Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1891-09-14

Hodsdos md The Im Iho Have
Ide Il.
skstehes Of History, Biographies 81
settlers, Deser iptlsns Of Farms etc.
NJ hon EDWARD wIGGISs

beet towns in Southern Afoossook - tns
ysoi old tovn Of Hodg3on. The early
History Of this town Is intimately connected
It'll ,hs, Of The town Of Houlton, ~ nani
osg o. the earliest settlers Of liotscor
a. wed from that town and s'she Creek, 81
Houl,oa vas then called, Vas for years the
ading point Of the pioneers Of the set 'in
Tag town Of Hodgdon.
The south half Of the township nos
nclBdsd 10 the town Of Hodsdon vas orig
,aslly granted by the state Of Massachu-
.etts to weaford Academy and high e!e
,tion Of land extending from east TO vesi
through . portion Of the southern psrt 81
,he town 10 sill known ~ Wexford HUI
Tae resolve granting this half township to
We.tford Academy vhs passed BY the dsn-
sral Court Of the Com monwealth 81 Msssa
chnsslts Oh the 27th day Of February, 1877.
I he trse, vas surveyed BY PARK Holland 10
1901. IL was decided to John Hodaton Of
Ware, HiiIsborough cornty, N. H. And
.a;hanisl Ingsrsou Of Sew Gloucester
Cumberland county. Mass BY the trustees
Of Wexford Academy, June 7th, 1902, Ter
the sum Of 1890. The deed 10 signed by
J snss Prescott, Sampson Tuttle and Hezs-
kt.h Packard, = committee Of the trustse'.
N uhspiel Ingersoli decided his interes. to
Jshn Hodgdon Jan. 27sh, 1904, for the sum
Of 5000. TIE bounds OF the half to~n-
,hlo 10 the orr lnal deed begin At the south
east corner. At spruce tree on tne oound-
ary line bstxs e Maine and New Brunswick,
marked four miles north from the monu'
ment at the head OF the st. Croix river,
thence north three miles. thence west SIX
miles, south three miles and east SIX miles
10 point Of starting. The grantees were
bound BY the deed to lay Oat and convey
lot Of 100 acres to each settler who was
~ on the township previous to Jan. lst,
1884, but a. no settler had come to the
town at that time this condition WAS Of no
effect. They were also boued by the deed
10 set apart three lots Of 100 acres each for
ministerial and .chool purposes. This deed
was recorded in the registry Of deeds for
Wsshie gton county September 18th, 1872.
The north half Of the present town OF
Hodalon was granted by Massachusetts,
to Gro,on Academy. It does not appear
hen the resolve making this grant was
passed. TIE half township was surveyed
b. Park Holland 10 1901 aud was decided to
John Hodgdon by the trustees OF Gfoton
Academy Jan. 2sth, 1906 This deed Is
signed BY Timothy Bi.elow, James Boyer
and Oliver Prescott. II was recorded May
8l,,, 1924 By both deeds the grantees
we're bound TO settle ten families within SIX
y.srs from the date Of the deeds. On June
lGth, 1909. John Hodgion deeds to Daniel
Breed Of Ware, N. IL tao hundred acres
UNDERSIGNED, e1cep. IS being sn undivided
part Of TIE Westford grant, and on the
same date deeds to Moses Hodgdon three
hundred scres also undivided. These men
we're never settlers upon the to~n. All of
the original settlers Of the town have passed
away and il is quite difficult to trace the his
tory Of the early settlement OF the town
We have endeavored however to tell the
story briefly of many Of the pioneers who
helped open this good town and the iniu'
snce Of whose lives helped to make the
town what 1t is socially and morally today.
The Fret Deed.
The earliest dec d appearing upon the re-
cords 10 the deed from John Hodgdon TO
Aaron Psrley of Lot No. Z, Range 8, in the
north half Of the town. This deed is dated
June 4,h. 1924 ard the lot is the one 5, long
occupied by Deacon Putnam Shaw on the
{ alAis road Mr.. Perley decided this lot TO
Samuel Houlton of Houl.on, June 18Th,
1897. Sept. 9Th, 1926. John Hcdsdon deeds
to Chesley Drew Of Hodgdoa plantation,
Lot No. 2, Range :, n. !, which
i, the lot Afterwards occupied by George
White AMI now by Willard Jones. Sept.
