ANDROSCOGGIN HISTORY February 1992Newsletter of the Androscoggin Historical SocietyNo. 5 ======================================================= THE AUBURN REFORM CLUB The following is reprinted from the "Constitution and By-Laws of The Auburn Reform Club," organized February 16, 1875. It is contained in a booklet printed by Kimball Brothers of Auburn in 1875. PREAMBLE AND RESOLUTIONS. Whereas, we, the undersigned, having experienced the evil effects of intoxicating drinks, alike upon ourselves, families and society, therefore Resolved, That, for mutural benefit we do form ourselves into an Association, to be called the Auburn Reform Club. Resolved, That having often tried in our own strength to reform, and having often failed, we recognize our dependance upon God and our desire in His strength to be kept. Resolved, That all meetings of this club be opened and closed with a call for divine assistance. Resolved, That knowing full well that there is a bond of sympathy between men who have fallen before similar temptations, we agree that to be eligible to membership in this club candidates must be persons who have drank more or less intoxicating liquor, and know its evil effects. Resolved, That we subscribe to the following PLEDGE. We, the undersigned, for our own good and the good of the world, do hereby promise and engage, with the help of Almighty God, to abstain from buying, selling or using alcoholic or malt beverages, wine and cider included. THOMAS HODGKIN DIARY Thomas Hodgkin, son of Jonathan and Betty (Meservy) Hodgkin, was born in 1778, the year after his parents moved to Lewiston from Gloucester, Massachusetts. He served as Lewiston town teasurer for twenty years beginning in 1817 and served a term in the Maine Legislature in 1837. He lived at what is now 217 Ferry Road. Hodgkin maintained a diary from 1803 until shortly before his death in 1855. The following are some interesting selections from early portions: November 1809 the 5 Am I was at work for Little finishing Splitting the Stone pm Ezra purinton myself had our team there Loaded the Stone and hauld it to Lewiston falls for Little we got there about eight oclock in the even. we Carryed our oxen over to Esq Littles put them up we staid all night. I had ames garcelons oxen. the 6 we got the millstone over the river I hauld it up to the mill I was to have 9 dollars for hauling the stone, mr purinton is to have one half--then we Came home about the middle of the day. the 7 I went up to the falls I talkd some with Esq Little about giting a pair of millstones for him but did not agree sartin February 1811 the 22 I was at home. Mr. Breen his wife Come hear Staid all night I think I had Some Little Satisfaction in hearing them converse on religion though I would not own it I let my brother [Benjamin] have one Quintle of dry fish for which he agreed to giv me 5 days work the 23 the Lord sent the messenger Death Suddenly into our neighbourhood and took Mr. Philip M Banks from time to Eternity. this man was formerly an inhabitant of this place but haveing bin a long time absent had now in the Corse of providence returned with his wife to Visit there friends both Traviled from peter garcelons to Henery Carvills well as usule and after a few words in Conversation with Mr. Carvills family they Sat down near together and within a minit his wife hearing him make a noise turned hir head he was breathing his last died without uttering a word. I went in to See him but all Seamd to have no efect on my rebelious heart the 24 was Sd I was at the funeral of Mr. Banks Elder Roberts preached on the ocasion from 1 Thisalonans IV-15 December 1811 >the 26 I went up to the falls to mill home. The Town Clerk Called here (the Same which I met in the Street the 28 of November) gave me a certificate of my publishments I gave him 25 cents the 27 I was hauling wood all day it was very pleasant the 28 I killed 3 hogs my Brother helped me it was very Coald the 29 was Sd it was a very blustering storm my brother went after was married at 12 oclock in the day to Esther Hodgkin [his niece] She being 18 years 2 days old myself 33 years 7 month 23 days I gave the Esq. two dollars as it was blustering my brother his wife was present the 30 we were shoveling through the Drifts in the road the 31 I was hauling wood for the fire August 1812 the 13 I bound hauld in 593 Sheaves of rye James Ames jr helped me ½ the day I hauld in 1 jag of hay at 10 o'clock in the Even I was Called upon to hunt for old Mr garcelon who had got into the woods in a Crazy fit unbenone to his folks about 21 of us ranged the woods with lanterns