The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1883-05-25
EXCHANGE STREET.
"reminiscences of sixty Years ago.

1t was not my intention to continue this sub
iect further. but the urgent solicitations Of
many esteemed friends, have induced me to do
SO in order to complete the westerly side OF this
street, portion of which was given in sthe is-
sue Of the PRESS OF the 10th inst.
The Bank of Cumberland building was then
the Maine Bank, OF which Albert Newhall was
president, and Joseph Swift was so long
cashier, and In which our venerable fellow cit
lien Joseph Ilsley was for many years CLERK
The directors were Albert Newhall, William
Chadwick, Reuben Morton, Asa Clapp and
others. Joseph Pope had his Office 10 the same
building. In the brick block next below was
Seth Clark the merchant tailor of that day,
with whom our worthy friend, Hon. William
Goold the historian, was serving his appren-
ticeship, where no was often found roasting
the goose' while pressing the nice broadcloth
suits for the old dons Of the town. Here ii was
they were wont to congregate as they came
down town IN the morning, or during the day,
in order to get the earliest news, discuss poll
tics, tell their stories and crack their jokes for
which Mr.. Clark, Jos Pope, James Neal, Roy
al Lincoln, Joseph Harrod, JOS Swift and
others were always 80 ready. The next store
below IN the same block was that Of our highly
esteemed citizen, Oliver Gerrish, watch maker
and ieweller, and Thomas Todd, publisher OF
the EasternI Argus. Afterwards 1t was'occupied
bysSamuel Colman as o bookstore andbinde-
ry. Adjoining this was the large three story
wooden mansion owned and occupied by Hon.
Al, cfn
were occupied by Jerahs Haskell, hat store,
and Madam Smith. from Newburyport. FASH
ionable millinery, and afterwards for q long
time by Walter Corey and J. o. Bancroft as
furniture warehouse. Below this was the front
yard, or passageway opening into the rear, OF
the judges spacious yard and garden. Judge
Widgery was the father Of Mrs. Elias Thomas
and grandfather OF Hon VIM. W., Edward II.
and George Ii. Thomas Hence the present
blocks are called Widgery Block and Thomas
Block. The next building below was q one
story wooden building occupied by the judge
and also by Eben Mayo for offices. Squire Mayo
as he was then called, was for many years
prominent man OF some property and lived on
Congress street near India, then King
street, and afterward became poor and
died in our aims house. His large
tomb may be found near those OF the
Enterprise and Boxer officers In the Eastern
Cemetery. The next adjoining building was
low two story wooden edifice in which was the
Office Of the celebrated Oliver Bray. Esq, in
which the justice trials answering to our Mum
icipal Court were held. Squire Bray was OF
quite a dark complexion, (near akint to a mu-
latto.) On one occasion the partiessin a case
were all colored, and ''cloud of Witnesses
of sable hue were assembled. When Mr.. VIM.
b. Peters former crier of the U. S. courts,
who was much of q wag, came along, during
the progress of the trial he put his head into the
door and cried out, "can any of you gentlemen
tell me which is esquire Bray?"-and passed
on. OF course roar OF laughter ensued, bat
Justice Bray was not at all disconnected. The
next building below was occupied by Deacon
John Phillips, shoe store and eobbler, land VIM
s. Quincy, watch maker, and next came Steph-
en- Delande, the celebrated confectioner. Mr.
ID. was Frenchman and quite humorous
character A Mr.. Wilson and wife, English
Quakers, afterwards occupied this shop as ex-
ira nice confectioners. They were highly es-
teemed people, and subsequently, kept on Mid
die street, in the Hopkins block The next
below was the small Marine Insurance office,
OF which Mr.. James Neal (uncle of John Neal)
was president. This was place OF resort for
Friend Sam Hussey and Capt. Asa Clapp and
others of the princely merchants OF the day on
Long and Union wharves.
Next below the passageway came Merchants
and Jones Row so called, the latter, built chief
ly by Parson Kellogg, with stores In trout and
dwellings in the rear and in the upper stories.
The first was occupied by Leonard and Amos
III. Cross, merchants, the next by Stephen Lit
tie, broker and commission business, the next
by Henry S. Pearson, watch and nautical in
ri nj ma hv EnOah M0ufton.
eller and watch maker and Eben Griffin x Son
boots and shoes, subsequently by Robert Bar
bo9r father of j. and @. Barbour) and same as
issncw occupied by John Barbourland Son, In
the basement was vietualling cellar kept by
III. G. Quincy, (whO had wooden leg) and was
for many years keeper OF a Seaman's Boarding
House on Fore street, near the Custom House.
The next building below was occupied by
Nehemiah Cram, commission merchant, snbsa-
quently by 3. q. Atwood & Co., Tor Atwood 81
Next below, on the corner Of Fore street, came
Gould & Webster, Moses Gould and Eben
Webster) hat store, subsequently, occupied by
Jonathan Tukesbury as boot and shoe store.
Around the corner. westerly on Fore street 10
the alleyway, was the store of Joe Dudley, step
father OF James and Erastus Brooks, editors OF
the New York Express and members OF
Congress, their residence being over the store.
The same premises afterward were long occu-
pied by Phillip Quinn and Peter Phinney,
the merchant" It will thus be seen that
changes have taken place in the location Of
trade as well as in business men during the
period referred to. Then Exchange street was
the centre OF the dry goods stores, there being
only one or two. Edward Howe and Joseph
Pope Quaker on Middle street. Then the
stores were small now they are princely estab-
lishments, not only in dry goods but in all 9TH
err branches Of trade, such as boots and shoes,
hats and caps, iswelry, ete.l Then theirs we're
only two small banks, no insurance offices and
no Commercial street with its magnificent
wholesale grocery and flour stores. Then about
all the flour was brought here by small vessels
ftom Baltimore and Philadelphia. Surely
Portland has not "wilted" albeit other cities
may have gone far ahead OF us during the past
thirty or forty years. w. ID. L.