the Androscoggin through Parker's and a chain of
other ponds in Mount Vernon, Fayette, Wayne, and
Leeds.

10. — The Plains.

Among the natural features of the town "The Plains"
deserve notice. These are some two miles long and
half a mile wide, and lie east and south-east of Parks'
Mills. The tract is by no means level ; still there
are patches that are nearly so. There were but few
bushes or trees on The Plains when the settlement
of the town was commenced, but there was quite a
growth of blueberries, strawberries and grass. The
tract had probably been frequently burned over by
the Indians, which checked tlie growth of timber but
promoted that of shrubs and grass. The pioneer set-
tlers used The Plains as a common pasture for many
years.

11. — Geological Con.iecture,

It is the opinion of some that almost the whole
of Little Norridgewock and McGurdy's Streams, with
a part of Wilson's Stream and Sandy River were once



History of Chesterville. 21

engulfed in a large pond or lake, the outlet of which
was near what is now called Smith's Mills, in Fay-
ette, into the Androscoggin, and that the Ridge was
then formed by the current. If the hills showing
themselves on each side of New Sharon Falls were
at some past period joined in one so as to stop the
Sandy River in that direction, this state of things
did exist, and such a conjecture is well founded. —
The appearance of the bed of the river at the Falls
and below\ and the make of the intervales for quite
a distance down river, ( first a mixture of loam and
coarse gravel, a little farther down fine gravel, and
farther yet, sand, coarse and then fine,) indicate that
such a cutting through the hills and running away
of a lake did once take place. This opinion is ren-
dered more plausible when the steepness of the hills
on each side of the Falls is taken into account. We
rarely find such shaped hills where no current has
operated, unless formed of ledge. The Falls once
thus submerged, testimony of the existence of such a
lake is found in a deposite apparently formerly the
bottom of a lake, and now slightly in some instances
covered with soil.

Another fact corroborative of this belief is the ex-
istence of narrow patches of intervale, one at and
above the mills at the Falls, on the north side of
the river, and another just below on the south side-
This shows that a larger, wider channel than is need-
ed for the ordinary flow of the river was made when
the lake was drained, and as a matter of course hiis
been partly filled up since. Nor is this a solitary



22 History of Chf.stecvillti.

instance. The pond, lulls, and stream near Wilton
Upper Village, with the inttrvales at, below, and
southwesterly, to the Androscoggin, form a case in
point. At tlie south end of Wilson's Pond, near the
road to Bartlett's Corner, tlie land is only about
twenty feet higher than the surface of the pond at
its usual higlit. The hills at the village are doubt-
less somewhat higher, and if connected by an inter-
vening ridge, would stop the stream and raise the
pond, which, in such a case, would send its waters
into the Androscoggin, not far above Jay Bridge. —
The steep hills on the sides of the stream at the
village, and the make of the bed of the stream and
the land near it below, plainly show that the stream
once cut its way through these hills.

12. — Early Settlers. — Abraham Wyman.

Abraham Wyman was the first white inhabitant of
what is now Chesterville. He began on the farm
which has for several years been owned and occu-
pied by Setli Norcross — about the year 1782. His
family was . the only one for about a year between
Keadfield or Mount Vernon and the Sandy River. —
They lived in a quite lonely condition, having few if
any callers or visitors, until Mr. Sewall and Mr. Lin-
scott moved in, about three miles north of them. Af-
ter this, (as Mrs. Wyman stated in after years,) Mrs.
Sewall and Mrs. Linscott being sisters, used frequently
to walk down to visit her, barefoot!

After a few years Mr. Wyman moved to Livermore.
He did not reside there however many years, but re-



History of Chesteiiville. 2'S

turned and lived with his son Daniel. He died in
180-2, his wife in l817.

lo. DUMMEll SeWALL,

On the 23d day of March, 1783, after a toilsome
journey of six days, with ox teams from Bath, Dum-
mer Sewall, son of Col. Uummer Sewall of Bath, —
arrived with his family, and commenced a residence
on the farm hitely occupied by his son, Otis C-
Sewall. He had previously made a clearing and put
up a camp, in which he and Mr. Linscott, witli
their faraihes, took up their abode. Here they liv-
ed together for some time, or till Mr. Linscott had
prepared a rough dwelling.

