'*W>k','» '♦aiwWsiBWife. '/• I^'V ^ MiJ WTOiSi Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2016 https://archive.org/details/sketchofbangorme00godf_0 r TKy-.-, ,v i ^ ' . • >■' - --■ •'./ - -■'■ '■■'••• . : ; ' .-: !'■'• “ ■iv 'X '■f /> *' A- ■>. :'••■• V- * V* : /■ ;;. t’i r*" ■ ■ : ' ' ■•■ , -VH ■ '•, . (. ‘ J-.“' • •' , V \ - A SKETCH OF BANGOR. ■ , , I ^ 'V, V ■» A SKETCH OF BANGOR BY GEORGE F. GODFREY, mitl^ 31llujStrat(oni2{ from bp tl)e ^uti^or* BOSTON: JAMES R. OSGOOD AND COMPANY. 1882. Copyright, 1882, i;v George F. Godfrey. jTranklfn ^rrss: PAND, AVERY, AND COMPANY, BOSTON. town has a character as much as an individual, and becomes known by it, at home and abroad. I never knew a decent person who did not enjoy the atmosphere, so to speak, made of the social, moral, and business qitalitics of this city." Hon. John A. Peters, at the Bangor Centennial Dinner. U .y.;,, ' ■'•■-‘■- ' ' '^■■' -■* < '' ", ■ *. ' . ■X ‘a A * r V •ff.- LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. Bird’s-eye View, looking West from Cen- tral Congregational Church Steeple. Bird’s-eye View, looking South from Cen- tral Congregational Church Steeple. View of East Side from Thomas Hill. View of East Side from Court Street. East-Market Square. Broadway. Main Street. High Street. State Street. European and North- American R.R. Wharf. Lumber Docks. Penobscot River from Brewer Bridge. A; .A,- , ■ r.:'7r^^i. • -■j:.5r^: ^;f 3>S ; k / V ' \ \ » \ I. SETTLEMENT AND GROWTH. hSLIOTyPE PRINTING CO. BOSTON. BIRD’S EYE VIEW LOOKING WEST FROM CENTRAL CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH STEEPLE. SETTLEMENT AND GROWTH. J ACOB BUSWELL came to Bangor in 1769, and settled on the banks of the Penobscot River, near the foot of what is now Newbury Street. Others from Massachusetts and elsewhere soon followed him. The settlement was originally called and written Condes/eeag. Later, when it became large enough to be incorporated. its name was Sunbury ; but in 1791 an act of incorporation was obtained, and the town was named Bangor, from an old psalm-tune popular at that time. For thirty years succeeding the advent of the first pioneer, few people came to this locality, — there being but 277 in- habitants in 1800; in 1830 there were but 2,868. A SKETCH OF BANGOR. In 1834 Bangor was incorporated a city. At present (1882) its population is about 20,000 ; but being the shire-town of Penobscot County, centrally located at the head of navigation on the Penobscot River, and the headquarters of a large lumber business, it gives the impression of being much more populous. Sur- rounded as it is by numerous small towns and a large agricultural district, it is a trade-centre of no little importance. The towns most closely associated with Bangor by location, social relations, and business interests, aggregate a popu- lation of more than twenty thousand (making about forty thousand people within a radius of a few miles) ; and they may be considered a part of the city in so far as they go to give it business activity and a cosmopolitan appearance. Among these, Hampden, Hermon, Levant, Orrington, Brewer, Old- town, and Orono are the most impor- tant : the latter, the seat of the State College, is a pretty town containing many fine residences. There are four railroads terminating in Bangor, — the Maine Central, Euro- 12 SETTLEMENT AND GROWTH. pean and North American, Bangor and Piscataquis, and the Eastern Maine. The number of trains arriving and de- parting daily, on all these roads com- bined, is thirty-four. Four telegraph companies centre here, — the Western Union, Mutual Union, Moosehead Lake, and the Castine. There is a Telephone Exchange, exten- sively patronized in the city, with wires connecting with several of the neigh- boring towns. There are ten lines of stages carry- ing passengers and mails to the vari- ous parts of the country, including the “ Tally-ho ” line, which makes two trips daily to Mount Desert. During the summer there is a daily line of magnificent steamboats between Bangor and Boston, which touch at all the principal ports on the Penobscot River. There is also a fine steam-line to Bar Harbor, Mount Desert, as well as a fleet of stanch steamers for tow- ing and excursions on the river, besides a grand pleasure-barge of ample propor- tions : so that the Penobscot presents, aside from its natural beauty, a scene 13 A SKETCH OF BANGOR. of much activity. Rowing-parties glide smoothly along, and sail-boats and small steamers with pleasure-parties enliven the scene with music and laughter. Ves- sels, large and