USA > Maine > Oxford County > Buckfield > A history of Buckfield, Oxford County, Maine, from the earliest explorations to the close of the year 1900 > Part 28
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1847.
No. 2, or Franklin Plantation, sent the representative to the legislature this year. Albert D. White was one of the whig candidates for state senator .- Appropriations for schools, $655; for support of poor, $300; for roads and bridges, $3500; for town accounts, $41.17 .- At a county con- vention of the "Liberty Party," held at Waterford, July 5th, Tobias Ricker of Buckfield was nominated for county commissioner .- "Hon. Samuel Parris of Hebron, a native of Plymouth County, died at Washington, D. C., Sept. 10, aged 93. He was next to the last of the two surviving males of the first settlers in Hebron."-He was a brother of Capt. Josialı Parris of Buckfield and the father of Hon. A. K. Parris.
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HISTORY OF BUCKFIELD
1848.
The road "beginning near the school house between Rolan and Joel Foster's and terminating at or near Alexander Cushman's house" was dis- continited by a vote of the town .- The vote for representative to the leg- islature was as follows: Ximenes Philbrick, 168; Thomas Irish, 39; Robert Hayes, 15; Jacob Decoster, 3 .- For representative to Congress, Rufus K. Goodenow, whig candidate, had 39 votes. His opponent had 131. Mr. Goodenow had a majority in the district and was elected. He had been clerk of the courts for 16 years beginning with the admission of of Maine as a State. The town cleark for that year has recorded the result of the presidential election in town as follows: "Cass Ticket," 190; "Taylor Ticket," 27; "Abolition Ticket," 60 .- John J. Perry was one of the Van Buren electors, dubbed "abolition" by the town clerk .- The Buck- field Branch Railroad Company was organized with the following officers : Virgil D. Parris, president; Zadoc Long, clerk and treasurer. The con- tract for the grading, bridging and masonry having been let to Benson & Porter, the ceremony of breaking ground on the line of the road took place at the village, on the 31st of October, in the presence of 3,000 people. A national salute was fired by the artillery company commanded by Maj. R. B. Jennings. At ten o'clock A.M., a long procession was formed, which was escorted by the militia and the band from the square near the bridge to the spot where the station now stands. In carriages were the oldest living settlers, including five Revolutionary soldiers. Their average age was ninety years. The chief marshal was Col. Albert D. White .- Hon. Virgil D. Parris, president of the railroad com- pany, made the principal address of the day. Among other things he said : "With what veneration and gratitude do we welcome the presence, this day, of a few remaining soldiers of the Revolution. They are the remnant of that immortal band of Patriots who imperilled their lives on the battle field to sustain the country in that bold and astounding Declar- ation that proclaimed us free. In the Providence of God, their lives have been preserved beyond the common age of man to witness the unrivalled prosperity of a Government they freely contributed to establish by years of perilous strife. And now, in the decline of life devoted to their country, how happily does the pleasing scene of peace and joy and hope on every side contrast with the condition of the country in the dismal times of the Revolution." Mr. Parris was followed by Rev. Nathaniel Chase with an interesting address and earnest prayer. He was one of the five Revolutionary soldiers present and one of the first 47 original settlers who were given 100 acres by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. He was 87 years old. The oldest of these Revolutionary soldiers, however, was Jonathan Record, who was 98. "He helped bush out the first road ever cut through the town." The honor of first breaking ground was conceded to him for the foregoing reason .- He was followed by the pres- ident of the company, the Revolutionary soldiers and old settlers in fill- ing the wheelbarrow with earth. Then Capt. Josiah Parris, himself a soldier of the Revolution, aged 88, wheeled it off. One hundred guns were
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fired by the artillery, the band struck up "Yankee Doodle" and the people enthusiastically cheered. The procession reformed and proceeded to the "Nezinscot House," where about a hundred persons with the old settlers and soldiers as guests partook of a banquet .- The following Revolution- ary soldiers and pensioners died this year: Tobias Ricker, Deacon Job Packard and Jasiel Smith. The first two died before April IIth. The latter passed away May 15th. Their ages respectively were 80, 86 and 85. -Dea. Job Packard was born in Bridgewater, Mass., in 1761, and was the youngest of a family of seven children. He settled in the southern part of Buckfield on the lot which he purchased of his oldest brother, Daniel. He bought other land adjoining and reared a large family of children. He was a deacon of the church for many years.
1849.
