The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1913-04-24

westerly from the engine house. Next
two story building which was occupied
as store, dwelling house, and still later
as junk-shop, subsequently removed.
Next building occupied successfully as
store and dwelling, known as the Russ
house. On the other side of the Beach,
not far from where the freight depot
now is, stood small Building called the
Ferry house, occupied by the Ferryman,
who at that time was Daniel Hubbard.
There was road running from the foot
of Main street to the foot of Market
street, and on that street, on the site
now occupied by Mr.. Henry Wyman,
stood blacksmith shop occupied by Mr..
Ansel Lothrop, who subsequently re-
moved to Searsmont village, where he
resided many years and died in 1884,
aged fifty-four.
For more than thirty years prior to
the erection of the East Bridge in 1906,
there had been public ferry across the
river, the starting point on the west side
of the river being just westerly of Lewis
wharf, portion Of the time just easter
ly of it, nearly opposite the foot of Main
street. On the easterly side the starting
point was little down the river from the
SPOT where the eastern end of the bridge
now stands. From that point travellers
bound eastward wound their way up the
bank to the road leading to Searsport
village; which locality, by the way, was
then known as Sodom; the Sodomites
sometimes returned the compliment by
hurting Scripture at Sandy Beach, call
ing it Gomorrah There were three
wharves on the Beach; Russ, just north
westerly from Lewis wharf, Nesmith 8,
just southerly from it. and Mansur's,
near the Washington Webster house, a
portion of which is still standing; these,
with a wharf built by 'old Major Cum
bingham" near the westerly end of the
Upper Bridge, constituted the wharf ac-
commodations of the place in 1905.
There are few, probably. of those who
now designate the Beach as Puddle Dock
who are aware that portion of the
premises was once used for dockage pur-
poses. That portion lying at the foot of
the upland was lower than that portion
nearer the river, and in the spring, and
at high tides always, was covered with
water. There was for many years prior
to 18O5-the remains of it then visible
dam at the westerly side of the Beach,
between the Smith and Mansur houses
before described, near where the Engine
House now stands. for the purpose of
letting in the water at high tide and
keeping it in when the tide fell. Through
that dam there was sluice-way through
which ship and other timber cut up the
river and RATED down was foated into
the dock, where it lay safe from storm
and freshet until needed for use. After
the dam went down the water still con-
tinued to come in as before, and on that
locality the boys of 1905, and for years
after, found their best skating ground.
Belfast was not, like Rome, built on
seven hills, but she came within two of
it. There were in 1906, and for years
after, five points in the village of such
elevation that they were called hills. On
Main street, there were Wilson's Hill,
not called by that name until Mr.. Wilson
erected his house in 1906, Crosby's Hill,
on the summit of which Mr.. Crosby's
house stood, and the Hobbs or Cremer
Hill, where the Hobbs or Cremer house
stood, the location of which was given in
a previous chapter. There was not then
the gradual descent that there now is,
from Wilson's Hill to the foot of Main
street. At the foot of that hill, which,
steep as it now is, was then terribly
sleeper, after passing some thirty rods
of gradually descending ground, came
Crosby's Hill; some idea of the height of
it may be gathered from the inspection
of the underpinning of the house which
remains where it was sixty-eight years
ago, and, which when laid was about five
feet above the level of the street. From
that point there was rapidly descend
ing grade until the Hobbs house was
reached, and thence a steep descent to
the beach. The boys of 1874, who think
that the coasting down the Wilson Hill
Is ''first-rate," have but little concep-
ton of the luxury of coasting as enjoy
ed by the boys of 1905, who started their
sleds on the top of Wilson's Hill. and
with but slight diminution of speed
brought up on Sandy Beach; sometimes
in the dock. "Clear the coast!" in those
days meant something worth looking out
for.
On High street was Fields Hill, 20
called after Mr.. Field erected his house
in 1907, which has now become almost