USA > Maine > Kennebec County > Illustrated history of Kennebec County, Maine; 1625-1892 > Part 140
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At the age of fifty Mr. Crosby retired from active business, and has lately built him a delightful country residence, shown in the ac- companying plate, in Albion, Me., where, with his magnificent farm of 250 acres, enclosing lake and stream, abounding with fish and: game, his twenty-two-foot centre-board, splendid scenery and healthy climate, he cultivates his taste for agricultural pursuits, and fine horses and cattle. Mr. Crosby was his own designer and architect, and was several years completing the whole. He considers the cost as money well spent in creating a " home " for his beloved wife and children, and a retreat for their children's children in years to come .. He is yet in the prime of life, and is at present working out and per- fecting some new inventions. He retains his whole financial inter- ests in the Crosby Company, and is vice-president and director, while largely interested in another also.
Ora O. Crosby, born in 1834, is the only son of Robert and Rox- ana (Rackliff) Crosby, and grandson of Robert Crosby. He is a farmer on the place settled by his father, and where he died in 1876, aged sixty-eight years. Mr. Crosby was educated in the schools of the town and in the academies of the adjoining towns. He taught school ten terms, and served several years on the school board. He was four years selectman, and one year a member of the state legisla- ture. He has done plain surveying several years, and in connection with his farming conducts an egg business which was started by his father. He married Hannah B., daughter of Samuel N. Tilton, of Thorndike, Me. They have one son, Charles E.
Nathan Davis, born in 1825, is a son of Robinson D. (1785-1879) and Polly L. Davis, and grandson of Sylvanus Davis, of Cape Cod. Robinson D. Davis settled in Albion about 1812, and lived there until his death. He had six sons: William, John, Henry, Sylvanus, Nathan and Edward. Nathan married Hannah M., daughter of Ichabod Spen- cer, and settled on the farm where he now lives. They have three sons: George E., Frederick A. and Walter L. Mr. Davis was for sev- eral years treasurer and collector of the town.
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HISTORY OF KENNEBEC COUNTY.
Charles Drake, farmer, is a son of Warren (1785-1865), and grand- son of Oliver Drake, who had three sons, Warren, Codding and Washington, that were among the early settlers of Albion. Mr. Drake went to California in 1851, and spent seven years there. Re- turning to Albion, he married Hannah, daughter of George Nash, of Gardiner, and settled on the homestead of his father.
Charles A. Drake, born in 1849, is a son of Daniel and Mary (Rol- lins) Drake, and grandson of Warren Drake, who came to Albion with two brothers, Codding and Washington, and settled on what has been called Drake hill. Charles A. staid on the farm until 1873, after which he was in business with Llewellyn Libbey for eight years in the old Stratton store. He has been town clerk for several years.
Washington Drake, born in 1829, is one of eight sons of Washing- ton (1793-1853) and Elizabeth (Langdon) Drake, and grandson of Oliver Drake. Mr. Drake has been married four times. His second wife left him three daughters. His third wife left him one son, Os- born L. His present wife has four sons: Elmer W., Arthur W., Free- land P. and William L. Mr. Drake lives on the homestead and is a farmer and cooper.
Bradstreet Fuller, farmer, born in 1832, is a son of Jonathan H. (1806-1885) and Bathsheba (Bradstreet) Fuller, and grandson of Jona- than, who was one of the early settlers of Albion. Mr. Fuller went to California in 1850 and in 1853 returned and settled in Albion. His wife was Amanda J., daughter of John Bradstreet. Their children are: Jonathan B., Carrie W. and Hannah.
John C. Gould was born in 1866, and lives on the old homestead, where his grandfather, John Gould, died in 1891, leaving one daugh- ter, Olive A., who is a teacher, having taught more than forty terms of school. She was also supervisor of schools in Albion, being elected by unanimous vote. She has spent several years in the South, teach- ing in the freedmen's mission schools. Her father came from Free- dom to Albion in 1865, where he was a farmer.
Silas Hussey, born in 1811, is a son of David and grandson of Jo- seph Hussey. David Hussey came from New Hampshire to Maine when a boy, and in 1809 settled in Albion, where he died in 1863, leaving eight children. Silas Hussey married Jane, daughter of John Wellington, and their children are: John W., Walter, Bert, Fred K., Isabel, Fannie and Mary. Mr. Hussey came to the farm where he now lives in 1838, and has been a farmer and speculator in live stock. He has always been a democrat.
