Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1891-12-21

The half tcvrstip nov kcovn - me
plantation Of Silver Ride vas originally
he east half Of Township No. 2. Range 8,
he vest half Of The same township bring
near the tosn CT Bsnsdicta- In 1857 the
COUNTY, commissioners Of Aroossock con ~
we're pesisioaei to iocsse . rosd from Beo-
zd.cs through Silver r dse to Hsynesviile
Az that lime the half township vas entire.
" covered with forest IN which no ciesrirg
hsd vet been usds for settling p1fposes.
The coumissi,nsrs visvti the route and
Isei5fd o, 10 I,este the road - asked for,
eu. the partial suraY called attention to
the excellent land owned BY the State and
l,ine unimpyevsd. Daring that year 1850
! number o! settlers cane in and msds
ciss.inzs On .hs haif township, although il
ast not ye, bean lo.tsd and OF course these
settlers we're merely tquA'ters upon
the i.nd. Fssncis Smith, Thomas Mil.
more. Thomas McAvoy sad Finson
Seal. all from ,hs s3j lining iowa OF Seae-
iiets. m.Js cissriags fnst year. M.
Francis Smith made his clearing on what
D. me Lot No. IL, Rsngs 3. Ashort distance
nor b Of the center Of the half tosnship-
Mr. Smith bull. q comfortable leg house
AMI came to stay. After the township as
opsned for settlement by the State Mr.
Smith psrehased his lot and has lived upon
il ever since. The entire lot contains l10
acres Of excellent land, with 100 acres
l, has since been divided and Mr..
J h1 F. Smith, son of the original settler
aAs oae-hsls Of the lot IL Is
A coed Farm
with q comfortable house and very large
and we'll arranged barn. The other settlers
N sntionEd above did not remsi,, but sold
shei. improvements TO other parties. Mr
james McCushsn made clearing in 1857
On the 10, adj ,ining Mr.. Smiths, bus did
not settle upon it. Mr.. Patrick Leen
-oon Afterwards bousG! Mr.. Nc
Cashon's Improvement and made
the FIRST sestlemen en- the lot. Mr..
Lssn came from the town Of Sherman ard
his farm and lived upon /. until
his death some three years ago 1t 10 nov
owned and occupied by his son. Mr.. Michsel
Leen. II is an excellent farm, situated
upon sou hseat slops Aad contsins l15
acres, WITH so scres cleared and good set
of farm bulldogs. In 1858 the half town
ship was lotted BY Mr.. Dsniel Barker snd
sss opened for settlement By the State the
sauna wear. Mr.. Fiuton Scale made . clear
ing on the lot next north of Mr.. Patrick
LENS, but soon afterwards sold his i'm
proven mt to Mr.. Dennis Cummings who
cleared the farm and built the buildings aud
about 1866 sold TO Nr. Elisha Longseliow
Mr.. L1pgfeiiow extended the clearing and
improved the farm and sill lives upon il
He has 9 good farm with good buildings
and 40 excellent orchard.
