Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1902-08-13
BLuEHILL AND BEVERLY.
How Biuehill Figured In "a siassachu-
sets Celebration.

week OF US own thts year. but THIS PFC
turcsqus Hancock county town figured
conspieuously in the celebration at Bow
erly, Mans, week before last.
Among the speakers on that occasion
was Capt. r. G. f. Caadsge, Of Brookiine,
Mass whose address was really a his
toricai sketch OF Blaehiil, bis own native
town. ia which he showed the close reia-
tioaship OF BloehiH, Maine, and Beverly,
Mass.
After few Introductory remarks, Capt.
Csndage said:
II was in April, 1862, that a small sloop
called into Biuehill bay among IT'S islands
and along it's shores. No friendly eye
from those shores saw her approach, and
no hospitsble grasp of hand awaited
the landing of her adyenturesome crew
upon an island OF about thirty acres near
"The Fslls", at the outlet OF salt water
pond.
The country was covered by q dense
forest, in which rosmed wild beasts and
savage men. The nearest civilized abode
was at Bagaduce, now Csstine, which
could be reached only by long, circuitous
route by water. Canada had but recently
been acquired by the English, previous to
which that section of country east of the
Penobscot, called Acadia, and claimed by
France, was undesirable for English set
tiers. But after the capture OF Quebec in
and we have pictured the approach to that
coast OF the little craft bearing the pio-
neers OF that undertaking.
The two leaders were John Roundy and
Joseph Wood, "good men and true"
born, reared, married and having families
In Beverly.
Upon that small island they labored
through the summer OF 1852 In Telling
trees, clearing the ground, building two
log houses and getting out slaves with
which they loaded their sloop, and in the
autumn returned to Beverly and spent
the winter. In the spring OF 1853 they
took their families to their new homes in
the wilderness, and there founded the
settlement which later became the beau
tlful and aourishing town OF Biuehill.
John Roundy, at the time he removed
to BIuehill, was aged thirty-six years, and
In the full vigor OF manhood: his wife,
Elizabeth Res, was thirty. four, and their
children were Mary, fifteen, Elizabeth,
twelve, Hannah, ten, Charity, eight,
Anne, FIVE, and Emma, less than one.
Ruth was born at Bluehiil April 8, 1860,
and John April q, iii. John Roundy,
senior, died Aug. %, 17eo, aged seventy
three years, and bis wife died October IL,
1870, aged ninety-two years.
Joseph Wood was also in the flower OF
Haskell, forty-one, and their children
were Israel, nineteen, Mary, fifteen, Jos
eph, twelve, Ruth, ten, Robert Haskell
seven, and Joanna, three. Edith was born
BluehiIl August 8, 1856. Joseph Wood
senior, died June 20. 1913, aged ninety.
three years, and his wife died April o, 1914
aged ninety-two years and four months
Those were pioneers in the settlement
OF the town, sixteen, all Of whom were
| born in Beverly, and In W HON the citizen.
OF Beverly may feel a just pride. They
were hardy, honest and robust people By
nature; the kind needed for the work oil
| building up community, founding 8
town or a state, and right worthily they
| Oiled their seii-sppointed mission.
| John Roundy aud Joseph Wood were
reinforced by others from Beverly In due
course, the Candages, Coggins, Days
| Dodges, Friends, Herricks, Morses, etc.
aud from Andover by the Carletons,
| DariinRs, Fauikpers, Johnsons, Parkers,
/ Hoits, Peters, Stevens, ana osgoods; bat
| the former by their energy snd wisdom
had controlling voices In public affairs.
I'll ey we're moderators OF town meet ings,
seiectmen, and members of important
town committees; and Mr.. Roundy was
the first town clerk. During the revo-
| lutiousry period they were members OF
committees of safety aud correspondence,
! and used their inf leneo on the side OF
the colonies.
I They were foremost In the Inauguration
OF public schools, the formation of the
/ First church In 17T2, and the ipcorpora-
tion of the town In 1889. They gave their
| time, energies and money towards the
/ church edifice erected In 1916, when the
| town voted s.to buy a barrel of rum and
sugar to sweeten 1t for the raising OF the
new meeting house,. The whole popula-
tion was at the raising, drawn thither,
perhaps, as a wag of the period put 1t
"on account OF that barrel Of rum"
They endured the hardships and incl
dents connected with the infant settle
ment which were more real than
| imaginary. Mr. Wood said one day tc
Mr.. Roundy: II hope to see blowing in
this place yet" Mr.. Roundy made reply
81 don't think I should care to live longer
than that time;" thus expressing the
encouragement they had to encounter
When provisions failed they lived OF
clans, fish and wild game, and when BY
hard labor they harvested little corr
they psrched and pounded 1t into meal b.
mortar and pestle, and baked il for breaC
on boards before their wood fires. Over
coming all obstacles, however, they Hyet
TO see their children comfortably married