John W. Hussey, born in Albion in 1842, is a son of Silas and Jane (Wellington) Hussey, and grandson of Daniel, who came to Albion, where he died. John W. came to the farm where he now lives in 1873, where he has since been a farmer and drover. His first wife, Mary K., daughter of Alphonso Crosby, died leaving two daughters:
James & Morrell
PRINT. E. BIERSTADT, N. Y.
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TOWN OF ALBION.
Lucia M., who died in 1888, and Edith A. His present wife is Fanny, daughter of Alton Goodspeed, of Albion.
Charles H. Johnson, born in 1838, is a son of Elbridge (1810-1886) and Mary A. (Worth) Johnson, and grandson of Nathaniel, who came from Massachusetts to China. Elbridge lived in Albion from 1836 to his death. He settled on the farm where Charles H. now lives. The latter lived in China until 1884, when he moved to the old home- stead in Albion. He has been a blacksmith, but now devotes his time to farming. He married Jane, daughter of Nathaniel W., and grand- daughter of Nathaniel Stetson. Their children are: Eva M., who is a teacher, and Warren G.
Waldo B. Kidder is a son of Daniel and Ruby (Read) Kidder, grandson of Samuel and Rebecca, and great-grandson of John and Mary Kidder. Samuel Kidder came to Albion about 1805. Daniel Kidder was for several years one of the selectmen of Albion and had children: Charles, Walter, Alfred, Henry, Eugene, Mary, D. Eugene, Caroline, Milton, Clara, Waldo B. and Horace. Waldo B., after spending several years in Boston and California, married Julia, daugh- ter of Perry Gilman, of Albion, who was a school teacher. They have three sons: J. Karlton, Harry W. and Myron D.
Milton R. Kidder, born in Albion in 1848, is a son of Daniel and Ruby C. (Read) Kidder, and grandson of Samuel Kidder. About 1805 Daniel and Samuel came from Temple, N. H., to Albion and set- tled in the south part of the town, where Waldo B. Kidder now lives. Mr. Kidder is a carpenter; he worked at his trade in Massachusetts and New Hampshire prior to 1874. Since that time he has resided in Palermo and Albion. His wife is Lydia M., daughter of Nehemiah Bryant, of Palermo.
Llewellyn Libbey, born in 1841, is a son of John, and grandson of Ebenezer Libbey, who came from Berwick to Albion, where he died. Mr. Libbey came to Albion to live in 1849. He enlisted in Company G, 24th Maine, and later reënlisted in Company D, 9th Maine, where he served until 1865. After spending some time in the West he went into business, in 1873, with C. A. Drake, and continued for eight years. He afterward started the store south of Albion Corner, which he now runs. He deals quite largely in agricultural implements.
George W. Littlefield, farmer, born in 1835, is the only son of Ivory and Huldah (Gifford) Littlefield, who came to Albion in 1833. He married Sarah A., daughter of Samuel Morrill, of Winslow. Their children were: Charles B., Carrie E., Willette E., Ada F. (died July 9, 1891), and Lillian M. Mr. Littlefield lived in Massachusetts for sev- eral years, returning to Albion in 1875.
JAMES S. MORRELL .- Jedediah Morrell, born March 9, 1787, was a son of John5, grandson of John', and great-grandson of Peter Mor- rella (see pages 653-4). He was married March 8, 1810, to Patience
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HISTORY OF KENNEBEC COUNTY.
Bragg, of East Vassalboro. He settled in China, where he was a farmer for four years; then removed to Waldo, Me., where he resided until 1825, when he came to East Vassalboro, where he continued agricultural pursuits until his death, August 19, 1877. The children of Jedediah and Patience (Bragg) Morrell were: John B., born March 2, 1811, died October 25, 1878; George W., born April 14, 1813; Hiram, born September 19, 1815, died March 14, 1819; James S., born April 20, 1818; Julia Ann, born January 9, 1821; Sarah E., born June 18, 1824, died January 25, 1879; Patience B., born May 30, 1827, and Re- becca F., born January 18, 1831.
