A-CHS NEWSLETTER Established 1980

Issue 129 May 2006

DANIEL SEAVEY PAPERS

DANIEL SEAVEY AND HIS BUSINESS WITH A. B. BRIDGES

Azor Bridges (1842 – 1890) was a Civil War veteran who lived on the Airline about where Luther Thornton now resides. He was born in Charlotte and was in Crawford for the 1860 census. In 1870 he was in Township #19. The 1880 census of Crawford lists him as a blacksmith aged 36, with wife Mary aged 33, and daughter Eliza aged 5. Azor died on December 29, 1890 and is buried in the Old Crawford Cemetery. His widow Mary later married Edwin Hatt. The following selected items from Daniel Seavey’s papers indicate that Azor was more than a blacksmith. Azor’s penmanship accounts for some items not being listed. Many items were bolts and shoes for horses.

1872 – Thrashing Machine – D. S. Seavey & Wormwood

Sep. 10 – Repairs and rods $0.25

Sep. 23 – Repairs on machine 1.65

Oct. 9 – 9 wagon bolts, 2 dogs .85

1873

Sep. 22 – 30 lag bolts 2.70

do - repair teeth .66

do - chain link .10

1888 – D. S. Seavey & Son

Sep. 28 – replace 20 machine teeth .60

Oct. 8 – 4 new lag irons 2.00

Oct. 27 – Replace 7 machine teeth .27

1889 – D. S. Seavey

Mar. 8 – one lb. Nails .06

Apr. 27 – 2 sets of whiffletree irons .50

June 25 – one gallon kerosene .18

July 16 – Shoe horse one new shoe .38

Aug. 20 – Repairs to mowing machine .50

The above business with Azor Bridges leads to two observations. First, we find Daniel had informal business arrangements, one with Wormwood and the second with his son. The partnership with Wormwood would have meant each man needed only half the cost of buying the thrashing machine and they shared on operating the machine, one on the machine and the other driving the horses.

It appears that the partnership with his son related to the mowing machine. This horse drawn machine needed but one operator, but another man would be needed to hand mow the rough places. Daniel (1823 – 1890) had but two sons who were still in the Crawford area in 1888, Horace was born in 1851 and out was on his own farming on the ridge south of Azor Brook. Ernest was born February 25, 1871 and likely was the partner.

Ernest Seavey spent his adult years hobbling about because of a severe injury to his right ankle by a mowing machine. His son Orris states that Ernest never talked about the accident, so what is here is only our best guess at what happened.

When Ernest was about ten years old (about 1881), Daniel Seavey had a horse drawn mowing machine. He was mowing on the ‘flat’ near the new Crawford Cemetery. He had stopped the horse and Ernest approached his father for some unknown reason, maybe to hand his father a switch for the horse. The horse started! Did a hornet sting it? Ernest swung around to run, but the cycle bar caught him on his right ankle, severing every thing except for the cord in the back. Under most circumstances, he would have bled to death in a couple minutes.

Somehow the bleeding was stopped and the wound sewed up. Orris feels Ernest never saw a doctor, although Daniel did occasionally pay doctors’ bills. Regardless, Ernest survived. He married, fathered sixteen children, ran a farm to provide food and other necessaries for his family, worked on the river drives and fished commercially.

OTHER BUSINESSES AND INFORMAL PARTNERSHIPS: Readers will remember in issue 126 we described a business arrangement between D. S. Seavey and Thomas White on the one hand and S. W. Pope. Seavey and White ran a logging operation in Plantation 21. Daniel Seavey also contracted with George Burrell in 1878-9 and 1881-2 to cut and deliver logs. One slip headed Seavey & McGeorge describes the sale of knees (likely ship knees or barn knees). Six-foot knees are 50 cents, 7 foot-knees are $1.00, 8-foot knees are $1.62, 9-foot knees are $2.25 and 12-foot knees are $4.20 each.

The Allen Stream Driving Company existed in 1881. Daniel hired Lorenzo Seavey and Robert Wallace & boy to labor for him. Maybe at this time Daniel built a dam on Allen Stream. Those who worked on the dam were A. J. Grover (10 ¼ days), J. S. Davis (11 ¼ days), John Lydick (12 ¾ days), Horace Frost (4 ¼ days) and Laroy Seavey (2 days). Logs cut in the southeast part of Township 21 would be driven down Allen Stream. Readers will also remember that Allen Stream was named by Colonel John Allen who during the Revolutionary War brought a large number of Native Americans from the St. John River to Machias via this stream.

SEVEN POINTERS AT BARKER SCHOOL IN WOODLAND

This headline on page 12 of the 2006 issue of Paper Talks Magazine may have left some younger readers confused as to why all those pupils had their picture taken. What is a Seven Pointer? (Thank you Marion Cousins for giving this copy of Paper Talks). Carleton Cooper allowed A-CHS to scan many of his family pictures and other old items. Among these items are two Certificates of Health from the State of Maine which described Carleton as a Point Child for 1934 and 1935 while a student at North Union School in Cooper. Carleton had made a seven-point star with his picture at the center. The star points are labeled teeth, throat, birth registration, weight, vision, hearing, and posture. Carleton reported that he and the other seven pointers were taken to Pembroke and marched around Union Square. Jane, Joyce and Dyer Crosby also marched in Pembroke.

