USA > Maine > Aroostook County > History of Aroostook. vol. I > Part 29
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29
For six miles southward from the village the road leads through the town of Presque Isle and when nearing the south line of the town we come to Clark Brook, where is situated the starch factory belonging to Hon. G. W. Collins of Bridgewater. Crossing Clark Brook we are soon out of Presque Isle and come into the thriving town, or rather plantation, of Westfield, as this township has not yet been incorporated.
Westfield is composed of two half townships which years ago were granted by the State of Massachusetts in aid of the es- tablishment of institutions of learning in that State. The north half of the town was by the liberality of the mother State grant- ed to Deerfield Academy and the south half to Westfield Acad- emy. This township lies in the second range and is bounded on the north by Presque Isle, on the east by Mars Hill, on the south by the unsettled half township of "E" Range 2, and on the west by the south part of Chapman and by township No. 10, Range 3. The stage road from Presque Isle to Houlton enters the town about midway of the north line and running in a southeasterly direction across the northeast quarter, leaves the town a mile below the middle point of its east line.
The half townships were long ago sold by the trustees of
293
HISTORY OF AROOSTOOK
the institutions to whom they were granted to proprietors and after passing through several hands, passed into the possession of the present owners, the unsettled land in the north half or what was formerly Deerfield Academy grant, being now owned by Hon. Parker P. Burleigh the father of our honored Governor, and the south half which is nearly all unsettled, being the pro- perty of Messrs. Powers, Madigan and Wellington. The settled portion of the town is nearly all in the northeast quarter, where are some very fine farms, although the entire township is com- posed of grand farming land. The timber, which is abundant upon this town was what made it particularly valuable in the olden time, and years before any of these fine farms were cleared lumber roads were cut through different portions of the town and in the winter time. crews of hardy lumbermen camped upon the town and were at that time its only inhabitants.
The first settler who made a clearing upon the town for farming purposes was James Thorncraft, who came in 1839 and settled on what is now the Trueworthy farm, about three miles south of the Presque Isle line and nine miles south of Presque. Isle village on the Houlton road. When Thorncraft made his first chopping and built his little log house in the forest the whole country for miles on every side was an unbroken wilder- ness. There was no road anywhere near him, and his nearest neighbors on the north were the pioneer settlers of Presque Isle, while on the south there was no settler nearer than Bridgewater, and at that time very few had settled upon that town. Upon the whole of the town of Mars Hill no settler had at that time en- tered, while the now flourishing town of Easton was still in its original wilderness state. For two years Thorncraft and his wife lived here alone in this grand forest, adding each year to the little clearing and making the beginning of what is now a beautiful farm. The spot chosen for his home was on a fine swell of hard wood land, while at a short distance from his house ran a clear, pebbly brook. In 1841, he was joined by John H. Bridges, who remained seven years and then removed to the adjoining township of Mars Hill to become its earliest pioneer settler.
The farm thus early commerced by Thorncraft has long been the property of Mr. John N. Trueworthy, who is well known to all who have ever been in the habit of travelling upon that road. Mr. Trueworthy was originally from Unity, Waldo County, and came to Aroostook in 1843, settling upon what is now the farm of Deacon Charles Tarbell, on the Centre Line
294
HISTORY OF AROOSTOOK
road in Presque Isle. In 1861 he purchased the Thorncraft farm, which had already passed through a number of hands, and has resided upon it ever since. Upon removing to this farm Mr. Trueworthy at once opened his house as a hotel and as at that time all the goods for the upper country were hauled by teams from Houlton, his house was a convenient stopping place and had a large custom. Though the house was not large, yet it was always noted for its neatness and for the excellence of the abundant cheer which the good landlady placed upon the table. Mr. Trueworthy was appointed postmaster in 1862, and though a good old Democrat, has held the office through every administration until the present time and will probably continue to hold it during his life. The old gentleman is now upwards of 70 years old and has in a great measure retired from active life. Since the extension of the railroad to Presque Isle the business of the hotel has been considerably diminished, though the best of entertainment can still be had there.
