USA > Maine > Franklin County > Farmington > History of Farmington, Maine, from its First settlement to the year 1846 > Part 3
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38 .- Joseph Greely; Za cheus Mayhew; Hartson Cony.
In the course of the year 1783 Joseph and Seth Greely, with their father, moved to Farmington from
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Winthrop. Joseph settled on the lot now owned by Mr. Stoyell and others, and on which a large por- tion of the Center Village is now situated. He pur- chased the possession of a Mr. Snow, who had made a temporary beginning. Mr. G. made considerable improvements, and built the first framed barn in the neighborhood in 1788. He sold to Zacheus Mayhew, a native of Martha's Vineyard, about 1791. He re- moved to Pond Town-now Belgrade-where he died some years since. Mr. Mayhew built a large house in 1792, and made considerable improvements. and soon after sold to Hartson Cony, a native of Easton, Mass., and commenced improvements on the farm now owned by Abraham Johnson. He subsequently removed to Nobleborough, where he died. Mr. Cony was naturally a business man, and was one of the first who became retailing merchants in Farmington. He afterwards sold to Ebenezer Sweet. He died in Can- ada.
39 .- Seth Greely.
Seth Greely, with his father, settled on the farm now [1846] owned by Enoch C. Belcher and Hiram Belcher, and continued to make improvements till 1790, when he sold to Supply Belcher, and soon af- ter, with his father, removed to Phillips, where his father died. He removed in 1818, with his son Mo- ses Greely, to Ohio, his wife having died at Phillips. He has since died.
40. - Supply Belcher.
Mr. Belcher was a native of Stoughton, Mass. He removed to that part of Hallowell, now Augusta, from which place he removed his family to the farm be- fore owned by Mr. Greely, in the winter of 1791 .- He acted as agent for the inhabitants of the then Plantation in procuring the act of incorporation in 1794, and was the first Town Clerk, and afterwards one of the Selectmen. He represented the town in
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the. General Court of Massachusetts at different peri- ods. He early held a commission of Justice of the Peace, and was one of the principal acting magis- trates till near his death. He died in 1836, aged 84.
41 .- Simeon Russ.
Simeon Russ, in the course of the year 1783, set- tled on the farm now owned by Samuel Stanley, whose family is said to have been the first that moved above Joseph Brown's. He subsequently removed to the farm now occupied by Joseph Riant, and afterwards to the upper lot in the town, now occupied by James Wellman, where he made some improvements, erect- ed temporary buildings, and after losing his wife, em- igrated to Canada. The farm on which Mr. Russ first settled passed into the hands of Jason D. Cony, where he made a settlement about 1794, and built the first mill in the upper part of the town, in con- nection with Robert Jones.
42 .- Joseph Sylvester; Benjamin Butler.
Joseph Sylvester settled on the farm now owned by Thomas Hunter, sold to Benjamin Butler who was from Martha's Vineyard, in 1790, and commenced on the other side of the river. Mr. Butler conveyed to his son, from whom it passed into the hands of Mr. Hunter. Mr. Butler was a house joiner by trade, and took the lead in building most of the first dwell- ing houses on the river. He died in Avon.
43. - Joseph Holland. First Marriage.
Joseph Holland made a settlement on the farm on which the upper part of the Center Village is situ- ated, about 1783. He built a temporary house near the intervale. It is said that the first marriage sol- emnized in Farmington was in this house, while it
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was without a floor. Joseph Battle and Eunice Ma- loon were joined in marriage by Dummer Sewall, Esq., of Bath. They were served with a good quarter of baked lamb, but had no knives excepting those they carried with them.
Mr. Holland sold to John Church in 1790, and re- moved to the other side of the river, and from there to No. 1,-now Temple, being one of the first settlers in that town.
44. John Church
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Mr. Church moved his family from Augusta to Farmington in company with Mr. Belcher, in the winter of 1791. The winter before he had worked in company with Josiah Blake, at his trade, in Solo- mon Butterfield's old log house, on the western side of the river. Mr. Church with his family went into a log house which had been built by Mr, Holland, which was his second log house and stood on the hill, a few feet north of where the Church house now stands, The Old Church House was built by Mr. C. in 1793 or 1794. This was the first house on the rise where the village now is, the whole neighbor- hood being an unbroken forest excepting a small tract around this house. Mr. Church had caused a shop to be put up the season before, in which he com- menced business as a blacksmith, which business he continued to carry on in connection with farming .- Soon after he opened a public house, which was the first tavern in town. He removed to what is now Sa- lem, in connection with his son Samuel Church, and afterwards returned to his former residence. He was a native of Kiniston, Conn., and died March 12, 1838, at the age of 85 years. His wife, whose maiden name was Susannah Cony, was from. Easton, Mass., She died May 6, 1844, at the advanced age of eighty-eight years.
