ed upon the early settlement of this region, the mil-
itary spirit prevailed. Wyman's Plantation, with a
part or all of the present town of Vienna, ( then
called Goshen.) united in forming a company of mi-
litia, some years before either town was incorporated.
At the organization of this company Daniel Wyman
was chosen and commissioned Captain, and he con-
tinued in office about two years. He found the cost
of uniforming and equipping himself, and the "treat-
ing" then customary, bore too heavily upon his purse.
He served in the Revolutionary War and has been
known to say that he had taken as good aim at a
man as he ever had at a moose. He rendered much
assistance in 1804 and 1805 to the officers of the
company in Chesterville. then recently organized.
History of Ciiesterville. 37
2). — Samuel Perry.
Samuel Perry settled on the present Elislia Perry
farm about the date of the settlement of Daniel AVy-
man. fie had been a Revolutionary soldier, and his
wife, who outlived him more than thirty-four years,
drew a pension on account of his services. He built
a house of hewn timber, put up something like a
log house, where he lived many years. This house
was taken down severa.1 years ago. He died in 1821,
at the age >f 8f). His wife died in 1855, at the
age of more than ninety,
26.— Mr. Russell — Andrew Dunning.
Tn the south-west part of the town, where David
Gordon now lives, a Mr. Russell, father of Dr. L.
W. Russell, settled at an early day. Being one of
the first settlers west of the Ridge, that neighbor-
hood took its name, — Russellborough, — from him.
He left the town not many years after. Near the
same timxe Andrew Dunning settled not far from
Isaac Eaton's present location but continued there
only a year or two.
27. — Jeremiah Bragdon.
Not much, if any, after the preceding, Jeremiah
Bragdon settled where Moses French now lives. Be-
ing a blacksmith he carried on biacksmithing as well
as farming. He was the first blacksmith in town.
Pie joined the Congregational church in IT 9 7, and
being a good reader he frequently read sermons and
38 History of Chestervilli'.
conducted reliijrions meetings in Wyman's Plantation,
on the Sabbath, when no minister was in attendance.
He ]:>robably had improved better advantages of ed-
ucation th:-:n most of those around him. About the
commencement of the present century he became in-
sane. He was an athletic man, and three of his
neighbors had then' hands full to confine him when
first taken. He would contrive to do some mischief
even when bound with a little slack chain. If near
enough, he would get his head into the fire, unless
closely watched. He was taken care of at different
places, but mostly at home, by those living in the
vicinity, for a year or two, at least. His insanity
afterwards measurably left him. In after years he
seemed to think that he must sound every letter in
all his words when talking. It was amusing to hear
him do this in such words as, though, bought, slaugh-
ter, could, would, &c. He would not only give a
quick sound to gh, and 1, in these and like words,
but to u the full sound, as of w in cow, and the w
a like sound, or speak the letter in ail words where
it is silent. He died in Nov., 181 i ; his wife in
Nov., 1806.
28. — Joseph and Moses French.
The closing ten years of the last century brought a
number of inhabitants into Wyman's Plantation. Jo-
seph French, a native of New Hampshire, lived and
died where Isaac French now resides. In April,
1791, he came by a spotted line for three miles, by
way of Starling, now Fayette, to begin on his lot.
He and his brother Moses built and lived in a camp
History of Chesterv[i.lk. o9
near the south line of the town, while they were
making a beginning in clearing their land. They
eame on foot from South Hampton, N. H., with packs
on their backs and six day's provisions. Joseph
French was then nearly twenty-one, and had not pre-
viousl} been thirty miles from home. The spotted
line above mentioned was south of the late Daniel
Jiachelder's, now in Fayette, who had settled on the
place where he lived many years, a short time before.
Here Mr. French and his brother made a short
stay, until they put up a camp. He labored on his
lot in summers, and went back to New Hampshire
to spend die winters, for three years. He and his
brother camped together a part of the time, and husk-
ed their corn in the camp by firelight or moonlight,
in the evenings of Autumn. One evening, while thus
employed, a bear came snuffing around, looked in,
and snapped his teeth, but dared not venture in, for
fear of the fire. The next morning Mr. Judkins
eame along with his dog where they were gathering
corn. The dog scented the bear and found him in
the edge of the woods asleep, but they did not cap-
ture him. Mr. French took many a load of corn to
Hallowell with his oxen, and sold it for two shillings
a bushel. On returning he not unfrequently moved
up families who were emigrating to the forest fron-
ter. In one instance he was obliged to tie a wo-
man and child on the top of a load, to keep them
from falling off. Occasionally he would drive all
night. He served the town as Selectman and Asses-
sor seventeen years, and was a Justice of the Peace
one or more terms. He served the Congregational
40 History of Chesterville.
Church as Deacon, thirty-two of the last years of his
life. He was a joiner by trade, and worked at his
trade in connection with his farming operations. —
He was a successful farmer and an industrious citi-
ze.Q. He died in Inov., 1841 ; his wife in Nov., 1855.
