USA > Maine > York County > Buxton > One hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the incorporation of the town of Buxton, Maine : held at Buxton lower corner, August 16, 1922 : with additional history > Part 8
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In November voted to raise 66 pounds, 13 shillings, 4 pence lawful money to support preaching, and 13 pounds, 6 shillings, 8 pence to be laid out in finishing the meetinghouse.
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F. M. PATRICK
LIKENESS OF FORT BUILT AT PLEASANT POINT, BUXTON
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Voted to raise 5 pounds, 6 shillings, 8 pence to clear a "Passable Cart Rode" to Saco.
In 1753 the settlers were expecting another war and they re- quested the proprietors to build another fort, "as the Province fort is very ill convenient and will not accommodate all the in- habitants."
At a meeting held May 29, 1754, voted "that William Han- cock shall have 8 pounds paid him upon his building a Fort, or Garrison, in this Township to be 40 feet square, built with stock- ades 31/2 feet in the ground and 10 feet above the ground, and said stockades to be set double and a good watch box at two op- posite corners of said fort; and said fort to be built in 20 days from the date hereof; and to be set where the inhabitants living on the northerly side of Martin's swamp shall see cause to set the same; the expense to be paid by the proprietors." The location was at Pleasant Point.
The other fort located at Salmon Falls, called the Province fort, was not removed as voted, and it stood on the land owned by Lieut. Samuel Merrill, now the farm of Charles Wells.
A beautiful girl born in this town after the permanent settle- ment was Molly Woodman, daughter of Capt. Joseph Wood- man, and she married Lieut. Moses Atkinson. A story is told how her life was spared by an Indian boy.
In 1755 war broke out again between France and England. During this war whenever the Indians put in appearance the settlers made a rush for the forts for safety. These forts were supposed to be commanded by a small military force, consisting of a cap- tain and perhaps five or six soldiers with guns and a cannon. Excepting those who went to war the settlers remained in town during this four years' war with France.
In 1756 John Lane, Jr., and his brother, Daniel Lane, served in the expedition against Crown Point in their father's company, Capt. John Lane of Biddeford.
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In 1757 Capt. Joseph Woodman commanded two companies at different times in the British forces in the French and Indian war. About 25 men enlisted in this war from this town, then Narragansett, No. I.
The Rev. Joshua Tufts was engaged to preach from 1756 to 1758 for 20 shillings and 8 pence per Sabbath, and then a Rev. Mr. Thompson no doubt supplied what preaching they had until they engaged their first settled pastor for life. The proprietors paid the ministers until the incorporation of the town.
This war closed soon after the fall of Quebec in the "glorious year" of 1759. This was the time when General Wolf won the victory over Montcalm at the siege of Quebec, and thereafter the Indians ceased from troubling the settlers in these towns. The church lot contains one acre and a half, being 8 rods wide and 30 rods long; conveyed April 8, 1761.
In 1761 the first frame meetinghouse was built on the same lot where the present one stands at Buxton Lower Corner.
The proprietors chose a committee to give Mr. Paul Coffin a call for settling as a preacher of the gospel in this Township. Voted to give him 50 pounds sterling a year. Voted "100 pounds lawful money to be given him as an encouragement to settle with us. Voted in case Mr. Coffin should settle with us we will make him reasonable additions." He preached here in the spring of 1761. On August 20th Mr. Coffin, then 23, came to town in company with the first schoolmaster, Silas Moody, who later be- came a minister and preached at Kennebunkport. He probably taught school in this town for several years, as it was ten years before he took a church. They were both graduates of Harvard College.
Sometime in 1761 a sawmill with a gristmill was built on "Little River," or Leavitt's Brook, on the road from Elden's Corner, Buxton Center, to Spruce Swamp, now Groveville, by Capt. John Elden, Jeremiah Hill and Joseph Leavitt.
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Mr. Coffin must have preached about a year in the log meeting- ing house. It seems quite certain that the first public worship was held in the first frame meetinghouse on August 15, 1762.
He preached his first sermon from the text, Philippians, 4:6, in the new house at that time. The old log meetinghouse was given to Samuel Merrill by the proprietors.
