Dodge Family History: James Harvey Dodge (1831-1908)

JAMES HARVEY⁸ DODGE (James⁷, Benjamin⁶, John⁵, Thomas⁴, Josiah³, ‘Lt.’ John², Richard¹) Yeoman, born 11 Feb 1831 in Salem, Somerset (later Franklin) County, Maine. He married Mary Ann Clark on 5 Jul 1857. She was born 11 Nov 1827 to Adam & Mary (Johnson) Clark. James Harvey died 19 Jun 1908 in Strong, Franklin County, Maine. Mary Ann died 27 May 1914 in Strong.

James Harvey was living in 4^th Plantation (later Perkins Plantation) with his parents and siblings in the 1850 census. James Harvey was listed as a farmer along with his father James and his brothers Wilson and Asa Dodge. On Dec 15, 1854 (recorded Dec. 15, 1854) James Harvey bought from Lafayette Perkins ‘lot numbered five in the fifth range of lots …containing…160 acres,’ in Plantation #4 for $75 (Franklin County Records vol. 30 pg. 284). On March 26, 1856 (recorded March 26, 1856), James Harvey bought from Lafayette Perkins ‘lot numbered four in the fourth range of lots, containing 160 acres,’ for $100 (Franklin County Records vol. 33 pg. 41).

On Apr. 10, 1857 (recorded Jan. 13, 1858), James Harvey sold the south half of ‘lot numbered five in the fifth range of lots’ to his brother Asa S. Dodge for $100 (Franklin County Records vol. 38 pg. 325). Asa sold this land back to James Harvey on December 3, 1859 (recorded July 11, 1860) for $300 (Franklin County Records vol. 46 pg. 287). James Harvey also sold the northern half of ‘lot numbered five in the fifth range of lots’ and ‘all of the lot of land … numbered four in the fourth range of lots containing,’ to his brother-in-law William O. Parlin on Sep. 12, 1857 (recorded Sep. 14, 1857 – Franklin County Records vol. 36 pg. 563).

On September 14, 1857 (recorded December 21, 1858), Mary Ann Dodge, James Harvey’s wife, purchased ‘all the lot of land numbered four in the fourth range of lots’ from William O. Parlin, for $500 (Franklin County Records vol. 42, pg. 64). She then sold this land to her brother-in-law, Asa S. Dodge, on May 18, 1860 for $800 (recorded May 18, 1860 – Franklin County Records vol. 46 pg. 437).

In the 1860 Census, James Harvey was living in the town of Strong with his family. James Harvey is listed as a Farmer. His real estate is valued at $1,000 and his personal estate is listed as $1,200. The cash value of his farm was $2,800. He had 275 acres of land, 175 acres of it was improved for farming. He produced 30 bushels of corn, 150 bushels of oats and 75 bushels of potatoes. He had four horses, six milking cows, 80 sheep and produced from his animals 300 pounds of butter, 500 pounds of cheese and 40 tons of hay. His livestock was valued at $896.

On July 10, 1860 (recorded July 11, 1860), Asa mortgaged ‘the lot numbered four in the fourth range of lots in Perkins Plantation containing 160 acres,’ to James Harvey for $500 (Franklin County Records vol. 43 pg. 411). The mortgage was paid in full to James Harvey Dodge on January 7, 1862. On this same day (recorded January 7, 1862) this land was mortgaged by Sylvanus Wilkins to James Harvey Dodge for $492.50 (Franklin County Records vol. 47 pg. 262). This mortgage was paid in full to James Harvey Dodge on July 24, 1863.

On Oct. 28, 1867 (recorded Oct. 28, 1867), James Harvey bought a farm in Strong from Anson Mosman for $1,500. The farm was located in the ‘West half of lot No. 4 in the second range of lots, on the east side of the Sandy River, containing 100 acres.’ His farm also had an adjoining 9-acre parcel to the west and an adjoining 28-1/2 acre parcel to the north. (Franklin County Records vol. 64 pg. 12).