ALEXANDER SCHOOLS

By Pliney Frost

Part 11

Here we present more facts about our one-room schools with editor’s comments in Italics.

1946 – 47

Instruction: Zela Cousins - $550.05, Bertha Leeman - $199.85, Edna McArthur - $599.55, Evelyn Pottle - $751.10, Helen Stoddard - $404.80, Lida Southard - $328.90, Ada Wheeler - $60.72, Govt. Tax - $234.70, Maine Retirement system - $50.00

Secondary Tuition: City of Calais - $91.35, Town of Baileyville - $712.95

Supervision Account: Reginald Dority – 11 months $173.25, School Committee: Hubert Dwelley (1947) – $10.00, Robert Thistlewood (1948) - $5.00, Frank Dwelley (1949) - $5.00

Janitors and Cleaning: Alvin Carlow - $30.00, Hubert Dwelley - $34.00, Mrs. Paul Dwelley - $7.00, Charles Frost - $32.00, Mrs. Curtis Frost - $7.00, Darrell Frost - $22.50, Edna McArthur - $6.00, Carl Perkins - $32.00, Carleton Strout - $28.50, Leota Worrell - $28.50

Fuel: Frank Dwelley - $128.00, Hubert Dwelley - $144.00, Elbridge McArthur for trucking wood - $2.00

Zela (Wallace) Cousins (1904 – 2000) lived on the Airline with her husband Harold. Bertha Leeman taught at Cedar School. Edna McArthur was a daughter of Fay and Bertha (Cheney) McArthur. They lived on the McArthur Road. Evelyn (Flood) Pottle, daughter of Lincoln and Lizzie (Perkins) Flood was living at her parents’ home on the Cooper Road. Her mother and her husband Harold Pottle lived there also. She had taken time from teaching after the birth of her first child, Clifton. Sisters Helen and Lida Southard were from Woodland, Helen married Paul Ward of Meddybemps in September 1946 and presently lives in Princeton. Lida (January 18, 1928 – May 2, 2004) married Carleton Cooper in September 1947 and they lived most of their married years on the Green Hill Road in Cooper. Ada Wheeler also was from Woodland. Hubert Dwelley (1883 – 1966) lived on the Cooper Road near Dwelleys Lake. On December 8, 1944 he and Olive D. Edgerly were married. She was not the teacher who married George Flood in 1942. Robert Thistlewood was married to Verna Crafts and they lived in a small house on the Crafts’ place at the top of Lanes Hill. Frank Dwelley, a son of Llewellyn and Fannie (Fenlason) Dwelley, lived down by Dwelleys Lake. Alvin Carlow (1869 – 1954) lived across from Cedar School on Gooch Hill. He was father of Belle Carlow, Grandfather of Barbara McArthur, and great-grandfather of Donna Brown and several other A-CHS members. Mrs. Paul Dwelley was Rowena (White) Dwelley. Her parents were Coolidge and Eva White. Her father had come to Alexander from Weld to work for Stowell – MacGregor. Charles and Darrell Frost were sons of Lyston and Hazel (Cousins) Frost and lived at the Townsend Place on Townsend Hill. Mrs. Curtis Frost was Hazel (Bohanon) Frost. They lived on the South Princeton Road. Carl Perkins, son of Roland and Eva (Cooper) Perkins lived with his parents on Bailey Hill, north side of the Airline. Carleton Strout was Allen and Arlene Strout’s son; they lived at the Four Corners before selling the place to Max and Alberta Berry. Leota Worrell was the daughter of Alice and Herbert Perkins. They lived on Gooch Hill. Elbridge McArthur, son of Ralph and Linnie (Cousins) McArthur was married to Barbara Carlow.

1947 – 48

Teaching: Bertha Leeman - $485.35, Zela Cousins - $1040.20, Edna McArthur - $1140.64, Marilyn Gillespie - $489.84

Tuition: $609.00

Reginald Dority - $204.75, School Committee: Robert Thistlewood - $10.00, Frank Dwelley - $5.00, Floyd Hunnewell - $5.00

Janitors: Carleton Strout - $28.50, Leota Worrell - $61.50, Darrell Frost - $25.50, Frank Dwelley - $7.35, Ethel Hunnewell - $33.00, Edna McArthur - $4.50, Louise Flood - $27.50

Fuel: Floyd Hunnewell - $247.20. Dennys River Electric Coop. - $28.50

Marilyn Gillespie was a daughter of Roy and Alice Gillespie of Meddybemps. The Christmas party was on Friday December 19, 1947. Floyd and Ethel (Knowles) Hunnewell lived on the Airline near the Four Corners School. Louise Flood, daughter of Bert and Eva (Seavey) Flood, would later marry Pliney Frost. Dennys River Electric Coop was established to bring electricity to the rural area including Charlotte, Meddybemps, Cooper, and Alexander. It grew and changed its name to Eastern Maine Electric Coop.

