Otis Warren Gardner (July 4, 1845 Washington County, ME-May 29, 1921 Caribou, ME) was a farmer, bookkeeper, and teacher near Dennysville, ME before he moved to Caribou with his wife and three children in 1886.
O. W. Gardner was a Caribou merchant until about 1890. In 1889, he leased O. W. Stadig’s Jemptland mill for a year and also purchased the New Sweden Starch Co., located in the AVRR area, where he manufactured potato starch, shingles, and lumber. He built a store and warehouse in New Sweden. Gardner’s mill was sold to the New Sweden Starch Co. in 1896.
The Gardners left Caribou in 1900 to operate a mill in Springfield, ME. By 1910, Otis, now widowed, was back in Caribou.
Susanna Allan (1842-1908), daughter of a Dennysville lumber merchant, married Gardner in 1871. They had two daughters, Hope and Margaret, and a son Richard, future president of the Aroostook Trust Co.
The Aroostook Republican published some news items about Gardner.
Sept. 26, 1888: The store formerly occupied by S. W. Collins & Son has been rented. O. W. Gardner & Co. have secured the main store and the basement which will be used as a store-house. We understand that Mr. Stitham has rented the addition to the store which will be fitted up as a photograph gallery.
Nov. 13, 1889: The New Sweden Starch Co. has sold its mill to O. W. Gardner & Co. The product of the mill this season was 120 tons starch and its capacity is 200 tons.
Dec. 25, 1889: The wide awake business men of Caribou let no opportunity pass where there is money to be made. We are informed that Mr. O. W. Gardner has leased Mr. O. W. Stadig’s mill in Jemptland, for a year.
Nov. 19, 1890: O. W. Gardner & Co. are closing out the stock in their store on Sweden street and will hereafter devote the entire time and attention of the firm to their large business interests in New Sweden. They offer some great bargains in goods damaged by the recent fire in their store.
Feb. 11, 1891: Almost a Fatal Accident. Olof Sundstrom met with a serious and what proved to be almost a fatal accident at O. W. Gardner & Co.’s shingle mill in New Sweden Monday afternoon. He was putting on a belt when in some manner he was caught in its encircling embrace. His clothing was nearly all torn from his body, his left arm broken near the shoulder and his body terribly bruised. Dr. Thomas attended the victim of the accident, who is now as comfortable as could be expected, considering the nature of his injuries. [Olof died about a week later, age 16, from blood poisoning caused by the accident, son of Marten Sandstorm and Maria Bodin, one of the first settlers.]
May 6, 1891: Mr. Nils Olson, one of the original settlers of New Sweden, has sold his farm near Gardner’s mill to Mons Jepson and will hold a public auction of his household goods next Friday, preparatory to starting with his family for Chicago, Monday, where they will make their home with their son, William Olson. Mr. Olson has been sexton of the Baptist church since its building, and has done his duty faithfully. He will be greatly missed by all.
Sept. 2, 1891: The stores in Holmes’ Block, formerly occupied by O. W. Gardner & Co., are being made ready for Mr. S. L. Black’s use.
Oct. 14, 1891: Mr. George Howarth will occupy the store in the Holmes’Block, formerly occupied by O. W. Gardner & Co., beginning Oct 19th, and will do all kinds of upholstering.
Feb. 3, 1892: Wm. Small & Co., the furniture dealers, have rented the store in the Holmes’ Block, formerly occupied by O. W. Gardner & Co., and will soon move from their present location in Farrell’s Block.
Aug. 24, 1892: New Sweden: O. W. Gardner & Co. are making extensive repairs on their starch factory this season. They mean to have everything in running order in time for an early start.
Sept. 5, 1894: N. S. Allen, Esq., of Dennysville, who has been visiting his sister, Mrs. O. W. Gardner for a few days, returned home Monday. He was accompanied by his niece, Miss Hope Gardner, who will spend the winter in Boston.
Mar. 19, 1895: O. W. Gardner’s starch factory is in full operation, and to judge by the string of teams arriving from neighboring towns we predict for Mr. Gardner a busy season.
Nov. 21, 1895: Little & Page, contractors and builders, have commenced the erection of a new residence for Mrs. O. W. Gardner on the corner of Main and Grove streets. This building will be 22 X 45.
Aug. 20, 1896: Mrs. Susie A. Gardner has sold out her shares of the New Sweden Starch Company stock to William B. Kehew, E. E. Allen and E. O. Succumb, all of Boston. the officers of this corporation are now as follows, viz William B. Kehew, president, Carl A. Ullrich of Caribou, treasurer and Ernest Ullrich, of Caribou, secretary.
Oct. 8, 1896: [insolvency notice published O. W. Gardner & Co., partner with Oscar J. Chandler]
Nov. 5, 1896: Mrs. O. W. Gardner has sold her shingle mill in New Sweden to the New Sweden Starch Co.
Feb. 11, 1897: New Sweden: O. W. Gardner has hauled away those large plank piles and is making rapid work of removing all his sawed lumber from his former mill. Several teams are hauling every day.
Oct. 19, 1899: Mrs. O. W. Gardner returned home Saturday from Springfield.
May 24, 1900: [Gardner family moves from Caribou to Springfield, ME; see image]
Aug. 24, 1893, The Beacon: C. J. Johanson, on Madawaska road, has already thrashed and sold to O. W. Gardner, one hundred bushels of oats at 50 cents per bushel.
Nov. 3, 1904: Mrs. O. W. Gardner of Vermont is visiting relatives in town. [Her sister Eliza was married to Horace Jones, merchant.]
Sept. 6, 1906: Mrs. O. W. Gardner of Springfield and her daughter, Mrs. S. C. Dillinham of Watertown, NY, who have been spending a few days in Caribou, the guest of Mrs. H. E. Jones, left Monday for Springfield.
Feb. 20, 1908: Mrs. O. W. Gardner, whose demise was mentioned in last week Republican, was well-known and highly respected in this town, she having spent several summers here [New Sweden] in Mr. Gardner’s store.
Feb. 20, 1908: Richard F. Gardner returned last week from Pearcefield, NY where he had been attending the funeral of his mother, Mrs. Otis Gardner. The deceased was formerly a resident of Caribou, where she has many friends who learned of her demise with sorrow.
April 8, 1909: For sale. To settle estate, the O. W. Gardner property on Grove St. Large lot, fourteen room house, good stable and sheds. R. F. Gardner, Executor.
July 21, 1910: R. F. Gardner, cashier of the Aroostook Trust & Banking Company, is spending a week in Milo, the guest of his father, O. W. Gardner.
Sept. 8, 1910 [published as “25 years ago” on Sept. 5, 1935]: H. O. Spencer, R. F. Gardner, G. H. Howe and Dr. I. W. E. McLellan left Sunday morning in Mr. Spencer’s automobile by the way of Washburn and Ashland for Patten where they spent the day with Mr. Gardner’s father, O. W. Gardner, returning Monday.
Update: Here is a link to a photo of Gardner’s mill buildings. Zoom in to the left side to see over the door “O. W. Gardner & Co.” (The 1920 date on the webpage would be too late. Probably the photo was taken between 1889 and 1896 when Gardner was in business in this location.)
Sources
ancestry.com
Lenentine, Charlotte. “The Swedish People in Northern Maine,” 1950.
Ringdahl, Chester. “SAWMILLS AND STARCH FACTORIES IN NEW SWEDEN: 1870 to the present,” March l982.