Courtesy of Jim Record
Before
Maine became a State, Minot was a flourishing township. The Town of Minot of
vast acreage, which in the early years was a part of the Commonwealth of
Massachusetts and was known as the Poland Empire was incorporated as a Town in
1802 and at one time was known as Bakersville. The Town is said to have been
named by the agent Dr. James Rice in the honor of Judge Minot, a member of the
General Court who rendered effective service in the passage of the bill
incorporating the Town. The name selected by the Town’s people was Raymouth.
Nathaniel C. Adams, Esq. of New Gloucester was empowered to issue the Warrant
calling the first town meeting, which was held, in the schoolhouse near Levi
Shaw’s on April 5, 1802. Nicholas Noyes, Wm. Briggs and John Chandler were
chosen the Board of Selectmen and Chandler Freeman the first Town Clerk and
Treasurer. The city of Auburn, the towns of Poland and Mechanic Falls in later
years were carved out of this empire.
The
first settler that came to the Town of Minot was Moses Emery from Newbury,
Mass., arriving with his wife and infant daughter at Poland Empire in the
spring of 1769. During the summer he built a log cabin on the northerly side of
the road, a few rods east of the bridge at Hackett’s Mills into which he moved
his family in the autumn of the same year. Two or three years later he removed
to the falls below since known as Emery’s Mills, Payne’s Mills, Dunn’s Mills
and now Minot Corner. He lived near the present site of the old Pulsifer’s
Store (no longer a store), having for his neighbor an Indian of the
Anasagunticook, or Androscoggin Tribe whom he lived with on friendly terms.
Among
the names to follow Moses Emery to the new Town of Minot were: Samuel Shaw, his
brother Levi, Henry Sawtelle, Israel Bray Sr. and son John Herrick, Edward
Jumper. In 1778 came John Leach. In 1784 came Joseph Leach, Samuel Verrill and
sons William Verrill and Davis Verrill from Gloucester, Mass. The following
year, Dr. Jesse Rice came in. More new names were added year by year: John
Hodge, Job Tucker, Solomon Walcott, Edmund Bailey, James Tool, Stephen Yeaton
are but a few of the new settlers in the late 1780’s.
The
famous peace society started by Capt. William Ladd held its meetings over the
blacksmith shop, operated in recent years by the late Harrison Yeaton. It was
then called Peace Hall. Here at Minot Corner was the powerhouse for the
Hackett’s Mills Leather Board Mill and here was the corn shop run by John
Cuskelv. Many villagers here had tragic Indian history connected with their
growth. But Minot Corner tales center around. The river of how the Little
Androscoggin took off this mill or that bridee or somebody’s logs. The first
bridge was built in 1774. Minot Corner claims the distinction of being the
oldest settlement on the Little Androscoggin River and was early an industrial
center. There were two tanneries, two or three blacksmith shoos. Two harness
shops, a shoe shop, barrel manufactory and mills for all purposes centered
around the bridge. In those years when Lewiston and Auburn were small for the
circus it came to Minot Corner.
Capt.
William Ladd was a liberally educated man. He was a graduate of Harvard College
in the class of 1791. Not succeeding in the mercantile business, he entered the
carrying trade with Russia, commanding his own fleet. Having amassed a
satisfactory fortune, he left the sea and settled in Minot at the age of
thirty-six, becoming a model farmer of his time. He was for many years the
untiring advocate of the settlement of International disputes by arbitration.
The organization of the American Peace Society was mainly the results of his
labors. He spent much of his time in advocating its principles both by the use
of pen and public addresses. Being a man of means he contributed largely to its
funds during his lifetime and made the society residuary legatee of his estate
by will after his death. Though much of his time was spent working for the
betterment of the society, he always found time to help with whatever tended to
improve the moral and material interests of his adopted town. He was truly a
good man and the results of his labors will long remain as monuments of his
goodness and liberality. The William Ladd Memorial Center is located at Minot
Center.
The
Town of Minot is divided into three sections known as Minot, Center Minot, and
West Minot. Nestled in the foothills with Streaked Mountain at its back lies
the picture postcard section of Minot known as West Minot. Through West Minot
flows a stream known as Bog Brook where many of the oldsters waded, swam, and
fished for trout, perch, bass and pickerel. Capt. John Bridgham 2nd built a
gristmill at Faunce’s Mills, previous to 1790, which was soon carried away by
high water and rebuilt at West Minot. From this time, trade centered here from
Hebron and the surrounding country, and the Bridghams and others conducted
trade and other enterprises for many years. When Bog Falls, now Mechanic
Falls, was first developed West Minot was a brisk village, but with the
development of Mechanic Falls and Auburn business languished. Col. Joshua
Parsons located here in 1817 and carried on carding and cloth dressing until
1843, when he built the gristmill, which was later run, by Jeffery Parsons and
Mr. Allen in the early 1900’s.
