Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1883-01-30
For the Democrat.
-Or-r1r PARIS SIXTY YEARS AGO.

.-sr3sptS OF the families who settled So.
paris. 10 be reminded OF what il was sixty
wears ago.
Twas only known at that time as Stow
sr-> Mills. Elias StOwell, having pur-
chased "a large tract Of land, viz, from one
p, two thousand acres, embracing all OF
,sIanis which now constitute the village
,eS,. Paris, IS well as all the water there
.-.-.rsl. had erected dam and built mills
which a- that time were the only mills
;r town. Before the building Of the mills
..>, Paris. the first settlers went 70 New
.....,.s~ t1 have their grinding done
.-f offered 90 assist In raising buildings.
Ar..a and spotted line was their only
t.-a-hflrc SO that time.
r- fl, >.x.y--v1 years now since Elias
>.ru aa.,bed aud moved into what is
r.r called the Andrews House, which he
r--- r,- h., own residence, and was occu-
t.gA'm soJ f,mily until his death, and
,..aay be-, family an disposed OF 10 lS4S
.ruo, p.cy.a-. ami soon after con-
verified into public house
f-,, framed house erected on the
.s,. side OF the bridge was built by Elias
>..s... aud stood on the same spot where
"a. brown cottage now stands in the rear
.- -.. residence Of Alvah Hersey, esq,
.-f.. The land 10 front OF the house was
selr.suI lawn. at the head OF which aud
.- s,ser s.le OF the front door were two
a--e English pnplavs. Forty years ago
.-G :.e west doorstep was horse-b'oct
..- .-.a d large pine TIRE, which was found
convenient 81 that time. n riding was
...,, exclusively In the saddle. i, was
I'D. ar uncommon thing FOR the wives Of
-. f->t settlers OF Paris 20 Journey 10
Massachusetts, and back in the saddle.
I'll. mother % the writer was one with
OH ., who rode % Worcester and back a
.-..- er times in the saddle, one hun
t-.I ana my miles.
ST. .-a space between the saw mill and
..I Stowcu house was occupied a a
a-i About midway between WAS
,-. camp where A man by the name %
shaved shingles - cover the first
r- erected a. StowelVS Mills.
A.. ,ae time when the Andrews House
va, g-.l;, there was only one other dwell
..- house west OF that on the Rumford
-I. and TIA, was built nv AmaSa FoheS
opposite the odd Fellows Hall on the east
-I. % the road, in from the road about
SIX rods This house Wa then owned by
sN-. Clipmsu. who owned blacksmith
Shop. which stood on the spot where now
-.suf~ the Odd Fellows Hall; and ii was
T.. .-; old blacksmith shop tina; the wo--
t..t.t.-au blacksmith ~ Paris Hin Cy-
-s- Chapman. learned his trade of his
BROTHER. simeon. At that time, aPprcu-
t...> learning trades worked evenings. AMI
..ewr.,er oc this article has many an eve
r.a- blown the bellows 20 heat the rods
..r CYRUS 90 make nails. All nails at that
,ue We're hand made. All the hr>t build
rs ~ Pari, were wrough; nailed.
sixty years ago all the dwellings on The
ives, side OF the bridge aud south NJ the
road. was the Psrsou, house, opposite the
Andrews House. bull, by Joseph Rust, and
q oue-s.o-y house about zen rods west OF
the Rust house owned ay Isaac Smith
and one other house adjoining smiths.
owned by Duie. Noble. Beyond MOBILES
house. 10 was q forest % the NORWAY
line on the south side OF the road-aoour
Two hundred acre, OF original pine f5re>,
trees.
Ou;le north and west side oCthe Norway
-taf. frow The blacksmith shop .OId Eel
lows Han. now thcrr were two dwelling
houses OF one story each, owned by Austin
Baok a1i Cypriau Ha,l-the lots were con-
uec,,i.-the John B Stoweu house and
tie house adjoining east.
From the S;owell house TO Norway line
on the north aui west side OF the road, il
was original fores; with the exception Of
81 large new clearing OF about one hundred
acres, extending Just beyond the house Of
James Curtis. All OF the lands OF the Skill
l.ngs heirs were occupied as pasture lands
A. the time mentioned.
When the Stowen brothers purchased
their lands and made their openings st So.
Paris. RuStfeld now Norway could have
been bought for dNeen hundred dollars. /
have heard Elias Stowell observe that he
made quite an effort % induce wealthy
Worcester man Capt Lewis Barnard) 70
mskethe purchase; ne hesitated. but finally
concluded that s. il was so far out Of the
world that IL would never " made avail
able. be would not make the investment.
More anon. D. p. 5.
Canton, jan, 1859.