Rufus Soule

American boat builder

For the politician in Massachusetts, see Rufus Albertson Soule.

Rufus Soule (July 16, 1785 - September 22, 1867) was a boat builder in Maine and served for several years in the state legislature.[1]

## Early life

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Rufus Soule was born July 16, 1785, in North Yarmouth, Cumberland County, Maine, the fourth son of Captain John Soule (1740-1814) and Elizabeth Mitchell (1747-1794).[2]

## Career

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Soule bought the yard at Porter's Landing in 1834[3] and became one of the most eminent shipbuilders in Maine. He built eighty-five vessels during his career. His son, Rufus C. Soule, joined him in the trade.[4]

Soule served as a representative in the Maine Legislature from 1832 until 1838. A Democrat, he was a State Senator from Cumberland County in 1838.[5] He also served as a justice of the peace.[6]

## Family

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Soule married Susan Mitchell on June 2, 1805, and they had eleven children together. After Susan died in 1853, he married Philomela Talbot and then married Hannah Bailey Small, a niece of his first wife.

## Death and burial

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He died in 1867, at the age of 82, and is buried in the Porter's Landing Cemetery, Freeport, Maine.[1][5]

## Legacy

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The Soule family remains one of the prominent families in Freeport. The George C. Soule School existed in South Freeport until 1991, when students were transferred to the newly-built Mast Landing School,[7][8] where the Soule name was used for one of the education tracks for students.[9] The former Soule School location now houses the École Française du Maine.

In 2018, the Freeport Historical Society purchased a painting of Soule and his wife at auction.[6]

## See also

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* Harraseeket Historic District

## References

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1. ^ a b Kellerman, Arielle (2018). "Recent Acquisition at Freeport Historical" (PDF). Maine Archives and Historical Quarterly. 21 (3). Retrieved December 8, 2020.
2. ^ Randall, Lynne C. (Winter 2010). "The "Tam O'Shanter" and the Soule Brother's Shipyard: Freeport, Maine" (PDF). Soule Kindred Newsletter. XXXIV (1): 3–9. Retrieved 8 December 2020.
3. ^ "National Register of Historic Places Inventory – Nomination Form". United States Department of the Interior National Park Service. 1974. Retrieved October 19, 2022.
4. ^ Society, Holly K. Hurd with Freeport Historical (October 15, 2018). Freeport through the Years. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 9781439665510 - via Google Books.
5. ^ a b "Rules and Orders of the House of Representatives" (PDF). State of Maine. 1838. p. 14.
6. ^ a b Saun, Jocelyn Van (April 11, 2018). "'Soule-Mates' help acquire portraits of Freeport's past".
7. ^ "Soule Park Management Plan" (PDF). Freeport Conservation Commission. Town of Freeport. Retrieved 8 December 2020.
8. ^ "Soule Park". 20 March 2015. Archived from the original on 2015-03-20. Retrieved 8 December 2020.
9. ^ "Mast Landing School - Soule at a Glance". Freeport Public Schools. 5 September 2009. Archived from the original on 2009-09-05. Retrieved 8 December 2020.

## External links

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* Findagrave entry