Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1870-03-14
NO.. g..
RECOLLECTIONS OF AUGUSTA AND
VICINITY.

The editor Of the Aroostook Sunrise.
now member of the Legislature, sends a
correspondence to that paper from this
city, in which he gives some interesting
recollections Of Augusta and vicinity. He
says:
We have known Augusta since 1927.
That year, then young man, We ''un-
packed in this, then village. We lived
here five years.-The Kennebec bridge,
called by the Journal last Monday, the
GLORIOUS old BRIDGE" was built that year.
1t has stood the tramp of men and horses,
the assaults offloods. ice and floating debris
of bridges and mills, logs and every i'm
aginable ruin which has come floating
down the raging. angry and roaring Ken
nebec for almost forty-three years. We
looked over its SCARED and broken timbers
and covering on Monday morning last,
and although it is now somewhat unlike
in appearance what it was when it came
from the hand of its builder. yet it still
stands, and bids fair to stand, until it shall
have accomplished much more than its
half century.
Ephram Ballard in his day the best
carpenter in Augusta, and, perhaps, in
Maine, was the master-builder. Mr..
Charles Keen, who was in skill only
second to Mr.. Ballard, was master-work-
man, and used the square, compasses
and ten foot pole. In 1928 the military
road from Lincoln to Houlton was COM
menced, aud Mr.. Ballard had large con-
/ tract for making that road in Lincoln.
! The .'Ballard hill' in that town took its
name from him. He was taken sick whilst
engaged ON that road. and died. we be-
| lieve, in Bangor, whilst on his way home.
He was one of Gods noblest men. Mr..
Keen is still living in this city. The bridge
previous to this, was burned some time in
the early part of 1927. The last day of
December, 1925, we spent in Hallowcn,
on our way from home in what is now
Franklin county, to Whitefield, to instruct
a school, 1t rained all the night previous
and during the day in torrents. January
1st, 1926, we attempted to cross the Ken
nebcc on the ice, but was told it was not
safe. We accordingly went to Augusta to
cross on the bridge.-Whilst we were
crossing the bridge, the ice was breaking
/ up in the river, pitching, pilng, and toss
ing about in wild and grand confusion.
The ice broke up as far down as the flats
near Browns Island, where it grounded,
| formed Il jam and remained during the
winter. 1t was said that the river was
full to the bottom, except passages
for the water to pass off. On the Goth of
March it broke up again, from the effects
making an lice freshet," and formed q
dam below Hallowell, and that village
was submerged; the water high up in
Water street, filing cellars and lower
stories of houses and stores. and destroy
ing vast amount of property. The height
of the water at that time is marked in
Kennebec Row in that city.
Hallowell has within our recollection
been three times submerged, in conse-
quence of the ice breaking up early in the
winter grounding on the flats below the
town, and then again breaking up with
rain whilst the ice was strong, jamming
! below the town, and flowing back the
water and creating flood; once in 1926.
again in lS43, or A, and again on Sunday
last 1t was also submerged about 1900,
from the same cause. We should think
that people would find some other place
to live and do business than on the lower
street in Hallowell. In June, 1882, oc-
cured Il freshet which swept the Kenne-
bee. 1t rained three days and nights con-
tinually. The water was within a very
few feet of the stringers of the bridge.
1t passed through under the bridge
/ between the pier and the abutments with
fearful velocity, the water appearing
some four feet higher above the bridge
than below The river was covered with
! logs, trees and the debris of mills, bridges
buildings, dams, fences and almost every
imaginable thing that would float. The
span of bridge came down whole and
went under the bridge. A whole saw mill
came down having piled in it a large
quantity of boards. 1t approached the
eastern span of the bridge, and the thou
sands who were looking on held their
breath, expecting that it would topple
over the bridge. But instead Of this, the
mill and all in it were crushed like a
child's cob-house, and the shapeless mass
went under the bridge.
A loud cheer went up from the lockers
on. A large pile of pine boards above
which every body supposed was far above
off by the rising flood, and started for
down river. Two men got on the pile.
and with the batteau in tow, came down
the river. As it approached the bridge
one of the adventurous men left in the
batteau, but the other stuck to his boards
and went safely under, by lying Hat upon
his pile. A cheer which almost made the
bridge itself tremble, went up from the
crowd of lookers-on. He brought his
boards safely in, below Hallowell.
The first Legislature which met in Au,
gusta was in 1882
The corner stone of the State House was
laid July 4th, 1928, by the Grand Lodge
of Masons of Maine, in the presence of
Gov. Lincoln. The cornerstone which
was then placed in position is the northeast
corner, and has an orifice in it which con-
tains among other papers copy of tho
constitutions of the United States. and of
Maine, the names of the then President
and executive officers of the United States,
of the Governor and principal officers Of
Maine, copies of the Kennebec Journal o f
that week, which at that time was the only
paper published in Augusta, and various
other documents. Governor Lincoln died
the same year in few months afterward,
in Augusta, and was buried with military
honors on the grounds in front of the
State House.