  day. 


yo       SPRAGUE'S    JOURNAL    OF    MAINE    HISTORY 

I  Hail  Thee  for  thy  soldiers, 

Foremost  in  every  battle  fought 

To  uphold  the  honor  of  their  state 
And  bring  tyranny  to  naught. 

I  Hail  Thee  for  thy  foremost  place 
When  of  champions  there  is  need ; 

As  e\er  may  your  motto  be 
Dirigo  —  We  lead. 

I  Hail  Thee  Pine  Tree  State, 

I  hail  thee  once  again, 
And  may  your  star  forever  shine, 

Great  State  of  Maine. 

Augusta,  Me.,  May,  1921. 


A   BIT   OF   MAINE 

(Helen  L.  Worster) 

W'ith  a  box  of  bulbs  to  an  absent  friend 

I  send  a  little  bit  of  Maine, 
A  shallow  box  can  hold. 

To  sprout  upon  your  Jersey  plain. 
And  'neath  warm  skies  unfold. 

But  if  the  magic  power  I  had 

To  make  my  wish  come  true. 
The  sunset  dream  that  last  night  clad 

Our  hills,  I'd  send  to  you. 

The  rain  wet  breeze  to  you  should  bear 
The  Mayflower's  breath,  the  lark's  refrain, 

For  your  true  heart,  where'er  you  fare, 
Is  still  a  bit  of  Maine. 


Bangor,  April,  1921. 


THE    WASHBURN    FAMILY  71 

THE  WASHBURN  FAMILY  OF  LIVERMORE,  MAINE 

Mr.  R.  M.  Washburn,  in  a  recent  issue  of  the  Boston  Sunday 
Herald,  referring  to  this  family  of  famous  sons  of  Maine,  says  in 
part: 

Its  cradle,  now  in  a  private  family  museum  at  Livermore,  Me., 
in  the  11  children  of  Israel  and  Martha  Benjamin  Washburn,  has 
rocked  more  renown,  in  quality  and  quantity,  together,  than  any 
other,  I  believe.  Their  lives  ought  to  teach  the  kind  of  mothers 
we  know,  howexer  complacent  now,  in  their  own  fancied  triumphs, 
a  lesson  of  humility.  These  lives  are  now  recorded  by  me  with 
more  propriety  than  apparent,  because  I  have  been  unable,  as 
yet,  to  establish  a  kinship  with  them. 

These  are  the  facts  and  figures  of  the  11  children,  in  the  order 
of  their  birth,  of  Israel  and  Martha  Benjamin  Washburn,  of  whom 
I  write. 

1  —  Israel  of  Portland,  Me.  1813-83.  State  representative; 
congressman ;  Governor. 

2  —  Algernon  Sidney  of  Hallowell,  Me.     1814-79.     Banker. 

3  — Elihu  Benjamin  of  Chicago,  111.  1816-87.  Congressman; 
Secretary  of  state  under  Grant;   minister  to  France. 

4  —  Cadwalader  Golden  of  Madison,  Wis.  1818-82.  Congress- 
man;  go\ernor;    Washburn-Crosby  Flour  Company. 

5  —  Martha  Benjamin  Washburn  Stephenson  of  Mandon,  N.  D. 
1820-09. 

6  —  Charles  Ames  of  Morristown,  N.  J.  1822-89.  Elector  from 
California;  minister  to  Paraguay, 

7  — Samuel  Benjamin  of  Avon,  N.  Y.  1824-90.  Sea  captain; 
naval  officer,  civil  war. 

8  —  Mary  Benjamin  Washburn  Buffum  of  Louisiana,  Md. 
1825-67. 

9  — William  Drew  of  Minneapolis,  Minn.  1831-12.  Clerk  of 
Congress;  state  representative;  congressman;  United  States 
senator;   Washburn-Pillsbury  Flour  Company. 

10 — Caroline  Ann  Washburn  Holmes  of  Minneapolis,  Minn. 
1833-20. 

11  — William  Allen  Drew  of  Livermore,  Me.     Died  at  1  year. 

To  sum  up,  the  average  age  of  these  1 1  children  is  64.  The  last  of 
them,  a  daughter,  died  in  1920.  It  is  significant  that  the  seven 
brothers  who  lived  made  their  mark  in  six  different  states  and 


72       SPRAGUE'S    JOURNAL    OF    MAINE    HISTORY 


were  not  borne  on  In*  the  inertia  of  family  in  one  state.  They 
include  two  great  business  men.  In  the  public  service,  where  they 
have  been  best  known,  they  include  two  state  representatives, 
four  in  Congress  at  the  same  time,  one  being  clerk;  two  governors, 
two  foreign  ministers,  one  in  France  at  the  time  of  the  Commune; 
one  secretary  of  state  and  one  United  States  senator.  The  Field 
family  was  a  great  family  in  quality,  but  yields  to  this  in  quantity 
of  ciuality. 

Maine,  to  me,  has  not  seemed  alive  enough  to  her  great  sons 
who  are  now  dead.  I  once  asked,  in  a  town  library  there,  tor  a 
life  of  Blaine.  The  attendant,  dazed,  inquired  what  Blaine.  I 
replied  that  it  was  my  wife  who  wanted  the  book,  but  that  I  would 
return  with  the  full  name,  which  I  had  stupidly  neglected  to  get. 
What  state  has  greater  names  than  Hale,  Frye,  Dingley,  Reed  and 
Blaine? 

A  monument  should  be  erected  in  Portland,  where  it  can  be 
easily  reached  and  seen,  on  the  Reed  Esplanade,  looking  toward 
Mt.  Washington  to  the  west,  by  the  mothers  of  Maine,  to  Martha 
Benjamin  Washburn.  It  should  be  a  shaft  with  her  figure  upon 
the  top.  It  should  be  octagonal,  and  should  bear  upon  its  seven 
sides  the  names  of  these  seven  sons,  and  upon  the  eighth  the  infant 
boy  and  the  three  daughters.  While  fathers  often  live  in  history, 
the  mothers,  who  mould  the  characters  of  the  children,  are  too 
much  forgotten. 

Of  such  has  the  great  family  of  Washburn,  of  Maine,  in  quantity 
and  quality,  together,  excelled. 


LETTERS 

Saint  Cloud,  Florida,  March  21,  192L 
I  have  been  greatly  interested  in  your  articles'  on  the  Bench 
and  Bar  of  Maine,  but  as  a  native  of  Waldo  County  I  feel  like 
calling  your  attention  to  the  omission  of  names  of  men  who  were 
the  peer  of  any  lawyers  at  any  other  county  bar.  You  placed 
Joseph  Williamson  the  most  prominent,  giving  E.  K.  Smart  and 
A.  G.  Jewett  casual  notice.  I  do  not  for  an  instant  suggest  by 
design,  for  I  know  by  experience  in  a  small  way  the  trials  of  a 
historian. 

1  The  writer  refers  to  an  address  on  a  Century  of  the  Bar  of  Maine,  delivered  by  the  editor 
of  the  Journal,  before  the  Maine  Bar  Association  in  January  of  the  present  year,  and  later  pub- 
lished in  the  Lewiston  Journal  Magazine. 


LETTERS  73 

Jonathan   G.    Dickerson,   who   died   a   Judge,    Neniiah   Abbott, 

member  of  Congress  in   1860,  W.  G.  Crosby,  formerly  Governor, 

Enoch  K.  Boyle,  County  Attorney,  W.  H.  Folger,  Colonel  in  Army, 

later  judge,  Frank  O.  Nickerson,  a  general  in  the  army,  who  died 

in  Roshndale,  Mass.,  four  years  since,  at  age  of  91,  a  strong  lawyer 

and  persuasive  advocate.     A.  G.  Jewett  was  a  classic  scholar  and 

fine  gentleman,  well  read  in  the  law,  away  back  in  1840,  when  he 

contested  with  Hannibal  Hamlin  tor  the  Congressional  nomination 

and  nearly  deieated  him,  afterwards  minister  to  Peru.     In  later 

years  Belfast  was  his  home.     During  the  last  twenty  years  of  his 

life  he  lived  on  a  farm,  gave  but  little  attention  to  law  books, 

but  appeared  in  court  in  a  short  faded  jacket,  the  terror  of  all 

lawyers;    most  courteous  to  the  trial  judge  but  a  bulldozer  to  his 

opponent.     He  went  to  Rockland  and  tried  cases  against  Gould, 

to  Houlton,  and  went  right  to  the  marrow  in  the   Powers  case, 

to  Portland  against  Judge  Webb  in  a  railroad  damage  suit,  terribly 

embarrassing  Webb  b>'  his  personal  attacks.     Abbott  was  a  great 

lawyer  and  advocate.     When  Jewett  was  lambasting  him  on  one 

occasion  the  judge  interfered.     Abbott  replied:    "  Don't  stop  him, 

Judge,  for  we  shall  never  ha\'e  one  like  him  again."     Dickerson 

was  a  leader  of  the  wild  cat  faction  of  democracy  and  E.  K.  Smart 

of  the  Wool   Head.     Dickerson   developed   in    law   later.     Smart 

never  was  great  in  the  law,  but  one  of  the  strongest  and  sturdiest 

politicians  Maine  ever  had.     Had  he  been  with  the  majority  party, 

his  career  the  last  twenty  years  of    his  life,     would    have    left  a 

name  to  be  remembered.     Enoch  K.  Boyle  was  a  waif,  an  orphan 

from   the  poor   farm,  an  orator  and   ad\-ocate.     He  li\ed  on   his 

will  for  years,  having  hemorrhage  of  the  lungs  at  intervals,  and 

could  be  tracked  from  his  office  to  his  home    by    blood.     A  fellow 

of  fine  preserve.     Most  genial  in  his  association,  most  courteous 

to  all.     He  had  about  ten  years  of  successful  practice,  and  then 

was  taken  away,  less  than  40. 

Col.  N.  H.  Hubbard  of  Wlnterport  would  take  fair  rank  with 
Joseph  Williamson.  Learned  in  the  law,  but  not  an  advocate. 
They  both  prepared  cases  for  sonie  more  brilliant  fellow  to  present 
to  the  jury.  Folger  was  a  fine  fellow,  a  good  law>-er  and  fair 
advocate. 

I  know  you  will  pardon  me  for  this  letter,  written  from  an  im- 
pulse after  returning  from  Tampa,  after  an  absence  of  some  weeks 
to  find  an  accumulation  of  Lewiston  Journals,  that  paper  that  has 
prevented   me   for   39   years   from   obtaining   a   divorce   from   the 


74      SPRAGUE'S    JOURNAL    OF    MAINE    HISTORY 

State  of  Maine.  I,  too,  was  a  Statesman  of  Maine.  As  a  follower 
of  old  Solon,  and  Senator  from  Waldo  County  in  1879.  My 
room-mate  being  Chase  of  Sebec,  with  whom  I  corresponded  to 
the  day  of  his  death.  A  good  practical,  solid,  sensible  gentleman. 
I  now  notice  that  his  son  has  also  represented  the  County  in  the 
Senate. 

W.  \V.  Thomas  and  (I  think)  Judge  Morrison  of  Franklin  County 
and  myself,  are  the  only  survivors  of  that  Senate  of  79,  the  last 
of  the  Mohicans.  Moody  of  the  Council  is  back  as  representative 
from  York.  Nor  must  I  forget  Wm.  H.  McLellan  of  Belfast, 
Attorney  General.  Cool,  learned  in  the  law,  an  ingenious  builder 
of  all  sorts  of  arguments  in  his  mastery  address  to  juries.  Waldo 
County  regarded  him  as  one  of  her  best.  When  A.  P.  Gould  ad- 
vised that  the  Court  had  business  to  be  referred  to  the  Supreme 
Court,  he  said  to  the  Conference  they  cannot  revise  their  opinion 
in  the  Madigan  Case.  McLellan  who  opposed  strenuously  such 
reference  exclaimed  Mr.  Gould,  they  will  revise  and  find  the  law 
to  do  it. 

Well  I  will  bring  this  incoherent  epistle  to  a  close.  I  w^as  76 
March  5,  and  have  fully  recovered  my  health  in  Florida,  where 
I  came  a  paralytic  and  physical  wreck  three  years  ago. 

I  resided  in  Boston  from  81  to  83,  and  in  Chicago  for  33  years 
where  I  edited  the  Chicago  Opinion  for  14  years.  Have  written 
some  on  old  timers  for  Belfast  Journal,  occasionally  for  Lewiston 
Journal. 

Yours  truly, 

CassHss  Clay  Roberts. 

JOHN    BURROUGHS 

Mr.  Freeman  F.  Burr  of  Augusta,  Maine,  geologist,  employed 
by  the  Central  Maine  Power  Company,  contributes  the  following 
letter  from  the  late  John  Burroughs,  the  great  American  geologist. 

In  a  note  accompanying  it  he  says: 

Enclosed  is  a  copy  of  a  letter  from  John  Burroughs,  and  is  one 
of  several  letters  received  from  the  great  naturalist,  all  equally 
cordial  and  sincere,  and  all  testifying  to  the  simple,  unassuming 
humanity  of  the  man.  In  the  date,  I  find  that  the  year  is  omit- 
ted: it  would  not  be  a  serious  error  to  say  that  it  was  written 
in  1911. 

The  son,  Julian,  was  a  college  mate  of  mine  at  Harvard.  The 
alphabetical  arrangement  in  classes  placed  us  side  by  side  in  the 


LETTERS  75 

philosophy  course  referred  to  in  the  letter,  and  it  was  through  this 
accident  that  I  first  came  in  personal  contact  with  Mr.  Burroughs 
himsell.     This  must  have  been  in  1899. 

It  may  be  worth  while  to  recall  another  incident.  It  was  on 
the  occasion  of  a  reception  to  M.  Henri  Bergson,  the  distinguished 
French  philisopher  given  in  one  of  the  halls  of  Columbia  Uni- 
versity. Entering  the  hall,  I  looked  for  the  lion  of  the  occasion, 
and  discovered  him  standing  in  the  midst  of  a  small  group  of 
earnest  men  and  women.  On  the  other  side  of  the  room  was  a 
much  larger  group,  gathered  about  some  person  whom  I  could 
not  at  first  identify:  in  a  moment  this  person  turned,  and  I  found 
that  the  center  of  attraction  was  John  Burroughs. 

West  Park,  N.  Y.,  June  2d. 
Dear  Mr.  Burr: 

Yes,  my  son  remembers  you  in  Phil,  1  a  at  Harvard,  &  I  recall 
being  with  him  at  one  of  the  lectures.  He  is  the  Julian  Burroughs 
to  whom  you  refer.  He  is  married  &  has  two  charming  little 
girls.     He  li\'es  here  &  runs  the  fruit  farm. 

I  do  not  think  the  gray  &  red  squirrels  ever  cross.  Last  summer 
I  heard  of  two  gray  red  squirrels  such  as  \ou  describe  not  tar 
from  here.  I  tried  to  see  them  but  only  caught  a  glimpse  of  the 
tail  of  one  of  them  as  it  ran  into  a  hole  under  the  eaves  of  a  house. 
Its  tail  was  decidedly  gray.  The  nest  of  oak  leaves  to  which  you 
reter  is  more  like  the  work  of  the  gray  squirrel.  I  think  you 
might  shoot  one  of  those  squirrels  for  purposes  of  identification. 
Maybe  a  new  species  has  suddenly  appeared. 

Very  sincerely  yours, 

(Signed)     John  Burroughs. 

(From  Prof  William  Otis  Sawtelle,  at  Haverford  College.) 

Haverford,  Pa.,  March  21,  1921. 
My  dear  Mr.  Sprague:  — 

Realizing  that  all  the  nice  things  that  can  honestly  be  said  about 
your  Journal  and  the  work  that  you  are  doing  for  Maine  doesn't 
really  help  much,  unless  your  subscription  list  is  thereby  increased 
I  am  enclosing  check  for  four  dollars  and  am  asking  you  to  send 
me  two  copies  of  the  Journal. 

There  are  not  many  people  in  this  part  of  the  world  who  are 
interested  in  Maine  history  so  I  am  unable  to  add  any  new  names 
to  your  list  of  subscribers;    but  I  am  most  anxious  to  show  you 


76       SPRAGUE'S    JOURNAL    OF    ^lAIXE    HISTORY 


in  some  tangible  form,  how  much  I  appreciate  what  you  have 
done  and  what  you  are  doing  for  the  State  and  what  >'Our  Journal 
means  to  me  personally. 

Sincerely  yours, 

Wm.  Otis  Sawtelle. 

(Ernest  L.   McLean,  Augusta.) 

I  am  certainly  glad  to  do  my  bit  towards  the  support  of  a  peri- 
odical of  the  merits  of  Sprague's  Journal. 

(From  Honorable  Henry  E.  Dunnack,  State  Librarian,  Augusta,  Maine.) 

Flagg's  "  Alphabetical  Index  of  Re\-olutionary  Pensioners  Living 
in  Maine,"  is  one  of  the  finest  pieces  of  work  that  has  been  carried 
out  under  \our  direction.  I  hope  you  will  soon  start  some  other 
items. 

PATTEN    LIBRARY   ASSOCIATION    OF    BATH    STARTED 

IN    1847 

The  Patten  Library  Association  in  Bath  was  started  by  George 
F.  and  John  Patten  with  132  citizens,  who,  on  October  9,  1847, 
signed  a  paper  of  agreement  to  become  subscribers  to  a  stock 
joint  library  and  organized  in  the  office  of  Israel  Putnam,  Bath's 
"  war  mayor,"  the  doctor  presiding,  and  the  late  E.  S.  J.  Nealley, 
collector  of  customs  for  this  port  for  many  years,  acting  as  secretary. 

The  meeting  in  Dr.  Putnam's  office  was  November  8,  1847.  Mr. 
Nealley  continued  as  secretary  until  1876  when  he  was  followed 
by  C.  B.  Lemont  until  his  removal  to  Boston,  when  James  S. 
Lowell  became  the  secretary  and  has  held  the  office  since.  George 
F.  Patten  was  elected  first  president,  holding  the  office  until  1857. 
Caleb  S.  Jenks  presided  up  to  1862;  Amos  Nourse,  a  leading 
physician  of  Bath  and  for  a  term  U.  S.  senator  from  Lincoln 
county,  to  1865;  Rev.  S.  F.  Dike,  D.  D.,  to  1870;  Israel  Putnam 
to  1876;  E.  S.  J.  Nealley  to  1882;  John  Patten  to  1887;  Galen 
C.  Morse  until  his  death;  Hon.  Harold  M.  Sewall  became  presi- 
dent and  is  still  the  executive  head. 

August  6,  1852,  George  F.  and  John  Patten  purchased  at  auction 
sale  for  vS300  the  King  library,  all  the  books,  cases,  maps,  globes 
that  had  been  collected  and  used  by  Maine's  first  governor,  Wil- 
liam King,  and  presented  the  property  to  the  Library  association 
on  condition  that  "  the  same  revert  to  the  donors  in  event  the 


PATTEN    LIBRARY   ASSOCIATION  yj 


association  should  ever  be  dissolved  and  also  on  condition  that  a 
suitable  room  be  obtained  for  the  whole  library." 

It  was  May  6,  1878,  that  John  Patten,  one  of  Bath's  grand 
old  citizens  executed  a  deed  of  trust  to  the  association,  gi\ing-  to 
it  a  house  and  lot  on  Center  street  and  providing  that  whenever 
the  city  established  a  public  library  and  appropriated  not  less  than 
S300  yearh'  for  its  maintenance,  the  propcrt>'  should  lie  trans- 
ferred to  the  city.  The  following  week  the  trust  was  accepted  and 
the  books  were  transferred  from  the  hall  in  the  top  story  of  the 
building  in  which  the  Johnson  bakery  is  located  on  Front  street 
in  January,  1880,  to  the  Center  street  building  where  the  library 
had  its  home  until  the  present  structure  on  the  park  was  pre- 
sented by  Galen  C.  Moses  in  1887. 

This  gift  of  Mr.  Moses  was  on  condition  that  a  site  be  provided, 
he  agreeing  to  pay  j?  10,000  for  the  construction  ot  a  suitable  build- 
ing thereon.  Time  went  on  and  the  city  government  took  no 
action  toward  providing  a  site,  nor  did  it  ever  thank  the  generous 
donor  for  his  gift.  Finally,  when  it  seemed  that  the  offer  would 
lapse,  ladies  and  gentlemen  came  to  the  Bath  Independent  and 
requested  that  it  would  aid  in  obtaining,  by  one  of  its  popular 
subscription  efforts,  money  for  the  site.  Even  then,  nothing  was 
done  for  several  months  when  those  interested  returned  and  again 
begged  the  Independent  to  act,  saying  that  unless  it  did,  "  no  one 
else  would  and  that  the  offer  of  Mr.  Moses  would  lapse."  The 
Independent  acted  and  a  subscription  movement  was  started  like 
one  of  the  recent  war  drives;  the  Torrey  mansion  on  the  present 
site  of  the  library  was  purchased;  then  the  Snow  building  on  the 
extreme  point  ot  the  park  was  bought  with  its  land  adjoining  the 
Torrey  grounds,  thus  making  a  complete  square  of  the  park; 
George  Edward  Harding,  for  his  part  of  the  enterprise,  had  his 
firm  of  architects  in  New  York  city  provide  the  plans  of  the 
building,  which  he  presented  the  association.  Roughly  estimated, 
the  total  cost  of  the  purchase  of  the  properties  on  that  corner  of 
the  park  and  the  grading  amounted  to  $8500.  Then  Mr.  Moses 
made  good  his  offer  and  laid  out  more  than  $10,000  in  the  con- 
struction of  the  library  structure.  December  29,  1890,  he  trans- 
ferred the  property  to  the  city  and  January  1,  1891,  the  library 
was  opened  to  the  citizens  of  Bath,  free  for  all  time. 

The  above  is  a  clipping  from  a  newspaper  If  any  of  the  statements  are  inaccurate,  or  im 
portant  facts  have  been  omitted,  will  the  Patten  Library  kindly  furnish  them  to  the  Journal  ? 
(Editor.) 


78      SPRAGUE'S    JOURNAL    OF    MAINE    HISTORY 
JAMES   PHINNEY   BAXTER 

(By  the  Editor) 

A  brilliant  human  light  was  extinguished,  when,  on  Sunday, 
May  8,  1921,  at  his  home  in  Portland,  occurred  the  death  of  James 
Phinney  Baxter,  father  of  Governor  Percival  P.  Baxter.  It  is 
onl\-  the  truth  to  say  that  he  was  one  of  the  greatest  of  Maine's 
eminent  men  of  the  present  generation.  He  was  born  in  Gorham, 
Maine,  March  23,  1831,  the  son  of  Dr.  Elihu  and  Sarah  (Cone) 
Baxter.  When  nine  years  of  age  his  parents  moved  to  Portland 
which  was  e\er  after  his  home.  At  that  time  there  was  in  Port- 
land a  far  famed  school  for  boys  known  as  "  Master  Jackson's 
School."  He  was  a  scholar  there  until  thirteen  years  ot  age  when 
he  attended  the  Lynn  Academy  four  years.  At  first  his  parents 
were  desirous  of  his  becoming  a  lawyer  and  he  entered  the  office 
of  Rufus  Choate  in  Boston  for  this  purpose,  but  failing  health 
compelled  him  to  return  to  Portland,  and  his  legal  studies  thus 
interrupted  were  never  resumed.  He  entered  into  the  business  of 
importing  dry  goods  with  the  late  William  G.  Davis  who  was  later 
prominent  in  the  affairs  of  the  Maine  Central  Railroad.  Baxter 
and  Davis  were  pioneers  in  the  canning  and  packing  business  and 
Maine  owes  them  much  for  successfully  de\'eloping  this  great 
industry  in  our  State. 

Possibly  his  experience  as  a  boy  in  the  Portland  schools  con- 
vinced him  that  the  opportunities  for  impro\ing  educational  con- 
ditions there  were  ^'ast.  But  from  whatever  source  his  inspira- 
tion may  have  come  he  was  for  a  lifetime  a  consistent  and  per- 
sistent advocate  of  whatever  would  advance  the  cause  of  educa- 
tion in  his  city  and  his  State. 

Successful  in  all  of  his  undertakings  he  acquired  a  large  fortune, 
but  wealth  did  not  narrow  his  vision,  shri\-el  his  manhood,  or  dry 
up  his  milk  of  human  kindness.  His  benevolence  and  philanthropy 
as  a  private  citizen  and  his  activities  in  organized  charities  are 
known  to  all  men. 

To  his  native  town  and  his  adopted  city  he  has  donated  public 
libraries,  and  has  made  other  munificent  gifts  in  other  directions 
of  a  pul)lic  nature.  The  city  of  Portland  and  the  State  of  Maine 
have  in  innumerable  ways  been  benefited  by  his  life  efforts. 

A  publicist  of  strong  convictions,  fearless  in  his  positions  when 
believing  that  he  was  right,  he  was  long  an  important  factor  and 
a  moulder  of  thought  in  political  and  public  affairs.  And  yet 
political  management  as  such  never  appealed  to  him.     He  ne\-er 


JAMES    PHINNEY    BAXTER  79 

held  but  one  important  office,  so  far  as  we  are  aware,  which  was 
when  the  people  of  his  city  demanded  his  services  as  mayor  which 
position  he  held  for  six  years. 

He  was  at  the  time  of  his  death  president  of  the  Portland  Public 
Library,  the  Baxter  Library  of  Gorham,  the  Benevolent  Society 
and  since  1890  of  the  Maine  Historical  Society,  also  an  overseer 
of  Bowdoin  College.  He  was  connected  with  the  New  England 
Historical  and  Genealogical  Society,  the  American  Antiquarian 
Society,  the  American  Academy  of  Arts  and  Sciences,  the  Massa- 
chusetts Historical  Society  and  the  Old  Colon>'  Historical  Society. 
He  also  held  the  office  of  secretary  of  foreign  correspondence  of 
the  American  Antiquarian  Society. 

But  this  many  sided  man  will  be  best  known  in  the  field  of 
literature  and  historical  research,  and  as  an  authority  on  New 
England  history,  especially  that  portion  of  it  pertaining  to  Maine's 
colonial  period.  In  this  regard  he  has  left  monuments  for  him- 
self which  will  last  through  the  ages. 

His  intellectual  activities  for  the  past  century  have  amazed 
those  of  his  friends  who  fulh^  realized  what  a  busy  life  he  led  along 
other  and  diverse  lines.  In  his  younger  days  Mr.  Baxter  con- 
tributed poetry  to  literary  journals  like  The  Home  Journal,  Shil- 
laber's  Carpet  Bag,  Godey's  Lady's  Book,  the  Portland  Tran- 
script, etc.  We  have  not  the  necessary  data  at  hand  to  enumerate 
all  of  his  labors  as  an  author.  Williamson's  Bibliography  of 
Maine,  published  in  1896,  has  a  list  of  twenty-seven  at  that  time. 
Among  his  most  important  works  are  The  Trelawney  Papers, 
George  Cle\'e  and  His  Times,  The  British  Invasion  from  the 
North,  Sir  Ferdinando  Gorges  and  His  Province  of  Maine,  The 
Pioneers  of  New  France  in  New  England,  The  Voyages  of  Jacques 
Cartier,  Journal  of  Lieut.  William  Digby,  1776-1777.  Only  six 
years  ago  (1915),  he  contributed  to  the  literature  of  the  world 
an  important  and  learned  study  of  the  Bacon-Shakespeare  con- 
troversy. This  was  published  under  the  title  of  "  The  Greatest 
ot  Literary  Problems  "  and  elicited  much  discussion  among  re- 
viewers and  men  of  letters. 

Twenty-four  volumes  of  the  Documentary  History  of  Maine, 
have  been  published  all  of  them  part  of  the  Collections  of  the 
Maine  Historical  Society.  The  first  two  volumes  were  edited  by 
William  Willis,  and  Charles  Deane,  and  the  two  volumes  of  the 
Farnham  Papers,  were  edited  by  Mary  Frances  Farnham.  The 
other  twenty  volumes  which  include  the  Trelawney  Papers,  were 


8o      SPRAGUE'S    JOURNAL    OF    AIAIXE    HISTORY 

edited  by  Mr.  Baxter.  The  nineteen  volumes  of  the  Baxter  Manu- 
scripts represent  one  of  the  greatest  feats  of  historical  research 
e\er  performed  by  any  one  person  that  we  have  knowledge  of. 
Mr.  Baxter,  at  his  own  expense  visited  and  personally  examined 
all  of  the  records,  letters,  deeds,  or  writings  of  any  description 
pertaining  to  the  history  of  Maine,  in  the  archiv^es  of  Boston, 
New  York,  Philadelphia,  Montreal,  Quebec,  London,  and  Paris, 
and  jjrocured  copies  ot  them.  These  are  what  constitute  the 
"Baxter  Manuscripts."  They  are  invaluable  to  all  students  of 
Maine  history.  No  accurate  story  of  Maine's  Colonial  and  Revo- 
lutionar}'  periods,  or  of  any  parts  thereof,  can  ever  in  all  the  fulness 
of  time,  be  written  or  compiled  without  reference  to  them. 

It  is  truly  a  large  footprint  on  the  sands  of  time.     It  is  the 
record  of  a  great  and  worthy  achievement. 


TABLET    TO    THE    LATE    SAMUEL    L.    BOARDMAN 

It  has  been  the  custom  of  the  Maine  Federation  of  Agricultural 
Associations,  which  comprise  most  of  the  agricultural  organizations 
in  Maine,  to  erect,  every  alternate  year,  in  the  Maine  College  of 
Agriculture  a  bronze  tablet  in  memory  of  someone  who  has  dis- 
tinguished himself  promoting  agriculture  in  this  state.  Recently 
in  connection  with  the  Farmers'  week  activities  at  the  college,  a 
tablet  was  erected  and  dedicated  in  memory  of  Samuel  Lane 
Boardman,  who  died  in  1914,  and  who  was  well  known  as  an 
agricultural  editor  and  writer. 

Mr.  Boardman  was  born  in  Bloomfield,  now  the  town  of  Skow- 
hegan,  in  1836.  He  was  assistant  editor  of  the  Country  Gentleman, 
Albany,  N.  Y.,  in  1859;  editor  of  the  Maine  Farmer  from  1861  to 
1878;  editor  of  the  American  Cultivator,  Boston,  in  1873;  editor 
and  publisher  of  the  Home  Farm,  Augusta  from  1880  to  1886; 
agricultural  editor  of  the  Kennebec  Journal  from  1889  to  1892; 
secretary  of  the  Maine  State  Agricultural  Society,  1855  to  1874; 
member  of  the  Maine  Board  of  Agriculture  from  1872  to  1874; 
trustee  of  the  Maine  State  College  of  Agriculture  and  Mechanic 
Arts,  1874  to  1879;  member  of  the  board  of  managers  of  the 
Maine  Agricultural  Experiment  Station,  1885  to  1887. 

The  dedicatory  exercises  were  followed  by  a  meeting  of  the 
Maine  Federation  of  Agricultural  Associations. 


EARLY    CHURCHES    IN    P(3RTLAND  8i 

EARLY   CHURCHES   IN   PORTLAND 

(By  Florence  Whittlesey  Thompson) 

Prior  to  the  Revolutionary  War  there  were  but  two  churches 
in  that  part  of  Fahiiouth  which  is  now  Portland.  One  was  the 
old  First  Parish,  a  rough  log  house  on  India  Street  near  Middle 
Street,  in  w^iich  Parson  Smith  began  his  noted  pastorate  in  1727, 
and  which  was  replaced  in  1740  by  a  new  wooden  structure  on 
the  site  of  the  present  First  Parish  Church  on  Congress  Street. 
The  other  was  Old  St.  Paul's,  an  Episcopal  Church  on  Middle 
Street  at  the  corner  of  Church  Street.  This,  also  a  wooden  struc- 
ture, was  built  in  1765.  Old  St.  Paul's  was  an  off-shoot  of  the 
First  Parish,  but  not  its  first  one,  for  there  were  others  in  neigh- 
boring villages,  but  St.  Paul's  was  the  first  that  was  not  trinitarian 
Congregational. 

There  were  many  reasons  why  certain  of  Parson  Smith's  parish- 
ioners sought  another  church.  Some  did  not  like  his  preaching. 
Some  objected  to  paying  the  salaries  of  two  ministers,  those  of 
Parson  Smith  and  his  new  colleague  Rev.  Mr.  Deane,  but  many 
w^ere  of  English  birth  and  had  been  brought  up  in  the  Church  of 
England  and  had  only  been  attending  the  First  Parish  Church 
because  there  was  no  other  church.  In  1763  the  break  came. 
Forty  men,  many  of  whom  were  men  of  affairs  and  position  in 
the  town,  organized  themselves  into  a  parish  and  asked  the  Rev. 
Mr.  Wiswell  of  the  Congregational  Church  of  New  Casco  to  be 
their  minister.  He  accepted  their  call,  went  to  England  for  Epis- 
copal ordination,  and  returned  to  be  the  first  minister  of  Old  St. 
Paul's  where  he  remained  until  the  church  and  Portland  were 
burned  in  1775  by  the  British. 

Those  members  of  the  new  parish  who  had  been  members  of 
the  First  Parish  continued  to  be  taxed  for  the  support  of  the 
mother  church,  but  after  1772  the  First  Parish  returned  to  Mr. 
Wiswell  the  money  that  had  been  collected  from  St.  Paul's  and 
two  years  later  joined  St.  Paul's  in  a  petition  to  the  General  Court 
in  Boston  to  abolish  the  tax.  In  the  meantime,  the  English 
Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Gospel  in  Foreign  Parts  con- 
tributed twenty  pounds  a  year  towards  the  support  of  the  minis- 
ter of  St.  Paul's. 

The  Revolutionary  War  had  a  most  disastrous  effect  upon  both 
the  First  Parish  and  the  Episcopal  Church,  but  especially  upon 
the  latter.     As  most  of  its  members  were  royalists,  many,  including 


82       SPRAGUE'S    JOURNAL    OF    MAINE    HISTORY 


(Cnn-tesy  of  J.   P.   Gi'cnier,   Supt.   State   Printing) 
FIRST  PARISH  CHURCH,      PORTLAND,     MAINE 

the  minister,  left  the  country.  Parson  Smith's  house  being  burned, 
he  moved  to  Windham  to  hve  with  his  son.  His  colleague,  Mr. 
Deane,  moved  to  Gorham  and  there  were  only  occasional  services 
held  by  them  in  Portland. 

The  First  Parish  Church,  because  of  its  location  (then  considered 
far  up  town)  escaped  the  ravages  of  the  fire  that  destroyed  the 
lower  town.  Although  it  was  badly  shattered  by  the  enemy's 
firing  it  was  not  beyond  repair  and  remained  the  meeting  place 
for  Congregationalists  until  the  present  beautiful  stone  church 
was  built  in  1826. 


EARLY   SETTLEMENT   ON   THE   KENNEBEC        83 

There  were  no  Episcopal  services  during  the  war  and  it  was 
not  until  1783  that  the  remnant  of  the  Episcopal  Church  met  to 
reorganize.  In  1787  a  second  edifice  was  erected  which  was  of 
wood  like  the  first  and  on  the  site  of  the  old  church.  Owing  to 
the  distressing  effects  of  the  war,  the  church  was  in  a  struggling 
condition  for  fifteen  years  or  more. 

In  1803  a  splendid  group  of  men  whose  names  are  still  known 
in  Portland  history  took  the  church  in  hand.  They  sold  the 
church  and  lot  at  public  auction,  and  bought  another  lot  a  block 
further  up  the  street  where  they  built  a  new  church  on  Middle 
Street  facing  Pearl  Street.  This  was  a  brick  church  with  a  mas- 
sive tower  and  an  open  belfry  in  which  hung  a  deep  toned  bell. 
This  church  continued  to  be  known  as  St.  Paul's  until  1839  when 
the  parish  was  again  reorganized  under  the  name  of  St.  Stephen's, 
by  which  name  it  was  known  until  it  was  burned  in  the  great 
Portland  fire  of  1866. 

In  1820  during  the  ministry  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Ten  Broeck,  while 
this  organization  was  still  called  St.  Paul's,  the  Diocese  was 
formed  —  the  same  year  in  which  the  State  of  Maine  was  admitted 
to  the  Union  —  so  that  in  1920  both  the  Diocese  and  the  State 
celebrate  their  Centenary. 


AN    EARLY    SETTLEMENT    ON    THE    KENNEBEC 

(By  Robert  H.  Gardiner.  ) 

Few  localities  along  the  Kennebec  River  offer  more  interesting- 
history  than  the  present  town  of  Dresden.  It  was  a  part  of  what 
was  known  as  the  Frankfort  Plantation  which  includes  the  present 
towns  of  Dresden,  Wiscasset,  Alna  and  Perkins.  Later  on  in  1760 
these  towns  were  incorporated  under  the  name  of  Pownalboro  in 
honor  of  the  Massachusetts  governor  of  that  date.  Pownalboro 
(Dresden)  became  the  shire  town  and  so  remained  for  34  years. 
In  1794  Dresden,  Perkins  and  Alna  were  set  off,  while  the  name  of. 
Pownalboro  was  retained  for  that  section  now  known  as  Wiscasset 
This  latter  name  was  adopted  in  1802  and  the  good  old  name  of 
the  original  incorporation  was  lost  to  that  section. 

Pioneer  life  always  included  protection  against  the  Indians,  so 
we  find  records  of  a  block  house  where  all  could  take  refuge  in  the 
time  of  attack.  This  house  no  longer  exists,  but  close  to  it  in  point 
of  space  was  built  in  1761  a  large  Court  House  which  still  remains. 


84       vSPRAGUE'S    JOURNAL    OF    MAINE    HISTORY 

Many  a  conflict  between  the  Garcliners,  Bayards  and  Qtiincys 
took  place  within  these  walls  and  here  rang  the  eloquence  of  Presi- 
dent John  Adams,  Judge  Gushing  and  the  Sewalls.  In  1760  the 
famous  Boston  Massacre  case  was  tried  here  and  John  Adams  the 
lawyer  for  the  defence  of  Captain  Preston,  travelled  from  Boston 
to  Pownalboro  on  horseback  following  a  blazed  trail,  a  far  cry  to 
our  present  speed  by  automobile,  but  was  the  journey  less  pleas- 
urable? This  old  court  house  is  now  the  residence  of  direct  de- 
scendants of  Samuel  Goodwin,  the  first  owner,  who  had  his  grant 
directly  from  the  builders,  The  Plymouth  Company.  The  Good- 
win family  preserve  as  nearly  as  possible  the  old  furnishings  which 
include  valuable  portraits  of  Thomas  Johnson,  whose  mother  was 
a  daughter  of  Samuel  Goodwin,  and  of  Rebecca  Prescott,  grand- 
daughter of  Samuel  Goodwin.  The  upper  stor\-  of  the  house  re- 
mains with  one  exception  as  in  the  old  court  days.  The  old  court 
room  has  been  partitioned  off  into  bedrooms. 

Battles  of  tongues  were  not  the  onl\-  kind  that  waged  in  Pow- 
nalboro. During  the  Revolutionary  War,  Mr.  Jones,  familiarly 
known  as  "  Mahogany  Jones  "  on  account  of  his  dark  complexion, 
prompted  b\'  i^atriotism  headed  a  small  party  who  w^ent  to  the 
house  of  Brigadier  Gushing,  took  him  out  of  bed,  carried  him  o\'er 
to  the  Penobscot  and  delivered  him  to  the  British. 

Any  sketch  of  Pownalboro  or  Dresden  would  be  far  from  com- 
plete which  does  not  include  the  stor\'  of  St.  John's  Church  and 
the  Rew  Jacob  Baile>',  the  first  rector  and  missionary  to  these 
parts.  Through  the  influence  of  Dr.  Sylvester  Gardiner,  a  glebe 
lot  of  one  hundred  acres  was  granted  by  the  proprietors  of  the 
Kennebec  Purchase  and  by  November  1770  the  church  was  erected 
and  sufficienth'  completed  for  the  first  service.  Near  by  it  was 
built  the  parsonage,  long  promised  to  Mr.  Bailey.  He  gave  most 
unselfish  de\'Otion  to  his  scattered  flock,  but  during  the  Revolution 
showed  such  loyalty  to  the  Ro>'al  cause  that  in  1778  persecution 
was  so  great  that  he  was  obliged  to  flee  the  country.  The  loss  of 
the  shepherd  was  followed  by  the  desertion  of  the  flock  and  both 
church  and  parsonage  fell  down.  Thus  the  lot  was  forfeited,  but 
the  Company  by  suit  regained  possession  and  the  property  was 
granted  to  Trustees,  (Samuel  Summer  Wilde,  then  of  Hallowell, 
a  justice  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  Massachusetts  who  removed  to 
Massachusetts  on  the  separation  of  Maine;  James  Bridge  of 
Augusta;  and  Robert  Hallowell  Gardiner),  for  the  benefit  of  the 
minister  of  the  Congregational  Society  in  Dresden,  so  long  as  no 


A    PETER   EDEvS    ITEM  85 

Episcopal  Society  shall  exist  in  said  town,  but  when  an  Episcopal 
Society  shall  be  established  and  a  minister  settled  over  it  in  said 
town  then  for  the  use  and  benefit  or  said  Episcopal  minister.  Said 
society  was  established,  but  only  fragments  of  its  records  remain 
and  the  fund  is  still  held  by  succeeding  Trustees  for  the  benefit 
of  the  Episcopal  Church. 


A    PETER    EDES    ITEM 


A  valuable  and  interesting  historical  document  has  l)cen  given 
to  the  Bangor  Historical  Society,  in  the  form  of  a  letter  written 
by  Peter  Edes,  who  came  to  Bangor  o^•er  100  years  ago  and  estab- 
lished the  first  newspaper  to  be  published  there,  to  Sam  Dutton, 
Esq.,  one  of  the  city's  prominent  early  residents.  The  letter 
inquires  of  Mr.  Dutton  of  the  outlook  in  Bangor  for  the  estab- 
lishment of  a  newspaper,  Mr.  Edes,  who  had  been  conducting  a 
newspaper  in  Augusta,  having  been  obliged  to  give  up  his  busi- 
ness there  because  of  a  falling  off  of  his  business  due  to  the  entry 
in  the  field  of  a  third  newspaper  in  Hallowell.  Mr.  Dutton's 
reply  must  have  been  fa\orable  as  Peter  Edes  came  to  Bangor 
shortly  alter  and  set  up  his  plant.  The  historical  society  came 
into  possession  of  the  letter  thru  the  kindness  of  William  J.  Dut- 
ton, of  San  Francisco,  Cal.,  grandson  of  Sam  Dutton. 

The  letter  follows: 

Augusta,  March  29,  1814. 
Sam  Dutton,  Esq. 
Dear  Sir: 

Since  Mr.  Goodale  has  established  a  News  Paper  in  Hallowell, 
my  customers  are  falling  off.  I  therefore  think  it  my  duty  to 
seek  a  place  where  I  can  procure  a  living  for  my  family,  as  I  am 
confident  three  papers  cannot  be  published  here  to  any  profit  ; 
and  the  Hallowell  people  will  do  any  thing  to  pre\ent  their  paper 
from  being  discontinued  —  I  wish  I  could  say  the  same  of  Augusta. 

A  printer  is  wanted  at  Bath,  and  I  ha\-e  received  a  letter  from 
a  gentleman  there  on  the  subject;  I  have  mentioned  the  business 
to  some  of  my  friends  here,  and  they  advise  me  in  case  I  should 
leave  Augusta,  to  prefer  Bangor. 

If  it  be  the  wish  of  the  people  at  Bangor  and  the  neighboring 
towns,  to  have  a  printer,  be  so  good  as  to  draft  a  subscription 


86      SPRAGUE'S    JOURNAL    OF    MAINE    HISTORY 

paper  with  a  prospectus  and  forward  it  to  me,  and  I  will  strike 
some  off  and  send  them  to  \ou  for  circulation.  Tho  the  paper 
would  be  published  at  Bangor  I  think  some  general  title  would 
be  more  taking  with  the  people,  such  as  The  Hancock,  or  Hancock 
&  Washington.  A  few  gentlemen  might  get  together  and  agree 
upon  some  title.  If  seven  or  eight  hundred  good  subscribers 
could  be  obtained  I  would  make  arrangements  to  be  with  them. 
In  which  case  I  should  depend  upon  some  gentlemen  to  assist 
in  the  editorial  department. 

I  shall  rely  solely  on  your  opinion  with  respect  to  the  eligibility 
of  the  place  for  a  printer  confident  you  would  not  advise  me  to 
a  measure  that  you  thought  would  be  injurious  to  me. 

Your  friendship  and  assistance  in  this  undertaking  will  confer 
an  obligation  upon  me,  which  I  would  endeavor  to  cancel  when 
I  become  an  inhabitant  of  Bangor. 

Your  with  respect  and  esteem, 

Peter  Edes. 

A  line  from  you  as  soon  as  convenient  will  be  received  with 
pleasure,  and  I  hope  satisfaction. 


GENERAL  BUTLER  ONCE  A  MAINE  SCHOOL  TEACHER 

No  less  a  personage  than  General  Benjamin  F.  Butler  taught 
two  or  more  terms  in  the  little  schoolhouse  in  Corn\-ille,  Maine. 
Butler  was  a  nati\e  of  New  Hampshire  but  studied  for  a  time  at 
Colby  College.  Being  poor  he  worked  his  way  thru  college  by 
teaching  school.  That  is  how  he  came  to  be  a  resident  of  Corn- 
ville.  Ben  was  a  picturesque  character  e\en  in  his  youth  with 
the  same  lop-eye  he  carried  in  older  life,  which  gave  an  uncertain, 
cjuizzical  expression  in  his  facial  landscape,  and  kept  the  college 
from  being  dull.  Calvinism  held  full  swa>'  at  Colb>-  when  he  was 
a  student,  and  absence  from  prayers  or  sermons  was  a  heinous 
offence.  The  faculty  consisted  of  nine  doctors  of  di\inity  and  with 
the  student  body  numbered  about  100.  The  president  one  Sun- 
day in  preaching  about  the  elect  calculated  that  only  about  six 
of  100  souls  could  enter  the  kingdom  of  hea^•en,  wherefore  Butler 
petitioned  to  be  excused  from  further  attendance  on  di\'ine  ser- 
vice, because  he  said  with  the  nine  doctors  of  divinity  in  his  100 
he  stood  no  chance.  Only  the  audacious  sarcasm  for  which  he 
was    always    noted    sa\ed  him    from    expulsion  for  such  sacrilege. 

— Lewiston  Journal. 


MAINE  HISTORY  IN  THE  SCHOOLS  87 


MAINE  HISTORY  IN  THE  SCHOOLS 


This  Departj^ient  is  open  to  i  Conducted    by    Augustus    O. 

CONTRIBUTIONS  FROM  AEL  TEACH-    I    ThOMAS,     STATE     SuPERINTEND- 

ERS  AND  PUPILS.  !  Ent  oe  Sciiools,  x\ugusta,  AIe. 


EXTRACTS    FROM    MAINE    HISTORIES    WRITTEN  BY 
SCHOOL   CHILDREN 

(By  Augustus  O.  Thomas.) 

No  study  is  more  enticing  than  the  achievements  of  men  and 
the  study  becomes  doubh-  interesting  when  it  has  to  do  with  the 
beginnings  of  things  with  which  we  are  now  perfectly  famiHar, 
Many  of  the  schools  of  our  state,  from  the  little  country  school 
on  the  hillside  to  the  girls  in  our  state  normal  schools,  are  doing 
research  work  in  local  history  and  are  producing  some  very  fine 
stories  of  the  beginnings  of  their  towns.  Miss  Nellie  Jordan,  with 
her  class  in  the  Aroostook  State  Normal  School,  produced  some 
wonderful  books,  each  student  taking  for  her  own  work  her  local 
town.  In  some  instances,  the  book  compiled  is  a  community 
affair,  each  child  contributing  some  fact  or  some  paragraph  or 
some  source  material  from  which  the  paragraph  is  written.  I  hope 
the  work  may  be  carried  on  in  future  years.  Teachers  who  ha\e 
not  begun  it  will  find  explicit  directions  in  our  little  booklet,  "  One 
Hundred  Years  of  Statehood  and  One  Hundred  Leading  Facts  of 
Maine." 

I  am  giving  herewith  some  of  the  paragraphs  culled  from  the 
books  sent  in  to  the  office  by  schools  throughout  the  state.  It 
will  be  noted  that  these  paragraphs  are  finished  exercises  in  Eng- 
lish and  show  a  \-ery  nice  discrimination  of  leading  facts.  It  is 
really  worth  something  to  the  child  or  even  to  a  high  school  stu- 
dent to  make  some  original  in\'estigation  from  the  sources  of 
information,  collect  that  data  around  a  central  idea  and  write  it 
up  definitely  and  purposefully.  I  am  pleased  to  call  the  atten- 
tion of  the  teachers  of  the  state  to  the  following  very  fine  para- 
graphs or  extracts  from  Maine  books. 


88       SPRAGUE'S    J(3URXAL    OF    MAINE    HISTORY 


TOWN   HISTORIES 


HISTORY  OF  CARIBOU 

(By  Charlotte  F.   Doe.) 

"  One  of  the  important  e\'ents  in  the  history  of  Caribou  was  the 
building  of  the  dam  across  the  Aroostook  River  in  1889  by  the 
Caribou  Water  Compan\'.  In  1887,  the  first  Electric  Light  Com- 
pany was  organized  and  a  plant  was  installed  and  run  by  steam 
on  the  banks  of  the  Caribou  Stream.  In  1892,  the  Water  Com- 
pany installed  the  power  house  at  the  dam." 

HISTORY   OF   SHERMAN 

(By  Viola  M.   Hughes.) 

"  Growth  of  Sherman  Mills.  There  are  now  sixty-five  residences 
in  town,  one  modern  flour  mill,  a  starch  factory,  four  grocery 
stores,  three  blacksmith  shops,  two  dry  goods  stores,  a  grange 
store,  a  harness  shop,  a  well  eqtiipped  garage  and  a  few  other 
stores  which  deal  in  miscellaneous  goods.  The  grange  store  does 
from  880,000  to  $90,000  of  business  each  year.  The  census  this 
year  gave  the  population  of  the  town  a  little  over  eleven  hundred. 
The  town  is  steadily  increasing  in  size  and  wealth." 