1948 – 49

Instruction: Edna McArthur - $1347.46, Zela Cousins - $500.95, Marilyn Gillespie - $1021.64, Gladys Kneeland - $527.60, Internal Revenue - $306.50, Employee’s Retirement System - $182.35

Conveyance – Howard E. Towle - $160.00

High School Tuition: Baileyville - $253.75, Calais - $434.81, Princeton - $15.22, Elementary Tuition: Princeton - $31.50

Superintendent: Bernard B. Pierce - $222.00. School Committee: Frank Dwelley (1949), Floyd Hunnewell (1950), and Robert Thistlewood (1951)

Janitors: Louise Flood - $34.00, Leota Worrell - $74.00, Ethel Hunnewell - $74.00, Frank Dwelley - $12.00, Gerald Craft - $12.00, Bertha Dwelley - $21.00, Norma Frost - $40.00

Fuel: Frank Dwelley - $240.00. Lights: Dennys River Electric - $40.73

Howard Towle lived on the South Princeton Road at the top of Taylor Hill, west side of the road. His wife Mabel Towle would haul some scholars in the following year. Gerald Craft, son of Lester and Gladys (Perkins) Craft, lived at the top of Lanes Hill. Bertha (Frost) Dwelley was Frank’s wife. Norma Frost was a daughter of Lyston and Hazel mentioned in 1946 – 47.

1949 – 50

Instruction: Gladys Kneeland at Four Corners School - $417.10, Marilyn Gillespie at Cedar School- $447.70, Edna MacArthur at Hale School - $1322.96, Zela Cousins at Four Corners School - $599.86, Dorothy Perkins at Cedar School - $604.06, Collector, Internal Revenue - $306.30, Maine State Retirement - $194.75

Conveyance: Howard E. Towle - $246.00, Mabel Towle - $30.00, Fenderson Insurance - $27.30

Tuition: Calais - $1200.00, Baileyville - $91.35, Princeton - $106.94

Supervision: Bernard B. Pierce, Supt. - $228.73, Floyd Hunnewell - $10.00, Robert Thistlewood - $5.00, Frank Dwelley - $5.00

Janitor and Cleaning: Ethel Hunnewell - $79.00, Leota Worrell - $72.00, Norma Frost - $60.00, Carroll MacArthur - $2.00, Fay Mac Arthur - $10.00, Alice Perkins - $7.00, Rowena Dwelley - $7.00 Frank Dwelley for sanitation - $24.00

Fuel: Frank Dwelley - $254.00, Floyd Hunnewell for hauling - $4.00, Robert Thistlewood for hauling - $1.00, Dennys River Electric Coop. - $58.27

Cedar School had 11 scholars, Four Corners School had 24 including 6 from Crawford, and Hale School had 19 in attendance. Minimum salary for certified teachers was $1500.00 per year.

Dorothy (Antone) Perkins was Norman’s wife and lived on the North Union Road in Cooper. Carroll McArthur was Fay McArthur’s son. Carroll’s mother was Bertha ((Cheney). Alice Perkins, wife of Herbert and mother of Leota Worrell, lived at the top of Gooch Hill. Rowena Dwelley is mentioned above as Mrs. Paul Dwelley. Sanitation is a fancy term for cleaning out the outhouse(s).

1950 - 51 Instruction: Zela Cousins - $1192.93, Dorothy Perkins - $433.90, Edna McArthur - $579.70, Marilyn Gillespie - $283.52, Evelyn Pottle - $746.80, Charlotte Smith - $209.44, Bertha Dwelley - $34.41, Agnes White - $173.18, Collector of Internal revenue - $287.40, MSRS - $221.65

Conveyance: Alberta Berry - $298.00, Fenderson Insurance - $44.27, State for Bus Signs - $1.93

Tuition-High School: Treasurer, City of Calais - $1278.34, Town of Princeton - $45.00

Supervision and Committee: Bernard B. Pierce, Supt. - $268.68, Robert Thistlewood (1951) - $10.00, Frank Dwelley (1952) - $5.00, Floyd Hunnewell (1953) - $5.00

Enrollment: Cedar School (District 3) – 11, Four Corners School – 21, Hale School – 17, Attending Calais High School – 17, Total enrollment 66

Janitors & Cleaning: Ethel Hunnewell - $77.00, Floyd Hunnewell - $6.00, Bertha Dwelley - $14.00, Leota Worrell - $31.00, Fay McArthur - $32.00, Clifton Pottle $24.00, Anthony Braley - $ 16.00, John Perkins - $21.00, Harley Dwelley – $21.00, Zettie Frost - $4.00, Leonard Frost - $4.00, Belle Carlow - $4.00

Fuel: Frank Dwelley for 12 cords - $192.00, Floyd Hunnewell for 6 cords - $96.00, Robert Thistlewood for wood and labor - $5.00, Hubert Noyes for load of kindling - $18.00, Dennys River Electric Coop - $54.00

Charlotte Smith came to Meddybemps from Vermont with her husband, the first Harry Smith. Agnes (Berry) White, wife of Carter White, lived in Grand Lake Stream and boarded here in Alexander with Nelson Flood’s family while teaching at Cedar School. Alberta Berry, daughter of Ralph and Linnie (Cousins) McArthur was married to Max Berry and they lived at the Four Corners. Clifton Pottle is a son of Harold and Evelyn (Flood) Pottle. They lived on the Cooper Road. Anthony Braley was a son of Abner and Dora (Seavey) Braley. They lived on the Fred Brown place on the Spearin Road. Harley Dwelley is a son of Frank and Bertha (Frost) Dwelley from near Dwelleys Lake. Zettie Frost, Norma’s sister, lived with her parents Lyston and Hazel (Cousins) Frost on the Cooper road. Leonard Frost is the son of Leonard Cecil and Inez (Doten) Frost of the Flat Road. Belle Carlow, Elbridge McArthur’s mother-in-law, lived across from Cedar School on the top of Gooch Hill.

