USA > Maine > Oxford County > Buckfield > A history of Buckfield, Oxford County, Maine, from the earliest explorations to the close of the year 1900 > Part 35
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1888.
At the annual town meeting this year, $1800 was raised towards the extinguishment of the town debt and $15 for Memorial Day .- Voted that the supervisor of schools take all necessary measures "to place the school system of the town on a legal basis."-Dr. John F. DeCoster was chosen supervisor .- Voted that the town immediately take possession of all the school property and return to the district system .- For presidential electors : "Dem. Ticket," 131; "Rep. Ticket," 141; "Pro. Ticket," 18; "Labor Ticket," 4 .- There were five persons living in town this year over 90 years of age .- Varanes DeCoster, Esq., died Jan. 12, of heart disease, aged 77 .- Mrs. J. G. Spaulding, dau. of Hiram Hines, died Dec. 3, aged 50 .- The wife of Dr. J. C. Caldwell died June 7th, aged 36; Samuel B. Churchill, Sept. 27, in his 80th year; Miss Lydia Bridgham, Dec. 9, aged 83 .- Mrs. James Roberts, April 15, aged 70; Leander Hodgdon, Aug. 24, aged 75; Mrs. Eliza Ripley, widow Valentine Ripley, aged 69 .- There were in all 19 deathis in town this year .- Mr. Nathaniel Merrill, a former resi- dent and a brother of Ex-Gov. Samuel Merrill of Iowa, died at East Hebron, Jan. 7, aged 77 .- Holman W. Waldron died Nov. 6, at New Castle, Ind., aged 59.
1889.
Toothpick and block factory below R. R. Station built this year by Granville A. Harlow .- Mrs. Julia Temple Long, widow of Hon. Zadoc Long, died Sept. 19, aged 82 .- Maj. Lucius Loring died Sept. 23, in his 92d year .- Sullivan C.Andrews, Esq., died at Cambridge, Mass., Nov. 10, of Bright's disease, aged 64 .- J. C. Burroughs died at Somerville, Mass., Aug. 12, at the age of 87. His remains were taken to Buckfield for burial. -Elias Taylor died Nov. 30, in his 95th year .- Hiram Hines, Esq., died in Lewiston, Dec. 27. His remains were brought to Buckfield for burial .- Mrs. Nathan Maxim died at the age of 80; Mrs. Melzer Buck, in her 79th year .- There were 25 deaths in all in town this year.
1890.
Alfred Cole was elected a member of the school committee for 3 years, Miss A. H. Prince, 2 years, and L. C. Waterman, I year .- For representa- tive to the legislature, O. H. Hersey, Rep., had 136; C. C. Spaulding, Dem., 75 ; R. B. Waite, Pop., 17-The Buckfield House was burned on the night of April 4 Loss, $3,500. Partially insured. The town lines were per- ambulated this year .- The following old people above 75 years old, were living at N. Buckfield this year: Mrs. Stephen Spaulding, aged 96, oldest person in town; Winchester Spaulding, aged 86; Mrs. William Bisbee, aged 76; Mrs. Washington Heald, aged 87; Mrs. Samuel Buck, aged 80; Mrs. Cyrus Record, aged 86; Jane Spaulding, aged 76; Mrs. Tristram
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Warren, aged 83; Mrs. Larnard Swallow, aged 77; Mrs. A. D. White, aged 75; Africa Farrar, aged 80 .- The Buckfield village corporation went into effect this year. The Shaw bridge over the East Branch was rebuilt .- Tristram G. Bicknell died Feb. 8, aged 79 .- William E. Wood, a Civil War soldier, died Feb. 22, aged 52 .- Mrs. Almira Murdock died, aged 69; Courtney Record, May 13, aged 74; Alden Bessey, June 4, aged 83 ; Deering Mayhew, Sept. 25, aged 77 .- Odd Fellows Hall erected on site of former shoe factories.
1891.