In the 1870 Census, James Harvey is listed as a farmer in Strong. His wife, Mary Ann, is listed as Keeping House. His real estate was valued at $1,500 and his personal value is listed as $1,000. The cash value of his farm was $1,500. He had 150 acres of land, 100 acres of which was improved for farming and 50 acres of unimproved woodland. His farm produced 5 bushels of peas and beans, 25 bushels of Indian corn, 25 bushels of oats, 75 bushels of potatoes and 25 tons of hay. He had 1 horse, 2 cows, 2 oxen and 39 sheep valued at $600. His animals produced 210 pounds of wool and 75 pounds of butter. The total value of his farm production was $700. On Oct. 21, 1875 (recorded Nov. 4, 1875), James Harvey sold to his father James Dodge, who was living in Livermore in Androscoggin County, an 85-acre parcel of land in Livermore for $1,500 (Androscoggin County Records vol. 83 pg. 20).

In the 1880 Census, James Harvey is listed as a Farmer and his wife as Keeping House, in Strong. His farm was valued at $1,400 with 40 acres of tilled land, 50 acres of meadow and pasture and 50 acres of woodland. He produced 25 tons of hay, 35 bushels of corn, 25 bushels of oats, two bushels of beans and 100 bushels of apples. He had two working oxen, two milk cows, 39 sheep and 10 chickens which produced 75 dozen eggs, 250 pounds of butter and 234 pounds of wool. On June 29, 1882 (recorded June 29, 1882) James Harvey purchased ‘a parcel of land and real estate situate in New Vineyard’ from Moses Bailey for $234 (Franklin County Records vol. 96, pg. 203). James Harvey sold this land to William Frederick for $350 on August 22, 1890 (August 22, 1890 – Franklin County Records vol. 111, pg. 503).

On June 1, 1889 (recorded June 1, 1889), James Harvey sold his farm in Strong to Edward Simpson for $1000. He had lived there since 1867, when he purchased the farm from Anson Mosman. (Franklin County Records vol. 120, pg. 199). He moved to the town of Farmington and on December 17, 1890 (recorded December 17, 1890) bought ‘The former Homestead of the said Samuel A. Campbell situated in Farmington, Maine’ for $800 from ‘Edwin R. Cutts, administrator of the estate of Samuel A. Campbell.’ This homestead contained four acres. (Franklin County Records vol. 117, pg. 65).

In the 1900 Census, James & Rachel are living in Farmington, Maine. According to the Census, James Harvey was born February 1830 & Mary Ann was born February 1837. They had been married for 42 years and had one living child. James Harvey owned his farm free of mortgage. On November 18, 1901 (recorded November 19, 1901), James Harvey sold his land to Catherine Yeaton, wife of John F. Yeaton for $800. (Franklin County Records vol. 147, pg. 416). They paid James Harvey a mortgage of $300, which was paid to James Harvey in full on November 21, 1905 (Franklin County Records vol. 143, pg. 593).

James Harvey passed away in Strong Jun. 11, 1908 at the age of 77. In his final will dated March 18, 1884, James Harvey leaves $50 to his daughter, Rosa. He left all remaining property to his wife, Mary Ann as well as appointing her as executrix of his estate. Mary Ann passed away May 27, 1914 at the age of 86. They are buried at Riverside Cemetery in Farmington, Maine.

Children:

i. Addie C. Dodge; b. 5 Mar 1859; d. 15 Aug 1861, Strong, Maine.

ii. Rosa R. Dodge, b. 7 Oct 1860, Strong, Maine; d. 29 May 1942, Strong, Maine. She m. Lorrin T. Hunter 30 Aug 1883. He was b. 20 Nov 1859, d. 10 Jun 1934, Strong, Maine. They had three children.

iii. James Harvey & Mary Ann had 3 children – 1 living according to the 1910 Census.