1951-52

Instruction: Zela Cousins - $1448.60, Evelyn Pottle - $1411.03, Agnes White - $311.53, Lillian Varnum - $242.21, Dora Braley - $753.23, Collector Int. Rev. - $337.75, M. S. R. S. – $217.80

Conveyance: Alberta Berry - $401.00, Fenderson Agency, Insurance - $33.83

Tuition: City of Calais - $2491.67

Supervision and School Committee: Bernard B. Pierce, Supt. - $268.68, travel allowance - $29.19, Frank Dwelley - $10.00, Robert Thistlewood - $5.00, Floyd Hunnewell - $5.00

Janitors & Cleaning: Ethel Hunnewell - $78.00, Zettie Frost - $38.00, Leonard Frost - $4.00, Belle Carlow - $28.00, Harley Dwelley - $24.00, Frank Dwelley - $8.00, Beulah Hunnewell - $8.00, Alice Perkins - $8.00, Clifton Pottle - $44.00, Fern Strout - $1.00, Muriel Frost $21.00, Fanny Dwelley - $8.00

Fuel: Joseph Lord - $2.00, Hubert Dwelley - $212.00, Harley Dwelley - $1.00, Clifton Pottle - $1.00, Everett Dwelley - $60.00, Dennys River Electric Coop - $54.00

Lillian Varnum was a daughter of True and Eda (Dwelley) Varnum. Dora Braley, described in 1950 – 51 was one of the 16 children of Ernest and Gertrude (Roberts) Seavey of Crawford. Beulah Hunnewell was Eldon’s wife. She was Beulah Travis. Fern Strout now is Fern Garner. She is the daughter of Lyman and Doris (Dwelley) Strout. Muriel Frost is a daughter of Donald and Helen (Stanhope) Frost. Their home was in Lanesbrook on the north side of the Airline. Fanny Dwelley was mother of Frank and Everett mentioned elsewhere in this article. Joe Lord came from New Brunswick. He married Althea Davis and lived in Crawford before moving to Alexander. Their Alexander house is now the home of the Joe Wallace family. Gordon Lord, author of A Country Boys View is their son. Everett Dwelley was a brother of Frank. He married Viola White, sister of Rowena Dwelley. They lived near Dwelleys Lake.

We did not find anything about Gladys Kneeland, nor a hometown for Bertha Leeman. Additions and corrections are welcome. jd

MEDDYBEMPS

A TOWN WITH A DIFFERENT BEGINNING

The incorporation of most towns in Maine was an easy task; not so for the inhabitants of Meddybemps. Most towns were created out of the wilderness; Meddybemps was created out of parts of three existing towns, Baring, Charlotte and Cooper.

When Township #6, Baring, was mapped in 1784 by Rufus Putnam, it was blessed to have two major mill sites. The problem was their location. One site was in the northeast corner of the township on the Schoodic River. The other site was in the southwest corner of town where the Dennys River leaves Meddybemps Lake. The mill sites were seven miles apart with nothing between to attract settlers. Both mill sites did attract settlers, the village of Baring near the Schoodic or St. Croix River; and Gilman’s Mills, now Meddybemps, where the Dennys River leaves Meddybemps Lake.

In 1838 inhabitants of the Gilman’s Mills area petitioned the legislature for incorporation as the town. Inhabitants of Cooper and Charlotte remonstrated (petitioned) against this petition. No remonstrance from Baring was found. In 1839 and 1840 petitions were again sent to Augusta requesting incorporation, but with no success. After three failures, these men finally succeeded in 1841.

PETITION FOR INCORPORATION

Petition of sundry Inhabitants of Baring, Charlotte & Cooper praying to be set off from said towns and incorporated under the name of Lowell. Received February 4, 1838 in the House; February 5, 1838 in the Senate.

To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives in Legislature assembled:

The undersigned petitioners, inhabitants of the Towns of Baring Charlotte & Cooper in the County of Washington would respectfully represent that situated at the point where the lines of said Townships respectively meet and remote from the places where the public business of said towns is transacted, they are subjected to many serious inconveniences arising out of this circumstance which would be obviated by setting them off from the Towns of which they are now inhabitants, and uniting said parties so cut off into a separate and distinct incorporation thereby contributing much to the interests & conveniences of your petitioners without detriment to the remaining positions of said towns.