NEW  SWEDEN 

(By  Minnie  O.  Peterson) 

"  In  1873,  the  colony  had  increased  to  six  hundred.  Fifteen 
hundred  acres  of  land  had  been  cleared,  four  hundred  of  which 
were  laid  down  to  grass.  There  were  22  horses,  14  oxen,  100 
cows,  40  cahes,  33  sheep  and  125  swine  owned  by  the  colony. 
The  commissioner  recommended  that  all  special  state  aid  to  New 
Sweden  should  cease  as  the  colony  could  very  well  take  care  of 
itself." 

MADAWASKA 

(By  Elsie  Chassie.) 

"  One  of  the  first  attentions  of  the  Maine  governor  was  to  make 
known  to  his  new  subjects  the  constitution  under  which  they 
were  henceforth  to  live.  It  was  for  this  purpose  that  an  Irish- 
Catholic  of  good  education  and  well  acquainted  with  the  French 


MAINE  HISTORY  IN  THE   SCHOOLS  89 

language,  James  Madigan,  was  sent  to  them  as  a  civil  missionary. 
Madigan  went  over  the  country  giving  lectures  and  teaching  the 
people  about  the  U.  S.  constitution,  the  administration  and  the 
civil  government.  He  was  for  a  time  postmaster,  instructor,  col- 
lector of  taxes  and  magistrate  for  the  whole  region.  But  as  soon 
as  one  locality  was  ready  to  take  up  the  administration  of  its  own 
affairs,  he  would  pass  his  functions  to  the  citizens." 

H ARTE AND 

(By  Gertrude  Davis.) 

"  Perhaps  one  of  the  most  important  and  interesting  of  the 
early  settlers  was  William  Moore.  He  erected  a  log  house  not 
far  from  where  the  offices  of  the  American  Woolen  Co.  stand  at 
present.  Mr.  Moore  built  a  saw  mill  which  soon  became  a  very 
busy  place,  as  there  was  no  other  for  several  miles  from  there. 
It  is  related  that  the  original  mill  was  built  entirely  of  wood, 
everything  being  made  from  wood  but  the  saw.  The  first  dam 
he  built  of  logs  and  it  was  not  far  from  the  dam  owned  by  the 
American  Woolen  Co.  at  present.  It  is  said  that  so  little  dis- 
turbed was  the  wilderness  by  the  encroachments  of  the  settlers, 
that  at  times  Mr.  Moore  allowed  the  machinery  in  his  mill  to 
run  all  night  in  order  that  it  might  frighten  awa}'  the  bears  and 
other  forest  prowlers." 

HIRAM 

"  General  Peleg  W^adsworth,  a  graduate  of  Harvard  College, 
was  Hiram's  great  educator  in  the  early  da>s.  W^hen  eighty  years 
of  age  he  rode  through  the  town  on  horse  back,  announcing  that 
he  had  provided  a  private  school  at  the  Town  House  and  wanted 
all  the  good  little  boys  to  attend  free  of  expense." 

FORT   GEORGE  —  CASTINE 

(By  Frieda  W.   Hatch.) 

"  Its  history  dates  back  to  the  year  1779  when  Great  Britain 
was  at  war  with  her  colonies.  The  Americans  were  mostly  de- 
pendent on  the  Maine  seacoast  for  their  supplies  of  lumber,  fish, 
etc.,  and  to  prevent  them  from  getting  these,  the  English  deter- 
mined to  establish  a  military  post  there.  Castine,  or  Bagaduce 
as  it  was  then  called,  was  chosen  for  the  site  of  this  and  late  in  the 


90      S PRAGUE'S    JOURNAL    OF    MAINE    HISTORY 

spring  of  the  year  1779,  British  soldiers,  about  seven  hundred  in 
number,  landed  and  began  clearing  the  land." 

"  Castine  has  had  many  experiences.  It  has  been  held  by  the 
Indians,  Dutch  and  English.  After  the  Revolution,  Castine  be- 
came rapidh'  settled  and  for  a  long  time  it  was  the  most  impor- 
tant mart  of  business  in  the  eastern  part  of  Maine.  Ship  building 
was  formerly  the  leading  industry." 

SCHOOLS 


FORT   FAIRFIELD  — TOWN   SCHOOLS 

(By  Eva  M.  McShea.) 

"  Another  important  change  in  1881  was  the  purchase  of  text- 
books by  the  town.  We  may  picture  the  hard  times  of  the  early 
students  when  we  consider  the  condition  of  the  country,  how  hard 
it  was  for  most  of  the  people  to  make  both  ends  meet.  W^e  can 
picture  the  sacrifices,  and  what  a  joy  it  must  have  been  to  many 
bovs  and  girls  when  they  were  told  that  their  books  were  to  be 
free." 

PRESQUE   ISLE 

(By  Alda  E.   Haines.) 

"  The  first  school  in  the  village  was  held  in  a  room  above  the 
saw  and  grist  mill  of  Dennis  Fairbanks  who  was  the  founder  of 
the  town.  This  school  was  taught  by  the  daughter  of  Mr.  Fair- 
banks who  had  what  was  then  considered  a  good  education.  She 
must  certainly  have  had  patience,  enthusiasm  and  courage  or  the 
inconveniences  of  such  a  room  and  the  lack  of  ecjuipment  would 
have  made  the  school  a  failure.  That  it  was  not  a  failure  we 
are  sure,  since  the  boys  and  girls  who  attended  it  became  Presque 
Isle's  most  honored  citizens." 

HOULTON  — HIGH   SCHOOL 

(By  Winifred  Duplisea.) 

"  In  1915  there  began  a  new  era  in  the  history  of  Houlton  High 
School  with  the  completion  of  the  new  building.  This  building 
was  erected  just  beyond  the  old  Central  Building  at  a  cost  of 
$50,000.  It  is  a  large  brick  building,  one  of  the  best  in  Maine, 
containing  in  addition  to  its  many  recitation,  study  and  lecture 


MAINE  HISTORY  IN  THE   SCHOOLS  91 

rooms,  well  stocked  physical  and  chemical  laboratories,  domestic 
art  and  science  rooms,  typewriting  rooms,  manual  training 
rooms,  gymnasium  and  auditorium.  It  is  furnished  throughout 
with  hard  wood,  and  has  a  steam  heating  system,  and  is  well 
lighted  with  electric  lights,  while  its  ventilating  system  is  exceed- 
ingly good." 

PRESQUE    ISLE— RUR.\L   SCHOOLS 

(By  Mercie  Ruth  Wilson.) 

"  The  schools  should  be  gi\-en  great  credit  in  the  ways  that  they 
have  helped  themselves.  Nearly  every  rural  school  has  its  own 
treasury  with  a  goodly  sum  in  it.  This  year  the  Whittaker  school 
raised  through  community  entertainments  one  hundred  and  eighty 
dollars.  Practically  every  school  has  good  pictures,  a  small  library, 
a  bubbler  drinking  fountain,  oil  stove  for  warm  lunch,  organs  or 
victrola  with  cabinet.  The  Reach  school  is  the  only  one  to  have 
a  piano.  Sash  curtains  have  been  made  by  the  children  and  hung 
at  the  windows.  The  money  is  usually  raised  by  means  of  the 
old-fashioned  box  social,  many  schools  raising  one  hundred  dollars 
at  one  social." 

AROOSTOOK   STATE   NORMAL   SCHOOL 

(By  Chrystal  E.  Waddell.) 

"  During  the  first  two  years,  the  students  were  required  to 
board  in  private  families.  This  made  the  work  much  more  diffi- 
cult on  account  of  distance.  In  1905,  a  beautiful  dormitory  w^as 
erected  for  the  girls.     At  that  time,  it  was  the  best  in  the  state." 


SPRAGUE'S  JOURNAL   OF  MAINE  HISTORY 

PUBLISHED      QUARTERLY 


Entered  as  second  class  matter  at  the  post  office,  Dover,  Maine,  by 
John  Francis  Spragaie,  Editor  and  Publisher. 

Terms:  For  all  numbers  issued  during  the  year,  including  an  index 
and  all  special  issues,  $2.00.  Single  copies  of  current  and  previous  vol- 
umes, 50  cents.     Bound  volumes,  $2.50  each. 

Postage  prepaid  on  all  items,  except  bound  volumes  west  of  Mississippi 
Rivei". 

This  publication  will  be  mailed  to  subscribers  until  ordered  discontinued. 


OUR  MESSAGE   TO   YOU 

FIRST  TEACH  THE  BOY  AND  GIRL  TO  KNOW  AND  LOVE 
THEIR  OWN  TOWN,  COUNTY  AND  STATE  AND  YOU  HAVE 
GONE  A  LONG  WAY  TOWARD  TEACHING  THEM  TO  KNOW 
AND   LOVE   THEIR   COUNTRY. 


Preserve  this  issue  of  the  Journal.  You  will  then  always  have 
what  will  be  of  exceeding  interest  and  worth  to  yourself  and  family. 
Hand  it  along  to  future  generations  !  It  will  be  of  priceless  value 
to  them. 


ORIGIX   OF   THE   STATE    NAME   OF   MAINE 

The  National  Geographic  Magazine  in  an  article  on  "  The 
Origin  of  American  State  Names  "  (Aug.  1920,  p.  Ill)  says: 

The  generally  accepted  version  of  the  origin  of  the  name  of 
Maine  is  that  it  was  so  called  by  some  early  French  explorers 
alter  the  French  pro\-ince  of  that  name,  wherein  was  located  the 
private  estate  of  Henrietta  Maria,  wife  of  Charles  I.  of  England. 

There  is  another  meaning  ascribed  to  the  name,  fairly  well 
supported  by  authorities.  According  to  this  \'ersion,  the  fisher- 
men on  the  islands  along  the  coast  of  Maine  always  referred  to 
that  region  as  the  "  Mayn  land,"  and  in  support  of  this  theory 
we  find  that  the  colony  referred  to  in  a  grant  of  Charles  I.  to  Sir 
Fernando  Gorges  in  1639  as  "  the  province  or  county  of  Mayne." 


:djtorials  93 


THE   MAINE   NATURALIST 

Is  the  name  of  the  latest  Maine  periodical  to  appear  upon  our 
table.  Two  numbers  on  April  1  and  October  1  of  each  year  are 
to  be  issued  at  ol.OO  per  year.  It  is  published  b\'  the  Knox 
Academy  of  Arts  and  Sciences  at  Thomaston,  Maine.  Norman 
Wallace  Lermond,  a  well  known  student  of  natural  history,  biol- 
ogy, etc.,  is  its  managing  editor.  Its  "  department  editors"  are 
all  experienced  research  writers  along  these  lines  as  follows : 
Arthur  H.  Norton,  Portland;  Prof.  Alfred  O.  Gross,  Brunswick; 
Alton  H.  Pope,  Waterville;  Edith  M.  Patch,  Orono;  Prof.  C.  H. 
Batchelder,  Orono;  Edwin  W.  Gould,  M.  D.,  Rockland;  Louise 
H.  Coburn,  Skowhegan;  Prof.  John  M.  Briscoe,  Orono;  Prof. 
Edward  H.  Perkins,  Waterville;  Prof.  Wm.  L.  Powers,  Machias. 
It  has  several  fine  engravings  of  beautiful  specimens  of  Maine 
botany,  birds,  etc.,  and  a  photograph  likeness  of  Dr.  Dana  W. 
Fellows,  President  of  the  Josselyn  Botanical  Society  of  Maine. 
There  is  certainly  an  immeasurable  need  for  a  Maine  publication 
devoted  to  this  work  of  such  value  to  science  and  to  Maine. 
The  Journal  extends  its  congratulations,  cordial  welcome  and 
bestows  its  blessing,  sincerely  hoping  that  the  people  of  our  State 
will  gi\"e  it  their  generous  support  to  which  it  is  entitled. 

The  editor  in\ites  all  who  are  interested  in  this  phase  of  Maine 
history  in  the  following  note: 

"  We  want  every  scientist,  naturalist,  nature  lover,  student  and 
teacher  in  Maine,  young  and  old,  to  become  a  member  of  our 
Knox  Academy  family,  and  to  make  free  use  of  the  Naturalist  in 
recording  their  observations,  their  '  finds,'  telling  about  their  trips 
to  the  woods,  fields,  lakes  and  seaside.  Tell  the  rest  of  us  some- 
thing of  the  habits,  songs  or  actions  of  the  birds,  mammals,  in- 
sects, flowers,  etc.,  seen  on  these  trips.  Work  out  the  life  history 
of  some  insect  —  there  are  thousands  of  insects  whose  life  his- 
tories are  unknown,  or  only  partly  known  —  note  the  kinds  of 
insects  \isiting  the  difterent  kinds  of  flowers.  There  is  much  still 
to  be  learned  of  the  habits  of  birds  and  animals  (all  kinds  of  ani- 
mals, from  the  amoeba  to  man).  Send  in  photographs.  We  shall 
award  prizes  to  young  nature  students  making  the  best  ones." 


The  fountain  head  of  organized  eftort  in  historical  research  and 
history  teaching  in  the  schools,  in  this  country,  is  the  American 


94      SPRAGUE'S    JOURNAL    OF    MAINE    HISTORY 

Historical  Association.  It  was  organized  at  Saratoga,  N.  Y., 
Sept.  10,  1884,  and  incorporated  by  Congress,  Jan.  4,  1889. 

It  is  obliged  by  its  act  of  incorporation  to  report  annually  to 
the  Secretary  of  the  Smithsonian  Institution,  concerning  its  pro- 
ceedings and  the  condition  of  historical  study  in  America.  These 
reports  are  printed  by  the  go\ernment.  Its  33d  report  for  the 
year  1917,  has  just  been  issued  at  Washington.  The  meeting  for 
that  year  was  held  in  Philadelphia,  Dec.  27-29. 

Since  1904,  a  conference  of  delegates  of  historical  societies  has 
been  held  in  connection  with  its  annual  meetings. 

The  above  mentioned  report  (page  26)  says:  "  At  these  con- 
ferences, are  considered  the  problems  of  historical  societies  — -  for 
example,  the  arousing  of  local  interest  in  history,  the  marking 
of  historic  sites,  the  collection  and  publication  of  historical  mater- 
ial, the  maintenance  of  historical  museums,  etc." 

Since  1911,  it  has  assumed  a  guiding  interest  in  that  invaluable 
periodical  the  History  Teachers  Magazine.  It  co-operates  with  all 
State  and  local  historical  societies. 

In  Maine  there  are  only  four  societies  allied  with  it.     These  are: 

The  Maine  Historical  Society,  Portland;  the  Bangor  Historical 
Society,  Bangor;  the  Piscataquis  Historical  Society,  Dover,  and 
the  Maine  Genealogical  Society,  Portland.  The  states  altogether 
have  a  total  of  350  of  these  societies.  Massachusetts  leads  the 
nation  with  75;  other  New  England  States  are  as  follows: 

Maine  4,  New  Hampshire  3,  Vermont  1,  Rhode  Island  5.  Among 
other  States,  Penns>'hania  has  45,  New  York  43,  Illinois  36  and 
Indiana  27. 

OUR   ANCESTRY 

On  May  3,  1921,  when  the  U.  S.  Senate  were  debating  the  ques- 
tion of  restricting  immigration  to  America,  that  giant  debator, 
Senator  Reed,  of  Missouri,  made  reference  to  American  ancestry 
in  a  general  way.  The  Senator's  pungent  remarks  are  historically 
true  and  apply  to  the  origin  of  the  people  ot  Maine,  the  same  as 
they  do  to  those  of  all  the  New  England  States  and  all  other  por- 
tions of  the  country  as  well. 

We  append  the  following  brief  excerpts  from  his  speech: 
But  where  did  you  come  from?     I  question  whether  there  is  a 
man  in   this  room  whose  ancestors  have  been  here  four  genera- 
tions who  can  say  that  he  comes  from  any  one  blood.     In  your 


EDITORIALS  05 


veins  meet  and  mingle  the  bloods  of  many  peoples.  Do  you  call 
yourself  an  Englishman?  Then  what  are  you?  English  blood 
is  a  polyglot,  if  such  a  thing  be  upon  all  this  earth  —  the  original 
Celtic  stock  conquered  by  a  German  tribe,  overrun  by  the  Ital- 
ians, who  were  called  Romans  then;  partially  conquered  b\-  the 
Danes  and  their  blood  left  there;  and  then  another  German  tribe, 
which  gave  to  Britain  the  name  of  England,  because  that  tribe 
was  the  tribe  of  Angles;  then  a  mixed  breed  of  Norsemen  and 
French,  who  had  established  themselves  in  part  of  France  and 
who  had  named  it  Normandy  because  the  Norsemen  had  overrun 
it.  This  breed  of  English  is  therefore  a  breed  of  man\'  breeds, 
and  I  have  no  question  it  was  the  meeting  and  the  mingling  of 
these  different  strains  of  blood  which  made  the  Englishman  what 
he  is  to-day,  the  most  dominant  character  in  all  the  world,  the 
most  determined  in  his  policies,  the  most  deathless  in  his  deter- 
mination, the  great  conquering  race,  that  with  but  38,000,000 
Britishers  in  the  British  Isles  floats  the  flag  of  England  over  one- 
third  of  the  world's  surface  and  over  one-third  of  its  population. 
So,  if  you  are  English,  3'ou  are  pretty  well  crossed  up. 

But  why  spend  time  over  there?  Let  us  come  home.  At  the 
time  of  the  Revolution,  26  different  languages  were  spoken  in 
the  city  of  New  York.  We  had  the  Pennsylvania  Dutch  with 
us  then,  so  provincial,  so  attached  to  their  old  customs,  that  in 
parts  of  Pennsylvania  to-da>-  they  still  speak  their  original  tongue, 
although  the  ancestors  of  some  of  them  came  here  175  years  ago. 

Then  there  were  the  French  Huguenots.  Somebody  proposed 
here  a  moment  ago  to  close  the  door  on  account  of  religion.  There 
is  not  the  descendant  of  a  French  Huguenot  in  the  United  States 
whose  ancestor  did  not  come  here  to  escape  religious  persecution. 
They  were  the  outcasts  of  their  country.  They  were  driven  away 
because  they  did  not  worship  God  according  to  the  forms  and 
ceremonies  which  had  been  laid  down  for  them  b\'  others.  So 
they  came  in  great  numbers,  and  to-day  every  man  I  know  of 
who  has  a  drop  of  that  blood  in  his  veins  is  proud  to  boast  of  it. 

How  did  your  ancestors  get  here,  anyway?  Do  you  think  that 
God  Almighty  went  around  and  picked  out  a  few  select  indi- 
viduals of  the  highest  character  and  morals  and  respectability 
and  brought  them  here,  and  you  ha^•e  descended  from  that  par- 
ticular stock?     You   are  descended   from   people  who   came   here 


96       SPRAGUE'S    JOURNAL    OF    AIAINE:    HISTORY 

not  one  whit  better  than  the  men  and  women  who  are  coming 
now.  A  lot  of  your  ancestors  worked  their  passage  over  here 
as  bondsmen  and  sold  themselves  into  temporary  slavery  in  order 
to  get  here.  Some  of  you  may  find,  if  you  will  go  back  far  enough, 
that  your  great-great-great-grandmother  was  sold  on  the  auction 
block  and  paid  for  in  long,  green  tobacco  by  the  enterprising  gentle- 
man over  here  who  wanted  a  wife.  Some  of  you  may  easily  now 
trace  your  ancestors  back  to  the  fellow  who  came  over  here  with- 
out a  dollar  in  his  pocket,  clattering  wooden  shoes  upon  the  docks, 
with  a  wife  following  him,  with  an  old  shawl  over  her  head  and  a 
pack  of  kitchen  tools  upon  her  back. 


You  Can^t  Go  Wrong 

In  Boosting  Maine  Strong 

The  first  real  action  in  the  state-wide  industrial  development  for 
Maine  was  started  by  The  Lincoln  Worsted  Company,  where  a  fine 
brick  factory  is  now  bein,<i  erected,  and  you  can  not  only  make  a 
sound,  profitable  investment,  but,  help  boom  Maine  by  purchasing;  at 
this  time  for  what  you  can  afford  of  the  8'^  accumulative,  preferred 
stock,  of  THE  LINCOLN  WORSTED  COMPANY,  and  receive  what 
generally  goes  to  bankers, — a  fifty  per  cent,  of  bonus,  in  common 
stock.     Par  value  of  both  classes  of  stock  $10.00  per  share. 

For  further  particulars  address  THE  LINCOLN  WORSTED 
COMPANY,    LINCOLN,    MAINE,    L.   .1.   Co  burn.    Vice    President. 


Coin  and  Stamp  Collectors 


ILLUSTRATED  CATALOGUE 

Prices    I    Pay — of    every    U.    S.    Coin 
Avorth    over   face — 15    cts. 

W^ANTED  What  are  your  wants?     Perhaps 

Rare   Coins,    Stamps   and   Curios  I   can    supply    them 

Stamp    Catalogues    and    other    Philatelic    and    Numismatic 
literature  at   publishers'   prices 

W.  B.  GOULD 

292  Hammond  St.  Bangor,   Maine 


JULY— AUGUST— SEPTEMBER 


The  LESLIE  E.  JONES  Co. 

Office  Outfitters 

Typewriters  of  all  Makes.    Wood  & 

Steel  Filing  Equipment 

416-17    EASTERN    TRUST    BLDG. 
BANGOR,    MAINB 


BEYER  &  SMALL 

Conseryative  Investment  Bonds 

WE    OFFER 
Municipal,  Railroad  and  Public  Utility 
Issues.    Specialists  in  Maine  Securities 

Augusta        Portland        Bangor 


Sltf^  Mat^rmlb  Ulnrmng  ^^nttn^I 

Goes  to  press  later  than  any  other  paper  reaching  Central  Maine.    It 

handles  messages  by  wire  up  to  3  o'clock  in  the  morning.    If  you 

want   the  latest  news,   READ   THE   SENTINEL. 

$5.00  per  year  by  mail  for  cash. 


IT  PAYS  TO  SAVE 


Lay  your  plans  to  start  your  savings 
account  with  this  bank  on  your  very 
next  pay-day.  Set  aside  One  Dollar — more  if  you  can  spare  it — come  to 
the  bank  and  make  your  first  deposit.     Small  sums  are  welcome. 

Put  system  into  your  savings.  Save  a  little  every  week  and  save  that 
little  regularly.  Make  it  an  obligation  to  yourself  just  as  you  are  in  duty 
bound  to  pay  the  grocer  or  the  coal  man.  SAVE  FAITHFULLY.  The 
dollars  you  save  now  will  serve  you  later  on  when  you  will  have  greater 
need  for  them. 

PISCATAQUIS   SAVINGS   BANK,   Dover,   Maine. 

p.  E.   GUERNSEY,  Pres.  W.  C.  WOODBURY,  Treas. 


Money  Back  If  Not  Satisfied — Is  Your  Protection 

JOHN  T.  CLARK  &  CO. 

Clothiers 

BANGOR,  :  :  :  :  :  MAINE 


We  have  positive  evidence  of  the  reliability  of  advertisers  on  these  pages 


MAINE    INLAND    SCENERY 


CONTENTS 

A  Rare  Honor.  Judge  Spear    

Mount   Desert    

Maine    Indians    

A  Home  Rule  for  Ireland  Meeting  in   Bangor,   Alaine.    in   1SS6. 

Making'  History  in  the  Maine  Woods 

Captain    Steven    Smitli     

Hon.  James  Phinney  Baxter 

Fort  Halifax    

Unofficial  Postal  Regulations  in  the  INlaine  Woods 

Pejepscot    

i Smock   Marriage     

■Rebecca  Weston  Chapter   

Chesuncook  School  House    

Maine  History  in  the  Schools    

Editorial      


m 

101 
IL'O 
126 
126 

lao 
i:;i 
i:!2 

l.'!;" 

i:;5 
i;!7 

VAS 
140 
141 

i4(; 


YEARS^he  Insurance  Man  of  Somerset  Co. 

Never  u  Failure — jVever  a  La>v   Suit — What  more  do  you  ■want? 

(Member  Sec.  Col.   Wars:   Sons  Am.   Rev.;   Past  A.  A.  G.,  G.  A.  R.) 
CHARLES  FOLSOM-JONES.        Skowhegan        Maine 

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55 


J^-t(.^^ 


Associate    Justice    of    the    Supi-eme    Jisdicial    Court    of    Maine 


Sprague's  Journal  of  Maine  History 

Vol.  IX  Jt'LY,  August,  September,  192 i  No.  3 


A  RARE  HONOR  FALLS  TO  ASSOCL\TE  JUSTICE  SPEAR 
OF  THE   MAINE   SUPREME  JUDICIAL   COURT 

A  decision  of  the  highest  EngHsh  court  sustaining  one  by  the 
Maine  Supreme  Judicial  Court  which  overruled  an  English  decision 
is  worthy  of  record  in  the  history  of  Maine.  This  occurred  in 
1920. 

The  following,  relative  to  this  matter,  recently  appearing  in  an 
American  law  periodical,  is  an  accurate  account  of  the  same : 

The  House  of  Lords  has  overruled  former  English  decisions  and 
considered  and  approved  a  decision  of  the  Supreme  Judicial  Court 
of  Maine,  which  dissented  from  the  English  cases.  The  decision 
in  the  Maine  case,  one  from  Waldo  county,  was  drawn  by  Asso- 
ciate Justice  Albert  M.   Spear  of  Gardiner. 

The  Maine  case  becomes  interesting  as  only  two  courts  of  last 
resort  in  the  world  have  passed  upon  the  question  at  issue  and  only 
three  decisions  have  been  promulgated,  two  in  England  and  one 
in  this  state. 

The  first  English  opinion  in  re  Tootal's  Trusts  is  found  in  Law 
Report,  Chancery  Division,  page  532.  This  case,  in  an  elaborate 
opinion,  held  that  an  European  or  American  could  not  gain  a 
domicile  of  testacy  or  intestacy  in  pagan  countries  like  China,  India 
or  Egypt,  assigning  as  an  insurmountable  reason  the  incompati- 
bility of  character  between  the  European  and  the  Asiatic,  namely: 
'"The  difference  between  the  laws,  manners  and  customs  of  Chinese 
and  Englishmen  is  so  great  as  to  raise  every  presumption  against 
such  a  domicile." 

In  the  year  1909  the  Maine  case,  Mather  vs.  Cunningham,  105 
Maine,  326,  arose,  involving  the  identical  question  discussed  in 
tJ-ie  English  case.  Justice  Albert  M.  Spear  of  Gardiner  (Maine) 
drew  the  opinion.  Cunningham  had  a  domicile  of  origin  in  Bel- 
fast, Waldo  County,  Maine.     He  had  lived  at  the  time  of  his  death 


loo      SPRAGUE'S   JOURNAL  OF  ^lAINE  HISTORY 


about  40  years  in  Shanghai.  He  died  leaving  a  will,  attested  by 
two  witnesses,  valid  if  probated  in  Shanghai  but  invalid  if  pro- 
bated in  Maine  where  three  witnesses  are  required.  Upon  this 
statement  of  facts  administration  was  granted  upon  his  estate  by 
the  probate  court  of  Waldo  county  and  the  case  came  on  appeal 
to  the  law  court  for  decision.  The  only  question  was  whether 
an  American  could  gain  a  domicile  of  choice  in  Shanghai,  China. 

Justice  Spear  considered  the  English  case  at  length,  rejected  the 
doctrine  therein  announced  and  held  that  Cunningham  could  and 
did  gain  a  domicile  in  Shanghai  where  his  will  could  be  probated 
and  his  estate  settled. 

During  the  year  1918  the  same  question  again  came  up  before 
the  House  of  Lords  in  Gasdagli  vs.  Gasdagli,  Law  Reports,  Appeal 
Cases,  February.  1919,  A.  C,  in  re  Tootal's  Trusts,  the  Maine 
case  considered,  the  English  case  overruled  and  the  Maine  case 
approved.  The  House  of  Lords  say  in  announcing  the  doctrine 
of  the  Maine  case  :  "Opinion  of  Chitty,  J-,  in  re  Tootal's  Trusts 
XX  and  decision  of  Lord  Watson  in  Abd-ul-Messih  XX  over- 
ruled." The  Lord  Chancellor  in  discussing  the  ALiine  case  gives 
an  analysis  of  the  reasoning  and  c^uotes  the  conclusion  in  full.  In 
speaking  of  the  opinion  he  says:  "The  Supreme  Court  made  an 
elaborate  examination  of  the  case  in  re  Tootal's  Trusts  and  of  many 
criticisms  and  comments  which  had  been  made  on  that  decision, 
and  arrived  at  the  conclusion  that  its  doctrine  could  not  be  sup- 
ported." 

Lord  Haldane  in  expressing  his  approval  of  the  ]\Iaine  case  said: 
"I  think  the  American  court  in  ^^lather's  case  was  right  upon  the 
facts  to  refuse  to  follow  what  would  seemingly  have  been  Judge 
Chitty's  opinion." 

Lord  Atkinson,  referring  to  the  ]\Iaine  case,  in  his  opinion,  said 
of  it:  "These  decisions  (English  cases)  or  at  any  rate  the  prin- 
ciples supposed  to  be  extracted  from  them,  have  been  commented 
upon  and  dissented  from  in  an  important  decision  of  the  Supreme 
Court  of  Maine,  Mather  vs.  Cunningham." 


SPRAGUE'S    JOURNAL    OF    MAINE    HISTORY     loi 

MOUNT  DESERT 

The  Story  of  Saint  Sauveur 

(By    AVilliam    Otis    Sawtelle    ol'    Haverford,    Penn.) 
(Read    before   the   Bangor   Historical    Society,   April    5,    1921.) 

Saint  Sauveur 
"The  place  is  a  beautiful  hill  rising  goitly  from  the  sea,  its  sides 
bathed  by  tivo  springs;  the  land  is  cleared  for  tiventy  or  thirty-five 
acres,  and  in  some  places  is  covered  witJi  grass  almost  as  Iiigli  as 
a  ma)!.  It  faces  the  south  and  east,  and  is  near  the  mouth  of  the 
Pcntcgoet,  zvhere  several  broad  and  pleasant  rivers,  zvhich  abound 
in  fish,  discharge  their  zvaters;  its  soil  is  dark,  rich  and  fertile; 
the  port  and  harbor  are  as  fine  as  can  be  seen,  and  are  in  a  position 
favorable  to  command  the  entire  coast;  the  harbor  especially  is  as 
safe  as  a  pond." — From  Father  Biard's  account  of  Saint  Sauveur, 
1613. 

TnE  Story  of  Saint  Sauveur  ^ 
"Ad  ma  for  em  Dei  gloriam.'' 

The  story  of  Saint  vSauveur  had  its  beginnings  in  the  court  of 
Henry  IV  of  France  and  its  termination  in  the  achniralty  courts 
of  England.  As  early  as  1604  Pierre  du  Gast,  Sieur  de  Monts," 
was  on  the  coast  of  Maine  and  in  the  court  of  Henry  I\^  schemes 
were  forming  for  the  conversion  of  tlie  natives  in  that  far-away 
country.  To  Father  Coton,  the  king's  spiritual  adviser,  had  been 
intrusted  the  details  of  a  plan  which  resulted  in  the  appointment 
as  apostles  to  New  France  of  Father  Pierre  Biard,  professor  of 
Hebrew  and  theology  at  the  University  of  Lyons,  and  of  Father 
Enemond  Masse,   socius  of  Father  Coton. 

The  two  missionaries  accordingly  in  160S,  went  to  Bordeaux 
expecting  to  embark  at  once  for  Port  Royal;  Imt  no  vessel  was 
available.  Antagonism  towards  their  order  was  manifested  and 
Lescarbot,  though  a  good  Catholic,  has  recorded  that  he  could  see 
"no  need  of  these  Docteurs  sublimes  who  would  be  more  usefully 
employed  fighting  heresy  and  vice  at  home." 

1  .John   Daw^son   Oilmary   Shea's    Chailevoix,   Book   III,    pp.    241-28G. 
Jesuit    Relations:    Thwing-.      A'ols.    Ill   and   IV. 
Rev.   T.    J.    Campbell.   Thiee   Historic   Events    in   Maine, 
w.   S.    Bnrrpfp.   Tbp   Bet'innings   of  Colonial   INTaine.   pp.    100-117. 
-The  text  of  De  ]\Ionts'  Patent   from  Henry  IV  is  to  be  found  in  Church- 
ill's Voyag-er,  2:  796:  Murdock's  Nova  Scotia,  1:  21:  Purchase,  18:  22fi:  Hazard, 
2:  45.     It   is    dated   Nov.    8,    160.3,   and    revoked   in    1607,    thus   permitting-   the 
Jamestown  Grant  of  1606  to  take  precedence  of  all  other  grants  in  America. 
Biard's    Hug^uenot   Emig-ration   to   America,    1:341. 


102      SPRAGUE'S  JOURNAL  OF   MAINE  HISTORY 

Finally,  in  i6io,  a  vessel  belonging  to  Poutrincourt  who  had 
ohtained  from  the  Huguenot  De  ]\Ionts,  a  patent  for  Port  Royal, 
was  about  ready  to  sail.  It  was  arranged  that  Fathers  Biard  and 
Masse  should  be  of  her  ship's  company,  but  when  two  of  her 
owners  who  were  Huguenots,  learned  that  they  were  giving  passage 
to  members  of  the  hated  order,  they  refused  absolutel}  to  allow 
them  on  board,  adding  that  nothing  short  of  a  direct  command 
from  the  Queen  Mother  could  secure  a  place  for  them,  and  even 
then,  only  upon  condition  that  every  other  Jesuit  in  the  kingdom 
should  accompany  them. 

The  expedition  was  on  the  verge  of  a  collapse  as  far  as  the 
Jesuits  were  concerned  and  Fathers  pjiard  and  Masse  retired  to 
the  college  of  Eu  to  await  developments.  They  were  not  kept  long 
in  suspense,  for  the  Marcjuise  de  Guercheville  "  who  had  declared 
herself  protectress  of  the  American  missions,  learning  of  their 
plight,  hastened  to  relieve  the  situation  by  buying  out  the  shares 
of  the  refractory  merchants  and  making  the  two  Jesuits  together 
with  herself,  partners  in  trade  with  Poutrincourt.  For  permitting 
this  transaction,  which  laid  the  fathers  open  to  criticism  as  sharers 
in  a  commercial  enterprise,  Father  Coton  was  censured  and  Madame 
de  Guercheville  did  not  escape  rebuke.  But  Champlain  justified 
the  deal  which  permitted  the  missionaries  to  sail  without  further 
delay. 

It  was  in  midwinter,  January  26,  161 1,  at  Dieppe,  that  the  Jesuits 
embarked.  "We  were,"  says  Biard,*  "36  persons  in  a  ship  called 
the  Grace  de  Dieu  of  about  sixty  tons.  \\'e  had  only  two  days 
favorable  wind ;  on  the  third  we  found  ourselves  suddenly  by  con- 
trary winds  and  tides  driven  within  one  or  two  hundred  yards  of 
the  cliffs  of  the  Isle  of  Wight  in  England,  and  it  was  well  for  us 
that  wei  found  good  anchorage ;  without  \vhich  all  would  have 
been  decidedly  over  with  us.  Having  escaped  from  there  we  landed 
at  Hvrmice  and  afterwards  at  Newport  where  we  spent  18  days.'" 

3  Madame  de  GuercheviUe  is  mentioned  by  some  writers  as  the  -wife  of 
the  duke  de  la  Rochefoucauld-Liancourt.  This  is  an  error.  Her  first  hus- 
band was  Henri  de  Silly,  comte  de  la  Roche-Guyon,  and  her  second,  Charle.s 
du  Plessis,  seigneur  de  Liancourt.  Gabrielle,  a  daughter  by  her  second 
naarriage,  became  the  wife  of  Francois,  due  de  la  Rochefoucauld,  in  1611, 
and  was  the  mother  of  the  famous  author  of  the  "Maxime."  For  genea- 
logical references  see:  Collected  Works  of  La  Rochefoucauld,  in  the  series 
of  Les   Grands  Ecrivains  de  la   France,   Paris,   1868,    l:xcv. 

*  Biard  to  Balthazer,   letter  from   Jesuit  archives   at  Rome:    R.   P. 
Auguste   Carayon  S.   J.,  Paris,    1864. 
Translation   in   Brown's  Genesis   of   the  United   States,    1:475. 


MOUNT    DESERT  103 


An  ill  wind  it  was  that  blew  the  Grace  de  Dieu  to  the  Isle  of 
Wight  and  a  harsh  fate  that  kept  her  in  the  harbor  of  Newport 
for  nearly  three  weeks,  for  from  this  chance  visit  there  was  to 
result  a  sequence  of  events,  replete  with  tragedy  and  suffering, 
not  destined  to  end,  even  with  the  failure  of  Madame  de  Guerche- 
ville's  foreign  missionary  projects. 

"On  the  i6th  of  February,"  continues  Biard,  "the  first  day  of 
Lent,  a  favorable  northwest  wind  sprang  up,  enabled  us  to  leave, 
a'l.d  accompanied  us  until  we  left  the  channel  behind."  But  some- 
thing of  which  Father  Biard  made  no  note  was  also  left  behind, 
for  information  with  reference  to  the  destination  and  purpose  of 
the  Grace  de  Dieu  soon  reached  the  authorities  in  Eondon  and 
they  were  not  slow  to  act. 

'  In  i(')i2,  Cai)tain  Samuel  Argall  was  appointed  admiral  of 
\'"irginia  and  "commissioned  to  remain  in  Virginia  and  to  drive 
out  foreign  intruders  from  the  country  granted  to  Englishmen  by 
the  three  patents  of  James  I." 

Another  record  reads  that  he  was  "dispatched  with  commission 
to  displace  the  French,  who  had  taken  the  opportunity  to  settle 
themseKes  within  our  limits."  Thus  plans  were  made  by  the 
English  to  destroy  Saint  Sauveur  a  year  before  its  founders  knew 
where  it  was  to  be  located. 

The  Jesuit  Fathers  braved  the  February  storms  of  the  North 
Atlantic  and  in  the  little  craft,  no  larger  than  some  of  the  fishing 
boats  that  now  frequent  Southwest  Harbor,  the  dreary  days  length- 
ened until  four  months  passed  before  a  landfall  was  made;  and 
then  it  was  to  be  greeted  by  a  bleak  and  desolate  wilderness.  Diffi- 
culties soon  arose  between  them  and  Poutrincourt,  the  younger, 
known  as  Biencourt,  which  need  not  here  be  described,  but  which 
caused  Gilbert  du  Thet.  sent  in  charge  of  supplies  for  the  colony, 
some  time  later,  to  report  to  Madame  de  Guercheville  upon  his 
return  to  France,  that  impossible  conditions  existed  at  the  Port 
Eoyal  mission.  This  decided  the  Marquise  to  found  a  mission 
for  the  Indians  at  Kedesquit,  where  the  city  of  Bangor  now  stands, 
having  doubtless  been  informed  by  Biard  of  this  location,  which 
he  himself  had  visited  in    161 1. 

5  Brown,   Pir.st   Republic   in   America,    178. 
Brown,   Genesis   of   the   United   States,   815. 


I04      v'^PRAGUE'S  JOURNAL  OF  MAINE  HISTORY 


Against  the  Kedesquit  district  as  a  colony  site,  Champlain  '■ 
advised  strongly,  since  the  English  had  but  a  short  time  before 
taken  French  fishing  vessels  near  Mount  Desert,'  and  he  begged 
that  the  new  mission  might  be  established  somewhere  in  the  St.  Law- 
rence region,  preferably  at  Quebec,  where  energy  and  money  could 

be  expended  to  far  better 
advantage  beyond  the  reach 
of  the  rapacious  English. 
But  IMadame  de  Guerche- 
ville  would  not  listen  to  the 
sage  advice  of  Champlain 
and  on  March  12th,  161 3, 
there  cleared  from  Hon- 
tieur,  France,  for  Kedes- 
(|uit.  the  Jonas,  of  one 
hundred  and  twenty  tons, 
a  ship  purchased  from  De 
Monts  by  the  marquise  and 
ecptipped  by  her  with  the 
aid  of  subscriptions  and 
donations  from  the  Queen 
Mother,  the  IMarquise  de 
Verneuil,  M  a  d  a  m  e  de 
Sourdis  and  many  other 
ladies  of  the  French  court. 
Soldiers,  sailors,  artisans, 
colonists,  and  the  two  Jesu- 
its, Father  Jacques  Quen- 
tin  and  Lay  Brother  Gil- 
bert du  Thet,  comi)rised 
the  ship's  company,  while 
horses,  cattle,  agricultural 
implements,  munitions  of  war  and  all  sorts  of  necessary  supplies 
made  up  the  cargo. 

Started  for  Kedesquit 
After  two  months  at  sea  the  Jonas,  on  May  i6th,  reached  Cape 
de  la  Have  in  Acadia,  where  a  landing  was  made,  mass  celebrated 

'■•Shea's   Charlevoix,    1:274. 

Champlain's   Voyage.s,    Ed.    Kioi;.    112. 
■^  Biard's   Relations. 


MllilMIl^^ 


Jl 


The  ^laiquKse  de  A'eineml,  %\  ho  was  a 
famous  beauty  of  the  court  of  Henry  IV. 
in  Madame  de  Guercheville's  time.  She 
supplied  the  utensils  for  the  mass  which 
were  used  by  Father  Biard  and  his  asso- 
ciates   at    Saint   Sauveur. 


MOUNT    DESERT  105 


and  a  cross  erected,  bearing  the  de  Guercheville  arms.  Possession 
of  the  coast  from  the  St.  Lawrence  to  Florida,  with  the  exception 
of  Port  Royal,  was  declared  in  the  name  of  the  Alarquise  de 
Guercheville,  under  letters  patent  from  Louis  XIH,  ignoring  en- 
tirely the  English  claims  to  a  large  part  of  the  same  territory. 
Leaving  La  Have,  a  call  was  made  at  Port  Royal,  where  Fathers 
Biard  and  Masse  joined  the  ship,  which  soon  cleared,  ostensibly 
for  Kedesquit,  a  place  she  was  never  destined  to  reach.  In  the 
words  of  Biard,  "God  ordained  otherwise."  Even  the  will  of 
Antoinette  de  Pons  could  not  prevail  against  an  eastern  Maine  fog 
and  as  the  Grace  de  Dieu  had  been  forced  by  the  elements,  to  seek 
shelter  in  the  harbor  of  Newport,  so  the  Jonas  was  compelled  to 
tarry  in  proximity  to  Mount  Desert,  anxiously  awaiting  clear 
weather  that  she  might  proceed  to  her  destination. 

For  two  days  and  two  nights  in  their  pitiful  plight,  fearful  of 
being  dashed  to  bits  upon  forbidding  shores,  tacking  first  one  way 
then  another  when  light  breezes  sprang  up,  or  drifting  helplessly 
in  a  slatting  calm,  the  little  company  remained  enveloped  in  fog. 

"Our  tribulation,"  says  Biard,  "led  us  to  pray  to  God  to  deliver 
us  from  danger,  and  send  us  to  some  place  where  we  might  con- 
tribute to  His  glory.  He  heard  us,  in  His  mercy,  for  on  the  same 
evening  we  began  to  discover  the  stars,  and  in  the  morning  the  fog 
had  cleared  away." 

A  fair  sight  that  was  that  rose  before  their  vision  on  that  May 
morning  of  long  ago.  There  in  all  the  glory  that  spring  imparfs 
to  hillside  and  valley,  lay  the  Island  of  the  Desert  Mountains,  ifs 
tall  pines  and  pointed  firs,  mingling  with  birches,  whose  lighter 
shades  made  marked  contrast  with  darker  evergreen ;  while  barren 
summits,  catching  the  rays  of  the  long  hidden  sun,  gleamed  like 
hammered  brass.'* 

Arrived   at   Bar   Harbor  ^ 

Captivated  by  the  beauty  of  the  scene  before  them,  what  wonder 

that  thoughts  of  Kedesquit  gave  place  to  joyous  contemplation  of 

the  ever  changing  shadows  that  played  upon  the  mountain  slopes. 

passing  in  quick  succession,  as  the  brisk  northwest  wind  dissipated 

s  This  peculiar  metaUic  lustre  is  well  shown  by  Sargent's  :Mountain  on 
the  west  of  Jordan's  pond,  when  viewed  at  some  little  distance  off  shore. 
Among-  the  older  fishermen,  Sargent's  is  still  known  by  its  old  name, 
'Brassy    Mountain." 

^Parkman  places  the  first  anchorage  of  the  .lonas  "not  far  from  Schooner 
Head,"   but  the  lack  of  a  harbor  in  that  vicinity   precludes  that  location  as 


io6      SPRAGUK'S  JOURNAL  OF   MAINE  HISTORY 

the  low-hanging'  clouds.  So  inviting  was  the  prospect  that  all  ideas 
of  continuing  the  voyage,  for  the  present  at  least,  were  abandoned 
and  the  Jonas  came  to  anchor  at  Bar  Harbor.  "We  returned 
thanks  to  God,"  wrote  Biard,  "elevating  the  Cross,  and  singing 
praises  with  the  holy  Sacrifice  of  the  Mass.  We  named  the  place 
and  Harbor  Saint  Sauveur." 

Hardly  had  the  songs  of  praise  and  thanksgiving  ceased  when 
a  violent  dispute  arose  between  the  colonists  and  sailors,  over  an 
agreement  made  before  the  expedition  left  Honfleur. 

The  sailors  had  shipped  with  the  understanding  that  they  were 
to  remain  three  months  at  any  port  in  Acadia  that  Father  Biard 
might  select,  it  being  implied  that  Kedesquit  would  be  that  port. 
The  crew  now  maintained  that  their  time  should  date  from  their 
arrival  at  Mount  Desert,  but  to  this  demand  the  Jesuit  Fathers 
refused  to  submit. 

The  CLE^■ER  Indian 

The  argument  was  brought  to  a  close  only  by  the  appearance 
of  an  Indian  signal  fire  which  had  been  kindled  on  a  hilltop  to 
attract  attention.  Upon  receiving  an  answer  from  the  ship  a  canoe 
soon  put  out  from  the  shore  bearing  messengers  who  asked  if  they 
could  be  of  service  to  those  on  shipboard.  Learning  that  Father 
Biard  was  of  the  company  the  Indians  were  at  once  interested 
since  they  had  chanced  to  make  his  acquaintance  two  years  before 
when  he  lodged  with  them  at  Pentagoet  while  on  his  trip  to  the 
Penobscot  and  the  Kennebec  in  1611.  In  answ^er  to  queries  as  to 
the  best  route  to  Kedesquit  the  Indians  made  reply :  "Why  go  to 
Kedesquit?  This  is  a  better  place  here  at  Pemetic,  where  it  is  so 
pleasant  and  healthy  that  when  the  natives  are  ill  anywhere  else, 
they  are  brought  here  to  be  cured." 

But  Biard,  who  was  strong  in  his  determination  to  carry  out 
the  instructions  of  Father  Coton  and  Madame  de  Guercheville, 
remained  deaf  to  this  plea  for  Pemetic  and  took  no  interest  in 
Mount  Desert  as  a  colony  site.  But  the  Indians  had  another  argu- 
ment  which   no   Jesuit   missionary    could    resist.     "But   you    must 

the  site  of  the  fir.=t  landing-  of  the  Jesuits.  Bar  Harbor  is  13  statute  miles 
from  Fernald's  Point,  while  Cromwell  Harbor  is  12.  Rougrhly  speaking', 
the  distance  from  Cromwell  Harbor  to  ^Manchester's  Point  is  slightly  over 
three  leagues,  while  to  Fernald's  Point  it  is  about  3.4  leagues.  Allowing 
for  F.iard's  approximations,  it  seems  more  than  likely  that  ^ladame  de 
Gueicheville's  colonists  first  landed  on  the  point  now  occupied  by  the 
Kennedy   cottage,   Bar  Harbor. 


MOUNT   DESERT  107 


stay,"  they  insisted,  "for  our  Sagamore  Asticou  "'  is  very  ill  and 
if  you  do  not  come  with  us  to  his  wigwam  he  will  die  without 
baptism.  He  will  go  to  hell  and  you  will  be  the  cause  of  it.  He 
wishes  to  be  baptized." 

Without  further  parley  and  without  loss  of  time,  Father  Biard, 
Lieutenant  La  Mothe  ^^  and  Simon,  the  interpreter,  found  them- 
selves in  the  canoes  of  the  Indians,  whose  musclar  arms  bent 
unceasingly  to  the  paddles  until  the  "three  leagues"  to  Northeast 
Harbor  were  covered  and  the  encampment  of  Asticou  on  Man- 
chester's Point  came  into  view. 

Hastening  to  the  side  of  the  great  chief  reputed  to  be  dying, 
Biard  was  chagrined  to  find  that  he  had  been  duped  by  his  Indian 
guides,  for  Asticou  was  in  no  immediate  danger  of  giving  up  the 
ghost.  A  heavy  cold  with  a  touch  of  rheumatism  had  been  some- 
what enlarged  upon  by  his  faithful  subjects  and  when  Biard  de- 
manded of  those  who  had  brought  him  thither  some  explanation 
of  the  situation,  they  adroitly  changed  the  subject  by  pointing  to 
Fernald's  Point  directly  opposite,  with  the  recommendation  that 
it  be  utilized  as  the  site  of  the  proposed  mission. 