Some time in 1783 Mr. Sewall constructed a sleigh,
the first made in the town, and probably the first in
Franklin County. If now in existence it would be
esteemed a great curiosity. The bottom was framed
like others of that day, but with little if any iron
work on it. The sides, forepart, and back of the
top were of birch bark, doubled to make it more
firm, and to show the same side of the bark outside
and in. He and his wife and child rode in it to
Bath, and returned again in it. Their visit ta Bath
was about ten months after their location in their
wilderness home. Mrs. Wheeler, who informed the
writer of this incident, had tested the sleigh by rid-
ing a short distance in it.

Two years after this Mr. Sewall built a double
sleigh, as perhaps we should esteem it. He owned



24 History (;F Chesterville.

no horse. Contemplating another journey with his
family to Bath in this, he engaged one owned by Mr.
Linscott, and to match it another belonging to Mr.
Eaton of Sandy Ri-ser. A day or two before his
journey he got them together and harnessed, all but
the long bridles, Mr. Linscott helping and his wife,
with their child Andrew, four years old, looking on.
The horses were regarded as very steady and gentle.
Mrs. Linscott, with some urging, got in with her
child. Immediately on this the horses started, and
were soon in a fast run, 'jp by Mr. Linscott's, he
aad Mr. Sewall endeavoring in vain to overtake them.
Mrs. Linscott did her best to keep her child and
herself from being hurt, but she could not keep her
seat, but was tossed about in all parts of the sleigh.
The horses ran on some two and a half miles, when,
some half way down the north side of Locke's Hill,
the strap holding up the tongue gave way, and the
tongue was driven into the snow and even into the
ground, tipping the sleigh and stopping the team.
The shock threw the riders several feet into the snow,
but did not hurt them. Mrs. Linscott being thinly
clad, was poorly prepared for such a ride, and on
clambering into the road, found her feet so cold that
she sat down, rubbing them in the snow. She had
barely finished this when her husband came up, and
soon after him Mr. Sewall, who had been delayed a
little by looking for the child beside the road. They
soon got the team in such order that the horses gave
Mr. Linscott a slow ride home.



HiSiOKY OF ClIKSTERVILLF. '26

Mr. Sewall, with others, in ITS-t and 178"), bnilt
the iirst saw and grist mill in the town, on Little
iNorridgewock Stream, near the present site of Park's
Mills, to which Stephen Titcomb of Sandy River,
as traditi >a says, hauled the first log and helped
saw it into boards. Mr. Sewall put up two or three
otlier mills in later years, being a carpenter by tr:ide.
He raised quite a family, the oldest of whom, Diim-
mer, was the first wiiite child born in Chesterville.
He was born Aug. '22. 178o. A lot of land near
John Butterfield's was bestowed as a birthright, which
was sold about the time he attained the' age of '21.
Mr. Sewall made and repaired coopers ware soon
after he became a resident in Chesterville. He lack-
ed some of the tools necessary in this business. — •
Needing a "'croze" he broke a piece from the point
of a handsaw and made one. A piggin, a vessel
with one stave extending higher than the others for
a handle, would be a rare sight now; but the writer
used to see them in liis boyhood. They ordinarily
contained about six quarts and were mostly used in
milking. A tv/o story house, raised Sept. 12, K8s,
was built by Mr. Sewall, in which he lived many
years. Mrs. Sewall once said, " It has stood sixty
years and not a single death has occurred in it."'
This house has since been taken down. Mr. Sewall
was the first Postmaster and Justice of the Peace ^in
the town, both of which ofifices he filled several years.
He died hi February, 1846, at the age of So years.
His wife died in May, 1852. [Mr. Sewall was con-
spicuous for industry, and his long life was one of
great usefulness.]



26 History of Chestervillf.

14. — Samuel Linscoit-

Samuel Linscott moved iijto the place with Dum-
mer Sewall. He began on the next lot north of Mr.
Sewall's. He helped build and carry on the first
mills in the place, and owned one half of a sawmill
built some eighteen years later. He carried on fiirra-
ing rather more extensively than his neighbors. He
made one of the purchases of the to'vn, and served
the town as treasurer for the first two years after
its incorporation, and as constable and collector dur-
ing three years. Capt. Wyman, his brother and Mr-
Linscott, once went on snowshoes to Moose Hill
hunting. They found three moose and each select-
ing his object, fired. Two dropped dead, while one
remained almost or entirely unhurt. Their dogs
worried this one to madness when it rushed towards
Mr. Linscott; Capt. Wyman in the mean time load-
ing for another shot. Mr. L. dropped his gun and
siezed his axe, waiting the assault. ' The moose
came rushing towards him, and just as he was crouch-
ing for his final spring, Mr. L. settled the axe into
his head and thus killed him.

