USA > Maine > Oxford County > Norway > Centennial history of Norway, Oxford County, Maine, 1786-1886, including an account of the early grants and purchases, sketches of the grantees, early settlers, and prominent residents, etc., with genealogical registers, and an appendix > Part 7
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Dunlap, William
Holt, Darius
Bartlett, Josiah
Chubb, Jabez
Crooker, Calvin
Frost, Joel
Eastman, Job
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HISTORY OF NORWAY.
Henley, John Hill, Thomas Jones, Cad F. Knight, Daniel Leslie, George
Perry, Zebedee
Tubbs, Jacob
Perkins, Samuel
Upton, Amos
Pool, Joshua
Upton, Francis
Rust, Henry
Upton, John
Reed, William
Upton, Amos Jr.
Rowe, Benjamin
Upton, David
Lovejoy, Asa Millett, John
Richardson, John
Wells, Edward
Millett, Solomon
Richardson, John Jr.
Witt, Benjamin
Morse, David
Robinson, Ezekiel
Work, William
Millett, Nathaniel
Stevens, Jonas
Witham, Jeremiah
Martin, Joseph
Stevens, Joseph
Whitney, Jonathan
Merriam, Silas
Stevens, Joel
Whitmarsh, Ebenezer
Merrill, Enoch Merrill, Edmund
Stevens, William
Webster, Simon
Noble, Nathan Noyes, Ward
Shedd, Lemuel
White, William
Parsons, Jacob
Shirtleff, Simeon
Whitney, Phineas
Parsons, John Parsons, William
Smith, Joshua
Yates, William
Pike, Dudley Pike, John
Stinchfield, James
Young, Nathaniel
Stinchfield, Benjamin
Woodman, Jonathan
Stevens, Nathaniel
Small, Joseph
Wells, Edward Jr.
Saunders, Jonathan
Wilkins, Darius
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CHAPTER VIII.
ANNALS CONTINUED.
1797
SINCE the burning of the town records, it has been found impossible to fix upon the date of the first meeting under the act of incorporation, but tradition gives it on the third day of March, 1797, and that it was held at the dwelling-house of Job Eastman, which is quite probable The following officers were chosen : selectmen and assessors, Job. Eastman, Benjamin Witt, and Joseph Stevens; clerk, Joshua Smith ; treasurer, Job Eastman ; constable and collector, Ebenezer Whitmarsh. The following sums were raised: State tax, forty-one dollars and two cents ; minister tax, (about) fifty-two dollars; money tax, two hundred dollars ; highway tax, three hundred and fifty dollars. The tax list of that year shows that there were then seventy-nine ratable residents in the new town, and eighty-six polls, boys of sixteen years of age being then required to pay a poll-tax. The non-resident proprietors were taxed eighty-nine dollars and ninety-four cents, and the settlers, nine hundred, forty-five dollars and forty-nine cents. A poll-tax in this assessment was one dollar and sixty cents. / Rev. Paul Coffin was the Orthodox minister in Buxton. He made several missionary journeys through the State, and came to Norway a second time, September 2d of this year. His journal says, "Rustfield, alias Norway. Grasshoppers here, and at Philips' Gore, and Paris, hurt- ful. Sabbath, September 3d, Norway and Paris. Preached at Paris, then at Norway, from Jeremiah vii. 22, 23. At Paris the Baptists heard their minister, Hooper, and the Methodists heard a Stoneman. So that I had only about one hundred hearers, very attentive and respectful. Rustfield, Cummings Gore, and Lee Grant are incorporated or made a town called Norway. Captain Rust and his lady rode to Paris in a chaise and heard two sermons. We then returned to his house and gave a sermon to near an hundred attentive hearers. They were satis- fied, and I hope benefited. Mr. Rust and lady treated me with great generosity."
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HISTORY OF NORWAY.
1798
Joshua Smith was re-elected clerk ; Job Eastman, treasurer; Job East- man, Benjamin Witt, and Joseph Stevens, selectmen ; and Ebenezer Whitmarsh, collector and constable. The money tax, including State, town, and county, was two hundred, ninety-six dollars and seventy-three cents, a poll tax was one dollar, and the whole number of polls was ninety-five. The total valuation of real and personal estate amounted to twenty-one thousand, one hundred and nineteen dollars. A poll was assessed seventeen cents for the payment of the minister. Job. East- man was appointed a Justice of the Peace, the first in town, and an important office in those days. Joshua Pool, Richard Blake, Josiah Bartlett, Nathaniel Bancroft, Joseph Small, and David Morse, were among the new-comers this year. Rev. Paul Coffin made his third and last visit to the town, August 18th of this year. He did not stop here long this time, and makes only a brief reference to the place. Says he put up with "Lyman " Rust. This was Saturday night, and Sunday he preached in Paris in the morning, and at Norway in the afternoon, from Proverbs v. 22, 23.
