The Press., 1921-12-29
Potter DistrleE wilmington, After the
 CiyfI War.

This district forms the northeastern part of Willington, being bounded north by Union, east by Ashford, south by Rider district, and west by Roaring Brook district It was named from the Potter family, the head being Philip Potter, who came from Exeter, |R. I. about 1797, apparently in the wake of Elder David Lillibridge, and settled near the site where Potter schoolhouse was afterward built. My acquaintance with the people of this district was of such as attended at Moose Meadow meeting g-house, about 1867 David Potter senior, and his son, David, brisk and business-like appearing man; he and his father smooth -shaven. The wife of each at- tending few times, but in the fatal year 1868, first Marie, daughter of David,J ,Jr., died, March 21, aged 19; June 4, Ruth, wife of David, senior, died aged SO; and September 8, 1868, Rel ecca, wife of David, IT,, died, aged 49. She had lost three little children from 1843 to 1846, but a son, Nathan, survived, and married Rosa, daughter of Robert Battey of Moose Meadow. They la ter settled in Coventry, where they still reside. The home of the Davids was where Frederick Juul liv- ed over. 30 years ago, south of the schoolhouse. Captain Bartholomew Potter, another son of Philip, lived a short distance east of the schoolhouse, on the road toward Westford parish in Ashford; but he died in 1864, and his widow, Keziah, lived with her daughter and son-in-law, MT. and Mrs. Harvey Bidwell; and Harvey's brother, Horace with his wife lived about half a mile further on the east road, to- ward Snow Hill in Westford parish. Horace's wife died in 1871, and he in 1877. Harvey's son Wesley P. settled on the north side of the four corners north of the schOolhouse. Another son, Osborn, became a Sutler to the army of the Potomac, and settled on a plantation in Virginia; but returned and spent the latter part of his life in Stafford Springs, where his brother Wesley had established meat market. A younger brother, Ira c. Bidwell, be- came a prominent Methodist preacher in western New York. The sister, Christiana, married John Brockbank, who entered the straw factory busi- ness in Monson, where he died. The widow lived with her daughter and son-in-law in Stafford Springs, but later they moved to California.
 Clark Morse and his nephew and nieces lived just west of the four cor ners, and near Wesley Bidwell The district projects farther north than the rest of the town, being monu- ment of an event which took place in 1729, when the people in the western part of Ashford petitioned to be set off to the new town and parish of Will hngton. AS Westford parish was not formed until about 1760, their only church connections were with distant Ashford town" The Ashford au- thOrities thereupon set off a strip one mile wide from the west side of the town, which was then annexed to Wilmington parish and later to the town. AS Ashford ran to meet the Union line, and with Wilmington about a mile less to meet the Stafford line, the new strip forms a projection alongside Ashford territory. A road to Union ran near the bounds, but I think Fielder Durham, John Smith, who died in 1906, and perhaps one& other were on the Wilmington side. have been told that Joseph Marcy wal just outside of Wilmington. DunhaH and Smith left sons. Merritt Dunha moved away few years ago, al Merritt Smith set up store at Mar field Depot; but the last I knew,
 rim Smith was living on his fatIis farm. South from the David Pot place, but in sight of it, the Dalevi factory owners built dam on Fe ton tE0ok, and had reservoir, WI bursty ssstss great gain My jragleSg sion qEzes7sLt Lhis happened but few l years before the Stafford flood of | 1877 Jeremiah Bishop, steelyard l maker and miller, lived some distance | below, but owned the first place near the river His mill was turned partly around, but not entirely off from its Bishop and his wife, Caroline, and daughter, Ellen contin- ued to live there until his death in 18782 or later. He was not church. goef, but opened his house for a prayer meeting within my recollec- tion. Being invited to speak he de- livered himself of the sentence, q think you have all behaved very we'll"
 The people of Potter district were of the quiet, industrious and steady kind; Bidwell and his wife especial ly, of the, old Yankee plain-living, high-thinking type, who did the duty which lay nearest to them, by bring ing up a family in the same sturdy 
 JOEL N. EMO.