Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1901-07-23
EARLY CHURCHES IN OXFORD
BY NJ. F. KING.


5 Andrew Craigie, who succeeded to near
ly all of that part of Hebron which made
D the town of Oxford, was an EpiscOpalian
, but there is nothing showing that either
/. of them made requisition on the settlers
as to their religious faith; liberty OF
conscience was allowed to all.
Mr.. Shepard's grant bears date OF
March Z, TIT, and settlers began to come
in in ITO, but there was no attempt al
church organization until the spring OF
1901, when seven men and seven women
united in the Baptist church, only four
teen out of population of about five
hundred. This, however, must not be
J construed as an indication of the in
difference of the Inhabitants to holy
things, for probably, there was not a
home in the whole district where the
Bible was not sacredly regarded as the
"Word of God''.
The people were poor, many had
bought their land on credit, and all ex-
penses were reduced to the minimum
political and sectarian feeling was strong
and the preaching in those days was
largely controversial, more of the sword
than the olive-branch While the peo-
pie generally accepted Luther's theory
''that saving faith was not dependent
upon good works or virtuous life, ="
other issues were made prominent and
New England sentiment had so radically
changed the laws as to give to every
person the right to organize church
upon the principles dictated by their
own conscience, and to preach the gospel
as they understood it. What wonder
that there are so many feeble churches
when all know that only through toler-
alton and union cometh strength. A
history of Methodism says that the first
Methodist sermon preached in town was
at the house of John Caldwell in 1884,
and that class was soon after formed
by him that met regularly at his house
or in the school house. In 1909 Rev.
Dan Perry, member of the New
England Conference, having been COM
PEELED to locate on account OF physical
| injury settled in town and from that time
until 1884 was q farmer. He preached
| frequently on Sundays and attended most
of the weddings and funerals. The
Methodists occupied the time allotted to
them in the Center meeting house, when
built, with considerable regularity, but
| tney nlu nO lncetluS uouSc VI ehoii o"h,
in town, until 1861.
Immediately after the incorporation
of the town of Oxford, Messrs. Samuel
Haven, Andrew Foster, Thomas Foster
and John Foster, heirs of Andrew
Craigie, authorized their agent, William
G.. Whitney, Esq, to erect meeting
house for the use of the town, to be
located on the new county road leading
from Poland to Paris, in such place as
| the town shall determine with the con-
sent of Whitney; the house not to cost
| more than twelve hundred dollars. Three
acres of land was included in the gift,
for common, burying ground, etc.
The first town meeting was held in the
new house on the 18th day of October,
| 1880, when arrangements were made for
| its dedication, and soon after COM
mittee was chosen to divide the time, to
be occupied for divine service, between
the several denominations of Christians
| in town. The committee subsequently
| reported making the assignment as fol
lows: "The Congregationalist the first
Sunday of each month, the Baptist the
second, the Universalist the third, the
Methodist the fourth, and when there
are five Sundays, the fifth shall be for
any denomination who shall give sea-
sonable notice thereof by posting the
| same on the meeting house door,"
CoNaREG ATIoNALIsT.
On the 51st day of May, 1926, an ecclcsi-
astical council convened at the house of
| Alfred Hood for the purpose of forming
n Congregational church of Christ in
|
resented, and after examination the fol
lowing named persons were constituted
into tho First Congregational Church in
Hebron: Messrs. Jonathan Muzzey,
Pitt C. Muzzey and Alfred Hood, and
Mrss. Militiah Muzzey, Harriet Rowe
and Hannah Hood. The public ex-
ercises were held in the school house at
two o'clock in the afternoon, after which
Mr.. Pitt C. Muzzey was chosen Deacon.
No pastor was called until 1886, when
Rev. Ariel Parish Chute of Byfield,
Mass. was settled. Rev. James Gooch
of Minot was the stated supply the
previous year. A parsonage was built
| for Mr.. Chute but he did not occupy it
long, for in December, 1888, he asked to
be dismissed, and the following spring
Rev. Isaac Carleton was called and he
continued in charge until his death in
1858. He occupied the house built for
Mr.. Chute, and after his death the
property was bought by DR.. Artemas l.:
Hersey and remodeled into his present
delightful home. After the death OF
Miss Frances E. Norton, in 1878, her
brother, Edwin, who was authorized to
dispose of her property as he thought
best, gave her homestead to the church
for parsonage, "as long as they shall
regularly maintain the ordinances of the
gospel" This house was formerly oc-
crpied by Alfred Hood and in it the
church was constituted.
By consent of Mrs. Dennis Hayes
l(widow af Cyrus Shaw the society held
their meetings. in the Baptist meeting
house until December 3, 1910, when a
letter was received from Mr.. Hayes, Civ
ing notice that hereafter the Baptists
would occupy the meeting house.
Whereupon it was voted to thank Mrs.
HAYES for the use of the house where
we have been holding our meetings, and
that hereafter the meetings will be in
the School House Hall.
The Baptist meeting house, so called,
was erected in 1927 by Cyrus Shaw on
his homestead lot few rods northwest
of his dwelling house. 1t was said to
have been built as thank offering, an
acknowledgement of the divine favor in
giving him the capital prize, 5000, in
one of the drawings Of the Cumberland
and Oxford Canal Lottery.
This corporation was chartered by the
legislature of 1921 to carry into effect
long contemplated scheme of connecting
the great ponds in Cumberland and Ok
ford Counties by an artificial waterway
!, with the sea, thereby affording to large
territory cheap transportation of its
products to the markets of the world
,, Craigie's Mills, for time, fondly antici
pated the day when ThompsOn's Pone
should become part of the cana
!, system, making it the head Of naviga
l ton and the distributing point for th'
back country, but the Portland ant
Quebec Railroad became the towntalk il
1884, and July, 1S49, the Atlantic & st
Lawrence Railroad rolled its first trail
of cars into Oxford. The canal wa
sold under the hammer in 1857 by it
Icreditors and soon after the lower sec
Q ton was closed; the boats being privat
property, continue in use on the ponds
Various methods were devised to rails
Q money to build the canal, two Thousand
, shares of capital stock were put upol
the market at $50 per share, specia