in the town before this, and perhaps a few total
abstainers ; still, without an abuse of language, it
might have been averred that some were drunkards.
But the evil intended to be cured at the above date
was not so much drunkenness as the habit of taking
a dram on almost any occasion. Its mission, as we
look back upon it, seemed to be to break up the
customary use of ardent spirits as a beverage, which
\vas old and time honored.
90 lIlSlORY OF CllKSlKKVll.I.P:.
At the meeting before mentioned it was agreed to
have another on the second Saturday in the follow-
ing- June, to organize a Soniety. This was according-
ly held, when Tobias Moore was chosen Chairman,
and Dr. James Fo^-fj, Secretary. As the Doctor was
absent William Chaney was chosen Secretary, pro
tem. This meeting was adjourned to the fourth of
July following, at which time Dr. Fogg declined the
secretaryship and John Chaney, Jr., was chosen to
that office. Fie was continued in the office during
about two years, during which time the society met
some four or five times. Printed addresses were read
at some of these meetings, and alterations to the
Constitution proposed, discussed and adopted.
This society kept up its organization till the be-
ginning of 1836, the last meeting being in March.
Sometimes the meetings were held quarterly, and
sometimes monthly. A list of the members found on
record, (which probably included only those received
up to July 1833,) contained 199 names, 78 of whom
are males, the others females. Afterwards more than
100 became members*. Forty-six were excluded. In
1834 quite a number of members joined, and among
others one whole family of ten persons, — Jotham
Bradbury's,— at one time. — The society had addresses
or discourses from different individuals, as follows —
June 28, 1836, by Rev. Jotham Sewall, Jr.,
July 9, 1831, by Dr. J. Caldwell of Farmington,
July 5, 1832, by Wm. Emmons, Esq., of Augusta.
Feb. 26, 1833, by Mr. Daniel Sewall,
Sept. 4, 1833, by Rev. Jotham Sewall, Jr.,
Dec. 3, 1833, bv Mr. Ehsha j\I. Tobie,
History of Chhsteuvii.le. b\
Fpb. 18, 1834, by Mr. E. M. Tobie, followed by
Kev. S Cnrtis and Col. C. Morse, at Bean S. H
July 4. 1834. by Rev. S. Cnrtis,
July 4, 183o. by Mr. Daniel Sewall.
At tbe last meeting but one, found on record,
held March 15, 1836, the following question, intro-
duced at a previous meeting, was discussed; viz : —
"Whether respectable temperence men, refusing to
unite with temperance societies, or notorious drunk-
ards are doing most injury to the cause of Tempe-
rance ?" It was discussed by H. Mayhew^ Josiah Cha-
ny. Elder Clark and others. Thanks were voted to
Elder Clark for his able remarks on the question.
It was also voted unanimously, that the respectable
temperance man who drinks moderately, is doing
greater injury to the cause of Temperance than the
open drunkard.
Not long after the last date given above, the Wash-
ingtonians snrprized the country, threw the old tem-
perance people into the back ground, and took the
work into their own hands. The Washingtonians
aimed at reclaiming the sot, and many of them no
doubt thought it was a new idea in the world. But
the records referred to above show it to have been
an object with temperance men years before. It is
true, however, that this was considered a rather up-
hill business formerly; still it is believed that one such,
if no more, was reformed through the efforts of the
old organization. The writer lacks information as
to the amount of good done in this town by the
Washingtonians. Several temperance societies, in
various forms, have been started and flourished for a
9'2 History of CiiE-vrEuviLu:.
time, since the above mentioned efforts. All have
doubtless, done more or less g-ood to the cause.
1)0. — Masts A?5n Sp.^ks,
It is supposed that the first masts cut in Chester-
ville were prepared and hauled from the farms of
Moses and Joseph French, about the vear 1825. This
was done by men ensjaged in buildinoj vessels at <)r
near Hallowell. Within six or seven years after this
several sets of masts were obtained in a similar man-
ner, ns they were needed in shipyards. In the win-
ter of 1832 the business of furnishing masts was un-
dertaken by inhabitants of the town. Col. Samuel
French. .Jr., ('who bv the way was the first, if not the
only militia field officer taken from this town,) cut
and hauled to Hallowell from his farm, 22 masts. It
was while loading the first of these for Hallowell, Jan.
