USA > Maine > Oxford County > Paris > History of Paris, Maine, from its settlement to 1880, with a history of the grants of 1736 & 1771, together with personal sketches, a copious genealogical register and an appendix > Part 4
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 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73
The township granted to Joshua Fuller and others, June 11, 1771, in lieu of the township granted in 1736, had now been viewed and a plan made of it, and the grant had been confirmed by the General Court in accordance with the plan presented. Those familiar with the boundaries of Paris at the present time, will hardly recognize the town by the metes and bounds described in the plan presented to the court. The fact was, the committee appointed by the pro- prietors to view and make a plan of the land, had made a grave mistake which was soon detected by the later committee appointed to divide the township into lots, as will be seen by their report which was as follows :.
"We a committee chosen by the proprietors of No. 4 to lot out part or the whole of said township, do report as followeth, viz. : After having lotted out part of said township, we found that we did not adjoin to Sylvester Canada, (Turner), nor any former grant as was the order of court, therefore we have not proceeded to finish the whole until the proprietors knew the situation of the township as it now lieth."
Thereupon another committee was appointed consisting of Alex- ander Shepard, Alexander Shepard, Jr., and Capt. Wm. Coolidge, to prepare a plan of the township with such alterations as they should think proper, to be submitted to the Great and General Court for confirmation and approval. The memorial presented by this committee to the Court, stated that the committee to view and make a plan of the grant, as also the pilot, had been deceived by taking a hunter's line to be the bounds of Sylvester Canada, by which means the grantees were again frustrated in their desire to
3
34
HISTORY OF PARIS.
come into possession of their lands. They asked the Court therefore, to annul the former plan, in order that a township might be laid out to them which should be square instead of angular to correspond with the line which was supposed to be that of Sylvester Canada, which would not only make a more convenient town, but would be vastly more commodious for other townships which hereafter might be laid out adjoining thereto. The prayer of the petition was granted by the patient and indulgent General Court, and a plan adopted which described the metes and bounds as follows :
"Beginning at a Hemlock tree two hundred and fifty-two chains from the southwest corner of Sylvester Canada ; thence north 14 degrees west seven hundred and seventy-seven chains to a stake and stones ; thence south sixty-eight degrees and thirty minutes west three hundred and sixty chains to a stake and stones ; thence south fourteen degrees east seven hundred and seventy-seven chains to a stake and stones ; thence north 68 degrees and thirty minutes east three hundred and (sixty ) eight chains to the Hemlock tree first men- tioned."
The same conditions were imposed that were contained in the former grant. The matter passed the council and was consented to by the Governor on the 11th day of February, 1773.
At a meeting on the last Tuesday in March following, it was voted to lot out the township and run out and mark the town bounds. The committee for this purpose, were Josiah Bisco, Josiah Brown and Elijah Livermore. Mr. Bisco afterwards settled in the grant, and Mr. Livermore settled in Port Royal and gave his name to the town when incorporated. Provision was also made at this meeting to dispose of delinquent rights, and an assessment was made of twenty shillings on each proprietor's right.
August 5th, it was voted to dismiss the committee appointed to lot out the township, and Alexander Shepard, Jr., was chosen a surveyor for that purpose. At the same time a committee of five was chosen to assist in the work and to run the township's lines. The committee so chosen was made up of Joshua Fuller, Elijah Livermore, Isaac Gleason, Josialı Bisco and Alexander Shepard, Jr., and they were instructed to make report of their doings on the first Tuesday in November following. 6 The committee were also directed to prepare the lots ready to be drawn.
August 10th, 1773, it was voted to assess ninety pounds on the several proprietors' rights, and that the committee for sale of delin-
3.5
HISTORY OF PARIS.
quent rights, make sale of the rights of those who are delinquent in their taxes on the first of October following, or as soon as may be agreeably to law. It was also voted that the taxes of delinquent proprietors whose rights had been sold, be refunded to them.
