Dodge Family History: James Dodge (1807-1877)

JAMES⁷ DODGE (Benjamin⁶, John⁵, Thomas⁴, Josiah³, ‘Lt.’ John², Richard¹) Yeoman, born in 1807, Strong, Kennebec (later Franklin) County, Maine. He married Rachel Curtis on 22 Nov 1827. She was born 5 May 1806, Bristol, Lincoln County, Maine. She is the daughter of William & Rachel (Humphrey) Curtis. James and Rachel both died on 6 Aug 1877, Turner, Androscoggin County, Maine. They are both buried at Twin Bridges Cemetery in Livermore.

At the time of their marriage, James Dodge was living in North Salem, Somerset (later Franklin) County and Rachel was living in Bristol, Lincoln County. They are listed in North Salem (later Salem) in the 1830 Census. According to the census, there were: 1 FWM (Free White Male) between 20 & 30 years of age; 2 FWF (Free White Females) between 20 & 30 years of age and 2 FWM under the age of five. On Oct. 5, 1832 (recorded Mar. 18, 1867), James Dodge & Daniel Dodge, both of North Salem in Somerset County, bought from John Rangeley of Township numbered three in the second range of lots in Oxford (later Franklin) County ‘a certain lot of land, being lot numbered twenty according to a plan of said township…containing 200 acres,’ (Franklin County Records vol. 60 pg. 106) for $300. They agreed to pay $60 a year, with interest, for five years to Mr. Rangeley for the land (Oxford County Records vol. 39 pg. 15 – recorded Oct. 11, 1832).

James and his family are listed in Township Three, Second Range (later Rangeley) in the 1840 Census. By this time, their township was part of Franklin County, which had been created in 1838. According to the census, there were: 1 FWM between ages 30 & 40 (James), 1 FWM between ages 10 & 15 (his oldest son Wilson), 2 FWM between ages 5 & 10 (his sons James Harvey & Asa), 2 FWM under age 5 (his sons Albert & Stephen Curtis), 1 FWF between ages 30 & 40 (his wife Rachel) and 1 FWF between ages 5 & 10 (his daughter Emily). On Sep. 12, 1849 (recorded Mar. 27, 1850), James Dodge, now of the town of Carthage in Franklin County, sold to Moses Sherbunce ‘the lot of land numbered twenty in the Township numbered Three in the Second range of townships…the lot of land now occupied by Jesse Roso, [containing] 200 acres,’ for $1 (Franklin County Records vol. 17 pg. 566). This was the same lot of land he had purchased in 1832.

By 1850, the eastern part of the town of Carthage had been annexed and named 4^th Plantation (later Perkins Plantation). In the census that year, James Dodge and his family were living in 4^th Plantation. James was listed as a farmer. His real estate was valued at $150. He had 215 acres of land, 15 of which was cultivated. He produced 32 bushels of wheat, 20 bushels of oats, nine bushels of beans & peas, and five tons of hay. He had two milk cows, two working oxen and 10 sheep. He also produced 150 pounds of butter and 38 pounds of wool. His three oldest sons, Wilson, James Harvey & Asa, were also listed as farmers. On Apr 1, 1859 (recorded Mar. 5, 1881), he bought from his son Wilson, who was living in the town of Weld, ‘Real estate…in Perkins Plantation, formerly a part of Carthage…[the] undivided half of lot numbered five in the fourth range of lots, the whole lot containing…160 acres…with the house on said lot and an undivided half of the other buildings on said lot,’ (F.C. Records vol. 90, pg. 61).

In the 1860 Census, James Dodge was listed in Perkins Plantation with his family. His real estate was valued at $1,500. His personal estate was valued at $759. According to the Census, James was born in Strong, his wife Rachel was born in Bristol and their children still living at home (Stephen Curtis, Mary Ann, Sarah Jane & Nathaniel) were born in Rangeley. James was a Farmer, Rachel was a Mistress, Stephen Curtis was a Farm Laborer and Mary Ann & Sarah Jane were Domestics. Mary Ann, Sarah Jane and Nathaniel had attended school within the past year. By this time, James had 400 acres of land, 80 acres of which was cultivated. He produced 93 bushels of wheat, eight bushels of rye, 15 bushels of corn, 100 bushels of oats, 100 bushels of Irish potatoes, 30 bushels of barley, 45 tons of hay and 100 bushels of clover seeds. He had 1 horse, two milk cows, two working oxen and 48 sheep. He also produced 175 pounds of wool and 260 pounds of butter. His orchard production was valued at $6.

