Israel Washburn had come from Raynham, Massachusetts to Maine in 1806. After teaching school at Woolwich and building ships at White’s Landing (Richmond), he settled permanently in Livermore where in 1809 he purchased the farm formerly owned by Dr. Cyrus Hamlin. In the little store on the property Israel sold rum, molasses, and other staples to his fellow townsmen, meanwhile avidly discussing the political scene in the young republic and the district of Maine with all who lingered after making their purchases.
In 1812, after their marriage at the Benjamin home in East Livermore, Israel brought his twenty-year-old bride, Patty, by ferry across the Androscoggin River, then on horseback the few miles to her new home. Located on a ridge, the Washburn farm overlooked a beautiful valley to the westward with a view of wooded hills, and, still farther to the west, the White Mountains were visible on clear days. Here in this idyllic setting Israel and Patty lived the remainder of their lives; here they raised their seven sons and three daughters. The beauty of the spot was a wellspring of joy to the sons when as adults they visited the old home.
By 1820 when Maine became a state, Patty was already the mother of four sons, Israel, Jr., born in 1813; Algernon Sidney, commonly called Sid, 1814; Elihu, 1816; and Cadwallader, 1818. Seven more children were born during the next fifteen years: Martha, 1820; Charles, 1822; Samuel, 1824; Mary, 1825; and in 1827, William Drew who died in infancy, In 1831 another son arrived and was given the same name. The birth of Caroline in 1833 completed the roster of eleven children. The family had increased more rapidly than Israel’s income, and by 1829 he was in serious financial difficulty. Business in the little store was poor, and he was unable to pay his debts. The sheriff attached the store and sold everything except what the charity of the law exempted for the family of the poor debtor. The sixty-acre farm was mortgaged to Israel’s brother, Reuel Washburn, a lawyer and judge of probate who lived in North Livermore. The bankrupt storekeeper turned to farming and there followed a period of extreme poverty. It was necessary for the older boys to earn their own living, and this they did working as farmhands, store clerks, and teachers. It fell to the lot of thirteen-year-old Elihu to work out a debt of twenty-five dollars which his father owed to Isaac Lovewell, a neighboring farmer and money lender. After five months of hard labor, the debt was discharged and Elihu continued to shift for himself.