In 1846 Mr. John Young moved from Bridgewater and com- menced a clearing on what is now called Young's Brook, near where the Houlton road crosses the line of Westfield and en- ters Mars Hill. He was the third settler upon the town, Thorn- craft and Bridges at the time living some four miles north of him. Two years later these two last named settlers removed to Mars Hill leaving Mr. Young the only settler upon the town. His widow, an old lady nearly 90 years old, still lives on the old place and from her we learned many incidents in connec- tion with the early settlement of the town. His sons are also among the citizens of Westfield today. For a number of years no new settlers came to the town. Mr. Young extended his clearing and found a market for his surplus crops principally at the lumber camps in the vicinity.
The invasion of the "Press gang" in 1858 called attention to the fertile lands of Aroostook and soon after that time emi- grants began to rush into the new county. A few stopped in Westfield and had this been a State town probably every lot in town would long ere this have been settled. It being, however, the property of proprietors who held the land at two dollars per acre and wished to reserve a large portion of the town for lum- bering purposes, most of the newcomers pressed on to the cheap- er lands upon the State towns beyond, where lots could be had for fifty cents per acre, to be paid in road labor.
About that time, or a short time previous thereto, Mr. Gran- ville Coburn of Lincoln took up the lot next above Mr. True-
295
HISTORY OF AROOSTOOK
worthy's, upon a beautiful ridge of maple land where he made a very fine farm. His widow and daughters are now living in Presque Isle and the farm at present has no tenant residing upon it. Mr. Pickering settled next above Coburn on what is now the Jewell farm, and next above, on the farm now occupied by Mr. Charles W. Allen, James Lucy commenced a clearing.
As late as 1858 the settlers named were all that were upon the town. In the fall of 1858 Mr. A. C. Dodge came from Lib- erty, in Waldo County, and settled a short distance above Mr. Young's, on the road to Presque Isle. Mr. Dodge is still one of the prominent citizens of the town and has for a number of years been agent appointed by the County Commissioners for the expenditure of the road tax, a large proportion of which is paid by the non-resident proprietors.
In 1859 Cyrus Chase, Levi W. Reed and Asa Reed of Dan- ville, and Sewall Woodbury of New Gloucester, settled on the road on adjoining lots south of the Trueworthy place. Asa Reed was killed in the army, and Levi W. Reed remained and made a fine farm upon which he worked during the summer time, being engaged in school teaching during the winter months, until about a year ago, when he removed with his family to New Gloucester, where he now has charge of the butter factory. Mr. Reed and his wife were prominent members of the Order of Patrons of Husbandry of Northern Aroostook and are much missed by their old neighbors and friends. Mr. Cyrus Chase is still a resident of Westfield, and has made from the forest one of the finest farms in the town. He is one of the officers of the North Aroostook Agricultural Society in whose prosperity he is much interested. He was a good soldier in the 19th Maine Regiment and is one of the pregressive farmers of Northern Aroostook.
In 1860 Mr. Joel Howard, who the previous year had com- menced a clearing upon Mars Hill Township, came to Westfield and purchased two lots opposite the Trueworthy place. Here Mr. Howard cleared up a large and productive farm, upon which he built a fine stand of farm buildings and where he continued to reside until some five years ago or thereabouts he moved to the village of Presque Isle. During his residence in Westfield, Mr. Howard was one of its most prominent citizens and at one time represented his district in the Maine Legislature.
In 1861 Mr. L. A. Blaisdell came from Somerset County and purchased a lot in the north part of the town, his residence being on the main road about a mile south of the Presque Isle
296
HISTORY OF AROOSTOOK
line. Here Mr. Blaisdell cleared up a good farm and built a comfortable set of buildings where he still continues to reside. For years Mr. Blaisdell has been extensively engaged in bee culture and has justly been named the Bee King of Aroostook County.
All the farms of which we have so far spoken are located upon the main stage route from Houlton to Presque Isle. A mile west of this road, and parallel to it, a road commences near the north line of the town and runs for about two miles through a splendid farming section, though the farms upon this road are much newer than those located upon the main thoroughfare.
Upon this road Mr. Robert M. Fox, from Dixmont, made the first clearing in 1870. Mr. Fox has now forty acres cleared and has a comfortable set of buildings.
The plantation, including the two half townships of Deer- field and Westfield 'Academy grants, was organized in 1861 and has not been incorporated as a town, the citizens preferring to retain their plantation organization. The first schoolhouse was built in 1863 and in this house Mrs. L. W. Reed taught the first school in town.
