ANDROSCOGGIN HISTORY February 1995 Newsletter of the
Androscoggin Historical Society No. 14

Contributed by Androscoggin Historical Society
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ANDROSCOGGIN MAN IN THE GOLD RUSH

Recently, Dr. Douglas W. Pepin of California, a life
member of our society, wrote for information on
Major Josiah D. Pulsifer. Dr. Pepin has purchased a
collection of Pulsifer's Gold Rush letters written
during his time in California, 1849-1851. A large
portion of the letters were in short-hand.

The Society has a great deal on Major Pulsifer in
our files, including a hand-written autobiography
and a number of his original letters written to his
wife while serving in the Civil War. We shall
feature selections from those letters in our next
issue.

Pulsifer left his wife (the former Helen A. Woodbury
of Minot) and little daughter with her people in
Minot and sailed in a bark around Cape Horn to
California, a long trip from November to June
following. He described his experiences:

"When we arrived [in California] after a six months'
voyage, our company worked some six weeks in
discharging cargo, building the steamboat, etc,
after which we sold our property all out as to make
fair pay for our labor and our passage clear. After
selling our property, I went to work on the roads a
few weeks at $5 per day shoveling dirt. I then went
into the mines where I worked nine months, in which
time I made clear of my expenses some $3000, and
then started for home, where I arrived in August
1851. The first year after my arrival I did but
little except enjoy my family and educate my
daughter. In 1852 I went into trade at Minot, where
I continued two years, not making any money. I was
then elected clerk of Courts for three years, and
was reelected in 1857."

MEETING NOTICE

The next meeting of Androscoggin Historical Society
is Tuesday, February 28, 1995, at 7:30 P.M. Topic:
"General Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain --Live"
Speaker: Charles W. Plummer Location: Our museum in
the County Building

RICH HERITAGE IN MINOT CENTER CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH
RECORDS by Robert Taylor

The first church in Bakerstown was organized with
thirty-nine members, Sept. 8, 1791, in a log house
in the "Scott Neighborhood." In 1793 and 1794, Rev.
Jonathan Scott from Nova Scotia preached for some
months. He urged the people to build a church and
assisted in cutting the lumber. This church was
built in the summer of 1794 near Reuben Chandler's
residence. That fall, Rev. Scott returned and this
time became their minister. Ninety-eight persons
agreed to contribute toward his salary. Sept. 8,
1804, a meeting was held to see about building a
meeting house near the center of Minot. Sept. 28,
the town voted "not to build a meeting house near
the center of the town and not to build two meeting
houses." Nov. 27, the town consented to the
incorporation of a Congregational Society. In 1805
the center meeting house was built, but in 1806
fourteen members were set off in a new society
worshipping at what is now West Auburn. Rev. Scott
opposed this division, which finally led to his
withdrawal as pastor, although he continued to
preach for them more or less until his death in
1819. The town, however, was not large enough to
support two churches. After dissension and neglect
had reduced their ranks to only thirty-seven, they
finally were re-united in 1823 with Rev. Elijah
Jones, who preached alternately at the "East Meeting
House" and the "Center."

In 1842 Auburn was set off from Minot. In 1844 the
church was again divided and 86 members were set off
to form a church at West Auburn, leaving 163 in the
church at Minot. The church at Minot Center decided
to erect a new meeting house. The old one was
demolished and the present building was dedicated on
Nov. 25, 1846.

Rev. Jones continued as pastor of the Minot Center
Church until his death in 1869. During his pastorate
of 46 years nearly 500 members were added to the
church. Following Rev. Jones, the church had few
settled pastors and was ministered by many different
preachers. Owing to numerous removals the church
became greatly reduced in numbers.

This church at Minot Center has not been active for
some time, except for holding services in the old
building each August. Through its long history the
church has left numerous records and documents.
Because of their historical and genealogical
content, our society a few years back borrowed the
church's records, made photo-copies and placed them
within our files.

