My wife and I have so often been asked how we find some of the history items we write about. Well, the truth is we both never know when the next lot of old records or written articles will suddenly appear from out of the past.
Last Wednesday, Sept. 10, after we had finished our morning coffee at Waltz’s, we drove over to Robert L. Foster’s auction house to preview the items for the next auction. There was a huge amount of items under the preauction tent and the auction house was full of items for the regular auction.
We were both looking at all the paper items and prints and books when suddenly I came across two notebooks in one lot. When I opened the first page I saw the typed words: history and old records of Alna Lodge of Free Masons No. 43 from 1842 to 1878.
There were many handwritten letters, minutes of past meetings and many had written petitions of men who wanted to join the lodge.
One letter which stood right out was a handwritten letter from Ezra B. French, it was dated Aug. 3, 1853. The second letter was dated Feb. 16, 1865. The envelope which the letter was sent in was there with the letter. The heading on the envelope read Treasury Department, Second Auditors Office, Official Business, E.B. French. It was addressed to Fred L. Webb, Damariscotta, Maine.
Ezra B. French was the last of the Chiefs of Bureaus appointed by President Abraham Lincoln. He held this position of Second Auditor in the U.S. Treasury Dept. for 18 years.
I checked my old lodge records and found that in November 1850 the Masons met in the Odd Fellows Hall in Damariscotta and Ezra B. French was appointed on the committee on the charter. They also had been meeting at Borland’s Hall on Academy Hill, Newcastle.
We have an oil painting of Ezra B. French in our lodge hall room. On April 24, 1880, the Honorable Ezra B. French passed away at the age of 70 years.
Appropriate Masonic rites were performed in Washington, D.C. after which his remains were brought back to Damariscotta. A large deputation of members and citizens met the train at the Newcastle Rail Road Station and escorted the remains on a horse-drawn carriage down to Lincoln Hall where his casket was placed and the American flag flew at half-mast.
Here his remains were guarded by members of the fraternity. They were viewed by countless numbers who came from distant points around the state to pay last respects to the great and well-loved old man.
We both have found so many prominent signatures of lodge members from Alna, Newcastle, Damariscotta, and Nobleboro area. Names like E.W. Stetson, who owned shares in many vessels built here in Damariscotta, and D.W. Chapman, who owned shares of different vessels and also built the brick block as you enter the one-way street which is now the home of King Eider’s Pub.
We also found the signature of Dr. Robert Dixon who owned his own vessel and also built the so-called Dixon Block after the great fire of 1845 and this building is now the home of the first R.H. Reny store here in Damariscotta.
Mr. Henry Mellus also owned shares in local vessels and built the Henry Mellus brick block where Chapman Insurance is now located.
We also found the signatures of Asa Snow who was the local druggist and ran his own pharmacy and built the brick block where his store was located after the great fire of 1845.
We also found that many of these petitions to join Alna Lodge were in the trade and business of making different parts for these sailing vessels. Some of the occupations like spar maker, mast maker, ship’s jointer, painter, wood carver, sail maker, and blacksmiths.
There were also schoolteachers, ministers, and clergy.
We find that these men applying for membership in Alna Lodge were a well-rounded group of local men. Many of the men were local merchants in the area.
We also found many of these men were mariners or sea-going men. One man listed his occupation as a ship carver from Newcastle and signed his name as Southworth. Mr. Southworth was a well-known figurehead carver here in Maine and this area.
Another petition to join Alna Lodge was that of Captain Joseph Barstow who commanded the beautiful ship Norris which was built by Elbridge Norris here on the shore of the Damariscotta River on Water Street.
The ship Norris was launched a week before Mr. Elbridge Norris’ death. Mr. Elbridge Norris passed away on Sept. 9, 1874.
Another name was Eben Haggett from Newcastle, a shipbuilder, some of the ships he built were the ship Josephus, the State of Maine, Elizabeth, and the schooners Standard and the Eleanor.
Another petition for masonry was Elisha McKenney, occupation teacher of music.
Another man was a Mr. Crowell Hatch Jr. of Newcastle and his occupation was a blacksmith, signed Sept. 5, A.D. 1854.
Another was the petition of Andrew G. Perkins of East Edgecomb on the 29th day of August 1864, occupation “soldier.”
Then on the 13th day of January 1852 Artell Austin signed a petition for masonry, he later became a sea captain on a vessel built here in the twin village called the Indian Hunt; he was 34 years of age at the time.
Then there was Ambrose J. Plummer, occupation a sail maker and 26, signed petition July 26, 1858.
A petition of Joseph Day Jr. was received on the 17th day of November 1852.
A petition of James D. Huston was received on the 12th day of February 1851 and this was signed by Ezra B. French.
Henry Wright, a shoe manufacturer in Damariscotta, filled out a petition for masonry on the 6th day of February 1856; he was 46 years of age.
When I looked through and read all the appreciations for masonry to Alna Lodge, one soon realizes that the twin village area had a well skilled work force to choose from for many different types of work and skills. Even many of the petitions stated their occupations as master mariners as captains, first mates, or second mates on sailing vessels of the high seas.
By reading all these papers and seeing the real names of local men written in their own signatures, makes one stop and realize how proud we should all be of the men who worked and labored some 160 years ago in the Damariscotta area.
