The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1913-06-19
SOME OF ST. ALBANss HISTORY


The first mention of ST. Adams in
history is on the occasion of the sell
ing of the territory together with that
of several of the surrounding towns to
John Warren of Boston who bought it
from the State of Massachusetts in
1893 1t was soon after settled, prob
ably in 1900 by Mr.. Hackett who came
with his family and built log house
on Hackett's hill The village of st.
Adams is of much later growth, hay
ing been built up by water power and
| lumber for its mills.
The first house in St Adams was
erected by Stephen Hartwell. 1t was
a log house, built of cedar logs hewn
on two sides and put together after
the fashion of boys cob house"
Hartwell put up also the first saw
mill in the village and the next year
frame house which still stands in
considerably altered form and is own
ed by Edwin Bonney. One of the
earliest traders in the town was
Thomas Skinner, who in common with
all the other merchants of the times
kept plentiful supply of the two nee
essaries of pioneer days, rum and mol
asses. He was, however, a temperance
man at heart.
The warrant for the first town meet
ing was issued by Benjamin French,
justice of the peace, to Joseph Dear
born as a freeholder and inhabitant of
the town of st. Adams. The meeting
was held at the dwelling house of
Abraham Moor on Monday, August 8,
at one o'clock in the afternoon. In
1920 the town voted on the question of
separating from Massachusetts, 20 for
the measure, and three against it. In
1920 the valuation of the town was
$27 ,636.
In the year 1916 there were mthe
town 10 horses. 81 oxen, 81 COWS, Al
head of two and three year olds, %
houses, q barns, mills. 40 voters, SO
children and the farmer having the
largest number of acres under cultiva-
ton was 20 acres of moving field and
20 acres of pasture, largest number of
cows a, 4 oxen, > horses. 10 young
stock.
In the year of our Lord 1873, an act
was introduced to incorporate town
ship in the fourth range of township,
north of the Waldo patent in the coun-
ty of Somerset as town by the name
of St Adams. 1t passed the House,
June IA, 1913 and was signed by limo
thy Bigelow and approved the same
day by Caleb Strong, Governor of Mas
sachusetts. The first Selectmen were:
Ephriam Goodwin, William Moor and
Abram Moor.
The first meetings in the town were
held by a Congregational society III
the Merrill schoolhouse as early as
1845 and the present church was built
about 1856. 1t was built as union
church for the Congregationalists
Methodists, Baptists and Free Bap-
lists. A different minister occupied
the pulpit each Sunday. For the last
25 years the Methodist element have
been dominant and there have been
only Methodist pastors In the origi-
nal Congregational society there were
40 members, but Mrs. Eva Turner Is
the only member living in St Adams
at present.
The town has a prosperous Grange
at present which was organized, Feb.
26. 1875. There were 43 charter MEM
bers. OF these three are present
members of the Grange: II. Goodwin
Stephen knight and Mrs. Anna Vim
ing. For the first five years OF It's
existence the Grange met in Bukers
Hall Then it moved TO the town hall
where it met four years. In 1876 1t
gained 80 members In 1884 1t was
voted to build hall and the first
meeting was held Nov. 7, 1885. At
the present time the Grange has over
200 members. The hall has recently
been enlarged and it has an excellent
auuiDmpnt