The Republican journal., 1914-04-09

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lation of ''growing Belfast" At times
the growth was phenomenal for those
days. From 1880 to 184O the town grew
over 300 per cent, or from popula ton
of 1870 to ABB. In 1860 we had over
$500.
Belfast was growing in those days.
Belfast was a factor in Maine affairs.
In 1874 Hugh j. Anderson of Belfast
was Governor. In 1853 William G. Cros-
by of Belfast was elected Governor of
Maine. With the sole exception Of Ban
por, Belfast was the only town in the
State to furnish different man as presi-
dent of the State Senate, Two or more
times, between 1920 and 1860.
But there was another side to the
question of Belfast's history up to this
time, and most important one for you
members of the Belfast Board of Trade
to consider, and one that every citizen OF
Belfast who has her interests, or their
own personal interests, at heart should
ponder deeply and seriously.
Belfast grew very slowly during the
thirty years after the return from the
woods of some of the families. The
growth at first was practically that OF
the few families here. The old argu-
ments between factions took on new
phases and lutte by little the East side
members began to differ among them
selves. After few years new people
| began to come here to settle. Most OF
these new people were from other sec
lions than those represented by the first
settlers, and most of them settled on
this West side of the river and by 1892
the East siders had to recognize the
West siders in all calls for meetings for
the town.
The new settlers were mostly Scotch
Irish Presbyterians and took to argument
as ducks take to water.
| 1t was not a great while before the
factions got into heated controversy
over building church; controversy
which developed into what we should cal!
row between the east and west sides OF
the town.
1t ended in each side building meet
ing house and in squable that created
feuds that have hardly died out to this
day.
While these partizan fights were going
on the growth was small, and what there
was came to settle mostly on the west
side. By 1880 the town had grown to
have over a thousand inhabitants. The
new men who came here were mostly
young men. From 1926 to 1880 came
some very able men. Many of them
were neither Irish nor Scotch, nor COM
bination of both, nor had they much In
terest in the old arguments as to which
- bo cbo,11d no
or what the name of the town should be,
or in the constant fight over church mat
tiers.
To them the village was on the west
side, and its name was Belfast, and they
wanted to see it grow SO that they could
grow with it.
Many of them were young men of
great mental and business capacity, who
were ambitious to have the town grow
rapidly. They soon saw that with the
constant strife over little things, that
the people were getting nowhere, and
they demanded that the business men
get together and work for bigger, bet
ter, buster Belfast. Perhaps not in these
terms exactly, but that was what 1t
meant.
Look at the result. Three hundred
per cent gain in population in ten years
to 1910. Nearly six hundred percent
gain in thirty years, or at 1860.
With 1861 came the war and the end of
the second spasm of growing Belfast.
The period that have just told about
saw the introduction here of a number
of small manufacturing plants and also
a spirit of cooperation which we would
do we'll to consider today.
A typical business which will show you
the trend of the then growing Belfast,
was the cooperative mutual store, so
called, under the management of Will
liam Woods, and later of Woods, Math
ews and Baker. This store was an idea
of the time to express the close relation
between the farmers of Waldo county
and the city of Belfast as its shire town
and business center.
The war was serious blow to Belfast
in many ways, chief among them was
the beginning of the breakup of the
spirit of cooperation among our people.
With the close of the war the majority
of the people here felt that it was the
duty of Belfast to secure steam connec-
ton with the great interior business of
our State with the idea of bringing into
use our fine barbor as shipping point.
While this was being developed came the
great fire of 1865 which wiped out In one
night about one-eighth of the assessed
estates of the city.
Did Belfast cry and whine and ask aid
then? Not bit Instead she took what
insurance she could collect, built anew
and then two years later voted 800 in
favor to q against to pledge Belfast for
800, 900 dollars to build railroad into
the interior of the State of Maine.
The old Scotch-Irish fights and feuds
were as nothing to that which then be-
gan in growing Belfast. The minority
was small in numbers, only q, but they
were not small fighters.
In 1873 came another conf1agration to
our beautiful city, a conflagration which
in comparison with our size will compare
favorably in point of loss with any this
country has ever had.
Nearly four hundred thousand dollars
worth of property was destroyed, COM
pletely wiped out that time.
Here in about eight years, the people
of Belfast lost by fire about six hundred
thousand dollars, and on top of that had
assessed themselves with sum which
eventually amounted to half million
more to build the railroad. This in lit
tie city whose total valuation in 1860