The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1895-10-14
the world. President Pierce in ploolng
him good bye, said to him in parting
"DON'T BE A SHEEP ANY LONGhh

! =
Stand up n-your boots and be man
John Bull is a good fellow and Will ohlhA
the more of you if you face him III iian
fashion," John Bull was first to appre-
ciate his writings and they then pecaihe
popular in America. Hawthorne reDurheu
rich beyond his wants and enjoyed Wii"o
he possessed. His life was such a pecullar
one that it will probably always nave d
facination about it that few mems lives
have
| The first meeting house in Otlsnelu
was built on "Bell HIP near the site OF
the present church. The upper Iart OF 1t
was moved down the hill and is now
used for Town House. The first shin
giles lasted, it is said. forty nine years.
The meeting house was dedicated IN 1907
with proper services. - which we were
told, included a barrel of rum, and
dedication ball at Dan Morse's house.
still standing. The ministers, when
they departed in the morning, said to
each other that they hoped to meet again
under similar circumstances. Dan Morse
was the first blacksmith in the town and
lived near David Rays mill, at foot of
Saturday Pond.
The first grave yard in the town was
also on sBell Hill -
The first assessors of Otisfeld Planta-
tion (17s7) were David Ray, Benjamin
Patch, and Noah Read. Joseph Wight,
Jr., was Clerk and Jonathan Moors Col
lector. Noah Read came from Attleboro,
Mass, and was a brave soldier OF the
Revolution. He came about 1888, and
settled at Spurs Corner, but in 1888 he
Joined the Quakers at Windham, removed
to that town married and had ten chill
dren. He was prominent man IN the
society and was the Principal of the
Quaker Academy at Windham, long ago
forgotten. Joseph Wight, Jr., the Clerk
was physician.
The first minister was Rev. Thomas
Roby who came in 1896, ordained in 1897,
butzin 1910 they voted unanimously to
dismiss him for inte importance and failed
in their effort, but the people soon lost
their interest in the church and the SER
vices were abandoned.
The following
REVOLUTIONARY SOLDIERS
were early residents Of the town: Lieut.
David Ray, Lieut.. Joseph Hancock,
cousin of Gov. John Hancock, Jonathan
Britton called in the army "The Fifer
Devil" BENZ. Green, who carried bullet
in his shoulder until his death in 1924,
Stephen and Zebulon Knight, sons of
Capt. Samuel Knight of Old Falmouth
and grandsons of Lieut. George Knight
who was in Capt. Moses Pearson's Co.
at Louisburg in 1745, Mark Knight,
David Mayberry. who went from Wind
ham, Jonathan Piper, Enoch Spur,
Jacob Thurston, DR.. Joseph Wight, Jr.,
John Brackett, Daniel Jumper, James
Sampson, Robert Anderson, who was
captured and carried to England, Thos.
Edes, John Holden, John Holden, Jr.,
Timothy Jordan, John Knight, called
"Snappy," Simeon Caswell, and Eben-
ezer Kemp, wife Relief, who came from
Groton, Mass, lived in Otisfleld about
four years then removed to Gorham, near
White Rock, about 1856, where his de-
scendants now live. He had son Elijah
EDenezer Kemp was in the battle of Bun
ker Hill and had his hip dislocated. He
was in the army in 1777, probably as his
descendants have his powder horn with
that date cut upon it. This horn was
carried by William Lennon, during the
seige of Boston, who was in Brookline
Fort, and upon this horn he out plan of
that fort showing the location of the bar
racks.
Jonathan Britton said in 1886, that he
went to Otisfield Oct. 81, 1889 and then
there were but about thirteen families in
town as follows: George Pierce, Benz
Patch, Samuel Reed, Elijah Kemp,
Joseph Ray, Daniel Cobb, Michael Whit
ney, Zebulon Knight, Samuel Whitney
and David Mayberry. In 1136 there we're
living then but two who were heads of
families in 1889, at Otis1eld.
Samuel Knight wrote in his journal
April 30, 1895 Father (Stephen Knight)
says that 40 Years ago today (17S5) the
snow was feet deep on the level in Otis
field, and SO say other old people, and
Gu6f6 w 5I6 Uuu UWOAfo VI AAoOSA AoAAAAAASS
in town them
Of the origin of some of the prominent
old families of the town we are informed
that the Wardwells, Farringtons and
Edes came from Andover, Mass, Holdens
from Maiden or vicinity, Moors, Patchs,
and Pierces from Groton Mass, Spurs,
Wights, Hancock, Morses, Thurstons and
Turner's from Wrentham, Mass, and the
Knights from Old Falmouth. Like most
all our towns the old family names are
dying out.
Otisfeld, in 1896 had about &c voters,
Is houses, 10 barns and 1926 acres of cleared
land. George Pierce had two horses and
nineteen ether persons had one each.
There were raised in the town in 1875 but
Sc bushels of potatoes.
The following is the tax list of the
Plantation in 1895 with the amount of
each ones tax. The poll tax was forty one
CENTS and the tax for the wild land is
not included in this list: