<\/p>\n
Vassalboro is still an important Maine town, with fine, productive farms and thriving, small industries, although the days of its great mercantile glory are far in the past. What Vassalboro was like a hundred years ago is shown by a description of the town that appeared in Drew’s Rural Intelligencer, an Augusta newspaper in 1855. Editor Drew had just visited Vassalboro, and he was enthusiastic about what he saw. This is what he wrote: “The town lies just above Augusta on the east side of the Kennebec, and is open to boat navigation along its entire length of eight miles. Vessels are sometimes built in town, and passing thru the lock and under the bridges at Augusta, are brought to our wharves to be rigged and fitted for sea.<\/p>\n
“Twelve Mile Pond (we now call it China Lake), lies on the eastern border of the town and divides it from the town of China. At the pond’s outlet is a powerful mill stream, where is located Outlet Village, a pretty place of several stores, two churches, an inn, and several factories.<\/p>\n
“Just below Outlet Village, at North Vassalboro, there has been for many years one of the largest tanneries in the state, conducted by the Southwicks, but now the principal business is done by John Lang, who owns a factory for woolen goods that gives employment to 200 hands.<\/p>\n
“There is another stream in Vassalboro that enters the Kennebec about seven miles above Augusta, on which is an excellent paper mill, where is made the paper on which this publication is printed.<\/p>\n
“There are very few poor people in Vassalboro. By their quiet, industrious habits the people have acquired a competence. We venture to state that there is not a town in Ohio or Illinois where the farmers live so well as they do in Vassalboro.<\/p>\n
“There is no one great village that swallows up the rest, but rather several villages of considerable importance:’ Brown’s Corner, Getchell’s, South Vassalboro. We remember when Brown’s Corner Was the great place of business on the Upper Kennebec and when Getchell’s Corner was an important stage depot.<\/p>\n
“Vassalboro was originally settled by Friends, and they gave the place such a start in industry, economy and morality that it is still felt in all departments of business. The Southwicks, the Langs and the Fryes are names widely known and respected. The town’s railway station is at Getchell’s Corner, where also is the academy, and not far a way on a hill top is the Friends’ Academy, Oak Grove Seminary.”<\/p>\n
Editor Drew ended his glowing account with reference to a bumper crop 18 years earlier. “In 1837”, he wrote, “Vassalboro raised 10,272 bushels of wheat.”<\/p>\n
In the same paper, the Rural Intelligencer, we find the account of a disastrous Kennebec flood in October, 1855. Great damage was done at Skowhegan, where two big saw mills were swept away, and all three factories on the island were demolished. When one of those island mills was swept into the swollen stream, it knocked out the highway bridge between the island and the Bloomfield side of the river. At North Anson a woolen mill, a grist mill, a carding mill, and four dwellings were destroyed, and the bridge across the Carrabasset went out.<\/p>\n
On the Kennebec’s tributary, the Sandy River, the damage was devastating. At Farmington the water rose to the highest recorded level. The abutment of the bridge to West Farmington was washed out, and the end of the bridge dropped into the stream. Then the bridge broke in the middle and was carried 80 rods down the river. At Phillips two bridges went out; at Salem a bridge and a saw mill; at Strong the bridge and three mills; at Farmington Falls two saw mills, a machine shop and a grist mill and at New Sharon the whole bridge and its stone abutments were torn away. ‘lihe total damage in Franklin County alone exceeded $100,000.<\/p>\n
Some time ago this program referred to difficulties during the early years of Maine’s prohibition law, and we mentioned briefly a riot that occurred in Portland with a resulting fatality. We can now tell the story of that riot and its resounding political repercussions.<\/p>\n
The Maine Liquor Law of 1851, amended by enforcement regulations in 1853, permitted tne sale of alCOholic liquors for medicinal and mechanical purposes only, and only by a duly authorized town agency. Neal Dow of Portland was the belligerent author of the law and the chief advocate for its enforcement. In 1855, when Dow was Mayor of Portland, he purchased a thousand dollars worth of liquor on his own account, with intent to transfer it to the city for legal sale. Where were plenty of people who were opposed to the new law and, espeCially among the former liquor sellers, Dow was cordially hated. When some of his enemies learned about Dow’s liquor purchase, they filed a legal complaint with the county attorney, charging that by his private purchase Dow had violated his own cherished law. An angry mob gathered at the place where Dow~s liquor was stored and attempted to force open the storeroom in the basement of City Hall. The police warned the mob to disperse and the riot act was read. Instead of dispersing, the mob grew more and more violent, until shots w.ere fired. When the military that the Mayor had requested from local militia – forces, fired on the mob, one man was killed and several more were wounded. Aroused citizens demanded the arrest of Mayor Dow and his indictment for murder or manslaughter.<\/p>\n