The First Parish Congregational Church was organized with seven charter members, and Mr. Paul Coffin was ordained as min- ister of the gospel and pastor of the church on March 6, 1763, with the following members:
Rev. Paul Coffin Dea. John Nason Dea. Timothy Haselton Thomas Bradbury Jacob Bradbury Thomas Atkinson Samuel Leavitt
The proprietors gave a "very plentiful entertainment for the council and strangers." They no doubt had something wet for their stomachs' sake, and Elder Peter Libby said he was told that "they had moose meat for dinner."
There must have been nearly sixty families in town at this time.
It is said the first glass window in Narragansett, No. I, was pro- cured by Rev. Paul Coffin, who obtained from Saco a single pane of 4 x 6 inches which he set in a board and placed it in his study.
The first and only negro slaves were brought to this town by John and Joshua Kimball. John's slave was a woman, and Joshua had a man named Caesar.
An effort was made to have the town incorporated in 1764, but the bill was not passed. The petition was signed by: John Elden, Samuel Merrill, Joseph Leavitt, Jr., Joseph Woodman, Thomas Bradbury, Amos Hood, Asa Stevens, Ephraim Sands, Joshua
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Woodman, Daniel Lane, Timothy Haselton, John Nason, Jere- miah Hill, Job Roberts, Jacob Bradbury and Tristram Jordan.
In 1764 the third division of lots was surveyed.
The first tannery, the first brick yard and the first tavern were built at Pleasant Point.
The Kimball brothers built a two-story house on the Beach Plain road about 1765, which was claimed to be the first one in town. It was burned down in 1866.
In 1771 a double sawmill and a gristmill were built at Salmon Falls by John Nason, John Elden, Isaiah Brooks and Jabez Lane.
The Garland Tavern was built about the time of the incorpora- tion of the town and it was taken down in 1855 by Deacon Na- thaniel Milliken, who built his house on the same site, now the home of Mrs. (Dr.) Burnham. This tavern was visited by the aristocratic people of York County; also, the proprietors' meetings and other public gatherings were held there.
The last meeting of the proprietors before the incorporation of the town was held at the meetinghouse June 17, 1772. Deacon Amos Chase, Moderator; Tristram Jordan, Proprietor's Clerk.
List of Clerks: John Hobson, Joseph Coffin, Tristram Jordan, Thomas Bradbury, John Woodman.
In 1831 the "Proprietors' Records" of Narragansett, No. I, were handed over to the Officers of the Town of Buxton by John Elden, 3rd, to Robert Wentworth, Town Clerk, and have been placed in the archives of this town.
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Town of Buxton, Maine YOUR OWN LITTLE TOWN
There are fancier towns than your own little town, There are towns that are bigger than this,
And the people who live in a little old town Don't know the excitement they miss. There are things you can see in the wealthier towns That you can't in the town that is small,
And yet, up and down, there is no other town Than your own little town, after all.
It may be quite true that the streets aren't long Nor as wide and maybe not as straight,
But the neighbors you know in your own little town All welcome a fellow - it's great !
In the glittering streets of a glittering town, With its palace and pavement and thrall,
In the midst of its throng you will frequently long For your own little town, after all.
If you live and you work in your own little town In spite of the fact that it's small,
You'll find it a fact that your own little town Is the best little town, after all.
- Whiz Bang
BUXTON, NOVEMBER 10, 1774
To Messrs. Capt. John Elden, Lieut. John Hopkinson and Dea. John Nason, Committee of the Town to treat with me con- cerning my stay in this place as Minister of the Gospel and con- cerning my support.
Gentlemen:
As far as I know my heart it is my sincere desire and prayer to God that this people may be saved. I have given some reasonable evidence to them and to others who know our circumstances of this, and I am still willing to continue the Pastor of this Church
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and Congregation on condition of such a support as will give me time to do the work of a minister of the gospel. But on this point I am extremely perplexed to know how to express myself - what I have had is not fully sufficient for the purpose, and the people yet think it as much as they can conveniently pay here, there lies the difficulty when I labor for my own support the people think I neglect the ministry; if I labor not my family suffers. Could I know how to remove this difficulty I should think it happy, but I am not able. Were the people united in their esteme of me and in their sense of the worth of the Gospel Ministry I should not be afraid of a temporal support notwithstanding their poverty which they so much complain of. Union and faithfulness between a minister and people are most beautiful and most im- portant. These I earnestly desire, and had rather live with a peo- ple for a smaller salary on this footing than for a greater salary on another. For fourteen years almost I have served this people for ten pounds sterling annually less than common salaries. Should I accept of the same small support of fifty pounds sterling annually for last year and this and for three or four more to come, and then to have some addition I should make as gentle a pro- posal to this people as I should desire was I one of them, and I would even consent to take fifty pounds sterling annually upon condition they would unitedly vote me this during natural life could I think it my duty and will not leave the people if this is done mearly because they vote no more. I will hope that God will dispose them sometime hence should I live to make some equitable addition to this according to their ability and my fam- ily's wants. I humbly pray God to dispose them unitedly to con- duct in this affair in such a manner as shall be for His glory and their Spiritual welfare, and the prosperity of the Redeemer's in- terests in this place for many happy years yet to come.