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45-Reuben Page-E. Sweet-Micah Weathern-B. Blackston.
About 1783 Reuben Page' settled on the lot after- wards owned by Fbenezer Sweet. On this lot the southerly part of the Center Village is now located. Mr. Page early removed from the place, and little is known of his history. It appears by the Records that he had a daughter born in the winter of 1783, the first female born in the town .- Mr. Sweet was from Attleborough, Mass., and succeeded Mr. Page some time previous to 1784. He commenced the first tannery in town in 1785. It was situated near the present site of the Congregationalist Meeting-house. He afterwards enlarged his farm by the purchase of the lot adjoining on the north. He died Nov. 4, 1835, at the age of 96. His wife, Desire Sweet, died Dec. 12, 1839, at the age of 95. Mr. and Mrs. Sweet were of industrious habits and attained a competen- cy of the conveniences of life by their own industry and economy. A "felled piece," about where the Congregational Meeting house now stands, was first planted late in June by Mrs. Sweet, with a caseknife for the want of a more suitable instrument of hus- bandry. From the corn thus planted they gathered a plentiful harvest. This was one of their first helps. In 1781, or 82, Micah Weathern visited the Sandy River region for the purpose of settlement. He com- menced on the lot now owned by Amasa Corbett, and soon after exchanged with Benj Blackston, and mov- ed to Middle Town-now Strong. Mr. Blackston dying, Lydia Blackston, his widow, became the own- er in the right of her husband, from whom it passed to Peter Corbett, who had settled on the lot joining it on the south.
46-Reuben Butterfield.
Reuben Butterfield came from Dunstable, Mass., while a single man, in 1781, with Samuel Butterfield, and made a temporary stay. He, however, returned
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to his native place, but after a stay of a year or two, he returned again to the Sandy River and recom- menced improvements or purchased a new possession of Abraham Page. This was the farm now owned by Thomas Lewis and Alfred Bradford, and which soon after passed into the hands of Joseph Bradford. Mr. Butterfield then purchased of Moses Chandler, who had previously commenced on the farm where he now [1846] resides, in the family of Geo. Wheeler, on the west side of the river.
47-Moses Chandler.
After selling his first lot to Mr. Butterfield, Mr. C. purchased the lot adjoining, now owned by his son, Moses Chandler. This he purchased of a Mr. Kinney, from Hallowell, who had made some improvements. Mr. Kinney's crops having been injured by the frost he became discouraged and returned to his native place. Mr. Chandler was chosen Captain of the south company of Militia, when it was organized, and he was the second Colonel who commanded the regiment first ornanized on the Sandy River. He represented the town in the General Court of Massachusetts in 1806. He died some twenty years since. His wife is still living.
18-Joseph. Bradford-Indian Cruelty-Wonderful Escape.
Joseph Bradford was from Meduncook, now Friend- ship, in this State. His wife, formerly Abigail Star- ling, with her sister Dorothy,-afterwards Mrs. Craig, -came from Friendship on horseback, but as they had one of Mrs. B.'s children to transport they could only ride by turns,-the one riding taking charge of the child. The road then was only a spotted line bushed out. During the French and Indian War of 1755 the parents of Mr. Bradford were inhumanly
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murdered by the Indians. They, with others equally enterprizing, had located themselves in what was then the new and thinly settled portion of the State known as Meduncook, and already had their labors been crowned with success. But the din of war, with its attendant perils, broke in upon their peaceful toils. A garrison was speedily erected and the various fami- lies removed there. Mr. B. residing but a short dis- tance from the fort, and directly in view from it, he did not deem it necessary to remove, supposing that if alarmed they could easily reach its protecting shel- ter. One morning while Mr. B. was engaged in pounding corn-a simple process of obtaining meal, a party of Indians was seen from the garrison to be approaching the house. An alarm gun was soon fired, but owing to the noise of the mortar it was not heard by the inmates, and the Savages were not per- ceived till they entered the dwelling. They immedi- ately dispatched Mr. and Mrs. B. A daughter of some twelve or fourteen years of age, who had sought a momentary concealment, sprung from under the bed, and caught the infant as it fell unharmed from the mother's arms, and fled through the open door for the garrison. The Indians pursued, but not being able to overtake her, threw a tomahawk, which in- flicted a deep wound in her side. But the heroic girl, clasping the babe more firmly with one hand, with the other prevented her intestines from falling to the ground, and in this situation she reached the garrison. She recovered from the wound and subse- quently married and removed to Vermont, where she became the mother of a family of children. The In- dians succeeded in capturing two of Mr. B.'s brothers, being young lads, and carried them to Canada. They were afterwards exchanged, but deceptively detained in the State of New York, but eventually reached home, after a lapse of some time, through a train of providential circumstances.
