Qass. Book. THE HISTORY OF NORWAY: COMPRISING A MINUTE ACCOUNT OF ITS FIRST SETTLEMENT, TOWN OFFICERS, THE ANNUAL EXPENDITURES OF THE TOAVN, WITH OTHER STATISTICAL MATTERS: INTERSPERSED WITH HISTORICAL SKETCHES, -NARRATIVE AND ANECDOTE, AND OCCASIONAL REMARKS BY THE AUTHOR. BY DAVID NOYES. NORWAY: PUBLISHED BY THE AUTHOR. 1852. GEORGE W. SSILLETT, PRINTER^ ADVERTISER PRESS, NORWAY VILLAGE. PREFACE. I suppose I must write a preface before I enter one step on my work, and teU '*(^'hy I am going to write a book, and vhat I am going to write about. The wJiy is because many of our good citizens wish for such a work ; but the what is more than I can tell, as I may feel very differently to-mor- row from what I do to-day ; and therefore I am unable to tell in what kind of a channel my ideas may take a notion to flow. But first, I intend to give as minute an account of the early settlement of the town as the best data in my possession will enable me to do ; and also of the expenditures of the town for the benefit of its inhabitants ; the immigration of new settlers since the commencement of the settlement ; the acci- dents, and remarkable incidents, that have taken place ; histor- ical sketches, narrative and anecdote, occasionally interspersed with just such ideas as happen to run in my noddle while writing. I shall not attempt to tell a good story, or to crack a good joke, for the sake of producing a good hearty laugh ; for such things always hit somewhere ; but I am bound to get along Avithout running against anybody, if I can help it. I intend to tell the truth as far as I tell anything : I shall "naught extenuate, nor set down aught in malice," and intend to wholly avoid bringing any ^'railing accusation" against any one. I humbly acknowledge the many kindnesses re- ceived from different individuals in furnishing me with facts IV PREFACE. and materials, as they Avere able, for the commenceiiKnit and prosecution of the "work ; among -which persons are first, Samuel Ames, (he has almost been my standing register • about the first settlement.) and also Benjamin Flint, Aaron Wilkins, Darius Holt, Nathaniel Bennett, Joel Frost, John Pike, Daniel Knight, Jr., and Daniel Stevens; and among the females are the widow Olive Stevens, ]Mrs. Ruth Lovejoy, Mrs. Mary Stevens, the Avife of Jonas Stevens, and Mrs. I\Iary Ordway, the wife of Amos Ordway ; — as they were the children of the very fir si settlers, and were old enough to retain their early impressions about matters and things of those early times. Mrs. Mercy A. ^Miitman has my warmest thanks for her carefully-preserved record of the deaths in the town since 1820. The town authorities are kindly thanked for the use of the Selectmen's books ; and the town Clerk for his records since 1843, and the same to the Treasurer. The several religious societies will accept my thanks for their aid generously furnished me, and with my warm thanks, a warmer wish, that our Heavenly Father may always con- tinue to smile propitiously on them, and fit them, viore than ever, for the full enjoyment of a blessed immortality. To the officers of the Militia (I can 't find any now, but I have found the old books) I present my thanks for the old records ; and all the officers of the Militia are entitled to much praise for the correctness with which the books have been kept. To be sure, we all desire to see the time " when men shall learn war no more," but perhaps it may be well to keep the " tools ready " for fear they may be wanted. And this scrawl I am going to call my preface to the fol- lowing work, wliich I shall humbly inscribe to the good citizens of NorAvay, hoping it will affi)rd them as much 2)leas- iire in reading, as it has affi)rded me labor in writing. It is possible that some things arc noted which some may not de- sire ; and that other things are omitted which some would like to see ; but I can "t help that ; I never bargained to suii PREFACE,. V everybodV. Doubtless there are some mistakes in regard to dates, but instead of wondering at a few mistakes, it should be a. greater wonder that there are not more ; for on an ex- amimition of the work, it will be readily seen, that I have had a great many ''irons in the fire" at the same time. Many; of the new immigrants probably came into the town some months, and possibly a year before they are named, as I name them Avhen they appear on the tax-books. Many of the old settlers' sons, perhaps, do not appear in the year when they arrived at 21 years of age, as many of them, possibly, went off to work, out of town, for a year and perhaps several years : and in some instances they may be classed among iho new immigrants ; but I hope such trivial matters will give no unpleasant feelings to any one, or in any degree detract fi'om the merits or usefulness of the work. The town has kindly afforded me a shelter and a home for nearly half a century ; so long, that it seems to me that I have become a '• part and parcel" of the same : and should it. ever be so ordained, in. Providence, that I should leave the place, I know I should feel a " longing for the flesh-pots " of old Korway, for '• with. all thy faults I love thee still." The citizens of Norway will please to accept my thanks for the many favors received during a long series of years, and should you be pleased to liberally patronize the present work, it will greatly serve to smooth the down-hill of life, which I am fast descending, and will be productive of the lasting gratitude of Your, most obedient and humble servant, DAVID NOYES. HISTORY OF NORWAY. Tiili town of Norway ia made up of tlie following tracts, or grants of land, Viz : the tract of land formerly known as Rustfield, purchased by Henry Rust, of Salem, Massachu- setts, of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in December j 1787, estimated at six thousand acres ; the Lee Grant^ esti- mated at six thousand acres exclusive of water ; the Cummingg Gore, containing about three thousand and six hundred acres ; iand three tiers of lots taken from the easterly side of the town of Waterford, viz : a strip one mile and a half wide, and seven miles long, estimated to contain six thousand seven hundred and twenty acres ; and another tract called the "Gore," or " Rust's Gore," lying south of the Waterford three tiers, and bordering on the northerly line of Otisfield, containing about seventeen hundred acres more or less, making in the whole a trifle over twenty-four thousand acres ; bat at that time it was rather a custom to make quite liberal meas- ure in eastern lands, therefoi-e we may safely calculate' the quantity to be, at least, twenty-five thousand acres, or more. The Waterford three tiers, and the "Rust Gore," last de- scribed, lying south of the three tiers, form the westerly side of the town, making the whole length eight miles and one hundred and thirty-eight rods. The Lee Grant lies in the northeast corner of the town, the Cummings Gore between the Lee Grant and the northerly part of the Waterford three 8 HISTORY OF NORWAY. tiers, and that part called Rustficld lies south of the Lee Grant and the Cummings Gore, being the southerly part of •what is now called the town of Norway, The Cummings Gore proper, or what is now known as the Cummings Gore, did not extend south any farther than the southerly line of the old Major Cummings form, now owned by Amos T. Holt ; but there* is a gore of land lying south of the Cummings Gore, extending from the southerly line of the Cummings Gore proper about two hundred and eighty rods on the Lee line to the northerly line of llustfield, and about one hundred and ninety rods on the easterly line of the Wa- terford three tiers, and one mile and a half east and west, which was at first in dispute between Henry Rust, the pro- prietor of Rustfield, and Jonathan Cummings, the proprietor of the Cummings Gore ; but by an arrangement between the parties the land was held by the said Cummings. I have been thus minute in pointing out the different tracts and pieces of land now composing the town of Norway, in order that the reader, and those interested in the first settlement, may the better know Avhere the early settlers commenced operations when they came into the wilderness to found a home for themselves and posterity. 1786. — This year five individuals, viz : Joseph Stevens, Jonas Stevens, Jeremiah Hobbs, Amos Hobbs, and George Lessley, from the town of Gray, came into the place, and felled trees on the tract called Rustfield, excepting Jeremiah Hobbs. who commenced on the lot easterly of where the Congregational meeting-house now stands, and then supposed to be within the limits of what was afterwards called Rust- field ; George Lessley commenced on what has since been known as the Isaiah Hall farm, now owned and occupied by William Frost, 3d, and brothers ; Amos Hobbs commenced on the farm where his youngest son, Amos Hobbs, now lives ; Joseph Stevens commenced where his youngest son, Simon. Stevens, now lives ; and Jonas Stevens commenced on th« HISTORY OF XORWAY. 9 place now owned by Amos F. Noyes and Lorenzo D'. Hobbs. During the first summer and fall, these hardy pioneers of the wilderness made Avhat preparations they were able to make, in order to move their families the ensuing spring and summer ; and from such accounts as the writer can gather, Joseph StoA^ens built a small frame house early in the spring of 1787, sixteen feet by tAventy ; he split out pine rift clap- boards, and clapboarded on the studs, and long-shingled the roof, built a stone fire-place high enough on which to lay a wooden mantle-piece, and after a short time topped out the chimney by Avhat used to be called catting : that is, by laying up split sticks, co1)-house fashion, in clay mortar, mixed Avith straw, chopped fine, to make it adhere more strongly to the sticks. After getting fairly into their ncAV settlement the other four built themseh'es houses of the same size and con- struction. They split out bassAvood plank and heAved them for a floor, and each one brought a board from a mill in Paris, on Stony brook, called Jackson's Mill, to make an outside door. Some of them had a board AvindoAV AA'hich they could take doAA'n in fair Aveather, - and put up in foul, cold Aveather ; and some of them say the most stylish had a paper AvindoAv made of Avhite paper Avell coated Avith oil, perhaps goose oil. At the time these first settlers Avere falling trees, Samuel Ames (noAv living in NorAvay Village — then living in Paris, ;ind tending the first grist-mill built in that tOAvn, on Stony brook — and he says he ground the first grist in that mill,) came over to Avhat Avas afterAvards called Pustfield, and went up the pond, called the great PennesseAvassee, and visited them Avhile falling their first trees. Previous to moving into the Avilderness, these first settlers moved the principal part of their families into what is noAv called Paris, (incorporated in 1793) and into Shepherdsficld, noAv Hebron and Oxford, that they might be nearer their contemplated place of location. 1787. — In the spring of this year, either the last of April 10 HISTORY OF NORWAY. or first of May, Joseph Stevens moved his family, consisting of himself, his -wife and four children, Daniel, Jonas, Amy and Aphia, (Jonas did not come in at that time, he remaining at Gray with his grandfather) into his new habitation. They came from their temporary abode to the foot of the pond, and then proceeded up the pond in a boat to nearly opposite where he had built his rude habitation ; but it being cloudy, and ni<^ht coming on sooner than they expected, and having by accident got their tinder and fire-works wet, they were unable to strike a light ; and having no other guide than a spotted line, they were compelled to take up their first night's lodg- ing in the woods by the warmest side of a large tree ; and in the morning they cheerfully proceeded to their future home. The writer has often heard Mrs. Stevens, Aimt Betty, as we used to call her, say that she had a grand night's sleep, and felt very thankful when they reached their camp, or house. George Lessley moved in the next day after Joseph Ste- vens, and moved into Stevens' house ; and in a few weeks after, say the first of June, Amos Hobbs moved into the same house, making only three families in one house, sixteen feet by twenty. When Amos Hobbs moved in, they came to the foot of the pond at the westerly end of what we noAV know as Ames' point, about one hundred rods westerly of the mill, on the northerly side of the stream, where they ex- pected Joseph Stevens would meet them with a boat ; but it being very windy, he did not dare to Venture the voyage ; and after waiting awhile, Mr, Hobbs went round by the southerly end of the pond up to Mr. Stevens', and they then came down with the boat, took the fiimily aboard, and pro- ceeded to their habitation, where they all arrived in safety. I have lately heai-d a description of their stop on the point, "while waiting for the boat nearly half a day, from I\Irs. Jonas Stevens, who was the oldest child of Amos Hobbs' family, and she said that was the first time she ever saw her mother cry. Site then had an infant in her arms, born the ^larch HISTORY OF NORWAY. 11 previous, (the infant was Robinson Hobbs) and the mosqui- toes and black flies were so numerous that it seemed as though they should be devoured. In the intermediate time between the moving in of Joseph Stevens and Amos Hobbs, Jonas Stevens, in the fore part of May, came in with his family in about the same manner ; and Jeremiah Hobbs moved his family in September following. Perhaps I may as well here mention how the first settlers became acquainted with the place, previous to their making a settlement. After the close of the revolutionary war, many old, middle-aged, and young men found themselves poor^ and in rather a poor situation to support their families, and with little or nothing to purchase a farm, or even a piece of land wherewith to make a permanent home for themselves and families. A Mr. James Stinchfield, and Jonas Stevens, (who had been a soldier through nearly all the war) and some oth- ers, came into the place on a hunting excursion around the great PennesscAvassee pond, and other ponds and streams in the vicinity ; and seeing the beautiful growth of wood and timber, and the indications of a fertile soil, came to the con- clusion that, with the smiles of Providence, they could locate themselves in this place, then a howling wilderness, and thus secure a permanent home for themselves and fomilics ; and it appears by subsequent events that their manly exertions were ultimately crowned with signal success. During the first two years of the early settlement there Was no mill in the place, and the settlers were obliged to go lo Paris to Jackson's mill on Stony brook, which was but a poor, rude apology for a mill, or to what is now called Otis- field to what has since been called Ray's mill, where they sometimes in the winter went on snow-shoes, with a bushel or two on a hand-sled. But to remedy this inconvenience, they took a piece of a large hardwood log, about two feet long, and dug out a cavity in one end with what they used for a tapping iron, (aii article for tapping maple trees for the purpose of 12 HISTORY OF NORWAY. making maple sugar) and then burnt out the cavity as smooth as possible, and in this pounded their corn into what they called samp or hominy ; from that material they made what the boys and girls of that day called samp pon-idge, and ate it in various ways, and considered it very good, too. In the spring after first moving in, Jeremiah Hobbs, who had a large family of children, say eight in number, had the misfortune to lose his only cow, which they calculated -wouLl do much towards the support of his family. This was a se- rious loss at that time, and in such circumstances ; and either that spring or the next, Mr. Lcssley met with a similar mis- fortune ; but Mrs. Lcssley, like a true wom#n, preserved the calf by feeding it with gruel, and a little milk obtained from her few, but friendly neighbors. Amos Hobbs also met with a serious loss about this time ; he had obtained half a bushel of corn, which he carried to the Stony biook mill, and had to leave it ; when he went for it, the meal, bag and all. "was gone — probably to feed some other hungry family. This, although very trivial, was a severe loss to liim and family in such a time of privation, and almost starvation. Before the new crop of grain could be got off to make bread of, Mrs. Lessley shelled out wheat by hand and boiled it for food for herself and family. Let the mothers of the present day render thanks to a kind Providence, that they are not reduced to such straits to feed their families. Li the summer of 1787, AVilliam Parsons, John Parsons, and Benjamin Herring, and also Dudley Pike, came into Rustfield, and felled trees in order for a settlement, commence ing on the farms where they afterwards lived and died. Ths' writer has good reason to believe, from sufficient authority, that William Parsons and John Parsons came into Rustfield the first of June, 1786, and looked out their respective lots, and actually commenced falling trees on the third day of June ; the first tree cut down was a large hemlock on John Parsons' lot, and the roots of that tree are said to be still ii\ HISTORY OF NORWAY. lo tlicir ^primitive place — at least they "were till since his death, ■which took place December 6, 1847, aged 85 years. A short time before his death, his sob, George W. Parsons, was ploughing in the field where the -old stump had stood from the time the first tree in the place was felled, and the old gentleman seeing that the old roots Avere about to be torn from their bed, entreated his son to spare them Avhile he re- mained on the earth, and they were accordingly sacredly pre- served. They felled but a small opening in 1786, enlarged it the next year, and moved their families as follows. 1788. — This year Dudley Pike moved his fixmily into Rustfield, March 26, and had scarcely got into his humble habitation, when the three other pioneers, William Parsons, John Parsons, and Benjamin Herring, arrived at his house, that is, at night on the 27th of J\larch ; and .the road not being quite as good as at this time, they put up with him for the night, and the next day proceeded to their own habita- tions, which were nothing but humble log houses. About this time, Lemuel Shed and a Mr, Jonathan Stickney com- menced on two adjoining lots on the Waterford plantation, which is now the Waterford three tier-s ; Stickney on the farm where Benjamin Flint nov,' lives, and Shed where John S. Shed now lives, which is on the Waterford three tiers, and now on the old County road leading from Swift's Corner to Waterford. Shed camped with Stickney on the Flint farm. Lemuel Shed was a soldier through about all the revolu- tionary war, and Avas, as, he has often told the writer, one of Washington's life-guards ; and previous to the taking of Bur- goyne, he Avas sent from Washington's head-quarters Avith an express to General Gates. He had to pass through a portion of country thickly infested Avith torics, and run many risks and liair-breadth escapes ; finally he had to leap from his horse and abandon him, and make his escape the best Avay he could — Avhich he did by taking shelter behind a sheet of Avater •which fell over a cataract, leaving an open space behind the 14 HISTORY OF NORWAY, water ; and after remaining until the search for him was over, pursued his way on foot, and delivered his message ac- cording to orders ; and it is possible that the subsequent important victory might, in some measure, depend on the advices carried by this faithful soldier. Previous to the building of the mills, Samuel Ames built liim a camp, about on the spot where the mill-shed now stands, Avhich served for a shelter while at work on the mill. This was the first shelter, or camp, built in what is now Norr way Village ; it was built by putting down in the ground three posts of a proper height, and cutting off a birch tree at the same height fcr the fourth post, a|id covered with bark. On the 17th day of October, 1787, Sarah Stevens, the daughter of Jonas Stev^ens, was born. She was the first white child born in the place, and the eighth child of the family, and is now the wife of Jonathan Edwards, of Otis-? field. The first male child born in the place, was Joseph. Stevens, the son of Joseph Stevens, who was born May 31st, 1788. Ebenezer Hobbs, the son of Amos Hobbs, was the next child born jn the place ; he was born August 24th, 1789. Nathan Noble came into the place probably in the spring, this year, ^nd had a child born the same year, which died in infancy. "Naithaniel Stevens felled trees in the same year that his l)rothers, Joseph and Jonas, moved into the place, and moved liis family in 1788. His lot was westerly of Jeremiah Hobbs' Jot, and his first habitation was about northwesterly of where the meeting-house now stands. Soon after he moved in, he had the misfortune to get his leg broken while falling trees, and his wife and three small children Avere left in a very des- titute condition ; as the few new settlers had scarcely enough for their own faanilies, and provisions had to be brought from a considerable distance, even if these new settlers had the wherewith it® pay for the same. Mrs. Stevens about this time was reduced to such necessity fof food, that she felt HISTORY OF NORWAY. 15 herself justified in digging up a feAV potatoes from the hills ■where they had been recently planted by her neighbor, Mr. Jeremiah Hobbs, in order to feed her hungry children. Al- though Mr. Stevens was so unfortunate, he was not forsaken by his few neighbors, who generously turned out and felled trees for him, and assisted in taking care of the little crop he had put into the ground ; and although Mrs. Stevens dug up her neighbor's potatoes, let no one think amiss of her moral character on that account, as all her neighbors can not speak otherwise than well of her through a long life. In 1789, Capt. Henry Rust, the proprietor of Rustfield, commenced building a grist and saAV-mill on the same site noAV improved for similar mills at the upper end of Norway Village. The grist-mill was completed in October, 1789, (the saw and grist-mills were raised in June) and Samuel Ames ground the first grist ever ground in the place, and continued to tend the same mill for more than forty years, and probably for forty-five years, after. Thomas Cowen, who came from Paris, tended the saw- mill, under the superintendence of Mr. Ames, after it was ready to run, about two or three years. He built a little hut nearly opposite the saw-mill, and Avhen he left the mill he went on to a piece of land, now owned by H. G. Cole, north of the old Peter Buck farm, and subsequently removed to Paris. Reuben Hubbard afterwards built the tAvo story house now standing on the place. While Capt. Rust Avas building the mills, he employed the new settlers on his plantation to work for him as much as they wished, allowing them half a dollar per day towards their land, which he sold to them for half a dollar per acre ; thus every day's work paid for an acre of land. As a land- holder, Capt. Rust performed many acts of kindness to the settlers on his land, not only by selling his land very cheap, but in trying to add otherwise to their comforts and conve- niences. Among other things, he brought down from Salem 16 HISTORY OF NOnWAY. quite a lot of small six-squared ■windows of six by eight glass, wliicli he distributed among the settlers, a window or two to each ; and this was a valuable present to them, as this was tlie first glass knoAvn in the place- Peter Everett came into the place in this year, and com- menced on the east end of the Esquire Eastman farm, and supposed that it was on the Rust Grant at the time of build- ing a small frame house, where he lived a few years ; and after Rust and Cummings settled the question of title to that tract of land, and it being held by Cummings, Mr. Rust gave Mr. Everett a lot of land lying west of William Parsons' lot, where he moved his house, and lived till his death, which took place March 27, 18.21. When Mr. Everett lived on the Esquire Eastman lot, his wife kept a little school for the in- strviction of the small children in the neighborhood. This school she kept in her own house, and was the first school of any description ever kept in the place. This year Darius Holt and Natlmn Foster came down — Holt from Andover, and Foster from Tewksbury, Mass. — to work for Jonathan Cummings, the proprietor of the Cum- mings Gore, and commenced where his son Jonathan Cum- mings afterwards lived and died. They were here at the raising of the mills in June, 1789. Nathan Foster after- Avards purchased the tier of lots north of the Cummings farm, and afterwards lived and died on the same. Darius Holt afterwards bargained for the seventh tier of lots 'on the Cum- mings Gore, and built a small frame house where Daniel Town now lives, and the house built by Holt makes a part of said Town's house. Mr. Holt lived at what was afterwards called Fuller's Corner about four years, and then moved into Waterford plantation, near Lemuel Shed's lot. This year Amos Upton came down from Reading, Mass., iind felled trees on the lot south of Fuller's Corner, and moved his family in Sept., 1790. Nathan Noble moved his family into .Amos Ilobbs' house in the spring of 1789, and HISTORY OF NORWAY. 17 built a small frame house where he afterwards lived, in the course of the summer following. Benjamin Witt came down with Capt. K-ust subsequent to the erection of the mills, and was the first blacksmith that ever hammered iron in what is now called Norway. Phinehas "Whitney, about this time, commenced on the hill westerly of Lemuel Shed, on the Waterford plantation, and came from Harvard, Mass. He was a soldier in the revolu- tionary war, and was in the battle of Bunker Hill, and Amos Upton was likewise in that memorable battle ; they were both pensioners, and also Lemuel Shexl, Darius Holt, Jonas Ste- vens, Samuel Ames, Daniel Knight, Stephen Curtis, Joseph Gammon, James Packard, Joel Stevens, John Needham, and Jacob Frost. Mr. Ames moved into Rustfield the year before the mills were built, and commenced on a piece of land where Ephraim Briggs now lives, and raised corn one year on that place ; he afterwards sold out to a Moses Twitchell, and afterwards lived near the mill which he tended. When he moved in from Paris, as his oldest daughter says, he had three children, and the way he conveyed his family would look rather picturesque at the present day. He procured a steady horse, and put a sack, like a pair of panniers, across the saddle ; be then put the two youngest, one in each end, with the oldest on the horse's back, holding it on in the rough places, and led the horse himself ; his wife traveled on foot, carrying some neces- sary articles in her hands ; and thus they ascended what is now called Pike's hill to their new habitation. Mr. Ames built the first house in Norway Village — a frame house, eighteen feet by thirty-six ; some twenty-five years ago the house was moved up about one mile north of the Village, and is now occupied by Elijah Jordan. The next house built in the Village was near the site of Levi Whitman's house, and built by William Gardner, who afterwards commenced on the Xeo Grant above Nathaniel Bennett's. In 1790 Daniel 18 HISTORY OF NORWAY. Knight moved from Paris, and went into the house with Wil- liam Gardner, and lived with him a short time ; he then returned to Paris, remained one winter, and then came back again, and commenced on the place now owned hj Alansoii M. Dunham, where he lived about four years ; then he sold out his betterments to Jeremiah "VVitham, from New Glouces- ter, and began on land on the southerly end of North pond. Isaac Cummings soon bought out Mr. Gardner, and moved on the same lot, and afterwards sold his betterments to Josiah Bartlett, about 1802. The farm has had many different owners, and is now owned by Joshua Richardson, Esq., of Portland. Jonathan Cummings, the proprietor of Cummings Gore, in order to forward a beginning for a farm for his son, Amos Cummings, hired a few acres of trees felled on the third tier of lots on said Gore, (the same now owned by Thomas Mel- zeard,) and hired Daniel Knight and Isaac Cummings to full the first trees that were cut down on that farm ; and he paid to each of them a new axe and a cow-bell, (he was a black- smith, and made such things himself,) both articles being very necessary to the new settlers — the axe to cut down the forest, •and the bell to put on the old cow so that the boys could find her in the woods, as they had no pastures until they got them cleared and fenced. ]Mr. Knight is still living, aged 92. In 1790 Anthony Bennett and Nathaniel Bennett, twin brothers, came from New Gloucester, and felled trees on the lots Avhere they afterAvards continued to live — Anthony till the time of his death, and Nathaniel is still living on his first premises. This year, or the year before, Joshua Smith came into Bustfield, from New Gloucester, and commenced on the place now owned by Jacob Bradbury, and formerly by his father, Joseph Bradbury, who purchased of Smith. The year after ISIr. Smith felled his first trees, he brought about one bushel of the seed-ends and eyes of potatoes from New Gloucester on his back, and planted them on burnt ground, HISTORY OF NORWAY. 19 and raised fifty bushels of potatoes from the same. I believe the account, having heard it from his own mouth. Anthony Bennett moved his family into Rustfield in 1791, and Nathaniel in 1793. About this time Elisha Cummings purchased the lot east of Benjamin Witt's farm, and began on it, and about five years after sold the east half of the same to John Bird, who commenced making a farm, and con- tinues to live on it at this time. Zebedee Perry came in this year from Paris, and commenced on the lot south of Nathan Noble's lot. When he moved from Paris he had one child, Jolm Perry, who lives on the old homestead farm, but has' erected buildings on a different part of the lot. This year was made menlorable to the settlers on account of the first death in the place. This was a female child of Nathaniel Stevens, aged about five years. During this year, also, another very sudden death occurred. Mr. Daniel Gary had commenced on the Lee Grant, near where Alanson M. Dunham now lives, or where Jacob Tubbs afterwards pur- chased. He had been at work for Capt. Rust, and Avas re- turning home in the evening, and arriving at the outlet of the pond, near where the Crockett bridge now stands, expected to find a boat on the south side of the stream ; but some per- son crossed over the stream during the day, and had left the ))oat on the other side, and he feeling anxious to reach home, attempted to swim over, and when more than half across, sank and di-OAvned, unknown to any person. The next day Jonas Stevens Avent down the pond in his boat to mill, and picked up a hat on the water near the outlet of the pond, and taking it down to the mill, the hat was shown to Mr. Ames, who at once knew it to be Gary's hat. Mr. Ames with some others immediately returned with ]\Ir. Stevens, and soon found the body, which Avas brought down to the mill, and thence to Gapt. Rusfs house on the hill, (then occupied in part by Benjamin Witt) and in due time Avas properly in- terred. 20 HISTORY or Xe;E;\VAY. Benjamin Witt after living awhile at, or near the mills, purchased ^he lot on which Joseph Small afterwards lived, and erected the barn now standing on the farm ; and after Jiving there a few years, purchased a lot east of Nathaniel Bennett's lot, Sund commenced a farm where he afterwards lived and died ; and his son Benjamin Witt still lives on the same farm. This year Pqter Buck, who had a short time before come from Worcester, Mass., to Paris, moved into Rustfield, about half a mile north of the mill ; and he was the first shoe- maker in the place. The same farm, or the southerly half of the same, is now occupied by his son, Austin Buck. James Kettle was the first trader .that ^ver kept goods for sale, as a store-keeper, in the place, and kept his goods in Samuel Ames' house — that is, in one room of the same. He wag called a very honest, fair trader, which is a pretty good enco- mium on his character as a man. And while speaking of traders, I will continue the subject through the infantile years of the settlement. William Reed was the next trader, (we did not have merchants in those days) and commenced trade in a little house, formerly called the saw-mill house, which stood about south of, or opposite the sa.w-mill, and near where CoAven's cabin once stood. He traded here a few years, and probably commenced about 1792. After some years he built a two-story store, where he traded for many years. William Hobbs, the second son of Jeremiah Hobbs, was the third trader in the town. He commenced near his father's farm, a little east of the Congregational meeting-house, where he continued to trade occasionally till his deatli, which occurred in Feb., 1843. Bailey Bodwell, who came from Methuen, Mass., built the first two-story house in what is now N twenty feet by tlurty-eight, and a story and a half la'^li — tho' largest establishment in the Cummings Gore; they got the house so as to move into it, in November. ]\Ir. Fuller, proba- bly, was in the best pecuniary circumstances of any new set- tler who had moved into the place ; and he Avas a very ener- getic, working kind of a man, and remained so till oM ago disabled him from labor. He made three very good farms, and erected three sets of good buildings for that day, and probably paid as large an amount of tax as alinost any farmer in the town ; he was addicted to no particularly bad habits, but still, fi-om the mutability of this world's affairs, he tlied on our poor farm in 1850. He probably rests as quietly in his grave as though he ha'i died possessed of milUons ; and could with pro- priety adopt the words of Watts : — " Princes, this clay must be your bed, In spite of all your lovveis; The tall, ihe wise, the reverend head Must lie as low as ours." Joseph Dale, who came down to work for Fuller and Jlcr- iam, in a year or two bouhgt a half lot easterly of whe?© Ben- jamin Flint first began, viz., Ihe east half of lot No. 14, in the r)th Range on the Waterford plantation, and soon after married Phebe Martin, of Andover, jUIass., and moved on to his land. John Pike, a brother to Dudley Pike, came into Rustfield either iu 1794, or the year previous, and commenced on the lot east of Dudley Pike's; he lived there for more than forty years, and then moved to Oxford, where he afterwards tlied. He wa& a very large, athletic man, of stentorian voice, and was often employed as master-carter, or superintendent in moving build- ings, and the way he would sing out to the men waS' not in a very low tone. It was often the case that the new settlers did not get their first barn on the spot that suited them after they haxl made considerable progress in clearing up their farms. Hence the repeated calls for moving their first learns and oilier buildin2;s. 26 HISTORY OF XOmVAY. Benjamin RoAve began on the lot south of Joel Stevens'' lot, as early as 171)4, ami occupied it a few years, and "was suc- ceeded by Eliphalet "Watson and his son Ebenczer Watson; they lived there a few years, and then sold out to Jeremiah Hobbs, the oldest son of Amos Ilobbs. Ebcnezer Jenkins, who married a sister to the Pikes, came into Rustfield about this time, or a little after, and commenced a little south of where Nathaniel INIillett now lives ; and Jonathan Woodman likewise commenced where Jacob Parsons noAv lives, soon after the same period : and probably some others in diifei'ent parts of the town, of which the writer has not been able to ascertain the particulars. In 1794 the first school-house in the place was built, on Amos Hobbs' land, on the road leading from the centre of Norway by William Parsons'. Job Eastman taught the first school in that house, and Abigail Symonds kept the first wo- man's school in the Sattie. This year John Henley came from jNIassachusetts, and com- menced on the lot south of Amos Upton's, in the Cummings Gore, and built a small frame house on the west side of the road. Henley was rather a large-sized man, and very moder- ate in his movements ; but there were few men who could com- pete with him in using an axe. lie and Darius Holt, soon after he came into the j)lace, together felled twelve acres of trees of heavy growth in one week, for Mr. Fuller, and, as they have told the writer, finished the piece by the middle of the afternoon on Saturday. Mr. Holt says he felled ten acres for Jonathan Cummings, alone, in nine and a half days. About this time John Millett and Solomon Millett began on their respective lots, which are situated southerly of William Parsons' lot. They had previously worked for Wilham Parsons for a considerable space of time, and were brothers to Parsons' wife. Their l^rother, Nathaniel ^Millett, being younger, did not come into Rustfield quite so early as his brothers, but in a very few years after, and located himself whcrp he now resides. While writing concerning the Parsons and Millett families, HISTORY OF NORWAY. 2/ it brings to mind the num1)cr of smart, healthy chilJrcn bc- longino; to them in former times. The "writer taught tlie school in that school district in the winter of 1809-10, and had thirty--five scholars Avho bore the name of Millett or Parsons, The noted cold Friday occurred in Februry, while in this school ; and the severe cold prevented more than half of the usual number from getting to the school-house, and more than half who did get there were more or less frozen, and some of them badly. And while writing of these families, I can not withhold the tribute of gratitude wliich I owe to old Deacon Parsons and wife. She Avas a mother, not only to her own children, but to all around her. IVIy health at that time was very feeble, and Mrs. Parsons nursed me with a mother's care- Puring the last month, the old Deacon used to harness his old mare and carry me to school, and at night would contrive to get me home again. He provided the fuel for the school, and would go in the afternoon to cut and split wood ; when cold he would enter the school-house to get warm and smoke his pipe, and at night carry the master and his girls home. Blessed days were those. He was, in my humble opinion, a sincere- practical christian. He never failed to oiFer up the morning and evening prayer, and to read a portion of the Holy Bible. His family government was firm, but very mild ; and perhaps no fomily at that day conducted with more propriety and sobri- ety than his. In the summer and fall of 1807 the writer w^orked, probably six months or more, on his new house, and had an excellent opportunity to knoAv his firm, but mild gov- ernment. I must relate one little anecdote in regard to hi,'^ management of his boys — and he had a lot of them. One day Joshua and Solomon, boys about ten and twelve years of age, happened about the house, and were rather full of noisy play, like other boys of that age ; Mrs. Parsons getting rather out of patience with the boys, and the Deacon happening to come in at the time, she said to him, "Mr. Parsons, Joslma and Solomon want a good whipping as much as crer two boys did. ' 28 HISTORY OF NORAVAYi The Deacon listened to her with attention, tmA then called out, '•Josh." The boy responded, "Sir/" '-Come here." The boy promptly came forward. ''Your mother says you want to be Avhipped — do you,'" '"No sir." " Well, then, go about your work." He then called out, " Sol." " Sir .