The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1913-09-04
Annals of Belfast tor Halt a
Century.
BY AN OLD SETTLER
(Hon. VIM. G. Crosby.)
CHAPTER XXX. 1885,

y
follows. On Sunday evening, January
10th, fire broke out in blacksmith S
shop in tina rear of the Eagle Hotel,
occupied by R. M. Monroe and Robert
W. Quimby; the building was consumed
with all its contents, which were COM
bustible. Between seven and eight
O'Clock in the evening of October 18th
an extensive conflagration occurred in
the banking room of tina Waldo Bank:
thirteen thousand dollars of its bills
We're utterly consumed There were
strong suspicious that the directors and
cashier were accessory to the act. The
bills were all of the denomination of
one, two and three dollars, the reissue
of which was prohibited by law as it
then was, and hence no serious loss was
sustained by the stockhold srs. In the af-
ternoon of the 25th one story double
dwelling house situated on the Judge Read
farm, on the Northport road, was
burned; it was one of the oldest framed
houses in town.
Mr. Jonathan White, who came here to
reside in 1895 died on the ilth of Janu-
airy, aged siXty-nine; his brother Robert,
who came here in 1895, died July Both,
1910, aged seventy. The lives of these
two brothers were so intimately blended
that notice of the two in connection
seems to be peculiarly appropriate. They
were born in Chester, n. H. After
coming here to reside they became the
owners of lots of Land in close proximity
to each other, on the Northport road,
and continued to occupy them during
their lives They married sisters, daugh-
tiers of the venerable James Patterson,
one of the earliest settlers in the town.
Jonathan S farm was the one now known
as the Pickard place; the one which was
purchased at the time of the Quebec
Railroad excitement with the expectation
on the part of the purchasers that the
depot would be located on it; the price
paid for 1t was five thousand dollars.
Roberts farm was the one which is
now, and has been since his decease, in
occupation of his son William B. At the
time he purchased t-ere was log house
upcn it il which he commenced house
keeping and in which his son, Hon.
James P. White, was born. In 1903
ne erected the framed dwelling house re-
Gently removed from the site on which
his son William B. is now erecting a
house. All his children now living reside
in this city; at one time they all resided
with their several families, seven in
number, on the same street Jonathan
erected his house, still standing where it
was erected, at little earlier date. All
his surviving children reside here, eX-
cept his son Jonathan, who resides in
Rockland. Their descendants constitute
the most Numerous family, probably, in
town They were both worthy men and
good citizens; faithful in the discharge
Of their obligations and exemplary in the
performance of all the duties devolved
upon them.
The Belfast and Quebec Railroad
Corporation was incorporated March
the ninth There were sixteen corpora
tors named in the charter; the only sur
yivors are Ralph c. Johnson, Hiram 0.
Alden, Hugh t. Anderson and William G.
Crosby. Intelligence Of the passing of
the act was received here with most
emphatic demonstrations of joy. On the
evening of the 18th the Eagle Hotel was
illuminated, there was a grand enter
tainraent at which the 'solid mem of
the town as well as the young and
vigorous were present, there was a
perfect avalanche of toasts and speeches,
and steam enough let off. could it have
been utilized, to propel locomotive to
the Canada line: or to adopt the phrase
ology of the day, from the storm tossed
Atlantic to the placl bosom of the
SaintlL awrencev' An instrumental survey
of the route was commenced on the
sixth of June, under the direction and
superintendent of Colonel Long, and
was completed to the Cananda Line in
the latter part of SEPTEMBER There
were various reasons why the road was
not built; one was the parties could not
be found to take the stock; the others
need not be recapitulated.
The Belfast Bank was incorporated
April LIST, with a capital of fifty thousand
dollars. There were twenty-six corpor-
ators named in the charter, eleven of
whom are still living. The meeting for
organization was held June Sd; Joseph
williamson, Daniel Lane, Paul R. Hazel
tine, Thomas Pickard, James P. White,
Salathiel Nickerson and John Haraden
were chosen directors. At subsequent
meeting of the directors Mr.. williamson
was elected Presto ent and Albert Bing-
ham was appointed cashier. The Office of
the bank was in the second story of Will
liamson's fre-proof block, that portion
now occupied by Mr.. George R. Sleeper,
until 1857, when it was removed to the
room now occupied by the Belfast
National Bank, IN which bank the origi-
nal one was merged in March 1865. The
succession of presidents CT the old bank
apd pour after Mr. Williamson hos