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George
W. Towle (1829 – 1917)
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While clearing out the old Porter High School /
Porter Town Hall building in preparation for demolition last spring, two large
framed portraits were found tucked away and forgotten, a little battered and
unidentified. They were rescued and brought to the Historical Society for
identification. Since we had recently been
researching the history of Porter High School we knew right away who they were.
Both of these men were outstanding former residents of Kezar Falls and had left
substantial endowments totaling $56,000 in trust funds for the maintenance of
the high school that was to be built in 1919.
For that reason their portraits must have been hung in a place of honor
in the new high school. As years passed
the significance of these portraits was forgotten and they were removed and put
away. The first was George W. Towle who left
$36,000 in a trust fund that still exists today.
George W. Towle lived in Porter and
Parsonsfield all his life, was a successful businessman and played a major role
in the development of the Kezar Falls area.
He was active in Parsonsfield town government, holding several offices. Mr. Towle was one of the proprietors of the Kezar
Falls Woolen Manufacturing Company and their largest stockholder. He was
president, treasurer and one of the directors of that company for many years.
He also built the large building now called the Stanley Block in which he ran a
general store and later was one of the prime founders of the Kezar Falls
National Bank located in that building, of which he was president at the time
of his death. Mr. Towle was married in
1853 to Miss Susan M. Gilman and they had three children all of whom died at a very
young age. His wife predeceased him in
1913.
To be continued...
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