One of the first years of his residence liere, Mr.
Linscott needed potatoes to plant. Stephen Titcomb
had some to spare. Mr. Linscott with his axe w^ent
and labored for Mr. Titcomb two days for two bush-
els of potatoes. At night of the second^day he
shouldered his potatoes and started for home. The
stream had risen a little where he had crossed on a
tree, so that when he was fairly on it with his
load he found that it was alloat. He lost his axe,



History of Chesterville. 27

and had to lay his bag of potatoes across the tree
mostly in the water. Watching the most favorable
opportunity, as well as he could judge in the dark-
ness, he jumped for '• dear life" towards the shore,
Ho then went honip. The' next morning, with some
help, he recovered his axe and potatoes. But the
potatoes yielded him but a light return for all his
labor and risk, as few of them ever grew.

Mr. Linscott's son Daniel, about eighteen years of
age, was drowned in May, 1797. He was drowned
just above the first sawmill, after it had been remov-
ed up stream, and his was the first death by drown-
ing among the settlers of the town. He was tending
the, mill alone, and as is supposed^ went to haul up
a log, and that in doing it he got into the millpond,
perhaps by sliding down between two logs. A man
coming down the stream to mill in a canoe, seeing
a hat upon the water and the mill running, gave
the alarm. The body was not found till the next
day. Mr. Linscott's younger son, Joseph, died in
August 1789, at the age of about 18 months. This
was the first death of a white person within the
town. Mr. Linscott died in Nov., 1816; his wife in
July, 1843. In the same house a sister of Mrs.
Linscott — widow Hannah Foster, — died in May 1846,
at the age of 94. Hers was the death of the old-
est person to be found on the town records in 1856.

15. — William Bradbury.

A few years after the settlements just recorded,
William Bradbury began to clear the lot next north



28 History of Chestervule.

of Mr. Linscott's, the farm on whicli his son Wil-
liam O. Bradbury. Esq. afterwards Ywod and died.
He was a carpenter by trade, and he superintended
the framimg of many buildings in the vicinity. Soon
after he made a beginning on his lot, — possibly be-
fore he had a family, — he went to Winthrop to mill,
with a hand sled. He helped build and occupy one
sawmill, owning one eighth |)art. This was the mill
of which Mr. Linscott owned half Mr. Bradbury
worked on the first sawmill erected in Chesterville
for others, but owned no part of it. He was one of
the first board of Selectmen and Assessors of the
town, and served in that capacity at different times
seven years; as Clerk, fourteen years; and as Treas-
urer, twenty-six years. Out of the fifty-four years of
the town's corporate existence up to April, 856, he
and his son, Wm. O. Bradbury, have had care of
the town's treasury, in the same house, forty-one
years. In later years he was deacon of the Baptist
church in the town. Before and after this he fre-
quently conducted religious meetings on the vSabbath,
reading printed sermons when no minister was pres-
ent. He commenced this practice soon after Rev.
Jotham Sewall commenced preaching, — he having
conducted such meetings .previous to that time. —
These meetings were called " Society Meetings," in
former days. They originated August 27, 1786, in
Thomas Davenport's camp. The Wednesday evening
prayer meetings, which were kept up with very few
interruptions some forty-five or fifty years, originated
in the same camp. May 21, 1788. Mr. Bradbury



History of Chestervii.le. 29

conducted these many years, as well as the siug-iir^
in a'l such meetinp;s in the Plantation some twelve
or fourteen years prior to \>W. He died in Nov.,
1846. at the ao-e of upwards of 80. His wife died
in Nov., 1821, at the age of 67.

16. — John Mhchef-l.

About the date of Mr. Bradbury's commencement
of improvements on his lot, John Mitchell began to
clear the lot now, [i856] owned in part by David
M. Hamilton, it being the second lot north of Mr.
Bradbury's. He cleared some land and put up build-
ings a few years before he married and moved into
his house. He had an interest in one sawmill at
least, and did something at lumbering for a number
of years, besides carrying on his farm. In the ear-
lier days of the culture of the soil of this region,
rultivators were unknown. Corn and potatoes were
managed wholly by the hoe. No plow was introduc-
ed for several years. The first that the writer re-
members of any operation of the kind was started by
Mr. Mitchell. He prepered a yoke so that the oxen
could walk with one row between them, — the ring
and staple being placed close to the near ox. In
this way. by shearing the plow a trifle, it could fol-
low the near ox and do the work. Many pieces of
corn and potatoes were cultivated in this way. After
a few years, however, this mode was superseded by
the horse and a light plow. Mr. Mitchell was chosen
ensign in 1804, when the militia was first organized
in town. He was promoted to the lieutenancy^



:]() lIi>TOKV OF Ci.ii:sti:rvili.e<

and not long after, in 1810, resij^ned. He died af
his soil's in Hloomfield in January, looO, at the age
of ^8 years, and was brought to Chesterville for in-
terment. His wife died in Feb. 1839. at tbe age
of 7i years.

