The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1871-09-01
Field Day. of MAINE Historical secirt
WAS THERE PoPULoUs CITY AT PEMA.
oU1D? WHAT THE! RUINS SHOW.

Mr.. Farley said he felt great delicacy in nm.
dertaking on this occasion, and in the pres.
enoe OF so many skilled in history and eminent
for learning, the task of being the organ of an
organization whose purpose is to give distinc-
zion to this locality by marked and permanent
features. 1t is intimated in antiquarian re-
searches, that here existed peculiar and I'M
cultivated race-a people eating oysters from
the waters above us, and made up perhaps of
ing here; and Monhegan island yonder, was to
them harbor and place of resort.
These matters are too remote antecedents to
European settlements here to be of interest on
this occasion; and the Maine Historical Socie-
ty is to be honored for its indefatgable labors
and great services in rescuing the history of
Maine from oblivion. This spot is associated
with the earliest movements of the civilization
and commerce of Europe.
Early in 1900, the boldest and widest spirits
of Europe came to these coasts, found it will
derness Tradein furs and the fisheries were
the motives which drew them hither-fsher-
les, the great resources of the wealth and pros
perity of New England, from the whale up to
fisheries were the greatest and fruitful source Of
the population of this country, and of the sue
cess and prosperity of Maine, while to the
Adamses of Massachusetts, and the Adams
family, New England and its relations of use
tulness to the nation owes much Of its success.
Mr.. Farley then gave graphic account OF
Pemaquid and Mather's description of Fort
VIM. Henry, and of its business street, which
he said was paved, running the length of the
| peninsula; and also of life and business tran :
sactons upon that street.; and of the scene of
| Samoset's transfer of liabilities here to John
Brown OF New Harbor in 1926, in presence and
| under the official record of the magistrate at
Pemaquid, Abraham Shuat, who executed the
deed in the exact formula Of the common law
of Eugland-and added, that in this place,
there had existed all the incidents and circum-
stances of city life and trade, burdened with
the clamor and hubbub of commerce. @
Abraham Shuat was the great man of Penn
aquid; and neither minister nor lawyer divid-
ed with him the honors and emoluments OF
office there; but he passed away before the
place beg an to decline. The men who traded
and acted here were men of might, the cotem.
poraries of Shakespeare and Milton. The Ia
dies too, here, may have held their right OF
suffrage associations; but, holding the right to
vote they agreed to do military duty too. They
were good wives, however Young "Phips" a
| gun smith of Pemaquid, welded daughter Of
Pemaqiud, one of thu beauties of the place
who bacome the mother of 26 children; and her
youngest son became the Governor OF Massa-
chusetts. Here is the proof that the ladies Of
Pemaquid made excellent wives and were
treasures to the Stated f
The civil relations of the place allied it with
New York and Pemaquid sent her representa-
tive GODDARD to the Assembly there; and Pema-
quid was once point of more importance than
Boston; and for century was the center of
conflict at arms between France and England,
till in 1896, under one Club her fortress was
surrendered and the place captured. The
causes of the fall of Pemaquid are found in
the facts that it stood on the boundary line,
between contending nations and was a frontier
stronghold lin the Indifference of government to
her interests and fate-and in the fact, that the
principle of gain in traffic and by trade alone
upheld her existence differing in these partic-
ulars from the colonists Of Massachusetts, s
There was no such machinery of self-gov-
eminent here which gave success and glory to
sister communities thele. ~, 4.
But something is due to the men who plant
ed Pemaquid. ,:-atf
Maine has not been properly presented in
History. The men of Bristol feel this, and
that justice should be done; and duty have
now to do is to call public attention to their
aid, in erecting permanent monument of the
durable granite of Maine ON this spot, in honor
of the men who settled Pemaquid-a monu-
ment whose top stone shall sing to their praise
when touched by the brows of the rising sun,
and reflect their glory when it shall 60 down
at night. a.l-
1t is public duty, and should be State en-
terprise, as it is of national interest and i'm
portance.
We call attention to this undertaking that
it may be thought of, and the people of Bris-
tai be encouraged, for it will be seen to be
good work in which they are engaged. 1t is
national object of interest, and whatever is
contributed for it will be well taken care of,
and faithfully appropriated. I repeat, here
have transpired scenes of national interest and
Importance. Commodore Tucker, whose life
and history are interviewer with the life and
history of the nation, had his house in this
Deighborhood, and here bis ashes lie. In the
harbor waters of Pemaquid on the morning of
her capture, the Boosting Boxer, confident OF
the triumphant prestige of st. Georges GLOSS,
nailed it to her mast head, and her ships com
pany having got on shore here, slipped their
coffee in yonder house, stood boldly out to box
the American Brig Enterprise, and herself was
boxed. But the voice of war is now hushed.
and all its embers quenched; and it is the
browning glory of the present administration
that in its foreign policy it has achieved such
triumph. "a
Then let the monument be built to mark this
spot where such scenes have transpired, and
where, if not the Jtirst-the most prominent of
the early settlements of Neo England ,oere
made. You may 60 the entire length of all the
States, and there can't be found in landscape
attractions the equal of this spot-with its
towering eastern land fall of height of Mophe-
gan, its gem of a harbor, its expanse of
ocean approach, all making up rare scene of
beauty, and the choice of this site for home
is evidence of the shrewdness of the men who
first came here and selected it to initiate
commerce where they could command security
from assault and facility of defense or escape.
1t is a remarkable spot; its attractions are
permanent, and our object shall be the erec-
ton of a monument worthy Of the place.
Hon. E. E. Bourne of Kennebunk, President
of the Maine Historical Society, essayed to re-
ply; but from the fatigue and exposure of the
attempt to reach the place, in an open boat
and escape the delays incident to the approach
of the fog-bound barge Yosemite, below, had to
desist. The impatient multitudes waited her
arrival till the fogs were lifted from the head
land. OF ''Thruhcap" and the openings of
Johns Bay"-having a steamer engaged
the mouth Of Pemaqaid harbor, with steam
upland whistle blowing ready to meet the lag
glng barge. with thousand os more excursion
lists on board, and the Hon. 8. H. Blake Of
Bangor, Charles H. Gilman, Prof Packard
and others of Brunswick and the Hon. Jas
W. Bradbury of Augusta, whom the people
were anxious to hear on this occasion.
But no barge appeared and the inhabitants
OF Bristol despatched special messenger to
meet the excursionists, and continued the exer-
cises to next day and adjourned to dinner,
hoping in the meantime the courage of the Of
hcial managers of the transportation would
enable them to land at least the gentleman
whom the people wanted to hear A tent 100
feet by 30 had been lined with tables amply
supplied and tastefully arranged, to feed the
multitudes expected; Coffee cold tongue, ham,
pickles, pies, cake and chowder, with other
substantial edibles were served by the fair
I'M la nf fha lodi nf nrso IL