In the fall of 1859, Peavy Bros. of Bangor built on Young's Brook, near the Mars Hill line, a factory for the manufacture of peavy stocks from the abundant supply of maple timber in this vicinity. The building contains a fine 25 horse power en- gine, with 50 horse power boiler, saws, lathes and all the ma- chinery necessary for the finishing up of the stocks. The maple is delivered at the factory in logs of suitable length for the stocks which are from four to six feet long. The company pays $2 per thousard fect stumpage for the timber and hire it cut and hauled to the factory. Last winter the factory turned out 35,000 stocks finished ready for ironing. Mr. Cyrus Chase hauled these 35,000 stocks to Presque Isle during the winter. They were shipped to Bargor to be ironed and doubtless many a stout lever from good Westfield maple will be used in lifting and rolling the big pines upon the rivers of the far West.
There is no starch factory in town, the nearest one being upon Clark Brook in Presque Isle, a short d'stance north of the Westfield line. The larger portion of the potatoes ground at this factory are supplied by Westfield farmers who are largely en- gaged in this profitable branch of Aroostook agriculture. Large quantities of potatoes are also hauled from this town to the sta- tion at Presque Isle and sold for shipping purposes.
The route of the survey for the line of the Bangor & Aroos-
297
HISTORY OF AROOSTOOK
took Railroad runs but a short distance from this town, and when completed and the station established at Mars Hill, will be a great help to the farmers of the town.
Like all the towns in this section, Westfield is finely wa- tered in every portion of the town. The Presque Isle of the St. John enters the town about a mile from its northeast corner and flows for a distance of nearly four miles in this portion of the town, when it crosses the line into Mars Hill. Many brooks throughout the entire length of the town flow eastward and northward and empty into this stream. Clark Brook, a strong flowing stream, rises in the southwest quarter of the town and flows in a northerly direction, leaving the town through its north line and entering Presque Isle. This brook then bends to the eastward and flows into the Presque Isle of the St. John. In the southwest quarter of the town is also Burnt Land Brook, which rises in the adjoining township on the south and flows in a south- westerly course across the southwest corner of the town, whence it continues on through the adjacent towns and empties into the Presque Isle of the Arcostook. This brook receives three strong branches from Westfield, by means of which the south- west quarter of the town is amply watered.
After carefully looking over this town we must pronounce it one of the best of the towns in this vicinity for agricultural purposes. The principal portion at present settled is in the northeast quarter of the town, the settlements extending only a short distance into the northwest and southeast quarters. All the remainder of the town, including the entire southwest quar- ter, is st.ll an unbroken wilderness. All along the main road to Presque Isle are fine fertile farms with comfortable homes, and from this road can be seen immense tracts of fire hard wood land upon which no settler has yet entered. Good timber is abundant throughout all these forest tracts and large lumber poerations are carried on each year. With the exception of the low lands along the streams the timber is mixed throughout the hard wood growth and when it is cut off the land will in all probability be sold to settlers and this will eventually be one of the finest farming towns in Northern Aroostook. The very best of wild land suitable for farms can now be bought here for $4.00 per acre and probably before many years the whole town will be lotted and placed upon the market.
The continuation of the Quaggy Joe Range extends for some distance down through the northwest part of the town, but is in few places sufficiently high to interfere with farming oper-
298
HISTORY OF AROOSTOOK
ations, and in general the surface of the town is not badly broken.
The fact that the town was owned by proprietors who have heretofore valued it mainly for lumbering purposes, has of course retarded the settlement of this fine town. The population in 1880 was but 103 and in 1890 was 166. The valuation of the town in 1890 was $34,426.
CASTLE HILL
The beautiful Aroostook River in its many windings through- out its tortuous course toward the St. John flows through many fertile towns, and along its banks were made the humble homes of the first settlers of the northern part of the county. One of the finest, in an agricultural point of view, is the town, or rather plantation, of Castle Hill, for it has not yet been incorporated as a town. This may be classed among the river towns, although the Aroostook flows only for a distance of about three miles through its northwest corner.