17, JOTHAM SeWALL.

Jotham Sewall established his home on the lot
north of Mr. Mitchell's — the farm where he lived
and died, —in March, 178S. Like others of the
pioneers he began to do soTnething on his land
about five years earlier. He planted a nursery of
appletrees, — probably the first in what is now Frank-
lin County, — ^^in Sept, 1783. Some ten years after
this he set out the first orchard. He once carried a
grist to mill at Winthrop, on a handsled. He car-
ried on his farm, working occasionally at his trade —
that of a mason, — until about 1798, when he engag-
ed in preaching the gospel. Much of his time after
this, when health permitted, was spent in missionary
labor, mostly in this state, though sometimes extend-
ed to other states. When he first raised apples to
spare they could be exchanged, bushel for bushel, for
corn. He died Oct. 3, 18o0, at the age of 90 years.
[See Appendix to this history for the most complete
biographical sketch of Kev. Jotham Sewall now in
existence.]

18. — John Bradbury.

Jolin Bradbury began on the lot next north of
Mr. Sewall's, soon after him. He was a joiner and



History of Chesteumi.m:. 3^

o-lazier bv trade, and for maDV years made most of
rh€ window sashes used in the vicinity. He also,
in addition to his farm work, finished off many rooms-
He always appealed to entertain a dread of poverty.
Before he was married he was sleeping one night
in bis camp, on a bench, or rough temporary bed,
whtn he dreamed he saw ])overty, in the form of a
large two story house, movnig slowly in various di-
rections. In iiis dream he had fears lest it should
run over lum and he watched its motions with intense
interest. Soon it seemed to be moving towards him,
and runnhig in a direct line, was now about to run
over and crush him sure enough. He put forth his
utmost strength, and made a desperate leap and found
himself awake several feet from his bunk. Striking
the floor no doubt awoke him. Whether the dread
above mentioned was hereditary or premonitory, or
came over him in accordance with his natural tem-
perament, it is not easy to decide. He became poor,
however, before his death, which occurred in July,
1851. His first wife died in April, 1831.

i9. — Abraham ajs^d Thomas Davenport.
Near the same time, Abraham and Thomas Daven-
port began respectively on the two lots next north.
The wife of Abraham Davenport was sister to the
wife of Rev. Jotham Sewall. Thomas Davenport
married a sister of John and William Bradbury, and
his first child, Nathaniel, was born Feb. 29, 1792.
It was said of him that his birthday came only once
in four years. It was an occurrence very rare for
a birth to take place on that day.



'32 History < r Chlsthrville.

Not many )ears elapsed befoio they returned to
Hallowell where they had formerly resided. The
former left about two years before the latter, Avho
left in April, 1799. The former carried on the tal-
low chandler's business in Hallowell a number of
years, but died at liis son's ni Mobile, Alabama, about
\^o\. His wife died in Hallowell. Thomas is sup-
posed to have resided in Hallowell the remainder of
his life.

20. — Joshua B. Lowell.

The next lot north was taken up by Joshua B.
Lowell, son of Reuben Lowell, one of the early set-
tlers in Farmington. He opened the iirst house for
the entertainment of travelers, within the limits of
the present town, while it was yet a plantation. He
was chosen the tirst Clerk, and served the town in
that office nine consecutive years. He served also
i\s Selectman and Assessor six years, and was the
second Postmaster in the town. A paralytic shock
rendered him helpless some four years before his
death, which took place in March, 182 L His age
was 55 years. His wife died in November, lb'2'2.

21. — EnwAiiD LocKE.

Pretty early among the settlers last described, Ed-
ward Locke arrived from New Hampshire. His fam-
ily lived a short time in John Mitchell s house, while
he was making a beginning on the lot next north of
Mr. Lowell's, and juitting up a lug house. His lot



History of Chesterville. 33

was considerably larger than others south of it. He
preached occasionally, mostly in places adjacent. It
was not, hov/ever, many years before he leii: the place.
Some of his sons occupied the farm, and he, occa-
sionally, with several changes, and a few intc^rrup-
tions. until about 18'-2S, when it was divided and
passed into other hands. On this large lot there are
now four residences, and about ten others own parts
of it. Mr. Locke was supposed to own more prop-
erty than any other man in the place; for he had
feveral pieces of real estate in other towns. At the
time of his decease he owned a house and lot in
Awgusta. He died in March, 1824. His son Ward,
a preacher of the Freewill Baptist denomination, oc-
cupied the farm some ten years, the closing part of
his life. He died in November, 1828.

