SETTLERS BEFORE THE YEAR 1800, AND OF THEIR DESCENDANTS.

BY

JOHN LANGDON ȘIBLEY,

MEMBER OF THE MASSACHUSETTS HISTOR.CAL SOCIETY.

“E minimis maxima."

BOSTON:

BENJAMIN B. MUSSEY AND CO.

1851.

CONTENT S.

CHAPTER I.

Page.

GEOGRAPHY. Situation. Boundaries. Rivers and Brooks. Ponds. Soil.

Climate. Freshets. Hail and Frogs. Lightning. Health and Longevity.

Scenery.

1

CHAPTER II.

ANTE-PLANTATION HISTORY. - Muscongus or Waldo Patent. Disputed Terri-

tory. St. George's River proposed as a Boundary. Indians. Hart's and

Boggs's Escape from them. Dické and the Comet.

22

PlantaTION HISTORY. – 1772, 1773: First Settlers. The Anderson Party.

1774, Plan of Anderson's Lot. Purchase of the Township by Dr. John

Taylor. His Arrival with the Butlers and others. First Public Act of Devo-

tion. Frightened Moose. Occupation of the Anderson Camp. Clearing

commenced. High Words with the Anderson Party. Taylor's Return to

Massachusetts. Deed to Taylor. 1775: Taylor in Congress. Butlers again

at Work. First Rye sowed. Butlers go West. Taylor comes back and labors.

Butlers return: are hired out to Benjamin Packard. Packard's Log-house.

Timber for Taylor's Buildings. Privations. Butler and the Bear.

27

CHAPTER IV.

PLANTATION HISTORY, continued. - 1776 : Philip Robbins's Purchase. David

Robbins's the first Family. Richard Cummings. Taylor again. First Frame

House. First Crop of Rye. Raising of a Barn. Log-houses of Richard

Cummings and David Robbins. Arrival of the Families of Philip Robbins

and Richard Cummings. Crowded House. Timber House. Barn. Tay-

lor's Mills.

36

.

CHAPTER V.

PLANTATION HISTORY, continued. — 1777: Phinehas Butler enters the Army.

Purchases by Abijah Hawes; by Ezra Bowen; by Jonathan Amory; by

Joel Adams, Jason Ware, and Matthias Hawes. Settlement of John Butler.

1778: Suchfort the Hessian. Blacksmithing. Calamitous Fire. Suffering

for Food.

41

Plantation HISTORY, continued. — 1779: Wheaton's Purchase. Settlement of

Joel Adams, Matthias Hawes, and Jason Ware. Woodward. Fairbanks.

Settlement of Moses Hawes. Ebenezer Robbins. 1780: Jennison's Pur-

chase. 1781: First Wedding. Jessa Robbins. 1782: Settlement of Phinehas

Butler. Elisha Partridge. Taylor's Conveyance to Reed.

45

CHAPTER VII.

PlantATION HISTORY, concluded. — 1783: Log-house. Bride. Bride's Dower.

Jessa Robbins. 1784: Amariah Mero. 1785: Josiah Robbins. Gillmor. Cat-

and-clay Chimney. Royal Grinnell. Elijah Holmes. 1786 : Arrival of the

Families of Josiah Robbins; of Samuel Hills. Samuel Martin. Organiza-

tion of the Plantation.

51

CHAPTER VIII.

INCORPORATION HISTORY. -1786, Petition for Incorporation. Act of Incorpo-

ration Number and Names of the Inhabitants.

60

SETTLERS AFTER THE INCORPORATION. - 1787 : Levi Morse. Oliver Leland.

William Hart. 1788: The Maxcys. 1789: The Daggetts. Seth Luce. Chris-

topher Butler. Ichabod Irish. Barnabas Webb. 1793: Casualty to the

Maxcy Family. Remarks on the Early Settlers.

64

Hawes's

POPULATION. - Census, Aug. 1, 1790. Abstracts from Censuses.

Census in 1826. State Census, March 1, 1837.

73

POPULATION IN 1850. - Census, June 1, 1850, with Names and Ages.

CHAPTER XII.

MINERAL AND ARBORAL PRODUCT3.- Minerals. Timber. Felling of Trees.

Burning of Cut-downs. Shingles. Benjamin Speed. Lakin. Boards and

Saw-mills. Lime-casks.

97

CHAPTER XIII.

AGRICULTURAL AND HORTICULTURAL PRODUCTS. – Barley and Rye. Indian

Corn. Wheat. Potatoes. Fruit. Peaches and Plums. Apples.

105

CHAPTER XIV.

MANUFACTURES AND T'rade. - Spinning Wheels. Looms. Home-made Cloth-

ing. Fulling Mills. Carding Machines. Factories. Paper Mills. Tan-

neries. Potash. Iron Works. Fossetts' Mills. Stores. Carting Goods to

Boston in the War of 1812. Canals.

108