Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-12-25
At North Monmouth Was
Built in 1901.
Has Been Scene Of Many
and Varied Industries.
II Is at Present Unoccupied.-.The List
Of Its Many Owners.

| What has been known as the "Old
Grst mill' out at North Monmouth
for 104 years is again vacated. This
old mill was built by John Chandler
| in 1901. The timberS and boards of
| which it was built grew on land exact
ly opposite the farm buildings of Wal
| ter Bishop, on Back street so called.
The timbcrs are very large and of clear
| old growth pine and were cut and hcwn
by one Stephen Prescott, then young
| man. In 1901 the year that he built
the mill, Mr. Chandler was elected
Councillor and Senator from Maine in
| the general Court of Massachusetts In
| 1903 he represented the kennebcc dis
| trict i'll Congress. In 1872 he was
elected Major General in the State Mill
tia ana later in the same year was
appointed brigadicr- general. He ran
| the mill for Il few years. but the writ
| or is unable to tell who the first miller
was.
Some years after the mills was sold
to Captain Amasa Dexter and brother.
They were the ones that planted pick
crel in the Wilson lake which is the
| reservoir to run the mill at North
Monmouth. After they bought the
mill they moved it about 40 feet north
east from where it was built and made
many improvements and put in three
horizontal wheels, two of which were
about eight feet in diameter. Your
correspondent ran over them many
times when Il boy. David Moody,
grandfather of the late David Z.
Moody. was the miller for Il num-
Der of years. and Il good one he
was. Your correspondent when young.
wrote up IL few verses about him which
were read in the North Monmouth Ly-
ccun. one OF them follows:
David Moody. the miller, grinds our
wheat ana our corn
lie is the best miller that ever WAS born.
lie will mike YOU good meal. he will
max" you good -four.
That will make you good bread if you
have milk that is sour.
For some reason MI. Moody became
dissatisfied in running the old mill so
he went down stream about one half
mile and bought a fine mill privilege
and had built Il substantial dam. The
dam was built by Captain Samuel
Holmes. father of Lewis Holmes, who
now resides at North Monmouth. Mr..
Moody then built a fine mill for grind
ing corn and making flour for which
it was noted for being superfine. The
mill was built about 20 years ago. and
is now owned by Gordon & Whiting.
After Mr.. Moody left the old MILL
I:".nIr,, King ran il for Il few years.
i3r NOV" 10 HallnWcll about 1876 and
:''mIl 81 Il there. Then Isaac King run
II 4 frM ears. bat uncle David Moody's
:;r:ldiu. VAS so highly appreciated he
took the custom, and the old mill had
to stop. Then John A. Pettingill.
father of Leonidas Pettingill and Grin
Fairbanks bought it and manufactured
shovel handles for 1t while. Mr.. Fair
banks was Il fine mechanic, but did not
like the shovel handle business. One
day he came into the store in rather a
blue mood. and asked if there was any
one that wanted to swap an interest in
hell for half of that old mill. They
soon sold out and f. B. Simpson manu-
featured long spade handles for a year
or so. Shoe pegs were also made in it
by A. D. King. then by l.. c. Stockin
inventor of the water motor. Then r.
i. Stanton bought it and manufactured
shovel handles on a large scale with
improved machinery. He gave up the
business and leased the mill and ma
chincry to j. J.. circuit ana A. Pcttin-
gill for one year. Then Mr.. circuit and
c. II. Berry bought the machinery
and hired the mill for a number of
years. circuit sold out to Berry. He
ran it q year or 50 until his health
failed. He died and thus closed the
handle business.
Then Lconidas PcttinGil and t. G.
Swain manufactured shoveIs a few
years. They gave up the business and
| both went to Leeds where they began
business separately. Mr.. PcttingilI at
| Curtis Corner and Mr.. Swain ut North
| Leeds. Mr.. PcttnGiIl was burnt out
and lost about all he had. He then
| came back here and bought the old
| mill about % years ago. He has madn
| cases, bowels. apple barrels. cloth
| boards. etc. and has made "A success of
| the business. II" has strictly and hon
| crahly attended to his business He
| has sold out all his rights to mill and
| power 10 Anna bcsSacook blanket mill
| corpora ton. ana moved all his machin-
| cry to Winthrop village where he has II
| ilne steam mill. His business will be
| what Will happen next 10 tho old mill
| but I'll hope it will 10 repaired and
som" industry be started again. Who
| next?