small, are constantly arriving from other ports, or are putting to sea, laden with the products of the Maine forests and farms. During the hot season the various resorts on the river are much frequented by residents of Bangor, many of whom have neat cottages at Fort Point, Cas- tine, Northport, Islesboro’, and Camden. As a port of entry, Bangor is of much importance. In 1880, according to the last published report of the harbor-master, the number of vessels of all kinds (not including small fishing- craft) which arrived, was 2,068, aggre- gating 393795 tons. BIRD'S EYE VIEW LOOKING SOUTH FROM CENTRAL CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH STEEPLE INDUSTRIES AND SOCIETIES. / II. INDUSTRIES AND SOCIETIES. /^NE of the former industries of magnitude in this locality was ship- building ; but, since the decline in American shipping, it has somewhat fallen off. A large amount of tonnage is still owned here, however ; and ves- sels are constantly being built and re- paired. Brick-making is an industry of great importance, many millions being annu- ally made and exported. The harvesting of ice has become an important industry, employing many men during the winter months, and furnish- ing freight to hundreds of vessels during the summer, besides giving a fair profit to those engaged in the business. There are founderies, machine-shops, 17 A SKETCH OF BANGOR. flouring-mills, planing-mills, large coop- erage establishments, a pottery, manu- factories of furniture, doors, sashes, and blinds, carriages, boots, shoes, and moc- casins, etc. The greatest industry, however, is that of lumber. Few people not engaged in this business are aware of its magni- tude in all its branches. The Penobscot River and its tributaries drain a vast area of territory ; and every brook that runs into them, which is large enough to float a few logs, is made a means for conveying the forest products to market. From the time the lumberman goes into the woods in the fall, until his logs are cut, hauled to the shore of the stream, measured, counted, and marked, driven, in the spring, to the main boom some twenty miles above Bangor, sorted, rafted, sold to the manufacturer, con- veyed to the various mills on the Penob- scot, sawed into all kinds of long and short lumber, and then shipped abroad, so many trades and professions are em- ployed that a detailed account of them would require too much space for this sketch. VIEW OF EAST SIDE FROM THOMAS' HILL. INDUSTRIES AND SOCIETIES. In the year 1872 the value of manu- factured lumber sold was, in round numbers, $4,000,000 : the amount of long lumber surveyed was more than 246,000,000 feet. The amount of laths, shingles, clapboards, pickets, and staves aggregated more than 275,000,000. Railway- ties, ship -knees, telegraph- poles, cedar posts, spool-stuff, shoe-lasts, hemlock-bark, and many other products of which no record is kept, are annually shipped, by rail or sea, in great quan- tities. The total amount of long lumber sur- veyed at this port, from 1832 to 1881 inclusive, is 7,475,586,780 feet. Of this, about 5,500,000,000 feet have been sur- veyed since 1851, showing that the sup- ply increases with the demand. In fact, most of the forest products which natu- rally find a market at this port will last for centuries. There are five national banks in the city, with an aggregate capital of a mil- lion dollars, and two savings banks with large deposits ; several strong and pros- perous insurance ^companies, both for marine and fire ; two daily and three A SKETCH OF BANGOR. weekly newspapers, and two monthly periodicals, besides two new weekly pa- pers, published for the advancement of a political party, A public library, with 17,400 volumes ; the Bangor Mechanic Association, Board of Trade, Horticultural Society, Art Association, and various literary and social clubs. A Children’s Home, and a Home for Aged Women : both institutions have handsome buildings, finely located and well managed. The Bangor Fuel Society, Humane Society, Hibernian Mutual Benevolent Society, and other charitable associa- tions. Reform Club, Women’s Christian Tem- perance Crusade, Young Men’s Chris- tian Association, Bangor Young Men’s Bible Society, Convent of Mercy, and St. Xavier’s Academy for Young Ladies, and numerous smaller societies and in- stitutions for the promotion of good morals and education. There are a company of infantry, two military bands, and a fine orchestra. A beautiful Masonic building, with two 20 INDUSTRIES AND SOCIETIES. lodges, one Commandery, one Council Royal and Select Masons, Royal Arch Chapter, and De Bouillon Conclave No. 2 Knights of the Red Cross of Con- stantine ; four lodges of Odd Fellows, one lodge Knights of Pythias, Royal Arcanum, Knights of Honor, and one Grand Army post. s^tpr"’ HELIOTVPE PRINTING CO. BOSTON. VIEW OF EAST SIDE FROM COURT STREET. III. PUBLIC BUILDINGS, ETC. -w. '' :/ -,- *?? V w /■ r*- III. PUBLIC BUILDINGS, I 'HERE is a new opera-house; and ^ there are numerous tasteful and well-arranged public halls, the largest of which, “ Norombega,” built in 1855, has been the scene of many stirring events. Its walls have echoed with ringing words for the right, for justice, and for the freedom of the slave. Here, in time of war, the pulse of the populace was quickened and its patriotism awakened by the eloquent appeals and noble thoughts of the great- est orators of the land, many of whose voices will be heard no more. In peaceful times the classical oratory of Edward Everett ; the silvery tones of Wendell Phillips’s voice ; the scholarly essays of Theodore Parker; the philoso- 5 A SKETCH OF BANGOR. phy of R. W. Emerson; the learned dis- courses of Drs. Bellows and Chapin, and of Proctor the astronomer; the earnest speeches of William Lloyd Garrison, Frederick Douglas, Beecher, Gough, and scores of others, — have enlightened the people. Here Grant has spoken his mono- syllabic piece, Lord Lisgar charmed his audience. Gov. Wilmot of New Brunswick brought forth tears and cheers with his emotional rhetoric, and the noted English Bradlaugh has pro- nounced his communistic harangue. On its platform the masters in political argu- ment have taken their stand. Garfield, Winter Davis, Thomas H. Benton, Henry Wilson, Horace Greeley, Zachariah Chan- dler, David Dudley Field, B. F. But- ler, Senators Sherman, Logan, Morton, Blaine of Maine, and hosts of other great expounders of political doctrines, not forgetting Bangor’s honored citizen, Hannibal Hamlin. Before the foot-lights on its stage, the most noted interpreters of the drama have worn the buskin ; and the greatest musical stars with melodious strains EAST MARKET SQUARE. PUBLIC BUILDINGS. and “sweet lyric song” have charmed their hearers. The county buildings (court-house and jail, costing $ 160 , 000 ) are sur- rounded by large, well-kept lawns, shaded by fine old elms. They are built of granite and brick, are commodious build- ings, centrally located, tastefully de- signed, and supplied with all the modern conveniences. The State arsenal and grounds (cost- ing $75,000) occupy a commanding posi- tion in the environs. The United-States Custom-House and Post-Office is a granite structure, con- venient in arrangement, of good propor- tions and handsome design. Its cost is estimated at $250,000. The system of water-supply in Bangor is certainly as perfect as can be desired. Every householder, for the petty sum of five dollars a year, can have an abun- ■ dance of pure Penobscot-river water. At nearly every street-corner is a hydrant for use in case of fire. The city owns several steam fire-engines ; but they are used only in great emergencies, or in the suburbs beyond the reach of the water- 27 A SKETCH OF BANGOR. mains. Hose-companies are located in different parts of the city, manned by efficient corps of firemen. They prompt- ly respond to every alarm of fire, and, on reaching the hydrant nearest their des- tination, attach the hose thereto, through which a powerful stream immediately rushes, forced by the great stationary engines located at the water-works, which night and day throughout the year are constantly in motion, pumping and driv- ing over a million gallons of water daily through more than twenty-two miles of mains. Public drinking- fountains for man and beast are centrally and con- veniently located in various parts of the city. In the centre of Kenduskeag Bridge is a hydrant, usually concealed from sight, to which on gala days is attached an iron nozzle three inches in diameter, from which belches a great stream of water to a perpendicular height of more than two hundred and fifty feet, making one of the most remarkable hydraulic displays. As a consequence of this excellent system of water-supply, there are very PUBLIC BUILDINGS. few fires in the city; and it is hardly possible for a great conflagration to take place. Since its introduction in 1875 no fire has gone beyond the building in which it originated, and the average annual loss has been less than fifteen thousand dollars. Insurance rates are naturally very low; and this compensates in a great degree for the taxes, which, chiefly on account of the