Oxford Democrat., 1921-10-18
The Thomas Farm.

nence kno wn locally as Thomas Hill. The
engineers of the typographical survey
made by the United States Geological
Survey have asoertained It's height to be
seven hundred feet above the sea, and is
therefore about the highest point OF land
10 the town of Oxford. This bill gained
Its name because for century the farm
crowuing its summit has been occupied
by Thomas family. The present pro-
prietor is A. Kimball Thomas. His fa.
ther and grandfather before him have
occupied this farm, and the combined
generations have labored together to
make It productive. Dairy products and
apples are the principal crops raised.
The buildings do not stand on the tip
top of the hill, but little north toward
the Paris line and just off the road run.
ming from South Paris to Hebron. The
barn Is large and we'll adapted to the
uses Of the farm, and the house Is q
pretty story-and-a-half structure. 1t Is
very slightly. Before the house is the
valley OF Matthews Pond, covered with
forest, with the lakelet Nesting In Its
lowest parts and broken by q single
island.
There are acres and acres of woodland
In this valley 30 It is not any wonder
that the father of the present proprietor,
w. N. Thomas, was lumberman as well
as farmer. In his day the locomotives
on the Grand Trunk Railway used wood
for fuel, as we'll as the mills In the neigh
boring villages of Oxford and Mechanic
Falls; also their residents. Woodsmen
living near this railroad landed long piles
of cord wood near the track, which were
conveyed to Portland and Gorbam, d.
visional points, In that day, by special
trains during the summer time. There
was such demand for wood as fuel that
the hillside all through this country was
denuded, making the change to coal as
fuel obligatory. That was away back in
1870 or soon thereafter.
The hlllsides at that time presented o
barren aspect-nothing but "slash" and
rocks-but the years since have again
covered them with good sized trees. A
good deal of this Is hard wood growth,
which has not been very salable. The
soft woods, including not only the ever
green's but the poplars, are In demand
for lumber and pulp wood. The white
birch, Of which opinion is divided as to
whether is is hard or soft wood, finds q
ready market for spool or dowel stock.
Ash, beech, maple and oak finds linn.
tied market for furniture and toys at the
mills in South Paris. The mills at Rum
ford are making an experiment with
hard woods in pulp making, and II 1t
Is successful these forests probably will
become valuable again.
LAUNDERING has been considered thing
apart from farming, but 1t has always
been portion of the agricultural opera
ations of this region, and probably will
be 80 long rs great part OF the land is
given over to forests, and as long as q
considerable part of the land Is better
to forest, than any other crop.
Across the Matthews Pond valley can
be seen the village of Hebron and the
academy buildings which make up big
part OF it-a monument to the educa-
tional thirst of our ancestors and their
push In accomplishment.
There 10 another valley on the western
side of this farm, also covered with for.
est. In this valley is another lakelet,
more miniature than Matthews Pond,
and 80 completely hidden in the forest
that 1t is scarcely known except to per-
sistent fishermen after the elusive trout.
The Geological Survey engineers called
1t Barnett Pond, but It has been known
By other names. 1t forms the source of
a considerable stream known % Meadow
Brook.
The roads to these hills run over the
hills and never through the valleys. Our
ancectors evidently thought they were
favoring their draft animals in building
such roads, 80 they could ease the ia
tigue engendered going up hill in the de-
scent; but when numbering operations
have been going on In the winter months
the logging teams always followed the
ponds and streams through the valleys.
Those travelling the road south of the
farm can see curiosity. It 10 side hill
cellar, dug and stoned century ago, as
Q first attempt at cold storage. It has
not been used of late years. This hole
in the bill eide produces canpy effect
on the passer.by. he does not know
whether this is some old neglected tomb
of his ancestors, or what?
The Thomas farm will probably con-
tInue 10 the family through another gen.
Grafton, but will be 10 another name as
Q married daughter (Mrs. Pratt) lives
with her parents.