“Organization And Places Of Worship. — The Methodist Society in Union was organized by Aaron Humphrey, in the house of Jason Ware, in 1797. The first preaching in the Old Meeting-house was by a Methodist. Methodist meetings for a considerable time were held there on the Lord’s Days. Money was raised in town-meeting to support the preaching. When a strong movement was made to settle a Congregational minister, the Methodists withdrew, and held meetings at the dwelling-houses of Jason Ware and Matthias Hawes, till the Round Pond Schoolhouse was built; after which they assembled there.
The Meeting-house was built by subscription about 1810. At first the seats were loose. The sexes sat on different sides of the broad aisle. Wall-pews 3 were built, probably in 1811; the seats being still continued in the part designed for the body-pews. Subsequently, pews were substituted for the seats; and, at a later period, pews were built in the gallery. March 18, 1830, the society was incorporated by the name of ‘ The First Methodist Episcopal Society in Union.’ ”
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” The following note shows how one pew at least was to be paid for: ‘ I, the subscriber, do promise to pay Matthias Hawes, Jason Ware, Cornelius Irish, and Nathan D. Rice, trustees for building a Methodist Meeting-house in Union, twenty-three dollars ; it being for pew No. 27, in the proposed house, and which is to be paid as follows, viz.: Three quarters of said sum to be paid in corn, grain, neat-stock, merchantable lumber, materials for building said house, or any pay that will suit a carpenter which may be employed in building said house, on demand ; and one quarter in cash in four months from this date. — Witness my hand, this 8th day of March, 1809. Edwd. Jones.’ ”
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Pages 275-6
“The preceding report was followed by the one pertaining to the second road, which will be readily recognized as on the south and west sides of Round Pond.
‘May 10. Then Mr. Philip Robbins, Mr. Ezra Bowen, and Mr. Jason Ware, met and laid out a road, beginning between Mr. Moses Havves and Mr. Richard Cummings, on said Hawes’s land, west-north-west, to Mr. Jessa Robbins ; through his lot and a lot known by Dunbar’s land, and through by Mr. Adams ; through his land, and through the land of Mr. Ware, to Mr. Matthias Hawes; and through his land, and the land of Mr. Woodward, until it comes to the land of Mason Wheaton, Esq. (cleared ground), nearly as it is now cleared; then running straight to the east end of his house ; thence to the north-east corner of his chopped land; thence nearly a north-east course, by spotted trees, till it comes to John Taylor, Esquire’s, north line, by Senebec.’
May 30, the day on which the two roads were confirmed, it was voted that another should be laid out east of Seven-tree Pond, and another through Ebenezer Robbins’s land to Waldoborough. At the same town-meeting, the first movement was made in relation to highway-districts. The town gave ‘ the selectmen orders to divide the highways for the surveyors, and proportion the inhabitants to do the work in each of their divisions.’
‘July 9, 1787, Mr. Philip Robbins, Mr. Ezra Bowen, and Mr. Jason Ware, met and laid out’ [the third road, which was from Mr. Matthias Hawes’s to Dr. William Jennison’s] ‘ as follows, viz.: Beginning a little south-east of Mr. Matthias Hawes’s hovel, running northwardly across his pasture to a spotted oak, then by spotted trees till we come to the old road that Dr. William Jennison cleared, and then on the road, with small variations, just enough to straighten the road, by spotted trees, to the clear land of Dr. William Jennison.’
‘Nov. 19, 1787, voted that the road to Barretts Town shall stand as the selectmen laid [it] out, the twenty-second of September; Mr. Philip Robbins and Mr. Jason Ware, selectmen; and Mr. Jessa Robbins, pilot. Beginning at the brook north-east of Mr. Josiah Robbins, then running east-north-east until we come nearly to the end of the second tier of lots, then running north-east half a mile, then running north-east and by east, then north-east with small variations to Barretts Town.’
‘ Oct. 6, 1787, Mr. Ezra Bowen and Mr: Jason Ware, two of the selectmen of Union, met, looked and laid out the road through to Waldoborough, as follows, viz.: Beginning at Round Pond Road on Mr. Joel Adams’s land, at a white birch-tree spotted; then running south-west until it comes to the land of Mr. Dunbar, then running west by spotted trees till [it] comes to the old road from said Adams to said E. Robbins, then running nearly south-west by spotted trees and stake through the improvements of said Robbins, and on nearly the same course to Waldoborough.’
The last three roads and the following, which was on the east and north sides of Seven-tree Pond, were confirmed or accepted Nov. 19,1787, when it was —
‘ Voted that the road laid out from Warren, at the east end of Mr. Samuel Hills’s land, through the farm improved by Mr. Royal Grinnell to the head of Seven-tree Pond, shall stand, and is confirmed as was laid by the selectmen, Nov. 5, A.D. 1787. The road begins as follows, viz.: At a white birch-tree spotted, by Warren line, then running nearly north, by spotted trees, until we come to Mr. Amory’s grist-mill, then over the flume of said mill, then just east of the house and barn, then on or near a north course across to the woods, then nearly a north course to Oliver Lailand’s [Leland’s], then turning north-west to west till we come to the brook running into Seven-tree Pond, then on nearly the same course until we come to the road laid out by Mr. Josiah Robbins in the old Senebec Road.’ ”
Reference Data:
A History of the Town of Union in the County of Lincoln, Maine, by John Langdon Sibley, 1851, page 218
