USA > Maine > Oxford County > Oxford > Annals of Oxford, Maine, from its incorporation, February 27, 1829 to 1850. Prefaced by a brief account of the settlement of Shepardsfield plantation, now Hebron and Oxford, and supplemented with genealogical notes from the earliest records of both towns and other sources > Part 5
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"Strange to me are the forms I meet When I visit the dear old town; I bear the tales of boybood told, My thoughts are full of the past and old, I see it all like a chart unrolled, There are dreams that cannot die."
CHAPTER III.
1128747
OXFORD.
HRSHANT to the ACT approved February twenty- seventh, Winthrop B. Norton, one of the Justices of the Peace for the County of Oxford, issued his warrant to Cyrus Shaw, one of the freehold inhabitants of Oxford, on the ninth day of March, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and twenty-nine, requiring him to summon and notify the inhabitants of said town of Oxford, qualified to vote in town affairs, to assemble at the school house near Craigie's Mills in said Oxford on Thursday the nineteenth day of March instant, at one of the clock in the afternoon, for the purpose of choosing a Moderator and all such town officers as towns are by law authorized and re- quired to choose and appoint at their annual meetings.
At a legal meeting of the inhabitants of Oxford holden agreeable to the foregoing warrant March 19, 1829, the fol- lowing votes were passed, viz :-
I To choose a committee of three to receive, sort, count and declare the votes for Moderator.
2 Made choice of Samuel H. King, Jairus S. Keith and William C. Whitney for the above named committee.
3 Made choice of Jacob Tewksbury, Esq. for Moderator.
4 Voted that the meeting be adjourned to the meeting- house.
5 Made choice of Dan Perry for Town Clerk, who was immediatly sworn into office by Jacob Tewksbury, Esq. a Justice of the Peace within and for the County of Oxford.
6 Made choice of Samuel H. King, Ebenezer Holmes, Selectmen. Cyrus Shaw, Esq.,
7 Made choice of Dan Perry for Town Treasurer.
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Annals of Oxford
Voted that the Selectmen be the Assessors and Over seers of the Poor.
Made choice of Jacob Tewksbury, Giles Shurtleff and Alonzo King for Superintending School Committee.
Voted that the collectorship be set up at auction, the person that collects for the lowest percentage to expect the office of Constable, (he doing the town business gratis.) Struck off to Alonzo King at one cent and nine mills on the dollar.
Voted that Alonzo King be Constable.
Voted that John Gardner Jr., William Thomas, Sam- uel Robinson Jr., Nathan Wright, Luther Perkins, Will- iam Faunce, Edmund Hayes, Samuel Crockett, Joshua Merrill, Henry C. Dean, Winthrop B. Norton and Isaac A. Thayer be Surveyors of Highways.
Voted that the numbers by which the school districts were formerly known on the town records of Hebron shall be amended and be hereafter known in the town of Oxford, as follows :- number II shall be number 1, number 8 shall be number 2, number 9 shall be number 3, number 14 shall be number 4, number 17 shall be number 5, number 6 no change, number 13 shall be number 7, number 16 shall be number 8 and number 7 shall be number 9.
Voted that Henry C. Dean, Robert Hilborn Jr., Elisha Moore, David Webber, John Richards, Zebedee Cushman, Giles Shurtleff, Ezra Bartlett and john Marshall be School Agents.
Voted that Nathan Lombard, Robert Hilborn Jr. and Joshua Lombard be Cullers of Staves.
Voted that Nathan Lombard be Culler of Hoops.
Voted that William Faunce, Benjamin Whitehouse, Samnel Allen, William Prince and Elisha Moore be Fence Viewers.
Voted that Ebenezer Moulton, Simon Staples, Hiram Hilborn and George Robinson be Field Drivers.
Voted that Luther Carman, (he was excused) Win- throp B. Norton, Samuel H. King, John Marshall and John Gardner Jr. be Surveyors of Sawed and Rift Lumber.
