Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1889-07-30

Among tie EARLY settlers ~ ths splen.
,iil township ~ Bethel. N-r- four broth
er. hy the name ~ bartlett, Who came
from NcWton. Mas. ThcS had lecn In
urrd a. farming in Massachusetts, ani
showed eNcclleui Judgment la selecting
some of The bcst land Ia the township for
their farm. shout equal portions ~
lntrr,ale ani upland, which made extra
farm. for a dairy. a. veil ~ Cor rai.lng
neat stock. horses and general crop.
Tlie.e brother. became thrifty farmers,
producing large quantities. ~ butter ani
chcrss. and heavy crops ~ oats, beans,
&C.. for m,rket. Porilanl, about seven
ty.fNr mile distant, Nas the only mar
LIT fur their surplus. THE nccr.sliatcd
their spending much time on the road
With their teams.
About sixty wears hsVe clspsed .lnc"
the so-allei oh Rumfurl road Wa
located from Humfori Point through
Woodstock. over the long harl hill. Ia
that town aui similar one. in the north
western part ~ Paris. a. point uniting
with the local road leading to Norway
steep Fsils. ani inierscCiing a road lead
Ing to StoWell'. MILE, nov south rarls,
and about one mile from each place.
ln isps my father, John Whitehead,
migrated from Msldcn. Mas, to thls
town. aud bought the farm of EleaSer
Cole. an old settler. There we're small
buildings on the farm. panty framed,
with log addition: the farm was .ituat-
"A about go rOi. from Stowelrs Mills.
Nv father also bought half.l0t in
addition o. hi farm. of Mai. joel Robin
.an, another old settler living Ia the
.outh part - Paris. llls lani was then
bounded on the west by the Norway
road: on the north he owned on both
sile. IT the Paris road. In ISIS, at the
urgent request of many teamer- aud
travellers. b. built a large tWo-story
house designed for q tavern, and moved
into II the same year. Before that he
had a frame barn where BE- could put up
some eight ar ten horses. IL Was so0n
crowded with teams aud travellers, aud Va
iSlO be- built new stable, of Sire Ia
pui up sixteen more horses. lie then
procured license a. an innholder, aud
put up q sigu At the stable At the junction
of the two roads, leiterci, ~. White
head. Inn"
During about hfiern wears that thi.
.igu was pendant FROM the tall post ~
the angle of the Norway and south Paris
roads, there was more entertainment
furnished tO travellers aud tsamer- AZ
that inn than AZ any other In Oxford
County. Prom the ferry at Rumford
Point Tor about ten miles Ia a northerly
course up the great river and IT, tribu-
iaries, all the travel concentrated Into
the old Rumford, Paris aud Portland
road aud very large portion Of u would
rest the first night az Whitehead's lnn.
Quite generally they would aim Ia drive
from here about seventeen miles Ia the
top ~ the Kicker Hill In Poland, where
". Kicker was the genial aud h0spltable
landlord for nearly half ccniury, and
where man aud beast were SURF of good
fare at midday. That night most of the
traveller. would lodge at Gray Corner,
with that veteran landlord, L. %. Brown,
1T. Having pulled over all the long
hard hills, on the third day Il was an
easy drive into Portland, where they
would often stop two nights Ia accom-
plish their business. They would then
On their return stop the first night at
Gray Corner. aud dine the next day AZ
the genial Ricker's. (Ricker, by the
way. was the father of the prcsent pro-
prietOr II the Poland spring House
That night they would again reach the
corner Of the Norway AMI South Paris
roaCs, aud the next day their respective
I homes. There were many other Inns
I scattered along this highway that had
some custom, but the three named had
| by far the most.
A. the large farmers of Bethel aud all
I jacent towns raised many horses, When
they had a large quantity of produce to
market, they would, In addition to tive
or three-hOr.e team, take a single horss
team With their boy Ia drive, come out
to Paris With their load, aud the next
morning unload the sing e team aud ~.
load on Ia the other team; the boy would
then return. Thus Il will be seen what
opportunities had TO be acquainted
not only with the old farmers In that
section. hut somewhat with many oi
their sous, aud also why I assume Ia bs
the chronicler Of some events that vii
appear In the sequel.
will now resume my writing about
the Bartletts Of Bethel. promising thai
my sketch will be of one family anc
mostly of one member of that. thlnl
the eldest and most thrifty Of those boy
bore the odd name of Peregrine. Ill
was the father OF ten children, five o.
each sex, Who all lived To mature age ex
cept the youngest daughter. The oldes
sou was given the odd name freeborn
lie was of good habits and Intelligent
and was connected with events tina
made him somewhat noted, 80 that tn
name Of Freeborn Bartlett l. q househol'