November 4th, it was voted to accept the report of the committee chosen to finish lotting out the township, and that there be reserved for the use of the proprietors, their heirs and assigns forever, two rods in width on the eastward side of every range line through the length of the township for the convenience of ways, if it should be needed. It was voted to draw the lots for a division of the town- ship, among the proprietors at this meeting, and Nathaniel Harring- ton and Jonas Coolidge were chosen a committee for drawing the lots. Lots were drawn in the name of the grantees of 1771, and with results as follows :
1127782
Original Grantees.
Lot.
Range. Lot. Range. Lot. Range.
Ebenezer Stearns
27-28
1
9
6
4
2
John Stowell .
27-28
2
5
7
6
Thaddeus Trowbridge . .
27-28
3
6
3
4
9
William Park
27-28
4
3
1
3
3
Thomas Frost
27-28
5
11
4
3
6
William Coolidge
27-28
6
12
4
1
6
Peter Durell
27-28
12
3
6
6
Edmund Barnard
27-28
9
12
5
2
3
Ezekiel Whitney
25-26
1
13
5
1
3
Amos Livermore
25-26
2
6
4
1
8
William Dana
25-26
3
11
5
1
2
Christopher Grant, Jr ...
25-26
4
1
1
4
7
Edward Jackson on the
right of Sam'l Jackson
25-26
5
2
1
S
1
Jonas Coolidge
25-26
6
2
4
1
7
Joshua Fuller
25-26
7
6
5
1
9
Jonathan Williams, Jr ...
25-26
8
9
3
6
9
Thomas Greenwood
....
25-26
9
9
2
11
6
Nathaniel Stone
23-24
1
5
1
5
3
James Dix.
23-24
2
2
5
7
9
Nathaniel Smith
23-24
3
7
4
8
1
Samuel Hide
23-24
4
7
7
7
8
Daniel Bond
23-24
5
6
7
6
8
Ebenezer Brown.
23-24
6
3
2
4
1
Stephen Harris
23-24
7
2
2
10
1
Benjamin Bond
23-24
8
9
9
S
Thomas Quiner
23-24
9
6
2
10
3
James Hay
21-22
1
7
5
13
4
36
HISTORY OF PARIS.
Original Grantees.
Lot.
Range. Lot. Range. Lot.
Range.
Thaddeus Trowbridge ...
21-22
2
10
5
12
6
David Livermore.
21-22
3
11
7
11
8
Elisha Learned
21-22
4
13
7
13
8
Samuel Randall
21-22
5
10
7
10
8
David Coolidge
21-22
6
8
7
8
8
Josiah Goddard
21-22
7 12
1
8
6
Josiah Fuller
21-22
8
11
1
10
6
George Harrington
21-22
9
13
1
4
5
Samuel Shattuck.
20-19
1
2
7
2
8
Jonathan Learned, Jr. ..
19-20
2
3
7
4
8
David Sanger. .
19-20
3
8
9
3
4
Samuel Jackson on the
right of Sam'l Jackson
19-20
4
14
1
14
2
For Ministry
19-20
5
8
5
2
9
Nehemiah Mason -
19-20
6
7
1
7
2
Ephraim Burridge
19-20
7
13
6
9
9
Oaks Angier.
19-20
8
5
8
11
9
Seth Storer
19-20
9
13
2
5
4
Wm. Park on the right of
Richard Park.
17-18
1
13
3
3
5
Abraham Whitney.
17-18
2
6
1
4
4
Proprietors
17-18
3
8
2
5
6
George Harrington, Jr ... William Coolidge
17-18
5
12
2
11
2
Josiah Mixer
17-18
6
10
2
29
1
Nathaniel Spring
17-18
7
9
5
29
2
Daniel Robins
17-18
S
13
9
1
5
First Minister
17-18
9
9
4
5
7
For the School.
15-16
1
3
8
3
9
Jonathan Williams
15-16
2
9
1
10
9
Joseph Coolidge
15-16
3
29
3
14
3
Josiah Brown
15-16
4
1
4
12
9
Nathaniel Stone
15-16
5
14
5
5
9
Josiah Bisco.