^" ' ' Come here. ' ' He immediately came forward. ' • Your mother says you want to be whipped— do you?" "No sir." "Then go along to your Avork." And then turning to his wife, said, '•Why, mother, the boys say they don't want to be whipped, and I guess they'll do well enough without it." The boys knar better than to take any advantage of their father's len- ity. But there ! I have run off the track a httle to far, I confess ; but I will- try to keep on better for tlie future. Jacob Tubbs came into the place in 1795, and commenced on the Lee Grant; although that grant was not lotted out- till about 1810 — it being a condition in the original grant that the tract sliould be exempt from taxation till after a certain lapse of time ; therefore it was not put in the market for sale Avhile it wiis not liable to taxation. For tliis reason, that part of the town was not settled till long after the other parts had made considerable progress in settlements. Mr. Tubbs, however, had the good fortune to purchase two hundred acres, selected to his own mind, and he made an excellent choice. The other few settlers on the Lee Grant Avere what were termed S(|uat- ters, and occupied without any title. Isaac Cobb and Asa Dunham came into Rustfield in 1795. Dunham purchased the lot where Ilufus Bartlett afterwards lived till his death ; and Cobb moved into Dunham's house, and lived with him till the next spring, when he moved in with Zebedee Perry ; he soon after purchased the lot south of Perry's, on which he built a small house, Avhere he lived .•tb«>ut four years, and sold out to Daniel Hobbs, the oldest Hon of Jeremiah Ilobbs ; he then purchased Avhere he after- wards lived till his death, which took place in May, 1^!25. Levi Bartlett came to Eustfield about this time, and set up HISTORY OF NORWAY. 29 tlie blacksmith business ; he built a large shop, witli a trip- hammer, and carried on the business, on a large scale for those days, till his death in August, 1818. William "Work ■svas married to Betsey Stevens, the oldest daughter of Jonas Stevens, in 1795. In 1796, Benjamin Flint built his barn, which was the first barn erected westerly of Fuller's Corner. He had used a log hovel previous to that time, as also did the other settlers ; the most of the houses were also built of logs, and the roofs covered with spruce bark, fastened on with long spruces laid across it, and confined with witlies. When Ben- jamin Flint moved his wife home, two years before building his barn, he borrowed a cart of Mr. Fuller to carry a few household goods from Nathan Foster's, and he says that wa>3 the first cart ever driven west of Fuller's Corner, and mucli difficulty Avas experienced in getting it back again. In 1794, there was a State tax laid on Rustfield, and the following is a copy of -the assessment, as made by the assess- ors, verhatbn ct literatim ; and this tax will show who were the inhabitants of Rustfield at that early period : THE COPPY OF AN JEXECUTION. £ s. d. Tax, . 5 11 8 Travel, - Coppy, - ^erv.j 1 8 4 2 1 4 1 11 8 ■Sum total, 7 3 4 Rustfield, November th 7, 1794, Assessed the sum of seven pounds, three shillings and four pence upon the polls and estates, to be collected by the 5 day of December next. BENJAMIN WITT, ) NATHAN NOBLE, [Assessors. WILLIAM PARSONS, \ 30 HISTORY OF NORWAY. Kenr}' Rust, Joel Stevens, Joseph Stevens, John Pike, Samuel Ames, Jonas Stevens, William Stevens, Samuel Perkins, Amos Hobhs, Nathaniel Bennett, Anthony Bennett, George Lessley, Benjamin Rowe, Asa DunhaiTi, Benjamin Witt, Peter Buck, Thomas Co wen, Zebedee Perry, John Cushman, ISathan Nohie, Benjamin Herring, Ebenezer Whitmarsh, Joshua Smith, John Parsons, James Stiuchfield, David Gotham, John Mijiett, Solomon Millett, iVathaniel Millett, Benjamin Stinehfield, William Nash, INIoses Twitchell, William Parsons, Dudley Pike, Daniel Trickky, Polls, lOd lOd lOd lOd lOd lOd lOd lOd lOd lOd lOd lOd lOd lOd lOd lOd lOd lOd lOd lOd lOd lOd lOd lOd lOd lOd lOd lOd lOd lOd lOd lOd 1 1 1 1 1 3 U 7 3 5 7 G 2 7 11 1 8 4 3 2 7 1 5 2 3 8 5 7 9 7 4 9 Real Estate. X" s. d. qrs 19 9 2 3 3 9 2 10 3 9 2 1 1 3 3 2 9 3 7 7 2 9 9 8 7 1 10 2 2 10 11 Personal E St. £ s. d. qrs 1 2 3 1 8 3 2 3 1 9 1 5 2 11 3 7 1 3 1 1 1 5 1 5 1 1 4 2 9 3 1 8 3 6 2 2 2 5 2 2 1 3 3 5 1 9 3 8 1 2 4 3 9 2. 1 9 I 4 4 6 3 3 11 2 1 9 1 Sum Total. £ s. d. qrs 110 1 5 6 3 2 1 6 1 3 1 9 1 11 6 10 5 5 1 5 1 3 6 2 1 1 2 11 3 2 2 11 2 11 5 5 4 3 9 1 5 2 1 1 7 1 11 2 15 5 6 1 6 10 1 2 3 4 10 3 2 9 8 3 5 5 1 11 000000007401 It appears that the Lee Grant was not liable to taxation until 1807, and I have not been able to ascertain whether Cummings Gore paid any tax at this time or not, but it is probable that the few inhabitants did pay in some shape or other. It thus appears that in Rustfield there were thirty- two taxable polls, and three other persons taxed for property; but as yet we have no account of any highway tax, except what was done voluntarily. In 1796 the first road in the [dace was laid out by a Court's Committee from Cumberland niSTORY OF NORWAY. 31 County, to "which Ave then belonged. The road in questidu commenced at the north line of the tOAvn, and ran about Bouth, twenty-five deg. cast, over Cummings hill, thence southeasterly to Jeremiah Hobbs' lot, thence southerly by Esquire Eastman's and Deacon William Parsons', around Horse hill, and over the Craigie hill to Craigie's mills in He- bron — now Oxford. Horse hill received its name from the following circumstance: In June, 178T, Avhen Deacon Wil* liam Parsons, his brother, John Parsons, and Benjamin Herring, came into the place to fall trees, they had two horses to bring their provisions ; and there being no pasture, they turned the animals out in the Avoods. One night they were alarmed by a bear, or some other wild beast, and ran off in a fright ; they could not be found while the men re- mained at their work. Late in the fall they were discovered on this hill in a very poor condition. Hence the name of Horse hill. This was the way that the first settlers wended their way to Portland with their surplus produce. They generally went with their ox-teams, in the winter, through deep snows and poor roads, and often returned home them- selves to lodge the first night. Previous to this time there was but one horse in the Cum- mings Gore, and that an old white-faced mare, owned by Amos Upton ; and she was used by all the neighbors to go to mill. They used to lash the bags on to the saddle, a huge, coarse thing made for that purpose,, and let the old mare plod her way along the little pathway. Aaron Wilkins says (arid lie knew all about it) she Avould crook around the trees and rocks very carefully, so as to avoid hitting the bags against them. Before they had any other practicable conveyance to Portland, Francis Upton, the oldest son of Amos Upton, went to Portland Avith the old mare, and carried a small hog to market, having it laid across the pack saddle, and strongly lashed on Avith cords ; he Avent on foot himself, leading or diiving the old mare, and only reached Dudley Pike's tho 32 HISTORY OF NORWAY. first ihj, and put up tlicrc that night. In J 790, Dudley Pike obtained one ox, and John Parsons one ,othe:r. They j)ut them together, and worked them alternately, helping their neighbors with them wlie» they could. The next year they purchased two more, and then had each of them moved into Kustfield. He Jived awhile in the Rust house ou the hill, and then went ,i,ipon the Crockett farm, where he lived till his death. Samuel Perkins had, sometime before this, begun on a lot between Crockett's aijd Anthony Ben- nett's ; in a few years Crockett and Bennett bought Perkins out. and divided the lot between tliem. Silas Barker had, previous to this time, commenced on lot No. 14 in the 13th Range of .the Waterford plantation ; he did something on the land, and soo^ sold out to John Upton, a cousin to Amos Upton : after a few years Upton sold out to a Mr. Pingree. This year, Joel Frost, born in Tewisbury, Mass., came into the Waterford plantation, in June ; he felle<:l trees immedi- ately, and commenced for a farm where he and his second son, William Frost, now live. His lot lies east of Avhere Darius Holt then lived, a,nd was lot No. 15 in the 9th Range of the Waterford plantation. About this time the subject of having the town incorpor- ated was called up, and, as is .almost always the case, there were different opinions. They had a plantation meeting iij the Waterford plantation, to see if they would consent to have the three tiers of lots set off to help make up the town of Norway, and after much discussion on the question, it wag decided in the affirmative. The same year the inhabitants of Rustfield and Cummings Gore, and a few squatters on the Jjce Grant, also had a similar meeting, to consult on the ex- pediency of an incorporation ; and finally determined in favor ,of .the measure. This primary meeting was held in Saniueil HISTORY OF NORWAY. 33 Ames" house, near the mills ; and measures were accordingly taken to bring about the thing in its proper time. The meet- ing took place Sept. 29th, 1796. In order to show who were in Rustfield previous to the in- corporation of the town, I shall have recourse to a tax bill committed to J-oseph Stevens as Collector for the year 1796, for a State tax, which amounted to thirty-eight dollars and fourteen cents. A poll tax in this bill Avas twenty-eight cents ; and the highest tax on real estate was eighty-four cents to William Parsons, and the lowest was one cent to John Cushman. The highest tax on personal estate was fifty-four cents to Benjamin Herring, and the lowest was nothincr to Thomas Cowen, and one cent to Levi Bartlett. There were a few who were taxed for a poll only. A plant- ation tax was assessed the same year, and for about the same sum ; although the poll tax was only twenty-five cents, yet the tax on the several estates was the same as the State tax. The following are the names of the persons taxed, with the sum total of their respective taxes : William Parsons, $1,83 Nathaniel Millett, $ ,54 John Parsons, 1,55 David Gorham, ,77 Dudley Pike, 1,50 Ebenezer VVhitmarsh, ,95 Thomas Cowen, ,32 William Nash, ,48 Samuel Ames, grist-mill 1,50 Benjamin Stinohfield, ,41 John Pike, 1,20 Joshua Smith, ,90 John Milieu, 1,20 Anthony Bennett, 1,71 Solomon Millett, V66 Peter Buck, ,68 Moses Twitf^hell, ,61 Thomas Hill, ,39 John Cushman, ,59 Elisha Cummings, ,39 Joshua Crockett and Mr. Rust, 1,58 Samuel Perkins, . ,53 Nathan Noble, 1,44 Reuben Hubbard, ,67 Amos Hobbs, ,9G James Stinchfield, ,62 John Eaton, saw-mill, 1,15 Levi Bartlett, ,79 Benjamin Herring, 1,53 Samuel Pearse, ,33 Benjamin Rowe, ,64 Isaac Cobb, ,33 Joseph Stevens, 1,58 Henry Rust, ,84 Joel Stevens, 1,18 Zekiel Roberson, ,38 Jonas Stevens, ,88 Ephraliam Briggs, ,49 William Stevens, ,59 Cimion Shertleef, ,28 Benjamin Witt, .64 David Woodman, ,28 •George Lessley, 1,05 Jonathan Woodman, ,28 Asa Dunham, ,41 Joseph Eveleth, ,28 SZebedee Perry, ,55 Thomas Furlong, ,28 vWhole sum thirty-eight dollars fourteen cents. $38,14 154 HISTORY OF NORAVAY. The following settlers were on the Cummings land previous to the incorporation of the town, viz : — Jeremiah Hoblis, Nathaniel Stevens, Job Eastman, Jonathan Cummings, Na- than Foster, John Henley, Amos Upton, Benjamin Fuller, Silas Meriam, Francis Upton, the son of Amos Upton, who had now become of age, and Aaron Wilkins, about, or quite of age. On the Waterford three tiers were Joseph Dale, Jonathan Stickney, Joel Frost, Darius Holt, Lemuel Shed, Phinehas Whitney, Jabcz Chubb, Benjamin Flint, Asa Case, and Silas Barker. On the Lee Grant were Daniel Knight. AYilliam Gardner, Isaac Cummings, Joshua Pool, William Dunlap, and Jacob Tubbs. Perhaps there might possibly have been a few more settlers within the limits of the several tracts of land which afterwards made up the town of Norway. It appears from an old order, on Joseph Stevens, as a Col- lector, that Joshua Smith and Levi Bartlett were assessors of Rustfield at some period previous to the incorporation of the town. ACT OF INCORPORATION. An Act to incorporate several tracts, or grants, of land situ- ate in the County of Cumberland, into a town by the name of Norway : Sect. 1. — Be it enacted, by the Senate and House of Rep- resentatives, in General Court assembled, and by the author- ity of the same, That one tract, or grant, of land, known by the name of Rustfield ; another by Lee's Grant ; a third by Cummings' Grant; together with the three tiers of lots, which formed a part of the plantation of Waterford, lying- next to, and adjoining the easterly side of said plantation — the outlines of the said town of Norway being as follows, viz : — Beginning at a certain birch tree, standing on the westerly side line of Paris, and on lot number thirteen, well marked, thence running northerly, one thousand one hundred and sixty rods, by said Paris line, to a spruce tree, marked ; HISTORY OF NORWAY. 35 thence south, seventy-six degrees west, one thousand and four rods, to a cedar tree, standing on the easterly side line of Cummings' Grant ; thence north, twenty-five degrees west, fifty-five rods, to the northeasterly corner of said Cummings' Grant ; thence south, sixty-five degrees west, four hundred and eighty rods, to the easterly side line of said plantation, (of Waterford;) thence north, twenty-five degrees west, on said easterly line of said plantation, about three hundred and thirty rods, to the northeasterly corner of the plantation aforesaid ; thence south, sixty-five degrees west, on the north- erly side line of said plantation, crossing three tiers of lots to the dividing line between the third and fourth tiers of lots, from the aforesaid easterly side line of said plantation ; thence south, twenty-five degrees east, on said dividing line, by the town of Waterford, as incorporated, to the southerly side line of said plantation : thence north, sixty-five degrees east, on said southerly side line of said plantation, crossing the ends of the aforesaid three tiers of lots, about three hundred and thirty rods to the southeasterly corner of said plantation ; (the last-named distance ought to be four hundred and eighty rods;) thence south, twenty-five degrees east, by Phillips' Gore (so called) six hundred and twenty-four rods, to He- bron line ; thence north, fifty-four degrees east, by Hebron line, about one thousand and seventy-four rods, to a tree standing on the westerly side line of Paris, marked ; thence noi'therly liy said Paris about nine hundred and seventy rods to the first Iwund ; together with the inhabitants thereon, be, and liei'eby are incoi'porated into a town by the name of Nor- way ; and the said town of Norway is hereby invested with all the powers, privileges and immunities which other towns in this Commonwealth do, or may enjoy. Provided, never- theless, that Waterford, as incorporated, exclusive of the before-mentioned three eastern tiers of lots, are and shall be entitled to four-fifths of all public lots lying within the afore- said three tiers of lots. Provided, also, that no taxes of any M HISTORY OF :S"ORAVAT. kind "be laid on any part of the land contained within the bounds of Lee's Grant until the expiration of ten years from the passing of this act. Sect. 2. — Be it further enacted, by the authority afore- said, that Enoch Perley, Esq., be, and he is hereby empow- ered to issue his warrant, directed to some suitable inhabitant of the said town of Norway, requiring him to notify and warn the inhabitants thereof, to meet at some convenient time and place for the purpose of choosing all such officers as towns are by law required to choose in the months of ^larch or April, annually. This act passed March 9, 1797. Gentle reader, we have now got into Norway : — not the ))eautiful Norway of the present day, but Norway in its in- fancy. I have conducted you through a long journey, and mostly through a dreary wilderness. We have wandered, not quite so long a time as the children of Israel did in reaching the promised land, but for the space of almost ten years after females first showed themselves in the plantation, which was in the spring of 1787. Our ancestGi's, the first settlers, waded, not through seas of blood, like some mighty conquerors, but through mud and water, thick forests, burnt trees, and black logs, oftentimes suffering hunger and hard- ships. They were thinly scattered about in small clearings dotted here and there with little huts, log houses and log liovels, many of them surrounded with large families of young children, many times poorly clad, and poorly fed. Yet think not that " they were of all men," and women, *' the most miserable ; " for if we may believe the testimony of the few who are still living, we shall find that they had their comforts and consolations as much, or more, than at the present day. As a general thing, they were like a band of brothers, and stood by ejich other in times of need ; and by •dint of patient industry and perseverance, tliey iiioaUj' HISTOKY OE NORWAY. 3T achieved a glorious victory over the dai'k M'iklerness, causiii'T it to bud and blossom as the rose. The soil proved fertile and productive, and under the guidance and smiles of Provi- dence, they laid foundations for happy, happy homes. They could, with heartfelt gratitude, adopt the words of the Psalmist: " He sends the showers nf blessings down To cheer the plains below, He makes the grass the mountains crown, And corn in vallies giow." I have not been able to learn precisely on what day the first annual meeting was held for the choice of town officers, nor with certainty at what place ; but it is believed by the oldest settlers now living, that it was held at the house of Job Eastman, May ord, 17*J7, and the following persons were chosen Selectmen and Assessors for that year, viz : Job East- man, Benjamin Witt, and Joseph Stevens ; Joshua Smith, Town Clerk ; Job Eastman, Town Treasurer ; and Ebenezer Whitmarsh, Constable and Collector of Taxes. In order to show who were the inhabitants of the town at the time of its incorporation, I here give the names as stand- ing on the first valuation, and assessment of the first tax after the organization of the town : PERSONS' NAMES. Ames Samuel,* Bennett Anthony, Bennett Nathaniel, Buck Peter, Barllett Levi, Bartlett Capt., Case Asa, Cummings Jonathan, Crockett Joshua, Cowen Thomas, Chubb Jabez, Cummings Elisha, Dunham Asa, Dale Joseph, PERSONS' NAMES. Duniap William, Eastman Job, Fuller Benjamin, Frost Joel, Gorham David, Hobbs Jeremiah, Hohbs Amos, Hubbard Reuben, HerrintT Benjamin, Holt Dariiis, Henley John, Hill Thomas, Lessley George, Lovejoy Asa, ♦The name of Samuel Ames has stood at the head of all our valuations, lax lists, and lists of voters, probably every year since the iucorporatiou of the town. At all events, I have never seen oue othervvL-ie. 38 HISTORY OF NORWAY. PERSONS' NAMES. Millett John, Millett Solomon, Millett Nathaniel, Meiiam Silas Nohle Nathan, Nash William, Parsons William, Parsons John, Pike Dudley, Pike John, Perry Zebedee; Perkins Samuel, llust Henry, Rovve Benjamin. Robinson Ezekiel, Stevens Jonas, Stevens Joseph, Stevens Joel, Stevens Nathaniel, Stevens William, Shed Lemuel, Shirtlef Simeon, Saunders Jonathan, Smith Joshua, Stinclifield James, PERSONS' NAMES. Upton x\mos, UlJton Francis, Witt Benjamin, Whitmarsh Ebenezer, Whitney Pliinehas, Whitney Jonathan, Work VVilliam, Foster Nathan, Flint Benjamin, Curtis Beals William, Brijigs Ephraiin, Bird Woodman Jonathan, Young Nathaniel, Yates William, Tiibbs '■ Furlong Thomas, Knight Daniel, Witham Jeremiah, Richardson Webster Simon, Cobb Isaac, Crooker Calvin, Crooker Ebenezer, William Reed. Stinchfield Benjamin, Making seventy-nine taxable residents, and as polls were then taxable at sixteen years of age, there were eighty-six polls taxed, as some of the boys had reached the age of six- teen years. The non-resident proprietors of land were assessed, $ 89,94 The settlers were assessed, - - 945,49 Total assessment, - - - *|1085,4o A poll tax in this assessment was one dollar and sixty cent**, and the assessment probably included the State, County, and to\m tax, though the book does not positively show the fact. There Avas a highway tax assessed the same year lor tli# sum of - - - - ^342.49,S The non-residents paying - - 17,78.4 The residents tlic remaining - <|324,71,4 A poll tax was $1,56. In 1798, a money tax, includin"^ HISTORY OF NOIUVAY. 39 State, County, and town, was assessed, amounting to ^296,73- a poll tax was $1,00, and the number of polls 95. A high- way tax the same year amounted to ^498,93, and a poll tax was 1 2. 50. In 1799 it appears that a State tax for $41,02 was assessed : a poll tax was thirteen cents, and there were 107 polls. The total valuation of the real and personal es- tate in the town amounted to the sum of !|21,119. I find a small remnant of a tax, which was called a minister tax, in which a poll paid seventeen cents : and another fragment, Avhich was probably a town tax, in which a poll paid sixty cents. From what can be gleaned up. it appears that the taxes for the^ear were about as follows : State tax, - - $ 41,02 Minister tax. (neariv) - 52,00 Town tax, (money) - 200,00 do. do. (highwav) - 350,00 Making a total of - - $643,02 In 1800 it appears there were 115 taxable polls in the toAvu ; tlie amount of money tax not ascertained, but estimated the same as last year, $290,73. Highway tax $611,02. In 1798 Joshua Smith was chosen Town Clerk; Job East- man, Treasurer; Job Eastman, Benjamin Witt, and Joseph Stevens, Selectmen ; Ebenezer Whitmarsh, Collector. In 1799, Job Eastman, Clerk; Job Eastman, Treasurer; Job Eastman, Joshua Smith, and Benjamin Witt, Selectmen. In 1800, Job Eastman. Clerk ; Job Eastman, Treasurer ; Job Eastman, Anthony Bennett, and Jonathan Woodman, Select- men ; Ebenezer "Whitmarsh, Collector. Soon after the in- corporation of the town, Job Eastman was appointed a Jus- tice of the Peace, and acted in that capacity for the space of forty-eight years. During the summer and fall of 1799, John Parsons built him a new one-story house, 30 feet by 36 ; he had nearly completed the finishing of it in January following, and had moved his fiimily into the same. One evening, as one of tho 40 HISTORY OF NORWAY. joiners was working at the bench, he cut his finggr badly, and went into the room where the family lived to bind up hi* wound ; in jumping across the bench he knocked over the candle, and not obserA^ing it while doing up his finger, the house was wrapped in flames almost instantaneously, as there was a large quantity of shavings on the floor. This was a sad loss. Mr. Parsons went courageously to work, and by the help of his kind neighbors, rebuilt the house, and got into it before spring work commenced. The following persons came into the town from the time of incorporation up to, and within, the year 1800, viz: Cad F. Jones, in 1797; Edward Wells, and his son Edward Wells,. Jr., John Richardson, Jr., James French, Joseph Small, Da- vid Morse, John Upton, Ebenezer Cobb, Josiah Bartlett, Nathaniel Bancroft, Joshua Pool, Barzilla Dwelly, Richard Blake ; Daniel Hobbs, a son of Jeremiah Hobbs, aad Amos Upton, Jr., a son of Amos Upton, had become of age, and were taxable citizens in 1798. In 1799, there is the addi- tion of Amos Blanchard, Darius Wilkins, John Upton, Moses Abbott, Samuel Godding, William White, David Upton, Jo- seph Martin, and probably some others came in, in order to make arrangements for a settlement as soon as convenient. In 1800, there were added, Tilden Bartlett, Rufus Bartlett, Jacob Bancroft, Stephen Curtis, Jacob Frost, Edmund Mer- rill, Jacob Parsons, Alfred Barrett, Ward Noyes, Bailey Bodwell, Samuel Andrews. At this time there were fifty- seven houses and forty-seven barns in the town. This year the Militia was organized in Norway, and the first officers were Jonathan Cummings, Captain, Anthony Bennett, Lieutenant, William Reed, Ensign. In 1801, the town officers were as follows : Job Eastman, Clerk; Job Eastman, Treasurer; Job Eastman, Jonathan Woodman, and Cad F. Jones, Selectmen; William Hobbs, Collector. Highway tax $720,68 ; money tax, of all kinds, |1696,- HISTORY OF NORWAY. 41. /)4 ; number of polls 129 ; poll tax on the highway ^2,00. This year, or last, Joseph Rust built a grist-mill at the Steep Falls, and it appears that he was taxed for the Rust property by the valuation. Previous to 1800, Amos Upton had built a large one-story house, and in January of that year Ward Noyes moved from Andover, Mass., into Mr. Upton's house, and lived there until the next fall. In July there was a terrific tempest of lightning, thunder, rain and wind. The house was struck by lightning at the easterly end of the ridge-pole ; the elec- tric fluid ran down the rafter and other timbers, and went almost over the whole house. Seven persons Avere knocked down by the shock, and "Ward Noyes Avas insensible for a long time ; probably he never would have recovered had it not been for the application of cold water, which by Mr. Up- ton's direction was poured upon him by pailsfull — he having, a short time previous, seen in a newspaper an account of its efficacy. Large sjiaces of thick forest were prostrated by this wind, and considerable damage done otherAvise, The first post-office in Norway Avas established in 1800, and William Reed appointed post-master. He remained in office about forty years, and Avas a vigilant, faithful officer ; he also continued to keep a store of goods, and traded largely for that day, for many years. He engaged extensively in iiirming, and in all kinds of business Avas a very energetic, persevering man. While speaking of the establishment of the first post-office and first post-master, I Avill giA'e an account of the mail at that time, the first mail-carrier, &c. Jacob HoAve, grand- father of Jeremiah Howe of NorAvay Village, was the first mail-carrier, and rode on horseback with the mail-bas:, and a large pair of saddle-bags, in Avhich he carried a fcAV news- papers. He came from Portland, through Gray. New Glou- cester, Poland, Hebron, to Norway, and then to Watcrford, Bridgton, Raymond, Standish, Gorham, to Portland again, 42 niSTORY or is-orway. once a week ; and the time of his arrival at this, and other places, depended on circumstances, the state of the weathei'j and the situation of the roads. The newspapers were mostly the old Portland Gazette and Eastern Argus ; for there Avere at that early day two political parties, though not many Ihlrd parties, or ^^ one idea^' parties. The carrier had an enor- mous tin horn, or trumpet, which he sounded just before his arrival at the respective post-offices, and also in neighborhoods ■where a man or two took a newspaper ; then the boys and girls would run out to get " father's paper," and soon all the neishbors learned the news. Mr. Howe carried the mail sev- eral years, and was succeeded by a Mr. Smith; after a few years, Joshua Pool, of this town, succeeded Smith, and "Wil- liam Sawin succeeded Pool — all of them carrying the mail and newspapers in the same way. About 1812, a Mr. Brown, of Waterford, became a mail-contractor, and ventured to con- vey the mail in a one-horse wagon, (one-horse wagons came into being about that time,) and once in a while would cai-ry a passenger or two to Portland, or some other place. James Longley succeeded Mr. Brown, and the mail-route was so altered that a mail ran direct from Portland to Norway "Spil- lage and Paris Hill. Longley had the hardihood to run a pair of horses and double-sleigh in winter, and a four-wheeled carriage in summer, though his patronage in the way of passengers was rather small. However, by perseverance and attention, Longley in a few years built np a pretty good busi- ness, and Avas finally succeeded by John B. Stowell. He owned the line for a few years, and was succeeded by G. G. Waterhouse, who owned the line, and most of the time han- dled the reins himself, until the railroad went into operation, when he was transferred to the cars as conductor on a passen- ger train. I must be permitted to say a word about "SYater- house, as a stage-driver ; (not intending, in the least, to speak disparagingly of his predecessors.) He was ever attentive t<3 the wants and comfort of his passengers, and very correct niSTORY OF NORWAY. 43 in doing the thousand errands intrusted to his care. lie finally raised the character of the line to an eminent pitch, and before the conveyance by cars took place, it was not un- common to see three, or more, four-horse coaches come into Norway A^illage, all loaded to overflowing — bringing some- times sixty passengers. About December, 1819, a company of sixteen individuals got up a two-horse stage to run from Norway Village to Bethel, and finally to Lancaster, New Hampshire. We en- countered much opposition at first in regard to the mail, but at length made it a popular and profitable line, till superseded by the railroad. Anthony Bennett, the son of Capt. Anthony Bennett; was one of .the company, and was the driver for sev- eral years, and raised the character of the line, as business on the route increased, so much, that the company sold out the concern without any loss or trouble ; which was doing pretty well for so wild a project, as it was called at the be- ginning. Orren Hobbs, a grandson of Jeremiah Hobbs. drove some on this route, and on the Portland route in Waterhouse'.s employ; afterwards he was on the route from Portland to Augusta. For a few years previous to the commencement of railroad conveyance, A. A. Latham drove a four-horse coaclt from Norway to Bethel and Shelburne, on the Lancaster route, and ho was considered a very gentlemanly driver. Both Hobbs and Latham have been transferred to the cars as conductors, which shows pretty clearly how they were es- teemed as drivers of coaches for public conveyance. After Mr. Reed retired from the post-office, G. J. Ordway, (a son of Amos Ordway, who married, for a second wife, Mary Ames, the oldest daughter of Samuel Ames, the first miller in Bustfield.) was appointed post-master, and kept the office a few years ; he was succeeded by Asa Thayer, wlio a few yeaVs before came from Paris to Norway ; and in 184*.), Elliot Smith, the present incumbent, succeeded to the office. Elliot Smith is the youngest son of Joshua Smith, and tlio 44 HISTORY OF NORWAY. only oiic living. I ask pardon for getting so for aliead, as to dates ; but I thought the reader would better understand the matter in regard to our post-oflSce and mail concerns, if it was related altogether — -therefore I have made this digress- ion ; but I will now return back to 1801. In 1801, Amos Upton built a grist-mill on a brook about three-fourths of a mile westerly of Fuller's Corner. It was rather a rudely constructed thing, as he did almost all the work himself, even to the making of the mill-stones. His oldest son, Francis Upton, afterwards owned said mill, and tended it for many years. In the drought of summer there was not sufficient water to grind ; but at other times it did considerable business, and was a great convenience to the settlers in the northwest part of the town. Amos Upton, Jr., another son of Amos Upton, succeeded his brother Francis : he built a new mill on the same stream, a little above the old one, and did considerable business in grinding. Jonathan Swift, some twenty-five years ago, succeeded Amos Upton, Jr., and after- wards built a new mill, Avhich is still in operation. This year, Phinehas Whitney, on the Waterford three tiers, had the misfortune to lose his house by fire. It was a log house, to be sure ; but it was all he had. It was quite a dis- tressing circumstance to him and his family, who were in rather poor circumstances before the loss. Mr. Whitney was a soldier through all the revolutionary war. He was in the battle of Bunker Hill, and I have often heard him tell the story of that memorable contest. He said that just as he had put his last charge into his gun, the British forces had about reached their rude breastwork ; a British officer mounted the embankment, and cried out to his soldiers to " rush on, as the fort was their own ; " Whitney then took deliberate aim at him, and, to use his own language, " let him have it," and he fell into the entrenchment. He then clubbed his musket, and cleared his way the best he could, and finally made good his retreat. HISTORY OF NORWAt. 45 Jacob Frost, ■who moved from Tewksbury, IMass., into Nor- way, in 1800, was also in the battle of Bunker Hill. He was severely wounded in the hip by a musket ball, and taken prisoner. Afterwards he was carried to Halifax, where he was immured in a filthy prison, and his wound poorly attended to — the ball never being extracted ; he remained there several months, and suffered almost everything but death. While yet very lame, he, with three fellow-prisoners, planned a way to escape, by removing a stone, and digging out under the wall of their prison. This they effected without discovery ; but, sad to relate, one of their number was too large to get through the opening, and after using every possible exertion, he had to be pushed back into his cell, and left to his lonely and miserable fa*e. Frost and the other two made their way to the nearest thicket, or woods, and as soon as daylight began to appear, they concealed themselves as best they could, where they lay till darkness again covered their flight. Mr. Frost was still too lame to make much headway, but his companions in suffering proved true and faithful friends, and did not leave him, but helped him along--oftentimes carrying him on their backs. Frost was concealed under a large tree turned up by the roots, and a quantity of old leaves thrown over him, dur- ing the first day. In the morning they were missed ; pursuit and search were immediately made for them, aod while he was under the old tree, some soldiers came along on the trail of the fugitives, and sat down to rest themselves, and talked over the matter of the escape of the prisoners, on the same log under Avhich he lay concealed. Kind reader, can you imagine how the poor lame soldier felt while his pursuers were sitting on the log and discussing the subject? Don't you think his heart went pit-a-pat 7 However, as a kind Provi- dence ordered it, the fugitives were not discovered, and as soon as night spread its sable mantle over the earth, they groped their way along as fast as possible ; they suffered very much from hunger, having no food but a few dry crusts, which 46 HISTORY OF XOIUVAY. they had saved from their scanty daily allcwance "while th.ey were preparing the Avay to escape. After their old, mouldy crusts were gone, they were almost driven to desperation ; and one night they carefully approached a house in hopes of find- ing something to appease their hunger; but after a long search they could find nothing for food, except an old shoe, which they tore to pieces and chewed the leather ; and Mv. Frost has said that Avas the sweetest morsel he ever ate. Oc- casionally they could steal a hen from some farm-yard or barn ; but then they had to eat it raw, lest they should Ijo discovered by the smoke of their fire if they attempted to cook it. Thus they wandered many nights, and concealed themselves many days, until they had left a long distance be- tween them and their loathsome prison ; and they then began to venture out cautiously in the daytime. One day, being sorely oppressed with hunger, they ventured up to a house, and rapped at the door ; a woman came to the door, and tliey asked her for something to eat. She eyed them closely, then bade them enter, and hastily set food before them ; she told them to eat what they would, take some to carry with them, and hasten away as soon as possible ; for if her husband should come in he probably Avould secure them if he could. What a heavenly trait there is in woman ! Her heart is al- ways touched with sympathy for the distressed. They prob- ably oftener act from the impulse of the moment than the stronger sex : but that they possess more tender feelings of benevolence to the suffering, can hardly be doubted by any one who has carefully studied human nature. After filling their stomachs and pockets, they stole away as carefully as they came. After a long and hungry wandering, they finally completed their e,scape. Mr. Frost reached his native town, and afterwards emigrated to the toAvn of Norway, where he lived to a good old age. He like to have died, hoAvever, with the bullet in his hip : he often, in former times, told the writer that it never had been extracted ; but it Avas finally HISTORY OF NORWAY. 47 removed a few years before his death. He was a little lame, and had a stiiFness in his hip till he died, January 28th, 1839, aged 84 years. Previous to 1802, I find the following increase of new set- tlers, viz : Josiah Blanchard, John Bancroft, John Case, Enoch Merrill, Enoch Merrill, Jr., Daniel Merrill, Alexan- der Mills, Amos Cummings, (son of the proprietor of Cum- niings Gore) William Bartlett, Daniel Holt, William Hobbs, second son of Jeremiah Hobbs, James Packard, Jonathan Pottle, Timothy Stone, Joseph Stone, Paul Twombly, Wil- liam Twombly, John Hix, Asa Hix, Daniel Davis, John Hor, Samuel Pingree, -Joseph Gallison, Samuel Smith, John Ord- way, Samuel Watson, Benjamin Tucker, Dr. Heath, and probably a few more, that have not come to the knowledge of the writer. Town officers for 1802— Job Eastman, Clerk : Job East- man, Treasurer ; Job Eastman, Cad F. Jones, and Jonathan Woodman, Selectmen. State tax, $77,33 ; Town and County tax, |184.5,(j0 ; number of polls 160 ; number of houses 65, barns 55. It may be understood that they did not tax log houses and barns, and this accounts for the small number of houses in propor- tion to the jwlls. I have not been able to find any highway tax for this year ; but it probably was about the same as the money tax, and blended with it, as the whole sum is large. This year, William Hobbs, (second son of Jeremiah Hobbs) commenced trade ; his shop was valued at .