The Somerset reporter., 1897-04-01

around the ceiling Wnlcn was very un-
usu Il, and the flor was painted in
diamonds in two cOlors.
When the people began to talk of hav-
ing settled minister among them, ii
was of course necessary to have a
church. II is generally understood that
Peter Haywood gave, though perhaps
for consideration, fifty acres of land
for a church, huryng ground and train
ing fiald, and on this land, in l7Ss, the
church was begun. The building WAS
about forty by fifty feet with a large
porch at each end, containing the stairs
to the gallery. The main building was
completely finished with the old time
square pews the pulpit and front of the
galleries painted, and the sounding
board over the pulpit painted, the bottom
of it in ihree colors.
Then as now, a man had to be well-to-
do to afford the luxuries OF life for
instance, till 1910 a tax was imposed up
on the window glass in the houses. f.
is hard for people nowadays to realize
the vast amount of labor that WAS re-
Qured to build those homes of one hun
bred years ago.
Samuel Wrstons daughter, Mary, WAS
married in 1900 10 Eleazer COburn aud
went with him nearly three miles back
from the river To establish new hone.
Mrs. Coburn used to tell how they built
the new barn. I'VE each of us did three
days work in one. Mr.. Coburn would do
his farm work which was one day's work
then GO into The woods, cut his lumber,
haul il To the mill, get il sawed and haul
IL back. and that was two more. | would
do nv house work and take care of the
children, nne days work; spin six skeius
| Of yarn " hich WAS another, and weave
four yards of cloth which was a third
days work.
The story is told of the hired man
who tried to get up in the morning be
fore Mrs. Coburn did. He rose earlier
and earlier till one morning, coming
down at three o'clock and finding Mrs
COburn at work, he remarked that he
should like to know what time she got
up. "Oh," replied she, Il haven't been
to bed yet
As was natural, from the very begin
ming this had been az whole a farming
community, but it was necessary To have
mills of some kind to supply their wants.
When Dea. John White first came he
said that sometime there would be a
village at Skowhegan Falls, as there WAS
such good chance for mills on Currier
brook. A few mills were built on the
Wesseruusett but being across the river
were too lfficult of access to be of much
benefit to many of the settlers. In the
fall of l773 or 4, mill was begun on
Skowhegan island, below the little falls
on the south channel of the river, but a
freshet came and destroyed what little
was done and they abandoned the at
tempt. After this the first mill in
Bloomfield was built by solomon Stew
ard, ST., on Currier brook, and answer
ed the wants of the settlers.
Peter Haywood, Sr,. built sn Skowhe-
gan island about 1870. This water
power was the best on the falls, as but
little needed to be done to make it avail.
able. There was natural channel
through the ledge at the upper end of
the island and over this the mill was
placed The water running through this
left the south channel above the little
falls aud emptied into the north channel
below the great falls, thus making a
good power. Peter Haywood probably
had the island from the Plymouth Co.,
and did not sell it till 1903. This mill on
the island was built with a double saw
mill above and grist mill below. In
later years one man used to tell how
about 1900, as boy of seven, he used to
be put on the old white horse with a bag
of corn behind him, and sent to mill,
following the bride path three miles
through the woods, with part of the
way nothing but spotted trees To guide
him. Arriving at the river bank, the
boy would call to the miller, who would
row across, get the corn, take it back
and grind it, then carry the meal
back, put it on the horse aud start the
boy home.
Though busy in cultvating fher
farms, the settlers did not forget
to cultivate their minds also. The
proprietors of the Social Library in the
town of Canaan were notified TO meet on
the 18th day of July 1893, to choose a
librarian, to transact any matter that
would tend to establish and promote said
library, and to furnish lists of books de-
sired, Among the books mentioned are
Cooks Voyages, Guthrie's Geography,
Allene's Alarm, History of America
Owen on Indwelling, Beauties of Sterne,
History of j. Howard ard Buffers
Analogy. The society does not seem to
have been very flourishing as in Decem.
Der, 1871, a warrant was issued for a
meeting, 10 agree when the subscribers
| SHE'LL pay III tiltiI respective sIldItS, anu
TO choose a committee TO select and
purchase books for said Association.
From the remnant Of this library now
remaining it would seem to have been
made up of books which were well cho-
sen and well read. 1t is uncertain how
long the association was kept up, but the
books were finally distributed among
the members.
In 1907 the General Court of Mass
achusetts enaclel that seth G irrer,
ED, Mr.. Josiah Locke, Mr.. Judah Nc
Clellan, Mr.. Benjamin shepherd, Mr.
Solomon Steward, Eli Weston, Esq,
Nr. John Weston and Mr.. Seth Wyman,
all of Canaan, DR.. John Lawrence OF
Cornville, Rev. Joshua Cushing of Wins
low. Reuben Kidder, Esq, of Waterville,
William Jones, Esq, and Daniel Ste
ward of Norridgewock, all of the County
of Kennebec, and their successors in
said Office, shall be, ard hereby are
made n body Corporate, by the name of
the Trustees of Canaan Academy
Having obtained their charter nothing
further was done till the spriug of 1912
when it was voted to erect a building 2G
by SO feet aud II feet studded, but this
was evidently not done as in May, 1914
a committee was appointed with full
power to procure materials and put w
building for Canaan Academy. We
may conclude that this time the vote
was carried out, as in 1915, Mai. Iohu
G. Neil was instructed to huil1 a fence