Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1895-07-15
history KeNNEBEc BRIDGE.
IT'S 6'fth Dates From 1886 and Thrice Thi.
Convenience Was Rebuilt.


hepeo river at this place to the other was
ny Terry. IL was successfully conducted
by a man named Pollard, hence its
name, Pollard ferry. The starting point
from the west shore was at what is now
called the city dump, between the Boston
q hennebec Steamboat Compauy's wharf
and e. Stone & Company's wharf, at
tnat time known at the foot of Winthrop
road. The landing on the east bank
was near Fort Weston, now the old Fort"
on Bowman street, used as a tenement
house, and which many think should be
preserved as landmark Of the city's early
history.
Augusta during that decade was
known as Fort Weston and Hallowell was
called Hook. The villages were growing
and the citizens of each showed great
pride in their respective places of abode
The Fort Weston citizens inaugurated a
movement for the establishment of a
bridge across the Kennebec river at this
place. The jealousy of the Hookites was
Immediately aroused and steps taken to
procure means of preventing bridge be-
Ing built at this place. Charles Vaughan
was appointed by the Hook people to
make resistance against the Fort Weston
ers for the establishing of bridge At
that time Daniel Cony was a senator in
the Maine Legislature and James Bridge
a member of the House of Representa-
tives, both influential men of the Fort
The matter was vigorously presented be-
fore the Legislature In session and by the
enterprise business nke-manner and
earnestness in which these gentlemen took
hold of II the project was started and
an act Of incorporation procured much
to the CONSERVATION of the Hook people.
This was Feb s. 1896 that the act passed
the Legislature.
The corporators we're, Samuel Howard,
Joseph North, VIM. Howard, Daniel Cony,
Jedediah Jewett, Samuel Dutton, VIM.
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Bridge. A stipulation in the incorpora-
ton was that the bridge should be located
between the Pollard ferry and the Mill
stream, now known as Bond brook.
Subscription books were opened and the
shares quickly taken. The work of con-
struction soon commenced under direction
of Capt. Boynton and on Sept. 9, 1897,
the pier in the channel was completed.
The people of Fort Weston were overjoyed
and celebrated the success of the under
taking by seven discharges of field piece
and three rousing hearty cheers.
The superstructure consisted of two
spans supported by round arches, braced
and keyed The bridge was finished
Nov 81 of that year amid the rejoicing of
the citizens of the Fort, while at the
Hook the people felt sad over the LOSS sus-
tanned. The cost amounted to S27, 600
and this was the first bridge built across
the Kennebec river and the largest In
this district of Maine. 1t was not pro-
fitable investment for the builders and
eight years elapsed before dividend was
paid. The bridge stood until Sunday
afternoon, June 23, 1916, when through
weakness ard decay the east span gave
away. After two years delay 1t was re-
built, and during the intervening time the
ferry was restored The second bridge
was after the model Of the first and the
contractors were, Benjamin Brown and
Ephraim Ballard. The cost this time was
$40, 600. On April 2, 1897, fire destroyed
the bridge, and the succeeding one was
built by Ephraim Ballard the following
summer and on August IS, was opened to
the public. 1t was purchased by the city
in 1867, and made a free bridge In
1890 the present handsome, neat and
durable iron bridge was built at cost
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