From your Servant in the Gospel
PAUL COFFIN
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The above to be communicated to the Town at their meeting this day.
A true copy. Attest: JOHN NASON, Town Clerk.
Extracts from a letter written by Dr. John G. Coffin when a young man to his father, Rev. Paul Coffin. He was at Newbury- port studying medicine with his uncle.
Under date of May 15, 1789, he says:
"I'm glad you have no doctor yet settled in Buxton. I am glad Dr. Bowman of Gorham does so much good and is so well es- teemed. I should wish I might be as well settled in Buxton, but don't say a word about this. I have waited with a great deal of patience for my boots, but don't see them yet, though I want them exceedingly. I also want three more shirts and a pair of stockings &c., I wish some of the family would inform me how much you have done towards finishing the house since I left. I beg Sir, you would send me a little money and as many of my shirts as ma has made; as for my boots I hope brother Paul will carry them to Boston with him where I can easily get them. So sudden is the transition from Buxton to Newbury it seems as if I had not seen you at all. I've again resumed my old coat &c .--- ma'm need not fear my spending any more money except what absolute necessity enforces. I hope my boots will do with greas- ing and oiling. The more I know the more I want to know and I can really say that I had rather be learned than rich at 25 if I could not obtain but one. Who can endure the idea that so nu- merous a family as ours, and for whom nature has done so much, should be generally ignorant. I can't admit the thought. I there- fore anticipate the time when you will have a fixed Grammar School. The want of company is as much to be lamented in Bux- ton as most any one thing, but I hope that time will at least par- tially remove that difficulty. My sentiments exactly coincide with yours respecting liberal and benevolent religion."
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In a letter to his sister he says:
"Is Isaac Lane courting Betsey Gray? I heard so, but it seems incredible. How does Cad. Gray increase in honor and wealth? I suppose t's pretty much as formerly." (His homespun clothing was made at home, and his boots by Samuel Knight.)
Dr. John G. Coffin was born in Buxton November 14, 1769. He probably practiced medicine in this town a short time. He practiced in the service of the United States at Fort Niagara, and was for many years actively engaged in the practice of his pro- fession in Boston until failing health compelled him to retire. He died at Brookfield, Mass., January 22, 1829.
Extracts of a letter written by Rev. Gideon T. Ridlon. (Time about 1825.)
"A mighty commodious adjunct of the Shadagee hamlet was a vehicle known for miles around as 'The Tibbetts Wagon.' All merchandise was transported from Portland to the country stores by teams drawn by horses or oxen. Gideon Tibbetts had a great, wide-hipped horse of size and strength sufficient to draw his goods to Shadagee, but there was no vehicle of commensurate ca- pacity. But a man named for Israel's old warrior who fought with 'the sword of the Lord and of Gideon' was found equal to the occasion. He constructed an enormous vehicle with heavy 'running parts' framed of seasoned white oak. This ark-on- wheels was a novelty. As soon as launched and its existence known it was in constant demand in the town of Buxton for a long time."
Extracts from a letter written by Oliver Harris Bradbury, of Knoxville, Tenn., in 1908. He was a former resident of Buxton.
