Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1891-09-07
OUR GARDEN COUNTY
The Syllllkld Of Arssi0sk
History. DESCRIPTION and Statistics Of
0alatd.
Sketches Of Man Pre- "a Dc ocs Ia Count ,
and State.

VVA4Ves
Sketches Of Men Prcmnsss Ia County
and State.
BIZ HOE. EDWARD WIGeIN-
Oakfeld 10 the Switzerland Of Aroostoek-
IL 10 the most Aounsainous and broken OF
all the lows in the county now opened Tor
se:tismers. II rsmiacs one OF the hiii
towns Of West Oxford and for ruggedness
Of surface mxy be compared With the Old
town OF Albany with this difference that the
mountains Of OakHeid are yet covered Win
. heavy growth Of birch snd maple. Ths
southern and southeastern portions OF the
town s.e extremely stony, immense granite
bouliers ~ ing thick upon the surface and
greatly interfering with agricultural! opera
lions. In the northern and northwestern
portions Of ths town the granite dissppesss
and the surface 10 some shat less broken
and better adapted to farming. Oskhtld
vss formerly known ~ Township No. .,
Range 3, and is b5unded on the norsh BY
tie tovn Of Smyrna, on the east BY Lin
nsas And New Limerick, on ths south by
ths unsettled Township No. 4, Range Z. and
on the vesE BY Dyer Brook plantation The
east branch Of the MA.tawAmkssg tovs IN
9 due south course entirely acfoss the sx-
treme western portion Of The town. leaving
but narrow strip CT land bstvesn the river
aac toe west line Of the town. In the north
ern part Of the TO IN are Spsulding lake and
Long lake, whose waters are discharged
westward into lha Est Branch, while siill
farther norEh sad touching the Smyrna line
IS Timony lake, pretty little sheet OF wa
ter whose outlet Is Al its northern point
from which 8 brook flows norih~xrd into
C3chrsne lake and thence into the Medux
nskesg. Ia the northwestern portion OF the
town is MeduxHeksAg lake better known ~
Drsg's lake, portions of which are in the
towns Of LlnDeus and Ne~ Limerick. The
highest part Of the town is near the centre
and on this higa lsnd many brooks fad
their source, some flowing into the
East Branch and its L IKE.
and thus fading their way into the Penob-
scot, while others run into the MeduIae-
keag and its feeders and finally miuRle
their waters with those the beautiful ST.
John. Ga this hight are springs whose
waters trickle ouEi both directions and
thus the same springs help TO feed both the
Penobscot and the st. John and the crystal
rills parting from the sams little pool
on this wood crowned eminence, mingls
with the ocean many miles apart.
In the southeastern portion of the town are
Skitsc ook lake and Mud lake. The outle,
Of these lakes is the Skitacook stream which
aoss south ward through Township No. 4.
Range 3 and empties into the last branch of
the Matrawamkesg. In the division Of the
Wild lands Of Mai at the time Of its
admission IS separate state, Township No.
5, Rapge 8, now Oskfield remailed in the
of the s ate of Massachusetts as
tue towns were divided alternately between
Maine and the mother state. About 1880
two large lots, containing nearly two hue
bred acres each were run out by the Massa-
chusetts land agent Ia the northern part of
No. 5 adjoining the Smyrna line. These
lots are numbered twelve and thirteen upon
the present plan Of the town.
Early settlers OF Oakfeld.
Ia 1881 Mr.. Daniel Spsulding came from
Ke ne bee county and took the lot now num-
bered twelve and a. the same time Mr.Alex-
ander Caldwell who had recently emgrsted
to this country from ireland took the ad-
joining lot. These two men were the
pioneers Of the town Of Oaktleld. The trac.
Of land comprising these two lots vas COM
psratively level, free from stones AID fine
productive soil. Mr.. Spsulding cleared q
farm upon which he lived until 1856, when
he moved to Minnesota where he died. He
was for many years 8 prominent man in
this section and was q man Of much bust
ness ability. He was largely engaged in
numbering and al.o had teams upon the
rosd to transport goods from Bangor to
Aroostook. At that time all the goods and
supplies for this portion of Ar0ostook
county were purchased in Bangor and
hauled by teams over the old military road.
Aroostook had in those years close bust
ness connection with Bangor and q large
trade was established which was continued
for many years. If the business men and
capitalists Of Bangor are wise they will take
measures to secure the establishment of
this connection with Aroosto1k. whsre
trade has since immensely increased, by an
active encouragement Of the building Of the
Bar COR and Aroostook Railroad AID 6 lib
ersl contribution to It's stock. Unless they
10 this they mag expect to see the large
W Hhc va n uOohONh pso' thS " oI1 SWIM
other business centres, where merchants
p ortsnce OF developing this most fertile
portion o! the State of Maine.
After Mr.. Spsulding left the farm it
passed through = number Of hands and is
nov the property of Mr.. Avon D. Weeks
Dn the lot adjoining Mr.. Spsulding's is q
portion Of the little lake now known as
Timony Like. Ia 1881 Mr.. Alex. Caldwell
commenced his clearing on the north side
If the lake nesr the Smyrna line. Here he
cleared up a considerable tract and built .
yet OF buildings, which were afterwards
burned. Mr.. Caldwell died in 1856 and
his daughter, Mrs. james Timony. came
INTO possession Of the property. Mr..
Timony enlarged and improved the farm
md rebuilt the buildings. He died in 1885.
His widow still resides with her son, Mr..
John Tinlony, who carries on the farm,
The next settler upon the town was Mr. |
David W. Clifford, who about the yesr
1913 msde clearing in the south vest part
IF the town. on the lot now occupied b.
Mr.. John ByIon. These three W. re the
1nly tlesrinss made upon the town until it
Fas opened for settlement In 1858. In
with all the unsettled lands Of the
State this town became the property OF the
State Of Maine and in 1858 WAS sur
Keyed and lo:ted for settlement by Parker
F. Barleish and j. E. s. Cony. The State
hen offered the lots to sctu.l settlers for 40
tents per acre, to be paid 10 road labor.
Thus the settlers could pay for their lot.
BY making roads for their own accomno
iAtion. immigration - the new town st
40 .nt.1
ook lots In diff reLt per ,us OF the town
IA all the hillsides the sound Of the pio-
GERS axe WAS heard as the lofty fores:
tees were fellsd AID opsniugs made 10 the
for future homes.
rhr First Deed From the State OF Maine
vas given to Mr. Samuel Gsrrish. pb /,
,sme from Linpeus ia 1868 and took lot
'ome distance south OF the eei.tre of the
own. Mr.. Gerfish cleared up farm and
,uilt good set Of buildings and lived upon
he farm until some four years az, when
lie vent 10 spend the last years Of his life |
sith his son, Mr.. John Gerrisb, who has q |
! ne farm in the plantation Of Dyer Brook. |
The old gentleman il now 80 yesfs old, but |
. still quite sctive for . man Of that ex-
rene sge. His children and grandchildren |
IRE still living in tn and adjoining towns, |
Mr.. John Bell, one of the earliest Of the |
pioneers Of sAhsid after the survey. came |
rom Stoneham in Oxford couaty, to Aroos- |
ook to seek 3 new home, Hearing Of the |
State LAID in number 5 he went there, and a.
he hills looked natural to him, and re-
minded him Of his home in Oxford, he |
concluded TO settle in the new town. He |
irst took . lot in the southwest portion Of |
he town short distance east Of the East |
Q,.rah TNa I,, sxfa,Jad f,.v, no-r;oo |