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Wendland Caitlin's Gold Award Project, Girl Scouts USA, Rio Grande Girl Scout Council, El Paso, Texas ********************************************************************** Biography Hermon Webber Biographical Review Cumberland County, Maine Boston Biographical Review Publishing Company 1896 Page 642-643 Hermon Webber, proprietor of Echo Farm in New Gloucester, Cumberland County, Me., on which the Pownal Springs, renowned for their medicinal properties, are located, was born March 15, 1834, on the homestead where he now resides. His father, Benjamin Webber, was a lifelong resident of this place, his birth occurring in 1802, and his death May 22, 1876. He was a prosperous and highly esteemed citizen, holding various offices of responsibility, being Justice of the Peace for several years. He purchased the land now owned by his son Hermon, and here carried on general agriculture. His wife, whose maiden name was Nancy Townsend, was born in 1808, in the town of Freeport, being a daughter of Robert Townsend. They reared two children -Sarah and Hermon. Sarah, who became the wife of Captain William E. Dennison, died in 1884, her husband surviving until September 3, 1895. They left one son, Alexander Crosman Dennison, who is now pilot on a Boston boat and a resident of Portland, Me. After acquiring his education in the district schools, Hermon Webber learned the carriage maker's trade, which he followed for a quarter of a century, then turning his attention to farming. On the death of his father Mr. Webber returned to the parental homestead; and he has since conducted the farm with profitable results, its one hundred acres being pretty well under cultivation. On September 28, 1856, Mr. Webber was united in marriage with Annie I. Warren, who was born in Pownal, Me., January 12, 1836, daughter of Colonel Henry and Caroline (Baker) Warren. Her father was a native of Pownal, and her mother of Portland. Colonel Warren owned a farm in Pownal:, and this he managed successfully in addition to following his trade of a ship builder, continuing thus employed until his demise, August 12, 1876. His wife died at a comparatively early age in 1856. Mr. and Mrs. Webber have had four children, but have been called to part with two. Their eldest, Edward W., born August 16, 1857, is now pastor of the Universalist church at Richmond, this State. He married Miss Flora Bennett, of New Gloucester. The second son, Willie, born March 30, 1861, died at the age of fifteen years. Sarah, the only daughter, was born June 15, 1866. Charles Benjamin, the third son, who was born September 9, 1875, passed to the life immortal in 1887. In politics Mr. Webber is a sound Republican, and, socially, is a member of the Grange Society at New Gloucester and of the Masonic Lodge. His son Edward is a prominent Mason, being the Grand Chief Templar of Maine. Religiously, both Mr. and Mrs. Webber attend and give generous support to the Universalist church. During the summer season they throw open their commodious and conveniently arranged house for the accommodation of summer boarders, many of whom are attracted hither by the famed springs, situated but a short distance from the house. People come here from all parts of New England and from more distant States, there being frequently applications for board from a hundred or more in a season. These springs were first brought to the notice of the public by Mr. A. D. Warren, of Worcester, Mass., who for long years had been troubled with a kidney disease, feared to be incurable. In 1886 Mr. Warren was taken seriously ill with a complication of liver, rheumatic, and bladder troubles, and the following June, at the solicitation of physicians and friends, he visited Poland Springs, and there drank freely of the water, which in three weeks' time had the desired result, apparently curing him of his troubles. His marvelous recovery was made known to his various friends in Portland and vicinity, the newspapers subsequently taking note of it, bringing his name into such prominence that various people in this section of Maine who had springs of pure water on their land sent him samples of the water, desiring him to test it and if good to advertise it, but he found none with curative properties that he could indorse. In May, 1892, having from the time he left Poland, Me., until April, 1893, kept himself well supplied with Poland Springs water, Mr. Warren was again stricken with his old malady, being even in a worse condition than before. His one great desire was to reach Poland, but, feeling that he could not afford to pay the prices asked for board at the Poland Springs, he wrote to Mrs. Webber, of Echo Farm, a relative, asking her to board himself and wife for a few weeks, that they might be near those famous waters. On coming here Mr. Webber induced Mr. Warren to try the water from Pownal Springs, the result proving so satisfactory that the invalid continued its use for a week, when he found himself so far recovered that he had no need to visit any other springs, as he had intended when coming here. This water has since been analyzed by expert chemists, and in every case pronounced remarkable. Professor Franklin C. Robinson, of Bowdoin College, made a personal visit to Pownal Springs, where he encased a portion of the water as it flowed, took it with him to the college, and there examined it, with the accompanying result : total solid matters in solution, 1.154, made up as follows silica, 0.412; iron carbonate, 0.041; calcium carbonate, 0.332; magnesium carbonate, 0.023; sodium carbonate, 0.087; sodium sulphate, 0.075; sodium chloride, 0.157; potassium carbonate, 0.017; and organic and volatile matter, 0.010. The waters of this spring are of a remarkably even temperature, the average for the past twelve months having been forty-one degrees.