Norway, Maine: Fragmentary Notes from David Noyes History of Norway, Published in 1852 Early Grants of Land and First Settlers; Soldiers at the Battle of Bunker's Hill; First Doctors; & The Old Time Muste Sprague's Journal of Maine History Vol. VII May June July 1919 No. 1 page 24-27 Norway, Maine Fragmentary Notes from David Noyes History of Norway, Published in 1852 Early Grants of Land and First Settlers. Soldiers at the Battle of Bunker's Hill. First Doctors. The Old Time Musters. The town of Norway is made up of the following tracts, or grants of land viz: the tract of land formerly known as Rustfield, purchased by Henry Rust, of Salem, Massachusetts, of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in December, 1787, estimated at six thousand acres; the Lee Grant, estimated at six thousand acres exclusive of water; the Cumming Gore, containing about three thousand and six hundred acres; and three tiers of lots taken from the easterly side of the town of Waterford, viz: a trip one mile and half wide, and seven miles long, estimated to contain six thousand seven hundred and twenty acres; and another tract called the "Gore", or Rust's Gore," lying south of the Waterford three tiers, and bordering on the northerly line of Otisfield, containing about seventeen hundred acres more or less, making in the whole a trifle over twenty-four thousand acres; but at that time it was rather a custom to make quite liberal measure in eastern lad, therefore we may safely calculate the quantity to be, at least, twenty-five thousand acres, or more. The Waterford three tiers, and he "Rust Gore," last described lying south of the three tiers, from the westerly side of the town, the Cummings Gore between the Lee Grant and the northerly part of the Waterford three tier, and that part called Rustfield lies south of the Lee Grant and the Cummings Gore, being the southerly part of what is now called the town of Norway. 1786. This year five individuals, viz: Joseph Stevens, Jonas Stevens, Jeremiah Hobbs, Amos Hobbs, and George Lessley, from the town of Gray, came into the place, and felled trees on the tract called Rustfield, excepting Jeremiah Hobbs, who commenced on the lot easterly of where the Congregational meeting-house now stands, and then supposed to be within the limits of what was afterwards called Rustfield. 1801. This year, Phinehas Whitney, on the Waterford three tiers had the misfortune to lose his house by fire. It was a log house to be sure; but it was all he had. It was quite a distressing circumstance to him and his family, who were in rather poor circumstances before the loss. Mr. Whitney was a soldier through all the revolutionary war. He was in the battle of Bunker Hill, and I have often heard him tell the story of that memorable contest. He said that just as he had put his last charge into his gun, the British forces had about reached their rude breastwork; a British officer mounted the embankment, and cried out to his soldiers to "rush on, as the fort was their own;" Whitney then took deliberate aim at him, and, to use his own language, "let him have it," and he fell into the entrenchment. He then clubbed his musket, and cleared his way the best he could, and finally made good on his retreat. Jacob Frost, who moved from Tewksbury, Mass., into Norway, in 1800, was also in the battle of Bunker Hill. He was severely wounded in the hip by a musket ball, and taken prisoner. Afterwards he was carried to Halifax, where he was immurred in a filthy prison, and his wound poorly attended to --the ball never being extracted; he remained there several months, and suffered almost everything but death. While yet very lame, he, with three fellow- prisoners, planed a way to escape, by removing a stone, and digging out under the wall of their prison. 1802. I find a Dr. Heath on the valuation this year, but he was not the first doctor in the place. Dr. Shannon was the first, who stayed but a short time, and was succeeded by Dr. Barrett, who soon gave place to Dr. Heath. About 1803, he was succeeded by Dr. Barrett, who soon gave place to Dr. Heath. About 1803, he was succeeded by Dr. Swett, who left in 1805; and in the fall of that year Dr. Moses Ayer came into the town, and continued to practice till about 1824, and was generally esteemed as a very good physician. He then remove to Sangerville, but in the latter part of his life was subject to insanity, and died in the insane hospital a few years since. In the fall of 1802, we had the first regimental muster, probably, that took place in the County of Oxford--at all events, the first in the regiment. The place of parade was on the spot which I shall now call the burnt district, about were Anthony Bennett's building stood and just west of the little bowling alley. The land was then new, and not much cleared, but had had the trees