USA > Maine > Franklin County > Industry > A history of the town of Industry, Franklin County, Maine > Part 1
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1
4
COR GIES
A HISTORY
OF THE
TOWN OF INDUSTRY,
FRANKLIN COUNTY, MAINE,
FROM THE EARLIEST SETTLEMENT IN 1787 DOWN TO THE PRESENT TIME, EMBRACING THE CESSIONS OF NEW SHARON, NEW VINEYARD, ANSON, AND STARK.
IN TWO PARTS,
INCLUDING THE HISTORY AND GENEALOGY OF MANY OF THE LEADING FAMILIES OF THE TOWN.
WILLIAM COLLINS HATCH.
Y OF CONGRESS 1896
CITY OF ASHINGTON.
FARMINGTON, MAINE: PRESS OF KNOWLTON, MCLEARY & CO. 1893.
Fx 14 43
.
TO
ELIZABETH SHOREY PRICE,
WHO, BY HER GENEROUS BENEFICENCE AND KINDLY INTEREST IN THE 1 TOWN OF HER ADOPTION, ILAS RENDERED HER NAME DEAR TO EVERY CITIZEN OF INDUSTRY.
TILIS HUMBLE WORK IS RESPECTFULLY DEDICATED BY THE AUTHOR.
PREFACE.
THE novice in the literary arena is prone to apologize for his work, but, for the nonce, he has no apology to offer. His work is to be weighed by a discriminating public ; should it be found wanting, of what avail will apology prove? In undertaking this work the author was actuated by a higher motive than mere love for sordid gain. Though not widely known, Industry is a town that has a history of which every citizen may justly be proud. Larger towns may claim the peerage in other directions. but when its part in furnishing the brain and brawn of the busy world is taken into account, Industry is entitled to high rank among her sister towns. To rescue the life-story of these noble men and women from oblivion has been the author's aim. How well he has succeeded let the intelligent reader decide. Many years ago the author conceived the idea of writing a history of his native town, but not until 1882 did he become actively engaged in the work. The results of his researches are embodied in the following pages.
Errors undoubtedly occur in this work, for surprising discrep- ancies often exist between family, town and church records. In some instances even town records contain conflicting dates. Again, memories are fallible. some of course to a greater degree than others. Hence, family records furnished the author from different sources sometimes disagree. To determine which is correct is often extremely difficult, if not an impossible task. In Part Second the author has conformed largely to peculiarities of each person in regard to the orthography of christian names.
Occasionally q. v. (meaning which see) will be found in the Genea- logical Notes without the corresponding record to which reference is
vi
PREFACE.
made. These omissions are due to the fact that the author was compelled to condense the last half of Part Second in the manuscript even to the elimination of many family records.
The name of a neighboring town has been invariably spelled Stark. This the author believed was correct, as it is so spelled in the act of incorporation recorded in the records of the town and also on the plan sent to the General Court with petition for incorporation. Recent developments, however, show that the name is spelled with a final s as recorded in the archives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
The author would here acknowledge with a deep sense of gratitude the assistance and untiring interest of Dr. John F. and Mrs. Annie (Currier) Pratt, of Chelsea, Mass .. who have contributed in no small degree to the interest and completeness of this work. Great credit is also due the printers, Messrs. David H. Knowlton and Frank E. McLeary, for their constant personal attention to every detail of the work while the volume was passing through the press.
To those who, by their hearty co-operation and friendly counsel. have done much to lighten the cares of his onerous labor, the author would tender his heartfelt thanks, with the assurance that while life lasts he will ever cherish pleasing recollections of their kindness.
Finally, to one and all : If errors are discovered, as they usually can be in works of this description, will you oblige the author by not calling his attention to them?
JANUARY 25. 1893.
-
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTORY.
General Characteristics .- Boundaries .- Soil .- Productions .- Objects of Interest .- Scenery, etc., . 13
CHAPTER II. LAND TITLES.
