The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1897-11-18
George Kendall.
Fairfield. Almost centennarian.

Fairhe1d's Almost centennarian.
The Fairfield journal of last week has
Ia very interesting sketch of George
Kendall, son Of Gen. william Kendall,
the first man To improve the water
power on the Keunebee river at Fairfield
village and for whom the village was
originally named "kendall's Mills.
From this article we clip the following !;
ION the 18th of December, l7s2, Cen
eral Kendall married Miss Agebell Chase,
of what Is now Pishon's Ferry. 1t is a
singular fact, one that has occurred but
once in the memory of the oldest inhabi.
tants, that the river was open at that
time Of year, so that the General and his
bride took their wedding trip down the
river IN row boat TO the Generals resi-
dence, which was a log house on the
main bank of the channel, near where
the wire bridge now crosses 1t. Another
residence was soon after erected by the
General near where the residence of
Joseph Murray now stands, and the
couple moved into it with their several
children, who had been born in the log
house.
He afterwards decided to build brick
house, and 1.-The Old Brick House, ="
which all will remember and which
stood where the residence of A. F.
Gerald now stands, was the result.
George Kendall, the subject of our
sketch, WAS born In this house April %,
1900. He was one OF eleven children,
eight boys aud three girls, and was the
1au In,
Gus fact that none of the children had a
middle name.
lie WAS connected with his father and
brothers IN the lumber business, and
after his parents death he ran the mills
for number Of years in company with
his brothers.
In 1894 he married Miss Louisa Hunt
of Clinton. Twin sons were the result
of this union. But misfortune seemed
to fall to his lot, for his wife died soon
after, and one Of the boys followed her,
at the age OF eighteen months, The
other son, George Franklin, grew up
until, at the age of eighteen, he WAS a
man In size and stability, when, if pos
sible, a greater misfortune than the
death of his wife and other son befell
him. 1t occurred In August, 1853.
son worked on farm owned by some of
as relatives, near Fairfield Center, But
he returned home in the above mention
ed month, and one afternoon, making
some remarks to his little cousin, which
were recalled afterward about riding on
the train, disappeared from the house.
This caused no uneasiness, as they
supposed he had returned to the farm,
&c. 10 a h.. do
so. But a visit by the owner of the
farm to his fathers about week after
developed the fact that such was not the
case. A search followed, and after a
time it was found that he had changed
his clothes under the bridge which
crosses Holland Brook on the road be-
tween Fairfield and Watervile, leaving
his old clothes at that place.
The supposition is that he went to
Waterville and boarded a train, but
whether this is correct or not will prob
ably never be known. He had about
$40 In money with him at the time of
his disappearance. If living, he is now
sixty-two years old.
Mr.. Kendall spent time and money
searching for his son, hiring some of
the best detectives in the country, but to
no avail. Once his hopes were revived
by hearing that a George Kendall was
stopping at certain town In Michigan.
He Immediately went to the town In
question, and at hotel there he found
that man about the age that his miss
ing son would be if alive and claiming to
be from the South, had stopped there
and registered as George f. Kendall, but
had departed and could not be traced.
Mr.. Kendall is now living with his
neice, Mrs. Anna Russell, on Hudson
Hill, and his every want is attended to
with minute faithfulness. His general
health seems to be good, and although
he is quite deaf, his eyesight Is good and
he can read without the aid of glasses.
His mental faculties are good, and he
can understand what he reads without
difficulty.
All of the Kendals have lived to be
quite old; his sister Electa, who died
last May, was ninety-fve, and the
chances are that he will live to see the
century mark.
During his long life, he has lived in
Fairfield, in sight of the Kennebec, and
was never away from home to stop but
few months at II time.