USA > Maine > Waldo County > Brooks > Sketches of Brooks history > Part 23
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Miss Gail Treat is also a Life Member of the Authors' League of America, and of the Authors' Guild. of New York.
The author is greatly indebted to Miss Treat. Even though she was over- burdened with other affairs she has made it possible to include the genealogical notes of these families.
REFERENCES TO AUTHORITIES FOR STATEMENTS
Authorities for these statements exist in Colonial Records, and other Public Records, in Private Records and Manuscripts. and in Family Bibles; also in notes which I wrote down right at the time they were told to me; other state- ments are from memory,-as to the descriptions of. and locations of old houses in Brooks which I have written, owing to having received several letters from Brooks as well as elsewhere, asking for such information. I have written what I recall my grandmother. Margaret Maria (Nesmith) Huxford told me, hence although I know names of those she told me lived in them I do not know names of all the families who lived in cach house at various times nor names of all the persons who built them.
Detailed records are to be found in The History of Acworth, New Hampshire; The History of Londonderry, New Hampshire; The History of Windham. New Hampshire, by Morrison; The History of Antrim, New Hampshire, by Cochran; and the volumes, "The History of the Scotch-Irish", who were Covenanters,- Scotch Presbyterians, were "hostile to Royalty's usurpation of religious freedom", therefore they removed to Ireland. thence to America. Of these Covenanters, Sir H. Wotton wrote in "Letters": "I am sorry to hear of new oathes in Scotland between the Covenanters who say they will have none but Jesus Christ to reign over them."
My authority for the Huxford data was Miss Harriet M. Pease, (of Martha's Vineyard) daughter of Judge Pease into whose hands had fallen the early rec- ords of that Island. I am told that, before her death, she gave them to the Nantucket Historical Society.
(Signed) GAIL TREAT.
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Stephen V. R. Huxford
Capt. James S. Huxford
James M. Huxford
Lieut. Harry Huxford
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MARGARET MARIA NESMITH was born in Brooks, Maine, on January 14, 1814. She died there in her own home on September 16, 1900. She was married February 24, 1838, the records state, "The bans were published Feb. 17, 1838, in the new Church", to Harry Eells Huxford (1809-1863). (See Huxford). She was very attractive in manner and appearance, having a speaking face, soft brown hair and blue eyes. Her disposition was most lovable, genial and always eager to give pleasure to others.
She had a keen, irrepressible wit and sense of humor, and was intel- lectual, inventive, and unusually resourceful. In her day there was not any social affair, nor public entertainment, parade nor celebration, in which she was not an inspiration and a foremost leader. She was always understanding of, and helpful to the poor and needy, and, each year, she outfitted several families. Although her people on both sides of the house had been in New England over a century and a quarter, (nearly six generations), she, as far as I can learn, was the first of them to marry outside their Scottish clans and relatives,-her father and mother were double first cousins,-but her marriage was of such perfect happiness and congeniality that the comparatively early death of her husband, (before any of their children were married,) caused her such ineradicable grief that never, for over a quarter of a century, could she, on the anniversary of his death-Thanksgiving Day-bring herself to join in the day's festivities,-she spending the day alone in her own room, behind closed doors; yet so unselfish and thoughtful of others was she, that she was always cheerful, and never allowed her grief to sadden anyone else. Always when with others she was so absorbed in trying to give them happiness, that her manner and words were full of sunshine, gayety, beauty and helpfulness, and she was invariably the life of the group whom she was with. Her son-in law, Charles Henry Treat said of her; "She is an ideal mother- in-law! I could not love her more, if she were my own mother." Owing to her inventive faculties she was never a copyist; she thought out unique ways, all her own, to achieve her undertak- ings and carried to success whatever she undertook. Never was a puzzle brought to her, that she could not solve. She won prizes for solving most difficult ones. She was a wizard at genealogy and could repeat accurately the many traditions and happenings that had been handed down in her family, "by word of mouth," for generations, and which have recently been established by lately discovered authentic records, which she could not possibly have known about. She was exceptionally skilled in the finest and most intricate fancy and handi-
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Thaddeus I. Huxford
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Residence of the Late Thaddeus I. Huxford