*29. — JoNA. Fellows, Moses Bachelder, PF^^"EAS
Bachelder, Jesse Sopeil
Jonathan Fellows, senior, lived near the present
residence of Henry Whitney. He served the town
as Selectman two years. He died in April, 1854 ;
his wife in July, 1821. Moses Bachelder on the
south, alid Phineas Bachelder on the north of ]Mr
Fellows, and Asa Sopcr, near where Jesse Soper
now lives, all began settlements in this period. Mr.
Soper died in 1842, at the age of 16 ; his wife in
1844- at the age of 10. Moses Bachelder died in 1844^
Phineas Bachelder died in 1856; his wife several
years before.
80. — Samuel W. Eaton.
In 1794, Samuel W. Eaton settled where his son,
John Eaton, now resides. He occupied the farm for
the remainder of his life as his home, though he
spent most of his time, for fifteen years or more,
prior to 1827, at sea. He made no foreign voyages,
except one to the West Indies, but was engaged
mostly in coasting and fishing. Though he never
studied navigation, he was so well acquainted with
the rivers and harbors on our sea coast that he was
esteemed a good pilot. He died in 1831 ; his wife
in 1842.
HisTOKY OF Chestervii.le, 41
31. — Joseph Jokes.
Joseph Jones, the second bhicksmith in town, a
trade at which he worked a part of his time, settled
w^here Giistavus Clarke now lives. He was the first
lieutenant in the militia of the town and was pro-
moted to the rank of captain. While he was an of-
ficer, or soon after, he sold his farm and bought
where William Hathaway began ; but he lived there
but a few years, when he exchanged farms with
Phiueas Whitney, and removed to Cumberland County-
He is supposed to be yet [1356] living in, Aroostook
County.
3*2. — Aaron Fellows
Aaron Fellows, sen., settled where his son Aaron
now lives. He was one of the Selectmen during the
first two years of the town's corporate existence. —
He worked at shoemaking as well as farming. He
attended the annual town meeting, March 7, 1853,
then near eighty years of age. He died a little
more than a year after. Mrs. Fellows died in 1849.
About the year 1797, Mr. Fellows was hauling a
load of boards from the Center Mills, with four ox-
en and a pair of wheels. When he got on the
Ridge, nearly opposite the bog north of McGurdy's
Pond he missed something which he had supposed
to be on his load. Leaving his team he went back,
expecting every moment to find the missing article
He reached the mill, however, before he found it ;
and returning as expeditiously as he could, he found
his load, wheels and oxen, tumbled down the east
42 History of Chkstekville.
side of the Ridgo; which there is rather steep. —
The load was lodged against a hunch of hirch hush-
es near the foot of the Ridge, the hind oxen in
quite an uncomfortahle position — one on the other,
the other still fast to the cart. His first movement
Avas to cut oflf the how and liberate the up[)er ox;
but findinir this difficult and riskv, he cut off the
tongue of the cart. He then drove the oxen up the
side of the Ridge as fast as he could antl went
home with them. The next day, with some help,
he got up the cart and boards.
33. — Mos£s Walton, — Jacob Carr.
Moses Walton, sen., moved from Salisbury, Mass.,
to Sterling, now Fayette, about 1790. Six years
later he settled in Wyman's Plantation, where Charles
Walton, his grandson, now resides. About the same
time, or a little earlier, Jacob Carr settled near Mr.
Walton's. Mr. Carr was Constable and Collector
three years from 1813. Not long after this he sold
his farm and left the town.
34. — Samuel French.
Early in the present century Samuel French, sen.,
settled where Benj. S. French now resides. He died
in 1831. Near the same time Dearborn French be-
gan to clear the farm where he now resides.
So. — John Bean.
