Mourning Marshall Spring Hagar

In the 1850s, Marshall Spring Hagar was everywhere in Richmond, Maine. He was a lawyer and judge, as well as a state senator. He was part of the team leading the creation of the Portland & Kennebec Railroad. And he was well-known in the shipyard as a builder and owning parts of more than a dozen ships. 

Marshall and his brother James had moved to Richmond from Waltham, Massachusetts outside of Boston. Richmond was a young town in a new state when they arrived. Marshall was growing with the town and must have been seen to have a bright future ahead of him. 

Sadly, Marshall died at the age of 51. And it was nothing more than a foolish accident. 

Republican Journal, page 2 | Belfast, ME
Friday, Feb 14, 1862

The story was quickly spread throughout the papers of Maine and neighboring states. 

Portland Daily Advertiser, page 2 | Portland, ME
Tuesday, Feb 11, 1862

Bangor Daily Whig and Courier, page 2 | Bangor, Maine
Monday, Feb 17, 1862

At his funeral, the Reverend H. A. Lounsbury delivered the sermon which included,

What makes the death of our brother so sad and touching is the fact that he died so suddenly and unexpectedly. He had to premonitions of the coming of the King of Terrors. The message was not sent to him. "Set thine house in order for thou shall die and not live." No disease had laid hold of him and warned him of the hour that was approaching. The Son of Man came to him as a thief in the night, in an hour in which he thought not.

Richmond on the Kennebec

Even before I started to study my family history I knew that Richmond, Maine was an important town to my ancestors. I remember a family trip up to the Maine coast when I was about ten years old. My Mom told stories about similar trips when she was a girl and trips that her parents had taken years earlier.

When my family history research took me back to the Maine coast, it felt a little bit like coming home. I soon learned that a branch of my family had played a significant role in the early growth of Richmond during the mid to late nineteenth century. Maine had become a state in 1820 and Richmond was incorporated just three years later.

Richmond, Maine - click to explore on Google Earth

Not long after that my great-great-great grandfather, Marshall Spring Hagar, and then his brother, James Monroe Hagar, moved from Massachusetts to Richmond. They each started a family and took on prominent roles within the new town. Marshall and James began their careers as lawyers, but were increasingly active in the burgeoning shipbuilding industry, the expansion of the railroad and banking system, as well as other investments.

I would like to complement my family history research with a study of this small Maine town. I hope to learn how my family fit into the town; how they influenced and were influenced by their friends, associates, and neighbors. I want to explore the social history of the town and how the demographics may have changed over time. Hopefully I will also unearth anecdotes about the town that, while not directly focused on my family, will provide insights into the arc of their lives.

Syms Gardner signed his enumeration of Richmond on October 10th, 1850.

I plan to start with an analysis of the 1850 census to set a foundation for my understanding of the town's population. From there I will layer in subsequent censuses to see how the town changes over time. As I learn more I will determine what other record sets will help to further define this portrait of Richmond, Maine.