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work, for which she originated unusual designs that won for her many high prizes in public exhibitions. From the Nesmiths of Scotland, whose flair for horticulture made their gardens and greenhouses fam- ous for generations, she inherited a rare love for, and insight into the ways of flowers. Many of the happiest days of my childhood were those I spent roaming all day long with her (my Grandmother) over hills, fields, meadows and dense woods in search of wild Orchids, '"Lady's Slipper", "Jack in the Pulpit" and "Indian Pipes" and other woods' plants, among them an evergreen vine having long, glossy, dark green, saw toothed, round tipped leaves tapering to their base, and having star shaped wax-like blossoms of white petals with red centers which formed large round clusters of bloom, which she joyed in finding, saying it had medicinal properties and had been not un- common in her childhood, but had become very scarce. She had what the Scotch call "Second sight" and unforgettable is my 'awe, when I, for the first time knew it during one of those rovings when I lost my gold pin but did not miss it, until after having been home some time, I was bewailing "its loss forever", when she told me to "be still" while she was thinking, and then without hesitation she took me straight over many fields to a far spot where, beside a stone, she picked up my lost pin! The Brooks of her day is no more; the road from "The Corner"-cross roads -- to her home, was over a small hill which has since been cut down through. to make a level road, but thus destroying the wide spacious front lawns, unmarred by any fences, which sloped to it, from the big, roomy houses on both sides of the road which then ran almost straight over the hill-tops to Dix- mont Mountain, and all along its way, one gloried in the marvelous outspreading view of hills, valleys and streams. One must ponder whether it was not love and appreciation of Nature's ennobling beau- ties which caused the founders of Brooks to perch some of their largest houses on the highest points of the hill-tops, and to survey their roads over the steepest places, well knowing the bitter cold of winter's days far below zero, during which they would have to sleigh- ride over them; this seems even more probable when we note how beautifully they laid out their village, immediately planting rows of their beloved unequalled elm trees on both sides of the road, and planting lilacs and flowering shrubs, the originals of which were brought from overseas by their ancestors. But that road has been superseded by one that winds around the foothills. Many of the big "Colonial" houses set, like her own, in acres of ground. were early built on the hills of that "oldest" road to Jackson, among which loomed the "Great Farm" house, where Daniel Webster used to go to fish
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. and rest. Once, when she was visiting there, he was there, too, and she told me many anecdotes of him, and how she enjoyed knowing and talking with him. That house later burned down as so many of the Brooks landmarks have burned. Closed, too, far earlier-prob- ably nearly, or over, seventy years ago-was a particularly old road, known as "The Old Road" which started out from somewhere along about opposite what was Mrs. Sarah Alfred Roberts' house, or per- haps nearer to Elder Small's place, (on the road to Unity) and ran behind her own West Meadow, through dense woods and over a little log bridge which spanned a tiny, rollicking, moss-banked brook, on the way to Jackson. Over this now closed "Old Road," the men, women and children of her family delighted to take walks together often. I never heard her, or anyone, speak of the Brooks village roads by name. I do not know that they had been named then.
Nowhere have there been more changes than at "The Corner" where, in her youth on its Southwest corner, no stores beside it then, stood the house into which she moved when first married, and in which her eldest child was born; back of it flowed the River and on the opposite Northwest corner, stood the big, square, white Tavern, facing South, but its long "L" (which housed a hall used for enter- tainments and dances) ran along the side of the "Jackson" road, and next to its big, back garden, and facing on that Jackson Road, but set far back from that road, its grounds sloping to it, stood the elm shaded, spacious, low, New England Colonial house, (similar in archi- tecture to the house on the Southwest corner of "The Corner" where she once lived) where lived her near relatives, the Cochrans (which family has given to the world two famous artists) and also at one time here lived her "Aunt Varney." This house's grounds adjoined on the North those of Mr. Michael Chase, and next to his on the North, were MARGARET MARIA (NESMITH) HUXFORD'S homelands, the site of her two homes where she spent the most of her life in Brooks,-the first one built on that site was a large, low, rambling picturesque structure that nestled into the ledge of rock behind it,- which her husband owned in their carlier married life and which was destroyed by fire one winter night in about the year 1858. Some years later, in the early "seventies" she built on that site the house she owned until her death.