At present the interests of your petitioners are lost sight of, or absorbed in those of the larger portions and they are compelled to travel several miles to attend public meetings of said Town – thus subjecting them to unnecessary expense & loss of time – to support a needless number of Schools, thereby depriving the youth of the advantages which would result from the combination of many now divided & rendered almost useless. Your petitioners are in all respects one community except in the power to act as such, from which they are restrained by their connection with different towns in the immediate neighborhood – they therefore pray that they may be set off from said Towns of Baring Charlotte & Cooper respectively with the following described limits vis:

Beginning on Meddybemps Lake in Baring on the northwest corner of lot number 18 in said Baring; thence running on the northerly line of said lot to Little Lake so called; thence on the same line continued until it strikes the easterly line of lot number 13 drawn northerly until it meets the same and drawn southerly to a point in Charlotte one half mile south of the northerly of said Charlotte; thence westerly to the northwest corner of James Chubbuck’s lot; thence on said lot southerly one half mile ; thence westerly to Dennys River; thence westerly on a line running parallel to the lot lines in Cooper until it strikes the line continued on the west side of the lot of I. F. Allen, number 14, thence northerly on said line until it strikes the northern line of said Cooper ; thence easterly to the first mentioned bound in said Baring.

And that they be incorporated into a distinct town under the name of Lowell, may have their proportional part of the reserved lands in each of said towns assigned to them for their benefit and be endowed with all said powers & privileges as are usual in such cases.

THE PETITIONERS

Those men who signed the1838 petition to create Lowell out of Baring, Charlotte and Cooper were inhabitants of one of those three towns. We searched, but could not identify a residence for all. The Village of Gilman’s Mills, what eventually would become Meddybemps Village, had mills and therefore a number of younger men working in those mills, men who had come from other places. These landless men could sign a petition, but could not vote.

If we found the signers 1838 age, we put it after his name. If he was on an 1840 census, we listed what town. If he is found on the 1831, 1843 or 1861 map that is listed in Italics. Being on a map may have indicated residence or just land ownership. Editor’s comments are in (parenthesis).

COOPER REMONSTRANCE

At a legal meeting of the Inhabitants of the Town of Cooper, December 17 1838:

The petition named in the 2^nd article of the Warrant for calling said meeting was read and considered: whereupon –

Voted: That the Town wholly disapproves and remonstrates against any alteration in its present boundaries … inasmuch as the rights & privileges of the Town in relation to taxes, water privileges and convenient boundary will … be … injured.

Voted: That the Senator and Representative of the district … oppose the granting ….

Voted: That the Selectmen furnish the Senator and Representative of this district in the State Legislature with copies of the foregoing votes attested by the Town Clerk.

A true copy of Record – Attest – William Cooper, Town Clerk

REMONSTRANCE OF THE INHABITANTS IF THE TOWN OF CHARLOTTE

That at a legal meeting of the citizens have unanimously adopted … the following:

Whereas: We have seen the … notice…

And Whereas: the people of the town …have been compelled to keep in repair a greater extent of public roads…

And Whereas: about nine miles of County Roads need to be built…

And Whereas: … division will compel us to remodel all our school districts consequently throwing all our school houses out of the central part of the districts…

And Whereas: Notwithstanding what is asserted in the aforesaid petition, the town meetings are convenient for the said petitioners to attend, they are being held near the centre of the town, which is only six miles square.

Therefore Resolved: That we do solemnly protest against the prayer of said petitioners so far as it has any relation to this Town.

Resolved: That our selectmen be instructed to transmit and cause to be presented to the Legislature of this State soon to be assembled at Augusta through Lucas Bradbury our Representative….

A true copy of the Preamble and resolutions - Ebenezer Fisher, Town Clerk

BARING REMONSTRANCE

No remonstrance against losing a portion of its land and population is on record from Baring. Was one filed and lost? Was one never filed? Could it be that those who lived in Baring village, next to the St. Croix River, were not happy being assessed to build a road to Gilman Mills? Would there be another benefit for the folks of Baring village to have a quarter of their town’s acreage disappear?

SET-OFFS

To set-off part of a town into another town was somewhat common during the Nineteenth Century. Part of Cooper was set off into Alexander (Damon Set-off - 1838) and a part of Alexander was set-off into Crawford (Lydic Set-off - 1859). It still happens occasionally today. But to create a new town from a set-off was unusual.

LEGISLATIVE ACTION

The legislature took no action in 1838 awaiting communication from the three towns that would lose territory and people to the new town. By the way, the Town of Huntressville in Penobscot County had its name changed to Lowell on March 22, 1838.

The Legislature reconsidered the petition in 1839 with a name changed to Lakeville. On March 20, 1839 the bill was referred to the next session of the Legislature. Obviously the remonstrances from Cooper and Charlotte were considered valid.

On February 26, 1840, the Legislature again could not agree on the bill so it was referred to the next Legislature. Lakeville was a good name at the time; it was not until 1855 that the Town of Lakeville in Penobscot County was incorporated.

Finally in February 1841, the Legislature read and accepted the bill to incorporate the Town of Meddybemps, the bill becoming law on February 20, 1841. The act grants Meddybemps the powers and duties of all other incorporated towns. Within the act is a description of the land involved, arrangements concerning taxes already paid, and the division of school funds between the new town and the three old towns. It authorized any Justice of the Peace to convene the first town meeting for the election of officers.

