The Somerset reporter., 1896-01-09
Early History of St. Adams.

/ synopsis Of paper read in 81. Adams Grange
by ". II. Smell.
The town now known as St. Adams,
which WAS first called Berlin and then
Fair Haven and St. Adams, became in
/ 1913 the 10th incorporated town in the
| District of Maine, then a part of Mass.
We trace our first settler back TO the
year $500 when one Hackett built and,
with his family, occupied a log house on
what is now called Hackett's Hill. Per-
haps the high, dry lands were easier to
clear of the "forest primevaln :. or perhaps
there WAS certain companionshp and
social solitude in looking across dense
/ ly wooded valley, two or three miles in
extent. to the smoke curling from the
stick chimney of some neighbours log
cabin, at any rate, whatever the cause
may have been, certain it is that our first
settlers almost invariably located on the
hills or ridges, leaving the lower and in
many cases more fertile bottom lands to
be occupied later.
For a few years settlers struggled in
like the early voters on an election day.
Some of the first corners located as fol
lows, Daniel Lucas, Jonathan Hilton
and one named Watson, near Lucas cor
ner; man named Moore on Rand Hill.
John Lyford, Saml Sanborn, David
Rowe, VIM. Turner and Bear Smell near
I.yford's corner; DR.. French and one
.Jewett on the Webb Ridge; Josiah
Vining near the cemetery; Thos
Tenney on what is known as the old
Tenney farm; Jacob Stafford aud
Joseph Ireland near what ia now Hart
land village but what was then St.
Adams.
In 1920 Maine, having outgrown the
swaddling clothes which had bound her
to Mass, set up In business on her own
account and entered the Union as a
separate state. In that year l.. j.
Merrill cut his first trees on his lot
which commenced at st. Adams village
and extended east two miles and north
one. Four of his SONS settled on this lot
on what is now known as the Merrill
Ridge. or these sons one, Nathaniel
Merrill, is still living on the farm which
he hewed from the forest. Tho the old
est man in the town his mind is still
clear and to him we are indebted for
many facts contained in this sketch.
In 1923 Stephen Hartwell erected the
first house in what is now the village.
1t was built, after the fashion of that
day, cedar logs hewn on two sides and
put together after the manner of boys
cob house. 1t was comfortable no doubt
but would now be considered hardly an
ornament to the place. The same year
he put up saw mill, the first in town.
Our village now for the first time began
to put on airs and the next year saw a
frame house, 20 feet square, erected near
the west end of the upper bridge. This
house still stands but, like the "new
woman so changed as to be beyond
recognition.
The first store in the village was kept
by Thomas Skinner and like other stores
OF those times, whatever might be lack
ing, one was sure to find the two staple
articles West India rum and molasses in
abundance. If the molasses was higher
then than now, the rum seems to have
been cheaper, tor the price of a drink, be
the quantity more or less, was three
cents. One of the old citizens has often
related the circumstances of his last
drink. lmperceptably to himself his
drinks We're growing deeper and deeper.
One day he entered the store and after
drinking even more than usual threw
down on the counter the usual three
cents. Skinner instantly pushed one
back to him. "Why" said he "Skinner
what is that for? Isn't rum worth three
cents "A drink? With immovable couute-
nance Skinner answered, THAT is my
retae price but when sell at wholesale
| make a discount" The sequel of the
joke was that the man put his good
sense to work and concluded If he
couldn't use rum without wholsaleing
it he would quit the business which he
did at once and forever. A few years
later Skinner dropped the rum from his
line of groceries and to the time of his
death WAS a temperance man.
Such were those old times. Sixty
years ago the use of alcoholic liquors
was considered well nigh Indispensable.
They we've present at mans birth and
funeral, at the training of the militia
and at the baptism of the new convert.
The minister drank with his Pensioners
and the loafer with whomsoeyer would
pay for it. Its uses were not only medi-
cinal and mechanical but social and &C.
clesiastical as well. A few of our first
settlers, however, believing that the
breach of that custom was better than
the observance early organized a "Cold
Water Society,"" Though terribly lone
some at first, the idea grew to be the
overwhelming sentiment of the town till
day it can be truly said that at no time
during the last forty years would grog
shop have been tolerated within its
borders.
Instances without number might be
cited showing the prodigieous valor and
endurance OF those early settlers but we
forbear, only closing with the words of
the scriptures, "rhere were giants in
those days"
STATE NEWS