On the North were only two houses between hers and the Quaker Meeting house, Mr. Washington Lane's shaded by beautiful elms, and Mr. Bussell's set far back in its grove of trees.
NOTE: I have written of these houses because people have asked me about them. I do not know names of all their owners or who built them. I have written just what was told me by Mrs. Margaret Marie (Nesmith) Huxford.
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"A garden spot of the earth" but faintly describes Brooks: the beauties of her scenery, fragrance of the air,-and the orchards of va- rious fruit trees,-unforgettable are the matchless flavors of the ap- ples, -- the "Spice" apples and the sweet apples of summer; the "Seek- No-Further", the "Crow's Eggs", the "Russets" and Baldwins, later; and the purple and the red pomegranite plums; and the fields of wild sweet raspberries and wild strawberries,-and pasture ledges overrun with blueberries and blackberries, and in the meadows, the cranber- ries, and later the nuts.
Nearly opposite the Cochran house, but a bit farther up the road, stood then (and still stands) the large, square home of Mr. Hiram Pilley-and South of and next to it, and thus on the Northeast corner of "The Corner" which it faced, but was set far back from, behind "the elm trees bordering its large lawn was Dr. Manter's home, end to the Jackson road. Next to his on the East, was the one time home of "The Davises"-the last time I saw it, the home of Mrs. Isaac Staples, now owned by her daughter, Mrs. Fannie Staples Merritt, (I do not recall there being then. any house between it and Dr. Manter's) and next it still stands the former home of Isaac Clarendon Nesmith who was a man of splendid character, gentle. lovable, generous and intel- lectual; his house was built near-on its East side to the original Nesmith Homestead, built by his father, Isaac Nesmith, and where were born all his ten children; it has since been entirely changed and modernized. East of this separated by fields was the big rambling New England Colonial Home of Squire William Huxford after whose death, was owned and kept as it was by Mr. Shadrach Hall. Never then were any houses built opposite these two, because the Huxfords and Nesmiths owned all the land just in front of their houses, and across the road and below it on a bed of solid rock ran the River around (then) beautiful small islands of evergreens and birch trees, but further down that road on the "river side" stood once the home of Mrs. Wharton, long since destroyed by fire-all but its foundations around which. and in the cellar continued to grow lilacs and other flowering shrubs and clumps of the feathery tansy plant, whose tang I never could forget once tasting there, so never could see how it could be that it was used for tansy cheese-considered by most people as a special delicacy as was their famous creamy hulled corn. But on that side of the road next the River and nearly across from the Davis house was a long, low gray house, and next it, on the West, and op- posite to and facing Dr. Manter's house,-hence on the Southeast corner of "The Corner" stood, amongst elms, the long, low, one-storied
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house of the Dodge family-later torn down, and replaced by the large house now owned by Dr. Kilgore; on the South side of it and between it and the River, stood the first postoffice (later rebuilt) and several stores which were all destroyed by the first disastrous fire at "The Corner", in which were burned all the early Town and Church Records of Brooks. The old Cochran house and "The Tavern" at "The Corner" were long ago torn down, and on their sites, and be- tween them, have been built modern type houses. And the two Meet- ing houses, as she, (Margaret Maria (Nesmith) Huxford) . knew them' are no more; she regularly worshipped, Sundays, in both,-the Quaker Meeting being held in the morning and the Congregational "Orthodox" Church holding its services in the afternoon. On the hill across from Mr. Calvin Rose's beautiful place with its dreamland woods, stood the gray shingled Quaker Meeting House, with its movable, inner parti- tions to divide the men's and women's sides; while at the other end of the village on the Jackson-Belfast road, across the River, and on the South side of, and next to, The Rose House stood on a "street" corner, the square towered, white Congregational (usually called "Or- thodox" Church) which the record of her "bans" states was "new in 1838," and which, many years ago, was moved down to the hollow between the North side of the Rose House, and the River, and was then modernized, including new pews. Later on, after her death, it was discovered, I am told, that the Church practically belonged to her and to Mr. Michael Chase. they two having inherited all the pews of their deceased relatives, (through the old colonial custom of the founders buying and owning their pews outright and which unless be- queathed by will, passed hereditarily to the nearest heir.) Upon being informed of this fact which they had never known. her two sur- viving children, Thaddeus and Frances Emily Treat, gave their in- heritance to the new Church organization. She was a deep student of the Bible whose inner meanings were "opened to her spiritual sight and understanding". She could repeat many chapters of it word for word, without one mistake, and to her and others' great glee once, when visiting her son-in-law, while he was entertaining distinguished Spanish guests, she, not knowing a word of Spanish, picked up a Bible printed in the Spanish language, and from it she, to him, seem- ingly translated the Spanish into the most perfect English, but in reality she was repeating from memory the first Chapter of St. John. He not suspecting. delightedly pronounced that she had the most per- fert command of the Spanish language of anyone he had met!