temporary embarrassment of a railroad enterprise in which the city engaged, are at present higher than is desirable. A few political aspirants, and rich men of an economical turn of mind, have taken advantage of this state of affairs ; and their dispiriting complaints have had the bad effect of cutting off expenditures, in some cases, in the wrong direction. The educational fund has been reduced, and the schools have suf- fered in consequence. Happily they are now growing in prosperity. It is to be hoped, that, when all those who have objected to improvement in public education go to a better land, they will there be severely reprimanded by Abigail Ford, who, in 1773, taught the 29 A SKETCH OF BANGOR. first school in Bangor. Peace to her ashes. The city has now sixty-five schools, employing ninety-eight teachers. It is a matter of pride that the city’s credit is of the highest standard, its longest six-per-cent bonds selling at twenty-four per cent premium. Bangor is and always has been patri- otic. It was from here that the first response, in this State, to Abraham Lin- coln’s call for troops in i86i was given. The first enlistment for the war of the Rebellion was also in this city, and the first man to enlist was Captain Levi Emerson. Here it was, that on one occasion dur- ing the war the mercurial temperament of the people was raised to such a height as to be irrepressible ; and at high noon the types, press, and entire paraphernalia of a disloyal newspaper were thrown from its windows and burned in the public square, to the sound of ringing church-bells and the shouts of the populace. 30 ■TTfr PHI., co. BROADWAY. IV. WEALTH AND PROSPECTS. >7 “’ - ■V-' ■-^' ^.■ X- ; »!' -V* V \ I IV. WEALTH AND PROSPECTS. TOURING the last decade, according to the census of 1880, there was a slight decrease in the population of Ban- gor, which to its citizens seems unac- countable, as there has been much new building, and there are comparatively few houses to let. The city will grow slowly but surely. Its location is such that it will always be a centre of trade and travel, and the surplus wealth of its citizens will necessarily be employed in enterprises that will accrue to its advan- tage. The water-power in its immediate vicinity is unsurpassed in the world ; and, as a prominent woollen-manufac- turer expressed it, “ The capitalists of Bangor have only to get a little educa- 33 A SKETCH OF BANGOR. tion in the manufacturing of cotton and woollen to set the spindles and looms in motion.” The manufacture of lumber, the pur- chase of timber-lands, and the building of ships, have been the chief methods of investment. Surplus funds to a great extent have been sunk in Western mines and other speculative follies, or buried in bonds where none but the owner, not even the tax-collector, derives any benefit therefrom. The amount of forest-land owned and controlled by citizens of Bangor is amaz- ing to those unfamiliar with the sub- ject. Imagine 1,200,000 acres, nearly 2,000 square miles, or a territory, which, if joined in one compact mass, would be nearly double the size of the State of Rhode Island, under the control of one man, and some idea can be had of the vast extent of these possessions. This is an exceptionally large property ; but there are many individuals and es- tates who count their acres by from one hundred thousand to more than three hundred thousand, or from one hundred to nearly five hundred square miles each. 34 MELlOTTfE fRIHtINO CO. BOSTON. MAIN STREET WEALTH AND PROSPECTS. and a greater number the area of whose domains are reckoned only by scores of thousands of acres. There are about 8,500,000 acres of wild land in the State, of which nearly one-half is owned or controlled here. In other words, not far from six thou- sand square miles (one-fifth of the total area of the State, or a territory as large as the States of Connecticut and Rhode Island combined) has its proprietorship here. The timber on these lands is con- stantly being cut ; but it grows fast, and, but for fire, would be practically inexhaustible. What the proprietors need, is an association employing ward- ens authorized by the State to arrest all ignorant and careless sportsmen who leave their camp-fires burning. Making a few guilty men suffer for their indif- ference would create a wholesome regard for the rights of property among all those who take the privilege of enjoying the woods of Maine. The railroads which centre in Bangor have opened a large and yet undevel- oped territory, covered with good farm- 35 A SKETCH OF BANGOR. ing-lands, and