The map below is from the 1929 Calais Quadrangle. The present day Meddybemps town lines are shown in broken lines, ----- ----- -----. The original town lines of Baring, Charlotte and Cooper within the present day Meddybemps are shown as heavy solid lines. ---------------------. The boundary between Cooper and Baring was along the west shore of the Lake. We have labeled the three parts of Meddybemps as to what town they came from.

Meddybemps is a Passamaquoddy word meaning “lake of plenty alewives.” Passamaquoddies camped and fished at the lake’s outlet.

At its first census (1850) Meddybemps counted 287 residents. The 2000 census found just 150. This newsletter will publish an article in August about the Green Hill neighborhood of Meddybemps. We ask that anyone with information about those who lived on Green Hill contact us (454-7476). Those interested in Meddybemps history should contact the Meddybemps Historical Society, General Delivery, Meddybemps ME 04657. Jd

MISS IDA E. McPHETERS’ DIARY

NOVEMBER 1890

Readers may look at ‘Who’s Who on Ash Ridge’ (issue 127, page 9) to learn more about Ida’s neighbors while she taught there. During November, the fall term of school ends at Ash Ridge and Ida returns to home in Alexander. One can follow the emotions of this twenty-five year old woman as she writes about each day. Upon her return home, she never mentions her brother Eddie or farming activity about the neighborhood. Did not her friends visit her? One has to guess why she missed writing entries on so many days. Were they really great days; or were they really bad days; or was she sick? Editor’s comments are in Italics.

1 – Saturday: I had school today, swept the schoolroom and am very tired. I am not very well this fall. I need more out of door exercise. Teaching doesn’t agree with me.

2 – Sunday through 5 – Wednesday are all blank

6 – Thursday: A lovely day. Mr. Smith visited the school. Some of my scholars were away. He made a few remarks. Seemed pleasant with the school. His wife was with him. Likely Mr. Smith was the superintendent. Where did he live? What was his territory?

7 – Friday: Pleasant. I had more of my scholars today. Hate to have them stay away a day. I guess school will be ten weeks. I will be glad to get home and have a change for I am not able to teach.

8 – Saturday: Wind blows quite hard. Mrs. Phipps and I went up to Ollie’s a while. Then I went down to Mrs. Stoddard’s on an errand for her. My teeth ache quite badly tonight, guess I have a cold.

9 – Sunday: Pleasant. My tooth ached all night and today. I wish I was where I could have it out. Mrs. Phipps made a mustard poultice for me, but I didn’t rest much.

10 – Monday: Pleasant. My face is swollen badly and I am very nervous. Didn’t feel much like teaching school. We are reviewing the lessons and I couldn’t do justice by them today.

11 – Tuesday: Cold. I had only four scholars today. I miss them when they are away. I shall be sorry when school is done. I never was so attached to scholars before. Everyone is very kind to me.

12 – Wednesday: Pleasant. I went to Mrs. Tuell’s to dinner as the Cooper circle met there. Met quite a number of my friends and had a pleasant time. Mrs. Tuell was down to Mrs. Phipps’ after school.

13 – Thursday: Pleasant. We are getting along pretty well with the review lessons. I went to Mrs. Tuell’s to tea. Everett and Jo spent the evening there. Mr. & Mrs. Phipps were at Ernest’s when I got home.

14 – Friday: A lovely day. I feel badly to leave my scholars and I guess they are sorry that it is the last day. Mrs. P., Mrs. T. and Ollie visited the school, also Fred. They seemed to be pleasant with their cards. Fred Tuell and Ida had been attracted to each other, see October 27 entry (issue 128 pg. 11).

15 – Saturday: Pleasant. I made out my registers in the forenoon. Called up to Ollie’s and to Mrs. Tuell’s. Mother came for me and we didn’t get home until in the evening. I feel glad to get home.

16 – Sunday: Snowed and rained today. I feel about sick today. Mother is tired also. I had to have a mustard draft on my lungs. I read some in the Witness and in the testament.

17 – Monday: Cloudy and warm. We washed. I have been arranging my bureau drawers. My clothes need considerable fixing up. My cold is no better and I am going to have another mustard plaster.

18 – Tuesday: I feel better today, have been killing flies and cleaning the sitting room. Played a little. Stormed all day. I feel pretty tired. Wrote a letter to Charlie this evening. Her brother Charles

19 – Wednesday: Rained and snowed. We cleaned the cupboard and entry. I broke the cold-water pitcher. Am sorry, but will buy another. I played a few tunes. Ripped my velvet cap to pieces.

20 – Thursday: I have again neglected writing. Blank pages for the rest of November

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A Country Boys View

Growing up in Crawford during the Depression and World War II by Gordon Lord

We continue with Gordon Lord’s memories. The first part was in Special Issue #11, September 2005, followed by more in newsletters in November 2005 and February 2006. We plan to continue publishing these memories throughout 2006. We hope these will rekindle your memories of growing up.

