The University of Maine DigitalCommons@UMaine Maine History Documents Special Collections 2019 History of Garland Maine Oak Lyndon Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/mainehistory Part of the History Commons Repository Citation Lyndon, Oak, "History of Garland Maine" (2019). Maine History Documents. 195. https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/mainehistory/195 This Other is brought to you for free and open access by DigitalCommons@UMaine. It has been accepted for inclusion in Maine History Documents by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@UMaine. For more information, please contact [email protected]. OcxK THENKW YOKK PUBLIC LlgRA^RY Lyxdox Oak of Garland HISTORY OF GARLAND MAINE BY LYNDON OAK DOVER. MAINE THE OBSERVER PUBLISHING CO. 1913 •rHE NEW YOPK IPUBLIC LIBRARY 63241^5 A8TOR LtHUX *N0 TILOEN « -.OMtONi. "- » 1«13 TABLE OF CONTENTS IV TABLE OF CONTENTS Page All Early Name, 53 Old Names, 53 In Quest of Food, 54 Lincolntown in 1804, 57 In Peril of Shipwreck, 59 From Frankfort to the Township, 59 Early Births in the Township, 62 Lincolntown in 1805, 63 A Striking Contrast, 63 Burned Out, 66 A Spacious Sleepinja^ Apartment, 68 The Surprise, 69 A Discovery, 71 Another Fire in 1805, 72 P'irst Beginning in the Southwest Part of the Township, 74 Coming of Mechanics, 75 A Large Crop of Corn, 77 The First Strawberry Festival, 78 The First School, 79 A Disappointment, 80 The Township in 1806, 82 The First Tanner, 83 The First Physician, 85 The First Visit jof ft.AJi^iist^r,,- ": : .i 86 ":" First Winter.i^di<)6l/ W ell V I 87 Early Marriages, ' •, 95 j The Township in i^d?,' 96 vt.;»cc 1 The First Blacksmiih, '7'. 97 "•"'•"'J The Township in 1^08, 99 The Township in 1809, 100 A Notable Barn, 102 A More Notable Barn, 103 A Remarkable Journey in 1809, 104 TABLE OF CONTENTS V Page The First Death in the Township, 105 The Township in 1810, 105 A Sorrowful Event, 107 The First Grist Mill, 108 Death of the First Physician, 109 Questionings, 110 Was it a Misfortune? 112 Petition for an Act of Incorporation, 114 What's in a Name? 115 A Copy of the Petition for Incorporation, 118 Act of Incorporation, 121 Garland in 1811, 123 The First Town Meeting, 126 The Second Town Meeting, 129 The Third Town Meeting of 1811, 133 The Fourth Town Meeting of 1811, 134 Garland in 1812, 135 The First Vote for Governor, 136 The First Voting List on Record, 137 First Vote for Member of Congress for the Ken- nebec District, 139 The First Vote for a Presidential Elector, 139 Construction of Early Houses, 140 How Houses Were Warmed, 141 An All-Day Fire, 142 How the Houses Were Lighted, 143 Furniture of the Times, 143 The Clothing of the Inhabitants, 144 Their Food, 145 A Luxury, 146 Social Life, 147 The Conquest of the Forest, 148 Planting Corn, • 149 Garland in 1813, 151 TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS Vll Page Action of the Town Relating to Lots of Land Reserved for Public Purposes, 198 Number of Families in What is Now Garland ViUage in 1821, 199 Garland in 1822, 201 Newcomers in 1822, 202 Search for a Missing Child in a Neighboring Town in Which Citizens of Garland Partici- pated, 204 Masonic Lodge, 205 Garland in 1823, 205 First Store in Garland Village, 207 Garland in 1824, 209 A Mustering of the Militia, 210 A Political Campaign Projected, 211 Garland in 1825, 211 Fall Elections, 212 Destructive Fires in 1825, 212 Garland in 1826, 215 Garland in 1827, 218 Congressional Convention, 219 Fall Election, 219 An Early Spring, 220 Garland in 1828, 221 The First Cemetery, 223 Garland in 1 829, 223 The Genesis of the Temperance Reform, 224 Review of Town's Growth From 1820 to 1830, 225 Garland in 1830, 226 Increasing Prosperity, 228 Garland in 1831, 229 An Abundant Crop of Corn, 229 Garland in 1832, 230 Garland in 1833, 232 Vlll TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Garland in 1834, 233 A Business Center, The Hop Industry, Garland in 1835, 236 An Irate Citizen, 237 Division of the Ministerial Fund, 238 The Aid of the Town to Some of Its Poorer Citizens, 240 Tragic Death of a Prominent Citizen, 241 An Important Road Contemplated, 242 The First Meeting House in Garland, 243 Garland in 1836, 246 Bears, 247 Fall Elections of 1836, 247 Garland in 1837, 248 Fall Elections, 248 Hard Times, 25.0 Surplus Revenue, 251 An Elephant, 251 Garland in 1838, 254 Garland's Artillery Company, 255 A Foreign Venture, 256 The Advent of the Martin Family, 257 "All is Well That Ends Well," 259 Garland in 1839, 