Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1924-07-23
THE GooDx(9 OLD DAYS.

We hear sometimes of the good
old days" in Ellsworth. The follow
ing sketch by DR.. Peck, written prob
| ably about 1S45-50, paints a not too
attractive picture of the days when
| rum flowed almost as freely as water
on Union river, and the early SET
| tiers wasted their living and dissi
pated their possessions in rum. Were
these the good old days we hear
about?
SO far as we know, the following
sketch is hitherto unpublished;
When I first came to this town in the
autumn OF 1915. a few of the first set
Tiers on Union river We're alive. They
were persons of strong and robust con-
stitutous, and had known what was
privatton. suffering and want For my
own amusement and information |
have had long and interesting con-
versations with these early pioneers
respecting the first settlement here. !
regret that l took no notes or minutes
of the information they gave me until
as late as 1856
The parents of my wife were mem
They were among the settlers who
came here, prior to the commencement
of the Revolutionary war, and were
| fond, as aged persons generally are, OF
relating the incidents of their early
/ lives. From their repeated relations OF
affairs here and from my minutes, l
have gathered what information l
| have, and from some scanty historical
records
When Canada was. conquered by the
| British army, and the treaty of 1868
| was signed the French coded all their
possessions in North America to the
British and period was put to the
Indian wars. which had prevailed, with
short intermissions, for eighty years,
and had retarded the settlement of
Maine and desolated the frontier settle
ments of New Hampshire, Vermont
| Massachusetts and New York.
In the year 1868 or 81, settlements
were commenced on this river. Houses
were built, mills erected, some i'm
provements made, and families moved
in.
From 63 to rs the progress of the
settlement was slow. owing to the
poverty of the first corners and the
privations to which they were sub
tected. I do not suppose that ardent
spirit was much used during the first
years of the settlement, because there
was not much intercourse with other
parts of the country, the art of distill-
ing new rum was hardly known nor
was spirit then used as common
beverage.
From the commencement of the
Revolutionary war in 1875 until its
close in 1888, the settlements on this
river did not increase. Several fami'
lies moved away to the places whence
they originated, and others did no
come in to supply their places. Thes'
carly settlers, during the continuance
of the war. suffered very great prlVa
, ton. 1t was sometimes difficult to pro
cure necessary food and clothing. Dur
ing the continuance of this war spiri
, could not have been obtained or mucl
{ used,
? After the peace of 'S3, the most invit
, ing and eligible places for settlemen
on the eastern seaboard of Maine be
gan to fill up with hardy and enter
prising pioneers. AS the getting o
4 lumber was the primary business, mill
, were built, lumber manufactured an
T vessels employed in getting it to mar
! ket, and in bringing back the produc
of other ports. Then it was that tn
more free use of spirit began
: Those employed in numbering opera
: tons are much exposed to inclemencie
of the weather, to wet and to cold
The prevailing opinion was that spiri