Tidbits of History - Oxford County

Tidbits of History - Oxford County ME

Last updated 07-Jan-02

Oxford County - General Region
Bethel ME aka Sudbury Canada
Buckfield ME
Canton ME - Ancient Village of Rockameko
Fryeburg ME & Saco River - Ancient Village of Pequaket
Norway ME
Rumford ME aka New Pennecook Plantation
Waterford ME
Woodstock ME aka Bryant's Pond
Misc. Sources of Information - Oxford County

Local History Menu

Oxford County - General Region

See HENRY TUFTS on this web site
Philip and his people [Abenaki] made improvements above the Ammonoosuc, and at the carrying place to the Androscoggin, and at Umbagog Lake
There was an old squaw named Sarah that was a healer and often traveled through the Magalloway region to and from Canada. [NOTE: This is oral history (1998) from an elder that grew up in Megalloway and heard this as a child from a women that was very old.]

County Menu

Bethel ME - aka Sudbury Canada

See HENRY TUFTS on this web site
Later [aft.1796] a number of Androscoggin Indians lived in Rumford, Bethel and Canton.
Indians continued to hang about Bethel after the first settlers came, and Jonathan Keyes left his two sons with them for a whole winter [abt. 1776], when the nearest white settlement was Fryeburg. It is said that one of these sons, Francis Keyes, learned something of the Indian language, and became quite proficient in the use of the bow.

The following was dictated by Nathaniel Segar to the Rev. Daniel Gould, around the year 1825
...
In the fall [1780], we concluded to spend the winter in this place [Bethel], which we did. The Indians here appeared very friendly towards us. They employed themselves in hunting; and we could barter with them, for corn and sugar, and for which we received wild meat, tallow, and fur; and hence we lived quietly and comfortably with them. We labored to live in good friendship. However, we had many difficulties to encounter, as is always the case in settling new countries. We had no roads; we went by marked trees, and hauled in our necessaries on hald-sleighs. We had no neighbors settled near us; and there being but very few families in this place, it was for our interest and safety to cultivate peace and a good understanding with the savages of the wilderness.
...
The Indians were often in among us, and appeared very friendly. We sold them corn, and other things, for meat, fur, etc. In the first of this season, they appeared very friendly towards us, which we labored to cultivate; and they were pleased in trading with us. ...

On the 3d day of August, 1781, there came six Indians from Canada; I knew one of them, named Tomhegan, for he had been often at my house. ...

[On this day, Nathaniel Segar and two other men were taken captive and carried to Canada, while 3 men were killed and scalped by Tomhegan's party. This was during the Revolutionary War when the Abenaki living at St. Francis were compelled to fight for the English. Bounties had been offered by the English for American scalps and prisioners. This event was the last Indian raid to take place in Maine.]

Important Facts About This Place For Researchers
Date	Fact	Notes
1796	originally Sudbury Canada	incorporated
1805	Oxford County

County Menu

Buckfield ME

He [Benjamin Spaulding] informed the party that game of all kinds was there in great abundance, and that a few Indians had a wigwam near a pond about two miles northward, but were peaceably disposed and would make no trouble. [exact year unclear, but mid 1770's -- Ne-Do-Ba] ... One of them [Indians] stole one of his traps. He gave out word among them that if the thief did not bring it back, he would kill him. A few days after the Indian returned the trap, ...

Important Facts About This Place For Researchers
Date	Fact	Notes
1793	originally Bucktown Plantation	incorporated
1760	Cumberland County
1805	Oxford County

County Menu

Canton ME

Canton Point appears to have been the headquarters of the Androscoggins, where they are said to have had 500 acres cleared, which they annually planted to corn.
Later [aft.1796] a number of Androscoggin Indians lived in Rumford, Bethel and Canton.
Scattered families lived at Fryeburg and in Canton.

