The Republican journal., 1919-08-21
The Early Settlers of Thorndike
BY MRS. V. n. HIGGINS

u L NlINo' v. ~, I1lIIlNO
So far as l have been able to learn the
first settlers in town were George Dyer
and John White. They both located near
the center of the town. On the farm now
occupied by Paris Dyer, his grandfather,
George Dyer, took up the land and cleared
the forest around it. He built log cabin
near where the present house stands. He
was succeeded on the farm by his son,
Levi Dyer, father of the present owner
John White took up land adjoining on
the east and built his cabin very near tbs
Dyer cabin. A spring of pure water just
across the road was the chief inducement
for their locating in that particular part
of the town. Mr.. White was the grand
father of Charles White of this town.
Mr.. White soon sold his farm to William
Philbrlck, who built substantial buildings
thereon. The buildings have been gone
for many wears, ana the land is now own
ed by Will Moulton.
Directly north from the Center church
| 10 IllC wen hilOWI SndllGS w HUG Id III
where Simeon Coffin, who was among
| the first settlers, located. His brother,
| Tristan Coffin, took up land adjoining on
| the east, and they built their log houses
i and went to work and were thrifty farm
! ers in every sense of the word. Tristan
! was sort of happy go-lucky character,
and known by all as Irustum, while
Simeon was of a more dignified and quiet
manner,
Ambrose Parsons, Joseph Shaw and
John White all located on what is now
| the Will Moulton farm Ambrose Par
sons house was about half way between
| the home of Paris Dyer and Mr.. Cooper's
in what is now Mr. Moulton's pasture.
Joseph Shaw settled in what is known as
the Shaw field on the left of the road as
one goes up the hill toward Moulton's.
i Farther north is the rarm taken up by
| Solomon Stone, now owned by Wallace
Palmer. Still farther north Ichabod Hunt
settled on the farm now occupied by his
grandson, Will Hunt.
II The farm where Henry NJ Higgins now
lives was first settled on by John Foote
who erected the present house. He was
succeeded on the farm by his son, Wins
low Foote, the originator of the famous
toote potato. AS there are some now
living who knew Winslow Foote and his
peculiar expressions we quote an anecdote
told by the late Joseph Higgins, who once
went to Bangor with Winslow, taking
/ along few bushels of his choice potato.s
! to peddle out. Upon reaching the city
! they called at a certain house and the
lady did not care to buy, as she wanted
the Foote potato, Mr.. Foote straightened
/ up, saying-'phew, well, but these are
! the Foote potatoes, and | am old Foote
| himself"
| The axe was first applied to the forest
! trees on the well known mineral spring
! farm now owned by Ross C. Higgins, by
| man named Philbrick, who later sold to
Rev. Charles Warren. 1t is claimed that
! the mineral spring was first discovered by
Rev. Joseph Higgins. On account of it's
peculiar odor it was called the 'pizen
spring" and Stunned by the settlers, until
during a severe drought cattle got to the
spring drinking freely of the water. AS
it did not ''pizen" the cattle the people
drank of it, and it became noted for its
medicinal qualities.
The farm where Richard C. Higgins.
son of the late V. N. Higgins, now lives.
was the scene of Rev. joseph Hiooins'
first laboTs III the wilderness. He came
here in 1777. He erected a lop cabin
afterward building one of the first framed
houses in town. His faithfulness as pas-
tor of the church and as townsman will
be told later. He married Miss Betsev
Files of Gorham, Maine. They raised a
family of children. Aunt Betsey. as
she was called by everyone in the neigh
borhood, was a true Mother in Israel -