The following prayer. she told me, was taught her by her mother, Mary M., known as "Polly, the poetess," and she, in turn, taught all her children and grandchildren to say; "O, Lord God, Thou knowest
الصرسم
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all things. Thou seest me by night as well as by day, and I pray thee for Christ's sake to forgive whatsoever I have done amiss this day. Keep me all the night while I sleep, for Thou art a God of all love and everlasting mercy. Amen." She died Sept. 17, 1900, in her own home which, in her will, she devised to be equally divided between her daughter, Frances Emily Treat, and her son, Thaddeus, (her two surviving children).
Her brother, William Morrison Nesmith, a man of most lovable character who never married and owing to frail health spent most of his life in his home which early in life he built in a large tract of dense forest he owned in Minnesota, came to spend his last days with her in her home. In 1875 they went to visit their relatives in Ac- worth, New Hampshire and attend a re-union of all their relatives and clan, among them being the McClures, the MeKeens, Cochrans. Dinsmores, Nesmiths. Morrisons and Wilsons. They brought back many rare and beautiful flowers.
Of her husband, Harry Eells Huxford, I find a record written in very fine handwriting many years ago, which states; "He was a man of striking personality; very tall, broad shouldered, heavy black hair, very large dark blue eyes. He was dignified, reserved, considerate, gentle, but with an inner force .that made everyone around him want to do his will. although he never made it known by a command." He was skilled in playing the violin, and once while playing in his father's house, during a "thunder storm", was seated by a window, when lightning struck it, crashing the glass around his head, but not harming him. A miniature of him painted in water color at about the time of his marriage, shows an aristocratie, handsome, smooth face. with Roman nose, large dark blue eyes and very thick black hair. He was the youngest son of Squire William Huxford and wife, Lovina (Strong) Huxford. (See Huxford). He died Nov. 26, 1863. The children of Harry Eells and Margaret Maria (Nesmith) Huxford were three sons and one daughter;
JAMES MILLER (eldest son)
THADDEUS IRISH
NORMAN BENTLEY
FRANCES EMILY. married in the Old Brooks Church. Hon. Charles Henry Treat of Treat's Point, Frankfort. Maine. Their children are : (1) Mabel Huxford. died August 12. 1919: (2) Gail (baptized Abigail) ; (3) Gertrude Margaret.
See Vol. I. "First Families of America", "Who's Who" for 1909, Vol. II and Vol. I of "Cyclopedia of Biography of American Women" and Histories of Delaware.
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Frances Emily (Huxford) Treat was highly gifted in many ways; she was very intellectual, an artist of unusual ability; she studied under famous Boston artists and the far famed William M. Chase, of New York. Her paintings were often exhibited in Philadelphia and New York Art Galleries. She was a musician, having a fine contralto voice, and was skilled in playing the guitar and piano. She was ed- ucated in Brooks schools, and at boarding school at Bath, Maine, and later by private teachers in Waterville and Augusta, Maine and Boston, Mass. She was exceptionally well read in all subjects, and had an individual, beautiful way of reading aloud, to which all her hearers quickly responded; the soft, low, eloquent inflections of her rich vibrant voice, especially when reading the Bible, were inspired and impressive. She had quick perceptions and an extremely keen sense of humor that at times, she had difficulty in suppressing and her laughter would break out unexpectedly. She was famed for her beauty, being slender and straight and of distinguished aristocratic, dignified bearing; her features were regular,-she had a pink and white complexion, heavy, very long black hair, large blue eyes fringed with extremely long black lashes, and a very sweet smile, disclosing white even teeth. Her husband often said and wrote of her: "My married life has been an ideal one." He said that he first saw her while he was a student in college and at sight, fell so deeply in love with her that for the rest of the term he was "no good" at his studies from fear he could not win her. She was such a belle that her cou- sin, Major James H. Cochrane, a great wit, and famous artist and government architect, originated, drew and colored with water colors most delicately to resemble miniatures on ivory, many imaginative "portraits" of men-saints and sinners, including a war-scarred Aus- trian Count, and accompanied the "miniatures" with most humorous imaginary descriptions of themselves, their possessions and unusual qualifications, purporting to have been sent by them to her, as in- ducements to her to accept them as suitors.