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50-Isaac Teague; Isaac Page; Samuel Keen; S. Bullen.
Not long after 1782 Isaac Teague settled on the farm now owned by Francis and Peter P. Tufts, from whom it passed to Francis Tufts 2d, the father of the present occupants, in about 1790 .- About the same time Isaac Page settled near the center of the town, on the lot afterwards owned by Jedediah Thomas and others, on the west side of the river. He left the town at an early day and little is known of his history .- Samuel Keen commenced a settlement on the farm now occupied by William Adams, prior to 1784, and Samuel Bullen from Hallowell-who was one of the Associates-on the Case Farm, soon after. Mr. K. afterwards sold to Solomon Adams Esq., and went to Curvo-now Phillips-where he afterwards died.
51-Phillip Davenport; John Huston; John Austin.
Phillip Davenport settled about 1783, just below where Fairbanks' Bridge now stands, near Jones' Rock, on the Mill Lot. He soon left and was followed by Robert Jones. John Huston, from Dunstable, Mass., removed from Sidney about this time, and settled on the farm now owned by Jeremiah and Ephraim S. Butler. He made his his first clearing on the inter- vale, where he erected a log house. He made a clear- ing on that part of his farm where the village at Back- ns' Corner now stands, and where he built a log house in 1792. He died in 1794. His first wife was one of the Greely family .- John Austin removed from Brunswick in 1784, and settled on the west side of the river, opposite the center of the town. He was the first sexton in the town, in which capacity he served many years. He was a soldier in the French War of 1755, was at the taking of Quebec under Gen. Wolf, and also served as a soldier in the Revolu- tionary War. Mrs. Austin was a native of Cape Ann, and was generally known to the first settlers on the
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Sandy River as a doctress, in which capacity she ren- dered the inhabitants essential service for many years. There was no settled physician in this section of the country till about 1792.
52-Jacob Eaton.
Jacob Eaton removed his family from Bristol to Farmington in Oct. 1784. He settled on the farm now owned by Thomas M. Davis, the Greenwoods, and others, known as the Mill Lot. He purchased the mill built by Colburn & Pullen, with his broth- er-Joseph Eaton-who sold his half to Moses Star- ling, about two years after, and returned to his for- mer residence. Mr. Jacob Eaton attended to farming as well as to carrying on the mills, which were re- built and considerably improved by him and Mr. Star- ling. . He erected framed buildings prior to 1790. In 1791 he went to the Province of New Brunswick, where he was drowned at St. John's Falls, Nov. 18, 1791. Mr. William Thorn, father of Mrs. Eaton, an elderly gentleman, who came with Mr. Eaton's family, died in the fall of 1786-the second death in the town. Mr. Thorn was from Topsham, where he suffered severely in the French and Indian War of 1755. He lost an arm and had a son scalped by the Indians. He was buried near the Center Bridge, in what is now called the Old Burying Ground. Mrs. Eaton died in 1804, at the age of 64.
53-Moses Starling.
Moses Starling came from Bristol to this town in Sept, 1786, and commenced on the farm now improv- ed by the widow of the late Lemuel Perham. His family remained in Bristol till 1788. He soon after purchased half of the mills formerly known as Star- ling's Mills,-of Joseph Eaton. He carried on the mills in connection with his farm. He was the most efficient carpenter in the place for some years. He
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received a commission as Justice of the peace, in 1790, which was the first held in town. He was also the Postmaster, and the first Town Treasurer. He died in Oct. 1809, aged 62. Mrs. S. died in 1814, aged 75.
54-Samuel Sewall.
About 1786 Samuel Sewall settled in Farmington. He located himself where John Morrison now lives, at the lower extremity of the town. He commenced tanning on his place-being one of the first tanners- in the town. He built the first mills at the place, about 1792. He built the house now occupied by Mr. Morrison some time previous to this date. Mr. Sewall became an acceptable preacher and sold to Mr. Morrison about 1805, after which he devoted him- self to the duties of the ministry in different places.
55-Amos and Ezekiel Page. ... Ebenezer Norton.