$20 — stock in trade $50. Benjamin Tucker, born in Canton, Mass., came from Worcester, Mass., to this town, the same year, and set up the saddle and harness-making business — the first in the town. He engaged in the business successfully for many years, and his oldest son, Benjamin Tucker, Jr., continues it to very good advantage. I find a Dr. Heath on the valuation this year, but he was not the first doctor in the place. Dr. Shannon was the first, 48 HISTORY OF NORWAY. •who stayed but a short time, and Avas succeeded by Dr. Bar- rgtt, Avhe soon gave place to Dr. Heath. About 1803, he ■vvas succeeded by Dr. Swett, who left in 1805 ; and in the fall of that year Dr. ISIoses Ayer came into the tOAvn, and continued to practice till alx)ut 1824, and was generally es- teemed as a very good physician. He then removed to Sangerville, but in the latter part'of his life was subject te insanity, and died in the insane hospital a few years since. Dr. Asa Danforth come into Norway about 1821, and remains here at the present time ; he has had an extensive practice. Dr. Jonathan S. Millett, (a son of John Millett) was born in this town. After studying his profession, and trying some other places, he settled down in his native town about 1825, and has ever had a large practice. Dr. Danforth and Dr. ISIillett, at the present day, and for many years past, proba- bly stand as high in the estimation of the community as any medical characters in this section of the country. Dr. Jesse Howe has recently settled in this town, and so far appears to be successful. He is a grandson of our first mail-carrier. I liad almost forgotten to mention one other physician and sur- geon. Dr. French, who resided in the town a year or more •about 1825. He performed a critical operation on a child of the writer, fotr blindness, caused by cataracts in both eyes, and was successful in restoring the child's sight in a great measure. He also amputated a leg for Phinehas Whitney, the old soldier, >when he was seventy-five years of age ; the old gentleman did well, and lived five or six years after, en- joying good health for so old a person. I speak well of the surgeon's skill, but no further. Dr. Thomas Roberts, a stu- dent of Dr. Millett, partially located himself in the upper part of Norway, after completing his studies, about 1831 ; he practiced a few years with very good success, and much to the satisfaction of his employers. He then removed to Rum- ford, whore he still continues his practice, and has the rcpu- -tatiou of a good j)hysician. Dr. Nathaniel Ga'ant partially HISTORY OF NORWAY. ' 49 settled in this town about the time Dr. Roberts left ; after a short practice he removed to Wakefield, N. H. He married the onlj daughter of William Hobbs. Dr. Leander Tripp also settled in the upper part of the town, near Swift's Corner, about 1840, -and remained there a few years, not having a very ex- tensive practice. There was also a Thompsonian practitioner, of the name of Carsley, from about 1846 to 1848, but much need not be said of him. In short, no town has more reason to be satisfied with its physicians than the town of Norway for the last forty years, and we hope to be as fortunate for the next forty. Joel Frost had the misfortune to have his barn burnt on the fourth day of May, this year. It was caused by fire flying from a felled piece, which Ward Noyes, his nearest neighbor, was burning. iMr. Frost had been assisting him in setting the piece on fire, and they thought there was no danger ; but the wind shifted suddenly, and fire was blown among the litter at the side of the barn, en^-eloping it in flames in a few minutes. This was a serious loss to Mr. Frost, as the barn was nearly new, and large for that day ; and much diflSculty and expense attended the transpoiiation of boards from Rust's mill at that time, owing to the newness and roughness of the road. This year Benjamin Flint built a good house, having lived till tliis time in one of logs. In the foil of 1802, we had the first regimental muster, probably, that took place in the County of Oxford — at all events, the first in this regiment The place of pai'ade was on the spot which I shall now call the burnt district, about where Anthony Bennett's buildings stood, and just west of the httle bowling-alley. Tlic land was then new, and not much cleared, but had had the trees and bushes cut down and burnt over a short time before. This muster was a great day among the other days of that time. The citizens of the place turned out voluntarily, and cleared oif the logs and wood remaining on the ground ; they pulled and knocked up the small stumps, and 50 HISTORY OF XORAVAY. leveled the inequalities of the ground as well as they could for this important occasion. Martial music at that daj, in this place, was an enlivening/ affair, as we had but little of it; and in order to be well prepared for the occasion, John Bennett, a younger brother of Anthony and Nathaniel Bennett, then quite a young man, went down to New Gloucester and obtained a j)cwter Jife, and on the evening before the muster, delighted the boys and girls, and even older ones, by playing a few tune& as a kind of prelude to the much-longed-for, coming day. The officers of the regiment were as follows : — Levi Hub- bard, of Paris, Colonel ; Mark Andrews, of Buckfield, William Livermore, of Livermore, Majors ; William C. Whitney, of Hebron, Adjutant. The Companies were from Buckfield, Rumford, Francis Keyes, Captain, Hebron, Paris, Otisfield, Mores, Captain, Norway, Jonathan Cummings, Captain. Six companies in all ; — a pretty formidable military force, and armed with muskets of every color, length, and caliber ; some with bayonets, and more without ; but the greater part would burn powder, which some of them had learned the smell of at Bunker Hill, Saratoga, Yorktown, and other places, during our revolutionary struggle. The officers of the several companies, at least the captains, were armed with a sword and a spontoon ; and the uniform was a tri-cornered cocked-hat, deep blue coat, fiiced with bright red broadcloth, the facing turned out about four inches on each side of the front, buff or yellow A^est and pants for the field officers, and white or cream-colored vest and pants for the company officers ; and they looked grand, I tell you — especially those who bore a shining epaulette on one or both shoulders. On the opposite side of the street, about where the post-office and Beal's block now stand. Ensign Reed had a lot of boards piled along by the side of the fence ; and these served nicely for the "shanty fixings," where some of the good dames sold cakes, pies, maple sugar, (candy was hardly born then) and other little refreshments ; while men and boys sold a littlQ HISTORY OF NORWAY. * 51 li(|uor, such as good old "white-face and molasses," known then by the sober cognomen of black $/rap, with a little old Holland and Cogniac for the use of the officers and other gen- tlemen of distinction — but all good enough. No fault was found either with the cakes, hquor, soldiers, or officers — in fact, everything seemed propitious, excepting that in the afternoon the wind blew rather strong, and the dirt and dust becoming pretty thoroughly stirred up by the horses' hoofs, and being rather dark colored from recent burning, the buff and Avhite pants looked tremendously— for many of them appeared as if they were putting on mourning for the wash-tub. The regiment performed many maneuvers and evolutions laid down by old " Steuben," and other mihtary tactitians. Both soldiers and officers received the hearty applause and ap- probation of all the lookers-on, and that was "glory enough for one day," The place felt proud of the parade, the soldiers felt proud of their officers, and the officers felt proud of their soldiers, but much more so of themselves. In short, it was a day of high exultation with all, as it seemed to revive up, and rekindle the patriotic feelings which had pervaded the bosoms of many old soldiers through the long war that had achieved our National Independence. The concourse of people -was immensely large, and fortunately no accident occurred to mar the enjoyments and festivities of the day. The regiment, although afterwards curtailed of a part of its territory, continued to increase in numbers and "military graces," until it embraced within its limits ten com- paryes of infantry, one of artillery, one of riflemen, one of cavahy, and two of light infmtry. But those days of mihtary parade and glory have passed away, and are now numbered among the things that are not ; and probably a like fate awaits iiuuiy of the things of the present day. Adjutant William C. Whitney is still amongst the living, and resides in this town. lie came into this new country, to Hebron, when a young man, and has passed through much 52 HISTORY or NORAVAT. hard labor and toil, and many offices of honor and profit, (tlie office of Councillor to the Governor several years, and sheriff of the County of Oxford for many years more,) and has accu- mulated a large share of this -world's goods, -which, according to the course of nature, he must, in a few years at most, leave to others. Thus we are all passing away, like the rippling waters of a stream, every day carrying us nearer to the ocean of Eternity. This train of thought a})Out old by-gone things brings freshly to my mind another of the old worthies of the revolution, and of the first settlement of this town, Samuel Ames. He was the drummer at this famous muster, and the first man that heat a (Jnim in the town of Norway. He was the first miller, and made about the first wagons that were built in the town ; and he was first in many other things pertaining to those old-fash- ioned times. He was 93 years old Feb. 25, 1852, but up to that time, and after, retained his physical and mental faculties in a remarkable manner. I- have spent days with him, taking notes of events that occurred in the early settlement of this town, prior to my personal knowledge of the place and people. He Avas very clear on all subjects which ever came Avitliin his notice, and particularly so in regard to dates. It makes my heart feel sad to be so often called upon to part with these standard settlers. Since his last birth-day, wliile discoursing with him about "old things," he, with a smile on his counte- nance, observed to me that he delighted to help me to every thing within his recollection, but added he, " I feel a presenti- ment that I shall not live to see the book."' And it seem^his presentiment was verified, for he departed this life March 18, 1852, much lamented. In 1803, Town officers as follows : Joseph Rust, Clerk ; Job Eastman, Treasurer ; Benjamin Witt, Natha. and the probability is that ho came some time in 1804. His health while here was rather delicate, and his debility finally terminated in consumption, of which he died, much lamented, early in the spring of 1812. 1 Ic had an extensive run of business, and built the house and office now occupied by Levi Whitman, who became a partner in business with Mr. Farrar a fcAV months before his death ; and finally succeeded him in almost everything — that is, in l)usiness, property, (partly by purchase,) and wife — as after a few years he married Mr. Farrar"s widow, who was, and still is, a very amiable and capable woman ; and what I consider as another item of importance. Mr. AY hitman has always pur- 68 HISTORY OF XORWxiV. sued the same peaceful course as his predecessor, by discoun- tenancing all frivolous and mean litigation. During Mr. Farrar's lifetime, another attorney by the name of Adams made an attempt to settle here ; but the soil did not at that time prove strong enough to bear two lawyers, and he retired. In 1832 and '-33, William A. Evans made a short stand in !Norway, as an attorney, and did some business for the time he was here, but finding the feed rather short, sought a better field. Moses B. Bartlett, an attorney from Bethel, and Wil- liam W. Virgin, an attorney from Eumford, came into Norway Village throe years or more ago ; they are doing a decent business, and bid very fair to become useful and eminent gentlemen of the legal profession. I do not feel disposed to eulogize living cliaracters too strongly, lest it might excite feelings of vanity in the subjects, and of envy in the minda of others ; but I will add one word in regard to Mr. Virgin, who has commenced one very important suit since coming here, and it has had a happy termination in his marriage with a daughter of H. G. Cole, Esq. Mr. Bartlett married a lady from Brunsvfick before coming to Norway. Josiah Farrar, a brother to Luther Farrar, was a clothier ; he stayed here a few years only, and then went to Waterford. Daniel Holt and Moses Holt were blacksmiths, and worked in the Village. Moses died many years ago. Daniel was always a persevering mechanic, till old age abated his activity. He still lives in the Village, enjoying a competence — the fruit of an industrious life. John Shaw put in operation at the Steep Falls a carding-machine, the first in the town or vicinity. He was succeeded by Samuel RatclilF, in the same machine, a few years after. Carding and clothier.'s work, at that period, and for twenty or thirty years after, were almost indispensable to the inhabitants. Few people wore any finer cloth than that made in their own families ; and, in fact, gentlemen were proud to appear dressed in a suit of clothes spun and woven by their own wives and daughters. The spinning-wheel and HISTOIIY OF NORWAY. 59 the loom made clieering music in almost every house. Gen- tlemen in broadcloth, and ladies in silk were rather rare articles, and appeared but seldom in this "down east'" coun- try at that early period. Joseph Shackley undertook the management of llust's tan-yard, where he continued to tan and curiy hides for many years, and did well, too, in the old fashioned way. This year, the first saw-mill in the Village was destroyeil by fire, in March, but was rebuilt during the summer fol- lowing. William Beal • had tended tlte saw-mill for several years previous, and continued to for four or five years after. The County of Oxford was organized this year, it having heretofore formed a part of Cumberland County. Joseph Rust, of Norway, was chosen llegister of Deeds for said County, and served in that office till his death, which took place in the spring of 1815, He Avas an excellent Register, as the books will now show on examination. In order to avoid mistakes as to dates, among such a multiplicity of items to be noticed, I shall here give a list of such persons belong- ing, or having belonged to the town, as have served as officers of the County since its organization : Joseph Rust, Register of Deeds, served ten years. 1807 : Henry Rust, County Treasurer, and served till his decease in 1820, thirteen years. 1815 ; Levi Whitman, County Attor- ney, and served till 1833, eighteen years. 1820 ; Henry Rust, Jr., County Treasurer, and served till 1829, ten years. 1838 ; David Noycs, County Commissioner, and again in 1841, served two years. 1838 ; Henry W. Millett, Sherifi", and again in 1841, served two years. 1842 ; Jonathan B. Smith, County Commissioner, and served till 1845, four years- Jonathan Swift has been Senator in the State Legislature two years. I will now return back to the old track, and begin again with 1806. The name of the town Clerk lias no>y become stcreotpyed, and will l"<^main so for forty years. 60 HISTORY OF NORWAY. In 1806, Job Eastman, Clerk : Henry Rust. Treasurer ; Joseph Rust, Anthony Bennett, and Aaron Wilkins, Select- men ; James French, Collector of taxes. Money tax, embracing State, County, and town, ^816,11. Poll tax in the assessment, $1. Highway tax, as assessed, $1016,68. Poll tax in the same, $2. Number of polls, 181 ; scholars, 393. The following persons moved into tOAvn previous to the taking of the valuation for this year : John Wagg, a Baptist minister, Ephraim Twombly, Willis Sampson, Aaron Shackley, Jonathan Pollard, Benjamin Peabody, Edward Oaks, Thomas Judkins, Moses Houghton. Stejihen Greenleaf, Holmes Doten, Thomas George. The following became of age, and were taxed in their own names : Anjier Tuljbs, James Packard, Jr., Zophaniah Frost, Frederick Colturn, who came from Massa- chusetts in 1800 with AVard Noyes. and Avas an apprentice at the carpenter and joiner business, Daniel Cummings, John Cummings. There was a total eclipse of the sun on the 16th day of June, and it Avas so dark that a few stars were visible ; birds acted as though they were retiring for night, and all things appeared gloomy and dark. Town oiheers in 1807 : Job Eastman, Clerk ; Henry Rust^ Treasurer ; Aaron Wilkins. William Parsons, and Cad F. Jones, Selectmen ; James French, Collector of taxes. State tax for 1807, - - - $107,33 Countvtax, - - - - 89^54 Town 'tax, - - - - 750! 00 Deficiency of hi-hwav tax for 1806, - SIAS OverlaviuL^s, ^ ^ - - - 29^89 Total amount of Collector's bills, - ,$1014,19 Hfghway tax, $1208,65. Poll tax on higlnvay, $2, and in money tax, $1,50. Number of polls, 184; scholars, 407. New immigrants into the town this year : Joseph Brad- bury, Isaac Lovejoy, Daniel Smith, Jonathan Shed, Jr., HISTORY OF NORWAY, 61 Elijah Joixlan, John Clifford, Francis Butcher, David Major, Increase Robinson. Those arriving at twentj-one years of age, and taxed in their own names, were : James French. Jr., Jeremiah Hobbs, Jr., Jeremiah Ilobbs, 3d, Benjamin Her- ring. Jr., Enoch Holt, "William Pike. Joseph Stevens, Jr., Charles Stevens, Charles Tubbs, John "VYuodbridge, Charles Young, Alexander Hill. In May, this year, a shocking accident happened. Joel Stevens, Jr., and William Stevens, sons of Joel Stevens, and Francis Butcher, a hired man, went to a brook between the Mud pond and the Sand pond for the purpose of catching suckers, a kind of fish very plenty in that brook in the spring season. There was a large, high rock near the fishing-place, against which fishing-parties were in the habit of building fires, and there had been built a kind of camp for a shelter when not fishing. After fishing awhile, they laid down in the camp in front of the fire, when suddenly the rock split asun- der, and a large portion of it fell upon the camp, crushing it down upon them ; and William Stevens was so crushed by the weight of the rock, that he was carried home in a shock- ing condition, and lived about three days, suffering the most excruciating pain till his death. Joel Stevens was so con- fined down by parts of the camp falling on him, that he could not get out till Butcher, who fortunately was not confined, took their axe and chopped off the poles, and thus liberated him ; although considerably bruised, he was not dangerously hurt. William Stevens was a very amiable, sprightly young man, and his sudden death was deeply lamented, not by his family only, but by all around him. A funeral sermon was preached by Noah Cresey, who came here as a preacher a few weeks previous, from the following text: "For man also knoweth not his time : as the fishes, that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare ; so are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falleth suddenly upon thcjn.''— -EcclesiasteS; ix., 12. I shall never 62 HISTORY OF NORWAY. forget the fervor and solemnity of that discourse, and I then set it down in my mind that he was a man Avho coukl cut without patterns. But I shall speak more of him when I take up the religious affairs of the town. The school-house in district No. 1, or Capt. Jones' district, was huilt in 1806 ; one in the Village in 1805 ; one in tho Parsons district prior to 1800, time not exactly known ; one in the Bennett district ahout 1807, and one at Fuller's Cor- ner about the same time. A saw-mill was built by Jonathan Cummings on the outlet of the little Pennessewassee pond as early as 1804, and in 180G it was taken to pieces and moved down the stream a few rods ; but it never did a great business, and rotted down many years ago. In the spring or summer of this year, (1807) a flagrant outrage was committed by a British armed ship-of-the-line on the United States frigate Chesapeake, from which the British commander took three seamen, under the pretence that they were British subjects. Our government was highly incensed at the proceeding, and by way of putting the nation in a posture of defence, ordered a draft of one hundred thou- sand militia. Capt. Anthony Bennett was ordered to make the requisite draft from his company ; but he, thinking a sufficient number would volunteer their services, beat up for volunteers ; when, behold ! every man, with the exception of owe, turned out, and he stood in no enviable position alone, where the ranks stood a few minutes before. ■ Thus the reader can see that the ]Maine boys Avere ready to resist the rigJit of search at that early day. The Captain finally had to make the draft of the requisite number, but happily, the drafted soldiers were never called for. I will here add that Capt. Anthony Bennett performed his last military services in the fill of this year. He wa3 a carpenter and mill-wright, and was at work on a mill at Craigie's JMills, in Hebron, (noAV Oxford) when the staging gave away, and he fell upon his HISTOET OF NORWAY. 63 broad axe, cutting his thigh in a shocking manner ; the in- flammation of the -wound produced a mortification which caused his death October 28th. The sokliers lost a highly-respected officer, and the town a highly-respected and useful citizen. In 1808, town officers as follows : Job Eastman, Clerk ; Henry Rust, Treasurer ; Aaron Wilkins, Joshua Smith, and Cad F. Jones, Selectmen ; James French, Collector of taxes. Valuation of taxable property, |;50,540. Number of polls 193. State tax, - . - - $109.33 County tax, - - - - 96.52 Sum voted by the town, - - 630,00 Deficiency of highway tax in 1807, - 31.36- Overlayings, _ _ _ 37,71 Overlay ings in County tax, - , - 4.86 Total money tax, - - - $909,78 It appears by an old book that a tax bill for $102,54 was committed to James French, dated Jan. 11, 1809, to be paid into the town treasury on or before the first day of March next : — thus making the whole money tax $1012,32. High- way tax for same year, $1009,39. The following persons came into town previous to this last valuation : Philip Abbot, William Cox, Josiah Covel, John Haynes, Ephraim Packard, Stephen Sanborn, Daniel Town. The following are such as arrived to the age of twenty-one : Robinson Hobbs, Iloyt Pingree, Jacob Russell, Ebenczer Bancroft. In the winter of this year a very sudden death occurred in the northwest school- district. At noon-time the boys, as is often the case, were playing goal, or " goold," as boys call it, and a Francis Major, a boy al)Out fourteen years of age, started to go round, and Abial Holt, a boy on the other side, pursued him ; the snow-crust bore them very well, but Fran- cis slumped through very suddenly, and pitched forward on the crust ; he sprang again upon his feet^ and instantly fcU 64 HISTORY OF NORWAY. on tlie snow a corpse. The writer was standing with the teacher, Mr. Thomas Wood, before the school-house door, watching the game, and ran to him in U\o minutes from tlie time he fell, and there was no pulse to be felt, or any sign of life to be discerned. It was supposed by the doctor that the sudden jerk of the neck, as he fell, broke the pith, or spine, of the neck, Avhich produced instant death. Town officers for 1809 : Job Eastman, Clerk ; Henry Rust. Treasurer; Joshua Smith, Cad F. Jones, and Nathan Noble, Selectmen ; Joseph Bradbury, Collector and Constable. At the annual meeting in March, the town voted to raise for the highway, - - - $1000,00 In August an additional sum of - 150,00 Subse<|uently a third tax of - - 190,00 Total, - . . _ $1340,00 Money tax, including State, County, and town taxes, with overlaying, &c., $911,17. Value of taxable property, $50.- 756. Number of polls 212 ; scholars 410. The following persons came into town previous to the taking of tliis valuation : Nathaniel Abbott, Timothy Abbott, Isaac Abbott, Isaiah Hall, Daniel Leighton, John Manchester, Ab- ner Stubbs, William Twombly, Jr., John Fifield, Samuel Nute, Paul Lombard. The following became of age before this valuation was taken : William Foye, John Herring, Peter Everett, Jr., Amos Noble, John B. Everett, Henry Rust, 3d. This year the town of Norway sent its first Representative to the Legislature of Massachusetts, viz., Luther Farrar, Esq. Town officers for 1810 : Job Eastman, Clerk ; Aaron Wil- kins, Treasurer ; Aaron Wilkins, Cad F. Jones, Solomon Millett, Selectmen ; Joseph Bradbury, Collector and Consta- ble. Luther Farrar, Esq., Representative. Money tax, for State and town, - $898,46 County tax not found, supposed, - 76,72 Total, - - - . $975,18 HISTORY OF NORWAY. 65 Highway tax, $1000. Number of polls 202; scholars 421. Number of inhabitants in the town 1010, by the census. New immigrants : lleuben Brackett, George Bridghum, Thomas Crocker, Calvin Crocker, Daniel Cummings, Hum- phrey Cleaves, Benjamin Eastman, Abiathar Eastman, Uriah ,Holt, Samuel Hall, Daniel Watson. The following became ,of age previous to the taking of this valuation : David Noyes, Jacob French, Isaac F. Lovejoy, Thomas Pool, John Perry. Joseph Stevens, 3d, Amos Young. In September, this year, Benjamin Peabody's house was burnt in the night, about eleven o'clock. The fire caught, as was supposed, in the catting, or topping out, of the chimney. CHURCH HISTORY. UNIVERSALIST DENOMINATION. I have as yet said nothing about the religious affairs of the plantations, or town, since its incorporation. But we are not to suppose that affairs of a religious nature were wholly neg- lected. By the laws of jMassachusetts, at that time, towns having a certain number of inhabitants Avere obliged to have a certain quantum of preaching in each year ; and no other than the standing order, (as it was sometimes called) or orthodox, or otherwise, the Congregational order, was consid- ered as coming witliin the meaning of the law ; therefore all taxable persons Avere under the liability of being assessed for the support of preaching, whether the doctrine preached coin- cided with their particular religious sentiments or not. Hence, some little difficulties arose in regard to raising money to liire preaching. Under these circumstances, whether the law made the provision or not, the time soon arrived when it was no uncommon thing for individuals possessing religious sentiments .different from the faith sanctioned by the State, to form them- selves into regular societies, and draw their tax back from the town treasury, in order to apply it to the support of preach- ing adapted to their own sentiments. The following extracts 5 66 HISTOKY OF NORAVAY. from the old Society record will show the state of things iu early days. Extract from the record here follows : November 20fh, 1798. Whereas it is contemplated, as a matter of publick utility and advantage, to have the Doctrine of the Grace of , God dis- pensed among mankind for their mutual comfort and edification, that they thereby understand the nature and character of their Creator God, may be led to put their trust in him at all times, and thereby feel their hearts inclined to love him, and one another, and not only view in prospect, but know in reality how good and pleasant it is for Brethren to dwell together in unity — where all (^iscord will cease, and party spirit Come to an end. It is likewise contemplated to invite Brother Thomas Barns (who is a man of sobriety, and sustains a good moral character, whom we conceive to have a good degree of under- standing in the Doctrine of the Grace of God, and favoured with a gift to dispense the same to his fellow-men) to move his family into these parts, where it is conceived he would be of great use in the regulation of societies, whose decorum, and good deportment would greatly adorn our profession. It is furthermore considered expedient (lest we should bring a bur- den on him and his family unable to support) to assist him in procuring a place where his family may be comfortably situated. We, therefore, who have hereunto subscribed, agree to be- stow upon him, of freedom, and choice, the sum affixed to our names ; in case he move his family into these parts for the purpose as above — PARIS. NORWAY. Levi Hubbard, Ten dollars. Daniel Staples, Ten dollars Nathaniel Bennett, five dollars. Benj. Witt, five dollars. Levi Bartlett, five dollars. Anthony Bennett, five dollars. Benj. Herring, five dollars. A true Copy from the original, Attest, JOSEPH RUST, Clerk. HISTORY OF NORWAY. G7 We, the subscribers, Inhabitants of Norway and the adja- cent Towns, believing it to be the right as well as the duty of men to join in society, and publickly, at stated times and seasons unite in the worship of the only living and true God, and as some of us have made voluntary provision for the sup- port of a publick Teacher of piety, religion and morality ; we do agree to establish an annual meeting, and also to appoint other Society meetings as shall be thought proper by the sub- scribers for the purpose of choosing a publick teacher, or teachers, a Clerk and Committee, and other officers as shall be thought necessary by the subscribers for the peace and good order of the society ; we also agree that at such society meetings subscriptions shall be opened for the purpose of de- fraying the expenses of the society, such as the Building, or Hiring a convenient place for publick worship, for the support of publick teachers and other expenses, which may arise according to the vote of the society, which subscription shall be disposed of by the vote of the society ; each subscriber having an equal right to vote in this, and all other matters that pertain to the regulations of this society ; and we do agree as Disciples of Jesus Christ to live in peace among our- selves ; Claiming no right to exercise authority over the con- sciences of each other in spiritual matters, but henceforth stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free. And furthermore we agree that this Society composed of the following subscribers shall bear the appellation of the first Religious society in Norway, and subscribe ourselves " Chris- tian Independents " believing in the doctrine of the Salvation of all men by Jesus Christ. March Id, 1799. Daniel Staples, Moris Shannon, Levi- Bartlett, Levi Hubliard, Samuel Ames, William White, William Babb, Anthony Bennett, Nathaniel Young, Eiisha Cummings, Benjamin Herring, Joseph Rust, Bcnj. Witt, Nathaniel Bennett, Josiah Bisco. A true copy from the original, Attest, JOSEPH BUST, Clerk. SS HISTORY OF NORWAT. The following receipt -will show that Thomas Barnes had really become a regular preacher in this society. Norway, April 12th, A. D., 1800. Then settled witli -the Committee of the religious society in Norway, and received full compensation for my services as .a preacher of the Gospel in that society for the year 1799. Signed By me, Thomas Barnes. A true Copy from the original. Attest, JOSEPH RUST, Clerk. In 1801, I find the names on the record to be nineteen in number. It appears that this society erected a meeting-house in 1801, and probably covered the outside, and completed it in the course of the ensuing year. I find the following to prove its erection : Notification. — The Universalists, or the Christian Inde- pendent society of the towns of Paris and Norway are hereby Notified that their annual meeting will be held on Monday the tenth day of May next at ,the Meeting-house in Norway nt 2 o'clock P. M., for the following purposes viz : 1st, To choose a Moderator for said Meeting. 2d, To choose a Clerk for the society for the ensuing year. 8d, To choose a Committee to transact the necessary busi- ness of the society. 4th, To choose a Committee especially for the purpose of giving Certificates to those ,of the society, who may apply for ,the same, in order to obtain the money that they may be obliged to pay as Minister tax to any town Corporation, or other society, who may presume to exercise authority over them. 5th, To choose a Collector, and Treasurer for the society, tind to transact any othei' business thought proper when met. Per order of the Committee. Norway, 2^th April, 1802. JOSEPH RUST, Society Clerk. A true record. Attest, Joseph Rust, Clerk. When called to act on the fourth article, Anthony Bennettj HISTORY OF XORWAY. 60 Joseph Rust, Levi Bartlett, were chosen as said committee. In order to show the use of such a committee, I here insert an old document on the subject : We, the subscribers, Thomas Barnes, publick teacher of a society in the religious sect, or denomination called Univer- salists in the town of Norlvay, and Anthony Bennett and Joseph Rust Committee of said society do hereby certify that Benjamin Tucker doth belong to said Society, and that he frequently and usually, when able, attends with us in our stated meetings for religious worship. Thomas Barnes, . Joseph Rust, Norway, Jaimaryllfh, l%^o. Anthony Bennett. On the back of the foregoing certificate are the following' endorsements : Norn-ay, Sept. 14^'A, 1803. Sir, please to pay Mr. Thomas Barns sixty-three cents it being Benjamin Tucker's proportion of Minister tax for the year 1802. BENJAMIN WITT, ) Selectmen NATHAN NOBLE, ) of Norway. To Job East.aiax, Esq., Town Treasurer. To ]Mr. William Hobbs Collector of the town of Norway, please to pay the contents of the underwritten order, and this shall be received in the Treasury the same as cash. Job Eastman, Treasurer. N. B. — The certificate was duly backed over by Tucker. The Baptist denomination labored under the same embar- rassments, as the following certificate will show : This certifies to whom it may concern, that John Parsons of Norway joined the Baptist, Church of Christ in Paris in the year one thousand sevea hundred and ninety-six, and has, and does now attend publick Avorship with us. James Hooper, Minister. John Willis, ) ^ ... T • T Committee. LexM L Jackson, ) Paris, June !he G. A. D.. 1801. 70 HISTORY or Norway. It appears by the record, April 21, 1804, that the society numbered thirty-six. The meeting-house built in the Village Avas the first in the town, and as some (Avho ought to know) say, was the first Universalist church erected in the District of Maine. In 1805, the Universalist Society 'of Paris and NorAvay was in- corporated by an act of the Legislature of Massachusetts. During several successive years things went along with the usual progress of matters, like all other societies. Mr. Barnes continued to preach with them, with occasionally some other preachers, and among others Sebastian Streeter. In 1822, there were forty paying members, (and such are, in all soci- eties, the best members.) Nov. 22, 1828, the society, ha'ving it in contemplation to build a new house, voted to sell the old one. Nov. 28, 1828, they voted to build a new house, and chose the following committee to superintend the building of the same : Nathaniel Bennett. Elijah Hall, Asa Danforth, Asa Barton, and Joshua Crockett. Benjamin B. Miarray became the preacher in this society a short time previous to building the new house, and continued till some time in the year 1832. The new house was finished and dedicated in 1829. In 1833, the Rev. Henry Hawkins was invited to preach to the society, and continued its teacher and preacher for a short time. In 1837, Rev. Luke P. Rand was called by the society to become its religious teacher, and remained till some time in 1840. In 1838, there was a great revival in the society, and an addition of twenty-six members was made, which Avas almost four times the xmmber of its first foundei's. Soon after the withdrawal of Mr. Rand, the Rev. T. J. Tenney Avas invited to become the teacher of the soci- ety, and remained till 1846. In 1849, Rev. J. L. Stevens Avas called to become the pastor of the society, and continues Avith it up to the present time. Li 1851, the society remod- elled and rededicated their house, and put into it an elegant organ. As a religious society it appears flourishing. The paying members noAv number fi^ty-eight. HISTORY OF NORWAY. 71 Since the first organization of the society, very many of the old members have bid adieu to all sublunar things, and passed to the spirit land, " from whose bourne no traveler returns ; " but their places seemed to be filled with others, (with many additions) who are springing up after them. May the society, and its teachers, ever enjoy the smiles and guidance of that Being, " whose right it is to rule." CONGREGATIONAL DENOMINATION. I now proceed to give some account of the Congregational church and society in Norway, as that was the next in order of organization, except what was done to fulfil the require- ments of the law, before any society was formed. It seems, by the best authority Avithin my reach, that Mr. Gould, some years afterwards settled in Bethel, was the first minister that was hired to preach in the town ; and it being summer-time, he preached in Jeremiah Hobbs' barn — length of time unknown. A minister by the name of Chapman, who probably resided in Bethel, used sometimes to pass through the town, and preached a few times ; and occasionally a mis- sionary made a visit, and ministered to the people. Mr. Nathan Merrill, of Gray, a Baptist preacher, sometimes vis- ited the settlement, even before its incorporation, and generally preached when he came here ; he likewise solemnized several of the first marriages in the place. A minister by the name of Stoddard, about 1801 or 1802, preached for a considerable time, and the people were so well satisfied, that they came to the conclusion to settle him ; but some things derogatory to his character as a preacher coming to light, they finally dismissed him from any further duty — as they believed him to be a wolf in sheep's clothing, who might devour some of the lambs. Mr. Stoddard I was proba- bly ivittij, if not good ; and thinking (rightly too) that Capt. Jonathan Cummings exerted considerable influence adverse to las settlement in the tOAvn as a minister of the gospel, oil 72 HISTORY OF NORWAY. preaching Avhat lie termed his fiirewcll sermon, he paid rather a sarcastic compliment to Cummings. He pretended to have had a remarkable dream, and obtained the latest news from the infernal regions. Beelzebub, the Prince of Devils, had hastily summoned a grand council of his co-workers in evil, to consult on the furtherance of his nefarious designs. He stated to his compeers that he had received intelligence that the town of Norway, on this earthly ball, was about to settle a minister of the gospel, and that there must be some plan contrived to prevent such a terrible obstacle to his own rule and reign in poor Norway. After much elaborate discussion, his Satanic Majesty ordered his best and fleetest horse to bo brought up, while he was making hasty preparations for his- journey. In the meantime, some one of his sage counselors inquired of him if there was not some person in Norway wlio could be furnished witli an agency to do the business for him,. and save the journey. He began to deliberate on the subject, and suddenly exclaimed, " yes ! there is Jonathan Cum- mings ; I had at first forgotten that he was there ; he can do the business just as well as I can, so you may put up my horse again." And it seems he was not mistaken in his agent, for he has done the business just as well as his master could, had he come on purpose. On the 6th. of October, 1802, the Congregational Church was organized, and the following are the "Articles of Faith :" 1st. — We believe that there is one God, who is the Creator, Lord, Governor and Judge, both of angels and men, and the Sovereign Lord of providence and grace, and who is eternal, self-existent, almighty, Infinite in knowledge, wisdom, love, ffoodness and holiness. 2d. — We believe that in the unity of the Godhead there are three persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost ;; that these three are equal in power and glory, and that equal honour belongs to them. 3d. — We behove that God made man in liis own image i» HISTORY OS' NORAVAt. 73 moval rectitude ; that man fell by eating tllc forbidden f\-uit, involving his whole posterity -with himself in sin and ruin ; that all, Avho, by natural generation, are born of flesh, arc depraved and children of death ; that no one without being born again, can enter into the kingdom of God. 4th. — We believe that as God reserves fallen angels to the Judgment of the great day, so he might justly have left all mankind to everlasting death ; but in the riches of his sov- ereign love he gave his son to be born and die for them ; raised him from the dead for their justification and salvation, and by his spirit keeps all, who truly believe, to eternal life in heaven. 