3, 1^32. that it came down from the sled, crush-
iiig the legs of his brother, Benj. S. French, on the
frozen ground, with but little snow. It literally ground
the bones of the right leg in many pieces, and dis-
located the ancle, and broke one bone of the left
leg twice. Bv the skill of Drs. Baldwin and Sanborn
he" became able to stand erect without any support
but these legs, in four weeks and three days after the
iuiurv. His legs were weak for a long time, as it was
about a year before he could trust them in all plac-
es. In 1833 Col. French cut and hauled 20 more
masts. Since 1H25 there have been cut in the south
part of the town, on different farms, by different ])er-
sons, about 400 masts, besides many spars and much
othei- ship timber, inchuling red oak plank. A few
have been marketed from otlier p.irts of the^town. ^
Masts standing, such a'' were sold in 1825 for ^3,
are sold latterlv for ^40. Transporting them to Hal-
lowell now costs about double the amount of ex-
History of Chi:sterville. 93
pense as at that time. Within ten years previous to 1856
Isaac French hauled about 175 masts, from 20 t'^ 86
miles, generally landing them in Hallowell. Part,
however, were left at Augusta, Gardiner and Pitts-
ton. Besides these he hauled many loads of spars
and other ship timber. He drove an ox team to Ken-
nebec River in this business 346 times. One pair of
oxen, which he raised, Avere in the team every trip.
Notwithstanding all this travel, in addition to no small
amount of labor on the farm, this pair of oxen lived
until they were slaughtered in l)ec. 1855, at which
time they lacked only two months of being twenty
years of age. Tn the Farmington Chronicle of April
20, 1854, appeared the following : — "Mr. Isaac French
of South Chesterville, has a yoke of oxen, 18 years
old, which have been driven to the Kennebec and
back again 340 times, making an aggregate distance
traveled of 17,000 miles. Besides this they have
done the ordinary ox work on a farm. They are vet-
erans."
91. — Destructive Wind.
On the 29th day of June 1865, there came up a
smart shower, accompanied by a tornado, which was
especially powerful in the south part of Chesterville.
It unroofed several buildings, moved a few from their
foundations, and demolished a few sheds. It also
blew down several appletrees. and many forest trees,
overturning alike the lofty pine, the sturdy oak and
thf strong sugar maple, and the evergreen hemlock,
which had stood the blasts of centuries. In many
places these trees with others large and small, were
prostrated in a heterogeneous mass, much to the dam-
age of the owners. It also displaced a fence made of
large pine stumps, which had been built several years,
and of course had become partially imbedded in the
soil.
94: History of Chestervii.le.
92. avalatsche.
The folio wins: is from the Chronicle of May 21,
1857. — " Land Slide in Chesterville — A correspond-
ent, S. B., writinaj from Chesterville, tells of a slide
of soil, rocks and trees from a hill in this vicinity,
during the heavy spring rains in April. We had
before heard it spoken of as a notable curiosity. He
says; "During the great rain storms in April a piece
of land, six rods in length smd four in width, slid
off a depth of from four to six feet, carrying trees a
foot or more in diameter, and a number of large rocks,
one of which is estimated to weigh twenty tons. —
The strip of land was situated upon the easterly slope
of a steep [Blabon] hill, on land owned by Nathaniel
Whittier, Jr., and known as the Esq. Morgridge Farm.
At the eastern side or foot of this slope was a narrow
swamp containitg a large quantity of muck and spring
water. The slide went directly into the swamp, and
with such irresistible power as to force up from its
bed, and over a second slope, a great quantity of the
former contents of the bop- A part of the slide, con-
taining the trees and rocks is now resting on the bed
of the swamp."
93. — Town Officers.
1802— Selectmen; William Bradbury, Thomas Williams, Aaron Fellow'^ ; Clerk,
Joshua B. Lowell ; Treasure!', Samuel Linscott.
1803— All the officers Ihe same as in 1802.
1804 — Selectmen; Joshua B. Lowell, Jonathan Fellows, Thomas Williams ;
Clerk; Joshua B. Lowell ; tr.'^ William Bradbury.
