Milford chronicle., 1908-07-03
Places and People of Milford Neck
From 1910 to 1908.


Charles 7. Fleming of Milford. 1t il
As nicely located on the northern side of the
Mispillion River, and south of Fishing
+ Creek, q tributary of that stream, and
r contains about two hundred acres.
In the more ambitious portion of Mir.
Fleming's life, this farm was to bis fancy
!. a veFitable Utopia upon it he set bis
N highest standard of value. He was a
Q man Of lofty ideas, and his prescience en-
! abied him to discern through the vista of
the future, the wonderful possibilities it
! contained. Mr.. Flemings time, however,
] was too nearly absorbed with other
duties to bestow proper care and atten-
: ton to farming, or even upon his farms
hence they were often neglected. But
this farm was his special "hobby." He
was surveyor, draughtsman, convey
ANGER and notary public, for more than
forty years and probably during his life
acknowledged more deeds than any other
man that ever lived in Milford He was
also man Of considerable literary ability. |
After the first newspaper was issued in |
Milford, Sept 3Oth, 1S48, he became a
regular contributor, both in prose and in
verse. His conception was accurate, his
style conforming to that of the early half
of the Nineteenth Century. His life was
so long and useful, the major portion of
which was spent in Milford. Mr.. Flem-
ing died childless leaving his estate in fee
simple, to his wife who was the sister of
the late James S. Richards. Mrs. Flem-
ing survived her husband several years.
The first tenant remembered by the {
writer, to occupy this farm was John t
WilkersOn, whose wife was a niece of Mr. T
Fleming and sister of the late Joseph
Haslet Owens, Mr. and Mrs. Wilkerson +
were the parents of Samuel 0. Wilkerson, o
a worthy and respected citizen of Milford. G
At that time Mr.. Wilkerson lived on g
this farm it was quite productive for that f.
period, but not in as high state of cul. p'
-ivation as at the present time the science
If farming was not then so extensively %
developed, as it is now. Although Mr.. III
Vilkerson WAS a man of much energy
md push, and was regarded as one of the la
'est farmers OF his day, it is doubtful if IL,
lie grew yearly more than one hundred IA
'ushels of wheat on the farm, especially sol
efore introduction OF guano Corn and tic
ats were the principle cereals grown at s nu
bat time, =
There was a large apple orchard on the Nj
lrm, consisting mostly of winter apples,
leh as russets, winesap and Winter DO
rixone, and it would be surprising to an,
le present generation, to see what crops mai
ere gathered. they were simply i'm par
ense. They we're gathered in the fall oai
I'd hauled by cart loads, to be buried in tv,
is in the ground for winter use. Chill cas-
en- were not then lavishly supplied with "
odern candy and poisonous connections, anu
It had plenty of ripe wholesome fruit J.
T Christmas and other extra occasions. Of Il
a part from the poverty stricken condi- him
n of the soil, farmers had much less to Al
Intend with then than now; Colorado ia
stles, San Jose scale, curculio and sa
lch yellows we're unknown. Nj
Next after Mr.. Wilkinson, as tenant, ing
S Jacob CULLEN, then comparatively M N,
ing man, now still living at the ripe are '
OF about eighty-five years, one of the MI
v few of that time vbo st;II .,,r,,i,,o ing A
lowing Mr. CULLEN came Hezekiah
stem, young man who began farming
this place, but after a few years :, IN
ght the Charles Fleetwood farm, near Sine.
rdington Mills and occupied it for bush,
ny years Mr.. Masten died in Mil TIRES
few years ago about seventy-four 1i -,
RS of age. In the early seventies and n
Serson Al. Meredith became the ten jured
During his occupancy, Mr.. Fleming Ricl
ted new buildings on the farm and comm .nl
lie other improvements After the the a,
h of Mrs. Fleming, widow of Mr.. The
ming, this farm became the DroDertv VIM
lrs. Samuel W. Kinder, by inherit mem
}, since which time Mr.. Kinder has Tbo
ltiously bestowed improvements I'D. quite
he farm, in such a manner that the L. Ric
plan dream of its former owner seems mis-.
'st certain of realization This farm --' Gao-
thout doubt one of the finest of the the he
y fine farms located along the river. A Fl
N seen by the writer it presented a in VIM
tiful picture-a picture on which the 49, %no
could rest with delight The general AIfre
of the land is sufficiently undulat- city v
n afford a very nictrresc,,o o,,,,a, from
and render the landscape exceedingly OI poS
tiful Away in the distance stand visiting
ps Of forest trees-oak and pine Emo
e giant branches, clothed in Natures the sun
y, stand out in bold relefagainst the An anna "a
on. In addition to those natural Netbo5
les, the farm is systematically ar Thorn
d into four fields, of about twenty horses
lcres each, besides ten acres in fruit 'ne fGu
I