15-16
6
14
6
4
3
Jonathan Learned
15-16
7
14
7
5
5
Samuel Fuller
15-16
8
14
8
10
4
Isaac Jackson
15-16
9
14
9
8
3
For the College
28-27
7
29
S
29
9
Nathaniel Coolidge
29
6-7
12
7
12
8
William Coolidge
29
4-5
14
4 2
6
17-18
4
11
3
4
6
19
19
29
2,
28
28
28
28
College
27
2°
27
26
16
2
26
in
25
25
24
2.
24
24
24
18
23
13
23
13
93
23
122
22
22
2
22
22
12
21
21
1
1/
21
21
31
21
10
20
20
20
10
20
20
19
19
Propriety
17
7
17
17
17
17
17
76
16
16
6
16
16
16
16
16
School 18
16-
14
14
14
14
14
H
14
14
13
13
135
13
13
13
13
13
13
12
12
12
12
12
IL
11
"1
11
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
Minister
8
8
>
7
7
7
7
7
6
6
6
6
6
6
5 Minister
5
5
Proprietor
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
3
3
3
3
3
3
School
2
2
2
1
2
2
2
2
2 Millism.
1
1
I
/
/
EN 68: 30' East
Rugged
360 Chains
TOWN & PARIS.
A true Copy of Plan made by Alex; Sheperd " AD 1773 By J. H. Stuart C.E
N. 14º W. 777 Chains
9
9
4
9
9
9
8
8 ministry
8
8
Proprietor
5
5
is
5
18
18
18
18
18
18
18
Ministry 19
12
19
Minister
24
24
84
26
College
college 22
6
16-
37
HISTORY OF PARIS.
CHAPTER VIII.
ABSTRACTS OF PROPRIETORS' RECORDS.
The Breaking out of the Revolutionary War Retards Settlement of No. 4 .- The Proprietors Offer Rewards for Building Mills, and Bounties to Settlers .- A Committee Chosen to Procure Settlers - They are Successful .- Committee Meetings in No. 4 .- Act of Incorporation Desired .- Statistics of No. 4.
The next meeting of the proprietors was on the 5th day of January, 1774. It was voted that right 53 should be for the first settled minister, number 40 for the use of the ministry, and that whenever a second parish should be formed and a learned protestant minister should be settled, he should improve and enjoy one-half of this right. It was voted to clear a road to their township, to lot number seven in the third range, known as the mill lot, and a com- mittee of three consisting of Wm. Coolidge, Benjamin Stowell and John Bond, was chosen for that purpose, with instruction to perform that service before the last day of June following. It was also voted to petition the Great and General Court for an additional grant of the unappropriated lands lying between Bakerstown (Poland) Sylvester Canada (Turner) Parkertown, so called, and their own township, now called No. 4, and Nathaniel Stone, Alex- ander Shepard and Josiah Capen, were made a committee to prepare and present the petition. It was voted that the present names of the proprietors be recorded in the several lots in the plan of the township.
At a meeting of the proprietors at the house of Isaac Gleason in Waltham, April 20, 1774, it was voted to grant the mill lot in No. 4, and one hundred dollars to any person or persons who would undertake to build a saw and grist mill thereon, the saw mill to be built by the last of October following, and the grist mill in twelve months from that time ; and keep both mills in repair ten years, and be obliged to saw for the proprietors at the rate of nine shillings and four pence per thousand for boards, and in proportion thereto for other stuffs, or to accept half the stuff, which is to be at the election of the owners ; and to be paid the proportionable part of said one hundred dollars for each of such mills when they are com- pleted to the acceptance of a committee that shall be chosen to view the same, and to give security for the performance thereof. It was
38
HISTORY OF PARIS.
also voted to grant ten pounds lawful money to each of the first ten settlers in the township who would build a house sixteen feet square, clear ten acres of land and seed the same to grain or grass. John Foxcroft, Esq., Capt. Wm. Coolidge and Nathaniel Stone were chosen a committee to make sale of delinquent rights, and also to audit the accounts of the treasurer.
