Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1877-04-02
THE VILLAGE OF FAIRFIELD.
The Manu- features and other Industries
of the Piace.-Thc Homes OF the People.
"A Beautiful Location and a Prosperous
Community.

extent of territory goes, embracing an area OF
forty-two square miles. 1t settled in l774, and
Incorporated June lS.h, IT'S. On either bank OF the
Kennebec river, in what has truly been designated
'the garden of Maine" there abounds the most
diversified and beautiful scenery. Fairfield is no
exception to this rule nature has done wonders
for the place. Undoubtedly its picturesque loca-
ton suggested is name" Fair field" 1t is
blessed with productive soil, AMI is watered by
"Marston stream" which flows into the kenne-
bee, in the nolthcrly part Of the town. The place
has several local namcs-keEdaHs Mills. Fair
field, Fairfield corner, North Fairfield, Somerset
Mills and Larone. The principal village is Fair
field until recently know as "kendalls Mills,
and with that village alone our present notice has
to do This illage is in the southeast part of the
town, three miles distant from Waterville. There
is an excellent water-power here, formed by a
dam across the Kennebec, which gives fall of
twenty-five feet in three-fourths of mic, fur
nishing sufficient and constant power for saw
mills, machines for cutting clapbosrds, laths,
shingles, etc. Not over one-hslf of the water
power at this point is utilized, and the power ia
susceptible OF very great increase by the use of
reservoirs above, which are formed by the storage
basins of the Sandy, Carrabassct, Dead, Moose,
and upper Kenncbcc rivers.
The principal bushes: OF the place. of course is
derived from the manufacture of lumber The
Island mill Of L. Totman & Sons, is quite ex-
tensive, and has machinery for the manufacture of
boards, clapb oards AMI shingles. VIM. Connor &
Sons saw mill is at tie upper end of the island
On Mill street arc the mills of n. Totmsn & Son
D..
4 Fogg; c. ID. Lawrence & Co doors, sash and
blinds; c. X. Foss, curtain futures York & Nor
ton box makers, builders, planning and saving
Messrs. j. A. Ciley & Co., manufacture furniture
which is made all ready for putting together, aud
sent to Boston markets, where it meets with
ready sale. Then there are the establishments
Of Foss 4 Emery, and the Fairfield Furniture
Company's steam machine shop, in which kenrck
Fogg are interested. This company has sold
one of its buildings, with engine and machinery,
to parties in Waterville who have begun the addl-
ton Of another story, and hundred feet to the
length, and the business will be entered into
largely of framing houses, getting them all ready
for erection, and packing them closely for market
in California, the West Indies and in fact all over
the country. The bu mess is looked upon as
being so important and helpful to the place, that
private parties have contributed $1,000 to induce
the parties to locate here. large steam mill for
single manufacturing, i, run by David Pratt.
The number Of workmen to a mill average
twenty or thirty, making in the aggregate. during
the full flush of operations in the summer season,
between two hundred and three hundred lusty
mllmel When the logs are RATED down to the
m in ~ 30;
from the Moosehead Lake region, there are live
" times and plenty of money circulated among
the traders In the summer season, when the
mills are in full BIAS, between six and seven
o'clock in the evening, the streets are alive with
workmen returning from their daily tasks.
The lumber cut in the place amounts to about
% millions year, finding besides the local mar
ket market in Portland, Boston and New York.
The two furniture factories manufacture some
$4,000 worth Of goods annually.
Among the other industries OF the place may be
mentioned the corn Gaming establish mcnt of j.
Winslow Jones, ran by steam, where in the busy
part of the year employment is given to one hun
dred and fifty men and girls. Huskiag corn is
quite an item, the girls being paid by the bushel.
The product of one hundred acres of sweet corn
are annually canned at the factory, quite an en-
couraging fast for the farmers in that vicinity.
f. +. Turkey manufactures curtain fixtures; John
Cotton, lap-boards, brackets, &c; Frank Kenrick
the Price Of Reforncrs), carriages and sleighs,
which find ready market J. +. Il Z. p Ken
rick, wholesale -four and corn dealers Eldredge
Brothers, meat skews for the Boston market Al
len & Totman, hardware, stoves and tin-ware
VIM. c. Simpson, can't dogs and river driving
tools.
The Oldest and largest church in town is the
Methodist, of which Rev. z. Chandler is pastor.
Rev. {. burlington is pastor of the Universali,t,
Rev. Mr.. Bates of the Free Baptist. and Rev. Is.
F. Shaw, ID. D., of the Baptist. Besides these
churches, that have regular preaching services and
prayer meetings, the Catholics hold occasional
services at a school house. 4 fine moderl school
house, built few years ago, is used for the high
and grammar schools. The Reform clab, of
which we have frequently spoken in these columns,
is powerful organization for good. There is
lodge Of Good Templars, one of OLA Fellows
Masonic Lodge, aud Ladies Aid Society The
town has a temperance hotel, and is happily free
merry" sometimes called the "town agency"
We nust uot lolset tue iOCal pupeT, tue
field Chronicle" AN Industrious gatherer of village
news, and which has fairly earned the good meas
ure Of success which it has won under the manage
ment of Bro. Colby. There is a National Bank
with capital of $50 900, and the Fairfield Saw
ings Bank" There are two fire engines, the
Victor" especially having been heard from as
truly the victor in many hard fought cold water
contests. A trotting park just out of the village,
invites lovers of horse flesh to the sport of trot-
ting.
The town is in the midst oithe most productive
region of the naturally rich kenncbec valley.
"Kendslrs NJ ills" has been perhaps the largest
shipping place on the line of abroad for produce
and lumber. The dwellings are of wood some
very elegant ones. AMI nearly all uniformly painted
white, with green blinds, there being we believe,
but one brick house in town, that Of Mr.. A. +.
Lawrence. Among the more expensive dwelling
houses in town, we NAV mention those of William
Conner Gather of Gov. Connor), Chas. Fogg, +.
rotmsn, I. w. Fogg, the late j. ii. Nye, O,r.on
Burrill, d. Vickery, Daniel Hall, David Roder-
ick F. G. Pratt Calvin Totman T. p Tntman