Castle Hill, formerly known as Township No. 12, Range 4, is bounded on the north by Wade Plantation, east by the town of Mapleton, west by Sheridan Plantation and south by the un- organized township of No. 11, Range 4. The old State road from Presque Isle to Ashland runs across the northern portion of the town, and it was in this part that the first settlement was made
According to the most reliable information that we have been able to obtain, the first settler on the line of the State Road was Jabez Trask, called by the old settlers Gen. Trask, he hav- ing acquired that title in the militia of the western portion of the State. Trask came to Castle Hill in 1843 and settled on the spot where Smith's hotel now is, something over four miles west from the east line of the town.
About the same time Ephraim Knights, Caleb Spencer and one Seavey commenced clearings at the mouth of Beaver Brook which enters the Aroostook River in the extreme northwest cor- ner of the town. The lot upon which Knights and Spencer made their clearing was afterwards granted by the Commissioners ap- pointed to locate grants under the treaty of 1842 to Robert Mil- liken, whose grant also included Beaver Brook Island, and the Seavey lot was at the same time granted to Patrick Powers, these grantees having purchased the improvements from the original settlers.
Mr. Trask cleared a large tract of land on both sides of
299
HISTORY OF AROOSTOOK
the road and made the commencement of the large farm now owned and occupied by Mr. Henry Tilley. He also built a tim- ber house and barn and commenced the business of keeping hotel, as after the road was opened to Ashland there was a large amount of teaming to that section. In 1850 Trask sold the pro- perty to Daniel Chandler. Soon after this the house was burned and Mr. Chandler built a frame house and continued the busi- ness of hotel keeping.
In May, 1860, Mr. Henry Tilley came to Castle Hill and hired the Chandler hotel. Mr. Chandler then moved to a lot on the Aroostook River near the mouth of Beaver Brook, where he remained some three years, then he moved to Presque Isle. He afterward made a very fine farm near the Aroostook River, on the Washburn road in the old town of Maysville now includ- ed in the town of Presque Isle. Here he built a very handsome set of farm buildings and made extensive improvements, and lived upon this farm until his death, which occurred last spring.
Mr. Tilley remained in the Chandler house some three years, when he purchased the farm on the opposite side of the road and built a hotel stand which he kept open to the public until seven years ago. After Mr. Tilley left the Chandler house Mr. Samuel Caughey kept the house two years when the property was sold to Mr. G. D. Smith, who carried on the farm, but did not keep the house open to the public. In 1883 Mr. Tilley went out of the hotel business and Mr. Herbert P. Smith reopened the Chan- dler house as a hotel. Two years ago the present summer the barn was struck by lightning and all the buildings were con- sumed by fire. Mr. Smith rebuilt the house and barn the same year and is the present occupant of the hotel. The house is very pleasantly situated and as it is a convenient stopping place for teams and travellers between Presque Isle and Ashland, is doing a large business. Mr. Tilley engaged quite extensively in farm- ing and has been for many years a prominent man in this sec- tion and is well known throughout Aroostook and other portions of Maine. Having occasion at one time to do some business at the Land Office when Isaac R. Clark was State Land Agent, and thinking that Mr. Clark was treating him somewhat loftily, Mr. Tilley is said to have exclaimed with his characteristic in- dependence and a plentiful supply of blanks, "Look here, Mr. Clark, I want you to understand that I'm just as big a man in Castle Hill as you are in Bangor- --! " Mr. Tilley has paid much attention to fruit culture and has a very fine orchard. He was also at one time largely engaged in bee-keeping and has
300
HISTORY OF AROOSTOOK
paid much attention to sheep husbandry. He is now in feeble health and has wholly given up business and is living quietly at his old home, where he enjoys very much to receive calls from the friends he used to meet so often in active life. He has been postmaster of Castle Hill for twenty-five years. His son, James H. Tilley, has a very fine farm a short distance east of the hotel on the Presque Isle road. Mr. L. K. Tilley, another son, has a large farm a short distance west of his father's, on the same road. He is this summer building a large barn, which will be dedicated on the 7th of August by the meeting of Aroostook Pomona Grange, of which Mr. Tilley is an active member. He is also supervisor of schools, and has a store opposite the hotel.
A short distance west of the hotel is the farm and residence of Mr. M. K. Hilton, a prominent citizen of the town and one of its first assessors. Mr. Hilton has a good farm and a very pleasant residence and is this year making extensive repairs on his buildings.
The district known as the Porter settlement, lying along the State road, a short distance from the east line of the town, is a very fine agricultural section, and contains some good farms with comfortable and neatly kept farm buildings.
