Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1877-09-18
From the Maine Farmer.l
Notes from the Country.
PANS HILL. Aug. "a, IS

Among the many pleasant villages
lhrou b the County oil Oxford,
there is none. in our opinion, all things
so attractive as this faris
Hill. II is situated several hundred teet
above the surrounding country and is the
highest village in Maine. The mountain
: scenery, especially to the north and west,
is very fine. In the distance, Mount
Washington, with several others OF the
same group, can be seen, while farther
towards the south are Mount kearsarge
rising in solitary grandeur, and Pleasant
Mountain with it's wooded sides and sum-
nit, situated in the town OF Denmark.
North OF the White Mountain group
there is an almost unbroken range, rising
peak above peak, extending long dis
lance toward the head waters OF the Ken
nebec and Penobscot rivers.
Paris Hill is delightful place in which
TO pass The summer months. and persons
from the large cities who try the effect OF
It's. bracing air are quite sure TO come
again. Daring the past week. while the
people in other localities were sgeltering
iu the dog days weather with the mer
curry up in the nineties. it was delightfully."-
cool aud comfortable here. t. il Is so
pure and the drainage 50 pell.ct. here
that cases OF typhoid 'er and other
Kindred diseases rerrI1 occur.
Paris was one vi the Canada town
ships, and was granted in IN 10 Joshua
Fuller and associates for sci vices rem
dered 10y their ancestors in the unlor-
tunate invasion of Canada by the army
under Sir William Phipps in 1890. Eight
years aiterward the first settlement was
made by colony from marlborough.
Mass. Among the number who first
came were l.eiLuel Jackson and his son
Lemuel Jr.. Dea. John Willis and II Mr..
Daniels, and the grand children and great
grand children OF each OF these families
continue 10 reside here. The early sell
tiers of all our inland towns made their
hrsl cearings on the high arabic lands.
because upland in those days was con-
sidered more valuable for farming pur-
poses, and because there was still q
lingering lear OF the Indians. and pet
ter defence could be made on the hills
than in the valleys. for obvious reasons.
The first settlement in Paris was made on
this hill and the first corn raised in town
grew on the land now occupied by the
county buildings. Two years after the
settlement was begun, the Indian raid
into Sudbury Canada (BetheD occurred,
and il was here that several 81 the fright
ened inhabitants of that colony and the
one at New Pennacook (Rumlord) found
refuge. The colony here grew quite
rapidly and fourteen years alter the tirst
settlers came the town was Incorporated
by its present name. Among the early
settlers, the Jacksons, Willises, Bar
rowses, Danielses, Hathaways, and
Forbeses came from marlborough, the
Coles and several others from Bridge
water, the Rawsons and Bolsters from
Sutton, the Perhams from Upton, the
Swans from Woburn. the Bryants from
Plympton, the Stearnses, Biscos and BE
misses from WATERFOWL, the Stowells
from Worcester, and in fact most oil them
came from the old and overpopulated
towns oil Massachusetts.
The first settlers OF Paris were Baptists,
and that denomination has always held
it's position as the leading one 10 town.
The first settled minister was Rev. Jas.
Hooper, who came here from Berwick,
his native town. He WAS not only the
pastor oil the church but leader in all
the affairs oil the town. He was an
ardent democrat, and he and Squire
Prentice, who was whig. frequently
discussed politics in he columns OF the
local paper. Elder Hooper was a men,
Der OF the convention which framed the
Constitution OF Maine. He was man
OF ability, though somewhat eccentric
and very decided in his views. The
present pastor OF the Baptist church is
Rsv. DIR. Estes, a native oil this County,
who is ripe scholar, profound thinker
and an excellent religious teacher.
The moral and Intellectual condition OF
town for many generations, depends
largely on the character Of the first set
tiers, and this generally recognized fact
Is true with regard TO Paris. The hrst
settlers came OF good old Puritan stock,
AMI many of them we're well educated
and men of good repute in the communi-
ties iIom which they removed. They
LETT their homes because the old hive was
full and it was necessary that colonies
should be planted elsewhere. A lew
years ago much of the wealth OF the
town had conferred here on Pal Hill, and
was in the hands of less than dozen
men. 1t became the Wall Street OF the
whole eastern part of the County. But
all The old money lenders have been
gathered 10 their fathers and their large
accumulatious have been divided Up and
carried elsewhere. The names OF Croker
Cummings, Kittredge. Cushman, Raw
son and Dudley, all now dead. were
among the wealthiest citizens in town.
Few towns in the State have furnished
more men for high office than Paris,
though not all OF them were born here.
Hannibal llamlin. Governor, Senator and
Vice President, commenced his public
lie here. His father, DR.. Cyrus Hamlin,
was one OF the first County officers al
the incorporation OF Oxford County in
1905, when Paris was made The shire
town. Governors Lincoln and Paris
both practiced law in Paris, and Governor
Perham now resides here. Not less than
twelve members OF Congress have either
been born here or have had their resi-
dences here. Hon. lioratio King, once
Postmaster General, was a native OF this
town and formerly published paper
here in connection with Senator Hamlin.
hre is much good farming land on
the slopes of Paris Hill and it is gener-
ally we'll cultivated. 'rhe trade is mostly
local. and except when the court is in
session the place is quiet. A new enter
prise has sprung up here OF late which
has been quite successful. 1t is the manu-
facture OF children's carriages and seds,
L. To- Inr lar 70