The Portland daily press., 1868-03-30

MIR. EDrToR,-I was greatly interested in
the account of Middle street by "a. D." ard
thought would correct some of his errcrs
and omissions, but have not hitherto had
time. was pleased to find in your paper of
Monday another account by 81. H., who cor
rects and improves upon "a. d., but has fall
len INTO some of the same errors. / lived
the first fifteen years of my life upon the
lower eDd of Middle street, but 1 did not be
glD to live until Mr.. H. was about twenty
three years old. My memory of all the build
ings upon the street is quite fresh.
The accounts of A. D. and ]. II. are cor
rect until they reach the corner of Franklin
street. The house occupied by DIR. Edward
Payson was called haunted house for some
years before he took possession. with some
small boys went over the whole of it once to
find the ghost, but did not succeed The
next house upon Middle street was owned
aud occupied By Joseph Prince. Mr.. Prince
at the close of the war of 1912 had small
grocery in the basement, the only store upon
Middle street between Fish and Hancock
streets. Before the war Mr.. Holden had
small store under the Roundabout house
The house (two-storyl upon the corner of
Hampshire street was the Mlnot house, own
ed and occupied by Capt. Minot and never by
Nancy Barstow. On the opposite corner was
the (Portland) engine house, under which a
part of the money stolen from the bank was
hidden by Mr. NJ The next building was a
small one owned by Samuel Snowdon and oc-
cupied by VIM. Wilmington, the cobbler and
poet The next was the Palmer house occu-
pied by Timothy Fletcher. The next was
the ]. Cross house, occupied by Mr.. Douglass,
the editor OF the Argus. lie was accidentally
shot in the knee and died in that house. The
south end OF the north (Box) school house
was fitted up for dwelling house by Frank
Plumer who lived in it, and John Crease
kept small store in the other end. Upon
the opposite side OF Middle street, making the
the corner of King street. the widow Freeman
with her son George lived.
Enoch Ilsley, better known as little Wrig,
lived upon India street at the close of the
war of 1912. Upon the news of the Treaty
at Ghent, which was received here during
the night, team was rigged out with a
hogshead filed with combustible materials
and hauled about the streets, upon sled
When it came up India street the fire needed
reple nish ing, and the men with it pulled the
boards from off Mr.. Iisiey's fence to replenish
the bon fire, because he was called Tory
for opposing the war. His wife, Nabby Bar
stow, was Democrat and died in the faith.
The next house, or part of the same house,
was occupied about fifty years since by Mr..
Joseph Hoole. The house was afterwards given
to the First Universalist society by the widow
of Mr.. Ilsley. The next house was owned
and occupied by Mr.. Nathaniel Cross. The
next house was owned and occupied by Mr..
William Crown. After the death of his wife
Mr.. Fletcher moved into it. The next house
upon the corner of Hampshire street, ignored
by A. D., and ]. H., was owned by our ven
cradle citizen, George Warren. The other
buildings upon the south side of Middle
street are correctly described by both of the
above writers. Mr.. Christopher Manuel
however, never lived upon Middle street; his
house was upon Hampshire street. A.