5th. — "We believe the scriptures of the old and new testa- ment to be the word of God ; and a revelation from him of Jus will and man s duty^ and that it is a perfect rule both of faith and practice, teaching the true knowledge of God, tlic redemption of man by Jesus Christ, the justification of be- lievers by his righteousness, and the renovation of the elect by his Spirit. 6tl]..— We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ require* the firet day of the week to be sanctified as the Lord's day ; that he has appointed his ministers to preach his word and te ad- minister christian ordinances, particularly baptism to believers and their seed, and the Lord's supper to Christ's family, as the memorial of his death, and that he requires secret, family, and publick Avorship of God, the singing of his praises, and the reading of his Avord, with the keeping of all his moral commands. 7th. — We belicA'c that God does all things by Jesus Christ according to his eternal counsels and decrees, and requires mankind to do all acts of obedience, and Avorship in Christ's name and Avith the assistance of his grace, going ahvays to God through Christ, and by the holy spirit. 8th. — We belicA-e that Christ, Avho is exalted at the )-iglit hand of the Father, and governs the world as head over all 74 HISTORY OF NORWAY. tilings to the cliurcli, Avill at the last day descend from heaven in glory with the holy angels, will raise the dead, and judge the "Nvorld in righteousness, condemning the Avicked iaccording to their works to eternal death, and giving to the righteous eternal life in the kingdom, and blessed presence of God. Cov]5naxt. — In presence of the Holy God, and in the be- lief of the glorious truths of his word, we avouch the Lord Jehovah, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost to be our God, and do .solemnly covenant with him, and promise, in dependence on his grace, to believe, worship, and obey him in all things, at all times, according to his word ; making the scriptures the supreme rule of our faith and practice ; honouring him in all his ordinances ; doing every duty in the name of Christ ; re- lying on the grace of his spirit, and walking with his saints as joint members of Christ's body, keeping the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace, hoping in the Lord Jesus Christ, and waiting for his coming unto eternal life. Amen. The names of those W'ho signed the Covenant : Joanna Upton, Amos L^pton, Lydia Frost, Jacob Frost, Rachael Stone, Joseph Stone, Miriam Foster, Nathan Foster, Lydia Stone, Timothy Stone, Joanna Jones, Cliad Wallader F. Jones, Mary Bancroft, John Hor, Huldah Case, Enoch JNIerrill, Benjamin Flint, Jonathan Gurney, Norway, October 6, 1802. The forestoino; confession of f lith and covenant were assent^ cd to, and signed by the subscribers, whose names are above written, whom we declare tO be a regular Church of our Lord Jesus Christ, denominated the Church of Christ in Norway. Done with the approlmtion, and in the presence of us Mis- sionaries and Pastors of Churches. Enoch Hale, of West Hampton, Sktii Payson, of Ringe, Jonathan Grant, of Hawley, HISTORY OF NORWAY. 75 October 6, 1802, The church being formed, chose Timo- thy Stone Deacon, Moderator and Clerk. Enoch Hale, ) 7,^. . T r^ } Missionaries. Jonathan Grant, \ It appears that the church records were to be kept in the house of Amos Upton, who had previous to this time built himself a large house for that day, and for many years it was used as a place for religious meetings. He was a zealous professor, and spent much time in fitting his house with seats to accommodate those who attended meeting on the Sabbath. On Saturday afternoon he would bring in blocks and planks, or boards, and arrange seats in his long kitchen, in prepara- tion for meeting the next day. Mr. Joseph Martin was a good singer, and understood the rules of church psalmody well for that early day. Occasionally a missionary would come along, and stop and preach a few Sabbaths with the church and people ; and sometimes a minister was hired to preach a Sabbath or two, or a month, and once or twice for three months. In 1803, June 24, I find there was a town order given to Timothy Stone, for money paid by him to Rev. Enoch \Vhi]^>- ple, for preaching two Sabbaths, ,^10,00. And the same year, an order to Nathan Noble, for money paid by him to Rev. Mr. Smith, for preaching one Sabbath, $5,00. In 1805, there was an order given to Joseph Stevens, for money paid Mr. Spaulding, for preaching eight Sabbaths, at $5,50 per Sabbath, $44,00 ; and another town order was given for boarding the said Spaulding, and horse, $16,00. Thus it appears that we were not entirely destitute of the preached word ; and when there was no minister, the people assembled in Mt. Upton's house, and held what used to be called a Deacon's met-ting ; there would be a sermon read, (the writer has read many in our Sabbath meetings,) and prayers offered up by some of the more gifted members of the church, and singing, good enough. There were mnny good singers of the eld school method of singing, and uncle Jo 7& HISTORY OF XORWAY. Martin (as Ave used to call him) Avould give us the pitch of the tune with his pitch-pipe, and we could make first-rate church melody of such tunes as Old Hundred, St. Martins, Wells, &c. In the summer-time, when there was a minister, the meet- ings were often, and usually, held in some barn — perhaps in Jeremiah Hobbs', or Esquire Eastman's — and the elderly people with the ladies generally occupied the lower part of the barn, while the boys and younger porti HISTORY OF NORWAY. 79 lars and sixty-seven cents as your salary for the first year ; and add sixteen dollars and sixty-seven cents yearly, until the sum amounts to three hundred and thirty-three dollars and thirty-four cents to be your stated salary, so long as you shall labour with the church and society in preaching the Gospel, and administering the ordinances thereof to their sat- isfaction as a teacher, and you be satisfied in them as a people under your care and charge. And for your further encour- agement, do agree to pay you three hundred dollars as a settlement, to be paid in labour and materials for erecting buildings for yourself in said town of Norway as you may want. And may God direct you in the path of duty, and grant you all needed aid and assistance whereby you may be enabled to came unto the church under your care and charge from time to time in the fullness of the blessing of the Gospel Committee of the Congregational Society. of peace. Job Eastman, Nathan Noble, Joseph Stevens, John Hor, Norway, April 13, 1809. A true record. JOB EASTMAN, Clerk. After taking a short time for consideration of the subject, Mr. Cresey returned the following answer to the aforesaid Call: To the Congregational church and society in Norway : — Brethren and Friends, as you have renewed your invita- tion expressing as you have formerly done, a desire to have me become your Pastor and teacher, I now proceed to com- municate my answer to the same. The Gospel is at once the most glorious and important object, which ever engaged the attention of man. It origi- nated in the love and compassion of God : and is now in operation in the world for the merciful purpose of destroying sin, of reclaiming fallen men, and guiding them to Heaven and eternal happiness. From the instruction of this Gospel, 80 HISTORY OF NORWAY. ■which has been ordered to be preached in the world, results that important relation, which subsists between a minister and people. In forming a connexion of this nature, serious great and interesting consequences approach in view. Though this connexion may dissolve, yet the consequences resulting froin it remain eternal. A l^Iinister should not choose to take the iCharge, and moral instruction of a people for any other pur^ pose than to advance the Glory of God, and to seek the salvation and happiness of immortal souls. And a people in settling a Gospel minister should be actuated by the sincere and laudable motives of gaining spiritual knowledge, and pro- moting their future peace and welfare, You have invited me to an important situation, to take upon me a solema charge, to engage in a worl^, in which the Glory of God, the prosperity of Zion, and your own salvation are deeply concerned. IJere my thoughts extend beyond the grave and bring into view the interesting realities of eternity. I shrink from the sacred and solemn task. This is a great resolution to form, it is a weighty trust to devolve on a mortal. After much serious consideration upon your situation, and the sincere attachment, which you have manifested to me, in an- swer to your invitation as an incorporated society I cordially consent to become your Pastor and teacher ; praying that the Lord would make me a faithful embas^adour of Jesus Christ ; that he would grant his blessing to our expected union, and make it a means of promoting his glory and our eternal salvation. Noah Cresey. A true record. Attest JOB EASTMAN, Clerk. In the meantime, Maj. Cummings was pushing the building of the meeting-house along rapidly. The time fixed for Mr. Crescy's ordination was the twentieth day of Sept., 1809. The affairs of the chiu'ch and society were going along very prosperously, and bofct minister and people indulged pleasing anticipations in regard to their future prospects. It will be recollectQ^ ihat the society was to give !Mr. Cresey HISTORY OF NORWAY. 81 ^300 as a settlement, to be paid in materials and labor towards erecting buildings ; and in the summer of 1809 he erected a house on the hill above the meeting-house. It was raised in August. In old times, in this town, it was a custom at the raising of buildings, when the frame was completely up, to have what was called a name for the frame, which was always either a poetic couplet, or several verses, according to the taste or inclination of the person giving the name. The ceremony of naming a frame was as follows : The hands on the frame paraded cither on the ridge-pole, or front plate, and the two persons who Avere to be the speakers were stationed, one at each end ; a bottle of good lic[uor was sent up by the OAvner, . and after it had passed from one end of the frame to the other, one of the speakers sung out, "Here's a fine frame, that deserves a good name, and what shall we call it? " The other speaker then gave the name, and v,hen through, the first cried out, "Will that do?" Those on the ground answered, " yes ! " The hands on the frame then gave three rousing cheers, which were responded to by three more from those on the ground ; then one closing cheer from the frame, and the bottle of liquor was thrown from the frame by the person who gave the name. The circumstance of raising a house for a favorite minister called forth the following poetic eifusion for a name from one of the boys — D. Noyes. It 's customary in this town Our buildings for to name — I '11 thank you all who are standing round To listen to the same. And since the task I undertake, A name for to compose, Don't censure me if I mistake, And do myself expose. According to the owner's will We 've raised this stately frame ; 6 82 HISTORY OF NOKWAT. May love and friendship ever fill, And peace adorn the same. Long life and health may he enjoy, And sweet contentment find ; And in God's work find full employ To exercise his mind. As the good shepherd guards his sheep, In danger them protects, So may this man his followers keep, Through life their steps direct. The sacred desk long may he fill,. With honor and applause , May he be fired with Heav'nly zeal To aid Religion's cause. A pattern of true piety I hope this man will stand ; And instrumental may he be In saving fallen man. In days of old, the Isiaelites Were through the wilderness Led by a cloud, and fire by night„ Safe to the land of rest. A fire by night, and cloud by day. Instead of, may he stand, To guide mankind in the right way Safe to the Heav'nly land. May good success his works attend,, And wisdom him direct. The way of tru.th may he defend,. And error's wa.ys reject. And may the aged quickly break OtT fiom their vicious ways, The young their vanity forsake Now in their youthful days. HISTORY OF NORWAY. 83 And if he with some maiden fair In wedlock's bonds shall join, May joy attend the happy pair — May they much comfort find. In peace and plenty may they live While they on earth shall dwell ; In virtuous actions may they strive Each other to excel. pasy and calmly may they sail O'er life's tempestuous sea, And wafted by each gentle gale In peace and harmony. Through life may he act well his part, With honor quit the stage, Possessed of a virtuous heart, And crowned with good old age. And since this stately frame we 've raised, We '11 gay and cheerful be ; With civil mirth we '11 end the day In peace and harmony. The good West-India round this frame In plenty shall appear, With cheerful hearts we '11 drink the same, Our spirits for to cheer. I hope in peace we all shall part When we have spent the day : Here 's health to ^11 with all my hearts So I no more will say. So much for raising. Now for ordination. At a legal meeting of the Congregational society, holden on Wednesday, Aug. 30th, voted to choose a Committee to agree with some person to entertain the Council apjjointed to ordain ' Mr. Noah Crcsey to the Pastoral care of the Congregational church and people of Norway. Chose Messrs. Joseph Ste- vens, Nathan Noble, and Amos Ilobbs. 84 HISTORY OF NORWAY. A'^oted that Mr. Benjamin Eastman be President of the singing on the ordination day, and that Joseph Martin, Amos Cummings, and William Hobbs be a Committee to assist and advise -with the President for the good regulation of singing on said day. " Voted that the foregoing Committee advise with Mr. Cresej and agree upon such measures as shall be thought proper, and requisite with respect to waiting upon the Council to the Meeting-house &c. Also voted that Mr. Ephraim 'rwombly be Marshal of the day, and Jeremiah Hobbs 3d and Ebenezer Watson be assistant Marshals to prevent disorderly conduct at the Meeting-house by thronging the doors, crowd- ing, or any indecent or irregular behaviour. A true record. Attest JOB EASTMAN, Clerk. Thus the reader can plainly perceive that the ordination was viewed as a great and important affair. And truly it Avas at that day. It was a day of solemn, serious considera- tion to the religious portion of the community, and a day of hilarity to the younger portion. The long-anticipated day arrived ; the large meeting-house was filled to overflowing ; the services were solemn and de- vout ; the singing first-rate ; the conduct of the crowded audience was very orderly and still ; and finally, everything went off in grand style, and every face beamed with the expression of delight. After the religious services of the day were over, many of the young people repaired to the new hall of Mr. William Hobbs, a few rods from the meeting-house, and "tripped the light, fantastic toe" to the music of Thomas Wood's fiddle — Avho, by the way, was a first-rate violin-player, both for sacred and convivial music. The society then numbered about seventy, and additions continued to be made for several years following ; although there was once in a while a loss by withdrawal or by death. On the 23d day of October, 1809, the committee appointed hy said society for the purpose of regulating singing on days niSTOKY OF NORWAY. 85 of divine vrorsliip, made clioice of Benjamin Eastman, firsst chorister, Joseph Martin, second, Thomas Wood, third, and Amos Cummings, fourth. From 1809 to 1813, and after, the affairs of the society moved along in a broad and smooth channel, with scarce an o))stacle to cause the smallest ripple. It was in the zenith of its glory, and it is a pity it could not have sustained its ele- vated position ; bnt the love of some began to wax cold, and things did not seem so flattering as at first. Nov. 1, 1819, agreeable to an adjournment, the society met, and heard the report of the committee chosen to consult the Rev. Noah Cresey with respect to his preaching for the future — a part of the time with the society in Norway, and the other part in Paris, as should be agreed upon by the two societies ; the report was as follows : That the Rev. Noah Cresey did not see cause to give a direct answer. They then tried the vote to see if the society Avould raise money to pay the Rev. Noah Cresey's salary the ensuing year, which vote was in the neg- ative. The society then voted that their former committee, viz., Joseph Bradbury, Jonathan Cummings, and Deacon John Hor, should inform Mr. Cresey the result of said meeting. — Extract from the record. It fully appears by the records that no serious cause for any misunderstanding existed between Mr. Cresey and tlic church and society ; but as the society, from various causes, had greatly diminished, the remaining members thought the l)arden rather heavy, and possibly some few were willing to have a change. Soon after the oi'dination of ]\Ir. Cresey, as early as May 18, 1810, the church chose John Hor a deacon, in conjunc- tion Avith Timothy Stone, who Avas chosen at the organization of the church. On the 20th of May, the following additions were made to the church, viz., Daniel Watson, and Polly, his wife, Abiathar Eastman, and Susan, his Avife, Polly AVatson, wife of Ebenczer Watson, and Sophia Cresey, Avife of Noah 86 HtSTORY 0^ NORWAY. Orescy. May 19, 1811, the following Avcre added: Luthcf Farrar, and Mercy A. Farrar, his ■wife, Tabathy Bradbury, Avife of Joseph ]3radbury, Betsey Flint, -wife of James Flint, and Joel Frost. Job Eastman, and Sarah, his wife, were at the same time received into full fellowship, on a letter of i-ecommendation from the church in Fryeburg. TAventy-one members were added to the church, from the settlement of Mr. Cresey, up to May 24, 1816 ; and at that date, Jona- than Gurney and Benjamin Herring, Jr., were chosen deacons in the church. Sixteen members more were added 'previous to Dec. 7, 1819, on which day, according to a previous ar- rangement made between Mr. Cresey and the church and .society, an ecclesiastical council met at the house of Mr. Cre- sey, for the purpose of sundering the relation between him and the church and society over which he had long been settled. On the 29th of Nov., the church and society chose Joseph Bradbury, Jonathan Cummings, and Deacon John Hor. a conmiittee to appear before the council, which Avas to convene on the Tth of December. The Council met as arranged, and Avas composed of the folloAving members : From Bridgton. Eev. Nathaniel Church, Brother Ezra Gould, delegate; Wa- terford, Rev. Lincoln Eipley, Deacon Ephraim Chamberlain, delegate : Bethel, Rev. Henry ScAval. Deacon Samuel Barkerj delegate ; Otisfield, Rev. I. G. Merrill, Deacon Elias Han- cock, delegate. Council chose Rev. Nathaniel Church, Jiloderator, and Rev. I. G. Merrill, Scribe; and after due deliberation and hearing a full statement of both sides of the ([uestion, closed a long report as folloAvs : "Happy in finding nothing alleged against the character of the Rev. Noah Cresey, as a reason for his dismission, and as Ave knoAV nothing of the kind ourselves. We cordially recommend him to the Christian charity and felloAA'ship of God's people AvlicrcA'cr in Divine Providence he may be called. We noAV humbly, and A^'ith fervency commend our Revi HISTORY OF NORWAY. 87 Brother, ami tliis churcli and societj to God, and to the -word of his grace, which is able to buikl you up and to give you an inheritance among all them that are sanctified." A^oted unanimously to accept this report. Signed in behalf of the Council, Nathaniel Church, Moderator. Isaiah G. Merrill, JScribe. Thus we see very strong, if not the strongest, religious ties sundered without the imputation of a single fault ; so avc must conclude that the occurrence happened from no other cause than that the " love of many waxed cold." And ivhile rrriting; the message which St. John was commanded to write to the church of Ephesus bears so strongly upon my mind that I must quote the latter part of it: "Nevertheless, I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first work ; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent." I have thus touched on the most important events up to the time of Mr. Cresey's dismissal ; but I must, in justice to him, and my own feelings, say a few words about him in an- other sphere, than as a preacher. Previous to his coming into the town, our schools, and all educational affairs, were at a low ebb. Our school teachers were picked up wherever they could be found, and many of them were very limited in their literary acquirements. The first settlers hud found hard work to 2et along with their families, and erect comfortable build- ings, and in most cases were unable to incur much expense in educating their childrefi ; although they felt anxious to do all in their power, still there seemed to be something wanting to produce the desired effect. But Islr. Cresey seemed to be instrumental, under Providence, in greatly improving our affairs in regard to education. He went into our toAvn schools us 'a teacher, winter after winter ; he taught five days and a 88 HISTORY OF NORWAY. lialf in a week, and -wrote Lis two sermons in the evenings, and on Saturday afternoon. As soon as he got into his house, lie took many schohxrs there, and instructed them in all the diiferent branches of education usually taught in our first academies, and particularly such branches as were necessary to fit them for teachers. In fact, he seemed to infuse a real thirst after knoAvledge into the minds of all who were within reach of the influence of his exertions. It was but a few years after he came amongst us before Ave had good teachers of our own to instruct all our own schools, and as many more to send into the neighboring towns. He thus gave a strong and lasting impulse to education, the effects of which were felt for many years, and, in some degi-ee, to the present day. Our school laws were not very definite at that day, but not- withstanding, he visited all our schools with a fiitherly care, and his influence v,'as as great and as useful as though the town had paid him fifteen or twenty dollars per year. The writer received much of his education under the instruction of Mr. Cresey, and will ever retain a lively sense of his kindness, and of his assiduity in imparting instruction in every desired branch of study. The following persons studied more or less under his tuition — about the same time and subse- quently : Dr. John Grover, Bethel, Rev. Asa Cummings, Portland, Jacob French, deceased, Rev. Josiah Haugton, Hon. T. J. Carter, Levi Stowell, Esq., Rev. Sylvanus Cobb, Samuel Cobb, Esq., Samuel Hilbourn, and S. B. Ililbourn, of Minot, and many others belonging to Norway, and from other towns. Immediately after the dismissal of Mr. Cresey, the church and society began to concert measures to supply pi-eaching. August 4, 1820. I find Robert Page, Jr., (a candidate for settlement in the ministry,) was chosen as ISIoderator, in a church-meeting ; he continued to preach with them a few months — the time not exactly known. August 10, 1821, I find, at a regular meeting of the Con- HISTORY OF NORWAY. 81) gregational Cliurcli, the Rev. Joseph Walker was chosen Moderator. Tliis shows about the time Mr. Walker beiran his ministerial labors in Norway; and it appears on the 10th of Nov., 1821, the church and society voted to give him a call to settle with them, in connection with the Congregational Society in Paris, and to preach one-half of the time, alter- nately, in each place. The call was formally given on the 12th of Nov., and an answer in the affirmative returned Nov. 27th. But the records do not say when the ordination took place, nor where. The members of the society at this time numbered about seventy ; and the number admitted into the church from tl^c dismissal of Mr. Cresey up to the close of Mr. Walker's labors, appears to be sixteen ; and it seems that his laboi-s closed about the beginning of the year 1826, as I find that on July 6, 1826, " at a regular meeting of the church, voted that XL A. I\Ierrill be requested to take the records, and act as Scribe of the church." " Sept. 6, 1826. After preparatory lecture, 13 active members present. Voted, unanimously, to adopt as their Creed and Covenant, the printed copy adopted by many of the Congregational Churches in this County. Attest II. A. Merrill. ■'■ I find in the Society records of Sept. 19, 1826— •'■ Met agreeable to ad'ournment. Voted, 1st, to give the Kev. Henry A. Merrill an invitation to settle over the Congrega- tional Church and Society in Norway for five years from the second of April last past.'" Chose, by the church, Joseph Bradbury. Deacon Benjan^.in Herring, and Joel Frost, a committee to extend a Call to Mr. Merrill to settle. It appears the said committee performed the duty devolving on them, and received an answer in the affirmative : and the same Committee were appointed to wait on the Council to bo convened at the dwelling-liouse of AVilliam Ilobbs, on Tuesday 00 HfSTORY OF NORWAY* the first day of November, for the instalhition of the Rev. Henry A. Merrill over the Congregational church and society in Norway. I find no definite record of the time when Mr. Merrill closed his ministerial labors, but it -was, probably, about the end of the year 1834. Near the commencement of Mr. Mer- rill's ministration, or soon after, there seemed to be a great awakeniiig, and nineteen (all females but three) Avere added to the church ; and during the remainder of his labors, up- wards of thirty more — some of them by recommendation, but mostly by profession. Some severe cases of discipline oc- curred, as is almost always the case in all churches and families-. On the 15th of Nov., 1834, I find a committee ■vvas chosen to settle with Mr. Merrill, and confer with him in calling a council for his dismission. The next thing, above common-place affairs, is a "meeting of the Church at the dwelling-house of \V illiam Ilobbs, Sept. 15, 183G. Voted to raise a standing Committee to examine Candidates for admission into the Church. Chose Rev. Charles Soule, Dea. John Hor, Dea. Benj. Herring, and Joel Fixsst." Thus it appears that Rev. Charles Soule had commenced his labors as a preacher previous to this time ; and was in- stalled June 7th, 1837, under a contract for five years. The records are rather meagre during this time, but from pereonal knowledge, I am convinced that affairs moved along about in their ordinary channel ; nothing very remarkable occurring cither in the church or society, excepting the taking down of tlie old meeting-hxjuse, built by Maj. Jonathan Cummings, in 1808-€9, and building a new house on the same site. The new house is much smaller than was the old one, and is very liandsomcly finished ; it would accommodate the society as well as any other house, if they chose to be so accommodated. At a legal meeting of the Congregational society, held on the 2d day of July, 1845, they proceeded as follows : histokV op xorwa\\ 91 1st, Chose Dudley Wootlbridjie, ModcratOi*. 2d. Chose Simon Stevens, Clerk, James Flint, Jacob Bradlnirj, and Amos T. Holt, Assessors, and Simon Noble, Treasurer. 3d, Voted tliat the arrearage of interest on the ministerial fund up to INIay, or June, last, be paid to Ecv. INIr. Soule. Voted that the assessors get up a subscription to hire the Rev. Charles Packard to preach six Aveeks, alternately, at the Congregational meeting-house at the center of the town, and in the Village. Voted that the Clerk Avrite in behalf of the Society to the Rev. Mr. Packard, when the money shall have been raised to pay him. At this meeting it a;[3pears that twenty members were add- ed to the society. On the ITth of Feb., 1846, I find it "voted that the Congregational Church and Society in Norway give the Rev. Charles Packard a call to become their Pastor for the term of five yei\rs." It appears by a subsequent record, undel- date of April 7, 1846, that the committee extended an invitation to Mr. Pack- ard to settle over the church and society for five years, and received an answer ift the affirmative ; the first "Wednesday in May, following, Avas fixed on as the day of ordination. Mr. Packard continu(?d to labor with the church and society till the spring of 1850, and Avas succeeded by the Rev. H. W. Strong, who is the present pastor and teacher. During Mr. Packard's ministry, fourteen members 'were added to the cluirch, and four more ?ihce Mr. Strong connnenccd preaching in the place. The Avhole number of members of the church, of both sexes, at this time, is one hundred and five. The much-lamented Luther Farrar, Esq., previous to his death in 1812, bequeathed $20 to the Congregational church, for the express purpose df purchasing suitable vessels for their Communion Service ; which sum was promjitly paid over, and appropriated for the purpose intended by the donor. 92 HISTORY OF NOmVAY. It appears that a Sabbath Scbool Society, in the Congre- gational church, was organized May 11, 1822, and continued in operation, during the summer season, until the 12th of May, 1832, when it underwent a new organization, and be- came an auxiliary to the Sabbath School Union. A Tract Society was also organized Nov. 29th, 1827, for the gratuitous distribution of religious tracts among the families of the town. There is a small ' • ministerial fund ' ' belonging to the Con- gregational society, which accrued from the sale of land granted for that purpose by the State, Avhen a part of jNIassa- chusetts. It produces only |ill per annum at this time. BAPTIST DENOMINATION. The Baptist clmrch and society claim the next notice in point of time ; and though their number is not so large as those already noticed, yet in this town they have always maintained a very steady and consistent course. Not being in possession of the records of the society, I shall avail my- self of the Minutes of the Oxford Baptist Association, so fir as relates to the Baptist church in Norway ; they Avere fur- nished me by Elder Reuben Milner. '■ A small church was constituted, consisting of ten mem- bers, in 180G. The original members were dismissed from the church in Paris in order to form a church in Norway. For several years Baptist Ministers visited the place with little success, as this was one of the strong-holds of errour, and the pure gospel was disregarded by a majority of the people ; yet the gospel has proved the power of God to the salvation of many souls. Pastors. — The first pastor was John Wagg, who was ordained October, 180G, and officiated until 1809, Avith small success. Elder John Haynes Avas chosen Pastor in 1827, and resigned in 183(3. During this period a consideralilc number were ad(led to tlie Church. Eeuben Milner Avas received as Pastor tlie same year, and continued till Marcii, HISTORY OF NORWAY. 93 1845, vrlicn Joseph B. Mitcliell, a licentiate from Boston, preached for the church one year, and then was dismissed. Since that time R. jNIihier has supplied the church most of the time till the present. Places of worship. — Previous to 1829 the church had no regular place of worship. They now began to feel that it ■was time to open a public sanctuary. Towards accomplishing this object Mr. John Rust (a son of the old proprietor of Rustfield) a worthy member of the church, made the first sacrifice by the gift of a lot of land, on which to build a meeting-house. The church encouraged by this act of pious interest, purchased the meeting-house owned by the Univer- salists, and moved it to the spot given by Brother Rust, and it now remains their place of worship. Officers of the church — Clerks. — The first was Rufus Bartlett, avIio continued to serve the church till increasing infirmities disabled him from further service, and Brother Asa Thayer was chosen in his place. Deacons. — Brother "William Parsons was the first Deacon, and fulfilled his office to the satisfaction of the church ; he was succeeded by Martin Stetson, their present Deacon. Revivals. — In June, 1840, we had a powerful revival of religion in the town. Eight Avere baptized and added to the church. Since that time we have had no additions, and the greater number of our aged members are dead, so the church at present is very small ; yet the church still hopes and prays, ' Lord revive thy work.' " In behalf of the church, Reuben Milxer. The present number of members in the church is thirty- eight ; and there probably are more who consider themselves as belonging to that society, and render pecuniary assistance in supporting their preachers. The writer was personally acquainted with John Wagg. their first settled minister, and has heard him preach many times, both in houses and barns. Ho told the writer that in his 94 HISTOnY OF NORWAY. younger days he was very illiterate, and awfully profane : and that Avhen lie was married he could not read, or write a word. But about that time his heart being touched with a lively sense of his wickedness, and believing that a gracious God liad given him a ncAV heart, and blotted out his sins from the book of remembrance, he felt a strong desire to read the word of God, in which he believed was contained the words of eter- nal life ; and by turning his attention to reading, by the help of his wife, he soon became quite a proficient in reading the Bible and hymn-book. In process of time he devoted him- self to the ministry ; and among other places which he visited was NorAvay. Preaching of any kind, at that time, was rather a scarce article, and his meetings were well attended, not by the Baptist order only, but by very many of other denomina- tions, as well as by those professing no particular creed. As a preacher, his voice and manner were grave and solemn, and his deportment and discourses seemed to produce a religious impression on his audience ; and had he possessed such liter- ary attainments as many ministers of the present day, the preachers would have been scarce who could so firmly rivet the attention of an assembly as he. Under his ministration, quite a number of members were added to the church ; but, alas ! very many of the old members now sleep in the' silent grave. Towards the latter part of his ministry, there seemed to be a certain indefinable something that caused a coldness between him and the church, which resulted in his dismission. METHODIST DENOMINATION. I now proceed to say something about the religious denom- ination called Methodists. But my heart and courage almost fail me, lest I should not be able to do them justice, as I have not a scrap of any record to refer to ; but should I fail, they will have this consolation, that ' ' the Lord seeth not as man seeth ; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but God looketh on the heart."' HISTORY OF NORWAY. 95 About the first preacher of this order, in the town, was a Mr. Parker, Avho preached occasionally in the Village, and ia some other parts of the town, about 1812-13 : and sometimes other ministers came along and preached, without having any stated times or places for their labors. Thus things pro- gressed for several years. Benjamin Stevens, the oldest son of Jonas Stevens, (one of the first settlers in Rustfield) used sometimes to come from Otisfield, where he then lived, and preach and exhort among the brethren of this order. As early as 1815, and for some time after, Edward Whittle and William Yates, of GreenAvood, often, afterwards, known as jFather Whittle, and Father Yates, used to come and preach and exhort among the brethren ; and many converts to their faith were made under their humble teachings. In a few years, such a field was opened that the Methodist Conference appointed regular circuit preachers to preach at stated times and places in Norway, Avhich helped to make up a regular circuit, in which they Avere to confine their ministerial labors. The religious affairs of this denomination went along in suck manner for many years, but gathering strength and numbers yearly. The writer can well remember the by-gone days, when the few preachers and exhorters who occasionally came amongst us were looked upon Avith coldness, if not Avith disrespect, by some other denominations of professed Christians ; but it seems that, like the children of Israel Avhen in the land of Egypt, the more they Avere oppressed, the more they multiplied ; and they soon became so numerous as to have their regular preach- ers, Avho Avere located in a circuit embracing one or more towns, according to the numbers of their order ; and it seems that it is a regulation of their order to appoint, at their yearly conference, each circuit preacher to his particular field of labor, where they often remain two years, if the preacher and people desire such contiuuanjce. 96 HISTORY or Norway. Previous to 1837, the Methodists had no house, other than school-houses or dAvelling-houses, in which to hokl their meet- ings; and sometimes, in warm -weather, in some barn, or grove. But many were the anxious desires to have a meeting- house (like other denominations) in which they could meet for the pubhc worship of God. Pride, convenience, and jiiety, are all powerful stimulants to action, especially if the object to be obtained be a laudable one ; and surely no one can doubt the laudableness of their exertions to provide a house for public worship. Accordingly, in 1837, they erected an elegant and convenient house of worship about midway be- tween the Village proper, and the Steep Falls. The next year, the Methodists in the upper part of Korway, and some in the southwesterly part of Greenwood, erected another house of worship about three-fourths of a mile west of Swift's Cor- ner, where they have preaching nearly all the time, that is, on the Sabbath. They have likewise built a small, snug house and barn near Noble's Corner, for the accommodation of their minister, who is appointed for that circuit, from time to time, by the officers of their yearly conference. The meeting-house in the upper part of the town was dedicated June 19, 1839. In consequence of a Methodist meeting- house being built at South Paris, they do not have constant preaching in their house in the Village, as their number is small there in comparison with the upper part of the town. According to the best information obtained on the subject, the Class in the Village and vicinity numbers about thirty or forty, and in the upper part of the town probably between seventy-five and one hundred. Thus we see that from a small beginning they have grown to a large and respectable religious church and society, in point of numbers and Chris- tian Graces ; and may both preachers and hearers always remember, "that Paul may plant, and Apollos may water, but God giveth the increase." HISTORY OF NORWAY. 