Decided  on  Fernald's  Point  ^- 
This  ocular  demonstration  appealed  so  strongly  to  Biard,  who 
has  recorded  "that  the  savages  had  in  reality  reasonable  grounds 
for  their  eulogies,"  that  upon  his  return  to  the  Jonas  he  advocated 
warmly  the  establishment  of  their  mission  at  the  mouth  of  the 
Sound.  All  thoughts  of  proceeding  to  Kedesquit  were  abandoned 
and  "it  was  unanimously  agreed  that  we  should  remain  there  and 
not  seek  further,  seeing  that  God  Himself  seemed  to  intend  it,  by 
the  train  of  happy  incidents  that  had  occurred."  Shortly  after, 
the  Jonas  made  the  trip  around  the  hills  from  Bar  Harbor  to 
Northeast,  the  name  of  Saint  Sauveur  was  transferred  to  Fernald's 

i''The  name  is  now  given  to  a  summei-  colony  and  postoffice  at  the  head 
of   Northeast    Harbor. 

"All  attempts  to  connect  La  Mothe  with  the  family  of  Sieur  Antoine 
de  la  Mothe  Cadillac  who  received  a  grant  of  Mount  Desert  and  adjacent 
mainland   from   Kins"  Louis  XIV  in   1689,   have   so    far  been   fruitless 

'■'Named    for    Tobias    Fernald,    emigrant    ancestor,    Reginald    FeVnald     of 


Capt.  John  Mason's  New  Hampshire  company,  1631,  a  seafaring  young  man 
trom  Kittery,  who  m.  Comfort,  dau.  of  Andrew  and  Patience  "Gott  Tarr 
and   inherited   the   Point    upon   the   death   of   his   father-in-law 

Andre\v  Tarr.  emigrant  ancestor,  Richard,  first  settler  at  the  extreme 
^''ir  °^i-,*\P*^  '^""'  'Gloucester,  came  from  Gloucester  to  Mount  Desert  soon 
after  1762  and  built  a  log-  cabin  on  the  site  of  Saint  Sauveur.  Fernald 
replaced  the  cabin  with  a  comfortable  farmhouse  which  is  still  standing- 
Descendants  of  Tobias  and  Comfort  are  numerous:  several  of  them  have" 
in  distant  parts,   won  distinction   in  the  educational   and   scientific   world     ' 


io8      SPRAGUE'S  JOURNAL  OF  MAINE  HISTORY 


Point  and  the  first  French  Jesuit  mission  upon  what  is  now  terri- 
tory of  the  United  States  was  estabHshed.  A  rustic  chapel,  the 
furnishings   for  which  the  Marquise  de  Verneuil  ^'^  had  provided, 

protected     a     rude     altar     upon 


which  the  linen  supplied  by 
Madame  de  Sourdis  ^*  found 
place.  The  several  tents  do- 
nated to  the  expedition  by 
Queen  Marie  de  Medicis  dotted 
the  greensward  and  afiforded 
temporary  shelter  to  the  colo- 
nists while  the  Jonas,  her  long 
voyage  terminated,  rode  quietly 
at  anchor,  not  far  from  the 
shore. 

From  ]\Ianchester's  Point, ^^ 
the  ancient  camping  ground  of 
those  Children  of  the  Rising 
Sun,  the  Abenaki  ^°  gazed  with 
friendly  interest  across  the  blue 
waters  of  Somes  Sound  upon 
their  new  neighbors,  who 
through  their  instrumentality, 
forsook  the  idea  of  a  Christian  mission  upon  the  banks  of  the 
Kenduskeag  and  elected  to  labor  among  the  natives  of  Pemetic. 
But  amid  these  beautiful  surroundings  all  did  not  go  well,  for, 
says  Biard :  "When  we  had  landed  in  this  place,  and  planted  the 
Cross,  we  began  to  work,  and  with  the  work  began  our  disputes,  the 
omen  and  origin  of  our  misfortunes.     The  cause  of  these  disputes 

"Henriette  de  Balsac  d'Entraigues,  :\Iarqui.=!e  de  Verneuil,  b.  1570,  d  163.3; 
a   famous  beauty  of  the   French   Court,   daughter  of  Marie  Touchet. 

i^'Isabelle  Babou  de  la  Bourdai.siere,  dau.  of  Jean  de  la  Bourdaisiere  and 
his  wife  Prancoise  Robertet,  dau.  of  Floiimond  Robertet,  Seigneur  d'Alluye, 
Secretary  of  State  under  Louis  XII  and  Francis  I.  Isabelle  m.  Francois 
d'Escoubleau.  ^Marquis  de  Sourdis.  The  Cardinal  de  Sourdis  was  her  son 
and  Gabrielle   d'Estrees  her  niece. 

^^  Named  for  John  Manchester,  originally  from  Scarboro,  who  went  to 
Machlas  with  the  first  colonists,  1762,  to  that  region,  removed  later  to 
Mount  Desert  and  settled  on  the  point  which  still  bears  his  name.  A  son, 
John  Jr.,  m.  ]\iary  Hadlock,  dau.  of  Samuel  Hadlock,  for  whom  upper  and 
lower  Hadlock  Ponds  were  named.  The  Hadlock  farm  was  just  noith  of 
Manchester's  holdings  and  was  part  of  Asticou's  encampment.  Samuel 
Hadlock,  Jr.,  m.  Sarah,  dau.  of  John  Manchester,  and  removed  to  Little 
Cranberry  Isle,  becoming  founders  of  the  Cranberry  Isle  branch  of  the 
family. 

"'A  more  or  less  fanciful  derivation  of  the  word  Abenaki.  See  Rev. 
Eug'ene  Vetromile  S.  J.,  Me.  Hist.  Society  Coll.,  6:  203,  Also  same  publi- 
cation, Frederick  Kidder,   2:  228. 


Fernald's  I'uJiil.  the  .site  of  Saint 
Saiiveur,  the  first  French  Jesuit 
settlement  in  North  America,  1613, 
with  the  farm  buildings  of  Tobias 
Fernald.  This  as  it  appeared  to 
Francis  Parkman  when  he  visited 
the  place  with  Elijah  Hamlin.  The 
date  of  this  visit  is  not  certain, 
but  it  vi^as  befoi'e  his  first  book, 
the  Pioneers  of  New  France,  was 
issued. 


MOUNT   DESERT  109 


was  that  our  captain,  La  Saussaye,  wished  to  attend  to  agricidture, 
and  our  other  leaders  besought  him  not  to  occupy  the  workmen  in 
that  manner,  and  so  delay  the  erections  of  dwellings  and  fortitica- 
tions.  He  would  not  comply  with  their  rec^uest,  and  from  these 
disputes  arose  others,  which  lasted  until  the  English  obliged  us  to 
make  peace.    ..." 

How  long  these  quarrels  lasted  it  is  impossible  to  determine  since 
Biard's  "Relation"  contains  but  few  definite  dates ;  but  from  the 
fact  that  Argall  ^'  sent  a  letter  to  England,  addressed  to  one 
Nicholas  Hawes,  in  June,  1613,  in  which  veiled  reference  is  made 
to  his  hostile  expedition  to  the  northward,  the  result  of  the  inad- 
vertent visit  of  the  Grace  de  Dieu  two  years  before  in  the  harbor 
of  Newport,  it  is  probable  that  the  English  captain  was  ofi:  the 
coast  of  Maine  about  the  middle  of  July. 

Threatened  by  Spain  on  the  south  and  by  France  on  the  north, 
Virginia  seemed  likely  to  be  encroached  upon  and  on  July  11,  1612, 
Argall  "was  appointed  admiral  of  Virginia  and  commissioned  to 
remain  in  Virginia  and  to  drive  out  foreign  intruders  from  the 
country  granted  to  Englishmen."  ^"^ 

DkstructiOxX  of  The   Mission 

And  thus  it  chanced  that  Argall  while  on  his  way  to  Port  Royal 
to  execute  the  orders  received  from  Sir  Thomas  Dale,  marshall  of 
Virginia,  fell  in  with  an  Indian  off  the  Mount  Desert  shore,  who, 
mistaking  him  and  his  crew  for  French,  by  signs,  gestures  and  a 
few  words  told  of  the  nearby  settlement. 

In  a  twinkling  all  was  activity  on  board  the  Treasurer.  Her 
fourteen  guns  were  shotted  and  primed,  her  course  was  changed 
and  her  crew  of  60  men  eagerly  prepared  for  an  attack.  The 
astonished  Indian,  realizing  too  late  his  fatal  error,  was  loud  in 
Iris  lamentations,  while  the  Treasurer,  with  the  wind  fair  astern, 
sped  in  the  Western  Way,  past  Great  Cranberry  Isle,  and  leaving 
Greening's  Island  to  starboard,  made  straight  for  the  doomed  settle- 
ment on  Fernald's  Point. 

The  shrill  cries  of  the  seabirds  were  soon  drowned  in  a  cannon- 

^"  Pin-chase,  ilacLaliose  ed..  ir>:90.  "I  leturned  again  to  my  ship,"  wrote 
ArgaU,  "the  twelfth  of  :\Iay,  and  hastened  forward  my  businesse  left  in 
hand  at  my  departure:  and  fitted  up  my  ship,  and  built  my  fishing-  Boate, 
and  made  readie  to  take  the  first  opportunitie  of  the  wind  for  my  fishing- 
Voyage,  of  which  I  beseech  God  of  His  mercy  to  blesse  us."  Alexander 
Brown  tersely  remarks:  "He  was  going-  fishing  for  Frenchmen."  (Genesis 
of   the  United    States,    2:fi44.) 

i**  Bro-»v'n,    First   liepublic    in   America,    p.    178. 


no      SPRAGUE'S  JOURNAL  OF   MAINE  HISTORY 

ade  ^''  that  rent  the  hull  and  tore  the  rigging  of  the  Jonas,  left  to 
her  fate  by  Ea  Saussaye,  who  at  the  first  sign  of  trouble  discreetly 
took  to  the  woods.  La  Flory,  La  Mothe  and  the  Jesuit  Gilbert 
du  Thet  with  a  few  brave  fellows  succeeded  in  gaining  the  deck 
of  their  vessel  but  they  could  do  little.  Even  the  sails  had  been 
unlaced  that  they  might  serve  as  awnings,  so  the  ship  could  not 
be  manoeuvred  but  lay  at  the  mercy  of  the  attacking  party.  Du  Thet 
had  loaded  and  fired  the  cannon,  but  in  the  excitement  had  neglected 
to  take  aim,  so  no  damage  was  inflicted  upon  the  enemy.  Soon  he 
fell  shot  through  the  body  by  a  musket  ball,  while  shortly  after 
La  Flory  received  a  wound  and  Le  Moine  of  Dieppe  and  Neven 
of  Beauvais,  "two  very  promising  young  companions,"  were  either 
shot  or  drowned  while  trying  to  escape,  and  Argall  was  an  easy 
victor  in  this  \ery  uneven  conflict. 

"The  victorious  English,"  says  Biard,  "came  on  shore,  where 
we  had  our  tents  and  our  houses  just  begun,  and  sent  out  in  all 
directions  in  search  of  our  Captain,  saying  that  they  wanted  to 
see  our  commissions ;  that  this  land  belonged  to  them,  wherefor 
they  had  fallen  upon  us,  when  they  found  us  here;  but  that  if  we 
should  be  able  to  show  that  we  had  acted  in  good  faith,  and  that  we 
had  come  under  authority  of  our  sovereign,  they  would  respect 
that,  as  they  wished  in  no  way  to  imperil  the  good  understanding 
between  our  two  kings.  The  misfortune  was  that  La  Saussaye 
could  not  be  found,  whereupon  the  shrewd  and  cunning  English- 
men seized  our  trunks,  broke  them  open  industriously  and  having 
found  in  them  commissions  and  Royal  Patents,  seized  them;  and 
putting  everything  else  back  in  its  place,  just  as  they  found  it,  they 
nicely  locked  the  boxes  again." 

On  the  day  following,  La  Saussaye  driven  by  hunger  from  his 
woods  retreat,  gave  himself  up.  He  was  at  first  treated  kindly 
by  Argall,  who  asked  to  see  his  commissions. 

When  these  important  papers  could  not  be  produced,  for  the 
very  good  reason  that  they  were  in  Argall's  pocket,  the  English 
captain  stormed  and  ranted,  called  the  French  outlaws  and  pirates. 

"'Brief  Tntellieance  from  Virs'inia.  Pui-chase,  ]MacLahose  ed.,  10:214. 
states  that  Arsiall  made  no  use  of  his  cannon,  that  "he  approached  so 
neere  to  a  Ship  that  lay  before  their  Fort,  that  he  beate  them  all  that 
were  therein  with  IMusket  shot  from  making  any  use  of  their  Ordnance, 
save  one  of  the  two  Jesuits,  who  was  killed  in  ariving-  Are  to  a  Peece  ..." 
This  account  differs  from  Biard.  There  was  no  fort  erected  at  Saint  Sau- 
veur  and  the  brief  time  that  intervened  between  the  arrival  of  the  French 
at  Fernald's  Point  and  Argall's  attack,  was  spent  by  La  Saussaye  in 
farming. 


I 


MOUNT    DESERT  iii 


threatened  them  and  told  them  they  all  deserved  death.  "And 
thereupon,"  says  Biard.  "he  divided  the  booty  among  his  soldiers, 
consuming  the  whole   afternoon   in  this  business." 

Of  Saint  Sauveur  little  remains  to  relate.  Lay  Brother  Gilbert 
du  Thet  who  had  received  his  death  wound  in  the  futile  defense 
of  the  Jonas,  expired  the  next  day  in  the  arms  of  Father  Biard 
and  was  buried  at  the  foot  of  a  large  cross  wdiich  had  been  erected 
on  the  arrival  of  the  settlers.  Nine  days  later,  the  bodies  of 
Le  ]\Ioine  and  Neven  having  been  recovered,  they  too  were  interred 
near  the  same  spot ;  all  three  the  first  victims  of  the  initial  conflict 
upon  American  soil,  between  French  and  English,  which  w'as  to 
result  in  a  horrible  warfare  destined  to  continue  almost  unceasingly 
until  the  victorious  General  Amherst  received  the  formal  submis- 
sion of  the  Marquis  de  Vaudreuil  in  the  Place  d' Amies  at  Mont- 
real, almost  a  century  and  a  half  later. 

Of  the  remaining  45  colonists,  thirteen  including  Father  Masse 
and  La  Saussaye  were  turned  adrift  in  a  small  boat,  well  supplied 
however  with  provisions,  trusting  that  some  French  fishing  vessel 
would  pick  them  up  and  convey  them  to  France.  This  party  was 
soon  joined  by  Bailleul,  the  pilot  of  the  Jonas,  who,  upon  the 
approach  of  Argall,  had  gone  to  reconnoitre  and  learning  his  in- 
tentions had  taken  shelter  on  Greening's  Island  or  one  of  the  Cran- 
berry Isles.  Off  the  Nova  Scotian  coast  two  vessels  were  sighted 
which  rescued  them,  and  after  some  further  suffering  and  priva- 
tion, landed  all  safely  at  St.  Malo. 

Fathers  Biard  and  Ouentin  together  with  Captain  La  Flory, 
Lieutenant  La  Mothe  and  the  rest  of  the  company  were  taken  to 
Virginia  in  the  Jonas,  where  they  all  narrowly  escaped  hanging 
by  order  of  Sir  Thomas  Dale.  Argall,  who  had  guaranteed  their 
safety,  was  brought  to  a  realizing  sense  of  the  injustice  that  his 
theft  of  La  Saussaye's  commission  had  wrought,  confessed  his  base 
act,  produced  the  stolen  papers  and  no  further  talk  of  the  gallows 
Vvas  heard. 

The   Mission   but  a  Memory 

Later  in  the  autumn,  upon  command  of  Dale  to  obliterate  every 
trace  of  the  French  from  Mount  Desert,  St.  Croix,  and  Port  Royal, 
Argall,  forcing  Fathers  Biard  and  Ouentin  to  accompany  him, 
visited  Saint  Sauveur  and  completed  the  destruction  begun  in  July. 
When   his   vessels   the   Treasurer   and  Jonas,   captor   and   captive, 


112      SPRAGUE'S  JOURNAL  OF  MAINE  HISTORY 

spread  their  sails  and  shaped  their  course  out  the  Eastern  Way 
for  St.  Croix,  they  left  astern  at  Fernald's  Point  nothing  but  a 
blackened  pile  of  smouldering  embers ;  and  at  the  close  of  that 
autumnal  day,  as  the  sun  set  behind  the  peaks  of  Western  Moun- 
tain, painting  the  sky  a  lurid  red,  from  the  funeral  pyre  of  Saint 
Sauveur  there  came  one  last  answering  flare  and  Madame  de 
Guercheville's  mission  was  but   a  memory. 

The;  Documents  in  the  Case 

The  two  French  fishing  vessels  which  picked  up  Father  Masse, 
Commandant  La  Saussaye  and  the  pilot  of  the  Jonas  off  the  coast 
of  Nova  Scotia,  arrived  at  St.  Malo,  at  about  the  same  time,  and 
there  the  castaways  received  a  warm  reception  from  the  bishop, 
governor,  magistrates  and  the  people  in  general.  Needless  to  say, 
the  story  of  the  English  attack  aroused  bitter  resentment  and  the 
recital  of  the  capture  of  Saint  Sauveur,  coupled  with  the  tale  of 
hardship  and  suffering,  w^hich  the  settlers  had  been  obliged  to 
undergo,  brought  public  sentiment  to  a  high  pitch  of  indignation, 
especially  since  both  nations  were  at  peace ;  and  it  was  not  long 
before  King  James  received  a  letter  -'■'  from  the  British  ambassador 
at  Paris,  from  which  the  following  extract  is  made.  Sir  Thomas 
Edmondes,  the  ambassador,  writing  on  October  13.  161 3,  after 
calling  attention  to  English  interference  with  the  French  whale 
fishing  at  Greenland,  "which  discontentment  is  also  further  aggra- 
vated by  another  advertisement  which  is  come  hither  that  the 
English  shippes  at  Virginia  tooke  a  French  shippe,  which  was 
going  to  make  a  plantation  in  those  partes,  and  killed  divers  of 
the  men ;  but  as  they  here  say,  used  greatest  crueltie  against  cer- 
taine  Jesuittes  whicli   were   in  said  vShippe." 

Not  many  days  after  the  receipt  of  Edmondes'  letter,  King  James 
received  a  communication  from  Louis  XIII,  asking  for  an  ex- 
planation of  the  vSaint  Sauveur  incident.  LTnfortunately  this  letter 
of  the  French  king-'  is  not  on  record,  but  one  from  Admiral  Henri 
de  Montmorency,  which  accompanied  it.  has  been  preser\ed  and 
is  as  follows : 

=^'' Brown,   Genesis  of   the   United   States,   2:  (562. 

-1  Brown.  Genesis  of  the  United  States.  2:fiH4.  Mass.  Hist.  Soc.  Proc., 
21:186.  This  letter  was  discussed  at  a  meeting-  of  the  Maine  Hist.  Soc. 
and   was  first  published   in   the   Boston   Daily   Advertiser  of  Aug'.   31,   1870. 

Williamson,    Bibliography   of  :Maine,    2:  134. 


MOUNT    DESERT  113 


H.  de  Montmorency,  Admiral  of  France,  to  King  James: 
"Sire: 

"I  thought  it  was  my  duty  to  accompany  the  letters  which  the 
king,  my  master,  wrote  you  with  some  of  my  own,  in  order  to  have 
the  honor  to  offer  to  your  majesty,  my  very  humble  service  and 
to  entreat  you  to  be  favorable  (since  as  admiral  under  the  author- 
ity of  the  king,  I  have  charge  of  the  marine  aft'airs  of  this  king- 
dom), that  I  represent  to  you  the  just  complaint  and  the  injury 
which  the  French  have  received  from  some  of  your  subjects,  who 
being  in  an  English  ship  called  the  'Treasurer,'  whereof  Samuel 
d'Argail  is  captain,  went  to  that  country  of  Canada  called  New 
France  to  the  harbor  of  Pentagoet,  where  they  found  a  small  settle- 
ment which  was  begun  by  permission  of  the  king,  with  our  leave, 
and  at  the  expense  of  Madame  la  Marc^uise  de  Guercheville,  lady 
of  honor  to  the  queen,  through  a  good  and  holy  zeal  to  lead  the 
poor  savages  of  the  said  country  to  a  civil  conversation  and  to 
preach  to  them  the  doctrine  of  Jesus  Christ,  and  for  that  purpose 
a  number  of  Jesuit   fathers  were  there. 

"But  your  said  subjects  have  ruined  this  plan ;  they  have  attacked 
the  colony;  they  have  slain  many  men,  and  among  others,  two  of 
the  said  Jesuits ;  and  besides,  they  carried  away  two  others  with 
them  into  Virginia,  (by  what  people  say)  ;  and  have  abandoned 
the  rest  of  the  people  to  the  mere}'  of  the  waters,  in  a  small  skiff. 
We  know  well  enough.  Sire,  the  goodness,  and  the  unusual  clem- 
ency with  which  you  are  filled,  and  that  you  are  so  far  removed  ' 
from  such  inhumanity  that  you  will  assuredly  do  justice  in  the 
matter,  when  you  are  informed  of  it.  Therefore  in  the  name  of 
France,  and  of  the  private  parties  interested  in  these  Countries, 
I  beg  your  Majesty  for  three  things: — 

"One,  that  you  will  command  the  two  Jesuit  fathers  to  be  re- 
turned in  safety  with  the  other  prisoners  ;  the  other,  that  restitution 
shall  be  made  for  so  remarkable  a  robbery,  which  cost  the  said 
dame  Marquise  more  than  a  hundred  thousand  livres  of  loss.  And 
the  third,  that  your  Council  or  the  Company  of  Virginia  may  be 
obliged  to  declare  and  explain  as  far  as  where  they  understood 
to  be  carried,  the  boundaries  and  confines  of  that  said  country  of 
A^'irginia,  inasmuch  as  we  thought  the  difficulty  might  have  come 
on  account  of  the  neighborhood  of  the  two  colonies.  But  your 
majesty  knows  that  for  more  than  80  vears,  the  French  have  been 


114      SPRAGUE'S  JOURNAL  OF   MAINE  HISTORY 

in  possession  of  it,  and  have  given  to  it  the  name  of  New  France. 
The  hope  that  your  majesty  will  be  .  .  .  how  prudently  to  remedy 
this,  and  find  it  good,  if  it  please  you,  that  Mons.  de  Buisseaux, 
ambassador,  may  be  interested  more  particularly  with  it,  to  give 
us  an  answer  to  it  as  favorable  as  the  complaint  of  it  is  reasonable, 
and  full  of  justice. 

"Nevertheless,  I  pray  God,  Sire,  that  he  may  give  your  majesty 
a  very  long  and  very  happy  life. 

"Your  very  humble  servant, 

"H.  De  Montmorency. 

"At  Fontainebleau.  the  NXA'III   of  October,   1613." 

Indorsed  :  To  the  King  of  Great  Britain :  "A  letter  from  the 
Admiral  of  France  to  his  majestic  concerning  Samuel  Argall,"  etc. 

The  English  Privy  Council  at  once  began  an  investigation  of 
the  charges  of  Montmorency  and  dispatched  this  letter  --  to  Sir 
Thomas   Smythe  of  London,  treasurer  of  the  Virginia  Company: 

"We  have  latelie  received  divers  Complaints  exhibited  by  the 
French  Ambassador  on  the  behalfe  of  certaine  Frenchmen  of 
Rochelle,  St.  John  de  Luz,  and  others,  some  of  them  concerninge 
outrages  committed  upon  them  (as  is  alleged)  on  the  coast  of 
Canada  by  Captain  Argall  employed  for  Virginia  ...  as  appear- 
eth  by  the  memorialls  presented  by  the  French  Ambassador,  w'hich 
we  send  you  here  withal. 

"Forasmuche  as  it  will  be  expected  that  His  Majesty  should 
forthwith  give  some  satisfaction  to  the  said  Ambassador,  .  .  . 
we  have  thought  good  first  to  require  you  to  accjuainte  some  of 
the  Councell  of  Virginia  here  withal  .  .  .  and  to  returne  us  their 
several  and  particular  answers  .  .  .  with  all  expedition,  that  the 
Ambassador  may  receive  his  answer  from  his  Majestie  or  his 
Boord    .    .    .  "    ' 

To  this  order  in  Council  the  Treasurer  and  Council  of  Virginia  -" 
made  reply  that  no  news  had  been  received  from  Virginia  since 
the  preceding  June,  the  order  having  been  passed  in  January,  but 
when  news  were  received  they  felt  sure  that  they  could  give  the 
"Lord  Embassador  of  France"  satisfaction. 

A  letter  from  Sir  Thomas  Edmondes  -*  to  King  James,  written 
from  Paris  on  January  2,  1614,  relative  to  the  numerous  interviews 

"Brown,  Genesis  of  the  United  States,  2:  677.     See  also  Documents  relat- 
ing- to  the  colonial  history  of  the  state  of  New  York,  3:  1. 
=3  Brown,   Genesis   of   the   United    States,    2:679. 
-*Brown,    Genesis   of   the   United    States,    2:677. 


MOUNT    DESERT  ir 


which  the  British  ambassador  had  held  with  the  French  Secretary 
of   State  on  the  subject  of  the  French  at  Mount   Desert  has  an 
important  bearing  upon  the  P'rench  official  attitude  on  the  question. 
Edmondes  writes : 
"Sire : 

"...  Finding  Monsr.  de  Villeroy.  that  tyme,  in  a  better  moode, 
than  when  I  formerly  debated  these  matters  with  him,  I  made  it 
appear  unto  him  by  manie  instances,  that  the  interest  which  they 
(the  French)  pretended  to  have  in  the  discoveries  which  we  had 
made  with  great  perill  and  charge  (concerning  the  which  he  had 
before  spoken^  to  me  much  out  of  square)  was  contrarie  to  the 
received  custome  and  practise  of  all  nations,  wherewith  he  was  so 
well  satisfied,  as  he  said,  that  he  would  no  more  dispute  the  matter 
with  me.    ..." 

It  is  of  passing  interest  to  note  that  Edmondes,-'  later  in  the 
year,  reports  to  Ralph  Winwood,  the  English  Secretary  of  State, 
that  he  had  an  interview  with  the  King  and  Queen  in  regard  to 
the  French  complaint  against  his  English  Majesty's  subjects  for 
wdiat  was  done  at  Saint  Sauveur,  and  speaking  of  Marie  de  Medicis, 
Edmondes  adds :  "Whereunto  she  made  me  no  other  answers  then 
that  the  complaints  were  great  which  she  received  of  the  spoyles 
which  were  committed  upon  the  French  by  his  Majesties  subjects, 
as  she  was  forced  to  make  an  extraordinary  instance  for  the  re- 
dresse  of  the  same."      (English  State  Paper  Office.) 

Argall's  Authority 

The  "Treasurer,"  Captain  Argall,  sailed  from  Virginia  about  the 
iSth  of  June,  1614,  and  arrived  in  England  in  July  bringing  passen- 
gers and  letters.  Among  the  documents  were  depositions  of  the 
French  in  Virginia,  while  the  passengers  included  Captain  Flory 
and  two  other  Frenchmen  of  the  Saint  Sauveur  colony.  Soon  after 
Argall's  return,  the  Council  of  Virginia  sent  a  reply  to  a  letter 
from  the  Privy  Council,  certain  portions  of  which  refer  to  Saint 
Sauveur.-*^ 

"That  it  is  true  that  Captain  Argall  did  take  a  French  ship 
within  the  limits  of  our  Colony,  wdio  Avent  about  to  plant,  contrary 
to  the  extent  and  privilege  of  his  Majesty's  letters  patent  to  us 
granted.     That   he    did   it   by   command   of   the   governor   of   our 

"SBrown,   Genesis    of   the   United    KStates.    2:757. 
-«Brown,    Genesis    of   the   United    States,    2:731. 


ii6      SPRAGUE'S  JOURNAL  OF   MAINE  HISTORY 

Colony  by  his  commission  to  him  given  under  the  seal  of  the 
colony,  and  by  virtue  of  such  authority  as  is  to  him  derived  from 
his  Majesty's  great  seal  of  England. 

"That  whereas,  it  is  said,  it  was  200  leagues  from  our  plantation, 
intimating  thereby  that  it  was  out  of  our  limits,  we  say  the  coast 
lying  next  E.  N.  E.  and  W.  S.  W.  many  more  hundred  leagues  will 
not  deliver  them  without  our  borders,  we  have  granted  unto  us 
from  34  to  45  degrees  of  north  latitude,  and  from  E.  to  W.  from 
one  sea  to  another,  with  a  certain  clause  that  if  any  other  nations 
should  get  land  to  the  north  of  45  degrees,  and  by  any  river  or 
lake,  or  by  land  travel  should  come  to  the  southwards,  to  plant 
behind  our  backs,  that  it  should  be  lawful  for  our  governor  to 
resist,  displant,  and  take  by  force  any  that  make  such  attempt. 

"And  we  do  further  avow  that  the  said  ship  was  taken  between 
43  and  44  degrees,  which  in  express  limitation  is  within  his  Ma- 
jesty's grant  and  is  annexed  to  the  royal  crown.  And  that  this  is 
proved  by  the  several  confessions  of  divers  of  the  French  examined 
by  Sir  Thomas  Dale  and  certified  accordingly  unto  us  by  him. 

"And  that  the  said  Captain  Argall.  besides  his  several  commis- 
sions for  his  justification  to  us  showed,  hath  further  produced 
unto  (us)  a  testimonial  or  certificate  under  the  seal  of  our  Colony, 
that  he  hath  in  his  voyages  no  way  exceeded  the  commission  to  him 
given  .  .  .  that  upon  cross-examination  .  .  .  certified  the  said 
ship  and  other  .  .  .  Letters  Patents,  and  that  therefore  we  sup- 
pose (he  should)  be  wholly  for  the  fact  excusable. 

"Concerning  the  aggravation  of  circumstances.  We  (reply) 
Argall  had  not  above  60  men  in  his  ship.  That  the  (French)  first 
shot"'  at  him;  besides  the  ship  and  her  app(urtenances),  which 
was  redelivered  at  the  recjuest  of  the  French  A(mbassador),  was 
not  to  the  value  of  200  pounds  sterling,  as  we  are  (able  to)  prove 
by  the  several  inventories  delivered  by  the  F(rench)  to  the  Mar- 
shall of  Virginia,  and  together  with  their  (examinations)  unto  us 
certified. 

"Secondly,  to  the  imputation  of  inhumanity  used  by  him  (to  his) 
prisoners,  we  say  it  is  wholly  false.  That  neither  Monsieur  Saus- 
saye  nor  any  other  were  detained  as  prisoners,  but  that  he  went 
and  returned  from  ship  to  shore  at  pleasure.  That  Captain  Argall 
did  propound  to  them  three  offers : 

^This  .seems  improbable,  owing'  to  the  well-known  defen.seless  condition 
of  the  Jona.s.  It  Ms.  ho'wever,  not  svirprisingr  that  the  English  and  the 
French   accounts   of  Saint    Sauveiir  would    vary   somewhat   in   detail. 


MOUNT    DESERT  117 


"i.  First,  to  give  them  a  small  pinnace,  with  sufficient  victuals 
(to)    carry  them  all  to  France. 

"2.  Secondly,  to  give  them  passage  from  thence  to  the  bank, 
120  leagues  from  Cape  Brittayne,  there  to  meet  certayne  French 
shipping. 

"3.  Thirdly,  to  give  Monsieur  Saussy  their  Captain,  a  shallop, 
and  as  (many)  of  his  men  as  he  would  choose,  with  sufficient  pro- 
vision to  their  own  wage,  and  to  carry  the  residue  (with  him)  to 
Virginia.  (And)  that  condition  was  chosen  by  the  Captain,  and 
accordingly  performed. 

"These  offers  are  proved  by  the  confession  of  Monsieur  Saussay, 
his  two  Jesuits,  the  Master,  and  at  least  ten  other  of  the  company, 
which  are  ready  to  be  shown,  with  many  attestations  of  great 
humanity  and    .    .    .    courtesy  shown  to  them    .    .    . 

"And  that  these  our  reasonable  answers  considered,  the  King  of 
France  is  neither  in  his  Hon's  (Honours?)  nor  title  anyway  injured 
by  the  just  defense  of  our  own,  and  maintainance  of  those  limits 
and  extent  of  territory  given  unto  us  by  his  Majesty's  Letters 
Patents  many  years  before  the  French  had  any  footing  to  the  south 
of  Canada. 

"Neither  hath  Madame  de  Guercheville  any  reason  to  expect 
reparation,  having  entered  without  our  leave,  within  our  limits  and 
dominion,  by  force  to  plant  or  trade,  contrary  to  the  good  corre- 
spondence and  league  of  these  two  most  royal  Kings.  And  if  any 
particular  be  hereof  doubted  or  replied  unto,  we  will  be  ready  to 
give  testimony  and  further  answer  thereunto." 

After  receiving  the  communication  just  quoted,  the  Privy  Coun- 
cil made  the  following  reply  -*  to  the  French  complaints.  This 
reply  was  indorsed:  "D(elivered)  ye  Fr(ench)  Amb(assador  by) 
Mons.  Edmo(ndes).     1614.     Answer  to  the  French  Complayntes." 

"Reply  to  the  complaints  presented  to  the  King  by  Sieur  Bis- 
seaux,  resident  Ambassador  to  the  King.  From  the  most  Christian 
King. 

"Reply  to  the  fourth  complaint  concerning  Virginia. 

"Captain  Argol  admits  that  he  has  taken  the  French  ship  in 
Cjuestion,  within  the  limits  of  our  Colony  on  account  of  this,  that 
contrary  to  the  privileges  granted  the  said  Company  by  Letters 
Patent  from  the  King,  it  attempted  to  intrude  and  establish  itself 

-sBrown,   Genesis   of   the  United   States,   2:733. 


ii8      SPRAGUE'S  JOURNAL  OF   MAINE  HISTORY 


by  force,  and  that  what  he  has  done  in  this  matter  has  been  done 
by  virtue  of  the  commission,  which  had  been  granted  to  him  under 
the  seal  of  the  said  Company,  for  that  very  purpose,  which  author- 
ity is  derived  from  the  special  powers  granted  by  His  Majesty  to 
said  Colony  under  his  Great  Seal,  and  that  nevertheless  the  said 
vessel  has  been  returned  at  the  request  of  the  Ambassador.  Not- 
withstanding which  reply,  His  Majesty  wishing  to  show  the  Ambas- 
sador the  wish  he  cherishes  to  give  all  the  contentment  and  satis- 
faction possible,  has  caused  orders  to  be  issued,  that  the  said 
Captain  Argol  shall  be  produced  to  account  for  what  he  has  done, 
at  any  time  and  whenever  the  Ambassador  shall  desire  it.  And 
that  Turner,  his  Lieutenant,  shall  in  like  manner  be  produced  as 
soon  as  he  can  be  apprehended." 

The  Reply  to  the  eighth  complaint  was  touching  the  Marchioness 
of   Guercheville : — 

"As  to  Madame  the  Marchioness  of  Guercheville,  she  has  no 
reason  to  complain;  nor  to  hope  for  any  reparation;  seeing  that 
her  ship  entered  by  force  the  territory  of  the  said  Colony  to  settle 
there,  and  to  trade  without  their  permission  to  the  prejudice  of 
our  treaties  and  of  the  good  understanding  there  is  between  our 
kings." 

Madame  de  Guerciieville's  Replies 
It  would  seem  that  the  claims  of  Madame  de  Guercheville  re- 
ceived a  fair  consideration  in  the  courts,  for  on  October  21,  1614. 
she  wrote  a  personal  letter  -"  to  the  Secretary  of  State.  Sir  Ralph 
Winwood : 

"I  have  learnt  the  obligation  I  am  under  to  you,  before  having 
the  happiness  of  knowing  you,  which  makes  me  doubly  thank  you, 
and  entreat  a  continuation  of  your  courtesy  for  the  reparation  of 
the  great  wrong  which  has  been  done  me,  and  for  the  recovery  of 
the  Frenchmen  who  remain  in  Virginia.  I  promise  that  I  shall 
be  infinitely  obliged  for  what  shall  be  returned  in  so  just  a  resti- 
tution and  even  more  will  ever  be  your  most  obliged  and  afifection- 
ale  to  serve  you." 

It  seems  curious  that  Madame  de  Guercheville  should  have  per- 
mitted Champlain's  advice  to  go  unheeded  and  that  she  allowed 
her  settlement  to  be  established  within  the  limits  of  disputed  terri- 
tory.    Charlevoix,"*^  the  Jesuit  historian,  criticizes  her  commandant. 


=9  Brown,    Fir.st   Republic    in  America,    p.    2l[h 
30  Shea' .s  Charlevoix,    1:285. 


MOUNT   DESERT  119 


La  Saussaye,  severely  for  not  staying  at  Port  La  Have,  (Lunenburg 
county.  N.  S.),  where  a  landing  was  made  before  coming  to  Mount 
Desert.  "He  should  have  gone  no  further,"  says  Charlevoix,  "he 
would  ne\er  have  been  attacked  by  the  English  there,  for  the  English 
intended  only  to  carry  on  the  fishery  at  Mount  Desert  Island,  and 
were  not  in  force  to  get  involved  in  Acadia,  where  they  must  have 
siipposed  the  French  on  their  guard ;  moreover,  they  did  not  know 
Port  de  la  Have,  the  entrance  of  which  is  easily  defended.  Madame 
de  Guercheville,  on  her  side,  erred  in  not  intrusting  her  enterprise 
to  someone  already  acquainted  with  the  country ;  and  it  is  incon- 
ceivable how  two  missionaries,  who  had   already  spent  two  years 


I'lujtcj-,KMih     JLi\      (c.iutis\      or      W       Jl      111     11       _Liii^    1      Ml 
CHAMPLAIN      MONUMENT  —  SEAL     HARBOR 

there,  did  not  suggest  all  this  to  La  Saussaye,  who  was  disposed, 
and  doubtless  had  orders  to  follow  their  advice." 

The  excitement  which  broke  out  in  France  when  news  of  the 
so-called  Argall  outrage  reached  that  country,  soon  subsided  when 
it  became  understood  that  the  affair  concerned  only  private  indi- 
\iduals.  The  Jones  was  sent  back  to  Madame  de  Guercheville,  the 
French  prisoners  were  all  released,  and  although  the  Marquise  had 
asked  for  compensation  for  her  losses,  she  was  obliged  to  content 
herself  wath  the  return  of  the  vessel,  realizing  when  it  was  too  late, 
the  grave  error  she  had  made  in  not  listening  to  Samuel  de  Cham- 
plain.     Father   Coton    is   blamed   by    Champlain,    since   it    was   by 


I20      vSPRAGUE'S  JOURNAL  OF   MAINE  HISTORY 

his  advice  that  Madame  de  Guercheville  undertook  the  estabhsh- 
ment  of  her  mission.  Coton,  because  of  his  high  official  position 
in  the  Society  of  Jesus,  could  easily  influence  the  Patroness  of  the 
Jesuits  and  it  is  little  wonder  that  his  counsels,  rather  than  those 
of  Champlain,  prevailed. 

To  Charlevoix's  comment,  John  Gilmary  Shea  adds  a  note  in 
which  he  calls  attention  to  the  fact  that  the  English  had,  to  Biard's 
knowledge,  captured  French  fishing  vessels  in  the  vicinity  of  Mount 
Desert  but  a  few  years  before,  and  concludes  with  a  statement  in 
regard  to  Fernald's  Point  as  a  colony  site  for  a  French  mission, 
that  "the  choice  of  the  spot  for  a  settlement  seems  mad." 

Even  so,  it  is  of  more  than  antiquarian  interest  that  this  ancient 
Jesuit  mission  of  Saint  Sauveur,  whose  name  is  perpetuated  in  the 
little  mountain  rising  abruptly  on  the  north  and  west  of  \^alley 
Cove,  found  place  upon  Mount  Desert  Island.  Shortlived  though 
it  was,  this  Fernald's  Point  settlement  has  left  an  indelible  stamp 
upon  the  early  annals  of  the  Island  of  the  Desert  Mountains,  and 
Mount  Saint  Sauveur,  symbolic  in  its  rugged  majesty,  well  serves 
as  a  memorial  to  those  intrepid  blackrobed  followers  of  Loyola, 
who,  forgetful  of  self,  braved  ocean's  peril  and  hostile  attack  to 
labor  for  the  greater  glory  of  God  among  primitive  peoples  of 
primeval  tribes. 

THE  MAINE  INDIANS,  AND  THEIR  RELATIONS  WITH 
THE   WHITE   SETTLERS 

(By   Ethel    M.    Wood.) 

(Continued   from  page  69.) 
IV.     Early  French  Relations  with  the  Indians 

Turning  now  from  the  English  to  the  French  and  their  accjuaint- 
ance  with  the  aborigines,  we  find  that  from  their  first  appearance 
here,  from  the  earliest  expeditions  of  Champlain  and  De  IMonts. 
the  most  amicable  relations  existed  between  the  two  races.  These 
early  French  settlers  used  every  means  in  their  power  to  make 
allies  of  the  natives,  the  most  potent  of  wliich  were,  without  doubt, 
trade,   intermarriage,  and   religion. 

The  French  in  Canada  and  the  upper  part  of  Maine  established 
an  extensive  fur  trade  with  the  Indians  which  the  latter  found 
more  satisfactory  than  that  carried  on  with  the  English.  The  more 
conscientious  French  endeavored  not  to  cheat  the  Indians.     There 


THE    MAINE    INDIANS  121 


were,  of  course,  some  dishonest  traders  among  them,  but  generally 
they  gave  value  for  value  in  so  far  as  they  were  able,  quite  the 
reverse  of  the  English  who  seemed  to  glory  in  the  fact  that  they 
were  getting  something  for  almost  nothing.  For  example,  Capt. 
John  Smith,  in  his  account  of  his  experiences  on  the  Maine  coast, 
says,  "We  got  for  trifles  eleven  thousand  one  hundred  martens, 
and  as  many  otters."  ^  It  seems  that  as  he  neared  the  Penobscot, 
his  "trifles"  were  not  so  well  received,  for  the  Indians  of  that  region 
had  learned  of  the  liberal  prices  to  be  obtained  from  the  French. 
The  French  also  secured  an  advantage  over  the  English  in  the  fact 
that  they  furnished  the  Indians  with  guns  and  ammunition,  teach- 
ing them  their  use.  The  English,  fearing  to  trust  the  savages,  had, 
as  a  matter  of  precaution,  withheld  firearms  from  them,  but  the 
French  saw  that  they  could  make  better  allies  of  them  by  furnish- 
ing them  with  implements  of  war. 

In  establishing  friendly  relations  with  the  Indians,  the  French 
were  greatly  aided  by  their  marriage  alliances  with  the  various 
tribes ;  very  many  of  the  French  settlers  took  Indian  wives,  and 
prospective  colonists  were  even  advised  to  bring  no  women  with 
them  in  their  expeditions,  in  order  that  they  might  contract  matri- 
monial alliances  with  the  natives.  Baron  Castine  is  said  to  have 
had  five  Indian  wives,  and  was  a  man  of  great  influence  in  the 
Penobscot  tribe.  The  English  with  their  pride  of  birth  had  stood 
aloof  and  had  kept  their  blood  unsullied  from  alliance  with  a  savage 
people.  The  French  lived  among  them  almost  on  terms  of  equality 
and  therefore  were  in  a  position  to  win  their  intimate  and  lasting 
regard. 

In  no  way,  probably,  did  the  French  gain  a  greater  influence 
over  the  aborigines  of  Maine  than  by  the  dissemination  of  their 
religion  among  them.  To  the  superstitious  Indian  nature,  Cathol- 
icism made  a  strong  appeal.  Its  elaborate  rites  and  ceremonies 
embodied  sufficient  of  that  mysticism,  which  was  so  essential  to 
his  religious  nature.  An  old  chief  when  asked  why  the  Indians 
were  so  much  more  attached  to  the  French  than  to  the  English 
replied,  "Because  the  French  have  taught  lis  to  pray  unto  God, 
which  the  English  never  did."  -  This  is  the  Indian's  condemnation 
of  the  Englishman  and  he  administers  a  further  rebuke  in  the  fol- 
lowing terms :  "You  have  returned  us  evil  for  good.     You  put  the 

1  Smith'.?   History    of   Virginia,    etc.:    page    213. 
-Abbott;    History    of   Maine,    p.    337. 


122.     SPRAGUE'S  JOURNAL  OF  MAINE  HISTORY 

flaming  cup  to  our  lips ;  it  filled  our  veins  with  poison ;  it  wasted 
the  pride  of  our  strength.  Ay,  and  when  the  fit  was  on  us,  you 
took  advantage — you  made  gain  of  us  .  .  .  The  earth  is  for  the 
life  and  range  of  man.  We  are  now  told  that  the  country  spread- 
ing far  from  the  sea  is  passed  away  to  you  forever, — perhaps  for 
nothing — because  of  the  names  and  seals  of  our  sagamores.  They 
never  turned  their  children  from  their  homes  to  sufifer.  Their 
hearts  were  too  full  of  kindness,  their  souls  too  great."  "  The 
P'rench  from  the  first  assumed  toward  them  a  brotherly  attitude 
and  were  honest  in  their  dealings  with  them.  Is  it  to  be  wondered 
at,  therefore,  that  their  religion  should  seem  a  reality  to  this  simple 
people  ? 

From  the  very  beginning  of  the  French  settlements,  Jesuit  mis- 
sionaries came  from  France  for  the  purpose  of  conveying  the 
Gospel  to  the  natives.  In  i6o<),  Biencourt,  the  son  of  Poutrin- 
court,  the  early  explorer,  embarked  to  the  new  world  for  the  pur- 
pose of  establishing  a  settlement  at  Port  Royal  in  Acadia.  Through 
the  efforts  of  Antoinette  de  Pons,  Marchioness  de  Guercheville, 
there  accompanied  him  upon  this  voyage  two  Jesuit  priests,  Fathers 
Pierre  Biard  and  Enemond  Masse.  Father  Biard  thus  states  the 
twofold  purpose  of  their  mission,  first,  "to  act  as  spiritual  adviser 
to  Sieur  de  Biencourt,  and,  second,  to  become  acquainted  with  and 
learn  the  disposition  of  the  native  to  receive  the  gospel."  *  In  1611, 
Biard,  with  Biencourt  and  party,  sailed  to  the  Sheepscot  River  in 
search  of  food.  At  night  some  Indians  encamped  on  the  nearby 
shore  and  spent  the  evening  in  singing  and  dancing.  The  French- 
men on  deck  began  to  mimic  them,  doing  it  so  cleverly  that  the 
Indians  themselves  paused  to  look  and  listen.  In  the  morning  the 
two  parties  held  conversation  through  the  medium  of  an  interpreter, 
a  captive  Indian,  whom  the  French  had  brought  from  St.  John. 
I'iencourt  was  conducted  up  the  river  a  little  distance  and  then 
through  Pleasant  Cove  to  their  chief,  who,  they  said,  would  give 
them  corn.  He  had  none  to  spare,  however,  but  was  very  willing 
to  trade  in  furs.  Father  Biard,  distinguished  by  his  priestly  garb, 
and  because  of  the  fact  that  he  carried  no  weapons,  was  treated 
with  especial  courtesy.  Through  the  interpreter,  he  held  a  little 
religious  service  in  their  midst,  which  seemed  to  make  some  im- 

sAVilliamson:    Vol.    2,    p.    112-11.3.  ..-,,..,.  ,  ., 

^  See  History  of  Kennebec  County,  :\Iaine.  Chap.  2,  Na.sh  .s  Indian.s  of  the 
Kennebec,    p.    13. 


THE    MAINE    INDIANS 


12 


pression  upon  them.  He  later  wrote  that  he  found  them  "a  teach- 
able people  who  listened  with  respect  and  who  seemed  to  be  not 
far  from  the  kingdom  of  God."  ^ 

Soon  after  the  return  to  Port  Royal  a  serious  quarrel  arose 
between  the  hot-headed  Biencourt  and  his  spiritual  advisers,  with 
the  attending  result  that  their  labors  were  much  interfered  with. 
The  Marchioness  de  Guercheville,  in  the  meantime,  hearing  of  the 
dissension,  determined  to  send  out  a  colony  which  should  not  be 
disturbed  in  its  missionary  enterprise.  With  this  expedition  which 
followed  two  years  after,  she  sent  out  two  more  Jesuits,  Fathers 
Ouentin  and  Lalemand,  and  Gilbert  du  Thet.  a  lay  brother.  Stop- 
ping at  Port  Royal  for  Fathers  Biard  and  Masse,  they  continued 
their  voyage,  intending  to  sail  up  the  river  and  settle  at  Kadescjuit 
or  Kenduskeag,  the  present  site  of  Bangor.  Unfavorable  weather 
drove  them  from  their  course  and  they  came  ashore  at  Mount 
Desert.  They  intended,  after  the  storm  had  abated,  to  continue 
on  their  way,  but  the  Indian^  would  not  listen  to  such  a  proposal. 
They  pointed  out  the  beauties  and  attractions  of  the  place,  and 
when  these  inducements  failed,  they  appealed  to  the  humanity  of 
the  Jesuit  fathers  by  a  woeful  tale  of  the  illness  of  their  chief  and 
his  need  of  Christian  baptism  before  his  death.  This  appeal  did 
indeed  touch  the  hearts  of  the  priests,  and  even  when  they  found 
that  the  sagamore  was  suffering  only  from  an  attack  of  rheuma- 
tism and  was  not  in  a  serious  condition  at  all,  they  decided  to  make 
this  their  abiding  place.  A  settlement  was  made  on  the  island  and 
named  St.  Sauveur.  Owing  to  the  success  attending  their  minis- 
trations to  a  sick  child,  the  missionaries  came  to  be  regarded  as 
almost  superhuman  beings.  A  lasting  impression  was  made  upon 
the  Indians  which  resulted  in  many  conversions  to  the  Catholic 
faith.  The  Jesuits  remained  until  the  settlement  was  destroved 
by  Samuel  Argall  of  Virginia  and  they  themselves  were  taken  away 
as  captives.  Later  some  Capuchin  friars  took  up  their  abode  on 
the  shores  of  the  Penobscot  where  they  labored  zealously  for  the 
conversion  of  the  natives. 