Samuel H. King, Cyrus Shaw and Winthrop B. Nor- ton were chosen a committee to make nominations for Tythingmen ; William Faunce, Alfred Hood, William Caldwell and Joseph Row were nominated and elected.
Faunce and Hood were excused and Joseph Perkins Jr.
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Annals of Oxford.
and P. M. C. Mussey were elected.
Voted that Jairus S. Keith be Agent for the Town. He asked to be excused and it was voted that Samuel H. King be Agent for the town of Oxford for the year ensuing.
Voted that the Selectmen be a committee to settle with the authorized agents of the town of Hebron.
Voted that this meeting be disolved.
A town meeting was called by the Selectmen, April 6, IS29, William C. Whitney was chosen Moderator and it was voted that the meeting attend to prayers.
Voted that $367.00 be appropriated for the support of the schools.
Voted that $1200.00 be appropriated for the repairs of the highways and bridges.
Voted that $300.00 be appropriated for the support of the poor.
It was voted that the Pound shall be near the center of the town and that Zebedee Cushman, Giles Shurtleff, Alonzo King, Winthrop B. Norton and Benajah Pratt be a committee to select a place and build the Pound.
Ezra Wright was set-off from school district number 7 to district number 2.
It was voted that the highway district on Pigeon Hill be divided and set-off, the county road from Joseph Perkins Jr. to the county road by Daniel Whitney's, and that An- drew Staples be the Surveyor ; also voted that the highway district at Craigies Mills be divided by or at the bridge and that Samuel H. King be the Surveyor.
Voted that the list of jurors prepared and presented by the Selectmen be accepted.
Voted that Surveyors of Highways shall keep the roads open and passable, through their districts, in the winter and give a suitable compensation to those they em- ploy therein for the labor necessary in doing the same, to be credited for highway work the next year.
Voted that Surveyors of Highways shall credit 12 I-2 cents per hour for a man and the same for a yoak of oxen in the month of June and 9 cents per hour in the month of September for man and oxen, for work faithfully done to the acceptance of the Surveyor; all that fall short of the above to be credited in proportion, according to the judge- ment of the Surveyor.
ADJOURNED TO MAY 4th.
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At the adjourned meeting held May 4th, in the meet- ing house near Craigies Mills, Benjamin F. Perry was elected Pound Keeper and a committee consisting of Bena- jah Pratt, Ezra Wright and Samuel H. King were chosen to consult and agree with Mr. Perry for the use of his barn for the purposes of a Pound.
Voteb that the Selectmen, Treasurer, Clerk and Con- stable draw the jurors without calling a town-meeting.
A meeting called by the Selectmen, was held at the same time and place and William C. Whitney was chosen Moderator. The meeting was opened with prayer.
A communication was received as follows : -
"We the subscribers, heirs of the late Andrew Craigie, hereby authorize William C. Whitney Esq., our agent at Hebron, to erect a meeting-house for the use of said town, to be located on the new county road leading from Poland to Paris, in such place as the said town shall determine, with the consent of said Whitney; the said house not to cost more than twelve hundred dollars, and we authorize the said Whitney to promise the said town, not exceeding three acres of land round the said meeting-house for a common, burying-ground etc. not to be more than 16 rods in width on the road. Witness our hands this second day of March 1829. Samuel Haven. Andrew Foster. Thomas Foster, for himself and John Foster."
The proposal of the Craigie heirs was accepted and it was thereupon voted that a committee be appointed to se- lect or locate a site for the above named meeting-house, and that they perform their service and report to the next town-meeting, free from expense to the town. Zebedee Cushman, Jairus S. Keith, John Caldwell, Benajah Pratt, Giles Shurtleff, Benjamin Whitehouse and Samuel Crock- ett were chosen as the committee.
Voted that Benjamin F. Perry be annexed to school district No. 3.
A legal meeting of the inhabitants of Oxford was held at the dwelling-house of Benjamin F. Perry, on Monday the IIth day of May, William C. Whitney was chosen Moderator. The meeting was opened with prayer.
