Maine Genealogy
Source: William Berry Lapham, History of Woodstock, Me.: with family sketches and an appendix (Portland, Me., 1882).
[p. 90]Several years before the passage of the first of our prohibitory laws, Woodstock was in favor of prohibition, as the record of one of the town meetings shows. It was in 1845 that an article was inserted in the warrant to the following effect: "To see if the town will instruct the Selectmen, Town Clerk and Treasurer to grant license to any persons to be retailers of rum, brandy, wine and gin, except for medicinal and mechanical purposes." Under this article the town ordered the question to be decided[p. 91]by yes or no, at the call of the Clerk, those in favor of licensing to answer yes, and those opposed, no. Those who were present and did not vote, the Clerk marked "neutral." He also noted the absentees as such, so that the lists which follow embrace every legal voter in the town at that time. This vote was taken during the transition state of public opinion upon this subject, and many who voted in favor of license, afterwards became decided prohibitionists. A man's general character, therefore, is not to be judged by the manner in which he voted, though it may be set down for certain that every drinking man voted in favor of a place where he could procure his beverage.
Those who voted "Yes," or in favor of license, were: John Billings, Edward Bowker, Cyprian Bowker, Piram Bisbee, Luther Briggs, Joseph Bryant, 2d, Mahalon Bryant, Harvey Bowker, Bartholomew Cushman, Thomas C. Cushman, Josiah Churchill, Daniel Curtis, Morton Curtis, Seth Curtis, 2d, Alexander Day, Jr., Elijah Day, John Day, Eliphalet Davis, Gilman Farnum, Nathaniel J. Farnum, Ezekiel Fogg, Moses Houghton, Benjamin Jackson, John Lunt, Jr., Stephen Packard, Oliver Robbins, 2d, John Starbird, Jr., Samuel Stephens, Fessenden Swan, Alanson M. Whitman, David York, D. P. Hannaford and Edmund Curtis,—33.
Those who voted "No," or against license, were: Cyrus Andrews, William Brooks, Silas Billings, Charles Billings, Jonathan Billings, Eli Bryant, Cyrus Bryant, Cyprian Bowker, Jr., James Bowker, Thomas G. Clark, John Clark, Geo. W. Cushman, Jonathan Cole, Alfred Chase, Alden Chase, Merrill Chase, Daniel Curtis, 2d, Thomas B. Carter, Benjamin Davis, Stephen Davis, Joseph Dunham, Daniel Dunham, Benaiah Dow, Jr., Henry Dunham, Gilbert T. Dudley, John M. Dunham, Eleazer Ellis, Simon Fickett, John G. Felt, Lewis Fuller, Calvin Jackson, Isaac F. Knight, Josiah J. Knight, Orsamus Nute, Seth Perkins, Joel Perham, Sidney Perham, Stephen Packard, Jr., Henry H. Packard, Daniel Perkins, Cyrus Perkins, Cornelius Perkins, Joshua Perham, Kilbon Perham, Azel Perham, Simeon Rowe,[p. 92]Merrill J. Rowe, David Ricker, Jr., Oliver Robbins, Jr., James Russ, Samuel S. Swan, John Thurlow, Joseph Whitman, Jacob Whitman, Bela Wyman, Seward Wyman, Nathaniel Getchell, Hosea B. Bisbee, Augustus Clark, Samuel Dolloff, Oren Glines, Peter Brook and Philip Chandler,—63.
Those who were present but did not vote, and classed as "Neutral," were: Levi Churchill, Crosby Curtis, Alexander Day, Harvey Fuller, Jotham Perham, Gideon Swan, Reuben Whitman and Nathan L. Marshall,—8.
Voters in town not present and classed as "Absent," were: Eleazer C. Billings, Alexander Bryant, Joseph Bryant, Abijah Bryant, Samuel Bryant, John M. Bryant, Charles B. Brooks, Rowse Bisbee, Asa Barrows, John Cotton, John A. Caswell, Wm. Chamberlain, Edmund Chase, Adoniram Curtis, Ransom Dunham, Aaron Davis, Lorenzo Davis, Charles Davis, Joseph Davis, Sam'l Durell, Perrin Dudley, Harrison Doten, Jonathan Fickett, Jr., Samuel Farnum, John S. French, Thomas J. Heath, Joshua Heath, David Hasey, Welcome Kinsley, Solomon Leonard, Seneca Landers, Job Lurvey, John Lunt, Samuel Nute, Jacob Paine, Bartle Perry, Oliver Robbins, William Rowe, David Ricker, Nathaniel Robbins, Charles Robbins, Nathaniel Robbins, Jr., Newel F. Rowe, Joseph Russell, Edmund Swan, Benjamin Stephens, Jesse H. Stephens, William Swan, Sylvanus Stubbs, Nathan Stubbs, Asa Thurlow, Samuel Thorn, Gilman Tuell, Albion K. P. Whitman, Joseph Whitman, 2d, Luther Whitman, Luther Whitman, Jr., Zephaniah B. Whitman, Amos Green, Silas Doane and Samuel Adams,—68.