Amos Page, and Ezekiel Page, his father, settled in 1786 on the farm now owned by George W., and Samuel B. Norton. They erected a temporary build- ing below the ridge, near the intervale, They sold to Ebenezer Norton Esq., who removed from Edgar- town, Mass., and built the house now owned by Geo. W. Norton, and a barn under the hill, in 1791. He was chosen Representative in 1804, and died the same year.
56-Thos. Hiscock; Benj. Whittier; Ephraim and D. B. Cowan.
Thomas Hiscock removed in 1787 from Damaris- cotta and settled on the farm now owned by Hiram Hiscock and Caleb Butterfield, on the west side of the river. Here he resided many years, and on this farm he died. Mrs. Hiscock died in 1846 .- Benj. Whittier, in this or the following year, removed from Readfield and settled on what is now called the Whit_
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tier Farm, on the west side of the river, and adjoin- ing Chesterville. He was from New Hampshire .- He died about 1822. - Ephraim Cowan, formerly of Dunstable, Mass., removed with his family, from Au- gusta, in 1788, and settled on the lot now owned by Dr. Flint and others, with his son David B. Cowan. They were the first settlers in that neighborhood. Mr. Cowan was one of the Associates and had taken an active part in the purchase and settlement of the town, previously to his removal into it. He was the first Clerk of the Associates. He served as a soldier dur- ing most of the French War. He died June 9, 1797. David B. Cowan made the first beginning on what is now called Cowan Hill in about 1800, where he moved five years after. He died in 1830.
57-Lemuel Perham; Eliphalet and Oliver Bailey; J.F. Woods.
In March, 1788 Lemuel Perham Ist, Eliphalet Bai- ley, Oliver Bailey, and John F. Woods 1st, removed from Dunstable, Mass. They brought their families and effects with ox teams, and arrived in Farmington the 3rd day of April, having been twenty-three days on the road. They were impeded by the want of snow in the first part of their journey, and in the latter part by the falling of the snow to an unusual depth. It was with great difficulty that they could make any progress on the road. The three former settled in the easterly part of the town, in the Bailey Hill neighborhood, they being the first settlers in that sec- tion of the town, excepting one Joseph Ralph, who had commenced on the farm now owned by Richard Parker, some few years before. Mr. Ralph occupied his lot alone till 1792 or 3, when he sold to Peter West, and removed to what is now Starks. Mr. W. sold to Zachariah Norton, soon after, from whom it passed to William Parker Esq., who died about 1840, and left it to the present occupant.
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58-Hartwell; E. Jennings; A. Smith; S. Stowers; J. F. Woods.
A Mr. Hartwell, Eliphalet Jennings, Abraham Smith and Samuel Stowers settled in the more east- erly part of the town soon after 1788. Mr. Jennings and Mr. Smith are still living not only to enjoy the fruits of their persevering industry in cultivating the wilderness, but the bounty of their country for their early services in the Revolutionary War, in the es- tablishment of our independence. Deacon Woods set- tled on the farm now owned by Nathaniel Woods, in the southerly part of the town. He was one of the first settlers in that section. He was one of the first to enter into church relations in the town, from the date of which event, till his death, he filled the office of Deacon. He was for many years one of the Selectmen. He died in 1815, at the age of 62. His wife-Mary Woods-Survived till Oct. 1844, when she died at the advanced age of 95 years.
59-Silas Gould, and Others
Silas Gould-since known as Col. Gould-removed from Dunstable, Mass., and settled on the farm now owned by John A. Gould, in the westerly section of the town, in 1786. He was the first settler on a back lot. He purchased a right in what was then called Tyngtown-now Wilton-where he afterwards remov- ed to make the necessary settlement .-- Eli Brainard settled on the farm now owned by Leonard M. His- cock, at an early date. He left for the South soon after 1791 .- Ephraim Butterfield 1st, and 2d, Josi- ah and Jonas Green, Samuel Chandler, and Samuel Knowlton were among the early settlers in the same section of the town .-- Jolin Rice settled about this time on the farm now owned by J. S. Ellis. He af- terwards sold to Jonathan Cushman, from the vicinity of New Bedford, Mass. Mr. C. died in 1834, at the age of 79. In 1789 Peter Gay, a native of Stough-
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ton, Mass., removed his family from Meduncook-now Friendship, and settled on the west side of the river, on the farm now owned by Benj. Dutton. His sons, Elisha and Jabez, had worked in the place the pre- vious year. Mr. Gay was a blacksmith, and he car- ried on both farming and blacksmithing successfully. He built the first framed barn in that vicinity about 1790. Elisha Gay soon after began to clear the farm now owned by Hiram Gay, where he made a perma- nent settlement, and where he died in 1842, at the age of 74. Samuel Briggs settled near the same time on the farm now owned by Peter R. Tufts Ile sold to Nathaniel Hearsey in 1796, and removed to No 1,-now Temple-being one of the first settlers in that town.
