Samuel Wakefield and his wife Mary Burbank, came from Kennebunk in 1756 or 57, and settled at the head of the bay on the lot now comprising a considerable part of Steuben village. Their children were Samuel, Lydia, Ruth, Benjamin, Phebe, Hannah and Sally. After the death of his first wife, Mr. Wakefield m. a widow Small, and their children were James, Myriam and Daniel.
Amos Stiles, retired, San Bernardino, was born in Kennebec, Maine, in 1823. His father, Israel Stiles, a farmer, moved to the northern part of New Brunswick. In 1843 the subject of this sketch went to Ohio, where he remained four years, and then returned to New Brunswick, where he remained until 1819. He was married in Nova Scotia, in 1849, to Miss Rebecca O’Brien, and soon after his marriage he moved to Utah, where he lived four years. In 1860 he left with teams for California, and arrived in San Bernardino in December of the same year. Here he bought … Read more
The Dunbars of Narraguagus Valley Maine are all descended from Obed and Abigail Dunbar, who were early settlers in Steuben, and came from Taunton, Mass. Their children were Merrill, Caleb, Polly, Peter, Humphrey and Abigail.
HON. CHARLES T. STILES. – One who has enjoyed the advantages of education, and has been the recipient of wealth left him by fond and indulgent parents, is surely worthy of the encomiums due to success thereby attained. but how much more so is the one who, without this pedestal of fame and fortune, attains an equal eminence by his own un-aided exertions. As an example of this latter career, there was none more notable than the gentleman whose name appears above, whose late untimely demise has removed from the scene of activity one of our most valuable and honored … Read more
Whitman Howard Jordan, director of the New York Agricultural Experiment Station. at Geneva, Ontario county, New York, since 1896, is most thoroughly conversant with every detail of the important work entrusted to his care. His life has always been an active one, and he is one of those restless, energetic men whose whole lives are an incessant battle to overcome problems the solution of which will be of inestimable benefit to the great cause of humanity. James Jordan, father of Whitman H. Jordan, was horn in Raymond, Maine, January 3, 1806. The active years of his life were spent in … Read more
Josiah Sawyer, about 1757, came from Cape Elizabeth and settled near the river in what is now Milbridge Maine. His wife was Elizabeth, daughter of Jesse Brown. There were born to them four sons and four daughters, Josiah, Jr., William, George B., John, Lydia, Sally, Jane and Hannah.
The Fosters of Milbridge, Cherryfield, Sullivan, etc., are descended from a Mr. John Foster, who, with his wife, came to the Narraguagus river valley from Cape Elizabeth soon after the close of the Revolutionary War. He and his wife were English born; came to Halifax, thence to Cape Elizabeth and thence here. He had three sons, James, Robert and John.
CAPT. ENOCH S. FOWLER. Mr. Fowler, a portrait of whom appears in this work, was one of those Argonauts who came to this country at an early day, and has since made himself a name known as a household word all over Puget Sound. Captain Fowler was born in Lubec, Maine, November 19, 1813, and died in Port Townsend November 27, 1876, being sixty-three years of age. He came to the Pacific coast in 1849 as master and part owner of the brig Quoddy Bell, which he sold in San Francisco, joining the brig George Emery as mate, and made … Read more
Some time between 1766 and 1768, Alexander Campbell removed from Damariscotta to Steuben, and built a mill at Tunk, now called Smithville, on the east side of the river. It was the first mill there. In 1759, he married Betsey Nickels, who was born in Ireland and came to Lynn, Mass., with her parents when about six years old. From Lynn, she came with her brother, Capt. William. Nickels, to Damariscotta. Children of Alexander and Betsey Campbell were: James, Frances, Hannah, Peggy, Polly, William, Samuel, Alexander, and Betsey.
Among the very early settlers at Steuben was Lemuel Baker, who came from Roxbury, Mass. He must have come about, or soon after, the time that the Leightons came. He married a Tracy, sister of Mrs. Thomas Leighton, 2d, and Mrs. Deacon Stevens. He settled near the shore of Joy’s Bay, on what is known as Baker’s Point, afterwards near where the George Baker house is. By his first wife he had four children. George, Nabby, Rhoda, and Dolly. After the death of his first wife, which occurred while these children were young, Mr. Baker moved to Massachusetts and there married Abigail Griggs, and by her had two children, Susanna and Eli F., both born in Roxbury, and while they were young again moved to Steuben, where Lemuel and Abigail lived for the remainder of their days.