James continued to buy and sell real estate where he lived. On Mar. 25, 1863 (recorded Mar. 5, 1881), James bought from Lafayette Perkins of the town of Farmington in Franklin County ‘A lot of land in Plantation #4 [Perkins Plantation]…lot…numbered six in the fourth range of lots containing…80 acres,’ for $50. On Oct. 12, 1865 (recorded Apr. 3, 1866), James, with his son Stephen Curtis, sold to their in-law William O. Parlin ‘the lot of land numbered five in the fourth range of lots…also the lot numbered six in the fourth range of lots in [Perkins] Plantation with the buildings standing thereon,’ for $1,500. The amount of land for both these lots was 320 acres, each lot of land containing 160 acres.

On Mar. 10, 1862 (recorded Apr. 28, 1862), James’ wife, Rachel Dodge, of Perkins Plantation, bought from her son Asa S. Dodge, who had moved to East Livermore in Androscoggin County from Perkins Plantation, ‘the North half of lot numbered three in the second range of lots [in Perkins Plantation] containing 80 acres,’ for $100 (F.C. Records vol. 41 pg. 349). In 1870, Rachel, then living in Livermore, sold the land she had bought from her son Asa to William Wilkins for $100 (recorded Oct. 7, 1870 – F.C. Records vol. 68 pg. 328).

By 1870, James & Rachel had moved to Livermore in Androscoggin County. His farm was valued at $1,800. He had 85 acres of land, 65 acres of which was cultivated. He produced 60 bushels of Indian corn, 100 bushels of oats, 150 bushels of Irish potatoes, and 16 tons of hay. He had one horse, two milk cows, and 10 sheep, all valued at $310. He also produced 43 pounds of wool, 150 pounds of butter and 300 pounds of cheese. In the 1870 Census, James is a Farmer and Rachel is Keeping House. Living with them are their daughter Mary Ann (Dodge) Bray and son-in-law Ezekiel B. Bray. Ezekiel is a Farm Laborer and Mary Ann is a Domestic Servant.

On October 21, 1875 (recorded Nov. 4, 1875), James, living in Livermore, bought an 85-acre parcel of land from his son James Harvey Dodge for $1,500 (Androscoggin County Records vol. 83 pg. 20). James sold this land to William Jones of Wayne, Kennebec County, Maine for $1,500 (recorded Nov. 4, 1875 – A.C. Records vol. 82 pg. 57). On Mar. 2, 1876 (recorded Nov. 6, 1876), Wilson Dodge mortgaged a 4-1/2 acre parcel of land to Rachel Dodge ‘with the buildings thereon’ in the town of Turner for $400 (A.C. Records vol. 86 pg. 20).

James & Rachel both died on Aug. 6, 1877 in Turner, Maine. James had been ‘in his last sickness’ for the past 59 days and Rachel ‘in her last sickness’ for the past four days. It was reported ‘James Dodge, aged 70, and his wife, Rachel, aged 71, both died at their home in Turner on the same day, Aug. 6. Only one hour and ten minutes elapsed after the death of Mr. Dodge, before his wife breathed her last. The have nine children, all of whom are living, and all except two daughters, who are living in Colorado, were present at the funeral of their parents. This is the first time death has entered the family.’

When they died, Wilson was appointed administrator of their estate with Curtis & Nathaniel T. Dodge as sureties. Their personal estate was valued at $1,084.27 with $997.02 in rights & credits and $87.25 in goods and chattels. The real estate that their son Wilson had sold to them was sold back to Wilson by their other children for $900 ($120 for each son & $100 for each daughter) (recorded Jan. 15, 1878 – A.C. Records vol. 86 pg. 178 & vol. 90 pg. 547). After funeral expenses and debts were paid off, including $394.68 for living costs at a boarding home during the final weeks leading up to their deaths, each of their children received $56 for their share of James’ personal estate. They are buried at Twin Bridges Cemetery in Livermore, Maine.