Oxford Democrat., 1921-07-05
The Waterman Farm.

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Just new hay.
The Waterman Farm.
Another Of the South Oxford farms
recently written up is the Waterman
farm. This Is occupied at the present
time by Fred 8. Waterman, who is the
third Of the family to till the home acres,
this piece Of real estate having been In
the family sixty-seven years. His faith.
or, the late Samuel B. Waterman, car
ried on the farm for fifty-seven years,
and his grandfather, Guy B. Waterman,
lived on the place and titled 1t several
years, although he never owned It.
This is the oldest farm on the river road
from Welohvllle to Mechanic Falls, be.
cause, paradoxical as 1t may seem, II
was originally not on the river road but
the county road leading over the East
Oxford bills and crossing the river on
Mr.. Wstermsn's farm to Pigeon Hill Oh
the opposite side. The bridge erected
here was the Oldest one across the Little
Androscoggin in the town of Oxford
The first structure might not be called q
bridge at all as It was kind of cross be-
tween bridge and ferry boat. 1t was
float bridge made of logs and attached
to big rock, yet to be seen on the river
bank. IL was used only summers. In
the winter season 1t was detached from
one bank and allowed to float down be.
side the other bank, the teams crossing
on the Ice. This was to prevent its be-
ing carried off in the spring by Ice and
high water. OF course this primitive
bridge was succeeded as soon as possible
by . regular structure farther up the
stream where the river was divided by
an island so the spans could be shorter
Because of this, the road leading to the
float bridge was discontinued; but the
approach, although abandoned some
seventy years ago, can yet be seen.
The newer bridge was somewhat noted
in the records of the town because 1t
was unfortunate In being carried off sew
ersl times by fresbets. By reason of a
jam at the upper end of the island,
forming the center span, 1t was known
as the liam bridge" Because, along
somewhere about 1850, roads of easier
grade were built that portion of the
county road between Pigeon Hill and
the new road from Welchville to Me-
chanic Falls and including the bridge
was discontinued.
1t might be interesting to note, as
showing the idiosyncraoles OF river lands,
that the east bed OF the Little andre.
scoggin around this island is now COM
pletely filed, and where once was q
stream of considerable depth and width
there 10 now Q moving field. The jam
at the head of the island broke the cur
rent 80 the silt held In solution by the
water fell to the bottom and caused q
bar to form which in time filled ND the
whole of this channel.
While the river bottoms along the
stream are formed by sediment deposit
ed, the land some distance away is OF
clay foundation; so 1t may not be con-
sIdered strange that on this farm were
burned some of the first kilns of brick
In the town, the remains of which can
yet be seen.
The land is Of terrace formation, there
being three distinct terraces to be seen
as the surface slopes down to the river.
Judging from the formation quite likely
this land once formed the bottom of q
lake. "A mile or more below the farm
the bills on either side of the river come
together with every indication they once
held the waters back and where they
jumped over precipice. In time q
gorge was worn through these hills,
allowing the river to assume Its present
course and draining the lake bed for
the farms along either shore.
Most OF the arabic land Of this farm
lies In an ox.bow. A field of some TWEEN.
ty-five acres is thus enclosed by the
river on three sides and by the Grand
Trunk Railway on the fourth. Lands
lying In ox-bows have an advantage over
those lying along the river where the
stream is straight or merely q little
crooked. On low-lying river bottoms
frosts are liable to pay early visits In the
fall and late ones In the spring; but
lands lying within ox-bows are exempt.
On cold nights the course of the river
can be traced by q white mist which
hangs over it. This misty yell forms In
comparatively straight line over the
stream and adjacent banks and stretches
across inclosed lands where the river
doubles on itself. This acts as q warm
smudge over these sections preventing
the formation OF fr06t.
The original farm embraced q little
over one hundred acres, to which the
elder Mr.. Waterman made three addi-
tions. The first long narrow lot COW
cred with wood, part Of which was
afterwards cleared, lying on the north.
ern side OF the home farm known as the
Pratt lot and embracing some twenty
acres; then an upland pasture of about
fifty acres, and another small addition
known as the Tsrbox lot. To these the
present owner has added what is known
as the Paine farm, which adjolns on the
east.
This farm Is what is known as Q grass
farm 80 dairying is the principal bust.
ness; but tho upland lands purchased
later we're adapted for apple Culture go
that business has been added.
The home farm was part OF the lands
in Oxford held by William G. Whitney
who for many years In the early part oi
the nineteenth century was the agent ol
the proprietor, DR.. Andrew Craigie. II
was decided to Jacob T. Washbnrn first
who built log cabin on 1t In which
were born some dozen children. 4
depression can yet be seen where tb'
cellar once was and near by two bunche
Of old-fsshioned red roses, the roots o
which yet struggle against intensive cul
tivation to preserve symbol OF tn
strength, beauty and sweetness Of pic
neer life. In Mr.. Washburn's day tb
children were forced to 60 some NOR
than mile to school, pursuing In th
trip path through the forest and alon
the river now obliterated by the removs