till 2 oclock did not find him in the morning soon as light there was about 70 people hunting he was found on the hill called the Hogsback alive the 20 After the hunt I bound hauld in 209 Sheaves of rye which makes 1052 Sheaves from two bushels Sowing the 21 was rainy I was Spreading rye in the barn to dry August 1813 the 26 I was building fence did but little except tending them george williams had 1 dozen James Ames jr 2 dozen the 28 I hauld in Some peas c pm I went to Town Meeting the Town voted 500 dollars as a reward to any person that will give evidence against the person or persons that set fire to the mills which was burnt in this town on the night of the 24 ult owned by Josiah Little Esq I Subscribed 10 dollars to the rebuilding of the mills the 14 was a tight rainstorm I finished off a Screw beam for Curtis the 15 was Sd I went down to help Secure Salmon Bridg against the water the 16 I went to the river to help take care of there things the water was so high that it ran into Jerymiah dingley's house over the window Stools and it was juest to the top of the upper doar Stone at old Mrs. garcelons dore. the 17 I went to the river five of us went to the bend in a battau I bought Some things for my mother as she was unwell while we was gone young wm dingley fell in the river and was drowned we hunted after him but could not find him the 18 Am there was upwards of 20 men hunting for the boy laid a blistering plaster on her arm left Several Sorts of medicine he asked me 2 dol 25 cents I paid him the Cash Capt Fuller had my four oxen ploughing the 21 was rainy I went down to Mark garcelons paid a peck of lime to him borrowed a beaming knife I unhaired some hides February 1815 the 13 I Sat out with two Sleighs for portland with buter 62 opposed . . . September 1816 the 2 I was at work in my Shop am pm I went to town Meeting to give a vote on the question of Seperation--there was 73 in favour 83 opposed . . . SOME MANUSCRIPTS IN OUR COLLECTION North Yarmouth Families, by Rev. Allen Greely (1781-1866) Vital Records of Lewiston (Vol. I) Vital Records of Danville (photocopy) Minot Center Church Records (1784-1848) Collection of Maine Bible Records (transcript) Janus G. Elder (1835-1907) letters and correspondence with Lewiston families Col. William Garcelon (1786-1872) on early Lewiston history and the Garcelon family. Record of deaths kept by Sewall Merrill, covering 1865-1890 in Lewiston-Auburn area Benjamin Dole Bryant Jr. (1815-1887) writings on Webster, Maine Leeds Baptist Church Records Wayne Baptist Church Records Lewiston Valuation Books 1801-1852 Collection of Little Family letters, Josiah Little and his son Edward Papers and letters of Gen. Samuel Thompson (1735-1797) of Brunswick, 1764-1797 Account Books of William Pottle (1730-1807) of Stratham, NH, and Minot, ME, dated 1735, 1748, 1793, 1800. Books and Papers of Rev. Elijah Jones of Minot RECENTLY ACQUIRED MANUSCRIPTS Tripp Family, by Ruby A. Tripp Hamilton, Cousens, Dill and Goff Families, by Joseph M. Odiorne Jepson Genealogy, by Alan H. Hawkins Strout Genealogy, by Robert Taylor MORE DIARIES IN OUR COLLECTION Capt. Jonathan Hodgkin (1795-1876) biography and transcripts of account book (1823-1835) and of diary (1829-1833), by Douglas I. Hodgkin Phebe C. Merrill (1832-1903), dated 1868 Transcript of William Plummer (1756-1838) of Danville Typed transcript of William Holmes Morse of Minot, Maine, and Stuart, Iowa, while serving in the Civil War (5th Reg't Me Vols, Co. E) AHS HISTORY (Part Four) by Harold Dutch In the last issue regarding the decade of the 1950s, we told of Everett A. Davis's gift to the Society of a house in Auburn and the bequest of money from his estate, all resulting in a more stable financial condition for the Society. In this report, we whall cover more mundane, but necessary, activities. Officers elected in 1950 were Clarence E. March, president; Wesley A. Smnall, clerk; Imelda Thibault, treasurer; and Mrs. Henry A. Pierce, custodian. They served to 1953. This period saw a sharp growth in membership. At the 1950 annual meeting, 27 new members were taken in, and the next year an additional 20 joined the society. These included Geneva Kirk and Willis A. Trafton, Jr., who are still active members, and Harry W. Rowe, who was president 1958-1961 and again 1964-1971. The membership voted in 1951 to drop the word "Antiquarian" from the society's name; thus we became the Androscoggin Historical Society. (A footnote to our history: the roast turkey dinner served at the 1951 annual meeting, held at the YMCA, cost $1.45.) In 1953, it was voted to divide secretarial