Some  of  the  Indians  of  the  Canibas  tribe  in  their  journeyings 
to  and  from  Canada  had  come  under  the  influence  of  the  Jesuits 
a1   the  French  town  of  Sillery  "  and  had  become  greatly  interested 

5  See   Palfrey's  History   of  New   En.yiand:   Vol.   4.   p.   31. 

8  Sillery  was  on  the  site  of  the  modern  St.   .Joseph,   situated   on   the  Chau- 
diere   River   some   miles   south   of   Quebec. 


124      SPRAGUE'S  JOURNAL  OF  MAINE  HISTORY 

in  their  teacliing.  They  had  been  converted  through  their  inter- 
course with  these  missionaries  and  with  the  Christian  Indians  of 
that  place,  and  on  their  return  to  their  home  in  the  fertile  valley 
of  the  Kennebec,  they  endeavored  to  preach  the  gospel  to  their 
own  peoi)le.  Finally  they  sent  a  request  for  a  missionary  to  the 
civil  governor  and  religious  superior  of  Quebec,  and  on  Aug.  29, 
1646,  in  response  to  this  request  Father  Gabriel  Dreuillettes  came 
to  dwell  among  them.  He  built  a  chapel  at  Old  Point  in  Norridge- 
wock ;  and  in  the  Abenaki  villages  he  nursed  the  sick,  baptized 
the  dying,  and  though  handicapped  by  his  meagre  knowledge  of 
the  language,  he  gave  them  as  much  instruction  as  he  could.  From 
Norridgewock,  the  northernmost  Abenaki  settlement  on  the  Ken- 
nebec, he  went  down  the  river  to  the  English  post  at  Cushenock 
(Augusta)  and  thence  to  the  mouth  of  the  Kennebec  and  along 
the  coast  to  the  Penobscot,  where  he  found  several  Capuchins 
under  Father  Ignace.  These  received  him  very  kindly.  He  spent 
the  winter  at  an  Indian  village  three  miles  above  the  present  site  of 
Augusta,  where  the  natives  erected  a  rude  chapel  for  him.  This 
station  was  known  as  the  Mission  of  the  Assumption  on  the  Ken- 
nebec. Father  Dreuillettes  required  three  things  of  his  converts  : 
that  they  abstain  from  intoxicating  liquors,  that  they  live  at  peace 
with  their  neighbors,  and  that  they  give  up  their  medicine  men  with 
their  mysterious  charms.  This  last,  the  problem  of  the  medicine 
men,  was  the  most  difficult,  but  the  missionary  finally  won.  In 
the  spring  the  red  men  started  out  on  their  great  annual  hunt  and 
with  them  went  their  missionary.  The  strenuousness  of  this  hunt- 
ing life  was  almost  beyond  his  strength  but  he  made  no  complaint, 
patiently  enduring  every  hardship  that  he  might  the  better  win  the 
confidence  and  respect  of  the  Indians.  The  next  year  Father 
Dreuillettes  left  them  and  returned  to  Canada,  but  they  expressed 
so  much  sorrow  at  his  departure  and  begged  so  persistently  for 
his  return  that  he  later  spent  another  winter  with  them.  Again 
he  appears  in  1650  at  Plymouth  in  the  capacity  of  agent  of  the 
Abenakis,  soliciting  from  this  province,  under  whose  jurisdiction 
tliev  lived,  some  protection  from  the  hostile  Mohawks.  He  after- 
^vard  continued  his  w^ork  among  the  Indians  until  his  station  was 
destroyed  by  the  British  in  1674. 

Dreuillettes  was  followed  in  1685  by  two  brothers.  Fathers  Vin- 
cent and  Jacques  Piigot,  who  took  up  the  work  at  Norridgewock. 


THE    MAINE    INDIANS  125 

By  this  time  the  teachings  of  the  former  missionary  had  faded  out 
and  the  brothers  had  to  begin  with  the  very  simplest  of  rehgious 
truths.  They  exercised  great  control  over  the  Indians,  and  were 
particularly  active  in  urging  them  on  against  the  English.  Their 
successor  was  the  famous  Father  Sebastian  Rale,'  a  man  of  much 
education  and  culture.  He  w^as  sent  from  Quebec  in  1693  to  the 
Abenaki  village  where  he  had  an  unbroken  ministry  until  his 
tragic  death  in  1724.  It  would  be  impossible  to  measure  the  sac- 
rifice which  it  required  of  him  to  give  up  the  comforts  of  civiliza- 
tion to  live  among  the  savages.  No  luxuries  did  he  have,  and  all 
too  few'  of  the  ordinary  comforts  of  life. 

Father  Rale  took  pains  to  adorn  his  church  and  to  provide  it 
with  all  the  furnishings  necessary  to  the  performance  of  its  rites 
and  ceremonies,  thinking  that  in  th'S  way  he  could  more  easily 
interest  the  savages  in  the  w^orship.  The  scjuaws  vied  with  one 
another  in  adorning  the  shrine  of  tne  Virgin  Mary.  Father  Rale 
even  trained  a  "clergy"  of  forty  young  men  to  assist  him  in  the 
service.  Great  multitudes  of  Indians  were  wont  to  come  from 
far  and  near  to  attend  the  church  services,  and  Rale,  in  a  letter 
to  his  nephew,  said  :  "You  would  be  edified  with  the  fine  order 
they  observe  and  with  the  piety  they  evince."  ''  In  his  mission  of 
"instructing  them  and  forming  them  to  Christian  virtues"  ^  he 
found  few  idle  moments.  The  mass  was  celebrated  in  the  early 
morning,  after  which  the  priest  instructed  the  children  and  young 
people  in  the  catechism.  From  then  until  noon  he  gave  himself 
up  to  hearing  and  answering  the  questions  of  his  people  on  any 
and  every  concern  of  their  lives.  The  afternoons  were  spent  in 
visiting  the  sick  and  all  who  were  in  special  need  of  his  minis- 
trations. At  sunset,  evening  prayers  w-ere  held  in  the  church. 
Aside  from  the  sermons  on  the  Sabbath  and  on  feast  days,  Father 
Rale  passed  "few  working  days  without  making  them  a  short  ex- 
hortation for  the  purpose  of  inspiring  a  horror  of  the  vices  toward 
^vhich  their  tendency  is  strongest,  or  for  strengthening  them  in  the 
practice  of  some  virtue."  ^^  The  evenings  were  the  only  time 
which  the  good  man  had  to  himself,  and  then  he  was  busily  engaged 
in  making  a  dictionary  of  the  ^Kbenaki  language,  in  the  hope  of 
reducing  the  dialects  to  writing 

(To   be   continued.) 

"The   name  is  variously   spelled   Rale,   Ralle,   Rahle,   Rasle   and   Rasles. 
**  Cummings,   Mission   of  Father   Rasles;    p.   12. 
^  Cummings,    INIission    of   Father   Rasles;    p.    11. 
1"  Cummings:   p.   13. 


126      SPRAGL^E"S  JOURNAL  OF  MAINE  HISTORY 

A  HOME  RULE  FOR  IRELAND  MEETING  IN  BANGOR. 
]\IAINE,    IN    1886 

On  the  evening  of  Monday,  June  7,  1886,  the  citizens  of  Bangor 
held  a  mass  meeting  in  the  old  Norumbega  hall,  to  indorse  the 
Gladstone-Parnell  bill  for  home  rule  in  Ireland,  then  i)ending  in 
the  British  Parliament. 

The  report  of  this  meeting  in  the  Whig  and  Courier  says :  "It 
was  one  of  the  grandest  demonstrations  ever  held  within  its  his- 
toric walls." 

The  meeting  was  called  to  order  by  the  Mayor,  Edward  B. 
Nealley.  Chief  Justice  John  A.  Peters  presided,  with  the  follow- 
ing vice-presidents  :  Hannibal  Hamlin,  John  Appleton,  Samuel  H. 
Blake,  Albert  G.  Wakefield,  Charles  Hayward,  William  B.  Hay- 
ford,  William  H.  AlcCrillis,  Lewis  Barker,  George  W.  Ladd,  Joseph 
P.  Bass,  Samuel  F.  Humphrey,  Eben  S.  Coe,  Rev.  George  W^  Field, 
D.  D.,  Rev.  Edward  McSweeney  of  the  St.  John's  Catholic  Church, 
Rev.  M.  C.  O'Brien  of  the  St.  Mary's  Catholic  Church,  Nathan  C. 
Ayer,  General  George  \"arney,  Llewellyn  J.  Morse,  John  Varney, 
Charles  V.  Lord,  Greenleaf  J.  Clark,  Dr.  Thomas  N.  Coe,  Dr.  Isaac 
Strickland  and  Philo  A.  Strickland.  Its  secretaries  were  F.  H. 
Getchell  and  E.  P.  Boutelle.  Speeches  were  made  by  Franklin  A. 
\\'ilson,  General  Charles  Hamlin,  Lewis  Barker,  Daniel  F.  Davis, 
W.  H.  McCrillis,  Patrick  H.  Gillin,  Rev.  H.  Barnard  Carpenter 
of  Boston,  Rev.  George  W.  Field,  D.  D.,  Rev.  leathers  McSweeney 
and  O'Brien  and  Dr.  D.  A.  Robinson.  Resolutions  strongly  favor- 
ing home  rule  for  Ireland  were  passed.  "Joseph  P.  Bass  moved 
that  a  dispatch  be  cabled  to  ]\Ir.  Gladstone  carrying  to  him  the 
sentiments  of  the  meeting,''  which  was  "unanimously  carried." 
Letters  were  read  from  John  P.  Don  worth  of  Houlton,  John  B. 
Redman,  Ellsworth,  Governor  Robie  and  James  G.  Blaine,  Augusta, 
and  Congressman  Charles  A.  Boutelle,  wlio,  at  the  time,  was  in 
A\^ashington,  D.  C. 

So  far  as  we  know,  Philo  A.  Strickland,  E.  P.  Boutelle  and 
Patrick  H.  Gillin  are  the  only  ones  now  living  whose  names  ap- 
peared in   the  report  of  this  meeting. 


MAKING   HISTORY    IN    THE    MAINE   WOODS- 
CULTURE    FOR   THE   LUMBERJACK 

(By    the    Editor.) 

When  the  writer  was  a  lad  and  for  years  thereafter  there  were 
no  "lumberjacks"  in  the  vast  and  dense  forests  of  northern  Maine. 


MAKING    HISTORY    IN    MAINE    WOODS  127 

They  were  all  "woodsmen,"'  whether  choppers,  swampers,  ox  or 
horse  teamsters,  river  drivers,  cooks  or  cookees.  The  old-time 
woodsman  was  ever  known  by  his  outer  garment  which  invariably 
was  a  bright  red  woolen  shirt.  When  he  went  into  the  woods  he 
carried  on  his  back  an  old  meal  bag  stuffed  with  a  few  supplies 
from  his  home  that  the  good  wife  thought  he  might  need  during 
an  eight  months'  sojourn  in  the  heart  of  the  great  wilderness  fifty 
or  a  hundred  miles  beyond  the  head  of  Moosehead  Lake.  These 
crews  of  woodsmen  started  on  foot  from  Bangor,  and  walked  a 
distance  of  sixty  miles  to  Greenville  at  the  foot  of  Moosehead  Lake, 
where  they  embarked  on  the  lake  by  steamboat ;  usually  receiving 
reinforcements  from  the  farms  in  every  town  and  hamlet  along 
the  way. 

It  should  be  understood  that  in  those  days — fifty  to  sixty  years 
ago — there  were  very  few  foreign-born  Maine  woodsmen,  except 
some  from  New  Brunswick,  then  called  "bluenoses."  The  latter 
class  would  work  summers  in  the  lumber  mills  at  Bangor  and  other 
points  along  the  Penobscot  river,  and  for  the  lumber  operators  in 
the  woods  for  the  winter,  and  drive  the  logs  on  the  rivers  and 
streams  in  the  springtime.  The  much  larger  portion  of  these  woods 
crews  were,  however,  pure-blooded  sons  of  Maine,  whose  fathers 
came  here  from  Massachusetts  and  New  Hampshire,  and  who  had 
descended  straight  from  the  old  Pilgrim  and  Puritan  stock. 

Thoreau  when  he  wrote  "Maine  Woods"  had  never  heard  of 
lumberjacks.  When  Fanny  Hardy  Eckstorm  wrote  her  charming 
epic  story  of  the  "Penobscot  Man"  as  late  as  1904.  she  at  least 
ignored  this   appellation. 

As  the  old-time  saw  mills  began  to  give  place  to  the  great  pulp 
and  paper  industry  and  Bangor  on  the  Penobscot  was  no  longer 
"the  largest  lumber  market  in  the  world,"  the  red  shirts  gradually 
dropped  out  of  the  ranks  to  be  filled  by  a  rapidly  increasing  army 
of  a  distinctly  different  type  of  man.  They  came  in  droves  from 
Boston  and  other  seaport  cities,  ordered  by  mail  from  labor  agen- 
cies. The  new  crowd  was  wholly  cosmopolitan.  They  hailed  from 
every  nook  and  corner  of  the  earth  and  from  all  the  ports  of  men 
in  western  and  eastern  Europe.  The  first  view  of  the  lumberjack 
was  beheld  when  this  influx  strange  to  the  deep,  dark  shadows  of 
the  woods  of  Maine,  began.  He  was  first  discovered  and  this  name 
bestowed  upon  him  by  that  wizard  in  the  portraiture  of  Maine 
country  and  backwoods  life.  Holman  Day,  not  more  than  a  quarter 


128      SPRAGUE'S  JOURNAL  OF  MAINE  HISTORY 


of  a  century  ago.  Theodore  Roosevelt  or  Woodrow  Wilson  were 
never  more  successful  in  the  coinage  of  words  than  was  Day  in 
this  one,  for  it  has  since  been  universally  adopted. 

One  of  the  largest  employers  of  these  lumberjacks,  is  the  Great 
Northern  Paper  Company.  Its  policy  of  dealing  with  the  public 
has  from  the  first  been  a  broad  and  generous  one.  This  fact  is 
\\ell  illustrated  by  its  having  constructed  and  maintained  in  this 
v.ilderness  practically  at  its  own  expense,  about  135  miles  of  good 
graveled  turnpike  roads,  and  by  its  acts  saying  to  the  public : 
"Come  on  and  use  these  roads  for  pleasure  or  business  as  you  may 
desire.     They  are  free  for  all." 

There  are  about  seven  thousand  of  this  new  type  of  woodsman 
working  in  its  Spruce  Woods  Department. 

The  passing  of  the  old  conditions  and  the  time-worn  customs 
and  methods  of  the  fathers  of  the  Maine  lumbering  was,  several 
years  ago,  perfectly  apparent  to  its  manager  and  his  lieutenants. 
Gradually  and  quietly  they  have  revolutionized  their  entire  woods 
system,  upon  an  entirely  new  basis,  designed  to  meet  the  swiftly 
changing  conditions.  A  "welfare  department,"  with  its  moving 
pictures,  its  libraries,  victrolas,  night  schools  and  reading  rooms 
for  the  use  of  rough-neck  swampers,  choppers,  etc.,  would  today 
surely  astound  the  Babbs,  the  Stricklands,  the  Morrisons  or  the 
John  Ross'  of  the  past  generation,  though  they  were  all  great  and 
wonderful  men  for  their  times.  And  yet  as  startling  as  it  may 
seem,  it  is  exactly  what  is  now  being  accomplished  in  the  wild 
timberland  districts,  in  the  counties  of  Aroostook  and  Piscataquis. 
The  plan  is  amazingly  progressive.  It  is  in  absolute  harmony  with 
tlie  most  advanced  thought  on  the  problems  of  immigration  and 
labor. 

Thus,  far  removed  from  the  lure  and  temptations  of  the  crowded 
cities,  where  Maine's  wild  life  exists,  where  the  bear  and  the  moose 
have  their  homes ;  where  the  loon  laughs  and  the  beaver  builds  his 
castle ;  where  the  pine  and  the  hemlock  murmur  their  weird  re- 
frains, and  the  roar  of  windy  blasts  from  mountain  tops,  and  the 
scream  of  the  eagle  is  heard,  new  Americans  are  being  made. 
They  have  been  started  on  the  road  to  refinement  and  good  citizen- 
ship, without  noise  or  fuss.  And  by  the  same  token,  the  relations 
of  the  employer  and  the  em])loyce  are  wisely  adjusted,  equalized 
and  harmonized. 

Its   latest   venture    in   this    social   and   welfare   work   among  the 


MAKING    HISTORY    IN    MAINE    WuODS  129 

lumberjacks,  is  the  founding  of  an  illustrated  monthly  magazine, 
entitled  "The  Northern,"  with  Harry  B.  Coe,  late  of  Portland, 
for  its  editor,  who  is  well  known  for  his  experience  and  ability 
as  a  writer  and  publisher.  Its  sole  purpose  is  to  furnish  its  thou- 
sands of  employees  with  a  publication  of  their  own,  devoted  wholly 
to  their  own  interests  and  welfare.  It  announces  that  it  is  "A 
]\Iagazine  of  Contact,  Between  the  Management  and  the  Men  of 
the  Great  Northern  Paper  Co. — Spruce  Woods  Department."  It 
is  unique.  Culture  and  the  woods  life  of  the  lumberjacks  are 
delightfully  intermingled  in  its  columns.  It  is  breezy,  attractive, 
and  full  of  excellent  matter,  appropriate  for  its  reading  constitu- 
ency. It  will  be  a  bright  addition  to  Maine  literature.  The  first 
number  appeared  in  April,  of  the  present  year.  In  this  issue  the 
editor  says :  "The  Social  Service  Division  of  the  Spruce  Wood 
Department  of  the  Great  Northern  Paper  Company  is  the  develop- 
ment of  an  idea  which  had  its  inception  in  the  active  brain  of 
Manager  F.  A.  Gilbert  in  his  desire  to  bring  to  the  people  of  the 
Spruce  Wood  Department  more  of  the  pleasures  of  life  and  to 
afford  them  opportunities  for  diversion  which  they  could  not  other- 
wise get. 

"That  is  the  reason  for  its  existence  and  its  excuse  for  func- 
tioning. 

"Mr.  M.  S.  Hill  was  appointed  superintendent  about  a  year  ago, 
since  which  time  his  plans  were  developed  to  their  present  stage, 
of  bringing  to  the  wilderness  those  pleasures  of  city  life  which  we 
all  enjoy  having,  in  entertaining  and  instructive  reading,  in  music 
and  in  moving  pictures. 

"Reading  is  provided  through  traveling  libraries  which  are  rented 
from  the  State  through  the  office  of  the  State  Librarian,  these 
libraries  being  placed  at  the  company's  headquarters  at  Pittston, 
Seboomook,  Grant  Farm,  Rice  Farm,  Dyer  Brook  and  Monticello. 
A  librarian  is  in  charge  and  books  can  be  had  at  any  time.  From 
these  headquarters  places,  the  books,  vmder  certain  necessary  re- 
strictions, can  be  used  by  the  men  in  the  outlying  camps  and  oper- 
ations of  their  several  natures. 

"Besides  the  libraries,  current  event  and  fiction  reading  is  offered 
through  weekly  and  monthly  magazines,  fortv  of  which  go  each 
issue  to  these  headquarters  places  and  during  the  woods  operation 
season  to  the  principal  depot  camps  as  well,  and  from  those  places. 


I30      SPRAGLE'S  JOURNAL  OF   MAINE  HISTORY 

after  being  read,  they  are  forwarded  to  the  smaller  camps  located 
farther  back  in  the  woods. 

"Victrolas  have  been  placed  at  the  same  places  and  sets  of  records 
arranged  in  programs  of  about  twenty-live  selections  each,  and  the 
aim  has  been  to  make  them  sufficiently  varied  to  cater  to  all  tastes, 
so  that  there  is  included  a  variety  from  the  latest  fox  trot  to  the 
big  Red  Seal  records  of  grand  opera  by  the  greatest  singers.  These 
concert  programs  are  sent  in  rotation  to  these  several  places  to  give 
them  a  new  set  of  records  at  stated  intervals." 


CAPTAIN  STEPHEN  SMITH,  WHO  LIVED  IN  MACHIAS, 
MAINE,    IN    REVOLUTIONARY    TIMES 

(By    Mark   A.    Barwise.) 

John  Smith  came  to  Barnstable,  Massachusetts,  from  England, 
about  1630,  was  betrothed  to  Susanna  Hinckley,  daughter  of 
Samuel  Hinckley  and  brother  of  Thomas  Hinckley,  afterward  gov- 
ernor, in  1642,  and  married  in  1643.  In  1663  he  succeeded  Rev. 
William  Sargent  as  pastor  of  the  Barnstable  church.  Subsequently 
he  went  to  Long  Island  and  New  Jersey  and  in  1675  removed  to 
Sandwich  and  in  1676  became  pastor  of  the  Sandwich  church, 
continuing  as  such  until  1688,  when  his  pastorate  was  terminated 
at  his  own  request,  he  being  74  years  of  age.  The  record  of  his 
death  is  obscure  as  to  the  year  but  the  probability  is  it  occurred 
October  2,  1710,  at  the  extreme  age  of  06  years. 

Stephen  Smith  was  a  descendant  in  the  fourth  generation  of 
John  and  Susanna  (Hinckley)  Smith  and  the  son  of  Samuel  and 
Bethia  Smith.  He  was  born  in  Sandwich,  Massachusetts,  and 
married  in  1762,  Deborah,  daughter  of  Johnathan  and  Patience 
Ellis,  of  Plymouth.  In  1772  vStephen  Smith  removed  from  Sand- 
wich to  Machias,  in  the  District  of  Alaine,  where,  but  nine  years 
before,  a  settlement  had  been  made.  In  1776  he  was  appointed 
Truck-master  to  the  Indians,  by  the  Provincial  Congress.  The 
duties  of  this  office  were  to  supply  the  Indians  with  provisions, 
and  to  keep  them  from  taking  an  active  part  against  the  Colonists 
In  the  Revolutionary  War.  The  next  year  he  was  spoken  of  as 
Captain  Smith,  of  the  militia,  and  he  was  associated  with  Col. 
Allan,  Col.  Eddy  and  Maj.  vStlllman,  In  the  defense  of  the  settle- 
ments  in   Eastern   Maine.     He   showed  himself,   in   the  numerous 


HON.   JAMES  ^PHINNEY   BAXTER  131 

skirmishes,  to  be  a  good  commander,  and  one  whom  the  Indians 
respected  and  obeyed.  That  he  was  a  generous  man  and  one  who 
contributed  to  the  support  of  the  church,  is  shown  by  the  fact  that, 
in  the  subscription,  "that  the  Rev.  James  Lyon  tarry  here  this  pres- 
ent year  (1778)  and  preach  the  Gospel  among  us,"  Stephen  Smith 
is  recorded  as  giving  "four  thousand  boards,  or  £12,"  which  is 
the  largest  subscription  on  the  list.  Perhaps  it  may  be  inferred 
that  he  owned  a  saw  mill  from  the  above. 

Four  of  the  ancestors  of  Capt.  Stephen  Smith,  on  his  mother's 
side,  came  over  in  the  Mayflower,  viz:  John  Tilley  and  his  wife 
Elizabeth,  their  daughter  Elizabeth  Tilley  and  John  Rowland. 
John  Rowland  married  Elizabeth  Tilley  soon  after  their  arrival 
at  Plymouth.  Hoi)e  Rowland,  daughter  of  John  and  Elizabeth, 
and  Elder  John  Chipman  were  married  in  1646,  and  their  grand- 
daughter, Bethia,  daughter  of  Hon.  John  Chipman,  married  Samuel 
Smith  and  was  the  mother  of  Stephen  Smith. 

Captain   Smith   died  in  Machias,   September  29,   1806. 


HON.    JAMES    PHINNEY    BAXTER 
In   Me  MORI  am 
In  memory  of  one  whose  life  has  been  a  benediction. 
We  gaze  upon  thy  silent   face. 
In  reverence  to  one  who  was  truly  great, 
Reflecting  upon   thy  long   life  of   usefulness; 
As   Poet,   Historian   and   Philanthropist 
Thy  name  will  e'er  be  remembered 
Throughout  the   State,   in  every  age. 

Great  men  of  renown  have  lived  before  thee, 

And  thy  life  has  drank  anew 

From   the    fountain   head   of   knowledge 

From  the   sweetest,   pure  and   true ; 

Now  thy  soul  will  e'er  be   feasting 

In  that  better  land  above 

^^'here  no   sorrow,   pain  or   anguish 

Enters  the   sacred   realm   of   love. 

Victoria  Aurora  Magnusson. 
Librarian,  Baxter  Memorial  Library,  Gorham,  Maine. 
June  2,   1 92 1. 


132      SPRAGUE'S  JOURNAL  OF   MAINE   HISTORY 


PORT    HALIFAX    AS    COMPLETED    IN    1755 

Drawn  by  C.  Marshall  Stewart,  Senior  Illustrator  in 
the  Division  of  Publications,  Department  of  Agricul- 
ture, Washington,  D.  C,  great-great-grandson  of 
Phineas  Stewart,  one  of  the  carpenters  employed  in 
its  erection,  from  records  filed  in  the  Library  of 
Congress. 

FORT   HALIFAX,    1754 

(By    Arthur    W.    Stewart.) 

In  the  early  part  of  1754  Gvovernor  Shirley  gave  orders  "For 
the  building  of  Fort  Halifax  on  an  eminence  near  a  fork  of  land 
at  Taconick  Falls,  and  that  a  strong  blockhouse  be  built  on  the 
same  fork  of  land  *  *  *  and  also  that  a  road  be  cut  through 
the  woods  on  the  mainland  between  Fort  Halifax  and  the  store- 
house at  Cushnock." 

This  location  was  at  the  confluence  of  Kennebec  and  Sebasticook 
rivers,  and  probably  was  chosen  as  it  was  the  only  known  way  of 
communication  between  the  Norridgewock  and  Penobscot  Indians, 
and  was  the  route  travelled  by  the  Penobscots  in  their  journeyings 
to  Quebec,  and  also  because  it  was  on  the  northern  boundary  of 
the  Plymouth  Company's  grant,  which  document  says :  "It  lyith 
within,  or  between,  and  extendeth  itself  from  ye  utmost  limits  of 
Comaseconty  which  joineth  ye  river  Kennebeck  towards  the  west- 
ern ocean,  and  a  place,  ye  falls  of  Nequamkick,  and  ye  space  of 


FORT   HALIFAX,    1754  i33 

fifteen  English  miles  on  either  side  of  said  river,  and  all  of  ye  said 
river  Kennebeck  that  lyeth  within   said  limits." 

Captain  William  Lithgow,  who  commanded  Fort  Halifax,  stated, 
"Nequamke  Falls  are  five  or  six  miles  below  Ticonic  Falls." 

Five  hundred  soldiers  were  detailed  for  guard  duty  during  the 
building  of  the  fort.  Governor  Shirley  gave  the  command  of  the 
troops  and  mechanics  of  the  expedition  to  Captain  John  Winslovv, 
who  was  made  General  of  the  Province.  He  was  a  great-grand- 
son of  Edward  Winslow  who  came  over  in  the  Mayflower,  and 
commanded  a  trading  expedition  to  the  Kennebec  one  hundred  and 
sixty  years  before. 

General  Winslow's  plan  of  the  fort  was  as  follows :  In  the  center 
a  blockhouse  of  two  stories,  twenty  feet  square  on  the  ground  and 
the  second  story  twenty-seven  feet  square.  Around  this  and  front- 
ing each  of  its  corners  were  four  one-story  buildings  to  be  used 
as  barracks ;  these  buildings  were  enclosed  by  palisades  built  of 
hewed  timber  and  forming  a  square  of  one  hundred  and  twenty 
feet,  and  the  whole  enclosed  by  eight  hundred  feet  of  palisades 
placed  in  the  form  of  a  star. 

This  plan,  however,  was  changed,  at  the  suggestion  of  Captain 
Lithgow,  who  succeeded  General  Winslow,  September  2,  1754. 
Captain  Lithgow  moved  the  four  one-story  buildings  used  as  bar- 
racks and  joined  them  in  a  line  south  of  the  blockhouse  built  by 
Winslow,  which  formed  the  northeast  corner  of  the  fort.  In  the 
opposite  or  southwest  corner  was  another  blockhouse  built  by 
Captain  Lithgow,  and  of  similar  formation  and  dimensions  as  the 
other. 

In  the  northwest  corner  he  erected  a  two-story  building  forty 
feet  by  eighty  feel,  which  was  used  as  officers'  quarters,  storehouse 
and  armory.  South  of  the  barracks  was  an  entrance  covered  by 
a  small  house  to  be  used  by  the  guard.  The  whole  was  surrounded 
by  a  palisade  joining  the  blockhouses  in  such  a  way  that  the  occu- 
pants could  command  a  view  of  all  sides  of  the  fort. 

A  small  redoubt  was  also  built  by  Winslow  on  the  top  of  the 
hill  back  of  the  fort  and  similarly  enclosed;  this  was  ecjuipped  with 
a  swivel  and  two  cannon.  Cai)tain  Lithgow  built  a  second  block- 
house on  the  hill  to  command  a  view  of  the  falls  where  consider- 
able fishing  was  dcjne,  and  where  a  fishing  party  \\as  attacked  by 
the  Indians. 


134      SPRAGCE'S  JOURNAL  OF   MAINE  HISTORY 

The  cannon  and  ironwork  for  the  arming  of  Fort  Hah  fax  were 
carried  up  the  river  on  two  gundalows,  or  scows,  which  drew  about 
two  feet  of  water,  and  were  towed  on  their  journey  by  the  assist- 
ance of  the  soldiers  who  guarded  them. 

The  workmen  employed  in  building  the  fort  were  Gershom  Flagg, 
of  Boston,  who  acted  as  foreman.  He  was  a  housewright  and 
glazier,  and  was  employed  on  Fort  Richmond  on  the  Kennebec,, 
and  Fort  Pownall  on  the  Penobscot.  He  was  a  member  of  the 
Plymouth  Company,  and  was  the  ancestor  of  the  Flaggs,  Bridges, 
Norths,  and  Fullers,  of  Augusta ;  James  Cocks,  who  was  a  captain 
in  the  Revolutionary  army.  He  married  a  sister  of  Gershom  Flagg 
and  settled  in  Hallowell  in  1762,  where  he  became  prominent  in 
town  affairs  ;  Phineas  Stewart,  the  great-grandfather  of  the  writer 
of  this  sketch,  who  was  born  in  Rowley,  Massachusetts,  in  1732^ 
and  was  a  soldier  in  the  Crown  Point  Expedition,  in  1756.  He 
removed  to  Howardstown,  which  is  now  a  part  of  Skowhegan, 
]\Iaine,  in  1776;  Stephen  Gulliver,  wdio  settled  in  the  vicinity  of 
Waterville;  Henry  HascoU,  Thomas  Clemons,  Benjamin  Easty, 
Jonatlian  Gibbs,  Ralph  Hemmingway,  Edmund  Savage,  Nathaniel 
Sullivan  and  Uriah  Tucker  as  carpenters;  John  Edwards,  William 
Parks  and  Robert  Williams  as  masons ;  Abram  Wyman  as  team- 
ster, and  Jonathan   Howland  as  cook. 

The  compensation  received  by  these  men,  when  compared  with 
the  artisans'  wages  of  the  present,  seems  rather  meager.  The  fore- 
man received  six  shillings  and  eight  pence,  and  the  journeyman 
carpenters  four  shillings  per  day ;  the  masons  received  sixty-six 
shillings  and  eight  pence  per  month  ;  the  teamster  two  shillings  and 
two  pence,  and  the  cook  one  shilling  per  day. 

The  fort  was  not  completed  until  1775,  and  as  we  glance  at  the 
blockhouse  built  by  General  A\'inslow  which  is  all  that  is  left  of 
Fort  Halifax,  few  realize  that  it  is  less  than  one-tenth  the  size  of 
the  original,  which  was  the  strongest  and  most  extensive  fortress 
in  the  state  in  the  seventeenth  century. 


PEJEPSCOT 


135 


UNOFFICIAL    POSTAL    REGULATIONS    IN    THE 
MAINE   WOODS 

(Contributed    by    William    F.    Atwood,    Jr.,    of    Bangor.) 

Fifty  years  ago  the  hotel,  store 
and  buildings  at  Chesuncook 
Lake  were  owned  by  the  late 
John  H.  Eveleth  of  Greenville. 
During  the  summer  and  the 
autumn  hunting  seasons,  many 
tourists  had  camps  and  lodges 
on  the  shores  of  the  lake  and 
at  other  points  in  the  vicinity. 
The  late  Leonard  Hilton  of 
Kingslnir)-  was  for  several  years 
subsequent  to  1869,  manager  at 
Chesuncook  for  Mr.    Eveleth. 

These    tourists    desired    their 
mail  carried  b}-  canoe  and  horse- 
back   riders    from    the    Chesun- 
cook  postofhce  to  their  respec- 
ti\'e  abiding  places. 
Mr.  Hilton  conceived  of  a  unique  plan  which  he  called  a  "tourist 
dispatch,"  by  which  he  sold  stamps  to  the   campers,  the   receipts 
from  the  sales  being  used  to  pay  these  private  mail  carriers. 
The  above  cut  represents  these  stamps. 


PEJEPSCOT 
All  alone  and  unmolested. 
Dwelt  a   tribe  of   the  Anasagunticooks, 
By  the  Androscoggin  River, 
Dwelt  this  tribe  of  the  Pejepscots. 

LTp  and  down  the  mighty  river 
In  canoes  they  paddled  daily; 
Through  the  forests  roamed  for  hunting 
All  young  braves  of  the  tribe  so  dusky. 

Then  the  white  man  came  among  them, 
Built  his  cabin  near  their  lodges, 
By  the  Androscoggin  River, 
River  of  the  mighty  waters. 


136      SPRAGUE'S  JOURNAL  OF  ^lAIXE  HISTORY 

Time  went  on,  one  day  at  evening 
By  the  Androscoggin  River, 
Sat  a  hunter  with  his  peace  pipe. 
Of  the  tribe  of  the   Pejepscots. 

Long  he  sat  there  thinking,  dreaming 
Of  the  people  come  among  them. 
Of  the  many  pale-faced  people 
Who  had  settled  there  among  them. 

Then  the  smoke  from  out  the  peace  pipe 
Curled  and  wreathed  and  wandered  skyward, 
Till  at   last  this  dusky  dreamer 
Saw  therein  a  mighty  vision. 

Saw  beside  that  mighty  river 
Flickers  of  the  lights  and  firesides. 
That  no  longer  came   from  camp-fires. 
But   from  homes  pale- faces  builded. 

Then  he  saw  beside  the  river 
Mighty  wheels  by  water  turning; 
Heard  the  roar  of  bridled  water 
As  it  tumbled  down  the  courses. 

Then  he  rose,  this  dark-hued  hunter. 
Paddled  back  to   tribe  and  kindred, 
Told  them  of  his  dream  and  vision, 
As  the  western  sun  was  setting. 

Years  have  gone,  as  have  the  red  men, 
From  among  the  pale-faced  people. 
And  we  see  no  longer  visions, 
Visions,  as  he  saw  at  sunset. 

Mighty  wheels  are  there  in  motion. 
Run  by  water  where  he  paddled ; 
Logs  are  fallen  by  the  river. 
Where  he  sat  and  smoked  the  peace  pipe. 

He  no  longer  sits  there  dreaming. 
But  the  kindly,  pale-faced  people, 
Ever  mindful  of  the  tribe  so  dusky. 
Call  the  land  for  the  Pejepscots. 

NelIvIE  Ricker,  AVinthrop,  Me. 


A  "SMOCK  MARRIAGE"  IN  MAINE  IN   1772        137 


A  "SMOCK  AIARRIAGE"  IN  MAINE  IN  1772 

(By    Sam    E.    Conner.) 

Under  the  old  laws  if,  upon  marriage,  a  woman  came  to  her 
husband  without  any  of  this  world's  goods,  clothes  or  money,  he 
w'as  not  liable  for  her  debts.  The  records  of  the  State  show  that 
at  least  one  smock  marriage  occurred  in  Maine,  so  called  because 
the  bride  wore  only  a  smock  when  she  took  the  nuptial  vow. 

It  was  also  the  law  that  persons  desiring  to  enter  the  state  of 
matrimony,  but  who  lived  in  a  community  where  there  was  neither 
a  minister  nor  magistrate,  could  by  appearing  before  witnesses, 
reading  to  each  other  the  marriage  ceremony  and  signing  a  mar- 
riage agreement,  become  lawfully  wedded.  The  smock  marriage 
to  which  reference  is  made  took  place  in  the  Knox  county  town 
of  Friendship  in  1772  and  the  old  record  on  the  town's  books  was 
as  follows : 

"Certificate — This  may  certify  all  whom  it  may  concern  that 
W.  Elwell  of  Meduncook  hath  been  duly  published  to  Hannah 
Thomas  of  Meduncook.  Si'd,  Sedate  Wadsworth,  Clerk,  Medun- 
cook, April  ye    i8th,    1772. 

"Meduncook,  May  12th,  1772.  Whereas  the  Subscribers,  Wm. 
Elwell  &  Hannah  Thomas,  being  lawfully  published  &  desirous 
of  entering  into  the  holy  state  of  Marriage  &  being  confined  in  a 
place  where  there  is  neither  a  minister  or  magistrate,  do  by  these 
presents  &  in  the  presence  of  Almighty  God  &  before  these  wit- 
nesses that  may  sign  this  instrument,  engage  Sc  do  take  each  other 
as  man  &  wife  &  do  promise  to  behave  to  each  other  in  a  tenderly 
Si  affectionate  manner  as  man  &  wife,  according  to  the  laws  of 
God  &  man,  according  to  the  best  of  our  capacities  &  as  tho  we 
were  married  by  a  magistrate  or  minister.  In  witness  whereof, 
we  have  hereunto  set  our  hands. 

"William  Elwell. 

"Hannah   Thomas,   her   X   mark. 

"Signed  in  the  presence  of  we  the  subscribers,  &  that  the  man 
took  her  as  it  were  naked  &  gave  her  clothes  to  put  on. — Wm.  S. 
Frost,  vSamuel  Condon,  Cornelius  Morton,  Mary  Condon,  her  X 
mark,  Otis  Pinkham,  Hannah  Pinkham,  Mercy  W.  Larry,  her  X 
mark. 


8      SPRAGUE'S  JOURNAL  OF   MAINE  HISTORY 


"N_  B. — Wm.  Elwell  &  Hannah  Thomas  took  the  common  prayer 
book  after  they  had  signed  the  above  instrument  &  read  the  church 
ceremony  of  marriage  to  each  other  in  a  serious  manner  before 
the  witnesses  to  the  above  instrument  before  me — Wm.  S.  Frost. 

"The  aforesaid  Wilham  Elwell  &  Hannah  Thomas  were  married 
in  the  above  manner,  May  12th,  1772 — their  first  child,  a  daughter, 
named  Hannah,  was  born  June  ye  21st,  1772;  their  second,  a  son, 
named  Elias,  born  April  ye  5th,   1776." 

There  is  one  other  authentic  smock  marriage  on  record  where 
the  bride  appeared  unclothed  during  the  ceremony.  This  took  place 
ill  England  in  1797.  While  there  probably  were  others,  the  general 
record  shows  that  in  all  such  marriages  the  bride  stood  concealed, 
except  for  her  hand  and  face  behind  a  curtain,  or  else  in  an  adjoin- 
ing room,  with  her  hand  extended  through  and  holding  that  of  the 
bridegroom.  Eater,  it  appears,  that  it  was  the  custom  for  the 
bride  to  appear  clothed  only  in  a  chemise  and  then  with  a  smock, 
which   was  a  baglike  arrangement   of   cotton  cloth. 


REBECCA    WESTON    CHAPTER 

(From  D.   A.   K.    ^lagazine.    May.    1021.1 

Rebecca  Weston  Chapter  (Dexter,  Me.)  aided  in  the  celebration 
of  Armistice  Day,  1920,  by  unveiling  a  boulder  to  mark  the  site 
of  the  town.  The  Edward  J.  Poulliot  Post  of  the  American  Legion 
and  the  members  of  the  D.  A.  R.,  led  by  the  Fay  and  Scott  Band, 
marched  to  the  lot,  which  is  now  owned  by  J.  Willis  Crosby,  the 
members  of  Rebecca  Weston  Chapter  marching  up  the  hillside  and 
forming  a  semicircle  back  of  the  tablet.  After  the  music  and 
invocation,  Mrs.  J.  Willis  Crosby,  Regent  of  the  Chapter,  delivered 
the  following  address : 

"This  year  of  1920  is  a  notable  one.  The  tercentenary  anni- 
versary of  the  landing  of  the  Pilgrims  on  our  shores  is  being  cele- 
brated throughout  New  England.  This  year  also  marks  the  cen- 
tennial of  the  independence  of  our  beloved  State  of  Maine.  So  it 
seems  most  fitting  that  we  observe  at  this  time  some  historic  facts 
of  our  own  town  of  Dexter. 

"Because  of  our  manv  patriotic  sons  who  ofifered  their  services 


REBECCA  WESTON   CHAPTER  139 


to  their  country  in  the  Civil  War,  later  in  the  Spanish-American 
War,  and  more  recently  the  World  War,  it  seems  eminently  fitting- 
that  we,  the  Daughters  of  the  American  Revolution,  should  unite 
with  the  boys  of  the  American  Legion  in  the  observance  of  Armis- 
tice Day. 

"We  are  to  unveil  a  tablet  marking  the  site  of  the  first  dwelling- 
in  Dexter,  and  there  is  a  bit  of  most  interesting  history  connected 
with  it.  In  1794,  James  Bridge,  of  Augusta,  purchased  from  the 
Commonwealth  of  Massachusetts  the  present  township  of  Dexter. 
He  soon  sold  it  to  Charles  Vaughn,  who  was  acting  for  a  company 
in  Massachusetts.  Vaughn  was  unable  to  meet  the  conditions  in- 
volved in  the  purchase  of  this  land,  and  Dexter  passed  through 
several  hands  before  Andrew  Cragie,  of  Cambridge,  Mass.,  pur- 
chased and   induced  settlements  upon  it. 

"During  the  year  1800,  Cragie  sent  Samuel  Elkins  from  Corn- 
ville  to  locate  a  suitable  site  for  a  mill.  He  chose  the  outlet  of 
the  body  of  water  which  was  later  named  Lake  Wassookeag.  and 
began  at  once  to  hew  timber  for  the  structure.  The  mill  proved 
an  attraction,  for  the  same  year  Ebenezer  Small  and  John  Tuckler 
came  here  to  secure  locations  for  future  homes.  Mr.  Small  made 
a  clearing,  put  up  a  log  cabin,  and  raised  a  crop  of  corn.  The 
next  spring  he  returned  to  New  Hampshire  for  his  wife.  There 
was  no  road  further  than  Harmony,  so  with  necessary  household 
goods  loaded  on  a  handsled  and  with  Mrs.  Small  seated  on  top, 
they  continued  their  journey.  There  was  not  even  a  footpath  to 
guide  them  through  the  forest,  and  it  was  with  great  difficulty  that 
they  found  their  way,  by  means  of  blazed  trees,  and  at  last  reached 
their  destination. 

"The  hardships  endured  by  these  early  settlers  seem  almost  in- 
credible. At  one  time  food  was  so  scarce  that  people  travelled 
forty  miles,  on  horseback,  to  Norridgewock,  and  bought  corn  for 
$2  per  bushel,  and  a  certain  youngf  man  went  to  Athens  to  work 
in  a  hay  field  for  a  peck  of  corn  a  day. 

"The  contrast  between  those  early  days  and  the  present  is  great. 
Today  the  town  of  Dexter  is  beautiful,  with  its  picturesque  scenery 
of  hill  and  dale,  lake  and  stream,  wooded  hills,  shady  streets,  its 
many  churches  and  educational  institutions,  varied  business  enter- 
prises, and  fine  residences,  with  their  well-kept  lawns  and  shrub- 
bery, and  fine  farms,  of  which  we  are  justly  proud.     And  here  in 


I40      SPRAGUE'S  JOURNAL  OF  MAINE  HISTORY 


the  shadow  of  these  venerable  and  stately  ehiis,  we,  the  members 
of  Rebecca  Weston  Chapter,  Daughters  of  the  American  Revo- 
lution, take  pleasure  in  unveiling  this  boulder  w^ith  inscribed  tablet, 
marking  the  site  of  the  first  dwelling  in  Dexter,  and  we  dedicate 
it  to  the  memory  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Small,  who  so  bravely  faced  the 
dangers  and  hardships  of   pioneer  life." 

(Mrs.)   Annie  M.  Brirv,  Historian. 


OHESUNCOOK    SCHOOL    HOUSE 

The  State  of  Maine  cares  for  and  educates  many  children  whose 
homes  are  scattered  along  the  borders  of  its  14,000  to  15,000 
scmare  miles  of  forestry  and  upon  146  islands  along  its  seacoast. 

This  is  known  as  "The  Unorganized  Territory  School  System 
of  Maine."  It  is  unique  and  differs  from  any  other  scheme  of 
school  teaching  in  the  country  that  we  are  aware  of.  All  the 
children  under  this  system  receive  educational  privileges,  both 
elementary  and  secondary.  There  are  now  in  the  unorganized 
townshi|)s  from  40  to  60  schools,  each  school  having  from  2  to  50 
scholars. 

The  above  is  a  picture  of  one  of  these  schoolhouses  located  at 
Chesuncook  Dam  in  Piscataquis  County. 


MAINE   HISTORY   IN    THE   SCHOOLS  141 


MAINE  HISTORY  IN   THE  SCHOOLS 


This  Department  is  open  to  con-  Conducted  by  Augustus  O. 
tributions  from  all  teachers  and  Thomas,  State  Superintendent  of 
pupils.  Schools,  Augusta,  Me. 


THE   CASTINE    CONFERENCE 

Under  the  laws  of  the  State  of  Maine  the  state  superintendent 
of  public  schools  is  authorized  to  direct  and  call  a  conference  for 
superintendents  of  schools  for  one  week.  This  conference  has 
met  for  a  dozen  years  at  Castine  on  the  Penobscot  Bay  and  has 
become  an  institution  in  the  educational  affairs  of  the  state.  It 
is  the  plan  of  the  state  superintendent  of  schools  to  discuss  with 
his  co-workers  intimately  the  vital  problems  of  school  management 
and  school  administration.  It  is  customary  also  to  invite  to  ad- 
dress the  conference  distinguished  and  eminent  educators  and 
others  who  have  a  message  to  deliver. 

So  much  importance  is  attached  to  this  conference  and  to  the 
week's  study  of  educational  affairs  in  the  state  and  to  the  develop- 
ment of  a  program  for  school  improvement  that  the  state  author- 
izes the  payment  of  the  traveling  expenses  of  the  superintendents 
who  attend.  In  fact  all  superintendents  are  directed  by  law  to 
attend  unless  excused  by  the  state  superintendent  of  schools. 

Unusual  interest  attached  to  the  program  of  the  Castine  Con- 
ference, July  II  to  15,  iQJi.  It  was  a  great  pleasure  to  meet  again 
our  old  friend  John  H.  Finley  of  the  New  York  Times,  formerly 
Commissioner  of  Education  of  New  York  and  President  of  the 
University  of  New  York.  Dr.  Finley  had  recently  returned  from 
several  months  abroad,  during  which  time  he  studied  intimately 
European  aff'airs.  Dr.  Finley  has  a  wonderful  touch  with  world 
aff'airs  and  the  most  intimate  relation  Vv-ith  edvicational  situations. 
His  talk  on  the  situation  in  Europe  was  intensely  interesting,  while 
his  educational  lecture  was  provocative  of  thought  of  the  most 
progressive  type.  Dr.  P'inley  was  accompanied  by  Mrs.  Finley 
and  our  great  regret  is  that  they  could  not  ha\e  stayed  longer. 

Mr.  MacGregor  Jenkins  of  the  Atlantic  IMonthly  proved  to  be 
all  that  his  friends  said  of  him  when  he  was  selected  for  two 
addresses.     His   lecture,   "The   Reading  Public,"   was   an   intimate 


142      SPRAGUE'S  JOURNAL  OF  MAINE  HISTORY 

discussion  of  ourselves,  while  his  "Fellow  Travelers"  intensified 
the  same  theme.  The  ripe  experience  of  Mr.  Jenkins  as  a  pub- 
lisher and  molder  of  thought  authenticated  what  he  said  and  made 
it  extremely  interesting. 

Dr.  W.  Carson  Ryan,  Jr.,  of  the  New  York  Evening  Post  was 
present  during  the  whole  of  the  week  and  came  into  close  touch 
with  the  superintendents  and  their  programs.  His  lecture  on 
Thursday  was  of  an  extremely  high  order.  It  showed  a  complete 
understanding  of  modern  educational  movements  and  a  progres- 
sive attitude  toward  standardizing  ideals.  Dr.  Ryan  was  formerly 
connected  with  the  Bureau  of  Education  at  Washington.  He  takes 
up  his  post  as  head  of  the  Department  of  Education  at  Swarth- 
more  College  this  autumn.  He  will  continue  his  relations  with 
the  New  York  Post.  The  Post  was  one  of  the  first  great  daily 
newspapers  to  recognize  the  necessity  of  advertising  the  best  in 
education,  and  secured  Dr.  Ryan  because  of  his  knowledge  of 
educational  affairs  and  his  intimate  touch  with  leading  educators. 

I\Trs.  Katherine  Cook  of  the  Bureau  of  Education  at  Washing- 
ton brought  a  message  from  the  federal  government.  The  pro- 
gram was  crowded,  which  made  it  impossible  to  allot  a  full  period 
to  her  address.  Our  regret  is  that  she  could  not  have  spent  a 
longer  time  at  the  conference.  The  states  need  a  closer  touch 
with  the  people  in  the  federal  bureau  of  education  who  are  largely 
our  official  unifying  agents. 

