\nDid you ever hear of a Maine schooner that was built on the side of a mountain? The only mountain ship most of us ever heard of was Noah’s Ark, that landed on top of Mount Ararat after the Flood.<\/p>\n
More than 150 years ago, on February 20, 1820, the very year when Maine became a separate state, the schooner Waterborough was launched at Kennebunk, and then carried Maine goods on the world’s seas for a half a century. The peculiar thing about that schooner was that it was built on the slope of Mount Ossipee and then moved to Kennebunk on gigantic, wooden sleds.<\/p>\n
This story came to me through the courtesy of Mrs. David Brown, the highly accomplished and civic-minded wife of the manager of this radio station WTVL, from which these weekly broadcasts go on the air. Mrs. Brown’s ancestors were chiefly responsible for the remarkable feat of transporting over land an ocean-going ship. Mrs. Brown’s grandfather, Harry Sweet, related that his own great-grandfather, Josiah Sweet went from Wells to Waterboro in 1800, cleared a farm on the slopes of a height then called Ossipee Hill, later known as Mount Ossipee. Near the top of that height Josiah cleared land and built a log cabin to house his growing family. The surrounding country was at that time unbroken forest. Cleared above the frost-prone lowlands, Josiah’s farm was especially productive.<\/p>\n
In Wells, Josiah had worked at times in a shipyard, and he had considerable skill as a carpenter. In fact, as his son William, born on the farm in 1801, neared maturity, Josiah discussed with him the possibility of building an ocean-going ship right on the place, made from local pine and oak. In 1818, father and son undertook the project.<\/p>\n
The two worked, with little help, on the vessel for two years, meanwhile enduring the same ridicule that Noah received when he built the ark. Neighbors said the Sweet craft could never possibly reach the sea. Whoever except crazy people would think of building a ship 25 miles from the ocean? Early in 1820 the Sweets had the completed ship, which they named Waterborough, ready for its journey to Kennebunk Landing. A large and curious crowd assembled for the start, most of them ready for a good laugh when the proposed transportation would certainly break down. When the sightseers arrived, they were amazed to see that the ship already rested on a huge frame constructed on wooden sleds.<\/p>\n
The Sweets had assembled 50 yoke of oxen with a large number of volunteer drivers on the one level spot on the mountainside, where the sled-mounted vessel had been placed. No bottle of champagne was broken over the bow when the runners began to squeak over the snow. The real launching was planned later for Kennebunk. If there was lack of launching spirits, there was no lack of spirit among the teamsters, nor did they lack imbibing spirits, for they were served generously from a big barrel of rum that had been put on the ship.<\/p>\n
After the first hard pull that got the load under way, the leading teams were soon out of sight down the winding road. It was quite a job to hold back the big load with pikes and cant dogs, to prevent it overrunning the oxen on the down grade.
\nAs the descent became easier, the trek was more orderly and less hazardous. As they reached the hill above Waterboro Old Corner, and rounded the turn on to a long, level stretch that skirts Shaker Pond, both men and oxen settled down to a slow, even gait. There they camped for the night, and the next day passed through Alfred Village and along the plain toward Kennebunk. About five miles west of Kennebunk, they set camp for the second night.<\/p>\n
It was 10 A.M. on the third day when the strange caravan entered Kennebunk Village. Winding its way up Summer Street, past the stately mansion of numerous sea-captains, it halted for the admiration of Kennebunkers before proceeding to the landing. If hay for the oxen and rum for the men could now hold out, the improbable task might be achieved. It was no easy job to get the schooner off the frame and sleds and into the water, but amid the shouts of admiring onlookers, it was finally done. On February 20, 1820, that ship named Waterborough, built on the side of Ossipee Mountain, entered the salt water at Kennebunk.<\/p>\n
Young William Sweet, not yet 21 years of age, was the Waterborough’s first captain. Of course only the finished hull had been brought from Mount Ossipee, the masts and spars ready to be placed but not yet stepped. She was rigged and sail-fitted at Kennebunkport. Christened, she departed on her first voyage to the West Indies, with a load of lumber. In a few months she returned with rum, molasses and tobacco. Subsequent voyages under other masters took her to South America and the coast of Africa.<\/p>\n
Josiah Sweet, becoming prosperous in both farming and shipbuilding, abandoned his log cabin on Mount Ossipee and built near by a two-story house in which he lived until it burned in 1849. Then he built another, even larger house, of fourteen rooms. In 1936, the remains of that house could still be seen on the left of the old road, that has now been rebuilt into a fine highway. Long after Josiah Sweet’s death, the big house was used as a summer hotel by Charles Sweet, proprietor of Sweet’s Hotel in Portland. Recognized as a man of some affluence, Josiah Sweet was also respected by Maine’s professional shipbuilders.<\/p>\n
