The Somerset reporter., 1899-08-24
MY DREAM.


All cares | banished from my mind
And placed them in dod's keeping.
My window raised, the balmy air
with sweetest flowers scented,
Had filled my room, and all that's fair
Was to my mind presented.
And thankful for Cod love so deep,
For his rich blessings given,
sweetly closed my eyes in sleep
And dreamed | was in heaven.
Our ancestors who once came here
To spend life's 1eeting hours,
We're in that bright celestial sphere,
Endowed with angel powers.
Each wore a crown Of purest gold,
Their raiment shone with splendor,
They sang more sweet than can be told
With accents far more tender.
They sweetly sang one note above
The angel choir in heaven,
Redeeming grace and dying love
To sinful mortals given.
But some there were more near Gods throne
Who here had been neglected,
No light had on their pathway shone
From ancestors, reflected.
For they were wicked, every one,
Nor had they ever given
One thought to have their offspring won,
To holiness and heaven.
asked an angel standing by,
With golden plnions folded
While loYeliRht beamed from every eye,
His form diyinely nodded,
0Why these were nearer to Gods throne,
For what they had been noted,
What great achievement had they done,
That they were thus promoted.
Should not our fathers have that place,
Our dearly loved relation,
Since they were of better race
And had higher station.
You know quite well the angel said,
Surprised at my complaining;
Each OF your ancestors have had
A thorough christian training.
And had they walked the ways of sin
While all were good around them,
Great would their conde mnation been,
When Christ In mercy found them.
But these have risen far above
The evil that was taught them.
AHd glad embraced a Sagior's love,
When he In mercy sought them.
And neve r let it be forgot
That each man Is your brother
That God your Father judges not
As you Judge one another.
And this remember while you live,
However low your station.
For what you lack that others have,
There will be compensation.
Following are extracts from history o
the Baker and Goodrich families read b.
the historian. Mrs. Sarah G. Goodrich
The complete history of either the Good
rich or Baker families is work requiring
an incredible amount of labor and re
search, since in this county alone 45c
have already been traced.
The Goodrich family were the first tc
migrate to this country from Englanc
and settled in this section earlier than tn,
Bakers. The first Goodrich to come tC
New England was William Goodrich who
came in the year 1884 and settled in tht
town of Lunenburg, Mass. Joshua Good
rich IT., direct descendant came to wha
is now known as the town of Bingham
about 1887. He settled on the farm now
owned by Henry Washburn and William
Moore. This for many years was more
than family home. for Mr.. and Mrs
Goodrich were noted throughout this sec
ton for their philanthropy and blame.
less lives. They were both earnest mem
bers OF the Congregational church and il
was largely owing TO their efforts that the
church was established and the first
church here built. A lot of land for a
public cemetery was donated by Mr..
Goodrich and all that was mortal of Mr.
Goodrich and wife and more than one
hundred of his descendants rest here.
Two of the great grandsons of Joshua
Goodrich, Jr., reside on the farms owned
by their grandfathers. Sidney Goodrich
and Granville Goodrich.
The first settler of the Baker name
came to New England in 1855, Francis
Baker of Great Stalborns, Hartfordshire,
Eng. He settled in the town of Var
mouth, Mass. 1t is to his greatgrandson,
Barnabas Baker that the Baker families OF
the kennebec valley owe their origin.
Barnabas was the father of fifteen child
ren, all but one living to maturity, marry
ing and in their turn rearing large ia
miles II is from six Of those children,
five sons and one daughter that the Baker
blood in this vicinity sprung. Three
brothers, Abner. Reuben and Brown and
their nephew. Charles, and niece, Polly
Springer Baker settled in Moscow, about
1900, and a few years later two more
nephews, Jonathan and David, settled in
the same town. From these seven ia
miles have descended, all of the name
and blood.
uC lOlbCNhOh pNh"SCh VIC NOodilSii
and Baker families began with the mar
riage of Benjamin Goodrich, son o:
Joshua Jr and Belinda Baker, daughter
of Brown Baker Since then have fol
lowed fifteen other marriages between the
two families making the union between
the two families very close.
AT this years reunion the two oldest
members were Mr.. Eben Baker, son OF
Charles, one of the original settlers, who
was born in Moscow, in 1872, and Mrs
Cynthia Goodrich McQuilkin, who was
the daughter of Abiah Goodrich. Grand
children of Joshua Goodrich, IT,, present
were Cynthia McQuilkin, Willard Good,
rich, son of John, and Augustine, son ol
Benjamin.
The history of the Goodrich and Baker
families and the history of the towns o.
Bingham and Moscow, is SO closely inter.
woven that you cannot tell one without
telling the other, for members of both
families have always been prominent in
town affairs, in religious and social life oi
the towns, in educational matters and in
patriotism.
A long list of names of those who went
forth to battle for their country in hel
peril, testify how strong and true that love
was.