Dogs were taxed .- The school districts were abolished and the town system adopted .- The war debt, originally about $40,000, was extinguished this year .- The following aged persons died this year: January, Lucius Young, in his 74th year; Feb. 3, Mrs. Sophia Spaulding, in her 97th year, the oldest person in town; Feb. 6, Hollis Hall, aged 67; March, Dea. Henry Bangs, aged 79. He had resided in Buckfield 13 years. The re- mains were taken to Randolph, Mass., for burial. March 24, Lorenzo Atwood, Esq., aged 78; Mar. 24, Mrs. America Farrar, aged SI ; April 4, Ephraim Atwood, Esq., aged 82; May 15, Winchester Spaulding, in his 87th year ; June 29, Mrs. Lucy B. Hammond, aged 79; July 17, Mrs. Lydia, widow of Col. A. D. White.
1892.
At the annual town meeting Appleton F. Mason and V. P. DeCoster were appointed sub-registrars of vital statistics .- The following was the valuation of the school district property as appraised by the selectmen and school committee : Federal school house, $300; Hartford line school house, $200; Whiting school house, $75; Chase school house, $50; South Hill school house, $100; Packard school house, $25; Hebron line school house, $50; Waldron school house, $25; Leonard school house, $50; Buck school house, $50; Prince school house, $150; M. Farrar school house, $50; Brock school house, $100; N. Buckfield school house, $300; village school house, $2500 ; total, $4025 .- Voted to raise $1350 for the equalization of school property .- $500 was raised for repairing school houses .- Voted to consoli- date the Packard school with the Hebron line school and to build a new school house near the spot formerly occupied by the old Lotlirop school house .- Frank P. Withington, A. W. Libby, Fred H. Atwood and Chas. P. Hatch were appointed ballot clerks .- For presidential electors: "Rep. Ticket," 133; "Dem. Ticket," 123; "Pro. Ticket," 10; "Peo. Ticket," 9 .- A genuine cyclone struck the northwestern part of the town July 3d and swept down everything in a path from 5 to 25 rods in width and about 4 or 5 miles in length. The barns of A. S. Bessey, Herman Morse, Virgil D. Bicknell and Sidney Swallow were completely destroyed. Several houses were badly damaged. The dwelling house of Herman Morse was lifted from its foundations and moved about 15 feet. Five persons were in the house at the time. Shade and other trees were torn from their roots in great numbers. After the storm had passed, the path of the cy- clone presented a perfect scene of ruin and desolation. Mr. Morse suf-
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fered the greatest damage, his loss being about $2000 .- Trains began run- ning regularly to Rumford Falls August Ist.
Col. Jacob W. Browne, who in the fifties practiced law at Buckfield, died at his home in Earlville, Ill., Nov. Ist. The following is from his poem, "Age :"
"Trees are in the yellow leaf- Corn is in the yellow sheaf- I question why I should weave the woof of life, Through the tangled web of strife, And then should die !"
1893.
The Chase and South Hill schools were consolidated .- On the propo- sition to move the county seat from Paris Hill to South Paris and build a new court house at the latter place, the vote stood: Yes, 37; no, 224. The yes vote in the county was 150 more than the no vote. The new court house was built in 1895. The records were moved to it the latter part of that year .- The following old people died this year: Feb. 8, Howard D. Waldron, aged 67; March 3, Hanson Brown, aged 81 ; May 2, Mrs. James M. Johnson at Mechanic Falls, aged 87. Her remains were brought here for burial. June 23, Silas Shaw, aged 80; July 6, Mrs. Washington Heald, in the goth year of her age; August II, Mrs. F. A. War- ren, aged 77; August, Isaac Bearce, Esq., of Perry, Maine, aged 83. His remains were taken to Buckfield and interred in the cem- etery in the southeastern part of the town. Sept. 12, Dea. David Far- rar in the 92d year of his age, oldest person in town; Oct., Mrs. William Lewis by suicide, at the age of 75; Nov. 16, Ruel Gray, in his 70th year.
1894.