1799
Job Eastman was elected clerk this year, and continued to hold it until his house was burned and the town records destroyed. He was also elected treasurer. The selectmen were Job Eastman, Joshua Smith, and Benjamin Witt. Ebenezer Whitmarsh continued to collect the. taxes, and perform the functions of constable. John Parsons built him a new house, in size, thirty by thirty-six feet, had nearly completed it, and had moved in. A joiner, at work in one of the rooms in the even- ing, cut his finger, tipped over his candle, and, not noticing where it fell, he went to the kitchen to have his finger attended to. Soon the house was in flames, and was entirely consumed. Mr. Parsons, with com- mendable energy, rebuilt the house, and occupied it before spring. A number of settlers came in this year, among them Darius Wilkins, John Upton, David Upton, Joseph Martin, and Samuel Godding.
1800
This year Job Eastman was elected clerk and treasurer ; Job East- man, Anthony Bennett, and Jonathan Woodman, selectmen ; and Eben-
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HISTORY OF NORWAY.
ezer Whitmarsh, collector. As the town officers for one hundred years are given in tabular form in the Appendix, they will not here- after appear in these annals. The militia was organized this year, and the first officers were Jonathan Cummings, captain, Anthony Bennett, lieutenant, and William Reed, ensign. This year there were one hundred and fifteen ratable polls, the money tax the same as the pre- ceding year, and the highway tax, six hundred and eleven dollars and two cents. The house of Amos Upton was struck by lightning. It was in part occupied by Mr. Ward Noyes, a new settler from Andover, Massachusetts. Seven persons were knocked down by the shock, and Mr. Noyes remained insensible for a long time. A tempest prevailed during the shower and large areas of forest trees were laid prostrate.
180I
This year the first post-office was established in town. Mr. Noyes says it was established a year earlier, but the records of the post-office department give it as above. An office was established in Paris at the same time. This year, also, Amos Upton built a small grist-mill on a brook about a mile westerly of Fuller's Corner. He did all the work himself, even to cutting the mill-stones. The mill did a good business in the spring and fall, but in summer there was an insufficiency of water. Phineas Whitney, who lived in the west part of the town, on what was formerly known as the Waterford three tiers, lost his house this year, by fire. It was a log house, but it was his home, and the loss was severely felt. The town this year raised seven hundred twenty dollars and sixty- eight cents to be expended on the roads, and a money tax of one thou- sand, six hundred ninety-six dollars and fifty-four cents. The number of polls was one hundred and twenty-nine, and the poll-tax was raised to two dollars. Joseph Rust, son of the proprietor, built a grist-mill about this time, at the Steep Falls, so that now there were three grist- mills in town.
1802.
This year the town raised a state tax of seventy-seven dollars and eighty-three cents, and a town and county tax of one thousand, eight hundred and forty-five dollars and sixty cents. The number of polls had increased to one hundred and sixty, a gain of thirty-one since last
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HISTORY OF NORWAY.
year. The number of houses taxed was sixty-five, and of barns fifty- five. Log houses were not taxed, and this accounts for the disparity between the polls and houses. William Hobbs this year went into trade, though not on a very large scale. His store was valued at twenty dollars, and his stock of goods at fifty. A valuable acquisition to the town this year was Benjamin Tucker. He came here from Worcester, and was a harness-maker. He was then a young unmarried man, but he married and settled here and carried on the business of harness- making all his life. Joel Frost lost his barn by fire in May of this year. His near neighbor, Ward Noyes, was burning a piece of felled trees, and the fire was blown from thence to the barn. It was a serious loss as the barn was nearly new and of good size. This year Benjamin Flint discarded the log house and moved into one of better construction and more in keeping with the times, although there were yet many log houses in town. The first regimental muster in this part of the county was held this year in Norway. The place of parade was near where Anthony Bennett's buildings stood, on a piece of ground which had been burned over, and the citizens turned out and cleared it of logs and brush and fitted it up for the occasion. It was a great occasion for the town and everybody was present. The field officers were Levi Hub- bard of Paris, colonel ; Mark Andrews of Buckfield, and William Liv- ermore of Livermore, majors ; and William Clark Whitney, adjutant. The companies participating were from Norway, Buckfield, Rumford, Hebron, Paris, and Otisfield, six in all.