This
waterpower also operated a carriage factory. A short distance from the business
section was located the saw mill originally owned by William Rowe in 1872 and
was operated by his son Frank E. Rowe and later by Merton E. Rowe who worked
with his father. Although many of the original buildings in the Town of Minot
were made of brick this mill sawed much of the long lumber that are part of the
homes now standing in the town. During the time it was operated by Merton Rowe,
apple boxes were made here which later contained the fruit of this section and
was shipped to all parts of United States. At this date, one of the more
prominent citizens, Merton E. Rowe is still living hale and hearty at the age
of 77.
Among
some of the other industries was a cheese factory, a cooper mill turned out
thousands of barrels used by the agricultural farmers to ship and store their
produce. In later years an enterprising man by the name of Cushman started
operation of a shoe shop but most of the area of Minot was agricultural and
the farmers were not interested in manufacturing industry so like many other
Maine towns Minot instead of becoming the shire town of the County became a
residential area and thus lost its opportunity.
On
a plateau overlooking the town site of West Minot is located a series of
buildings which contained a grain mill and a packing plant, owned and operated
by the Portland Packing Co. of which another West Minot prominent citizen, J.
Merrill Hatch was Superintendent. Mr. Hatch is still active in the community
and Master of the State Grange. At this plant the produce from the surrounding
communities was canned and packed. With the advent of the freezing plants and
lack of production of the farmers, this concern was forced to retire from
business. (It was purchased by an enterprising young man by the name of Wayne
0. Stevens, who had been operating the Withington plant in nearby town of
Buckfield and moved his business to West Minot.)
Located
in West Minot at the site of the old corn factory on the plateau which
overlooks the little township of West Minot is a renovated set of buildings,
most modern, painted in gay colors after the bows and arrows, toboggans and
skis, dog sleds and bob sleds which are manufactured here. The name of this
concern, Withington, is known all over the world. The owner and president of
this growing concern is a versatile, enterprising young man who was born under
the name of Wayne 0. Stevens. Mr. Stevens at the age of thirteen won high
honors and championships on the ski slopes of Lake Placid, New York, one of the
skiing capitals of the world. In his salad days and during his college days he
won the ski championship of the New England States and was slated for the
United States Olympic teams. Mr. Stevens had the unusual foresight to recognize
that champions come and go and like Gene Tunney, a former boxing champ of the
world, he decided at the peak of his championship to retire and enter the
business world. Many of the present day champions he defeated. Although he was
born in Auburn, some of his forebears were residents of Minot. During the
vacation periods and when he could find the time from his duties as a scholar
and ski champion he worked in his father’s woodturning shop, learning his skill
with tools. After retiring from his ski exploits he purchased the little brush
business of a man named Withington located in the town of Buckfleld, located
about ten miles from his present location at West Minot. Being of a creative
nature, he designs the merchandise, also the tools that are sold under the
trade name of Withington. His merchandise when exhibited at the yearly New
York trade show receives a most favor~~ able comment. In the early beginning he
manufactured archery equipment, adding skis, toboggans, ski skates and bow
guns. He has given employment to numerous people in this area. Two of the
latest creations are a single dog sled and a bob sled featuring a combination
of the old fashioned bob sled, the bob sleds used on the bob sled runs of
European and American design, plus his own ingenuity in adding modern features
making it one of the most attractive and comfortable sleds on the market today.
The orders for these are pouring in. Informative brochures and prices will
gladly be sent upon request to this firm.
Also
located on this plateau is the former railroad station owned by the Maine
Central Railroad on a line going from Lewiston to Rumford. The station
consisted of a large brick building and a wooden freight shed building. Many of
the pupils of the nearby academy located in the town of Hebron adjacent to West
Minot arrived and departed from this station. Also many high school students
used this means. Thousands of boxes and barrels left here for the city markets
during the apple season. Milk was shipped from the station to Auburn daily.
