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Fifth Generation
557. 1850 & 1860 Oliver
ACKLEY649,661 was Farmer at Cutler, Washington , Maine.656,657 He was
born on 27 Jan 1782 in Machias, Washington , Maine.5,618,650,656,657,661,662 birth year also reported as 1783 He appeared in the
census between 1810 and 1870 in Maine. He was living in 1810 in Plantation
# 11, Washington , Maine.310
He was living between 1820 and 1840 in Maine.311,653,654 About 1828 he was State fish inspector at Cutler,
Washington , Maine.661
About 1837 he was Mail Carrier at Cutler, Washington , Maine.661 He was living between 1850 and 1870 in Cutler, Washington
, Maine.656,657,662 He died
on 28 Mar 1871 in Cutler, Washington , Maine.618,661 aother source has death as
25 Apr 1871, the listed date of 28 Mar 1870 is from head stone He was buried
in Apr 1871 in Old Cutler Cemetery, Cutler, Washington , Maine.618 Few Americans acquire the honor of having their name
tagged to a body of water. Oliver Ackley is known today mostly for the Cutler
pond which bears his name. Some fall into the habit of calling Oliver Ackley
Pond: the "Pond" or "Ackley Pond;" but the slightly larger
than ten acre pond, which most naturalists figure has changed little since early
days of the 1780's Town settlement, cannot possess a more appropriate label.
Oliver Ackley was born at Machias on January 27, 1783. He took his first infant
breath as a son of former British colo-nials, Benajah and Anna (Holmes) Ackley,
who lived in the rebellious Shiretown during those dicey times. When the Peace
of Paris was signed on October 19, 1783 (presently known as Sweetest Day) a mu-sician
drummer, John I. Davis attended General George Wash-ington at Yorktown. Davis
was one of Cutler's first settlers.
Oliver Ackley married Elizabeth McGuire of Cutler on April 4, 1806. For a while
he carried mail to Cutler inhabi-tants beginning in 1837.
The first Cutler Post Office was established in 1830. Ack-ley's contract letter
from the Post Office Department on April 22 1837 stated: "Sir, Before you
can receive pay for carrying the mail, it will be necessary for you to furnish
the certificate of the Postmaster at the beginning or end of the route, as to
the date of the ac-tual commencement of service under your present contract,
which expires on the 30th of June next. Respectfully, S. R. Hobbie, First Assistant
P.M. General."
Earlier, in the fifty-second year of United States Independence as one document
proudly explains, or 1828, Ackley was given an appointment by Gov-ernor Enoch
Lincoln of Maine. Mind you, Maine was only an 8-year-old State in the Union,
and Cutler in but its second year as a town, when the fish with fisheries not
surprisingly were of concern under state supervi-sion.
Ackley's appointment reads: "our Governor, reposing special trust and
confidence in the integrity, ability and discre-tion of Oliver Ackley of Cutler,
hath nominated, and by and with the advice and consent of our Council, appointed
the said Oliver Ackley, Inspector of Pickled Fish, and smoked Alewives and Herrings
for the town of Cutler, in the County of Washington."
Ackley holds the distinc-tion of being Cutler's first recorded government official
appointed by both the governor of the Great State of Maine, and the Assistant
Post Master Gen-eral of the United States.
That first Post Office of 1830, where Ackley brought the mail, was shipped from
Machi-asport to Cutler, for distribution from the Burnham Mill Lot. This Post
Office operated later under the name of the "North Cutler Post Office,"
and after the dismantling of the sawmill at Turner Stream outlet was operated
by Elvie Bryant in the present house of Arlene Bryant high on the ridge of a
glacial moraine overlooking Little Ma-chias Bay.
Mail is generally reliable incoming commodity; whereas the prospect of fish on
the other hand is another kettle of fish altogether.
Several years ago, while collecting information at the Maine State Archives
in Augusta, I ran across the fol-lowing handwritten note of Oliver Ackley. In
a good script, with bleak aspect, he penned:
n "Mr. Edward Rufsell, Esq.,
n Secretary of State, Portland:
Cutler, February 29th, 1830. Dear sir. I received a letter from you a requesting
me to represent to you as near as may be in my power the quantity of dried and
pickled Fish which was brought and imported into this Town in the year of 1828.
Sir at the best of my knowledge there was about two hundred & fifty quen-tles
of dried fish and about twenty barrels of pickled Fish. I dont know as I understand
your question whether it means the dried and pickled Cod fish only, but for fear
I dont answer your question I will send you the quantity of smoked fish which
I inspected in the year of 1828 was 13.00 Boxes, and the year 1829 - 1.35 Boxes.
Our fishery here used to be of considerable value but late years it is getting
to of no great value. Respectively your most Obedi-ent Servent - Oliver Ackley
- Inspector of Fish."
The next time you go fishing in Oliver Ackley Pond, remember: tell those you
meet that you weren't just dangling a line in any run-of-the-mill, generically-tagged
pond, but in an historically named authentic and geologic marvel - the real thing:
Oliver Ackley Pond!
COURT DC
MONTHYEAR 09/1842
VOLPAGE 36-92
CAUSE Trespass
LOCATION Cutler
CASE# 2362
Oliver ACKLEY and Elizabeth (Betsey) A MCGUIRE were married on 25 Apr 1806
in Machias, Washington , Maine.618,650,656,657 another source has month as
Aug and another as 4 Apr 1806 Elizabeth (Betsey) A MCGUIRE
appeared in the census 1850 & 1860 in Maine.657
She was born in Mar 1791.618,656,657
In 1860 she was Domestic at Cutler, Washington , Maine.657 She died on 14 Sep 1860 in Cutler, Washington , Maine.618 She was buried in Old Cutler
Cemetery, Cutler, Washington , Maine.618
Oliver ACKLEY and Elizabeth (Betsey) A MCGUIRE had the following children:
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