Early in the closing decade of the last century
John Bean, son of Joshua Bean of Readfield, built
History of C'hestervili/.:. ^-^
a house and settled on the farm where he lived and
died, near the west line of the town. He was an
enterprising farmer. His improved land was much
of it in Jav. John Locke, son of Edward Locke,
beo-an in Jay on the lot next north of Mr. Bean's,
at "the same time. The first trees they cut lay side
by side. They labored much together. When chop-
ping down their first trees they planned for their
corn-cribs. They selected four trees, about twenty-
five feet apart, nearly in a square; these they cut
some six feet from the ground, as squarely as they
could, on the tops. Before the next corn harvest
they placed two sizeable spruce logs on these stumps,
as distant from each other, and as nearly parallel to
each other as they could. Across these they placed
several others, spotted so as to lay steadily. On the
last sleepers they built their com cribs, of poles,
covered with spruce bark or corn stalks, to shed off
the rain. Here the corn was well preserved, and
was so high that the b-ars could not get to it. It
was threshed and marketed the following winter.—
Mr Bean served the town as Moderator at thirteen
annual meetings, as Selectman one year, and as Con-
stable and Collector four years. He died in 1854,
at the age of 84. His wife died in 1850, aged 76.
36. — William Hathaway.
About the time of the settlement of Mr. Bean,
William Hathaway began on a lot near where Ja-
cob W. Butterfield now resides, and where Zebulon
Taylor recently resided. After a few years he sold
44 History of Chestervili.e.
to Capt Jones, and left the town When Mr. H.
began to clear his lot it was in Tyngtown, now Wil-
ton, and the lot was one of the northerly ones, af-
terwards set off from Wilton to Chesterville.
37. — John Wheeler, Jr.
Having previonsly cleared some land and built a
house, John Wheeler jr., who had married Mr.
Linscott's eldest daughter, rook up his residence on
a lot on Linscott's Purchase, about a mile easterly
from the Center Mills, in the year 1800. He con-
tinued to reside there about twenty-three years, when
he bought a farm not far from the Mills, and remov-
ed there. A few years after he took down the
buildings on his back lot, but still continued to own
and improve it. He was a very industrious man.
He died in 1S55. Mrs. Wheeler, his widow, is the
only known survivor of the first settlers in Chester
Plantation. She was about six years old when her
father moved iato the place, which was in March.
1783, and an event she very well remembers. Not
ffxr from 1840 she became blind. At first she could
distinguish day from night, but latterly it is all one
continued night to her bodilv eves. She distinoruish-
es her acquaintances by the tones of their voices,
and seems very intelligent and of good memory. —
The writer is indebted to her for many incidents he
has recorded.
38. — Clarke Whittier,
Is said to have been the earliest settler in the
north-east part of the town. He began on the farm
History of Chesterville, 45
now occupied by Mr. Dike ; sold to Thomas Wil-
liams, sen., and not long after left the town.
39 — Moses WHrrriER
Commenced not f\u- from the present residence of
John W. Sanborn, about the same time, which was
not far from 178S.
40 — Thomas Gordon, Sen.,
• Settled on the farm where Benning Glines now
lives, in 17i or 1*91. He resided on the place a
number of years. He died in 1825 at the age of
more than 80 years.
41. — Phineas Whittier, — Richard Maddocks.
Other settlers in that vicinity followed within the
next four or five years. Phineas Whittier settled
where Peter Whittier now lives , and Richard Mad-
docks, sen , where his son Richard resides. John
Butterfield, sen., settled where his son John resides.
42, — Thomas Williams, Sen.,
About this period, bought of Clarke Whittier. Mr.
Williams was a joiner by trade. He was Selectman
for the first three years of the town's corporate ac-
tion, and the first Captain of the militia company in
the town, to which office he was elected in 1804. —
He died in 1810, Phineas Whittier in 1828, Mr.
Maddocks in 1839, and Mr. Butterfield in 1818.
43. — Newell Gordon.
A little later than the date of the last stated set-
tlements, Newell Gordon besan to clear the farm
46 History of Uhesteuville.
now occupied by Mr. Lufkin. He served the town
two years as Selectman, and as Constable and Col
lector two years. He died in K^48.
44 John Oakes.
Where David Oakes now resides John Oakes his
father commenced living in 180S. The two lots
owned and occupied by him had been partially
cleared by his brother, Eben Oakes, who is said to
be still living in Madrid. Otis Corbet, afterwards of
Farmington, had also made a beginning. Mr Oakes
died in 1839. In this part of the town, David Wil-
liams, John Allen, Daniel Streeter, and perhaps oth-
ers, were among the early inhabitants, but the writ-
er is not acquainted with their history.
45, — Memorable Accident.