Dastine Spaulding was elected town clerk .- Thomas Chase, Frederick Foster and H. H. Hutchinson, Jr., were chosen superintending school com- mittee .- The sum of $60 was raised "to finish the new road leading from the county road near Rolan Foster's to Jacob Leonard's."-The town lines were perambulated this year and "former marks renewed and stone mon- uments erected."-Sumner had the selection of a representative to the leg- islature. Abel W. Bisbee was elected .- Benjamin Woodbury, a Revolu- tionary soldier, died March 3d, at the age of 89.
I850.
It was voted at a town meeting to discontinue the old road from Tim- othy Records' to the new road near Alexander Cushman's, and to take measures to open the road from Buckfield village to Hartford line .- The sum of $200 was appropriated to rebuild the bridge in the village .- Capt. Noah Prince was a candidate this year for state senator and was elected. He was chosen president of that body and served two terms .- The con- test in Buckfield for representative to the legislature was as follows : Joshua Irish, 201 ; Sydenham Bridgham, 169 .- On the 22d day of March, Rev. Adam Wilson of Hebron, preached a discourse at the Free Baptist church at East Buckfield on the 100th anniversary of the birth of Jonathan Record. Text : Psalms, 48: 12-13. Theme-The influence of one genera- tion on another. Mr. Record was present and apparently was enjoying good health and received with much satisfaction the congratulations of both old and young. There were also present four aged men, whose ages with that of Mr. Record aggregated 427 years.
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HISTORY OF BUCKFIELD
CHAPTER XXV.
TEMPERANCE MOVEMENTS.
The evil effects flowing from the habitual use of New Eng- land rum and other ardent spirits as a beverage, which kept scores of families in extreme poverty. sent other scores to drunk- ards' graves and increased the ranks of the disreputable classes, early called the attention of the best people in Maine towards providing a remedy. This evil practice in the early days was so prevalent among all that it was quite generally believed that the use of ardent spirits was necessary. In most families at one time it was deemed to be as essential as sugar, salt or molasses and the account books kept by the traders during the early settle- ment of the town and for a long period afterwards, show that liquors formed no small part of the merchandise sold. Some families, tracing their ancestry to the Pilgrims who were driven from their native land by the tyranny of King James I and settled in the Old Colony and in other parts of the Common- wealth, were entirely run out by the use of intoxicating liquors as a beverage.
At first, the agitation against rum-drinking produced little effect. Some preachers upheld the practice and the efforts to check the vice met with strenuous opposition. A society for the suppression of intemperance was organized at Boston as early as 1812. It bore fruit and gave fresh impetus to the temperance agitation. Some dozen years afterwards, the American Tem- perance Society was organized. The proceedings of its second meeting, held in Boston, in January, 1829, were printed and this may be taken as the period when Temperance Reform be- gan with a well grounded hope of success.
There were then some 225 of these societies in existence- thirteen of them being in the State of Maine. By this time, clergymen, lawyers and physicians and not a few of the influen- tial men of nearly every town and hamlet took hold of the move- ment. The societies in Maine were at East Machias, which claimed to be the first one organized in the state, Prospect, Buck- field, Norway, Livermore, Portland, Gorham, Gardiner, Saco, Brewer, Brunswick, New Sharon and Windsor. It will be noted that three of these societies were in the county of Oxford. Tem-
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HISTORY OF BUCKFIELD
perance thus early took a deep root in old Oxford and has grown steadily since. Dr. Cyrus Hamlin, the first clerk of the courts and the father of Vice-President Hannibal Hamlin, drew up the first Temperance Pledge in the town of Paris.
It was presented to Elder James Hooper for his signature. He refused to sign it. At that time, the great majority followed Mr. Hooper's example rather than Dr. Hamlin's. A Temper- ance cyclone struck the town later however and the elder's in- fluence was utterly broken. The Oxford County Moral Society had been organized on Paris Hill in September, 1825. Under the auspices of the Moral Society of Norway, in July, 1829, a large meeting was held at that village. Levi Whitman, Esq., of Norway, presided and Samuel F. Brown, Esq., of Buckfield was selected to record the proceedings.
