The Crouse Shake Mill in Crouseville

1866-1885

 

On July 13, 1866 the Crouse brothers William, Jesse and Gould, Jr. went into the cedar shake business. They purchased a small lot of land from William & Hannah Lovely on Adaline Creek for $11.[42] At the same time they purchased an adjacent small lot from Henry & Esther Russell for an additional $11.[43] Esther Russell is a sister to William, Jesse and Gould, Jr.

Adaline Creek is located just west of the Crouseville town center. The Crouse Shake Mill consisted of two lots totaling about two acres, easements to the Aroostook River and the shake mill itself. For almost three years the Crouse brothers built their business to a point where it was a going concern.

On March 15, 1869, William and Gould, Jr. decided to sell their interests in the mill. Brother Jeremiah Crouse purchased a 1/2 interest in the Crouse Shake Mill for $500[44] and Jesse Crouse, already an owner bought out his brothers, William and Gould, for $300, leaving him with 1/2 interest.[45] With the total value of the Crouse Shake Mill at around $1,000 it must have been quite a nice business, as that was a good deal of money in 1869. It was undoubtedly doing well because the area was growing fast with new families arriving and new homes constantly being built. Also, with the handy river access, markets down river could easily be reached.

Brothers Jeremiah and Jesse Crouse co-operated the Crouse Shake Mill. Five years later on April 8, 1874, Jeremiah paid Jesse $250 for half of the mill real estate property,[46] and possibly it was at this time Jeremiah took over full ownership of the Crouse Shake Mill. In the fall of 1875, Jeremiah and Jesse still co-owned the mill lot itself.[47] In 1872, Jeremiah was advertising the shake business in his name only,[48] so it can be assumed he was running the business for the most part by then. Jeremiah continued to advertise the business until 1885.[49],[50] 

Adaline Creek

Jeremiah’s oldest child, Elbridge Dunn Crouse, purchased 30 acres of land and Hickey Island from his father on October 9, 1875.[51] Elbridge was named for the brother of Joshua Dunn, Elbridge Dunn, Esq., of Saint John, New Brunswick.[52] Joshua Dunn was the man who sold Gould Crouse the original property, where the Crouse family lived when they first settled in 1850.

In 1879 Elbridge would marry Adaline Bugbee and it was for Adaline that Adaline Creek, the creek which runs through the site of the Crouse Shake Mill, was named.