Thousands of tons of coal arrived here and was delivered to the Western Maine
Sanitorium (now closed) and Hebron Academy. Mail and passengers were picked up
here for the surrounding communities. The station is now owned and operated. by
the Station Craft Shop. Woodcarvings and three-dimensional oil paintings have
been shipped to all parts of the world. On the walls of the brick station hangs
a letter from President Eisenhower attesting to the workmanship produced here.
From the first lady of the land to the movie queens of Hollywood, they wear
products made at this craft shop.
* * *
Beautiful
minerals and gems including fresh water pearls have come from this district.
Mt. Appetite, once a part of Minot, now located in Auburn produce feldspar,
tourmalines, rose quartz and many other minerals and gems. There are also mine
deposits at Center Minot. One of the fresh water
M.E.
Hewison J. D. Boardway pearls found here was purchased by Tiffany of New York
and later adorned the queen’s crown in England.
West
Minot is located in the heart of the western lake region of Maine. Streams,
ponds, and lakes furnish the sportsman the greatest game fishing in the world.
Fighting salmon, rainbow trout, brown trout and brook trout have given the
Isaac Waltons the thrill of catching and the delicious eating of these game
fishes. Within a two-mile radius of the town, last fall in hunting season over
fifty-eight deer were tagged at the local inspection station. One of the
largest bobcats shot in the State of Maine was shot within two miles of the
Post Office. Pheasant, grouse, and rabbits are plentiful. One of the town’s
citizens had a family of five raccoons who stayed with him during the summer
months, leaving in the fall for the woods surrounding his home. Also within a
radius of ten miles one may gaze upon one of the largest in Maine, the moose.
We also have the big black Maine bear and the lowly red fox. ‘Tis truly a
sportsman’s paradise.
* * *
In
the early days each school in the district housed all the grades from the first
to the ninth. The teacher had to be very firm as there were sometimes pupils as
large or larger than the teacher who taught them. Sometimes she had to wade
through deep snow in the early morning hours to start a fire in the big wood
stove to have the room warm upon the arrival of her pupils. As one of the older
citizens stated bluntly when told they were going to raise the taxes, “What are
we raising the taxes for?” and he was told they wanted to add a new gym and he
inquired, “Jim who?” The clerk patiently explained to him, “It’s not Jim but
gym. It is a place where the pupils are exercised and have recreational fun.”
“By gum, thet does it! When I was a boy I had to git up four o’clock in the
morning, feed the cows, horses, hens, slop the haugs, and my Ma put my dinner
up in a lard pail and I had to walk five miles to school and back. Now they
pick the kids up at the door in a bus, haul ‘em to school, feed and burp ‘em
and now they gut to exercise ‘em and they gut no hoss sense when they git out.”
One
lady, Maria Hackett Perkins, said in a story written for the 1952
sesquicentennial the following: “I went to school at the Verrill District and
my first teacher was Etta B. Hutchins of Minot Corner. In those days we went to
school two terms a year, December to March and June to September. We went to
school on Christmas day and how we disliked that. Imagine getting up on
Christmas morning and finding our stockings filled with gifts and then tramping
off to school, no chance of playing with the gifts that Santa left the night
before. This was the longest day of our lives. I was ten years old when I saw
my first decorated Christmas tree. We just hung our stockings by the fireplace.
Our school was graded. It was classed First Primer to First Reader. My first
teacher was Lucy Woodman, then Calvin Stanley, a brother to the twins, F. E.
and F. 0. Stanley, inventors of the Stanley Steamer automobile in Lewiston,
Maine. Another teacher I remember was Ella Dean, a home town girl. In 1881 I
became a teacher in the Minot Corner Primary School. I love to recall the names
of the people who used to live along the Woodman Hill road. When I started out
early in the morning for school, the first house I came to be the Inn that
served the Stage that ran from Buckfield to Portland. Mr. Tim Downing owned the
Inn and served many a weary passenger that traveled on the stage. The Inn today
is the residence of Gustav Nelson. Mr. Downing, a clever farmer, owned the house
where Mr. Fred Priest lives. The next house was that of Abner Toothaker. This
place burned some twenty years ago. The Yeaton farm was next on the left and
this farm is still owned by the Yeaton family. I passed a graveyard on the
right and then came to the Hodge farm. Passing a beautiful grove of pine trees
I came to the Charles Martin homestead. Mr. Charles Harris and family now
occupy this house. Down the hill a short distance on the right was the Hackett
farm next to Indian Brook and after crossing the bridge and about a mile
through the woods I came to the Steven Davis home high on the ledge with a fine
view of the White Mountains. Today this is the home of the late Clarence Harris
family. Heading down the hill towards Minot Corner I passed the Tim True
Downing house, now owned by George Rowe, then the Elmire Downing home and the
Cutler place now owned by Ernest Witham. The Cobb homestead was owned by Henry
True, and Dr. Horr, the community doctor lived across the street with his wife
who was also a doctor. After Dr. Horr left, Dr. Cobb settled in the house and
took up the duties of community doctor. This house was later owned by the late
A. K. Damon.”
We
now have a consolidated school built in 1954, which house grades one through
eight. They have a nice cafeteria, auditorium and classrooms. As the older
citizen said, “They have a school bus which hauls them to school and them
home.”
