Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1877-09-25
From the Maine Farmer.
Notes from the Country.
NoRwAY, Aug. 80 b,

situated near inc IOOl Ol Cuutsse "hSSc
pond, the largest oil the numerous ponds
in Oxford County, and bounded on the
north and west by high uplands. Most
OF the dwelling houses rs well as the
hotels, stores, and shops, are situated on
each side oil The main street, which Is
more than half a mile in length. a few
short streets have been opened at right
angles with tie principle street, and
within lew years quite q number Of
small dwellings have been erected In the
suburbs. The buildings are generally
painted white, with green blinds, accord
ing to the prevailing fashion in our New
England villages. The main avenue is
broad, and bordered on either side with
wide branching elms, and when these are
clothed ia their midsummer garb, the
street presents very fine appearance.
Norway village is Il busy hive, and
aud many branches OF industry are here
successfully carried on. The water
power furnished by the overflow OF the
pond is ali improved. There is large
grst mill at the upper end OF the village
where western wheat Is ground and
barreled for the market, by w. ii. Foster,
and farther down is wool carding and
cloth dressing establishment, the oldest
in the county. Near by is q large tan
merry, which has been in successful opera.
ton for many years by j. l.. Horne.
The Norway Shoe Factory witch was
erected by the town few years ago has
proved great success. under the man
agement OF b. +. Splnney ~ 90. While
many such enterprises In other places
have failed to accomplish what they
promised or have failed altogether, the
Norway Factory has kept on and has
been OF great benefit TO the village and
town. More than two hundred workmcn
are employed, and the monthly pay roll
amounts To 70 small sum. There are
several other important manufacturing
establishments in the place. MI. y. NJ.
| Truil manufacture, llnc carriages add
sleiah-; 4. Sanborn Il Son, shovel han
dies and G.. S Thicker harnesses and
trunks. There are also in The village, or
at Steep Falls, IL short distance below, n
pulp mill. foundry. machine shop
bakery. etc.
Norway village has two good hotels,
one OF which the Beal Hotel, is designed
especially Tor the accommodation ol sun
mcr travel and city b1acdcrs. Inc UdI-
versalisls aud Congregationalists each
have strong society here, with good
and substantial church eiilices. There
are also TWO moneyed institutions, one q
savings bank and the other doing bus!-
ness under the national banking system,
! Both aIc sale and reliable institutions.
! The town OF Norway is made mp o.
several grants, the principal oil when
were once known rs Rusllie!d Plantation,
! Lee Grant and Cummings Grove. These,
with several tiers OF lots from waterford
were consolidated and Al first called
Justified. and finally, March Oh, l.9"
| incorporated into town ana called Nor
way. After the close OF the war Tor IN
! dependence, the returned soldiers iron
the towns nearer the sea coast began IL
| invade the wilderness with The view al
hewing out homes for themselves, anu
for their posterity. Having, from long
service in the patriot army, became II =
ured TO the hardships and privations oI
camp-llc, they were well prepared 10
become the pioneers of a settlement IN
the wilderness. The fertility OF the sol
around The great pond, as shown by lht
luXuriant growth OF the forest trees, al
irac,ed The attention OF hunters from the
town OF Gray, and they resolved on
making settlement, and in 1856, i've
men, viz: George Lesley, Joseph and
| Jonas ) eYens, and Jeremiah and Amos
Hobbs came up and cut down trees ard
made arrangements TO move their IAN
| lilies in the following spring. Ihey
erected log houses. and each man carried
on his back board from Jackson's mill
on Stony Brook in Number tour (Parls) ,
with which 10 make u door. These Were
the first settlers of Norway. and The
Hotbs ard Stevens brothers have a pu-
merous posterity, number OF whom slliI
remain in their native town. William
and John Parsons came in the same year,
and after that the town was settled quite
rapidly. Many of the early settlers
came from Gray, though probably but
fe W, it any of the heads OF families were
born there. The Stevens brothers were
probably OF Gloucester. Mass, as were
also the brothers of Anthony and Nath'i
Bennett, though the two latter came to
Norway from New Gloucester. Asa
Dunham was of Carver, Mass. lie was
soldier in the war OF 1872, and died al
Plattsburg. His widow, Lydia Durham,
afterwards moved to Woodstock and lett
large posterity. Ebenezer Cobb, father
! OF Sylvanus, the celebrated Uuniversalst
preacher, and grandfather OF Sylvanus
Jr., the story writer came from plymouth
County, Mass, and was OF puritan stock.
The Barlletts, Captain Josiah and Levi.
who were quite prominent IN the early
history of Norway, were OF old plymouth,
Mass. The Milelts, who have been
closely identified with the growth and
prosperity Of the town and also Benz.
Rowe, we've OF Cape Ann. The Upions
were of Reading, Mass. Henry Rust, Jr.
of Salem. son of the proprietor OF
Rustfield Plantation, became a resident
of the town in 1908 He brought with
him chaise, which was the first in town.
Joseph Rust came soon after and was
appointed the first Register Of Deeds, at
the organization of Oxford County in
1905. lie served len years. In 1907.
Henry Rust, DR., was elected County
Treasurer aud served till his death, in
1920.
The early settlers of Norway were
generally men OF large stature and OF
iron constitution, and these physical
traits have been transmitted TO their de-
scendanls. Esquire Rust and few
others, were men OF education and had
moved in good society, and they exerted
strong influence in moulding the char