"Buxton Lower Corner was a great place in my earliest re- membrance of it. On the north side of the common was the meeting house and graveyard. On the west was the mansion house of Pelatiah Harmon, Hillard's law office and a carriage
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shop. On the south was the tavern of Ben Chase and his store and stables; he kept a stage tavern. On the east was a store kept by a man with the extensive name of Samuel Philip Savage That- cher, a trader, and the grand mansion house of Dr. Royal Brews- ter, who also had a store, and the three story store of Pelatiah Harmon, the upper one occupied by the Free Masons, and lastly the blacksmith shop of Col. Spofford. About 1830 was the most prosperous period in the history of the old Corner. It was the rallying place for military training and the annual general mus- ters, the meeting place for political conventions and speechmak- ing of both parties, Whigs and Democrats. It was there I have heard speeches from F. O. J. Smith, Nathan Clifford, William Pitt Fessenden, Gov. Fairfield, Samuel Bradley, and that keenest of wits and satirists, Joshua Dunn, besides many other prominent men of that time. In that period all able-bodied males from the age of 18 to 45, were enrolled and required to meet and drill four times a year in companies, and at annual muster in the fall season. Once in two or three years a brigade muster occurred that included Saco and Limington. Then an immence crowd gathered from the surrounding country for many miles. The companies would form on the roads leading out of the village, and from there marched to the muster grounds, in some field near by, led by a band made up of fifes, tenor and bass drums, the only genu- ine martial music that will stir a man up to the fighting pitch quicker than any brass band that was ever heard."
IN COUNCIL JULY 17TH, 1776
Ordered that the Declaration of Independence be printed and a copy sent to the ministers of each parish of every denomination within this State, and that they severally be required to read the same to their respective congregations as soon as Divine Service is ended in the afternoon on the first Lord's Day after they shall have received it, and after such publication thereof, to deliver the said Declaration to the Clerks of their several towns or districts,
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who are hereby required to record the same in their respective town or district book, there to remain as a perpetual memorial thereof.
In the name and by order of the Council.
R. DERBY, JR., President.
A true copy. Attest:
JOHN AVERY, Dep. Sec'y.
Salem, Massachusetts Bay.
Printed by E. Russell. By order of authority.
TIME AND CHANGE BY E. C. CARLL
The length of a man's life is but a grain of the sands of time, but in the history of our material things, in the development of the scientific and the mechanical, we seem to have witnessed the creation of a new world. Every mile of steam railroad in America has been built in the lifetime of men now living and many of our older people remember the wood-burning locomotives that hauled trains over the York and Cumberland Railroad to its terminus at Bar Mills. Our parents remembered the first cookstove and the first matches.
Electricity and gasoline, the application of great scientific dis- coveries to the arts of peace and war, mass production of myriad inventions for household convenience, farming, transportation and commerce, with their resultant effect on the lives of our peo- ple, have made the life and customs of fifty years ago seem as re- mote to our young people as the log house in the settlers' clear- ing.
The committee in charge of the publication of this book, believ- ing that these facts are an important part of our history, have re- quested that some of them be mentioned. We read much of mil-
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itary and political history while along with it we find little social history, which is of as much importance and interest.
There has been a decrease in the population of Buxton and other similar towns, especially outside of the villages. Perhaps well conducted farms are as profitable as ever, but many other things have become more attractive, following changed industrial conditions.
The decline of country towns cannot all be charged to farming. A great many sources of country income have been cut off by im- proved machinery and factory production. We once had many small shops and activities where hand labor and the skill of many an individual craftsman contributed to the support of quite a part of the population. To this change, more than decline of agri- culture, may be attributed much of the decline of the rural com- munity, the smaller schools and churches, and lack of social in- terests.
FOREST PRODUCTS
Perhaps nowhere in America is found such variety of tree and shrub, with such voluntary and persistent growth, as in the sec- tion in which the Saco Valley is the central part. Cleared up through hard pioneer labor, we have seen many a field in hoed crops, later in pasture, then bushes, a woodlot, and soon a timber lot. Left to revert to nature for a hundred years, without plow, axe, fire, or imported insect pests, Buxton would become as com- pletely wooded as when the first man with an axe crossed its bor- ders, or the first Kings Mast was marked.
· This seems to be the northern limit of the growth of many kinds of trees and bushes. Walnut, (shag bark hickory) sycamore, (buttonwood) and chestnut are seldom found except in western Maine. The pines seed freely in the Saco Valley and perhaps the natural reproduction of white pine here exceeds that of any other part of the country. In northern Maine pine, oak, or even run- ning juniper and many others are rare, while in southern New
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England the list of native trees is more limited. Formerly every water power had its thriving lumber business, with plenty of logs supplied locally and from the drive.