Early Attempts to Colonize New England .- King James's Grant .- The Kennebec Purchase .- The Appraising Commission, etc., etc., . 24
CHAPTER III.
SETTLEMENT OF THE TOWN.
The Plymouth Patent .- The New Vineyard Gore .- The Lowell Strip .- North Industry, 40
CHAPTER IV. EVENTS FROM 1800 TO 1810.
Condition of the Settlers .- Plantation Organized .- Town Incorporated .- Roads .- Early Town Officers .- The Embargo Act .- The Town Becomes a Part of Somerset County, etc., etc .. 56
CHAPTER V.
THE JOURNAL OF WM. ALLEN, ESQ.
Being a Full Account of the Emigration of his Father, Capt. William Allen, from Martha's Vineyard to the District of Maine, together with an Interesting De- scription of their Pioneer Life, 72
viit
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER VI. SCHOOLS.
First School .- Incompetence of Early Teachers .- The Log School-House on the Gore .- Other School-Houses .- High Schools .- Free High Schools .- Wade's Graduating System .- Text-Books .- Statistical, 90
CHAPTER VH. RELIGIOUS HISTORY OF INDUSTRY.
The Baptist Society .- The Methodists .- The Congregational Society .- The Free Will Baptists .- Protestant Methodists, etc., 11.4
CHAPTER VIII.
THE MILITIA AND 1812 WAR.
Military Company Organized. - Election of Officers. - Equipments Required by Law .- First Training .- Muster at Farmington .- Money Raised to Buy Military Stores .- Muster Roll of Capt. Daniel Beede's Company .- Cavalry Company Organized .- Powder-House Built .- The Industry Rifle Grays, 150
CHAPTER IX. MILLS AND MANUFACTURING.
Water Powers of Industry .- First Grist-Mill Erected .- Capt. Peter West Erects Mills .-- Cornforth's Grist- Mill .- Elisha Lumbert's Grist and Saw-Mills .- Cutler's Mills .- Davis's Mills .- Gower's Mills .- Capt. John Thompson Erects Mills near Stark Line .- West and Manter's Saw-Mill .- Clover Mill .- First Shingle Machine. -Daggett and Brown's Shingle Mill .- William Cornforth's Fulling-Mill .- James Gower's Fulling- Mill .- Allen & Co.'s Starch-Factory .- Deacon Emery's Bark Mill .- Other Tanneries .- Shovel Handles .- Rake Manufacturing .- Smith & Coughlin's Spool-Factory .- Oliver Bros.' Steam Box-Factory .- Rackliff's Chair- Factory .- Mechanics, etc., 166
CHAPTER X. MERCHANTS.
First Store in Town .- Esq. Peter West .- John West .- Johnson & Mitchell .- Geo. Cornforth .- C'apt. Jeruel Butler .- Chas. Butler .- Col. Peter A. West .- Capt. Freeman Butler .- John Allen, Jr .- Thing & Allen .- James Davis .- John Mason. -Moses Tolman, Jr .- Esq. Samuel Shaw .- Israel Folsom .- Col. Benj. Luce .- Christopher Goodridge .- Cyrus N. Hutchins .- Willis & Allen .- Zachariah Withee .- John W. Dunn .- Supply B. Norton .-- Rufus Jennings .- Enoch Ilinkley .- Amos S. Hinkley .- Isaac Norton .- Warren N. Willis .- Boyden & Manter .- Maj. James Cutts .- Franklin and Somerset Mercantile Association .- John Willis .- Willis & Clayton .-- John & Benj. N. Willis .- Duley & Norcross .- James M. & Alonzo Norton .- James M. Norton & Co .- Asa 11. Patterson .- ('aswell & Hilton .- Shaw & Hinkley .- Harrison Daggett, etc., 193
.
ix
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER XI.
EVENTS FROM 1810 TO 1830.