After the coming of the pioneers of the town in 1843, there seems to have been no immigration of any amount until about 1850. In that year James Porter came from Mirimachi, N. B., and settled on the Ashland road about half a mile from the Ma- pleton line. Robert Porter came soon after and settled on the opposite side of the road. James Porter, Jr., settled on the next lot west, and in 1851 John L. Porter took up the lot next to the Mapleton line, where William Chandler now lives. These set- tlers commenced their clearings in the midst of the forest and here reared their humble homes and were subjected to all the privations incident to a pioneer life in the wilderness. Now the forest is all cleared away on both sides of the road and broad, smooth fields and handsome farm buildings are seen throughout this part of the town.
About the time the Porters settled in the east part of the town, Abram and Nathaniel Jordan took up lots west of the hotel on the same road, and John Jordan settled on the lot where M. K. Hilton now lives.
Aaron Dingee settled about the same time on the lot next to the west line of the town, where Mr. Joseph Ellis now lives.
Mr. Wm. Chandler in 1853 bought of John L. Porter the lot in the northeast corner of the town next to the Mapleton
301
HISTORY OF AROOSTOOK
line, and has there made a very fine farm with a neat and con- venient stand of buildings.
The old State Road runs through a very fine agricultural section and the buildings along the road are neat and well kept and the farms are well cultivated and produce abundant crops. The road is in excellent condition and though somewhat hilly, is nevertheless a very pleasant road to ride on in a pleasant sum- mer day. As one approaches the western line of the town on the way to Ashland, the Aroostook River is seen a short dis- tance to the right bending in the form of a huge letter S among the lofty trees and flowing through fertile meadows. Near the river is the lofty hill from which the town takes its name, a large log building having been built upon its summit by the surveyors of the olden time, the remains of which building may still be seen. A considerable stretch of the imagination invested these old ruins with the dignity of a castle and from this the township was named Castle Hill.
In the south part of the town the road from Presque Isle, which runs in a due westerly course entirely across the town of Mapleton, continues upon the same straight line about half way across Castle Hill township. This road runs through as fine a tract of farming land as can be found in New England. As one looks westward from the fine eminence just east of the village of Ball's Mills in Mapleton, a beautiful maple grove is seen on a ridge near the Castle Hill line and through this grove the road passes, the grand old forest trees growing close down to the confines of the highway on either side and making a most grate- ful shade on a hot summer day. Emerging from this grove, a most beautiful view of field and meadow is opened out on either hand. Broad, smooth and level fields stretch away on each side of the road and terminate in beautiful forests of maple. Large fields of potatoes, the tops covering the ground, are a most at- tractive feature of the landscape. Here upon this beautiful ridge are the farms and homes of the three Dudley brothers, and no more fertile or attractive spot can be found in Aroostook.
Thirty-one years ago Micajah Dudley came to Aroostook from the town of China. He had heard of the beauty and fer- tility of the forest lands of this northern county and regardless of the advice of friends who wished him to make a home near the older settlements, he pushed on into the wilderness, deter- mined to find a tract large enough and in one compact block of good land to furnish farms for himself and his four sons. Ar- riving upon this beautiful maple ridge he concluded to go no
302
HISTORY OF AROOSTOOK
further, and though he was warned that no road would ever penetrate those trackless wilds, he had faith in the future of Aroostook and made his choice with rare wisdom and foresight. His sons came with him or followed soon after and together they bent themselves to the task of making for themselves pleasant homes in this then far away forest region. The father lived to see a good smooth turnpike built through the block of land he made choice of and to see broad and productive fields where the huge maples were growing when he first set foot upon the ridge. He has now passed away and three of his sons are now living upon the block, the fourth having a fine farm but a short distance away. As we come through the grove of maples spoken of above, we first come to the home of Micajah Dudley, the youngest of the four sons. A stone's throw beyond is the residence of John W. Dudley. For many years these two bro- thers carried on their farming operations in company under the firm name of M. & J. W. Dudley, but have recently dissolved for the sole reason that the tastes of each led him to pursue a different line of farming. Directly opposite is the home of Allen W. Dudley, the eldest brother, while a short distance be- yond is the house of his son, Sanford, who is now in company with him. Micajah Dudley has 240 acres of land, nearly 100 of which is cleared. John W. Dudley has 160 acres with 60 acres cleared. His specialty is orcharding, in which he has been very successful, and he has now one of the finest orchards in Aroostook. He has 275 apple trees in full bearing, these having been set ten years ago. Nearby are 200 young trees of the Dud- ley Winter variety, and 500 Moore's Arctic plum trees set last spring. He is the originator of the Dudley Winter, it being a seedling from the Duchess. Mr. Dudley is a vice president of the Maine Pomological Society and an enthusiast in fruit cul- ture.
