Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1877-10-02
From The Maine Farmer.l
Notes from the Country.
BUcKFIRIp. Sept. |, 1877.

GnlolaOlc. IL Is HltIl, anu iiohh 10
heights one can get constant views OF the
magnificent Alpine scenery, peculiar to
Oxford county. which lhc artist delights
so much to sketch. It's sloping hlilsldes
make excellent farms alter the rocks have
been removed, and the stony sol. yields
good returns for cultivation. Among the
scattered population, there are every
where evidences OF thrift and good man
agement. Farms are clearly cultivated,
fences mp and lam buildings neat aud
tidy. OF course there arc some eXcep-
lions TO this, for siovenlY farmers VIII DC
found in every community, but The im-
preston made on the mud Us we trav-
eed through the town in several dircc-
lions, is that the farmers OF Bucki4ld are
in no respect behind the average oil other
towns.
Buckfeld village has always been n
smart business place, though It's trade Is
mostly confined to The patronage Ui the
surrounding farming community, OF
which il is The business centre. IL IS sill
ua,ed on what called the "GweGty Mile
River stream which affords good
water power much OF The Year. Incrc
10 a grist mil and several other manu-
featuring establishments located upon A..
There are two church ediliccs, aud the
onterprisiug Inhabitants have, within -
lew years, erected line brick school
house, which is used Tor the purpose OF
The district school. also for Free High
schools. Virgi ID Paris. politician Of
some repulc. nj one time member OF Con
grcss and subsequently Marshal OF Maine,
was born and reared in this village. II
is also the birth place of Hon. John ID.
! Long, Tor two years past The popular
! Speaker OF the Massachusetts House OF
! Representatives, and now prominent
candidate tor Governor. lie Is The son
OF Zldok Long, Esq Tor many years one
of the most intelligent and valuable clt'-
zen OF the town.
Buckfeld was settled almost simu.-
tauoousiy with Paris, Bethe,, Rpm!urd
and others OF the more important towns
in the county. About this time there was
general movement against The wilder
ness, all along the line, and the sound oil
! the wodman's axe TCSeuuded through the
| forest, from the waters Of the Sscn io
those a. tee Andrcscoggin. The Urs'
opening .r Bdckfcld WINS made uY Benz.
/ Sp9u.diug 81 Chelmsford, Mass, 90 lao
! The TWO inst settlers were Thomas Allen
and Abiiah Back, Nh0 moved IN about
the frs, ol April. l.l1. Allen was a de.
serter from the British service, SID Back
| had been soldier In .be F.carh IN! H.
| disu wars ard was i1 tLo army 81 Crown
| Point. vixen the tall of Quebec put au
lend uttc long and bloody contest The
It's, settlers did not own the land or
/ which they settled, being yc1itable squat
\ tcrs, but IN 1856 fifteen OF them ioIm.d
/ themselves into an association, and pm
chased the township OF the committee 90.
the Massachusetts Legislature, having
/ charge of the sale O! oasieru la1d-, ~
two shillings per acre, with tho nsnsl
reservations for mic.steynl ard school
purposes. The names OF these proprielc.-
were Abiiah Buck, Benz SgauIdiug.J hr
/ Warren. Nathaniel Blcs, jonathan T5'el
! Ihos. Alien, John Brown, Asa Lewis,
/ Edmund Chandler, D1miuicus Record,
John BlCa, Thomas Co-uyr, Moses MaI-
Iril, L.eutzer Lauc aud Ja5t1 Cu,hM-u.
/ The three Backs were brothers, -Al
moved o. iuu New Gloucester. Was,
( their native Gown was VS. have never
been aU,e 10 ascertain. AJish BucAW as
agent ol ,tr p.su.e.or>, and was the
person sent % Boston go luy tho la.i.
and when q division WAS mtls IT, bad
! nine rights, r much large. humble. 40
lazy other proprietor. i s.. Pau C.i'i1,
or one OF hi missionary tours tfrH.EH
/ Name, 1896, visited Blckiell, 4li made
! the following entry in isiourn-l: jane
18th. Buckuoll, formerly BucAtC $751;, pan
| up with Mr.. Geo. Back. original Lon
! y waury, who, with nothing ll. lie
/ hands, his advanced to i.c Lu-I.cl
acres ot good Alt. lie ~, Oh p,a-
| a milk from ten cows PtOblt. j ur
Buck was the one referred o.. .s ,asrr
VAS 10 George Back among ,-e e-r!s
settlers. uud John Buck IN The division
had i've shares. cq1al o. hFr huriret
acres. lie m4Iuej Abigail I-'~l of Gnr-
ham. and WIS.,, the father OF. Simeon BAGS,
whose viJoa: Lrui, (Dr.w) BAGS, Joe
Gently ri, In Grafton ~ a advanced
age.
o! ldo d.ccI ou- iJI prpii~urs.
some OF them never uvtJ n town. In6
/ Warren. moved hero from E.rS.c. ,ac
| Sp.ulIiDgs from Che Ms,oid. a.,d avon.
! Tyler. and tie Bucks IRON Ne@ g. .pcrs-
I ter. Other settlers sJJE came, amt hr
rights were r-uidiy token up d, Isl
/ Turner, Lease Foster, Lsmuel Croker.
and John LaphGm came from Pembroke.
Mass. Tobias, George anu Jas. Rcscr
! from Berwick; the Cil.cyS from Goyh1m 4;
! the COburns from Dracut; Deacon WA.
Berry came from Falmouth. lie had
eleven chi dcen, who grew up 10 have
families, and eighty-nine grandchildren.
Seba Smith was eu early settler. and his
son Seba Smith, Jr.. born her. $ -. r.,
| 1892, became famous as the author ui he
Jack Downing letters, aud was editor OF
the Edst,fU ATytS. aud contributed many
fine articles, beth in prose and poetry. 10
the current literature OF the day. The
packarlS and Josiah Paris came rom
Bridgewater. The latter WIS brother
OF Samuel Paris of Hebron. who Wps
the father OF Hon. Albion X. Paris ono
OF the carly governors of Maine. Nr,hl
Chase, an early settler, came from Wind
ham, where he was born IL va %
colder in the war for Independence, and
came 10 BuChiie.d on iuot, through the
wilderness. soon after its close. He he
came = Baptist minister, and performed
much missionary labor IL the new set
Element OF Oxford County, where he was
highly lslet ned. He lived to be over
ninety years Of age. The old Chase
homestead is still kept in the family. The
CrCckelts also came from Windham. The
descendants of the persons we have
named, make up 3 large percentage oil