RECOLLECTIONS OF LEWISTON: EUNICE A. STEVENS -- Part
2

Eunice Stevens at age 91 recalled early life in
Lewiston during an interview published in the
Lewiston Evening Journal, March 25, 1911:

There was but one meeting house in Lewiston at that
time. This was the Free Baptist and it then stood
near where the Geo. B. Haskell store is now located
[corner of Main and Chapel Streets]. The head men in
the society were Temple Tibbetts, Mayor Wm. Frye,
Rev. Jacob Golder, Father Marston, Deacon Stephen
Davis and the Gliddens. The Thorne family, Thomas
and his sisters, sang there, while Elder Libby was
the preacher. I had been trained as a Calvinist
Baptist and didn't exactly jibe with them but always
attended service there, as that was the only church
in the village. Long sermons and eternal punishment
were the proper thing in those days, but I was very
independent and never agreed with the hell part. I
had joined with the Baptists in North Livermore when
I was nineteen years of age and it was a curious
dialogue that we had. The man I worked for was one
of the committee that examined me and he knew that I
took no stock in hell fire. They were anxious to get
me into the church, however, and he said if I could
state that God would cast me off into hell in case
of wickedness that would have great weight with the
committee and perhaps I could slip thru. I refused
point blank to make such a statement as my belief,
but yet I slipped thru and became a member! I had a
mind and a will of my own even then.

"There was no Methodist church here then, but I had
a cousin and another friend who were members of that
faith and we all went to the Free Baptist church
where I was one of the singers. Finally seven
Methodists showed up and formed a class. One morning
Mr. Tibbetts asked me if I had heard the news. He
was shocked that such a thing should happen in
Lewiston, but I clapped my hands and cried out that
it was good news. Altho not a Methodist, I was glad
of it and liked to plague him because of his narrow
religious views. I told him to listen to reason and
let the Methodists alone. I also told him that I
should live to see the day when there would be two
or three Methodist churches in Lewiston and also two
or three Catholic churches. At that time there were
no Catholics whatever and only seven Methodists in
the place. He was horrified at the idea, but it was
fun for me.

"After all their narrow views those were good men.
Rev. Jacob Golder was a deacon and itinerant
preacher after the old style but he was a thoroughly
good man and he had much ability. He was scholarly,
smooth and diplomatic, altho very set in his
Calvinism. Mrs. Jacob B. Ham of this city is his
daughter. A more frank and honest man never lived in
Lewiston.

"Father Marston was also a good man. Stephen Davis
was the first deacon here and he had a large as well
as a fine family. The Gliddens and Mitchell families
lived out on farms and they were solid citizens.
Then there was the Field family who were among the
earliest settlers. Archie Wakefield was the father
of Seth, and he was a prominent figure all thru his
life, as well as being a thoroly [sic] good man. The
Nash, Moore and Witham families were all leaders in
both church and society and may be called among the
best of our foundation stock. Some of those pioneers
are buried out in that old yard on Sabatis street
and their graves are sadly neglected.

"I think it is a burning shame and a disgrace to the
people of Lewiston that such a condition of affairs
should exist. I feel the matter more keenly because
I have a baby buried there. Dr. Gorham's family are
buried there as well as the Davis family and many
others of the best blood of old-time Lewiston. I
wonder what they would say of their posterity if
they could see that old burying ground and could
speak.

"When the Baptist church was organized they wanted
me to become a charter member and I wrote to the
clerk of the church in North Livermore to find out
what sort of standing I was in and the answer came
promptly back with an O. K. You see I wasn't very
strong on the eternal punishment business and didn't
know but I had fallen into disfavor.

"Rev. George Knox was pastor of the church and he
asked to see the letter. It seemed to satisfy him
and I was taken into his church. He was a man of
much ability and very fine looking. I remember of
his telling my husband that God was too wise to err
and too good to do wrong. He was the father of the
Baptist church in this community, and thru his
energy the first building for worship was built at
the head of Lisbon street where the Masonic hall now
stands. Webster and Wiggin of Auburn helped to build
the church and their families joined it soon after.
Later Mr. Knox became chaplain of a Maine regiment
and one day was thrown from his horse and killed.

