The Somerset reporter., 1903-10-29
HISTORICAL SKETCH.
OF the First Baptist Church of
SkoWhegan, Me


from the church records, Hanson's His
tory of Norridgewock, Starks, Canaan,
Bloomfield and okowhegan, the town
records of Skowhegan, Aliens History
of Norridgewock, Eben Weston's pa
pers, and facts remembered by Mrs.
Sarah Coburn, Mis-. Sarah Parker and
Mrs. Cynthia Steward, put together in
order by Mrs. Lizzie A. Marble.
In the year i77I, small number Of sturdy
men, intent on making home, f4r themselves
and their losterity, came up the kennebcc
river and made the first settlement in som
erset county, near where the Ahram Wyman
farm now IS. The land was called Canaan,
and to Canaan belongs the early history Of
this church. The people lived far apart, and
the roads were poor, the river SO broken by
falls as to be Of little use fer transportation.
They first built log cabins FOR themselves
and families, but as they grow more prosper
Gus, and had mills to saw lumber, they built
houses, usually of four rooms with a chimney
IN the middle. They possessed land and
lumber in abundance, but money was scarce,
fur being practically legal tender, and barter
traffic was the mode of trading with the In
dians, and with each other
As late as 1888, the people felt obliged to
send petition 10 Legislature requesting that
they might be released from taxation, giving
as reasons: that the land vas heavy to clear.
their houses were cold, and their barns not
fit shelter for their live stock, the winters
long and sheep scarce, as the bears and
wolves made great havoc among them, leav-
ing barely three sheep to a family That
there were great number of children who
were unable to earn their own living, and
many who might if they had sufficient cloth
ing to protect them coarse linen clothing
being often their only protection After the
Revolutionary struggle was over the town
settled rapidly and Presbyterian society
was formed.
In I777 Rev. Ezekiel Emerson. driven up
the river through fear of the British, lived in
Norridgewock and preached one half of the
time in Norridgewock and one half in Ca
man. He married the people and performed
the office Of minister to them very acccptably.
lie returned to Georgetown in i7S3, and in
1884, a Sc tied minister LIVED among the peo-
pie. 1t appears that the people did not favor
his doctrines, for after a struggle Of ten years
the church was disbanded and a Congrega-
tional church was organize The Baptsts
first made their appearance in Maine in 1851
when several persons in kittery, embracing
their tenets, were baptized by immersion
Quite a. number Of the people of Canaan
were dissatisfied with the preaching Of the
Congregationalists, and as early as 1906, in
vitations were extended to Elders Asa VIII
bur and Jabez Lewis OF Sidney to visit the
people and preach the Baptist doctrine. In
this way Baptist sentiments were introduced,
a revival followed and those who were con-
verted united with the Baptist Church in
Clinton.
Reproach, ridicule, and persecution was
the lot Of the Baptists here at that time, but
they multiplied and ON Oct. 10th, 1903,
church was organized with fifteen members
at the house of Dea. Daniel Smith. The
names of the members were Daniel Smith,
Daniel Lancaster, Nathaniel Burrill, Umphry
Burrll, Rebecca Webb, Eleazer Spaulding
James Webb, Isaac Lawrence, Rachel Burriil,
Sarah Lancaster, Meribah Ireland, Christie
pher Webb and Mary Burrill
This church was organized as the First
Baptist Church of Canaan, about two years
before the regular proclamation Of the gospel
was listened to. In 1906 the labors OF Rev.
Henry Kendall were employed for a portion
# the time nurinn this ti,,,. t., ra,.;,,,l o
resbed tbe cbn,b Id IA" a5a ',9 sf oars"' i
ed to it. Mr.. Kendall was succeeded in
1909 by Rev. John Wagg. He remained
md dedicated At an clnansn ~ $50 onJ
TODD very mar ,.bere NJ = p Gnr,;s,
,onse now stanas nm West Isrant strnat
Portions of the cqll,r and fann,r,tia,, ,.,, s,Ii
Va traced
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