Senator  John  Francis  Sprague,  one  of  our  own  Aiaine  men,  gave 
a  delightful  and  instructive  lecture  on  "Some  Famous  Men  and 
Women  of  Maine."  vSenator  Sprague  is  the  owner  and  editor  of 
Sprague's  Journal  of  Maine  History.  He  sees  almost  more  clearly 
than  anyone  else  in  Maine  the  necessity  of  conserving  the  wealth 
of  historical  material  of  the  Dirigo  State  for  the  edification  and 
profit  of  future  citizens.  He  is  deeply  in  sympathy  with  our  move- 
ment to  teach  the  children  of  the  schools  the  lessons  of  history  and 
the  price  our  forefathers  paid  for  present-time  civilization  and  the 
opportunities  afforded  them.  The  Senator  spent  the  whole  of  the 
week  at  Castine,  which  gave  him  something  of  an  idea  of  the 
struggle  of  the  Maine  superintendents  to  improve  themselves  in 
the  art  of  managing  schools  and  improving  the  teaching  staff. 

Dr.  Phillip  Davis,  who  exemplifies  staunch  Americanism,  elec- 
trified the  conference  with  his  rich  phrasing  and  fluent  description 


MAINE    HISTORY   IN    THE    SCHOOLS  143 


of  the  foreign  in  America.  Dr.  Davis  came  up  somewhere  in 
Russia.  He  left  that  country  at  the  age  of  about  fourteen  and 
landed  somewhere  in  America.  While  he  claims  Boston  and  Mas- 
sachusetts as  his  home,  he  is  mostly  of  America  and  all  for 
Americans.  As  a  worker  he  is  one  of  the  foremost  Americans 
of  foreign  birth  and  in  sympathy  with  American  ideals  he  may  be 
classed  with  Jacob  Riis  and  Mary  Antin. 

]\Iiss  Emma  Serl  of  Kansas  City,  Mo.,  was  popular  with  the  con- 
ference. Her  philosophy  of  method  was  highly  appreciated.  Her 
quiet,  dignified,  but  positive  manner  of  address  not  only  interested 
but  carried  conviction.  She  opened  up  the  technical  situation  as 
applied  to  education  and  emphasized  the  fact  tliat  teaching  is  a 
technical   and   skilled  profession. 

The  chief  criticism  of  the  conference  may  be  found  in  the  fact 
that  the  program  was  possibly  too  much  crowded,  and  that  there 
was  not  enough  time  to  discuss  our  own  intimate  problems,  but 
it  is  very  difficult  to  arrange  an  even  balance  between  the  inspira- 
tional, instructive  lectures  and  the  round  tables.  At  times  those 
we  engage  fail  tO'  appear,  and  at  other  times  everyone  appears 
who  is  named  on  the  program.  There  seems  to  be  no  way  to  know 
definitely  how  much  time  will  be  left  for  our  conferences.  On 
the  wliole  the  gathering  was  an  enjoyable  occasion,  an  inspiration 
and  a  high  light  with  which  to  begin  the  new  year. 


LOCAL   HISTORY   IN   THE    SCHOOLS 

There  is  a  mistaken  notion  among  the  teachers  in  regard  to 
carrying  on  the  project  work  in  local  history.  Some  think  the 
plan  was  simply  for  the  centennial  year,  while  in  reality  it  should 
continue  for  all  time.  The  books  which  have  been  made  by  the 
schools  and  pupils  are  splendid  specimens  of  the  history  project. 
Teachers  are  understanding  better  than  ever  how  to  proceed,  how 
to  develop  interest  in  local  history  on  the  part  of  their  pupils. 
Two  books  of  unusual  merit  are  just  received. 

One  of  these  books  is  from  South  Bristol,  by  Laura  M.  Bridges. 
It  is  dedicated  to  the  progressive  citizens  who  are  making  the 
town  the  best  town.  This  dedication  is  significant  and  has  a  tend- 
ency to  develop  local  boosters.  The  book  contains  short  historical 
sketches  and  descriptions  of  the  town,  together  with  a  brief  account 


144      SPRAGUE'S  JOURNAL  OF   MAINE  HISTORY 


of  its  development  as  a  summer  resort.  The  map  of  South  Bristol 
is  very  difficult  to  draw,  as  anyone  will  readily  see  by  reference 
to  the  map,  and  Miss  Bridges  has  done  a  fine  piece  of  work.  The 
book  is  tastefully  and  effectively  illustrated. 

The  other  book  is  by  Aima  Hodgkins  and  is  a  history  of  New- 
castle. It  is  beautifully  written  and  effectively  illustrated.  It 
gixes  many  interesting  and  valuable  paragraphs  in  regard  to  the 
early  history  of  Newcastle.  Some  of  the  pictures  would  be  an 
inspiration  to  an  artist.  They  show  how  very  beautiful  may  be 
our  lands  adjoining  the  sea.  There  are  two  pictures  in  particular 
which  art  could  not  portray,  one  is  the  view  along  the  Damaris- 
cotta  and  the  other  the  Ox  Bow  in  the  Sheepscot  River.  This 
ox  bow  bend  in  the  Sheepscot  River  is  like  unto  the  great  ox  bows 
in  the  alluvial  plains  of  the  Mississippi,  but  even  more  picturesque. 
I  hope  the  teachers  will  continue  the  local  history  project  with 
increased  efficiency  and  interest  on  the  part  of  the  children.  I  am 
pleased  to  set  up  again  the  outline  of  study  which  may  be  found 
in  "One  Hundred  Years  of  Statehood  and  One  Hundred  Leading 
Facts  of  Maine,"  which  I  wTote  last  year: 

Outline  of  Study  for  the  Town 

1.  When   organized. 

2.  When  settled. 

3.  Changes  in  boundaries. 

4.  ]\Iake  map  of  state  and  town,  showing  rivers,  highways,  rail- 

ways, trolley  lines,  boat  lines,  etc. 

5.  List   public   ofiicials    and   names,   offices   held,   also    important 

dates. 

6.  Historic  places,  if  any,  within  the  town  ;  old  landmarks  should 

be  located  on  map  and  written  up,  also  photographed. 

7.  Important  events  which  have  taken  place  in  the  town   listed 

chronologically  and  brief  narratives  written. 

8.  Brief  account  of  the  development  of  education,  high  schools 

and   academies.     Events  which  distinguish  the  schools  in 
any  way  and  mark  their  advancement. 
0.     Persons  who  were  born  in  the  town  and  have  achieved  dis- 
tinction. 
10.     Collect  [)ictures  of  persons,  places  and  buildings. 


MAINE   HISTORY   IN    THE   SCHOOLS  145 


11.  Names  of  persons  and  first  events;  settlers,   families,  births, 

death,  marriage,  school,  church,  Sunday  school,  priests 
and  ministers,  teachers,  store,  bank,  post  office,  railroad, 
boat  or  trolley,  etc. 

12.  Wherever  possible  secure  old  newspapers,  letters  and  diaries. 

13.  Write  up  whatever  facts  are  collected  in  narrative  form,  put- 

ting in  names,  dates,  etc.,  illustrate  when  advisable  by 
maps  and  pictures. 

14.  Do   not   forget   to  take  a    forward   look   at   the   opportunities 

there  are  for  young  people  in  Maine  and  what  the  state 
tmder  the  coming  generation  is  to  become.  Have  more 
advanced  pupils  list  items  which  if  observed  will  make 
Maine  a  greater  state. 

15.  At  the  close  of  the  narrative  or  photograph  add  a  note  telling 

how  you  got  your  material  or  information,   from  whom, 

etc. 
The  books  in  which  this  original  investigation  is  recorded  may 
be  made  of  ordinary  paper,  covered  with  wrapping  paper  nicely 
ironed  out  and  tied  or  pinned  together.  The  books  may  be  made 
up  by  individuals,  or  it  may  be  a  school  enterprise  with  all  of  the 
children  contributing.  Teachers  who  desire  copies  of  the  booklet 
"One  Hundred  Years  of  Statehood  and  One  Hundred  Leading 
Facts  of  Maine,"  may  secure  the  same  by  addressing  the  state 
superintendent  of  schools  at  Augusta. 


SPRAGUE'S  JOURNAL   OF  MAINE  HISTORY 

PUBLISHED     QUARTERLY 


Entered  as  second  class  matter  at  the  post  ofRce,  Dover,  Maine,  by 
John  Francis  Sprague,  Editor  and  Publisher. 

Terms:  For  all  numbers  issued  during  the  year,  including  an  index 
and  all  special  issues,  $2.00.  Single  copies  of  current  and  previous  vol- 
umes, 50  cents.     Bound  volumes,  $2.50  each. 

Postage  prepaid  on  all  items,  except  bound  volumes  west  of  Mississippi 
River. 

This  publication  will  be  mailed  to  subscribers  until  ordered  discontinued. 


OUR   MESSAGE   TO   YOU 

FIRST  TEACH  THE  BOY  AND  GIRL  TO  KNOW  AND  LOVE 
THEIR  OWN  TOWN,  COUNTY  AND  STATE  AND  YOU  HAVE 
GONE  A  LONG  WAY  TOWARD  TEACHING  THEM  TO  KNOW 
AND   LOVE   THEIR   COUNTRY. 


Preserve  this  issue  of  the  Journal.  You  will  then  always  have 
what  will  be  of  exceeding  interest  and  worth  to  yourself  and  family. 
Hand  it  along  to  future  generations !  It  will  be  of  priceless  value 
to  them. 


MELVIN    SAIITH   HOL\\^\Y 

The  city  of  Augusta,  and  the  State  of  Maine,  lost  one  of  its  very 
best  citizens  when  Melvin  Smith  Holway  died  at  his  home  in  that 
city,  May  2i,  1921.  He  was  a  good  man  in  every  sense  of  the 
word  and  a  splendid  type  of  the  noblest  citizenry  of  our  State. 
He  was  born  May  26,  1861,  in  Augusta,  eldest  son  of  Oscar  and 
Olive  A.  (Fowler)  Holway.  He  fitted  for  college  in  the  Augusta 
schools,  entered  Bowdoin  College  in  his  17th  year,  graduating  with 
honors  in  1882.  He  graduated  from  the  Harvard  Law  School  in 
1884,  studied  law  for  a  time  in  the  office  of  W.  L.  Putnam  at 
Portland  and  was  admitted  to  the  Kennebec  Bar  in  1885  and  has 
since  that  time  practised  law  in  Augusta. 

He  had  been  city  solicitor  and  served  in  both  branches  of  the 
city  government  and  had  been  a  member  of  the  school  board.  He 
was  not  only  an  able  lawyer  but  an  able  and  successful  business 
man  as  well. 

He  was  president  of  the  Oscar  Holway  Company,  of  which  his 
father  was  the  founder ;  a  director  in  the  Old  Town  Woolen  ]\Iills ; 
president  of  one  of  the  woolen  mills  at  Guilford;  one  of  the  oldest 
•directors  of  the  First  National  Bank,  of  Augusta,  and  a  director 


EDITORIALS  147 


of  the  Fuller-Holway  Company.  He  was  a  leader  in  the  Y.  M. 
C.  A.;  a  trustee  of  the  Lithgow  Pubhc  Library;  a  deacon  of  the 
Congregational  Church;  overseer  of  Bowdoin  College,  and  was  a 
member  of  the  Masonic  bodies. 

His  long-time  friend,  Arthur  G.  Staples,  had  a  most  beautiful 
appreciation  of  him  in  the  Lewiston  Journal.  From  this  we  take 
the   following  excerpts : 

'.'It  would  be  difficult  to  eulogize  the  life  and  character  of  J\Ir. 
Holway.  The  plain  truth  is  sufficient.  There  seemed  no  fault 
in  him.  He  was  gentle,  patient,  sacrificial,  generous,  thoughtful, 
learned,  full  of  laughter  and  of  joy.  Never  obtruding;  yet  plain 
enough  when  it  came  to  any  issue  of  right  or  wrong,  was  his 
religious  life.  He  was  one  of  those  of  whom  Paul  spoke,  'stead- 
fast, immovable,  abounding  in  the  work  of  the  Lord.'  He  had 
absolutely  not  one  showy  attainment. 

"He  was  not  a  forceful  or  aggressive  public  speaker.  He  was 
not  a  good  story  teller.  He  talked  but  little  except  in  the  company 
of  a  few.  But  he  had  bed-rock  character.  I  never  knew  any  such 
absolutely  time-defying,  deep-laid,  bed-rock  foundations  of  man- 
hood in  a  man  of  my  age  and  association  as  he  had.     . 

"He  was  never  a  stoic.  He  was  somewhat  of  an  epicurean.  He 
loved  the  good  things,  but  so  temperately,  so  sensibly,  so  reservedly, 
that  his  society  was  an  education.  He  knew  how  to  get  the  best 
out  of  books.  He  knew  how  to  write  wonderfully  and  should  have 
been  a  great  essayist  and  authority  on  literature  rather  than  a 
lawyer.  He  had  the  qualifications  for  such  work  as  that  of  Wil- 
liam Lyon  Phelps.     .     .     . 

"I  have  been  personal  in  this  writing;  because  I  wished  to  be. 
I  want  to  lay  my  wreath  on  the  grave  of  the  best  of  men.  His 
home-town  newspaper  contained  tributes  from  others  who  have 
known  Mr.  Holway.  I  saw  a  brother  attorney  of  Mr.  Holway's 
Sunday  at  the  sea-shore  hurrying  home  as  though  it  were  his  own 
brother.  I  too  have  lost  one — a.  brother  of  the  sunny  days,  a 
brother  of  the  old  Fraternity;  a  brother  of  the  hedge-rows,  of 
friendly  roads,  of  adventures  in  contentment — when  earth  was 
young  and  when  there  were  no  clouds  anywhere  in  the  blue. 

"That  this  should  happen  on  the  eve  of  the  greatest  of  reunions, 
at  commencement-time,  gives  it  a  touch  of  extra  bitterness.  But 
if  we  shall  imitate  his  life ;  follow  his  word,  so  gently  and  so  sweetly 


148      SPRAGUE'vS  JOURNAL  OF   MAINE  HISTORY 

S£;id  SO  many  times  of  yore — we  shall  make  the  best  of  it.  For  I 
am  very  sure  that  Mr.  Holway's  life  is  an  exceeding  great  lesson 
r-nd  that  his  beneficent  influence  must  go  on  through  many  years, 
and  that  he  has  made  the  best  of  a  life  of  tremendous  value  to 
society,  a  scholar,  a  gentleman,  a  soldier  of  the  cross." 

Mr.  Holway  was  also  deeply  interested  in  the  history  of  the 
State  of  Maine,  and  had  from  the  first  been  a  subscriber  to  and 
an  enthusiastic  supporter  of  the  Journal. 


TO  SCHOOL  SUPERINTENDENTS  AND  TEACHERS 
The  editor  desires  to  call  especial  attention  to  the  "Maine  His- 
tory in  the  Schools"  department  in  the  Journal,  ably  and  interest- 
ingly edited  by  Dr.  Thomas,  the  State  Superintendent  of  Public 
Schools.  We  gladly  give  the  schools  this  space.  It  is  designed 
as  a  medium  for  an  interchange  of  views  by  superintendents  and 
teachers  relative  to  the  teaching  of  local  history.  It  can  be  made 
just  as  interesting  and  as  valuable  to  the  schools  of  Maine  as  you 
yourselves  may  make  it.  Its  success  is  up  to  you.  We  are  in 
hearty  accord  with  the  move  and  believe  it  will  be  useful  and 
successful. 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  AMERICAN  INDEPENDENCE  FROM 
FOREIGN  NATIONS  WHICH  ANIMATED  OUR  FORE- 
FATHERS 

Letter  op  Hon.  Saml.  Adams  to  Same.  Freeman,  Esor.,  1777 
My  dear  Sir : 

I  have  had  the  Pleasure  of  receiving  several  letters  from  you. 
and  I  thank  you  for  the  Intelligence  therein  communicated  to  me. 
I  beg  you  to  continue  your  favors,  although  it  may  not  be  in  my 
Power  to  balance  the  Account. 

Our  Aflr'airs  are  now  in  a  very  critical  Situation.  There  is  strong 
Reason  however  to  promise  ourselves  a  favorable  Issue.  Men  of 
virtue  throughout  Europe  heartily  wish  well  for  our  Cause.  They 
look  upon  it  as  indeed  it  is  the  Cause  of  mankind.  Liberty  seems 
to  be  driven  from  every  other  Part  of  the  Globe.  The  Prospect 
of  our  afifording  for  its  Friends  an  Asylum  in  this  new  World, 
giving  them  universal  joy.  France  &  Spain  are  in  Reality,  though 
not  yet  openly  yielding  us  Aid.  Nevertheless,  it  is  my  opinion 
that  it  would  he  more  for  the  future  Safety,  as  zcell  as  the  Honor 


EDITORIALS  i49 


of  tJie  united  States  of  .liiieriea  if  they  could  establish  their  Liberty 
and  Independence,  zvith  as  little  foreign  Aid  as  possible.  If  we  can 
struggle  thro  our  Difficulties  alone  and  establish  ourselves,  we 
shall  value  our  Liberties  as  dearly  bought  the  more,  and  be  less 
obliged,  and  consec[uently  the  more  independent  on  others.  ]\Iuch 
depends  on  the  Efforts  of  this  year.  Let  us  therefore  lay  aside  the 
consideration  of  every  Subject  which  may  tend  to  a  Disunion. 
The  Reasons  of  the  late  Conduct  of  our  General  officers  at  Tycon- 
daroga  must  endure  a  strict  Scrutiny.  Congress  have  ordered  an 
Inquiry,  and  for  this  Purpose  Genl.  Schuyler  &  St.  Clair  are  or- 
dered to  Head  Quarters.  Gates  immediately  takes  the  Command 
of  the  Northern  Army. 

He  gains  the  Esteem  of  the  Soldiers,  and  his  Success  in  restoring 
the  Army  there  the  last  year,  from  a  state  of  Confusion  &  Sickness 
to  Health  and  good  order  affords  a  flattering  Prospect.  In  my 
opinion  he  is  an  honest  and  able  officer.  Bad  as  our  Affairs  in 
that  Quarter  appear  to  be,  they  are  not  ruinous.  Reinforcements 
of  regular  Troops  are  already  gone,  &  I  hope  the  brave  N.  England 
melitia  will  joyn  in  sufficient  Numbers  to  damp  the  Spirits  of 
Eurgoyn.  One  grand  Effort  now  may  put  an  end  to  the  Conflict. 
I  am 

Your  aff'ectionate  Friend 

Samuei.  Adams. 
To  Samuel  Freeman, 

Postmaster  at  Falmouth,  Me. 


THE  MAINE  WRITERS'  RESEARCH  CLUB 
The  Maine  Writers'  Research  Club,  now  five  years  old,  held  its 
spring  meeting  at  the  Y.  W.  C.  A.  rooms,  Lewiston,  v^aturday, 
May  21,  10-21,  with  eighteen  present,  including  nearlv  all  the  Lew- 
iston and  Auburn  members.  Luncheon  was  served  at  1.30.  Those 
seated  at  the  attractively  arranged  tables  in  the  Y.  W.  C.  A.  dining 
room  were :  Mabel  G.  Hall,  Hallowell ;  Jessica  J.  Haskell,  Hallo- 
Avell ;  Rose  D.  Nealley,  Lewiston ;  Anna  L.  Dingley,  Auburn ;  Mrs. 
George  F.  French,  Portland;  Florence  Waugh  Danforth,  Skow- 
hegan ;  Sarah  B.  Field  Seymour,  Auburn ;  Ella  Matthews  Bangs, 
Portland;  Mary  Louise  Stetson,  Auburn;  Mabel  S.  Merrill,  Lew- 
iston; Annie  Lawrence  Pratt,  x\uburn ;  Ethel  C.  Pierce,  Lewiston; 
Alice    Frost   Lord,    Lewiston;    Theda    C.    Dingley,   Auburn;    Mrs. 


150      SPRAGUE"S  JOURNAL  OF  MAINE   HISTORY 


A.    L.   Talbot,   Lewiston;   Frances   Wright    Turner,    South   Paris; 
]\Irs.  E.  C.  Carll,  Augusta;  Emmie  Bailey  Whitney,  Lewiston. 

The  meeting  was  called  to  order  by  the  president,  Jessica  J. 
Haskell,  and  as  this  was  the  bi-annual  election  of  officers,  a  nom- 
inating committee  was  appointed  by  her,  consisting  of  Mrs.  Carll, 
Mrs.  French  and  Miss  Dingley.  They  reported  the  following,  who 
were  unanimously  elected:  Pres.,  Mrs.  Florence  W.  Danforth, 
Skowhegan;  vice-pres.,  Miss  Ella  M.  Bangs,  Portland;  sec.-treas., 
Theda  C.  Dingley,  Auburn;  board  of  review,  Mrs.  E.  C.  Carll, 
Mrs.  George  F.  French,  Mrs.  Emmie  Whitney,  Miss  Jessica  Has- 
kell. Mrs.   S.  L.  White  of  Houlton. 

In  the  absence  of  the  secretary-treasurer.  Miss  Louise  H.  Coburn, 
owing  to  illness,  only  a  partial  report  was  given.  The  club  now 
has  on  hand  in  the  treasury  $742.61.  Miss  Dingley  reported  on 
the  arrangements  and  progress  toward  the  publication  of  a  com- 
panion book  to  "Maine,  My  State,"  wliich  the  club  proposes  to 
get  out.  as  their  next  undertaking  of  importance.  The  first  of  the 
stories  have  already  been  received  by  the  committee  which  is  the 
same  as  served  in  the  publication  of  the  former  book.  Mrs.  Boyd 
Bartlett  of  Castine  and  Miss  Dingley  was  chosen  to  present  the 
matter  of  the  publication  of  the  book  to  the  school  superintendents 
at  their  annual  meeting  in  Castine  this  summer. 

The  possible  publication  in  book  form  of  the  Fairfield  letters, 
which  are  running  in  the  Lewiston  Journal  magazine  and  in  which 
the  club  is  deeply  interested,  was  discussed  and  it  was  voted  to 
assist  as  much  as  possible  in  bringing  out  the  book. 

A  letter  was  read  from  Mrs.  Eva  L.  Bean  of  Biddeford,  report- 
ing the  critical  illness  at  Trull  hospital  of  Cora  Bickford.  the  first 
president  of  the  club.  It  was  voted  to  send  Miss  Bickford  a  gift, 
with  flowers  and  a  letter  of  sympathy. 

The  afternoon's  entertainment  was  furnished  by  Miss  Mabel  L. 
Merrill,  who  read  a  delightful  little  story,  "Mary,  Queen  of  Cus- 
tards." of  which  she  is  the  author. 

At  the  invitation  of  Mrs.  Beulah  Sylvester  Oxton,  the  summer 
meeting  will  be  held  in  Thomaston. 


I-armington,  in  its  early  history,  was  closely  identified  with 
Hallowell ;  in  fact  that  town  was  the  source  from  which  it  derived 
most  of  its  sup] •lies,  says  the  Franklin  Journal.     The  first  explor- 


EDITORIALS  i^i 


ing  party  came  to  Farmington  from  Topsham  in  1776,  proceeding 
up  the  Kennel^ec  in  canoes  as  far  as  Hallowell,  which  at  that  time 
contained  three  or  four  houses  and  some  fish-stores.  From  that 
place  they  proceeded  by  land  over  a  bad  road  for  a  short  distance 
and  for  the  remainder  of  the  way  through  a  wilderness  by  aid  of 
the  compass.  Early  in  1777  another  party  came  from  the  vicinity 
of  Hallowell  and  finally  with  the  first  company  formed  an  associ- 
ation in  Hallowell,  Dec.  17,  1777,  known  as  The  Proprietors  of  a 
township  on  Sandy  River,  later  known  as  Reuben  Colburn  and  his 
Associates.  ]\Ieetings  of  thi^  Association  were  generally  held  at 
Amos  Pollard's,  in  that  part  of  Hallowell  now  Augusta.  After 
some  delay  a  title  was  obtained  to  the  tract  of  land  and  the  town- 
ship was  laid  out,  and  the  first  meeting  of  Colburn  and  his  Asso- 
ciates was  held  at  Sandy  River  on  the  15th  of  October,  1783. 
Among  the  early  settlers  were  Jeriah  Blake,  who  came  from  that 
part  of  Hallowell  which  is  now  Augusta,  as  did  Enoch  Craig. 
Robert  Kannady,  Calvin  Edson  and  Gerret  Burns.  Mr.  Craig  in 
the  winter  of  1789  went  to  Hallowell  with  Dorothy  vStarling.  his 
intended  wife,  for  the  purpose  of  getting  married,  there  being  no 
person  living  nearer,  qualified  to  solemnize  marriages.  Mr.  Kan- 
nady was  also  married  in  Hallowell.  ^Supply  Belcher  came  to 
Farmington  from  Hallowell  in  1791  and  with  him  John  Church, 
both  of  whom  figured  largely  in  the  early  history  of  Farmington. 
Ezekiel  Porter  and  Gershom  Collier  were  the  first  to  settle  on  what 
was  afterwards  known  as  Porter  Hill.  They,  too,  came  from 
Hallowell.  During  those  early  days  most  of  the  business  was  done 
by  the  exchange  of  articles,  corn  and  grain  and  neat  stock  being 
the  staple  commodities.  Considerable  quantities  of  grain  were 
hauled  to  Hallowell,  the  nearest  market,  and  this  trade  continued 
for  many  years.  The  first  county  road  was  laid  out  from  Hallo- 
well to  Farmington,  through  Chesterville,  and  the  mail  was  first 
brought  to  Farmington  from  Flallowell  about  1703  by  Zaccheus 
Mayhew.  The  mail  was  carried  on  horseback  until  1829  when  a 
two-horse  team  was  employed.  Thus  Hallowell  was  really  an  im- 
portant element  in  the  settlement  and  development  of  the  good  old 
town  of  Farmington. — Lewiston  Journal. 


The  Bangor  Historical  Society  is  indebted  to  Prof.  \\'illiam  Otis 
Sawtelle  of  Haverford,  Pa.,  for  an  exceedingly  valuable  collection 


1^2 


SPRAGUE'S    JOURNAL  OF   MAINE  HISTORY 


of  old-time  Bangor  prints  attractively  framed,  and  they  are  dis- 
played in  the  historical  room  of  the  Bangor  public  library.  The 
titles  of  these  historic  and  exceedingly  valuable  prints  are  as  fol- 
lows: Views  of  Bangor  in  1837;  Mercantile  Row  with  Bangor 
House  in  Distance,  1834;  City  Hall,  1853;  Court  House,  1853; 
Theological  Seminary,  1853;  Lovers'  Leap,  1853;  Dwinel  House, 
1856;  Custom  House,  Bangor  House  and  Church;  Old  Town  Saw- 
nn'lls,  1884;  Indian  Island,  Old  Town,  1854;  View  of  Bangor  in 
1859;  Bangor  Electric  Railway  Cars,  1889,  and  Kent-Cutting 
jMansion. 


Liston  P.  Evans,  editor  of  the  Piscataquis  Observer,  in  his 
report  of  the  meeting  of  the  Elaine  Press  Association  at  Bangor, 
Sept.    17-18,   1920,  says: 

It  is  an  interesting  fact  to  me  that  five  men  who  were  at  the 
banquet  were  natives  of  Piscataquis  county  or  went  from  there. 
They  were : 

Charles  F.  Flynt  of  the  Kennebec  Journal,  who  was  born  in 
Abbot;  Roland  T.  Patten  of  the  Independent-Reporter,  Skow- 
hegan.  who  was  born  in  Monson  or  at  least  went  from  that  town ; 
Francis  M.  Joseph,  a  leading  Waterville  job  printer,  who  went 
from  Monson ;  John  F.  Sprague,  publisher  of  Sprague's  Journal 
of  Maine  History,  who  was  born  in  Sangerville;  and  the  writer, 
wlio  was  born  in  Brownville. 


The  Journal  acknowledges  its  thanks  to  Hon.  Job  H.  Montgom- 
ery of  Camden,  Maine,  for  his  historical  address  at  the  centennial 
celebration  of  the  town  of  Penobscot  in  Hancock  County,  Sep- 
tember 14,  1887,  and  published  this  year  at  Camden,  Maine,  by 
the  Knox  Publishing  Company.  It  is  an  interesting  and  valuable 
addition  to  the  historv  of  Maine  towns. 


Though  not  generally  known  by  the  present  generation,  says  the 
Lewiston  Journal,  soldiers  once  guarded  the  Kennebec  court  house 
during  a  murder  trial.  Nine  prisoners  were  tried  for  the  killing 
of  Paul  Chadwick  of  Windsor  in  1809,  the  tragic  incident  growing 
out  of  controversies  over  the  settlement  and  boundary  lines  of  the 
township  lands.  The  service  of  the  militia  cost  $11,025.  The 
commissary  department  of  one  company  of  50  men  in  service  16 
davs  included  three  barrels  of  pork,   17 J  gallons  of  molasses,  28 


EDITORIALS  153 


pounds  of  chocolate,  22\  bushels  of  potatoes,  800  pounds  of  ship 
bread,  1462  pounds  of  beef  and  59  gallons  of  rum.  But,  despite 
all  this,  the  nine  prisoners  walked  out  of  the  court  room  free  men, 
at  the  close  of  the  trial. 

The  Rockland  Gazette  is  publishing  a  most  valuable  historical 
sketch  of  the  Waldo  Patent  from  the  pen  of  Dr.  George  L.  Crock- 
ett of  Rockland,  entitled  "Romance  of  the  Waldo  Patent."  It 
contains  much  important  data  never  before  published,  which  Dr. 
Crockett  has  rescued  from  oblivion  in  his  research  work  regarding 
this  subject. 

The  Journal  hopes  to  be  able  to  publish  it  in  whole  or  in  part 
in  the  near  future. 


^\'e  recently  published  in  the  Journal,  (vol.  8,  p.  196),  a  "History 
of  the  Blaine  Alansion,"  by  Norman  L.  Bassett  of  Augusta. 

This  was  an  interesting  and  valuable  article  and  its  historical 
v.orth  was  recognized  by  the  Americana  of  New  York,  one  of  the 
leading  historical  periodicals  of  the  country,  in  its  last  issue  of  its 
current  volume,  taken  from  and  properly  credited  to  the  Journal. 

In  the  Americana's  literary  notes,  in  the  same  number,  we  find 
the  following : 

"In  Sprague's  Journal  of  Maine  History,  a  quarterly  magazine 
now  in  its  ninth  year,  published  at  Dover,  Maine,  the  editor,  Mr. 
John  Francis  Sprague,  is  not  only  producing  a  work  gratifying  to 
the  present-day  reader,  but  one  W'hich  will  have  ever  increasing 
value  as  the  years  pass  by.  In  the  last  two  numbers  are  papers  of 
notable  interest :  'Indian  Treaties  in  Maine,'  a  subject  having  a 
bearing  upon  the  hunting  rights  of  Indians  in  that  State  as  adjudi- 
cated in  its  Supreme  Court  some  few  years  ago;  a  'History  of  the 
Blaine  Mansion'  in  Augusta,  with  mention  of  visits  there  by  Presi- 
dents Grant  and  Roosevelt ;  an  address  on  'The  State  of  Maine,' 
by  Hon.  Clarence  Hale,  a  Justice  of  the  United  vStates  District 
Court,  before  the  IMaine  Society  of  New  York ;  besides  a  long 
list  of  graves  of  Revolutionary  soldiers  in  the  Kennebec  region; 
and  much  other  important  matter." 


In   Thomas  A.   Edison's    famous    I-16  questions  which   have  at- 
tracted so  much  attention  is:  "Who  is  called  the  'father  of  rail- 


154      SPRAGUE'S  JOURNAL  OF   MAINE  HISTORY 

roads'  in  the  United  States?"     The  answer  is  "John  Stevens,  1749- 
1838,  of  Hoboken,  N.  J." 

Had  it  occurred  to  Mr.  Edison  to  ask,  who  was  the  father  of 
tlie  international  raihvays  in  America,  the  answer  would  have  come 
very  near  being:  John  Alfred  Poor,  of  Portland,  Maine.  He  was 
born  in  Andover,  Maine,  then  known  as  East  Andover,  January  8, 
1808.  He  died  in  Portland  in  1871.  He  was  a  pioneer  in  the  agi- 
tation for  international  and  transcontinental  system  of  railroads. 
He  was  the  chief  promoter  of  the  first  one  built  upon  American 
soil,  the  old  Atlantic  and  St.  Lawrence  Railway,  and  now  the 
Grand  Trunk  svstem. 


You  Can't  Go  Wrong 

In  Boosting  Maine  Strong 

The  first  real  action  in  the  state-wide  industrial  development  for 
Maine  was  started  by  The  Lincoln  Worsted  Company,  where  a  fine 
brick  factory  is  now  being  erected,  and  you  can  not  only  make  a 
sound,  profitable  investment,  but,  help  boom  Maine  by  purchasing  at 
this  time  for  what  you  can  afford  of  the  H'^'o  accumulative,  preferred 
stock,  of  THE  LINCOLN  WORSTED  COMPANY,  and  receive  what 
generally  goes  to  bankers, — a  fifty  per  cent,  of  bonus,  in  common 
stock.     Par  value  of  both  classes  of  stock  $10.00  per  share. 

For  further  particulars  address  THE  LINCOLN  WORSTED 
COMPANY,   LINCOLN,   MAINE,   L.  J.   Co  burn.   Vice  President. 


Coin  and  Stamp  Collectors 


ILLUSTRATED  CATALOGUE 

Prices    I    Pay — of    every    U.    S.    Coin 
wortli    over   face — 15    cts. 

WANTED  What  are  your  wants?     Perhaps 

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Stamp    Catalog-ues    and    other    PhilateUc    and    Numismatic 
literatui-e   at  publisliers'   prices 

W.  B.  GOULD 

292   Hammond  St.  Bangor,  Maine 


SPRAGUE'S  JOURNAL  OF  MAINE   HISTORY      155 


RECENTLY     PUBLISHED 
A    HISTORY  OF 

Grand  Lake  Stream 
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NEWBURYPORT,   MASS. 


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Paid    by    one    of    Maine's    Largest 
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BRANCH     OPFICKS 
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156      SPRAGUE'S  JOURNAL  OF  MAIXE  HISTORY 


Are  You 
Interested 
In  Lower  Taxes? 


TANGIBLE  property  will,  no 
doubt,  continue  to  be  the 
basis  for  the  calculation  of 
the  larger  part  of  our  State's 
taxes.  Consequently  the  more  tan- 
gible property  we  have  in  the  State 
the  easier  it  will  be  to  raise  the 
required  budget. 

Developed  water  powers  furnish 

a  direct  means  for  increasing  the 

tangible    taxable    property    of    the 

State.    If  the  water  powers  can  be 

made  ready,  industries  will  naturally 

be  attracted  to  the  State.    Industries  mean  factories 

and  mills;  mills  and  factories  mean  more  men  and 

women;  more  men  and  women  mean  more  dwellings. 


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CENTRAL  MAINE**  POWER  COMPANY  157 

Taxable  property  increases  in  direct  proportion  as 
industries  increase. 

Nearly  6,000  people  in  Maine  have  seen  the  wisdom 
of  placing  a  portion  of  their  funds  with  this  company 
for  the  development  of  Maine  water  powers.  Their 
investment  has  paid  them  a  substantial  614%,  and 
brought  them,  we  feel  confident,  the  incalculable  re- 
turn which  comes  from  the  knowledge  of  having  done 
the  greatest  good  for  the  greatest  number. 

If  you,  too,  would  like  to  share  in  the  company's 
earnings  and  the  general  prosperity  which  must, 
sooner  or  later,  inevitably  follow  the  building  up  of 
Maine,  why  not  place  a  portion  of  your  funds  in  the 
7%  Preferred  Stock  of  this  Company?  The  price  is 
$107.50,  the  yield  is  61/0%  net. 

Central  Maine  Power  Company 

Augusta,  Maine 


COUPON 

CENTRAL  MAINE  POWER  COMPANY 

Augusta,   Maine 

Please  send  me  more  information  about 
your  preferred  stock  as  an  investment  for 
Maine  people. 


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Address 


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158      SPRAGUE'S  JOURNAL  OF  MAINE  HISTORY 


MAILING  LISTS 

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ALL    LISTS    GUARANTEED 

MULTIGRAPHING 


Your  letters  have  that  "catchy" 
appearance  that  demands  attention. 
We  apply  the  punch  that  gets  you 
the  business. 

PRINTING,    LETTER    SERVICE 


Maine  Register  Offices 

390  Congress  Street 
PORTLAND,  MAINE 


John  Francis  Sprague's  Books 

Piscataquis       Biography       and 

Frag-ments,  $1.00 

Sebastian  Rale,  a  ^Nlaine  Trag- 
edy of  the   18th   Century,  $1.50 

The  North  Eastern  Bovindary 
Controversy  and  the  Aroos- 
took   War,  $1.25 

Accidental      Shooting      in     the 

Game    Season  $  .25 

Backwoods    Sketches,  $1.00 

Also      Piscataquis      Historical 

Society    Collections,    Vol.    I,      $2.00 

Any  of  the  above  named  books 
will  be  sent  postpaid  upon  receipt 
of   the    price. 

A.    J.    HUSTON, 
92    Exchange   St.,        Portland,    Maine 


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OCTOBER— NOVEMBER— DECEMBER 


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Goes  to  press  later  than  any  other  paper  reaching  Central  Maine.    It 

handles  messages  by  wire  up  to  3  o'clock  in  the  morning.    If  you 

want  the   latest  news,   READ   THE   SENTINEL. 

$5.00  per  year  by  mail  for  cash. 

WiaUtmiie,  Muint 


I'T^  P  2l  VQ  TT^^  QAA/^17  ^^^  your  plans  to  start  your  savings 
M.  i.  I  l\  M.  ij  M.\J  iJlV  T  E/  account  with  this  bank  on  your  very 
next  pay-day.  Set  aside  One  Dollar — more  if  you  can  spare  It — come  to 
the  bank   and  make  your  first  deposit.     Small   sums  are   welcome. 

Put  system  Into  your  savings.  Save  a  little  every  week  and  save  that 
little  reg-ularly.  Make  it  an  obligation  to  yourself  just  as  you  are  in  duty 
bound  to  pay  the  grocer  or  the  coal  man.  SAVE  FAITHFULLY.  The 
dollars  you  save  now  will  serve  you  later  on  when  you  will  have  greater 
need  for  them. 

PISCATAQUIS   SAVINGS   BANK,    Dover,    Maine. 

T.  B.  GUEBNSEV,  Pres.  W.  C.  ■VVOODBURY,  Treas. 


Money  Back  If  Not  Satisfied — Is  Your  Protection 

JOHN  T.  CLARK  &  CO. 

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MAINE    INLAND    SCENERY 


FROM  W.  i;.  KEXJ)ALL'.S  COLLECTION  OF  MAINE  AGRICULTURAL 

ETCHINGS 


CONTENTS 

Nature  Worshipers    157 

Maine   History  in  the   Schools  of  Maine 160 

Franklin  Pierce  and  the   State   of  Maine 165 

The   Maine   Indians 170 

Graves   of  Revolutionary   Soldiers ; 175 

Morrill   Family  Reunion 180 

Lines  on  the  Morrill   Family  Reunion 183 

Chronicles  of  the  Family  of  John  Morrill 184 

In  Memoriam   191 

Good  Will   Home  Association 196 

Maine   History  in  the    Schools 198 

Editorial    203 

C  fYEARS^he  Insurance  Man  of  Somerset  Co. 

^^    ^^    Never  a  Failure — Never  a  Law   Suit — Wliat  more  do  you   want? 

%J  %J     (Member  Soc.  Col.  Wars;  Sons  Am.   Rev.;  Past  A.  A.  G.,  G.  A.  R.) 

CHARLES  FOLSOM-JONES,         Skowhegan        Maine 

"We  have  positive  evidence  of  the  reliability  of  advertisers  on  these  pages 


JAINIES    PHINNEY    BAXTER 
1831—1921 

Maine's  most  noted  historian  and  author,  and,  the  leading-  authority  on 
Maine  colonial  history.  Editor  and  compiler  of  the  "Baxter  ^Manuscripts." 
For  sketch  of  the  life   of  Mr.  Baxter  see  the  Journal,   vol.   9,   p.   78. 


Sprague's  Journal  of  Maine  History 

Vol.  IX  October,  November,  December,  192 i  No.  4 

NATURE    WORSHIPERS    MAY    FIND    IT    ALL    IN    THE 
STATE    OF    MAINE 

(By  the  Editor) 

These  arc  diverse  vleivs  of  great  and  inspired  icorshipers  of 
nature.  The  Creator  fasJiioiied  and  generously  bestozced  upon  that 
portion,  of  His  earth  zvhieli  is  nozu  the  State  of  Maine,  zvonderful 
and  gorgeous  gifts.  Here  is  big  nature,  silent,  relaxing,  restful 
and  inspiring.  Henee  all  humans  zvlio  adore  nature  and  zvorship 
at  her  s/iriue,  may  here  find  complete  satisfaction  and  happiness, 
and  haz'c  their  Iiearts  filled  zcit/i  thrills  of  joy. 

Ye  children  of  the  mounlain,  sing  of  your  craggy  peaks, 
Your  valleys,   forest   laden,  your  cliffs  where  Echo  speaks; 
And  ye,  who  by  the  prairies  your  childhood's  joys  have  seen. 
Sing  of  your  waving  grasses,  your  velvet  miles  of  green  : 
But  when  my  memory  wanders  down  to  the  dear  old  home, 
I  hear,  amid  my  dreaming,  the  seething  of  the  foam, 
The  wet  wind  through  the  pine  trees,  the  sobbing  crash  and  roar, 
The  mighty  surge  and  thunder  of  the  surf  along  the  shore. 

I  see  upon  the  sand-dunes  the  beach-grass  sway  and  swing, 

I  see  the  whirling  sea-birds  sweep  by  on  graceful  wing, 

I  see  the  silver  breakers  leap  high  on  shoal  and  bar. 

And  hear  the  bell-buoy  tolling  his  lonely  note  afar. 

The  green  salt-meadows  fling  me  their  salty,  sweet  perfume, 

I  hear  through  miles  of  dinuiess  the  watchful   fog-horn  boom  ; 

Once  more,  beneath   the  blackness  of  night's  great  rooftree  high, 

The  wild  geese  chant  their  marches  athwart  the  arching  sky. 


158     SPRAGUE'S  JOURNAL   OF   MAINE   HISTORY 

The  dear  old  Cape !     I  love  it !     I  love  its  hills  of  sand, 
The  sea-wind  singing  o'er  it,  the  seaweed  on  its  strand ; 
The  bright  blue  ocean  'round  it,  the  clear  blue  sky  o'erhead; 
The  hshing  boats,  the    drii)i)ing    nets,    the    white    sails  filled  and 

spread ; — 
For  each  heart  has  its  picture,  and  each  its  own  home  song, 
The   sights  and  sounds  that  move  it  when  Youth's  fair  memories 

throng ; 
And  when,  down  dreamland  ])athways,  a  boy,  I   stroll  once  more, 
I  hear  the  mighty  music  of  the  surf  along  the  shore. 

Joe  Lincoln    (Joseph   Crosby  Lincoln) 

in  National  Masfazine. 


MAINE    COAST-LINE    SCENE    NEAR    CAI'E    ELIZAllETli 


For  the  sea  is  murderous,  cruel,  and  catlike  in  its  treacherous 
habits,  and  all  shore  men  know  it.  It  tem])ts  one  out  upon  its  sur- 
face, toys  with  you  for  an  hour  most  pleasantly  to  yourself  ;  then 
suddenly  and  fiercely  tosses  you  up,  and  you,  coming  down  beneath 
an  overturned  boat, — why,  the  "beautiful  sea"  has  enriched  its  vast 
death-chamber  with  another  corpse ! 

Two  yachtsmen,  after  storm, — out  of  whose  clutch  their  yacht 
had  been  wrenched  as  bv  the  hand  of   God, — were  strollimr  on  a 


NATURE    WORSHIPERS  159 

beach  one  morning,  with  the  dear  old  pines  on  the  one  hand  and 
the  dread  billows  still  rolling  hungrily  on  the  other,  when,  clamber- 
ing around  a  point  of  slippery  rocks,  they  suddenly  saw,  half 
embedded  in  the  sand,  two  white  faces,  both  young,  lying  side  by 
side.  A  man's  and  woman's  face,  both  young,  lying  so  closely  that 
the  pale  cheeks  almost  touched.  Doubtless  they  had,  when  warm 
with  life,  touched  each  other  lovingly  a  thousand  times,  for  surely 
these  two  lying  thus  on  a  foreign  beach,  a  thousand  leagues  from 
home,  were  lovers,  death-mated.  They  were  young  emigrants 
seeking  by  faith  another  and  a  better  country.  God  grant  they 
found  it !  *  *  *  *  * 

But  the  woods,  the  dear,  frank,  innocent  woods.  God  bless 
them !  They  kill  no  one.  At  their  sw^eet  roots  no  lovers,  sleeping, 
die.  Along  their  green  edges  no  man  and  maiden  lie  side  by  side, 
killed  by  their  treachery.  Once  in  a  hundred  years,  perhaps  one 
man,  and  he  by  accident,  is  killed  by  the  falling  of  a  tree — some 
poor,  dead  tree  that  could  not  stand  one  instant  longer,  nor  help 
from  falling  just  then  and  there.  Ay,  the  dear  woods  that  kill  no 
one,  tempt  no  one,  but  rather  warn  you  to  keep  out  of  their  depths, 
near  their  bright  margins,  where  the  sun  shines,  flowers  bloom, 
and  open  spaces  are  ;  the  woods  that  cool  you  so  with  their  untaxed 
restfulness ;  that  never  moan  of  nights  because  they  have  killed 
any  one,  but  rather  because  any  one,  for  any  cause,  must  be  killed, 
the  world  over.  Yes,  yes.  St.  John  was  right.  There  will  be  "no 
sea  there !" 

W.  H.  H.  ^TuRRAY  in 
"Lake  Champlain  and  Its  Shores." 

Notliing  so  fair,  so  |)ure,  and  at  the  same  time  so  large,  as  a  lake, 
perchance,  lies  on  the  surface  of  the  earth.  Sky  water.  It  needs 
no  fence.  Nations  come  and  go  without  defiling  it.  It  is  a  mirror 
which  no  stone  can  crack,  whose  quicksilver  will  never  wear  ofl-', 
whose  gilding  Nature  continually  rei)airs  ;  no  storms,  no  dust,  can 
dim  its  surface  ever  fresh  ; — a  mirror  in  which  all  impurity  l>re- 
sented  to  it  sinks,  swept  and  dusted  by  the  sun's  hazy  brush. — this 
the  light  dust-cloth — which  retains  no  breath  that  is  breathed  on 
it,  but  sends  its  own  to  float  as  clouds  high  abo\e  its  surface,  and 
he  reflected  in  its  bosom  still. 

Henry  D.  Thoreau  in 

"Walden  Pond." 


i6o     SPRAGUE'S   JOURNAL   OF   MAINE   HISTORY 


Maine  is  a  mosaic  of  bright  spots  in  life,  inlaid  with  more  gen- 
uine, worth-while,  health-giving  pleasure  places  than  any  other 
State  in  the  Union,  and  framed  between  the  most  picturesque  moun- 
tain range  in  eastern  America  and  a  seacoast,  in  beauty  and  utility, 
unequaled  in  any  country  in  the  world. 

Walter  Emerson  in  preface  to 

"The  Latch-string." 


MAINE    HISTORY    IN    THE    SCHOOLS    OF    MAINE 
Evidence  Is  Increasing  That  the  People  of  Maine  Want   It 

The  editor  of  the  Journal  read  a  paper  before  the  history  depart- 
ment of  the  Maine  Teachers'  Association  in  Portland,  Maine, 
October  27,  192 1,  entitled,  "Should  Maine  History  Be  Taught  in 
the  Public  Schools?" 

The  fact  that  all  of  the  daily  and  a  large  number  of  the  weekly 
newspapers  of  the  state  gave  this  effort  at  an  argument  in  favor 
of  the  proposition,  such  generous  publicity,  is  convincing  proof 
that  the  people  of  Maine  are  heartily  behind  the  movement  to  have 
the  history  of  Maine  a  part  of  the  general  course  of  study  in  the 
schools  of  Maine;  that  they  desire  that  their  children  should  have 
knowledge  of  the  history  of  their  own  state,  as  well  as,  quoting 
from  that  great  American,  Walt  Whitman — "the  small  theater  of 
the  antique  or  the  aimless  sleepwalking  of  the  middle  ages." 

The  paper  herein  referred  to  was  published  in  full  in  the  Lewis- 
ton  Journal. 

From  CoNt;RESs:\rAN  Hersey 

\\'ashIngton,  D.  C,  October  31,  1921. 
John  F.  Sprague, 
Dover,  Maine. 
Dear  John : 

Permit  me  to  extend  to  you  my  warmest  congratulations  upon 
vour  verv  practical  and  valuable  address  before  the  teachers'  con- 
vention at  Portland  on  teaching  the  history  of  Maine  in  the  schools. 
Every  boy  and  girl  should  understand  the  leading  events  of  the 


MAINE  HISTORY   IN   THE   SCHOOLS  i6i 

history  of  the  state.  Also  they  should  be  familiar  with  the  lives 
of  the  men  who  have  made  the  state.  I  hope  your  modesty  will 
not  hinder  you  from  making  this  address  a  part  of  the  next  issue  of 
your  valuable  Journal. 

Sincerely  yours, 

Ira  G.  Hersey. 

(Editorial    Kennebec    Joui-nal,    October    28,    1921) 

"Should  Maine  History  Be  Taught  in  the  Public  Schools.^"  was 
the  subject  of  the  able  address  given  by  John  F.  Sprague  at  the 
Maine  Teachers'  Convention  in  Portland,  yesterday.  As  might 
be  expected,  the  editor  of  Sprague's  Journal  of  Maine  History 
made  a  convincing  argument  and  one  of  absorbing  interest  as  well. 

