Maine Books Reviewed: History of Garland & Bowdoinham also NOTES AND FRAGMENTS printed in John Sprague's Journal of Maine History (1913) vol 1, pages 24 to 30 Courtesy of Androscoggin Historical (c) 1998 New Maine Books "The Makers of Maine" is a new book recently issued from the Haswell Press, Lewiston, 1912, by Hon. Herbert Edgar Holmes, who was State Librarian of Maine during Gov. Plaisted's administration. This is an exceedingly interesting work consisting of essays and tales of earlv Maine history, from the first explorations along the Maine coast in the first part of the seventeenth century to the fall of Louisburg. It is undoubtedly one of the most important and valuable ad- ditions to the Colonial history of Maine that has ever been made. It is a book of 250 pages containing several fine illustrations. History of Garland, Maine," by Lyndon Oak, recently issued from the Observer Press, Dover, Me. This is a book of 400 pages written by the late Lyndon Oak and has been prepared for the press by his son, Hon. John M. Oak of Bangor. It is an exhaustive and valuable history of the town of Gar- land, in Penobscot County, with a preface by Liston P. Evans with brief sketch of the author by Henry L. Oak. It is a book that all students and collectors of Maine history should have. Another recent interesting and important contribution to the history of Maine is the history of the town of Bowdoinham, by Capt. Silas Adams of Waterville from the press of the Fairfield Publishing Co. Sprague's Journal of Maine History PUBLISHED QUARTERLY Vol. I APRIL, 1913 - No. I Prologue In embarking upon the uncertain sea of literature and histori- cal research our words may be few. Our primal object in attempting this work is to aid in creating a more active and profound interest among all classes of readers in the study of the early history of Maine, and to render such assistance as may be possible. It is not quite a century since Maine severed her jurisdictional connection with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and took her place in the grand column of the sovereign states of the American Union. Her political history commenced in the year 1820. But three centuries have rounded out in the cycles of time since was first begun the actual history of the State of Maine Nearly two centuries before the declaration of independence and before the English people had renounced the doctrine of the divinity of kings, before Charles was beheaded and Cromwell had been ruler of Britain; when the religious revolution which Luther had precipitated upon the world was yet a modern event, did the brave and intrepid explorers, products evolved from the reigns of those two great monarchs, Henry IV of France and Queen Eliza- beth of England, begin laying the foundation of our civilization. The Colonial period of Maine is a field of immensity as yet 26 SPRAGUE'S JOURNAL OF MAINE HISTORY only partially explored. Everything pertaining thereto as well as its annals since, the history of our growth as a State, of our towns, cities and counties, our religious, political, social and industrial development altogether comprise a subject not only vastly im- portant but fascinating as well. We believe that the public interest in these matters is increas- ing and it is our purpose to endeavor to do an humble part in accentuating the same. Also it is apparent that there has been in recent years an awakening to the importance of a more thorough, systematic and practical study of State and local history among the educators of Maine and the teachers of our schools and colleges. It is our hope that we mav be able to sustain a publication that will be of help to them in this work, that its contents may be successfully used by them in their studies and relied upon as authority in pursuing such subjects. We are well aware that we are only trying an experiment. We have been advised and warned by some that it could not be successful and yet others more optimistic have urged it on. We can only promise to make the trial and leave the result in the hands of time. We promise that it shall last in quarterly numbers at least one year, to be increased to monthly issues as soon as it attains such a degree of success as to warrant the increase and to furnish our subscribers a proper index with the last number of the year. If it proves a failure its obsequies will be properly observed on the day of the last publication of this volume. We earnestly invite the co-operation of all who are interested in the work, trusting that they will ever bear in mind the fact that "the harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few. " Notes and Fragments The first Protestant clergyman to settle in Maine of whom historians have any knowledge was the Rev. Richard Gibson. He NOTES AND FRAGMENTS 27 came from England in the spring of 1686 and settled on the banks of the Spurwink River. He belonged to the Episcopal Church and was sent over here by Sir Ferdinando Gorges and his associates. It is said of him that he was "a man of distinguished abilities and scholarship. " In 1640 he brought an action of slander against John Boynton of Saco for calling him "a base priest, a base knave, a base fellow, and recovered in damages what would now be about thirty-one dollars in American money. AT THE close of King Philip's war the little son of King Philip, nine years of age, was, by order of the Puritans, shipped off to the West Indies and sold into slavery. The only ones of prominence who opposed this method of disposing of him were Captain Church and Apostle Elliott, the latter in a letter to the Federal Com- missioners said: "To sell souls for money seemeth to me dangerous merchandise. " WE SOLICIT correspondence and desire historical papers and the result of historical research from all parts of Maine for publication in these columns. SIR HIRAM MAXIM, now of England, and the inventor of the famous machine gun which bears his name, was once a lad in the town of Abbot, Maine, although he was born in the town of San- gerville, Maine. In the Piscataquis (Maine) Observer in its issue of April 26, 1860, appeared the following notice: "FREEDOM NOTICE. "For a valuable consideration, I have this day relinquished to my son, Hiram S. Maxim, his time during his minority. I shall claim none of his earnings or pay any debts of his contracting after this date. Isaac Maxim. " Witness, D. D. Flynt. Abbot, April 18, 1860." 