James S., the fourth child of this family, was born at Waldo, Me. He came with the family to East Vassalboro at the age of seven, and there spent his youth and early manhood in farming and lumbering. In May, 1851, he bought the John Brawn farm of 140 acres in Albion, which has been his home since that time. He cleared and improved the farm, erected buildings and planted orchards, and here, by dint of industry, economy and good business judgment, he has acquired a competency that might well be envied by some more pre- tentious.
He has cared neither for political position, nor social organization, and has yet to take his first steamboat or railroad ride. He is respected by those who know him best, for his independence of thought and action, and his simple tastes and habits make him prom- inent as a quiet farmer.
He was married April 29, 1846, to Mary A., daughter of John and Dorcas (Baker) Freeman, of East Vassalboro. The four children born of this union are: Zechariah B., born September 23, 1847, now a mar- ket gardener at Athol, Mass .; Arletta W., born January 1, 1849, now Mrs. Van Knowles, of Fort Fairfield, Me .; George A., born July 20, 1851, now a farmer at home, and Jedediah W., born April 23, 1853, now a farmer at South China.
Dennis G. Mudgett, born in 1841, is a son of Henry (1806-1870) and Lydia (Getchell) Mudgett, and grandson of Nathaniel Mudgett. He has spent his life in Albion, excepting fifteen months in the army. He has taught school some, has been superintending school committee three years, selectman for eight years, and chairman of the board for four years. His wife is Helen M., daughter of Joseph Mitchell. They have one daughter, Eva M.
John G. Parmenter, born in China in 1844, is the son of Thomas and grandson of Joseph Parmenter, who came from Massachusetts to China, and settled on Parmenter hill with his brother, Caleb. Mr. Parmenter removed to Albion in 1852 with his parents. He served sixteen months in the army in Company F,.7th Maine, and then, after going on a whaling voyage for thirty-three months, he returned to Albion, and is a farmer on the old homestead. He mar-
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TOWN OF ALBION.
ried Maria, daughter of John Stinson, of Albion, and their children are: Lillie S., Clara M., John S. and Nellie D.
Edwin Rand, son of Stephen and Sophrona Rand, is a farmer in Unity. He was married March 5, 1868, to Susan C., daughter of Prince Bessey. Their children are: Willard E., Herbert L., Mertie E., Edward B., Stephen G., Olive V., Arthur G. and Lynn Y.
Emma C. Shores, daughter of Asa L., and granddaughter of John R. Coombs, married Edward G., son of George Shores, and came to Albion in 1875. They settled on the farm where Mrs. Shores now lives, and where Mr. Shores died March 23, 1892. Their five sons are: Thomas J., Amasa E., Walter E., Randolph C. and Asa L. Mrs. Shores carries on the home farm with the help of her sons. Thomas J. married Bertha, daughter of P. T. Bessey, and has one son, Henry L. Shores.
Erastus Shorey, born in 1840, is a son of Luther G. and Rebecca, and grandson of Samuel and Betsey Shorey. He lives on the old Shorey homestead, and is a farmer. His wife was a daughter of Alfred Bessey. Their children are: Alonzo, Luther G., Francelia B. and Ella F. Mr. Shorey also runs a saw mill on the Fifteen-mile stream, near where he lives. His grandfather built the first mill, about 1810, near where the present mill stands.
Leonard M. Shorey, farmer, born in 1844, is a son of Benjamin and Elmira (Moore) Shorey, and grandson of Benjamin Shorey. He served in Company D, 2d Maine Cavalry, two years. He married Ann, daughter of George Bessey, and settled on the old George Bessey homestead in Albion. His children are : Fannie M., Asher L., Ida A. and Hattie E.
James W. Stratton, born in Albion, is a son of James and grandson of Nehemiah Stratton, who came from New Hampshire to Albion, where he was one of the early settlers. James W. came to the place where he now lives in 1867. His wife is Sarah B., daughter of Jesse, and granddaughter of Captain Edward Taylor, one of the early settlers of Albion. They have two children: Ella (Mrs. R. H. Blake), and Adelburt M., who lives on the home farm with his father. Mr. Strat- ton's mother was Rachel, daughter of John Kidder, of Albion.