9T MILITARY HISTORY. As I have now disposed of the religious affairs of the town, (which has been a serious matter with me, so far as ^-riting is concerned, and ought to be with all in practice,) I shall now devote a small space to the military history; — as the science of arms was considered of great importance by our forefiithers, and by many who are now upon the stage of action. And it is all right that it should have been so con- sidered; for, under the the guidance of Divine Providence, it was the powei'ful instrument which achieved our Indepen- dence, and gave us a rank among the nations of the civilized world. Without it, our glorious Declai-ation of Independence must have fallen ingloriously to the ground, and would have become a by-word and a reproach to us as a people ; and long before this it would have been among the things which are forgotten. Early in the winter of 1807, William Reed, who wut attentive to the wants and comforts of those under them. After this war, Capt. A. F. Noyes was promoted to Lieu- tenant Colonel, Alva Hobbs to Captain, Washington French to Lieutenant, and James French elected Ensign. In 1842, Capt. A. Hobbs having resigned, AVashington French -was promoted to Captain, James French to Lieutenant, and Henry Upton elected Ensign. The next and last change elevated James French to the office of Captain, Henry Upton, Lieu^ tenant, and Ebenezer Crowell, Ensign. The last-named board of officers in the north company, and Capt. David Sanborn in the south company, were the last of the Military Heroes in the town of Norway — as the militia system in the State has now l^ecome defunct. Thus Ave sec the end of an institution which all must acknowledge was formerly of the greatest utility and importance to the State and nation, but which, like all sublunary things, has faded away, and become o])solete. And probably many of the in- .stitutions and associations of the present day arc doomed to the same inglorious fate. Therefore, let none exult in a momentary triumph ; but lemembcr the prophetic dcchiration t)f one of our finest poets, Avho says : " Princes and lords may flouriJi^b, or may fVcle : A hrcaih can make ihem, as a breath has made." 104 HISTORY OF NORWAY. I slitill now, after liumLlj asking leave, go back to the olil track, wliere I left off to take up the religious and military aftairs, and commence Avitli 1811; but before entering upon tlie affairs of that year, I will mention a few items which escaped my recollection at the proper time and place. Samuel Ames, our venerable miller, had a cljild, aged six- teen months, drowned in the mill-pond in 1802. In 1806, William Reed, Esq., our first post-master, had a sprightly little Ijoy, aged three or four years, killed in the Village in a very sudden nianner. His workmen had taken off the short cart-body for some cause, and left it standing on one end, by propping it up. Several little children, jiluying in the street, ha[)pencd to get around this cart-body, and pr(jbably endeavored to climb upon it, when it fell upon this little boy, and killed him almost instantaneously. Thus were the fond hopes of the parents blasted in a moment. It wa-< their oldest child. In 1808, Daniel Town came to Norway, from Andover, Mass., and set up the lilacksmith business at Fuller's Corner. He continued the Avork for many years, and was succeeded, in another shop, by his son-in-law, P. D. Judkins, Avho, two or three years ago, sold out his stand to E. II. Merrill, and went to farming. Town was the first blacksmith in the upper part of xs orwayj and at that time the inhabitants thought it a great convenience. Stephen Latham, about the same time, had a little shop near the Corner, for making nails. Wrought nails were then in vogue, and were worth one shilling per pound. He made most of his nails fiom refuse iron, such as old horse-shoes, ox-shoes, and other old affaii's, which farmers could pick up. Maj. Cummings, while building the mceting- liouse, purchased his nail-rods in Portland, hauled them to Norway, and ]Mr. Latham made the nails ; and some of us frequently had to go to Latham's shop to get nails to use about the house. Cut nails, above the size of shingle and clapboard rails, were haidly in use at that period. HISTORY OF NORWAY. 105 The want of a store was considerably felt, in the ii])per part of tlie town. In 1807, Deacon John Hor put up a frame for a small stoi'c on a corner of his land, near Fuller's Corner ; in 1808, William Lessley moved it across the road, partly finished it, and sold out to Uriah Holt, Esq. : he fitted up the building, and Aaron Wilkins commenced trade in 1810, and traded there about tln-ee years. The store then stood unoc- cupied until May, 1817, when William Pingree went into it : he traded about one year, and sold out to Jonathan Swift and Ansel Field. In about two years after, Swift bought out Field, and has beeii in trade in that place most of the time since. He, however, let his store to William Pingree in 1827, who occupied it about two years. He has sometimes had a partner, but at present the trade is conducted by his only son, Newton Swift. There has been a large quantity of goods sold at that Corner. Another store has recently been put up there by E. 11. ^Merrill. I have thus run along with the story of the little place, just to show its begiiming and progress. Town officers for 1811 : Job Eastman, Clerk ; Joshua Smith, Treasurer: Nathan Noble, Solomon Millett, Henry liust. Selectmen ; William Hobbs, Collector. Joshua Smith, Representative. Total valuation, .$-48,204. Number of polls 224. Money tax. For schools, - - ,|600,00 Support of poor, and town charges, - 140,00 State tax, _ _ _ - 77.oo County tax, - - - - ll.J.42 Total, _ _ . - >«^9:]2,75 Highway tax on common roads, - .*<;1244.1>o For a new County i-oad to Waterford, through the Hall neiy-hborhood, - - 004.41 Total highway tax, - - - .S-l."j41.Ko4 Tlic traders, as they were tlien called, stood on the valua- tion, for store and iroods, as follows : 106 HISTORY OP XOPvWAY. William Reed, k ^110,00 Joshua Smith, - 60.00 Cox and Robinson, ~ 200.00 William Hobbs, - . 45,00 Aaron Wilkins, ' 160,00 Value of stores and goodg, - .$575,00 This year was marked by very small additions to the popu^ lation. The new immigrants "vvere — James Small, James Rickford, John Small, John Thurston. Those living in the town, and becoming of age : Ebenezer Hobbs, Samuel Pikcj James Crockett. Town officers for 1812: Job Eastman, Clerk; Joshua Smith, Treasurer: Nathan Noble, Solomon Millett, Uriah Holt, Selectmen; Wilham Hobbs, Collector. Joshua Smitl: Representative. Money tax. Schools, - $:600,00 Poor, and town expenses, •- iao,oo State tax, _ _ - ■- 138,66 County tax, - - - - 118,32 Extra County tax, - 118,32 Total, .... $1105,30 HighAvay tax, includi^^g extra roads, ,^1355,78. Number of polls, 242. New immio-rants : Edmund Bickford, Georsie W. Cummings, Frye H. Eastman, Josiah Hill, Jr., Lemuel Lovejoy, William Noyes, Brackctt Marston, William Pierce, Nathaniel Shaw. John Shed, Joel Town, Levi Whitman, Daniel H. Warren. Hosea White. Those arriving of age : Rufus Bartlett. Jr., Benjamin French, Israel ]\Iillett. Robert Pike, Job Perry. JNIeivin Pool, Asa Pool, Nathaniel Stevens. There was a large accession this year, but the reader must not conclude that the town retained all the additions noticed—as many of the young men, and some old and middle-aged, yearly left the place, either l)y remoVal to other places, or by death. Town officers for 1813 : Job Eastman^ Clerk ; Joshua IIIbTORV OF NORWAY. 107 ^niitli, Treasui'cr ; Nathan Koblc, Uriah Holt, Joslilia Croek- ett, Selectmen ; Jacob French, Collector. Levi Whitman, Esq., llepresentative. Amount of valuation, $51,408. Number of polls, 230 : number of scholars over four years and under twenty-one, 483. Highway tax. Town voted, |1000. Money tax. Schools, - - $500,00 Poor, and town expenses, - - 100,00 State tax, - - - - 138,60 County tax, - * - - 118,32 Total, . - - - $850.98 New immi,Q;rants since the last valuation : Joseph Clifford, Elijah Hall, Jeremiah Henley, James Munroe, Bela Noyes, Charles Newell, Abner Pingree, Moses Roberts, Samuel Lord, Andrew Gould, John Haynes, Stephen P. Watson, William IMorrell, Asa Noyes, Levi Frank, Joseph Dolley, Josiah Hill, Artemas Rtiwson. Those who 1-esided in town and had ])ecome taxable : Joshua Crockett, Jr., Peter Frost, William Frost, John Needham, Jr., William Pingree, Henry K. Parsons, Amos Stevens. In the course of 1812, the '-Lee Grant." so called, was purchased by Edward Little, Esq., and this year Avas taxed to him : it was also lotted out, and offered for sale. This had been much desired by many young men in town for several years. Near the close of this year, or early in Jan., 1814, a Very remarkable incident took place, in the disappearance of a young man, a son of Penjamin Witt, the first blacksmith in. Ilustfield. On Thursday morning Mr. Witt killed a couple of hogs for tlie market, and aboiU noon started for Portland, leaving his son, Avlid had assisted him in l)utchering, to see to the cattle, &;c., in his absence. In the afternoon, the weather being stormy, Mrs. YV' itt noticed that the cattle were not put up in the barn, but concluded that her son had gone to school ; she therefore gave herself no uneasiness until the other chil- 108 HISTORY OF XORAVAY. dren returned from school, und slie learned tliat lie luul not been there. They sent to several of the neighbors to incjuire for him, but could learn nothing. The next day diligent search "was made, but no trace of him found ; and the search was continued for several days by many men, sometimes, probably, nearly one hundred, but -without success. Mr. Witt reached home on Saturday night, with a heavy heart, having heard the sad news on his wa}-. There were eight or ten inches of snow on the ground, which lay very still and level, and every track was followed to its termination, but nothing led to the least discovery of his Avhereabouts : and no intelligence has ever been gained of him to the present diij. Mr. Witt was one of the volunteers in Capt. Bodwell's company, which marched one year before to Burlington ; ho took his two oldest sons with him as soldiers in that campaign, and had returned in safety but a few days before this wonder- ful disappearance of his son. To add to the strangeness of the thing, he went away with his old clothes on, whicli he wore about the butcliering, leaving a new suit in his cliot, and also a consideralde lot of change. Some almost harboied the idea that he was murdered ; but the dead m;dce no revela- tions, nor have the living, on tliis subject. Town officers for 181-i : Job Eastman, Clerk ; Joshua Smith, Treasurer ; Nathan Noble, Uriah Holt. Joshua Crock- ett, Selectmen ; Jacob Trench, Collector. Levi Whitmu]]. Esq., Representative. Highway tax, .1^1200. Schools, - - . . .<55 while they raised the middle band ; Mr. Shed had prepared liimseif to hold one of the posts, and Capt. Ward Noyes the 4:)ther; they stood with tlieir backs towards the end that was raised. The hands had just taken hold of the timber to raise it up, -when there came a strong gust of wind and blew the vm\ over upon them ; the other men seeing the timber falling, made tlieir esciipo from under it ; but the beam struck Mr. Shed on his head, crushing it against the post he was about to tioldj and dashing it; to pieces in a shocking manner, even. 118 HISTORY OF NORWAY. driving some of tlie bones into tlie timbers. He was killed in an instant. It also struck Capt. NoA'es on his thigh and knee, breaking his leg very badly. The Avife and only daugh- ter of Mr. Shed Avere both present to see his son's house raised ; but instead of witnessing that pleasing sight, they Ijeheld the instantaneous death of a beloved husband and fa^ ther. Thus suddenly perished the good and faithful old soldier, who had braved the dangers of a seven years' war. Capt. Noyes, after a long confinement, finally recovered, and continued to follow the carpenter's business until his death, Avhich took place April 23d, 1822. He was a very indus- trious, persevering man, and probably framed and raised mort.> buildings than any other man in the town : as he came here in 1800, just as people were begiiming to erect frame build- ings. He left a family of nine children. ToAvn officers for 1819: Job Eastman, Clerk; Joshua Smith, Treasurer ; Uriah Holt, Henry Rust, Jr., Jonath.an Woodman, Selectmen ; James Crockett, Collector. No Rep- resentative chosen. Valuation, $50,496. Number of polls 230 ; number gf scholars 550. Highway tax, $21^S,U. Town tax, - - - > $10r,0,8.^> Second assessment, - - - 79,90 State tax, - - - - 122,6T County tax, _ _ _ 204,48 Total money tax, _ - - $1407,94 New immigrants : Thomas Davis, James Corson, Joseph Oammon, Oliver Hale, Hatevil Hall, Charles McKenney, William Lord, Ebenezer Lord, George Lord, Martin Stetson, William Yates, Jr. Old settlers' sons : Ichabod Bai-tlett, Jeremiah Foster, George Erench, Reuben Knight, Simo» Noble, Charles Pike, Levi Shed, Nathaniel Twombly. Ben- jamin Witt, Jr., Jabez Chubb, Edmund Frost mSTORY OF NORWAY. 119 Town officers for 1820 : Job Eastman, Clerk ; Joshua Smith, Treasurer; Uriah Holt, Henry Rust, Jr., Jonathan Woodman, Selectmen ; James Crockett, Collector. Bj measures adopted during the preceding year, Maine was separated from Massachusetts, and erected into a separate State. Aaron Wilkins, Esq., was chosen as a delegate from Norway to form the Constitution, and Henry Rust, Jr., was chosen Representative to the first Legislature, which met in Jan., 1821. Valuation, $76,671. Number of polls 250 ; number of scholars 526. Highway tax on common town roads, $1049,74 •' " on County, or extra roads, 523,81 Totalhighwaytax, - - - $1573,55 ToAvn tax, - - - - $960,01 State tax, - - . - 122.67 County tax, u - - - 233,79 Total money tax, _ . - $1316,47 New immigrants — very small number : Ambrose Parris, John H. Rand, Horatio G. Cole. Old settlers' sons : Amos Millett, Levi Noyes, WiHiam Pool, David Smith, John S. Shed, William Foster, Amos Hobbs, Jr., Simon Stevens, David Noble. By an old list of voters who voted on the question of sepa- ration from Massachusetts, I find the whole number 109. In the little sketch of the religious affairs of the town, I J^aid something of Maj, Jonathan Cummings, who built the Congregational meeting-house. Ho was a son of the propri- etor of the Cummings Gore, and probably came into the plantation under the most favorable circumstances of any early settler. He was naturally of an obliging, kind disposition, and very cheerful and socuil in his every-day deportment, which caused him to become a favorite with all Avho became acquainted with him. From the early settlement of the towa 120 HISTORY OF NORWAY. up to nearly tlic time of his deatli, there probably was no man in the place who could exercise so great an influence as Maj. Cummings. lie Avas thought to be rich, and, probably Avas, during part of his life. About 180G. he purchased the half- township, now in Greenwood, belonging to the " Phillips Academy," and gave back a mortgage to secure the pa3anent of the purchase-money. He sold many lots of land, on which the purchasers commenced clearing and building, an^I he re- ceived large (juantities of lumber, and a great am.ount of labor towards these lands, "while building the meeting-house ; he likewise employed much help al)out farming, Avhich he carried on largel3^ He built a saAv-mill on the outlet of the little PennesseAvassee pond, Avhich did but little business ; he also built mills in the Academy half-tOAvnship, Avhich produced small profit at that early stage of the settlement of Green- Avood. Thus things ran along for many years, Avithout any apparent interruption, and the settlement in GreeuAVOod Avas progressing rapidly, as he AA'as \"ery acconmiodatiug in receiv- ing almost any commodity in payment for land. Feme paid up in full for tlicir lots, and some had the precaution to insist on his getting an acquittance of their particular lots from the Trustees of the Academy, Avho held the mortgage ; and, to accomplish this, he mortgaged his own farm to them tQ keep their security good, lie Avas, in the first place, to give ^4500 for the land ; and in a few years he sold enough to have paid up the sum, Avith interest; but, from the multi- plicity of his concerns, he applied his receipts to other purposes, while his debt to the Trustees Avas fast accumulating. Any calculating man can discover that interest money is the " worm that never dies ; " and, Avith him, it ate out all hope of ever being able to extricate himself from his pecuniaiy embarrassments. About 1819 his afiiiirs Avere approaching a crisis, and by the spring of 1820 his difficulties so harassed his mind that it seems he could not bear up under the burden. ISear the fiist of ]May he was driven to such desperation that HISTOllY OF NORWAY. 121 he took his razor and repaired to his barn very early one morning, and applied it to his throat, partly severing the windpipe and some large veins ; he would have shortly ex- pired had he not been discovered by his Avife, who, having occasion to pass by the barn, saw him weltering in his own blood. She took a handkerchief from her neck and bound up his wound, and called for help. A surgeon was summoned with all possible dispatch, and the wound dressed in so careful a manner, that in a few Aveeks he was restored to tolerable bodily health, and seemed to have become very sensible of the awful deed which he came so near executing. He conversed iVeely with his friends about the sad affair, and expa-essed a firm determination never to yield to such wrong impulses for the future. His proud spirit was humbled, and he seemed to acquiesce, and submit to come down from the high position he had occupied. All pitied him ; and, in fact, almost for- gave liim for the rash act he had committed. His creditors felt for him ; they even offered to lend a helping hand to keep him up ; but all human strength seemed unequal to the task of sustaining bis good resolutions, and about the middle of July he put a period to his earthly troubles by cutting the jugular vein on the right side of the neck with his jack-knife. Some time in the forenoon he left the house, telling his wife he w^as going to the field where his men Avere moAving ; but he went into the nursery a fcAV rods from the house and com- mitted the fatal deed. The Avriter summoned a coroner's jury, and assisted in taking up the body ; and never, never did he behold so horrid a spectacle as that. The wound Avas below, and a little behind the point of the right jaAV, two and a half inches deep, and five-eighths of an inch Avide — ^_just the Avidtli of the knife. xVfter the Avound Avas given, he shut up the knife, and still held it in his hand Avhen found. The ver- dict of the juiy AA^as, that he put an end to his life in a state of partial derangement. Ho fell in the full strength and pride of manhood, aged forty-tAvo years. Thus the higli hopes 122 HISTOllY OF NORWAY-. of his interesting family were prostrated, as it were, in a mo- ment. He occupies a 'little space in our grave- jaixl, and that is the onlj spot of ground, of all the Cummings land in Nor- way, that is now retained by any of the descendants. Thus we may see the instability of all earthly possessions. But I will write no more, for the tears of pity drop at the sad recol- lection of his untimely end. Without leave, I will revert back to the winter of 1816. In Januaiy, or thereabout, the school-liouse in district No. 5 was burnt in the night, and many books were destroyed with the building. This was the first school-house built in the town, or rather plantation, as it was built before the town was incorporated. Another house Avas erected on the same spot the ensuing summer, which gave place to a new one in 1851. The school-house in district No. 1, in the northwest corner of the town, Avas also burnt in Jan., 1819, and rebuilt in the ensuing summer. I have traced things up along to the time when Maine be- came a State, and our town was commencing a new era ; but as yet have said nothing about our public-houses ; and lest the reader should bo fatigued and Avish to put up. or take a little refreshment, I will now give some account of them. eToscjih Stevens, one of the very first settlers, kept the first tavern in the town, and it Avas a good one for that early day. He began to put up " strangers and traA^elers and others " as early as 1800, but had no license until the County of Oxford Aras organized. He afterAvards had a license nntil he gave up the business, a short time before the organization of the State. About 1806, a Dr. Case came hito NorAvav Village and stopped a year or more, (he did not act the ph^'-sician much while here,) and opened a taA'crn in the old Samuel Smith house, on the s'tc now occupied by Willinra C. Whitney's house ; but there Avas not sulTicient head to make it go, and he emigrated elseAvhere. About 1812, Joshua Smith, Esq., opened a public-house in the Village _. and did a gocd business HISTORY OF NORWAY. 123 till about 1843, "wlien he died, aged 73 years. James Bick- ford attempted to keep a public-house in tlie old Samuel Smith house, about 1813, but made rather a failure, and quit the business. In 1807-8, William IIr)bbs built a large house at the center of the town, and opened a tavern in 1809 ; he continued it until nearly 1820, but the travel was then small through that part of the town. About 1821, llezekiah Pin- gree opened a public-house at Fuller's Corner, in North Norway, but the business was rather small, and he soon abandoned it. After the building of the new County road from Bethel to Norway, which was made passable in 1823, the writer put up travelers as occasion required, and on the ]st of Jan., 1824, he received a license from the town au- thorities for keeping a public-house, and continued the business until April, 1851, when the railroad rendered it unnecessary for the public accommodation. Innholdera' licenses, from the organization of the State, were for many years $6,25, in- cluding the Clerk's fee, amounting to 60 or 75 cents per year, Avhich was paid into the treasury. Increase Robinson, after building his new and commodious liouse, on the site of the old Samuel Smith house, opened a tavern ; but at that time the Village did not seem to require two public-houses, and he continued the business but a few years. William Reed likewise tried a public-house a sliort time, about 1820. About 1830, Ezra F. Beal fitted up a public-house near the center of the Village, and kept it a few years ; and, on removing to Portland, leased the house to Anthony Bennett, (son of Capt. Anthony Bennett,) who, in a few years, was succeeded by hh brother, Col. Joseph Bennett. In process of time, Mr. Beal sold the stand to Titus 0. Brown, who previously had kept a tavern at Gray Corner for many years, and he and his son- in-law, Mr. Amos Purington, managed tlie house till about 1842, when Anthony Bennett purchased the stan.d ; he soon after maile additions to the house and stable, and fitted up a large and cemmodious cslablishmcntj which he occupied until 124 niSTORY OF NORWAY. Sept. 23, 1851, -vvhen all his buildings and m©st of liis fiinii- ture were destroyed by fire. But I sliall speak of this hereafter. In 1844, William Hayes fitted up a house at the Corner, one mile and three-fourths west of the Village, and entertained strangers and travelers four or five years. About 184G, a company of gentlemen purchased the old tavern-stand so long occupied by Joshua Smith, Esq. ; they added a third story to. the house, and finislied the whole in an elegant and convenient- style. When completed, James N. Hall opened a public- house, known as the •' Elm House," and managed it a year or more ; he was succeeded by S. T. Dutton, who kept the house about a. year and a half, when Otis True assumed the management of the establishment, which he yet continues^ This is the only public-house in the town at this time. Town officers for 1821: Job Eastman, Clerk; Joshua Smith, Treasurer ; Uriah Holt, Henry Rust, Jonathan Woodman, Selectmen ; James Crockett, Collectm-. Norway and Hebron v/erc classed together, and a Mr. Greenwood, of Hebron, was Eepresentative. Valuation, .'IJjTTjlSS. Number of polls 2^2 ; number of scholars 591. Highway tax, - - - |1009,43 Tax on County roads, - - 504,02 Total highway tax, - - - .|1513,45 Money tax, town, County, and State, ,i;lo85,74. New immigrants : Stephen Cummings, Isaac Clark. Robert Frost, Benjamui Furlong, Thomas Goss, Samuel Jordan, Ben-, jamin Jordan, Henry C. La,wrencc, John Morse, Abberde-.m Pratt, William Rich, John Tike, Jr., Paul Twombly, William Shackley, William Totherly, Zachariah Weston, John Weston, Amos Downing, John Ilix. Old settlers' sons : Jacob Bradhury, Nathaniel Bodwcll, Nathaniel Cobb, George Frost, Daniel Herring, Darius Holt, Jr., Joseph Lombard, Na- thaniel Millctt, Jr., Nathan Noble, Jr., la-ael Pike, Sylvanus Bartlett. HISTORY OF XORWAT. 125 III tlie summer of this jear, or a previous year, Betsey "Gammon fell clo^YU the celhir-stairs in Benjamin Fuller's house, and was instantly killed, her neck being broken by the fall. She was living at Mr. Fuller's. In the winter of 1821, during the first session of tliO first Legislature of the State of Maine, the "Rust Gore^" so called, was annexed to Norway.. As before noticed, it lies south of the Waterfard three tiers, and probably contains about 1800 acres.. By this annexation, five or six families were added to the town, viz. : John Pike, Jr., Benjamin Jor- dan, William Frost, Robert Frost, Zaehariah Weston. They had long desireil the annexation : and it was owing to an over- sight in draughting the first act of incorporation, that the Gore was omitted. Town officers for 1822 : Job Eastman, Clerk ; Joshua Smith, Treasurer ; Uriah Holt, Nathan Noble, Willi^tm Par- sons, Jr., Selectmen; James Crockett, Collector. Norway classed with Greenwcod — Uriah Holt, Representative. Valuation, $T7, 211. Number of polls 275; number of scholars .620. Highway tax, common roads, - i^l300,00 Overlaid in assessing, - - 42,08 Extra road tax, with overlayings, - 528,95 2d " " '< " 522.34 Total road tax, _ _ - $2393,37 For schools, - ^ , - |600,00 Poor, and town expenses, 200,00 County tax, - - - - 338.08 State tax, _ - - - 177',72 Overlaid in assessment, 25.68 Delinquency of highway tax for 1821, 56^97 Total money tax, - - - $1399,05 The extra road tax this year was large, in consequence of making a ncAV County road half the length of the town, which opened a great thoroughfiire from the valley of the Co^inecticut 126 HISTOllY OF NORWAY. I'iver to Portland, and was very much traveled until super- seded by the railroad. Many Avere much opposed to the road at first, but it proved of great utility to Norway Village, and to the public travel. New immigrants : Benjamin Barrows, Reuben Chandler, John S. French, David H. Gamble, Reuben Hill, John Mc- Allister, Joseph York, Amos Downing, Dr. Asa Danforth. Old settlers' sons : Archejiuis Fuller, Edmund Merrill, Jr., Zenas Pool, Moses Ames, Joel Parsons, Nathan Bradbury, Nathan Millett. In Dec, 1822, Bela Noyes, Jr., (now Bela Noyes) was visited with a severe calamity, by having his house burnt. He was then unmarried, (but approximating very nearly tOAvards that blissful state,) and was finishing his house in order to found a home for a family. A young man, Daniel Major, Avho had lived several years, previous to this time, with the writer, Avas at Avork on the inside of the house, in Avhicli lie and Mr. Noyes lodged, and cooked their food. On the evening previous to tlie fire, they Avent to bed at the usual hour, and about midnight Avere alarmed by the crackling of flames. They sprang suddenly from their bed, and on opening the door of the room Avhere the fire commenced, it burst upon them Avith such violence that they Avere obliged to make their escape in the quickest Avay possible. Mr. Noyes broke through a panel door, Avithout stopping to op^i it, and then went out- of-doors through a AvindoAV, bursting oi.t the sash and glass. They escaped Avith nothing on but their shirts, and in the midst of a clear, cold December night, in this nude condition, they remained on the spot to save the barn from destruction, as the Avind drove the flames and sparks directly upon it for more than one hour ; finally, by the aid of a fcAV neighbors Avho came to their assistance, they saved the barn and its con- tents. This fire caused quite a loss to Mr. Noyes : though the amount of property Avas not great, compared Avith many other losses of this kind, yet it SAvcpt ofl" his little all — tho HISTORY OF XOIIWAY. 12'? earnings of several years of hard labor. Daniel Major had his chest in the house, containing his clothes, tools, pocket- book, &c., with about ^50 in money, and $200 in notes, and lost everything but his shirt in Avhich he escaped from the flames. The notes Avere against such men as made no objec- tion to paying him honorably, when called upon ; but still it was rather a severe loss to him, as he w^as a poor orphan boy, and had no father's house for a shelter in his misfortune. Town officers for 1823 : Job Eastman, Clerk ; Joshua Smitli, Treasurer ; Uriah Holt, James Flint, Elijah Hall, Selectmen ; James Crockett, Collector. Uriah Holt, Repre- sentative. Valuation, >^79,015. Number of polls 290; number of scholars (331. Highway tax, common roads, - $'1 330, 4G Extra road tax, _ _ _ 839,93 Total, _ $2170,39 Schools, - |600,00 Poor, and town expenses, -. 200,00 County tax, - - 260,18 State tax, -. 177,72 Overlaid in the assessment. - 44,49 Delinquency of highway tax for 1822, 74,29 Total money tax, - - - $1356,68 New immigrants : Epbraim Brown, Abbot Holt, Lewis; Hutchinson, Abijah Ingalls, Jacob Kimball, John R. Swift, John Wolcot. Old settlers' sons : Josiah Blanchard, Jr., Epbraim Briggs, Jr., Edmund Frost, George French, Nehe- miah D. Frank, Daniel Hobbs, Jr., Cyprian Hobbs, "William Hor, Natlian Hor, Levi Lovejoy, Stephen Lovejoy, Samuel Merrill, Levi Millett, Andrew Mills, Solorhon IS'o1)le, John Richardson, Jr., Elliot Smith, Job E. Stevens, Daniel Wat- son, Jr., John Andrews. This year, in the spring, or in June, James French (son of James French, the early settler) had the niisfortuue- to 128 HISTORY OF XORWAY. have his house burnt, together with considerable other prop- erty. The house was built by his father in 180G. In July, this year, a saw-mill built by Maj. Elijah Hall, and his son, Thompson Hall, in 1819, was burnt, and much lumber lying about the mill was also destroyed. The accident Avas caused by a fire running in the woods, it being extremely dry at that time. The owners rebuilt the mill, and about 1830 sold it to Isaiah Hall and Darius Holt, Jr. In 183G. or thereabout, it was again burnt, and a second time rebuilt by Mr. Hall and others ; and in 1844 was burnt a third time. The last two burnings were caused by fire from stoves used for warming the miU. While sawing shingles on the day the mill Avas last burnt, Edward C. Hall, a son of Isaiah Hall, by some accident had most of the fingers of his right hand cut off with the circular saw ; and while his wound was being dressed, in a house, the mill took fire and was destroyed in spite of all efforts to save it. A year or two subsequent, Dudley I>. Holt, a grandson of oM Mr. Darius Holt, rebuilt the mill again — the fourth building ; it is now owned by David P. Stowell, Esq., of Paris. This succession of saw-mills have been built on the same stream on Avhich Amos Upton erected a grist-mill soon after the town was settled ; but his mill Avas a mile from the saAV-mill, up the stream. In Sept., 1823, a very mortal sickness prcA^ailed in the nortliAvest part of the to\Yn, and to some extent in other parts. The disorder was something like the dysentery, accompanied with high fever, and baffled the skill of the physicians in most cases. Thirteen persons died in one little neighborhood in three Aveeks. Infxncy and age alike fell before the destroyer. ToAvn oflBcers for 1824 : Job Eastman, Clerk ; Joshua Smith; Treasurer : William Ilobbs, Simeon Noble, Job East- man, Selectmen ; James Crockett, Collector. Frederick Coburn, of GreeuAvood, Representative. Valuation, J|T5,495. Number of polls 268 ; number of scholars 571. HISTORY OF NORWAY. 129 Higliway tax. common roads, - $•1226,02 Extra roads, ' - - - 1170.19 Total, - 12396,21 Schools, - _ - - |550,00 Poor, and town charges, - 250,00 County tax, - - - - 182,18 State tax, _ _ _ - 198,85 Overlaid, _ _ _ - 41,39 Deficiency of highways for 1823, - 81,27 Total money tax, - - - $1303,69 New immigrants : Thomas Morey, Abial Pratt, Thomas Pollard, James Smith, Timothy Smith, Enoch Whitney, Old settlers' sons : Andrew Case, Amos Foster, William Hall, Silas Meriam, Jr., William Needham, Jonathan B. Smith, Dresser Stevens, Ezra Twombly. Previous to this valuation, probably in 1823, Job E. Ste- vens .had put up a little store at the Corner, since known as Eord's Corner, Frost's Corner, &c. This was the first build- ing erected at that place ; the next was a blacksmith's shop, built by William Foster in 1829 ; and we may very fairly call him and Stevens the first founders of that little settle- ment. Mr. Foster hammered out a good many dollars in that shop, and has been succeeded by several others ; Wm. Hayes now works in the same shop. John B. Ford, from Gray, succeeded Stevens in the store, and did a good business ; and many others have tried trade at the Corner with various success. Town officers for 1825: Job Eastman, Clerk; Joshua Smith, Treasurer ; Uriah Holt, William Hobbs, Levi Whit- man, Selectmen ; James Crockett, Collector. Uriah Holt, Representative. Valuation, |99,453. Number of polls 267 : number of scholars 635. Highway tax, 1711,41, 9 130 HISTOBY OF NORWAY. Scliools, . . - . |550,00 Poor, and town charges, - - 300,00 County tax, - _ - . 208,21 State tax, - . . _ 198,85 Overlaid in assessment, - - 57,14 Deficiency of highway tax for 1824,. - 50,08 Total money tax, - - - $1364,28 No additions to the population worth naming. Nothing very remarkable occurred this year, excepting the destruction of Elijah Flint's barn, in April, from a singular cause. Mrs. Flint was about to set a goose on some eggs, and carried some ashes to the barn to put under the nest ; there happened to be a little too much fire in the ashes, and the barn w^as soon in flames. We have read the old story of geese once saving ancient Rome, but we never heard of their burning buildings before this occurrence. Town officers for 1826: Job Eastman, Clerk; Joshua Smith, Treasurer ; Uriah Holt, William Hobbs, Levi Whit- man, Selectmen ; James Crockett, Collector. Uriah Holt, Representative. Valuation, $99,826. Number of polls 265 ; number of scholars 624. Highway tax, $1721,57. Schools, - - - - $550,00 Poor, and town charges, - - 350,00 County tax, - - - - 210,53 State tax, - - - _ 220,10 Overlayings, and deficiency of highway, 89,12 Total money tax, - - - $1420,35 New immigrants : John Ayer, Charles Gammon, Benjamin Herrick, Walter B. Drew, Daniel Lufkin, John Marston, John Rice, David Woodman, Eli Whitney, Asa Johnson, Joseph Durgin, Dr. J. S. Millett. Old settlers' sons : Sam- uel Bird, Samuel Cobb, Elijah Flint, Jr., Hiram. Millett, HISTORY OF NORWAY, 181 David Wilkins, David Young, Daniel Pottle, William Roavc, Henry C. Reed, Joseph Bennett. In May, this year, William Pierce, who lived on the north- westerly corner lot of the Cnmmings Gore, was fatally injured by the foil of a tree upon him, while at work falling trees. The injury w^s principally across the small of his back — as his lower extremities Avere entirely helj^less until liis death. He lived about a fortnight, and died June 3d, after mucli suf- ferincr, ao;ed 40. He left a wife and sis children bereft of a kind husband and father. He Avas a very upright, industrious man, and set a good example for his family, and that example lias been well followed. His widow and second son now live on the same farm, Avhich ranks among the best in that part of the town. Town officers for 1827 : Job Eastman, Clerk ; Joshua Smith, Treasurer ; Uriah Holt, William Hobbs, Daxid Noyes, Selectmen ; James Crockett, Collector. Uriah Holt, Repre- sentative. Valuation, $101,037. Number of polls 256 ; number of scholars 010. Highway tax, common roads, - ,f 1212.(51 Extra roads, - - - 992,12 Total highway tax, - - - $2204,73 Schools, _ _ _. - $550.00 Poor, and tOAvn charges, 425.00 County tax, - - .. - 234^90 State tax, _ _ - , 220,15 Overlaid in assessment, 25.32 Delinquency of highway tax for 1826, 47,30 Total money tax, - - - $1502,67 New immigrants : Asa Barton, Hiram BarroAvs, Samuel BroAvn, Rev. John Haynes, Ira Johnson, Thomas McKin-- nee, Elias H. Leighton, WidoAV Betsey Latham, Rev. Henry A, Merrill, George Morrell, Amos OrdAvay, J. Y. Webster, 132 HISTORY OF I^OKAVAY, Joel Parklmrst. Joshua Ricker. Old settlers' sons : James Bennett, William Beal, Jr., Williaai Merrill, Benjamin Pea- body, Jr., Joseph Saunders. Zachariah Weston, Jr. Town Officers for 1828 : Job Eastman. Clerk ; Joshua Smith, Treasurer ; Uriah Holt, David Nojes, Ezra F. Beal. Selectmen ; James Crockett. Collector. Paul Wentworth. of Greenwood, Representative. Valuation, |106,090. Number of polls 258 ; number of scholars 637. Highway tax. comm Town officers for 1833 : Job Eastman, Clerk ; Joshua Smith, Treasurer ; Uriah Holt, Jonathan SAvift. Elliot Smith, Selectmen ; James Crockett, Collector. Ichabod Bartlett, Representative. Valuation, $116,374. Number of polls 302 : number of scholars 657. Highway tax, $2510,26. State tax, - ^ . - |250.8G County tax, - - - - 101,55 Schools, _ - - _ 675,00 Poor, and town charges, - - 500,00 Overlay ings, and delinquency of highway, 74,58 Total money tax, - - - |1691,99 New immigrants : Micah Allen, Austin Buck. Rufus Chadbourn, Richard Evans, William A. Evans, Columbus Holdcn, Perry D. Judkins, Emery Livermore, Thomas Mar- tin, John Martin, Levi Roberts, William Stanley, Hiram Stevens. John Tuttle, Ephraim Whitcomb, Augustus Wilkins. Isaac Wetherbee. Old settlers' sons : Lyman Bird, James Downing, William Frost, 3d, Simeon Frost, James French, jr.. Stephen Hall, Pleaman Holt, William W. Hobbs, Wilson Hill. Cyrus Lord, Noah Meriam, Henry Merrill, Eli Merrill. l)aniel L. Millett, Moses Parsons, Moses A. Stevens, Cephas Sampson. Town officers for 1834 : Job Eastman, Clerk : Joshua Smith, Treasurer : Jonathan Swift, Elliot Smith, John ^lil- lett, jr.. Selectmen : Henry W. Millett, Collector. Ichabod Bartlett, Representative. A^aluation, $119,570. Number of polls 309 ; number of scholars 687 : number of voters 355. Highway tax, $2017,70. State tax, - - - - $250,86 County tax, - . - - 255,45 Schools, - - - - 675,00 Poor, and town charges, - -» 800,00 140 HISTORY OF NORWAY. Overlayings, delinquency highway, supj^lemcnt, 97,01 Total money tax, - - - |1578,31 New immigrants : Joel Barrows, Titus 0. Brown, Gardner (Jhadbourn, Sampson Dunham, William Favor, Jotham Good- now, John Harmon. George Kimball, Joseph Morse, William H. H. McGillfry, Sumner Shed, Joshua B. Stuart, Benjamin Sturtevant, Daniel Thurston. David Whitcomb, EHianan Winchester, Jonathan Whitehouse, James Yeatten. Old set- tlers' sons : Hiram Stetson, Samuel Andrews, jr., Samuel Beal, Asa Hix, jr., Chandler F. Millctt, Henry L. Noyes, Simeon W. PiercCj Francis A. Reed, Lorenzo D. Shackley, William Witt. About the fore ];>art of May, this year, Pleaman Holt had a bam burnt, about 12 o'clock at night, with some hay, kc. in it. This fire was believed to be the work of an incendiary, but the thing was S'hrouded in so much mystery that the facts were never proved. Town officers for 1835 : Job Eastman, Clerk ; Joshua Smith, Treasurer ; Jonathan Swift, John jNlillett, jr., Henry W. Millett, Selectmen ; Jacob Bradbury, Collector. William Parsons, jr., Representative. Valuation, |129,949. Nunsber of polls 30G ; number of scholars 663. Highway tax, |2345,18. State tax, - - - . |250,8(> County tax, - - - - 255.45 Schools, . - - - 675,0a Poor, and to^vn charges, - - 350.00 Overlayings, delinquency highway, supplement, 42,44 Total money tax, - - . - ,*|]573,75 New immigrants : D^vight Avery, Pinkney Burnham, Ballard, Frederick Coultman, Isaiah Daily, Lyman Daniels, Jonas Eastman, Seth Philpot, Edmund Foster, Ricli- ard Garland, Ebenezcr Holmes, Hiram Harris, Augustus HISTORY OF NORWAY. 