At a meeting held at the inn of Bezaleel Learned in Watertown, June 22d, 1774, Benjamin Stowell and John Bond, the committee to clear a road to the township reported that they had performed the service, and had cleared a road from New Gloucester to the mill lot. in No. 4. The report was accepted. and the accounts of the com- mittee allowed. It was also voted to pay John Bond of the committee, forty-eight shillings as a gratuity "for his extraordinary service and charges in clearing the road."
The prospect for building mills in the township, on the terms offered were evidently not satisfactory, for at the meeting held the 11th day of August, a committee consisting of Dea. Elijah Liver- more, Josiah Capen and Capt. Joshua Fuller, Alexander Shepard, Jr., and Peter Ball, was chosen "to see on what terms a mill could be built in the township No. 4, lying in the late District of Maine." At an adjourned meeting holden August 31st, it was voted to give further encouragement for persons to build the much desired mills, and still another committee was chosen to take action in the matter and report.
Several meetings were subsequently held but no business of impor- tance was transacted until a meeting holden at the Inn of Mrs. Dorothy Coolidge in Watertown, on the first day of March, 1775, when a committee consisting of Alexander Shepard, Jr., Capt. Wm. Coolidge and Josiah Bisco was chosen to confer with a committee of the proprietors of Sudbury Canada (Bethel) relative to clearing a road between the two townships. The proprietors of the town- ships could not agree upon the division of labor and expense, and nothing further came of the movement at this time. The proprie- tors of No. 4 proposed to clear the road through their township, provided Sudbury Canada would continue it to theirs.
It was over two years before the next proprietors' meeting was held. The war of the revolution had broken out; the affair at Lexington and Concord, places near by Watertown, had come off, the battle of Bunker Hill still nearer, had been fought, and every loyal citizen was expected to do his duty. Some of the older pro-
39
HISTORY OF PARIS.
:
prietors had a part in the engagements above named, and others whose age and strength would admit of it, had enlisted for the whole war. Several of the proprietors of 1771, had deceased, and others had taken their places, so that after this time, new names were constantly appearing in the records of their proceedings.
The next meeting was held at the Inn of widow Dorothy Coolidge in Watertown, on the 19th day of September, 1777. Josiah Bisco was chosen a committee to take a view of the land between No. 4 and Sudbury Canada, and also through No. 4, looking to clearing out the road already referred to. It was now very hard to get a quorum together, and several meetings were held when no business could be transacted.
The next meeting at which business was transacted, was on the 23d day of March, 1779. A committee consisting of Lt. Aaron Richardson, Alexander Shepard, Jr., and James Stinchfield, was chosen to look out and make a road between the mill lot in No. 4 and New Gloucester. At an adjourned meeting holden on the 30th of June, 1779, a committee was chosen to clear out a road from or near the easterly corner of the township to the north westerly corner of the same. provided Sudbury Canada would clear a road from their township to connect with it. The committee was made up of Capt. Israel Whittemore, Josiah Bisco and Stephen Ham ; at an adjourned meeting, James Stinchfield and Christopher Grant, Jr., were added to the committee which was instructed to proceed with the road as soon as convenient. The doings at the adjourned meet- ing on the 23d' of December, in the large sums paid the committee, indicate the great depreciation of the currency since the beginning of the war. It was voted to pay the expense of clearing the road through the township, amounting to £1499, 6, 10, as follows : Israel Whittemore. £317, 10; Josiah Bisco, £342, 10 ; Christopher Grant, Jr., £360, and James Stinchfield, balance due, £130.
At a meeting holden on the 18th day of April, 1780, it was voted to give the mill lot, so called, with lots number 17 and 18 in the 3d range. and lot number 8 in the second range, to any person or per- sons who would build a saw and grist mill in the township within twenty months from date, with conditions the same or similar to those in former offers for building mills in the township, and a com- mittee was chosen to contract the building of the mills, consisting of Alexander Shepard, David Sanger and Aaron Richardson. This committee was authorized to contract with parties who would build
40
HISTORY OF PARIS.
