The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1913-05-01

father of Mr.. Stephen G. Bicknell. Tan
ner, William Durham, father of Mr..
Arson E. Durham. Cabinet-maker,
Samuel Peck. Halter, Mr.. Rowse.
Tailors, Abel Baker and Mr.. Cole. Paint
err, Mr.. Mitchell. sInnholders, Thomas
Whittier and---Hobbs. There were
five Justices of the Peace; Bohan P.
Field, w. Crosby, James Nesmith, Rob-
ert Houston and Benz amin Poor; two
Deputy Sheriffs, John Huse and Francis
Anderson; one Notary Public, James
Nesmith. The foregoing list contains
the names of thirty-six individuals; chill
dren of thirteen of them are still living
here.
Belfast was then in Hancock county.
Three terms of the court of Common
Pleas and one Term of the Supreme
Court were held annually at Castine;
there were three Judges or the Bench Of
the Common Pleas; neither of them of
the legal profession.
The first ship ever built here, the ship
Fox, her tonnage less than one half of one
of the three masted schooners of these
days, was built in 1805.by Major VIM.
Cunningham, near the Upper Bridge.
The Jenny Miller, schooner, was built
some years previous, near the spot
where the railroad turn-table stands.
There is tradition that a sloop was
built in 1891, near where the Upper
Bridge stands; her name is not remem-
bered, but she was known by the nick
name of the "Pizenwater;" so named
because she leaked SO badly that she
poisoned all the water she passed
through. Unless the tradition that as
sumes to fix the time and place of her
being built is authentic, the Jenny Mil
Ter was probably the first vessel built
here. There was a sloop Mary which
ran between this place and Boston sew
eral years prior and subsequent to 1905,
but the better impression is that al
though owned she was not built here.
The next vessel in order of time after
the Fox was the schooner Superb. She
was built in 1907 on the site of Condor s
wharf, by Messrs. Whites and Patter-
sons, and commanded for time by Capt
Robert Patterson, 4th. She was launch
ed at midnight, and there is a bit of
romance connected with the event, to
the effect that Gladly tair," who had
never witnessed the launching of YES
sci, and who was bound not to die with
out the sight, mounted her horse and ar
rived just in season to see the Superb
glide, not into her native element, but
into the element on which she was des-
tined to float until she went where all
old schooners go. The Superb was still
plying between this port and Boston, as
late as 1924
On the twenty second Of December of
that year, 1907, Congress laid an en-
barge on all the shipping in the ports
and harbors of the United States, the
effect of which was to suspend the build
ing of vessels here and elsewhere The
embargo was partially repealed by the
non-intercourse act of March l, 1909,
which permitted the departure of our
merchant vessels to all other ports than
in Great Britain and France. Under the
provisions of this act commerce revived
and our coasting trade was almost en-
tirely relieved from embarrassment. The
ship Belfast was built on the eastern side
of the river, near Goose River, by Walter
Hatch, for western parties, and the brig
Illuminator on the western side, on the
same site where the Superb was built, for
the Whites, Pattersons, John Angler of
this place and James A. Allen, of Boston.
The war with Great Britain, which fol-
lowed the next year, put an end to this
species of enterprise for while. After
the close of the war the energies of our
people began to recuperate and ship
building recommended.
In September of this year Sept. 25th,
18O5) the Rev. Alfred johnson was in
stalled as Pastor of the First Congrega-
tional Parish, at salary of seven hum
dred dollars. His predecessor was the
Rev. Ebenezer Price, whose connection
with the Parish terminated in 1902. In
1910 Mr. Johnson y;ouy IF ba rrroot