Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1926-12-02


its prominent Pensioners for many
years was the late Ormandel Smith.
VINO Tor many years was one Of the
Maine.
In the Congregational church at
the Corner once preached the Rev.
DANIEL Lovejoy. the father of Elijah
Day LoveJoy, and the anti-slavery
martyr. The congregational church
had for many years as its pastor
Rev. Josiah T. Halves, the grand
father of the late Charles Boardman
Halves, prominent and we'll known
writer.
Prominent families Of the town
were the Meals. Dennises, Bartletts,
Toothachers, Ashfords. Nickersons,
Robinsons. Trues, Woodburys,
Plymptons. Smiths and Bakers.
The Free Will Baptist church has
been remarkable in that 1t is one Of the
Few strictly rural churches in the
state which has been self-supporting
ana prosperous for 100 years. It's
doors have never been closed and reg
uiar preaching services have always
been held.
Iitchneld's Gift to other States
~o'iAA"SAI diIiOuS tHo people VINO
nave gone forth from the town are
Rev. Smith Baker, D. D., for many
years leading Congregational clergy
man: Hon. John Day Smith, for many
years leading lawyer in Indianapolis
and Judge of the supreme court Con
his frequent visits to Litchfield he al
ways attended the Plains church,: DR..
Lewis M. Palmer, for many years
prominent physician in Massachusetts,;
General Isaac w. Starbid, DR.. George
Carroll Smith, Hon. Albert M. Spear,
a prominent Justice of the Maine su-
preme judicial court; Prof. Warren r.
Smith Of Chicago and Prof. Samuel
King Smith, for many years professor
Of rhetoric in Colby College. In his
later years Prof. Smith owned a sum-
mer place near the Free Will Baptist
church and was a regular attendant
during his stay there.
Litchhsld's Soldiers
Litchneld bore a prominent part in
the War of 1912 and sent many SOL
diers to the Civil War. It's population
in 1860 was 1904 and Of this number
it sent nearly 200 men to the service
OF the Civil War. OF this number IA
held commissions. The G. A. r. post
Is known as Libby Post in honor Of
Lieutenant ]. Edwin Libby, Company
B, 18th Maine Infantry who died at
Camp Parapet, Louisiana, September
16, 1868.
Our Inheritance ana Responsibility
Life is an Inheritance and an
achievement. The inheritance is ours
from God, from the fathers and moth
ers. This Inheritance is unspeakably
grand. The achievement is our part.
aided by courage and wisdom.
Courage we must have or we will
falter and fall in sight of the goal.
Courage we need to face life's doubts.
life's realities, life's trials, fearlessly
and patiently. Wisdom we must have,
that our inheritance may yield us gold
rather than \dross, wisdom that we
may never let scorn, contempt and
neglect of time and men swerve us
from our purpose or take from our
hearts humor, joy. kindness and love.
The church, the school and the town
meeting seem commonplace enough to-
day but they give birth to courage and
wisdom and so constitute our chief in
heritance. The founders were ever
men of insight and vision. therefore
they toiled, sacrificed and endured,
seeing the invisible outreach and
might of democracy.
We are in the midst of new days
and new ideals:' we are dealing with
new and strange forces. We are about
to write new epic. This time the
reality will put to shame the ro-
nances and fairy stories of the an
clients. We have made unthinkable
progress in the mechanic arts, we have
advanced the fine arts, we have added
to literature, we have given the world
scholars. statesmen and soldiers. We
have but to be true to the past. to
realize the high destiny of which our
fathers dreamed, for which they
struggled, a destiny which will give
us republic without ignorance,
caste, prejudice and tyranny.
The final victory of the republic is
for use and our children. We are al
ready entering upon our great task
to secure good government, honest f.
nance, just industrial conditions and
wise education.
Freedom stood by the cradle of the
republic. Her marrow is in our bones,
her granite in our wills, her reason in
our brain and her fire in our blood,
therefore we cannot fail.
One hundred years of preparation,
now men and women of Litchf1eld, go
up and possess the promised land, to
you the gift of God, the achievement
of noble fathers.
See that her commerce is developed.
that her fields are cultivated by the
light of science, that her roads invite
travel. that her schools produce schol-
ars, that her churches teach justice,
and love.