141 IlaiTis, Timothy Jordan, Charles Pcnley. John Pierce, Asu Tliayer, WiUiam Wilkins, Loren 11. Writsley, Azel Tuttlc. David R. Holden. Old settlers' sons : Benjamin Bird, Cad J. Blanchard, John Frost, jr., Amos T. Holt, John Hill, Na- than Morse, jr., William W. D. S. Millett, Ebenezcr J. Pottle. Mark S. Richardson, Uriah Upton, Amos F. Noyes, Wash- ington French, William Noble. On the 27th of April, 1835, Mr. David Whitcomh, for- merly of Waterford, was killed at Hall's saw-mill, hy logs rolling upon him. He was about 65 years of age, and had lived in NorAvay but a short time. Ephraim Whitcomb, a blacksmith, was his son, and came to Norway in 1833 ; he. has resided in town most of the time since, but died in Paris in 1851, of hemorrhage of the lungs. Town officers for 183(3 : Job Eastman, Clerk ; Joshua Smith, Treasurer ; John Millett, jr., Simon Stevens, Cyrus Cobb, Selectmen ; Joseph Bennett, Collector. Henry "\V. Millett, Representative. Valuation, $127,607. Number of polls 306 ; number of scholars 664. Highway tax, $2547,76. County tax, - - - - $351,25 Schools, - . . - 675,00 Poor, and town charges, - - 350,00 Additional sum afterwards raised for town charges, 200,00 Oveilayings, delinquency highway, supplement, 66. 8T Total money tax, - - - $1643,12 New immigrants : David M. Brown, William W. Berry, Elbridge G. Fuller, Jeremiah Howe, William Hall, jr., Francis Holden, Benjamin Holden, Addison A. Latham, John Martin, John Millett, 3d, Hezekiah Mclntier, Richard Mc- Intier, William Pratt, Samuel Pierce, James Yates, Richard Lombard. Old settlers' sons : Asa Packard, Ebenezer Ban- croft, jr., Samuel Crockett, Perley French, David 0. Holt, Jeremiah W. Hobbs, Seth Pike, William Pingree, jr.. Gran- 1-42 HISTORY OF NORWAY. vjlle L. Reed, James Shackley, Daniel G. Town, Jacob Tubbs^ Kimball Holt, Nathaniel Andrews. On the 5th (Jay of Feb., this year, Nathan Foster, one of the early settlers, died in a very sudden manner. He went to his barn about 9 o'clock, A. M., carrying with him some potatoes for his calves ; in a short time after, he was wanted, and when sent for, was found dead in his barn-yard. He had sometimes been subject to faint spells, and the probability is, that he was taken in one of his fainting fits, fell upon the icy yard, and was stunned by the fall, or died in a fit. He left a large family to mourn his sudden exit. Town officers for 1837: Job Eastman, Clerk; Joshua Smith, Treasurer ; Simon Stevens, Cyrus Cobb, Jonathan B. Smith, Selectmen ; James Crockett, Collector. Jonathan B. Smith, Representative. Valuation, |123,719. Number of polls 322 ; number of scholars 723. Highway tax, $3094,17. County tax, - - - ^ |383,17 Schools, - - - _ 675,00 Overlaid in the assessment, - - 46.13 Delinquency of highway, - - 23.70 Supplement, _ . _ 34,66 Total money tax, - - - $1162,66 New immigi'ants : Titus 0. Brown, jr., Ebenezer CroAvell, John Deering, Timothy H. Hutchinson, Edwin F. Hutchin- son, Ebenezer N. Holmes, Erastus Hilbourn, Richard M. Jordan, Peter Knight, Asa McAllister, John McAllister, George J. Ordway, Timothy Smith, Rev. Charles Soulo, John B. Stowell, Samuel Stowell, Cyinis S. Thayer, William A^errill, Silas W. Bumpus, Rev. Reuben Milner. Old set- tlers' sons : George W. Cox, Luther F. Foster, Timothy J. Frost, James S. Greenleaf, Samuel Hill, Eben C. Shackley, Francis Upton, jr., David F. Young, Joel S. Frost, George W. Everett. HISTORY OF NORWAY. 143 This year, a town census was taken on account of the sur- plus revenue. The inhabitants, of all ages, numbered 1791. The first instalment was loaned in sums of f 25 to $50 ; the second instalment was loaned in smaller sums of $10 ; and after the legislature passed an act giving towns the power to distribute the money, the town, or a large part of it, was anxious for the distribution, and it accordingly took place — the sum averaging $2 per head, besides the expense. It was quite an unnatural measure for government to distrilmte money to the jjeople, while the government is supported hi/ the people. On the 4th of July, this year, Bradley Foster, aged 13 years, was drowned. There Avas a sort of celebration in the adjoining town of Greenwood, and he, with other boys, went to participate in the recreations of the day. A company of boys resorted to a mill-pond for the purpose of bathing, and ])y some mishap he got into too deep water, and drowned be- fore he could be rescued. He was the son of Nathan Foster, jr., and grandson of Nathan Foster, sen. His father died on the 19th of Jan., this same year, and his grandfather was found dead in his barn-yard on the 5th of Feb., 1836. The mother of the unfortunate boy still remains a widow, and resides in the city of Lowell, as also do several of her children. Town officers for 1838 : Job Eastman, Clerk ; Henry Rust, Treasurer ; Simon Stevens, Jonathan B. Smith, John Whit- mai-sh, Selectmen ; James Crockett, Collector. Elliot Smith, Representative. Valuation, |115,924. Number of polls 325; number of scholars 726. Highway tax, $2092,49. County tax, - - -' - | 388,17 Schools, ... - 675,00 Poor, and town charges, - - 1000.00 For building town-house, - - 500,00 144 HISTOEY OF NOEWAY. Overlajjngs. delinquciiej liighwaj. supplement, 126,81 Total money tax, - - - ^2684,98 New immigrants : Daaiel H. Blake. Salmon Cushman, Alonzo Curtis, Gilman Davis, Walter B. Drew, Charles Gardner, Timotliy Hodgdon, Lorenzo HathaMa}''. John Howe. Jacob Herrick, James Haskell, Josiali Libby, Lewis Mixer, Ward Mclntier, Samuel Partridge, Joseph Richardson, Rev. Luke P. Rand, Stephen Rowe, David Sanborn, George W. Smith, Daniel B. Sawjer, Dr. Leander S. Tripp, Amos Pu- rington, Ephraim Brown, jr. Old settlers' sons : John Bancroft, Amos W. Briggs, William Briggs, Joshua Frost. John Gallison, William Hill, William Knight, Henry Love- joy, Solomon I. Millett, Nathan K. Noble, George W. Parsons, Moses A. Young, Daniel H. Buck, Simon P. Everett. This year, the town built a suitable house in which to luild town-meetings, and for other toAvn business. After the erec- tion of the Congregational meeting-house by Maj. Jonathan Cummuigs, the town-meetings were held in 5' walked on his knees, and has, wonderful to relate, performed much hard labor. A few years after his legs were amputated the last time, he married a daughter of Asa Lovejoy, (one of the early settlers on the Waterford three tiers,) and has brought up a family of several children. I ought to have noticed, in the account of 1840, that Baker Ames had a son, John Ames, drowned in the mill-pond, above the Village mills ; he went upon the ice to play, with other boys, and broke through, and before help could be procured, sank to rise no more. He was drowned Dec. 4, 1840, aged nine years. There have been several very narrow escapes from drowning in the pond, by venturing upon ice when not strong enough to be safe. About 1833, on thanksgiving day, Ephraim S. Crockett, a son of Ephraim Crockett, Avho lives on the east side of the pond, nearly opposite the writer's farm, thinking to have a fine time skating on the ice, crossed the head of the pond to D. Noyes', and Claudius A. Noyes, then about twelve years of age, went Avith him to particij)ate in the amusement of skating. They skated awhile, and growing more venture- some, went near the middle of the pond, Avhen Crockett broke in, and could not get upon the ice again, as when he attempted to spring upon it, it wtuild break, Avithout assisting him from the Avater. In this dilemma, C. A. Noyes, although but a small boy, told him to hold upon the edge of the ice, and ho would soon help him ; he then skated quickly to the shore, and took a long, slim pole from a fence, and going, Avithin the length of the pole, to the other boy, he laid himself down on the ice, and reached him the small end, Avhich he grasped tightly, and giving a smart spring, was pulled out of the water, and di'aAvn to Avhere the ice Avas strong enough to bear them. They had had skating enough for one thanksgiving. James Bennett, about the same year, broke tlirougli the ice 150 HISTORY OF NORWAY. "wliile skaling, and being alone, came very near drownings He kept trying to spring upon the ice, which continued break- ing, until it was broken to a place strong enough to hold him up, when he succeeded in getting from the water, but was nearly chilled to death. He says that was a sujficiency of skating for him. Town officers for 1842 : Job Eastman, Clerk ; Elliot Smith, Treasurer ; Henry C. Reed, Solomon Noble, Ichabod Bart- lett, Selectmen. Benjamin Tucker, Jr., Representative. Valuation, $154,018. Number of polls 300 ; number of scholars 690. Highway tax, |2615,38. State tax, - - - . ^720,91 County tax, - - - - ' 314,43 Schools, . - - . 750,00 Poor, and town charges, - - 600,00 Overlayings, _ _ _ 79,99 Delinquency of highway, and supplement, 50,13 Total money tax, _ _ _ $2515,46 New immigrants : Elias Adams, Nathaniel G. Bacon, Isaac Bolster, Alfred P. Burnell, Henry R. Cushman, Caleb Her- sey, Jacol) Herrick, James M. Lewis, Bartle Perry, Gardner Rowe, William Stowell, Elias Stowell, Rev. Timothy J. Ten- ney, Foster Wentworth. Old settlers' sons : Steadman Bennett, Joshua B. Crockett, Calvin L. Herring, Samuel Lord, 2d, Edwin Morse, Edward H. L. Morse, Israel D. llil- lett, David B. Noyes. This year, on the 18th day of March, Col. John Millett's house was burnt, and but little saved from it. It was a good farm-house, and the loss large. Origin of the fire unknown. Town officers for 1843 : Simon Stevens, Clerk ; Elliot Smith, Treasurer ; Jonathan Swift, John Parsons, Jr., Beii- jamin Tucker, Jr., Selectmen; George J. Ordway, Collector. Classed with Oxford, and John J. Perry, of Oxford, Reprc^ sentativCi , niSlORY OF NORWAY. 151 Valuation, |150,312. Number of polls 347 ; number of ^scholars 713. High^yay tax, |3610,01. State tax, - - - . $720,91 County tax, - - - - 262,02 Schools, - . - . 750,00 Poor, and town charges, - - 800,00 To build bridge pier, - - 50,00 Overlayings, dehnquencj highway, supplement, 134,84 Total money tax, - - - |2717,77 New immigrants ; William Andrews, Solomon Cloudman, Adna C. Denison, Moses G. Dow, Samuel Favor, Elhanan W. Fyler, Thomas Higgins, Nathaniel 0. Hicks, Darius Holt, 3d, Ezekiel Jackson, William Hutchins, John Wood- man, Edmund S. Dean. Old settlers' sons : Ebenezer Ban- croft, Jr., Levi Bartlett, Wilham Buck, Churchill Cobl), Nathan M. Crockett, Eliab Frost, Cornelius Hobbs, Lyman Hobbs, Ora Hix, Solomon S. Hall, Jeremiah Hall, Stephen Hall, William Merrill, Benjamin Marston, Claudius A. Noyes, Simon Stevens, 2d, Oren TubbSj William Upton. Daniel M. Young. This year will ever be memorable in the annals of Norway, on account of the destmction of Esquire Eastman's dwelling house by fire, and the records of the town from the time of its incorporation. It is supposed, but not certainly known, that the fire communicated to the house from ashes in the wood-house. When the fire was discovered, the inmates had not a moment to spare, but maide their escape by the back tloor, which had not been used for the winter. They got out with nothing on them but their night-clothes. Esquire East- man was then about 93 years old, quite unwell, and could hardly walk in the house ; the snow was four feet deep from the door to the road, with a fence to be got over in the way. Mrs. Eastman, with almost superhuman strength, dragged him through snow nearly up to her arms, put him over tlie 152 HISTORY OF NORWAY. fence, and got him into the barn-yard, as much from the -wind as possible, and then Avrapped him in a coverlet, Tvhich she had fortunately dragged from the bed with her husband. Ann A. Shaw, a granddaughter of Mrs. Eastman, about fifteen yeai'S of age, escaped in the same nude condition as the others, and rendered her grandmother all the assistance in her power. They were exposed to the severe cold for a considerable time. The fire Avas at length discovered from jVIr. William llobbs' — the alarm being given by old j\Irs. Richardson — when his boys hastened to the scene of distress. As soon as they arrived at the burning house, one of them ran home, hastened back with a horse and sleigh, and carried the family to Mr. Hobbs' in a piteous condition. Mrs. Eastman's feet were shockingly frozen ; and as soon as the frost was out, they were a com- plete blister nearly to her ancles, excepting tlie upper parts. The girl was considerably frozen, but nothing compared to Mrs. Eastman. Esf|uirc Eastman was very much chilled, but his Avife had wrapped him in the coverlet so closely that he sot frozen but a little. For more than a month Mrs. East- man was unable to. walk, or stand ; but by good care she at length entirely recovered,*aud has, till recently, been able, and willing, to perform much labor for an old lady. But on the evening of Feb. 13, 1852, she met with another affliction : she accidentally fell upon the floor and injured her hip, so tliat she is entirely confined to her bed. How long her lame- ness will continue is uncertain, but the writer hopes not long. The name and services of Job Eastman, for many, many years, were as fixmiliar as household words to almost every man, woman, and chikl, in the town of Norway. After the incorporation of the town, Joshua Smith Avas tOAvn Clerk dur- ing two years, and in 1803, Joseph Rust was Clerk one year ; Job Eastman filled the office all the other years until 1843. He was first Selectman, and toAvn Treasurer, for nine years after the tOAvn was incorporate! ; and Avas an acting Justice HISTORY OF NORWAY. 153 of tlie Peace from 1797 until liis deatli, Avliich took place Feb. 28', 1845, at the age of 95 years. Mark S. Richardson and -wife, with one young child, and his mother, lived in the west end of Esquire Eastman's house- at the time of the fire. They escaped by the front-door with much less danger and difficulty than the Eastman family. In the spring of this year, there was a remarkable freshet, which flooded many cellars, and carried ofi" many bridges. Ephraim BroAvn then owned the old grist-mill at the Steep Falls, below the Village, and it was swept away by the flood ; his peg manufactory, also, shared the fate of the mill. By a request to the Selectmen, there was a special town- meeting" called on the Saturday previous to the first Monday in May, for the purpose of instructing the town authorities in regard to licensing suitable persons to sell spirituous liquors for medicinal and mechanical purposes. The meeting was rather thin, but the Selectmen were instructed to license no person, except the town Clerk and town Treasurer, to sell for the above purposes ; and the profits, after paying the expense of selling, to go into the town treasury for supporting the poor. What the profits amounted to, is as yet unknown to the town, as no report has been made. A very melancholy afiau* happened in this town on the evening of the Gth of October, 1843. Mr. Dresser Stevens, next-door-neigh]jor to the writer, as is very common among farmers, made a husking for the evening, and invited his neighbors to assist him. In, the course of the evening, some rather rude joking was indulged in by a portion of the com- pany at the expense of a youngster named Iliram Totherly, and his making rather a tart reply irritated the feelings of a few present, Avhich caused htird words between, the parties. At the close of the husking, Ebenezer Hobbs made an assault on Totherly, and they soon closed in with each other, and both fell on the floor in the squabble ; Totherly, with liis jack-knife, stabbed Ilobbs in many placeSj and a wound just 154 HISTORY Ot XORWAY. ^ovei' the collar-bone, proved mortal. The affray took place about eleven o'clock on Friday night, and he died near five o'clock Saturday morning. Totherly Avas immediately ai-rest- ed, and the nexttlay committed to jail. At the following May term of the Supreme Judicial Court, he had his trial, but was not convicted, the jury not agreeing. The fii'st indictment by the grand jury was for murder ; but at the October term the case was put to the grand jury a second time, and a bill was found against him for manslaughter. The next spring he had a second trial, was convicted of manslaughter, and sentenced by the Court to one year's imprisonment in the County jail. After the expiration of his imprisonment, he went to Portland, and finally enlisted as a soldier in the j\Iex- ican war, where lie was wounded, and died in a hospital. But I forbear to enlarge upon the subject, lest it should open afresh the deeply-wounded feelings of relatives and others. The mild sentence of the Court very plainly shows that they did not think all the blame ought to be attributed to him. Both the youngsters were about eighteen years of age at the time of this sad tragedy. Town officers for 1844 : Simon Stevens, Clerk : James Crockett, Treasurei*; Jonathan Swift, William Parsons, Jr., Mark P. Smith, Selectmen; George J. Ordway, Collector. Jonathan Swift, Representative. Valuation, $153,173. Number of polls 321 ; number of scholars 667. Highway tax, $2039,05. State tax, - - - - $540,68 County tax, - _ - - 374,26 Schools, - - - - 750,00 Poor, and town charges, - - 900,00 Overlayings, delinquency highwa}', supplement, 119,78 Total money tax, •- - - $2684,72 New immigrants : Noble Blossom, James Blossom, Ira Berry, Levi T. Boothby, America Bri'ggs. John A. Bolster, HISTORY OF NORWAY. 155 Benjamin Robbins, Thomas G. Brooks, James Dow, Peter B. Frost, Samuel Favor, Joseph Ilaniford, Edward Higgins, Bobert Noyes, William D. Paine, Beuben S. Rich, Amos Thurlow, Daniel Whitehouse, Charles Walton, Oren Will)ur. Old settlers' sons : David R. Everett, Joseph Hor, Henry IT. Hobbs, Lorenzo D. Hobbs, George W. Knight, Newton Swift. In the fall of this year, Richard W. Houghton's house, near the Steep Falls, was burnt ; origin of the fire unknown. Also, on the night of the 10th of Nov., Holden's mills, on Crooked river, were burnt ; origin of the fire unknoAvn, but thought by many to be the work of an incendiary. Town officers for 1845 : Simon Stevens, Clerk ; James Crockett, Treasurer; William Parsons, Jr., Mark P. Smith, Henry W. Millett, Selectmen; George J. Ordway, Collector. Mark P. Smith, Representative. Valuation, |165,701. Number of polls 330 ; number of scholars 664. Highway tax, |1592,29. State tax, - . - - $489,33 County tax, - - - - 322,63 Schools, _ - _ . 750,00 Poor, and toAvn charges, - - 700,00 Overlayings, delinquency highway, supplement, 90.10 Total money tax, - - - $2352,06 New immigrants : Jairus Bryant, Zachary Carey, Aaron Chandler, John Davis, Johnson Edwards, William Evans, Wilham Howe, David McAllister, Samuel L. Preble, John Penley, Joshua Richardson, David Rowe, Benjamin Wade. Daniel Stone, Moses Town. Old settlei-s' sons : Edmund Ames, Albion Buck, Cyrus Cobb, Jr., Robert I. Frost, Sam- uel Lord, Jr., Orren F. Millett, Ebenezer Marston, Prescott L. Pike, Daniel Pike, Otis Stevens, Francis H. Whitman, George P. Whitney. This year seems rather remarkable for the record of many deaths of the early settlers of this town. Among those who 156 HISTORY OF XORWAT. died "were Deacon William Parsons, aged 85 years, Benjamin- Herring, 84, Josiali Hill, 80, Job Eastman, 95, Mrs. Asa Hix, 64, Mrs. Peter Town, 59, Mrs. Joseph Bradbury, 79. Daniel Watson, 83, John Frost, 77, Jashua Crockett, son of Joshua Crockett, the old settler, 54, Mrs. ^Mary Hall, 51 ; and many others. Town officers for 1846 : Simon Stevens, Clerk ; James Crockett, Treasurer ; Mark P. Smith, Henry W. Millett. Simeon Noble, Selectmen ; Henry W. Millett, Collector. Isaac A. Thayer, Oxford, Representative. Valuation, |172,036. Number of polls 320 ; number of scholars 714. Highway tax, $2356,24. State tax, _ _ . - $652,44 County tax, - - - - 322.65 Schools, _ _ . . 750^00 Poor, and town charges, - - 500,00 Over layings, delinquency highway, supplement, 129,64 Total money tax, - - - $2354,73 New immigrants : Levi B. Abbott, James Corson, Ebenezer Carsley, Alva B. Davis, Ebenezer P. Fitz, Jameson Gammon. Edwin Plummer, Reuben Penley, Ansel Ross, Amos Smith. Joseph Tuttle, Joshua Weeks. Old settlers' sons : Cyrus W. Buck, Mahalon Crockett, Milton W. Hobbs, Oliver A. Hall, Samuel S. INlillett, John H. Millett, William Marston, Stephen Merrill', Osgood Perry, John I. Pike, Jonathan (I. Town, Albion Hall. Town officers for 1847 : Simon Stevens, Clerk ; Ebenezer C. Shackley, Treasurer; Henry W. Millett, Henry C. Reed. Solomon Noble, Selectmen ; Henry W. Millett, Collector. Simeon Noble, Representative. Yaluation, $182,039. Number of polls 327 ; number of scholars 668. Highway tax, common roads, - $1042,54 Extra roadsj - - - 1 042,5 4 Total highway tax, - - - $2085,08 HISTORY OF XORWAY. 157 State tax, - . . - $326,22 County tax, - - - - 322,65 Schools, - _ - _ 750,00 Poor, and tOAvn cliargcs, - - 900,00 Overlajings and supplement, - - 50,19 Total money tax, - - - $2349,00 New immigrants : Thomas Blake, Jairus S. Chipman, Charles Callahan, Sumner Frost, John S. French, Edwin W. Howe, Ebenezer P. Hinds, Charles Kendall, Clark Knight, James PI. Merrill, Franklin Manning, Rev. Charles Packard, Horace Paine, Clemens Randal, Jonathan Richards, Levi Thayer, Thomas Thorn. Old settlers' sons : George L. Beal, James H. Cox, Barzilla S. Cobb, David B. Crockett, David W. Frost, Osgood French, William H. Foster, Daniel Holt, 8d, Isaac Jordan, Levi W. Pingree, Lewis Shackley, George Wilkins. On the 12th of April, this year, Joseph York, Jr., a young man employed in the saw-mill at the Steep Falls, received a death-blow, by accident. He was assisting in placing a log upon the mill-carriage, and by some means a handspike was wrenched from his grasp, one end of which struck him upon the right side of the abdomen, producing mortal injury inter- nally. He survived the accident from Monday afternoon till Thursday morning. On the morning of the 18th of November, this, year, Cyrus Cobb, Esq., met an untimely death by a fall in his barn. He went to his barn for the purpose of feeding his cattle, and went np over the beams to throw down hay, when a board gave way and precipitated him into the barn-floor, killing him instantly, as was supposed, his neck being broken by the fall. This was a severe loss to his family, and also to the commu- nitj. as he was a very industrious and useful man. The- family still feel as though their loss was irreparable. He was the son of Ebenezer Cobb, Avho was among the early settlers of this town, and lived on the old homestead of liis fathev. 158 HISTORY OF NORWAY. Town officers for 1848 : Simon Stevens, Clerk ; Ebenezer C. Shackley, Treasurer; Henry W. Millett, Henry C; Reed, Solomon Noble, Selectmen ; Samuel Favor, Collector. Ben- jamin Richards, Oxford, Representative. Valuation, $193,575. Number of polls 363 ; number of scholars 752. Highway tax, $1042,41. State tax, - - - . $ 652,44 County tax, - - _ - 376,43 Schools, - - - . 750,00 Poor, building roads, and other town charges, 2700.00 Overlayings and supplement, - 52.38 Total money tax, - - - $4531,25 New immigrants : Elbridge G. Allen, James M. Abbott, James C. Bennett, Philander Barnes, Hosea B. Bisbce, Charles D. Bisbee, William Blake, Moses B. Bartlett, D. H. Blake, Cyrus W. Brown, William M. Cushman, Job Cushman, Be- ^aleel Cushman, Leander Dorman, Albert B. Davis, Luke rietcher, Jonathan Fairbanks, Charles. L. Francis, Freeman Higgins, Danforth Jordan, Joseph Judkins, Charles P. Kim- ball, Joseph A. Kendall, Amos T. Murphy, Ransom Morton, James P. Morton, John W. Noble, Charles Newhall, Peter C. Putnam, Isaac Pressey, Asa H. Phinney, Edwin F. Quinby, Alfred Raymond, Alfred Shattuck, Orsamus Smiley, Israel, Swett, George W. Seaverns, John G. Swett, Jonathan M. Smiley, William Stone, Otis True, Ephraim H. Wood, John Walton, William Walton, G. B. Wentworth, Joseph Whitman, George J. Wardwell, Joseph Wilson. Old settlers' sons : Joseph Bullen, Isaac Bartlett, Benjamin Dale, Levi Frost, William P. French, Jonathan Holt, Cornelius W. Hobbs, Lewis Lovcjoy, Theodore L. Lasscll, Coleman F. Lord, Hiram. Lovejoy, Ceylon Watson. This year there was a great accession to the number of new immigrants, in conseqence of the railroad operations ; and if they can all get a good living, and make money, or other- HISTOKY OF NORWAY, 159 property, wo bid them welcome ; but the old settlers havo always found it necessary to attend closely to some regular business, and I guess the new ones vfill find the same course, eventually, for their permanent interest. Town officers for 1849 : Simon Stevens, Clerk : Ebenezer C. Shackley, Treasurer ; Mark P. Smith, Henry W. Millett, Solomon Noble, Selectmen ; Ansel lloss. Collector. Henry C. Reed, Representative. Valuation, $200,982. Number of polls 309 ; number of scholars 742. Highway tax, <|1245,55. State tax, - - , . | 652,44 County tax, - - -, - 484,91 Schools, - - . - 750,00 Poor, and town charges, - - 1150,00. Overlayings and supplement, - 153,55 Total money tax, - - - |3190,90 NoAV immigrants : James Anderson, A. A. Adams, G. H. Barnard, David N. Cushman, Rev. E. K. Colby, S. T. But- ton, David P. Flood, Eli Grover, L. D. Foster, William Hutchins, Benson Hawkins, Abner Jackson, John Johnson, William W. Kimball, George Kimball, Joseph Lovejoy, Jon- athan Ryerson, Thomas Richardson, George W. Stevens, Samuel Sumner, Joshua B. Stuart, G. E. Shattuck, Clark P. True, Charles Thompson, John F. True, George Hum- phrey, Henry B. Upton, William W. Virgin. Old settlers' sons : John D. Bcal, Josiah Danforth, George A. Frost, Jon- athan S. Millett, 2d, Edwin Millett, Washington Noyes, Noah Pike, Henry S. Small, Edwin Stetson, Ezra Shackley, Wil- liam B. Upton. Early in the morning of March 31, 1849, the store of Moses A. Young Avas discovered to be on fire. The store was saved, but the goods (a small stock) were considerably injured. by fire, smoke, and water. The origin of the fire yet remains, unknown. IGO HISTORY OF XORWAY. On the i^lst of June, this year, Uriah Holt, Esq., died. His sickness was very short, about four or five days ; his dis- order was gravel, combined "with other complaints. His family felt their loss severely, as Avell as the neigliborhood and town. He had been in town ofnce much, from the time he came into Norway, and was a very correct man in any business which he undertook. I must be pardoned if I indulge my own feel- ings a little in regard to his death. We had been associated much in business from 1811 up to the time of his death, and many times on important affairs ; and, whether owing to liis disposition, or mine, or both, we never had the first word of disagreement in any of our business. I was with him through the most of his last sickness, and with a heavy heart performed the last sad offices due to an old friend. His wife, Hannah Holt, who had been a youthful companion of my own wife, previous to the marriage of either, died of consumption, Feb. 4th, 1835. Almost everybody, in this vicinity, knows that old Uriah Holt and old David Noyes have been practical surveyors for many years ; and from this circumstance, we were much to- gether in such business. We have traversed the woods in company through many wearisome days, and passed many dreary nights in the forest, with no other bed than some hem- lock or fir boughs, and no other shelter than the heavens, except in rainy weather, when we used to erect a little camp, covered with spruce bark, which we could build in a few min- utes. At one time, in 1835, we were in the woods, and saw no living person, except two Indians, and our own assistants, for sixty days ; and if those were not times to " try men's souls," they Avere to try their "stomachs," when the grub fell short ; and once, in particular, we had to pinch down to a small pittance, at only morning and night, for two days, and on the third day ate nothing till afternoon. By that time we had excellent appetites, and the food tasted good without many trimmings to make it relish. HISTORY OF NORWAY. 161 At the annual meeting on the 5th of March, 1849, the town enacted, or, rather, passed a vote to adopt a code of hy- hi>ys, in regard to a bowling-saloon, and ball-playing in the street, and afterwards applied to the County Commissioners to ratify, or sanction, said by-laws. By these by-laws, the game of ball was not allowed to be played in any street, or public place, within ten rods of any house, store, or shop, nor, to be thrown by any person, a snow-ball, brick-bat, stone, or other thing liable to injure any person or property, under a penalty of one dollar for each and every offence ; and no person al- lowed to keep any place for playing at bowls, or other noisy game, within half a mile of any dwelling-house, meeting- house, or school-house, or within eighty rods of any public highway, under a penalty of five dollars, and any person playing at any such games in such places was liable to a penalty of two dollars. The Selectmen were clothed with power to appoint a police-officer, under the imposing title of '• Inspector of Police," to carry out the provisions of said by-laws. The thing, like otlier new notions, caused some little excite- ment among the boys and men, when the snow got off in the spring, and they began to hunt up their balls ; and a notice in the Village paper, warning persons not to visit particular places, was I'ather hard spelling ami rcadbig for some ; but happily, the threatened little storm has mostly blown over, and our atmosphere has nearly resumed its accustomed seren- ity. The bowling-saloon still stands, just south of where Denison's stable was burned, at the time of the calamitous fire last fall ; and, "wonderful to relate, the poor little thing seems to stand as a monument of sparing mercy, for it must have had a shower of fire over it during the conflagration. It has been open but little since the fire. A careful observation, at different times, and in different places, will convince any reasonable person that severe restraint is generally a weak preventative of common and civil recrea- 162 HISTORY OF NORWAY. tion among almost all classes of the community ; and tlie more stringent the law, the more strong the inclination to taste the "forbidden fruit." For "still, still man's heart will draw the secret sigh for pleasures unenjoyed." Mankind are so constituted that something recreative and gratifying to the sense, (or reason, if you please so to call it,) in some shape or other, will he sought for by every human being, while physical and mental faculties are capable of enjoyment. For, as a great poet says — " Behold the child, by nature's kindly law, Pleased with a rattle, tickled with a straw. Some livelier plaything gives his youth delight, A little louder, but as empty quite. Scarfs, garters, gold, amuse his riper stage. And beads and prayer-books are the toys of age. Pleased with this bauble still, as that before, Till tiled he sleeps, and life's poor play is o'er." No individual has a right to expect that the views and feelings of all others should exactly coincide with his own ; therefore it is not acting with candor to be too tenacious of our OAvn opinions and practice, or too illiberal and censorious in regard to the opinions and practice of others, who do not tally exactly with us in all things. For " whatsoever ye would that men should do unto you, do ye even so unto them." And this is a Divine injunction, which all are bound to follow. Such illiberal, censorious persons do not seem to be very deeply imbued with the spirit of our Heavenly Father ; for ' ' He maketh his sun to shine on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust." Now, to farther illustrate the bearing and effects of the illiberal, overbearing, down-treading feelings and views mani- fested by a certain portion of mankind in regard to the feeling.'? and views of other portions of the human family, the writer will relate a little anecdote of an afiliir which once took place in the town of . In the dining-hall of a flishionable hotel, a splendid table was spread, for regaling the appetites, HISTORY OF XORAYAT. 163 of the numerous guests ; — there was one dish, in particular, containing a rare and choice delicacy. A certain gentleman, "vvho counted himself as one of the "upper ten," after carving up this choice dish, took the pepper, and gave the whole a most liberal sprinkling, observing, at the same time, " Gen- tlemen, I suppose you all like pepper ; I am very fond of it myself. ' ' A little French gentleman, though not at all lacking in good manners, and good breeding, but "wishing to impress a useful lesson upon the mind of this assuming gentleman, thereupon drew from his pocket a capacious snuff-box, and gave the same delicate dish a thorough sprinkling of good old maccaboy, and says, " Gentlemen, I suppose you are all fond of snuff; I like it very much myself." You can easily judge what were the feelings of the disappointed guests, in conse- quence of this improper assumption by one of their number, thus to endeavor to prepare the whole dish to suit his own particular palate, without regard to the tastes of others. The effects are about the same where one, or a few, set out to regulate and restrain decent and common amusements in the community. For we all very well know that one likes to fiddle, another to dance, another to sing, another to thump the piano, another to play ball, another cards, dice, or back- gammon, another seeks amusement in the bowling-saloon, some drive fast horses and crack elegant whips, some fish, some hunt, others read frivolous, and even obscene tales and novels, while others choose useful and instructive books and periodicals, &:c., &c. Now all these things, although not productive of any positive good, are nevertheless better than worse, and more corrupting amusements ; and if there are any who prefer no amusement at all. it is nobody's business ; and they, like all others, ought to have the privilege of self- gratification (avoiding all excess) in their own way, provided they do not infringe on the rights and enjoyments of others. This is a wide world — wide enough for all to get along pretty 164 HISTOKY OF NORWAY. comfortablj, provided each one "will avoid running against his neighbor. " In faith and hope the world will disagree, Bui all mankind's concern is charity.'" It has, of late years, become very fashionable for many, especially from crowded cities, to make excursions into various l)arts of the country — sometimes on business, sometimes for pleasure, and occasionally for both— and they often wish to jstop for a few days, or a few Aveeks, for the purpose of relax- ation from business, and to enjoy the social amusements of the place ; to view the beauties of lakes, ponds and rivers, of mountain, hill, dale, &c. We think our town, and Vil- lage, by due attention to the wishes and wants of visitors, may be made a very attractive and agreeable stopping-place for such persons ; and who, among our citizens, can indulge in ;my other feelings than a desire for the up-building and pros- perity of the place. We need not caution strangers, and others, not to visit jus, or particular places in our town. It savors rather too strongly of the old Connecticut " blue-laws '"' for this enlightened age. Such persons as delight in rural sights and sounds, whether strangers or residents, I would invite to take a ramble up the side of the "Pike Hill," and seat themselves, on a summer forenoon, under some refreshing shade, and listen to the con- tinual hum of business and pleasure proceeding from the busy multitude below, and around. Hark ! hear tlie busy clip, clip, clip, clip, of the saw-mill, the buzz of circular saws, turning-lathes, &c., the monotonous rumble of the grist-mill, in its various departments, the click of the mason's trowel, attended with the well-known cry of " mort, more mort," the clipping and hammering of stone by the stone-cutters, the lively clap of the joiner's hammer, the heavy thump of the carpenter's mallet, the clink of. the blacksmith, (not forging fetters for serfs and slaves, but agricultural implements for a HISTORY OF NORWAY. 165 free yeomanry, ii-ho vonH be fettered.) and, in short, almost every sound attendant on the prosecution of almost every mechanical business ; all intermingled -with the rattling of carriages, from a gig to a six-horse coach, or -wagon, and oc- casionally the loud, rough voice of the teamster to his oxen, " While down the rough slope the ponderous wagon lings," heavily loaded with rough granite for the foundations of nu- merous buildings in progress of erection ; interspersed -with all these, occasionally you -will hear the sweet notes of the piano, and other musical instruments ; and the noise also of " The playful children just let loose from school ; " the tinkle of the tea, dinner, school, and factory-bell, and tlie beautifully toned church-bell ; and to crown the whole, some- times, (when they used to roll) the low rumble of the ftimons bowling-saloon, which serves as a fine thorough-bass to the varied concert. And now let me ask, who, among the lovers of rural scenery, but must be delighted Avith such enchanting sights and sounds 7 The Avriter is no advocate for the bowling-saloon, or any other vain amusement, when carried to the least excess ; ho never rolled a ball in the saloon, and hardly in any other place ; but thinks we all ought to live and conduct in sucli a manner, that, when we are young, we may consider that we may one day be old ; and when we are old, we ought also to consider that we have once been young. "We have in this town very many |«3rsons, of both sexes, possessing great intellectual and physical powers, exercising their minds, or bodies, or both, in laudable and useful em- [)loyments ; and some few idlers, loafers, and gossips, (Mould to God we had less) which seems to ho the common lot of almost all places, of any note, or business. But perhaps it would be well for those who are so anxious to root out oik.' 166 HISTORY or NORWAY. particular evil, to remember tlie parable of the tares and the vheat, and to act with candor and moderation, " lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them.-' For the command to the servants was, to " let both grow to- gether until the harvest ; and in the time of harvest, I will say to the reapers, gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them ; but gather the wheat into my Ijarn." But a word of candid advice to the lovers of pleasure and amusements I know will be received with good feelings ; and that advice is, to be "temperate in all things." Town officers for 1850 : Simon Stevens, Clerk ; Ebenezer C. Shackley, Treasurer ; Mark P. Smith, William Hall, Ichabod Bartlett, Selectmen ; Jonathan Blake, Collector. E. B. Holmes, Oxford, Representative. Valuation, ^200,594. Number of polls 400 ; number of Bcholars 779 ; whole number of inhabitants, by census, 1962. Highway tax, |1539,54. State tax, . - _ . ^ 652,44 County tax, - - - - 43l|03 Schools, - - - _ 750,00 Poor, roads, and town charges, - 1500,00 Overlayings, delinquency highway, supplement, 118,42 Total money tax, - - - $;3451,89 New immigrants : Hiram E. Abbott, Francis Bennett, Thomas F. Barton, George W. Crockett, Bethael F. Brake, Mark H. Bunnell, Isaac A. Benison, George Eveleth, Ste- phen Fuller, William Getchell, Oliver Goddard, Ezra Jewell, George W. Johnson, Peter Kimball, Otis F. Mixer, Charles Mallett, John H. Moore, George H. Merrill, Ausburn Mer- rill, William P. Merrill, Jackson Pillsbury, Charles Pike, William A. Parsons, S. J. Seavey, Zephaniah Starbird, James Stanley, George W. Sholes, Franklin Sargent, Samuel Vance, Frederick L. Young. Old settlers' sons : Erastus G. Brad- bury, Franklin P. Bolster, Osgood N. Bradbury, Sewali Crockett, Grovesnor Crockett, Joseph A. Danforth, Albert HISTORY OF NORWAY. 