Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-12-03

favorable situation for business at
| tracted people from abroad and so,
| with it's natural increase, the little
hamlet of 500 souls a century ago has
grown into the beautiful city of 10000
inhabitants These words were
written at the time of the Waterville
centennial in 1902. Today over 1900
are gathered within the borders Of the
beautiful Elm City.
When the war Of 1912 broke out, two
companies were organized, one with
IS and the other with 40 men. In 1914
the old WatervilIe bank was chartered,
| the name afterward being changed 10
Ticonic bank. Waterville repeatedly
put itself on record in favor OF separa-
ton from Massachusetts and finally
| Maine became an Independent state IN
1920
The town licensed liquor selling, and
in 1928 there were "a licenses granted.
Subsequently Watervile became a
strong prohibition town.
The first newspaper the WaterVllle
| Intelligence, appeared in 1928.
| In March. 1926, there was a great
freshet carrying away part OF the
| Ticonic bridge, quickly rebuilt. The
| first theatrical performance was given
| in the old cotton mill on the
| MessalonSkee.
A village corporation was formed IN
1880, and a very stringent code Oh
| ordinances was put in force. A me
was the penalty for carrying a llghted
| pipe or cigar on the sidewalk, or Tor
doing any work whatsoever on the
Lords day Fires were not allowed IN
the meeting house.
| In 1892 another great freshet occurred,
with heavy losses along the river front.
Saw mills and other buildings were
swept away.
| Great excitement was caused by the
visit If William Lloyd Garrison to the
tcwn il 1S3a. An anti-slavery society
was formed among the students. and IN
1884. il had Il membership of 80 many
toWnspeopie joining.
But two murders have occurred in
WaterNillc The first occurred Sept
80 lS47. The body of Edward Mathews
| was found iii the cellar of Shorey'
clothing store There We're no marks
of violence. but subsequent eXanilna-
ton showed that he had been poisoned
" a dose of rrussic acid. The CRIME
was fastened upon DR.. y. +. Coolidge,
4 succe sSful young physician. Mathews
had visited lis room on the evening OF
tile murder. the trial was held IN
the spring Of 1S4S, and after being
rnt a hours the jury found DR..
Coolidge guilty, and be was sentenced
to life Imprisonment at the State prison
at Thomaston
The ultimate fate of Coolidge is
shrouded in mystery. On the official
records. the evidence goes to show that
he died in prison. but for many years
there has been maintained an argument
periodically revived in the press Of the
state. that Coolidge made his escape,
and that the corpse buried under MS
name was that Of another man. FER
sons who had known Coolidge in Maine
declared that they had met and con-
versed With lin in California. The
| rreDonderance of the evidence. how
| ever is in favor Of the explanation that
he passed his days at Thomaston and
treathed his last within the prison
walls.
The second murder was of more re-
cent date Late one Afternoon in June
| 1906 CustaS r. Iaskarides, q Greek be-
came involved in a quarrel with John
| Therapis. an Albanian, in q store, stu
lept BY a Greek named Evanselos, III
the Dunn block on Lockwood street.
Th,rapis, stabbed Laskarides with
butcher knife and ran away, but was
CAPTURED by Deputy City Marshal
! George H. Simpson in the notorious
Gilman block on Charles street. Las
i<arides lived but 10 minutes after being
STABBED Thorapis was sentenced to ID
wears imprisonment and is now serving
his time in rhomastOn.
| In 1919 the Aniroscoggin and kenne-
| Zee Railroad was finished to Water
VILE the event being celebrated wife
great enthusiasm. In 1S49 great lire
swept the business section Of the town
The ElmWood Eotel was opened IN 1910,
| afterwards burned and rebuilt in 1919.
| During the present year, 1908, the hotel
has received two additional stories and
| has been remodelled and improved
Throughout.
III 1851 the Pine Grove cemetery was
opened. In 1865 the PenObscot & ken
nebec Railroad was opened to Bangor
April %, 1861. a great mass meeting
was held to take action regarding the
Civil War This was quickly followed
by the forming Of several companies
which afterwards performed valiant
service. The cid Sd Maine regiment
bore home on its banner the names OF
II battles participated in.
Waterville gave to the service AL
men. an eighth of whom died during
the war Watcrville was liberal in
giving bounties and has commemorate
cd its war heroes by beautiful statue,
the "Citizen Soldier" by Millmore, To-
Gated on Monument park.
| The Ticonic Water Power & Manu-
featuring Co. was chartered i'll 1866, and
in 1878 the Lockwood co. was formed.
/ subsequently the great Lockwood cot
ton mill was erected, and the first cloth
woven in February. 1876 The plant
i was increased in 1882
i In 1873 came division of the town.
i West Waterville was set off, and in 1889
IT was given the name OF Oakland.
\ building BOOM which has contin-
; ueG With but slight Interruption. began
in 1851. The locomotive and car shops