Joseph Taylor, born in 1826, is one of the thirteen children (nine sons and four daughters) of Joseph and Mary (Cross) Taylor. His grandfather, Abraham Taylor, of Vassalboro, had four sons : Joseph, William, Calvin and Seth. Mr. Taylor went to California in 1850, re- turning in 1854. In 1857 he married Sarah, a daughter of James Roberts, and settled on the farm in Albion, where he had previously built a house and where he has since resided. He has four daughters and one son.
Charles B. Wellington, born in 1839, is a son of John and Mary (Winslow) Wellington. John Wellington was one of the early settlers
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HISTORY OF KENNEBEC COUNTY.
of Albion, where he raised a large family. He was a merchant and postmaster for several years. Charles B. has also been in trade for years, but his principal business has been farming and breeding fine horses. His wife is Helen A., daughter of Dr. Robert E. Ryder. Their children are : Mary E, Fannie S., Claude R. and LéClaire.
John H. Whitaker, born in 1849, is one of the six sons of James, and a grandson of Isaac Whitaker. He went to California in 1868, where he spent four years, and after spending three years at Great Falls, N. H., came to Albion, where he is a farmer on Quaker hill. He is now one of the board of selectmen. He married Clara A., daughter of John Hussey, jun., of Smithfield. Their children are : Cora M., Carrie E., John W., Olive R., Charles I. and Florence M.
Gustavus B. Wood, born in Waldo county, Me., in 1837, is a son of Elisha and Eliza Wood, and grandson of Jason Wood, formerly of Win- throp, who in 1800 moved to Waldo county, where he died. Mr. Wood came to Albion in 1862. He married in 1868, Adelia L., daughter of George Sibley, of Appleton, Me. Their children have been : Anna A., Elmer B., Alice D., Ellery O., Mina L. and two infants that died. Mr. Wood has always been a republican, and was for three years, prior to 1892, on the board of selectmen.
Olney Worthen, born in 1840, is a son of Thomas and Emily (Crosby) Worthen, grandson of Jonathan and great-grandson of Isaac Worthen, a revolutionary soldier. Thomas Worthen had two sons: Eugene, who died in the army, and Olney, who was also a soldier one year in Company H, 19th Maine. In 1863 he returned to Albion and since 1864 has been a farmer where he lives. His wife, Bella, is a daughter of Heath Murdough, of Albion. They have one son, Eugene A. Thomas Worthen came to Albion in 1841.
UNITY PLANTATION.
Northeast of Albion is a tract of land comprising about eight square miles-known as Unity Plantation. The Sebasticook river forms its north western boundary line. While this territory lies within the bounds of Kennebec county, its post office and railroad accommodations are in Unity, of the adjoining county. The first family who settled here was that of Ebenezer Brookings, who came about 1807, and later those of Aaron Plummer, John C. Decker and Nathaniel Noyes. The Christian denomination organized a church here in 1852, but after about 1872 the meetings, which had been held in the school house, were discontinued. Among the preachers were Rev. Woodbridge Webb, Rev. - Galusha and Rev. - Buxton. The principal set- tlement of the plantation is in the eastern portion, and here is the only school house. The school has an average attendance of eighteen pupils.
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UNITY PLANTATION.
The officials of the plantation, prior to 1843, are not known. In that year the board of assessors were William Thomas, 2, Ira Plum- mer, 3, and Hartley Brookins. In 1844, J. H. Richardson was elected, serving one year; 1845, Levi Libbey, 2, William S. Davis; 1846, John C. Decker, 5, Samuel Strong; 1847, James Sylvester, 2, Gideon Rich- ardson; 1848, Theodore Perkins: 1849, George Brookins, 11, John Vick- ery; 1850, H. M. Ridlon, 2, William Thomas; 1851, Oliver Libbey, 6, Joseph Kelley; 1852, Milo Dodge, 4, Eliphalet Lane, 3; 1855, William Thomas, 4; 1857, George D. Bacon, 6; 1859, Nelson Libbey, 4; 1862, David C. Libbey, 25; 1863, F. P. Lane, Aaron Perkins, 2; 1864, A. P. Perkins, 4; 1865, Ed. E. Hall, 3, Franklin Libbey, 7, Gilbert Libbey. 2; 1867, C. H. Means, 2; 1868, F. B. Lane; 1869, George D. Baker; 1873, J. W. Bacon, 5; 1874, C. N. Decker; 1876, A. Bacon, 15; 1877, S. C. Libbey; 1879, Ed. York: since 1881 the assessors have been D. C. Lib- bey, C. H. Means and A. Bacon.