An accident of a serious character took place in
this part of the town not far from 1809. Some half
a mile easterly from John Butterfields, Horatis
G. Quincy was engaged in felling trees. A tree he
had cut lodged on another, and he stepped forward
and cut upon the tree that held the other up. It
soon gave way, split up, broke, and slid back, the
sharp end catching one of his legs at the ancle, and
drove it into the ground. When the tree fell it
threw out his foot, but it was almost severed from
the leg,— only the strong cords at the heel holding
it. After some delay, physicians being called in who
dared not amputate, — Dr. Mann of Hallowell,
arrived. He did not arrive, however, till some twen-
HlSl'OKV OF CllKSlERVILLE. 4 7
ty-five or thirty hours after the occurrcn''-o. He am-
putated tlic leg ; jNIr. Quiucy recovered, and after-
wards became a healthy and robust man.
46. — I)a\ id ]\loi?Hii,i..
The ])ior)eer of the village at Farmington Falls,
on the ( 'hesterville i^itle of the river, was David
Morrill. He was a native of New Hampshire, and
removed with his father's family to Keadfield when
he was about fourteen years old. He served an ap-
prenticeship with Thomas Williams, seii., and was
married to a daughter of Deacon J. F. Woods in
1^01. He built a house a little north-easterly of
Deacon Woods', where he lived a few years. He
then built the house which is the present residence
of T. Croswell, Esq., and removed his family into it.
He next built a house on the Chesterville side of
the Sandy River, into which he removed his family
in 1810. A short time before this there was little,
if any, cleared land near the river at this place. —
Mr. Morrill was Justice of the Peace, and one au-
thorized to qualify civil officers, for several years.
He served the town as Selectman four years, and as
representative two years. He was a carpenter, join-
er, and brick mason, and worked occasionally at all
these , trades as well as farming. He was killed by
a fall in his barn, which produced death almost in-
stantly. His death occurred in December, 184"3, at
the age of 63. Mrs. Morrill died of paralysis, in
Oct., lyol, at the age of 77.
48 History of Chl:ste[iville.
47. — Town Meetings.
According to a journal kept by Rev. Jotham Sewall
the question of the separation of Maine from Massa-
chusetts was agitated in i~i92. Monday the 7th day
of Mav of that year was aj)pointed for the people
of Maine to meet and vote on the question. He
writes; '-Met in the afternoon at Uumnier Sewall's..
Nine votes for, and two against separation."
The inhabitants of Chester Plantation, (see record
made by Dumnier Sewall,) applied to Stephen Tit-
comb, Esq., to cidl the first Plantation Meeting of
which the writer has been able to find any record.
Pursuant to his warrant the meeting was held at
Joshua B. Lowell's, Innholder, the 3rd Monday in
March, 1799. Dummer Sewall was chosen Clerk,
Thomas Williams, Willliam Bradbury, and Joshua
B. Lowell, Assessors ; and Samuel Linscott, Thomas
Gordon, and John Butterfield, Surveyors. The 1st
Monday in April of the same year another meeting
was held at Thomas Williams' where it was voted
to raise $200 to repair highways, fixing the price of
labor on the highways at one dollar a day in June
and July, eighty cents in August and September,
and sixty-six cents in October and November. An-
other meeting was convened at Joshua B. Lowell's,
March 10, 1800, at which the Clerk and Assessors
were reelected, and more surveyors chosen. The
price of labor on the highways was fixed at the
same rates as the year before, with the exception of
a change to fifty cents for October and November,
The rates of ox labor were the same as those for
History of Chesterville. 49
men. April 6, 1801, a majority of the Plantation
agreed to repair or rebuild the bridge at Sewall's
Mills, and subscribed forty-five dollars for the pur-
pose, - if the rest would help ;" the amount to be
paid in work at a dollar a day. The act incorpo-
rating the town bears date Feb. 20, 1802, and au-
thorized Stephen Titcomb, Esq., to call the first
meeting. His warrant for the purpose, directed to
Duramer Sewall, one of the inhabitants, was dated
â– March 10, 1802. Pursuant to this the first meeting
was held on the first Monday in April following the
5th day, at which time they not only organized, but
voted for State and County officers. Jotham Sewall
was the fii^t Moderator. The meetings of the town,
for the first few years, were held at Joshua B. Low-
ell's. Afterwards for several years in the Schoolhouse
in School District No. I. Once each, at least, they
met in the Schoolhouses of Nos. 2, 4, and 7, in later
years. After this the gallery of the old Meeting-
house was used for this purpose a number of years.
Since 1851 the town has met, mostly, in Robinson's
or Whittier s Hall, near the Center Mills.
48. — Mills.