· the desired mills, on other terms than those specified, as they should think proper, and in addition to the lots before specified, to deed lot number 5 in the sixth range if they should think it for the interest of the proprietors.
More than nine years had now elapsed since the grant to Joshua Fuller and associates was made, and the terms of the grant were still far from being complied with. At the same time, the whole energies of the country and of individuals, were directed to achiev- ing independence from the mother country, and all minor matters were, in a great measure, left to take care of themselves. It is not probable that the government of Massachusetts, absorbed as it was in raising men and means for prosecuting the war, even thought of the previous land grants, or would have given a moment's time to them, if their attention had been called to the subject. But the proprietors evidently felt that unless more energetic measures were adopted to get settlers into No. 4, they might be liable to forfeit their rights, for at an adjourned meeting holden on the 5th of September, 1780, it was voted that ten of the first settlers who should go into No. 4 and perform the settling duties required by the terms of the grant of the proprietors, and continue the same, should receive one hundred and eighty pounds out of the treasury, current money of the time. A committee was chosen to look out and spot a road from New Gloucester through Mr. Shepard's Grant (Hebron) to the mill brook (so called) in No. 4, and from thence to the road now laid through No. 4, consisting of James Stinchfield, Lt. Aaron Richardson, Daniel Clark, Jonathan Clark and Capt. Isaac Bolster.
At a meeting holden December 1st, 1780, the following votes were passed :
"That Alexander Shepard, Alexander Shepard, Jr., and Lt. Aaron Rich- ardson be, and they hereby are appointed and empowered agents for and in behalf of this proprietary, to transaet any matter or thing relative to the settlement of this township of No. 4, with the number of families required by the General Court to be settled therein: And whereas the whole of this township No. 4 being lotted out into lots and allotted to each proprietor, by which they, holding their lands in severalty, the settlement is greatly retarded by reason of several proprietors neglecting and even refusing to dispose of their lands to those that would willingly become settlers : It is therefore voted, that the agents aforesaid be and they hereby are required, directed and empowered in behalf of this Proprietary, to prefer a petition to the Great and General Court of this Commonwealth as soon as may be, praying that said court would be pleased to grant to and fully authorize and empower said agents, to dispose of one hundred acres
41
HISTORY OF PARIS.
out of each and every right in said township for the sole purpose of, and upon condition of said agent's settling one family on each of said hundred acres, they may be thus empowered to dispose of, on such term or terms as said Court shall please to appoint for said service."
At a meeting held on the 6th of June, 1781, it was voted that the collectors should receive the old emission of Continental Currency for taxes, in the nominal sum, as assessed for said taxes ; also that the collector should receive the new emission for taxes at the rate of one dollar for forty of the old emission, or silver at the rate of one dollar for seventy-five. This shows the terrible financial condition of the country at that time. At the meeting on the 13th of September following, the above votes relating to currency were reconsidered, and farther modified to meet the changes that had taken place since the last meeting.
At a meeting on the 2d of January, 1782, it was voted to assess thirty pounds in silver on each right in the township, to be devoted solely to settling purposes, to be paid to the agents appointed for procuring settlers, within four months. It was also voted that the agents be directed and obliged to settle one family for each and every lot of land that shall be given them, and also one family for every thirty pounds which they shall receive of the assessment just made, all to be settled within the time specified in the agent's bonds given to the proprietors as a guaranty for the performance of their obligation relative to settling the township. There seems to have been more or less lack of harmony in the proceedings of the proprietors, for at a meeting on the 7th of March, the vote to raise thirty pounds in silver was declared null and void ; but at a meeting on the 20th of March, the last vote was reconsidered, and the former vote for raising the money declared to be in force. At a meeting on the 17th of April, another effort was made to prevent the collection of the tax, but it was defeated by a vote of 29} to one of 15}. At this last meeting, the committee were directed to sell delinquent rights for taxes due, after advertising the sale in the Boston Gazette. It was voted that the new emission money now in the hands of the treasurer be immediately sold at public auction, and accordingly, there were sold, the twenty-seven new emission dollars bringing £2, 4, hard money. Mr. Lemuel Jackson, now a resident of No. 4, was authorized to expend twelve pounds in silver money in repairing roads within the township, and exhibit his account to the proprietors for settlement.
