Radio Script #830

Little Talks on Common Things
January 25, 1970

There recently came to my hands a small volume entitled “Rules and Orders of the Senate of Maine for the Political Year 1862”. I was not much interested, nor would you be, in those legislative rules of more than 100 years ago; but I was much interested in some other information contained in the little book, information that reveals some interesting facts about Maine in that second year of the Civil War.

The Governor was Israel Washburn of Orono, and he had some healthy patronage at his command. It was his duty to see that the federal government’s calls for Maine’s quota of troops was met by regiments formed in the state. In return the Governor had authority to issue the original commissions of each regiment, from the commanding colonel down to the second lieutenants. Even after a regiment was mustered into federal service, the governor still had a voice in all promotions, having authority to make some of them himself and exerting considerable influence on those issued from Washington.

Leading members of the State Senate in 1862 were Pely Pike of Fayette, Hiram Warren of Canaan and Nathaniel Pease of my own native town of Bridgton. The Speaker of the House was none other than James G. Blaine, who 22 years later came very near to being elected President of the United States. Waterville was represented in that 1862 House of Representatives at Augusta by Dennis Milliken. A very prominent member was William P. Frye of Lewiston, who would afterward serve Maine for many years in the U.S. Senate. Bridgton’s representative was John Perley, Jr., descendant of one of the town’s earliest settlers. Vassalboro was represented by William Cates, Winslow by Joseph Eaton, and Sidney by Joseph Woodward.

It is interesting to note some of the joint committees of the legislature, very active in 1862, but which have since passed out of existence. Among them were the Common Militia, on Incorporation of Towns, on Federal Relations, on Interior Waters, on Military Pensions, and on Frontier and Coast Defenses.

This old report tells us how Maine towns voted in the presidential election of 1860. Students of history will remember that, because of the bad split in the Democratic Party, there were four presidential candiadtes: Lincoln, Douglas, Breckenridge and Bell. Abraham Lincoln got nearly two-thirds of Maine’s total vote. There were over 63,000 votes for him, 29,000 for Douglas, 6,000 for Breckenridge, and 2,000 for Bell. The vote in Waterville was 504 for Lincoln, 149 for Douglas; and 37 for the others. Winslow’s vote was also heavy for Lincoln who had 196 to Douglas’ 76 and one for Bell. Vassalboro also gave Lincoln a big majority, 418 to 213. Sidney was a bit closer, 253 to 149; but Fairfield gave a resounding shout for Lincoln with 354 for him, 69 for Douglas, and 32 for the other candidates.

More than a hundred years afterward, I suppose the Maine towns that supported Douglas over Lincoln would not like to be reminded of it, but there were indeed such towns. Among them were Scarborough, Gray, Naples, Sebago, Clinton, Burnham, Carthage and Farmingdale. Half of the towns in Washington County favored Douglas.

In 1862 there were three candidates for the governorship of Maine: Washburn, Jameson and Dana. Washburn, the Republican nominee, polled considerably more than half the total vote, the figures being Washburn 59,000, Jameson 22,000, and Dana 20,000. Washburn carried every county in the state.

The little book tells us what had been happening to Maine population between 1850 and 1860. Waterville, in that decade, had added 428 people, from 3,964 to 4,392. Lewiston had more than doubled, growing from 3,584 (then smaller than Waterville) to 7,424. Strangely, in that period, Augusta had lost numbers, falling from 8,225 to 7,609. Gardiner too had shrunk from 6,486 to 4,477 and Hallowell had actually lost nearly half its population. In 1850 it had 4,769 people, in 1860 only 2,435. Winslow too had lost, but only by a few persons, from 1,796 to 1,739. Both Portland and Bangor showed gains, the former from 20,000 to 26,000, the latter from 14,000 to 16,000.

What had happened in those ten years to cause losses or such small gains except in Lewiston? The explanation of Lewiston’s rapid rise was that it was a comparatively new place. Not until 1840 did Lewiston Falls have as many as 1,000 people. When mills developed rapidly at the Falls, Lewiston’s population grew by a big spurt.

The cause of so much drop or leveling in Maine population was the appeal of the West. On top of the allure of the rich soil of the prairies came the discovery of gold in California. Though some of the trek started in 1849, it did not reach its peak until the early 1850’s. Between 1850 and 1855 thousands of Maine people left to seek their fortune in the prairie territories or in the gold fields of California, and most of them never returned.