1803
Henry Rust, Jr., generally known as Captain Henry Rust, moved into town this year. His was not a military title, but he had followed the seas for many a year as master of a ship. The taxes assessed this year were as follows: State tax, seventy-seven dollars and thirty-three cents; for schools, three hundred dollars; town charges, one hundred and twenty dollars. The highway tax was eight hundred three dollars and eighteen cents. At a special meeting one hundred and fifty dollars were raised to repair the pond bridge near Rufus Bartlett's. There were many new-comers this year, including Samuel and Stephen Pingree, Elijah Flint, Levi Frank, and Noah Curtis. The Frosts, from Gorham,
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Benji Jucker .
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HISTORY OF NORWAY.
also came this year and settled upon what has since been called Frost's Hill. There was the father, David Frost, and four sons, John, Robert, Peter, and William. They have had a numerous posterity in this town. Daniel Young also came, and with Joseph Gallison opened a hat and cap manufactory. Amos Town came from Andover and commenced a clearing on the Cummings' Gore.
1804
The money raised this year was, for repairing ways, nine hundred dol- lars; for schools, three hundred and fifty dollars; for town charges, one hundred and twenty dollars ; to purchase weights and measures for the use of the town, seventy-five dollars; for the support of the poor, one hundred and fifty dollars. This year David Noyes came to town from Massachusetts. He was a brother of Ward Noyes, who had been here several years. Captain Henry Rust brought a chaise into town which was the only wheeled carriage here, save a few ox-carts. There was not one of these west of Fuller's Corner. Pleasure riding was on horse- back, also in going to church and visiting friends, this mode was adopted, a gentleman and lady often riding the same animal. The first fire in the village occurred this year, a potash being burned. The loss was slight, as a building for the manufacture of potash was not a very elaborate structure. Major Jonathan Cummings built a saw-mill this year on the outlet of the Little Pennesseewassee Pond.
1805
.
The valuation of the property in town this year was forty-one thou- sand, seven hundred and seventeen dollars, and the number of polls one hundred and eighty-seven. Eighty houses were taxed and seventy-nine barns. The town voted : for schools, four hundred dollars ; for poor and town charges, two hundred dollars ; to pay collector twenty-four dollars ; state tax, seventy-seven dollars and thirty-three cents; and for the repair of ways, eight hundred dollars. The influx of new settlers this year was uncommonly large. Among them was Luther Farrar, the first lawyer, Moses Ayer, a physician, Jesse Howe, John Needham, Joseph Shackley, Eliphalet Watson, Asa Ricker, and Thomas Beal. Josiah Farrar, another new man, a brother of Luther, was a clothier, and
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HISTORY OF NORWAY.
Daniel and Moses Holt were blacksmiths. Joseph Shackley took charge of Rust's tan-yard. The first saw-mill in the village was destroyed by fire in March, but was rebuilt during the season. William Beal from old York had charge of the mill for many years. The County of Oxford was formed this year and Paris made the shire town. Joseph Rust was appointed register of deeds, and filled that position with ability and to great acceptance until the time of his death in 1815. A schoolhouse was built at the village this year.
I 806
There was a total eclipse of the sun this year on the 16th of June. It became almost like night, and many stars were visible. Hens went to roost, birds retired as if for the night, and candles had to be lighted to perform ordinary labor indoors. Many people were frightened, and there was a general feeling of relief when the shadow departed from the sun's face. There was raised this year, for schools, the same as last and the money tax, including all items, was eight hundred sixteen dol- lars and eleven cents; highway tax, one thousand, sixteen dollars and sixty-eight cents. The number of polls was one hundred and eighty- one, and of scholars three hundred and ninety-three. The number of new settlers, for some reason unknown to us at this day, was not as large as usual. Several names appear upon the tax list of that year, which could have been only temporary residents, as their names do not
again appear. Probably they were workmen hired from neighboring towns, and returned there after fulfilling their contract. Frederick Coburn was a voter this year. He came here with Ward Noyes, an apprentice to the carpenter's trade. He settled in Greenwood. The saw-mill built by Major Cummings, in 1804, was taken down this year, and moved farther down the stream. It never did much business. The schoolhouse in the Jones district was built in 1806. A bright little son of William Reed came to his death by the falling of a cart-body. This had been carelessly left by some workman standing on the end, and several boys were playing around it, and it is supposed that some one, perhaps the Reed boy, attempted to climb upon it, when it fell upon him and crushed him to death. He was Mr. Reed's oldest child.
