Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1879-10-14
OF PARIS WHO MOVED
TO WOODSTOCK.

1T was proper lnat thc tltlIcHs vi N"ou-
stock should attend the Paris Centennial
in large numbers, rs they did, for Wood
stock is in fact, the eldest daughter OF
Paris Not that the early settlers in Wood
stock or many OF them, were born in
/ Paris, but they came to Paris first, and
after few years soj0urn there, they
pushed forward farther into the wilderness
and occupied the hilly lands Of Number
| Three, as Woodstock was called while n
plantation. As we have once before stated
in this paper, stimulus was first given to
! the settlement of Woodstock by the lOca-
tion in 1895, OF a county road connecting
Number Four (Paris) with New Penna-
cook (Rumford). This road was located
on the petition Of the inhabitants Of New
! PeunacoOk TO the Court Of General Ses-
sons sitting in Portland. The road was
| laid out by Nathaniel c. Allen, Isaac Par
sons Ichabod Bonney, John Greenwood
and Peleg Chandler and the following are
some Of the points named in the minutes
OF the survey: Beginning at hemlock
tree In the easterly line Of Paris standing
in the centre OF the county road to be To-
Gated. and laying two rods on each side of
the tree; thence 10 a point opposite Solo
mon Shaw's house; thence to point op-
posite Abner Shaw's barn; thence to Il
point opposite Benjamin llammond's barn; I;
thence TO the centre of county road for
merly laid out to the center lot in Paris :;
thence on said road lj5 rods 10 the end
thereof; thence to the bridge over Swift
Brook: thence TO the north end of bridge
over Fall Brook; thence 10 stake and
slaves on the easterly side OF the little
.imdriscoggin river at Biscoe's Falls thence
10 the northwest corner OF Paris &c.
This road passed through Woodstock and
extended to the south line Of Rumford
have always supposed that this was the
first road located over High Street, but 1t
was stated in Mr.. Kings address that the
High Street road was located in l779 to
connect Paris with Bethel. The road To-
Gated in 1875 began at or near the south
east corner of the town and run diagonally
! 10 the northwest corner, and If II did not
20 over High Street where did 1t 90? And
this road was not located 10 connect Paris
with Bethel but with Rumford, and on the
petition of the inhabitants of Rumford. |
had also supposed that this was the road
that led over Number -Four Hill, and this
question can easily be- decided by those
familiar with the location of IIammond'S
and Shaw'S barns and Of Shaws house
The Commissioners were eleven days in
locating this road and the entire expense
WAS only 5000, and out of this Lcmucl
Jackson. jr., was paid for seven days work
and Nicholas Che>ley for six.
But took up my pen to speak Of some
of the early settler, of Paris who after
wards went up TO Woodstock. First.
were the three sons of Solomon Bryant,
| Christopher, Solomon. jr., and Samuel.
who were the first settlers in Woodstock.
/ Solomon Bryant. the father, was OF Plymp-
ton, Mass. married Elizabeth Curtis OF
Hanover; moved TO Gray and lived there
several years, thence 10 Paris, where he
died in ls27. Luther Briggs was a son of
Ephraim Briggs one Of the original New
! Gloucester Shakers; he married daugh-
ter of Solomon Bryant, and moved from
Paris 10 Woodstock in l797. William
Swan, born in Charlestown, Mass, came to
Paris from Woburn and with his only son,
VIM ir., moved To Woodstock. Two ot
his daughters married Solomon jr. and
Christopher Bryant. His grandson, VIM.
Swan, now quite aged, resides in Paris.
John Mason lived early in Paris, moved to
Woodstock and remained few years, then
moved out again. Cornelius Perkins, from
the east part of Woodstock. His wife was
Mercy BarrowS. Lemuel Perham moved
from Upton, Mass, to the centre lot in
Paris thence 10 High Street, and in 1911
10 Woodstock, where his two oldest sons,
Jotham and Lemnel jr. had preceded him
The wife OF Lemuel Perham was Betsey
Gurney. Edmund, Cyprian and Harvey
Bowker were the sons OF James and judith
(Chase) Bowker of Paris. All three went
to Woodstock.
Rev. Ransom Dunham, son of James o.
Bridgewater who married q Ransom ant
came early to Hebron, married Susan
daughter of Lemuel Jackson, jr., of Paris,
and worked ut blacksmithing at Paris Hill
subsequently removed to the eastern par
OF the State and finally 10 Woodstock
where he still resides, aged 50. Ziba An
drews, son of David who came from PolanC
To North Paris, married Thankful Wash
burn, daughter OF Stephen and came Il
Woodstock and built the mill now carried
on by his son. Antepast Durell, son o
Samuel an early resident of Paris, came Il
, Woodstock and married n daughter o
widow Lydia Dunham; lived in the cas-
part of the town. Benz. F. Crawford
came from Worcester County, Mass.
married Sophia, daughter of Amarial
Harris of Paris, moved to Woodstock an,
r died there last year.
Job Lurvey was Of Cape Ann and cam
thence to New Gloucester where he marie,
, Betsey. daughter of Richard Tobie, cam
to Paris and with his estate was set off int
Woodstock. Luther Dudley, whose wifi
was Nancy Wellington of Sudbury, cam
from Natick, Mass, and settled near SOutl
= Paris, where he soon after died. His wild
ow with her sons Josiah, Moses and War