Allen W. Dudley has 180 acres of land, with over 75 acres cleared. He also has a very productive and well kept orchard and raises a good supply of fruit. We doubt if a finer tract of farming land can anywhere be found than this mile square block which the elder Dudley chose as a home for himself and his sons.
On a cross road connecting with the State Road and about a mile from this block is the farm of the fourth brother, Mr. Frank C. Dudley. He has 160 acres of land very finely located, with about 60 acres cleared, the remainder being a beautiful level tract of maple growth. He has a very handsome stand of farm
303
HISTORY OF AROOSTOOK
buildings and everything around the place is conveniently kept.
The farm of Mr. John P. Roberts is the first after crossing the town line on the road from Ball's Mills. Mr. Roberts came to the town in 1858 and took up this lot and made a chopping and moved in with his family the next year. He afterwards bought the mill at Mapleton which he run for four years and sold it to David Dudley. Mr. Roberts was a soldier in the 18th Maine Regiment.
Another of the pioneer settlers of Castle Hill was Deacon T. K. Dow, who came to the town in 1859 and took a lot opposite Mr. Roberts near the town line. Here he has made a fine farm and has for years been one of the most prominent and respected citizens of the town. Deacon Dow is still living, a hale, hearty old gentleman of upwards of three score and ten but still able to tire some of the younger men.
From Deacon Dow's a road runs due north, parallel to the town line and about a quarter of a mile west of the line and connects with the old State Road near Mr. Wm. Chandler's. This road runs through a very fine agricultural section and there are many good farms in this section of the town. Some of them are still new and will require time and labor to make them smooth and free from stumps, but the soil is fertile and in a few years there will be many fine fields along this road.
Mr. John Waddell, one of the early settlers of the town, came from Lubec in 1860 and settled on this road and made a good farm some half mile distant from the State Road. His son, John Waddell, now lives upon the farm and is well and favorably known in this vicinity as an earnest local preacher of the Universalist denomination.
Another road starts near Deacon Dow's and runs in a south- westerly direction for a little over a mile, when, after crossing Sawyer Brook, it turns squarely to the west and runs upon the lot lines to the foot of Haystack Mountain.
There are several very fine farms along this road, among them those of Mr. A. H. Parker, Mr. A. F. Hoffses, Wm. H. Bird, Jr., and others.
Near the foot of Haystack Mountain is the farm and home of Mr. Edward Tarr, an enthusiast in bee culture, and one of the best authorities upon this branch in Aroostook. Mr. Tarr came from Waldoboro in 1861 and made for himself a pleasant home under the shadow of old Haystack. He has something over 40 acres of land cleared and raises good crops, but de- votes himself to the business of bee keeping. He has now 64
304
HISTORY OF AROOSTOOK
colonies in his home apiary and has charge of many others in different sections, which he cares for on shares. Mr. Tarr is a pleasant and instructive writer on bee culture and delivered an address on this subject before the Farmers' Convention at Presque Isle which was much admired. Mr. Tarr has honey on exhibition every year at the State Fair and always displays it in neat and attractive packages. He uses the simplicity hive and has a shop conveniently fitted up with proper machinery for the manufacture of hives and of boxes for his honey. He also has a very productive orchard from which he always exhibits at the County Fair many fine specimens of fruit.
In company with Mr. Tarr and Deacon Dow we climbed to the summit of Haystack, and though the ascent was somewhat difficult, we found ourselves well paid by the magnificent out- look afforded. Haystack is much like an inverted cup resting upon the bottom of an inverted saucer. For a considerable dis- tance the ascent is quite gradual and the road lies through a thick wood. Emerging from this forest growth we come to the almost perpendicular sides of the steep and barren rock which forms the cup part of the mountain. From this point to the summit the ascent is more difficult. Every vestige of tree or shrub or soil even, has been burned away and only the rugged rock remains. When one has neared the summit in this almost perpendicular climb and happens to look around upon the region beneath his feet, the sensation is anything but pleasant, and one at all inclined to be nervous is obliged to look steadily at the side of the rock and make sure hold with hands and feet.