The Oxford County Temperance Society was organized the same year. Hon. Luther Cary of Turner was chosen president and Samuel F. Brown, Esq., secretary. Thirteen local societies were formed in the county, one of which was at Buckfield. From the reports given by the officers of these societies, it ap- pears that they met with great opposition. The members of the Oxford County Bar perfected a temperance organization about this time, which took in the court officials and others. The articles of faith were signed by the following members :
R. K. Goodnow Levi Whitman Timothy J. Carter Henry Farwell Samuel F. Brown Peter C. Virgin Levi Stowell
Cyrus Thompson
Wmn. Warren
James V. Poor
George Turner
Erastus P. Poor
Abram Andrews, jr.
Josiah Blake
Virgil D. Parris
Robert Goodnow
Isaiah P. Moody Reuel Washburn
Charles Whitman Hannibal Hamlin Ira Bartlett Elisha Morse Ephraim Bass
Timothy Carter
Solomon Hall James Starr Augustine Hayes
Stephen Chase John S. Barrows
Albert G. Thornton
Stephen Emery William Goodnow Daniel Goodnow James Walker Joshua Randall Thomas Clark John Woodbury John Jameson
S. Strickland Eben Poor Thomas Gammon
David Gerry Ebenezer Jewett
Daniel Chaplin
Simeon Walton
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HISTORY OF BUCKFIELD
It was decided at a meeting of this society in 1833 that one or more persons in each town be selected to get signers thereto and Seth Stetson. Zadoc Long and Lucius Loring were ap- pointed to procure subscribers in Buckfield, Henry Farwell in Dixfield, Deacon Barrows and Dr. Carr in Hebron, Samuel Sewell in Sumner and Elder Daniel Hutchinson and Joseph Tobin in Hartford. By 1834, there were 27 Temperance societies in the county with about 3000 members. The Buckfield members of the State Society were Samuel F. Brown, Virgil D. Parris and Albert D. White.
The report from Paris that year was that "in 1833, 4963 gal- lons of ardent spirits were sold as against 7221 the year before. Expense for support of the poor from $300 to $350, one-third caused by intemperance. Three dram-selling public houses and five other retailers. Six intemperate heads of families who were so poor that $50 expended in sickness would throw them on the town."
About 1841, the Washingtonian Movement sprang up. It began among some reformed drunkards in Baltimore, Md., and swept over the Eastern States like a prairie fire. The first lec- ture during this period at Buckfield was given by "Father Hayes" in November, 1841. People from far and near went to hear him. Many signed the pledge for the first time and among them was Capt. Lewis Bisbee who kept it inviolate ever after- ward. An organization was formed of which Hon. Virgil D. Parris was president and Wm. B. Bennett, secretary. A Martha Washington society was formed at the same time among the ladies to aid the other organization.
In the early part of the year, 1843, the sale of intoxicating liquors by the gill or glass having become such an intolerable nuisance the best people of the town signed a petition to Artemas Cole, Ephraim Atwood, Lorenzo Atwood and George Bennett to sell no ardent spirits to be drunk in their stores. It was signed by 174 of the citizens and among the petitioners were the ven- erable John Loring, Josiah Parris, Benjamin Spaulding, Lucius Loring, Col. Aaron Parsons, Rev. Geo. Thomes, S. D. Hutchin- son, Washington Heald and Nathaniel Leonard. Ephraim and Lorenzo Atwood's names were also on the petition. Before Capt. Prince's name was the following: "It was the intention to include all the retailers in town in the above request." A large
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HISTORY OF BUCKFIELD
petition for the same purpose was also presented by citizens of Sumner.
When the act which has since been known as the Maine Law was passed it created great opposition in some parts of the state and particularly in the town of Buckfield and for several years after its passage, there was a very bitter feeling on the part of some of those who opposed the suppression of the sale of intox- icating liquors by statute.
Seth Sampson of Turner entered with the greatest vigor into the matter of prosecuting those in Buckfield and vicinity, who were suspected of violating the law and for a period he was the best hated man in this region. In cases of importance he usually retained as his associate. Charles W. Walton, Esq., of Dixfield, afterwards Judge of the Supreme Court of Maine and Hon. Nathan Clifford, afterwards an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States appeared sometimes as counsel for the defendants.
