Notes
Note N1925 Index
Daniel was a stone mason in Cedar Falls, Iowa, having moved there from Maine in the 1850's.
Notes
Note N1926 Index
Mellen was a tanner. He worked with his brother Hiram, Jr.
Notes
Note N1927 Index
George was a Carriage Maker in Bridgton and, later, Portland, Maine. In 1900, in Portland, he was operating a billiards hall on Congress Street. According to the 1900 Census, he and Susan had had three children, but all had died before 1900 (T623, Roll 591, E.D. 65, Page 232B).
Notes
Note N1932 Index
In 1900, Lucy was living with son Freeman in St. Cloud, Minnesota. She listed her occupation as Nurse.
Notes
Note N1933 Index
Aaron moved to Minnesota from Oxbow Plantation, ME, in 1855. He originally purchased land in Hennepin County, near Minneapolis, where he lived about two years. Then, along with sister Lucy, her husband, William, and their family, he and his family moved to Maine Prairie, Stearns County, where they stayed five years. In May of 1871, he was one of the first settlers of the town of Maine in Otter Tail County.
An article in the 12 July, 1929, edition of the Fergus Falls (MN) Journal contains the story of the settlement of the town of Maine:
Maine township, or "Town of Maine," as it is commonly called, derived its
name from the first settlers who came from Maine Prairie, Stearns County,
sixteen miles from St. Cloud.
Some of these settlers originally came from the state of Maine and were
called "Maineites." The township was organized by the county commis-
sioners Sept. 5, 1871.
The first election was held in the home of R.F. Adley on Sept. 23, 1871.
It was then that the township was named "Maine" at the request of Mr.
Adley, who was a native of Maine, and one of the first settlers within the
present limits of the township.
The petition for its organization was dated Sept. 14, 1871. It contained the
following names: Aaron Scribner, Joseph Nagle [and several others].
The article then goes on to tell about the settlement of "West Maine" in 1872. Aaron Scribner was among the first settlers in that part of the township, and was joined there in a few years by his younger brother, Frank, and his family. They lived in log cabins with dirt roofs. Aaron was also one of the school board members when the first school was opened at "West Maine" in a small log cabin. Among the first students were "Ed., Frank and Al. Scribner," presumably referring to Aaron's sons Charles Edwin, Alanson Francis and Albert Greeley.
At one time, Maine Township boasted of a store, blacksmith shop, post office, cemetery and three churches. Aaron was one of the original trustees of "The Congregational Church of Christ of Maine" when it was incorporated 2 April 1877. By 1916, all that remained were the churches and the cemetery (John W. Mason, HISTORY OF OTTER TAIL COUNTY MINNESOTA, 2 vols. [Indianapolis, IN: B.F. Bowen & Company, Inc., 1916], 204, 400).
Aaron served for three years in the Civil War in Co. D, 4th Minnesota Infantry Regiment. He was a Sergeant when discharged on 11 October 1864, completing an enlistment that began 8 October 1861.
The Regiment in which he served spent most of its time of service in Mississippi. They took part in battles at Corinth, Iuka, and at Vicksburg in May and June 1863. After the surender of Vicksburg, the 4th Minnesota marched into the city on 4 July, "its brass band leading the troops." In 1864, the unit was transferred to Georgia, where they fought at Allatoona, Georgia, 5 October 1864. There they lost 44 men, but captured the flags of the 35th and 38th Mississippi. At war's end, when the Army held its Grand Review at Washington, the 4th Minnesota marched at the head of the column of Gen. Sherman's army.
While Aaron was away at war, a Sioux Indian uprising forced Mary and the children to take shelter at Fort Abercrombie, across the Red River in what is now Richland County, North Dakota. It was there that Charles Edwin (their fourth child) was born. There were over 500 settlers killed during that uprising.
Aaron was Captain of an independent militia company of 40 members formed in 1876 to counter the "Indian scares." However, by that time, the Indians posed no real threat to the settlers. He later left Maine Township and moved to Backus, Cass County, MN, where he was a farmer and lumberman for several years. He moved to Canada in May of 1906.
Aaron died in Mortlach (about 30 miles west of Moose Jaw), Saskatchewan, Canada, while visiting his daughter, Rosa Closson.
Aaron and Mary are buried in Silent Vale Cemetery in Maine Township (Gibbons, OTTER TAIL COUNTY CEMETERIES [op. cit.], 5, 12).