A
few months after Minot was incorporated as a Town, on October 8, 1802 to be
exact, it is stated in the early records of this church that “sundry persons in
the Town of Hebron in the County of Cumberland, Commonwealth of Massachusetts,
who desired to be formed into a Church State,” met at the home of Mr. ASAP
Bearcat. Ecclesiastical Council met with them and organized the Church. It was
then called the “The First Congregational Church of Christ in Hebron in the District
of Maine.” At first the meetings were held at private homes or at the
schoolhouse until in 1811 when a meetinghouse was erected on or near the site
of the present building. It is recorded that it was a large two-story building
with a gallery on three sides and an old-fashioned high pulpit, which was
reached by a flight of stairs. Each pew was provided with a door to “shut its
occupants safely in”.
The
first recorded meeting held in this Church was on June 22, 1812 when the Church
“voted unanimously to give Mr. Henry Sewall, of Winthrop a call to settle with
us in the work of the gospel ministry”. So after due ceremonials, Mr. Henry Sewall
became the first resident Pastor. After about fifty years this first church was
torn down and our present church was built and dedicated on November 15, 1854.
Mr. Charles Moody was clerk at this time. More than fifty years later on September
18, 1908 the dedication of the Church bell was held. On the side of the bell is
the inscription: “This bell presented to Union Church, West Minot, Maine by J.
G. Hildren in memoriam, Anno Domini 1908”; and on the other side: “For the use
of the Church and the people barring political triumphs.” The next year, after
many repairs and improvements had been made to the Church and a furnace had
been installed a rededicatory service was held on December 12, 1909. On May
30, 1932 a maple tree was planted on the lawn in front of the Church with
appropriate exercises as a memorial to George Washington on the two-hundredth
anniversary of his birth. A long list
of pastors, nearly forty, have served this Church from the first, Rev. Henry
Sewall, to our present, Rev. Ralph Cole. We have one, Rev. Frederick D. Hayes
of the High St. Congregational Church of Auburn, whom we are still pleased to
call upon for Christenings and other special services.
* * *
The
Minot Center Church had its beginning with the early history of Minot as part
of Bakerstown. For eight years before the formation of the church, religious
services were held at the home of Joseph Freeman, who took charge of the meetings,
and who was later the first Deacon of the new church.
In
all Bakerstown there was no church of any denomination until 1791 when an
Ecclesiastical Council met in the house of Jonathan Bradford in the northern
part of Minot and organized the Bakerstown church, consisting of thirty-nine
members. There was no preaching except from itinerant Missionaries until Rev.
Jonathan Scott came to Bakerstown, December 11, 1793. The letter of invitation
was exactly six months in reaching him and he was fifty-one days coming from
Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, to Bakerstown in the Province of Maine.
The
first meetinghouse was raised October 29, 1794. It stood about ten or fifteen
rods north of the Frank Coller house. There were sometimes two services on
Sunday, and occasionally an evening service the same day. Sermons of their
ordinary length were said to have been three or four hours long.
On
May 29, 1805 was raised the first meeting house at West Auburn, then East
Minot. Mr. Scott preached the first sermon. July 3rd and 4th, 1805, about a
month after the raising of the East Minot Church, the first church at what is
now Minot Center, then West Minot, was raised. However, it should be remembered
that this was not the present West Minot village, which borders on Hebron.
Mr.
Scott was much opposed to the building of the church at Minot Center, one
reason being that the town had voted not to build two meeting houses, but the
one at Minot Center was a proprietor’s meeting house, the town having no hand
in it. In 1807 Mr. Scott’s dwelling house burned to the ground and with it
perished his son Sylvanus. With the two large meeting houses there was no
longer any use for the old Bakerstown meeting house, so it was taken down and
erected as a dwelling for the Scott family.