Charles Henry Treat was the eldest son of Capt. Henry Treat and his first wife, Abigail Treat, his second cousin-daughter of Colonel Ezra Treat of Treat's Point, Treatville,-later Frankfort, Maine. Both were descendants of Lieut. Joshua Treat, who histories state, "owned the finest and largest collection of silverware of any settler on the Penobscot River". (Maine was then a part of Mass.). Hence Charles Henry Treat through both his Father and his Mother was descended in two Treat lines from the Rev. Samuel Treat, of Eastham, Mass., who translated the Bible into the Indian language; he graduated from Harvard College in 1669, and, as eldest son, re-
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ceived a "double portion of the estate and house and silver of his father, Gov. Robert Treat (1623-1710) who for thirty-two years was the Royal Governor and Royal Deputy Governor of the Connecticut Colony, and was Colonel of all the Connecticut Troops, holding the highest civil and military offices in the gift of that Colony. He was President of the United Colonies of New England in 1684 and re- cords of towns in Mass., Plymouth, Rhode Island and Connecticut, tell of the many times he went with his troops to the aid of those colonists, during Indian raids, thereby saving countless lives and set- tlements. He came with his father, Hon. Richard Treat (1584-1669) and mother and all his brothers and sisters to New England with Gov. Winthrop in 1636, from Pitminster, Somerset, England,“ Hon. Richard Treat being twice of that Governor's Council, and, in 1662, Richard Treat. was by request of the Connecticut Colony, a Royal Charterer of that Colony as were also two of his sons-in-law. Named in that Charter granted by Charles II the Treat coat of arms is a white horse with scarlet bridle :- "Sable, a horse argent, bridled, gules." No motto, no crest, as it was in use countless generations be- fore the invention of crests and mottoes, as was the Huxford coat of arms. Gov. Robert Treat, following the Indian custom of drawing a bird, tree or other emblem, as signature to agreements instead of handwriting, used as his signature to Agreements with the Indians, a heart pierced with two arrows crossed pointing downward (signifying peace) surmounted by a star.
Hon. Charles Henry Treat was Treasurer of the United States in the Roosevelt Administration, and of him, President Roosevelt wrote; "I not only respected, admired and relied upon him, but I had a deep affection for him." He apprised Mr. Treat of his appointment by telling him that "he wanted him closer to his administration, and so wanted him to go down to Washington and be his neighbor as Treasurer of the United States (The Treasury building being next door to the White House). Mr. Treat was, at that time, filling his second term, as Collector of Internal Revenue of the "Wall Street (2nd) District", New York City, he having been appointed to that office seven years before, by his friend, President William McKinley, to his great surprise, learning first the news of his appointment through the newspapers, as he had never asked for, or even dreamed of political appointment to office. In it during the Spanish-American War, he was given authority to make most important decisions in taxing corporations, some of the tax stamps being $50,000.00 each. "He made a remarkable record and won National distinction." (He *See records there in Church of St. Mary and St. Andrew.
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had, after removing to New York in 1892, "at once become prominent in public life and a power politically; he was put on the Republican County Committee of New York, including New York City, and in 1895 was chosen its Campaign Manager.")
He continued as Treasurer of the United States for eight months into the Taft Administration, when he resigned that office, owing to his being President of a Coal Mining Company which required his executive abilities, because of the sudden death of its First Vice- President who had been carrying it on. President Taft urged him to . remain in office until he could choose a successor, which he did. Pres- ident Roosevelt often sent him to make speeches upon finance, all over the country, "and frequently expressed his approval of the mas- terly manner in which Mr. Treat represented his Administration in discussions of financial topics before the Bankers' and other invest- ment Associations."
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