Condition of the Settlers .- Expense of Transacting the Town Business .-- Pounds and Pound-Keepers .- Attempts to Establish a New County to Include Industry .-- Gower's ( now Allen's) Mills Becomes a Part of Industry .- "The Cold Fever " Epidemic .- The Thompson Burial Ground .- New Vineyard Gore Becomes a Part of Industry .- Great Gale of 1815 .- Question : " Shall Maine Become an Indepen- dent State? " Agitated .- Vote for Maine's First Governor .- Population Increases. -" Blind Fogg."-First Sunday-School .- Road Troubles .- First Liquor License Issued .- The Residents of New Vineyard Gore Pass the Ordinance of Secession and Ask to be Made Citizens of Strong .- The Town Receives Additions from Stark and Anson .- Subject of Building a Town-House Discussed .- Great Drouth and Fire of 1825 .- First Meeting- House in Town .- Meeting-House Erected at the Centre of the Town .- The Industry North Meeting-House, 201
CHAPTER XII.
POST-OFFICES, REMINISCENCES OF JOHN MASON, AND CORRESPONDENCE OF CAPT. TERUEL BUTLER.
Lack of Postal Facilities .- Iligh Rates of Postage .- First Post-Office Established .- Jonathan Goodridge Appointed Postmaster .- Mail Brought from Farmington .- Mail from Stark Once a Week .- Mail Route Changed .- Mail Received via New Sharon .- James Davis Appointed Postmaster .- Other Postmasters .- Industry Post-Office Changed to Allen's Mills .- Post-Office Established at West's Mills .- Esq. Peter West Appointed Postmaster .- Lower Rates of Postage .- Stamps First Used .- Era of Cheap Postage Begins .- Rates Fixed According to Weight Instead of Distance .- Other Postmasters at West's Mills .- Glass Call-Boxes First Introduced .- Mail Carriers .- Change of Time .- Industry Gets a Daily Mail from Farmington .- North Industry Post-Office, etc., 226
CHAPTER XIII.
TEMPERANCE MOVEMENTS.
Prevalence of Rum Drinking .- The License Law .- Five Licenses Granted .- Town Votes " Not to License Retailers."-The Ministerial Association Passes Resolu- tions Against the Use of Spirituous Liquors .- First Temperance Society Formed. -Esq. West's Temperance Society .- The Washingtonian Movement .- The Allen's Mills Watch Club .- First Division Sons of Temperance Organized .- The " Union Peace Temperance Society."-The Sons of Temperance at Allen's Mills. -- The Order of Good Templars in Industry .- Juvenile Temples .- The Iron Clad Club, 246
CHAPTER XIV. REMINISCENCES.
Religious Views of the Early Settlers .- Strict Observance of the Sabbath .- Destitute Circumstances .- Agricultural Implements .- Bread Baking .- Substitute for Cook-
1
CONTENTS.
ing Soda .- - The Luxuries of Pioneer Life .- Methods of Starting a Fire .- Harvesting Grain .- Depredations of Bears .- A Good Bear Story. Cows and Swine Allowed to Roam at Will in the Woods .- Spinning and Weaving. Domestic "Tow and Linen " Cloth .- Flax-Culture .- Wool-Growing in Industry. -The Tin Baker .- Introduction of Cooking Stoves .- First Thoroughbraced Wagon Brought to Town .- Shoe-Making .- First Threshing-Machine .- Sewing- Machine. - Mowing-Machines. - Air-Tight Cooking-Stoves. - Methods of Measuring the Flight of Time .- The Hour-Glass .- Sun Dials .- Clocks .- Nails. -Methods of Lighting the Settlers' Ilomes .- Tallow Dips .- Whale Oil .- Burn- ing Fluid .- Kerosene .- Sugar-Making .- Intentions of Marriage .- Quill Pens .- Anecdotes, etc., 261
CHAPTER AV.
EVENTS FROM 1830 TO 1860.