abounding in products which are ever increasing in demand. The quarrying of slate, near the route of the Bangor and Piscataquis Railroad, is already assuming large proportions. Its quality is superior, and said to be surpassed by none in the world. The iron mines of Piscataquis County are owned in this city. They grow in im- portance each year. A railroad, built by Bangor enterprise, connecting them at Milo with the Bangor and Piscataquis Railroad, is now nearly completed. The natural beauty of the scenery of Maine, its salubrious climate in summer, its freedom from violent storms and tornadoes, its numerous rivers and lakes and picturesque hills and mountains, the absence of malarial diseases, of hay- fever, and pestilential plagues of all kinds, annually attract crowds of pleas- ure-tourists and seekers of health. To provide for the comfort of these, Bangor capital is already to a certain extent employed in furnishing facilities for travel, and in supplying the adja- cent resorts with the necessaries and luxuries of life. But there is still a WEALTH AND PROSPECTS. future for Bangor enterprise in this direction : new hotels must and will be built in the lake and mountain regions, and it is to be hoped that foreign capi- tal will not reap all the advantages therefrom. 37 HIGH STREET, SOCIAL FEATURES. V. SOCIAL FEATURES. T) ANGOR is delightfully situated. It is intersected by the Kendus- keag stream, on either side of which are sunny hills covered with lovely homes. The business portion of the town is located on the low land bordering the stream and fronting the broad Penob- scot River. The streets throughout the city are lined with magnificent shade-trees, the elm predominating. Elegant residences abound, and well-kept lawns and beauti- ful gardens are the rule rather than the exception. The inhabitants seem to vie with each other in their love of flowers and desire for neatness round about their homes. Nearly every house has its little garden 41 A SKETCH OF BANGOR. \ or plot of greensward, and in many of them may be seen ornamental fountains scattering in graceful spray the cool waters of the Penobscot. It has been called the “ Queen City of the East,” and justly. Its location is commanding ; and, where Nature has failed to give it sufficient beauty, the taste and ambition of its inhabitants have given generous aid. Its outward appearance in summer is certainly un- surpassed by any small city. Add to its picturesqueness and neatness the im- portant fact that few places can com- pare with it in point of the general health of the inhabitants, and you have the most important features necessary for a residence. Socially, Bangor is a leading centre. There is much individual wealth among its inhabitants, as well as a great deal of refinement and culture. There are few communities where so large a pro- portion of its sons and daughters have been extensive travellers. Hospitality is the rule among all classes. In winter the city is gay. The frosty air is in- vigorating, the trees are bare of leaves. 42 STATE STT-iEET SOCIAL FEATURES. and all the landscape is covered with a sheet of dazzling white. Men and women and children go out in all weath- er, without regard to frost or snow. The streets are merry with tinkling bells ; and, on pleasant days, young men accompanied by their sweethearts, papas with their families, and jockeys with their trotters, hold high carnival, speed- ing their nags with jingling bells on the road to Hampden. Sleighing-parties to suburban towns for a supper, a dance, and a ride home by moonlight ; coasting down the long. icy hills ; and skating at the rink with music by the band, — are amusements much in vogue. Small social gatherings and large pri- vate parties are numerous. In a notice alluding to one of the latter, the editor of a foreign journal who was present makes complimentary reference, of which the following is a brief extract : — “ The music was particularly excellent. . . . The picture would reveal indica- tions of opulence, culture, taste, and beauty, which few cities of equal size could reveal : many twice the size could 43 A SKETCH OF BANGOR, not do so. . . . The hospitalities were of an elegant character, and on a sumptu- ous scale.” Associations devoted to art and litera- ture prevail. Reading-clubs are popular, and dancing is a favorite amusement with young and old. The Opera House, unsurpassed for its beauty and convenience by any out- side the largest cities, is one of the centres of attraction ; and in it are wit- nessed the best plays. The principal theatrical