The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1902-04-10
THE ROBERTS FAMILY.

ham. Maine, 18th Century.
This is the title of book Of 143 pages by
Mrs Amorem Grant, No. % West Cedar
SO many of the name were born in Brooks
that it is a wonder the place was not named
Robertstown or Robertsyille, and it would
seem that about every town in Waldo coun-
ty has one or more representatives of this
sturdy family. On page Il we find this
sketch of
TIE FIRST SETTLER OF BROOKS, MAINE.
Going into the wilderness of Brooks, Me,
in l1H9, Joseph Roberts first selected spot
about a mile north of the present village,
and cleared the land for his first home. A
family, Thorndike by name, from Beverly,
Mass, owning a large grant of land, and
wishing to secure the improvements made
by Joseph, exchanged with him for a large
tract OF land about mile west OF the first
farm, now called the "Thorndike Farm"
Here Joseph and his boys cleared up an
other farm, built d log house, and here he
lived and died respected and lamented by
all. lie built the first saw mill, which de
velOped the village around 1t, and a few
Years later built the griSt mill, on the site
where the page Mills recently stood. He
WAS a natural mechanic, and was IA manu-
tdcturcr of wooden ware, selecting woods
With the greatest care, and with q foot lathe
turning out bowls, moftarS, etc. some Of
mis- dishes are in existence now among his
descendants He taught his boys the wool
turner 5 trade and the girls were taught
spinning and weaving. i he goods they
manufactured were a source OF revenue.
While some We're making articles. others
WOULD go out through the sparcely settled
country and trade them for necessities OF
life
The old soldier was an upright, moral and
religious man. ndustriol, and frugal. His
descendants have inherited these traits III a
great measure, as we'll as his consistent
patriotism in times of war.
OF more than passing interest to many Of
our readers is the extended sketch of
CaSsius Clay Roberts, formerly of Stockton,
now of Chicago, III. There is full page
portrait of him, and on the opposite page
portraits of his MISUNDERSTANDING Roberts
Lawler, and her husband, James }. Lawler,
and Miss Parepa Rosa Roberts. His first
wife was Miss Pauline f. Colcord of Stock
ton, who died Nov. 30, 1870. He married
Jan. ), 1898, Margaret bennett, who died
August 2S. 1890 He went to Chicago in
1854. and has been a grocery and market
keeper, an Official in the Chicago post office,
proprietor Of a hotel, and IL newspaper
reporter and publisher.
Another interesting sketch is that of
Barnabas Myricl Roberts, who was for
four years collector OF customs at Belfast, a
like term postmaster at Stockton, State
Senator for two years, and representative to
the legislature one year from Stockton. OF
MI Roberts it is said.
Politically, he was originally a Wing, be
came all Aboitionist about 1914, was one of
the founders of the Republican party and
always one of its trusted leaders in Waldo
County. He was a man of great energy
and determination, a ready debator and a
prominent figure in the political arena of
his county from 1885 until his death. lie
was the recognized leader Of one faction of
the Republican party, Truman Hartman of
Thorndlke being the head of the other.
Their last great struggle was in 1869, in the
contest for I. S. Senator between Hannibal
IIamlin and Lot NJ. Morrill,, Mr.. Roberts
supporting Hamlin.
He was "a candidate for the congressional
nomination in 1866, but was defeated by The
sitting member, Frederick A. Pike.
Here is a sketch of "a resident of Belfast,
a granddaughter of Esther Roberts and
Daniel: Hamilton
Eliza A. Kmba!l born.'Angust 1887 mar
II, 1854. They lived in Swanville, Me-, till
1867, since then in Belfast, Me. Mr. Piper
furnishes timber for Shipbuilding. He was
in the Twenty sixth Maine Infantry in the
Civil war. Eliza is noted in Maine for her
temperance work. She has held thirteen
silver and four gold medal contests, with
over three hundred temperance Rotations.
She has distributed thousands of pages of
literature and has induced sixty to sign the
pledge card to send to the Worlds Fair:
She is president of an active society, and
laid the foundation of the W. {. L. L. in
Belfast, Me- 1t is noble work and nobly
done.
A full page is devoted to portraits of Mr.,
and Mrs. Piper and their children.
There is much of interest in the book,
but we shall make only one more extract,
and that the publishers note on the author:
Amorena was the fourth child of Yelling
ton Roberts, who named his one little girl,
AmOrena Manter, and when he found him
self nearing his last hours on earth, he sent
her to live with her aunt Amorena, in
Brooks, Me-, back to the home where he
had started in life thirty-six years before.
The little one lost her new mother two
and One-half years after this, but her uncle,
mindful of his promise Of adoption, kept
her with him until she was twenty. She
lived in Brooks four years, Searsport two
years, and in WinterpOrt until 1862, when
she started out in the world for herself
She married, May 1869, Lemuel G. Grant,
son of Joseph Grant of Frankfort, Me. He
served through the war, first in the Fourth
Maine, re-enlisting in the Nineteenth
Maine, and was appointed qnartermaster
sergeant in First Maine Regiment heavy
artillery. He was discharged at the close of
the war and took up the sailors profession.
He was the mate of the bark Warren when
she was lost with all on board in the sum-
mer of 1870
Mrs. Amorena Grant, granddaughter of
Joseph Roberts, Jr', the revolutionary rev sol