Town of Greene, Maine

The History of Greene

Leading Events

1775 ~ Benj. Ellingwood made the first clearing within the present town and in 1775 is said to have raised a good crop of corn.

1785-88 ~ Many veterans of the Revolution took up lots in "Lewistown."

1786 ~ First public school in town taught by Capt. John Daggett.

1788 ~ Town of Greene incorporated June 18, from the northern part of Lewiston.  First Meeting held August 29, at the house of Samuel and Eli Herrick.

1790 ~ Four school districts laid out in town.

1793 ~ New Baptist Church used for town purposes.

1796 ~ Greene postoffi[c]e, the first within the limits of this county, established April 1.

1805 ~ Four burying grounds laid out in Greene.

1849 ~ Postoffice established at Greene Corner

1850 ~ Orcharding began to be the chief industry in town.

1872 ~ Cemetery at the Corner enlarged and beautified.

1883 ~ North Greene postoffice established June 18.

1888 ~ Centennial Celebration held on Daggett's Hill August 23.


Early Settlers.

Benj. Ellingwood, first settler, about 1775.  Benj. Merrill, North Yarmouth, 1775; Dea. Lemuel Cummings, North Yarmouth; Capt. John Daggett, Charleston, Mass., 1786; Thos. Taylor, 1780; Joseph, Eli and Samuel Herrick, Methuen, Mass., 1780; The Larrabee family, Yarmouth, Stephen Larrabee; Benjamin Rackley, Yarmouth; Abner Brown, William Coburn, Dracut, Mass., and sons, Jesse, Eliphalet, Joshua, William and Joel, about 1783; John Mower, Charlton, Mass., 1786; Jonathan Mower, Charlton, Mass., 1786; Thomas Stevens, Charlton, Mass., 1786; Benj. Alden, Connecticut, soon after the Revolution; Luther Robbins, Hanover, Mass., 1788; Bradford Rose, Taunton, Mass., 1789; Simeon Rose, Taunton, Mass., 1790; John Allen, Turner, 1790; Elisha Keen, 1790; William Sawyer, Wells, 1791; Zebedee Shaw, Middleborough, Mass., 1790; John, Silas, Moses and Barron Harris, before 1795; Daniel Wilkins, Dracut, Mass., about 1792; John Moulton, Batcheler Stetson, New Gloucester, 1791; Benj. Parker, Freeport, 1800; James Lamb, 1800; Samuel Chadbourn, Wells, 1800; Thos. Longley, Waterford, 1804; David Thompson, Lewiston; Capt. David Hooper, Freeport, 1807; Nath. Hill, Wells, 1808; Elijah Barrell, Paris, 1814; Dr. Alfred Pierce, 1817; Silas Richardson, Dracut, Mass., Hannibal Farwell, Vassalboro, 1817.  The above include practically all the early settlers who were at all permanent in their settlement.


Churches and Pastors.

BAPTIST CHURCH

Rev. James Potter, first preacher.  Church organized 1793, with 25 members.  Rev. Lemuel Jackson, first pastor, 1797; Lemuel Cummings, first deacon and an early leader.  First meeting house built about 1794.

PASTORS: - Rev. Thos. Wyman, 1808-09; Rev. John Daggett, 1810-20; Rev. Daniel Pierce, 1825; Revs. David Nutter, Reuben Ball, Samuel Fogg, D. P. Bailey, from 1825 to 1835; Phineas Pillsbury, 1839-40; Martin Byrne, Cyrus Case, Arthur Drinkwater, W. T. Sargent, 1857-64; David Nutter, T. W. Emerson, Dr. Wilson, (1868); Converse R. Daggett, 1872-75; C. M. Emery, 1878-82; O. Richardson, 1882-85; Robert Scott, 1886-91; E. A. Cranston, 1893; J. R. Herrick, 1895-96; W. C. Wescott, 1897-99; George Hill, 1901-05.