The committee chosen at the last meeting to locate a
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Annals of Oxford.
site for the meeting-house reported the selection of a lot de- scribed as follows : - commencing 34 rods southerly from the corner of the road where the road leading from Num- ber 6, so called, to Craigies Mills is crossed by the new county road leading from Paris to Poland, and on the west side of the new county road, thence south 56 degrees west 30 rods, thence south 34 degrees west 16 rods, thence north 56 degrees east 30 rods to said new county road, thence on said road north 34 degrees west 16 rods to the first men- tioned bounds.
The report was accepted and it was voted that the three acres of land for a meeting-house, common and burying- ground and all between it and the new county road be clear- ed of all the natural growth, both root and branch, that is to say, all of the roots of trees, stumps and saplings to be completely dug out of the ground and removed from the plot ; the land thoroughly plowed, leveled and well seed- ed to grass and well fenced witn a good and sufficient log fence; the contractor for the job to have the crop of grain he shall raise upon it.
Proceeded to vendue the clearing of the land as above and the same was struck off to Haven Hall, at twenty-eight dollars per acre, he being the lowest bidder.
The meeting deciding that the contractor should give a bond, Mr. Hall was excused and the clearing of the lot was awarded to Jacob Washburn at twenty-nine dollars an acre, he being the lowest bidder that would give a bond.
Ezra Bartlett the school agent for district No. 8 being absent, James Perry was elected in his stead.
A bounty of ten cents for each crow killed in town and presented to the Treasurer with body and head entire was voted.
Voted that the next town meeting be held at Benjamin F. Perry's and then adjourned.
A legal meeting of the inhabitants was held at Benja- min F. Perry's on the ninth day of July at 4 o'clock P. M. Winthrop B. Norton was chosen Moderator.
Voted to reconsider the vote of the last meeting accept- ing the site for a meeting-house near the No. 6 road and to select a location on the hill near Benjamin F. Perry's, and that the Selectmen be authorized to locate the site and make arrangements for clearing the land.
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Annals of Oxford
At the election of state and county officers in September one hundred and fifty-three votes were cast for Governer. Samuel E. Smith (dem.) had 107 Jonathan G. Huntoon (whig) had 45 Dan Perry had I
For Representative to the Legislature.
Dan Perry had 105
Jacob Tewksbury had 27
Samuel H. King had 19
A legal meeting was held in the stable of Benjamin F. Perry September 14th, Cyrus Shaw Esq. Moderator.
It was voted that if any one will seed down the site for the meeting-house and prepare the land for the building to the acceptance of William C. Whitney Esq. that he shall have the income of the land the present year.
The Selectmen, Treasurer and Clerk were authorized to grant licenses to proper applicants for inholders, victual- ers and reta lers, for the present year.
Voted that cattle, horses and sheep shall not be permit- ed to run at large in Oxford from the first of November next to the first of April ensueing.
Voted that the next meeting be at the meeting-house near Craigies Mills.
A legal meeting assembled at the meeting.house near Cyrus Shaw's October 5th, at 3 o'clock in the afternoon. William C. Whitney was chosen Moderator.
A vote of the town at the meeting of March 19th fixing the number and limtts of the several school districts was a- mended and discribed as follows : -
District No. II, now No. I, lands in the southerly corner of Oxford, bounded on the northeast by district No. 2 and on the northwest by district No. 3, and Thompson pond.
District No. 8, now No. 2 begining on Poland line on the Little Androscogin river, thence up said river to the outlet of Hogan pond, thence up said outlet to the south Hogan pond, thence up said pond to the Cole brook, (so called) thence up said brook by the westerly side of Sam- uel Hilborn's land and in a continued course of said Hil- born's westerly side line to the Great Swamp (so called) between Seth Keen's and Henry C. Dean's, thence easterly by said swamp to the Poland line.
District No. 9, now No. 3, begining on the Otisfield line between Benjamiu Stevens' and Everett's and Ward-
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Annals of Oxford.
well's land, thence between said Stevens' and Everett's and Wardwell's to Samuel Allen's land, thence on the northwest line of said Allen's land to the Little Androscoggin river, thence down said river to the outlet of Hogan pond, thence up said outlet to the south Hogan pond, thence up said pond so as to come in a direction with the southeast side of the land formerly occupied by Edward Shepherd, thence between said Shepherd's lot and Samuel Littlefield's land and in a direction of said line to Thompson pond.
