Historic Hallowell

Kayla Johnson & Jeff Veilleux

Jeff Veilleux's Interview with Captain Arthur Moore 

Have you ever wondered what whaling has to do with Hallowell? Or maybe what was shipped in and out of Hallowell around the 1800s through the 1900s?

What was shipped in and out of Hallowell and where was the cargo shipped to? The products shipped were: granite, wood ashes, lumber, sheep, chickens, and ice, according to Sam Webber, local historian. Some of the places that Hallowell shipped to were: Newburyport, Salem, Thomaston, Boston, Portland, Washington City, New York, and New Bedford.

What came into Hallowell were product such as cloth, wine, sugar loaves, molasses, rum, shoes, tools, different types of food that they did not already have, and sometimes ships brought things from the Caribbean.

They also shipped coal into Hallowell, the Wingate’s were one of two businesses that had coal shipped to them. The Wingate’s coal storage building was located between Lucky Garden parking lot and the river. Also you can still find pieces of coal near the river. The other business was Hamilton Coal. It was located where the Bulkhead is at the bottom of Winthrop Street, stated Sam Webber.

Ships that came into Hallowell were from New Bedford, New York, Boston, North Yarmouth, Salem, Portland, East Port, Witheren Falmouth, Fowler Salisbury, Perkins Boston, Cape Ann, Thomaston, and Newburyport. The Kennebec Journal had articles of the ships that came in and out of Hallowell because many people owned a part of the profit. So in a way, it was like modern-day stocks.

In the early 1850’s, Hallowell built a railroad, and also in the 1900’s, the first automobile came into Hallowell. Automobiles became more popular, but they could not drive them in the winter and spring. Because the snow covered the roads, and in the spring, the car would ruin the road because of the mud. According to Sam Webber. “Horses were used to clear limited areas, and most people used sleighs in the winter.” Around the 1950’s or 60’s, shipping stopped on the Kennebec because of all the new ways to get things shipped.

In the 1800’s they used a system called the triangular trade in which the merchants would trade and ship goods between Boston to Hallowell. Examples of products would be food, ingredients, and medicine. They shipped potash which is found in chimneys, and it was made into gun powder. There was also oakum used for ship building to put in between the planks of the boats floor. When they shipped all of the items it would all come from Boston. In the 1800s, they shipped items to Hallowell over sea by ship. Every time they got a new shipping material(another item) the captain would write it all down in his captains log which contains the item, how much it costs, and how many there is of the item.
1 bag of cotton
1 barrel of lemons
6 loves of sugar
1 cash of vinegar
10 bundles
3 barrels
1 gallon of rum
6 pounds of butter
1 barrel of molasses
1 cask of raisins
1 cask of oil
1 bundle of bed springs
54 1/2 of shingles
15in 73 feet of boards
17 barrels of pot ashes
1 pair of wheels
lamb, potato, fish, bread, butter
15m 73 feet of boards
1/2 loaf of bread
1/2 bushel of potatoes
2 barrels of water
7 barrels of rice
1 bag of cotton
1 box of lemons
The prices of most of these didn’t reach beyond 50 cents. The 6 pounds of butter was only 75 cents!
The goods list was found by reading a captain’s log.