HISTORY OF CAMBRIDGE
The East Somerset County Register
1911-12
Compiled and Published by Chatto & Turner
Auburn, Maine
Clarence I. Chatto; Clair E. Turner
page 39-46

HISTORY OF CAMBRIDGE

The town of Cambridge was first settled in about 1804 by
Joseph Tyler, Noah Littlefield, Jacob Hatch, Mr. Kimball and
soon afterward by others. During the early days of the settle-
ment the inhabitants on its few scattered farms came and went
by means of spotted trails through the forest, and endured
many hardships in winning from the stubborn wilderness the
fertile fields which are the pride of the town today. The first
child born in town is said to have been David Littlefield, who
was born in 1815. The first school was kept in a log house in
1818 by Miss Sally Hamilton, and the next in the next year by
Miss Sturgis. The early meetings were held in the log houses
of the settlers, and a glance at the audience would show better
than any thing else perhaps the change which has taken place
in the manner of living in one short hundred years. Women
and men alike were dressed in homespun and many of the
women wore handkerchiefs on their heads. Most of the con-
gregation came on foot or on horseback along the forest paths,
although occasionally a family would come to church with a
clumsy ox team. Many were barefoot, and it is even related
that )n one occasion a minister preached barefoot, to a con-
gregation seated on boards laid across rude supports to form
the pews. In the spring of 1843 a great religious revival
swept over the town, an opinion being prevalent that the world
was soon coming to an end. Meetings were held in the differ-
ent houses, and many were baptized, two, it is said, by candle-
light in the Main Stream.

In 1825 a terrible disaster befell the town, when a great
fire said to be a part of the famous Mirimichi fire which burned
for hundreds of miles in a narrow belt through both Maine and
Canada did tremendous damage to the homes and property of
the settlers. The fire came after a long drought and carried
everything before it, so that the people were obliged to seek
protection in the streams and the plowed fields. Most of the
houses in the town were burned, one of the few to escape be-
ing the "Lane House," one of the oldest now standing, which
is occupied by J. B. LaBree. Several interesting incidents are
related about the great fire among them being one in regard to
"Deacon Hooper" and "Deacon Ring", two of the prominent
inhabitants of the town at the time. They were hurrying
from Harmony as soon as they got the news that the fire was
approaching Cambridge, and on the way became nearly sur-
rounded by the blazing underbrush. Mr. Ring, as was not at
all uncommon in those days, was barefoot, and Mr. Hooper,
who had boots on, carried him on his back through the flames
to safety. Other stories of equally narrow escapes are told
often in Cambridge, for the great fire is a never-to-be forgotten
incident in its history. It is said that traces of the fire may
be found today, though nearly a century has elapsed since it
occurred.

The first store in town was established in 1827 by Guerny
and Buzzell and was situated in Buzzell's house. The next
store was built by David Bailey in 1831. In 1828 David Bailey
was appointed as the first postmaster in the place. In 1834 the
town was set apart from Ripley and incorporated., the dividing
line being the natural barrier of the Main Stream, which had
made it very inconvenient for the people of the north part of
the town to go to Ripley for all the town business. A meeting
was held at the house of Isaac Hooper in Cambridge, to decide
about the conditions of separation and it was suggested that
Mr. Hooper's daughter, who later became Mrs. F. L. Bunker,
but was then a girl of eleven, be allowed to select the name for
the new town. This she did, calling it Cambridge from the
English town of the same name, about which she bad been
reading in a story. Mrs. Bunker lived on the old place, to the
advanced age of 86 years..

In 1874 another disaster befell the town when. a great wind
almost equal in violence to a western tornado, swept over the
place, doing considerable damage. The Masonic Hall at
several other houses were unroofed, one house and several
barns completely demolished, and others were moved from
their foundations, A rafter four inches square was torn from
the roof of Mr. Whitney's storehouse and driven in over the
door of the post office across the street with such force that
penetrated for twelve or fifteen feet into the building. Sev-
eral narrow escapes from injury are recorded, but as was the
case in the fire of 1825, no lives were lost.

Of the families which had to do with the early settlement
of the town, that of Mr. Isaac Hooper is among the most in-
teresting. He came to Cambridge from Lewiston in 1824, and
settled on the place where Dana Noble lives now. He was
prominent in the early affairs of the town, and was deacon of
the church for many years. Mr. Hooper cleared a farm from
the wilderness. He m. Eunice Lincoln and nine children were
born to them: Nathaniel L., David S., Emeline, Thiza L
John, Harriet S., Frederick, Eunice, Laura A. Nathaniel fol-
lowed the trade of a stone cutter. He was also interested it
public affairs, being chosen representative to the Legislature
and for years he held the office of justice of the peace.