22. — John Wheeler.

John Wheeler, senior, moved into the place from
York in 17^)3. He had several children, lived a year
or two in a log house then recently vacated by the
removal of Joth^m Sewall into the framed house he
had built, and then moved to the place he afterwards
bought of the slate, where Enoch Black now [1856]
resides, south of Sand Pond. Mr. AV heeler was a
tailor by trade, the iirst in the town — at which trade
he worked a part of the time. He was born in May,
1750, as appears by the town record. His wife died
of t}phus fever in March, 181-1, and his daughter
Sally, about two months after. His son's wife, liv-
ing near, died May 8, and Mrs. Chandler, a married



si History of Chesterville.

daughter, May 15, of the some year. A few }ears
after these afflictive events he sold and went to Wil-
ton, living in the family of Mr. Hiscock, who married
his youngest daughter, where it is understood he died
some years ago, at the age of about yO. It was gene-
rally believed that he was born in Enghmd. Mrs.
Wheeler, when probably about lifty years old, more
than once went to her son John's, fully three miles,
over bad roads, carrying her flax, and spun two double
skeins of linen, und returned home at night, traveling
both ways on foot.

23. — Samuel Judkins.

Samuel Judkins, st-nior, was the second^ settler
in the south part of the town, then called Wyman's
Plantation. He first lived near a large spring south
of the d^velling house of Moses French. This was
probably about 1786 or 7. Not long after he took
up a lot west of the Kidge, where Burnham Morrill
now lives, and where Mr. Judkins put up buildings
and resided the remainder of his life. He died in
July, 1803. His body was carried about two and a
half miles to be buried. For this purpose a long
bier was prepared. The poles were placed a suffi-
cient distance asunder to admit a horse between them.
When ready, with the coffin upon it, — a saddled
horse at each end of the bier, between the poles, —
the bier was raised, and each end of a pole placed
in a stirrup of the saddle, and thus conveyed to the
place of interment by two horses. Mr. Judkins had
several sons. Samuel, jr., was remarkable for the



History of CuEbTERviLLK. 35

ability to turn one heel forward, standing with his
feet parallel, — toe to heel, — beside each other. He
lived n few years near where his father began, but
subsequently resided in different places. Joseph and
Benjamin were tifer and drummer to the militia
company when first organized. Of the latter Rev.
Jotham Sewall in his Journal of May 10, 1800,
says, " With S. W. Eaton visited Benj. Judkins, Avho
was very low. He had been struck in the ham by a
porcupine's tail, and some of the quills had worked
through his leg."

24. — Daniel Wyman.

While Mr. Judkins lived near the large spring,
Daniel Wyman, son of Abraham Wyman, came from
Readfield, built a house and resided a little north
of him. He lived here till about two years after he
was chosen Captain, (as elsewhere stated,) when he
removed to Livermore. A year or two after, how-
ever, found him returned, with his father and moth-
er. Not far from this date he built a house and be-
gan to reside where Franklin Currier now lives, which
is on the same lot where he first built. He lived
here quite a number of years. He was somewhat
noted as a hunter, and in the latter years of his life
he was heard to say tliat he had shot one moose at
least on every square mile for several miles around
A few years after 1820 he sold his farm and moved
to Kingfield, living with one of his sons. When
almost 70 years old he visited another son residing
near the Dead River. Here he was on the day that



36 History of Chesterville.

completed his " three score and ten." That day, with
his favorite, the gun, well loaded, he made a hunt-
ing excursion. Avith one attendant. As they were in
a canoe on the Dead River, they espied two moose
swim.ming across. He was told to fire. '• Not yet,"
said he. The moose were soon climbiiio^ the river
bank near each other. Then he fired. On examin-
ation it was found that the ball had passed through
the vitals of one, killing it outright, and then broke
a leg of the other, so that he was soon dispatched.
Thus he killed two moose at one shot the day he
v.^as seventy years old. Two credible persons inform-
ed the writer that they had seen the ball that exe-
cuted this feat. In the days so far back towards
our Revolutionary struggle, as were those that dawn-