District No. 14, now No, 4, beginning on Otisfield line between the lands of Benjamin Stevens', Everett's and Wardwell's, thence on the bounds of district No. 3 to the Little Androscoggin river, thence up said river to the south- east side line of John Pike's land, thence between the lands of said Pike and Edward Little to the county road that passes by John Rowe's, thence northwesterly on said road to the Norway line.
District No. 17, now No. 5, beginning on the Paris line on the southerly side of James Holmes' farm now occu- pied by William Beals, thence on the westerly bounds of district No. 6 to the Little Androscoggin river, thence up said river to John Pike's land, thence on the bounds of dis- trict No. 4 to Norway line.
District No. 6, beginning at the county road near Joseph Perkins' house, thence between said Perkins' and Daniel Bullen Jr., including said Bullen's, Eliab Richmond's, John Caldwell's and Joseph Cushman's, thence on the westerly line of Daniel Bartlett's land to William Newman's, thence on the westerly line of said Newman's to William C. Whit- ney's land, thence between said Newman's and Whitney's lands to the town road, thence on said road to the Paris line thence on the town line of Paris to the westerly line of the James Holmes' farm, now occupied by William Beals, thence on the westerly bounds of the Craigie land to the Little Androscoggin river, leaving the land of Rufus Bart- lett Jr. and Joel Robinson's tract, near the river, adjoining to and west of said Craigie's land, thence down the river to the lot line between lots No. 8 and 9 in the second division, thence in the direction of said lot line to the line dividing the new and old surveys of lots, thence through lot No. 8, seventh range, second division, between Isaac Whittemore Jr. and Eliab Richmond's, also through lot No. 8 sixth range. between Dr. Jacob Tewksbury's and William C.
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Annals of Oxford
Whitney's land to the first mentioned bounds.
District No. 13, now No. 7, beginning at the westerly corner of Minot on the Little Androscoggin river, thence up said river to district No. 6, thence easterly on the south- ern boundary of said district to the county road, thence on the northwest side line of Joseph Perkins' land to Daniel Bullen's land and in a direction with last said line to Matt- hews pond or to the inlet thereof on the northwest and south bounds of district No. 9 to Minot line.
District No. 16, now No. 8, beginning on the town line of Paris between Daniel Bartlett's and Elias Tubbs', thence running sontheasterly in the direction of the end line of said lots to the inlet of Matthews pond, thence down said inlet to district No. 7, thence on the bounds of district No. 7 to dis- trict No. 6, thence on district No. 6 to the Paris line.
A part of district No. 7, now No. 9, beginning on the Minot line on the lot line between Thomas Crooker and Robert Hilborn, thence on the southwest bounds of district No. 4 to the southwest corner of Isaac Whittemore's land, thence on the southerly bounds of district No. 5 to Matthews pond, thence southerly so as to include John and Moses Marshall, Calvin Robins home place and William Chip- man's, thence from the southwest corner of William Chip- man's land southeasterly to Minot line.
(N. B. Only what is southwest of Matthews pond now composes district No. 9 in Oxford.)
When reference is had to any survey, or number, range or division of lots, the reference is to the plan of the town drawn by Alexander Greenwood Esq. Dec. A. D. 1821.
THE FOREGOING IS A FAIRLY COMPLETE COPY OF THE TOWN CLERK'S RECORDS. THE FOLLOWING ARE ABSTRACTS.
1830
Town meeting at the meeting-house March Ist, 1830. Jairus S. Keith was chosen Moderator and Dan Perry, Town Clerk. Mr. Perry being absent, Samuel H. King was chosen Clerk pro tem.
Cyrus Shaw, Zebedee Cushman and Alonzo King were elected Selectmen and it was voted that they be the Assessors and Overseers of the Poor.