It  is  to  be  supposed  that  the  grandchildren  of  Adam  and  Eve 
asked  cjuestions  about,  their  grandparents,  that  being  in  accord 
with  natural  desire,  but  for  many  thousands  of  years  the  accuracy 
of  historical  research  may  be  questioned  and  it  is  known  that  tradi- 
tion became  a  warp  to  be  filled  in  with  the  variegated  coloring 
supplied  by  the  imagination.  Later  more  attention  was  paid  to 
the  fact  and  less  to  the  fiction,  and  historical  research  "kept  pace 
with  the  expansion  of  every  phase  of  human  enlightenment." 

Now  if  history  is  to  be  taught  in  our  schools — and  no  one  will 
seriously  oppose  that — it  follows,  or  should,  as  a  matter  of  course, 
that  attention  should  be  given  to  the  study  of  Maine's  history.  The 
history  of  our  state  may  not  be  comprehended  without  recourse 
to  the  history  of  certain  other  parts  of  the  world,  history  that  had 
a  very  important  part  in  shaping  our  own  along  with  the  world's 
affairs.  Mr.  Sprague  very  aptly  shows  that  the  impulses  which 
had  to  do  with  this  part  of  the  land  during  its  formative  period 
had  their  origin  in  old  world  conditions  at  a  time  when  they  were 
undergoing  far-reaching  changes.  How  may  a  child  accjuire  knowl- 
edge of  Maine  history  and  escape  some  valuable  conception  of 
European  affairs  when  :  "The  very  roots  of  the  history  of  Maine 
begin  in  the  splendid  dream  of  the  French  nation,  a  new  France 
in  the  new  world"  ? 

Then,  viewed  from  another  angle,  the  speaker  rightly  concludes: 
"First  teach  the  boy  and  girl  to  know  and  love  their  own  town, 
county  and  state  and  you  have  gone  a  long  way  toward  teaching 


i62      SPRAGUE'S   JOURNAL  OF   MAINE   HISTORY 

them  to  know  and  love  their  own  town,  county  and  state  and  you 
have  gone  a  long  way  toward  teachhig  them  to  know  and  love  their 
country."     And  that  is  the  way  we  would  ha\e  our  youth  travel. 

(Editorial   Bangor  Commercial,   October   29,    1921) 

John  F.  Sprague  of  Dover,  in  a  valuable  address  given  Thurs- 
day at  the  convention  of  teachers  in  Portland,  made  a  strong  argu- 
ment for  more  extended  teaching  of  Maine  history  in  the  public 
schools.  It  is  nothing  new  for  Mr.  Sprague  to  offer  vigorous 
remarks  along  this  line  as  he  has  frequently  done  so  in  his  historical 
publication. 

The  Commercial  is  thoroughly  in  accord  \\itli  the  views  of  Mr. 
Sprague  as  has  more  than  once  been  expressed  in  these  columns. 
A\'e  do  not  wish  to  give  the  impression  that  Maine  history  is  not 
taught  in  Maine  schools  but  with  very  few  exceptions  we  believe 
that  it  is  not  sufficiently  taught,  that  the  attention  paid  to  our  own 
rich  history  is  far  too  meagre. 

( )ur  early  history  is  a  large  part  of  the  early  history  of  New 
England.  As  a  part  of  Massachusetts  our  IMaine  soldiers  took  a 
very  ]:)rominent  role  in  our  early  wars  and  in  the  Revolution, 
although  it  has  been  the  custom  to  give  the  credit  therefor  largely 
to  Massachusetts.  A  knowledge  of  the  history  of  our  state  is  not 
onlv  a  vital  part  of  the  education  of  our  people  but  it  remains  a 
constant  source  of  pleasure  and  interest  to  those  possessing  it. 
We  believe  with  Mr.  Sprague  that  this  is  a  matter  demanding  m(ne 
extensively  the  attention  of  our  educators  although  we  are  glad 
to  note  that  in  recent  years  more  and  more  effort  is  being  made  in 
many  of  the  schools  to  give  the  |)upils  a  good  ground  work  of  Maine 
history. 

As  our  early  days  become  more  and  more  distant  it  is  increasingly 
difficult  to  collect  historical  data  and  AFr.  Sprague  in  his  journal 
of  history  and  the  efforts  of  the  Maine  Historical  Society  and  local 
organizations  such  as  the  Bangor  Historical  Society  are  doing  a 
splendid  work  that  will  be  aj^preciated  by  future  generations  of 
Maine  |)eople. 

(Editorial  Portland  Herald,   October  2S,   1921) 

Addressing  the  Department  of  History  at  the  Maine  Teachers' 
Convention  yesterday,  John  Francis   Sprague,  editor  of  Sprague's 


MAINE  HISTORY   IN   THE   SCHOOLS  163 

Journal  of  Maine  History,  made  an  earnest  and  eloquent  ai)[)eal 
for  the  teaching  of  the  history  of  Maine  to  the  pupils  of  Maine, 
pomtmg  out  that  it  was  equally  essential,  if  not  more  essential, 
that  they  become  thoroughly  acquainted  with  the  li\es  and  char- 
acters and  accomplishments  of  the  pioneers  of  Maine  and  the  his- 
torical events  that  transpired  on  Maine  soil,  as  it  is  to  be  taught 
the  doings  and  hopes  and  aspirations  of  ancient  warriors  and 
statesmen  of  centuries  ago. 

He  referred  to  the  popular  campaign  for  the  teaching  of  Ameri- 
canism and  democracy  and  declared  his  firm  belief  that  in  teaching 
the  history  of  the  state  and  the  locality  in  which  the  pupil  resides 
is  a  vital  and  necessary  first  step,  for  without  love  of  city  and  town 
and  state,  how  can  a  child  expect  to  develop  a  love  of  country. 

Referring  to  the  statement  of  Dr.  Leonard  P.  Ayres  of  the  Rus- 
sell Sage  Foundation  that  only  twelve  per  cent,  of  the  children 
who  enter  the  public  school  remain  until  they  are  sixteen  A-ears 
of  age  and  that  83  per  cent,  of  the  children  are  studying  Latin. 
French  and  other  languages  other  than  English,  which  less  than 
five  per  cent,  will  ever  use,  he  quoted  the  lines  of  Pope : 

"  'Tis  education   forms  the  common  mind : 

Just  as  the  twig  is  bent. 

The  tree's  inclined." 
And  said : 

"And  right  here  the  point  that  I  would  make,  the  seriousness 
of  which  impresses  me  deeply  is  that  the  88  i)er  cent. — or  whatever 
it  may  be,  of  children  who  do  not  long  remain  in  the  schools,  many 
of  whom  do  not  even  graduate  from  the  high  school  or  the  acad- 
emy, should  be  taught  the  fundamental  principles  of  democracv ; 
that  in  the  graded  schools  these  twigs  should  at  least  be  bent  towards 
the  patriotism  of  democracy  and  that  interesting  them  in  the  history 
of  the  highway  over  which  they  daily  travel,  of  the  pioneers  of 
their  own  town,  of  the  things  with  which  they  are  familiar  is  a 
first  and  long  step  in  its  accomplishment." 

This  point  was  further  em])hasized  when  he  said  he  would  have 
the  pupil  "as  much  interested  in  the  thrilling  story  of  Arnold's 
expedition  through  Maine,  as  in  the  question  of  whether  or  not 
the  Spartans  betrayed  their  allies.  Would  have  him  know  some- 
thing of  what  a  deed  of  land  means  when  it  savs  that  a  farm  'lies 


i64     SPRAGUE'S   JOURNAL   OF   MAINE   HISTORY 

north  of  the  Waldo  Patent,'  as  well  as  to  know  all  about  Demos- 
thenes' speech  on  the  embassy." 

Editor  Sprague  has  called  attention  to  an  important  feature  of 
the  educational  system,  one  that  should  be  given  careful  considera- 
tion on  the  part  of  educators  and  parents  alike. 

(Editorial    Evening   Express,    Portland,    October   29,    1921) 

There  should  be  no  necessity  of  a  Maine  man's  appearing  before 
a  group  of  Maine  teachers  and  arguing  for  the  teaching  of  Maine 
history  in  Maine  schools.  That  broad  and  extensive  instructions 
regarding  this  state  and  its  past  should  be  given  the  boys  and  girls 
is  so  self  evident  a  proposition  as  to  admit  of  no  denial.  That 
there  has  been  a  lack  in  this  regard  is  no  doubt  due  in  part  to  the 
fact  that  the  curricula  of  our  schools  ha^•e  been  so  crowded  with 
subjects,  one  striving  with  another  for  a  place  therein,  that  there 
has  been  a  tendency  to  overlook  matters  that  ha\e  not  been  espe- 
cially urged  by  individuals  interested. 

In  a  paper  read  by  him  at  Thursday's  session  of  the  Maine  Teach- 
ers' Association,  John  F.  Sprague  of  Dover  presents  with  unanswer- 
able logic  and  in  the  pleasing  style  which  always  characterizes  his 
writings,  the  case  of  Maine  history. 

In  this  paper  Mr.  Sprague  not  only  demonstrates  why  Maine 
pu])ils  should  be  instructed  in  Maine  history,  but  he  gives  in  brief 
outline  the  story  of  our  past  and  tells  how  it  was  linked  with  the 
great  events  which  stand  as  the  mile  posts  to  mark  the  advance  of 
civilization  and  the  develoinnent  of  popular  government. 

Maine  history  is  so  indissolubly  and  so  conspicuously  linked 
with  world  history  is  one  of  the  reasons  Mr.  Sprague  gives  for 
urging  the  paying  of  greater  attention  to  the  subject  in  our  schools. 

Another  and  fully  as  important  a  reason  that  is  given  by  him 
for  a  more  extended  study  of  our  state  is  that  such  a  study  engen- 
ders patriotism  and  creates  good  citizenship. 

Patriotism  is  defined  as  love  of  and  devotion  to  one's  country, 
and  it  is  axiomatic  that  the  more  our  children  know  of  our  past 
and  the  more  they  find  to  admire  in  it.  the  greater  will  be  their  love 
for  it. 

In  Mr.  Sprague's  opinion  two  false  ideas  relative  to  the  impor- 
tance of  knowing  Maine  history  are  more  or  less  prevalent  among 


FRANKLIN    PIERCE  165 

Maine  people.  One  is  that  as  ]\laine  early  came  under  the  political 
jurisdiction  of  Massachusetts  it  has  no  distinct  place  in  early  Ameri- 
can history.  The  other  is  that  it  we  have  a  history  it  is  not  of 
interest  or  value  to  any  but  lovers  of  anything  that  is  antique  and 
venerable. 

Both  these  are  false  premises,  as  ]\Ir.  Sprague  conclusively 
shows.  From  the  days  of  \\'aymouth,  as  he  says,  down  to  the 
Governors  of  the  present  day  "Maine  has  had  a  continuous  record 
of  potential  events  in  the  history  of  democracy  in  the  world,"  and 
these  records  have  an  important  bearing  on  the  problems  that  now' 
confront  us. 

It  is  a  satisfaction  to  learn,  as  the  Dover  historian  states  near 
the  conclusion  of  his  deeply  interesting  paper,  that  the  state  super- 
intendent. Dr.  Thomas,  and  his  assistants  are  now  making  the  study 
of  Maine  history  an  important  feature  in  the  regular  course  of 
study  in  the  schools  of  Maine. 

(Editorial    Piscataquis    Observer,    November    3,    1921) 

John  F.  Sprague  delivered  an  address  before  the  department  of 
history  at  the  Maine  Teachers'  Convention  in  Portland  last  week 
which  received  the  hearty  commendation  of  those  v.ho  heard  it 
and  of  the  daily  papers,  many  of  which  spoke  of  it  at  considerable 
length  editorially. 

The  subject  was  the  teaching  of  Maine  History  in  the  public 
schools,  a  matter  which  Mr.  Sprague  has  consistently  advocated 
for  years  in  his  Journal  of  IMaine  History,  and  he  made  a  strong 
argument  for  it. 

All  who  are  in  harmony  with  the  spirit  of  the  foregoing  should 
do  everything  possible  to  sustain  Dr.  Thomas  in  his  efforts  to  have 
the  schools  of  Maine  teach  the  youth  of  Maine  the  story  of  the 
past  and  the  present  of  their  own  native  state. 


FRANKLIN   PIERCE   AND   THE    STATE   OF   MAINE 

(By  Charles  E.  Waterman) 

Franklin  Pierce,  fourteenth  President  of  the  United  States,  was 
a  product  of  New  Flampshire,  but  he  came  into  personal  contact 
with  the  people  of  the  State  of  ]\Iaine  on  two  occasions  during  his 
lifetime,  or,  to  be  more  exact,  he  came  into  contact  with  the  people 


i66      SPRAGUE'S   JOURNAL   (3F   AIAIXE    HISTORY 


of  Maine  on  one  occasion  and  nearly  came  in  contact  with  them 
on  another. 

In  1820,  when  sixteen  years  of  age,  Pierce  entered  Bowdoin 
college,  and,  after  the  customar}-  four  years  course,  graduated. 
The  next  year  after  he  entered  this  college  came  Nathaniel  Haw- 
thorne, and,  although  belonging  to  diiferent  classes,  the  two  young- 
men  became  warm  friends.  This  friendship  lasted  through  life. 
When  Pierce  ran  for  the  Presidency  in  1852,  Hawthorne  wrote 
a  biography  of  his  friend  for  the  campaign.  In  payment  for  this 
work  Hawthorne  was  appointed  surveyor  of  customs  for  the  port 
of  Salem.  \\'hile  holding  this  position,  Hawthorne,  in  ransacking 
the  lumber  in  the  basement  of  the  custom  house,  came  upon  a  faded 
letter  embroidered  on  cloth  which  so  stimulated  his  imagination 
that  he  wrote  that  classic  of  American  fiction,  "The  Scarlet  Letter." 

In  this  biography  of  Pierce  and  that  part  of  it  devoted  to  his 
college  life  can  be  found  two  statements  which  are  interesting  to 
and  connected  with  Maine  people.  The  first  is  that  his  class  chum 
was  Zenas  Caldwell,  and  the  second  that  "during  one  of  his  winter 
vacations   Pierce  taught  a  country  school." 

These  two  statements  can  be  taken  together.  Zenas  Caldwell 
was  the  son  of  William  and  Nancy  (Woodward)  Caldwell  and 
born  in  the  town  of  Hebron,  afterward  Oxford,  in  that  part  known 
as  East  Oxford,  and  being  the  friend  of  Pierce  secured  the  school 
in  his  neighborhood,  locally  known  as  District  Number  Six,  a  dis- 
trict located  near  the  birthplace  of  the  writer  and  therefore  of 
interest  to  him,  for  his  friend.  Not  much  has  come  down  regarding 
his  pedagogy,  and  the  fact  of  his  teaching  this  school  might  have 
been  forgotten  had  he  not  attained  the  Presidency  and  therefore 
put  a  distinguishing  mark  on  this  schoolhouse.  He  had  one  pupil, 
however,  that  was  destined  for  state-wide  recognition  at  least, — 
John  Jasiel  Perry,  who  became  a  lawyer,  editor,  major-general  of 
militia  and  was  member  of  Congress  during  the  term  of  Pierce's 
encumbency  at  the  \\  hite  House. 

It  might  be  recorded  here  that  Caldwell  came  to  an  early  death. 
He  graduated  from  Bowdoin  College  in  1824  and  was  immediately 
elected  jirincipal  of  Yarmouth  Academy.  He  died  in  1826  while 
holding  the  position. 

Pierce  was  a  brilliant  and  active  man.  Of  his  attainments  as  a 
student,  Hawthorne  savs : 


FRANKLIN    PIERCE  167 


During  the  early  part  of  his  college  course,  it  may  be 
doubted  whether  Pierce  was  distinguished  for  scholarship. 
But  for  the  last  two  years  he  appeared  to  grow  more 
intent  on  the  business  in  hand,  and,  without  losing  any  of 
his  vivacious  qualities  as  a  companion,  was  evidently  re- 
solved to  gain  an  honorable  elevation  in  his  class.  His 
habits  of  attention  and  obedience  to  college  discipline  were 
of  the  strictest  character ;  he  rose  progressively  in  scholar- 
ship and  took  a  highly  credible  degree. 

Leaving  college  he  studied  law,  then  entered  political  life,  in 
which  he  rapidly  advanced.  On  the  north  side  of  the  pedestal 
supporting  his  statue  on  the  capitol  grounds  in  Concord  can  be 
seen  the  following  in  regard  to  his  political  life: 

Member  Nezv  Hampshire  Legislature  at  2j  and  Speaker  at  2/ 

Congressman  at  2g 

United  States  Senator  at  ^2  and  Resigned  at  57 

Later  in  Life  Declined  the  Office  of  Attorney  General  of  the  United 

States;  that  of  Secretary  of  JUar;  the  United  States  Senator- 

s/iip  and  Governorship  of  New  Hampshire 

President  of  the  New  Hampshire  Constitutional  Conz'ention 

President  of  the   United  States 

Died  at  Concord  October  S,  i86c) ' 

This  inscri])tion  concerns  the  history  of  New  Hampshire  particu- 
larly. Where  he  expected  to  come  into  personal  touch  with  the 
people  of  Maine  for  the  second  time  was  in  Mexican  War  service. 

\\  hen  President  Polk  called  for  volunteers,  two  regiments  were 
assigned  as  New  England's  quota.  One  of  these  regiments  was 
to  be  raised  in  Massachusetts  and  the  other  in  the  remaining  states, 
two  companies  to  each. 

Pierce  had  been  brought  in  a  military  atmosphere.  His  father, 
General  Benjamin  Pierce,  had  been  a  Revolutionary  soldier,  serving 
seven  years  in  that  war.  There  was  a  military  company  attached 
to  Bowdoin  College  during  the  four  years  he  lived  in  Brunswick 
and  Pierce  was  one  of  the  officers.  He  was  a  southern  sympathizer, 
and,  therefore  greatly  interested  in  the  Mexican  war.  He  intended 
to  take  part  and  was  early  slated  as  one  of  Polk's  generals.     In 


i68      SPRAGUE'S   JOURNAL   OF   MAINE   HISTORY 

1847  there  were  not  many  trained  soldiers,  therefore  a  poHtical 
general  was  a  necessity  as  well  as  a  privilege.  Pierce  was  not 
unmindful  of  dramatic  effect,  and  perhaps  had  the  morale  of  his 
troops  in  view  through  force  of  example.  Although  sure  of  his 
general's  star,  he  enlisted  as  a  private  in  a  company  raised  in  Con- 
cord, but  on  the  passage  of  the  bill  to  increase  the  size  of  the  army 
was  appointed  colonel  of  the  New  England  regiment,  which  after- 
wards became  the  Ninth  United  States  Infantry;  and  before  reach- 
ing Mexico  received  a  commission  as  brigadier  general. 

This  regiment  was  a  pet  scheme  with  General  Pierce,  in  which 
was  associated  Truman  Bishop  Ransom.  Colonel  Ransom,  at  the 
opening  of  the  war,  was  president  of  Norwich  (Vermont)  Uni- 
versity, an  institution  founded  by  a  \\'est  Pointer,  Captain  Alden 
Patridge,  and  which  has  always  maintained  a  military  character. 
In  all,  up  to  the  opening  of  the  world  war,  517  of  its  graduates 
had  been  in  the  United  States  military  service.  Six  of  these 
reached  the  rank  of  major-general  and  eight  that  of  brigadier- 
general.  It  has  also  produced  three  rear  admirals,  the  most  noted 
of  whom  was  George  Dewey,  victor  at  ^Manila  Bay.  Over  700  of 
its  graduates  served  m  the  world  war. 

Inasmuch  as  this  regiment  was  to  have  had  two  companies  from 
Alaine,  it  interested  the  writer  to  quite  an  extent.  Upon  inquiry 
at  the  Maine  Adjutant  General's  office,  however,  no  record  of  such 
organizations  could  be  found.  An  application  to  the  Adjutant  Gen- 
eral's office  in  Washington  brought  no  better  results.  General  H. 
P.  AlcCann,  who  held  the  office  at  that  time,  wrote : 

It  does  not  appear  from  the  official  records  on  tile  in  the  \\  ar 
Department  that  any  company  belonging  to  the  Ninth  Regiment 
United  States  Infantry,  of  which  Franklin  Pierce  was  colonel, 
was  raised  in  the  State  of  ]\Iaine. 

It  seems  therefore,  no  units  of  ]\Iaine  troops  were  raised  for 
this  regiment.  There  are  several  reasons  that  may  be  assigned 
for  this  default.  Maine  was  not  favorably  inclined  toward  the 
war.  It  was  considered  a  plan  to  increase  slave  territory.  Then 
the  regiment  was  assembled  and  mustered  into  service  at  Fort 
Adams,  Providence,  Rhode  Island,  where  :Maine  could  see  and 
hear  little  of  the  bustle  of  preparation.  Nevertheless,  it  sounded 
somewhat  singular  that  no  mention  of  the  regiment  appeared  in 
the  documents  of  the   time,  or   of  the  organization  of  troops   for 


FRANlCtIN    PIERCE  169 


the  war.  Albert  Cireenlaw,  when  adjutant  general  of  Maine,  foimd 
records  of  the  raising  of  two  companies  for  the  Mexican  war,  not 
in  his  office  but  in  that  of  Secretary  of  State.  These  companies 
were  raised  in  the  town  and  vicinity  of  Sanford,  more  esi^iecially 
in  Shapleigh.  The  roll  discovered  is  in  the  form  of  a  single  com- 
pany, but  according  to  Edwin  Emery's  history  of  Sanford,  the 
men  were  organized  into  two  com|)anies,  the  officers  of  the  Sanford 
comi)any  were  Moses  Goodwin,  ca])tain,  with  Charles  E.  Webb 
and  Samuel  S.  Thing,  lieutenants.  The  captain  of  the  Shai)leigh 
company  was  William  Emery,  lliese  comi)anies  were  organized 
and  mustered,  then  disbanded,  costing  the  state  the  sum  of  $167.00 
and,  it  might  be  added.  Captain  Goodwin  a  banquet  for  the  men. 
These  men  were  raised  for  the  Eirst  Regiment  of  Maine  \'olun- 
teers,  but  that  was  ea.ly  in  the  war  and  before  the  quota  had  been 
agreed  upon.  The  roll,  which  has  never  been  i>rinted,  follows  with 
the  exception  of  age  and  occui)ation  of  the  members. 

\\'E,  whose  names  are  hereunttj  aflixed,  do  severally  consent, 
and  by  our  signature  hereunto  made,  do  agree  to  be  enrolled  into 
the  Company  to  be  raised  by  Moses  Goodwin,  Jr.,  of  Shapleigh,  a 
citizen  of  the  State  of  Maine,  acting  under  the  authority  of  the 
vio\ern()r  thereof,  which  Company  is  to  form  a  component  part 
of  the  "Eirst  Regiment  of  Maine  Volunteers,"  which  Regiment  is, 
when  called  for,  to  l)e  mustered  into  the  service  of  the  United 
States,  and  ])laced  at  the  disposal  of  the  President,  under  authority 
of  an  act  ])roviding  for  th.e  prosecution  of  the  War  declared  in 
said  Act  to  exist  between  the  Rei)ublic  of  Mexico  and  the  L^nited 
."states.  And  we  do  further  hereby  covenant  and  agree,  to  be  holden 
by  this  enrolment,  and  well  and  faithfully  to  serve  as  members  of 
said  Comi)any,  according  to  the  time  for  which  we  shall  be  mus- 
tered into  the  service  of  the  L^nited  States. 

Enrolled  from  Shapleigh  June  25,  1846,  Moses  Goodwin,  Jr., 
Alexander  H.  Prime;  June  26,  1846,  Samuel  Gewish,  Eranklin 
Hubbard,  William  Hammet,  Ichabod  Abbot,  George  Abbot,  Benja- 
min Gowan,  Orsamery  Jellison,  George  E.  W^entworth ;  June  27, 
1846,  Simon  Huntress,  Albea  Norton,  James  M.  Trafton,  ^^'illiam 
Muchnow ;  June  29,  1846,  W'illiam  X  Hussey  his  mark,  Moses 
Littlefield  ;  July  2,  1846,  Hazenk  X  Xason  his  mark,  John  H.  Brag- 
don,  Solomon   Littleheld  ;  July   11,   1846,  Thomas  B.  Seavey ;  July 


lyo      SPRAGUE'S   JOURNAL   OF    MAINE   HISTORY 


i6,  1846,  Stephen  Damon;  July  17,  1846,  Daniel  U.  Challier;  July 
24,  1846,  Elisha  Wentworth;  July  2y,  1846,  Da\id  B.  Smith;  August 
6,  1846,  Reuben  Horn. 

From  Sanford  June  25,  1846,  Samuel  Lord,  Asa  Low,  Charles 
E.  Weld,  Samuel  S.  Thing,  Samuel  B.  Emery,  John  Day,  Albert 
Day,  James  M.  Burbank,  Jason  Hamilton,  Jordan  D.  Frost,  James 
E.  Wilson,  Samuel  M.  Frost,  Otis  Y.  Chandler,  George  Kinney, 
Joseph  N.  Wilkinson,  William  H.  Wiggin ;  June  26,  1846,  Dennis 
Hatch,  Richard  Lunny,  Orrin  Day,  John  S.  Carter,  Caleb  S.  Emery, 
Edward  Ricker,  Lnthur  W.  PauL'  June  27,  1846,  James  P.  Nut- 
ting; June  29,  1846,  Joseph  Jellison,  Reuben  G.  A\'entworth  ;  June 
30,  1846,  John  T.  Hickbonol ;  July  2,  1846,  Nehemiah  Welch ;  July 

16,  1846,  William  H.  Lord;  July  18,  1846,  Isaac  Reed,  Samuel  L. 
Pillsbury,  Joshua  Littlefield,  William  E.  Pillsbury,  Daniel  Zebulon ; 
July  20,  1846,  Joseph  Welch  signed  to  take  A.  P.  Hubberd's  place ; 
July  23,  1846,  Leander  Garey,  George  W.  Witham ;  July  25.  1846, 
D?  M?;  August  6,  1846,  Joseph  Welch. 

From  Saco  August  20,  1846,  \\'illiam  Emery,  3d. 

From  Waterboro  July  8,  1846,  Horace  A.  Pinkham,  Ivory  Thing. 

From  Acton  July  9,  1846,  Daniel  Nason,  Simon  W.  Brackett, 
Aaron  Goodwin,  Jr.,  Ivory  Goodwin;  July  15,  1846,  Charles  H. 
Rowell ;  July  18,  1846,  Calvin  Sanborn ;  August  5,  1846,  Noah 
Marsh. 

From  Lebanon  July  14,  1846,  John  Ricker,  Jr.,  Frederick  A. 
Wood,  Joseph  Stacpole ;  July  16,  1846,   Nathaniel  W.  Keay ;  July 

17,  1846,  Latan?  X  Penn  his  mark;  August  6,  1846,  Nathaniel 
Wentworth. 

From  Alfred  July  20,  1846,  P.  H.  Burnham,  Stillman  B.  Allen. 


THE   MAINE   INDIANS  AND  THEIR  RELATIONS   WITH 
THE    WHITE    SETTLERS 

(By   Ethel    Al.   AVood) 

(Continued  from  page   125) 

V.     King  Philip's  War 

The  Indians  and  English  in  Maine  were  generally  at  peace  with 
each  other  until  1675,  a  year  of  general  unrest  in  New  England. 
At  this  time  the  towns  and  plantations  in  Maine  numbered  thirteen, 


THE    MAINE    INDIANS  171 


Kittery,  York,  Wells,  Cape  Porpoise,  Saco,  Scarborough,  Falmouth, 
Pejepscot,  Sagadahoc,  Sheepscot,  Damariscotta,  Pemaquid,  and 
Monhegan.  The  Indians  were  much  fewer  in  number  than  when 
the  white  man  first  came  in  contact  with  them,  for  a  dreadful 
plague  had  decimated  their  ranks.  This  disease,  believed  to  be 
either  small-pox  or  yellow  fever,  was  contracted  from  the  English, 
and  it  ravaged  the  whole  region  from  Massachusetts  as  far  east 
as  the  Wawenock  tribe  in  Maine,  in  some  cases  extinguishing  whole 
tribes.  The  bleaching  bones  of  the  dead  were  found  by  the  set- 
tlers. As  has  been  said,  the  two  races  lived  in  comparative  friend- 
liness for  many  years.  They  even  shared  each  others'  hospitality, 
but  still  the  Indians  felt  that  the  English  cared  only  for  their  furs, 
and  consequently  they  learned  to  put  more  trust  in  the  French, 
who  manifested  some  interest  in  the  natives  for  their  own  sake. 

King  Philip's  War  broke  out  in  the  Plymouth  colony  in  June 
1675,  and  in  a  few  weeks  Maine  was  astir.  Captains  Lake,  Pette- 
shall,  and  Wiswell  were  appointed  "a  committee  of  safety  for  the 
eastern  parts. "^  They  met  to  decide  upon  a  course  of  action,  and 
finally  sent  a  party  up  the  river  for  the  purpose  of  disarming  the 
natives.  Meeting  a  party  of  five  Androscoggins  and  seven  Kenne- 
becs,  they  made  them  surrender  their  arms.  In  the  course  of  the 
proceeding,  Sowen,  a  Kennebec,  struck  at  one  Hosea  Mallet  and 
would  have  killed  him  had  not  Mallet's  friends  restrained  the  sav- 
age. Sowen's  companions  begged  that  Jiis  life  be  spared,  and  ran- 
somed him  with  forty  beaver  skins.  An  agreement  of  peace  was 
then  made  with  Mahotiwomet,  the  principal  sagamore  of  the  Ken- 
nebecs,  who,  by  the  way,  was  called  by  the  English  by  the  romantic 
title  of  Robinhood.  The  entire  tribe  was  assembled  the  next  day 
and  a  dance  held  in  honor  of  the  peace.  From  the  Merrimac  to 
Pemaquid,  there  was  a  visible  agitation  among  the  natives,  and  a 
change  in  their  attitude  toward  the  English  settlers  which  boded 
ill.  The  first  overt  act  of  hostility  committed  by  the  Indians 
occurred  on  the  fifth  of  September  when  the  house  of  Thomas 
Purchas  at  Brunswick  was  sacked.  While  no  one  was  injured, 
the  family  was  threatened  with  further  disaster.  On  September 
12  occurred  the  first  Indian  massacre  in  Maine.  The  victims  were 
Thomas  Wakely  and  his  family  of  eight  persons  at  Falmouth.  The 
youngest  daughter,  Elizabeth,  aged  eleven,  was  taken  captive,  but 


1  Hubbaid's   Indian   Wars:    p.   301. 


172      SPRAGUE'S    JOURNAL   OF   MAINE    HISTORY 

after  nine  months  she  was  restored  to  the  Enghsh  through  the 
instrumentality  of  Sqaundo,  chief  of  the  Sacos.  In  the  three  months 
following  this  first  massacre,  seventy-two  white  persons  were  killed 
between  Casco  and  the  Piscatac^ua,  largely  by  the  Sacos  and  Andro- 
scoggins. 

Scarborough  was  a  town  which  suffered  much  in  this  and  subse- 
quent Indian  wars.  In  and  about  this  town  lived  members  of  the 
Saco  tribe,  the  fiercest  of  all  the  Maine  Indians.  The  inhabitants 
and  natives  were  bound  by  what  was  called  a  "treaty  of  amity  and 
tribute,"  -  which  required  that  each  person  should  pay  annually  the 
nominal  tribute  of  one  peck  of  corn  to  Madockawando,  sagamore 
of  Penobscot  and  Bashaba  of  the  Indian  tribes.  It  was  fortunate 
that  heretofore  the  Indians  had  made  no  trouble  for  the  settlers, 
for  Scarborough  would  have  been  in  a  particularly  dangerous  sit- 
uation in  the  event  of  an  attack,  since  it  was  far  removed  from 
any  available  aid.  King  Philip  had  tried  in  \ain  to  induce  the  Sacos 
to  join  him.  but  they  probably  would  never  have  done  so  except  for 
a  certain  unfortunate  occurrence  which  happened  about  this  time. 
The  wife  of  Squando  was  one  day  crossing  the  Saco  in  a  canoe 
with  her  baby.  Some  British  sailors  nearby  thought  this  a  good 
opportunity  to  test  the  truth  of  the  common  belief  that  an  Indian 
child  swims  as  naturally  as  a  young  puppy  or  duck.  Accordingly, 
as  she  was  about  to  land,  they  approached  the  canoe,  and,  in  a  half- 
joking  manner,  overturned  it,  throwing  the  occupants  into  the 
water.  The  little  one  sank  to  the  bottom,  and  the  mother  barely 
saved  it  from  drowning.  The  child  died  soon  after,  and  naturally 
the  angry  Squando  attributed  the  sad  even.t  to  the  recent  ducking 
which  the  child  had  received.  He  was  now  determined  to  join 
in  the  attack  against  the  English  settlers.  He  was  a  man  of  genius 
and  ability  and  consequently  had  much  infiuence  with  other  tribes. 
Now  stirred  with  grief  over  the  death  of  his  child  and  filled  with  a 
lasting  hatred  of  the  English,  he  called  the  neighboring  Indians 
to  councils  and  war  dances,  and  soon  induced  them  to  join  him  in 
making  war  upon  the  English. 

The  first  attack  made  upon  any  citizen  of  Scarborough  was  on 
September  20  at  the  house  of  Robert  Nichols  at  Blue  Point  near 
Dunstan.     The  two  old  people,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Nichols,  were  alone; 

-See  'Me.   lli~=.t.   Soc.   CoU.   Series   1,   Vol.   3.   p.    102. 


THE    MAINE    INDIANS  173 

they  were  killed  and  the  house  burned.  Another  attack  was  made 
in  October,  this  time  upon  Alger's  garrison  house,  situated  at  some 
distance  north  of  the  settlement  at  Dunstan.  The  garrison  house 
and  twenty-seven  dwelling  houses  were  burned  to  the  ground,  and 
the  homeless  families  left  to  suffer.  Other  attacks  were  made 
during  the  year.  During  the  winter  there  was  a  cessation  of  hos- 
tilities, but  on  the  thirteenth  of  May  a  three  days'  siege  of  the  Black 
Point  garrison  in  the  southeastern  part  of  the  Town  of  Scarbor- 
ough was  begun.  As  a  result  of  the  siege  only  three  men  were 
killed  and  one  taken  captive  by  the  Indians.  The  leader  of  the 
band,  Mugg,  a  Penobscot  chieftain,  was  killed,  and  his  death  caused 
much  relief  among  the  settlers,  who  had  long  regarded  him  as  a 
veritable  scourge.  In  the  meantime  the  garrison  was  reinforced, 
and  in  the  next  engagement,  compelled  the  foe  to  withdraw  after 
sustaining  a  severe  loss  of  men. 

On  September  24  Newichawannock  (now  South  Berwick)  was 
attacked  by  a  band  of  Indians  under  the  leadership  of  Andrew 
of  the  Sacos  and  Hopehood*  of  the  Kennebecs.  One  of  the  name- 
less heroines  of  the  war  figured  in  this  encounter.  Among  the 
dwellings  attacked  by  the  savages  was  that  of  John  Tozier,  in  which 
fifteen  women  and  children  were  alone  and  un]M-otected.  A  terriljle 
fate  would  undoubtedly  have  been  theirs,  had  it  not  been  for  the 
noble  heroism  of  a  young  girl  of  eighteen,  who  made  the  door  fast 
and  held  it  by  main  strength  while  her  friends  escaped  by  a  back 
way.  Finally  the  door  was  beaten  down,  and  the  savages  enraged 
at  being  thus  outwitted  showered  blow  after  blow  upon  the  poor 
girl ;  then,  leaving  her  for  dead,  pursued  the  fugitives.  The  brave 
girl  afterward  revived,  and  lived  to  a  good  old  age. 

The  traders  at  .Sagadahoc  upon  the  Kennebec  were  trying  to 
keep  the  war  from  their  midst,  and  Abraham  .Shurte,  an  honest, 
kind-hearted  magistrate  of  Pemaquid,  was  emi)loyed  as  a  i)eace- 
maker.  He  invited  some  of  the  sagamores  to  Pemacjuid  and  there 
they  told  him  their  grievances,  that  is,  how  certain  of  their  number 
had  been  taken  captive  and  sold  into  slavery,  and  how,  through 
the  fact  that  the  English  had  withheld  firearms  and  ammunition, 
they  had  suffered  from  lack  of  food  during  the  winter  and  some 
had  actually  died  of  starvation.     Mr.  Shurte  promised  them  justice 

*  Hoijehood  was  the  .son  of  the  chief  Robinhood   referi'ed   to  on  paqe  .^0. 


174     SPRAGUE'S   JOURNAL   OF   MAINE   HISTORY 

if  they  would  remain  at  peace.  Later  he  issued  an  invitation  to 
the  sachems  of  all  the  tribes  to  meet  him  in  council  at  Teconnet.^ 
Shurte  sailed  in  his  own  boat  to  Sagadahoc  at  the  mouth  of  the 
Kennebec,  where  he  took  on  board  Capt.  Sylvanus  Davis,  whom 
the  committee  had  appointed  to  accompany  him.  A  large  number 
of  Indians  awaited  them  at  Teconnet,  including  chiefs  from  the 
Kennebecs,  Penobscots,  and  Androscoggins.  Squando  of  the  Sacos 
did  not  appear.  Tarumkin  of  the  Androscoggins  spoke  eloquently 
in  favor  of  peace  and  the  other  chiefs  readily  agreed  with  him, 
but  no  general  treaty  could  be  made  in  the  absence  of  Squando. 
The  Indians  pleaded  for  guns  that  they  might  kill  necessary  game 
for  themselves,  but  the  English,  fearing  lest  they  might  give  or 
sell  their  guns  to  the  Sacos,  refused  their  re(|uest.  Hunger  and 
famine  now  stared  them  in  the  face.  Driven  to  desperation  and 
despair  because  of  the  refusal  to  grant  them  arms  and  ammunition, 
they  became  angry  and  abruptly  terminated  the  council  bv  their 
sudden  departure. 

The  warriors  of  King  Philip  were  circulating  tales  of  warlike 
deeds,  exciting  revengeful  thoughts  in  the  breasts  of  the  Maine 
tribes.  The  first  war  party  was  formed  of  certain  of  the  Kennebecs 
in  alliance  with  the  Androscoggins.  On  August  13,  1676,  they 
plundered  the  trading  fort  of  Richard  Hammond  at  the  outlet  of 
Merrymeeting  Bay,  where  three  were  killed  and  sixteen  taken 
captive.  A  brave  young  woman  fled  in  the  night  to  Sheepscot  and 
warned  the  settlers  there  of  the  impending  danger.  From  there 
they  went  to  Clark  and  Lake's  post  on  Arrowsic  Island.  Only 
a  few  escaped  from  the  fort ;  Capt.  Lake  of  the  committee  was 
among  those  who  perished,  and  Capt.  Davis  was  wounded.  There 
was  a  general  devastation  along  the  coast  from  Piscataqua  to  Pema- 
quid,  but  during  the  winter  the  Indians  were  obliged  to  go  to  the 
English  for  food  and  there  was  a  temporary  peace. 

(To   be   continuei3.) 
3  Teconnet  was  near  the   site   of  the  pi-esent   town  of  AVinslow. 


Winthiop  Agricultural  Society,  1820 

President,  Samuel  Wood. 
Vice-President,  Nemeiah  Pierce. 
Corresponding  Secretary,  Deacon  Joseph  Metcalf. 
Treasurer,  Alexander  Belcher. 


GRAVES  OF  REVOLUTIONARY  SOLDIERS        175 

GRAVES    OF    REVOLUTIONARY     SOLDIERS     IN     THE 
KENNEBEC  REGION— INSCRIPTIONS  COPIED  IN  1921 

(By  Mrs.  Mabel  Goodwin  Hall,  Hallowell,  Maine) 

(Continued  from  page  27) 

Paul  Lancaster — Lieut.  Died  Feb.  18,  1814,  aged  79.  Buried  at 
E.  Winthrop.  Enlisted  from  Ipswich.  Served  as  ensign  and 
lieutenant. 

Daniel  Lane — Capt.,  is  buried  at  Leeds,  the  grave  being  marked 
with  gov't  stone.  He  was  ist  Lieut,  in  Capt.  John  Lane's  Co., 
in  seacoast  defense,  probably  stationed  at  Cape  Ann.  Was  de- 
tained as  prisoner  at  Dartmoor  prison  nearly  2  years. 

James  Lawrence — Died  July  3,  181 1,  aged  66.  He  is  buried  at 
Evergreen  Cemetery,  Monmouth-W'ayne.  Fie  came  to  Wayne 
from  Sandwich,  Mass.,  in  1786.  He  enlisted  from  Sandwich  as 
private  in  Capt.  Ward  Swift's   (2d  Sandwich)   Co.  of  militia. 

Stephen  Longfellow — Died  Nov.  3,  1824,  aged  yS,  and  is  buried  at 
Hallowell.  He  enlisted  July  13,  1778,  from  Ballstown  I'lanta- 
tion,  as  private  in  Capt.  John  Blunt's  Co.,  Maj.  William  Lith- 
gow's  detachment  of  militia,  service  i  mo.  15  days,  defending 
the  frontiers  of  Lincoln  Co. 

James  Lord — Born  in  Ipswich,  1737,  died  Feb.  13,  1830,  and  is 
buried  in  the  Grant  Neighborhood,  Litchfield.  He  served  3  yrs. 
in  the  old  French  war  and  4-^  yrs.  in  the  Revolution.  Held 
Lieut. 's  commission  and  commanded  the  company  which  led  the 
w  ay  to  Bunker  Hill  on  the  morning  of  the  battle. 

John  Lovejoy — Died  Jan.  11,  1831,  aged  80.  He  is  buried  at  Fayette 
beside  his  wife  Martha,  who  died  Nov.  2,  1847,  aged  93.  "He 
served  in  the  Revolutionary  war  faithfully  and  with  honor."  Is 
on  rolls  from  Amherst,  N.  H. 

Nathl.  Lovering — Died  Dec.  30,  1842,  aged  //,  and  is  buried  at  E. 
Winthrop.  He  served  in  the  ]\Iass.  militia.  Is  on  the  pension 
rolls  of  1835  and  1840. 

Andrew^  Mace — Died  Apr.  6,  1845,  aged  88,  and  is  buried  at  E. 
Readfield.  Pensioned  Feb.  15,  1806,  for  life;  amount  of  annual 
pension,  $144.00.  He  served  as  private  and  sergeant  in  Mass. 
militia. 

Ebenezer  Mayo — Died  Apr.  29,  1814,  aged  57,  is  buried  at  Hallo- 
well. He  served  as  private  and  sergeant,  enlisting  from  Eastham, 
Mass. 


176     SPRAGUE'S   JOURNAL  OF   MAINE   HISTORY 


William  Morse— Born,  Methuen,  Mass.,  July  22,  1762;  died  Apr. 
17,  1844;  buried  at  Hallowell.  He  served  as  private  in  Capt. 
John  Peabody's  Co.,  Col.  Ebenezer  Francis's  Regt. 

John  Mower— Died  Feb.  4,  1854,  aged  94  yrs.  10  mos.  He  is  buried 
at  Greene.  He  served  as  private  in  Capt.  Nicholson  Broughton's 
Co.,  Col.  Glover's  Regt.     Pensioner  in  1835  and  1840. 

Thomas  Neal— Died  Sept.  20,  1835,  aged  83;  is  buried  at  E.  Read- 
field.  Served  in  the  Revolutionary  war;  is  on  the  1835  pension 
rolls. 

Samuel  Norcross — Died  Dec.  2,  1800,  aged  75  ;  is  buried  at  Hallo- 
well.  Served  as  private  in  Capt.  John  Blunt's  Co.,  Col.  Samuel 
McCobb's  Regt.     Service,  3  mos.,  Penobscot  expedition. 

Nathan  Norris — Formerly  of  W'areham,  Mass.,  died  July  13,  1825, 
aged  75  ;  is  buried  in  Evergreen  Cemetery,  Monmouth-\\'ayne. 
He  served  as  ])rivate  in  Capt.  John  Gibbs'  Co.,  Col.  Ebenezer 
Sprout's  (4th  Plymouth  Co.)  Regt. 

Elisha  Nye— Capt. ;  born  in  Sandwich,  Mass.,  Apr.  22,  1745;  died 
May  12,  1833;  buried  at  Hallowell,  having  a  gov't  stone.  Served 
as  Lieut,  in  Capt.  John  Grannis'  Co.;  commissioned  Jan.  i,  1776; 
also  captain,  entered  service  Jan.  4,  1776. 

Hugh  W.  Owen — Died  Jan.  16,  1846,  aged  -j-j ,  and  is  buried  at 
\\'ales.  Fie  served  as  private  in  CajH.  John  Read's  Co..  Col. 
James  Flunter's  corps,  raised  for  defense  of  eastern  Massachu- 
setts; enlisted  Apr.  12.  1782;  service  7  mos.  9  days.  Pensioner 
1835  and  1840. 

Dr.  Benjamin  Page— Died  C)ct.  28,  1824,  aged  -j"^.  He  is  buried 
at  Hallowell.     Served  as  physician  in  the  N.  H.  line. 

David  Paul— Died  Aug.  25,  1850,  aged  89,  and  is  buried  at  Bar- 
ker's Mills,  Lewiston.  1835  Bounty  list  gives  residence  Lewiston, 
enlisted  from  New  Gloucester. 

Obadiah  Pettingill— Born  in  Brockton,  h>b.  9,  1761  ;  died  Mar.  29, 
1846;  buried  at  PTnion  Cemetery,  Leeds.  He  served  in  Capt. 
Joseph  Cole's  Co.,  Col.  Robinson's  Regt.,  service  5  mos.  25  days. 

A\'illiam  Pettingill— Born  in  Bridgewater,  Mass.,  1759;  died  Nov. 
16,  1846;  buried  at  Pinion  Cemetery,  Leeds.  He  served  in  Cai)t. 
Cole's  Co.,  Col.  Robinson's  Regt. 

Isaac  Pilsbury— Born  in  Amesbury,  T762;  died  May  4,  181.1,  aged 
52  ;  buried  at  Hallowell.     He  served  in  Capt.  Gray's  3rd  Co. 


GRAVES  OF   REVOLUTIONARY  SOLDIERS        177 


Benjamin  Pratt — Died  Sept.  16,  1825,  aged  68,  and  is  buried  at 
Greene.  He  was  a  private  in  Mass.  militia.  On  pension  rolls 
of  1835. 

Abraham  Pray — Born  in  Berwick,  Sept.  20,  1753;  died  Jan.  20, 
1840;  is  buried  at  Hallowell.  Sergeant  in  Gapt.  Samuel  Darby's 
Co.,  Gol.  James  Scammon's  Regt.   (30th). 

John  Rice — Born  in  Bristol,  Eng. ;  died  May  29,  1835,  ag<?d  76. 
Buried  on  Litchfield  road,  Hallowell.  He  was  a  soldier  of  the 
Revolution,  receiving  a  pension  1835,  private  in  Mass.  militia. 

Bradley  Richards — Gapt.;  died  June  12,  1821,  aged  71;  buried  at 
Hallowell.  Private  in  Gapt.  Thomas  Gogswell's  Go.  Ensign. 
Lieut,  in  Gol.  Loanimi  Balden's  38th  Regt. 

Matthias  Ridley — Born  in  Saco,  Feb.  4,  1749,  died  May  13,  1837, 
and  is  buried  Wayne-Strickland's  Ferry,  beside  wife,  Dorcas.  He 
was  a  corporal  in  Capt.  Jeremiah  Hill's  Go.,  Gol.  James  Scam- 
mon's Regt. 

Luther  Bobbins — Died  Sept.  15,  1840,  aged  83.  Buried  at  Greene. 
Private  and  Quartermaster  in   Mass.   Militia.     Rec'd  pension   in 


i; 


'00- 


John  Rogers — Born  in  1758,  died  Apr.  18,  1824.  Buried  at  Litch- 
field Plains.     Revolutionary  pensioner. 

Abraham  Shaw — Gapt.;  died  Ai)r.  8.  1813,  aged  55.  Is  buried  at 
Winthrop.  Born  in  Middleborough,  Mass.,  Aug.  10,  1857.  He 
marched  on  the  alarm  of  Apr.  19,  1775,  with  Gapt.  Isaac  A\'ood's, 
Gol.  Theophilus  Gotton's  Regt.     Went  to  \\'inthro])  in  1797. 

Elisha  Shaw — Died  Aug.  6,  1839,  aged  81,  and  is  buried  at  L^nion 
Gemetery,  Leeds.  He  served  in  the  Mass.  state  troops  as  sergeant 
and  ensign.     Revolutionary  [jcnsioner,  1835. 

John  Skinner — Born  Dec.  2/,  1749;  died  Mar.  16,  1844;  buried  at 
Barker's  Mills,  Lewiston.  Ser\ed  in  the  Gontinental  Army, 
engaged  for  town  of  Gape  Elizabeth,  joined  Gapt.  Smith's  Go., 
Gol.  Patterson's  Regt.,  term  3  years.  Pensioner  in  183s  and 
1840. 

Matthias  Smith — Died  June  20,  1812,  aged  53  vrs.  Is  buried  at 
Readfield.  He  was  born  in  Rehobeth,  Mass.,  Aug.  30.  I7S9- 
Served  as  private  in  Gapt.  John  Blunt's  Go.,  Gol.  Samuel  Mc~ 
Gobb's  Regt.,  from  June  28  to  Sept.  28,  1779. 


178      SPRAGUE'S   JOURNAL   OF   MAINE   HISTORY 

Samuel  Smith — Died  Oct.  lo,  1811.  Buried  at  Hallowell.  Served 
as  private  in  Capt.  Sherman's  Co.,  Col.  Gerrish's  Regt. 

z\din  Stanley — Born  in  Attleborough,  Mass.,  1761  ;  died  Nov.  20, 
1850;  buried  near  Stanley's,  Winthrop.  He  served  3  years  in 
the  Rev.  army.  Was  engaged  in  the  battles  of  Springfield  and 
Rhode  Island.  Went  to  Winthrop  about  1785.  Pensioner  in 
1835  and  1840. 