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HISTORY OF NORWAY.
1807
The money tax in the collector's bills was one thousand and fourteen dollars and nineteen cents. The road tax, increasing year by year, was one thousand, two hundred and eight dollars and sixty-five cents. The number of polls was one hundred and eighty-four, and scholars four hundred and seven. Daniel Smith, Elijah Jordan, and Increase Robinson were among the new men. A shocking accident occurred in May, resulting in loss of life and casting a gloom over the entire town. Joel Jr. and William Stevens and a hired man named Francis Butcher, went to a brook between Mud and Sand Ponds to catch suckers. Near the fishing place was a large rock against which parties had been in the habit of building fires, and a rude camp for shelter had been constructed near by. After fishing until they were tired, the three young men above named lay down in the camp in front of the fire to rest themselves. Suddenly the rock split and a large portion of it fell upon the camp, crushing it to the earth in an instant. William Stevens was so crushed that he lived but three days, and Joel was so confined that he could not get out until Butcher, who was uninjured, assisted him. William Stevens was an amiable young man, and his sudden death was deplored by the entire community. Three seamen were taken from an American ship and pressed into the English service during the summer, which created great excitement. The militia was ordered to be in readiness and a draft was ordered from Captain Ben- nett's company, but the entire company, with the exception of one man, volunteered, and the draft was for a time postponed, but it was again ordered and carried into effect. The trouble however blew over for the time, and the drafted men were not called for. The outcome of these oft-repeated abuses was the war of 1812-15. The captain of the Nor- way company, Anthony Bennett, met with an accident in the autumn of this year which caused his death. He was at work on Cragie's mills, when the staging gave way and he fell upon a broad-ax, cutting his thigh in a shocking manner. Inflammation and gangrene supervened, and he died the 28th of October. He was a carpenter and mill-wright, and a useful and highly respected citizen. The soldiers of the town, with whom he was deservedly popular, were sorely grieved at his sudden
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HISTORY OF NORWAY.
death. A schoolhouse was erected in the Bennett district during the year.
1808
The money tax this year amounted to nine hundred and nine dollars and seventy-eight cents. Subsequently one hundred and two dol- lars and fifty-four cents were raised. The highway tax was one thou- sand and nine dollars and thirty-nine cents. William Cox, Josiah Covel, John Haynes, and Stephen Sanborn were among the new men. Francis Major, a boy about fourteen years of age, came to his death in a singular manner during the winter term of school in the north- west school district. He with other boys was playing goal, or "goold" as the word was generally pronounced, on the snow crust, and starting to go his round he broke through the crust, and pitching forward, he lay prone upon his face, but sprang up instantly and immediately fell dead. It was supposed that by the sudden jerk of his head, he parted the spinal cord at his neck, which is always instantly fatal. Daniel Town came to Norway this year and went to blacksmithing at Fuller's Corner. He was the first smithy in the north part of the town, and carried on the business for many years.
1809
The happenings in Norway this year were either very meager, or were not placed upon record so as to be transmitted. The highway taxes raised at three different meetings, amounted to one thousand three hun- dred and forty dollars ; money tax, including all items, nine hundred and eleven dollars and seventeen cents ; number of polls, two hundred and twelve, and of scholars, four hundred and ten. Samuel Nute came into town this year, but he was only a temporary resident. He lived many years in Poland, and then moved to Woodstock. John Fifield was also taxed here ; he settled in Greenwood. Nathaniel, Timothy, and Isaac Abbot were also here. They came from Andover, Massachusetts, to Andover, Maine, before the separation, called East Andover. Luther Farrar was elected a representative to the General Court this year. Mr. Noyes says this is the first time the town was represented, but this is a mistake, Mr. Farrar having been elected and having served in 1805.
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HISTORY OF NORWAY.
The original certificate of his election, signed by Henry Rust Jr., Aaron Wilkins, and Nathan Noble, is before me, and dated May 17th, 1805.
1810
In September of this year, Benjamin Peabody's house was burned. The catting or wooden topping out of the chimney was not always safe from fire, as was shown in this case. The town raised a money tax of nine hundred and seventy-five dollars and eighteen cents, and a road tax of one thousand dollars. The number of ratable polls was two hun- dred and two, and of scholars there were four hundred and twenty-one. Among the new citizens this year was Thomas Crocker. He came here from Conway, and was a nephew of the wife of Increase Robinson. He did not remain here, but moved to Paris Hill, where he became a wealthy and prominent citizen. His brother Calvin was also here that year, and was taxed here, but he soon went away. Uriah Holt also came and remained. He had been a prominent man in Andover, and was a valuable acquisition to this town. Others were Daniel Watson, George Bridgham, the famous tavern man, Daniel Cummings, Benjamin and Abiathar Eastman, and Samuel Hall. This year Aaron Wilkins went into trade near Fuller's Corner. The store building had been commenced by Deacon John Horr in 1807, and was moved to another place, a short distance away, the following year. This was the store in which Jonathan Swift traded so long, and who finally gave his name to the corner.