NOTEBOOKS OF BENJAMIN DOLE BRYENT

Benjamin Dole Bryent, historian of the Town of
Webster, whose brief biography appeared in our June
1994 newsletter, wrote notes and commentaries on a
wide range of topics. Following are examples from
photocopies of his notebooks in the Society's files.
These are Bryent's opinions, and the Society takes
no position on their veracity.

The law requiring municipal clerks to make an
official record of births and deaths is believed to
be almost wholly disregarded now, November 26, 1879
in the State of Maine. . . . Five cents each is the
legal fee for recording births and deaths. In the
town of Webster the town clerk has for many years
failed to observe the provision of law in this
respect.

James Fitzgerald, the half lunatic Irishman, April
4, 1880, requested little Harry J. Bryent to inform
him when the assessors of Webster came along to take
the valuation so that he might hide away and so
avoid being assessed for a tax. He concealed himself
in Ben. Davis' cellar.

[Bryent moved to Greene on 24 June 1881 to live with
his sister Hannah, wife of Simeon C. Wiley.]

At the march term, 1882, term of the Supreme Court
for Oxford County held at Paris, Alma G. Spears
obtained a divorce from her husband, Charles D.
Spears. Charles Dennet Spears was once a resident
for some years with his father, Alfred Spears of
Webster. Liked rum, was a shoemaker, his feet were
deformed, was very dishonest, course vulgar and
profane; never returned $5 he borrowed of me and
with the whole Spears tribe went 20 years ago to
Stoneham, Oxford county, Maine.

Tuesday, June 6, 1882, Greene. making some Ink, with
one part of gren [sic] Vitreol [sic], One part
Logwood, three parts Aleppo Gauls, one part Gum
Arabic, one pint Vinegar. The mosquitoes here in
Green at this time, June 6, 1882 are exceedingly
numerous and annoying. At Sprague's Mills they are
said to swarm in clouds.

On Sunday, July 16, 1882. Barnum's Circus in three
large railway trains passed southward along the
railway in this town of Green . . . . This circus, I
think, is some way from being an unmixed good,
though it might be made freer from objection than
now.

Louis Ware . . . died in Lewiston, Maine, August 14,
1882, . . . was for a time a student in Harvard
College, was expelled for his intemperate habits,
came to Maine, became a brickmaker, married a
daughter of Andrew Bubier of Lewiston, settled on a
farm in the north western confines of Lisbon, lost
his property by excessive use of strong drink;
reformed, became a Washingtonian, accumulated a
handsome property, mostly by brickmaking in Lewiston
[near Ware and Russell Streets]; he was of large
stature, stout, smoked tobacco; For his many good
qualities was kindly regarded by those who knew him.

December 2, 1882, a cow of Mrs. Emma Shaw, of
Greene, was saved from chocking [sic] with a piece
of beet, by a neighbor, John Gray, forcing it the
length of his arm into the stomach.

Mary Robinson . . . died suddenly at the house of
her brother, Dea. Samuel Robinson in Webster . . .
February 1883 . . . had from childhood a peculiarity
of conduct which early developed into incurable
insanity, said to have been caused by a visit of the
mother during pregnancy to Mary Eames an insane
woman. When a girl, Mary, the deceased, was good
looking, with rosy cheeks, but insanity with
physical illness gave her a haggard emaciated look.
. . . Some attributed her insanity to disappointment
in not marrying David S. Sandborn. . . .

Our neighbor, Mrs. Emma Shaw, I learn, is now, May
14, 1883, having some trouble with her son, Truman
Shaw, a lad perhaps fifteen years old [actually 16½]
growing out of the interference of a neighbor, Mr.
Thomas, who wants his daughter to become the wife of
her son, Truman, to which Mrs. Shaw, who is forty
two years old, objects.

Dr. George L. Peaslee of Greene has invited his
neighbors to come this afternoon, Wednesday June 6,
1883, to a "raising", that is, to assist in putting
up the frame of an extension to his barn, (on the
Col. Quimby farm.) and as the Docter [sic] appears
to be something of a favorite with them I think they
will cheerfully do him a favor. He is an
enterprising man.