Solomon  Stanley — Born  in  Attleborough,  Mass.,  May  13,  1740. 
Died  Mar.  9,  1819.  Buried  at  Winthrop.  Private  in  Capt.  Jabez 
Ellis'  Co.  of  Minute  Men  who  marched  from  Attleborough,  Apr. 
19,  1775;  also  as  ensign  in  Capt.  Caleb  Richardson's  Co.,  Col. 
Timothy  AA'alker's  Regt.,  Oct.  6,  1775. 

Daniel  Stevens — Born  in  Brentwood,  N.  H. ;  died  Mar.  24,  1796; 
buried  at  Hallowell.  Served  as  sergeant  in  Capt.  Ezekiel  Ladd's 
Co.,  Col.  Timothy  Bedel's  Regt. ;  also  Capt.  Benjamin  Whitcomb's 
Co.  of  Rangers,  N.  H.  line. 

Joseph  Stevens — Born  in  Billerica,  Oct.  17,  1720;  died  Oct.  4,  1791  ; 
buried  at  Winthrop.  W'as  allowed  12s.  for  military  service  by 
the  town,  Jan.   15,  1777. 

Enoch  Strout — Deacon;  died  Apr.  i,  1832,  aged  71;  buried  at 
AA-'ales.  He  was  formerly  from  Limington,  Me.  Served  as  pri- 
vate in  Capt.  Joshua  Jordan's  Co.,  Col.  Jonathan  Mitchell's  Regt. 

Thomas  Taylor — Died  Feb.  18,  1825,  aged  89;  buried  at  Barker's 
IMills,  Lewiston.  He  enlisted  from  Dracut,  as  private  in  Capt. 
Stei)hen  Russell's  Co.  of  militia.  He  fought  at  Lexington  and 
Saratoga. 

Jeremiah  Towle — Born  1753;  died  Dec.  6,  1835,  aged  y-j  \  buried 
near  No.  Monmouth.  He  fought  at  Trenton,  INIonmouth,  \\'hite 
Plains  and  Stillwater,  was  with  Washington  at  Valley  Forge 
and  was  present  at  the  execution  of  ]\Iajor  Andre.  He  was 
wounded,  1777. 

Noah  Towne — Died  Mar.  10,  1841,  aged  84  yrs.  11  mos.  Buried 
at  Litchfield.  Served  as  private  in  N.  H.  line.  Pensioner  in  1835 
and  1840. 


GRAVES  OF  REVOLUTIONARY   SOLDIERS        179 

Aaron  True — Died  Apr.  3,  1837,  aged  79  yrs.  7  mos. ;  buried  at 
So.  Litchfield.  Served  as  private  in  Capt.  Stephen  Jenkins'  Co., 
CoL  Jacob  Gerrish's  Regt.  Service  i  mo.  2  days.  Pensioner 
in  1835. 

John  Wadsworth — Born  in  Stoughton,  Mass.,  Nov.  11,  1762.  '  Died 
Apr.  18,  1834;  buried  at  East  Winthrop.  Served  as  private  and 
musician  in  Capt.  GulHver's  Co.,  Col.  Henry  Jackson's  Regt., 
for  six  months  from  June,  1778;  also  enlisted  April,  1780,  for 
nine  months,  in  Capt.  Daniel  Lunt's  Co.,  Col.  Benj.  Tupper's 
Regt.     Pensioner  in  1835. 

Braddock  \\'eeks — Died  Oct.  11,  181 1,  aged  50;  buried  in  Ever- 
green Cemetery,  Monmouth-\\  ayne,  beside  his  wife,  Bethiah.  He 
served  in  the  Rev.  war,  enlisting  from  Falmouth.  Bethiah  Weeks 
rec'd  pension,  1840. 

James  Weeks — Died  Mar.  10,  1843,  aged  82  yrs.  Buried  at  Mon- 
mouth.    Served  as  private  in  Mass.  militia.     Pensioner  in  1835. 

Benjamin  \\'hite — Died  Dec.  18,  1833,  aged  "j-j.  Buried  at  Chelsea. 
Enlisted  from  Plallowell,  service  3  mos.     Penobscot  expedition. 

Jonathan  Whiting — Born  in  Wrentham,  Mass.,  May  25,  1726.  Died 
Oct.  II,  1807.  Buried  near  Stanley's,  Winthrop.  Served  as  ist 
Lieut,  in  Capt.  Timothy  Foster's  Co.,  2d  Lincoln  Co.  Regt.  of 
Mass.  militia. 

John  Wilcox — Born  Apr.  26,  1759;  died  Mar.  10,  1844;  buried  at 
Monmouth.  He  enlisted  from  Tiverton,  R.  I.  Pensioner  in  1835 
and  1840. 

Dr.  John  Wingate — Died  July  25,  1819,  aged  76.  Buried  at  Hallo- 
well.  Served  as  surgeon  in  the  Revolutionary  war,  enlisting  from 
Hallowell. 

Joshua  Wingate — Born  in  Amesbury,  Mass.,  Mar.  4,  1747;  died 
Oct.  II,  1844;  buried  at  Hallowell.  Served  as  ensign  in  Capt. 
Matthias  Hoyt's  Co.  of  Minute  Men,  which  marched  on  the 
alarm  of  Apr.  19,  1775,  service  9  days. 

John  Witherell — Born  1758;  died  June  12,  1854;  buried  at  Mon- 
mouth Ridge.  He  was  private  and  serg.  in  the  Mass.  militia, 
serving  as  quartermaster  during  the  war. 

Samuel  \\'ood — Sept.  10,  1759-Sept.  10,  1848;  buried  at  Stanley's, 
A\^inthrop.  He  enlisted  from  Middleborough  as  private.  His 
company  marched  to  Bristol,  R.  L.,  service  73  days. 


i8o      SPRAGUE'S   JOURNAL   OF   MAINE   HISTORY 

MORRILL    FAMILY    REUNION    AT    NORTH    BERWICK, 
MAINE,    SEPTEMBER   3,    1921 

The  first  Morrill  family  reunion,  which  was  held  at  the  old 
ancestral  estate  at  North  I'erwick,  Maine,  on  September  3,  192 1, 
was  very  successful. 

The  morning  was  given  over  to  the  inspection  of  the  numerous 
historical  places  on  the  estate.  This  was  under  the  personal  direc- 
tion of  the  hostess,  Mrs.  Harriette  (Randell)  Alorrill,  and  the  vari- 
ous places  pointed  out  and  the  story  told,  as  only  she  can  tell  them. 

Starting  from  the  house  along  the  shore  of  Bauneg  Beg  Lake, 
the  first  object  of  interest  is  the  old  pot  hole  of  the  Indians,  now 
little  more  than  a  slight  depression  in  the  earth.  It  is  beneath  the 
great  i)ines,  on  a  slight  bluft'  near  the  lake.  Here,  around  this  camp- 
fire  stood  the  wigwams  of  the  Indians  who  were  snowed  in  while 
on  their  way  to  Canada  after  a  raid  on  Kittery,  and  here  was  born 
the  child  of  their  white  cai)tive,  Katherine  Allen.  Food  was  so 
scarce  the  whole  party  nearly  starved  to  death,  and  the  cries  of  the 
white  infant,  starving  slowly,  so  annoyed  the  savages  that  the 
mother  was  forced  to  gather  faggots  and  after  lighting  them  lay 
on  her  living  infant,  she  being  too  weak  with  hunger  to  offer  resist- 
ance. 

Later  she  was  enabled  to  elude  the  \igilance  of  her  captors  long 
enough  to  discover  in  the  ashes  a  single  hij)  bone  of  the  child.  This 
she  carried  for  weeks  in  her  dress  until  it  was  discovered  by  a 
squaw,  who  destroyed  it  because  it  made  "s(_|uaw  heaj^  laugh." 
meaning  it  ga\e  her  ])leasure. 

From  Breezy  INjint  one  follows  the  shore  along  a  fine  road 
beneath  the  beautiful  i)ines,  until  near  the  Maine  road,  A\hen  we 
came  into  the  old  Indian  trail  from  Kittery  to  Canada.  ()ne-half 
minute  along  this  ancient  highway  brings  one  to  the  \\'inthro]i 
Morrill  homestead,  which  is  still  in  ^'ery  good  repair,  thanks  to 
"Dan  and  Hattie."  Here  is  also  the  first  schoolhousc  in  these  parts. 
Across  the  street  in  the  great  barn  is  stored  the  "wonderful  one- 
horse  shay"  and  its  companion,  a  well  preserved  top  buggy,  which 
was  the  cause  of  certain  jealous  neighbors  dubbing  the  owner  "the 
aristocrat  of  Bauneg  Beg." 

Beside  this  barn  lies  the  old  cemeter\-  with  its  four  generations 


MORRILI.    FAMILY    REUNION  i8i 

of  owners  and  their  wives,  lying  side  by  side  in  a  row.     At  their 
feet,  in  the  second  row,  are  their  children  and  so  on. 

The  "'old  homestead"  is  rich  in  traditions  and  antiques.  A  spin- 
ning wheel,  flax  wheel,  child's  dress,  andirons,  ancient  lantern, 
foot  warmer,  and  bread  toaster  are  only  a  few  of  the  many  things 
preserved  by  the  present  owners.  Here  is  to  be  seen  one  of  the 
first  melodeans  made,  which  is  i)umped,  not  by  foot  power,  but  by 
hand,  as  it  sits  on  any  convenient  chair  or  table. 

Through  the  courtesy  of  our  host  the  writer  had  the  pleasure  of 
visiting  the  "Tidy  lot,"  which  lot  belonged  to  the  John  Tidy  who 
married  Hannah,  daughter  of  John  (i)  Morrill.  Adjoining  it  is 
the  lot  of  Peaselee,  ancestor  of  two  governors. 

Many  other  interesting  spots  are  here,  but  must  be  left  for  future 
use;  truly  it  was  worth  a  long  day's  journey  just  to  spend  a  morn- 
ing in  the  company  of  the  owners  of  this  i)lace.  It  is  doubtful 
whether  there  is  an(;ther  estate  just  like  it  in  America. 

At  noon  a  bountiful  dinner  was  served  in  the  (irange  hall  by 
the  local  descendants  of  the  Morrill  family,  to  which  (ner  lOO 
persons  did  ample  justice.  After  dinner  several  group  i)h()tos  were 
taken,  when  the  guests  adjourned  to  the  hall  to  enjoy  the  following 
program : 

"Praise  God  From  Whom  All  Blessings  Flow,"  all  standing; 
one  moment  of  Ouaker  (silent)  ])rayer.  A  brief  outline  of  the 
early  history  of  the  family  was  given  by  Hon.  Melville  P.  Morrill 
of  Natick,  Mass.  Mr.  Morrill,  w\n)  is  85  years  of  age  and  did  not 
expect  to  be  called  u])on,  held  the  close  attention  of  every  one  ])res- 
ent  and  i)ro\ed  that  he  is  thoroughly  versed  in  his  ancestry.  Al- 
though he  has  traveled  extensively  in  his  lifetime,  and  is  not  now 
a  resident  of  this  state,  he  still  kee])s  his  faith  in  the  natives  of 
J\Iaine.     .Said  he  : 

"I  am  proud  of  the  fact  that  I  was  born  in  the  .State  of  Maine; 
no  better  people  live  in  the  United  States.  I  have  met  them  in 
all  parts  of  the  west,  and  Maine  people  have  done  more  to  start 
the  western  states  right  than  any  other  eastern  state  ;  and  the  Mor- 
rills  have  certainly  done  their  part  wherever  they  have  been 
located." 

Mr.  Morrill  has  been  a  Mason  for  sixty  years,  having  held  all 
the  offices  in  the  higher  bodies.     Some  years  ago,  the  Grand  Lodge 


i82      SPRAGUE'S   JOURNAI.  OF   MAINE   HISTORY 


of  Massacliiisetts  presented  him  with  a  "Henry  Price  Jewel,"  a  rare 
honor. 

"The  Litchfield  Branch,  by  One  of  Them,"  was  read  by  the 
author,  L.  B.  Morrill  of  Lewiston,  who  presided  at  the  meeting 
Song,  "Auld  Lang  Syne,"  by  audience;  "Historical  Glimpses  of 
Bauneg  Beg,"  from  the  pen  of  Harriet  R.  Alorrill,  was  read  b} 
Mrs.  Rosa  Morrill  Brown  of  Newton  Highlands,  Mass.  Poem  b_v 
W.  IT.  Totem  of  Seattle,  Washington,  read  by  ]\Iiss  Grace  Hussev 
of  South  Berwick.  Mrs.  Delia  Morrill  Greenfield  presided  at  the 
piano. 

The  discussion  which  followed  was  led  by  Senator  Mathew  C. 
Morrill  of  Gray,  Maine,  and  Hon.  M.  P.  Morrill  of  Natick,  Mass. 

The  following"  officers  were  elected :  President,  L.  B.  Morrill  of 
Lewiston  ;  vice  president,  William  H.  Austin  of  North  Berwick ; 
secretary,  Mrs.  Delia  Greenfield,  Rochester,  N.  H. ;  historian,  Mrs. 
Ethel  Morrill  McCollister,  IVIexico;  treasurer.  Nelson  C.  B.  Mor- 
rill, Rochester,  N.  H. 

The  oldest  person  present  was  Ephriam  Morrill  of  South  Law- 
rence, Mass.,  age  86  years.  The  list  of  guests  follows :  Lewis 
Morrill,  age  So  years,  of  Providence,  R.  I. ;  the  following  were 
from  North  Berwick :  Mr.  and  Mrs.  \\'.  H.  Austin,  Mrs.  Bessy 
Emma  Morrill,  Mvian  E.  Morrill,  age  5  years,  Charles  O.  Morrill, 
Elizabeth  Morrill  Ricker,  Katherine  M.  Ricker,  age  5  years,  Wm- 
throp  Ricker,  age  4  years,  E.  Raymond  Morrill,  L.  M.  Sherburne, 
Ida  M.  Sherburne,  Sumner  C.  Morrill,  Grace  I.  Morrill,  Katie  A. 
Morrill,  Charles  A\'.  Abbott ;  those  from  South  Berwick  were  Nellie 
M.  Hussey,  Miss  Grace  Hussey;  from  Wiscasset,  Mr.  Clifford  P. 
Dow,  Mrs.  Blanche  Dow  Fowle,  Mrs.  Emma  Morrill  Dow,  Mrs. 
Earle  Dow,  Philip  G.  Dow,  age  2  years  one  month,  Charles  H. 
Dow,  age  2  years;  from  West  Cumberland,  Mrs.  H.  H.  Morrill, 
Mr.  Edwin  C.  Morrill,  Mrs.  Emma  M.  Morrill,  Mr.  Fred  H.  Mor- 
rill, Miss  Inez  I.  Morrill,  Mrs.  Mary  C.  Brackett ;  from  Falmouth, 
Mrs.  Ada  Morrill  Winslow,  Mr.  Ernest  W.  Winslow,  Charles  E. 
Winslow,  age  5  years.  Miss  Lena  B.  Winslow  ;  from  Portland,  Mr. 
Walter  E.  Morrill,  Mrs.  W.  J.  Hunton,  Mrs.  Morrill  Hamlin ;  from 
Lewiston,  Mrs.  Sadie  (Morrill)  Morrill,  Mr.  L.  B.  Morrill;  from 
Norway,  Maine,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Frank  P.  Morrill ;  from  Grav,  Hon. 
and  Mrs.  M.  C.  Morrill ;  from  East  Dover.  INIrs.  Lena  Dow,  Miss 


MORRILL    FAMILY    REUNION  183 

Eleanor  Dow ;  from  Cornish,  Florence  L.  j\Jorrill,  Annie  L.  Mor- 
rill, Fred  L.  Morrill;  from  W'aterville,  Mrs.  W.  P.  Stewart;  from 
Mexico,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Charles  H.  Davey,  Miss  Maude  E.  Davey, 
Mrs.  Everett  McGee,  Mrs.  Blanche  Alyward,  Evelyn  G.  Alyward, 
age  8  months,  Miss  Laura  J\L  Morrill,  Mrs.  Ethel  Morrill  McCol- 
lister,  Mrs.  E.  E.  McCollister,  Master  Andrew  L.  Bandon  McCol- 
lister ;  from  Berlin,  N.  H.,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Peter  Anderson :  from 
Rochester,  N.  H.,  Mrs.  George  E.  Greenfield,  Mr.  Nelson  E.  B. 
Morrill,  Mrs.  Mary  Kelley  Morrill,  Mrs.  George  E.  Greenfield ; 
from  Union,  N.  H.,  Mrs.  Ethel  Morrill,  ^Irs.  G.  W.  Morrill; 
from  Dover,  N.  H.,  Clyde  R.  Morrill ;  from  Newton,  Mass.,  Mrs. 
Rosa  Morrill  Brown ;  from  Natick,  Mass.,  Miss  Julia  L.  Morrill ; 
from  West  Somerville,  Mass.,  Mr.  Frank  L.  Morrill,  Florence  O. 
Morrill,  age  8  years;  from  Haverhill,  Mass.,  Mrs.  Florence  N. 
Osgood;  from  Lawrence,  Mass.,  Mr.  John  H.  \\'ilkinson,  Mrs. 
Lillian  Wilkinson ;  from  Mansfield,  Mass.,  Mrs.  Will  Freeman, 
Mr.  Will  Freeman,  Miss  Nettie  Freeman,  Robert  A.  Freeman, 
age  9  years;  from  East  Deerfield,  Mass.,  Mr.  Plarvey  A.  Morrill, 
Grace  A.  Morrill ;  from  Alliston,  Mass.,  Ethel  Al  Shumway ;  from 
Marblehead,  Mass.,  Mrs.  S.  B.  Dingley ;  from  Somerville,  Mass., 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Fred  ^^^  Morrill ;  from  Lawrence,  Mass.,  Mrs.  John 
H.  Wilkinson ;  from  Bauneg  Beg,  Me.,  Mrs.  Harriette  Randell 
Morrill,  Mrs.  Daniel  P.  Morrill;  from  Mechanic  Falls,  Mrs.  E.  A. 
McCollister,  house  guest  of  E.  E.   McCollister. 


LINES   ON  THE   MORRILL   FAMILY  REUNION,  NORTH 
BERWICK,   MAINE,   SEPTEMBER   3,    1921 

By   WiHiam    D.    Totten    of    Seattle,    Wa.shing-ton,    Great-grandson    of    Enoch 
Morrill,    Who    Was    Born    in    Corni.sh,    Maine,    February    6,    1769 

Visions  of  beauty  sweetly  come 

Of  scenes  near  old  Atlantic's  shore, 
With  thoughts  of  our  ancestral  home, 

\\'hose  memories  sacred  we  adore. 

As  pilgrims  meet  at  sacred  shrines. 

Their  holy  saints  to  contemplate. 
Meet  we  where  stand  the  ancient  pines. 

Brave  souls  of  old  to  venerate. 


i84      SPRAGUE'S   JOURNAL   OF    MAINE   HISTORY 


God-fearing  pioneers  were  they, 
From  creeds  of  bigotry  apart  ; 

Content  to  labor  day  by  day, 

Sisters  and  brothers,  hand  and  heart. 

Morrills  in  name,  and  hving  true 

7'o  moral  rules,  their  course  to  guide,- 

Gladly  their  story  we  review 
\\  ith  j)atriotic  joy  and  pride. 

One  soul  inspiring  i)urpose  runs 

Through  our  devotion  to  our  sires, — 

To  nobly  li\e  as  worthy  sons 
And  keep  alive  loves  altar  fires. 

Let  us  assemble  every  year 

As  kinsmen  near  Atlantic's  shore, 

And  honor  them  with  hearts  sincere, 
\\  hose  memories  sacred  we  adore. 


(Fiy   :\lr.s.    Ethel    [IMoiiiU]    :\lcColli.ster) 

CHRONICLES  OF  THE  FAMILY  OF  JOHN  MORRILL  OF 
KITTERY,    MAINE,    1640-1920 

Very  few  of  the  early  settlers  of  the  territory  now  known  as  the 
State  of  Alaine  can  boast  a  longer  hst  of  distinguished  descendants 
than  that  of  John  Morrill  of  Kittery.  Not  only  in  Maine  but  in 
many  other  states  as  well,  are  these  names  household  words,  for 
they  were  pioneers  in  manufacturing,  political,  religious  and  educa- 
tional pursuits. 

Almost  nothing  has  been  ])ublished  about  them  collectively,  due 
in  part,  i)erhaps,  to  the  fact  that  each  one  has  been  so  busy  pushing 
forward  in  strange  unblazened  trails  that  there  was  no  time  to  con- 
template the  ])ast.  Moreover,  the  Quakers  were  never  given  to 
"shouting  their  deeds  from  the  housetops."  It  has  been  said  that 
the  Quakers  were  such  good  citizens  that  they  often  counted  for 
far  more  during  the  Revolution  for  offices  they  performed  for  the 
government,  than  if  they  had  fought  in  the  ranks. 


CHRONICLES   OF  THE   MORRILL   FAMILY        185 


In  writing  the  history  of  the  Morrill  family  one  could  not  easily 
separate  it  from  the  history  of  beautiful  Bauneg  Beg,  which  has 
been  truly  said  to  resemble  in  many  characteristics  the  lake  of 
Killarney,  celebrated  in  song  and  story  the  world  over,  for  the 
history  of  Bauneg  Beg  is  the  history  of  the  family,  who  were  the 
first  white  settlers  upon  its  shores,  coming  when  the  Indians  alone 
listened  to  the  music  of  the  waters,  or  searched  for  the  plentiful 
fish  and  game  which  then  abounded. 

Beneath  the  same  great  timber  pines  which  cast  their  shadow 
over  the  red  man,  today  walk  the  descendants  in  the  eighth  genera- 


A    (lliiiii'-'-    •'\     :;.iiiiM^     I  :.  u    l>akc    frdin    ];ri-rz\-    i'i>ini 

tion,  going  about  the  business  of  log  sawing  at  the  ancient  mill, 
or  the  numerous  errands  of  the  home  nestling  almost  in  the  shadow 
of  the  old  homestead  built  many,  many  years  ago.  Many  descend- 
ants come  each  year  from  far  off  cities  to  rest  and  recuperate  from 
their  labors. 

The  first  white  owner  was  Ferdinando  Gorges,  who  explored  the 
coast  of  what  is  now  a  part  of  Maine  in  1635-6;  in  1639  he  w^as 
granted  a  charter  of  a  great  tract  wdiich  he  called  New^  Somershire. 

It  included  Kittery  Commons,  so-called,  which  extended  from 
the  Salmon  Falls  River  on  the  south  to  Bauneg  Beg  hills  on  the 
north.  There  in  what  is  now  Kittery  Township,  In  the  following 
year,  1640.  was  born  the  first  American  of  our  line — John  Morrill. 


i86     SPRAGUE'S   JOURNAL   OF    MAINE   HISTORY 

The  name  had  been  very  popular  in  the  days  when  persons  were 
named  for  famihar  objects  such  as  fish,  hand,  etc.  It  is  derived 
from  Latin  meaning  "yellow  hair"  and  was  popular  in  Italy,  France, 
Holland  and  the  British  Isles. 

England  claimed  two  Morrill  families  with  coat-of-arms.  Al- 
though the  founder  of  this  family  in  America  was  a  wealthy  Eng- 
lishman, it  is  not  known  to  the  writer  whether  he  was  related  to 
either  of  the  titled  families. 

This  John  was  a  brickmason.  In  1686  he  was  licensed  to  "con- 
duct"  a   ferry  and  house   of   "entertainment."      His   wife,    Sarah, 


First   School   House   at  Eauneg-   Beg:   Lake — An  Old-Tim.-   ( "liaise 

was  a  daughter  of  Nicholas  Hodgson,  who  was  in  Hingham,  Mass., 
as  early  as  1635,  and  was  killed  by  Indians  in  W'dh,  Maine,  1704. 
Her  mother  was  a  supposed  daughter  of  John  A\'incoll. 

In  1674  John  Morrill's  father-in-law  gave  him  a  deed  of  Birch 
Point  in  what  is  now  South  Berwick.  In  1676  he  exchanged  this 
for  land  at  Cool  Harbor  (Eliot),  still  in  the  family.  Between 
1 658- 1 703  he  was  granted  3,100  acres  by  King  George,  which  in- 
cluded Bauneg  Beg  lake.  He  was  a  Quaker  as  were  many  of  his 
descendants,  as  we  shall  see.  A  great-great-grandson,  John  (5) 
had  seven  children,  all  of  whom  died  unmarried.  This  John  (5) 
was  born  in  Eliot,  October  17,  1797,  lived  on  the  homestead  there 
and  died  in   1881  ;  his  wife  Sarah    f  lenkins )   having  died  in   1868. 


CHRONICLES   OF  THE  MORRILL  FAMILY        187 

An  admirer  of  Andrew  Jackson,  for  whom  he  named  a  son  born 
in  1843. 

John  (i)  had  six  children.  The  oldest,  John,  born  1668,  was 
a  blacksmith.  He  had  the  homestead  at  Kittery.  Ordered  by  the 
military  officers  in  session  at  York,  August  25,  1720,  to  erect  a 
garrison  of  refuge  near  the  ferry  for  the  benefit  of  "ye  inhabitants 
and  families  from  William  Frys'  to  John  Morrill,  son  of  Nicholas, 
inclusively."  Sarah  (2)  married  George  Huntress  in  1701.  Edah 
(2)  married  Jonathan  Nason  in  1702.  Hannah  married  John  Tidy 
same  year.  John  (2)  married  Hannah  Dixon,  lived  at  North  Ber- 
wick, was  prominent  in  town  affairs,  being  a  large  land  and  slave 


Tlic    ll(ni.se    Wiiillinip    .Miirrili    I  Unit    m    ITtiy    at 
Bauneg-   Beg-  Lake,    North    Berwick 

owner.  One  slave  was  willed  to  his  wife  with  the  provision  that 
she  be  freed  at  her  death.  Some  of  our  most  prominent  lines 
sprang  from  his  sons,  particularly  Jedediah  (3),  Peter  (3),  and 
Peaselee  (3).  The  others  were  John  (3),  Thomas  (3),  Richard 
(3),  and  Stephen  (3). 

Abraham  (2),  son  of  John  (i),  married  Phoebe  Heard  but  died 
soon  after  without  issue.  Elizabeth,  the  youngest  of  John's  (i) 
family,  married  Thomas  Hobbs  in  1721.    She  lived  in  Boston. 

Jedediah  (3),  son  of  John  (2),  held  2,000  acres  of  the  King 
George  grant.  Was  prominent  in  town  affairs.  To  his  son  Win- 
throp  he  gave  the  tract  of  land  at  Bauneg  Beg,  Peter's  share  nearer 


i88     SPRAGUE'S   JOURNAL  OF   MAINE   HISTORY 

what  is  now  North  Berwick  village,  and  Josiali  the  homestead. 
He  was  one  of  those  versatile  pioneer  spirits  who  could  "turn  a 
hand"  to  any  kind  of  work;  in  addition  to  carrying  on  his  great 
farm  and  the  mill  at  Bauneg  Beg,  he  was  a  blacksmith  and  was 
one  of  the  first  in  Maine  to  practice  medicine.  A  Quaker  in  religion. 
The  first  three  mills  built  were  burned  by  the  Indians.  The  first 
dwelling  was  a  log  cabin,  soon  followed  by  a  small  frame  house. 
In  1769,  when  W'inthrop  (4)  came  there  with  his  bride,  Susannah 
(Lewis),  who  rode  on  horseback  through  the  forest  from  York, 
he  built  the  fine  colonial  mansion  which  still  stands,  and  the  present 
mill.  The  Indians,  having  learned  that  he  was  a  "William  Penn 
man,"  never  molested  him.  This  mill  is  now  run  by  his  great- 
grandson,  Daniel  Morrill. 

His  daughter,  Anna,  was  the  first  white  child  born  at  Bauneg 
Beg.  Last  summer  her  great  grandson,  Mr.  A.  A.  Thompson  of 
Chattanooga,  Tennessee,  visited  Bauneg  Beg.  During  his  visit  he 
was  presented  with  a  chair  which  had  been  a  gift  to  Anna  from 
her  mother.  Originally  there  was  a  set  of  six  of  these  old  "1700" 
Windsor  chairs.  Anna  Morrill  before  her  death  divided  these 
chairs  between  her  daughters. 

Winthrop  in  his  old  age  was  cared  for  by  his  grandson,  Nathan 
Morrill. 

Nathan  was  the  father  of  the  present  owner  of  the  estate,  Mr. 
Daniel  Morrill.  He  was  cared  for  in  his  turn  by  his  son,  and 
Daniel's  wife  has  a  number  of  stories  which  grandpa  told  her,  one 
of  which  she  passed  on  for  this  article.  It  was  told  to  Nathan  by 
his  grandfather,  Winthrop. 

An  Indian  brave  with  his  wife  and  papoose  asked  at  Jedediah's 
house  for  shelter  from  an  approaching  storm.  The  baby  was 
strapped  to  a  board  as  was  their  custom.  Bidden  to  enter,  they 
stood  the  board  and  baby  against  the  outside  of  the  house.  "Bring 
baby  in,  it  rains,"  said  Mr.  Jedediah.  The  brave  replied.  "Me 
toughen  baby."  When  ready  to  resume  their  journey  they  found 
the  papoose  "toughened"  indeed.  The  water  from  the  eaves  falling 
on  his  head  ran  into  his  mouth  and  drowned  the  child.  They  stoical- 
ly carried  it  down  by  the  river  and  buried  it,  continuing  their  jour- 
ney as  though  nothing  had  happened  out  of  the  ordinary. 

Doors  were  never  locked  in  these  times  and  it  was  an  every-day 
occurrence  for  \\''inthrop  and  his  wife  to  awake  in  the  night  and 


CHRONICLES   OF  THE  MORRIEL  FAMILY        189 


lie  quietly  in  their  great  four-poster  bed  in  the  kitchen,  and  watch 
the  Indians  who  had  stolen  quietly  in  and  were  warming  them- 
selves by  the  fireplace,  talking  softly  in  their  gutteral,  their  swarthy 
faces  lighted  by  the  blaze  of  the  great  logs.  When  warm  and  rested 
they  carefully  covered  the  fire  with  ashes  as  they  found  it,  and 
resumed  their  journey,  never  disturbing  this  Quaker  family,  who 
had  no  fear  of  them. 

Nathan  very  closely  resembled  in  features  Andrew  Jackson, 
whose  staunch  admirer  he  was,  being  as  they  used  to  express  it,  "a 
Jackson  man."  To  his  son  Daniel's  wife,  Harriette  (Randell),  all 
seekers  of  our  lineage  owe  a  great  debt  of  gratitude.  For  forty 
years  she  has  been  an  able  and  untiring  assistant  to  one  and  all. 
Her  prolific  pen  often  working  far  into  the  night  to  record  the 
many  interesting  morsels  of  family  history  which  she  so  well  knew 
how  to  make  interesting,  even  to  the  most  casual  reader. 

This  couple  are  the  last  of  their  line,  having  lost  all  their  chil- 
dren many  years  ago.  But  Mrs.  Morrill's  great  mother  love  w^ould 
not  be  starved;  several  girls  have  been  fed,  clothed  and  educated 
by  her  and  worthy  boys  helped  to  start  in  life.  At  present  she  has 
three,  the  youngest  not  yet  of  school  age. 

Tedediah,  Jr.,  son  of  Jedediah,  settled  in  the  town  which  w^as 
afterward  named  for  him,  "Morrill,"  in  Knox  County,  near  Bel- 
fast, Maine.  Two  others,  Josiah  and  Peace  married  Meader,  set- 
tled in  the  eastern  part  of  the  state.  One  of  his  granddaughters 
was  a  famous  Quaker  minister  of  Seabrook,  New  Hampshire. 
This  lady.  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Morrill  Folsom,  was  the  dearest  friend 
of  T-  G.  Whittier's  mother.     On  her  death  the  poet  wrote  the  lines 


of 


The  Friend's  Burial 

"My  thoughts  are  all  in  yonder  town. 

Where,  wept  by  many  tears. 
Today  my  mother's  friend  lays  down 

The  burden  of  her  years. 

Oh,  not  for  her  the  florist's  art, 
The  mocking  weeds  of  woe ; 

Dear  memories  in  each   mourner's  heart 
Like  heaven's  white  lilies  blow. 


190     SPRAGUE'S  JOURNAL  OF   MAINE   HISTORY 

How  reverent  in  our  midst  she  stood 

Or  knelt  in  grateful  praise ! 
What  grace  of  Christian  womanhood, 

Was  in  her  household  ways. 

For  still  her  holy  living  meant 

No  duty  left  undone ; 
The  heavenly  and  human  blent 

Their  kindred  loves  in  one. 

An  inborn  charm  of  graciousness, 

Made  sweet  her  smile  and  tone, 
And  glorified  her  farmwife's  dress. 

With  beauty  not  its  own." 

Many  pictures  of  this  lady  and  others,  sisters,  cousins  and  other 
relatives  are  still  preserved  by  North  Berwick  descendants.  The 
quaint  and  prim  Quaker  head-dress,  white  folds  at  neck  and  shawl, 
make  very  aristocratic  photos. 

John  (2),  son  of  John  (i),  had  a  son,  Stephen,  who  married 
Elizabeth  Winslow  of  Falmouth.  Peter  (3)  had  a  daughter  killed 
and  scalped  by  the  Indians.  As  the  story  is  told,  she  and  an  older 
brother  had  been  sent  into  the  forest  to  get  a  hemlock  broom.  She 
happened  upon  some  lurking  savages,  who  were  waiting  for  dark- 
ness to  attack  the  settlement.  She  screamed  and  the  savages  caught 
and  scalped  her  to  prevent  the  spread  of  the  alarm.  She  expired 
on  her  father's  doorstep. 

When  the  Indians  learned  that  they  had  killed  a  Quaker  maiden 
they  were  filled  with  regret ;  on  their  return  march  north  they 
stopped  at  a  small  lake,  some  three  miles  away  and  carved  her  pic- 
ture on  a  great  tree. 

This  lake  was  then  named  "Picture  Lake"  and  is  still  so  called. 
The  tree  was  often  visited  and  the  story  is  still  told  beneath  its 
boughs  by  the  old  inhabitants  to  the  children  of  today  "in  her 
memory." 

Peter's  (3)  son,  David,  was  the  ancestor  of  ex-Congressman 
Daniel  Jackson  Morrill  of  Johnstown,  Pa.  Daniel  J.  was  born 
at  N.  B.  Aug.  8.  1821.  served  in  Congress  1867-71.  Interested  in 
steel  mills,  his  mills  had    at    one    time  the  largest  daily  output  in 


IN   MEMORY  OF  191 


America.  \\'as  the  first  to  use  Bessemer  steel  for  railroad,  created 
the  great  Cambria  Iron  Works.  At  the  time  of  the  Johnstown 
disaster,  a  cousin,  Thomas  Morrill,  chemist  of  the  Cambria  Iron 
Works,  lived  near  him.  When  Thomas'  house  was  swept  away 
he  and  his  wife  jumped,  being  lashed  together.  Both  were  expert 
swimmers,  so  they  progressed  favorably  till  a  floating  house  held 
them  under  till  nearly  drowned,  but  it  finally  passed  on.  At  last 
they  caught  a  line  and  were  drawn  into  the  attic  window  of  Daniel 
Jackson's  great  mansion.  Clothing  was  made  by  cutting  holes  in 
blankets  with  a  pair  of  discarded  scissors  found  in  an  old  desk  in 
the  attic.  Here  they  remained  for  three  days  till  a  rescuing  party 
reached  them. 

(To   be    continued) 


IN   MEMORY    OF 

Dr.  George  A.  Phillips 


Dr.  George  A.  Phillips  died  at  his  home  in  Bar  Harbor  October 
21,  192 1.  He  was  born  in  Orland,  Me.,  April  18,  1854.  He  grad- 
uated from  the  University  of  New  York  (now  Cornell  Medical 
College)  in  1882  and  had  practiced  medicine  ever  since  in  Han- 
cock County,  first  at  Ellsworth  and  since  1901  at  Bar  Harbor.  He 
was  a  leading  physician  in  that  part  of  Maine  and  a  public  man 
of  note  throughout  the  state. 

He  w^as  a  member  of  the  Legislature  1919-20  and  1921-22.  He 
w^as  a  gentleman  of  culture,  a  student  of  wide  range  and  familiar 
with  the  best  literature.  He  was  deeply  interested  in  two  subjects 
that  have  always  interested  the  writer,  Maine's  colonial  history 
and  the  preservation  of  wild  life  in  our  state.  He  had  a  host  of 
friends  all  over  ATaine,  who  will  regret  his  departure  from  this 
life. 

Samuel  M.  Giles 

Samuel  M.  Giles,  for  many  years  a  prominent  and  well-known 
resident  of  Sangerville,  Me.,  was  born  in  \^ienna,  Me.,  February 
6,  1832,  died  at  Camp  Etna,  June  21,  1921.  Until  about  11  years 
ago  his  home  for  about  40  years  had  been  in  Sangerville. 

His  occupation  in  life  had  generally  been  that  of  farming,  lum- 
bering, etc.     He  was  a  man    of    staunch    and  upright  character. 


192     SPRAGUE'S  JOURNAL  OF   MAINE   HISTORY 


always  siqiporting  measures  in  his  town  which  were  progressive 
and  for  the  pubhc  good.  He  was  in  every  sense  of  the  word  a 
good  citizen ;  a  true  and  loyal  friend  and  never  wavered  in  his 
support  of  the  principles  which  he  believed  in  and  adhered  to. 

He  was,  at  the  time  of  his  death,  one  of  the  oldest  members  of 
the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellow^s  in  Piscataquis  County.  In 
this  great  fraternal  order  he  had  always  taken  a  deep  interest,  had 
been  a  very  active  member  and  held  prominent  offices  in  the  sub- 
ordinate and  grand  lodge. 

Politically  he  was  a  Republican  and  in  religion  he  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Universalist  church,  but  many  years  ago  he  made  a  study 
of  what  is  now  known  as  "modern  Spiritualism"  and  embraced 
its  philosophy  and  became  a  firm  believer  in  the  truth  of  its  phe- 
nomena. He  was  an  officer  in  and  a  leading  member  of  the  Maine 
State  Spiritualist  Association. 

His  funeral  occurred  at  Odd  Fellows'  Hall  in  Guilford,  June 
22.  The  services  were  conducted  by  Good  Cheer  Lodge,  I.  O.  O. 
F.,  and  Golden  Link  Rebekah  Lodge. 

The  following  poem  was  penned  by  one  of  his  friends  and  pub- 
lished In  a  recent  number  of  the  "Banner  of  Life"  of  Boston: 

"My  good  old  friend,  All  hail  to  thee 
Since  thou  hast  entered  eternity. 
Where  angel  friends  hold  communion  sweet. 
With  all  thy  dear  ones  there  to  greet. 

We  would  have  kept  thee  longer  still. 
Within  our  sphere  thy  place  to  fill, 
But  by  that  wise  and  wondrous  po\\er. 
The  summons  came  to  that  bright  bower 

Where  no  more  pain  will  come  to  thee. 
Where  your  soul  is  now  unfettered  free, 
So  we  must  not  mourn  but  carry  on,         f-;.. 
The  work  you  so  nobly  tried  to  perform. 


Alw^ays  ready  with  heart  and  hand. 
To  lend  thy  aid  to  a  fellow  man. 
To  work  unceasingly  for  the  right. 
Thy  presence  still  will  bring  us  light. 


IN   MEMORY  OF  193 


Your  blessings  we  shall  still  receive, 
For  your  interest  in  us  we  believe, 
Still  holds  good,  from  that  fairer  shore. 
And  to  Camp  Etna  you  come  once  more. 

To  blend  your  love  and  fill  your  place, 
'Tho  we  may  not  see  your  form  or  face, 
'Tho  your  familiar  figure  is  hidden  from  view. 
You,  yet  are  there  the  living  yoii. 

And  I  believe  with  many  more. 
The  old  Camp  will  grow  as  ne'er  before. 
For  with  strong  forces  for  the  right, 
Etna  will  hold  aloft  the  Banner  of  Light. 

So  all  hail  to  thee,  my  elder  brother, 

Let  us  all  live  for  one  another ; 

If  out  of  the  temple  of  flesh  and  clay, 

Or  encased  therein,  let  us  work  while  'tis  day. 

Unity,  Me.,  August  4,   1921.  C.  B.  Crosby." 

Frederick  H.  Costello 

Frederick  H.  Costello,  the  well-known  author  who  has  been 
for  the  past  30  years  manager  of  R.  G.  Dunn  &  Go's,  local  agency, 
died  Tuesday,  August  2,  1921,  at  the  age  of  69  years,  10  months  and 
8  days.  He  leaves  beside  his  widow,  one  son,  Harold  Gostello,  who 
now  lives  in  Terra  Bella,  Cali^ 

The  funeral  will  be  held  from  the  home  Friday  afternoon  at  2 
o'clock  and  the  burial  wall  be  in  Mt.  Hope  cemetery. 

Mr.  Gostello  lived  in  Bangor  for  the  past  35  years,  during 
which  time  he  was  connected  with  the  local  Dunn  Agency.  For 
the  past  5  years  of  his  service  he  was  a  reporter  and  for  the  past 
30  years  has  ^     ciated  as  the  manager  of  the  local  branch. 

He  was  always  a  profound  student  of  history  and  wrote  a  num- 
ber of  books,  mostly  boys'  stories  built  around  valuable  historical 
data,  wdiich  he  spent  most  of  his  leisure  time  in  collecting.  During 
his  lifetime  he  collected  an  excellent  historical  library  and  was  an 
authoritv  on  matters  of  historical   and  political   interest. 


194     SPRAGUE'S  JOURNAL  OF   MAINE   HISTORY 


Frederick  H.  Costello  was  born  in  Bangor,  September  4,  185 1. 
He  was  educated  in  the  public  schools  of  the  city  and  by  private 
tutors.  In  his  early  twenties  he  journeyed  west  to  California, 
where  he  became  principal  of  a  private  school  in  that  state,  a  posi- 
tion he  held  for  several  years. 

In  early  life  he  was  unwell  a  great  deal  of  the  time,  but  in  Cali- 
fornia he  recovered  his  health  by  being  out  of  doors  a  great  deal 
and  by  doing  gymnastic  work.  In  1886  he  came  east  and  became 
associated  with  the  R.  G.  Dunn  Co.,  at  their  Bangor  agency.  For 
the  first  5  years  he  was  a  reporter  and  then  he  became  manager. 

In  1903  he  married  Mrs.  Mabel  E.  Hennessey  of  Bangor  and  they 
have  lived  since  then  at  15  Poplar  Street. 

On  account  of  ill  health  Mr.  Costello  was  obliged  to  give  up 
his  work  at  the  R.  G.  Dunn  office  last  fall  and  Mrs.  Costello  has 
carried  on  the  work  for  him.  His  poor  health  was  brought  on 
largely  by  overwork,  his  friends  think,  as  he  was  accustomed  to 
work  hard  at  his  office  days  and  to  study  for  his  own  pleasure  late 

at  night. 

Among  his  published  works  are  the  following  books :  The  Two 
on  Galley  Island,  Master  Ardick,  Buccaneer,  Under  the  Rattle- 
snake Flag,  On  Fighting  Decks  in  1812,  A  Tar  of  the  Old  School, 
and  Nelson's  Yankee  Boy,  Sure  Dart,  Morgan's  Youngest  Rifle- 
man and  The  Girl  with  Two  Selves. 

Mr.  Costello' s  books  for  boys  met  with  a  ready  sale  and  re- 
ceived very  favorable  notices  from  the  critics  as  they  deserved, 
for  they  were  the  product  of  a  man  who  had  fine  control  of  Eng- 
lish and  who  made  a  profound  study  of  his  facts.  He  always  wrote 
very  interestingly  and  displayed  an  historical  knowledge  that  was 
only  explained  by  his  constant  study  and  his  love  of  the  work,  to 
which  he  devoted  most  of  the  time  not  given  to  his  office  duties. 

Mr.  Costello  was  especially  well  versed  in  the  history  of  the 
Revolutionary  War  and  in  matters  of  the  sea  and  his  maritime  tales 
■iisplayed  the  knowledge  of  a  sailor. 

He  was  also  much  interested  in  politics  and  kept  in  constant 
touch  Avith  governmental  afl^airs,  the  Bangor  newspapers  often 
being  enriched  by  communications  from  him  on  current  news, 
these  always  showing  a  thoughtful  mind  and  wide  study. 

Mr.  Costello  was  a  thorough  gentleman,   courteous,  kindly  and 


OXFORD   AGRICULTURAL    SOCIETY  195 

affable,  one  of  the  best  of  husbands  and  fathers  and  a  neighbor 
who  was  universally  esteemed  and  respected. 

Hon.    Edwin    M.   Johnson 

The  death  of  Hon.  Edwin  M.  Johnson,  long  one  of  the  most 
prominent  business  men  and  political  leaders  of  eastern  Piscatac|uis, 
occurred  suddenly  at  his  home  in  Brownville,  Me.,  on  Tuesday, 
October  11,  1921,  in  his  77th  year.  He  was  born  in  Orono,  the 
son  of  Moses  S.  and  Betsey  (Snow)  Johnson,  attended  school  in 
that  town  and  East  Maine  Conference  Seminary  and  Westbrook 
Seminary.  The  most  of  his  life  was  spent  in  this  town  and  he 
had  extensive  business  interests  here  and  in  other  parts  of  the  state. 

He  took  an  active  interest  in  town,  county  and  state  affairs.  For 
six  years  he  was  chairman  of  the  board  of  selectmen.  He  was 
state  assessor  from  1909  to  191 5,  represented  the  county  in  the 
state  senate  in  the  session  of  1899-1900  and  was  always  high  in 
the  counsels  of  the  Republican  party.  He  is  survived  by  his  wife 
and  one  son,  Edwin  S.  Johnson  of  Brownville. 


Oxford  Agricultural  Society 

Incorjiorated   February  24th,    18 14. 
Annual  meeting,   ist  Tuesday  in  January. 

President,  Seth  Morse. 
Secretary,  Caleb  Prentiss. 
Treasurer,  William  Reed. 

Trustees,  Daniel  Stowell,  Elias  Stowell,  William  C.  Whitney,  Abner 
Rawson,  Wm.  Barrows,  Seth  Morse,  Joel  Robinson. 

Committee  of  Correspondence,  Cyrus  Hamlin,  Benjamin  Chandler, 
Alanson  Mellen,  Samuel  F.  Brown,  Thomas  Clark. 

John  Chandler  of  Monmouth  was  Sheriff  of  Kennebec  County 
in  1809.  Pitt  Dillingham  and  Samuel  Weston  were  Deputy  Sheriffs 
at  Augusta,  John  Hazeltine  at  Gardiner,  and  Daniel  Evans  and 
Jesse  Robinson  at  Hallowell. 


196     SPRAGUE'S   JOURNAL  OF   MAINE   HISTORY 

GOOD   WILL   HOME   ASSOCIATION 

The  writer  in  a  public  address 
once  described  the  school  and  its 
founder  at  the  Good  Will  Home 
Association  at  Hinckley,  Maine, 
as  follows  : 

"A  school  unique  in  some 
ways  and  great  in  every  way, 
founded  and  presided  over  by 
one  whose  capacity  for  training 
and  building  real  manhood  has 
become  so  well  understood  and 
so  highly  appreciated  that  his 
talents  in  this  direction  are 
recognized  as  those  of  a  genius, 
is  situated  on  the  westerly  banks 
of  one  of  the  beautiful  and  most 
historic  rivers  on  the  North  At- 

REV.    GEORGE    W.    HINCKLEY       lantic   COast." 

In  the  year  1889  the  Reverend  George  W.  Hinckley  of  Guilford, 
Connecticut,  with  no  capital  but  a  great  vision,  abundance  of  cour- 
age, a  belief  in  Providence  and  possessing  all  of  the  human  elements 
w4iich  make  a  noble  and  cheerful  optimist,  began  this  great  work. 
He  has  acquired  an  enviable  and  well  deserved  reputation  as  a  great 
and  successful  teacher  of  youth,  one  who  can  take  crude  and  raw 
material  of  boyhood  and  make  it  into  good  and  successful  man- 
hood. He  has  accomplished  this  and  established  this  now  famous 
and  almost  wonderful  institution  without  noise,  fuss  or  organized 
publicity.  Modest  and  unassuming,  he  has  never  been,  and  by  tem- 
perament could  not  be,  a  seeker  for  front  page  or  gallery  applause. 

Hundreds  of  children  in  Maine  unfortunately  circumstanced 
have  owed  an  inestimable  debt  to  this  institution.  Its  value  to  our 
state  cannot  be  measured. 

The  Independent  Reporter  of  Skowhegan  in  its  issue  of  July  21, 
1921,  published  an  interview  w^ith  Mr.  Hinckley,  in  which  he  gave 
a  brief  and  interesting  review  of  his  work.  In  this  among  other 
things  he  said  : 


GOOD   WILL  HOME  ASSOCIATION  197 

"In  May,  1889,  I  purchased  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  acres 
of  land,  situated  in  the  town  of  Fairfield,  Somerset  County,  Maine. 
This  farm  was  paid  for  with  two  thousand  dollars  which  had  been 
contributed  by  sympathetic  people,  in  sums  ranging  from  five  cents 
to  two  hundred  dollars;  the  contributions  had  come  from  all  parts 
of  the  country.  This  first  purchase  was  an  important  step  in  a 
plan  which  I  had  cherished  from  boyhood — a  plan  to  form  a  philan- 
thropic and  educational  institution  for  needy  and  imperilled,  but 
deserving  boys.  It  was  a  more  extensive  and  comprehensive  plan 
than  it  was  wise  to  discuss  in  those  days  of  small  beginnings,  there 
seemed  to  be  no  reason  for  attracting  ridicule  by  telling  of  dreams 
of  great  things  for  God  and  humanity  when  only  dimes  and  nickels 
were  available,  and  when  at  best,  the  project  was  in  its  primeval 
stage.  My  dream  was  based  on  faith  in  God's  power;  upon  the 
belief  that  the  country  is  the  best  place  for  boyhood  and  develop- 
ment of  character;  upon  the  conviction  that  to  make  philanthropy 
effective  in  young  life,  a  change  of  environment  is  often  necessary; 
upon  the  theory  that  in  laying  foundations  for  future  citizenship 
there  is  no  substitute  for  family  life,  and  that  an  old-time  New 
England  family  often  consisted  of  fifteen  children,  but  not  often 
of  a  larger  number ;  upon  the  persuasion  that  in  the  development 
of  character,  neither  a  home  nor  a  school  nor  industry  nor  discipline 
nor  religious  training  is  in  itself  sufficient,  but  that  all  are  needed. 