18II
In 1811, the valuation of the town was forty-eight thousand two hun- dred and four dollars, and the number of polls two hundred and twenty- four. Joshua Smith was chosen representative. The money tax was nine hundred and thirty-two dollars and seventy-five cents, of which six hundred dollars were for schools. The highway tax was one thou- sand five hundred and forty-nine dollars and thirty-four cents, with a special tax additional of three hundred and four dollars and forty-one cents for a road through the Hall neighborhood. There were then five traders in town, and they were taxed on stores and goods as fol- lows : William Reed, one hundred and ten dollars; Joshua Smith, sixty
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HISTORY OF NORWAY.
dollars ; Cox and Robinson, two hundred dollars ; William Hobbs, forty- five dollars ; Aaron Wilkins, one hundred and sixty dollars. There were few additions to the population this year, and the new men taxed did not long remain. John Small went to Greenwood and settled there.
1812
This year the Lee Grant was purchased by Edward Little, lotted out and put into the market. Several persons had settled upon it, but no one except Jacob Tubbs had any title to the soil. The Grant was rap- idly taken up after it was lotted out and offered for sale. The number of polls this year was two hundred and forty-two. The whole money tax amounted to one thousand one hundred and five dollars and thirty cents, and road tax to one thousand three hundred and fifty-five dollars and seventy three cents. Among the new men were George W. Cum- mings, Lemuel Lovejoy, John Shedd, Brackett Marston, Levi Whitman, and William Pierce. Levi Whitman was a lawyer, and spent the remainder of his active life here. He succeeded Luther Farrar in busi- ness, who died of consumption, and married his widow. George W. Cummings was the son of Isaac Cummings of Gray. He moved from here to Hamlin's Gore where he resided many years, then went West and died there at a great age. William Noyes, who was among the tax-payers this year, went to Greenwood and kept a tavern at the " City." He died in Paris. This year is noted as the time of the beginning of our second war with Great Britain, and Norway was alive with patriotism and full of loyalty and devotion to the General Government.
1813 .
The tax valuation was fifty-one thousand four hundred and eight dol- lars; number of polls two hundred and thirty, and of scholars over four years of age, four hundred and eighty-three. The highway tax was one thousand dollars, and the money tax eight hundred and fifty dollars and ninety-eight cents. Bela and Asa Noyes and Levi Frank are among the new names found on the tax list. A son of Benjamin Witt, our first blacksmith, mysteriously disappeared near the close of this year. Mr. Witt had started for Portland, leaving his son in charge during his
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HISTORY OF NORWAY.
absence. The weather became stormy, and as night approached, Mrs. Witt noticed that the cattle had not been cared for. She thought strange of this, but presuming he might be at school, she gave herself no uneasiness until the return of the other children. She then learned that he had not been to school. The neighbors were visited, but no intelligence of him was received. The next day search was made, and was continued several days with no results. The father returned Satur- day night, burdened with sorrow, having heard of the disappearance of his son on the way. The search was renewed, but no trace of him was ever found. He left with his old clothes on, and took nothing with him except what he wore. Mr. Witt was in Captain Bodwell's company, and also his two oldest sons, and had returned from a year's campaign in northern Vermont and New York only a few days before this sad occurrence took place. Jerusha, daughter of Samuel Ames, died June 14th. Lydia, daughter of Jeremiah Noble, died April 25th. Naomi, daughter of Jeremiah Hobbs, died August 6th.
1814
Levi Whitman was elected representative this year. The war with Great Britain continued, and many Norway men were in the army. Their names and service will appear in connection with military affairs in another place. The highway taxes amounted to one thousand two hundred dollars, and money taxes to eight hundred and eighty-six dollars and ninety-eight cents. There were few accessions to the voting popu- lation this year, either of new men or sons of old settlers. Troops were ordered to the defence of Portland, and a company went from this town. Mr. Noyes mentions that he left his school, to make ball-car- tridges for the soldiers before they set out for Portland. They were not required to remain long, as the threatened attack of the city soon subsided.
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