28 SPRAGUE'S JOURNAL OF MAINE HISTORY WE INVITE careful criticism of all of the matter which may ap- pear in this journal. If you discover errors, omissions or inaccuracies in anything published herein write us your views of the same and they will be published. LAST year two Piscataquis towns, Foxcroft and Sebec, held very interesting centennial celebrations. We hope to publish the entire proceedings of both celebra- tions in special editions of this magazine. Such publication will however depend upon the interest that our friends in the above named towns may manifest in the project. Hon. Willis E. PARSON of Foxcroft, Grand Patriarch of the Grand Encampment, 1. 0. 0. F., of Maine, is working on a history of Odd Fellowship in Piscataquis County. When completed we shall publish it in a special edition. MR. RAYMOND Fellows, junior member of the law firm of Fel- lows & Fellows, Bangor, Maine, has for several years past devoted considerable attention to collecting books, papers, documents, etc., relating to Eastern Maine history, and has an especially valuable collection regarding Hancock COUnty. We expect to publish some of his collections in future issues. THE NEW ENGLAND GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY held its sixty-ninth annual meeting in Wilder Hall, Boston, Feb. 5, 1913. The offi- cers elected were President, James P. Baxter, Portland; Vice Presi- dents, Nathaniel J. Rust, Boston; Henry Deering, Portland, Me. John C. Chase, Derry, N.H; William W. Sticknev, Ludlow, Vt. William 1'. Slieffield, Newport, R. I.; James J. Goodwin, Hart- ford, Conn. ; Recording Secretary, John Albee, Swampscott; Cor- responding Secretary, George W. Chamberlain, Malden; Librarian, William P. Greenshaw, Winthrop; Councilors, Henry E. Scott, Medford; George A. Moriarty, Jr., Newport, R.I. ; William S. Hills, Boston; Ethel S. Bolton, Shirley. During the session Walter K. Watkins, secretary of the So- ciety of Colonial Wars, gave a lecture on "Old Boston between the years 1700 and 1800. " I NOTES AND FRAGMENTS 29 THERE are several valuable papers relating to Piscataquis Countv which have been read before the Piscataquis Historical Society which we shall publish during the coming year. Among them is Judge Charles W. Hayes' paper on Joseph Ellery Foxcroft; a historical sketch of the Piscataquis Congre- gational Churches by the Rev. George A. Merrill, and papers on the Revolutionarv Soldiers of Piscataquis County by Judge Edgar C. Smith. WILLIAM PITT OAKES died at his home in Foxcroft, Me., Feb. 1, 1913. He was the son of Colonel William and Mary (Wey- mouth) Oakes, and was born in Sangerville, Me., March 8, 1833. He was a direct descendant of Nathaniel Oakes, who came to Massachusetts from England when a lad of 15, in 1660, and later became active in the Colonial Wars. The descendants of Nathaniel Oakes have been prominent in both Maine and Massachusetts. William Pitt Oakes received a liberal education and was admitted to the bar but by reason of ill health he ceased the practice of law and followed the profession of civil engineer. He became famous throughout Eastern Maine as a land surveyor. Hon. Willis E. Parsons of Foxcroft is the author of a valu- able sketch of Mr. Oakes recently published in the Maine news- papers. "VOTES for women" is wholly a slogan of the twentieth century, and vet the idea has long prevailed among American statesmen and publicists. As early as 1647 Margaret Bent asserted her right to sit in the assembly of Maryland, and Abigail Adams, wife of John Adams, the second president of the American Union, aggressively advocated equal suffrage for women. And when our forefathers were declaring their independence and fighting for it, there had been such an agitation of the subject in New Jersev that women actualh- had and exercised this right in that colony from 1776 to 1807. The movement did not however become a national one until 30 SPRAGUE'S JOURNAL OF MAINE HISTORY the middle of the nineteenth centurv when the first "womeD's rights" convention was held at Seneca Falls, N. Y., in 1848. A CHAPTER of Dover and Foxcroft D. A. R. was organized at the home of Mrs. Etta B. Palmer in Dover, January 14, 1913, by Mrs. John Alden Morse of Bath, State Regent. The following officers were elected: Regent, Adelaide C. Farwell; Vice-Regent,' Lottie D. Warren; Recording Secretary, Lola W. Hayes; Corresponding Secretary, Alice N. Robinson; Treasurer, Alice Averill; Auditor, Josephine W. Hughes; Reg- istrar, Elizabeth T. Getchell; Chaplain, Etta B. Palmer, His- torian, Sarah L. Martin. The following committees were appointed by Mrs. Farwell: Committee on constitution, Mrs. Palmer and Miss Averill; pro- gram committee, Mrs. Martin and Mrs. Hayes; committee on education, Mrs. Doore and Miss Anna Buck. At the close of the business session, a beautiful bouquet was presented Mrs. Farwell in behalf of the chapter, as a token of appreciation for the interest which she has manifested and the help she has given towards the organization of the chapter. Resolve in Favor of Abbot Soldiers Resolve in favor of certain soldiers in the town of Abbot, Me., who served in the "Aroostook War," passed by the Maine Legis- lature and approved April 6, 1841. Resolved : That there be paid out of the treasurv of this State to Jacob Leeman, Jr., George W. Rogers, Eliphalet S. Rollins, David Weymouth, Jr., Zenas B. Poole, Orrin Bartlett, Americus Crockett, Samuel H. Lowell, Thomas J. Dutton, John Corson, Samuel Weymouth, Jr., Ebenezer Witham and Charles Flint, the sum of five dollars each, in full, for their services in the Aroostook War, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hun- dred and thirty-nine. * * * * NOTICE: Printing the files within by non-commercial individuals and libraries is encouraged, as long as all notices and submitter information is included. Any other use, including copying files to other sites requires permission from the submitters PRIOR to uploading to any other sites. We encourage links to the state and county table of contents. * * * * The USGenWeb Project makes no claims or estimates of the validity of the information submitted and reminds you that each new piece of information must be researched and proved or disproved by weight of evidence. It is always best to consult the original material for verification.