The coroner’s jury, held over the body of John Robins, the man killed in the riot, blamed Mayor Dow, but doubted that he was guilty of murder. Its findings read: “The jury find that John Robins came to his death through the agency of Neal DOW, in consequence of the rash and illegal order to fire, given by Dow to the Rifle Guards; and the homicide of Robins by Dow is without any justification or excuse. But whether such homicide constitutes the crime of murder or manslaughter, the jury are not able to decide, and leave that question to the law court. The jury do find that Robins died of felony, not by accident, and recommend that all material witnesses be required to appear at the next term of the Supreme Judicial Court in Portland on the last day of current July.”<\/p>\n
Before the case could come to trial, it was agreed that a committee of citizens, on which would be critics as well as friends of DOW, should make a thorough investigation and issue a report. Here is what that committee reported: “We find that the riot could not have been dispersed or quelled without resort to an armed force in addition to the police. The peace officers had in vain ordered the crowd to disperse. The Mayor, the sheriff and the police were repeatedly publicly insulted and their authority repudiated. Renewed violence followed every peaceful attempt to quell the tumult. The additional force was not called until the police were nearly overpowered, and an alderman, fresh from the scene of action, had entreated the Mayor to callout an armed force without further delay.<\/p>\n
“While this committee deeply deplores the loss of life, they, together with all good citizens, would have deplored much more the prostration of al.1 law and order before the vindictive fury of a lawless mob. What kind of government would it be that would stand aside and permit mobs to break down the laws of the state? This committee, after careful investigation, are satisfied that the Mayor and other officers of the city did no more, in this grave emergency, than their duty, and had they not acted as they did, they would have been unfaithful to their trust.”<\/p>\n
Of course the Portland rum sellers and other enemies of Neal Dow called that a whitewash report. Dow’s friends called the report of the coroner’s jury, condemning Dow, the ttB~ackwashing Inquest”.<\/p>\n
In the long run calmer minds prevailed, the Grand Jury failed to indict, and Dow was not brought to trial. But the whole story, now more than a hundred years old, shows how bitter was the feeling between wets and dries when Maine enacted its prohibition law, long a model for such laws allover the country.<\/p>\n
Since this broadcast tonight has been devoted to events in the 1850’s, let us take a look at an advertisement announcing the new year at a famous Augusta school in 1854. This is what the ad said about the Cony Female Academy: “The spring term will commence on the first Monday of March under Daniel Ingraham, ~. M. Instruction will be given in all branches usually t8.ught in our best seminaries, including common and higher English, ancient and modern languages, music, painting and drawing. Tuition for 11 weeks, $4 to $6. Music, including use of piano, $10 for 24 lessons. Painting in water colors, \u00a78. Board at the Academy boarding house, two dollars per week. One half of the tuition of pupils from out of town will be paid for by the trustees. A strict account of scholarship and deportment of each young lady will be kept. It is desirable that all who may wish to attend the Academy shall be present on the first day of the term.”<\/p>\n
The Androscoggin and Kennebec RR had been operating only five years when it published the following winter schedule in December, 1854: “Passenger trains between Waterville and Portland. Leave Waterville, 4:30 A.M. and 11 A.M. Connect at Portland with trains for Boston. Boston trains connect at Lawrence with trains for Lowell, Manchester and Concord.<\/p>\n
“Returning, leave Portland 7: 10 A.M. and 1: 10 P.M., due in Waterville 10:50 A.M. and 4:55 P.M.<\/p>\n
“Stages between Waterville and Bangor connect with both trains. (In 1854 the railroad did not extend beyond Waterville.) At Belgrade stages for Augusta connect with each train. Freight trains once each way daily, leaving Waterville at 6 A.M. and Portland at 8: lOA .M.”<\/p>\n
That railroad advertisement was signed by Edwin Noyes, whose father-in-law, Timothy Boutelle, had placed him in the position of superintendent of the road. Boutelle could do that, because he was the leading stockholder.<\/p>\n
We close the program tonight with another ad — that of a machine that was just coming into common use in 1855. For centuries grass and grain had been mowed by hand, but in the period just before the Civil War mowing machines began to appear in the fields. Here is what the ad said about Ketchum’s Mowing Machine: “This machine stands without a successful rival as the mowing machine of the age. The supply will not equal the demand. If any person desires one for the coming season, he cannot speak too soon. The price is $110, f.o.b. Buffalo. Anyone who will forward us an order, accompanied by cash or satisfactory reference, may depend upon prompt delivery and faithful service.”<\/p>\n
Year: 1962<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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