Silver Ridge lies Immediately south of
Sherman and the mail route from Island
Falls to Kingman ruas through that pisnts-
tiou, Nearly every lot on the road through
Silver Ridge is settled and there are some
very foe farms and handsome residences
Mr., John W Terry aud MIR. james +
Farmer settled on adj Iiniug lots NIX. to
the Sherman line ard these s"o lots
have since been annexed to the town
of Sherman. hon. James w Ambrose
Ives in the extrt me southern part OF the
town of Sherman snd as We travel on the
m III route from Sherman Mills We pass his
excellent farm aud pleasant and hospitaoie
home and soon enter the plantation OF
Silver Ridge. After passing the two farms
already spoken Of as having been annexed
to the town Of Sherman the road runs TT
nearly mile .hr ugh low, swampy lscd
Mr.. j ,hn st. John has 8 small farm CT
the west side Of tie road and 3
little beyond is Mr.. James Leen
on the east side. Nesr Mr.. L ems is
. little schoolhouse built in small clearing
ty the roadside. After leaving the low
ground we come to Mr., Joseph Geichell
rho bss small farm and lives on the east
side some distance back from the main road
Mr.. Geschell is the present clerk Of Silver
Ridge. A short distapce farther on We
C me to the bennett farm. the fist really
good farm after we en'er the plantation
Mr., Narhsn bennett came from Bangor
alb Jut 1865 and settl q Oh tais lot. Mr. Har-
risen B Weodbridgs had made clearing
on the 10. and Mr.. bennett purchased hii
Improvement and clesred the farm aud
built the buildingr. He continued to live
uron the farm until bis death, come five
vesrssgo. His widow still 1.-THE pro
psrty, but resides ia Boston. The farm
contsins $50 acres Of excellent land, with
something over 75 acres cleared, = large
two story house, isigs barn and convenient
out buildings
Alter passing the Dennets residence the
road Ascents hill of considerable length
but not very steep. kuovn SIS thu bennett
hill. On the east side of the road near the
top Of the rise is the farm OF Mr.. deo
Sypbus, who owns hslS Of the lot adjoin
ing the bennett farm. Mr.. Syphus has
about forty acres of cleared land and 6
yary comfortable set of farm buildings
His
Land is Fertile aud Productive
and under good cultivation. A short dis
lance beyond on the west side OF the road
Ia the farm Of Mr.. VIM. st. John. This il
a small farm aud Mr.. ST. Johl Last spring
took the Spooner store near the centre 0
the town, where he is nov engaged 10 trade
Next to Mr. Syphus on the east side of the
road is Mr.. Patrick O'Nesl who has the
south half Of ,he Sypbus lot, upon which be
has msde a very good little farm. Beyond
MI. O'Neai on the east eide Of the rosd j:
e'Eiishs L,ugfellow farm which we have
already described. Opposite Mr.. Lorg-
fellows is the Jasse +. Smith farm. Mr..
Smith came from the town of Knox som-
twenty years sso and cleared this farm, and
VAS prominent eiuzAp Of the town until
bis removal to R,csisDd lss. spring. Mr.
Andrew Farmer purchased the farm bu,
has not ye. taken possession. Mr.. +. f.
Smith a son of the former proprietor, now
lives or the farm. This is very good
farm ard 10 situsted on the top OF lire
ridge of land. The nsxt farm on the west
/, the Francis Smi h plsce, already de
scribed as one OF the frat farms cleared in
the town and on the opposite side is Mr.
Michael Leen, mention OF which farm has
also been made. South of the Smith farm
on the vest eide of the road is the farm OF
Mr.. Thomas Fitzgerald. Mr.. Joseph Ken
dali was the original settler on this lot. Mr.
Fitzaersld came from Biddeford fifteen
years ago snd bought the farm of Mr..
Kendall and has since very much
improved Il. He hss now sn excellent
farm with q handsome new set Of farm
buildings. o. the east side of the rosd IL
the farm Of Mr.. John Leen, q ver7 good
farm, though somewhat We. Mr.. Leen
has large tso-stoYy house and good barn
Nearly opposite Mr.. Leen's is the large,
two.st story school building. in the second
story of which is very fine hall.
Beyond the schoolhouse, on the west side
Of the road, is the q. C. Spooner farm
Mr.. Spnouer cleared this fsrm and lived IN
il until his death some seven yesrs ago His
sons. Alfred and Walker Spooner now own
the farm. but reside at Sherman Mills,
where they are engaged in trade. Some
ten years ago they built store near the
homestead snd traded ,here until last spring,
when they rem we'd to Sherman Mil. and
rented the store to Mr.. VIM st. John Mr..
St. John keeps = stock OF general msr-
ch.ndise and is also postmaster, the
efice berg called Monards. Opposite
the Spooner farm Mr.. Cyrus Knee
land and Mr.. Willis Kneeisnd have
small farms with comfortable homes
Next on the west side Of the road is the
farm OF Mr.. Sgivanus Kueeiard. Mr..
Thomas Bradley was
The First settler
Ia ~ - fop , ID 20 ah IN TaYyo