Passamaquoddy Indians (Peskěděmakâdi ‘plenty of pollock.’) A small tribe belonging to the Abnaki confederacy, but speaking nearly the same dialect as the Malecite. They formerly occupied all the region about Passamaquoddy bay and on the St. Croix river and Schoodic lake, on the boundary between Maine and New Brunswick. Their principal village was Gunasquamekook, on the site of St Andrews, N.B. They were restricted by the pressure of the white settlements, and in 1866 were settled chiefly at Sebaik, near Perry, on the south side of the bay, and on Lewis Island. They had other villages at Calais, on Schoodic … Read more
A glance at the map of the western part of Washington County will show that any treatment of the early settlement upon the Narraguagus River, necessarily involves more or less of the histories of Steuben, Milbridge, Harrington and Cherryfield. Steuben was formerly township “No. 4, East of Union River,” and No. 5 comprised the territory now included in the towns of Milbridge and Harrington. The town of Cherryfield is composed of No. 11, Middle Division, Brigham Purchase, and of the northeastern part of what was formerly Steuben. All that part of Cherryfield lying south of the mills on the first … Read more
About 1760, two brothers, Thomas and Samuel Leighton, came from Falmouth to this River. Samuel settled on the lot now in possession of Richard P. Willey. His sons were Theodore Leighton, Isaac Leighton, Parritt Leighton and Phineas Leighton. Thomas Leighton, the brother of Samuel Leighton, settled upon a lot at the head of Pigeon Hill Bay. He had a family of six sons and five daughters. Robert, Joseph, Thomas, Annie, Molly, James, Ross, Abigail, Betsey, Sarah and Benjamin. Nearly at the same time that Thomas and Samuel Leighton came and settled, Thomas Leighton 2d came from Dover, N. H., to Gouldsboro. His wife was Lydia Tracy. It is not known that there was any relationship between these two Thomas Leightons. From Gouldsboro, Thomas 2d soon removed to Steuben and settled upon the lot afterwards known as the Henry Leighton lot. He had ten children, Jonathan, Mark, Charity, Alexander, Hatevil, Pamelia, Isaiah, Daniel, Israel and Asa.
JAMES McCURDY. – This gentleman, who worthily bears the name of his honored father, Doctor Samuel M. McCurdy, was born at St. Andrews, New Brunswick, in 1840. He was early sent to school, and spent his time to advantage until as a lade of fourteen he began the work of his own maintenance, finding a suitable position in the general merchandise store of Vose & Joyce at Robbinston, Maine. Four years later he engaged as clerk at New York. In 1859, however, he determined to join his father upon the Pacific coast, and reached Port Townsend, Washington Territory, in September … Read more
Parker Farnsworth Morey, without great wealth, is one of the most successful men of Portland. As an organizer and conductor of successful enterprises he has no superior in this busy city. A man of untiring energy he possesses the patience to attend to the smallest details provided success depends on them. He has the ability and the courage to make successful those undertakings which a timid, a less confident or a richer man might not dare attempt. He has a genius for inventing. As a manager of men he has few superiors. Mr. Morey comes of old New England stock. … Read more
The popular postmaster of Silver City and one of the proprietors of the Idaho Hotel of that place is Mr. Getchell, who was born at Baring, Maine, January 5, 1868. His ancestors were natives of Wales, who emigrated to this country at an early day. His great-great-grandfather, Benjamin Getchell, was born February 4, 1753, married Mehitable Meserve and moved to St. Stephens, New Brunswick. He assisted in the capture of the English schooner Diligence and her armed cutter Tatmagouch July 14, 1775, being a volunteer in Captain John Preble’s company, the colonel of the company being John Allen. The great-grandfather, … Read more
HON. EUGENE D. SMITH. – This pioneer of the logging business of the Snohomish river, a portrait of whom is placed in this history, is a representative man of the Puget Sound country, and almost a typical American. Of large and fine proportions physically, self-reliant, capable of taking a hand at any business, even at politics or war, or, with a little brushing up, at almost any profession, he at present contents himself with being proprietor and patron of the handsome town of Lowell, Washington, and conducting large logging operations, on his own estate of four thousand acres in Snohomish … Read more
Isaac Lovett, a young Englishman, came to this river with Joseph and Benjamin Wallace. He was clerk and bookkeeper for Major Joseph for several years. He was a fine penman, as shown by the old books that he kept, some of which are yet in existence, and a man of considerable education. He married Annie Sawyer, daughter of John Sawyer of Jonesport. Their children were Daniel, Annie, Rebecca, Ruth, Elizabeth, Jane and Mary.
HON. SAMUEL CASE. – Prominent among the men who have made Oregon famous as a rendezvous for enterprise, talent and industry, may be mentioned the gentleman whose name is the title of this brief biography. Mr. Case was born in Lubec, Washington county, Maine, May 31, 1831. He acquired his education at East Maine Conference College, of Bucksport. In 1853 he took the fever to come West, and started for California, coming by way of Nicaragua route. After his arrival he followed teaching and mining for four years, when he returned to his Eastern home on a visit, from whence … Read more