Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1891-11-10

Land Grants, Pioneer Settlers, lneor-
psratisn Of the Town, and Present
Csn5itisn.


ASn9iuens
BY Hoo. EDWARD wISGIN.
The tract Of isnd included in The town Of
wsgoa at the Tine Of It's Incorporation was
originally granted to the trustees OK HAmp-
den Academy and coosisssd Of . parsilsie-
gram two and one half miles vide
snd asvsn and o.e-haif miles iong. Tbs
rectangular trac: extends in . north westerly
and soushaaasriy direction, its northwest
corner projecting . shors distance beyond .
bead In the MAttswAmkesg river and iis
southwest corner extending something over
half q mile south of the BaskAheaAn stfsam
The eAs, line Of the original tom jast skirts
the !skes. leaving between this line Ana
Grand lake an irregular tract containing
some COCO acres, known - the Monroe
Gore The documentary history OF THIS
grant to Hampton Academy we have been
ur able 70 obtain in time for this srricie, ss
no record Of the grant or Of its convsyArc
to the trustees Of tie academy appears upon
the books q, the Aroos.ook Registry. W.
hope, however, 20 fed there records NJ 'he
5 ate laad ofics for future use.
The Nelson Tract Described.
South Of the original H,mden Academy
iran. is narrow strip Of land. known as
the Nelson tract. which is thus described in
= deed from David Nelson of New Glonees-
ter, Cumberland county, to Joseph L.
Kelsey Of Bangor, dated April 18th, 1880.
"Beginning st white maple tree. the same
being thu south sest corner OF the graft 70
Hsmpden Academy. marked 5. W. Z. ID.
A. A G 1920, d N. thence running south
ore hundred and forty-ssven rods 20
beach tsic) tree standing on the north ilne
Of the half township granted 10 Themas
Dsnfof;h, Esq, marked 6. 1920, ID. NJ.
thence running east on the line OF said grant
20 Thomas DAnforth i've hundred and forty
four rods and eleven links 70 sysllo~ birch
tree marked G. 1920. ID. N A. q j. t. L.
thence running north one hundred and
for.y-seven rods to q yellow birch tree
standing 10 the south line OF the grant TO
Hampdep Academy marked g. 1920, ID N.
A G. j G. / F.. thence on said Academy
line Eve hucdred and fortv-four rods and
eleven links 10 the bound first mentioned.
Tbi, tract and also the Monroe Gore,
spoken of above. was Afterwards added TO
the tosn of Weston. The fret settlers
upon the Hsmpden Academy grant were
John Davenport, Thomas Gilpatfick and
william Butterfeld, Esq, OF these
Mr.. Davenport wss the fret to make
a choppiug and Mr. Fitzpatrick was the first
settler who brought family to the grant.
John Davenport came from 81. Adams AID
settled on the lot where Joshua Batter nov
lives. He cleared farm and bailt Get Of
bulldogs and wss fOf many years re-
spected citizen of the town. He died ia
Weston some twenty years sgo. Thomas
Giipatrick came from Unity in 1925. He
purchased Of the trustees of the academy,
one thousand acres Of land for twenty FIVE
cents per acre. Mr. Davenport had made
a caoppiag the year before and this chop
ping Mr.. Gilpsriok cleared and put iA'o
crop a. the halves. He afterwards settled
near where Mr. OILS A. Gilpstrict now live,
where he built q log house and in 1927 bis
wife and son David came to their new
home. Mr. Gilpstrick lived on this place
some six years when he moved to 8 timter
house at the foot Of the bill some distance
north Of where the old HOMESTEAD nov
stands. Mr.. William Ptilbrook had male
ten acre chopping on the plsce srd built
the timber house. The family lived in this
house until about ls4i when Mr.. Gilpstriek
built the buildings on the top Of the bill.
now known as the Fitzpatrick homestead.
lie cleared number of large farms and
was extensively engaged in farming ard
laundering. His house was for years q
stopping place for travellers and was 3
place we'll known ID all that section. He
afterwards bought the William But,erfeld
farm, come distance farther north, upon
which he lived until his death in 1876. Mr..
Fitzpatrick was prominent man in the town
during the whole time of his residence
there, at times doing large business and
being sciively intert s.ei il the sffaiis Of
the town. Mr.. William Blu eifisld, known
throughout southern Aroostcok for msny
yesrsas
esquire ButterfsIJ,'
vas born in he town Of Sidrey ar d removed
from there to New Brunswick where he
remained number Of years. He came 10
Weston about 1927 and settled on the lot
row occupied by Mr.. Rael Peters. Mr..
BuIteIfeld was lsud surveyor and in 1928
he lotted the Academy grant dividing il. into
lots or sections running east and west across
the grant. each lot containing FIVE hurdred
acres more or less. The lot upon which
Mr. Buaerdeld settled wss numbered six
in this survey. This lot was 6eeded By
Josiah Kidder, secretary of the trustees Of
Hampden Academy, to Charles Buck
Of Bangor. April 18th, 1881, and vas con
veyed BIZ Mr.. Buck to Wilism ButteIfisA
by deed dated August 25tb, 1885.
Mr. ButteTfeld WAS appointed justice Of the
peace soon after coming 10 Weston ard tine
records show that he performed marriages
there ~ esriy as 1882 He cleared ls,ge
farm on this lot ard built the home stead
where he lived fer many yesrs- He was
extensively engaged in trading and lumber
ing and was = leading citz;n Of he town
during sll the time Of his residence there.
He moved to Danforth SONS twenty years
ago snd died ia that to.n. Mr.. SAMUEL
Clesves wss one OF the early settlers OF the
town lie came from Clinton in 1927 ard
settled 10 the south par. OF the tosn near
Bask ,hs gan siresm, Here he cleared
lsrge farm and was we'll known citizen in
the early years. Mr.. C!esves went from
Weston TO Cslifornis, but afterwards re
turn to Hsynesville where he died.
Early settlers.
at Joseph Foss came from Clinton in
1923 and settled on the lot where Mr.. Ed
yard Earle now lives. Mr.. Fess purchased
of the Academy trustees four lots, or sec
TORS Of land, being lots numbered Eight,
Nice. Ten ard Eighteen aud afterwards
bouzh. Of the town lot No. Seventeen which
va, the school block. Mr.. Foss cleared q
large farm and vas also largely engaged in
numbering. He was prominent citizen
ard business man for more than twenty
years when he removed to California and
afterwards to Wiscon.iu, whore he died.
NJ. Samuel Springer came from Augusta
in 1929 and settled on the lot in The south
part Of the town, afterwards owned by Sam
uel J. Foster. Mr.. Springer cleared the
f,ru aid lived nroa it unlil about 1917,
- hen he sold to Mr.. FosNr ard moved TO
Rebtiason and afterwards to Dsnforth
where he disd. Mr. Stutely Springer was
a well known citizen of Weston for many
yesrs. He came from Augusta in 1880 and
settled soma distance west of his brother
"a IA \