There has
always been a connection between my paternal Great-Grandmothers, Emmie (Mower)
Smith and Edna (Southard) Skinner with a marriage
between families in the early 1800s. But
a tragedy in 1899 at Mount Desert in Maine tied the families together with another connection.
On August 6,
1899, what is called the Mt Desert Ferry Accident saw both sides lose a family
member. Their names were Ellen (Horn)
Billings and Margery (Kenniston) Mower.
Ellen or Elizabeth Horn was born in Ripley, Maine on 16 April 1831, the daughter of Thomas and Sarah (Tucker) Horn. Although Ellen’s family resided in Ripley, they were active in the Dexter, Maine Baptist Church where they were founding members. Her mother, Sarah Tucker was the daughter of John Tucker, the 2nd settler of Dexter, Maine. Ellen married Albert Holland Billings on 21 July 1853 in Dexter, Maine, a widower with a young daughter. They would have 4 more children together. On the 1860 census of Dexter, Maine, Albert H. Billings was listed as a Universalist clergyman. Not sure what issues this may have caused Ellen to break with her father’s church while he was still living. However, by 1870, Albert was a dealer in wool and woolen products while living in Dexter with his wife and children. By 1880, John and his family had moved to Bangor, Maine where he was listed as a canvasser. He died in Bangor 25 April 1896 and buried in Dexter, Maine. His widow, Ellen took up the occupation of a hairdresser.
Ellen’s
older sister was Mary Tucker Horn. She
was born on 28 January 1810 in Ripley, Maine, 20 years older than Ellen. She married Dan Mower on 18 April 1828 in St.
Albans, Maine. Dan was from Green, Maine
and followed his brothers to the Dexter area.
Dan and his wife settled first in Ripley, Maine where he lived on the
1830 census. He then moved to
Sangerville, Maine and then to Bangor, Maine after 1845. He died on 21 June 1849 in Bangor, Maine
living his widow and six children. On
the 1850 census of Bangor, Mary Mower, age 38 had no occupation and was
probably living off wages from her son, Amos Mower, who was a tin plater. Mary made the decision to move herself and
daughters to California by sailing down the east coast of states and South
America around the Horn and back up the west coast to San Francisco. Her eldest daughter, Sarah Jane Mower, had a
talent for cooking and the gold miners paid good money for her meals.
Eventually the family moved to Gold City, Nevada where even more wealth was
gained. Mary returned to California
where she appears in Directories and census records. She died 16 October 1890 in Napa City,
California.
Mary’s
eldest son, Amos Horn Mower who was born 26 Jul 1830 in Ripley, Maine would
eventually follow his family to California.
After his father’s death in 1850, he became the main supporter of his
mother and siblings as a tin plater in Bangor, Maine. His mother appeared to have sold any
remaining property in Maine in 1851 and headed west to California where Amos
moved to Boston, Massachusetts to continue his occupation. He married Margery Kenniston on1 May 1856 in
Boston, Massachusetts. She was born in
Kenduskeag, Maine in 1832. They had 7
children, two in Massachusetts and the rest in San Francisco where became a
wealthy tinsmith. However, on the 1880 census, his occupation was plumber. Amos died on 4 October 1882 in San Francisco.
It was in
August 1899 that Bar Harbor was location that several of the war ships from the
Spanish American War were going to stationed.
These ships had stopped in Portland, Maine harbor where tours were given. Many people from Maine were excited to make
the trip by train from Bangor to the ferry at Mount Desert to Bar Harbor that
August of 1899. Among them were Ellen
(Horn) Billings and Margery (Kenniston) Mower.
Ellen and Margery were aunt and niece by marriage, but the same age and
may have been friends despite the distance between Maine and California. Margery would have had family in Maine to
visit and kept an acquaintance with her in-laws. It would be strange to think the two women
went alone to see the warships and not have know the other. It was never stated in any papers that two
women were together, but with both being widows and different surnames, it may
not have been known to the press.
On August 6, 1899, the women took the train from Bangor to Mount Desert where they and almost 200 other people quickly departed the train to walk across a slip to the ferry.
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According to numerous newspaper accounts, the slip poorly made of wood gave way under the weight of the people trying to board the ferry. The center gave way, plunging all into the ocean water fifteen feet below. Many were rescued, some clung to the board still connected to the ferry by chains. Some individuals were assisted by ropes to exit the water, while others who were able to swim reached safety independently However, for those who could not swim or pushed under the many who fell on top of them in the water ultimately drowned. When it was over, 20 people drowned.
Among the dead were Ellen Billings and Margery Mower. Sadly, Margery was one of the last to be identified as her niece had drowned and no other relative accompanied her. One of Amos Mower’s cousins, Mr. H.G. Mower of Dexter, Maine came to identify her body.
An investigation called the tragedy an accident and the coroner’s report blamed it on the poor construction of the slip that boarded people on the ferry.
Funeral Notices from the Commercial 8 August 1899.
The local papers still continued to print that the trains to Mount Desert and Bar Harbor were still running the next day to ensure people could continue to see the warships in the Harbor.
One another note, when I googled Spanish American warships in Maine. My search yielded nothing. In fact, an automated reply stated there was no evidence that the warship ever went to Maine. However, several papers carried articles on the ships in Portland and Rockland as well.
My Family connection to both Ellen (Horn) Billings and Margery (Kenniston) Mower
Ebenezer Mower Thomas Horn =Sally Tucker
/ \ / / \
John Mower Dan Mower = Mary Horn Ellen
Horn Sabrina (Horn) Moore
׀ ׀ ׀
Penn Mower Amos Mower=Margery Kenniston Geogetta (Moore) Southard
׀ ׀
Emmie (Mower) Smith Edna
(Southard) Skinner
׀ ׀
Donald C. Smith married Ethelyn V. Skinner
׀
Glenn S.
Smith
׀
Peter M.
Smith