In the enforcement of the law, a singular, yet somewhat amusing affair occurred in which the three Farrar brothers then living in the village were principals. Aratus Farrar, a constable, was active in seizing liquors. Probably some packages or ves- sels containing them were taken, which were not intended for sale and if claimed must have resulted in a return to the owners. America Farrar favored the prohibitory law and heartily sus- tained Aratus in his seizures. Ethic Farrar on the other hand, did not sanction the law. We never heard that he sold any liquors, though he like many others of that period did believe in their moderate use as being beneficial. He sent away for some liquors and when they arrived Aratus seized them. In a con- troversy in America's tavern over the seizure, Ethic claimed that Aratus pushed him on to a stove and injured him severely. He went home and took to his bed and called a physician to attend him. Ethic threatened to bring suit against Aratus and may ac- tually have done so. Heavy damages were claimed. The physician kept making his daily calls upon Ethic. The affair became the talk of the village and town. Finally America suc- ceeded in effecting a settlement between Ethic and Aratus by the payment by Aratus it was said of some forty or fifty dollars. As soon as this settlement was made and the money paid over, the physician's visits were discontinued and Ethic appeared again
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HISTORY OF BUCKFIELD
on the streets. The supporters of the law loudly claimed the affair a cheat while the other side said it served the constable just right as he should have let his brother's liquor alone.
.
A more serious case which aroused great interest was the suit of James Murdock, 3d, against Valentine Ripley. It was an action of trespass alleged to have taken place January 15, 1851, when Cyrus Wormell, a deputy sheriff, undertook to arrest a party for being a common seller of intoxicating liquors. The warrant was sworn out by Col. Aaron Parsons and Samuel Jen- kins, Esq., was the magistrate who issued it. Murdock got mixed up in the affair and as the defense alleged, "resisted and ob- structed" the officer while in the discharge of his duty. There- upon Wormell called on Ripley for assistance and he rendered it in such a vigorous manner, as Murdock claimed, that he had sus- tained severe injuries and laid his damages at $1000. William B. Bennett was the original counsel for Murdock but when the case came to be tried at the October term, 1851, he had Mr. Clif- ford to assist him. Walton and Seth May, afterwards Judges of the Maine Supreme Court, were the defendant's counsel. The verdict was for the defendant and the plaintiff filed exceptions to some of the rulings of the presiding judge and carried the action to the Law Court which sustained the exceptions and or- dered a new trial. The action was again tried at the August term, 1854, and was hotly contested from beginning to end. The jury a second time returned a verdict for the defendant which settled the matter finally.
There was another case of scarcely less interest. A suit was brought by William Creasy against Aratus Farrar for a barrel of vinegar which he claimed Farrar had taken and converted to his own use. The suit was brought before Joseph Dearborn, Esq., of Hartford, a Justice of the Peace, who gave judgment for the plaintiff for $7.31 with costs taxed at $14.15. Farrar appealed with Col. Aaron Parsons and Joseph C. Shaw as sure- ties. When the action came to be heard in the Appellate Court, it was found that no papers in the case had been filed and Farrar thereupon began a suit for a review of the judgment. The declaration in Farrar's petition explains the whole matter which from its inception was a very ludicrous performance. It is as follows: "That your Petitioner was an officer of the law and with a legal precept was searching for spirituous and intoxicat-
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HISTORY OF BUCKFIELD
ing liquors, but did not take the vinegar or barrel as alleged or in any manner convert the same to his own use, but the same was taken in charge by the depot master who has the same safe at the present time in keeping for the said William Creasy, the plaintiff in said action of trespass. That the said Farrar, acting then and there as an officer of the law with a legal precept en- tered the place designated by said precept and carefully and with- out injury, examined the barrel of vinegar, doing no damage thereto and leaving the same in the place there found. That he can prove by Aaron Parsons, Esq., that a warrant was duly is- sued and further by said Shaw and Jairus Harlow, the keeper of the place searched, that he made no other than an open and legal search in the due and proper execution of his office. Can also prove by the said Shaw that the barrel was marked "Rum," which induced the said Farrar to believe that it contained spir- ituous and intoxicating liquors. That he did search in good faith, examined the said barrel and found it to contain a different article and left the same by request of the said Harlow. That the justice who tried the case has been repeatedly called on for the recognizance and other papers in the case, but has ever re- fused to produce them, Ludden, Sampson & Walton for Farrar, Andrews for Creasy. The review was granted. Farrar then brought a suit against Creasy and, at the August term, 1857, the defendant was defaulted by agreement of counsel for $15 dam- ages with costs taxed at $60 and thus this matter ended. From this time, there were no more attempts to put the officers in a hole or to obstruct the administration of the law. Some doubt- less, violated the statutes but they were careful, if possible, not to be found out.
