Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-07-04
HUNDRED YEARS
Town Of Unity Passes
Century Milestone.
Celebration Planned for TODAY
in Waldo County Town.
Many Former Residents Will Return to
Participate in the Fcstivities-Ora-
ton viii Be Delivered by President
Chase Of Bates.

the double celebration OF the Fourth
and Unitys centennial have been COM
lleted. and with favoraiblc weather,
Mondays observance will be the great
est ever attempted in Waldo county.
In the forenoon there will be a civic
parade, in which will be introduced
many old features as contrasted with
those Of the present day. The Belfast
band Will furnish music. In the even
ing there will b. 4 display Of fireworks.
TIL" Grafton will be delivered by Pres.
Chase Of Bates College, and among the
other prominent men who will make
addresses are Hon. John Crosby of New
York, Frank l.. Dingley and BENJAMIN
than'ilcr of Lewiston. j. Il. Taber will
max" the historical address of the day.
Unity is one Of the most progressive
towns in Waldo county and has sent
out into the world many distinguished
sons and daughters who have made
their mark.
The first settlement was commenced
near the limits of the town at the out
let of TWENTY-FIVE Mile pond, so called
by the fact that it was estimated by
the early pioneer settlers to be that
distance from the fort standing at the
junction of the Seba sticook with the
Ecnncbcc river in the town of Wins
low.
Thu first houses, which were of logs.
were built by two men named Carter
and Ware. long before the war of in
dependence broket cut. but from the
fear of Indians at the breaking out of
the hoStilitics they abandoned their
homes and moved over to the town Of
Winslow, where they remained under
the care OF the fort as long as it
seemed necessary.
Ware never returned to Unity. but
Carte. did, and took up his land at the
Close of the war and reared Il large
family. Ware had left his log cabin
standing on the bank of the stream,
and when the soldiers and families
We're vending their way back to the
Ktnncbcc through the wilderness. af-
ter being defeated at l:agaducc, they
followed up the stream. and, finding
the old house. tor it down that they
could construct Il raft with which to
cross the river.
soon after rartrr's return to Unity
rcndonc". and in 17S3 stephen Chase
came here and settled on the east shore
Of the pond. where TIL" Maine Central
railroad now runs. lie is ciaimed t."
have built the first framed house in
Unity. These people liv"l to very old
! a ge" and large families followed them.
Mr.. Chase reaching the aGn Of LOG AMI
AIRS. Chas" 49, Their descendants all
lived 10 ages almost reaching tn"
hundred mark.
The year If 1872 saw tho arrival of
Clement Rarkliffc. who came from
Tmington with his family in an OK
team. and Telling tn" trees, cleared u
little farm for himself, which was al
tcrward owned by ELISHA Moshcr and
later ~ Edmund iluSscy. While H."
arrived in Unity only u poor man.
| bringing his few worldly possessions
! in his Ok cart. hc died at the age Of 81
an independent farmer.
About this time there came Benjamin
| ana LcInucl Bartlett. whose worldly
! poeSc..,inns consisted Of an axe ANA OK
| team aside from clothes they wore.
| They cleared Il farm and were in after
year, among the most influential men
Of the town.
More than CO years ago = small build
irg VAS built on the banks of til" sandy
river stream by Thomas +. liussey,
which he used for an iron foundry, nut
with an increasing business Increased
his plant by building larger foundry
where for many years he engaged in
the m;tnufacture of plows. harroWs, Gull
tiv;tturs and other farming tools. his
son. j. O.. Hussey, was at this time
engaged i'll the manufacture OF stoves
for cooking purposes and did q Good
business until the burning OF the build
ing some % years ago.
In 1871 there was erected large tan
merry buildings, covering nearly one
fourth of IN acre of ground. They were
sllperlntended by man named Lar
-, bca. who WAS succeeded by Thomas
smell. Notwithstanding that a large
amount Of wood and bark was USED ana
large amounts of money We're d'strlput-
ed through the town ana adjacent
towns. il did not prove financial sue
cess and was at last shut down, the
buildings finally going to decay ana
then being burned.
During 1S14-5. a company was formed
which built a factory for the manutac-
turing of cheese. The enterprise was
not successful and in following years
the machinery was sold and the oullo-
ing torn down.
The first church in Unity was puiit
about 1926. standing near the town ilhe
between Unity and Freedom, not lar
from the Peter Aver farm, but was torn
down some years ago. In 1873 the
Friends built church, which has since
been remodeled and repaired and is III
scryiceable condition. In 1897. the Con-
gregationalist Society erected buiio-
ing near tie residence of BENJAMIN Is.
Stevens, which was subsequently taken
down and removed to the village, wherP.
after il had been occupied for seVerai
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