and operatic stars find their way here during the season. In the lan- guage of the profession, Bangor is the “ best show town ” in the State. Booth, Jefferson, Barrett, Janauschek, Cary, Ger- ster, Brignoli, Thomas, Gilmore, and all the lesser lights, favor with their pres- ence the lovers of music and the histri- onic art. Bangor is never behindhand in giving generous aid to suffering communities abroad, whether from pestilence, flood, or fire, as recipients of its good will and the practical application thereof will readily acknowledge. It is the seat of one of the oldest 44 SOCIAL FEATURES. and most celebrated religious institutions in the country, — the Bangor Theologi- cal Seminary. Its various buildings are located in spacious grounds command- ing a fine view ; and, with its grand old shade-trees and green lawns, it adds much to the beauty of the city. It has a library of sixteen thousand volumes, and an able staff of professors. Among the many eminent divines who have been connected with it may be named the late Drs. Leonard Woods, Enoch Pond, and George Shepard ; also Drs. Harris and Barbour, now of Yale Col- lege; and Hamlin, late president of Rob- ert College, Constantinople. A liberal spirit prevails with the professors of this school as well as with the Orthodox clergy of the city, and there is less harsh judgment pronounced by individu- als on account of religious belief than in most communities. Bangor can name among those who have occupied the pulpits of its various churches many distinguished clergymen. The late Dr. John Cotton Smith of New York was formerly rector of the St. John’s Episcopal Church. The cele- 45 A SKETCH OF BANGOR. brated Methodist, Mark Trafton, was a Bangor boy, and began his preaching here. The late Dr. S. L, Pomroy for more than twenty-three years occupied the pulpit of the First Parish Church ; and the late lamented George B. Little, and the Rev. Dr. Newman Smythe, now of New Haven, followed him many years later. Professors Frederic H. Hedge, Joseph H. Allen, and Charles C. Everett, now of Harvard College, were for fifteen, seven, and ten years respectively, in the order named, pastors of the Uni- 46 terian Church ; and Samuel L. Cald- well, now president of Vassar Col- lege, for twelve years ministered to the spiritual welfare of the First Baptist Society. There are fourteen churches, which have cost, in round numbers, ^400,000. Besides those worshipping in these houses, are several small religious so- cieties holding meetings in halls and in various suburban chapels. Bangor has furnished its fair quota of literary men and women, many of whom have gained a national reputation. SOCIAL FEATURES. In history, religious writings, poetry, novels, articles in the leading periodicals, the world has been made the richer by contributions from its citizens. In the bibliography of the town in the history of Penobscot County, published 1882, a list of the writings of nearly two hun- dred authors is given. 47 .?•- VI. ROUTE FOR A DRIVE. , - )’ I f MEulOTrf’E PRINTINO CO. BOSTON. EUROPKAN & NORTH AMERICAN R. R. WHARF, VI. ROUTE FOR A DRIVE. ' I 'HE following is given as a good route for a drive through the city. Starting from West Market Square, up Hammond Street to Court Street, up Court to Ohio, down Ohio to High, through High to Union, up Union to Third, through Third to Cedar, up Cedar to West -Broadway, up West Broadway to Union, up Union to Highland, across Highland to the summit of Thomas Hill. Here a short rest will give an opportunity for a fine view of the east side of the city, as well as to enjoy a grand prospect of the country for many miles around. To the north may be seen the Piscataquis, or Ebeeme Mountains ; east of them Passadumkeag Mountain looms up in the distance, to A SKETCH OF BANGOR. the right of which a range of hills ex- tends along the horizon for many miles towards the south ; among them the most prominent are Peaked, Black Cap, and Saunders’ Mountains, Wiswell and Swett’s Hills, — ^all famous resorts for picnics and pleasure-parties from the city. Returning through Highland to Union, on the way the pretty Dixmont Hills may be seen on the western horizon ; down Union to Main (making a short detour through Summer Street), through Main to Kenduskeag Bridge, across the bridge to State Street, State to French, French to Garland, Garland to Center, Center to Jefferson, thence to Division, through Division to Kenduskeag Ave- nue, up Kenduskeag Avenue as far as “ Lovers’ Leap,” which is well described in the following extract from an article in the “Home Journal” of