I  believe  that  anything  worth  doing  is  worth  doing  well ;  that 
nothing  worth  doing  can  be  accomplished  in  any  other  way  than 
by  long  continued  persistent  effort ;  that  when  philanthropic  people 
fully  understand  the  plan  and  its  possibilities,  they  would  rally  to 
its  support  and  development,  and  that  I  would  be  allowed  to  see 
to  some  extent,  the  plan  mature  and  fructify." 

It  may  not  be  in  the  ordinary  use  of  the  term  a  "state  institu- 
tion," yet  all  good  citizens  of  Maine  must  be  proud  of  the  fact  that 
this  great  and  worthy  institution  is  within  our  state  and  each  should 
deem  it  a  pleasurable  duty  to  render  it  material  aid  as  well  as  sym- 
pathy and  praise. 


Postmasters  in  Maine  in  1843 

Auburn,    S.   H.    Pickard ;   Ellsworth,   Joseph   A.   Wood ;   Calais, 
William  Goodwin ;  Augusta,  Richard  S.  Perkins. 


MAINE  HISTORY  IN  THE  SCHOOLS 


This  Department  is  open  to  con-  Conducted  by  Augustus  O. 
tributions  from  all  teachers  and  Thomas,  State  Superintendent  of 
pupils.  Schools,  Augusta,  Me. 


FURTHER    SUGGESTIONS    RELATIVE    TO    LOCAL 
HISTORY  IN   SCHOOLS 

From   ("One  Hundred    Years    of    Statehood    and    One    Hundred 
Leading-  Facts  of  Maine") 

Maine  History  from  the  Sources 

Almost  every  town  in  the  State  of  Maine  offers  an  opportunity 
for  pupils  to  gather  from  the  sources  many  facts  of  history.  In 
South  Berwick  stands  the  old  Hamilton  house  which  figured  in 
the  life  and  interests  of  John  Paul  Jones.  In  the  town  of  Kittery 
is  the  Sir  William  Pepperell  mansion,  the  Sparhawk  mansion,  now 
occupied  by  Hon.  Horace  Mitchell.  In  Winslow  is  old  Fort  Hali- 
fax ;  at  Fort  Kent  the  old  blockhouse  still  stands.  There  are  battle- 
fields, old  buildings,  Indian  trails,  war  trails  and  trails  of  the 
pioneers  in  all  sections  of  the  state,  the  home  of  Longfellow,  the 
Oaks  about  which  he  wrote.  Trophies  of  Peary's  Arctic  explora- 
tions are  to  be  found  in  the  museum  at  Bowdoin  College.  There 
is  endless  variety  of  interesting  materials  for  study  first-hand. 

How  to  Conduct  the  Study 

The  work  should  be  well  planned  by  the  teacher  before  it  is  under- 
taken. Pupils  should  be  instructed  to  make  a  map  of  the  town, 
to  find  out  from  whatever  means  possible  where  the  first  settlement 
was  made  and  when.  Find  the  names  of  the  early  settlers;  are 
there  any  descendants  of  the  earliest  inhabitants  now  living  in  the 
town?  Children  should  get  from  the  oldest  settlers  the  stories  of 
the  early  days — tradition  handed  down  from  the  preceding  genera- 
tion; photographs  and  descriptions  of  old  buildings  and  historic 
places  should  be  made. 

The  children  in  the  history  classes  may  be  detailed  to  specific 
features   of  the  local  history;   some  may  gather  any  information 


MAINE   HISTORY   IN    THE   SCHOOLS  199 


relative  to  the  town  of  the  present  day.  Children  should  be  in- 
structed in  collecting  data  to  reject  unreliable  information,  to  dis- 
tinguish between  first-class  evidences  and  unreliable  data.  When 
the  data  are  gathered  the  pupil  should  make  a  brief,  carefully  writ- 
ten narrative  covering  his  project. 

Mr.  Sprague,  publisher  of  the  Journal,  also  submits  to  this  depart- 
ment the  following  "suggestions  for  the  study  of  Maine  local  his- 
tory" and  an  offer  of  awards  as  follows: 

1  The  name  of  your  county? 

2  From  whence  was  its  name  derived  ? 

3  Date  of  its  organization? 

4  Give  the  number  and  names  of  the  plantations,  towns  or  cities 
in  your  county. 

5  How  does  a  town  differ  in  its  organization  from  a  plantation? 

6  Difference  between  a  plantation  and  an  unorganized  wild  land 
township  ? 

7  How  do  the  children  in  unorganized  townships  obtain  an  edu- 
cation ? 

8  The  name  of  your  own  town? 

9  The  date  of  its  first  settlement  ? 

10  Give  names  of  some  of  its  pioneers  or  first  settlers. 

11  Date  of  its  organization? 

12  Give  names  of  the  town  officers — selectmen,  overseers  of  the 
poor,  assessors,  clerk,  treasurer,  school  committee,  road  com- 
missioner, etc. 

13  How  are  these  officers  chosen  and  qualified? 

14  State  the  powers  and  duties  of  such  officers. 

15  Give  number  of  votes  by  political  parties  cast  at  the  last  three 
state  elections  in  your  town  or  city ;  same  at  the  last  Presiden- 
tial election. 

16  If  you  reside  in  a  city  give  date  of  its  organization,  its  officers 
and  their  powers  and  duties. 

17  Differentiate  between  the  town  and  city  form  of  government? 

18  Give  reasons  for  or  against  the  study  of  Maine  history  in  Maine 
schools. 

19  What  men  or  women  of  state  or  national  fame  have  been  na- 
tives of  vour  town  or  citv? 


200     SPRAGUE'S  JOURNAL  OF   MAINE   HISTORY 


20  Give  any  other  data  about  your  town  that  your  teacher  may 
regard  as  of  historical  interest. 
The  Journal  will  present  to  the  scholar  writing,  under  the  direc- 
tion of  his  or  her  teacher,  the  best  composition  answering  the  above 
questions,  two  bound  volumes  (7-8)  of  Sprague's  Journal  of  Maine 
History,  and  to  the  scholars  writing  the  next  three  highest  ones,, 
each  a  year's  subscription  to  the  Journal.  Awards  for  the  same  to 
be  made  by  the  State  Department  of  Public  Schools. 

The  work  of  gathering  and  preserving  the  historical  data  and 
sources  of  information  of  today  for  the  use  and  benefit  of  the  people 
of  tomorrow  is  not  only  a  pleasant  and  enjoyable  task  but  is  of 
vast  importance  as  well.  The  following  excerpt  from  a  paper  by 
Prof.  Alvord,  of  the  University  of  Illinois,  read  at  the  Seventh 
Annual  Conference  of  the  American  Historical  Societies  at  Indian- 
apolis, December  28,  1910,  and  published  in  the  Annual  Report  of 
the  American  Historical  Association  for  the  year  1910 — (Wash- 
ington, 1912)  p.  251,  is  an  interesting  and  concise  presentation  of 
this  thought. 

"In  the  middle  of  the  seventeenth  century — about  the  first  third 
of  the  seventeenth  century — there  lived  in  London  a  bookseller  by 
the  name  of  Thompson,  who  was  regarded  by  his  neighbors  as  a 
crank,  because  he  gathered  everything  that  was  printed  or  written 
■ — that  floated  in  the  atmosphere  in  his  particular  neighborhood — 
the  floatsam  and  jetsam  of  life  in  London.  It  consisted  of  printed 
newsletters ;  it  consisted  of  invitations  to  dinners ;  it  consisted  of 
notes  between  one  gentleman  and  another ;  it  consisted  of  programs 
of  vaudeville  shows  in  Vauxhall  Gardens  and  elsewhere — every- 
thing that  was  a  record  of  the  times.  He  had  a  vision  of  posterity 
and  gathered  it  all ;  but  he  did  not  know  how  to  classify  and  use 
it;  he  simply  gathered.  He  wrote  on  each  one  the  time  and  the 
conditions  under  which  he  had  collected  it.  They  were  tied  up 
and  piled  in  piles,  and  after  his  death  somebody  bought  the  col- 
lection and  presented  it  to  the  British  Museum,  and  it  lay  there 
until  Macaulay  found  it  and  used  it.  He  saw  in  this  collection  a 
vision  of  life  during  the  civil-war  period  of  England,  and  with  the 
assistance  of  his  imagination  he  pictured  for  us,  from  this  collection 
of  odds  and  ends,  the  life  of  that  period. 


MAINE    HISTORY    IN    THE    SCHOOLS  201 

"So  I  say  that  any  historical  society,  no  matter  how  broad  or 
narrow  its  scope,  should  gather  material,  for  someone  has  said, 
'The  literary  rubbish  of  one  generation  is  the  priceless  treasure 
of  the  next.'  The  members  of  the  historical  societies  should  have 
a  vision  of  posterity.  What  is  interesting  to  you  that  has  come 
down  from  the  past?  Some  old  colonial  newspaper;  some  playbill 
when  the  English  were  occupying  Philadelphia  and  having  a  gay 
time;  something  that  keeps  you  in  touch  with  the  old  days?  That 
all  interests  you  today  and  helps  you  to  rebuild  the  past,  and  so  what 
we  are  gathering  today  will  be  considered  treasures  by  the  next 
generation.  We  should  have  a  vision  of  posterity,  and  that  is  the 
basis  on  which  an  historical  society  should  be  conducted." 

And  the  above  will  a])])!}-  with  C(|ual  force  to  schools  and  school 
libraries  as  well  as  to  historical  societies,  for  the  aims  of  each  are 
the  same. 


Questionnaires  Sent  to  Pupils 

By 

True  C.  ]\IorrilIv 

Superintendent   of   vSchools,   Bangor,    Maine 

Questionnaire  Concerning  the  GEOGRAriM'  oE  Youk  Town 

Dear  Pupils  : 

The  eighth  grade  bo}'s  and  girls  of  Bangor,  Maine,  are  anxious 
to  receive  information  from  you  concerning  the  following  points. 
Kindly  write  your  answers  to  the  following  outline  in  interesting 
story  form,  so  they  w^ill  be  of  interest  to  boys  and  girls  of  yoiu"  own 
age. 

^^'hat  was  the  town's  population  at  the  last  census? 

How  many  schools  has  it  together  with  their  enrollment?^ 

Brief  description. 

Locate  your  town  as  to  its  nearness  to  some  prominent  physical 
feature  of  the  state,  e.  g.  upper  Kennebec  A^alley.  Lake  ^^'ebber 
noted  for,  etc. 

Kinds  of  soil  and  for  what  best  adapted? 

To  what  river  system  are  the  lakes  and  streams  in  your  section 
tributary?     How  many  lakes  and  ponds  have  you? 


202      SPRAGUE'S  JOURNAL   OF   MAINE   HISTORY 


What  arc  the  important  historical  facts  concerning-  the  settlement 
of  your  town? 

What  historical  places  or  events  are  marked  by  monuments  or 
tablets?     If  none,  is  anything  being  done  to  encourage  such  work? 

Has  anyone  of  national  fame  been  born  in  your  town  or  lived 
there  as  a  permanent  resident?     For  what  noted? 

Means  of  transportation  and  communication. 

What  is  your  chief  trading  center?    Why? 

What  nationalities  are  prominent  ? 

What  are  the  chief  products  and  industries  of  your  town' 

Names  of  different  settlements  in  your  town  and  the  ])rincipal 
industry  of  each. 

What  are  the  town's  resources  for  maintaining  its  present  size 
and  future  growth  ? 

About  how  much  taxable  property  is  owned  by  summer  residents  ? 
Chief  attractions  and  resources  that  attract  capital  and  summer 
visitors. 

Kindly  include  anything  of  special  interest  with  respect  to  your 
town  or  omit  any  of  the  above  points  that  do  not  apply.  Picture 
post  cards  or  samples  of  products  as  paper,  cloth,  etc.,  will  be  grate- 
fully received. 

We  want  to  know  about  your  town. 


A  new  organization  was  perfected  in  connection  with  the  recent 
Maine  Teachers'  Association  convention  when  an  association  was 
formed  to  be  known  as  the  Association  of  Secondary  School 
Principals  of  Maine.  The  following  officers  were  elected :  Presi- 
dent, William  E.  Wing,  principal  of  the  Deering  High  vSchool ; 
vice-president,  William  1j.  Jack,  principal  of  the  Portland  High 
School ;  secretary-treasurer,  Clarence  P.  Quimby,  principal  of  the 
Cony  High  School.  The  three  members  of  the  executive  com- 
mittee are  Prin.  L.  E.  Moulton  of  the  Edward  Little  High,  Clarence 
E.  Proctor  of  the  Bangor  High,  and  Principal  Woodbur}^  of  Thorn- 
ton Academy. 


SPRAGUE'S  JOURNAL   OF  MAINE  HISTORY 

PUBLISHED      QUARTERLY 

Entered  as  second  class  matter  at  the  post  office,  Dover,  Maine,  by 
John  Francis  Sprague,  Editor  and  Publisher. 

Terms:  For  all  numbers  issued  during  the  year,  including  an  index 
and  all  special  issues,  $2.00.  Single  copies  of  current  and  previous  vol- 
umes, 50  cents.     Bound  volumes,  $2.50  each. 

Postage  prepaid  on  all  items,  except  bound  volumes  west  of  Mississippi 
River. 

This  publication  will  be  mailed  to  subscribers  until  ordered  discontinued. 


OUR   MESSAGE    TO    YOU 

FIRST  TEACH  THE  BOY  AND  GIRL  TO  KNOW  AND  LOVE 
THEIR  OWN  TOWN,  COUNTY  AND  STATE  AND  YOU  HAVE 
GONE  A  LONG  WAY  TOWARD  TEACHING  THEM  TO  KNOW 
AND   LOVE   THEIR   COUNTRY. 


A    NEW    MAINE    BOOK 

"Somerset  County  in  the  World  W  ar"  is  the  title  of  one  of  the 
most  im])ortant  Maine  books  recently  issued,  its  author  being  Flor- 
ence Waugh  Danforth  of  Skowhegan,  Me.  Mrs.  Danforth  is  well 
known  in  the  literary  circles  of  Maine. 

This  is  a  book  of  330  pages,  tinely  illustrated,  and  is  a  complete 
history  of  Company  E  of  the  National  Guard  of  Maine.  She  has 
set  an  example  that  other  patriotic  ])eople  ought  to  follow  in  every 
county  in  the  state.  The  history  of  these  brave  men  who  crossed 
the  ocean  to  defend  America  in  the  darkest  days  of  the  world  war 
should  he  comi)iled  and  preserved  for  future  generations  now  when 
the  data  and  all  the  facts  are  easily  accessible. 

Maine  has  had  a  glorious  record  in  all  of  the  American  wars  for 
defense.  It  begins  in  1745  at  the  siege  of  Louisburg,  when  the 
name  of  Sir  William  Phips  of  Kittery  Point.  Me.,  was  inscribed 
on  the  roll  of  Anglo-Saxon  heroes  and  knighted  Ijy  England  for 
his  valor,  and  it  is  a  ])art  of  the  history  of  the  wars  of  the  revolu- 
tion, 181 2.  the  S])anish  war  and  the  world  war. 

D.  H.  Knowlton  &:  Company,  publishers  at  Farmington,  Me., 
are  now  publishing  a  series  of  little  paper  covered  books  called 
"Excelsior  Classics."  One  of  their  latest  issues  is  an  exceedingly 
interesting  and  scientific  history  of  Maine  Gem-Stones  by  Charles 
A.  Waterman,  a  well-known  Maine  newspaper  writer  and  author. 


204     SPRAGUE'S   JOURNAL   OF   MAINE   HISTORY 

It  is  a  valuable  Maine  brochure  on  a  subject  of  much  importance 
that  but  few  Maine  people  have  extensive  knowledge  of. 


HONORABLE    D.   A.    ROBINSON 

Bangor,  Me.,  October  25,  1921. 
Editor  Sprague's  Journal : 

I  was  much  interested  in  your  account  of  the  Home  Rule  meeting 
in  your  last  issue  of  the  Journal ;  but  I  want  to  say  for  your  infor- 
mation that,  in  the  language  of  Daniel  Webster,  "I  aint  dead  yet." 

Sincerely  yours, 

D.  A.   RoBixsoN. 

The  above  letter  from  Dr.  D.  A.  Robinson  of  Bangor,  Me.,  re- 
veals the  committing  of  a  blunder.  Probably  the  most  self-aggra- 
vating mistake  known  to  humans  is  the  one  that  the  maker  of  can- 
not blame  onto  anyone  but  himself,  where  it  is  not  the  result  directly 
or  indirectly  of  any  other  person's  carelessness,  absentmindedness 
or  stupidity. 

Frequently  an  ingenious  and  resourceful  mind,  will,  in  such 
cases,  light  upon  some  co-laborer  who  can  easily  be  made  "the 
goat."  Not  so  in  this  matter.  This  is  a  fact,  though  a  sad  one. 
For  many  years  we  have  known  Dr.  Robinson  as  a  leader  in  the 
business,  professional,  social,  intellectual,  religious  and  political 
life  of  the  city  of  Bangor;  when  this  i)articular  blunder  was  made 
we  knew  all  this,  had  known  it  for  more  than  a  cpiarter  of  a  century 
and  knew  that  he  was  then  alive  and  enjoying  the  same  eminent 
place  in  the  citizenship  of  Bangor  now  as  then. 

We  are  exceedingly  sorry  that  this  occurred  but  we  have  no 
copyist  in  our  office,  there  is  no  one  in  the  print  shoj)  that  prepares 
the  Journal  for  publication,  no  proof-reader,  no  one  that  can  be 
blamed  except 

The  Editor. 


LETTER  FROM  DR.  GEORGE  L.  CROCKETT, 
ROCKLAND,  MAINE 

Rockland,  Me.,  July  2nd,   192 1. 
Dear  Sprague : 

Gen.  Samuel  Waldo  died  at  what  is  now  Brewer,  Maine.     His 


EDITORIALS  205 


body  was  first  buried  at  Fort  Point  (Fort  Pownal),  then  exhui-ned 
and  taken  to  Boston. 

In  1768  his  heirs  and  family  had  a  council  at  Boston,  at  which 
they  made  an  indenture  to  divide  the  land  of  the  AValdo  tract  among 
themselves. 

I  never  knew  this  until  last  Sunday,  when  I  found  the  original 
indenture  dated  at  Boston  1768  and  recorded  at  SutTolk  County. 
This  family  agreement  passed  into  the  hands  of  the  famous  Samuel 
Adams  and  now^  is  in  my  office. 

In  the  near  future  I  shall  give  the  i)ublic  a  copy  of  the  original. 
It  clears  u^)  many  names  and  locations. 

In  1793  the  heirs  of  old  Samuel  Waldo,  who  died  at  Brewer, 
1759,  gave  full  power  of  attorney  to  Gen.  Henry  Knox  to  become 
owner,  manager,  etc..  of  the  Waldo  Patent.  This  same  year  Knox 
had  Monvel  explore  the  Waldo  Patent.  I  base  my  limits  of  the 
Patent  on  the  Journal  of  Monvel,  the  original  that  I  gave  Harold 
Sewall. 

I  have  no  deed  of  Knox  County  earlier  than  1710. 

I  hope  to  get  up  to  see  you  this  summer  for  a  good  chat.  Mrs. 
Crockett  will  go  with  me.  The  Angel  of  Cushing  is'  very  ill.  Have 
not  heard  from  Sam  for  some  time. 

Good  luck,  etc., 

Dr.   Crockett. 


OTIS    O.    ROBERTS 

Dexter  will  ha\e  th.e  honor  of  sending  the  only  Maine  man,  as 
far  as  known,  to  be  the  nation's  guest  on  Armistice  Day  and  to 
be  one  of  the  nation's  official  mourners  at  the  burial  of  the  unknown 
American  soldier. 

The  invitation  has  been  extended  to  Otis  O.  Roberts  of  this 
town,  late  sergeant  in  Co.  H,  Sixth  Maine  Volunteers,  and  wearer 
of  the  Congressional  Medal  of  Honor  for  valor  in  the  field,  to  come 
to  Washington  for  Armistice  Day,  all  expenses  paid  by  the  nation. 
Mr.  Roberts  has  accepted  the  invitation  w^hich  came  from  Adjutant 
General  P.  C.  Harris. 

It  is  understood  that  similar  invitations  have  been  extended  to  all 
holders  of  the  Congressional  IVIedal  of  Honor  in  the  countr}-.     Mr. 


2o6      SPRAGUE'S   JOURNAL   OF    MAINE   HISTORY 


Roberts  has  the  distinction  of  being  one  of  thirty  odd  soldiers  in 
the  Civil  war  to  receixe  the  highest  decoration  awarded  in  this 
country  for  valor  on  the  battlefield. 

He  was  the  son  of  Christina  (  Ryerson  )  and  Amos  Roberts  and 
was  born  in  the  town  of  Sangerville,  Me.,  on  Alarch  20,  1842.  Mr. 
Roberts  won  the  medal  for  bravery  at  Rappahannock  Station,  Vir- 
ginia, on  November  7,  1863,  when,  single  handed,  he  captured  a 
Confederate  flag,  which,  a  few  days  later,  accompanied  by  an  honor 
guard  he  took  to  Washington  and  delivered  to  the  Secretary  of 
A\"ar.  The  awarding  oi  the  Congressional  Medal  of  Honor  soon 
followed.  A  year  later  at  the  Cedar  Creek  engagement  in  the  She- 
nandoah \^alley  he  sufi:'ered  wounds  which  resulted  in  the  amputa- 
tion of  a  foot. 

Only  a  few  days  before  Mr.  Roberts  was  to  depart  he  was  in- 
formed that  the  order  inviting  him  to  attend  had  been  rescinded. 
A  cog  had  apparently  slipped  in  the  military  machine  at  \Vashing- 
ton.  This  machine  is  generally  su]iposed  to  be  bound  together 
largely  by  red-ta])e,  so  it  is  possible  a  piece  of  it  had  broken. 

Anyhow,  Otis  O.  Roberts  was  for  a  brief  time  a  rather  disap- 
pointed old  hero. 

The  Reverend  Father  C.  T.  Maney  learning  of  his  predicament, 
immediately  moved  about  among  his  neighbors  and  told  them  the 
story.  This  resulted  in  his  raising  in  a  few  hours  a  sufticient  sum 
of  money  to  pay  all  of  the  expenses  of  the  trip. 

Thus  through  the  eft'orts  of  Father  Maney  and  many  other  loyal 
citizens  of  Dexter,  the  journey  was  made. 


Honorable  John  C.  v^tewart,  a  prominent  lawyer  of  York  Village, 
Maine,  has  recently  edited  and  comi)iled  one  of  the  most  im])ortant 
Maine  items  of  historical  value  that  we  know  of.  It  is  entitled 
"Biographical  Sketches  of  Natives  of  Maine  Who  Have  Served 
in  the  Congress  of  the  United  States,"  and  has  contributed  it  to 
the  Journal  for  publication.  We  shall  publish  it  serially  beginning 
the  first  part  in  the  January-February-]\Iarch  number  of  vol  10, 
which  will  be  the  next  issue  of  the  Journal.  We  look  forward  to 
this  being  greatly  appreciated  by  (jur  readers. 


EDITORIALS  207 


Honorable  George  C.  Wing,  Jr.,  has  written  for  the  Journal  an 
historical  and  descriptive  sketch  of  Mount  Katahdin.  which  will 
be  a  valuable  addition  to  the  literature  upon  this  subject.  Much 
has  been  said  about  it  in  the  press,  in  magazines  and  on  the  forum, 
but  so  far  as  we  are  aware  this  is  the  only  accurate  historical  paper 
ever  prepared.  Mr.  Wing's  research  extends  from  the  earliest 
writers,  Greenleaf,  Williamson,  etc.,  to  Commissioner  Parsons  of 
the  Maine  Inland  Fish  and  Game  Department.  We  can  assure  our 
readers  that  this  will  appear  during  the  next  (  loth)  volume  of  the 
Journal. 


The  lournal's  library  has  'ecently  been  ])resented  with  a  copy 
of  "Sketch  of  Deer  I^le.''  Mame,  by  George  L.  Hosmer  (  Boston, 
i8<)6).  This  gift  is  from  our  esteemed  friend.  Dr.  B.  Dake  JNoyes 
of  Stonington,  Maine,  and  we  extend  to  him  our  sincere  thanks 
for  the  same. 


The  Saunterer  in  the  Portland  Sunday  Telegrani  has  been  shown 
the  log  book  of  the  brig  Brutus  of  Bath  on  its  voyage  to  Barbadoes, 
beginning  December  25,  1825,  and  ending  with  its  voyage  from 
Havana  to  Portland  in  August,  1827.  The  hrst  master  of  the  brig 
was  Har\'ey  Preble,  who  in  June,  1827,  was  succeeded  by  William 
Thomes.  In  this  log  book  are  recorded  the  s]ieed  of  the  vessel, 
direction  of  the  wind,  latitude  by  obse'-vation  and  general  remarks. 
As  a  fair  specimen  of  the  remarks  the  following  are  copied  from 
the  record  of  June  4,  1827:  "First  part  of  this  24  hours  commences 
with  light  breeze  and  fine  weather,  middle  and  latter  part  much 
the  same.  Part  of  crew  employed,  bent  sail  and  got  ready  for  sea. 
The  wind  from  southward.  So  ends  this  day.  I  joined  the  brig 
May  26,  1827."  This  was  evidently  written  by  Master  William 
Thomes. 


2o8      SPRAGUE'S  JOURNAL  OF  MAINE  HISTORY 
(EDITORIAL   IN   HALLOWELL   ADVOCATE) 

(March  4,  1820  ) 

The  bill  for  the  admission  of  Maine  has  at  last  passed  the  Senate 
with  the  amendments.  These  amendments  are,  first,  the  bill  for 
the  admission  of  Missouri,  without  restrictions,  and  secondly,  a 
pro\'ision  for  the  exclusion  of  slavery  from  all  that  part  of  the 
territory  purchased  of  France,  which  was  called  Louisiana,  which 
lies  north  of  36  deg.  30  min.  north  latitude.  This  last  provision, 
introduced  by  Mr.  Thomas  of  Illinois,  is  denominated  the  com- 
promise. The  advocates  of  slavery  have  insisted  vehemently  upon 
having  the  whole  western  world  beyond  the  Mississippi  kept  open 
as  a  market  for  their  slaves;  and  their  opponents  ha\e  contended 
for  the  utter  exclusion  of  slavery  therefrom. 

By  the  compromise  the  friends  of  humanity  will  accomplish 
much,  perhaps  all  that  can  be  done  in  the  present  state  of  feeling 
and  interest  in  the  slave-holding  states  — 

There  may  be  some  danger  of  the  repeal  of  this  provision  for 
the  restriction  of  slavery  when  the  slave-holders  shall  ha\-e  in- 
creased in  numbers  and  strength,  by  the  admission  of  Missouri 
and  others.  We  believe  that  a  period  of  greater  infatuation,  and 
more  prostituted  for  zeal  for  servitude  than  the  present,  will  never 
arise.  The  light  of  truth  and  the  principles  of  justice  and  religion 
will  hereafter  illumine  the  whole  of  our  country,  not  excepting 
e\"en  those  dark  and  degraded  portions  now  blackened  by  the 
curse  of  slavery  and  we  trust  that  e\'er\'  future  Congress  so  far 
from  repeating  this  restricti\e  provision,  will  regret  and  blush  for 
their  predecessors,  that  it  had  not  been  extended  to  the  whole 
instead  of  a  part. 

The  bill  with  these  amendments  was  sent  down  to  the  House  for 
concurrence,  and  occasioned  a  very  spirited  debate,  which  we  this 
day  present  to  our  readers. 

We  have,  more  than  once  expressed,  in  unequivocal  terms,  the 
opinion  which  we  entertain  of  the  conduct  of  the  Senate,  in  coupling 
Maine  and  Missouri. 

It  appears  by  the  debate,  that  the  memiiers  of  the  House  are 
not  insensible  to  the  gross  insult  offered  to  them,  and  to  the  nation, 
by  this  unprincipled  mode  of  legislation. 

The  House  would  undoubtedly  concur  ai;  once  in  the  compro- 
mise,  but   they   cannot,   without   self-degradation,   concur   in    the 


SPRAGUE'S  JOURNAL  OF  MAINE  HISTORY      209 

union  of  the  Missouri  bill  with  that  01  Maine,  which  was  proposed 
and  rejected  in  the  first  instance,  and  before  the  bill  was  sent 
to  the  Senate. 

FLAGG'S  ALPHABETICAL  INDEX  OF  REVOLUTIONARY 
PENSIONERS    IN    MAINE 

This  exceedingly  valuable  work  compiled  by  the  late  Charles 
Alcott  Flagg,  was  published  as  a  serial  in  the  last  two  volumes  of 
the  Journal.  Only  two  hundred  co[)ies  of  this  ha\e  been  preserved 
in  book  form.  It  makes  a  book  of  91  pages  with  3  illustrations. 
It  contains  the  names  and  data  of  fourteen  thousand  one  hundred 
and  sixty-one  such  [)ensioners.  It  is  neatly  bound  in  paper  boards, 
schoolbook  style  with  label  titles.  This  is  the  only  authoritative 
work  of  any  extent  upon  this  subject  ever  published  in  Maine  and 
is  invaluable  to  all  interested  in  Revolutionary  history  and  ancestry. 
Price.  $3.00.  Carders  for  this  may  be  mailed  to  Sprague's  Journal, 
Dover,  Me.,  or  to  A.  J.  Huston,  192  Exchange  St.,  Portland,  Maine. 


A  book  of  unusual  interest,  which  has  been  presented  to  the 
Waterville  Historical  Society  by  Edward  G.  Meader,  is  Record 
Book  No.  I  of  Waterville  Engine  Company  No.  3,  one  of  the  first 
and  finest  of  the  fire-fighting  organizations  to  be  organized  in  that 
city.  From  this  book  may  be  gleaned  many  facts  of  historical 
interest  which  become  increasingly  fascinating  and  precious  as 
time  goes  on.  To  anyone  who  is  at  all  interested  in  the  past  of 
the  city,  especially  in  the  work  done  by  one  of  its  pioneer  fire 
companies,  reading  of  the  book,  almost  in  its  entirety,  will  prove 
a  genuine  joy.  It  barkens  back  to  the  past,  the  long,  long  ago, 
and  tells  accurately  something  of  the  work  of  W'aterville's  sterling 
old  citizenry  whom  this  generation  and  perhaps  no  generation  can 
hardly  be  said  to  exceed  in  any  particular. 


The  city  of  Westbrook  will  possess  a  public  park  and  a  public 
place  of  amusement  for  social  meetings,  according  to  the  will  of 
Cornelius  L.  Warren  of  Waltham,  Mass.,  allowed  in  Probate  Court 
in  Portland  recently.  Joseph  A.  Warren,  Philip  Dana  and  John 
E.  Hyde  of  Westbrook  are  made  trustees  of  a  fund  to  be  obtained 
from  real  estate  belonging  to  the  testatrix  in  Standish  and  West- 
brook, including  the  "Elms"  in  the  latter  city  and  the  library  at 
Cumberland  Mills. 


INDEX 


Abenakis                                                   61-69  Castine   conference  141-43 

Adams,   Samuel                                   148-49  Centennial    towns,    1021  45-46 

Alford,   Professor                                     200  Chadwick,    I'aul  152-53 

American    Historical    Associa-  Chandler,    Margaret  9,    10 

tion                                                          93-94  Chesuncook   Lake  135 

Ancesti-y                                                    94-96                 School    House  140 

Argall,    Captain    Samuel  China    (Asia)  11 

103,    109-12,    113,    114,    115-18  Churches,   early,   in  Portland        81-83 

Aroostook    State   Normal    School       36  Cleveland,    George   A.  ly 

Association  of  Secondary  School  Cobb,    Daniel  15 

Principals   of   Maine                           202  Colonial   historj-  41-4"3 

Atkinson,    Minnie  43  Cong-regational   Church,   Otisfleld      17 

Atwood,    William    F..    .Jr.  135  Congressional    Medal    of    Honor 

Augusta                                                            32            Maine   man  205-6 

taverns                                                     21  Conner,   Sam   E.  I37 

Constitution,    catechism  of  40 

Copeland,    Thomas   J.  33 

g  Cornville  gg 

Costello,    Fi-ederick   H.  193-95 

Dachelder's   tavern                                    23  Craig-,    Rachael  10 

Bailey,    Rev.    Jacob                            50,    84                 Thomas  10 

Bangor  32  Crockett,   George  L.  1.53,    204 

Commercial                                         162  Crosby,   C.    B.  I93 

Historical  Society        45,  85,  151-52                 -^'''S-   -T.    Willis  138 

Register                                                  33  Curriei-'s   tavern  21 

Banisters    in    Maine                                 57  Cushnoc   House  21 

Barrows,    Fred    D.  34  p. 

Barwise,    Mark  A.  130  '^ 

Bassett,   Norman   B.                                 153  ])ai;torth,    Florence   \'\'augli  203 

Bath  library                                            76-77  Day,   Holman   F.  127-28 

Bauneg  Beg'  Lake                                    18!.  l>ecr  Isle  207 

Baxter,  James  Phinney      43,78-80,131  Dexter   D.   A.    R.  138-40 

Percival   P.                                            43  Dodge,    Nellie    C.  35 

Biard,  Father  Pierre       101-120,122-23  Domicile,    law    of  99-IOO 

Biographical  sketches  of  natives  Dresden  83-85 

of   Maine   who   have    served    in  see  also   I^jwnalborough 

the-   Congress     of     the     United  Dreuillettes.  Father  Gabriel  124 

States                                                          206  Dunnack,   Heni-y  E.  7fi 

■'Bit   of  Maine"    (poem)                           70  Dutton,   Sam  85-86 

Blaine    Mansion  153 

Boardman,    Samuel    L.  8(1 

Bodg-e,   Delia                                             8-9  Edes,   Benjamin  32 

Boston     Gazette    and    Countiy                              George  A.  34 

Joiiinal                                                         32                 George   Valentine  33-34 

Briry,   Annie   M.  140  Peter  32-33,    85-86 

Brown's   Corner   tavern                    22-23                 Samuel   D.  32-34 

160 
61-69 


E 


Brutus    (brig)  207  Emerson,    Walter 

Bun-,    Freeman    F.  74-75  Etechemins 

Burroughs,    John  74-75  Eveleth.   John   H.                                      13.5 

lUitlei-.   General   Benjamin  F.  8(;  Excelsior  Classics                                    203 


212     SPR^VGUE'S  JOURNAL  OF   MAINE   HISTORY 


Farming-ton 

150- 

-51 

Fernald's  Point 

107- 

-11 

Flag-g-,   Charles  Alcott 

20,   31, 

45 

Fort  Halifax 

132 

-34 

Fort   St.   George 

11 

Free   AVill    Baptist  Cliurcli, 

Otis- 

field 

19 

"Free-Willers" 

19 

Freeman,   Samuel 

148 

-49 

French,   Josiah 

21 

"Friend's   Burial"    (poem) 

189 

-90 

Fuller,   John  J. 

22 

Fuller  tavern 

22 

Henry  18-19 

John  18 

Holway,    Melvin   Smith  146-48 
Home  Rule  for  Ireland  meeting     12t) 

Hosmer,   George   L.  207 

Hunton,    Jonathan    G.  9 

Huston,   A.   J.  31 


Indian   women  44 

Indians,   Maine  61-fi9 

Indians,   IMaine,   and   their   rela- 
tions with   the   white   settlers 

120-25,    170-74 


G 


Gage's  tavern  21-22 

Gammon,   Samuel  15 

Gardiner,   John  49-59 

Robert   H.  83 

Dr.   Silvester  49-50 

Giles,    Samuel   M.  191-93 

Gilmore,   Evelyn  L.  28 

Gladstone-Parnell   bill  126 

Good  Will  Home  Association  196-97 
Grand  Lake  Stream  Plantation  4  3 
Graves  of  Revolutiona.ry  soldiers 

in  Kennebec  i-egion       23-27,    175-79 
Great    Northern    Paper   Company 

128-30 
Guernsey,    Frank    E.  29 


James   I  10-11 
Jesuit   missionaries        101-120,   121-25 

Jewett,  A.  G.  72,   73 

Johnson,    Edwin   IM.  195 

Jones,    "]Mahogany"  84 

Jordan,   Nellie   Woodbur-y  40 

K 

Kedesqiiit                                   103,  104.    105 
Kennebec  County  court  hoirse     152-53 

Gazette  33 

Journal  161-62 

Kennebeck   Intelligencer  33 

King,    William,    library   of  76-77 

King    Philip's    War  170-174 


H 

Hale,   Clarence 
Hall,    ]\Iabel   Goodwin 
Hallowell 
Hancock,   Joseph 
Harries,   Margaret 
Hawthorne,   Nathaniel 
Herald  of  Liberty 
Hersey,   Ira   G. 
Hill,    W.    Scott 
Hilton,  Leonard 
Hilton's   tavern 
Hinckley,    George   W. 

Township 
Historical   societies 
History,    local,    in    the    schools 
36-40,   41-43,    143-45 
160-65,   198-202 
Holden.   Charles    F. 

Captain   Daniel 


21,    23,    175 

21 

15 

50 

166-67 

33 

161 

21 

135 

21 

196-97 

43 

94 

148. 

14 
18 


"Lake  Champlain  and  its  shoi-es"     159 

"Latch-string,   The" 

Lawyers,   Waldo   County 

Lermond,  Norman  Wallace 

Letters 

Lewiston  Journal 

Lincoln,    Joseph    Crosby 

Litchfield 

Livermore 


"Lumberjacks" 


M 


IMcCollister,    Ethel    (IMorrill) 

]\tachias 

McLean,    Ernest   L. 

INTagnusson,   Victoria   Airr-ora 

IVTaine,    origin   of  name  of 

IMaine,   State  of   (address) 


12- 


12- 


16(1 
74 
93 
76 
10 

158 
23 
71 
126-30 


184 
130 

76 
131 

92 
3-8 


INDEX  213 

Maine  Naturalist                                      93  Piper's   tavern  22 

Society   of   New   Yorlc                      I!  I'iscataquis  County  33,   152 

Writers'    Research   Club                                   Farmer  34 

21.   149-50                 Herald  34 

Making-     history     in     the     Maine                          Observer  34,    165 

woods — culture  for  the  lum-  Poetry  13,   69-70,  131,  13.5.   157-58 

berjack                                         120-30  Pollard.  Amos  21 

Mather   vs.   Cunningham              99-100  Poor,  John  Alfred  154 

Mathison,   James                                       43  Popham,   George  10-11 


Mexican   war,   Maine   in 


107-70        Porronveau,   Louis  55 


IVlinot    George   E.                                       8  I'ortland   early  churches                81-83 

Montgomery,    Job   H.                              iri2  Evening-   Express                      104-65 

Moors,  Johnathan                                    15  Herald                                           102-04 

Morrill,    John,   family                      184-89  Pownalborough                             55,    83-85 

True   C.                                              201-2  Court   House                         49.   83.    84 

]Morrill    family    reunion                  180-83  Printing   industry                                32-34 

pQP,;,i                                                 183-84  Prize  contest  in  local  histoi-y     199-200 

]\Ioses,    Galen    C.                                          77  Projects  in  local  history    30-40,  143-45 

Mount   Desert  101-120 

Katahdin                                              207  j^ 

Murray,    W.    H.   H.  159 

Kailway   pioneer  154 

J^  Rale,   Sebastian                                       125 

Ray,   David  14-19 

Naturalist,    see   Maine   Naturalist  Rebecca  Weston  Chapter             138-40 

Natuie    worshipers    may    find    it  Reed,   Senator                                               94 

all    in    the   State   of   INIaine        157  Reed.   Noah                                                     15 

Newspapers                                    32.    33.    34  Samuel                                                      15 

Nicolar,   Mrs.   Peter                                   44  Thomas  B.,  toast   to  Maine            8 

Norris's   tavern                                            22  Reed's   tavern                                                21 

Norumbega                                                     35  Revolutionary      Soldiers      Living 

in     jNlaine,    Alphabetical     In- 

O  dex    of                                      20,    31,    76 

Revolutionary     soldiers'     graves 

Observer  l^ublishing   Co.                        34  •         t^           i,           r^       • 

"^  in      Kennebec      Region.      in- 


Old   Point  124-25 

"One    Hundred    Years    of    State- 
hood" 30 


scriptions                        23-27.  175-79 

Ricker,   Nellie  130 

Roberts,   Cassuss   Clay  74 

Ofiuossoc   Angling  Association           43                  ,_,.      .^  „,_    „ 

_  ,    ,  „                    UtlS    vJ.  Z05-D 

<^ti-sfleld                                                      14-19        i,„^i,^_,^„^_    J,     ^^  204 

P 

s 

Packard,    Bertram    E.  4  9 

Partridge,  Amos                                         22        Sagadahock  11 

Patch,   Benjamin                                         15        Saint  Sauveur,  Story  of  101-20 

Patten,   John                                          76,   77        Sanford  169-70 

Patten   Library   Association  76-77        Sawtelle,    William    Otis 

"Pejepscot"    (poem)                          135-36                                                   75-76,    101,  151-52 

Penobscot    (town)                                    152        Scarborough  172-73 

River    (poem)  13        School    children,    INIaine   histories 

Phillips,   George  A.                                191            by  87-91 
Phinney,    Dea.   Stephen                          15       Schools,    local   history    in 

Pierce,    Franklin,    and    the   State                                 36-40,  41-43,   143-45,  148.   160. 

of  Maine  165-170  198-202 

George                                                   15                unorganized  140 


214     SPRAGUE'S   JOURNAL   OF   MAINE   HISTORY 


Secondary    school    principals  of  Tourists'    despatch  135 

Maine,  Association  of  202  Town,  outline  of  study  for  144-45 

Secretary  of  State's  warrant  51-52                histoiies  43-44 

Shapleigh  169-70 


u 


Shurte,   Abraham  173-74 

Smart,   E.  K.  72,    73 

Smith,   Edgar  C.                                          32  Unorg-anized    Territory  School 

Francis    Orman   Jefferson             12  system  140 
Captain  Stephen                       130-31 

Smock  marriag'e                               137-38  \T 
Somerset  County                                      33 

"Somerset  County   in   the    World  Virginia,    Second  Colony  of  10 

War"  203 

Somerset  Journal                                     33  W 
Spear,   Albert    M.                                         99 

Sprague.    John   F.  Wakely,  Thomas  171-72 

78,   12ti,    157,    160-65,   204  "Walden   Pond"  159 

Spurr,   Joseph                                                15  Waldo,   Samuel  204 

Stewart,   Aithui-   AV.                 69-70,    132  Waldo  County  lawyers  72-74 

C.   Marshall                                         132  Patent,    romance    of  153 

John  C.                                                  206  Washburn,    R.    M.  71 

Supreme    Judicial    Court                99-100  Washburn  family  of  Livermore    71-72 

Swann,   Iilajor   William                          16  Waterman,  Charles  A.  203 

Charles   E.  165 

fj*  Waugh,   George  10 

■Where    the    Pine    Tree  Fringed 

Tahanida                                                       11  1 'enobscot  River  Flows"  (poem)     13 

Tate,    Captain    George                              28  Whiting,   Eunice  14,    17 

Taverns,  Early  Kennebec              21-23  Whitney  tavern  21 

Thomas.    Augustus    O.  Whittier,   John   Greenleaf  189 

36,    87-91.    141.    148,    198  Wight,   Joseph  15 

David                                                        21  Wiley,    James    S.  29-31 

Tliompson,  Florence   Whittlesey        81  Wilkes,   John  50-51 

Thoreau,    Henry    D.                                 159  Wing,  George   C,  Jr.  207 

"To  the  Pine  Tree  State"   (poem)  Wood,    Ethel    M.  61,    120,    170 

69-70  Woodsmen  126-30 

Totten.    William   D.                           183-81  Worster.    Helen   I..  70 


LIST    OF    PLATES 

Hon.  Clarence  Hale    2 

Francis    Orman   Jefferson    Smith 12 

Charles    Alcott    Flagg 20 

A   Maine   Colonial   House 28 

Maine    Inland    Scenery 47,  97,  155 

John   Gardiner   48 

Indian    Women    Making    Baskets 60 

First  Parish  Church,  Portland,  Maine 82 

Albert  M.  Spear,  Associate  Justice  of  the  Supreme  Judicial  Court  98 

Henriette    de    Balsac,    Marquise   de   Verneuil 104 

Fernald's   Point,   the    Site   of   Saint   Sauveur 108 

Champlain   Monument — Seal   Harbor 119 

Fort  Halifax  as  Completed  in   1755 1,32 

"Tourists'   Despatch"   Stamp 135 

Chesuncook    School    House 140 

James  Phinney  Baxter 156 

Maine  Coast-line   Scene  Near  Cape  Elizabeth 158 

Glimpse  of  Bauneg   Beg   Lake    from   Breezy   Point 185 

First   School   House   at   Bauneg  Beg   Lake — An   Old   Time   Chaise  186 

House  Winthrop  Morrill  Built  in  1763  at  Bauneg  Beg  Lake,  North 

Berwick    187 

Hinckley,  Rev.  George  W 196 


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In  Lower  Taxes  ? 


TANGIBLE  property  will,  no 
doubt,  continue  to  be  the 
basis  for  the  calculation  of 
the  larger  part  of  our  State's 
taxes.  Consequently  the  more  tan- 
gible property  we  have  in  the  State 
the  easier  it  will  be  to  raise  the 
required  budget. 

Developed  water  powers  furnish 

a  direct  means  for  increasing  the 

tangible    taxable    property    of    the 

State.    If  the  water  powers  can  be 

made  ready,  industries  will  naturally 

be  attracted  to  the  State.    Industries  mean  factories 

and  mills;  mills  and  factories  mean  more  men  and 

women;  more  men  and  women  mean  more  dwellings. 


We  have  positive  evidence  of  the  reliability  of  advertisers  on  these  pages 


CExXTRAL    MAINE    POWER    COMPANY 

Taxable  property  increases  in  direct  proportion  as 
industries  increase. 

Nearly  6,000  people  in  Maine  have  seen  the  wisdom 
of  placing  a  portion  of  their  funds  with  this  company 
for  the  development  of  Maine  water  powers.  Their 
investment  has  paid  them  a  substantial  6yo%,  and 
brought  them,  we  feel  confident,  the  incalculable  re- 
turn which  comes  from  the  knowledge  of  having  done 
the  greatest  good  for  the  greatest  number. 

If  you,  too,  would  like  to  share  in  the  company's 
earnings  and  the  general  prosperity  which  must, 
sooner  or  later,  inevitably  follow  the  building  up  of 
Maine,  why  not  place  a  portion  of  your  funds  in  the 
7%  Preferred  Stock  of  this  Company?  The  price  is 
$107.50,  the  yield  is  6V.%  net. 

Central  Maine  Power  Company 

Augusta,  Maine 


COUPON 

CENTRAL  MAINE  POWER  COMPANY 

Augusta,  Maine 

Please  send  me  more  information  about 
your  preferred  stock  as  an  investment  for 
Maine  people. 

Name 

Address 

S.J.,Marcli,1921 


We  have  positive  evidence  of  the  reliability  of  advertisers  on  these  pages 


SPRAGUE'S   JOURNAL  OF   MAINE   HISTORY 


MAILING  LISTS 

We  Specialize  on  Maine 
ALL    LISTS    GUARANTEED 

MULTIGRAPHING 


Your  letters  have  that  "catchy" 
appearance  that  demands  attention. 
AVe  apply  the  punch  that  gets  you 
the   business. 

PRINTING,    LETTER    SERVICE 


Maine  Register  Offices 

390  Congress  Street 
PORTLAND,  MATNE 


John  Francis  Sprague's  Books 


Piscataquis  Biography  and 
Frag'ments, 

Sebastian  Rale,  a  Maine  Trag- 
edy  of   the    18th    Century, 

The  North  Eastern  Boundary 
Controversy  and  the  Aroos- 
took  AVar, 

Accidental  Shooting-  in  the 
Game    Season 


,n.oo 


.$1.50 


.n.i 


$   .25 
$1.00 


Backwoods    Sketches, 

Also      Piscataquis      Historical 

Society    Collections,    Vol.    I,      $2.00 

Any  of  the  above  named  books 
will  be  sent  postpaid  ui>un  receipt 
of    the    price. 

A.    J.    HUSTON, 
92    Exchange    St.,        Portland,    Maine 


COME    TO 

Dow  &  Boyle's 

FOR     Y()rR 

STYLISH    UP-TO-DATE 
CLOTHING 

Adler's    Collegian,     Kirschbaum 

Clothes,    Hercules    Suits    for    Boys 

Ed.    V.     Price    Tailoring    Line 

Gents'    l''urnishing's 

DON'T    FORGET 

DOW   &   BOYLE,   Dover,   Me. 


Good   Line  of  Books,  Magazines 
and   Fine   Stationery   at 

Union  Square  Pharmacy 

The  Dover  and  Foxcroft 

REXALL  STORE 


Card  Index  Cabinets 

Letter  Filing  Cabinets 

and  Supplies  for  the  same 

TYPEWRITER 

ANI> 

OFFICE    SUPPLIES 

C.  0.  Barrows  Co. 

Portland,  Maine 


We  have  positive  evidence   of  the   reliability   of  advertisers   on  these   pages 


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