The earliest ancestor of the Hatch family to settle in the
region was Elias Hatch, who came from Greene to Harmony,
where he settled about one and a half miles west of the vil.
lage, and later moved to the western part of Cambridge. Mr.
Hatch was a cooper by trade. He m. Lucy Chadbourne of
Greene. Their children were: Forrest and Jacob, both of
whom became. Baptist ministers; Jeremiah, Noah and three
daughters, Mebitable, Abbie and Lucy. His son Noah, b. in
Harmony 1801, cleared the farm now occupied by T. E. Ham,
He m. Eliza Ham, b. 1805. Their children were: Samuel, b.
1826; Mary J., b. 1328; Edwin A., b. 1830; Joseph, b. 1832;
Caroline F., b. 1834; Noah, b. 1838; Prudence, b. 1840; Lucy
A., b. 1842. The following quotation from the town records
of Cambridge is interesting in connection with this family:
Rev. Forest Hatch died May 3, 1914, in the 38th year of age.
He became a member of the Baptist church of this town (then
Ripley) afterwards was chosen deacon of the same, and then
was ordained pastor of the church about 1827. He lived be-
loved and died much lamented.

David Bailey, who was prominent in the development of
the early milling industry in Cambridge was b. in Leeds in
1799. He m. Julia Ann Downing, who was b. 1805. Their
children were: Stephen, b. 1823; Caroline, b. 1826; Stillman,
b. 1829; Melville, b. 1832.

Two members of the Clark family settled in Cambridge,
Elijah, who came from Union and Nathan (b. 1799) who settled
about 90 years ago, at the age of twenty one. On Mar. 22,
1822, he m.. Lydia Downing of Ripley. Their family was as
follows: Lydia, William R., Fred B., Rosina, George M.,
Florence F. A sister of Mr. Nathan Clark, Eunice, m. (1) Mr.
Morrill and (2) Ozias Bartlett of Harmony.

Not far from Mainstream settled Michael Sawyer, who
drove from New Hampshire with a four-ox team in 1836. It
is said that on one occasion at least he was obliged to go to
Fairfield to procure hay on which to feed his cattle. His wife's
name was Elsie, and they reared a large family of seven or
more children.

Deacon Daniel Ring came in 1823 from Litchfield, and
settled where his grandson, Walter Ring, lives now. He m.
(1) Elizabeth Dennis, (2) Eunice Magoon and had a family of
thirteen children: Salome D., Lydia, Elizabeth, Benj., Wil-
liam, Daniel, Mary J., Mehitable, Eunice, Maria, Lydia, Hiram.
Mr. Ring was prominent in the affairs of the town and in even
wider fields, since he served for and time in the legislature, and
died while absent in Augusta during the session of 1850.

Martin Bailey, who early lived on Ham Hill across from the 
old Ham place is said to have driven into town the first wagon
that ever came into Cambridge.  He drove from Greene at the 
time, where his people were carriage makers, to visit Miss 
Pettingill, who afterward became his wife.

Jonathan Watson and Mary, his wife, came from New 
Hampshire nearly 100 years ago and settled on the farm now
occupied by Andrew Bailey.  He, like many other of the first 
comers to Cambridge, came into town over the rough wood
roads by means of an ox team.  An interesting incident is told 
in regard to the family at the time of the great fire, in which
Mr. Watson's building were burned.  It is said that Mrs. Wat-
son had just been baking and had a loaf of brown bread in the 
oven when the fire suddenly came so near that the family was 
obliged to take refuge in the middle of a plowed piece of 
ground, and watch their home go up in flames.  After the 
fire had passed by the loaf of bread was found in the ashes and 
was eaten by the hungry children for supper.  Nothing of the 
furniture in the home was saved except the family Bible.  Mr. 
Watson brought up a family of eleven children.

Benj. Brown and Jane, his wife, came from New Hamp-
shire nearly 100 years ago and built a log house on the north 
half of the farm now occupied by his son, Augustus Brown.
He had eight children, four boys and four girls:  John, Eliza-
beth, Gilman, Augustus, Melinda, Julia Ann, Forest, Olive Jane.

Ephraim Watson (b. in Farmington, 1796) was an early 
settler of the town.  He came with Rachel, his wife, from New
Hampshire and settled first in Harmony about 90 years ago.  
Soon after the great fire he came to Cambridge and took up 
the farm where Fred Ring lives a present, and on which a 
clearing had been already made by Mr. Leighton.