167 Gammon, Elijah Hobbs, Benjamin G. Holt, Jeremiah Hall, 2d, Hanson Lord, David F. Nojes, Aaron Noble, John Smith, Calvin Shed. In December, this year, the grist-mill at the head of the "N^illage was burnt. It is supposed the fire took from a defect in the stove-funnel. The fire occurred in the night, and the destruction of the building, with all its contents, was com- plete, as little was saved from the devouring element. The mill was large and commodious ; it had four run of stones, two bolts, a cleanser, and corn-cracker ; and much inconve- nience was experienced by the town until another was built. The establishment was owned by a wealthy company, viz : Levi Whitman, Ezra F. Beal, El)cnczer Hobbs, Nathaniel Bennett, and John B. Brown, of Portland, and was built new some fifteen years ago. Owing to their pecuniary circum- stances, the distress of the owners was not so great as often folloAvs the burning of a poor man's buildings. In 1851, the Company rebuilt the mill in a very substantial manner, and have calculated a part of it for the manufi\cture of superfine flour, equal to the choicest fancy brands. They have, during the winter of 1851-2, purchased western wheat, from which they make very nice flour, said to be equal to the best. Town officers for 1851 : Simon Stevens, Clerk ; Ebenezer C. Shackley, Treasurer; Ichal3od Bartlett, William Hall, Ansel Town, Selectmen ; Jacob Bradbury, Collector. Lee Mixer, Representative. Valuation, $;211,312. Number of polls 434 ; number of scholars 800. Highway tax, $2110,00. State tax, . - - - $ 656,64 Countvtax, - - - - 404,72 Schools, - - . - 950,00 Poor, and other .town charges, - 1000,00 Ovcrlayings, - - - 04.04 Total money tax, - - - $3075,40 168 HISTORY OF XORWAY. New immigrants : Hezekiah 33. Bisbee, Epliraim B^^an, Haney Blake, Smith Bartlett, C. B. Coffin, Job B. Crooker, Isaac Copps, Edwin Cumniings, Benjamin Cobb, Asa Green, William Green, Richard Hammett, Dr. Jesse Howe, Enoch Holt, George Jackson, J. H. Kemp, Josiah P. Lovejoy, G. W. Mann, William D. Merrill, Aaron D. Mussej, Josiah Monroe, E. J. Pillsbury, Isaiah Penley, Mclvin Pool, WiUiam T. Raymond, Calvin Richardson, Levi D. Stearns, Rev. H. W. Strong, Jonas Stevens, Rev. J. L. Stevens, Michael Welch, Thomas ]\Iekeard, Old settlers' sons : William Cushman, Ansel H. Cushman, James Crockett, 2d, James S. Crockett, Amos French, Jeremiah Foster, '2d^ Cyrus S. Cobb, Timothy Gorham, Benjamin F. Hall, William C. Hobbs, George A. Noyes, John W. Pingree, Jr., Albert Small, Jonathan j\I. Shed, Isaac N. Small, Jacob Tubbs, Rollin Town, Alanson B. Watson, John H. Witt. In March, this year, Joel Parkhurst, while sawing shingles, received a severe wound on his left hand from the circular saw. The tendon, or cord, attached to the third finger, was cut entirely oif, and the finger rendered powerless ; one end of tlie cord protruding from the wound, it was removed with scissors. His hand was so injured that many thought it would never again be fit for active use ; but it has been in a great measure restored by persevering in the "cold-water-cure"' treatment ; even when most inflamed and painful, no dressing but water was applied, and that always with comforting effect. In 1830, the same hand was severely wounded by a preniatui-y^ explosion, while Mr. Parkhurst was engaged blasting rocks, and it has suffered injuries from machinery several times ; vet, though not so convenient as an unmaimcd hand, it is in tolerable repair, and serves quite well its owner, who is thankful it has so well endured the various accidents. This year, on the night of the 22d of Sept., (or the early morning of the 23d,) a great calamity, by fire, befel the Village, the sad effects of which are felt by the whole town. HISTORY OF NORWAY. 169 The fire "was first discovered in the stable of Anthony Bennett, who kept the Raih-oad House, about midnight. The flames spread so rapidly, that Mr. Bennett saved but a small part of the contents of the house, as it was large, and contained much furniture of various kinds. The conflagration spread from building to building, until eighteen, of all kinds, were burnt, and one, a wood-house of Mrs. Young, was pulled down to stop the fire. The following persons were the sufferers ; Joseph Shackley lost his house, barn, and two sheds ; A. C. Denison a very large store, stable, and shed ; an extensive stock of goods of almost every description was in the store, owned by Isaac A. Denison and Joseph A. Kendall, who oc- cupied the building ; Anthony Bennett lost house, stable, a large Avood and carriage shed, five valuable horses, one cow, one hog, harnesses and carriages ; part of the horses were owned by other persons ; Benjamin Tucker, Jr., lost house, barn, and two large sheds, with a quantity of hay and grain, carriages, harnesses, &c. ; Henry Rust, Esq., a very large, well-finished house, and three large outbuildings for necessary uses. There probably was more stuff saved from the last- named houses than from Mr. Bennett's, as there was more time for removing the goods. This was a sad blow to the Village, and even to the whole town, and tenfold more so to the owners. It seemed to almost paralyze all business for a while, and it will require a long lapse of time to fully recover from the shock. The origin of this fire is still shrouded in mystery ; but scarcely a doubt rests on the mind of any one but that it was the work of an incendiary. One individual, yea, two, were ai'rested, and examined before a magistrate touching the matter, but, the evidence not being very positive, were discharged ', still, public opinion awards a verdict of guilty, on some person ; but that is not legal proof. But, an all- wise Providence, pei'haps, Avill not let justice slumber al- vays ; butf*^all yet visit the atrocious wickedness of this deed upon the head of the guilty one. 170 HISTORY OF XOEWAY. On tlie iiiglit of the 28tli of December a Lorrible affair took place near the middle of this town. A number of young men met for the purpose of ' ' serenading " ' a party who had been recently married. In the midst of the performance, some one in the house discharged a gun, loaded Avith shot and peas, at the crowd. The charge principally took effect upon the person of a young man named Foster, a son of Capt. Jer- emiah Foster, injuring him severely, and it was at the time feared fatally. He received from tAventy to thirty shot and peas in his face and neck, one of which lodged in one of his eyes, destroying it entirely ; several took effect in one of his hands, breaking the bones, and otherwise injuring it. It is reported that some others were struck by the scattering shot, but not severely injured. The horrible transaction has been, and is still to come under a judicial investigation. The young man has pretty much recovered from his wounds, but with the complete loss of his injured eye. Much excitement existed at the time, especially against the individual who was supposed to have fired the gun. This " serenading " is not very com- mendable, but yet it is one of the fashionable follies of the present day : and a person of common sense and humane feelings can plead no excuse for so wanton and wicked an act as firing into an indiscriminate crowd of men and boys. Town officers for 1852 : Wm. Wirt Virgin, Clerk ; Ebenezer C Shackley, Treasurer ; Simon Stevens, Simeon Noble, Lee Mixer, Selectmen ; Jonathan Blake, Collector. Asa Dan- forth, Representative. Valuation, |20.8,88T. Number of polls 406 ; number of scholars 797 ; voters in March 478 — in September 503. Highway tax, as voted by the town. $-2200,00. State tax, - - - - $ 6FiQSQ County tax, - - - - 522.35 Schools, - . . . 950,00 Poor, and town charges, - - 1000.00 Extra road money, - - - ^ 200,00 Total money tax, - - - |3329,0i HISTORY OF NORWAY. 171 Nc-\v immigvants : E. W. Collis, John Dcaly, Edgar Emery, Benjamin B. Francis, Samuel Gibson, John 0. Kimball, Joseph F. Herrick, John J. Hayden, Henry Houghton, Charles Jackson, Ezekiel Jackson, Elijah G. Knight, James Lyndes, Joseph J\r. Little, John McGee, Alexander H. Muzzey, Isaac Merrill, Francis W. Mallett, Stuart H. Noble, James L. Paine, Thomas Plummer, George L. Plummer, Charles A. Radford, E. Robinson, John W. Raymond, Erastus Richard- son, Franklin Sargent, W. H. Stillson, George Titcomb, Marshal Warren, Charles Wolcot, Ephraim F. Wood, Solo- mon N. Cloudman, Horace P. McAllister. Old settlers' sons : Joseph Bullen, William R. Banforth, William Frost, 4th, Elijah H. Hobbs, Darius M. Holt, Aurelius C. Noble, Ben- jamin G. Holt, Benjamin Tucker, 3d, Amos H. Needham, Henry A. Bradl)ury, Servilla A. Bennett, Charles H. Evans, Wilson Hill, Jr., Simon Stevens, 2d, Daniel Herring, George W. JNlillett, Edward Morse, Joshua B. Crockett, Charles F. Parkhurst. On the 11th day of May, this year, Daniel H. Witt, a son of Benjamin Witt, and grandson of Benjamin Witt, the old settler, was suddenly killed on the railroad ; he lived one hour and ten minutes after being run over. He was employed , as fireman on an engine. The following persons, in Norway, hold commissions as Justices of the Peace, and of the Quorum, viz : Justices Peace and Quonim — Moses B. Bartlett, Levi Whitman, Samuel Cobb, Samuel Gibson.* William E. Good- now, David Noyes, Jonathan B. Smith, Jonathan Swift, Wm. Wirt Virgin. Justices Peace — William Foster, David F. Frost, Simeon Noble. There have, since the first settlement of this town, been many different individuals who have engaged in trade, and have prosecuted that business for a long or short time, as * Samuel Gibson formerly resided in Denmark, and is Sherift' of the County of Oxford. Asa Thayer is Deputy Sherill" at tiiis time. 172 HISTORY OF NORWAY. suited their interest or inclination, with various success. I here give the names of such as can be recollected, without pretending to give dates as to the time when, or how long : James Kettle, William Reed, William Hobbs, Joshua Smith, Daniel Smith, Wilham Cox, Increase Robinson, Allan Bart- lett, Jacob French, Jeremiah Mitchell, Edward Mitchell, Aaron Wilkins, William Pingree, Jonathan Swift, Ansel Field, Job E. Stevens, John B. Ford, Samuel Dunn, Jona- than Stevens, Asa Barton, Emery Livermore, George J. Ordwaj, Stephen Cummings, Ichabod Bartlett, Lemuel Bart- lett, Anthony Bennett, David Smith, Jonathan B. Smith, Lee Mixer, Samuel Houghton, John Tucker, Stephen Green- leaf, Jr., William E. Goodnow, William Frost, 3d, William Hayes, Otis True, Josephus Harris, Cyrus Thayer, Daniel Hubbard, Jotham Goodnow, James N. Hall, Moses G. Dow, David R. Holden, Moses A. Young, Bailey Bodwell, Ezra Jewell, James Crockett, Henry L. Crockett, Ebenczer C. Shackley, Samuel Favor, Adna C. Denison, Clark P. True, Elhanan W. Fyler, Isaac A. Denison, Joseph A. Kendall, Franklin Manning, Jeremiah Howe, Edwin W. HoAve, Charles P. Kimball, ^L L. Burr, Charles Tubbs, Orin Tubbs, Nathan Noble, William Hor, Newton Swift, David Crockett, Elijah R. Merrill, tienry Upton, James H. Merrill, William Foster, James French. Jr., George French, Asa Noyes, Joseph Ben- nett, William Buck, William HoAve, Kendall Deering, Henry Houghton, Francis H. Whitman, George A. Frost, George W. Knight, Charles Penley, James Tubbs, David N. Cushman. In addition to this long list, a large number of females have kept milliner's shops, for furnishing articles in the female department. Among this multiplicity of traders are many who, in their day, did a thriving business, and many more Avho did not lay out to do but little. Some continued in business many years, and others but a short time. Some got rich, and others prob- ably did not ; but it takes everybody to do everything, and HISTORY OF NORWAY. 173 men will generally do what they like l)est if they can. The method and cliaractci' of trade has undergone great changes since the early settlements in this town. Formerly it was very difficult to sell any articles of produce for cash ; hence the farmer was under the necessity of carrying much of his surplus produce to Portland in order to get a little money ; and then it was quite a trick to get much, say one-half money, at best, for good staple articles. But at the present day, good staple articles will command cash, if required, at home, and but few farmers carry their surplus produce to Portland themselves. And we do sincerely hope that the town will always be blessed with good, fair, honest traders, rich enough and willing to pay the hard- laboring farmers cash when they need it. I will here mention, though a little out of place, that Ste- phen Greenleaf, senior, was the first cabinet-maker in Norway Village, and in early times was considered a fine workman. He has performed the duty of sexton in the Village for many years ; but is now verging toward the grave himself, as he is quite aged. Gentle reader, I have led you along, year by year, marking out the way through piles of old documents, and new scraps of memoranda collected with much labor, and have consulted both the living and the dead (as I have sometimes visited the grave-yard to procure dates of certain matters) to enable mc to point out things in their true light and under proper dates ; and now I shall proceed to show the present situation of things '* about town," that you may be able to make a fair compari- son between the situation of the place in 1786, and in 1852, comprising a space of 66 years. The great and principal business of the town is agriculture, although there is much mechanical and other business done at the present day, antl for that matter, always has been, since its first settlement. There are now fourteen school-houses, and the same number 174 HISTORY OF NORWAY. of school-districts, containinii; eidit hundred scholars, and one academy, of "which I shall speak hereafter. At the first- named period, this town was a howling wilderness — one unbroken forest, destitute of the first mark of civilization : now, few towns can boast of fairer fields, or a more pleasant, thriving Village. In regard to the business done in the town, besides that of farming, (which is the basis of all other busi- ness.) I Avill commence with aifairs at the Steep Falls. The stream which furnishes the water-power is the outlet of the great Pennessewassee pond, and the whole fall is about sixty-five feet, within a distance of twenty rods, or less. The upper privilege is occupied by the paper-mill of Dr. Asa Danforth ; it is built on the most improved plan, and does a good business. This establishment uses up 100 tons of rags, 175 cords of wood, 150 casks of lime, 12 casks chloride of lime, 960 pounds oil of vitriol, and turns out ^15,000 worth of paper annually. Three men and three girls are employed. Oeorge W. Seaverns foreman and superintendent. This is a very fine privilege for the paper-making business, on account of the clearness and softness of the water, which far surpasses many other privileges improved for like purposes. The mill was put in operation in Jan., 1848, and the paper manufac- tured in it has already established a high reputation. On the next fall is a shingle-machine, and an engine-lathe, owned by Joel Parkhurst, who saws 200 thousand of shingles per year, and sometimes more, besides other business. On the lower fall is A. C. Denison's saw-mill, which cuts out about 600 thousand of lumber per year. J. B. Crooker foreman. On the lower fall, also, opposite the saw-mill, is Brown & Co.'s iron-foundery, in which are manufactured, largely, stoves, fire-frames, ash, oven, and boiler-mouths, agricultural implements, wheel-hubs, and almost anything else made in such establishments, besides a large business in the manufac- ture of butt-hinges, latches, &c. ; they have two engine-lathes. HISTORY OF XORWAT. 17^' and are prepared to execute almost any -work in wood or iron that is called for ; there are used 150 tons of iron, and 50 tons of coal per year. Connected Avitli this establishment, is a shop for working tin and sheet-iron, and a large store of goods of almost all kinds, which are sold to the amount of $25,000 per year, exclusive of their castings. J. B. Brown, of Portland, principal, or sole owner; Franklin Manning,, superintendent. Works started in 1847, and yearly increasing. A new store has been opened near Brown & Co.'s by Henry Houghton, within the past year, not long enough since to de- termine, with much accuracy, the amount of business ; but probably about $6000 to $8000 per year. Adna C. Denison came from Vermont to Norway in 1S42,. and commenced trade in the store of J. B. Brown, at the Steep Falls, (the same store now occupied by Brown & Co...) and in a short time did a great business for a country store. He carried on trade on a different scale from what had previ- ously been customary in this section of the country : he bought almost every commodity offered, which could be considered a proper article of traffic, and for staple articles paid cash, if required ; in this way he soon drew around him a large amount of business. He remained at the Falls about four years, and tlien moved his quarters to near the center of the Village ; soon after, he purchased the stand next door east of Bennett's tavern, where he made large additions to the building, and erected a stable and other things necessary for his large busi- ness; his trade amounted to about $50,000 per year. This trade was under the name of Denison & True ; aftel7^vards, Denison, True & Kendall ; and at the time of the destructive fire, his brother, Isaac A. Denison, and Joseph A. Kendall, occupied the store, and were, with others, great sufferers. Isaac A. Denison and Joseph A. Kendall have resumed trade since the fire, and now occupy the store near the center bridge ; they are doing a good business, probably at the rate of $n0,- 000 per year ; and it is hoped that the trading commimity 1T6 HISTORY OF NORWAY. will not be unmindful of tliom, as a good run of custom -would do much to make them forget their heavy loss. Jeremiah and Edwin W. Howe are carrying on trade in the brick store near the center of the Village, built in 1830, and fii'st occupied by Emery Livermore. Jeremiah Howe com- menced trade in tliis store in July, 1835, and has continued since in the same building. His brother, E. W. Howe, is now a partner in the business ; their trade amounts to some- thing like ^20,000 per 3^ear. Pretty good business for the old mail-cai'rier's descendants. They are grandsons of Jacob Howe, who carried the first mail through Norway, and used to sound his tin horn, as he approached the post-office, and neighborhoods where any one took the old "Portland Gazette," or "Eastern Argus; " and even these papers, at that day, were only in their swaddling-clothes, compared with the pres- ent time. James H. Merrill can-ies on trade in a store built, a few years since, by George J. Ordway ; he deals in English and West India goods, and ready-made clothing ; does a pretty good business, amounting, probably, to about $8000 or $10,- 000 per year. Ebenezer C. Shackley and Samuel Pavor trade near the head of the Village ; they keep a good assortment of articles of almost all kinds, and do a thriving business, probably about $10,000 or $15,000 per year; among their stock is a good assortment of joiner's tools and hardware. James Crockett trades at the head of the Village, and has traded there for many years ; he never kept a large stock of goods, but does a steady, snug little business, and probably makes as good a living as any of them. He is the town agent for selling spirituous liquors for medicinal and mechanical purposes. He has long been licensed as a retailer, and is as careful and discreet in selling the article as the most fastidious could wish. When his father, Joshua Crockett, moved into the place, he was a small boy, and has seen the tQ,wn grow up HISTORY OF NORWAY. 177 to its present state. In 1817, he was chosen Constable and Collector of taxes, and since that time has collected the taxes of the town twenty-three years, and been Constable ever since, and Coroner for many years, also ; and when the taxes were collected, the money was always put in the right place, and that is saying considerable. The tanning business is carried on largely in the Village by Mark P. Smith. He commenced in 1841 Avith fifteen pits, and has been making additions to his buildings and pits ever since ; and at the present time has fifty-six pits. He takes in 400 slaughter hides yearly, and tans at least 1700 hides and 400 calf-skins annually ; he uses 200 cords of bark, and ^200 worth of oil and tallow in finishing his leather. Ebenezer Hobbs, the third child born in Rustfield, has car- ried on the blacksmith and plow business for many years ; he makes from 50 to 150 plows annually ; and from 1820 up to 1842, when the old-fashioned plows were used, he made many more than that number. He has done a large business in ironing carriages and sleighs ; for several years he has had a small foundery, and does his own castings ; and the probability is, that he has hammered out on his anvil, and cast in his foundeiy, a good many hard dollars — and he has worked hard to get them. While speaking of plows, I will give the history of the first one ever made, or used, in the place ; and that plow Avas con- structed for Mr. Dudley Pike. In the spring of 1790, Anthony and Nathaniel Bennett came up from Ncav Glouces- ter to look out land, in order to purchase and settle on the same, and went to Dudley Pike's to stay over night, on their arrival in Rustfield. After exploring and selecting their lots, they returned to the same hospitable cabin for another night's lodging before returning home. Mr. Pike happened to have a set of old plow-irons, and they tarried another day with their host, and made a plow for him, Avhich Avas a very valu- able acquisition to his ncAV farm, and probably did not come 12 178 niSTORY OF XORAVAT. amiss to liis few neighbors. And posterity may set it down, that Capt. Anthony, and Lieut. Nathaniel Bennett, were the builders of the first plow in NorAvay. Horatio G. Cole cards wool and dresses cloth. He came to Norway in 1820, and tended a carding-ixiachine a few years for Nathaniel Bennett, near the grist-mill ; he then bought the machine, and afterwards purchased the privilege where Bailey Bodwell first erected clothier's Avorks, and since has carried on both branches ; thus he has had a very good chance to "pull the AYOol over the eyes" of the whole town. He cards, or has carded, from 15.000 to 20,000 pounds of wool annually ; but carding and cloth-dressing are not so fashion- able as they were thirty years ago. Then you could hear the music of the spinning-wheel and loom in almost every house, and men and women, boys and girls, were clad in home-spun and home-dressed garments. We have a few men to cut up leather after Mark P. Smith tans it. Solomon S. Hall manufactures 600, or more, pairs of boots and shoes annually. Lee Mixer has done a large business in the shoe line, probably to the amount of .^4000 per year. Hawkins & Stearns do about !^2500 per year. Many others in different parts of the town do much custom work, and use a large quantity of leather. Benjamin Tuck- er, Jr., also helps off" the leather ; he works at the harness- making and carriage-trimming business, to the amount of $500, annually. Thomas H. Kelley, a tailor, cuts up Cole's cloth, and that of everybody else, which comes in his way. The amount of work done in his shop probably amounts to ,f 2000, or more, annually. He makes good Jits — otherwise he would do much less. An apothecary store is kept by Robert Noyes in the old store first built by William Reed ; but the building has a large addition to its former size, and is fitted up in good style. Amount of drugs and medicines sold annually, $1000. In HISTORY OF NORWAY. 179 the same building is a bookstore and bindery, managed by Robert Noyes and George L. Beal ; amount of business about |;1000 annually. Bulj^it 3es in genteel style ; and in a part of his shop sells- confectionary, fruit, nuts, &c., making a pretty little business of the whole concern. Loren H. W^risley manufactures rifles, fowling-pieces, pis- tols, and many other things in his line ; and all work goes out of his hands in a highly-finished style. Jeremiah Hobbs, C. W. Hobbs, and Alanson B. Watson, make pumps and lay aqueducts. Thomas Higgins has an establishment at the head of th€ Village for working tin and sheet-iron. In short, we have mechanics and workmen that can furnis^li almost any article, from a tin whistle to an omnibus, and even to a book, as this book is entirely of home-manufacture. The materials for the work had their origin in Norway ; the writer. 182 HISTORY OF NORWAY. the paper-maker, the printer, and the book-binders, arc all of Norway ; and we earnestly hope to find a corresponding lib- eral patronage in the old town of Norway. E. P. Fitz must not be overlooked among the other useful members of our little community ; he is a glazier, painter, imd paper-hanger of the first order ; his graining on inside finishing looks rich and beautiful, and he likes to be called on in his business line. The town is well supplied with carpenters and house-join- ers ; the following are in and about the Village : Enoch L. Knight, Granville L. Reed, Richard Evans, J. A. Small, Lorenzo Hathaway, James S. Greenleaf, Stephen Grccnleaf} Jr., Ansel Dinsmore, George Jackson, John Deering, Amos Ordway, George W. Sholes, Ephraim H. Brown, Otis F. Mixer, and George W. Mann, sash, door, and blind-maker : in other parts of the town arc, Col. Amos F. Noyes, Henry Small, Isaac N. Small, Samuel B. Gurney, Capt. J. "VVhit- marsh, Clark Knight, Lemuel Lovejoy, Thomas Lovejoy. Capt. Cephas Sampson, Theodore L. Lassell, Eben Marston. and some others who do common work when necessary. I have said much about ornamental things, but just no^- permit me to refer to one very useful and profitable affair ; that is, Jonathan B. Smith's nursery of fruit trees. He has several acres covered with fruit trees, mostly of the apple kind, and probably has of all kinds nearly, or quite, half a million ; they are mostly budded or engrafted, of all ages and sizes, from the little pips of one year old, up to a handsome size for transplanting, and of the best standard kinds of fruit. He has raised them on purpose to sell ; and now, gentlemen fivrmers, don't let this fine nursery grow up like a forest, and l)ecome worthless for want of a ready sale. But to encourage you to purchase some of these fine trees, I will tell you a little matter-of-fact story about apple tr&es. In the spring of 1815, I commenced on a new lot of land where I now live, and as soon as I had cleared and prepared land suitable for HISTORY OF XORWAT. 183 sucli purposes. I sowed a small nursery ; and when the trees became big enough, transplanted some of them for an orchard, and sold the rest ; and have since then raised many thousands of trees for sale, and have continued to set more trees every few years up to the present year. I have engrafted all my trees except those set within a few years, and raise no fruit but that which is engrafted. My orchard now produces so many apples that I sell one hundred barrels yearly, and have enough for home use ; and in fact, in my humble opinion, a farmer can not invest his money and labor in any way on his farm to so much profit as in the right cultivation of the apple. 2so State in the Union can produce so good apples for ship- ping as Maine : and if the wheat crop should continue to fail us, we can easily raise our flour on apple trees. I am not a partner in Mr. Smith's nursery, but I wish to see our farmers aAvake to their own interests ; and as apple trees are my hobby which I ride every spring, you will pardon my notice of Mr. Smith's tree-garden. The writer has set sixty thousand scions within the last ten springs, besides his own, and never made a bad failure. The printing business in Norway commenced on a small scale as early as 1826. Asa Barton then commenced pub- lishing the "Oxford Observer" in this Village, (he had previously publishe regret the appropriation ; it is also hoped that the members of the engine company may never grow cold in their attachment to the ''Oxford Bear."* Late in the evening of the 29th of April, 1852, the house of Moses B. Bartlett, Esq., was discovered to be on fire. The alarm was instantly given, and in a few minutes the en- gine company with the " Bear " were on the ground ; shortlj afterwards the fire was extinguished, and the house saved. This was their first essay in squirting water at the "real •The name of the engine. 186 HISTORY OF NORWAY. clement," and tlicy -were signally successful. ^lay they long •wait for another trial of their skill and prowess. The " Norway Sax Horn Band" has been recently organ- ized, and bids fair to become celebi'ated for '• discoursing sweet music." Such an organization is useful as well as ornamental, and was much needed on some occasions. Success attend the enterprise. And now, almost last, but not least, is the Academy to be noticed. This institution is incorporated under the title of '• The Norway Liberal Institute." The building is large and commodious, stands on a very dry and handsome elevation, open to a good, wholesome circulation of pure air, and seems every way fitted, under proper management, combined with a proper disposition in the students, to be a fine place for the acquisition of useful knowledge. It Avas opened in 1847, under fixvorable auspices ; in a catalogue for that year, I find the teachers were as follows : Ebenezer P. Hinds, Principal ; Jacob W. Brown, Vice Principal ; John 0. Coolidge, Charles H. Nickerson, Silas S. Giflford, Lemuel Bourne, Assistants ; Isaiah H. Baker, Teacher of Penmanship ; Miss Mary F. Chase, Preceptress ; Miss Mary A. A. Additon, Teacher of Music ; Miss Anne N. Peering, Teacher of Drawing and Painting. Number male students, 83, female, 91 ; tot;d, 174. In 1848-49, the school w^as under the direction of J. G. Eveleth, Principal ; "Walter M. Hatch, Assistant ; and Miss Nancy F. Shaw in the female department. In 1850, the school was taught by INIaik H. Bunnell, Principal ; Thomas F. Barton, Warren F. Barnes, Assistants ; and Miss Cath- erine Woodman in the female department. Such other assist- ants were employed as were necessary for the instruction of the various branches required to be taught in the institution. The institution has no permanent funds for its support, like many other, and older, Academies, but has to rely on its own earnings to support itself; and it is hoped that a discerning public will patronize this self-supported school as much^ at HISTORY OF NORWAY. 187 least, as they would one which has been endowed with funds by the State. And while thinking and Avriting on this sub- ject, I will at once enter my caveat against our Legislature's granting land or money to any incorporated literary institution. The reasons why they should not, are obvious to my mind, and I hope they will for the future be to the memljcrs of the Legislature. In the first place, as a general thing, the sons and daughters of the more opulent class enjoy, by far, the greatest advantages of such schools — as the poorer classes are not able to be at the expense of sending their children to schools of so high a grade ; and, furthermore, the rich are abundantly able to provide such schools without the aid of the State. I would not be understood as wishing to throw any impediment in the way of the education of our youth ; but contrary to that, I Avould open wide, and v icier, the door for the education of the poor man's child, as well as the child of the rich man. If the State has anything to bestow for the encouragement of education, let it be granted towards the support of our primary schools ; in this way the benefits will reach all classes of the community, poor as avcII as rich. This would be acting a little in imitation of our Heavenly Father, " who causeth the sun to shine on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust." In fact, I think the best disposition that could be made of a por- tion of our State lands, Avould be to grant it for the purpose of raising a fund for aiding our primary schools. Doubtless some argue in this way, that our primary schools do not afford such advantages as they wish their children to enjoy : very good ; then send them to a higher school, but not at the ex- pense of the State. Furthermore, if our primary schools are not of so high a grade as some desire, then I say, apply the right remedy, and do something in a substantial Avay to raise them to the proper standard. For it must be obvious to every reflecting mind, that our primary schools are the great nurse- ries, from which are transplanted all those towering geniuses 188 HISTORY OF NORWAY. ■which ornament our academies, colleges, the learned profess- ions, and halls of legislation, throughout our happy land. But I must stop this tirade, lest some should think that I am arguing the cause of education before our grave legislature ; and I fervently hope they will be assailed with stronger arguments than these on the subject hereafter. The present teachers in the Institute are William D. Put- nam, Principal, and Miss Emeline F. Wright, Assistant. It is presumed that the advantages for students, male or female, at this institution, are equal, at least, to any similar institu- tion in this section of the country. The town has a small school fund, the interest amounting annually to $13,70, which accrued from the sale of some land granted to the town by the legislature of Massachusetts, prior to our separation from that State. At the time of the dis- tribution of the surplus revenue, the writer believed it would be good policy for the town to convert the money into a per- manent school fund, and expend the interest annually towards the support of our primary schools ; a few others were of the same opinion, but the majority thought otherwise. Probably they made a very prudent calculation, as some are careful to see to the spending of all their earnings, lest the next gener- ation should not appropriate them to proper purposes. But such a fund would have been an honorable monument to have erected ; and would have been productive of much benefit to posterity. The whole amount of taxes assessed and paid in the town since its incorporation is as follows : Highway tax, - - - $94,151 98 Money tax, including State and County, 91,o98 08 Total amount of taxes, - - $185,550 06 Individuals in the town of Norway own about 230 shares in the Atlantic k St. Lawrence Railroad, which we hope will ultimately be beneficial to the business of the town and Yil- HISTORY OF NORAVAY. 189 lage. E. F. Beal, Esq., is one of the Directors, and has been since its commencement. At the first establishment of the post-ofiice in Norway, or soon after, the receipts in the office for one quarter amounted to 18 3-4 cents, (this was the very lowest extreme;) the amount of receipts for the quarter ending June 30th, 1851, being the last quarter under the old law, was $195,05 1-2 cents ; and for the quarter ending March 31st, 1852, being the last quarter under the new law, $104,73. This is rather a wide contrast, but many other things have expanded in nearly the same ratio. The receipts in the post-office at North Nor- way are unknown to the writer, but probably are rather small compared with the Village office ; still it is a great convenience to the upper part of the town. Daniel Noble is post-master. I must begin to think about drawing towards the close of this imperfect ske|.ch, but before I do that fully, I must be indulged in making a few comparisons of raatters and things, although comparisons are said, by some, to be invidious ; but I will try and not hit any one hard if I can help it ; and, furthermore, I do not mean comparisons about persons, but about things. Half a century ago, our beautiful Village consisted of a rude corn-mill, a saw-mill, a blacksmith's shop, and one store, where was kept for sale, rum, molasses, sugar, (mostly maple sugar) a little tea and coffee, tobacco, salt, salt-fish, and a few other groceries ; a little calico, (oftentimes purchased by the pattern, say six yards to a pattern in those days) a little India cotton shirting and sheeting, a bag of cotton-wool, as it was then called, and other little etceteras to make up an assort- ment; and was finally a pretty good store for that day. There was no school-house in the Village at that time, and but two in the whole town. Houses small, poor, few and far between, with here and there a barn ; and most of the new farms were dotted with a log house and log hovel, and many 190 HISTORY OF NORWAY. with nothing but a rude hut to afford nightly shelter to the brawny laborer who was reclaiming the land from the wilder- ness. Roads were few and poor, and the vehicles of conveyance poorer. The new settlers generally had large femilies of half-clad, hungry children around them, and everything wore the aspect of poverty and want. I hope no fastidious reader Avill sneer at the uncouth ap- pearance of our town while she was dressed in this simple and homely garb of childhood ; for, even at that day, there was good promise that improvement in the circumstances of life, conveniences, manners, and morals, would succeed those days and years of poverty and privation. Now some one, perhaps, will ask, what were the grounds of hope for improvement in that dark time ? I will tell you. There were many hard hands, stout arms, and courageous hearts, not only in the fields and woods, but in tiae houses also ; — hearts that did not quail at a little hardship. The fxthers AvicMed the axe, the handspike, the crowbar, shovel and hoe, with all the other implements necessary for new farming, and also all the imple- ments necessary for the mechanical business of the times ; the sons followed in the footsteps of their fathers. The good mothers were well acquainted with the dish-kettle, the frying- pan, the churn, and cheese-tub, and almost daily and nightly furnished sweet music on the spinning-wheel and loom ; the fair daughters did the same. And it is not at all surprising to a careful observer, that such causes should produce a great and important change in the lapse of half a century. But where, now, let me ask, are the first founders of our town ? Where the Rusts, the Cummingses, the Eastman, the Stevenses, the Hobbses, the Bartletts, the Parsonses, the Witt, the Milletts, the Smith, the Woodman, the Pikes, the Her- ring, the Noble, the Fuller, the Meriam, the Bennett, the Uptons, the Foster, the Holt, the Noyeses, the Sheds, the Farrar, the Reed, the Crocketts, the venerable Ames, with a iiost of other equally venerable and meritorious names, who HISTORY OF NORWAY. . 