The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1872-02-06
Thomas Hanson.

To the Editor Of the Press: ta 2.-oH
This venerable man, who died in Bartlett, N.
H., on the 28th ult, aged 81 years and 10
months, was born in Windham, Me-, Nov. %,
1857. He was man of great energy of charac-
ter, and just in all his dealings. His favorite
amusement when young, and even until his
death, was hunting and fishing, and being skill
ed with the rod and gun, as all his fathers were,
he seldom came home with his game bag empty.
Some sixty-eight years ago he was often the
companion of Peter White, whom Hawthorn
speaks of in his boy notes. Richard Derby of
Salem, Thomas A. Deblois, then of Windham,
and others, in their excursions over Lake Seba-
60 to the mouth of Songo River after salmon
trout, when they were plenty and large. Haw-
thorn mentions one caught by Peter White,
while he was in the boat, that weighed eighteen
and a half pounds. Mr. Hanson was after
wards engaged in numbering in the same region.
In 1928 or 20 he contracted to excavate sec
ton of the Cumberland s. Oxford Canal,
through deep rock cut = =
His next contract was to blast down the
ledge and excavate the cellar for the Exchange
building in Portland in 1834-the same site now
covered by the new postoffice. He then took
the contract to cut the canal through high
ledge for the Saco Water Power Company, in
Biddeford, in about 1889. This was the begin
ming of the improvements on the Biddeford side
of the Saco Falls. This drew. his attention to
the timber lands on the head waters of the
Saco-he followed the river up to its source, and
explored the whole region with his gun and rod
No timber had been cut above Conway ON the
Saco, owing to large boulders in the river which
prevented the running of the logs. a1
With his knowledge of stone blasting he con-
ceived the idea that the distractions could be
removed at q moderate expense, which would
admit of the floating down of the heavy timber
on the immense tract yet unsurveyed) between
Conway and the White Mountain Notch,
bounded on the north by the Saco intervales
and on the south by Swift River, which falls in
to the Saco at Conway Centre. This tract is %
miles long on the two rivers and from two to
four miles wide, containing over 10000 acres,
exclusive of Moat Mountain on the eastern end
The famous "Sawyer's Rock is on this tract,
which will be a prominent landmark on the
Ogdensburg Railroad. 1t is perpendicular
ledge, extending from the shore Of Saco River
BACK into the woods, SO named for the first
white man who explored that region, who wi III
one companion came through from Canada by
the Notch with a horse, and as the river was
high they were obliged to let the horse down the
face OF this ledge withF rope; in fact the
present road round the end of the rock on the
shore OF the river was made by filling.
In 1047 Mr.. Hanson purchased this immense
wilderness at moderate price, and also the
Judge Hall farm in Bartlett, of 200 acres on
the banks of the Saco, and adjoining his timber
land. He Immediately took possession and
with his sons commenced clearing the river of
rocks, and getting in the timber (which is
easily done as it is all down hilD and
driving it down to the sons mills the Hanson
brothers of Biddeford. This has been very un-
certain business owing to the wide interyales
covered by the river in the spring, in Conway
and Fryeburg, which allowed the logs to leave
the channel, and ground on the intervales. He
did not live to see the contamination of his
plans, but when the Ogdensburg railroad (which
Will run the whole length of the track is built
few miles further, the timber can be market
ed at Portland without any danger of ground
ing on the intervales; or can be sent to Boston
by the Great Falls and Conway road Two
thirds of this track was owned BY Mr. H. and
his sons, at the time of his death. which the
railroads will make very valuable. He was
fond OF taking his friends over these hills to
see his timber, and being very enthusiastic he
mas several times got lost on his own wood lot,
ana peen Obliged to camp out for the night
All ms ancestors were hardy woodsmen. His
grandfather, Ichabod Hanson, came to Wind
ham from Dover, N. H., about 1850; his great
grandfather, Timothy Hanson, was employed
IN getting masts for the English government,
Tor Dover and vicinity before the business was
removed from Portsmouth to Falmouth. in
1877. In 1916 Mr.. HI. married Hannah, Young
est daughter of James Gowen of Westbrook,
who was the mother of his five sons She died
in l841. He afterwards married widow King
man OF Portland who survives him. He left no
written will, nor did he make any disposition of
his property. He was stricken with paralysis,
several weeks before his DEATH but retained his
reason His only expressed desire was that he
might be buried in the little graveyard near the
home OF his childhood, which was done rever-
emily, by his sons. His wishes are well 'ex-
pressed in this couplet: fiuEl HhE
"And when die, oh, let me lie
Where trees above me wave;
Let wild plants bloom around my tomb,
quiet country grave.''t
Windham, Feb. A. $50 sft..t.. w G.