It was decided to consolidate the Buck school with the village school; also, the Leonard and Waldron schools .- The total appropriations this year amounted to $7, 101.24 .- O. H. Hersey, T. S. Bridgham, Horace A. Irish and Elmer B. Austin were appointed ballot clerks .- The vote for repre- sentative to the legislature was as follows: A. C. T. King, Rep., 97; J. A. Rawson, Dem, 80; A. C. Whitman, Pop., 28 .- For clerk of courts, Chas. F. Whitman, Rep., had 124; William M. Brooks, Pro., 6; T. J. Whitehead, Pop., 14; George Hazen, Dem., 67 .- At a town meeting, it was voted that the selectmen be instructed to purchase the old "Church on the Hill" for a town house at a price not exceeding $100. F. P. Withington, C. P. Hatch and Alfred Cole were appointed a committee to make the pur- chase .- In February, the Rumford Falls and Buckfield railroad made a junction with the Maine Central at Auburn .- This year Buckfield became connected by telephone line with South Paris by way of Paris Hill .- Hon. Geo. D. Bisbee moved in the autumn to Rumford Falls. He had made his residence in Buckfield almost 30 years .- The following deaths of old people are noted : April 8, Isaac Shaw, aged 88; June 30, Mary J. Hersey, aged
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77; Aug. 26, Rasselas Cole, aged 84; Sept. 22, Samuel P. Harlow, aged 62; Nov. 15, Almeda DeCoster, aged 78; Nov. 25, Mrs. Matilda Wood, aged 85 ; Dec. 4, Mrs. Maria Irish, aged 79 .- Machine shop built on Depot street by Arlington Damon .- Gov. John D. Long purchased this year the old homestead of his grandfather, Thomas Long, on North Hill, for a summer residence. It is situated in one of the most beautiful regions in town.
1895.
Josiah W. Whitten, Esq., died Jan. 18, from heart discase. He was 73 and had lived in Buckfield nearly 60 years .- Several hundred dollars were raised by subscription this year to repair and preserve the old "Church on the Hill."-A. F. Warren, the drummer boy of Co. C., 23d Maine Infantry, was appointed deputy sheriff as the successor of J. W. Whitten, Esq .- April 26, Mrs. Benjamin Murch died in her Soth year and Mrs. Wm. F. Spaulding, aged 62 .- Ira Ames died at South Paris, May 22, aged 72 .- At the annual meeting of the Buckfield Cemetery Association, the following officers were chosen : William H. Atwood, Pres. ; A. F. War- ren, Vice-Pres .; C. H. Prince, Sec. and Treas. ; Asa Atwood, Benj. Spauld- ing, C. S. Childs, Ex. Com,-Mrs. Caroline Buck died at Bethel, June 6, aged 99 years and 8 months. Her remains were taken to Buckfield for burial .- The Evening Star lodge of freemasons participated in the exer- cises at South Paris when the corner stone of the new court house was laid in July .- Mrs. H. H. Hutchinson died in Lynn, Mass., in August, aged 84. Her remains were taken to Buckfield for burial .-- Mrs. William Monk died December 12, aged 77 .- A new railroad bridge was constructed this year at the village .- The "Church on the Hill" was dedicated as a town hall, Nov. 3d .- Two car loads of Christmas trees were shipped to New York this year.
1896.
At the annual town meeting, $1,350 was raised towards the extinguish- ment of the town debt ; $1,000 for schools; $1,200 for support of the poor ; $1,200 for the repair of the roads and bridges; $500 for town accounts; $25 for the observance of Memorial Day ; and $175 for a free high school .- A term of free high school was established at the Russell school house and, also, one at the Buck school house .- The vote for presidential electors : "Rep. Ticket," 137; "Dem. Ticket," 77; "Gold Dem. Ticket," 8; "Pro. Ticket," 6; "Peo. Ticket," 15 .- The greatest freshet known for years occurred in February. The water rose about two feet higher than it was ever known to rise before. The low lands were over-flowed and many families left their homes for higher grounds, and stocks of goods were removed for safety. Stores were flooded and the main business street be- came a channel for the raging waters. Much damage was donc. Several bridges were either swept away or destroyed .- The following deaths of aged people are noticed : Jan. 2, Mrs. Cynthia Farrar, aged 91 years, the oldest person in town. Feb., Capt. I. H. McDonald at his home in Port- land, aged 77. May, Mrs. Luther W. Mason, in Boston, aged 80. Re- mains were brought here for burial. June, Addison G. Cole of Auburn,
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formerly of Buckfield, aged 84. The remains were taken to Buckfield for interment. June 14, Mrs. Sidney Spaulding, aged 86; August, Mrs. Ar- villa Record at Mechanic Falls, aged 93. Interment at Buckfield. Sept. 5, Zenas Shaw, aged 76; Sept. 4, Mrs. Elizabeth P. Beers of Newton High- lands, Mass., aged 96.
1897.
