The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1898-05-12

aud Milburn compromised ana signed
paper showing their Willingness 10 have
a bank on Skowhegan Island
\ copy of a charter signed in Secre-
tarv of States office, Portland, March =
lS25 by A. Nichols, Secretary of State, Is
still preserved and sec. | begius in this
way: "Be it enacted by the Senate and
Heuse of Representatives in Legislature
assembled, that Bryce Mcclellan. Isaac
Farrar, Samuel Weston, Jonathan Far
rar. Judah Mcclellan, John q. Neil,
Daniel Steward. Jr., William Spaulding,
Eleazer Coburn, Amos Townsend and
their associates and assigns, shall be and
hereby are created a corporation by the
name of Somerset Bank and shall so con-
tinue until the first day of Oct. which
shall be in the year of our Lord, one
thousand eight hundred and thirty-one.'
They were not successful in establish
ing that bank, and in Il copy of petit
ton for the Skowhegan Bank, these rea-
sohs are given for not accepting the
charter of 1925. THAT the act TO incor-
porate the Somerset Bank was among
the first passed in the State and materi-
ally changed the former system of bank
ing established by Mass. Such were the
changes that the Cumberland Bank
would not accept its new charter, al
though it had petitioned for an increase
of capital and chose rather to retain the
charter granted by Mass. Another rea-
son for not putting the Bank in opera
ton was an unexpected scarcity of
money in the county and also in Boston,
which did not permit foreign bills to cir
culate in Boston. but drove them home
where they must at that time be paid in
specie. Now money is more plenty.
In this extensive county there is full
and ample capital which can be concen-
trated and invested in Bank, both for
the benefit and convenience of the in
dividual possessing it and the trading
part of the community and for the pub
lie IN general.
Skowhegan Bank was incorporated,
March t. 1888, with capital of $4,000,
but did not get into working order until
Oct. Its officers were; Samuel Wes-
ton, Pres. Samuel Philbrick, Vice Pres.
aud cashier, with Samuel Weston, Isaac
Farrar, j. G. Neil, Abner Coburn, Ed
mund Pearson, John Ware and Calvin
Seden, directors. The agreement of To-
cation states that the building should be
at such spot as committee chosen by
the stockholders at their first meeting
should designate, said committee to con-
sist of two persons from Milburn, and
two from Bloomfield. The place deeid-
ed upon was the land of John w. Yves
ton, between his house and that now
owned by Mrs. Bacon. John Taylor of
Norridgewock, laid the foundation and
built the vault and received two hundred
dollars for the job. The building WIS
erected after that work was done. This
was used until after So. when piece of
land was purchased of AlonZo and Ste
phen Coburn and r. f. Eddy, next TO the
bridge in Skowhegan, and the vault was
removed and building put about it the
same as before. The old building WAS
moved back on Park st. and is used to-
day as dwelling house.
The capital paid into the bank was in
specie, gold and silver. They often sent
specie to Boston to redeem the bills. At
one time Quincy Blanchard was going to
Abingdon, Mass. on visit with his team,
80 they sent the money by him. The
specie to the amount of fifteen thousand
dollars WAS packed in small boxes,
which in turn were packed in boxes that
window glass came in. These were
strapped with bands of iron and then
placed in Mr.. Blanchard's wagon, and
thus he carried it to Boston.
In 81 occurred great depression in
business, and failures were frequent in
all lines of traffic. A person with prop
erty and liabilities was much worse off
than person with neither. One could
net dispose Of property neither could be
collect bills. Banks suspended specie
payment thereby FORGETTING their char
tiers, and their continuation depended on
easy legislation. There was no money
received for the lumber, wool and other
exports, while every cent that could be
found went to Boston in payment for
breadstuffs and other necessaries for
sustenance.
Bloomfield Academy was incorporated
in 1907 and received from Mass. timber
land, which was sold to create fand to
help carry on the educational work.
The original building was of wood,
painted yellow, and had a hip roof in the
center of which was the cupola holding
the bell. | am told that the bell rope
passed down through a box behind the
preceptor's desk, and when he wished
to ring the bell, he opened door
into this box. Hanson's history states
that "commodious brick structure Ca
pable of accommodating one hundred
students was built in 1870" Hon. Bryce
Mcclellan gave one thousand dollars that
hall might be finished in the second
story for the use of the town. 1t was
Immediately used for the March town
meeting, while the town house continued
to be used for the Sept. meetings; but
finally the town held all its meetings at
the Academy and did until Bloomfield
became part of Skowhegan. BY the
way, this town house was in the center
of the town, and was upon the cross road
upon which are the farms of Maxy jew
EFT and John Kendall. When 1t WAS
abandoned it was taken apart and
brought to the village and now is b. n.
Foss' shop, behind Fairbrother's livery
stable.
Among the doctors who resided in
Bloomfield from time TO time were: Dr.
Nathaniel Whitaker; DR.. Zibulon Gill
man, who was interested in carrying the
mail from Norridgewock to Augusta
DIR. James Bowen, who came to town in
1908 or 90 and had studied with Dir.
Gallup, and SHIELD an enviable position
in the estimation Of eminent practitioners
of the day" He was repeatedly in the
Legislature before the separation"
He was the origin of that story dentists
tell. Like all physicians he extracted
teeth, and on occasion he told his patient
to open his mouth, which he did to such
an extent that DR.. Bowen, who was
small man exclaimed, "Not quite so
wide, | choose to stand on the outside"
DR.. VIM. Mcclellan lived on the farm
where M. Il. Pooler now resides, and one