GARDEN

Like all country folk, each family had a nice vegetable garden, which was large enough to supply the family throughout the year. Most families had a cellar for cold storage where veggies, such as potatoes, could last until planting time the following spring. Once the eyes on the potato starting growing, it was a sign that planting time was close. Other vegetables kept in a cool cellar were those which today are kept in a kitchen refrigerator. We were not lucky enough to have a cellar our first years in Crawford. However there was a small crawl space under the kitchen, just large enough to keep much of mothers canning and in season produce and such cool. After a few years there, Dad decided it was time for the long awaited project, a cellar under the house. With help from Lawrence and I, we went to work, jacking up the house, installing new sills, and shoveling all the dirt by hand. We threw the dirt up an out of the cellar hole, all the while the hole was getting deeper as we shoveled. Once it was out of the cellar, the dirt needed to be shoveled again, this time up and onto the truck body and then to be hauled away. Every bit of cement for this job was mixed by hand in a wheelbarrow. This project took many weeks, because our father still had to work. We lads thought this to be a major operation and it was. We did no work whatever on Sunday except feeding, watering and caring for the animals.

The vegetables each family planted varied with their taste. Most farmers planted extra to be used for barter or sale, most of which would go to grocery stores in Calais or Woodland. In those times there were many neighborhood grocery stores. The only chain grocery was the A and P (Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Co.) on Washington Street in Calais. The building still stands today. Later they moved to Main Street. In smaller grocery stores, many foods were sold in bulk or large quantities. A popular item was molasses sold from a barrel with a drain spout. The customer would bring along a gallon jug of whatever size they wanted filled. Sugar and flour came in 50 or 100 pound sacks, as well as smaller ones. The stores were not self-service. The grocer would take the order and fill it himself. I do not recall whether A and P brought with them the self service concept to this area, or whether it may have been one of the four department store chains in Calais at that time.

HOULTON ROAD

SOME BITS AND PIECES RELATING TO TERRITORY TO OUR NORTH

In a past issue we described how several individuals attempted to get laws passed and how these attempts failed. The failures ended up in the legislative GraveYard (GY). Here we have a successful request (RS) and two more failures.

1828 RS box 22-5 This approved “the making of a state road from Baring to Houlton Plantation (near Baskahegan) providing the owners, other than the State of Maine, of the land through which said road may pass, shall make or pay their full and just proportion of making the road through the lands owned by them respectively. The State to pay for roads that pass through public lands.” Today we think it quite normal that towns build roads to serve the people within the town and that the State builds roads that connect towns to one another. As this resolve shows, things were not always that way. Here are a couple from the GraveYard.

1848 GY box 197-25 R. M. Flint requested “to be paid for building a bridge over Huntley Brook in Indian Township.” This bridge was on the above-described road and payment was not approved.

1843 GY box 115-45 This was a request from Penobscot County to have ten townships in Washington County set-off into Penobscot County, T 5R1, T 5R2, T 5R3, T 6R1, T 6R2, T 6R3, T 7R1, T 7R2, T 7R3, and T 7R4. This was not approved. However when we check the map today we find only T7R2 (Kossuth) and T6R1 (Whitney Cove) still in Washington County.

Of course, several years earlier Washington County had been much, much bigger. Before March 16, 1839 this county stretched from the Atlantic Ocean almost to the St. Lawrence River. It was on that date that the legislature created Aroostook County from parts of Washington and Penobscot counties. Within five years more of Penobscot County had been set-off to Aroostook and parts of Somerset and Piscataquis counties also were placed within Aroostook.

Aroostook County was greatly reduced by the Webster-Ashburton Treaty, signed August 9, 1842, which gave to British North America all the land north of the St. John and St. Francis rivers in return for land in New Hampshire, Vermont, New York, Michigan, and Minnesota.

In 1829 a bridge was constructed over Magurrewock Stream in Calais. Magurrewock Meadow had been a source of meadow hay used as fodder for oxen by loggers since the earliest settlement days.

The 1855 Maine Register has a list of Stage Companies. Included is the CALAIS AND HOULTON STAGE owned by Joseph Landers. It advertised three trips each way each week. On Monday, Wednesday and Friday the stage left Calais at 7 AM and arrived at Houlton at 5PM. The return trip was on the following days with stops at every village between. This service was discontinued in 1870 when the St. Croix and Penobscot Railroad inaugurated service between Calais and Princeton. The stage continued to run from Princeton north.

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OUR DOWN EAST FAMILIES

Ardeen Burgess (27 Parker Hill Road, Gardner MA 01440-2340) is seeking pictures of her great grandparents. They were Charles Sidney Hunnewell (1852 – 1920) and Eliza Jane (Keen) Hunnewell (1857 – 1914). They were divorced in 1899, so a picture of the two would be before that, however separate images would be fine.

A CIVIL WAR IN MAINE?

The political ad that Daniel Seavey had in his records and reproduced here is a reminder of the most uncivil election in Maine’s history.

WHO WERE THESE PEOPLE? The political ad was for the

Republican candidates for the 1880 election, all of whom were elected.

Daniel F. Davis (1844) was from Corinth.

Austin Harris (1852) was a graduate of WA and Amherst College

and a merchant from East Machias.