FREE BAPTIST CHURCH

Organized April 7, 1826, Rev. Samuel Robbins, preacher.  First meeting house built in the west part of the town near the river, in 1828.  Society re-organized in 1856 with 22 members.  Church erected 1878.  Among the pastors have been Rev. Mr. Robbins, Gideon Perkins, E. G. Eaton, Jairus Fuller, Mark Getchell and other early pastors; those since 1875 have been Revs. A. S. Prescott, C. R. Daggett, George W. Gould, F. H. Peckham, 1895-99; E. J. Hatch, R. S. White, C. M. C. Selinger, 1904.

UNIVERSALIST SOCIETY

Meeting house erected in 1827-28.  Religious society organized April 23, 1831.  Re-organized 1879.  Pulpit now vacant.

METHODISTS

Society in the Northern part of town.  Rev. C. R. Daggett, local preacher for many years.  Recent pastors: Revs. C. D. Blaisdell, 1892; G. C. Powers, 1894; F. H. Hill, 1895; E. S. Cudworth, 1897; A. C. Cook, 1903; G. O. Pinkham, 1905; one pastor generally serving until the appointment of his successor.


Town Officers.

CLERKS

Duane Mower, 1850-53; Silas Sprague, 1854-55; Henry P. Curtis, 1856-59; F. N. Mower, 1860-61; H. P. Curtis, 1862; A. P. Mower, 1863; F. N. Mower, 1864; A. Pierce, 1865-77; H. H. Burbank, 1878-83; A. Pierce, 1884; Thos. G. Pratt, 1885; W. H. Thomas, 1886-88; William Sprague, 1889-1903; O. E. Hanscom, 1904-05.

SELECTMEN

1850-Augustus Sprague, Harrison Rose, Isaac Jennings

1851-Benjamin Allen, Harrison Rose, Tristram Hill

1852-Benjamin Allen, Harrison Rose, Joel Weymouth

1853-Benjamin Allen, William A. Herrick, Joel Weymouth

1854-Tristram Hill, Eliphalet Coburn, Augustus Sprague

1855-Daniel L. Weymouth, Lewis Gilbert, Leonard Mower

1856-William S. Parker, Stephen W. Sylvester, Zelotes R. Additon

1857-Tristram Hill, Harrison Rose, John Stevens

1858-Tristram Hill, Daniel L. Weymouth, Silas Sprague

1859-Harrison Rose, John E. Sawyer, Henry H. Bates

1860-Harrison Rose, John E. Sawyer, Henry H. Bates

1861-Leonard Mower, John Stevens, John M. Robbins

1862-Harrison Rose, Aaron Winslow, Charles M. Washburn

1863-Aaron Winslow, D. L. Weymouth, John E. Sawyer

1864-D. L. Weymouth, H. H. Bates, Z. A. Gilbert

1865-Tristram Hill, C. M. Washburn, D. L. Weymouth

1866-Tristram Hill, Josiah Mower, William M. Longley

1867-William M. Longley, Tristram Hill, Greenleaf Parker

1868-William M. Longley, Simeon C. Wiley, Charles M. Washburn

1869-Augustus Sprague, Charles M. Washburn, Andrew J. Harris

1870-Tristram Hill, C. M. Wasburn, Hayden Bigelow

1871-H. Rose, C. M. Washburn, A. J. Harris

1872-William Sprague, D. O. Libby, John L. Howe

1873-76-Harrison Rose, Charles M. Washburn, Andrew J. Harris

1877-Harrison Rose, E. L. Mower, A. J. Harris

1878-F. N. Mower, E. L. Mower, C. M. Washburn

1879-85-Charles M. Washburn, Frank N. Mower, Andrew J. Harris

1886-88-Z. A. Gilbert, H. H. Coburn, G. E. Fogg

1889-V. H. Sprague, Eli Hodgkins, John W. Moulton

1890-91-Eli Hodgkins, H. H. Coburn, J. S. Weymouth

1892-Eli Hodgkins, J. S. Weymouth, C. S. Stetson

1893-94-J. S. Weymouth, C. S. Stetson, B. G. Hill

1895-96-C. S. Stetson, H. H. Coburn, Wm. E. Longley

1897-H. H. Coburn, C. M. Washburn, Geo. E. Fogg

1898-H. H. Coburn, C. M. Washburn, O. W. Larrabee

1899-1900-H. H. Coburn, C. M. Washburn, O. W. Larrabee

1901-C. M. Washburn, O. W. Larrabee, D. B. Wiley

1902-J. S. Weymouth, Eli Hodgkins, D. B. Wiley

1903-O. W. Larrabee, D. B. Wiley, C. M. Washburn

1904-05-O. W. Larrabee, C. M. Washburn, R. R. Coburn


Military Matters.

