The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1885-02-05


teen hours, wading through the deep snow all
the way-the first to travel over the trail for
nearly three months. Over thousand people
made the ascent to this place in the year 1884,
not all Gas the register here shows) from our
cwn country, but many from France, Ger
many, England, Scotland. and all parts of Eu-
rope; and think | am safe in saying that not
one of the hundreds went from this remarkable
spot without feeling deeply indebted to the kind
officials who did their utmost to make profitable
and pleasant The short time which they passed
on the Summit of Pixies Peak t.
The Early Settlers of Montvllle.
Considerable interest seems to have been awakened
through the news columns of your paper In regard
to the old inhabitants Of this town, now living.
Perhaps a brief sketch of few of those leading
spirits of other bays who have passed away, may
find an interested reader. These men deserve to
be held in grateful remembrah, ,e by US for the
sturdy industry by which they won from the
wilderness these acres which now afford US our
bread and butter. 1t requires considerable effort
of the imagination to think of this thickly
settled section unbroken forest, but such
was substantially its condition 50 years ago. Here
and there a settler had made a small clearing upon
some hill and erected log house. Winding bride
paths through the forest were their only means OF
communication with one another, and with the out
side world. Journeys We're occasionally made on
horseback to the, then village of Belfast to secure
necessary supplies, and repleuiah the "ttle brown
jug" The land at that time was mostly in the
possession of an association Of propretors known
as the Twenty Associates" A large portion Of
the settlers were squatters who would neither
purchase the land they were settled on or move
ava. In the guise of Indians they held meetings
to consider how they could best oppose the de-
mands of the proprietors who, through agents,
were making strong efforts to collect small sum
per acre for the land they occupied. This organ
ization made the proprletors much trouble, but
accomplished nothing for those who took part In
1t. One after another the most of them paid the
small sum demanded or removed; few, however,
refused to do either, and caused those who bought
the land from under them much trouble. Demolish-
ing the dwellings OF these unwelcome tenants in
their temporary absence, seem to have teen "a
popular method of disposing of them.
One of the first to settle mere permanently was
Isaac Hall. Mr.. Hall was born on smiths Island
near the town of st. George, Me, Apr 18th, l7oS.
He was a descendeut OF 4 baker of that name who
came to Boston from England about l722, settled
in what is now State Street, and removed to New
Meadows or Harpsweli about 1877 His son Isaac,
born in l725, a soldier ut the taking of Louis
burg and also in the revolution, and afterward
settled and died in st. George. His son, Rev.
isaac born in lT36, served as a private in the
Revolution and became one of the first native
preachers of the Baptist faith in the State. He
organized the Baptist church in Knox in 1900, was
settled there us Its pastor in lSlG and sontinued
ill his death in 1874, His son Isaac, the subject of
this sketch, came to this section with his father In
1906 He worked fora time in the town of Frcedom
and assisted in clearing ltnG " here the thickly
settled portion OF the village now IS. In lsOS he
began clearing the farm near what is now Rand
lctts corner, on which he after lived In
ls!5 he served for few weeks as private 1t t'.t
time Belfast was possessed by die British, for
which he was granted pension few Years be-
fore his death. (ilis SON, Isaac G., served As Il
sohier in the war OF the rebellion over two years,
and mortdlly wounded at Petersburg. He
was the fourth Isaac of successive generations to
Bear arms in defence of his country, ! doubt if
there are many families can show Il similar record.)
In 1879 he erected frame house which is still!
standing and i n ohably the oldest in this vicinity.
Nj. Hall was for many years deacon OF the Bap-
list church organized by his father in Knox,
Though he never took prominent part in public
affairs he came to be widely known and greatly
liked. He was man OF deeds rather than words,
and left behind him an onviable reputation for
honesty hospitality and general urightness He
had family of Is cAibren, Of whom are now
living, His brother, Israel llul Esq, of rhorndike,
i li,-il. .,f-l Hall -
1850
Benjamin White was born in Goshen, Wen
ma, Me, May l3th, 1880. Mr.. hite was a descend
ant of the itth generations Of Pcregrine White, the
first child of English purentage horn in New Eng
land. He the eldest Of family OF 10 children.
when IL years of age he went to live with a man
by the name of Cummings, farmer and Orthodox
deacon, in the town of Winthrop, Me. IIeleft Win
throp at the age of Is, und became Il pupil In
Pennington Academy, lie Lad previously receiv-
ID little no education, and was obliged to enter
one IF the lowest classes in thA school. He applied
himself aasiduuusy TO his studies that at the end
or the second or tpirt term he was able to engage
a teacher, In lNl2 he was in Augusta assisting
in raising troops to entcr the L.. :. service. la
Jan. 1913 he marched to Ca7tiue with company
in which he served as a non-gommis7i0nei
officer, and remained there ami ut Eastport nearly
year. From q journal Kept by him during the
year II appears NItV a"ouV INT only part ol tncIr
eAPtli'u'e suggestive " war WAS Il" ooo"sIon"i
glimpse OF sUth vessels rs tht wasp anu the Rat
tier Mf Nhlte came t. This vicinity about 1919 a
sch"oI tcGhef, ANA tauShl M ifst StA"ol III ths
section In south Freedom, Two or three years
after lie hought an interest In saw NH ON the
Half Moon stream, standing near the present site
OF CODY MILL amt a tract ui lant near IL and
"uit a los mouse, married ana settled down f"r
many Years ne spent his winters teaching school,
IN Whlch profession he Is 7ald to have been very
successful ne hi'u soPt reputation as teacher
ol Vocal music ana u-utIy supplemented MS
u'S 9VH'"'9 Will an evening singing sehooi' /"
C"'"S "'lN ne Pele'7'eu 'u " "''efihlhalioH 10
y ~ ~ II 'l''' ' '"' o'''i
''''i VIZ! III lug Il ei'" III ''"7' 4o"'S'
' | ~ "
'1o'''' 'i'" i'Pi'7'''''''r =" '''1 i-'~'7'"I''''
III i'f 0 was ''o De''0' i"'''' w l"t"t1' "He "l
''io Do'0'i ''i' 'i No"Si'S9"'' l" 'liS
district GA the third Oail0t, taken early IN lsi3,
he received a majority over the seven other c,n,ii
~, ,,-,3 IT,.
7' ''-' " NV ''' " ''' - '0'''''' '''''o "iN-'''
Wlit Information anu It tact Tor Saying the riShl
thiuo i'm the. ri,,nt nIacr IIa itaJ Iu,. -tb IsGn
,,.:,,. .
"llfhh Stevenson "h5 ana ialmltry hho"n
as Colonel" Stevenson was born in Liverpool,