duties by having an executive secretary and a recording secretary, also to adopt Robert's Rules of Order, and to update the by-laws. Elected as officers that year were Everett H. Plummer, president; Clarence march, executive secretary; Wesley Small, recording secrtary; Imelda Thibault, treasurer. They were re-elected for two more years, and in 1954, Clarence March was made a life member. Harold Redding was elected president in 1956 and Geneva Kirk, recording secretary, with March and Thibault continuing in office. This slate was re-elected for another year. Harry W. Rowe assumed the presidency in 1958, with Ruth Estes as recording secretary. They, with March and Thibault, served again in 1959-1960, with the addition of Harold Redding as vice president, a new office. All were re-elected in 1960-1961, when another new office was added, that of attorney and general counsel, filled by Willis A. Trafton Jr. He continues to hold that post. This was also the year that Gordon Windle and Leslie Wight, current directors, were named to the board. Windle served as president 1981-1985. An explanation of how two new offices came into being when the by-laws did not call for them may lie in the minutes of a May 15, 1958, board meeting. The minutes state that John Libby presented a new constitution and by-laws to replace "the missing documents," with no mention of when or how they disappeared. Later that month, at the annual meeting, the membership voted to strike out all old by-laws and to adopt the new set. We assume the office of vice president and that of attorney were included, as subsequent by-laws list them. If any past officers and directors can add to our information on the by-laws, please let us know. Since official records, of necessity, tend to be brief and skeletal, we trust that anyone with fuller knowledge of the activities we record in this series will help us fill in the gaps for a more accurate history. Williamson's History of Maine The Androscoggin Historical Society has contributed from our holdings a new extensive name and place index to the reprint of William D. Williamson's The History of the State of Maine from Its First Discovery, A.D. 1602, to the Separation, A.D. 1820, Inclusive. The original had a detailed table of contents, but no index. This work is the classic history of Maine covering in great detail the long period prior to its separation from Massachusetts in 1820. There is an opening chapter on the geography, flora, fauna, and minerals of the State, but the bulk of the work is carefully documented historical information on the evolution and development of Maine. (1832) reprint, 2 vols. each in two parts, c1400 pp., paper, $60.00. Published by Heritage Books, Bowie, Maryland. AHS 50 YEARS AGO "Obtaining a permanent museum is now the main thought of the Androscoggin Historical and Antiquarian Society, and to provide the funds necessary for such an undertaking, membership fees have been put on a new basis. Life memberships will be $50 hereafter, $5 will provide a contributing membership, and $1 will be the annual membership fee. "The plan was studied and approved by a large membership attendance held in the society rooms in the county building last night. . . ." Lewiston Evening Journal, January 28, 1942, p. 2. We still occupy the same rooms in the county building. The only change in fees is our annual membership fee of $3. A RESEARCHER IN OUR LIBRARY: MONA ERVIN Our first profile of a researcher using our collection is of Mona Ervin of Auburn, a teacher at Lewiston High School, who is enrolled at the New England Studies Program at University of Southern Maine. She has chosen to do her thesis on the diary of Anne Susan Jumper from May 1844 to May 1846. Miss Jumper (1824-1881) was born in Minot in 1824, the daughter of Dr. Nicholas and Huldah (Chandler) Jumper. She married Oliver H. Brown in 1852 and had seven children. Mrs. Ervin has transcribed the diary and now is writing an introduction to the diary along with annotations. When completed, we shall receive a copy of the work. Androscoggin Historical Society County Building Auburn, Maine 04210 Return to Androscoggin Histocial Society Home Page >Return to Back Issues of Newsletters You are our visitor since 8 June 1997 -- thanks for stopping by! Thanks to ROOTSWEB Genealogical Data Cooperative for Server Space and a great deal of support! Help support them in their mission to make massive amounts of genealogical data available to us! This page co-sponsored by: Joyce I. Scruggs 1997 David C. Young 1997 Maine Author, David C. 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