The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1874-01-22
ANNALS on BELFAST FOR HALF A CENTURY
81 An OLD SETTLER.
CHAPTER ". (1S05l

it led to parcel of land in that locality
which was granted to the town for the
purpose of market; it was located by
the COWS belonging to the people of that
neighborhood, probably, who in making
the location did not overlook the fine
spring that gushed from its side near the
foot of the hill
There We're but two roads passing thro'
the village; the road leading from Little
River to the Narrows, a portion of which
had been laid out and accepted as High
street, and the road leading from Sandy
Beach to Greene Plantation and thence to
Davistown, a portion of which had been
laid out and accepted as Main street
They We're the same roads now known as
the Northport and Belmont roads, save
that the innumerable "kinks" in them
have been taken out from time to time,
and the decidedly crooked made compare
lively straight.
For illustration take a portion Of the Bel
|
ent course from the village until it reached
| Hemlock Hill, where Mr.. John Whitmorc
now lives; the hill derived its name from
| the immense growth of hemlockS upon it.
AT the foot Of the hill the road diyerged
to the south and wound around a portion
of the southern base of Hayford's Hill,
then changing to a northerly course cross
ed the road as now travelled not far from
the schoolhouse, and thence winding
around the northerly portion OF the hill
returned to the road as now travelled not
far from the place occupied by the late Ben
| jamin Monroe That such 4 circuitous
route was ever adopted, seems, at first
blush, inexplicable. The explanation is
this: the earliest settlers came in advance
of roads, they selected their locations &C
cording to their fancy, and built their log
houses and novels; roads followed them.
| That was the golden age when every man
| claimed the right TO have a road to his
own barn door, a right readily conceded,
without any great sacrifice on the part of
the public, tor the construction Of road
involved no expenditure Of money or labor
beyond telling the trees on a narrow strip
through the forest, grubbing up the larg-
est stumps, and building here and there
in low swampy localities a "gridiron
bridge'' such bridge consisting simply of
logs Of suitable length laid across the
road the size OF them was secondary
consideration. Beyond the point now
| known as Belmont Corner, the roads were
but little more than pushed out, )" passa-
bic III the summer for travellers on foot
on horseback only, but in the winter
after snow fell, for sleiohS-pmgs, rather
and slpds
| On the easterly side Of the river there
| was a road from Halfway creek, the form
| er dividing line between Belfast and Pros
pect, extending as tar westwardly as the
| Wescott Stream, passing Fish Cove on the
way, the greater portion Of which came
up to the statute requirements; that is it
was 'satc and convenient for travellers >
| That the road on the eastern side was in
q more advanced stage than those on the
western will not seem strange when it is
remembered that it was on that side that
the large majority of the early settlers
| located and made improvements; there
| in thai,, Il n Of a. Nv
| then in embryo. Travellers from this
| place to Bangor, as late as 1917 went over
| this ROAD as the most eligible route, CT S.
ing the Ferry at Bucksport and thence to
| Bangor on the eastern bank Of the Penob-
| scot
Having given the termini, as anciently
| designated, Of the two roads passing thro
this village, it may not be amiss to add a
| few words in the way of Interpretation or
| definition. Greene Plantation was the
name by which the territory embracing
the towns Of Belmont, Morrill, and Sears
mont was known; Dayistown is now
| Montville. The Narrows was the name
| by which the locality where the Upper
| Bridge now crosses the river was known :;
| the first bridge was built there in 1901,
Sandy Beach is the low fiat of land at the
| foot of Main street where the Railroad
depots and buildings stand; known at a
later date as Puddle Dock
| At the date of which we are now treat
| ing there We're several buildings on the
| westerly side of the Beach At the foot
| Of the hill, on Market street, stood and
still stands the Washington Webster house !;
| next to that a small building containing
three rooms, known as the Smith house :;
| this house is still standing. Next came
| the Mansur house, standing on the site of
the two story building just northwesterly
from the engine house. Next two story
building which was occupied as store,
dwelling house, and still later as Junk
shop, subsequently removed Next a build
ing occupied successfully as store and
| dwelling, known as the Russ house On
the other side of the Beach, not far from
where the freight depot now is, stood a
small building called the Ferry house, oc-
cnpied by the Ferryman, who at that time
was Daniel Hubbard There was a road
running from the foot of Main street to the
foot OF Market street, and on that street,
on the site now occupied by Mr.. Henry
"yman' stood blacksmith's shop occu-
pied by Mr.. Ansel Lothrop, who subse.
quently removed to Searsmont village.
where he resided many years and died in
1884, aged fifty four.
For more than thirty years prior to the
erection of the East Bridge in 1906, there
had been public ferry across the river,
the starting point on the west side of the
river being just westerly Of Lewis wharf,
portion of the time just easterly of it,