REVOLUTIONARY SOLDIERS

The following were in the colonial service in the Revolution prior to their settlement in Greene:  Col. Wm. Sprague, Col. Jabez Bates, Capt. John Daggett, Capt. Icahbod Phillips, Jarius Phillips, Luther Robbins, Jno. and Samuel Mower, Thos. More, Geo. Berry, Jno. Allen, Jos. McKenney, Benj. Alden, Ezekiel Hackett, Bachelor Stetson, and Benj. Quimby.

CIVIL WAR SOLDIERS

A. I. Additon, C. H. Additon, S. W. Adams, Stillman Bond, J. S. Bordwell, A. H. Briggs, J. T. Beal, M. G. Beal, C. A. Bradbury, C. B. Beal, R. S. Bradbury, J. S. Brown, S. R. Cummings, A. I. Clark, L. C. Chadbourne, Daniel Canlon, William Clark, Genl. A. S. Daggett, E. P. Dyer, C. R. Daggett, A. N. Dexter, William Donnell, C. C. Gorman, V. P. Dillingham, B. A. Eaton, D. P. Eaton, Francis Evans, H. T. Frost, G. W. Frost, Almon Fogg, Orrin Furbush, C. A. Fogg, James Ferguson, H. M. Gould, F. J. Gurney, Ezekiel Hackett, Dennis Harris, O. W. Hackett, W. S. Hill, William Johnson, John Knowles, S. K. Knox, Jacob Kimball, G. A. Knox, William Kelly, Nathaniel Lovejoy, Jr., G. P. Lowell, H. D. Lowell, J. R. Lowell, J. M. Lowell, C. H. Lowell, Henry Lane, W. E. Longley, C. W. Longfellow, A. P. Mower, Aaron Mower, L. M. Mower, J. H. Mower, E. S. Mower, B. F. Mower, J. C. Mower, W. F. Mower, C. H. Morse, Edwin Moulton, W. S. Wright, G. W. McKenney, W. H. Michaels, T. H. Mower, Alden Moulton, A. N. G. Moulton, E. H. Nason, William Needham, C. H. Pratt, T. G. Pratt, Jabez Pratt, J. P. Pratt, L. S. Patten, T. W. Parker, Darius Pease, Ellery Perea, Harland Page, John Philpot, Thomas Quinn, W. F. Record, E. R. Record, Henry Ricker, J. M. Robbins, Chas. Richardson, Alfred Richardson, T. S. Rose, I. G. Rackley, John Ready, W. H. Starbird, H. S. Stuart, J. H. Stevens, C. P. Stevens, William Stevens, W. C. Stevens, H. A. Smith, Henry Sanborn, Gardner Smith, A. G. Stuart, Henry Spaulding, E. W. Taylor, E. P. Wardwell, George Wentworth, B. P. Winston, J. U. Winslow.


Professional Men.

PHYSICIANS

The following men have either located here for the practice of medicine or are natives of Greene who have become successful in its practice elsewhere:  Dr. Alfred Pierce, Ruggles Sylvester, Allen Phillips, H. L. K. Wiggin, Alonzo Herrick, Sewall Allen, Lewis Beals, Greenlief D. Daggett, Geo. Dearborne, John F. Pratt, Thos. J. Crossman, W. Scott Hill, Holman Jennings, Albion Pierce, Geo. L. Peaslee, Frank E. Sleeper, H. H. Purington, L. S. Lombard, L. O. Cobb and O. E. Hanscom, the last now in practice here. 


 

Source

Mitchell and Gott, Compilers.  The Town Register:  Wayne, Wales, Monmouth, Leeds, Greene.  Brunswick, Maine:  The H. E. Mitchell Co., 1905

 

Pages 234-241

 

Topics Included:

Leading Events

Early Settlers

Churches and Pastors

Town Officers

Military Matters

Professional Men