Condition of the Town .- Population .- Valuation .- Small-Pox Scare .- Attempts to Change the Centre Post-Office to Withee's Corner .- First Public House Opened. -Extensive Land-Owners .- Large Stock-Owners .- Effect of the High Tariff on the Inhabitants of Industry .- Residents in the South Part of the Town Ask to be Made Citizens of New Sharon .- Remarkable Meteoric Shower .- "Temperance llotel " Opened .- Other Public Houses .- Financial Crisis of 1837 .- The Surplus Revenue Distributed .- Auroral Display .- Franklin County Incorporated .- Diffi- culties in Choice of Representative .- Prevalence of the Millerite Doctrine .- End of the World Predicted .- 7000 Acres Set off from New Vineyard and Annexed to Industry .- Vigorous Fight of the Former Town to Recover its Lost Territory. -The Pioneers of Liberty .- Destructive Hail-storm .- New County Roads Estab- lished .- Subject of Erecting a Town-House Discussed .- A Grand Sunday-School Picnic .- The Free-Soil Party .- Efforts to Suppress Rumselling .- Town Liquor Agents .- The License Law .- General Prosperity of the Town .- One-half the New Vineyard Gore Set off to Farmington .- South Part of the Town Set off to New Sharon, etc., 273
CHAPTER NVL.
EVENTS FROMI 1860 TO 1866.
Political Excitement .- The John Brown Insurrection. Diphtheria Epidemic .- Resi- dents of Allen's Mills Petition the Legislature for Annexation to Farmington .- War Meeting Ileld at West's Mills .- Patriotic Resolutions Passed .- Lively Times at Subsequent Meetings .- Muster and Celebration at West's Mills, July 4, 1866. -Call for Troops .- A Comet Appears .- Great Scarcity of Silver Money .- Methods Devised for Supplying the Defect .- The U. S. Fractional Currency .- Disheartening News from the War .- Mason and Slidell Arrested .- Belligerent Attitude of England .- Total Failure of the Fruit Crop of 1866 .- Militia En- rolled and Organized .- First Industry Soldiers' Lives Sacrificed .- Obsequies at the Centre Meeting-Honse .- More Soldiers Wanted .- Liberal Town Bounty Offered for Enlistments .- A Call for Nine-Months' Troops .- Draft Ordered .-
CONTENTS.
Gencrous Measures Adopted by the Town to Avoid a Draft .-- A Stirring Mass Meeting for Raising Volunteers .- Provisions for Destitute Soldiers' Families .- News of the Emancipation Proclamation Reaches Industry .- The Conscription Act .- Anxieties of Those Liable to a Draft .- Disloyal Utterances in Other Towns. -Industry True to her Country .- Piratical Craft Reported off the Maine Coast. -Revenue Cutter "Caleb Cushing " Captured in Portland HIarbor, 298
CHAPTER XVII.
ETENTS FROM 1860 TO 1866 CONTINUED.
General Lee Begins the March of an Invader .- Crosses the " Mason and Dixon Line." -- Gloomy Prospects of the Federal Cause .- Numerous Desertions from the Union Army .- Organization of the Districts under the Provisions of the Con- scription Act .- First Conscripts from Industry .- The Non Compos Conscript .- "The Kingfield Riot."-Efforts of Drafted Men to Secure Town Bounty .- The Somerset and Franklin Wool-Growers' Association .- Call for More Troops .-- $300 Town Bounty Offered for Volunteer Enlistments .- Stamp Act Passed .- Steamer "Chesapeake " Captured .- Attempts Made to Raid Maine's Eastern Border .- Re-enlistments .- Furloughed Soldiers Tendered a Banquet .- $600 Offered for Volunteer Enlistments .- Second Draft Made .- Small-Pox Outbreak. -Aid to Soldiers in the Field .- Inflated Prices .- Efforts of Men who Furnished Substitutes to Recover the Sum Paid for the Same .- Third Draft Made .- Close of the War .- Great Rejoicing .- Flag-raisings at Allen's and West's Mills .- Assassination of President Lincoln .- Memorial Services in Industry .- Cost of the War to the Town of Industry, 312
CHAPTER XVIII.
THE BOYS IN BLUE.
