Oxford Democrat., 1921-07-12
The Hunting Farm.

Down In Welchville as one approaches
the river is set of farm buildings sit.
uated on q slight elevation OF land
which at once attracts attention. 1t is
the farm owned by the late Captain
Joseph W. Hunting and now carried on
by his son, Joseph V. Hunting.
The buildings and present arrange.
ment of the farm date back to the close
OF the Civil War, when the late Major
William s. Dodge bought the land and
erected the buildings; but a portion OF
the land. at least, was occupied half q
! century earlier.
The farm lies on point of land Dor.
derlng on the shores of Hogan Pond and
its outlet into the Little Androscoggin
River and along that latter stream.
The clearing was made on an eleva-
tion of sandy .oam on the shores of the
pond, and here the first buildings were
erected. The cellar of this old house
can yet be located in depression In the
field, and the spring from which the
occupants obtained water still quenches
the thirst of the paaser-by. On the east
erly side of the field is high, steep
bank, below which q narrow stretch of
meadow lands extend to the Little
Androscoggin.
Perhaps no richer piece Of land exists
in the town of Oxford than this. When
the land was first taken up this meadow
had pieces of natural grass land covered
over with blue joint and fowl meadow.
Where the land was not open, giant elms
and naples stood, each festooned with
yines-woodbine, clemstis and wild
grape. This was one OF the few places
Between the bottom lands and the high
bank above mentioned were lagoons OF
stagnant water in which, under the lily
pads, swan horned pouts and pickerel
with hellgrammites and frogs to catch
them With. Also not unfrequently could
be seen mink, muskrats and huge water
snakes. Traditions exist that some of
the latter have been killed which meas.
ured eight feet in length.
These natural meadows were not un-
common along the river and the earlier
settlers In Welchville would reap the
blue joint with sickles, bind 1t into
sheaves and float 1t down the river on
RATS.
This farm was early settled by Samuel
Brown and some OF bis numerous family
of dozen boys and girls lived In the
house for quite q number of years.
Samuel Brown, himself, and several OF
his family sleep In tomb on what was
the home farm, q mile or 80 distant, but
with changed conditions. The forest Ia
gradually encircling the spot and with
dropping foliage may obliterate all out,
ward symbols.
Indeed the village which lies along
one side Of this farm might we'll have
been called Brownville, as that family
probably had as much to do with set
tling IL as any other. After the river
had been damned, the privilege and
mills passed into the hands of one of the
aons, Jacob T. Brown. he sold to the
Welch family who built rather of q
grand house for the times by the river
side and named the village. Welch In
time sold bis holdings to Captain George
/ W. King, who occupied the house and
operated the mills. Among these hold
ings was the Hunting farm, only at that
time there were no buildings on 1t.
Major William s. Dodge mentioned In
the first article married one of Captain
Kings daughters. He was originally q
m chant and resident of Portland, but
In passing through the four years Of the
civil war in the army he lost bis bust
ness connection and at the close of thai
struggle concluded to try farming; &c
he purchased this land of his father-in
law and erected buildings. These were
pretentious for the times. The large
two story house was surrounded by AZ
ample lawn, which sloped down both tt
the road and the river. In the rear o.
the house were stable and barn.
This farm, like the others along tb'
river, is adapted to dairy farming and u
was this the major carried on; but h'
was more of politician than farmer ant
where the two came in conflict the for
mer always occupied first place. Never
tbeless he lived out his life here, ant
after his death his daughter, Mrs. james
Walker, lived on the place several years
Her husband, however, was q woolel
manufacturer, agent Of the Harper Man
ufacturing Company, whose mill wa
located at Welchville, and by and b!
obtained a better position elsewhere 81
LETT the place.
1t was some years after the departure
of Mr.. Walker that the farm passed int
the hands of Captain Joseph w. Hunt
ing, who had been an Indian chaser II
the United States Army and afterward
a national guard officer in Massachu
setts. He had worked on this farm as
boy and the combination Of land ant
water always fascinated him, so cam
here to pass his declining years. Her
he carried on the dairy business unit
hia daath aoma two years ago.