Important Facts About This Place For Researchers
Date	Fact	Notes
1821	from Phipps Canada (Jay)	incorporated
1760	Cumberland County
1805	Oxford County
	local names	Meadow View Jay Point Canton Point Rockameko

County Menu

Fryeburg ME - Ancient Village of Pequaket

Also Conway NH & Saco River

Darby Field, who came up the Saco in 1642 and stopped [at Pequaket] to get Indian guides, reported 200 inhabitants.
In continuation of Stark's Hill is Long Hill to the southward, ...; then Bald Peak about the same altitute. These make the three hills, sometimes called the Pequawket Hills, which the Indians told Walter Bryant would indicate the Pequawket land.
"There was formerly an Indian village on the site of Conway, called the village of Pâgwâki ... The word is commonly written either Pigwacket, Pickwocket, or Pigwolket" (Kendall 3:173) [about 1808].
In 1821 Rev. Amos J. Cook wrote that "pipes, gouges, hatchets and ... ornaments are frequently found".
Hereabouts (near the site of the Indian village) are several mounds of earth left by the natives, of singular aspect. Whether they were ancient burying grounds, fortifications, or encampments cannot now be ascertained. The circumference of one of these banks is 60 feet, and in its centre is another, in which a tree of considerable size formerly stood. There are four others forming eight angles and running from one centre. ... All these mounds ... there is not a trace today
When the settlers came in 1762 and '63 there were no Indians, but they began to come back.
In 1767 when Joseph Knight came to the settlement he found "a great many Indians in the region, who were perfectly peaceable"
About 1770 Jonathan Dresser, ... was a friend to the Indians, and they frequently came to his house, and would camp in his kitchen, twenty at a time; they would cook over the fireplace, and spend the night there, sleeping on the floor, a confused mass of Indians - squaws, papooses, and dogs.
... The first store at the Seven Lots was kept by Dr. Joseph Emery ... He was charged with selling rum to the Indians who occasionally straggled into the settlement.
In 1775 the reduced band at Pigwacket remained at Fryeburg and offered 13 men to the American side [Rev. War].
Swarson at the beginning of the Revolutionary War went into the Continental Army and became an officer; he was made much of and was presented with a sword. He called himself a "Whig" Indian.
Others of the tribe who were know to the early settlers of Fryeburg were Watora-Nunton, Hegon, Scawesco, Adeawando, Nathaniel, Tomhegan, Philip, Swarson, Sabatis, Moll Ockett, Moll Sussup.
Perhaps the most noted Indian, locally, was Sabatis. ... not to be confounded with "Old Sabatus" who was in Arnold's expedition to Canada
Scattered families lived at Fryeburg and in Canton.

Extracts from the journal kept by Walter Bryant, who ran the line between Maine and New Hampshire in 1741

March 22, Sunday. Remained in my camp, and about nine o'clock at night the camp was hailed by two Indians (who were within fifteen rode of it) in so broken English that they called three times before I could understand what they said, which was: "What you do there?" Upon which I spoke to them, and immediately upon my speaking, they asked what news? I told them it was Peace. They answered, "May be no." But however, upon my telling them they should not be hurt, and bidding them to come to the camp, they came and behaved very orderly, and gave me an account of Ossipe Pond and River, as also of a place called "Pigwacket", they told me the way to know when I was at Pigwacket was by observing a certain river, which had three large hills on the south-west side of it, which narrative of said Indians respecting Ossipe &c I found to correspond pretty well with my observations. They also informed me of their names, which were Sentur and Peace. Sentur is an old man, was in Capt. Lovewell's fight, at which time be was much wounded, and lost one of his eyes; the other is a young man. They, informed me their living was at Ossipe Pond. They had no gun, but hatchets and spears. Our snow-shoes being something broken they readily imparted wherewith to mend them. They would have purchased a gun of me, but could not spare one. They were very inquisitive to know what bro't English men so far in the woods in peace, whereupon I informed them. And upon the whole they said they tho't it was war finding English men so far in the woods, and further, that there were sundry companies of Indians a-hunting, and they believed that none of said companys would let me proceed if they should meet with me.

