The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1880-05-24
Capt. Richard Crockett.

Another aged shipm aster has passed away,
Capt Richard Crockett-being the third of the
ancient mariners born in the last century who
have died within few weeks. Capt. VIM.
Cammett died on the 9th of April at the age of
81, and Capt. James Rackleff, the senior of
them all, died on the 21st of the same month,
having completed his full century. I can
think now of only three of this class of citizens
remaining Capt. James B. Moore, now So,
Capt. Reuben G. York, 81, and Capt. Eben M
Cory, who is also 81.
Richard Crockett was born April 9Th, 1885,
in Scarborough, on the Seth Storer farm. 1t
was then owned by Cornelius Durant, who
also owned sugar plantation on the island of
St. Croix. Capt. Crocbett's father was then
the manager of Durant's farm, where he raised
mules for the sugar estate. The son Rich ards
first employment away from home was in 1906,
when he went to live with VIM. Vaughan,
who sold his farm in Scarborough in about
1857, to Durant, and moved to Portland. At
one time Vaughan owned 400 acres on Bran.
halls Hill. When young Crockett lived with
him the whole southern slope of the hill -
covered with heavy growth of white oak. He
next went apprentice to Charles Jordan, the
well-rembered shipwright, who then lived and
built ships at Stroudwater Young Crockett
soon left the shipbuilding and went home to
his fathers, who had taken a farm at Long
Creek With his fathers wood team he haul
ed the baggage of the officers of the captured
brig Boxer, from the vessel at Union wharf, to
Burnhams tavern. With the observing eye of
country boy, he surveyed the battered vessel,
and was Mortified to see everything despatched
with human blood and remains. He was for a
time in 1884, a soldier at Fort Preble.
| At tho close of the war, at the age of co. the
young man made his first voyage, which was
to Quoddy, with Capt. Prince. In 1921 he was
in command of the brig Levant, trading to
Havana. In 1897 Ezekiel Dyer built at Cape
| Elizabeth, for VIM. Chadwick, the brig "Cor-
| della" She was good representative of the
| West Indiamen of her time, but she was in the
| trade long after the others of her class passed
| away; most of them were not long lived. The
| Cordelia was short and broad, full bow, and of
course slow sailer She was low-decked, car
| rying 1.-TWO tiers of molasses' on her main
deck, and then it was no higher than the
|. quarter deck. Capt. Crock EFT was master of
| the Cordelia IS years. Her yellow hull and
stumpy rig were as familiar to the townsmen as
was the observatory. She outlived her owner,
Mr.. Chadwick, and became the property of his
| son Samuel, by whom she was sold, and was
| condemned in Havannah as unseaworthy, in
1876.
+ In 1916 Capt. Crockett and Samuel Chad
| wick purchased the bark "Muskingum,' ~
which was built at Marietta, Ohio. She was
the first square-rigged vessel that was built on
the Ohio river. The Muskingum.was great
contrast to the Cordelia; she was jaunty craft
| of about 240 tons, flush deck, and standing
royals. In this vessel Capt. Crockett took
much pride, and kept everything ''taunt." He
continued master of the Muskingum several
years, which l think was his last command at
| sea.
| In about 1889 Capt Crockett purchased the
| house and lot at the corner of High and York
| streets, in which he died. The old part of ii
was built between 1872 and 1740 by Capt. John
| Cox who was killed by the. Indians at Pemaquid
fort in 1747. 1t was much enlarged by Philip
| Crandall, ship-captain of the last century
| and for the first fifteen years of the present
when he removed to Windham. Capt. Gran
dali married a granddaughter of Capt. Cox,
the builder of the house At the time of its
erection, where High street now is, was a COW
pasture, and for fifty years later. In this fine.
ly situated house, overlooking the harbor and
years of his life, still retaining an interest in
| commercial affairs, and in the Marine So
ciety, of which he was Vice President
| WG