The Clerks, with the year of first election, have been: 1843, Will- iam Thomas; 1845, Levi Libbey; 1848, James W. Sylvester; 1852, William Thomas; 1859, George D. Bacon; 1866, F. B. Lane; 1869, George D. Baker; 1871, J. W. Baker; 1881, A. P. Perkins; 1885, E. E. York; 1892, S. P. Libbey.
The Treasurers have been: 1843, Ebenezer Brookins; 1849, John C. Decker; 1851, William Davis; 1852, Eliphalet Lane; 1853, George Brookins; 1857, George D. Bacon; 1862, Oliver Libbey; 1866, E. E. Hall; 1868, George Brookins; 1869, Oliver Libbey; 1871, J. W. Bacon; 1873, D. C. Libbey; 1878, Ed. York; 1879, D. C. Libbey; 1880, A. P. . Perkins; 1882, C. H. Means; 1883, A. P. Perkins; 1885, A. Bacon; 1890, S. C. Grant; 1892, S. P. Libbey.
. David C. Libbey, born in 1835, is a son of Oliver, and grandson of Levi Libbey, from Berwick, Me. Oliver Libbey was born in 1809, came to Unity Plantation in 1832, and died there in 1889. David C., Amasa, Charles and Ira P. Libbey are his sons. David C., like his father, is prominently identified with the interests of the plantation, and-excepting two years-has been chairman of the board of assess- ors since 1870. His wife is a daughter of Stephen Perkins. Their children are: Stephen P., Katie M., Charles O. and George R.
77
CHAPTER XLVI.
TOWN OF BENTON .*
Incorporation. - Natural Features .- Old Settlers .- Curious Documents .- Early Doctors, Lawyers and Teachers -Early Taverns, Mills and Stores .- The Old Herring Fishery. - Old Stage Routes .- Civil History .- Post Offices .- Schools. - Religious Societies .- Cemeteries .- Personal Paragraphs.
T HE first entry in the records of the town now known as Benton is that of " an act of the State of Maine entitled ' An act to divide the town of Clinton and to incorporate the town of Sebasticook.'" This act was approved March 16, 1842. Eight years later, on March 4th, the town voted " that the selectmen report a new name for the town at our next meeting." The selectmen reported in favor of the name of Benton, in honor of Thomas H. Benton, a prominent demo- crat, and author of Thirty Years in the United States Senate. This name was approved by the legislature, and in the record of the September town meeting of the same year, Benton first appears as the name of the town.
Benton is bounded north by Clinton, northeast and east by Unity Plantation, south by Winslow and Albion, and west by Fairfield, in Somerset county. The Kennebec river forms the western line, Sebasti- cook river passes through the town near the middle, and Fifteen-mile brook crosses the eastern part. The rock is principally slate, the soil a clay and slaty loam, and the woods are those common to the state. The Maine Central railroad runs diagonally through the town from Benton Station at the southwest corner, to a point near the center of its northern boundary line.
The territory embraced by the town was part of the Plymouth patent, and was first settled about 1775. It was almost an unbroken wilderness, and hunting and fishing were the chief pursuits of the early settlers. Clearings were made in the forests on the banks of the Kennebec and Sebasticook rivers, and in the next generation the lands so reclaimed were enlarged and partially cultivated. They were handed down to the grandsons of the hardy pioneers for still further extension and improvement, and to-day no vestige of the primeval
*For much of the information concerning the early settlers of Benton, the writer of this chapter is indebted to Asher H. Barton, Esq., whose kindness and courtesy in this regard are hereby gratefully acknowledged.
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TOWN OF BENTON.
forest remains, but in its place broad and beautiful acres of rich farm- ing lands stretch away on every hand as far as the eye can reach.