A new iron bridge was built across the West Branch in the village this year .- Alfred Cole delivered the Memorial address this year before Fes- senden Post, G. A. R .- Carlton Gardner, Esq., moved to South Paris in October. He returned to Buckfield in 1902, Hon. Albion P. Bonney sold his farm this year and moved to Auburn. It had been in the family name for more than a hundred years. His grandfather, James Bonney, first set- tled on it in 1789 .- A young men's literary club was organized here about the beginning of the year. The first public debate took place at Nezinscot Hall on the evening of January Ist. A ladies' literary society had been organized in 1895 .- The remains of Mrs. Melissa Irish Wells of Weymouth, Mass., who died in January, at the age of 72, were brought to Buckfield for burial .- Hepsibah Atwood Cole, widow of Artemas F. Cole, died Feb. 17, aged 91 years .- Mrs. Silas Mitchell died Mar. 20, aged 68 .- Mrs. Phebe Whitman died April 5, in her 75th year .- David L. Farrar, Esq., died in Mass. at the residence of his daughter, Mrs. King Buck, June 7. His re- mains were brought here for burial .- Mrs. Thomas Lincoln of East Buck- field, died June 23, in her 88th year .- Cyrus C. Spaulding, Esq., died July 3, aged 59. He was in trade in the village for many years, held the posi- tions of town clerk and selectman and had been a soldier in the 20th Maine where he contracted the disease which caused his death. Stephen D. Huntchinson, Esq., a former town clerk of Buckfield, died at Paris Hill, in his 85th year .- Dea. S. Edson Murdock died Nov. 7, after a short illness, in his 70th year. He was a soldier in the war of the Rebellion and was at Gettysburg as a member of Co. C, 20th Me. Reg't .- Died at West Minot Dec. 2, Mrs. Caroline Crooker Bridgham, at the age of 91. Her remains were brought to Buckfield for interment .- This year Hon. John D. Long was appointed by President William Mckinley as Secretary of the Navy. He served with great distinction through his four years' term. The Spanish War broke out in 1898, but through the efficiency of the Navy, an astonishing success was achieved, without the loss of a vessel, and the fewest lives ever known in a war of this magnitude.
During the year of this war, the business of the Department of the Navy, under Mr. Long's supervision, aggregated over a hundred millions of dollars, and every dollar was properly accounted for. His townsmen are proud of the fact that there has never been anything in his political life or otherwise that requires apology.
1898.
The Irish Brothers' die block mill was destroyed by fire Feb. 27. The burning of this mill removed an old landmark. It was built as a starch mill in the forties by Ephraim and Lorenzo Atwood and Levi Cushman.
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After the opening of the Buckfield Branch railroad, it was converted into a shovel handle factory by Andrews, Waldron & Maxim .- Henry Parsons was elected road commissioner this year and Converse S. Childs, collector of taxes. Rev. H. A. Rich was chosen supt. of schools. Having moved out of town in the summer, he resigned. Block factory of C. M. & H. A. Irish built on site of starch factory burned this year .- Post Office en- larged .- One of the war tugs of the U. S. Navy was named Nezinscot .- A. D. Wilson of So. Portland brought suit against the town for raising the highway in front of his store, which was rendered necessary by build- ing the new iron bridge the previous year .- There was a reunion of the members of the 23d Maine infantry at So. Paris this year. The follow- ing Buckfield men of Co. C were present : Capt. C. H. Prince, Abel Irish, A. F. Warren, J. H. Young, J. A. Warren and Gideon Fletcher. The vote in Sept. for representative to the legislature was as follows: Virgil P. DeCoster, Rep., 75; Augustus Kenney, Dem., 20; scattering, 3. In the district, Mr. DeCoster had nearly 400 plurality .- Stephen Winslow died Feb. 21, aged 70. He was never married .- Mrs. Varanes DeCoster died Feb. 24, aged 84 .- Demeric Swan died May 6th in his 87th year .- Dr. John F. DeCoster died at Rumford Falls, June 3d, aged 39. His remains were brought to Buckfield for burial .- Lysander Lowe died July 17, in his 86th year .- Nov. 22, Calvin B. Keen died, aged 88 .- Dec. 19, Nathan Maxim died, aged 87.