Gardiner: “ ‘ Lovers’ Leap ’ is a vast precipice on the banks of the Kenduskeag. . . . Tradi- tion says that a pair of Indian lovers, per- secuted by their ‘ cruel parents,’ dumped themselves therefrom into the bubbling stream below. It was a spot judiciously 52 ROUTE FOR A DR/VE. selected, and we cheerfully commend it- to all lovers desiring a speedy exit from this world or matrimony. It is a grand resort with lovers to this day, though the wholesome example of our Indian friends is now very rarely followed. On Sun- days, particularly, crowds flock to this place, drawn thither, some by love of nature, and some by other motives, per- haps more worthy, perhaps not. It is a pretty place to stroll in, and we cannot find it in our hearts to condemn those who there ‘turn from Nature up to Na- ture’s God.’ We advise all who visit Bangor not to forget to visit ‘ Lovers’ Leap.’ ” Returning through Kenduskeag Ave- nue to Montgomery Street, up Montgom- ery to Fountain Street, where another fine view may be had ; down Fountain to Congress Street, across Congress to Broadway, through Broadway to State, up State to Essex, Essex to Garland, Garland to Grove, Grove to State, State to East Summer Street, return on State to Newbury, down Newbury to Hancock, through. Hancock and Washington to Exchange, thence to place of beginning. 53 A SKETCH OF BANGOR. This drive need not occupy more than an hour and a half or two hours, taking it leisurely. There are many pleasant streets not named in this route, and some interest- ing localities which would well repay a stranger to visit. Mount Hope Cemetery, on the river- road two miles from the city, is a beau- tiful spot. The city water-works are well worth visiting. A drive up the Valley Avenue along the Kenduskeag is pretty. A visit to some of the great saw-mills would be of interest, and a short trip down the river and back makes a delightful holiday. Surely, summer tourists must find much to interest them, though they be entire strangers. There are four large and well-appointed hotels, all with genial landlords, who give their guests the best that their experience and moderate charges will allow. Most well-to-do citizens of Bangor are proprietors of their own homes : few fine houses are ever offered for rent, and house-rent is low. 54 ROUTE FOR A DRIVE. There is little poverty in the town. When a case of suffering is discovered, the good people and charitable societies attend to it with commendable prompt- ness. The city provides well for its paupers, having a large and well-appointed alms- house, where all the indigent who are not too proud to accept of its hospitali- ties are cared for. Beggars are almost unknown ; and either the climate or the nature of the laws is uncongenial to the professional tramp, for he is not a frequent visitor. For a seaport as well as the head- quarters of a great lumbering business, which naturally brings to the low quar- ters of the town rough characters from the sea and the backwoods, there is very little drunkenness and crime. r"- v> "X 't*'. ’y>'i VII. A STRANGER’S IMPRESSIONS. r“' ’ * ■ " ’" ■'‘‘ ‘ vjp‘w:_^ - ■ ; \ <1 ^ / LUMBER DOCKS. VII. A STRANGER’S IMPRESSIONS. ' I 'HE following selections, taken from the correspondence of a distinguished English divine to the “ World ” news- paper of London, England, will give spe- cial interest as showing the impressions produced on the mind of an observing foreigner while visiting Bangor, . . . “ The sail up the Penobscot Riv- er on a fine summer’s morning is charm- ing. The villages dotted here and there, with their white cottages, backed by pine forests, have a beauty all their own, distinct from any thing on the Hudson (the Rhine of the United States), but by no means suffering in any thing but diminution from the comparison. Every thing needful for travellers can be ob- tained on board the fine boats which ply 59 A SKETCH OF BANGOR. between Boston and Bangor, — bed and board, in addition to the conveniences of the elegantly appointed drawing-room saloon. . . . The sunrise was magnifi- cent ; the water smooth as oil, and bur- nished like liquid gold ; the air keen and appetizing. From Rockland up the Pe- nobscot River is a continuous panorama of quiet beauty — bays, islands, villages, pine forests — until one of the largest cities in Maine is reached, — Bangor. . . . This city has a population of between tv/enty and thirty thousand residents. Its buildings, mostly of wood, are con- structed with neatness and taste, many even with elegance. Most of the Ameri- cans prefer wood to brick ; and some