Fortunately we know quite a bit about Maine agriculture in that decade from 1850 to 1860 because of a comprehensive report made by the Secretary of the Maine Board of Agriculture in 1857. That board was made up of one member from each county, and its secretary was L.L. Goodale from York. In the report’s introduction Goodale said:

“In view of the fact that Maine has a large tract of unbroken wilderness, reported to be rich and fertile. but little known to our citizens, combined with the drain of our people to the West, r want to present facts that I have gathered from personal observation. The part of our unsettled territory that offers greatest inducement to settlers is known as the Valley of the Aroostook, and the lands for fifty miles south of that river. That territory of 200 square miles is settleable land, although lumbering still dominates it. In most of the townships are numerous lots that would make good farms of 160 acres. There is very little waste land. Near Houlton I was shown oats yielding 80 bushels to the acre and wheat 30 bushels. In this region all small grains thrive. It seems doubtful, however, whether wheat can be depended upon for a staple crop, but oats, barley and rye can be raised in abundance. Indian corn is not extensively grown in Aroostook, because the season is too short.”

When we consider that in the early 20th century Aroostook became the great potato empire, it is surprising how little Secretary Goodale thought of potatoes in 1857. He wrote: “Potatoes are exce 11 ent and rather abundant. but are not to be compared with turnips. Turnips yield 500 bushels to the acre, but potatoes only 200.”

It was the opportunity for cattle that excited Goodale in Aroostook. He said: “No better district for grazing and dairying can be found in all New England. Here red clover grows knee high.” Then the secretary laid on the line the greatest barrier to Aroostook development. He wrote: “The greatest difficulty to be overcome is lack of ready access to markets. The only market now existing in Aroostook is created by the lumber operations. To develop market for crops will take some time, but meanwhile good profit can be made by raising cattle, horses and sheep.”

Goodale was hopeful of extended rail transportation. He said: “North from Bangor there is now a railroad to Old Town, 12 miles. Thence the highway follows the east bank of the Penobscot as far as Mattawamkeag, 61 miles from Bangor; thence on to the Forks at Molunkus. where it branches, the Military Road going northeast to Houlton and on to Presque Isle in the Valley of the Aroostook. The older Aroostook Road goes through Patten, Masardis and Ashland to Fort Kent. From Ashland another road goes east thru the valley to Presque Isle and Fort Fairfield. It is 71 miles from Bangor to the forks at Molunkus, 44 from there to Houlton and 31 more to Presque Isle. The roads vary in quality, the military road on the whole being better. Over the road goods are carried from Bangor to Presque Isle at $30 a ton. Such rates add greatly to the cost of supplies, and cheaper transportation is much needed. In fact, not more than five percent of the supplies for Presque Isle and Fort Fairfield come from Bangor. Most come up the St. John River from New Brunswick. To connect this region with our Atlantic seaboard we must have either a railroad or a system of canals.”

As for other parts of Maine, Goodale had something to say about sheep: “Wool is a prime necessity; it will always be in demand. Can we in Maine afford not to raise a fine grade of wool, which combined with mutton, will be very profitable? We must not overlook the importance of mutton. Poor mutton is the worst of meat, but good mutton is the best. Good mutton and good wool together make a prosperous farm.”

Prominent in 1857 were the county and regional agricultural societies with their annual fairs. It was the time when Maine led the nation in the raising of horses for harness racing. and every fair had its spirited races by such nationally known horses as General Knox. In 1857 there were 24 of those agricultural societies in the state, with three of them in Kennebec County. What was called the North, Kennebec Agricultural Society held its annual fair in Waterville.

In 1857 its President was Joseph Percival, and it boasted 250 members. On its three day fair in 1857 the Waterville Mail commented: “There is not only a large exhibit of oxen; the beasts themselves are unusually large. Our farmers seem to prefer oxen as large as small mountains. Charles Drummond, who won first prize for working oxen, says a cross of Durham with Shorthorn yields the best animal. Mrs. Avis Warren of Winslow, who won the prize for the best butter, tells us: ‘I keep my cows in winter on hay and corn meal, and in summer in high, moist pasture. In warm weather we churn every fourth day, in cool weather once a week. We keep the air out of our butter by putting a bag of fine salt over the jar. “‘

Maine men were ingenious in the 1850’s. This old report tells about patents recently secured on all sorts of farm implements: threshing machines, mowing machines, wagon springs, hand corn planters, and deep furrow plows.

Finally just a word about what it cost to buy a farm in the 1850’s. A farm near Bangor of 125 acres, 40 in tillage and 60 in cleared pasture, with house, barn, carriage house, cider mill, hog pen and hen house could be bought for $1,100.

And with that nostalgic salute to the cost of a farm home 110 years ago, we must say goodbye until next week.

Year: 1970