Dan Perry was chosen Treasurer and the collection of taxes was auctioned to Alonzo King at two and a quarter cents on the dollar. He was chosen Constable.
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Annals of Oxford.
Jairus S. Keith, Alonzo King and Giles Shurtleff were chosen School Committee.
Winthrop B. Norton, Samuel Robinson and Cyrus Shaw were chosen Committee on Accounts.
Jairus S. Keith, was chosen Town Agent.
Town meeting at the meeting-house April 5th, William C. Whitney, Moderator.
Voted to raise $300. for town charges and $1200. for repairs on highways and that the Surveyors credit the same for labor as last year.
Voted that Timothy Jordan have the privilege of draw- ing his school money from the district where he lives and paying the same to Otisfield, where he sends to school.
Town meeting at the meeting-house April 12th, Samuel H. King, Moderator.
Voted that $367. be raised for the support of schools. Voted that the Selectmen appropriate the highway tax they think proper or necessary to be expended on the Whittemore road.
Voted that the Selectmen pur chase a Pall.
Voted that Benjamin F. Perry's barn be a Pound and that he be the Pound Keeper.
At the election of state officers, Sept. 13th, two hundred and five votes were cast for Governor.
Samuel E. Smith (dem.) had I4I
Jonathan G. Huntoon (whig) had 64 For Representative to the Legislature.
Roger Decoster had 136
Gideon Cushman had 70
At same time and place a meeting was held, Zebe- dee Cushman, Moderator. It was voted to adjourn to meet at the same place, Saturday next, at 3 o'clock P. M.
At the adjourned meeting, Benajah Pratt was chosen agent to repair the new county road. John Gardner Jr. agent to repair the road near Abraham Dean's. William Wardwell agent for Greely Hill, so called. Winslow Re- cord, Samuel Allen, Samuel Wright, Abraham Dean Jr. and William C. Whitney agents for repairing roads on the hills near their residences.
Town meeting at the meeting-house near Cyrus Shaw's, October 16th, Winthrop B. Norton, Moderator.
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Annals of Oxford
Jairus S. Keith was chosen Clerk pro tem.
Voted that the Court of Sessions be petitioned to discon- tinue the road from near the dwelling-house of Simon Sta- ples to that of widow Soule.
Town meeting at the meeting-house near Benjamin F. Perry's, Zebedee Cushman, Moderator.
Adjourned to the house of Benjamin F. Perry.
Voted that the land from the road to the meeting-house be leveled and all obstructions removed at an expense of not exceeding ten dollars. Zebedee Cushman was chosen to superintend the work.
Zebedee Cushman, Leonard Caldwell, Giles Shurtleff, Joshua Keen and Benajah Pratt were chosen a commit- tee to make arrangements for dedicating the meeting-house and it was voted to provide the clergymen who officiate at the dedication with appropriate entertainment, on the occa- sion at this place, at the expense of the town.
It was voted that the new meeting-house be the centre of the town and that subsequent town meetings be held in it.
Voted that the three notices for town meetings shall here- after be posted at the following places, viz : - At Craigies Mills, at Benj. F. Perry's and at Dr. Jacob Tewksbury's,
1831
Town meeting March 14th, 1831. William C. Whit- ney was chosen Moderator and Dan Perry, Town Clerk.
Alonzo King, Zebedee Cushman and Henry Holbrook were elected Selectmen.
Dan Perry was chosen Treasurer.
Voted $300. for town charges.
$500. for support of schools.
$1500. for high and town ways.
Voted that the wholly dependent poor be set up at auct- ion and - was vendued to Luther Perkins at 80 cents per week, doctors bills to be paid by the town ; cloth- ing to be as good when returned as when received from the town.
The collectorship was vendued to Alonzo King at one cent and nine mills on the dollar ; he was elected Constable.
Giles Shurtleff, Benajah Pratt and Oliver Perkins were chosen Superintending School Committee,
Benjamin F. Perry was chosen Pound Keeper.
Samuel H. King was appointed to settle with the
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Annals of Oxford.
town of Hebron.