Upon arriving at the summit we found an area of less than an eighth of an acre of rock approaching anywhere near a level and this appeared so small that we felt like sitting down and clinging to the rock for fear of falling off into the depths below. The view from the top, however, is simply grand and magnifi- cent and embraces the entire circle of the horizon with a radius of many miles. The near view, looking down towards the east and north, is one of fertile farms, broad cultivated fields inter- spersed with grand stretches of verdant forest. On the west side a barren waste stretches for miles away from the moun- tain's base. This section was formerly a valuable timber tract, but was burned over so completely a number of years ago that hardly a green tree can be seen on the broad plain for many miles in this direction. Beyond the burnt region the view to the west and northwest is very beautiful. The high land near and beyond Ashland, with here and there a green field dotted in
305
HISTORY OF AROOSTOOK
among the forest stretches, the little glimpse of Portage Lake seen through a depression between the hills and the distant mountains on the far horizon all combine to make a picture of surpassing beauty. Away to the southwest old Katahdin rises far above all other heights and Mt. Chase looms up in nearly the same direction. Almost at our feet apparently, but still some miles distant in a southerly direction, lies the glassy sur- face of Squa Pan Lake which is destined at no very distant day to be the summer resort of the citizens of Presque Isle and vicin- ity, and without doubt visitors from a distance will be attracted to this romantic retreat when the proposed improvement upon the road and in other directions shall have been completed. Al- ready a fish and game company has been formed at Presque Isle and arrangements have been completed for stocking the lake with salmon.
The trail through the woods and across the burnt land can be seen from the top of Haystack and the Lake is even now accessible by buckboards.
Looking southeast from Haystack the wooded tops of Hedgehog and Quaggy Joe Mountains seem about on a level with the eye, while Mars Hill and Bald Mountains are rendered less rugged in appearance by the greater distance.
The villages of Presque Isle and Washburn can be plainly seen and indeed a bird's eye view of the whole country, extend- ing to every point of the compass can here be obtained and is certainly worth climbing for.
If the ascent is trying to weak nerves, the descent is even more so. At times it seems as though a slip of the foot, or a loosened rock would send one far out into space, and a novice at this business is pretty sure to come down in practically a sitting posture, clinging fast with feet and hands and making slow but sure progress down the perilous steep.
Soon, however, we reached the more gradual slope and were able to breathe easier and stand erect. The good Deacon made the ascent and descent with the ease and agility of a much younger man, and did not seem at all wearied by the exertion.
If you come to Aroostook, by all means climb Haystack and you will surely say that the magnificent view amply repaid you for the rugged climb.
There are numerous other roads throughout the town, upon all of which are good farms well under way and only requiring time and courage to make them smooth, productive and easy of cultivation.
306
HISTORY OF AROOSTOOK
A careful examination of the whole town convinced us that we had never estimated it at its full worth as a farming town. With the exception of the burnt district on the southwest part of the town, Castle Hill is well up on the list of good farming towns and it contains not a few tracts of as beautiful farming land as can be found in the county.
Many of the farmers in the south part of the town are mem- bers of Eureka Grange, whose hall is located at Ball's Mills. The farmers living upon the State Road some years ago organ- ized Castle Hill Grange which is composed of live and active members and is doing a grand work for the farmers of that vicinity.
Castle Hill is provided with good schools and each district is supplied with a good school house. Mr. L. K. Tilley, the efficient Supervisor, is much interested in the welfare of schools and looks after them faithfully.
Castle Hill was organized as a plantation under warrant from the County Commissioners April 23rd, 1866. M. K. Hilton, A. M. Dudley and Henry Tilley were the first assessors, and Jefferson Sawyer, now a merchant at Sprague's Mills, the first clerk. The plantation had in 1880 a population of 419, and a valuation of $27,636. The valuation in 1890 was $90,758, and the population 537. It is one of the good towns of the Aroos- took Valley, and has many wide awake and enterprising citi- zens.
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 0 019 315 316 1
441
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.