and bushes cut down and burnt over a short time before. This muster was a great day among the other days of that time. The citizens of the place turned out voluntarily, and cleared off the logs and wood remaining on the ground; they pulled and knocked up the small stumps and leveled the inequalities of the ground as well as they could for this important occasion. Martial music at that day, in this place, as an enlivening affair, as we had but little of it; and in order to be well . prepared for the occasion, John Bennett, a younger brother of Anthony and Nathaniel Bennett, then quite a young man, went down to New Gloucester and obtain a pewter fife, and on the evening before the muster, delighted the boys and girls, and even older ones, by playing a few tunes as kind of prelude to the much-longed for, coming day. The officers of the regiment were as follows: Levi Hubbard, of Paris, Colonel; Mark Andrews, of Buckfield, William Livermore, of Livermore, Majors; William C. Whitney, of Hebron, Adjutant. The Companies were from Buckfield, Rumford, Francis Keyes, Captain; Hebron, Paris, Otisfield, Mores, Captain; Norway, Jonathan Cumming, Captain. Six companies in all; a pretty formidable military force, and armed with muskets of every color, length, and caliber; some with bayonets, and more without; but the greater part would burn powder, which some of them had learned the smell of at Bunker Hill, Saratoga, Yorktown, and other places, during our revolutionary struggle. The officers of the several companies; at least the captains were armed with a sword and a spontoon; and the uniform was a tri-cornered cock-hat, deep blue coat faced with bright red broadcloth, the facing turned out about four inches on each side of the front, buff or yellow vest and pants for the company officers; and they looked grand, I tell you--especially those who bore a shining epaulette on one or both shoulders. On the opposite side of the street, about were the post office and Beal's block now stands Ensign Reed had a lot of boards piled along by the side of the fence; and these served nicely for the "shanty fixings" where some of the good dames sold cakes, pies, maple sugar, (candy was hardly born then) and other little refreshments; while men and boys sold a little liquor, such a good old "white f ace and molasses," known then by the sober cognomen of Black strap, with a ittle old Holland and Cogniac for the use of the officers and other gentlemen of distinction--but all good enough. No fault was found either with the cakes, liquor, soldiers, or officers--in fact, everything seemed propitious, excepting that in the afternoon the wind blew rather strong, and the dirt and dust becoming pretty thoroughly stirred up by the horses' hoofs, and being rather dark colored from recent burning, the buff and white pants looked tremendously--for many of them appeared as if they were putting on mourning for the wash-tub. The regiment performed many maneuvers and evolution's laid down by old "Steuben," and other military tacticians. Both soldiers and officers received the hearty applause and approbation of all the lookers-on, and that was "glory enough for one day." The place felt proud of the parade, the soldiers felt proud of their officers, and the officers felt proud of their soldiers, but much more so of themselves. In short, it was a day of high exultation with all, as it seemed to revive up, and rekindle the patriotic feelings whic had pervaded the bosoms of many old soldiers through the long war that had achieved our National Independence. The concourse of people was immensely large, and fortunately no accident occurred to mar the enjoyments and festivities of the day. The regiment, although afterwards curtailed of a part of its territory, continued to increase in numbers and "military graces," until it embraced within limits ten companies of infantry, one of artillery, one of the riflemen, one of the cavalry, and two of light infantry. But those days of military parade and glory have passed away, and are now numbered among the things that are not; and probably a like fate awaits many of the things of the present day. ************************************************* * * * * NOTICE: Printing the files within by non-commercial individuals and libraries is encouraged, as long as all notices and submitter information is included. Any other use, including copying files to other sites requires permission from the submitters PRIOR to uploading to any other sites. We encourage links to the state and county table of contents. * * * * The USGenWeb Project makes no claims or estimates of the validity of the information submitted and reminds you that each new piece of information must be researched and proved or disproved by weight of evidence. It is always best to consult the original material for verification.