260 Garland in the Aroostook War, 261 Growth From 1830 to 1840, 270 Garland in 1840, 271 Appropriations in 1840, 272 Fall Elections, 1840, 272 Garland in 1841, 273 The Fall Election of 1841, 274 The Avenue Road, 275 Garland in 1842, 275 TABLE OF CONTENTS IX TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS XI Page Garland in the Temperance Reform, 323 The Washingtonian Movement, 328 An Event Worthy of Record, 329 Garland's Action on a Proposed Amendment of the State Constitution, 329 Before Roads Were Made in the Township, 330 Early Lines of Approach to the Township, 330 Early Roads, 331 History of the Principal Existing Roads, 332 Second Road, 332 Road to Dexter, 333 The Present Trend of Merchandise, 337 A Sketch of the History of the Congregational Church of Garland, 338 Pastorate of the Rev. S. S. Drake, 349 Historical Sketch of the Free Baptist Church, 350 Garland in the War of the Rebellion, 359 Early Demonstrations, 359 Calls for Men in 1861, 360 Action of the Town Relating to Families of the Men Who Had Enlisted in the Ranks of the Army in 1861, 360 Names of Residents of Garland Who Volunteered to Fight Under the Old Flag, 363 A List of Drafted Men Who Furnished Substi- tutes, 365 A List of Non-resident Volunteers Assigned to Garland, 365 Reenlistments, 366 TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Names and Bi'ief History of the Men Who Enhsted in 1861, Names and Brief Histoiy of the Men Who Enhsted in 1862, Names and Brief History of the Men Who Enhsted in 1863, C5 Names and Brief History of the Men Who Enhsted in 1864, Names and Brief History of the Men Who Enhsted in 1865, A Brief Statement of Particulars of the Deaths of the Men Who Were Killed or Died in the Service of Their Country, 375 Cost of the War to the Town of Garland, 381 Bounties, 381 Woman in the War of the Rebellion, 382 An Incident Connected With FiUing One of the Quotas Assigned to the Town of Garland, 384 A Tribute, 385 PREFACE It is hardly possible for a man to leave a better legacy to his town than a good history of it. This is a matter that has been too often neglected, especially in many Maine towns which could have furnished ample material, but Garland has been fortunate in this respect, fortunate in having the material and doubly fortu- nate in having a citizen who was both able and willing to make good use of it. It was my privilege to live in Garland and to call the Hon. Lyndon Oak my friend. When I visited him during the latter years of his life, I found him devoting his spare time to writing a history of his town and was greatly interested in the extracts which it gave him pleasure to read to me. The manuscript came into the hands of John M. Oak of Bangor after the death of his father and when he decided to have the history published, it seemed very fitting that the introduction should be written, and the work done in the office of a Garland boy in whom his father had been interested, and so it came about that the book was printed in my office and I have written the introduc- tion. In going through the manuscript, a great deal of matter relat- ing to families and individuals was found to be incomplete, evidently being notes the author had collected but did not live to extend. For this reason it has not been possible to give this matter a place in the history, although it would have added much to its interest had it been completed. Much credit is due Miss Ellen M. Haskell of Garland for her efficient work in editing and preparing the manuscript for the printer, a work for which she was qualified by her familiarity with the history of the town. In this connection it seems appropriate to give a brief sketch of the author of this history and the following was taken from an article written by Henry L. Oak for the American Series of Popular Biographies. At the end of the volume will also be found an article written by Dr. M. C. Fernald of Orono. LISTON P. EVANS. Brief Sketch of Author By Henry L. Oak Hon. Lyndon Oak, teacher and merchant, was born in Bos- cawen, N. H., Sept. 22d, 1816, died in Garland Feb. 17th, 1902. He was educated in the common schools and at Gorham Seminary, where he was subsequently a teacher for twelve years. He con- tinued his professional career for many years, and as an educator met with praiseworthy success. In 1848, he founded the Garland High School, in which he taught the first term, and was so interested in its continuance that he personally guaranteed the salaries of the teachers for the next thirteen years.