18th, 1926 John Hodgdou deeds TO Jane
Taylor and her sons, James George, Charles
and William for 500. Lot No. 3. Range 7,
N. i. same upon which their improve
men,s now srs" These grantees were the
wife and sons Of James L. Taylor, ons #
the oldest settlers Of the town. Sept 18Th,
1926, Mr.. Hodgdon deeds to Joseph Ken
dali, Lot No. 8, Range 5 N l. which lot
is now owned By C. +. Skofeld. II would
appear tina, John Hodgdon sem " died in
1926 or 1897 for on Nov. II h, 1927 John
II cd gdon Of Bangor, student at law" gives
Joshua Putnam Of Houlto1 power OF sttor-
ney to act as his agent for the sale OF lands
in Hodgion plantation. This John Hodg-
don wss the son and heir Of the original pro-
prietor and was Afterwards for = number
o 4. years resident Of the
Town which Bears his Name.
The earliest settlers who came upon the
town to make home were james L. Tsy-
lor, DR.. Chesley Drew, Joseph Kendall
and James Doyle, bu. who was! the first
man TO commence clearing we are at pres
ent unable to determine. Il is quite GER
tain, however, that all the above mentioned
settlers came to IN. town in 1924, al,h oush
they did not receive their deeds until few
years afterwards. DR.. Chesley Drew came
from Mass. to lIodsdon in 1924 and bought
the lot on the west side Of the Calais road,
on the top Of the hill, two miles from Houl-
ton village. EIishs A. Drew, son of DR..
Drew, bought the two lots adj 3i1ing his
father the one On the esst and the other on
the west. He lived with his father. Thy
made 8 large clearing, hauled much OF the
wood to the garrison at Houltor, sud built
on the Dr. Drew lot large house ard two
barns. About 1896 the Drews sold the
property to Mr.. Thomas White and moved
to New Brunswick. Mr.. White lived upon
the farm until his death s)me twenty FIVE
years ago. His son George, White. then
came int possession Of the farm and made
many improvements upln the farm and
buildings. He died some ten years sgo
and the farm was few years sfter~ard,
90 d to Millard II. Jones, who now occupies
it. Mr. james u. Tay lof moved from Houi-
ton In 1924 and took the lot next south Of
DIR. Drew. He cleared up the farm ard
vas fjr many years we'll known resident
of the town. During the construction OF
the military road and indeed before that
time. when the supplies for the garrison
we're hauled over the old Soldier road"
Mr.. Taylor was noted ox-teamsier and
vas employed in that capacity in transport
ing supplies and building the roads. He
lived upon the farm In Hodadoa until his
death some eighteen years sgo. His oldest
living son, Mr.. Charles Taylor, has the
farm opposite the old homestead and still
live. upon it. Many other descendants are
living in this and 90 burning towns.
History OF Early ssttfsments.
Mr. Joseph Kendall s'sl moved from
Houl,on in 1924 and took = lot Of lar
near where the rosj row turns from the
Calais road to~srIs Hode j IN Mills. Mr.
Kendall Was the son Of Dea. Sauuei Ken
dali, one Of the early settlers Of Houltou,
He vss . man Of considerable education
and culture and Afterwards wrote a volum-
mons history of Houlton. which however
was never published. Mr.. Kendall made
very foe farm upon his lot. one Of the
best. In fact, in this portion Of the town.
Some fifteen years sgo be removed to Houl-
ton where he died. The farm vas after
wards sid to Mr.. C. Z SkoHeld who now
lives upon it. Mr. James Doyle took the lot
next north OF the Dr. Drew lot ard next
to the Houiton line. He cleared farm
here ard built 9 house and barn. He lived
there some years and sold 10 Lewis Nor
,iI, Who Vas . prominent man in the town
until be removed TO the IVES. and Mr.. John
Hods3on again obtained possession OF the
farm. The deed TO Aaron Perley bears
date Of 1894. but il is uncertain VITA, year
he commenced clearing upon his lot Mr.
PerIey came from Monmouth and bought
the los next north Of Joseph Kendalis and
probably commenced his clearing soon After
the Hrst settlers came. He did not remain
many years upon this lot. but removed to