Important Facts About This Place For Researchers
Date	Fact	Notes
1777		incorporated
1805	Oxford County

County Menu

Norway ME

Samuel Ames would allow Indians to camp there [Ames Woods aka Ordway Grove], though he would not let them build any fires. [date unknown but Mr. Ames owned the land spoken of from 1789 to 1852 -nl]

Important Facts About This Place For Researchers
Date	Fact	Notes
1797		incorporated
1760	Cumberland County
1805	Oxford County

County Menu

Rumford ME - aka New Pennecook Plantation

It was one of the numerous carrying places on the river, and beaten paths were found along the banks and around the falls by the first English visitors in this region.
There were few Indians here, except scattering ones, traveling to and fro ...
Small parties came here occasionally to fish and to hunt, but they were peaceable and friendly, and seemed desirous of being on amicable terms with the early white settlers.
... when the first settlers came to Rumford, there were strolling bands of St. Francis Indians frequently in the settlement. They sometimes brought their furs here for sale, which they had secured in the region of the lakes and their tributaries ...
... they frequently revisited their old haunts, in small numbers, but only to remain a short time, when they disappeared as suddenly as they came ... [time period unknown]
... Salmon, could migrate upstream during the annual spawning run to the base of the Rumford Upper Falls. None could pass this barrier and as a result the 13-acre reflection pool at the base of these falls were heavily populated with these fish. It was common for local Indians to gather at what is now the parking lot for the Rumford Information Booth to spear spawning salmon and other fish.
Later [aft.1796] a number of Androscoggin Indians lived in Rumford, Bethel and Canton.
Before Hancock Street was built that area was all forest. French laborers were hired to cut the forest and one of them remembered the woods being full of Indian camps. [oral history 1998 - can anyone put a date to this event?]
"I well remember when four Indians on their way to the lakes, stopped at my fathers overnight. They were invitied in to warm their feet, and then were taken to the barn for a lodging place. They went down into a bay to sleep, where the top of the hay was six feet below the floor; after they had laid down, hay was pitched over them, and in the morning they were very thankful for their warm bed. An Indian on the Androscoggin at this point, is now a rare sight." [time period unknown]

Important Facts About This Place For Researchers
Date	Fact	Notes
1800		incorporated
1760	Cumberland County
1805	Oxford County

County Menu

Waterford ME

First settlers found Indian openings [clearings for their corn fields] just east of the pond [Papoose Pond] as well as one near Prides bridge.

History of Waterford, Oxford County Maine. By Warren, 1879

On a Corner of his lot, [David McWain, the first settler, lot 10 range 5] near the river, he built his cabin. Supposing himself the only settler between Bridgton and Canada he was surprised one day by the homely sound of a rooster crowing. Supposing that the fowl had strayed from the settlements below, he thought no more of it. A few days later an Indian squaw leaped from behind a tree almost upon him, apparently to frighten him. She beckoned him to follow her to his cabin, and in the Indian tongue demanded something. He offered her different articles to no purpose, until he brought salt, which she ate with the greediness of an animal salt-hungry. He went with her to her camp, at what is now known as McWains Falls [on the Crooked River], where he found quite a party of Canada Indians fishing. They feasted him on muskrat soup and other delectable compounds, which he ate with all the relish he could assume. He fished and hunted with them, selling his peltries at Stevens Brook.

[David McWain, b.1751 Bolton MA, s/o Andrew McWain & Hezidiah Moore]

Important Facts About This Place For Researchers
Date	Fact	Notes
1779		incorporated
1760	Cumberland County
1805	Oxford County

County Menu

Woodstock ME - aka Bryant's Pond

Christopher Bryant of Bryant's Pond, better known as Dr. Chris Bryant in his early life associated with the Indians and of them learned the use of roots and herbs for medicinal purposes. ... .

Important Facts About This Place For Researchers
Date	Fact	Notes
1815		incorporated
1760	Cumberland County
1805	Oxford County

County Menu