In
1.806, the Second Church of Minot was formed consisting of sixteen members.
Rev. William Pidgin was the first and only pastor.
After
the death of Rev. Jonathan Scott. October 1819 at the age of 75, and fifty-one
years of preaching, the first and second churches were reunited and called the
Rev. Elijah Jones to be their pastor. May 1. 1844, two years after Auburn was
set off from Minot, the West Auburn Church was organized, taking eighty-six
members from the parent church and leaving one hundred sixty-three. Up to this
time, Rev. Jones had preached alternately in the two churches.
After
the division of the church, the meetinghouses were larger than necessary and
had never been properly heated, also the Minot Center Church, at least, needed
repairs, so it was voted to take it down and rebuild on a smaller scale. The
lumber from the old house was used when suitable and the ends of the pews and
the partition between the body pews are parts of the old pew doors. At the rear
side of the church may be seen a part of the old foundation as originally
placed. Mr. Jones, in recording the building of the present Minot Center
Church says: “The building committee consisted of Ezekiel Merrill, James
Washburn, and Samuel Merrill, to whom the highest credit is due for
perseverance and energy. The demolition of the old house commenced June 1,
1846 and the new house was dedicated in less than six months, November 25,
1846.”
Mr.
Jones died April 27, 1869. Aged 78, after a pastorate of forty-six years. Since
then this church has had no settled pastor but there are plenty of good words
for those who have supplied it. Among these nearly all were from the Sixth
Street Church. Those serving for the longest periods were Rev. George E. Kinney
and Rev. Alban B. Hyde.
The
Minot Corner Church history is most interesting. The first public service was
held November 30. 1774 in the home of Chandler Freeman, conducted by his
father, Deacon Joseph Freeman. The first church was built on the Poland side,
which was not only the first church at Minot Corner, but was also the first
church in Poland on the site of present buildings of Pratt’s of Keystone
Waterworks. There is an ancient cemetery of the first settlers hut there are
no stones and but few people know where to locate it.
The
first church on the Minot side was where George Rowe lives and the hill was
called “Meeting House Hill”. Before this church was built the “old meeting
house” on Poland side had long disappeared and Minot Corner folks walked or
rode to Minot Center to hear Elijah Jones preach. The present church at Minot
Corner was built in 1860. It was made a part of the Mechanic Falls Charge in
1898. In 1902 the inside and outside of the church was painted and the colored
windows were installed. A carpet was laid and the chandelier was added. The
present pulpit furniture and choir chairs were purchased at that time. The organ
was given to them.
The
church was again remodeled in 1913, when Rev. Charles E. Brooks was pastor. The
present furnace was installed. The steel ceiling was put in the auditorium and
walls were redecorated. Three years later the vestry was painted gray. Electric
lights were installed in 1922. In 1941 during the pastorate of B. F. Wentworth,
the chancel was remodeled at which time the old original pulpit was refinished
to be used for an altar table. Hobart Kilgore gave the offering plates in
memory of his father, Fred Kilgore, and Edward Staples made the cross.
In
1946 the auditorium was redecorated, and the church painted outside.
Contributions by individuals made possible the installation of the new oil
burner, an American flag, and a Christian flag, the pulpit Bible and marker,
pulpit lamp, candle holders and cross, and communion cloth and other coverings.
Like all small towns and villages there are
the so-called characters that provide humor that makes towns of this type
interesting. One such character who rose to national fame (?) was a woman by
the name of Annie Wilkins who in her youth was a bare back rider with some of
the big circuses. Her mother and father owned a piece of property atop Woodman
Hill, one of the highest elevations in Androscoggin County. Upon the death of
her father and learning of her mother’s illness, she returned home from the
circus, bringing with her a mare from the circus troupe. After her mother’s
recovery she and her mother were employed in one of the shoe factories. At this
time she drove back and forth to work with an animal called a jackass. Leaving
work the Jack was sometimes rebellious and Annie had a hard job in getting him
started towards home. Ribald suggestions from her co-workers used to upset
Annie and she would reply to them. “You look after your Ass and I’ll look after
mine.” And thus she acquired the nickname of Jack-ass Annie by which she’s
known to the people of Minot, many who don’t know her real name. Her fame (?)
came when she left her home in West Minot and migrated to California astride a
large farm horse and accompanied by a faithful dog and a packhorse. Upon
arriving in California she received much publicity and appeared on such
programs as the Art Linkletter and Groucho Marx TV Shows. Later she headed back
East and her last known whereabouts was New York City where she is supposedly
writing her memoirs.