Benjamin F. Perry, A. Peterson, Giles Perkins and all the inhabitants between them, were set off for a school district, the Selectmen to establish the bounds.
Benajah Pratt Jr. was chosen Town Agent and Sam- uel H. King was appointed to assist him in adjusting the claim of William Wardwell for damages on account of the road on Greely Hill; and they were instructed to see if the town of Hebron was not holden to pay their proportion of the damages.
Samuel H. King, Giles Shurtleff and Eleazer Holmes were chosen a committee to examine the accounts of the Selectmen.
Alonzo King was appointed agent to take care of the Pall. Voted to abate the tax of Simeon Staples.
Town meeting April 9th, Jacob Tewksbury; Moderator.
Voted to clear the three acres around the meeting- house and that every man in town who pays a poll tax, work one day in person or by a substitute clearing the land, or pay one dollar. The several Surveyors to notify in their districts of the time, impliments to be used and to superin- tend the work. It was voted that the rocks on the lot be put into a fence on the south line, beginning on the road and running back as far as the rocks will make the fence.
William C. Whitney, Winthrop B. Norton and Zebedee Cushman were appointed to make suitable appropriation of the land when cleared and fenced.
It was voted to discontinue the Whittemore road to the Meadow brook and that Samuel H. King, Giles Shurt- leff and Benajah Pratt be a committee to locate a road from the new county road, commencing at or near the meeting- house and running to the Meadow brook, in the best place for a road.
Voted that all the inhabitants in town who pay taxes shall give in their valuation under oath.
Voted that the taxes of Nathaniel Allen, Peltiah Ber- ry, Hezekiah Farris, Richard Lamb, Jacob Grapes, Nath- aniel Rowe, Stephen Richards, Payson Steadman and Joseph Bartlett, for the 1829 be abated.
Timothy Jordan Jr, was allowed to expend his propor- tion of the school money in Otisfield.
Voted that the Selectmen meet three weeks from to day, to survey a new rout for a road on Pigeon Hill,
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Annals of Oxford
beginning at the Tarbox brook, so called, thence up the hill in the best place.
Town meeting April 25th, Jacob Tewksbury, Moderator.
Voted that the Selectmen be empowered to view and locate a road at Meadow brook bridge on the Whittemore road, northerly of the new meeting-house, to the No. 6 road.
Voted that $500. be expended on the highways, addi- tional to the sum already voted, at the discretion of the Se- lectmen.
The report of the Selectmen on the new school district was accepted and it was voted that the district be No. 10.
Town meeting May 9th, Jairus S. Keith, Moderator.
Voted to accept the report of the Selectmen locating a road from Meadow brook bridge to the No. 6 road, so call- ed, and that the Whittemore road from the new county road to the No. 6 road be discontinued.
Evidently the preceeding votes upon the subject had failed to produce results, for at this meeting it was voted to appropriate $150. to clear the meeting-house lot; this vote was subsequently reconsidered and it was voted that the Selectmen should give a bond to the heirs of Andrew Crai- gie, conditioned on the completion of the clearing the land, to obtain the deed.
At the election of state officers, Sept. 12th, one hundred and seventy-one votes were cast for Governor.
Samuel E. Smith (dem.) had I2I
Daniel Goodenow (whig) had 49
John Anderson had I
For Senator, Jairus S. Keith had III
For Representative to the Legislature. Dan Perry had I20
Jacob Tewksbury had 48
At the same time a meeting was held, Alonzo King, Moderator.
Samuel H. King, Jairus S. Keith and John Caldwell were chosen a committee to get the complaint on the road from George Robinson's to Zebulon Chadbourne's contin- ued and to petition the County Commissioners to discontin- ue the road.
The Selectmen reported the location of roads to accom- modate Lemuel Crooker and others, Willam Wardwell
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Annals of Oxford.
and others. Their reports were adopted, and the Select- men were authorized to expend $foo. upon the highways.
The meeting refused to take action on an article per- mitting licenses to sell liquors, to be drank on the premises.
Town meeting Oct. 3d, Samuel H. King, Moderator.
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