Moses Leighton was one of the earliest settlers.  He m.
Betsey Rogers of Rochester, N. H.  With him came also his 
son Elikah, who later made a settlement of his own.  A num-
ber of incidents are mentioned in connection with this family
which help the readers of today to realize something of the 
conditions under which the early residents of the town labor-
ed.  It is said that Mr. Leighton once brought in on his back
from Skowhegan, a half bushel of flour and a small grindstone,
it being necessary then to buy all the "store" supplies for 
the settlers' families in Skowhegan.  At another time Mrs. 
Leighton was called to see a sick daughter and went alone for 
some distance through the woods at nigh, carrying a torch to 
frighten bears and other wild animals from the path.

Among the early settlers of the town was Josiah Quimby
(b. 1811) who came here 71 or 72 years ago, and took up a 
farm.  His wife was Eliza Ann Gould (b. 1818.)  Their chil-
dren were Charles Henry, b. 1840; Samuel Gould, b. 1843; 
Harriet S., b. 1846; H. Frank, b. 1846.
Sylvanus Lowell ( b. 1781) and his wife, Sally (Emerson)
(b. 1789) came to the town early in its history and cleared the 
farm now occupied by John A. Lowell.  They reared a very 
large family:  Gerrish, b. 1807; Bradbury, b. 1810; Lydia, b.
1812; Elizabeth, b. 1815; Abigail, b. 1817; Harrison, b. 1819;
Sarah, b. 1821; Sylvanus P., b. 1823; Daniel, b. 1827; John, b. 
1829; Charlotte, b. 1832.

Samuel Ham (b. 1781), the first of the name to come to the 
town, came from Kennebunkport to Harmony nearly 100 years 
ago, and soon afterward to Cambridge, where he settled on 
Ham Hill.  He m. Sarah Staples (b. 1783) and they had 14
children, only the last three of whom were born in Cambridge:
Sarah, b. 1802; Joseph, b. 1803; Eliza, b. 1805; Timothy, b.
1807; Andrew, b. 1809; Horace, b. 1810, d. in infancy; Samuel,
Jr., b. 1812; Horace, b. 1814; Mary, b. 1815; Clarissa, b. 1817;
Shuah, b. 1820; Lucinda, b. 1823; David, b. 1825; Dorcas, b. 
1827.  The old place is now occupied by Sumner Ham.  The 
house is situated on the old county road from Skowhegan to 
Moosehead Lake.  It is now the home of the fourth genera-
tion of the family.  During his life Mr. Ham worked to a con-
siderable extent at the blacksmith's trade, making chains, axes,
and all kinds of farming implements for the farmers in the
vicinity. An interesting event to members of the family is
the annual reunion, which is to be held on the last Wednesday
in August. In 1910 the gathering was held at the home of
Samuel Ham and 48 members of the family were present. In
1911 the place of meeting was the home of Ivan Ham in Cam-
bridge.

John Mitchell, the ancestor of the Mitchell family in Cam-
bridge, was for seven years a soldier in the Revolutionary War.
His son, Joseph, was b. at Dover, N 11. and went to sea at the
age of twelve. He served through the War of 1812, serving
for some time under General Scott, and suffering, injuries it
Sackett's Harbor. At about 20 be was married in Middleton,
N. H., where the six older children were born. From there
he moved to Norway, where two more children were born, and
finally in March, 1831, he came to Cambridge. Mr. Mitchell
came alone first, felled trees, and made the beginning of the
clearing where he was to build his home. He planted and har-
vested the crop of potatoes, and then returned to Norway for
his family, making the trip on foot in two days. . The potato
crop was stored in the cellar of Mr. Lane, who lived in the
house now occupied by J. B. libre -- one of the oldest houses
in town and one of the few which escaped destruction at the
time of the great fire. During the first winter, the family got
along as best they could, living in a very small house, in
which Mr. Mitchell worked at making shingles, which could
be exchanged in town for provisions. Alva, the son of the
pioneer, who lives at the present time in Cambridge village on
the old place, was born soon after the arrival of the family in
their new home.

Bemis Mower came from Greene in 1838 to the place now
occupied by Rev. 1. B. Mower, Secretary of the Maine Baptist
Missionary Society. He married Mary Brown of Readfield.
Sylvanus Packard, one of the early settlers of the east part
of the town, moved here with his wife, Mercy (Dunham), in
about 1840, when there was only a small part of the farm
cleared, and before there were any roads in that part of the
town. The farm is now occupied by Daniel Packard.


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