Name/Title
Obituary for Samuel Witherell, Eastport, Maine 1898Description
Obituary for Samuel Witherell
From Eastport Sentinel, December 14, 1898, p.8:
Major Samuel Witherell, a prominent figure in Eastport business circles for many years, died at his home on Shackford street last Friday night, at the advanced age of 92 years. Major Witherell was born in Monmouth, Me., in Aug. 1806, where he lived until he came to this town in the early twenties. He early embarked in business and at first conducted what then was considered an extensive hat manufactory, where he furnished the public with the regulation Beaver and glazed caps, which was located on Sullivan street near where the steps to Fort Sullivan started; later he embarked in the retail hat, cap, boot, shoe and fur business in which he continued till he retired after more than a half century of active business life, since which he has lived quietly, resting on the fruits of a successful career. Major Witherell as a business man three times saw his source of income swept from him by fire, in 1839, 1864, and 1886 the latter being after retirement. During 1824 and for many years after Major Witherell was one of the prominent members of the old Eastport Light Infantry, of which he was for a long time captain, and during the Aroostook war, with the rest of the battalion tendered his services but they were not needed. Major Witherell was a man with whom the older portion of the community enjoyed companionship and the younger portion respected; of a retentive memory when in a reminiscent mood he liked to relate incidents of the early part of the century, among them the fact that he plainly heard the reports of the canon in the naval engagement between the Enterprise and Boxer off Seguin in 1815. Maj. Witherell was married twice, and leaves a widow and one son, Capt. Chas. T. Witherell U.S.A. (retired). The funeral took place yesterday afternoon, Rev. T.E. St. John officiating.