Alden Bradford (1828) was a merchant and a Unitarian from Eastport.

Charles B. Rounds was an attorney and counselor at law from Calais.

Ignatius Sargent was from Machias.

Robert F. Campbell was a farmer and lumberman from Cherryfield.

He was elected and served with A. B. Getchell of Baring. Getchell

was a farmer and agent for Ezra Williams Co. The third County Commissioner was J. B. Nutt of Perry, a farmer, ship owner and selectman.

John W. Hayward (1835) was a New Brunswick born lumberman who lived in Wesley. John and his wife Mary (1837) had eight children; Frank L. (1857) who was a college student according to the 1880 census, Fred L. (1859), Allen B. (1862), Lottie H. (1866), May or Mary L. (1869), Melvina A. (1873), George C. (1875) and John P. (1878). This family lived on the east side of the Junior Williams Road (Route 192) about the third house from the Airline.

BACKGROUND – The present day Republican Party in Maine grew out of the old Whig Party in the mid 1850s. Hannibal Hamlin of Hampden was the first elected Governor representing this party in 1857. Lot Morrill was the next and Israel Washburn was the third. Joshua Chamberlain was another.

THE UNCIVIL INCIDENT - The Republican Party dominated the Governor's office until November 1878 when Alonzo Garcelon, a Democrat of Lewiston, was elected. The election in November 1879 was close and disputed. Garcelon refused to give up the office and just before his term expired he ordered guns and ammunition from the Bangor State Arsenal moved to Augusta. A mob in Bangor initially stopped the movement, but five days later the weapons were in Augusta. Garcelon formed an ad hoc militia to occupy the State House.

Joshua Chamberlain was commander of the Maine State Militia. James Blaine, Republican leader urged Chamberlain to bring in the State Militia to remove the ad hoc militia. Chamberlain resisted, feeling that civil authority (county sheriffs) would be better. About two dozen armed and angry men supporting Garcelon moved toward the State House. Chamberlain faced the mob, and offering himself to be killed. A veteran in the mob spoke in defense of Chamberlain and the mob dispersed.

Chamberlain kept the opposing factions apart until the Maine Supreme Court settled the election in favor of Daniel Davis. Harris Plaisted of Bangor was elected in 1881. He was of the Fusion Party. In 1883 the Republicans regained control of the Governor’s office and held it for the next 26 years.

TOWNSHIP #19 AND THE 1837 CENSUS

As a way to have the various states become part of the United States in the 1780s, the National Government agreed to pay off the debts the states had incurred fighting the British between 1775 and 1783. This was a huge debt for this new country and only two sources of money were available to the National Government, collecting duties and selling land. Land sales became so massive that by the mid-1830s the federal government had a huge surplus and Congress in June 1836 passed a law “to regulate and apportion the deposit” of this money among the several states.

In January 1837 the Maine Legislature passed an act, signed by Governor Robert Dunlap, to accept Maine’s share, $955,838.25. In March 1837 another act was passed requiring each city, town and plantation to conduct a census as the money was to be distributed per capita, and that the city, town, or plantation vote to accept the money. Money not drawn by the locals would stay with the state and earn 6% interest. This state law allowed the local government to “appropriate” or “loan” this money even though Congress intended the money to be deposited with the states until needed by the Secretary of the Treasury.

Some local governments, at the urging of the citizens, passed the money out to the people. The amount was $2.50 for each resident. This was illegal and law suits followed. Some towns loaned interest free, each family its share of the money. This was legal by state law and it is unlikely those loans were ever repaid.

It is that 1837 census that is of interest to this researcher, although I’d love to know how our local communities handled this windfall. Apparently only the census records of plantations and townships exist today. While recently researching at Maine State Archives in Augusta, I copied the 1837 census for Township 3, Range 1 (Now Grand Lake Stream), and Townships 14, 18, 19, and 21.

I selected Township #19, as done by Peter Talbot of East Machias, to reproduce here. Township 19 is Cooper’s neighbor to the west and Crawford’s neighbor to the south. We know from maps that some settlers lived just south of the Crawford line and that one named Burrell had a home and mill on the Day (Grove Pond) Road just west of the Cooper line. Where did these seven families live in #19? Were they scattered along the #19 Road or were they in a neighborhood? Does anyone know the location of any cellar (other than the Burrell one) in Township Number19?

Head of Family under 4 years 4 – 21 years over 21 years Total

Daniel Ford 1 5 2 8

Moses Munson 2 2 2 6

Ezra Foster 1 6 2 9

Stephen Munson 0 4 4 8

Nathaniel Hanscom 2 1 2 5

Joseph Hanscom 0 0 2 2

William Fletcher 2 5 2 9

Total 8 23 16 47

The 1830 census of #19 lists twenty-nine people in six households with the following family names: Fletcher, Foster, Hanscom, and Spencer. The 1850 census lists twenty people in five households with these names: Burgess, Creamer, Hanscom, Ford, and Perce. Why does the 1837 census of #19 contain names found in the 1830 or 1840 Cooper or Crawford censuses? What happened to the $117.50 the county collected? What was it about #19 that did not encourage permanent settlement?

Some information for this article came from A