Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1916-01-25
The History Of BuckfieId.
A VALUABLE ADDITION TO OUR LOCAL
HISTORICAL NATTER.

HISTORICAL NATTER.
Rarely has there been volume Issued
which contained 30 much valuable local
history as 10 contained in the history Of
Buckfield, for years In preparation and
recently published. Some idea of the
amount Of material in It may be derived
from the fact that 1t IL volume of
over 75O pages, some portions OF it 10
COM aratively fine type. It is profuse.
" illustrated with portraits of people OF
local prominence, buildings and scenes in
the town, and also contains plan of
early Bucktown, showing the locations
of the forty.seven first settlers. The
frontispiece 10 portrait of the late Hon.
John D. Long, the towns most distin
guished SOD, made from one OF bis later
photographs.
In The production of this history there
was collaboration by the late Alfred
Cole. one of the best known citizens OF
the town, and Charles F. Whitman, who
was for twenty years clerk OF courts Of
Oxford County. More than twenty. five
years ago Mr.. Cole began the collection
of material for this history. Mr.. Whit
man began his collection some years
later. They worked independently un-
I'll after Mr.. Coles health became some
what impaired, when they combined
their efforts, and some of the work of
completing the history has been done by
Mr.. Whitman since Mr.. Coles death.
Many and varied sources of informa-
ton have been drawn upon-records OF
the town, the county and the state,
statements by aged residents, and every
thing which could contribute to the
com pleteness of the work. Especially is
the record full relative to the first
settlers and the early years of the COM
munity while 1t was developing from
pioneer outpost into an organized town
and political unit In the common
wealth. It ia indeed almost surprising
that material relating to those days
should have been preserved 80 that 1t
was possible to tell the story In so com.
plete and detailed form.
About tw0.thirds of the first settlers
of Buckfleld were Revolutionary SOL
diers, as were many of those who came
In later years. Few towns certainly can
claim 80 large proportion of soldiers
of the Revolution In their founders.
From the early days up to the year
1900, when most of the record closes, the
doings of the town in its organized Ca
pacity and the principal local events Q
fully noted In the annals, but this is only
one feature of the work. Educational his
tory, church history, temperance reform,
military history, and the picturesque his
tory of the railroad built to and through
the town, receive full treatment. In bio
graphical matter the book is especially
rich, as relates to the men who have
been part of Buck6eld in all lines of
professional and business activity, and
those who have reflected special honor
upon the town by distinguished service
elsewhere.
A second part of the. book contains
c,pious extracts from the journal of "a
doc Long, which he kept for fifty years,
giving vivid impression of the times
and the life of the village, as we'll as the
Del sonality of the author; the book of
Abijah Buck, the leading spirit in the
town in its early days; and other docu.
ments of interest, including an interview
with Mai. Lucius Loring published in
the Oxford Democrat nearly thirty years
ago.
Genealogies of the Buckfleld families,
as full as it was practicable to secure,
occupy the principal portion OF the third
part Of the book, and are followed with
lists of town officers, census lists, and
other record matter of value.
Altogether the history is one which re.
fleets credit not only upon the town of
Buckfleld but upon the authors and all
who assisted In making 1t an accom-.
plished fact.
Any desired information regarding the
history may be obtained from Charles F.
Whitman at Norway.
The following IL one of the many CON-
plimentary notices of the history which
Mr.. Whitman is receiving
CARIBOU, Me-, Jan. 8, 1916.
HON. CHARLES F. WHITMAN,
Norway, Maine.
Dear Judge Whitman;
Will you be good enough to mail
q COPY of the Buckfleld book to Charles
Is. Perry, Perham Lumber Co., Perhsm,
Maine, and send him bill of the came
for which he will remit.
Mr.. Perry is son of Barney Perry
who now lives In Island Falls, and he was
born In Buckfleld; was telling him
about the book today and he asked me
to get him one so that be can read 1t and
send 1t down to his father, who Is an old
man and who will be greatly interested
don't intend to let any man who has
ever been within hundred miles oil
Buckfield escape hearing about the book
last evening l had some Of my book.
worm friends in, that is what they call
us, and it was our first cit down since
got the history and we put in most OF
the evening looking it over and they all
agree that 1t is the very best one OF its
kind that they have seen. 1t won't make
you vain know and 1t will please you
to hear these things.
Sincerely yours,
A. W. SPAULDING.
/ D..,,S A~.a-,s0t,sssl Cls,ha