History of Woodstock, Me., with family sketches and an appendix

The physical features of Woodstock are not unlike much of the surrounding territory.The same general characteristics are observed as we go northwardly to Canada, easterly to Katahdin, westerly to the White Hills and beyond, and south- erly for a considerable distance toward the sea coast.The only important difference that exists is found in the fact that those towns through which the larger rivers pass have broader belts of interval, and conseqiiently more and better arable land.This is true of all the Androscoggin towns, and some others through which some of its more important tributaries pass, such as the Ellis, Bear, the Swift, the Little Androscoggin, and some others.In its physical aspect, there is a close similarity in the entire region, embracing Franklin and Milton Plantations, Woodstock, Greenwood and Albany, and portions of the ad- joining towns, while a larger portion of the towns which circle around this territory are made up of better agricultural terri- tory.The soil of Woodstock is strong, but hard to work.In part compensation for this, we have a large area of most excel- lent grazing lands, and our facilities for sheep husbandry could not very well be improved.The rocky formation of Woodstock is generally granite.In some places, as at Bryant's Pond, are deposits of excellent rift, and valuable for building purposes.There is some resemblance between this and the Quincy granite.It is free from the com- pounds of iron and of other metals, and is therefore durable.The constituents of granite, which are mica, quartz and feldspar, are often found in considerable masses by tliemselves, and in many places they unite and form coarse granite or gneiss.Some small deposits of clay are found in the town, and occa- sionally slaty formations, though not of any great extent.Veins of trap rock are not uncommon.Fine specimens of crystallized quartz are found in some localities, and also other interesting minerals of which quartz forms all but the coloring substances.Mr. Nathan A. Perry, of West Paris, formerly a resident of this town, and who has given much attention to its resulted in wresting Canadafromthe French, that new settlements could be made away from the coast with any degree of safety.After the close of the year 1760, the great wilderness was pierced by settlers in various directions.There was a general movement all along the line, the lands on the larger rivers being those first selected.Fryeburg, on the Saco, was settled in 1762 by emigrants from Concord, N. H., this being the first settle- ment made within the limits of Oxford county.Settlers also came there from Andover and from other points, and Fryeburg soon became a rallying point for new settlements farther back.Bethel was settled, or a settlement was begun there, in 1773, and Waterford in 1775.Brunswick was also a rallying pomt fof settlers farther up the Androscoggin, and New Gloucester and Gray for the central parts of this County.But the break- ing out of the Eevolutionary war called all the able-bodied men of New Sngland into the army, and the farther settlement of the interior of Maine was postponed.Towards the close of the war settling movements were again resumed, though not pushed with much vigor.Paris was settled from Plymouth and Worcester Counties, in Massachusetts, in 1779, Eumford in 1780, and Buckfield in 1777, by people from New Gloucester.It was after the war closed, that a great rush was made for eastern lands by those who had been in the service.They were generally poor, government money, in which they had been paid, having become worthless, and they turned to the unsettled wilderness as the only place where they could hope to make homes for themselves and their families.There was a great rush of new settlers to the towns before named, and other set- tlements were begun.Sumner was settled in 1783, Norway in 1786 and Peru in 1793.These towns are circled around the territory which now comprises Woodstock, Greenwood, Albany, Milton Plantation and Franklin Plantation, which was still left unsettled.Its rough surface was not inviting to theset- tler, and its situation away from any considerable water course kept settlers away from it."To all to whom these presents shall come : Greeting : " Whereas, the Legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, in General Court assembled, by a resolve passecj^n the 27th day of February, A. D. 1707, granted to the Trustees of Dummer Academy, and to their successors, half a township of laud ^ix miles square for the use of said Academy, to be laid out or assigned by the committee for the sale of eastern lands, in some of the unappropriated lands in the District of Maine, belonging to said Commonwealth, excepting all lands within six miles of Penobscot River, with the reservations and conditions which have been usually made in sim- ilar cases; and whereas, Loturop Lewis, Surveyor, in pursuance of instruc- tions to him given by the committee for the sale of eastern lands, did in the month of November, 1799, return to the said committee a plan of the tract of land hereinafter described for the purpose aforesaid : Now, therefore, know ye that we, the undersigned, whose seals are hereunto affixed, being a major part of the committee for the sale of eastern lands, in conformity to the resolve aforesaid, do by these presents convey and confirm to the Trustees of Dummer Academy, and to their successors, a certain tract of land in the County of Cumberland, being part of township number three and bounded as follows: Beginning at the northwesterly corner of Paris and thence running easterly and bounded by said Paris, three miles and eight rods to a stake ; then turning and running north thirty degrees west, six miles to a rock maple tree marked ; then turning and running south sixty-eight and one-half degrees, three miles and eight rods to township number four (now Greenwood) ; then turning and running south thirty degrees east by township number four, to the first bound, containing eleven thousand, five hundred and twenty acres ; conditioned, however, that the said grantees shall lay out and convey to each settler who settled on said tract before the first day of January, 178-1, one hundred acres of land, to be so laid out as best to include his improvements, and be least injurious to the adjoining land; that they shall settle on said land ten families in six years, including those now settled thereon, and that they shall lay out three lots of one hundred and sixty acres each, for the following uses, viz : one lot for the use of the ministry, one for the first settled minister, his heirs and assigns, and one lot for the use of schools in the said ti'act.To have and to hold, &c." In testimony whereof, we have hereunto set our hands and seals the 5th day of March, a. d. 1800.

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