Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1891-06-29
our GARDEN COUNTY.
|ElIJ Hist1J, Ssttlsnsli ind
Present Condition Of LittIdou.
Ore u u Iast PfsspsFsas u III
lIpestook feIls.
sy.nos. EDWARD wseG,s.


Adjoining the sown Of Hoaiion on the
north IL the f3usishiag town al Littlss0a.
through which the essnsy road from Ho7i-
ton 70 Presaas Isie runs ia . due north
kcoufse on the centre lins Of the town, The
south bali Of .his town vas originally
sssnssd By the afassaehasatss Legislature
70 williams College sGd the north half "a
Ffamin CHAM Academy. As the boundaries
Of the town are now established zig
sppesss In the vest line. the northern nall
i 81 the town extending sBeshins ike q
q aastef Of mile farther 70 ths wess than
the southern half. This 10 accounted fo1
from the fact thas the southern half Of the
town, which Was the Williams College
srsnt, was surveyed before the establish
ms ut o. the boundary line between Maine
ard New Brunswick, which line when
assiIy located cut Of 3 strip nearly . quar-
ter II mile In width from the eastern side
~ this half 10 " nship ~ orig ihaiiy surveyed
Tn nspthsfn half Of the town not having been
mrveYsd aptii the Boundary line was estAb-
lishsd was made 20 ex'end SIX miles west
from the New Bruins siek line. thus causing
| IL 70 iut by the south half Of the town. The
| Meduxnekeag stream enters the town =
| little over q mile west from the southeast
| corner and 4 wing north for nearly three
miles turns abruptly TO the east and cross
ing the boundary h1~s In q soatbeastsrly
| iirection until iSfads i.s way into the 81.
J okn At Woodstock. The
10 Lttleton Is Johnson brook. which enters
| The town near its northwest corner and u ~
| iag diAgoaally across the to xn 10 a southeast
eriy direction, empties into the Meduxne-
kexg some two miles from the south line.
| Samerous other brooks Of greater or less
volume run in direction parallel to John
son brook aud empty into the Meduxneksag
| rhess streams with their many smaller
tributaries extending to all portions Of the
town afford an abundant water supply for
| every section, Upon johnson brock are =
| humble. Of small lakes sbounding in trout,
some Of these lakes being carefully pre-
tected by their owners for sporting pur-
poses. The western half OF the town con-
tains 3 number Of high ridges and the
surface in this portion is considerably
broken. not enough, however, to interfere
sith farming operations as the soil is fertile
and productive. The peculiar formation
known a. the horseback" extends in q
aortherly direction through this portion Of
the town. The eastern half of the town
contains no very high ridges but in por-
lions is somewhat broken. though less so
On the whole than the western half. Lime
stone forms the underlying ledge in this
town, and the soil is enriched by its gradual
disiategrati0n. Its porous character also
affords natural drainage The town wss
originally covered with . mixed growth of
the hard and soft woods natural to this
region and contained much valuable timber.
| Fhe first settlements made in the town were
along the line Of the present county
road from Houlton to Presque Isle and in
The southern portion Of the Williams Col
lege grant.
The Early settlers
| All the original settlers Of the town hav-
ing nov passed away it is quite difficult to
trace its early history or TO determine who
lrst entered the wilderness 70 MAKE 3
home In what il now Liitleton. IL 10 quite
certain, however, that among the very ear
l lest, il not the first, settlers who came to
The town TO remain aud make u home was
| Mr. Thomas Osborne who came from Bel
| fast, Me in 1895 aud settled on a lot in
the extreme southern part OF the town
adjoining the Houlton line. This lot had
been taken 9 short time previous by Mr.
| Daniel Jones, who came from Bath and
had made small clearing upon the lot
Mr.. Jones sold his improvement TO Mr.
| @ sborne and removed to HodgdaI where he
vas for many years q VALUE ard il adentis
citizsn ard where he continued to reside
until his death. Mr.. Thomas Osborne was
d tanner by trade and worked ut this bust
ness In Houl,on portion Of the time dur
| Jug the first years Of his residence in Little
ton. He continued, however, +, extend hi.
clesrings and at the time OF hi- death in
| IS6i had . productive farm a.a comforsa-
home.
After his death lis son. Stephen A.
Osborne, came into possession Of the farm
and is still residing upon il. MIR. Osborne
| continued to improve the farm and in 1862
| built 4 large house and stable with the
intention of keeping hotel, which p!su,
hosever, he afterwards abandoned. Mr.
| Osborne WAS one Of the conductors on the
| freight trains which Ia the early days ran
| from Aroostook county to Bangor sni
which consisted Of four and six horse teams,
| their down freight berg usually shingles
| and the return cargo = general assortment
l Of supplies. He now devotes him self
wholly to farming, his farm at present con-
| .isting Of l63 acres of fertile isni, with
nearly 100 acres cleared. Mr.. Osborne
raises large crops OF hay, grain and pots-
toes. Keeps a considerable stock and has
some very fine horses and colts.
Mr.. Lewis DeLsite was also one Of TIE
earliest settlers Of the town. He came TO
Littieton from Pscataquis county about
The year 1910 and settled on the west side
| Of the county read one lot south of the
| centre Of the town. Here be made farm
upon which he resided un,il his death aud
was succeeded By his son Lewis Debate,
Who was for many years one of the active
citizens Of the town. He also drove team
on the Bangor route for humber of years
and was also engaged for some time in trade
in Littleton. Mr.. DsLaite removed with
his family to Minneapolis some few years
| sgo and his farm is now occupied by Mr.
| Jerry Hsfrigan Aboutthe time that the elder
| Lewis Debate settled in Littletou, the lot
Immediately opposite was taken by Mr.
| Hamilton who was A blacksmith and
| worked portion Of the time at that trade
| in Houlion. Mr., Hamilton novel from
Li;tleton shout 1850 and his farm is now
| also owned and occupied by Mr.. Jerry
Hsrrissn. At about the same time Mr..
| Staples settled upon hat is now the Wright
| farm next south of the DsI.aite farm, ard
the lot opposite, afterwards the Tozer
farm. was taken By Philip keene, who
remained but few years and sold to Mr.
Tozier Who came to Aroostook from Nlfi-
michi, N. 3. His SOD, Mr.. James L, zier.
| is nov 3 merchant in Ashland, hsrins
formerly been engaged IS . sc,lef of ium
Der upon the Aroostook and 81. Jeha
| saters. Anoiher son, Mr.. iwatd Tozier,
il farmer in New Limerick. The Ttzier
farm was Afterwards owned By Mr.. G
Stevens and is now occupied by Mr.. Rob
ert Hone.
In ls43 Marin Johc IN came from Read
@ cid and took the let next south o. Staples
Robert williams had made small clearing
upon the lot ard sold to Mr.. johnson who
alec bought The lot opposite and cleared
up large farm upon VII ca he lived until
BIZ. dea,h in 1856. His son, Mr.. Lewis B
Johnson, then came into Possession Of the
aomests ad farm upou which he made many
Improvement. He was also for s,ne
ye afs employed in tcaming to Bangor ard
vas enasRsd In trading AID numbering. snd
| built the fret mill in the tawn. Mr.. John-
son sold the farm in 1868 to Mr.. j. T.
DraAe and moved TO foultan where he WAS
for some years eng ged IA trsd,e ard ia nov
one Of the rropias nj and substantial citi-
zens Of Houltoa. He held the office Of
county treasurer OF Aroostook for ak
years and VAS afterwards sherif Of the
county for . term o. SIX years BE is
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