Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1919-03-18
Lemuel Jackson.
THE FIRST SETTLER IN PARIS.

THE FIRST SETTLER IN PARIS.
In an, article written by Elder Jame
Hooper, in 1880, which Was the frs
history OF thetown of Paris ever written
he ssys:-
~ have written this short history L
revive In the minds Of the old, the thing
which they have seen, and to inform
sne rising generation Of what has taker
place."
No better reason could have been Civ
en- at that time or any other, and NJ
more direct and simple way Of saying Z
great deal In few words, can be found
TO perpetuate the memory of old records
and old traditions, fireside stories, thai
have been passed down from father tc
son for generations, to gather and collect
facts and fancies, and to separate the
real and substantial that can be proved
from the mythical traditions that are the
result OF long years of fancies and su.
perstition, is an honorable work which
the pleasure Of doing Is its own reward
THE FIRST AND FOREMOST SETTLER
IN PARIS.
To write history Of the early days OF
the town of Paris, and leave the name oi
Lemuel jackson out, would be like writ.
ing the history of the United States and
forgetting George Washington.
There were three Lemuel Jacksons,
father, son and grandson, connected with
the early history of the town. Lemuel
Jackson, senior was not strictly speak
ing, the first settler, for IL was Lemusl
Jackson, Jr., who with his brother,
Isaac jackson, came to the town first.
Lemuel Jackson, Sr., came the following
year. Both men were pioneers In the
true sense Of the word, and were very
active in the early days.
II is Lemuel Jackson, Sr., that Is the
subject of the greater part Of this sketch
who was known az "Old Sorter" the lat.
ter part ofhis life, but the gravs-stone
10 the old grave yard on Paris Hill, is
that of Lemuel Jackson, Jr., and 1t is
written on the stone that he was 1.-THE
First Settler in Paris" This is true,
although 1t was Lsmuel jackson, Sr.,
who was foremost In the affairs Of the
town. He was the man of money, Of en-
ergy, full of resources to whom the early
settlers looked for guidance, and who
was always mentioned at the head of
every project of public enterprise. %
he was not one of the original pro-
prietors, and 1t is not known that he was
any relation to the Samuel Jackson, who
headed the list for frat proprietors in
1735, and who were granted township
number four, and who lost 1t by means
Of an error In survey.
The first authentic record regarding
him is that in TITO, when he bought the
rights of one of the original proprietors.
In 1871, be bought another, and for q
period of about ten years there are sew
eral records of bis buying land until at
one time he owned about one eighth of
the land in Paris. He was, without
doubt, the wealthiest man at that time
in this vicinity, IL the ownership OF wild
land could be called wealth at that time,
when cleared land was wealth, and lum-
Der drug in the market.
The records show that his, two sons
came into this town flrst in 1850 or 17Sl,
and that the. father, Lemuel, came q
year afterwards, with his son:in-law,
John Willis. While there Is some doubt
as to the exact date II makes but little
difference. 1t IN . fact beyond doubt
that the first land cleared, was cleared
BY Lemuel jackson, his sons and his SON.
in law, and that the exact spot cleared
was the site of the old grave yard on
Paris Hill, where the body Of Lemuel
jackson has been at rest for more than Q
hundred years. Without doubt his first
log cabin was not far from this spot, al
though the exact location Is not known.
1t il. q matter Of record that he and his
sons were in camp on Paris Hill IN Au-
gust, 17S1, for Moses Marshall and his
wife stopped there on their way from
Bethel to Hebron, having run away from
their home In Bethel because they were
afraid OF Indians who had been reported
as raiding In that vicinity.
Without doubt Lemuel Jackson was q
man past middle age when he first came
to his possessions In the wilderness Of
Maine. lean picture him as . sturdy,
tough, hardy pioneer, with keen yankee
shrewdness. It Ii said that he brought
fourteen hundred dollars in money with
him, which was fortune at that time,
and without donbt, with his age, his ex-
perience and business ability be soon
came to be ct the head Of the little
colony.
At frst there was only himself, his
two sons, his sonin-law, afterwards
Deacon Willis. After year or two,
three Sto we'll Brothers came and board
cd with him, helped cut down the forest,
make cabins, and began the foundations
of our town of Paris.
The first meeting held In the township
was In the house Of Reuben Hubbard,
Lsmuel jackson was chosen as modera-
tor. he was chosen one of the select
men of the town and held that position
for several years. He was often modeta.
tor of the town meetings and was, with
out doubt, one Of the men to be first In
everything.
THE FIRST SAW MILL AND
GRIST MILL.