The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1886-10-06
THE WESTON FAMILY.
Centennial Celebration OF One
Branch Of 1t.

Tx !" SsSN N"fsEf
Centennial Celebration OF One
Branch Of 1t.
EzNJANfN wEsroS's Defendants coNGRF-
GAlE At TIE ANscEsTRAL HOME
~ MADISON.
One hundred years ago Benjamin We
ton settled in the town OF Madison, one
mile above the village on he eastern
bank of Of the kcnncbcc, in one Of the
ovclcst spots in the lovely Kcnucbec
valley. The river. a. It rol- grandls
southwark, just at the point where the
house is located makes n sharp dctour to
IN the flowing waters which give river
view both up and down, to the north aud
southwest. that is beauty itself Mr.
Weston exercised rare good scnsc. or had
rare good fortune, in selecting both the
site of his residence and his farm. It i
related that his stcp-falhcr offered 10 give
him = tract Of laud directly across thc
river on the Arson side, but The plucky
young man preferred rather 10 buy the
land he wanted, than to have given him
land that did not suit him.
MIR Weston seemed 10 act upon the
theory that Mrs Hawkins, "aeharactrr in
EgelcstonS ,llooSicr Schoolma>tcr. APP
piled to the land que stion, viz: When
you are gittin' git Il plenty Mr. We
ton got enough for a nice large farm Gao
acres. more or less. Unlike the srasping
land shark who said Il don't care for
much land, all want i what land jnes
me he wanted some land that didnt
"jinc" him, and got it, a splendid rich j.
land in the kenncbec that was a mine n
wealth to him and has been to his family
ever since.
Joseph Weston. the father of Benjamin
came to Skowhegan in the year l77o, To-
Gated land on the Bloomfield side some
miles down the river from the falls and
with man by the name Of Haywood
passed the winter of l77o-l there. II 10
stated that these were the first settlers
that ever put in a winter in what is now
Skowhcgan These men returned to
Massachusetts in the summer Of I'll. and
Joseph Weston, that same season re
moved to the Maine wilderness and be
came the FIRST permanent settler in Skow-
hcQan. Joseph Weston died in 10, from
"A fever brought on by exposure incurred
in assisting Arnold in getting his cNpedi-
ton past the rapids below Skowhcgan
falls. and was buried on the home farm
about two miles below What is now Skow
hogan village. Benjamin Weston was
born in Concord. Mass Fcb. ,, TO. and
was consequently 81 years old when he
began life in Madison. He married Anna
Powers. March ~, l7ss, and died April :,
1871. His wife died April p. 1871.
THE REUNION
Benjamin Weston had eleven children.
Stephen Benjamin, Nathan and William,
Annie married Samuel Burns Of Madi-
som Mary tmarrcd Ephraim Spauldng
of An>on1: Fannie married Rufus BiNby
of Norridgewock Eunicr married Mcr-
ril blanchard of Woodstock. y b -;
Electra (marricd Hon, VIM. L. Flint of
Auson5 Hannah unmarried
I hcsc ten married children seemed to
be reasonably successful in raising fam-
lies, rs they had ON an average ten chill
drcn each. Thus Benjamin weston was
the grand-~irc of ust Loo children ! he
number of the succeeding generations,
history does not state.
The assembling of representatives of
this large family at the old homestead,
and on the paterEal acres, Thursday. Sep
TENDER Both, to the number of about SOC -
with loo connections and invited guests
lOn years from the date of the settlement
Of their honorcd ancestor, WAS notable
event. and one that will long be remcm-
bcrcd by the participants.
The only representative of the second
generation present, WAS Nathan Weston
( tncle Nathan who is within n few days
of 30 years of age. He is "A tall, slim.
wiry man, erect and graceful in move
mcnt as II man of % wears, conNer>eS IN
kindly, clear voice in tersc. clean cut sell
tcncrs has "A shrcwd. merry twinkle in
his small brown eyes. that light mp his
colnteuancc as he cordially grcct> his
many relatives and friends and recalls the
incidents Of former years lie * the
owner Of the homestead. was born thcrc,v
and there has lived all his life. Every
foot of the farm the river, the forest and
farm scenery, the outline of hills. near
and remote. are familiar to his eye, and,
by the infringing process carried on for
"a years, must be deeply craven upon his
memory.
OF the third generation Of 100, 90 are
living and many of them were present
including the oldest, Mrs. Currier, of
Chelsea. Mass daughter OF Stephen. aye
about - years, aud the Youngest, {. l.
Weston, of Milwaukee Wis, son Of Will
lam aged about 30 years.
Among these are some of tho best
known people of SomcrSc', thrifty, rcso-
Lutte. hardy, respectable men and women,
an honor 10 the Weston name, and who
have well performed their part in their
allotted spheres of action. The same may
he said of those of the family who
sought homes out side of Somerset county
Among those present, we note; I'll
Weston. Portland; b. = J. Weston, Madi-
son: Mrs. Mary Weston Currier, Chelsea,
Mass Hon. |. VI Weston, Grand Rapids,
Mich. Mrs G. d. Morrill,, Madison; Sen
ator-clcct George Flint, Anson: Mrs.
Geo W. Johnson, Industry; Hon. \. r.
BiNby, Skowhcgan: Or Thomas Flint
san. .ian. Cal; L. i. Flint, san Francis
60. Cal Mrs. +. b HELLER, Bangor: b.
+ Weston, Oakland, Cal. Judge Dean
Blanchard. Portland, Oregon; Amos Blk
by, Boulder, Col; Rev S. BiXby, OF
Holland, Mas. John +. Weston, Anson:
George Weston. NorridgcwoCk; Josiah
Weston, Colorado; Willard Weston,
lIoulton; Jesse Spanlding. and Ephraim
SpauldnL, all Of Anson; Samuel Burns,
Madison; MIS-. I N. lhflflugc, tIdTulhtT'
Mrs Dihblce. Portland, Oregon Miss
EAnor Weston. Madison; Miss. &. y.
BiNby, NurrilgcWock; Mrs c. X. Mich
OILS, Browuyillc Mrs WittenhouNe, Park
crsburg, W. Va Mrs Titco1nh. Farming
ton: Mrs Moore Corinna; Mrs Dean
l.. Reed Madison; Mrs. Stevens, Madison.
Mrs A. II, Fletcher. Skowhcgan; Mrs
Athcrn. Oshkosh. Wis. Clarence Weston
Portland; Mrs Barron, Madison; Mr..
Brown Arson.
Nathan Weston has three daughters and
tive SONS living Tho daughters were all
present and four of the 1--WE sons ono
Augustus was killedin the war of lNGI =.
He was twice marred Almeda noolfr
was the first, and Emma '. Mann the see
ond Wife both deceased,
The REPORTER is not favored with the
names of any considerable number of the
grcat-grand children present, and only
mention ucorge H. Hopkins, of Bangor,
Cashire of kcnduskeag National Bank,
and Mrs J. +. Pratt of Chelsea. Mass
who is well Ycr>cl in the gcncalogy of
the family, and purposes to publish a
book at an early day.
The Wcstons were fortunate in the