The Republican journal., 1914-04-09
A Talk on Belfast.

Something of Its History from Its First
Settlement. Its Ups and Downs Com
mercially. Its Natural Advantages. What
MAY be Done by the Board of Trade, and
the Citizens to Make 1t Bigger, Better,
Buster Belfast.
Address of Mr.. E. R. Pierce before the Bel
fast Board of Trade March q. 1884,
Mr. President. Gentlemen of The Bel
fast Board of Trade:
When was asked to speak before you
this evening, or some other evening. l
being a Yankee promptly asked in re-
turn what they wanted me to talk about,
and how long?
They allowed that they wanted talk
on Belfast. Belfast, the growing city.
What can we do to improve it's growth
through the Belfast Board of Trade, or
otherwise? Talk as long as you wish.
Now | submit to you that at first
thought it would seem as though any
hody ought to feel that he was getting
an easy Law out for talk from that list
It certainly seems as though anybody
could talk for an hour or two about Bel
fast. Its beautiful location beside the
blue waters of the finest )andlocked bay
on the entire Atlantic coast; its wonder
full trees shading its streets; its perfect
examples of Colonial architecture; the
matches views of ocean and lake, of
mountain, hill and vale which are wait
ing to entrance the visitor who shall take
the time to ride in and about Belfast
the Beautiful"
To talk about all that is easy indeed.
It has been the talk of townspeople for
nearly century and half:
For century, at least, the citizens OF
Belfast have been sure that it is the
very finest location for a great city that
Maine possesses. You and believe SO
today.
The location is right, the harbor IS
right, it is almost at the center OF our
great coast line; we lave great farm
ing country to the north, east and west,
we have now, and always have had, the
best landlocked harbor on the Atlantic
coast, if not in the world. Nature s
Great Creator gave in unstinted quantity
the conditions needed for great city
when He laid down the present territory
we call Belfast.
When the State of Maine was incor-
porated in 1920, Belfast was one of the
largest and smartest places in Maine. 1t
was about half as large in population as
it is today. 1t was almost twice the
population of Bangor at that time. Rock
land was then a portion of Thomaston,
which was then about the same size in
population with Belfast. The cities and
towns now called Auburn. Lewiston,
Minot and Poland all combined had
population then just about equal to the
town of Belfast.
Belfast was growing town in those
days, what we would call a booming
town.
1t is the intention of the present Bel
fast Board Of Trade to have Belfast
again take her rightful place as one OF
the most important business cities Of
Maine. But how to get at it is the great
question.
Belfast has had three or four spasms
of growing. In order to get down to
practical business am disposed toward
the opinion that sketch of the working
out of the policies of Belfast's citizens
during the past may be of considerable
aid in determining what must be done IN
the future by her citizens if they wish
to take their rightful place IN this COM
monwealth of ours.
One day in May, ITO, or IA years
ago, there came sailing up into this beau
tiful bay of ours, three families, James
Miller's. John Mitchell's and a Patter-
son family. AS they sailed along, Mitch
ell, who was the largest land owner
among the original settlers, who, by the
way, were ali good Scotch Irish folk,
sturdy, healthy, God fearing Presbyter-
ians. Patriots to man. Most of them
from the north of Ireland, either from
the County of Londonderry, or from the
adjoining county Antrim, which is nearer
the Scottish coast.
As was saying, as they sailed along,
Mitchell, VINO was from Londonderry
county, said to Miller, who was from the
county of Antrim: "This is certainly
fine looking country. We will have the
village on the east side of the bay"
may, nay, sir! The village will be on
the west side of this bay" was Miller's
reply. And then they argued.
Mitchell and Patterson settled on the
east side of the bay that day and Miller
on the west side. You may we'll believe
that the argument that day was well
worthy those staunch Scotch-lrish pa
triots.
Belfast started with something of
boom in growth. In six months there
was an increase in families settled here
of over three hundred per cent. But
Mitchel's east side secured all but two
families, who settled with Miller on this
West Side of the bay.
In six years Belfast grew to be
place of more than one hundred in popu
Iation.
But with all this growth there were
q only James Miller, John Cochran and
James Nesmith settled on the west side
of the bay Now do not forget the argu-
ment as to which side of the bay the vii,
lage was to be, nor the type Of men who
had the argument. 1t has greater
= bearing on growing Belfast than you
may at first realize.
spoke of John Cochran, who settled
with Miller on this side Of the bay. He
was a historic person worthy of much
more extended notice than can stop to
give here. He was member of the
most momentous tea-party ever held in
the world. That in Boston harbor in
December, 1913.
Now six years after that party, or in
1779, John Cochran and every other resi-
dent of Belfast from both sides OF the
DAY are fleeing to the woods in mortal
fear of life and property because the
warships of the British, whose tea Coch-
ran helped spill into the waters of Bos-
ton harbor, were sailing into our bay.
This evacuation ended the first spas m