The first Sawmill in Chesterville was erected by
Dummer Sewall and a few others, in April, 1784,
and was put in operation the following year. In
1785, too, the first Gristmill was put in motion,
either under the Sawmill roof, or in a small addition
attached. It had one run of stones. This mill stood
near the present site of Park's Mill. The dam be-
50 History of CiiEsrEuviLLE,
ing rather low, so that the head was small, and the
backwater retarding the motion of the wheels con-
siderably, the mill was taken down, July 6, 17;-<o,
and six days after re-erected some fifteen or twenty
rods fnrther up-stream, where a new d;im was built
the first dam being taken up. Mr. Sewall and Mr.
Linscott owned and run the Gristmill together, be-
fore this w :s entirely worn out Mr. Sewall built a
Sawmill near, but a little below. A building con-
nected with this was the third Gristmill in town. Ic
had one run of stones. A shop was built a few years
later, north-west of these, but near, in which a small
saw was put in motion for splitting plank, &c. He
added in width to the Sawmill enou^•h to accommo-
date another saw. Not long after this the shop was
taken down, and the Sawmill and Gristmill sold. —
Another saw was put into the Sawmill, run a few
years and then taken out ; the irons being sold to
Dummer Sewall. These mills were burned in the
Spring of 1^19, just after J. VV, Butterfield had sold
them. The first Sawmill having become decayed
and useless, in lb^03 or 1804, Samuel Linscott and
others built a Sawmill some distance below these,
and drew water to carry it throui^h a very long
flume. This having become partially decayed, in
1819 it was taken down. Some of the old owners
selling out, and others joining in the enterprise, a
double Sawmill was erected in October 1819, where
Parks' Mill now .stands. A new dam was built just
above this mill, with a wasteway on its south-east
side ; and a Gristmill was put up on the other side
History of C'iiesterville. 51
of the wasteway. These mills did a fair business
for several years. A FuUin^mill. too, adjoining the
Gristmill was in operation some time. The Sawmill
was reduced to one saw, and Clapboard and Shingle
Machines put in the place of the other. In Jan.
1849 these mills were burned, and the present ones
were erected soon after.
About 1823, or 4, Dummer Sew^all made another
dam some distance below, and put up a Sawmill.
.At this some business was done in sawino^ boards,
clapboards, &c. . for several years. It became some-
what decayed and was taken down a number of years
ago. It stood near the present site of the Starch
Factory.
49. — Timber Lands.
Around the Center Mills, and in several other
parts of the town, there were originally extensive
growths of pine ; which, if standing now, at the
present worth, would be of immense value. The ad-
vance in the price of pine timber has been great
since the early settlement of Chesterville. A few
facts will illustrate this statement. A tract esteemed
one of the most valuable and beautiful in the town,
not far from 1817, was purchased for ^1400, which
had almost trebled in value within the five previous
years. Within the next eighteen years enough was
cut off and sold, amply to refund the purchase mon-
ey, when it was sold for nine thousand dollars. —
Another tract, though formerly of small value, was
bought for ^35. During the next twenty-four years
52 flisTORY OF Chesterville.
three hundred dollars was realized for timber cut
off. It was th(>n sold for one thousand seven hun-
dred dollars. In 182';, a seven acre lot in the north-
east part of the town was valued hy an appraising
committee at ^'2'2. About eighteen years after a
similar committee set the sam^^ lot at $1-jO Con-
siderable timber had been cut off in the interim.
50. — Keiths Mill's.
The Sawmill built in 1T92, on Wilson's Stream,
at what has since been called Keith's Mills, although
on the north side of the stream, as it then was ,
stood, no doubt, within the present limits of Chester-
ville ; and was the second in the town which was
put in operation. The Gristmill erected about the
same time, stood north, or in shore of the Sawmill,
and just outside, in the stream of the present Saw-
mill. The town line, probably, laid through this
Gristmill. As the propelling wheel was in the
southerly part of the building, and the stones not
far from the middle, it may not improperly be called
the second Gristmill in the present tovs^n. These
mills were built by Samuel Sewall. Not far from
the beginning of the present century he sold to Ku-
fus Davis. After occupying them a few years Mr.
Davis sold to Edward Locke. He occupic^d them
very little, and they ran down. The upper part of
the Sawmill frame was taken down, moved to the
Locke farm, and became a cider house. A. fri^shet
destroyed the dam immediatelv above the Gristmill,
History of Chestervii.le. 53
and undermined and partially carried it away. Just
before this a new Sawmill standing nearly or quite
its length down-stream of the present one, had been
raised by the ])redecessors of the owners of that now
existing. This was about 1S()9.
The first Gristmill on the south side of the stream