During Secretary Long's summer visit to Buckfield this year an amus- ing incident occurred which Mr. George H. Bridgham, grandson of Dr. William Bridgham, related in verse thus :
"My mother has a mania, but it's not for making pies, 'Tis simply spreading tanglefoot, to bother all the flies ; But I think my mother must have been a little in the wrong, When she spread her sheets of tanglefoot for Secretary Long. And all she'll say about it, now the summer's gone, is that She didn't catch the Secretary, but only 'twas his hat; But I guess the Secretary will open wide his eyes When again the house he enters, when mother's catching flies."
1899.
The town meeting this year was very exciting. Several of the candi- dates were not selected until a number of ballots had been taken .- Henry Parsons and O. Greenleaf Turner were chosen road commissioners .- It was voted not to elect a superintendent of schools. This action left it for the school committee to select the superintendent. It was voted to build one new school house .- Hon. O. H. Hersey entered into a law partnership with Judge Enoch Foster and moved to Portland .- Fred R. Dyer of Can- ton opened a law office here this year .- Died Jan. 8, John Buck, grandson of Nathaniel, one of the pioneer settlers of the town, aged 82 years, 7 months .- The prevailing disease, called "the grip," raged quite extensively this year .- Deacon Alfred Shaw died May 17, aged 70 years .- lliram
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Staples died July 25, aged 85 years .- Mrs. Louisa Benson, the oldest per- son in town, died Aug. 15, aged 93 years and 7 months .- Aratus Farrar died in October, at the age of 87 .- George R. Coyle, landlord of the Hotel Long, died suddenly from apoplexy Nov. 12, aged 59. He was a veteran of the War of the Rebellion. He was a native of Aroostook and liad lived in Buckfield 20 years. His remains were taken to Auburn for burial .- A new brush factory was built by C. Withington & Sons this year .- Dr. F. J. Bonney, formerly of Buckfield, the only son of Hon. Albion P. Bonney, died at Auburn, Dec. 10, aged 49 years.
1900.
The year came in with a snow storm as it did in 1899. The water in the streams was so low in the month of January as to seriously affect the running of the mills and factories. In April there was quite a freshet and intervales were overflowed .- The Oxford county teachers' association held its annual meeting at Buckfield on the 18th and 19th of May. There were about 60 teachers in attendance .- On Memorial Day, John N. Irish, Esq., was the orator. Alfred Cole, Esq., gave a detailed history of those who went to the war from Buckfield .- The farm buildings of Cyrus Briggs at East Buckfield were destroyed by fire Sunday, July 29. Loss, $1,200-110 insurance .- The first observance of "Old Home Week" in Buckfield, took place in August. The services were held in the "Church on the Hill." Tlos. S. Bridgham, Esq., presided. Hon. John D. Long, Sec. of the Navy, gave an address. Mrs. Flora E. Barry sang a solo-an original poem by Mrs. Rebecca Hussey Merrifield of Franklin, Mass. There were also short addresses given by Edward L. Parris of New York City, Geo. D. Bisbee of Rumford Falls, C. F. Whitman of Norway, Geo. M. Atwood of Paris, Dr. O. R. Hall, Ardelia Prince, Mr. William C. Spaulding of Caribou and Hon. Solon Chase .- The post office contained the portraits of many of the oldest citizens of the town and several of the old pioneers, which Postmaster Alfred Cole had industriously collected. It was one of the most interesting features of the occasion. Among the portraits were those of Jonathan Record, Benj. Spaulding, son of Benj., one of the first 47 settlers, Josiah Parris and Jolin Loring .- Among the deathis this year, were those of Mrs. Mary J. Record, widow of William Record, Feb. 23, at the age of 80 .- Arabella, wife of Merritt Farrar, Esq., died in Feb. in her 75th year .- Reuben L. Farrar died March 27, aged 81 .- Col. John E. Bryant died in March at his home in Mount Vernon, N. Y .- R. B. Waite died May 23, aged 81 .- Joshua E. Whitman died June 7, in his 82d year .- George Long died in June, aged 68 .- Robinson Dean died Nov. 18, aged 69. -William H. Atwood died Dec. 12, aged 73 years, II monthis and 17 days. -Rev. Henry B. Smith, husband of Thirza (Andrews) Smith of Lockport, N. Y., died, aged 52 years 6 mos .- Capt. Chas. H. Prince was nominated and elected one of the senators from this county .- For president this year the vote was: "Rep. Ticket," 127; "Dem. Ticket," 103; "Pro. Ticket," 7; "Soc. Ticket," I .- The Atwoods of Buckfield and Livermore and their connections held a reunion at the Canton fair in September .- At a special
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town meeting held Oct. 3d, the sum of $500 was voted for laying the foundation for a new library building which Hon. John D. Long proposed to erect on the site of the old Capt. Josiah Parris house, and donate to the town, to be known as the Zadoc and Julia T. Long Free Library, in honor of his father and mother. The building, an artistic structure, was erected during the year and fully completed and opened to the public the following year.