Francis O. Bean .- Nelson O. Bean .- George W. Boyden .- Charles E. Burce .- James O. Burce .- John C. Burce .- William S. Burce .- George H. Butler .- John P. Butler .- Addison H. Chase .- Addison F. Collins .- Daniel S. Collins .- James W. Collins .- Daniel A. Conant .- John F. Daggett .- Hiram P. Durrell .- William 11. Edwards .- John D. Elder .- Carlton P. Emery .- George C. Emery .- Zebulon M. Emery .- Calvin B. Fish .- Eben Fish .- Benjamin Follett .- William Q. Folsom .- William H. Frost .- John F. Gerry .- Bradford Gilmore .- Almore IIaskell .- John M. Howes .- Adriance R. Johnson .- William G. Lewis .- Fifield A. Luce .- John T. Luce .- Henry S. Maines .- Gilbert R. Merry .- Elias Miller .- Henry G. Mitchell .- Atwood Morse .- John M. Nash .- David M. Norton .- Oliver D. Nor- ton .- James Pinkham .- Samuel Pinkham .- Wellington Pinkham .- Wilder Pratt. -Charles S. Prince .- Albanus D. Quint .- William L. Quint .- Edwin A. R. Rackliff .- Elbridge H. Rackliff .- John O. Rackliff .- Samuel Rackliff .- William J. Rackliff .- Reuel H. Rogers .- Lyman M. Shorey .- Andrew J. Spinney .- John C. Spinney .- Benjamin Tibbetts .- Benjamin F. Tibbetts .- Clinton B. Webster .- David C. Whitney .- Aaron E. Williams .- George F. Williams .- O. L. Young, 327
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER NIX.
EVENTS FROMI 1866 TO 1893.
Road Matters .-- The Curtis Pinkham Road .- Stark Asks for a Better Road through Industry to Farmington .- Route to Madison Bridge Shortened and Improved .- Industry Votes on Amendment to Liquor Law .- " The Gold Fever."-Unusual Snow-fall in the Winter of 1868-9 .- Destructive Freshet of 1869 .- Heavy Thunder-storm .- Beautiful Display of Aurora Borealis .- A Heavy Gale .- The Great Earthquake of 1870 .- Grasshopper Plague .- State Equalization Bonds .- Industry Farmers' and Mechanics' Club .- The Enterprise Cheese Manufacturing Company .- Orders Forged on the Town of Industry .- Prize Declamations at West's Mills .- Extensive Improvements on the Centre Meeting-House .- The Greenback Party in Industry .- Caterpillar Scourge .- Freshet of 1878 .- Severe Drouth .- Cattle Show and Fair .- Independence Day Celebrated at West's Mills. -Destructive Fire .- A Bear Commits Many Depredations in Industry .- Red Sunsets .- Gale of November, 1883 .- Planets in Perihelion .- Town Votes to Buy a Poor-Farm .- Allen's Mills Union Agricultural Society .- A Maine Blizzard .- Potato Crop Ruined by Rust .- Industry's New Methodist Church .- A Maine Cyclone .- La Grippe .- Shorey Chapel Erected, etc., 385
CHAPTER XX.
MISCELLANY.
Physicians .-- Tallest Soldier from Maine .- Table of Incidents .- Poem : " To the Old Church Bell."-Town Officers from the Incorporation of the Town to 1893 .- County Commissioners .- Senators .- Representatives to the Legislature .- Marriages Solemnized by Esq. Cornelius Norton .- Examination Questions .- Statistical .- Town Officers' Bills .- Date of Ice Leaving Clear Water Pond .- Temperature Chart .- Industry's Gubernatorial Vote .- List of Voters in Industry, 1855, 434
GENEALOGICAL NOTES.
ALLEN,
471
Goodwin,
626
Ambrose,
498
Gower, .
628
Ames,
500
Graham,
630
Atkinson, .
501
Greenleaf,
631
Greenwood, 635
BAILEY.
