Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1922-05-05
Hallowell History
Reviewed at Meeting
Historical Society

Historical Society
Paper 81 Unusual Interest Read BY
Miss Ruth A. Whittsn OF Hailewell
at Regular, Session Of ksnnebee
Society, Held in Augusta - An
nounesnent Of Several Gifts to
Society = Eight New Members
Voted into Organization
A very interesting and instructive
paper on the history Of Hallowell was
read by Miss Ruth A. Written Of Hal
lowell Thursday evening at a meeting
| Of the Kennebec Historical Society
which was held in Library hall The
fact that Hallowell and Augusta were
one when this section OF the country
was first settled goes to make this
history the more interesting.
The history tells Of the first settler.
Deacon Pease Clark, who came to Hal
| lowell in 1852 and settled on the spot
where the new shoe factory now
stands. with him were his wife and
his son Peter, with his wife and child.
His grant of land from the Plymouth
| Company contained 100 acres and COM
prised a strip of land so rods wide
and one mile long. Three other sons
Of Mr.. Clark afterward followed him
to this place and settled there.
AS neighbors he had Fort Western,
which was two miles away; Josiah
French, who kept an inn at what is
now Hartford Square. Augusta; Eph-
| Ram Cowan. who lived on the lot
where the State House now stands;
/ Samuel Howard, who lived farther
south; and Jonathan and Job Phil
brook. who lived two miles below the
present town Of Farmingdale
In III an appeal was made to the
legislature to incorporate the town
and this was done on April rs OF that
year. The town took the name Of Hal
lowell, after Benjamin Hallowell. one
Of the Plymouth proprietors. 1t in
! cluded what Is now Hallowell. Angus
| ia, Chelsea, Manchester and Farming
dale.
It soon developed into two distinct
villages, one at Fort Western and the
other at the Hook" so named because
| Of the brock which ran through It and
which the Indians called "Bomba-
| nook. IN 1iJ( DIS a lCSuil VI Ivan
between the two settlements, Hallowell
was divided into two towns. The new
| town was first called Harrington, but
later on petitioning the legislature the
name was changed to Augusta.
! Hallowell was, at the opening of the
18th century. the busiest place east of
Portland and at one time babe fair to
become the commercial metrop lis of
the State. Vessels came to that city
! from Boston and the West Indies, IS
stage routes centered at Hallowell and
it was the business center for region
of so miles around. In 1921 Hallowell
| had a population of about 1000 and
upon its bust. es. street there We're =
stores, including three large book
stores. Two weekly papers were
printed there at that time.
The city was acknowledged as a
leader in the arts. Many of the peo-
! pie were expert musicians, while
others wrote books and pamphlets
of which over 100 are now preserved
! in the Hubbard Free library. Such
men as William Lloyd Garrison.
| Wendell Philips. Ralph Waldo En-
erson. John G.. SAKE. George w. Cur
| It's. w. r. Alger. Oliver Wendell
! Holmes. Lucy Stone and Richard
Dana. Jr., appeared in the city on the
lecture platform.
AS a social center. the city had no
equal in the State of Maine. When
ever a distinguished man came there
to visit, invitations were sent to all
genteel people within so miles of
Hallowell and they all came to the
party regardless of weather. Their
guests included such men as Phillips
Brooks, Count Talleyrand, John Bull
finch and Daniel Webster.
The original paper presented by
Miss Written was greatly appreciated
by the audience.
Preceding the speaker of the eve.
ming, short business meeting was
held. IL was voted to hold a recess
during the months of July. August
and September. so that the meeting
in the month Of June will be the last
for some time. Eight new members
were voted into the society. this
making a total membership of G7.
The secretary then announced the
following gifts to the society, all of
which were accepted with thanks. A
file of The American Advocate and
General Advertiser of Hallowell, Me,
which was printed in the years 1922
1924: list of voters in Ward l of
this city in March 1857. given by
Horace E. Bowditch of Augusta; sew