East Somerset County Register, 1911-1912 - Athens: ITEMS OF INTEREST
Compiled and Published by CHATTO & TURNER
Auburn, Maine
Clarence I. Chatto
Clair E. Turner
pages 37-38
ITEMS OF INTEREST
The Athens Telephone Company of which L. C. Williams is
owner and proprietor was started in 1900 in order to accommo-
date the surrounding central offices in enabling them to reach
a physician and at first had only three subscribers. At pres-
ent the company has 189 subscribers and owns 70 miles of
metallic circuit which reaches into every town which borders
on Athens. The company has always owned all the property
and rented the machines. It furnishes a day and night service
week days and a two hour Sunday service 9-10 A. M. and 5-6
P. M.) giving free connection with N. E. long distance and the
Farmers Co-operative Company which carries about 900 sub-
scribers in the western part of the country.
One of the interesting thins in Athens is a well in the store
room of Mr. Samuel Taylor. It was dug many years ago by
James Taylor. It has a depth of 105 ft. below the surface of
the floor. The diameter was about seven feet before it was
stoned and the present diameter is three feet, the walls, which
are made of common field stone, being nearly two feet in thick-
ness. The water, which is very cold, remains at a level of
three or four feet above the bottom of the well.
Isaiah Dore built and ran the first hotel in town. It was
located on the corner near where the Ware stable now stands.
In 1834 a Baptist church was built on Lord's Hill, which
was then one of the most flourishing sections of the town.
The first store in the village was run by Esq. Ware. It was
a small, low building with dwelling house attached, and stood
a short distance west of the house where Dr. Ellingwood now
lives. In after years the house part was moved across the
stream is part of the house where Samuel Goodrich now
lives
In the year 1851 Abel Are built a tannery on the stream
a short distance north of the village. In 1866, it was enlarged
by John Ware who also built the dwelling house near it for a
boarding house. The tannery burned in 1877.
In the fall of 1840 Benjamin Hussey started from Athens on
foot with a large flock of turkey and drove them through to
the Brighton, Mass., market.
The first mention made of a stream is in Indian history
and it is there called the "Wesserunsicke," and on it was built
by Joshua Brown the first mills in town.
Philip Leavitt built the fist mill at West Athens. He sold
out to Ziba Hall, who in turn sold to Isaac Fellows. Later on
Fred Tuttle and David Corson have owned mills there.
(c) 1998
Courtesy of Tina Vickery of Somerset Co, Maine USGenWeb Project
&
The Androscoggin Historical Society
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