Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1890-07-21
AROOSTO6K---XN.
ne Pairest Portion Of Nsv
England.
Named FOX I Great Statlsmil.
III I6fieultafe, Halaiadlfts md Gen
efal Business Iateresis Of The
faIl Of Rlaine.

By Hon Edward Wisgin.
No, every agricultural section viii bear
a. close inspection as viii the fertile county
Of Arpo-iook A. one rides along the main
highway from Houiton narfhward. he IL
surprised ansl delighted with the number of
fine. farms and handsome farm buildings
along this road in the several towns through
which the road passes while the view on
either hand Is most beautiful. When seen
| in a bright july day the prospect of long
stretches of cultivated fieitis running back
To the edge Of the woods, of neatly painted
and comfortably appointed farm buildings
on every hand, and the distant view Of
nlagnifeen; tracts Of forest growth of maple
birch and mixed growth. dotted here and
there with nev cieariugs in which the hum
bier home Of the new settler has but recent
is been ereeted-ail these impress upon the
mind OF the visitor To Aroostook that he Is
indeed in the
Yairest Portion Of New England
and that this great county of the northeas,
j. eapable of supporting an immense popu-
lation and OF adding largely 10 the wealth
and importance of the good State of Maine
r Il
who merely observes the country when nd
inc hurrieily along the main thoroughfares,
Il is deepened ami increased by a detailed
inspection of the different towns throughout
their entire extent AMI upon all the by
wavs and back roads of the comparatively
new settlements. The closer this inspection
j. made and the more thoroughly We exam
inc the country in every section, the more
fully are We convinced thai as an agricul-
tursl district it is unsurpassed by any sec
lion of our country.
Again when We come to see what men of
small means have accomplished here in a
very few wears. what comfortable homes
thcv have made for themselves and
families, all from the products of this fer
iii. soil. we are more than ever
convinced that now here in the land can the
average man without capital so soon acquire
home of his own on farm capable of
Welding him comfortable support. as he
can in the fair county of Aroostook Ii is
fair to Judge of the country by the results
that have been achieved, and in every part
of the county where settlements have been
| made We can point TO fertile farms and
| pleasant homes, only few years from the
wildwood rs witnesses TO the truth of the
| statements and descriptions made in these
articles and of the claim that Aroostook
offers advantages to the young men of
Maine superior to those of any other por-
ton of orr country.
| Some twenty-five miles north of Houlton
on the road to Presquc Isle, aud at the
point of intersection with the road through
Mars Hill and Easton to Fort Fairfield, is
situated the thriving little village of Blaine.
1t Is busy little inland village with neat
and handsome residences. and with Il beau
ufui outlying farming district on every
| hand. n
Tn. Town of Blaine
| includes but "a half township and extends
but three miles north and south and SIX
miles east from the boundary line. The first
clearing was made upon the town nearly
| fifty wears ago, just after the conclusion of
that bloodless struggle which has passed III
! to history "A the famed Aroostook War.
| In l,42 the wear in which the Ashburton
treaty was concluded, Mr. B. W. Chandler
cam, from the town of Winslow and cut
the first tree upon the town for farming
purposes The spot chosen by Mr., Chand-
Ter for his new home was the beautiful
ridge of land just north of the present vii
lage and upon the farm now occupied by
Mr. r. W. Lowell. With the exception of
the winter lumber roads. there WIS then M
road in all this section and the home of
! this hardy pioneer was miles from any
ncighbur, and in the midst of an almost
I boundless wilderness. Some six miles fur
ther north could be seen the smoke from
the log cabin of James Thorncraft, built
the wear previous on what is now the True
worthy farm in Westtirld but the entire
township of Mar Hill, and indeed the
township of Easton next beyond on the
north. was at that time covered with its
original forest growth as yet unbroken 10y
any clearing,
! During the few year, following num-
! her of other settlers came upon the town
/ ard when Mr. joel Valley came in lsi7 and
commenced a clearing upon the spot
where the village j. now 10
Gated there were about ten set
tiers upon the town. To one whu looks
about this busy little village, with its bust
! ling industries and its many indications of
| livclN enterprise. it seems hardly possible
that the man who cut the first tree upon tn,
village site is still one of it, active business
men and that all this development has beer
the work of about forty years.
In the fall of 1877 Mr.. Valley came from
New Brunswick and took a lot which in
cluded all the land contained in the present
/ village on the east side of the road and TX
tending back to the Mars Hill line. II,
commenced his clearing and built his 10.
house nearly upon the spot where the pres
ent hotel is located. Mr.. B. w Chandler
was then living on what is now the Lowell
farm and Mr.. Benjamin Bubar had smal
clearing on the west side of the road shorl
distance below. William Freeman am
Sherman Tapley then lived in double 10.
house which stood on the line between W. hal
are now the farms of Mr., Taplcv and Dea
Enoch Mobile. freeman had = small clear
ing on the east side of the road on the pres
ent Noble farm and Tapley had clearing
on the farm whore he now lives Half
mile below Tapley's one Rdeout had
clearing on the west side of the HoultOr
road with log house ON the opposite side
A short distance below " here the road cross
Is Three Brooks James Clark had a los
house and small clearing on the west sill,
of the road and William Rdeout had com
menced an opening and built cabin or
the east side opposite Clark. james
Gilman lived on the east side OF
the road in the extreme soutl
part of the town next 10 the Bridge
water line most of his clearing hcing in thai
town. About a half mile west from where
4 Blaine Corner now is William Roark am
Charles De Merchant had small clcarings
These settlers were all who were upon til,
town in lsl7 and the elraripgs were theI
very small and very little improvement hat
been made in the new settlement. Will
Mr.. Valley came Joseph Bubar who settled
on the west side of the road about three
fourths of mile south of Blaine Corner
In the spring of 1873. John Bell came from
New Brunswick and settled on the vast sid,
of the road near the Corner and during tn,
same wear George Monroe and Georg,
Holman settled on opposite sides of TIN
road, south of Sherman Taplevs and in th'
fall Thomas Bell came and bought half o
John Bells lot. In is50 Samuel Brow
took Il lot about half mile southwest from
Blaine Corner. Nearly all The settler
named above csme from New Brunswick
but later families from different parts Of thu
State of Maine began to come in and settl'
upon the TOWN. Blaine. then known as
Letter n, Range One,
!. was half township belonging TO the Stat,
of Massachusetts and the land WAS SOLD Il
, settlers for 81 2.I cents per acre. payabi'
mostly in road labor. A few of the earl,
settlers received deeds from the State o
Massachusetts, hut the greater part of then