1805 — Selectmen; Joshua B. Lowell, Jonatluui Fellows, Richard Maddocks.;
Clerk: Joshua B. Lowell; Treasurer; William Bradbury.
1806 — Selectmen ; Joshua B. Lowell, Richard Maddocks, Joseph French;
Clerk; .Joshua B, Lowell; Treasurer; Wm. Bradbury.
1807 — Selectmen; J. B. Lowell, Joseph French, Newel Gordon ; Clerk; J. B.
liOwell — Treasurer; Wm. Bradbury.
1808 — All the town officers the same as in the preceding year.
1809 — Selectmen; Joseph French, Henry Whitney, Wm. Bradbury; Clerk and
Treasurer same as preceding year.
HisroKY OF Chesterville. 95
1810— Selectmsn; Wm. Bnidbury, Joseph French, Henry Whitney; Clerk, and
Treasurer same as preceding year.
1811— Selectmen; Wm. Bra.lbury; J. French. John Bean; Clerk; Wm. Brad-
bury; Treasurer; Wm. Bradbury.
1812— Selectmen ;JoshuaB. Lowell, Wm. Bradbury, Joseph French; Clerk and
Treasurer same as preceding year.
1813— Selectmen; Wm. Bradbury, Joseph French, Oliver Sewall; Clerk and
Treasurer; same as preceding year.
1814— Selectmen; Joseph French, 0. Sewall, Leonard Billings; Clerk; Samuel
Linscott, Jr. ; Treasurer.
1815— Selectmen; same as preceding year; Glerk; Wm. Bradbury; Treasurer;
s^anic as preceding year.
ISIG— All the officers same as precedieg yoar.
1817 — All the officers same as 'preceding year.
1818— Selectmen; 0, Sewall, Leonard Glidden, Daniel Gorden; Clerk; Tobias
Moore; tr.Wm. Bradbui-y.
1819— Selectmen; 0.^ Sewall, Jos. French, Leonard Glidden; Clerk and Treasur-
er same ;is preceding year.
1820— Selectmen; 0. Sewall, .Jos. French, Ebenezer Hutchinson; Clerk; Wm.
Bradbury: Treasurer; same as preceding year.
1821— Selectmen; John Bean, L. Glidden, David Morrill; Clerk and Treasurer
same r.s preceding year.
1822— Selectmen; 0. Sewall, Jos. French, David Morrill; other officers same af
preceding year.
1323 — All town officers _same as preceding -ear.
1824— All town officers same as preced > year.
1825— Selectmen; Jos. Keith, Thomas Go rulti, Moses Walton, Jr.; other officere
same as preceding year.
1826 — All town officers same as preceding year.
1827— Selectmen; Jos. Keith, M. Walton, Jr., Thomas Gordon; other officer
same as preceding year.
1828— Selectmen and treasurer same as preceding year; clerk, Tobias Moore.
1829— Selectmen and treasurer, same as preceding yeai ; Cyrus Whitney a shorf
time, and then Bartlett. clerk.
1830 Selectmen, Jos. Keith, Oliver Billings, Enoch Whittier; Bartlett Lov-
ell, clerk and treasui'er.
1831 Selectmen, O. Billings, Reuben Lowell, _Thomas Gorden, clerk and
treasurer siime as preceding year.
1832 Selectmen, R. Lowell, Thomas Gorden, 0. Billings; clerk and treasui-T
same as preceding year.
1833 All town officers same as preceding year.
1834 Selectmen; O. Billings, Edward P. Tobie, Jos. Keith ; clerK same ;i:s
preceding year, Wm. 0. Bradbury, treasurer.
1835 Selectmen; 0. Billings, Jos. Keith, Wm. Whittier; clerk and treasurer
same as i)rece'ling year.
96 History or Chestervit.lk.
1836 _Sele3tmen E. P. Tobie, Jesse Soper, Win. Wliittler; clerk, B. Lowell
Treasurer, Jos. Keith.
1837 Selectmen ; Jos. Keitb, Steplieu JS inborn, William Whittier; B.Lowell,
clerk; treasurer, W. 0. Bradbury.
