Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1891-08-03
our GARDEN COUNTY.
fhs llls Inn 4 DyR Drslk
Phltliisl.


Some d The lire N III laIs eoofh-
bltel b Is s1eoo6k
NJ HOE. EpwA.D wrGeu.
Though The dsveispnsni Of Are6steok
cassty has thus ~ besn nafs fspid 10 The
two tiers Of townships lying next 70 NJ
eastern border, yet there sfs in the western
hart n the eounsy nsny ans sgrirultaRh
tyvns with sssons, fertile Esd productive
soil and srsnd natural fssoufces. only await
ing The opening Of s5jscsns means OF trans
porsasion 70 develope into popslous and
prosperous communities. OF these vest-
ern townships the plantation OF Dyes Brook
IL naturally cue Of the best This town-
ship vas formerly Known - No 5. 4 4,
AID has Merrill plantstion on the north.
Oskfsld on the east. Island Falls on the
south and Hsrssy on the west The stage
road from Houlfon to Pssten runs through
the entire length Of the tovnship In soufh-
srIy snd south westerly direction near iO
eastern border. The surface Of the tosn
in this section 10 rolling and scrnsuhss
hilly. but no. sufficiently broken to inter
FIRE With easy cultivation. In the western
portion Of the tom are broad stretches OF
ao,e lsysl and still H. its forest state
ard cnassining much Has farming lani
Though scmss u more stony than the land
In the Aroossook valley, yet the soil IL dep,
rich and productive AID when the surface
stones are n m wed is easy Of cultivation
.ad can he readily fitted for the vofkina af
farm machinery. The fret settem vss
msde upon the town about the year 1874
- nearly - We have been able TO Irsce IT
Il that year Mr. Orria Lsushscn eae'e
from SmyraA and took the lot nef tn
aor,bea.t corner Of the town. npon which
Mr. J. +. Tarbeil now lives. Mr.. Lsughson
made q cleating upon the lot snd built log
house After living on il . numbsr OF year
be sold to a Mr.. McMonszal, who died a
f.~ years after purchasing. Mr. Oliver
Dow then took the place, but abando1ed Il
after . fsw years and the lot revert d TO
the proprietors Of the town. In 1857 Mr..
j Z Tarbell took the place and cleared up
q large farm ard built 3 handsome set Of
buildings. He has $50 acres OF land, With
80 acres cleared and under good cultivation.
The farm 10 on high ridge, Is level and
smooth and has some very handsome fields,
Bee jamin Gerry, the second settler upon the
town, came from Smyrna soon after Laugh
ton and took the lot in the extreme north east
ern part Of the town, adjoining Mr.. Laugh
TONS Here Mr.. Gerry cleared up = dne
farm, upon which he still lives. He has
l60 acres Of good land. with something
over so acres cleared, and has 3 good set
OF farm buildings. The next man who
made q settlement on the township WA
Mr.. Moses Leavitt, also from smyrna,
who settled 10 1850 on the lot next west OF
LAughtoh's and bordering on the north line
OF the town. The state road" runs on the
north line Of the town, dividing Dyer
Brook from Merrill plantation, aud con-
tinuing west on the line between Hersey
and Moro, intefsects the stage rosd from
Pstten to Ashland, some two miles from
the western line Of Hsrsey- This road
was cut through at the time that Me Lesv-
1T settled upon his lot, but Vas not made
p.sssbie for carriages until several years
alters ards. IL 10 now . good turnpike
road and runs through q fine agricultural
section for much Of the way. The rosd
from the East branch through Dyer Brook
to Island Falls. now . part Of the stage
route from Houlton 10 PatseD, was opened
in 1860, snd in that year Mr.. Jonathan
Sleeper Of Smyrna, took the lot south OF
the Tsrbeli farm on the Island Falls road
Mr.. Sleeper made . clearing on the
1T, built house and barn and
after q few years moved to Sher-
man. Mr.. John Head then took
the farm and extended the clearing, After
living upon it few years he sold to Mr..
Seward Clough who now lives upon the
farm. ~.
The land along the State road on the
north line Of the town vas until within
fsw years covered with its original forest
growth, and the farms in that section are
5 i'll new and additional clearings are being
made each year The frat farm ON this
rad 10 Mr.. j. e. Tarbells, already
described a. the one upon which Mr. Orrin
HAughton made the first settlement. Mr..
Tarbelrs buildings are neatly finished and
painted and his fields are smooth and well
cultivated. He is engaged in trade 1t the
Eas. Branch in Smyrna, only short DIE
lance away, and makes his home upon the
farm. Mr.. Tarbell was soldier in the Och
Maine Regiment. Next west Of Mr.. Tar
bells is the fine large farm of Mr. Moses
Lsavitt. This farm is Handsomely located
and much Of it is level and smooth. Mr..
Lesviu has 210 scres in Dyer Brook and
800 acres on the opposite side Of the road
in Merrill plantation. He has 100 acres of
cleared land and raises abundant crops of hay
and grain. After passing Mr.. Leavitts We
soon begin to descend toward Dyer Brook,
the stream from which the plantation takes
its name, and for some distance the road runs
through the forest. Emerging from the
woods we come upon higher land and pas
sing some small clearings come to the farm
Of Mr.. John +. Stephens who csme here
from Ludlow three years ago snd bought
the farm Of his brother, Leonard Stephens,
who IL now a millwrisht at Patsen. There
was at that time q small clearing which Mr..
Stephens has extended and has now twenty
@ We acres cleared and will in . few yea's
have . handsome farm. He has good
house and barn and is we'll started in farm
ing. MIR. Amasa Stephens has good
farm mile farther west. and beyond him
on beautiful ridge Of land is the farm OF
Mr.. Chsrles W. Stephens
Mr.. Stephens came from Ludlow nine
years ago and bought this lot of Hon.
Llewellyn Powers. 1t was wild lot 1t
that time and Mr.. Stephens made the fret
clearing upon it. He has now thirty five
acres cleared and slresdy has some smooth
aud handsome fields The farm slopes =
little towards the south and is very finely
heated. Mr.. Stephens has built good
set of farm buildings and has hne
thrifty young orchard He will in few
years have large and valuable farm The
view looking westward from this ridge is
vexy fine. Mt. Chase looms directly in
front and farther to the south old Kstshdin,
the grim sentinel Of all this region, towers
far above all the surrounding heights
From Mr.. Stepbens's the land falls of
to the lower country towards Hersey
and Moro and 10 unsettled ia Dyer brook.
The stage road through Dyer brook enters
the town near the northeast corner aud runs
ia general southerly course about half
way across the town. when it veers more to
the southwest and leaves the town about
mid say Of the south line. As we ,uinsy
on from Smyrna, sitter crossing the east
hsan h, We ascend hill ard cross the
southeast corner of Merrill plantation sud
enter Dyer brook pesr the residence Of
M Beri Gerry. which i, the first house