Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-06-05

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the simple food with which they were
provided and had quenched their thirst
at the spring nearby; wrapped in their
| blankets they lay down by the side OF
great rock. and were soon lost in
slumber. On the morrow they arose
greatly refreshed by a nights rest,
and taking q survey Of their surround
ings. they found themselves in the
midst of q large tract Of old growth
pine, many Of the trees measuring
| four feet in diameter. at the foot Of
the forest flowed a brook OF clear
water, we'll stocked with fish. while
lust beyond lay d strip Of rich inter-
vale. The freshness OF the morning air.
the song of the birds, the warmth OF
the sun, the scent Of the pines; with
an appreciation of their value when
converted into lumber. with sufficient
water power at hand to operate mill
for manufacturing it. Surely Nature
had provided lavishly for their needs.
What better site could man wish
for the founding of new home. The
scene appealed so strongly to the doc
tor that he lost no time in preempting
two hundred acres of this choice Sec
ton. With the help of his two sons
he at once commenced to erect a
dwelling. This rude cabin was built
on an elevation Of land over which
the road now runs. The father of the
writer has often pointed out the very
spot to her, saying, Right here in the
middle Of the road, I was born in the
old lighthouse that grandfather built.
Although pioneers, the Barton family
was not the first to settle in this will
derness. Jacob Hartman came in
1896 and Jesse Hartman soon after.
A little later these families were fol-
lowed by Isaac Marsh. Rufus L.
Choate, Simeon Morton. Julian Sproul
and Thomas Rhines. BY these fam
lilies Dr. Barton was held in high es-
TEEN. Being a man of powerful ply
sique and great dignity of bearing,
whenever a disturbance arose at a
log rolling "a raising" or "on warm
ing day" the appearance OF the doctor
upon the scene was sufficient to re-
store quiet even after his strength had
departed and his voice had become so
feeble that he spoke with the utmost
difficulty In the two years that he
lived among his fellow pioneers, DR..
Barton proved himself a true friend
and wise councillor. and when in OCT
| 1905 his weary frame was laid to rest
beneath the murmuring pines, the grief
of the little settlement seemed greater
than thy could bear. At this time his
son Gideon made the following entry
in his note book. "Dr. Stephen Barton
and his two sons, Gideon and Elijah
| tn1 hoe foJ; <,f ool-
| beside which, at his own request he
now lies in Christian repose.''
At this time the town of Windsor
was known as New Waterford. In 1909
it was Incorporated under the name
Of Malta. In 1920 the name was
changed to Gerry Two years later it
was again changed to the name which
it now bears.
Not long after the death of her hus-
band, the widow of DR.. Barton re-
turned to her native town in Massa-
chusetts and while on a visit to her
son Stephen.-the father of Clara Bar
! ton-she passed away at the age of 80
years. In letter to her son Elijah
! announcing the death of his mother,
her grandson the late Judge Ira Barton
/ of Worcester, writes of her as follows
ezra ndmother was truly a remarkable
| woman. Springng from the first fam
! lilies in Oxford, she was called to pa
through a great variety of changes OF
fortune and has finally returned after
long and weary pilgrimage to sleep by
! the side of those who gave her birth"
The brothers, Elijah and Gideon,
continued to reside in the log cabin
clearing and cultivating the land and
operating the saw mill which they had
built upon the stream
On June IS, 1908, a son was born .
Elijah and his wife Sally Fairfield
Squire Fairfied's colored woman
Experience, came to nurse the mother
and infant bringing CONSERVATION to
the little settlement, so few of it's
members had before seen the dusky
features and the turbaned head of an
African "mammy'' A few months
later Sally Pierce, the wife of Gideon
gave birth to a son, and these young
cousins with united voices proclaimed
the advent of new generation in the
wilderness
Elijah enlisted early in the war Of
1872 and continued in the service un-
til it's close, when he was mustered
out at Sackett's Harbor. 1t is said
Of him that when he stood full six
feet tall in his uniform there was not
nobler looking soldier in the SER
vice. On his return from the war,
old and weary before his time, from
the hardships which he had endured,
he settled on land contiguous to his
brothers estate which on his death
descended to his eldest son, William
, c., or Squire Barton as he was IA
mliarly called, was a man of strict
integrity, a successful farmer and
business man, his influence was felt
throughout the county and it was
during his service as county commits
sioner that the jail was built at Au-
gusta.
OF his seven children who lived to
| maturity four still survive, Mrs.
. James H. Cox Of Vienna, N. j., Mrs.
Albert A. Hall Of West Midway.
Mass. Mrs. James NJ. Rogers of We'll
lesley, Mass, and Mrs. Charles E.
, Smith Of Thorndike, Maine. His only
son, the late John H. Barton, came
into possession of the original estate
with the additional acres Of Lone
Maple Farm now owned and occupied