Two
men were on the porch of the local store and were in conversation. One was a
local resident of the town. Eugene Verrill, a brilliant man, who in his late
eighties still had his own teeth and could read a fine print without
eyeglasses, answered the question posed by the other man who was a tourist with
a big car. The question he asked Gene was as follows: “There are a lot of
Quaint characters in these small towns?” and Gene answered slow and deliberate,
“Yes, you’re right, Mister, but they’ll all be gone come September.”
An
unusual incident happened one hot day in July when a man was arrested for
drunken driving by a local State Trooper. The unusual part of this episode was
the fact the Trooper found him sitting in the middle of the road with a heavy
fur coat on in a rather maudlin state with his horse preceding him up the road.
At
the Station in its hey-day a salesman got off the train and stopped to pause
for a short visit with the stationmaster and during the course of their
conversation the stationmaster pointed to a barefoot boy chewing on a straw and
the station-master remarked to the salesman, “See that youngster over there? He
isn’t quite bright and if you offered him a dime and a nickel and told him he
could have a choice he’d pick out the nickel every time.” The salesman thought
he’d try it out, so he approached the boy, extending his palm upon which rested
a dime and a nickel. He told the boy to take his choice and the boy, as
foretold picked out the nickel. The salesman’s curiosity aroused, he asked the
boy why he took the nickel instead of the dime; was it because the nickel was
larger? “Naw,” replied the youngster, “some people think I’m nuts and if I took
the dime instead of the nickel they wouldn’t hand them out anymore.”
A
man with a provocative sense of humor, a long time resident of West Minot,
left a will stating upon his demise a large sum of money should be appropriated
for the purpose of holding an annual dance to celebrate his departure from
this earth. The sum provided twenty years of blissful memory to the deceased.
* * *
West
Minot still has its apple trees and agriculture, also those who raise large
herds of cows, supplying wholesome milk to the Hood milk people. One of these
is a man named Thomas S. Slattery. Mr. Slattery’s forebears were long residents
of the town of West Minot. His father, associated with a Mr. Whiting, ran a
local post office for many years. The same store is now owned and operated by
James Baird, a native of Vermont. He is a progressive man, well liked by the
residents of West Minot. The local post office is now in the capable hands of
Mrs. Doris Slattery, wife of Mr. Slattery and they have two married sons and a
married daughter. The sons with their offspring are a welcome addition to this
prosperous township.
West
Minot, a picture postcard village, hasn’t changed too much physically for the
square remains with the white steeple church, Grange Hall, two grocery stores
and a post office. Two cement bridges replace the older ones, and the old
familiar family names are still continuing on in the new generation.
Upon
your vacation trip to Maine be sure and place the Town of Minot as a “must” to see.
Minot welcomes you.
* * *
‘Tis
far better to give than receive. Give freely. Each Sunday make it a habit to
attend and support the church of your choice.
* * *
West
Minot Grange No. 42 was organized October 16, 1874 in the Sam Stearns hall by
Deputy C. H. Cobb of Poland. Calvin Bucknam, the first Lecturer, set things in
motion and was the first to sign the petition for a Grange, using his tall silk
hat for a table. Others signed until there were thirty charter members.
Among
the first officers many of us remember Joseph Bearce and his wife Emma. It is
interesting to note that their granddaughter is Mrs. Rachel Conant, who now
lives in Hebron.
The
Juvenile Grange was organized in 1945, instigated by
The
Grange Master at that time, Mrs. Wilma Leighton. The
First
Matron was her sister, Mrs. Geneva Trundy.
In the early days of the Grange it operated a Grange store. It is reported that the building used for this was on the site of the present post office. Two days a week our first Master, Jason Hilborn, presided over this but trade increased so rapidly that Thomas Millett was hired as a clerk and the store was open every week day.
Up
until 1892 the Grange paid rent to the West Minot Trade Association for the use
of the hail. As it paid a tax in 1892 we assume that is the year they bought
the hall. A lot of repairing was done by the members in the next few years,
only to be lost in a fire which destroyed the hail in 1895. With undaunted
spirit the members decided to build a new hall so on June 4, 1896, the present
hall was dedicated.
Many
improvements have been added since the hail was
Built,
first a piano, then a double stove for the dining room
And
finally a furnace, running water and electric lights.
While
there are no Charter members living now, we have several members who have
belonged more than fifty years and many more who have received their
twenty-five year certificates.
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