St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-10-26
JOHN wINTHRoP's FARM.
A Family Possession of Two Hun
0Ped and T,yveDty.Seveu Years

A Family Possession of Two Hun
dred and Twenty-Seven Years.
OF the thousands who daily pass the
bronze figure of the eminent John
Winthrop, first governor of Massachu-
ton, there are but few, if any, who know
that the father of the Bay State and of
a great city ever had any ambition to
appropriate land to his own use.
But, like others who were prominent
in founding new country. he received
grants of the common land, among
them farm of 1,260 acres, and his
deputy, Thomas Dudley, had grant of
the same court
These two men went out through the
wilderness to Concord river in 1888, and
about four miles down the river from
the present village of Concord they 10
Gated or selected their farms. They
found convenient place where two
bank; these they designated as the di-
viding line between their farms.
AS the governor died i'll about eleven
years afterward, it is probable that he
never paid many visits to his inland
farm. Fifteen years after his death 1t
was sold by his oldest son, F'itz John
Winthrop, the governor of Connecticut,
to Job Lane, Of Maiden. The deed,
bearing date of Aug. 2, 1864, Is still in
existence. and is held as a souvenir by
one of his descendants. 1t is written
on vellum, and is we'll preserved and
legible. The price paid for the farm
was e230.
The purchase price was paid by build
ing house for the governor OF Con-
necticut by job Lane, who was ia
h,,i TIo
and remained the only civilized inhabit
ant for miles around until 1852, when
his oldest son John took q wife. Then
the father gave up the place to him and
returned to bis maiden home.
At the death of Job, In 1907, his farm
was surveyed and found to contain 1900
acres. the government having had an
eye that reached beyond the grant of
the colony to the extent of 40 acres.
This whole was divided between the
heirs of Job according to the lawSof-
that day, the Oldest son having double
portion. Thus $50 acres and the build
ings remained in the name of Lane
John, the second Lane owner, was a
noted warrior, colonel in the French
and Indian wars. and was commissioned
by Richard Earle, Of Belmont, Oct. A.
1899, and a major in I'LL.
His house was garrisoned, and was
the scene of some interesting events.
His daughter Mary, the ancestor of
William Fl. Whitmore, OF Boston, was
often on guard, and at one time killed a
urking red man by shooting from a
portfolio.
AT the death of John. in 17l4. the sec.
| ond of the Lane family owners, there
/ was division, but there was enough
for all. james, son of John, remained
, OH the TarR, where he spent his life,
and left it to his son James. and he,
after a long possession, died in 1899,
having divided the farm between three
| sons, Solomon, James and David. The
| latter built a new house on
his acres, where he passed his
days in enviable prosperity. and
at his death David, jr., born in 1896,
| came in possession. He was followed
! by his son Job B., who was born in
| 1923. He was monarch of all he sur
veyed during his life, which ended in
May, 1890.
He left a son who did not continue
this family possession. The widow of
| Job u. caused the farm to be sold under
/ the hammer, something new on that es-
| tate, as the successive possessions have
been through inheritance. No deed
has been called for on this farm since it
came into the Lane family, and the es-
tale has never been conveyed by deed
| of sale since the one from John Win
throp in 1864.
The sale of last Tuesday terminated
this remarkable family possession.