Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1891-12-07
OUR GARDEN COUNTY.
N Plantations in Southern
81 r5
Areastssk,
Ra1d nd HaeIilae- -ilaiR Early 81.
ilbes n pYaaa1t Ceoditida.


tAs40 - AA9os O~e.s@
BY Hen. Edward Wigyin.
A. vs journey devn the cid military
road, every mile Of which bsinas bsck rec
oliections Of rye oldsn time when this
vas the grand thoroushfsre Of nnrthsssssfn
Maine, after passing through Glenvood ve
come TO Reed plantation. the NORTH
wet corner Of which 10 erosssd by this
road. A shost distance below the north
line Of the township We come 70 Happy
corner. vhsRa the BaskAhegan road inisr-
secss the old military road. Ths old hotsl
hare 10 DOW owned BY Mr.. George W. Win
ship, who came here from Amisy some
twenty years sgo- Connected with the ho-
tel 10 ssfarm Of eighty acres Of Sclsrsbly
good land. With some forty acres cleared.
The buildings are now considerably ont OF
repair and, like nearly all the old land
marks along this road. show unmistaksble
signs Of neglect, caused by the withdrawal
of sSsyel and traffic from the road. Below
Happy Corner the road runs through the
voods fo- nearly three miles, when vs
come 70 the
Clinerd Settlement.
On . very handsome ridge Of fertile land.
where shs nfss opening vas made
in the township. The ffst settler
Who brought family TO the town
and made Q clearing In the wilderness
for the purpose Of farming was Capt. John
8. Clifford, VITO came from Dover in 1882
and settled on the lot on which his son.
Mr.. Jonas Clifford, now lives. He va
captain Of . militia company In Dover and
VS. man Of stalwart build. standing six
feet. four inches in his stockings. Cspt
Clifford cleared large farm. upon which
be lived until his death some thirty year.
ago. He built good set Of bulldogs and
kept public house for msoy years and wa
Q man we'll and fsvorably known through
out this section. Mr.. Levi Prouty came
from Dover soon after Capt. Clifford and
settled on The lot now owned and occupied
by Miss Judith Plummer. mile north Of
the Clifford place. Mr.. Prouty and Capt
Clifford both married daughters Of MI
Seth Spanlding before moving from Dover
Mr.. Prouty made . clearing on biz
lot and built buildings and lived there
until his death in 1887. He was Z
carpenter and millwright by trade
and was . man Of some education and
Q great lover Of books. After his death
his widow and sons carried on the farm for
. number Of years and kept public house.
o. in fact did nearly all the settlers along
this portion OF the road at that time.
A short time before Capt. Clifford made
his settlement on the town Mr.. Gorhsm
n till. S,ou. paIup.da ~od hvsIt .
FOG house and stable for the purpose Of
putting up teAmsters and travellers upon
the road, ~ the transportation OF supplies
for the garrison at Houlton has already
caused considerable business on this road,
Large lumber operations also were carried
on in this vicinity, bringing in many men
and teams and making lively business fol-
these primitive houses Of entertainment.
Soon after coming TO the town Gorham Rol.
Inns married daughter Of Mr.. Seth Spsuld.
ing, and after his death in 1885 his brother.
John Rollins, married the widow and
continued to live upon the place until his
death in 1850. His son, Mr.. Greenwood
Rollins, now has the farm. Mr.. Elijah
Norton came from Belgrade with Gorhsm
Rollins, but did not make any settlement:
10 the town and after remaining short
time returned to Belgrade. Mr.. Seth
Spaulding came from Dover in 1888 and
made the first chopping on the farm at
Happy Corner. He did not settle on the 10.
however, but went to . lot Q few miles
farther north in the adjoining township Of
Glenwood, where he made his settlement.
and was the pioneer Of that town. Mr..
Abram Miles came from Vermont about
1910 and took the lot at Happy Corner.
He built house Of hewn timber, neatly
dove tailed at the corners. and 8 framed
barn. Mr.. Miles cleared farm here and
kept hotel for some fifteen years and then
removed to Houlton where he died about
twelve years ago.
The Pioneers.
Mr.. Jeremiah Thompson came from Ban
croft In ls4i and married the widow Of Mr..
Levi Prouty. He lived upon the farm
until his death in 1857. Mr.. Jonathan l..
Plummer came from Levsnt in 1865 and
bought the Levi Pfouty homestead. Mr..
Plummer was one Of the early settlers
Of 0lenvood and had moved from
that town to LIE ant, where he resided
until he settled in Reed plantation. He
continued to reside upon this farm Until his
death in 1872. His daughter. Miss Judith
Plummer now owns the farm and resided
upon it. Miss Plummef was for four years
an army nurse under Miss Dorothy L. Dix
and was with the army Of the Potomac in
the field and hospital. She WAS at the bat
tie Of Getty sburg and relstes many interest
ing "reminiscences Of that great battle. At
the close Of the war she was appointed to .
clerkship in the treasury department, in
which capacity she served until 1882, when
she was obliged to resign her position on
account Of an affection Of the eyes which
very much ir ufed her sight. Miss Plum
mer 10 Q lady Of much culture and relates
In . most interesting manner her eventful
army experience.
MI. Benz. Condor came from Penobscot
county shout 1860 and bought the farm at
Happy Corner. he built tvo-story house
and large stable and kept hotel for Ave
years or more, when his brother, Sumner
Condor, took the hotel and kept ii acme
Ave years. The property has since gone
through q number Of hands and Is now
owned BY Mr.. George w. Winsnip.
From Happy Corner the Baskahegsn road
runs In q southwesterly direction across the
northeast corner Of Reed, and, crossing the
Mattswamkeag river in Bancroft, continues
on until il intefsects the Calais road In the
southern part Of the town Of Weston This
rosd runs through the forest for the entire
distance across Reed plantation Below
Happy Corner We ride through the woods
for nearly three miles and come out to the
farm Of Miss Piummer, situated on rhe
west side Of the road and containing 1877
acres Of good land, With something over %
acres cleared and . comfortable set of
buildings. A short distance below, OF the
opposite side Of the road is the farm of Mr..
Perley W. Clifford, 3 grandson Of Capt.
John 8. Clifford. He has l40 acres Of land,
with some Is scres cleared AMI good Get
Of II, "a buildings. Near here 10 hs
CLIFFORD Family Csmetsry,
neatly enclosed and we'll kept. Next below,
on the ives. side Of the road, i, the farm of
Mr.. Seth s. Clifford, 8 son Of the arst
settler. He has 12l acres Of good lad,
with so acres cleared and good buildings
These farms are sll si.usted GA handsome
swell Of dry land and ptoiu g well. Ne.
Clifford has 10 former years engsssd in the
IN nher business to sone exssn', ~ t-1eed
have re.rly all tie ss...sIs "a .s..s v.>.a.,y
A siiof. eissx1ss arIs r, j lhe ess sids Of
the road, IL the cd C.Ps CAfsld home
{. cad, row Owned AID occupied By Mr..
JonA. 8 CGf,rd the oidsss living son.
This is the b. & farm Ia he settlement ard
c7i.t.i,s $50 Acres with SOMETHING over 60
.erss Gle .rri. \ large house in good repair
ANA isf.e q ie veil kept barns ~ j outbulld-