Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1891-07-07
OUR GARDEN COUNTY.
On d The Bet Farming 1eIBs
n AfeeGtsek,
LII u BirilpIies Il Iain's es'
enoR.

LII u blIupAsS y
snoR.
apieudad Farms Esd Prespsses d
Farmers Ali Over the Town.
Br HON. KDwARD w1sGU.
The soxu Of Lsnneus lies in the second
tier Of 70 vushiss from the Nav BsansvicE
line. 10 directly west Of the tom Of Hodg'
dan aud corners on Houison on the SCUM
vsss, The early history Of Llnnsos u
atsuusfely connected with that Of the ssfhie-
men, Of HoaIson ~ the old Soldier road
over which supplies vers brought 70 me
ssYrisop q. HouItou wns made tnfoaan tnis
soxn. This road vas cut through BY fns
Unissd States troops in 1923. IL began y
what vas called Soldier Landing on the
cas-, braneh Of the MsttAsamkeas some
tyo miles bsIov the mouth ct Beaver orooH'
followed up the brook across the tosnship
Of Letter A. AID after entering Lsnneus
turned in Q nossheasseriy direction from sns
height Of land on which ia now the j. D.
Cove farm following nearly the line OF tne
rrsssnt military road 70 where Hon Parker
p. gaYlsigh now lives, entering Hculfon
mar the southwest corner OF that tosn.
The township vas originally granted by the
Massachusetts LsasiAsur- 70 ENJOY
professoYship Of botany and vas therefore,
named Linneus after the eminent notAnis'
OF that name. The nrst settler upon me
town was Mr.. Daniel Neal who came rom
New Brunswick in 1897 and settled near
toe northeast corner Of the town on Snat
10 nov q part Of the farm Of Hon Parker r:
Bu,lsish We fnd mention of MIR. Neal
10 letters from Major Clarke, the officer
Ia command Of the garrison at Houiton 70
Capt. Stamford, who commanded the de-
tAchmess enssged In constructing tne
Solder road. Ia letter dated Sept. zotn,
1928, Msj,r Clarke writes "As soon - the
road shall have been completed to Meals
you will order the four sixpounders to
that place aud leave them there" On the
ssms day Major Clarke writes TO Nj, Towie.
Of ths firm Of Towle & Parsons who had
the contract 20 forward the supplies for the
troops ''As soon IS all the public property
deposited AZ Meals shall have been brought
10 I request you to forward on those can
non."
First Settlement of Linnsus.
In these letters we fnd the first mention
of any settle ment in the present town OF
Linnsus. Mr.. Neal WAS Maine man and
went 10 New Brunswick to work at his
trade az q ship carpenter. coming thence 10
mis- forest home in the new grant. Here he
cleared up a considerable tract aad lived
upon it until 1884, when he removed to
Jackson brook His son, john Hodgdon
Neal. was the frst child born in Linneus.
The Opening of this road induced other
settlers to come to the town. Ia 1928 or
1929 Samuel and John Shields came from
New Brunswick and settled east OF the
Soldier rosd near the line of Hodgdon,
then Groton Academy Grant Both cleared
up farms upon which they lived for many
years and died st an advanced sge. Mr..
rhos. 0. Shields, son of John Shields, and
Mr.. True B Shields, son Of Samuel Shields
now live upon the old homestesds and
hsve good farms. The same yesr Mr..
John Jones settled south OF Samuel Shields
on whx, is now the Geo. Starrett farm. These
three were the first settlers east Of the road
Among the settlers who came 20 the town
8 Don after Mr.. Neal and settled along the
line Of the new road was Col. BENZ, Rack
life who came from Waldo county about
1929 and settled on whsti COW the Howard
farm, short distance south Of Linneus
Corner. Col. RAckliffe was for years a
prominent citizen Of the town. He after
ward moved to Presque Isle where he died
some ten years ago. Jacob Marlin came
the same year and settled on the farm now
occupied by DR.. Boyd. He was resident
Of the town for many years.
Town that Produced a Governor.
In 1880, Col. Moses Burleigh came from
the town Of Palermo and bought Of Daniel
Neal lot next north Of the farm upon
which Hon. Parker p Burleign now lives.
Col Burleigh WAS prominent man in the
State before his removal to Linneus. He
was q militia captain in 1912 and was called
into the U. 8. service and was with bis
company at Belfast at the time the British
entered tie Penobscot to destroy theU. s.
frigsts Adams. He was = delegate to the
held 10 1916 st Brunswick in
the District of Maine. to form State con-
stitu,iou in anticipation Of the separation
from Massachusetts, and in the same year
WAS prOulptSu W q tieutsnhIt tOiUntiGy III
the Massachusetts militia. Immediately
after removing to Linneus, Col. Burleigh
was appointed to take the census Of the
northern part Of Washington county which
then included the Aroostook settlements.
As the territory was then in dispute the
Provincial warden endeavored to arrest him
but he eluded pursuit and completed
his work of census taking. 10 1881
he was appointed assistant land scent and
took an active part in expelling trespsssers
from lands in this vicinity. He held the
office Of postmaster for several years and
WAS an active, energetic man and an up
right and honored citizen. He died at Lin
ueus in 1860. His son, Parker p. Bur
leigh, Was but seventeen years old when he
came with his father TO Linneus. He
worked for his father and help clear up the
farm and build home until he was Of age,
when, determining to acquire an education,
he entered Hampden Academy and after
ward Hartford, Conn grammar school
He paid especial attention to the study Of
land surveying and thoroughly fitted him
self for that profession. Returning to
Linneus he took an active part in the affairs
If the new town and held many offices in
the tDWH huu Cuuutf' ne was etAtt lhuu
agent from 1868 to 1875, and was for mary
years postmaster at Linneus. He repre-
sented his town in the Legislature of 1856
81 and Was twice elected senator from
Aroostook county. Mr.. BurIeigh is now
living Oh the old farm III Linneus. upon
when he has made many Improvements
and although nearly eighty years old, is a
hale. hssrty, active man. He owns large
tracts Of timber land in the county, to the
care of which he devotes much Of his time.
He has two brothers. Moses C. and Samuel
X. Burleigh living near him. Hon. Albert
A. Burleigh, his oldest son, was born
in Linueus in 1S4l. He also fitted
himself for the business OF land sur
veying and in 1854 entered the army. He
was wounded and taken prisoner ard con-
fined At Petersburg and Richmond After
his return from the army he took q farm in
the town of oakfisld. adjoining Linneu.,
upon which he lived for q number OF years
He vas for many years 8 member Of the
board Of county commissioners and il
intimately acquainted with every portion OF
Aroostook county. He now resides q,
Houlton add is collector Of customs for the
Aroostook District He is also president
Of the Bangor and Aroostook Railroad
Company and Is giving much Of his time Al
present to the development Of that enter.
prise.
Hon. Eiwin c. Buslsigh,
the Younger son, vas born in Linueus in
IS4S. lie also enlisted in the army in 1854
but was rejected o. secount OF physical
stability and catered the adjatans geaer-
Ais tffics IS clerk. Ee was afterwards
txiee elected assistant clerk of The House
Of Rsnress btstives and ia 1880 WAS ap-