The wages of laborers in harvesting hay in Greene
the present season, 1883, were two dollars and a
half ($2.50.) a day for ten hours work, including
board. Farmers generally in this town have a mowing
machine and horse rake.

Mrs. Olive (Lord) Jordan, wife of the late Henry
Jordan, of Lisbon, and the eldest of the five
children of the late Abraham Lord of Webster, died
August 28, 1883 . . . . She was a very large
stature, dark complexion, and mentally and socially
a full average of her sex and class. In her
religious convictions she held to the faith of the
universalists. Her father came from York County,
Me., to Lisbon now Webster about 1825 and bought the
farm of Capt. Aaron Dwinel, near the Corner, and
being a very ernest [sic] Democrat and Capt. Dwinel
as ernest [sic] a whig the latter for the credit he
had given Lord in the purchase of the farm, made
Lord vote for whigs at elections, a very distasteful
thing for the Democrat.

A little Humming bird was, today, Septr 15 1883,
busy for some time about the flowers in the garden
here in Greene, for a moment upon an apple tree and
then again resuming its whirring flight, no mythic
spirit so beautiful as this tiny fellow.

LEWISTON'S OLDEST HOUSES by Douglas I. Hodgkin

We may never determine which is the oldest house in
Lewiston. Deeds generally are of little help because
many settlers were squatters and the Pejepscot
Proprietors did not confer ownership by deed until
much later.

The Lewiston Assessor's records indicate
construction dates of many houses, yet staff there
do not know the sources of these dates. These
records place at least five structures in the
eighteenth century.

Although assessor's records date the property at 47
Russell Street in 1781, the house may actually be
one hundred years younger. Zelotes Randall purchased
the land from Lucy A. King, wife of Moses King, Jr.,
on 17 June 1882, but the deed mentions no buildings
(Andros. Deeds, Book 106, page 600). Then Randall
mortgaged the land and buildings to Pamelia Randall
on 2 January 1883 (Andros. Deeds, Book 116, page
242). He probably constructed the house in 1882
after having purchased the land, but needed to
borrow mo ney for the costs of the construction.

This conclusion is also consistent with maps that
record individual Lewiston houses. This house is not
shown in the Atlas of Androscoggin County of 1873.
Moreover, an 1858 wall map, copies of which are at
the Registry of Deeds and in the Androscoggin
Historical Society, also shows no house and no
street or road where Russell Street is now.

The assessor's records date a two-story house at 144
Ferry Road in 1791. The Pejepscot Proprietors
granted several lots to James Ames and two of his
sons, Ezra and Winslow. James Ames was probably the
first blacksmith in Lewiston and kept a public house
(Elder, History of Lewiston, pp. 16, 19, 85-87).
However, William Garcelon's history claims,
"Jedediah Morrill built the first two story house
ever built in town, 1795."

John Herrick settled at what is now 901 Main Street.
For many years, this was the only public house in
town. The assessor's records say it was built in
1792, but in their histories of Lewiston, Elder says
1800 and Garcelon says 1799.

In this newsletter (No. 9, June 1993) the William
Garcelon house at 91 Ferry Road was suggested as a
candidate on the basis of Garcelon's history stating
construction occurred in 1799. The assessor's
office, however, records the date as 1843.

Jonathan Hodgkin, who came to Lewiston in 1777
(Elder, 16), built a house at 217 Ferry Road in
1792, according to the assessor's records. He
operated a farm that was owned and occupied by his
descendants and their families until 1987.

Jacob Barker built a dam and grist mill on Bog Brook
in 1775 and a saw mill a few years later (Elder,
15). The assessor's records indicate Barker's house
at 814 Main Street was constructed in 1792.

Which is the oldest? The Hodgkin and Barker houses
are dated 1792 and no contrary records are known.
But who really knows? The assessor's records have no
particular claim to authenticity. This is an
interesting historical problem with no solution to
date. Does any reader have information on these
houses or other contenders?

Douglas I. Hodgkin, Editor