507
Bean,
509
Beede,
509
Benson,
512
Ilayes, .
642
Boyden,
516
Higgins,
647
Bradbury,
520
I Hildreth,
648
Brown, .
521
Hilton, .
650
Bryant, 523
Burgess,
524
Ilobbs, .
653
Burns
524
Howes, . 655
Butler,
525
Hluston,
660
CHESLEY,
539
Clark,
540
Coffin,
542
Collins,
542
Johnson,
663
KYES, . 073
LOOK, .
674
Cutts,
569
DAGGETT,
570
Davis,
589
EDGECOMB,
601
Edwards,
602
Elder,
603
Ellis,
603
Emery, .
Eveleth,
614
FISH, . 617
Follett,
621
Frost,
622
Furbush,
623
GILMORE,
623
Goodridge,
624
MANTER, 719
Marshall,
732
Mason,
Meader,
Merrill,
738
Merry,
741
Moody,
745
NORCROSS, . 746
Norton, . 751
OLIVER, . 783
PATTERSON,
784
Pike,
791
RACKLIFE, .
792
663
Cornforth, 562
Cottle,
565
Crompton,
565
Cutler
507
HAMMOND, 037
Ilarris,
637
Ilatch,
638
Boardman,
513
Hinkley, 651
JEFFERS, 661
Jennings,
662
Jewett,
Luce,
675
732
734
xiv
GENEALOGICAL NOTES.
Remick,
797
Thompson,
820
Roach,
Soo
Tolman,
825
Trask,
S27
SHIAW,
SOI
True,
S32
Shorey,
Sos
Smith,
SII
VILES,
S34
Spinney,
814
Stevens,
SI5
WEST, .
838
Swift,
817
Willis,
840
Winslow,
844
THING,
Withee, .
846
ILLUSTRATIONS.
WM. C. HATCH, Frontispiece.
RESIDENCE OF CAPT. JOHN THOMPSON 44
CHRISTOPHER S. LUCE, 119
- M. E. CHURCH AT WEST'S MILLS,
140
Y WM. A. MERRILL, 155
Y IRA EMERY,
- CENTRE MEETING-HOUSE 219
. WM. HARVEY EDWARDS, 338
' LYMAN M. SHOREY
374
SHOREY CHAPEL
422
JOHN ALLEN,
477
.. ASAPH BOYDEN 510
PETER W. BUTLER, 536
. THOMAS C. COLLINS,
551
:WM. BRODERICK DAVIS.
598
VIRA EMERY,
600
' CHAS. R. FISH, 619
NATHAN GOODRIDGE, 625
STEPHEN H. HAYES, 643
EDMUND HAYES,
644
. GEO. W. JOHNSON,
666
HENRY TRUE LUCE, 677
CHAS. LUCE,
708
GEORGE MANTER, 729
S. IIAWES NORTON, 769
FRANKLIN W. PATTERSON, 788 DANIEL SHAW, So 1 PELATIAH SHOREY, So8
EBEN G. TRASK, 831 ZACHARIAII WITHEE, 847
HISTORY OF INDUSTRY.
CHAPTER I.
INTRODUCTORY.
General Characteristics .- Boundaries .- Soil .- Productions .- Objects of Interest. -Scenery, Etc.
ON inspecting a topographical map of the town of Industry, the most striking feature which presents itself to the eye of the observer, is the extreme irregularity of its boundary lines and the peculiar distribution of the lands comprising it. These peculiarities are to be attributed, in a large measure, to the acquirement of lands from adjoining towns since its incorpora- tion. When incorporated, the town of Industry contained only about thirteen thousand acres, bounded as follows: On the west by Farmington and New Vineyard, on the north by New Vineyard, on the east by Stark, and on the south by tinincorpo - rated lands of the Plymouth Company and New Sharon. Since then, the town has received additions from all the adjoining towns with the exception of Farmington. In 1813, it received from New Sharon its first addition, consisting of a tract of land containing two thousand acres, including the village of Allen's Mills and a portion of Clear Water Pond. In 1815, that portion of New Vineyard known as the Gore, containing fifteen hundred and sixty-four acres, was set off from that town and annexed to Industry. Then from Stark, in 1822, a tract of land con- taining four hundred acres was added, and a year later, two lots of three hundred and twenty acres from the town of Anson.
