Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1876-08-01

$4,000. Some lots would now sell for $1,000, Is by
| 100 feet. Captain Holland, So years ago, bought
two lots for $780, covering the entire site OF Gen.
| trail Block. He built brick house there.
The first water power purchased oy OUTSIDE
| Richardson of Boston. He bought out the Little
heirs. The citizens of Lewiston and Auburn built
the old Lincoln mill and sold it out or the bills
| to the Great Androscoggin Land and Lock Com
pany of1Boston. The sale included the water pow
| er and the old Harris lot under the hill This was
about the year lSil. The Boston proprietors soon
passed over their property to others,
and among these others, was that
ne yer to be forgotten friend of Lew ston to whom
this city owes more than to any other man-Ben-
jamin f. Bates, Esq, of Boston. As soon as Mr..
Bates joined this Lewiston enterprise, an attempt
was made by the Boston company to purchase
more land in Lewiston The first purchase was
$50 acres of the Little heirs extending from Main
street to the Reed farm and as far east as Bates
and Lowell streets.
The effort to buy other farms at that time failed.
Then St John Smith, j. Is. Brown and others OF
Portland came to Lewiston and spent several
days in looking over real estate, but they cou dnt
buy. Everybody seemed 70 believe that his farm
had suddenly become valuable These gentlemen
and the Boston owners soon saw they were not
the persons to approach, property holders ana ac-
coidngly they left the business with Col. Read,
Mark Lowell and Captain Holland. These gen.
tlemen went 20 work, and in three weeks got
conditional deed of nearly all they wanted at fair
prices.
Capt. Holland bought the Estes farm Of fifty
acres by SWAP" giving $1,000 in money. This
farm located in the vicinity of the Gas Works.
The Marston Farm, this side of Col. Hams was
bought for about 81 600. 1t contained sixty acres.
The Anderson Farm of fifty acres located on East
Avenue, was bought for $500. The Burbank
Or Oliver Reed farm Of fifty acres, was bought for
the same price as the Anderson farm The Sam
Haley farm of one hundred acres, located on Sab
battus road, was purchased for $4,000. The Col.
ii F.r,,, Iona mad Ia M
consisting of fifty acres was bought for $4,000,
and The Murray farm of 800 acres located north of
| the Nash farm, bonded for $4,000. The
choicest place was owned by the village doctor,
Gorham. This farm consisted Of the territory
| now covered by the heart of the city. The old
doctor was well aware that he held the right bow
er of the pack, and he was naturally inclined to
appreciate the card. So re named $4,000 as
the price of his farm, and could not be budged
farthng lower. SO the bond seeking trio got
the doctor into the doc ments to the tune of $l0
600. Armed with these DO IDS, Col Read and his
associates interviewed the Boston folks. They
had in their pockets perhaps thousand acres OF
land, and the Boston purchasers sat down and
looked at the map. Their appetite for land did
not prove so hearty as had been anticipated, for
they rejected several of the farms. They did not
take the Murray, Nash, Haley, Anderson nor Oil
yer Reed farms
The forty acres beyond Main street was bought
by the Boston parties prior to this time; also ten
lot including the old cemetery on the left Of
Sabsuus street. The Boston purchasers at this
time paid out to Lewiston farmers for land $5, 600
to $50 900. The Harris farm and the WATERPROOF
CT were embraced in Richardson's first purchase.
The Water Power Company had previously pur
chased of the Cotton Company, the Lincoln Mill.
The price paid for the whole property was Sl5 600
and the debts of the old company understood to
am cunt to about 100000.
Mr.. Reeds farm was located next below the
Harris farm and was subsequently, bought for
$1,000. The Harris farm included the present
Lincoln street. In less than year and a half al
ter the heavy land purchase, the Nash farm which
Col. Read Capt. Holland and Mr.. Lowell had
bonded for S. 900, was sold to John d. Jones and
j. b. Nash, for $4,000. Real estate generally
doubled and then doubled again. The Nash farm
extended from where Mrs. Ambrose now resides
on Main street. to the old Fair Ground. Jones
and Nash also bought the Murray farm, extend
ing from present Elm street, TO near where Capt.
Holland now lives.
Then there was lul! of few years, and the fe-
| yer subsidized. Sellers began to be more numer-
our than buyers. Lots we've sold by the Company
on the north side of Main street for Sl25 Josiah
Little was then agent. There was sale of lots
by auction. New lots were surveyed by Thomas
Is. Little. The Lincoln Mil and the old woolen
mi were then running.
Very soon there was another real estate excite
ment. 1t was caused by the sight of q force of
Iiish oen with shovels, beginning the excavation
for the canal This looked like business, and zeal
estate holders at once went to roost on high
perch.
1t was about this time thst half of the Lowell
farm OF about fifty was bought for 5000.
few years ago the farm (ffty acrcs) was sold to
the Water Power owner for thirty two thousand
dollars Evidently spipdles made gold line even
Of sheep pasture. About the time the first half
| Of the Lowell farm was purchased. the Water
Power Company bought tor $4,000 half of the
Haley farm, bond of the whole OF which they
Tad few years before for $4,000. There was
another tussle at securing bonds of property, and
the same trio acted. There was hard fight and
some property owners proved too tenacious for
their own interest Almost every house and lot
in the village was bonded at one time and Boston
folks took what they craved.-l Lewiston Journal.