Before the coming of the railroad the hauling of this large quantity of lumber to Portland gave employment to a great many men and oxen. Our memory does not go quite back to that time, but Deacon Nathaniel Milliken, William Rankins and others told stories of the great strings of teams on the road and of the jokes and pranks of the hardy teamsters.
Grandfather kept four or six oxen and hired a driver, as did many other farmers. There was a large amount of gear, heavy ox sleds, carts and wagons, chains, yokes, bows, goads, bow pins and clevis pins, the total of all such in town making a considerable plant that was scrapped by changed conditions.
The old methods of handling local timber furnished more in- come to residents than the methods of today. While there is yet a good deal of lumbering in town, it is now the portable mill, with organized crew, and much of it at a time of year when the operations compete with farming in the use of men and teams. Under former conditions, only the larger trees were cut, they were drawn to mills on snow by oxen, then plenty on farms, af- fording income when there was nothing else to do.
One result of so much winter logging was that the roads were kept constantly well broken and very soon the merry jingle of sleigh bells followed the heaviest snowstorm.
The story of one Buxton farm is worth relating. The owner died. To pay out the heirs the son sold off the timber. Following the good common sense of his time, only trees that were ripe for harvest were cut. He had never heard of forestry as a profession, but had the idea from his father before him. Farm teams hauled it several miles to mill and the entire income was left to some one in town, logs, chopping, hauling and sawing.
A son grew to the age of his father when the timber was cut. The small trees that had been left made another crop of lumber.
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There were over a million feet and the price was much higher. There was also much small stuff not fit for lumber. Did he fol- low the wise example of his father and give the coming generation the same chance his father gave him? No, the portable mill went in, making it a desert. Nature will reforest it in her own good time, but for the present it is a total loss.
No criticism of our lumbermen is intended, doubtless they will conduct their business without our advice, nor may we say that the land owner shall not do as he will with his own. This is to men- tion change of methods, and the effect on the town. As oppor- tunity for winter income declined, the farmer had to do more and better farming or quit. Some did the one and some the other.
COOPERAGE
Cooper shops added to the income from the forests. On many farms men made heading, heads for molasses hogsheads and other casks. Second quality white and hard pine boards from the near- by mills made a winter job. With the exception of a foot power boring machine the work was all with hand tools, saws, cooper axes, drawknives, or drawshaves, jointers and compasses, as they called them. The invention of heading machinery put the hand shops out of business and large quantities of sawed heads were made at The Bar and Moderation until changed methods of handling molasses made the hogshead a back number.
Oak shook, staves for hogsheads, were made by Horace Har- mon and others until the stave machine came. Red oak logs, cut the right length, were hand rived, hand shaved, jointed, set up and burned inside by a fire in an iron basket, until the ends could be trussed up and false hoops put on. The ends were trimmed and the crow made after which it was allowed to set into shape. The false hoops were then knocked off and the staves bound up into shook, ready for some Yankee cooper to set up again on the deck of some Portland vessel in the West Indies.
At Spruce Swamp, now Groveville, Gradiner C. Brooks and
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later Horace Harmon had a barrel shop where several men were busy, mostly on fish and mackeral casks then in much demand.
Custom work was accepted; sometimes a mash or leach tub, for use in making soft soap, or a wash tub, a pork barrel or perhaps a brand new "old oaken bucket." Brewster Elwell and his sons Oliver and Ansel were noted coopers. Ansel is living. Thomas Webster was another cooper of the older generation. Brewster Elwell was noted for his natural humor and ever bubbling wit, much of which is noted in his descendants. Dea. A. J. Lombard, James Paine and his son, Leonard Paine, were among our last coopers.
To complete the cask another industry was necessary-hoop making. It does not seem long since the last car of hoops was shipped, but machine made iron hoops drove out wood and the old time hoop-pole man, who often cut what he could get his hands on, regardless of ownership, is one with Nineveh and Tyre.
The West India trade made an outlet for the cooperage and much of the lumber. Buxton men who carried on the business very successfully many years were Mark P. Emery and Isaac Emery of Buxton Center, D. T. Chase, whose home is now occu- pied by A. L. T. Cummings as a summer residence, and A. L. Hobson of Moderation, who was succeeded by Rufus Deering from across the river in Hollis.
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