1838 Selectmen; W. 0. Bradbury, Henry Whitney, Jr., John W. xMorrill;
Hebron Mayhew, clerk, Samuel Wheeler, treasurer.
1839 Selectmen; Reuben Lowell, Stephe.i Sanborn, Wm. Whittier; clerk and
treasurer same as preceding year.
1840 All town officers same as preceding year.
1841 Selectmen; B- Lowell, David Gorden, Thomas Gorden, Amzi Sanborn
clerk, treasurer same as preceding year.
1842 Selectmen; Cyrus Pierce, Columbus Lane, John Oakes, clerk, O. Sewall,
treasurer, W.O.Bradbury.
1813 Selectmen; Cyrus Pierce, Columbus Lane, Wm. Whittier; clerk, and
treasurer, same as preceding year.
1844 Selectmen; Cyrus Pierce, Elias H. Brown, Wm. Whittier; clerk, Amzi
Sanborn, treasurer, Elisha Park.
1845 Selectmen; Reuben Lowell, Elias 11. Brown, John W. Sanborn, clerk,
Amzi Sanborn, treasurer, Wm. 0. Bradbury.
1846 Selectmen; same as preceding; clerk, Jotham D. Bradbury, treasurer,
W. 0. Bradbury.
1847 Selectmen, Zibeon Field, L.M.Brown, J. W. Sanborn; clerk, Oliver
Sewall, treasurer. Otis C. Sewall.
1848 Selectmen; Cyrus Pierce, L. M. Brown, Wm. Whittier ; clerk, B. F.
Atkinson and 0. Sewall, treasurer W. 0. Bradbury.
1849 Selectmen ; as preceding, clerk, 0. Sewall, treasurer, as i^receding.
1850 Selectmen; Collins Lovejoy, Charles Walton, Dudley G. Morrill, clerk,
B. Lowell, treas. as last year.
1851 All same as last.
1852 Selectmen; Shepard Linscott, C. Waltau, Thomas Williams, clerk and
tr. as last.
1853 Selectmen; Freeman Burle}', E. H. Brown, Phiueas Whittier, others.
as last.
1854 S. men ; P. Burley, E. H. Brown, P- Whittier ; c'k, B. Lowell, tr.as last
1855 S; F. Burley, G. Clarke, BenuingGlines, c'k, J. C. Wheeler, tr. same
1856 S. W. F. Lowell, G. Clarke, S. P. Morrill, ck. as last, tr. G. L. Riggs..
1857 S. Wm. F. Lowell, E. French, S. P. Morrill, ck. and tr. as last.
1858 S. W. F. Lowell, E Frrnch, G. W. Davis, ck. and tr. as last.
\'
HISTORY
OF
CHESTERVILLE,
MAINE
BY THE LATE OLIVER SEWALL, Esq.
EARMINGTON, Me.
PUBLISHED BY J. S. SWIFT.
1875.
APPENDIX — ADVERTISEMENT,
Mr. Sewall kept a journal from liis boyhood to
within a few days of his death, in which he recorded
the employments and observations of each day, and
this, Avith the habit Avhich the practice confirmed, en-
abled him to make the early History of Chesterville
remarkably complete, and it is hojied that the ap-
pendix — the publication of which will follow as soon
as practicable — will make the whole work a model
town history.
The plan proposed for the Appendix to the Histo-
ry of Chesterville will make it somewhat more exten-
sive than the original work.
It is nroposed, among other things, to give a few
additional papers by Mr. Sewall ; somewhat extended
biographical sketches of the author of the original
history, Rev. Jotham Sewall, Father Foster, and some
others who have been prominent citizens; and the gen-
ealogy, as far as it can be procured, of each family.
It is proposed likewise to give a brief description
and sketch of the history of each f\irm — a feature nev-
er before attempted in a town history.
Among the subjects for distinct sections of the ap-
pendix for which more or less preparation has been
made, may be cnumeiated the following ; — Geology
of Chesterville — Botany of Chesterville — Agriculture
of Chesterville — Manufactures of Chesterville — The
Future of Chesterville — Orcharding in (yjiesterville —
Water Power of (Jhestcrville — Scenery of Chester-
ville, \kv., Scv.
PuiiLlSHER.
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