The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1915-10-14
HISTORY OF SOMERSET COUNTY
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Continued from First Page)
bequeathed to benevolent and scient1-
fic objects. He married but left no
children. Judge Croswell was a
graduate of Harvard College. was dis
tinguished as a classical scholar, had
taste for the fine arts, attended to
the study of medicine and was an I'M
assuming, practicing physician, marri-
ed an excellent wife, relative of Elk
Governor Cory, settled in Mercer, a
small town which gave him but a
lean support. By diligence and econ
omy. and the prudence of good wife
his table was always we'll supplied,
chiefly from the products of a small
farm and an apothecary shop. He
did not accumulate an estate for his
heirs to contend about; was extremely
diffident and modest in his deport-
ment venerated the character of
Washington and was proud of the
name of Federalist. He lived to the
age of eighty, honored and respected
for his integrity.
The first court thus constituted
gave good satisfaction till a revolu-
ton of the political wheel abolished it
in 1911.
The County at first had no funds to
rely upon. The Treasury was empty.
There were no monied men In the
County to make advance When tax
es were assessed, they were not avail
able for year or two; the people
were poor; assessors and collectors
dilatory. Jurors were compelled to
serve and go home without their fees
or take orders on collectors. John
Ware furnished a house for a Court
House ten years gratis and paid for
building Jail $4,000, made the Coun-
ty present of $500 and waited on the
County for $1,000 until taxes could be
raised, and gave a lot for the Jail.
BY slight defect in the Court rec
ords the County sustained loses to the
amount of $500, which the S. J..
Court required to be refunded to land
proprietors for taxes paid by them
for making a road declared Illegal, and
the county was harassed with the
suits and results seven years.
CHARACTER OF EARLY SETTLERS
The general character of the early
settlers, was that of honest industry;
some were of Incorporate habits; a
few were found in every town who
were enterprising and prosperous. The
so soon as Norridgewock and Canaan
was settled under more suspicious cir
cumstances than the others; and when
settled took the lead of all the towns
in the county in regard to wealth and
population. Three families only, it is
said, had settled in Fairfield prior to
1884. and those were near the river.
In that year a colony of forty Friends
or Quakers in Sandwich, Mass, asso-
ciated and agreed to purchase 5000
acres of eastern lands for the purpose
of settling thereon; chose commit
tee of whom Elihu Bowman was chair
man and Clerk of the Association. He
kept a full record of their proceed
ings which the writer has seen. The
committee after an exploration con-
tra nto wi p1vT,ntIth
for 5000 acres in the central part of
dulge in vicious habits and a consid-
cradle number who were of good
moral character, who were not Quak-
ers, were permitted to settle among
them. Dr. Thayer, a respected ply
stefan, settled with them at an early
day and had an extensive and success
full practice.
Elihu Bowman, who took the lead
in the settlement was a worthy, in
telligent citizen, highly esteemed for
sound discretion and fidelity. He ac-
quired a good estate, lived to be over
ninety years of ago and always sus-
tanned an unlicensed reputation. Most
of the original members of The AS
sociation were examples of industry
and prosperity. All are now sup
posed to be dead.
The town of Fairfield was incorpo-
rated in January 1888, on the same
day that Norridgewock and Canaan
were, but by Resolve of the General
Court, was the third on the list. From
the first settlement in 1884, it has been
the first town in the County In wealth
and population until Bloomfield and
Skowhegan were united as one town.
BY the last census Fairfield contained
1858 inhabitants; valuation s674,89O.
The foregoing article was taken
from the Somerset Reporter OF June
9Th and June 18th, 1868 and was
written by one William Allen. Esq. of
Norridgewock, well known Maine
historian of earlier years. when
Somerset County was Incorporated
Maine had not come into existence.
Fairfield for which they were to pay
$4,000 in silver money.