2
14
HISTORY OF INDUSTRY.
In 1844, that part of New Vineyard, since known as North Industry, containing seven thousand acres, was set off from that town and annexed to Industry. Thus it will be seen that by the various acquisitions up to this date ( 1892) over ten thou- sand acres have been added to the original acreage of the town. Since 1850, lands have been set off from Industry to the adjoining towns of Farmington and New Sharon to the amount of two thousand acres. First to Farmington in 1850, three farms on the western part of the Gore, containing in the aggre- gate, seven hundred and eighty-two acres, including the farms of Nathan Cutler, Alexander Hillman, Eunice Davis, and others. By this concession, Industry lost seven polls, and six thousand dollars from the valuation of the town. Next, in 1852, a tract of land embracing lots No. 43,* 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 59, 61, 62, 63, 64, 66, 67, 68, and all that portion of lot No. 70, in Stark, which lay in Industry, likewise a portion of lots H and M, the whole of lots 1, N, P, Q and R, together with four small plots belonging to lots No. 72, 73, 74 and 75 in Stark, containing sixteen hundred and sixty-five acres, was set off from the south point of Industry and annexed to New Sharon. Industry lost by this concession fifteen polls, and sixteen thousand seven hundred dollars from its valuation, or over eleven hundred dol- lars for each poll. This tract of land embraced some of the best farms and wealthiest farmers in town, such as Asa H. Thompson, George Hobbs, Franklin Stone, and others. Thus
* Esq. Wm. Allen fails to mention this lot, in his history of the town, also lots numbered 46, 47 and 66, but adds 41, 42 and 51, as among those set off to New Sharon. The following abstract from Acts and Resolves of the Maine Legislature for 1852, gives the boundaries of the piece set off as follows: "Commencing at the southeast corner of the town of Industry; thence running northwesterly on the dividing line between New Sharon and Industry till an east course will strike the southwest corner of lot number forty-five; thence on the south lines of forty-five, lot marked S, and lot number forty-one easterly to the southeast corner of number forty- one; thence on such a course as in a direct line will strike the northwestern corner of lot marked P; thence easterly on the line of lot marked P to the west line of lot marked M; thence easterly the same course until it strikes the town line of Starks; thence on the dividing line between Starks and Industry to the place of beginning." By a careful comparison of these bounds with Lemuel Perham's plan of the town, it will be seen that Mr. Allen was in error regarding the lots set off from Industry.
1 5
INTRODUCTORY.
-
it will be scen at the present time ( 1892), that the town con- tains about twenty-one thousand acres, including water, there being a pond in the western part of the town containing fifteen hundred or two thousand acres .*
The surface of Industry is rough and uneven, and in some parts hilly and mountainous. The soil consists of a yellowish loam mixed with sand and gravel, with a subsoil of clear gravel. Occasionally, however, the subsoil is found to be of blue clay, or a mixture of clay and gravel. In some places on the shores of Clear Water Pond, the whitest and nicest sand for plastering is found. This sand is of such a superior quality that builders have come long distances to procure it, and it is claimed that there is no other deposit in Franklin County which imparts such a beautiful whiteness to plastering as this.
In many parts of the town the soil is quite stony, as is usu- ally the case with upland, and the early settlers experienced much difficulty in subduing the soil and rendering it suitable for cultivation. But when once cleared, the land was found to pos- sess an unusual degree of fertility, and bountiful crops rewarded the farmer's toil. Observation has shown that crops are less affected by severe drouths in this than other towns where the soil is of a lighter and more sandy character. Some land was found to be too wet and cold for profitable tillage when first cleared, but was, nevertheless, excellent grass land.
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