Good Will's Foundations ------------------------------------------------------------------------- USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. This was Submitted by Tina S. Vickery 12:43 9/3/99 12:40 09/04/1999 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Good Will Idea by G.W. Hinckley Good Will Publishing Company Hinckley, Maine 1922 pages 69-75 GOOD WILL'S TERRITORY THE original purchase of land, in 1889 which was subsequently named Good Will Farm, was one hundred and twenty-five acres, in the northeast corner of Fairfield, Somerset County, Maine. It bor- dered on the Kennebec River, was narrow, but ex- tended westward "a mile and a quarter and twenty- seven rods". By subsequent purchases of ten other plots the farm, including the land for the girls had grown, in 1920, to about seven hundred and fifty acres. In 1921 Mr. F. L. Besse, added, by purchase, two hundred and fifty acres of wood-land known now as the "Besse Reservation" so that Good Will's territory is now approximately one thousand acres; this is ample foundation for a comprehensive work for humanity,-a foundation that invites extended de- velopment in coming years. This territory offers a river frontage of a mile on the Kennebec; it also presents more than a mile on Marten Stream. It is divided into cultivated fields- Good Will ploughs about a hundred acres annually- pasture and wood-lands. The soil goes from heavy clay, through various grades of soil, to sand banks; it offers soil suitable for all kinds of vegetables and grains. THE TRAILS An attempt has been made to add to the interest and value of the woods by opening various trails, which have been formally named. "Bowdoin Trail" begins near the boys' cottages on Page Terrace; on it private benevolence has built two objects, viz: the "Tenterden Tablets" and, at the end of the trail, the "Murray Tablets". "Dartmouth Trail" is farther from the cottages; its entrance is marked by two stone pillars, on which are marble tablets; one says "Entrance to Dart- mouth Trail"; the other "Presented by the Outing Club of Dartmouth College". "Colby Trail" at its entrance is marked by pillars of solid concrete; for a distance it follows Marten Stream, and passes Audubon Rapids, Hemlock Cabin -built by private funds-Lovejoy Spring, named in honor of Elijah P. Lovejoy. "Good Will Trail" begins at the main road- the "International Auto Route"-passes "Acadia Rapids" and follows Marten Stream nearly all the way to its end; this trail was formerly opened on the first anniversary of Armistice Day, in honor of the Good Will boys who were in service in the World War. The memorial arch for which a fund is grad- ually growing will be the entrance to this trail. "Maine Trail" has concrete pillars for an entrance, built by Good Will boys as was the entrance to the Colby Trail, many years ago; it passes near "Take Five Cabin"-a private affair-and reaches Marten Stream as its destination. About each building that calls for it, a reasonable amount of land is allowed for lawns and shrubbery. Not counting buildings valued at less than a thou- sand dollars each, of which there are several, such as pumping stations, ice houses and the like, there are thirty-one buildings on Good Will territory, ranging from a thousand dollars to seventy-five thousand dollars in value. In March, 1921, the Maine State Legislature, passed a law making all of Good Will Farm and sev- eral adjacent farms-about fifteen hundred acres in all-a game preserve. There was a treble purpose in asking for this law: First, to make it possible to wander in these woods at any and all times without fear of injury from fire arms; second, to add to the wild life, and, third, to reduce the damage from fire.