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CHAPTER XXXIII.
NORTH BUCKFIELD.
The village of North Buckfield is pleasantly situated on the West Branch of the Twenty Mile or Nezinscot river, about a mile from the Summer town line. It has a very good water power, sufficient at all seasons to run the mills there which have existed since the early settlement of the town. Probably one or more stores has been kept in the place from very early times.
The village today has besides the mills. store and post office, some twenty or more dwelling houses, including those situated in the close vicinity and naturally connected with. the place.
The people are thrifty, industrious and moral and worthy citizens of the town in which they live.
The first settler in the vicinity was John Warren, son of Tristram Warren, who came here from Berwick in 1779 or 1780, and obtained a settling lot. He was a young, unmarried man at that time, but in 1781 he married Elizabeth, daughter of Abijah Buck-the first marriage in the township, as elsewhere related. His father, some years after, settled in the vicinity, but not before Jan. 1, 1784, as he obtained no settling lot. It is said by John Warren's descendants that he built the first mill at what is now the little village of North Buckfield.
In 1782, came to the township Dominicus Record from Easton, Mass., a millman and foundryman. He selected first a lot near John Warren's, which included a part, at least, of the falls on the river, and no doubt with the view of utilizing the water power, but considering it better in a business point of view, to form a partnership or business connection with Edmund Chandler, who had already built a mill two miles farther down the river at what is now Buckfield village, he exchanged his lot with Benjamin Spaulding and located there. Record's connec- tion with the Warrens was very close. for he afterwards married for his second wife Jane Warren, a sister of John.
Benjamin Spaulding, besides the water privilege acquired from Dominicus Record, obtained John Warren's interest if he had any, enlarged or built new, and so much business was done in after years there that the place came to be known as "Spaulding's Mills." This included not only a saw and grist mill, but a store,
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blacksmith shop, etc.,-in fact a place of some considerable business. It is doubtful whether Benjamin Spaulding himself ever run the mills or engaged personally in trade. There is no mention or indication of it, in the account given by Parson Coffin in his journal of his missionary visits to the town about 1800. Mr. Spaulding died in 1811. Who carried on the milling business after his death does not appear, but the little village continued to be called "Spaulding's Mills" for over 40 years afterwards. For a period, however, it was known quite gen- erally as "Hale's Mills," but in later times, this was changed to North Buckfield, a name it is likely to permanently retain.
Very early in the last century Larnard Swallow, a blacksmith by trade, settled in the little village. He was an active and capable man of much business ability, and for many years was interested in politics and was the most prominent citizen of that part of the town, and the local leader there of his party.
In 1864 Mr. Appleton F. Mason engaged in trade there, a business he conducted for over fifty years. He has been post- master since 1875, and for many years he has been the most prominent citizen of that locality. Mr. Mason has recently (1915) deceased, respected by all who knew him.
In 1841 William Swett and Charles F. Davis by act of the Legislature, obtained authority to erect powder mills on "Basin Falls." Soon afterwards a gunpowder factory was built there. In 1845, according to the Paris town history, Jarvis C. Marble of Paris Hill purchased this factory of Lorenzo Swett. It appears from the same authority that Mr. Marble "about 1847" bought of Amory H. Allen the powder mills at North Buckfield. Whether Mr. Allen built them or acquiredl this property by pur- chase does not appear, but Mr. Marble having come into pos- session, the plant at "Basin Falls" went into decay and the busi- ness was all transacted at North Buckfield. Mr. Marble later formed a partnership with Mr. A. P. Waterhouse and an exten- sive business for several years was transacted by the firm, and other mills were later obtained or built elsewhere-notably at Windsor. Canada, where employees from Buckfield went.
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