When the Reform Movement commenced in the seventies, among those having experienced the evil effects of the habitual use of intoxicating liquors as a beverage, it bade fair to rival in the excitement and good effects produced the old Washingtonian movement. Nearly every one of the principal places in Maine had its club and ladies' aid society. Buckfield had one of the largest and best in this section. It did a great deal of good and many signed the pledge who have sacredly kept it. It flourished for several years. Other organizations, notably the Sons of Temperance which had at one time a strong organization in Buck- field and the Good Templars for many years have been doing
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HISTORY OF BUCKFIELD
much good in the state and county and lodges of these orders have existed for a season at Buckfield. One of the later organ- izations worthy of mention is the Woman's Christian Temper- ance Union which is doing a good work to-day.
We trust there will never be a time in our good old town when its people will not heartily support any movement which promises to better the condition of the community and keep up the stand- ard of sobriety and morality.
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HISTORY OF BUCKFIELD
CHAPTER XXVI.
BUCKFIELD VILLAGE IN THE FIFTIES.
A sketch of Buckfield village and its business in 1853 by a correspondent of that time to one of the local newspapers is worthy of reproduction here :
"Being at this pleasant village soon after the powerful rain storm of last week (latter part of May) I could not fail to note the unexampled freshet on Twenty Mile River, the beautiful stream which meanders through that place and affords one of the best water powers in this part of the county. The water overflowed its banks and covered the low intervale lands from Spaulding's Mills ( North Buckfield ) to the village, presenting the appearance of an extensive lake, dotted with mounds, islands and beautiful elms. Buckfield village is a thriving and enter- prising place. It contains a large number of fine country dwell- ings, some eight stores, two public houses, several large me- chanics' shops and one large flouring mill owned by Messrs. Bis- bee & Co. The new public house owned by that noble specimen of Yankee energy, Mr. America Farrar, presents a fine external appearance and adds very much to the architectural beauty of the place."
Farrar's ad in the same newspaper, under the heading of "Farrar's Hotel," contained the following :
"It is the residence of Mec Farrar, Widely Known as the Largest Dealer in N. E. Cattle, Sheep and Fast Horses."
"The flouring mill is well located. It has the advantage of a good water power. It has four runs of stones-two of which are for wheat. This mill is noted for manufacturing nice flour and it possesses every facility for such a business. Connected with it, is an apparatus for cooling the flour as it is ground and bolted, so as to admit of barrelling at once. It has a large and well arranged store house by its side, situated in close proximity to the railroad. This company has at times had in store as many as 5000 bushels of wheat. The Buckfield flour has a good repu- tation in the market.
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HISTORY OF BUCKFIELD
The continuation of the Buckfield Branch Railroad is now a fixed purpose and some 120 men, scattered over about eight miles of the road are levelling the hills and elevating the valleys, preparatory to the passage of the locomotive. John Holmes has got hold of the business and it must go. The Iron Horse is des- tined to greet Canton next fall. The railroad instead of killing Buckfield as has been predicted, is just developing her resources and stimulating her enterprise."
The Buckfield Insurance Company was advertised that year. The following were the officers: President, J. W. Browne; secretary and treasurer, H. H. Hutchinson; directors, J. W. Browne, John Skillings, Samuel Jenkins, Jesse Turner, Leonard Russell.
F. O. J. Smith, who had his headquarters at Buckfield, was engaged in the project of extending the Buckfield Branch Rail- road to Canton and having a steamer built to ply between that place and Rumford Falls.
The headquarters of the Artillery Company were changed that year to Paris Hill. * The captain of the company was R. B. Jennings. James R. McDonald advertised the Buckfield Brass Band.
In 1860, the village contained nine stores as follows: Hiram Hines's, Allen & Thomes's, DeCoster & Prince's, M. B. Thomes's, Caleb Cushman's, Ephraim Atwood & Son's, Atwood & Morrill's, Charles B. Atwood's and George Bennett's.
Hiram Hines came from Hartford Center a few years before, where he had been in successful trade for several years. The firm of Allen & Thomes had existed for several years. Amory H. Allen, the senior member, also did a small business as a shoe manufacturer in a little shop across the street. It was located opposite their store where he employed several cutters and let out the work to be fitted and bottomed in the little shoe shops which were numerous in town and paid for it largely from the store of the firm. Mr. Allen afterwards went West and settled in Illinois. Samuel Thomes was a tailor. He first began busi- ness in Buckfield at Spaulding's Mills or North Buckfield, but soon afterwards moved to the village where he lived to his death. He is said to have been the first tailor in Buckfield.
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