Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1863-09-04
NEW SERIES. VOL. IL. NO. 81.
NO. 81. PARIS ME- FRIDAY SEPTEMBER a 1919


Bot raise once more the joyous strain!
No gloom b. ours to-day.
Loved voices that -c hear again
should bid our hearts BE- CAV
Old Fryeburg sends welcome out
To all wbo hither r0am,
Again, again the answering shout
That cheers our valley home.
An appropriate prayer vas offered by
Rev. Mr.. Sewan. pastor Of the Congrega.
tionsl charch in Fryebnrg.
The Chairman then iniroduocd 10 the Al.
diencc Rev. Samael Souther Of Worcester.
Mass. Who vas a native Of Fryeburs and
Who delivered an historical essay embra-
eng the more prominent events in thc set
'iement and subsequent history Of the
town.
The speaker remarked that thirty eight
ycTs ago tAsy assembled - ;he sane place
% celebrate the one hundrrdth annivcrsary
Of Loycwclls victory over the Peqaakst In
dams under the renowned Paugus. Now
they had again assembled to celebrate the
one hundrcdth b.rth-day % the town. Tbi.
was not properly town celebration: i,
was the settlement of the whole Saoo valley
they had met % common orate. In is79
they ~oah meet - celebrate their legal
birthday
One hundred years ago this whole val
ley was laid open 70 settlement and served
a. a half way place % those ~ho penetra-
ted sal further into tle wilderness and set.
tied on the Androscoggin. The French
sought Al one time % hold dominion over
our whole domain. They held the mouth.
Of our t~o principal rivers and the aspiring
Jesuits ~ere s;eal,hily striving 20 gain SUI
Prcmacy over church and State. buf on the
plains of Abraham the French we're beaten.
and Freedom and an enlightened eiviliza-
tlon was there bcqucathed 90 us. Then
The population Of our State began 90 null
tP!y 80 that from 1850 70 1904 Il increased
two hundred and 6fty PER cent. The har-
dy pioneer ventarcd back from the sea
board and FAR towards Canada vas heard
The sound ofthe woodman's axe.
Col. Frye from bis early manhood had
been a soldier q tbe forest. having held his
first commission a. Fort Henry. For emf
nent services IN French and Indian var.
the General Couri Of Massachusctts grant
ed him a township Of and Sax miles square
on either side Of the Saco river. 90 be se-
lccted by him from any land not ALREADY Ia
ken uP. The Col. besides being a mill
taFy uaan ~as good engineer aud a practi-
cal farmer. From ;hs summit Of Starks
liil ~hich commanded view of all the
surrounding country. bis sagacious mind
quichly selected the rich intervalcs border
ing on the Saco and which arr embraced IN
thc present town q Fryeburg. IN the sum-
mcr % lstZ some % the eltcrprising far
mcrs of Concord y. II purchased some oi
thcse uch lands anl drove their cattle here
and kept them here through the follosing
~inter under charge Of three White men and
one u the " irrcprcssible negroes. 90 ~hich
hgurcd thus early IN our settlement. On
tins accOuut many claim that the settlement
q the town should date from that year. bot
it was not tili the year 1908 that tie farm
ers moved ia their families. the women rid-
ing al the ~ay from Concord GA horse
back
Who we're these mcn who Grst settled on
these lands? some of them ucr, the b.
rocs 81 Losesclls fgh;. and after thirty
eisht years had come back 90 Occupy the
lands from whieh they hal driven the re-
quakets ia their sanguinary engagement.
Many 81 them bore the marks Of namerou.
wounds received in battles 18th the merci-
less savage. and all we're Injured % the
hardship, of pioneer lie.
Samuel Smith is regarded a. the fr.t
settler in Frycbarg. having purchased his
land of Col. Fye. Crbe original convey
sa,c uf Cd. frJe sas hcrc cxhibtedJ
Daniel Evans and Nathaniel Miller. two
unmarried younE men we're among oth-r
pcr-ons vho came into ti,c scttlcuent. AZ
ter being here two years they went back o.
Concord AMI ahen they returned again o.
the ssf'.emeni they took vi,c. 9Th them.
travel 81 a. usual on hor.eback.
Wien they came % Big Os.ircc uhi,h
th.y ausf necessarily cross there was only
one 49, IA th- paris tall enough o. pas.
the ritc-r witbout swimming. - they al
crossed On him D. relating the incident
Afterwards. Mr. Erans saii sle vouid not
tell bow .he sat on thc horse. blt .aiI a.
tny rate she roie the strongest vay.
Fhe year q 1907 marked thc year of
greatest privation in thc settlement Pro
'isions we're hauicd from Concord on hani-
..,is or brouglt FROM Saco in boats. A
rarfr a-nt after rr.tl.lnn. ~ nr. i'm. .rL