Thursday, March 3, 2022

1884-1902 ME & NH Documents & Correspondence Re: Mark R. Coolbroth (1827-1903) of Steep Falls, Maine, and the Saco Lumber Company

Nineteen 1884-1902 papers, including correspondence and documents, pertaining to Mark R. Coolbroth (1827-1903) of Steep Falls, Maine, and the Saco Lumber Company.

See a mill operated by the Saco Lumber Company at Biddeford, Maine, at Digital Commons@UMaine.

Most of the documents relate to lumber negotiations, but one item is an 1896 letter to Coolbroth from his brother Samuel Wilson Coolbroth (1826-1910) in Santa Rosa, California. Samuel's surname may have morphed to Colbroth.

People mentioned:


The documents, from the earliest:
  • May 27, 1884.  To owners of logs now in drives coming down Saco river & owners of booms on said river above Saco.  To owners of logs now in drives coming down Saco river & owners of booms on said river above Saco; signed: Joseph Hobson; Joseph G. Dearing; S. C. Hamilton; C. & L. G. Hanson
  • January 25, 1885 letter to Mark R. Coolbroth(1827-1903) from John W. Thoms (1833-1911); Saco River in Brownfield, Maine
  • April 21, 1885 survey and receipt: Emory Lord (1832-1916) and son George Abraham Lord (1864-1954); Joseph Hobson & Sons, presumably Joseph Hobson (1816-1893) of Saco, Maine; Hiram Gatchell, Surveyor - Hiram Gatchell (1829-1913) of Brownfield, Maine.  Mark R. Coolbroth (1827-1903)
  • April 21, 1885 survey receipt of payment by Mark R. Coolbroth (1827-1903) to B. W. McKeen, presumably Benjamin Walker McKeen (1817-1894); surveyor: Hiram Gatchell (1829-1913) of Brownfield, Maine; also mentions Joseph Hobson & Sons; lumber on Ballard Brook in Fryeburg, Maine
  • April 24, 1885 - survey and receipt of payment by Mark R. Coolbroth (1827-1903) to B. W. McKeen, presumably Benjamin Walker Mckeen (1817-1894); for Joseph Hobson & Sons, presumably of Saco, Maine; surveyor Hiram Gatchell (1829-1913) of Brownfield, Maine
  • August 25, 1888; agreement between Francisco Weston Walker (1846-1910), "Frank", of Effingham, New Hampshire and Mark R. Coolbroth (1827-1903) of Steep Falls, Maine; mention's Frank's wife Mary Lucretia (Marston) Barker; Edwin Towle and surveyor Parsons
  • August 10, 1889 letter to Mark R. Coolbroth (1827-1903) at Steep Falls, Maine, from J. B?, agent for Mr. Emery, presumably Mark Peter Emery (1817-1898); mentions Coolbroth & Keneson; Keneson was, presumably Stephen J. Keneson (1832-1909) of Freedom, New Hampshire
  • August 19, 1892 letter from Stephen J. Keneson (1832-1909) at Freedom, New Hampshire, to Mark R. Coolbroth (1827-1903) at Steep Falls, Maine; also mentions Mr. Foss, presumably in Carroll County, New Hampshire; the James and Ed mentioned were presumably the sons of Mr. Foss; the Holland lots, presumably in Carroll County, New Hampshire; Charles Adams
  • 1893 list of fares, meals, telegraphs, etc., paid; mentions Steep Falls, Brownfield, Hiram; Towle bridge (or perhaps Toll Bridge); Walker house for meals; meals provided by John Perkins and Brazier; Chandlers; Cornish; Lovell; hauling logs on Hiram Flats; John Hastings; Kendal & Whitmer
  • December 12, 1894 letter from John D. Bemis of Conway, New Hampshire, presumably John Dana Bemis (1834-1917), to Mark R. Coolbroth (1827-1903), touting the ministrations and medicine of a certain doctor when other doctors had written Bemis off
  • May 4, 1894 bill submitted to Mark R. Coolbroth (1827-1903) of Steep Falls, Maine by R. G. Watson, presumably Roscoe Gilbert Watson (abt 1860-1945), of "Rapids, Maine", presumably along the Saco River, perhaps near Limington, Maine 
  • March 1896 to Mark R. Coolbroth (1827-1903) of Steep Falls, Maine, from his brother Samuel Wilson Coolbroth/Colbroth (1826-1910) of Santa Rosa, California; mentions Samuel's wife Hattie L. (Lewis) Colbroth (abt 1840-1905) 
  • March 25, 1896 letter from surveyor Hiram Gatchell (1829-1913) at East Brownfield, Maine, to Mark R. Coolbroth (1827-1903) at Steep Falls, Maine; mentions Steep Landing; Harmon; Gray, presumably a surveyor; Hiram, Maine
  • June 4 1898 agreement to for Mark R. Coolbroth (1827-1903) to purchase land in Standish, Maine, from heirs of Amos Boulter (1811-1896), faciliated by lawyer Henry W. Swasey (1842-1917)
  • 9-12-1899 letter from I. P. Quimby (presumably Rev. Israel Paul Quimby, Jr. ( 1849-1925)) in Boston, Massachusetts, to J. B. Gregory, (presumably John Brunswick Gregory (1850-1919)), Agent for the Saco Lumber Company; mentions the Swift (presumably a River on Freedom Road; great Ossipee; old Merrill farm in North Parsonsfield, Maine; J. M. Browne (presumably Quimby's brother in law John Merrill Browne (1839-1925)
  • May 31, 1900 letter to Mark G. Coolbroth (1827-1903) from ? G. Smith in West Buxton, Maine; mentions that Mr. Wells had not received payment for his boom sticks
  • September 13, 1900 letter to Mark G. Coolbroth (1827-1903) at Steep Falls, Maine, from Temperance Swan in Livingston, California. Temperance (Allen) Swan (1829-1902), widow of Joseph Greeley Swan; does not want to sell her land in Maine at present time
  • July 1901 bill for cutting hay; from R. S. Chick, perhaps Ralph S. Chick (1863-1922); to Mark R. Coolbroth (1827-1903)
  • June 20, 1902 letter from C. D. Prince, perhaps Carroll Davee Prince (1859-1920), for S. D. Warren Company in Cumberland Mills, Maine, to Mark D. Coolbroth (1827-1903) in Steep Falls, Maine; regarding delivery of boards

If you have information to share on the history of the Saco Lumber Company or any of the people mentioned here, please leave a comment for the benefit of other researchers.

1 comment:

  1. Quite a find for someone who collects Steep Falls and Saco River. Mark Coolbroth was a highly regarded lumberman & lumber scaler from Steep Falls. For many years he worked for the Saco River Lumber Co.. and then Deering Lumber (I think) He saved every scrap of paper and when his last local descendent died there was an auction and all his papers were dispersed across southern Maine. I managed to purchase a nice sampling.. Would love to see (or own) the other mentioned documents. A bit more on Steep Falls history here. www.steepfalls.com

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