60-Settlers on the west side of the River.
David Wentworth, Hugh Cox, Joseph Riant, Adin Briggs, and Benj. Handy settled about 1789 on the front lots on the west side of the River. Mr. Cox put up the first' framed house in the upper part of the town soon after. Leaving the place soon after, the house remained unfinished for a few years, after which it was fitted up by Isaac Powers, who made the first permanent settlement on the lot now owned by Sam'l. York and others.
61-Ezekiel Porter; Porter's Hill.
Ezekiel Porter and Gershom Collier were the first two who settled on what is now called Porter's Hill. Having previously made a small beginning on the farm now owned by Rial Gleason, Mr. Porter remov- ed from Augusta, about 1790, and Mr. Collier settled the year following on the same tract, and afterwards on the farm now owned by Wm. Tuck. : Zobuian Truc commenced immediately after, still farther north, and Jabez Gay on the farm on which he now lives, to the south. Col Porter was a native of Groton, Mass.
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He settled at Augusta in early life, and went into mercantile business, in which he failed. After his re- moval to Farmington he entered largely into the bu- siness of farming, which he carried on, perhaps on a larger scale than has ever been sttempted by any one else in this section of the State. Beginning as he did, the business of clearing land was largely promi- nent in his operations. He entered into the business of retailing goods in 1803, first at his residence and afterwards at the Starling Village. He traded largely for a new place for several years. At the organiza- tion of the Militia he was chosen Captain, and soon after promoted to the command of the regiment. He was twice chosen Representative to the General Court of Mass., and he served several years as one of the Selectmen of the town. He left this State and went to New York, and settled near the city in 1812 or 13, where he died some years since.
62-Settlers in Holly Neighborhood ; Thos. Wendell.
Joseph Battle made the first beginning in what is called the Holly Neighborhood, near where Thomas Wendell now lives, about 1790, or 91. He erected the first framed barn in 1793. He died about 1795. Wm. Allen from Martha's Vineyard, settled immedi- ately after Mr. Battle, in the same neighborhood, on what is called the Allen Place, and was soon follow- ed by John Holly Ist, Hugh Stewart and Jonathan Butler, from the same place. Thomas Wendell Esq. settled on the place where he now lives about 1794. Capt, Allen subsequently removed to what is now Industry, then Plymouth Patent. He was one of the first settlers in that place. Jamse Rowings settled farther back at a subsequent period. Mr. Wendell is the only survivor of the first settlers. Peter Nor- ton, from Edgartown, Mass., made the first beginning on the farm now owned by Joseph Titcomb, on the Industry Road- in 1791. He put up a log house
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and moved into it in the fall of that year-his being the first family on that road. His wife, whose maiden name was Betsey Beetle, died the winter following. He soon after settled in New Portland, where he died.
63-Joseph Fairbanks.
Joseph Fairbanks, from Winthrop, made the first chopping on the farm now owned by James 'Norton, in June 1792, and Abram Smith, from Martha's Vine- yard, commenced on the Backus Farm, now owned by Capt. Wm. Cothren, the same season. Mr. Smith never made a permanent settlement, having been kil- led at sea, soon after, by a fall from the mast-head. Col. Fairbanks continued to make improvements, put un the present buildings, and set out the first orchard in town. He subsequently sold to Timothy Smith, when he removed to the Eaton Farm, and from there to the upper part of the town, where he built the mills known as Fairbanks' Mills. He engaged in trad- ing and farming in connection with his mill and con- tinued to do a large amount of business till near his death. He was killed by a fall from his wagon, Sept. 12, 1831. Col. Fairbanks was a useful and en- terprizing citizen, held office in the Militia some fif- teen years, was for some time one of the Selectmen of the town, and he likewise represented the town in the General Court of Mass. in 1819. In 1823 and 1824 he was chosen senator from the Kennebec Sen- atorial District to the Legislature of this State.
64-Settlers in 1793 and 1794.
Zacheus Mayhew made the first beginning on the farm now owned by Abraham Johnson in 1793, and Rufus Allen on the farm now owned by Dennis Al- len, in 1794, and Peter Norton about the same time on the north part of the same lot. John Tufts set- tled on the old Backus Farm a short time previous,
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