Oxford Democrat., 1889-06-04
for ths Oafori Demoerat
SoDon AND TURKEY rlLl.


For ths Osfori Demcsrst
Sopon AND TURKEY HlLL.
I wonder how many of the Parislans
II the present time known that during
the early years II the CENTURY the capital
town of oxford county hsd within its
borders q stirring pllcr, place of note
and considerable Importance. containing
many farms and houses. which was well
known to all the country around a.
.sSo,lom~f such was the fact. The little
hamlet. tO b. SURF, was not organized
for voting purposes, bat n. boundaries
we're a. well defined. and H. Inhabitants
~ we'll known n. are those ~ the pre-
tentiou. and fashionable village ~ south
Paris to-day. How IL came by the old
f,.hIon.l bible name which stald with II
80 long. 3. not certainly known to-day,
bat CERTAIN II !. that many 81 the early
.ettlrr- of the town. after clearing land
and burning brush till their work was
done In this world, sailed away Tor the
new Jerusalem from seldom.
The road running norih-westerly and
.outh-eastsriy over Turkey I'LL was Tor
some Year. In carly times the most Inn
portant and most travelled thoroughfare
In town. Great four-and .iN-horse teams
came down that way from the country
above, and keeping on past the four
corner. where nov are the fair grounds,
struck the trail ~ many similar teams
which came through Greenwood and
Norway. "a "~teep ialls". sO-callei,
which was then quite separate from Nor
Way village. hat nov Included la the
corporatiOn. Ihe.e teams were loaded
With dressed hog. aud sheep. With beans,
butter. cheese, oats, S.-in Tact MIN
ANYTHING the early settler- had to spare
that could fnd a market Va Portland, and
returned loaded with salt, lime. spices
calico. (sO-callcd them tea, coffee Ac.-
In fact. all the supplies the farmers could
not rai.e on their farms. These many
team. mostly came from the distant
.e,tlement. At the north and west, hut
hundred. ~ smaller team., one aud two
horse, Joined the great caraNan' roin
Pari. and Norway, and IN" more south
erlv towns. especially In the fall, when
the farmer. la all the country around,
took their Portland trip with their round
hog and their hag of beans 10 lay Va
supple. Tor the winter.
Now. u the reader please. We vii leave
the busy triangle ~ the modern Paris oi
the south. and tamping up High street
pas. over until We come to the parting
Of the ways." Had We reached here any
time prgyi0us a. l~l1. We should have
found no rad running up the valley
toward. West Paris. a. that rad was
hullt that wear. To-day the road l. well
Travelled. with many house. upon u.
We will leave II and pass "a the len
.oon cro.s the railroad. aud leaving the
lied factory to the left. keep ON up the
h.lng land. aud la Ices than mile We -"
the two-.tory farmhouse ~ John Web
her. where W. strike the grvat team
thoroughfare ~ the early YEAR.
John Wehtsr .. the sou ~ Rust Web
her. the note,i brick and pottery maker
of oxford plains. John Weber married
John whiiehead's daughter, and henc"
he reside. on the old Whitehead home
.tead. John Whitehead Vas the pioneer
Al that corner. H. hrst built a cheap
ons-.tory hou.s .Omr sixty r"ds north
east of where MI. son Bow lives, towards
the Cane. but quite early d. built the
present house up on the "grrat fo'I,
aud opened a tavern to accommodai' ii's
many travellers. For many year. the
big aud little teams, a. they passed hoNh
and back upon that road' s"ughi i"on
aud shelter az John Nhltehetd tavern
on that corner. New for forty years the
.low tramp ~ the loaded horses Ia. CIV
GA way "a the rapid clang of the tefflble
engine. a. Il m.he. up the valleys and
among the hill. doing the work 81 a
thousand horse. without los of brraih
or getting weary. And 40 the Jolly song
and the merry jc.t of the old tavern days
ha. given place a. the quiet aud sober
life of an old farm Homestead.
Ouite early IN the history ~ the town.
.oon after the Turkey I'LL road became
.o great a thOrOughfare for the great
team. of the more n0ftherly country. a
mad va. laid out aud built frorp thr tpl
of Turkey IIIll. acrO.. ,bs low land nortl
az the Iape. across the river. and 40 ou
Ia the settlement of Paris llill, reaching
the top of the hill not Car from WHERE the
court house now stands. On thai fDaa,
In the valley between the two hill.' Nrr.
numerous settlements, all ~ them u
tradition l. true. west of the river. foi
many wear. there was NO bridge over the
little Andro.coggin at the crossing.
4 man by the name ~ Perkins lived oi
the west hank aud quite near the river
Asa Kicker was ne'.r neighbor' hNlhl
about thirty rods to thr west. Mr-
Kicker Wa. a very line woman. but o
, Asa tradition -ays be- drank much NOR
Wc.t lndia rum than was needed. !
man from Massachusetts, boarded viii
them for some time. One day he va
missed by the neighbor., having dlsap
pearr,l very suddenly. Noone could tel
where h. had gone. lie never appeare'
, A All. home IN Massachusetts,. and va
, never heard ~ afterwaTds. There wa
: much excitement among the peighhor-
r and throughout the town, and the gossip
, were very busy. from the fact that u va
|, supposed that Kicker had his watch
! Tie we'll was explored to the bottotn' tll
river was dragged, aud search was mad
in al directions. hut the missing ma
was never found. Soon afterward
Ri,ker moved away, aud report came !
A few YEAR that be- had becn throw
n fr,m hi. horse aud killed. Aud agai
4 thr go..lps were busy. No e,tdeno
n against Kicker ever came to light, aud
"A Il Altogether probable that hs knew 4
"a little about the missing man a. his neigi
. bor-. The man disappeared about thee
:, foarths of a century ago.
Tie reminder later.