of the most recherche dwellings, man- sions for size, are of wood. It may be that my visit to Bangor is made under exceptionally favorable circumstances, . . . but it seems to me a most desirable place of residence. In summer-time the heat is never so oppressive as in Bos- ton and New York. In winter, when the rivers are blocked with ice, sleighing, skating, and all kinds of out-door exer- cise, develop the social life of the placo A STRANGER' S IMPRESSIONS. to such an extent as to make the win- ter at Bangor, severe though it is, the most enjoyable time of the year. There are fourteen churches here, most efficient schools, large public halls, fine stores, capacious hotels, and the streets are all more or less hilly, with an orderly irregu- larity which adds very much to the charm of the place. “ I have explored almost every street, and failed to find any really poor people, ■ — people, that is, who are in doubt as to where the necessaries of life are to come from ; nor have I seen any thing like open drunkenness, although for sev- eral days the militia of the State have been encamping here, — an event which brought together great crowds from the surrounding districts. . . . Bangor is a good illustration of the fact that the absence of a State-established religion tends to soften down the asperities of sectarianism. In this city we have de- nominationalism without sectarianism. It has been my privilege, in making a longer stay here than at any other point on my travels, to receive invitations to social gatherings, which have enabled A SKETCH OF BANGOR. me to form a pretty deliberate judg- ment on this question ; and it has been unspeakably gratifying to me to discov- er that social intercourse is not at all confined within denominational lines. Congregationalists, Baptists, Unitarians, Episcopalians, mingle without the slight- est reserve or restraint ; and all have done me the honor of attending the ser- vices that I have conducted. . . . People who suppose that ‘ down East ’ is a syno- nyme for semi-civilization, as we some- times hear in England, would be utterly astonished at the intelligence, refinement. culture, and wealth of Bangor. I sup- pose, that, in proportion to the number of inhabitants, there are more people here who keep some sort of carriage than in any other town in New England. This riding everywhere seems to me one of the mistakes made by Americans. If they have to go the distance of a mile, they order out a horse, and ride, and then suppose they have been ‘ taking exercise.’ ... I am sure of one fact, — that we shall quit Bangor and its im- mense lumber-wharves, its hills and dales and pleasant waters, with very great A STRANGER'S IMPRESSIONS. regret. Nowhere have we encountered so many English-looking faces, nowhere had access to so many pleasant homes, nowhere met with such lavish hospital- ity. Our natures would be cold indeed if we did not henceforth number among our friends some of those who have done all that in them lay to make us feel ‘ at home ’ on American soil ; and we strongly advise any of our readers, who may be contemplating a trip to these shores, to put Bangor down among the cities to be visited.” In closing this sketch, it is gratifying to be permitted to append the beautiful hymn written by one of Bangor’s most gifted daughters on the occasion of the city’s centennial celebration in 1869. CENTENNIAL HYMN. K£’.IOTTF-E PRINTING CO. ».• ,T0N. PENOBSCOT RIVER FROM BREWER BRIDGE. CENTENNIAL HYMN. BY FRANCES L. MACE. I. God of our days ! thy guiding power Sustained the lonely pioneer W'ho first, beneath the forest-shades, His evening camp-fire kindled here. To thee, a welcome sacrifice, Its smoke ascended to the skies. II. God of the years ! as summers fled. Within the wild new homes were reared. New gardens bloomed, new altars flamed. And songs of praise the sabbaths cheered, Until the fair young city stood. Gem of the Eastern solitude. 67 A SKETCH OF BANGOR. III. God of the centuries ! to-day A hundred years their tale have told ; And, lingering in their solemn shade, We listen to the days of old. To us, how vast the centuries’ flight ! To thee, as watches in the night. IV. God of eternity ! thy hand To nobler hills has beckoned on The fathers, who, by many toils, For us this pleasant dwelling won. With them, hereafter, may we raise Celestial cities to thy praise ! 68 . • nv'r - • -V’^ .isj / i zir < -7 V •.. .;?> 'V^ ^ . • •• , ' V,' ;• ^ ^ •■ * V '- '* ^^••^v -f k. . K' jf L ' ■ A. ’.'-• V f. ■y .1 X ' if i 'v. ' '-■* ■' 'V .„;^*- r V >; i / : / ,/ ^ .-t ..i.v- > r i