191 bore tlic heat and burden of the day in the settlement of this town and Village ? Alas ! they have gone to that spirit land, from whose bourne no traveler returns ! Let us erect a mon- ument of gratitude in our hearts to perpetuate the remembrance of the founders of this our beautiful town, who so nobly bat- tled with hardships, toil, and sometimes hunger and cold, in subduing a wilderness, that they might leave to their poster- ity a land flowing with milk and honey. x\nd may posterity learn wisdom and prudence from their departed ancestors, covering Avith the mantle of charity their fiiults and frailties, if any they had, and imitating and multiplying their praise- worthy acts. Now, let us take a careful view of the advantages, improve- ments and conveniences which we enjoy, and see if Ave, as a. community, have not a little ground for an honest pride ; and cause for great thankfulness for our present situation and prospects, when compared Avith former times. For by the long-continued practice of industry and economy, our tOAvn and Village have made rapid advances in agricultural improA-e- ments, in buildings, in mechanical business of almost all kinds, and in the mercantile line. AVe have noAV no less than four- teen school-houses, a splendid academy, five meeting-houses, tAveh'e or fifteen stores, ten or more blacksmith's shops, tAvo iron-founderies, seven saw-mills, tAvo grist-mills, clapboard, shingle, and lath-machines, plough manufactory, one largo carriage manufactory, beside seA'eral smaller ones, goldsmith's and gunsmith's shops, milliner's and dress-maker's shops, (and fine fingers to do up these matters in elegant style.) large shoe and boot establishments, besides many other smaller establishments for the accommodation of different parts of the toAvn, a large furniture Avarehouse, a printing-press and Weekly ncAvspaper, (Avhich, ])y the Avay, does up things pretty Avell.) !i large paper-mill of the latest improvement, an extensive tannery, apothecary and barber's shops, a book-bindery, card- ing and clothier's mills, and tailors to Avork up the cloth in as 192 ^ HISTORY OF NORWAY. good as Boston or New York style, two post-ofEces, three attorney's offices, all ably filled, three regularly bred physi- cians, all in deservedly high repute, dentists occasionally, (I may almost say continually) and patent medicines almost anywhere, a splendid hotel in the Village, with a gentlemanly landlord, a baker and butcher to supply the daily wants of the hungry, besi»les many other things necessary and con- venient. And now, after seeing you all so well provided for, I must commit you to the care of a kind Providence, and bid you adieu, fondly hoping that the next half century will be as productive of improvements in the condition of the town as the preceding half has been. If any should think that I have rated things on too low a scale, they must impute it to my dull apprehension ; and if too high, the citizens of the town must strive to come up to the standard. SISTORY OF NORWAF. 193 RECORD 0{ deaths in the town of Norway, from 1820 to 1852, as kept, and kindly furnished by Mrs. MERCY A. WHITMAN. 18 2 0. May 2, Mrs. Mary .Cleaves, aged "92 years. June 21, Solomon Smith, 23, fits. July 12, Maj. Jonatlian Cummings, 42, suicide. Aug. 23, Judith Ayer, 2, fever ; 25, Capt. Henry Rust, 59, consumption ; 30, Edwin P. Reed, 2, dys- entery. Sept. 8, Mrs. Whiting, 32 ; 10, Martha C. Tucker, S months; 2G, Asa Lovejoy, jr., 47, consumption. Nov. 20, Child of J. Dolley, 7 months. Dec. 24, Mrs. Tubbs, 68 ; 26, Miss Martha Davis, 65, fever. 1821. Feb. 5, child of Anjier Tubbs, 17 months ; 21, child of William Twombly, 5 months. March 17, child of James French, jr. ; 27, Mr. Peter Everett, senior ; one of the early settlers, and a native of France ; he came to this country previous to the revolution ; 27, child of John Case, 17 months. Aug. 25, Martha T^Yombly, 3, dysentery. Sept. 15, Mrs. Churchill, 25, consumption. Oct. 29, child of Mr. Lord, 3 weeks. Nov. 7, Emma Stevens, 38, consumption. 18 22. Feb. 2, child of John Case, 18 months, fever ; 24, Mrs. Bartlett, 43, mortification. March, child of Joseph Small, 17 months ; 26, Mrs. Sarah Eastman, 71, rheumatic con- sumption. April 23, Capt. Ward Noyes, 50, fever. May 7, Widow Bartlett, 65, apoplexy. Dec. 10, Joseph Frost, 18, scrofula ; 10, child of Joseph Shackley. 1823. Jan. 2, child of S. Emery, 6 weeks. April 1, child of Thomas Judkins, 18 months ; 2, child of William Reed, 4 weeks ; 14, Mrs. Moses Houghton, 42 ; 22, child of J. Rowe, 10. July 10, child of Mr. Howe, 7, fever. Aug. 9, Mr. Enoch Merrill, 80 ; came to Norway in 1802 ; 26, child 13 194 HISTORY QF NORWAY. of Jonathan Stevens, dysentery ; 27, Martha B. Hall, 4, fever; 27, child of Joel Stevens, 1, whooping-cough; 27, child of William Corson. Child of John Merrill. Child of E. Bancroft, dysentery. Sept. 6, child of N. Morse, lung fever. Child of J. Bancroft, dysentery. Sept. 12, Mrs. Benjamin Peabody, dysentery ; 13, child of Reuben Hill, 18 months, dysentery. Three children of Hezekiah Pingree, dysentery. Child of E. Merrill, jr., dysentery. Child of E. Merrill, dysentery. Child of Mr. Bancroft, dysentery. Sept. 14, Mrs. Elijah Flint, dysentery; 20, child of J. Hall, 1, cough. Child of Mr. Hutchinson, dysentery. Oct. 6, child of jM. Lassell, dysentery ; 8, child of Simeon Noble, 4, dysentery. Child of David Morse, 9, dysentery. Nov., child of John Case, fever. 18 24. Jan. 2, child of J. Knight, fever ; 28, child of Dea. B. Herring, quinsy. Feb. 1, Mr. Stephen Latham, 55, colic ; 16, Andrew Meriam, 19, decline. April 14, child of Israel Millett, fever ; 30, Fatima Millctt, 10, quinsy. May 10, Mrs. Shed, consumption ; 18, child of Aaron Shackley, 7 weeks, fits. June 18, Mrs. Jeremiah Hobbs, 79, lung fever ; she was one of the oldest settlers. Aug. 1, child of C. Pike, 4, dysentery. Aaron 0. Hall, 18 months, fever. Aug. 8, C. F. Pike, 4, dysentery; 23, Martha Bartlett, 10 months, dys- entery. Sept. 5, M. E. Greenleaf, 15 months, dysentery ; 6, Orvella Tucker, 3, canker ; 7, Laura S. Morey, 2 ; 27, Catharine Knight, consumption. Oct. 14, William F. Beal, 15 months. 18 25. Jan. 17, child of J. Pike. James Noyes, consumption. March 3, child of W. Mitchell, 2, fever; 26, Mrs. H. Noble, 58, consumption. April 29, child of J. Hobbs, 8 months. May 26, Rebekah Downing, 16, fever. July 12, ^Mrs. H. Archer, 84 ; 29, Mrs. Case, 90, dropsy ; she moved into Nor- way in 1793, in an ox-cart, from Middleton, Mass. Aug. 2, niSTOPvY OF NORWAY. 195 child of J. Smith, 1, fever ; 15, child of Darius Holt, jr. ; 27, child of Reuben Hill, 2, dysenteiy. Sept. 3, child of J. Shackley, canker; 6, child of William Lord, 1, dysentery; 16, Lydia M. Fuller, fever; 21, child of William Frost, 4, dysentery ; 24, child of J. Pike, 2, dysentery ; 26, child of H. Pingree, 3 ; 29, Mrs. S. Smith, 47, jaundice. 1826. March 12, Mr. David Frost, 83, influenza. Maj 0, Mr. Eben Cobb, 70, consumption ; 18, Mr. Israel Millett, 40. June 3, Mr. William Pierce, 40 ; killed by a tree falling on him ; he lived a few days after the accident. Dec. 24, Polly Churchill, 3 months. 18 2 7, Jan. 13, Nathan Noble, 65 ; injured fatally by the fall of a tree. Bravety Marston, 15, colic. Jan. 23, Mrs. Saunders, 45, consumption; 27, Lucinda A. Shackley, 18, dropsy. March 9, child of J. Hall, 1. May 8, Mrs. Wink- ley, jaundice ; 19, Lydia C. Noble, wife of S. Noble, 22, June 6, Mrs. E. Whitmarsh, 70 ; 26, Mrs. Whitney, old age : her house was the first building burned in Norway. July 29, child of J. Hall, 4 months, quinsy. Aug., Mr. Howard. Sept. 3, Mrs. French, 68, consumption ; 3, child of H. Pin- gree. Oct. 1, child of D. Holt ; 19, child of M. Upton. Nov., child of William Parsons, jr., quinsy. Child of Wil- liam Hor. Dec. 28, Mrs. Israel Pike, consumption. 1828. Jan. 12, child of Asa Barton, 5. Child of Mrs. Cushman, 18 months. March 26, Mrs. Brown, 37, fits. May 12. Ju- dith P. Tucker, 4, quinsy ; 23, Ohve Latham, 22, consump- tion. June 1, Harriet Foster, 8, fits ; 4, child of J. Hall ; 21, Mrs. Sally Shackley, 42, consumption. Aug. 19, child of Joseph York, 4, dysentei-y ; 23, child of Joseph York, 2,. dysentery. Sept. 2, Sally Greenlcaf, 22 ; 4, child of Capt. H. Rust, 14 months ; 6, child of D. Young, 4, quinsy. Oct. 5, child of J. Bennett, 5, quinsy. Nov. 5, Sarah Rust, 4 3-4, 196 HISTORY OF NORWAY. quini=!y; 11, Henry Rust, 3, quinsy, Dec. 28, child of J, Bradbury. 18 29. Jan. 1, Mrs. Witt, wife of Benj. "Witt, 50, consumption: 1 7, Hannah Gorham, 20, consumption. March 1 , Mrs. Jo- siah Blanchard, 48, fever; 8, John Robinson, 70, dropsy. April 18, Levi Frank, 63 ; killed by falling into a cellar while moving a house. May 14, Mrs. Ruth Cade, 88. June 25, Jacob French, 40, fever. July 10, child of Nathaniel Millett, 2, lung fever. Aug. 2, child of Levi Shed, dysen- tery. Sept. 2, Woodman Bartlett, 8, fever; 30, child of Simon Stevens, 16 months, quinsy. Oct. 20, Mrs. John S. Shed, 30, consumption. Nov. 19, Harriet Buck, 12, fever; 25, Mrs. S. Buck, 42, fever ; 28, child of Mrs. Hall, 4 months. Dec, child of William Lovejoy. 18 3 0. Jan. 2, child of Hoyt Pingree, 13 ; 28, child of John Witt, 3, quinsy. Feb. 9, David Smith, 30, fever. May 1, Mrs. Jordan, 94, old age. Stephen Curtis, palsy and old age. May 25, Clarissa Small, 24, consumption ; 27, child of Rufus Bartlett, jr., 6 months. June, Mr. Phinehas Whit- ney, 80, consumption ; he had a leg amputated in 1824, July 8, Mr. Thomas Hill, 84 ; he was one of Burgoyne's men, and finally adopted the country he came to fight. Child of H. Pike, whooping-cough. July 26, George L. Smith, 15, consumption. Aug. 14, Joseph Stevens, 77, decline ; he moved the first family into Rustfield ; 30, child of C. Cobb, dysentery. Sept. 30, Mrs. Churchill, 50, fever. Oct. 15, child of William Churchill ; 23, child of L'a Johnson, 14 months ; 15, Mrs. M. Millett, 38, fever. 1831. March 2, Edmund Merrill, 52, consumption ; 11, child of B. B. Murray, 1. May 18, child of John Witt, 3 months. June 30, Otis S. Noyes, son of D. Noyes, 16, consumption. July 5, child of John M. Wilson, 6, dysentery. Sept. 17, HISTORY OF NORWAY. 197 child of M. Smith, 1 month. Nov. 14, child of J. Shackley-, 18 months, measles ; 16, Simeon Herring, 23. 18 32. March 20, child of Charles Cleaves, 5, scarlet fever ; 23, child of same, 7, same disease ; 28, child of same, 3, same disease. April 12, child of Dea. B. Herring, 4, same. Child of Mr. Rich, 5, same. Child of same, 3 months, same. April 13, son of Dea. B. Herring, 17, same; 17, child of Benjamin Peabody, jr., 3, sam.e; 20, child of Mr. Rich, same ; 21, Henry Herring, 13, same ; 23, child of Robert Frost, 4, same. Child of jNIr. Rich, 3, same. May 6, child of J. Holt, 2, same ; 9, child of same, 4, same ; 11, Mrs. Barrows, 27, fever; 19, child of Cyrus Cobb; 24, child of J. Andrews, 1, canker rash. June 11, child of Mr. Tucker, 2, lung fever ; 19, child of William C. Whitney, 3, canker rash ; 24, child of Gen. William Parsons, 5, lung fever. July 14, child of J. Hobbs, 3 months ; 15, William Tother- ly, 48 ; 20, child of James Hill, 2, canker rash ; 25, child of same, 12, same. Aug. 11, child of Reuben Hill, 1, same ; 16, Mrs. Jere Henley, 35, consumption. Sept. 6, child of B. Barrows, 5, canker rash ; 16, Algernon Cox, 6, same. Oct. 4, child of Dr. J. S. Millett, 1 month; 27, Mrs. John Ourney, 32. Xov. 15, Mrs. Frost, 78. 18 3 3. Feb. 9, Jonas Stevens, 84, palsy; 24, Elizabeth Real, 12, typhus fever ; 27, Mrs. Joseph Rounds, consumption. April, child of E. Merrill, 6. July, child of A. Fuller, 5, canker rash; Aug. 25, David Stevens, 2 1-2, same. Sept. 28, child of J. Holt, same. Oct. 3, child of Mr. Hale. Dec. 16, child of J. Hobbs, 8. 18 34. Jan. 5, Mrs. Robbins, 48, fever; 18, Mrs. Ephraim Briggs, dropsy; 24, Mrs. Twombly, fever. Feb. 1, cbild of Daniel Cummings, 1; 14, Eliza Fuller, consumption; 15, wife of William Frcst, 41 , fever ; 18, tLld of game, 2 weeks. March 198 HISTORY OF NORWAY. T, child of A. Fuller, 1. May 17, Charles L. Hobbs, 18, fever ; 26, Capt. John Rust, 72, erysipelas ; 29, David Gor- liam, 72, consumption. June 19, child of Henry Pike, 7- Sept. Jacob Parsons, 58, consumption. Nov. 22, Mrs. Nan- cy Cummings, 18 3 5. Feb. 4, Hannah Holt, wife of Uriah Holt, 46, consump- tion ; 25, Mrs. Riggs, 19, same. March 19, wife of Sila;^ Meriam, 55, same ; 28, child of Benjamin Tucker, 6 months. April 22, David Whitcomb, 65, killed by logs rolling on him while at work. June 9, Mrs. Sally Smith, 37, consumption ; 13, child of Hiram Millett, 10 months ; 13, Elmira Hor, 18, consumption ; 28, Mrs. Eunice Bartlett, 38, in a fit. July 11, Mrs. Gammon, 65, suddenly; 25, child of Elliot Smith, 10 months ; 28, Mary Crockett, 20, cancer. Aug. 8, Sew- all G. Ordway, 29, consumption : 27, Mrs. Joseph JNTorse, 25, same. Nov. 12, Mrs. Adaline A. Real, 28, same. Child of William Brown, 3 months. 1836. Jan.. 16, child of J. Rounds, 9 months ; 17, Louisa Cush- man, 27, consumption. Feb. 5, Nathan Foster, senior, 72. found dead in his barn-yard. March 19, Zachariah Weston, 75, decline ; 22, child of Andrew Mills, fever. April 4, Jo- seph Bradbury, 67, erysipelas ; 22, child of Asa Thayer, 1 month ; 29, child of H. C. Reed, 15 months. May 21, Mrs. Alexander Mills, 60, decline; 31, Martha Hobbs, 11, disease of the heart. July 30, Mrs. Mary Cushman, 28, dropsy, Aug. 1, Mrs. Anna French, 40. consumption ; 3, Mrs. E. Hall, 60, same ; 5, Mrs. John Case, 47, cancer ; 11, child of Thomas Pool, cougli. Sept. 28, wife of Thomas Chase, 28, consumption. Oct. 11, Elizabeth, wife of Benjamin Flint, 70, same ; 21, wife of Stephen Pingree, senior, 84, same ; 30, Mary Jane Upton, 28, same. Nov., Maj. Elijah Hall, 72, cancer. Dec. 20, Mrs. Daniel Knight, 74, con- sumption. HlgTORY OF NORWAY. 199 18 3 7. Jan. 8, Col. Amos Town, suddenly ; 19, Natlian Foster, jr., 45, fever. Feb. 6, child of M. Lassell, 5, fever ; 14, child of Asa Pool, quinsy. March 10, Sally, wife of David Noble, 30, spine complaint; 17, Sally Crockett, 30, dropsy^ April 14, Jane Bodwell, 27, consumption. June 21, child of A. Fuller. July 4, Bradley Foster, 13, drowned in mill- pond in Greenwood : 20, child of Titus 0. Brown, jr., 2 1-2, canker rash ; 24, John Brown, 14, same. Aug. 14, child of He\iry Pike, 18 months ; 24, Mr. Carr, a stranger, 60, colic ; 25, child of William Pingree, 6, canker rash ; 29, Lorenzo D. Shackley, 24, consumption. Sept. 11, child of M. Pi Smith, 23 months, Nov. 11, Ann J. Witherbee, 13, canker rash ; 30, child of S. Merrill, 4, same. Dec. 5, S. Coffin, 24, consumption. 18 38. March 1, Mrs. Abagail Fuller, 72, influenza ; 29, Martha M. Young, 11, fever; 30, child of L. Millett, 3, canker rash. Apivl 3, Amos Upton, 96, old age ; 19, child of Paul Twom- bly, 1. Child of Jabez Chubb. May 18, child of Dresser Stevens ; 23, Cyrus Lord, 26, consumption ; 30, Ephraim Barrows, 77, decline. July 15, Archelaus Fuller, 35, colic; 30, Dudley Pike, 73, decline. Aug. 9, child of Wm. Hall, 2 weeks; 16, child of Dr. L. Trijjp, 16 months. Sept. 13, child of J. Greenleaf, 1 month ; 25, child of E. Flint, 4. Mrs. William Frost, 44. Nov. 12, wife of William Hall, 32, consumption. Dec. 15, Jonathan Saunders, 62, insanity ; he attempted to destroy his own life several years before, by cutting his throat, but did not cut quite deep enough, and most of the time afterwards Avas a i-aving maniac. 18 3 9. Jan. 21. Jacob Frost, 84, old age; he was wounded at Bunker Hill. Feb. 2, daughter of John Perry, 8, quinsy.. Child of Willif^m liord, 4 months. Samuel Andrews, 68, consumption. Child of William Twombly, 5, canker rash. 200 HISTORY OF NORWAY. March 10, child of Amos Briggs, 9 months; 19, Chloe Cobb, 78, consuiaptioii ; 20, child of Joel Millett, 10 months; 3-1^ child of J. Stanley, 18- months. April 10, Mrs. John Mil- lett, 78, consumption ; 30, wife of Dudley Pike, 82, dropsy. John B. Ford, 38, consumption. May 4, Mrs. L. Houghton, 37, same. June 3, Amos Hobbs, 77, dropsy — one of the first settlers ; 19, Sally Parsons, 21, palsy. July IG, child of Henry C. Reed, 5 months. Aug. 6, Sally S. Hale, 11, colic ; 17, child of Wm. Bcal, 5, dysentery. Child of Dr. L. Tripp, 1 month. Sept. 10, Mrs. Peter Buck, 80, con- sumption ; 16, Mrs. Zebedee Perry, 81, dropsy. Child of Mrs. Town, 2, dysentery. Sept. 19, child of Henry W. Mil- lett, 7 months. Child of J. Saunders, 15 months. Oct. 16, Edmund Frost, colic. Dec. 22, child of David P. Hanaford, 18 months ; 29, Josiah Blanchard, 70 ; 30, M. A. McAllis- ter, 16, dysentery. 1840. Jan. 13, Mrs. Thomas Hill, 90, old age March 21, Miss- Pool, 18, colic ; 4, Mrs. H. Giles, G(i, consumption ; 25, child of Simon Stevens, 7. April 24, John Needham, 80, palsy ; 25, Mrs. Joel Frost, 64, apoplexy. May 18, Elizabeth Whit- man, 42, dropsy. June 27, Mary A. Colins, 22, consump- tion. Sept. 22, child of Elliot Smith, 2.; 3, Miss Stevens, 65, consumption. Lovejoy, 16, fever. Oct. 18, Mrs. Pool, 30, same; 21, Mrs. Thaddeus Brown, 64, dropsy — she was the widow of Capt. Ward Noyes. Nov. 6, David Woodman, 93 ; 7, Mrs. H. Shackley, 52, consumption ; 30, Mrs. Eben Bancroft, 56, same. Dec. 4, John Ames, 9, drowned; 31, wife of Joshua Smith, 65, con&umption. 184 1. Jan. 3, Joel Town, lung fever ; 7, Henry L. Noyes, son of D. Noyes, 28, consumption. Feb. 25, Mrs. Chubb, fever. March 10, wife of Henry Noble, same; 21, child of M. P. Smith, 8 months. April 10, widow of Joseph Stevens, 83, hurt fatally by a fall — the first woman who cams into Nor- HISTORY OF NORWAY. 201. way ; 20, child of Moses Ames, 5 months. May 15, wife of M. P. Smith, 31, consumption ; 17, Willis Sampson, 65, cancer and dropsy. June 2, Josephine Young, 33, consump- tion ; 25, wife of Moses Ames, 33, same ; 20, Mr. Francis, 79, stoppage. Aug. 2, Diana Ames, 9, fits. Sept. 14, Nancy Jones, consumption; 24, chikl of Dr. N. Grant, 1, dysentery. Oct. 21, child of E. Brown, 1 month; 29, child 'jf J. Turner, 2 months. 1842. Feb. 12, Malvina Frank, 5; 18, child of W. Eamsdell, 4, canker rash ; 22, child of same, 2, same ; 24, child of Aaron Shackley, 4, same. March 2, Desire Tubbs, 19, consump- tion ; 5, child of Cephas Sampson, 2, canker rash ; 20, child of Seba Gammon, same ; 22, child of J. Richardson, scarlet fever. April 3, child of Amos Briggs, same ; 21, Mrs, Churchill, 76, consumption ; 24, child of H. W. Millctt, 2 - 29, child of Rev. T. J. Tenney, 15 months, canker rash ; 29, Jonathan Hall, 52, apoplexy. May 5, child of A. Thayer, I, canker rash; 12, child of A. A. Latham, 2 1-2, same; 14, child of A. Thayer, 3, same; 31, Sarah Maria Noyes, only daughter of D. Noyes, 18, consumption. June 4, child of Wm. Hall, 6, canker rash ; 15, Catherine Tubbs, 9, con- sumption. Child of Mr. McAllister, 7, canker rash. July II, Widow Prince, 73, apoplexy. Aug. 11, Asa Pool, 50, consumption ; 14, Wm. Lord, Jr., 26, sciatica ; 31, Hannah Tubbs, 16, consumption. Sept. 20, John Pierce, son of Wm. Pierce, 24, canker rash ; 22, child of E. L. Knight. Wife of Henry Pike, 43, fever. Mrs. Thompson, 91, old age. Oct. 9, Maria P. K. Holt, daughter of Uriah Holt, 18, con- sumption ; 10, Lydia Frost, 21, dropsy ; 23 and 24, two children of Reuben Noble, canker rash : 28, wife of Lee Mixer, 34, consumption. Benjamin Witt, 77, palsy — the first blacksmith. Nov. 6, Peter Buck, 94, old age — the first shoemaker; 24, Mrs. Ruth Rust, 79, jaundice. Son of Daniel Town, 10, canker rash. Dec. 13, child of Wilham Hall, 3, scalded. Mrs. Serena Frost, 31, fever. 202 HISTORY OF NORWAY. 1843. Feb. 20, RichaKl ]\Iorse, 15, fever. William Hobbs, 63, consumption. Feb. 21, Dorcas Knight, 18, same ; 22, child of J. Morse, jr., 3 weeks. April 4, Mrs. Bullen, 48, con- sumption ; 6, Sarah Rust, 13, erysipelas ; 10, Joel Frost, jr., 53, fever. Child of Mr. Smith, 2. May 2 and 3, Jo- sephine, 2, Harriet D., 4, children 'of J. N. Hall, whooping cough ; 17, child of Pleaman Holt ; 26, Catharine G. Noyes. Avife of H. L. Noyes, 32, consumption. Esther Herring, insanity. June 23, widow of Eben Cobb, 90, consumption. July 10, Mrs. Amelia Wilkins, dropsy. Sept. 21, Harriet Crockett, 19, fever; 23, child of John Howe, 14 months. Oct. 8, Ebenezer Hobbs, 2d, 17, from wounds received at a husking ; 26, Joshua Smith, 73, consumption. Nov. 8, Catharine Morse, 11, fever. Dec. 1, John Millett, 76, in- fluenaa ; 7, Mrs. Israel Pike, fever. 1844. Jan. 8, wife of Samuel Ames, 85, influenza. Feb. 11, child of Silas Meriam, jr., 8 months. Child of John S. Shed, 14 months, scalded. Feb. 29, Samuel Cutter, 56, ap- oplexy. March 13, Mrs. Cushman, 47, lung fever; 4, Mrs. Herring, 83. April 16, Thomas J. Everett, 38, brain fever. May 16, child of Otis True, 1, scarletina. July 20, wife of AVm. Parsons, 83 ; 30, Silas Meriam, 76, palsy. Sept. 8, Mrs. Sarah Crockett, 77, dropsy; 13, Theodosia E. Stetson, 18, consumption. Oct. 7, Mrs. John Swift, 82 ; 25, Martha Whitmarsh, 27, consumption ; 29, Ephraim Brown, 56, Nov. 2, wife of J. N. Hall, consumption. 1845. Jan. 8, Dea. Wm. Parsons, 85, old age ; 18, Mrs. Mary Hall, 57, consumption. Feb. 4, Benj. Herring, 84, old age: 23, Josiah Hill, 80, palsy ; 28, Job Eastman, 95, old age. April 11, Harriet E. P. Goodnow, 14, diabetes ; 12, Avife of Pleaman Holt, 34, consumption. June 4, wife of Asa Hicks. '64, dropsy. July 6, Harriet W. Henley, 20, consumption ; HISTORY OF NORWAY. 203 20, Catharine Ilobbs, 17, fever. Aug. 10, Mrs. Peter Town, 59, fever ; 20, cliild of Samuel Foster, 1 ; 24, Mrs. Brad- bury, 79, decline. Child of Mr. Jordan, 3. Sept. 15, Hen- ry L. Crockett, 28, fever: 23, Mary M. Phelps, 21, same ; 27, Avife of J. Rounds, 27, consumption. Oct. 30, Joshua Crockett, 54, from obstruction of the swallow and stomach. Dec. IG, wife of Henry Noble, fever ; 24, Daniel Watson, senior, 83, asthma and consumption ; 29, John Frost, 77. 1846. Jan. 7, wife of L. Hathaway, consumption. Feb., Mrs. Mercy Hobbs, same. April 11, Daniel Young, 64, same. Child of Mrs. Everett, 2. April 27, Miss Tarbox, 80, jaun- dice. June 18, wife of H. Rust, 55, consumption : 28, Mrs. Anie Morse, 68, same. Aug. 4, Mrs. Sarah Rust, 83 ; 18, child of D. Cummings. Sept. 1, Mrs. Mercy Woodman, 75, consumption ; 22, wife of J. B. Richardson, 29, and tAviu children. Oct. 6. wife of Lemuel Shed, 88, consumption ; 22, Wilson Hill, 19, fever. Nov. 19. wife of S. Greenleaf. jr., 38 ; 27, Asa Danforth, jr., 5, fever. Dec. 16, IShs. Hannah Hill, 45. fever. 184 7. Jan. 17, Mrs. Lydia Tubbs, 61, consumption ; 19, Mrs, Rebekah Frost, 80 ; she was the widow of Nathaniel Stevens, one of the early settlers, whose family "was at one time dis- tressed for want of food. Feb. 17, child of J. Bancroft, 20 months. March 31. Mrs. Sargeant, 22. April 15, Joseph York, jr., 19, hurt in a saw-mill; 16, Helen M. Noyes, 5, dropsy ; 17, William Cox, 73, consumption ; 20, widow of Amos Upton, consumption ; 26, Mrs. Nancy Hobbs, 59, con- sumption. May 2, child of Cephas Sampson, 2, croup. June 3, son of AndrcAV Mills, 13, consumption ; 13, Lucy Jane Perry, 20, same ; 16, wife of John Frost, 72, fit : wife of Wm. Lord, 50, fever. July 3, i\Irs. Mercy Bartlctt, 80, consumption : 11, child of Lyman Bird, 2 ; 16, George E. Smith. 15 : 23, wife of Jacob Parsons, suddenly : 27, Mrs. 204 HISTORY OF NORWAY. Esther Jordan, 75, consumption. Sept. 3, wife of John March, 77, same ; 10, child of Wm. C. Pierce, 2 ; 30, wife of Aaron Shackley, 47, cancer. Oct. 7, child of Wm. Brown, 6 ; 8, child of Amos F. Noyes, 3, fever ; 24, wife of Col. A. Town, 67, fall, and dropsy. Nov. 18, Cyrus Cobb, 54, killed by a fall in his barn ; 25, David Morse, 75, dropsy. Dec. 6, John Parsons, 85 ; 7, child of J. S. French, 20 months ; 20, child of i\I. P. Smith, 9 months. 1848. Jan. 16, Caroline Pike ; 29, Emily Chandlter, 27, con- sumption. Feb. 1, Asa Barton, 54, same; 10, Matthias Smith, 42, found dead ; 21, James Packard, 89, old age. March 5, daughter of Mr. Herrick, 14, dropsy : 27, Mrs, David Gorham, 80, consumption. April 20, Mrs. Merrill, 85. May 30, Jonathan G. Town, 28, brain fever. June 11,. wife of Matthew Lassell, 53, consumption ; 29, child of E. L. Knight, 4 1-2, fever. July 19, Rufus Bartlett, 87, old age ; 25, Zephaniah Frost, 63 ; 29, Ann Lassell, 27, con- sumption. Sept. 4, Joseph Small, 74, same ; 7, wife of Amog Hobbs, 89, old age — one of the first settlers ; 16, John Case, 75, cancer. Oct. 2, Mrs. John Parsons, 80. Nov. 2, child of Mr. Rowe ; 26, William Walton, 45, fever ; 28, William Reed, the first post-master, 73, consumption. Dec. 29, Ellen Flint, 17, same. 184 9. March 10, child of J. Morse, 10 weeks ; 17, child of James Merrill, 2, whooping cough. Timothy Jordan, 82, old age. Child of Hiram Millctt. April, Ezra Stevens, 40, fits ; 25, Sophia L. Frost, 13. Susannah Tubbs, 90, non compos mentis. May 13, Avidow Ripley, Q>S, cancer; 26, child of A. P. Burnell, 14 months. June 9, child of Mr. Tucker ; 21, Uriah Holt, Esq., 73, gravel. July 12, Charles Tubbs, 68, consumption ; 21, widow Anthony Bennett, 70, same; 24, wife of Solomon Millett, 76, same ; 27, Rcbekah Everett, 14, croup ; 31, child of Asa S. Pool, 14 months. Aug. 25, HISTORY OF NORWAY. 205 Annie Shattuck, 2, dysentery ; 21, Frederic Tucker, 2 1-2, same ; 24, chikl of A. Smith, same ; 25, cliikl of J. H. Mer- rill, 2 1-4, same ; 28, child of Mr. Stevens. Sept. 3, child of F. Manning, same ; 4, Mrs. Ridlon, 50, same ; 5, Mrs. Stevens, 31, same ; G, Gilbert Noble, 21, same ; 10, child of E. Ames, 14 months, same; 11, child of P. L. Pike, 11 months, same ; 12, child of J. Morse, 4, same ; 15, child of E. P. Fitz, 19 months, same ; 19, child of Ezra Shackley, 9 months, same; 20, child of J. H. Morse, 1, same ; 21, child of Mr. Raymond, 9 months, same ; 22, Mr, Woodbury, 65, same ; 23, child of Thomas Higgins, same ; 24, child of Mr. Holden, 1, same. Child of James Merrill, 3, same. Oct. 11, Mrs. Chloe Holt, 80, consumption; 13, Mrs. Mason, 50, dysentery. Child of Mr. Sargent, 2, same. Nov. 5, Aaron ^Chandler, 30, same. 18 5 0. Jan 12, wife of E. J. Pottle, 35, consumption ; 15, wife of A. Thayer, 40, fever. Mrs. Clark, fever. William C. Brooks, 74, dysentery. Child of William Hall, same. Child of Daniel Hobbs, same. Daniel Davis, 24, consumption. Feb. 15, Jeremiah Hobbs, 64, same. Joel Stevens, 95, old age. Wife of G. W. Seaverns, 25, consumption. Josiah Hill, 30, same. May, Michael Welsh, 9, scrofula. Harriet N. Noyes, 30, consumption. Harriet B. Morse. Child of Reuben Noble, July 20, Jonathan Woodman, 78, sudden. Child of A. Smith, 13. July 30, wife of Jonathan Pottle, 82. Aug. 3, wife of James Crockett, 59, diarrhoea ; 10, Wm. Churchill, 54, consumption; 12, David Woodman Bartlett, 19, brain fever. Child of J, Hannaford, J, dysen- tery. Mrs. Brown, 70, consumption. Aug. 18, child of Ephraim H. Brown, 2, dysentery ; 24, daughter of John Bird, 19, brain fever. Child of Edmund IMerrill, 2. Sept. 3, daughter of Sewall Crockett, 21, fever ; 11, child of Charles Parsons, 8, same ; 22, Eli Grover, 34, same ; 25, child of Henry Small, 14 months. Oct, 5, wife of L. Hathaway, 34, 206 HISTORY OF NORWAY. consumption ; 6, child of William Cox, 4 months ; 10, Tvife of Simeon Walton, 72, fever; 13, child of M. P. Smith, 18 months ; 23, William Beal, 81, old age ; 28, Eunice Ban- croft, 28, consumption. Nov. 3, wife of Sewall Crockett, 50, fever ; 14, wife of S. S. Hall, 30, consumption. Child of J. Greenleaf, 8 weeks. Nov. 24, wife of D. Pottle, 44, con- sumption. Child of Wm. C. Pierce, 7, dysentery. Dec. 7, child of A. T. Murphy, 1, scalded; 30, Ansel Ross, 30, con- sumption. Four children died in the north part of the town ; names unknown. 18 51. Jan. 2, daughter of Horsley Shed, 7, canker rash ; 17j Hannah Jordan, 76 ; 15, child of Mr. Gelderman, 1 ; 25, Betsey Witt, 48, consumption. April, Mrs. Forhes, 70, palsy; 21, Lois T. Cobb, 15, consumption. May 22, Ann M. Woodbridge, 19, same ; 25, Levi Shed, 55, same. June, daughter of M. Parsons, 15, same ; 17, Daniel Watson, 50, same ; 25, wife of Samuel Foster, same. July 14, child of J. B. Stuart, 8 months ; 26, James Foster, 6, fever. Aug. 4, child of T. J. Needham, 4, canker rash ; 4, Mrs. Benja- min Jordan, 60, consumption ; 23, Mrs. William Frost, 48, same ; 27, child of Rev. E. F. Quinby, 4, croup. Child of Lewis Shackley, 3 weeks. Sept. 2, Mrs. Wentworth, 72, jaundice; 10, child of W. W. Hobbs, 4, cholera morbus; 10, wife of H. W. Strong, 37, consumption ; 18, wife of Wilhara Frost, 3d, 28, same. Oct. 7, child of H. W. Strong, 5 months ; 24, Abigail Parsons, 54, fits ; 30, wife of Titus 0, Brown, 82, congestion of the lungs. Nov. 4, wife of Daniel Holt, 68, consumption ; 24, child of Clark Knight, 4. Dec. 25, child of Mahalon Crockett. 185 2. Jan. 4, child of Charles Walton, 5, croup ; 14, Elizabeth Cobb, 20, consumption. John Richardson, 80, same, Jan. 27, H. Mclntire, 83, dropsy ; 28, Widow Ellis, 82, consump- tion ; 29, child of Reuben Noble, 5; canker rash. Feb. 2, HISTORY OF XORWAY. 207 A. Dunham, 4G, decline. March 1, I. Merrill, 32, consump- tion ; 6, Mrs. Frances Chandler, 58, stoppage ; 8, Mrs. Sarah Farwell, 63, consumption; 18, Samuel Ames, 93, palsy; 28, Nancy Morse, 8. April 9, Nathaniel Millett, 80, dropsy and apoplexy. Ellen F., 7, 22, Rebecca G., 1 5-6, daugh- ters of Dr. Jesse Howe, both congestion of the lungs. May 11, Daniel Witt, 24, killed on railroad. June 15, Mrs. Ma- ry Frost, 68, consumption. William K. Emery, 54, same. July 12, wife of John Bird, 76, same ; 21, Clara Sophia, daughter of Gen. William Parsons, 17, fever; 10, Avife of A. A. Latham, 36 ; 24. Avife of Daniel Herring, dropsy ; 20, Gen. William Parsons, Qij, fever. Aug. 3, wife of William B. Upton, 24, consumption ; 24, Avife of Martin Stetson, palsy ; 26, Rev. EdAvin F. Quinby, just from California, fe- ver. Sept. 29, Avife of Otis True, 31, consumption. Oct. 11, William B. Upton, stoppage of stomach ; 19, wife of Benjamin RoAve, 82. dropsy ; 25, Ebenezer Bancroft, jr., fever. Wife of John Witt. PATRONS. As a grateful acknowledgment of tlie liberal patronage bestowed on the preceding work by the citizens of the town of Norway, and by many gentlemen of other towns, the writer cheerfully embraces the opportunity of publishing a list of its patrons at the close of the book, believing that it will be gratifying to future generations to look back, and see the lib- erality displayed for the purpose of preserving from oblivion the memories and names of those who have patiently and perseveringly labored to build up the town to its present prosperous condition, from what was formerly a howling wil- derness, and only the abode of savage beasts, and more savage men. The reader will probably see, and if not, may plainly understand, that the writer has purposely omitted saying anything about political parties of any description, or any of the prevailing isms of the present day ; as he thinks there will be enough of the acrimony and bitterness of party strife go down to future generations without making a book record for its preservation. Neither does he intend to hide himself be- hind the oft-rcsorted-to-screeii of belonging to no party, or sect; for his political course has always been distinctly marked, and known, and probably will continue the same, until he sees a sufficient reason for changing his opinion. The present age is an age of progress, and (he hopes) of improvement, in the diffusion of knowledge, and in the ame- lioration of the condition of the human family ; and time only 14 210 NAMES OP PATRONS, ■will develop whether the conflicting exertions of the various parties and organizations will ultimately tend to promote the prosperity and happiness, first of our own nation, and then of the whole human family. This is a momentous question, the consideration of which ought to have a large place in the mind of every considerate and candid person. NAMES OF PATRONS. William Wirt Virgin, 2 Solomon S. Hall, 1 Moses B. Bartlett, 2 Jeremiah Howe, 1 Edwin W. Howe, 1 Jeremiah W. Hobbs, 1 Dr. Jesse Howe, 1 Asa Thayer, 1 John Deering, 1 Mark P. Smith, 1 Adna C. Denison, 2 Elbridge G. Allen, 1 Otis True, 2 Enoch L. Knight, 1 1 Levi Whitman, 1 Ceylon Watson, 1 Ezekiel C. Jackson, 1 Henry Rust, 2 George F. Kimball, 1 Loren H. Wrisley, 1 Thomas F. Beal, 1 Dudley Pike, 1 Joseph A. Small, 1 Aaron Shackley, 1 John C. Kimball, 1 Franklin Manning, 1 James Crockett, 1 Granville L. Reed, 1 Samuel Favor, 1 Samuel Crockett, Oxford, 1 Robert Pike, Oxford, 1 Ansel Dinsmore, 1 Ebenezer C. Shackley, 1 Oren Hobbs, Portland, 1 Edmund Ames, 1 William R. Danforth, 1 William Parsons, 1 Francis A. Danforth, 1 Thomas Higgins, 1 Nathaniel Bennett, 2 Ebenezer Hobbs, 1 Josiah P. Lovejoy, 1 Thomas G. Benson, 1 John Beal, 1 Aurelius C. Noble, 1 George W. Seaverns, 1 James H. Merrill, 1 Titus 0. Brown, jr., 1 Chandler F. Millett, Oxford, 1 John W. Raymond, 1 Thomas H. Kelley, 1 Francis H. Whitman, 1 NAMES OF PATRONS, 211 Isaac A. Denison, 1 Lee Mixer, Amos T. ]\Iurpliy, Horatio G. Cole, 1 1 2 Joshua B. Stuart, 1 Jonathan Bhike, 1 Silas Bates, 1 William M. R. Lunt, 1 John Dealy, 1 Thomas Pool, 1 Charles Pike, 1 William D. Cordwcll, Paris, 1 Isaac Bartlett, 1 Elliot Smith, 1 William Needham, 1 Henry W. Millett, 1 Cephas Sampson, 1 Thomas T. Hobbs, 1 Ebenezer P. Fitz, 1 Richard Evans, 1 Samuel Gibson, 1 Elijah R. Merrill, 1 George H. Bernard, 1 James C. Bulpit, 1 Grovesnor Crockett, 1 Ichabod Bartlett, 2 Otis F. Mixer, 1 Isaac Bolster, 1 Moses Ames, 1 Ephraim H. Brown, 1 John S. Hutchius, 1 David McAllister, 1 Joel Parkhurst, 1 Dr. Asa Danforth, 2 James S. Greeuleaf, 1 George L. Bcal, 1 J.W. B.Welcome, Oxford, 1 Isaac Bennett, 1 Benjamin Barrows, 1 Sewall Crockett, jr., 1 Alfred P. Burnell, 1 Zebulon Rowe, 1 George W. Mann, 1 Peter W. Buck, Greenwood, 1 William C. Whitliey, 1 Moses A. Young, 1 Charles S. Mallett, 1 Samuel Partridge, 1 Jeremiah H. Hall, 1 Sumner Hale, 1 Samuel Cobb, jr., 1 William Hayes, 1 Samuel P. Frost, 1 Ezra F. Beal, 2 Edwin Stetson, 1 Stuart H. Noble, Portland, 1 Charles P. Kimball, G John AVoodman, 1 James L. Shackley, Paris, 1 Jesse Howe, Sumner, 1 Jonathan B. Smith, 2 William P. Witt, 1 Luther F. Foster, 1 Daniel Holt, 3d, 1 William B. Upton, 1 Simon Stevens, 2d, 1 Anthony Bennett, 1 Nathaniel G. French, 1 Charles Parsons, 1 Isaac Farrington, 1 212 NAMES or PATRONS. Wasliington Noyos, 1 Reuben Noble, 1 Aaron Wilkins, 1 Theodore L. Lassell, 1 Rufus Bartlett, Greenwooil, 1 William P. Buck, 1 James Merrill, 1 Simon Stevens, 1 William D. Paine, 1 Uriah H. Upton, 1 James Tubbs, 1 Calvin Shed, 1 William Pingrec, 1 Perry D, Judkins, 1 Darius M. Holt, 1 Wilham Frost, jr., 1 John S. Shed, 1 Dudley B. Holt, 1 Simeon Noble, 1 David B. Crockett, 1 llorsley Shed, 1 William Hall, 1 William Cox, 1 Augustus Herrick, 1 Thomas Melzeard, 1 Amos T. Holt, 2 Elijah H. Hobbs, 1 Simeon Frost, 1 Ansel Town, 1 Jeremiah Foster, 1 Luke Fletcher, 1 George W. Sholcs, 1 John Bird, jr.. 1 George Frost, 1 Henry C. Reed, 1 Nathan Millett, 1 Rev. J. L. Stevens, 1 Joseph A. Bradbury, 1 Johnson Frost, - 1 Thomas Witt, 1 Amos F. Noyes, 1 John Millett, 1 Lorenzo D. Hobbs, 1 Charles Penley, 1 David B. Noyes, 1 Mahalon Crockett, 1 Joel INIillett, 1 James Bennett, 1 David T. Frost, 1 Henry Pike, 1 Rodolphus Young, 1 Dudley Woodbridge, 1 Thos. Judkins, Greenwood, 1 Brackett Marston, 1 Nathaniel Pike, 1 Ethiel Stevens, Greenwood, 1 W. Stevens, Cambridge, Ms. 1 John A. Holmes, Paris, 1 Addison A. Latham, 1 Joseph A. Kendall, 1 William Frost, 3d, 1 Elhanan W. Fyler, Minot, 1 Henry Upton, 1 Lawson Coburn, Greenwood, 1 James Hill, 1 Jacob F. Holt, Pennsylvania, 1 Benjamin Jordan, 1 Stephen G. Seavey, 1 George P.Whitney, Oxford, 1 William E. Goodnow, 1 NAMES or PATRONS. 213 Josepli S. Rounds, 1 Isaac N. Small, 1 Eben. Marston,TVaterford, 1 Benj. Marston, " 1 Albion Buck, 1 Charles Newliall, 1 Epliraim Briggs, 1 Jacob Parsons, 1 Luther F. Pike, 2 Jonathan Pottle, 1 George W. Parsons, 1 William Hall, 2a, 1 Solomon Millett, 1 Hiram Millett, 1 Seba Gammon, 1 Richard Lombard, 1 John P. Jordan, 1 John Pike, 1 William Frost, 1 Zachary Carey, 1 John Frost, 1 Samuel Lord, 1 George W. Everett, 1 Alpha B. Everett, 1 Wilson Hill, 1 Osgood Perry, 1 Henry Noble, 1 William W. D. S. Millett, 1 Jonathan Whitehouse, 1 Thomas Hill, 1 Benjamin Tucker, jr., 1 Alanson B. Watson, 1 Nathaniel G. Bacon, 1 Charles Jackson, 1 Charles L. Francis, 1 James Smith, 1 Nath. Andrews, Otisfield, 1 Lewis Crockett, Andovcr, 1 James N. Hall, 1 Henry R. Webber, Oxford, 1 John Merrill, 1 Dan. Merrill, Methuen, Ms. 1 Samuel W. Saunders, 1 Stephen Merrill, 1 Henry Merrill, 1 John Bancroft, 1 Sumner Frost, 1 Andrew Case, 1 John Coffin, 1 Joel Frost, 1 Ebenezer Crowell, 1 William P. French, 1 Elijah Flint, 1 Amos Upton, 1 William C. Pierce, 1 Enoch Holt, 1 Jacob Herrick, 1 Rollin Town, 1 Jonathan Swift, 1 John Whitmarsh, 1 Charles Frost, 1 William Frost, 4th, 1 Elijah Jordan, 1 Nathaniel S. Frost, 1 Silas Meriam, 1 Daniel Hobbs, 1 Bela Noyes, 1 Noah 0. Stevens, 1 David Wilkins, 1 Jacob Tubbs, 1 214 NAMES OF PATRONS. William Knight, 1 William R. Crockett, 1 Nathan Morse, 1 Ephraim S. Crockett, 1 Joseph G. Penley, 1 Alanson M. Dunham, 1 William P. Richardson, 1 Thomas H. Richardson, 1 Joseph F. Crockett, 1 Sewall J. Crockett, 1 Joseph York, 1 David M. Brown, 1 John Richardson, 1 Moses Parsons, . 1 Hiram Lovejoy, 1 Levi Millett, 1 Jared M. Buck, 1 John H. Millett, 1 Thomas Briggs, 1 Samuel S. Millett, 1 Joseph F. Merrill, Oxford, 1 Daniel Cummings, 1 Calvin Richardson, 1 Benjamin Witt, 1 Mrs. Austin Buck, 1 Cha's Young, jr.Greenwood, 1 Daniel Green, 1 Levi Frank, 1 James C. Bennett, 1 Thomas R. Lovejoy, 1 Lemuel Lovejoj, 1 John B. Brown, Portland, 1 Robert Noyes, 1 David S. Andrews, Otisfield, 1 Geo. W. Patch, Greenwood, 1 S. H. Houghton, Greenwood, 1 Ehas H. Bemis, 1 Samuel A.Webber, Oxford, 1 Ich. B. Verrill, Greenwood, 1 Alexander Crooker, Minot, 1 Wilham S. Allen, Oxford, 1 William Young, 1 Wilham Gallison, Paris, 1 William K. Kimball, " 1 Joshua B. Crockett, 1 Alva B. Davis, 1 William W. Hobbs, 1 Cornelius W. Hobbs, 1 Reuben Favor, Paris, 1 John W. Noble, Waterford, 1 Hon. E. Gerry, « 1 Benjamin G. Holt, 1 Henry H, Hobbs, 1 Henry Houghton, 1 Dr. J. S. IMillett, 2 David F. Noyes, 1 Bezaleel A. Cushman, 1 Rev. H. W. Strong, 1 Levi T. Boothby, Paris, 1 George J. Ordway, Portland, 2 Thomas J. Cox, Augusta, 1 Benjamin Crockett, Oxford, 1 Dr. Thos. Roberts, Rumford, 1 John Parsons, Paris, 1 Ward Noyes, Portland, 1 Bowers Barton, Boston, 1 Ajalon Godwin, Rumford, 1 John Dennett, Paris, 1 Wm. H. Sweetser, Boston, 1 G. G. Waterhouse, Portland, 1 NAMES OF PATRONS. 21^ Alva Ilobbs, Greenwood, 1 Cha's H. Crocker, " 1 John Noyes, " 1 Simon Noble, 1 Mrs. Rebekah Ames, 1 Asa S. Pool, Portland, 1 R.R.Robinson, " 2 Increase Robinson, Skow'g'nl Samuel Cobb, 1 Sylvanua Cobb, jr., 1 Fred. Coburn, Greenwood, 1 Malbory Brown,Waterford, 1 Daniel Chaplin, " 1 N. Abbott, 2d, Andover, Ms. 1 Thomas Crocker, Paris, 1 Thomas Ellis, 1 George W. Millett, 6 Charles F. Parkhurst, 6 ERRATA. Pace 13, bottom line, for "cataract" read precipice. " 23, 15th line from bottom, for " Middelton " read Middleton. " 25, 16th " " " "bouhgt" read bought. " 27, 5th line from top, for "Febtury" read February. " 28, 12th " " " "to far" read too far. " 59, bottom line, for " stereotpyed " read stereotyped. " 79, 14th line from top, for "came" read come. " 97,9th " " " " the the " read the. " 125,18th " " " "Greenwcod" read Greenwood, " 129, bottom line, for "1741" read $1741. " 146, 2d line from bottom, for "brrn" read barn, " 158, 2d " " " " conseqence " read consequence. " 205, 7th " " " "J, dysen-" read 2, dysen-. The printer regrets that these typographical errors were not de- tected until an hour too late for their correction. They are as mortifying to his eye as they can be odious to that of the reader. But, as the author says in his preface of his own errors, " instead of wondering at a few mistakes, it should be a greater wonder that there are not more ; " for, if the compositor has not had many " irons in the fire," he has had perplexities of which readers can not know. In the revised and enlarged edition of 1952j the errors, doubtless, will be expunged. LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 014 041 309 4 •