It may be appropriate to add a bit about Kennebunk Landing, where the Waterborough slid into the waves. In the early 19th century, four different shipyards, a short distance from each other, were operated there. Although mostly small vessels were built in these yards, a few capable of doing more than coast-wise traffic were constructed.<\/p>\n
The Landing was not actually on the ocean, but on the Kennebunk River. The river was so narrow that a ship of any considerable size was launched stern first upstream, turned in the big bend of the river there. The masts were then stepped and canvassed at Kennebunkport, more directly on the ocean. In the 1840’s the shipyard operators decided that, if they were going to continue to launch any sea-going craft except the smallest coasters, they would have to find a way to obtain sufficient water to float the ships down from the Landing to the Port. At that time the heavy demand was for vessels of more than 500 tons for deep-sea trade, and a lot of trouble had been experienced with ships that size launched at the Landing. C. R. Titcomb conceived the idea of building a lock at the Landing to get sufficient water to float craft downstream. He secured a charter from the Maine Legislature, and sold 294 shares of stock to 28 individuals in the vicinity of Kennebunk. The lock was built in 1848 at a cost of $5500, and was in active use for 19 years, and saw pass easily through it and downstream 29 vessels aggregating 2400 tons, each paying a toll of twenty cents a ton.<\/p>\n
But that did not solve the difficulty. About half a mile below the Landing there were shallows, which at low water could easily be forded by horses and oxen. Nearby was also a dangerous rock whose sharp edges could shatter the new hulls. Many a newly launched ship had to wait precariously for high tide before it could get through.<\/p>\n
So it may well be said that, while Kennebunk Landing, was no such place as Bath or Bowdoinham or Richmond for launching of ships, it did have one big moment, when in 1820 the schooner Waterborough, built on Ossipee Mountain, slid into the Kennebunk River.<\/p>\n
Still in possession of the Sweet family is the certificate enrolling the schooner Waterborough for the coasting trade. Dated at the port of Kennebunk on May 29, 1820, this document reads: “Enrollment in conformity to an act of the Congress of U.S. of America, entitled an act enrolling and licensing ships or vessels to be employed in the coasting trade and fisheries. Josiah Sweet of Waterboro in the State of Maine, having taken the oath required, and having sworn that he is a citizen of U.S., and is sole owner of the vessel called Waterborough, whereof Benjamin Webber is a present master, and he hath further sworn that this said vessel was built at Waterboro in the present year, as appears by the certificate of Aaron Bowen, master carpenter. And it having been certified that said vessel has one deck and two masts, a length of 51 feet and breadth of 14 feet, and six feet deep, and that she measures 42 and 57\/95 ths tons, that she is a square-sterned schooner, has no galley and no figure head. The said Josiah Sweet having sworn to all of the above, the said schooner has been duly enrolled at the port of Kennebunk.”<\/p>\n
From time to time we like to put on this program items about unusual ships and their construction. Long ago we told you about John Lang’s Ocean Bird, built just above Getchells Corner in the 1840’s. We have mentioned several vessels built in the Waterville shipyards between 1790 and 1830, and we have at least given passing notice to shipbuilding at Bath, Bowdoinham and Richmond, as well as on the other side of the Kennebec at Old Pownalborough. What we want to continue, from time to time, is some exceptional account like that you have just heard concerning the Waterborough in 1820. I doubt if we can dig up another story so reminiscent of Noah’s Ark. Probably no other Maine ship was ever towed from a mountain, 25 miles over land to its launching. But surely some of our listeners have just as interesting shipping stories they would like to pass on. Please let us have them.<\/p>\n
Year: 1975<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Read the script for “Little Talks” program #1040, Broadcast on February 23, 1975<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":405,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[42942,35296],"tags":[],"builder_content":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.colby.edu\/csc-home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9525"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.colby.edu\/csc-home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.colby.edu\/csc-home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.colby.edu\/csc-home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/405"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.colby.edu\/csc-home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9525"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/web.colby.edu\/csc-home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9525\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.colby.edu\/csc-home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9525"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.colby.edu\/csc-home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9525"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.colby.edu\/csc-home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9525"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}