Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1916-07-18
Pioneers of
The Magalloway

| The Magall0way
FROM 1920 TO 1904
BY Granville p. Wilson
| (FRsT PAPER.)
Beneath Those rugged elms-that yew-tree'
shade,
Where heaves the turf in many moulderint
Each In his narrow cell forever laid.
| The rude forefathers of the hamlet sleep.
The breezy call of incense breathing morn :.
The swallow twitteriDg from the straw.buili
shed,
The cocks shrill clarion, or the echoing horn,
No more shall rouse them from their lowly bed
Oft did the harvest to their sickle yield,
How jocund did they drive their team a.feldi
How how'd the woods beneath their sturdy
stroke!"
In commemorating the pioneers OF the
Magalloway, have no heroic feats OF
arms to cbronicle-no cholars-oratore
-ecclesiastics-or statesmen to memo
rize. No triumphs of art-science-greed,
or tyranny to celebrate, but
" Let not ambition mark their useful toll,
Their homelv joys and destiny obscure.
Or grandeur, hear with disdainful smile
The short and simple annals of the poor"
Far away 10 the northwestern extrem.
ity of the State of Maine, and northeast
ern OF New Hampshire, on the shores of
the largest tributary of the Androsooggin
River. and about a hundred and fifty
miles from any seaport, may be found a
few struggling settlements, extending
some ten miles along the stream-bound-
ed on the north by the 45'h parallel OF
north latitude, and south by Lake Um.
bagog. These are the settlements of the
Msgalloway, which though commenced
more than eighty years since, have not
yet attained to the prominence OF Chi
cago or Minneapolis, Notwithstanding
their advantage over the latter, in honor
able and ripening age. No railroad yet
affords them communication with the
great mass of mankind, save at the pre-
liminary expense of fifty-mile, and ten
hour ride by stage, over q rugged and
most uninviting road, and exposure in
the winter season, to such sweep OF
north winds as hardly to be matched this
side of the polar regions.
Within the settlements however, the
roads are good, the currents of the air
normal, the hotel accommo odations
ample, and the inhabitants hospitable
and intelligent. Two post Offices, two
churches,-two hotels, each two some
five miles apart,-two stores OF general
merchandise, and three scbool-houses,
now minister to the mental, spiritual, and
physical needs of the little community,
while spread out in gorgeous panorama
of green, during the summer months lie
the luxuriant meadows, and upland
fields, dotted here and there with the
neat white cottages of the owners, and
towering over all, on either band rise the
majestic mountains, covered to their
SUBMITS with verdure, and adding to the
scene picturesqueness unsurpassed
among the romantic sporting resorts of
the Rangeley Lake region.
The initial step in these settlements
was made at some indefinitely known
date, but not far from the year 1920, on
the westerly side Of the Magalloway. near
the confluence of the Diamond River
Herewith, some eight miles north of the
outlet of Umbagog Lake, and on territory
granted by the State of New Hampshire
to Dartmouth College, which still holds
possession OF the same.
Another location, also on the Dart
mouth College Grant, was made In the
year 1928, on land already partially
cleared by fire which had been set by the
first settler, and which devoured the
forest eastward for many miles. This
second location was by Jonathan Leavit
of Gilead, Maine, who obtained abundant
crops of wheat and other produce from
the soil enriched by the ashes of the late
fire, and was soon on the high road to
prosperity. His oldest son (Elihu) now
eighty years of age and prosperous and
wealthy farmer, still resides about mile
from the home of his youth, surrounded
by his offspring of the third generation.
This Mr.. Leavit (Elihu) In a recent
conversation with the writer of these
sketches, related the following expert
ence, quite characteristic of the settle
ment's early history. "One winter day"
said he, "when I had got to be quite q
good sized boy, I was at work with my
father at our barn which was some con-
siderable distance from the river, and
late In the afternoon he sent me out to
put up the cattle. As soon as got out
side the barn 1 heard cry of distress
from the direction of the river, and went
back, telling father, "There is somebody
in trouble at the river, guess by the
sound" Father grabbed logging chain
that lay in the yard and we ran for the
river. There we found Cap'n Wilson,
who had broken through the ice with his
horse and sleigh, trying to get ashore
and to drag with him an old gentleman
who had been riding with him, and WAS
a much heavier man than himself. Father
threw the chain to them and the old gen.
tleman grabbed It, but his hands were 80
numb with cold he couldn't hold on, till
one of his fingers got caught in link of
the chain and we drew him out by that.
Cap'n Wilson's turn came next, and then
that of the horse, which stood shivering
in the water. 'Now!' said father, 'you
men "line it =" for John Hibbard's (the
nearest house) as quick as you can gol
Elihu!-you take that horse to our barn
and rub him down, as quick as possibler
I mounted the horses back, and found
him fully as ready to 60 as was to have
him. All were soon safely under cover,
but the old gentleman was badly chilled,
as we'll as frightened, and Cap'n Wilson
declared he could have kept bis hold on
him in the current but few moments
longer"
Mr.. Leavit continued his farming op-
erations on the Magalloway for many
years. Two of his young daughters were
drowned at once, during the time, while
endesYoring to guide their own canoe
across the stream. Mr.. Leavlt himself
dragged the river for their bodies, and
on bringing the first to the surface,
tainted, Il is said, and fell senseless In
his boat. 1t was q terrible and over
whelming blow 10 the family. In later
years when the wearied heart and the
failing head, rs Irving says, began to
warn Mr.. Leavit that the evening OF his
life was drawing near, he turned "ss
naturally as the infant to it's mothers
arms" toward bis native town, to "sink
to sleep in the bosom Of the scene of his
childhood"
The third settler on the Magalloway,
rand the first north OF Umbagog Lake, IN
Oxford County, Me-, was John Bennett,
Of Gilead, the father-in-law of Jonathan
| o~xtA ~ IL Al