Agriculture is now the principal occupation of the inhabitants of Benton. Fifty years and more ago, flourishing saw, grist, carding and dye mills, were clustered on the banks of the sinuous Sebasticook, at the upper and lower falls; but the proximity of Fairfield and Water- ville caused the gradual diversion of most of these channels of indus- try to those places, and at the present time scarcely a trace of the sites of the old mills can be discerned. The placid stream now flows silently through the town to its trysting place with its larger sister, the Kennebec, broken only by the dam of the Kennebec Fiber Com- pany, at Benton Falls, which for a moment stays its onward course.
OLD SETTLERS .- The Indian as a denizen of this territory has long since vanished in the silent past, and the relics found many years ago at the foot of the hill overlooking Benton Falls are now the only traces of the original possessors of the soil. The first white settlers of Ben- ton chose the bank of the Kennebec as their place of abode, that stream alluring them not only by its abundance of edible fish, but by the facilities it afforded for communication with the settlements be- low. Somewhere in the neighborhood of 1775, George Fitz Gerald and David Gray came from Ireland, and took up land near each other about a mile north of what is now Benton Station; and several years later one Gibson settled about two miles north of the station on the present river road. Previous to 1777, Stephen Goodwin came from Bowdoinham, Me., and located at what is now Goodwin's Corner. About 1783 Gershom Flagg came from Lancaster, Mass., and settled on the west bank of the Sebasticook; and tradition relates that he re- ceived from the Plymouth Company the grant of a strip of land, fifteen miles long by half a mile wide, for his services in the construc- tion of Fort Halifax. It is further related that Gershom gave a por- tion of this land to his brother-in-law, Hon. Joseph North, of Augusta, who had it surveyed for him.
About 1779 Job Roundy removed from Lynn, Mass., to land north of what is now Benton village, and began clearing the farm at present occupied in part by his aged son, William, who was born on the place in 1806. In the neighborhood of 1790, about a mile south of East Benton, John Denico, Simon Brown and --- Anderson took up land on the present lower Albion road; and previous to 1800, Solomon Peck, a revolutionary pensioner, came from Vermont and began farming, in a primitive way, on the west bank of the Sebasticook, below what is now Benton Falls. These were among the earliest settlers of whom any record can be obtained; but from the year 1800 down the list grows larger.
A curious document still extant * gives " An Inventory of the Real * In the possession of William K. Lunt, Benton Falls.
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HISTORY OF KENNEBEC COUNTY.
& personal Estate of the Inhabitants and non-resident Proprietors of the Town of Clinton, taken by the Assessors of said Town, May 1st, 1800." According to this paper thirty-nine persons (many of whose names will be hereafter mentioned) were assessed, the total tax on their real estate being $511.96 and on their personal estate $354.83.
Two old deeds" record the sale by the Plymouth Company of two lots of 200 acres each to Ebenezer Heald, the first being sold in 1764 and the second in 1766. The first lot was situated near the Winslow line, and was afterward sold by Heald to Joel Crosby. It is now owned by Amos L. Hinds, Henry Reed and William K. Lunt, of Benton, and Hanes L. Crosby, of Winslow. The second lot was situated just south of the road to Albion, and is now owned by Merritt Reed and Mrs. Augustin Crosby, daughter of Asher Hinds.
Among the settlers in Benton at the beginning of the present century were Joseph and James North, the latter the father of the historian, Hon. James W. The brothers were engaged in trade and lumbering, but James dying suddenly, February 10, 1812, Joseph abandoned the business and removed to Augusta. In August, 1812, Dr. Whiting Robinson came from Albion and bought the David Reed farm of Timothy, son of Ebenezer Heald. In July, 1816, he bought of William Fellow the farm north of that then occupied by Dominicus Getchell, where he died about 1853. Getchell conveyed his farm, in February, 1822, to John Reed, who sold to Benjamin Brown, who sold to Stephen Stark, who sold to Russell Ellis, who sold to William G. Forbes, of whose heirs it was purchased by Asher H. Barton in 1853, and on which he still resides. Next north of this farm lived Doctor Bowman, who died previous to 1816. A later medical practitioner was Dr. Stephen Thayer, who came from Fairfield prior to 1836 and was located for a year or two at what is now Benton village.
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