42
HISTORY OF PARIS.
At a meeting on the 5th of March, 1783, it was voted to give Mr. Lemuel Jackson the four proprietors' lots containing five hundred acres, and one hundred and fifty dollars in silver, for build- ing a saw and grist mill in No. 4, on such conditions as the com- mittee might think best and for the interest of the proprietors, one- half of the silver to be paid when the saw mill was completed and the balance when he should have finished the grist mill.
The next meeting was September 15th, 1784, at which an assess- ment of thirty shillings per right was ordered, and a committee con- sisting of Seth Nelson, Lemuel Jackson and Dudley Pike, was chosen to clear and mend roads in the township. At a meeting on the 9th of January, 1785, this committee made the following report :
"An account where we the subscribers looked out a road in No. 4 town- ship : Beginning at the westerly line of lot numbered 17-18, in the 8th range, near to Nathan Nelson's now dwelling house, and from thence across the southeasterly corner of lot number 17-18 in the 7th range, to the northerly line of lot number 15-16 and lot 15-16 in the 6th range, about 18 or 20 poles northerly of the southeast corner of said lot, and from thence across a small brook just upstream of a pair of falls; and from thence westerly to the northerly line of lot number 14, and by said line until it comes near to the road leading to Bisco's Falls; and from thence near to the north westerly corner of lot number 12, in the 5th range; and from thence crossing lot number 11 in the 4th range, near a hill going by the name of Oak Hill, and from thence to the mill, crossing stony brook just down stream of the mill; and from the brook upon a ridge of upland lying to the southerly side of said brook, and to the southerly end of said town- ship, nearly betwixt the third and fourth ranges of lots."
The mill here referred to was the one which the committee were authorized to contract with Mr. Lemuel Jackson to build. Mr. Jackson had built the mill, and an account of their acceptance will be seen farther along.
The committee on accounts consisting of Christopher Grant, Daniel Clark and Aaron Richardson, male, at this meeting, a detailed statement of the finances of the Proprietary which was accepted and ordered spread upon the records. This report will be found in the appendix.
A second committee consisting of Nathaniel Stone, David Bemis, Jonathan Clark, Alexander Shepard and David Sanger, also made a report which will be found following the other.
At a meeting Jan'y 25, 1786, it was voted to allow Lemuel Jack- son and others for twenty-seven days in repairing ways in No. 4.
43
HISTORY OF PARIS.
It was also voted that Mr. Lemuel Jackson by his again signing the bond to the Proprietary, dated March 7, 1783, with regard to build- ing mills in the township, that the mills were accepted and the treas- urer was directed to pay him forty-five pounds in full for a grant for building the mills. It was voted that the persons who have settled or are settling on this township, who are delinquent in their taxes, have liberty to work them out in clearing and mending roads, if done before the first of November following. A report was put upon record at this meeting indicating the value of rights in No. 4 at this time. The committee on delinquent rights reported that they had sold the right of Capt. Nathaniel Coolidge, deceased, for eighteen pounds ; the right of Daniel Robbins for seventeen pounds, and the half right of Stephen Harris for nine pounds, all to Capt. Aaron Richardson.
The next meeting marks an important era in the history of the Proprietary, as it was the first session holden in No. 4. It occurred on the 21st day of June, and at the house of Reuben Hubbard. Daniel Stowell was chosen clerk pro tempore. A committee to lay out roads in the township, was chosen consisting of Dudley Pike, Capt. Isaac Bolster,, Daniel Staples, Nathan Nelson and Nathan Pierce. Thirty pounds were assessed for purposes of roads. At an adjourned meeting the following day, Jonathan Shurtleff was allowed twelve shillings for work on the road, and Barachias Morse and Benjamin Stowell were added to the committee on the sale of rights. to fill vacancies.
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.