Narragansett No. 1, (Buxton) assigned to
Philemon Dane of Ipswich and 119 others Oct. 17, 1733. Town surveyed the same
year, and lots not exceeding 20 acres laid out the two following years.
1740- Settlement began about this time.
1743- Garrison house erected at Salmon Falls
on account of Indian troubles. First meeting house erected.
1744- Rebecca Chase (m Parker) born, first
white child born in Buxton
1749- Settlement greatly revived.
1754- Fort erected at Pleasant Point.
1761- Old burying-ground on the meeting-house
lot conveyed to the plantation by Isaac Hancock. First public school opened.
1764- Effort made to have the town
incorporated.
1772- Act incorporating Buxton, the seventh
town in Maine, passed July 17. First election held in Meeting house May 24,
1773.
1785- Great freshet destroyed by mills and
bridges.
1792- 335 Polls intown over age of sixteen.
1795- First mills built at Moderation Falls.
1872- Centennial celebration held in town.
Early
Settlers
Dea. Amos Chase of
Newbury, Nathan Whitney, Joseph Simpson, Mr. Bryant and a Thomas Gage are
believed to have settled within the town as early as 1740 or 1741. Robert
Brooks, Magnes Redlon, John Davis, Sr., Nathaniel Durel, John Brooks, James
Sands, Jr., Joseph Woodman, Nathan Whitney, Samuel Ingalls, Samuel chase and
Ichobod Austin were settlers here in May, 1742. Benj. Durell, David Martin,
Benj. Dunnell, Samuel Rolfe. Wm Hancock, John Elden, Job Roberts, Joshua
Woodman, John Wilson, Samuel Merrill, and Timothy Haselton, settled prior to
Aug. 1753. by 1761, John Boynton, Eleazer Kimball, Jona Clay, Humphry Atkinson,
Stephen Safford, John Cole and Richard Clay had become residents and proprietors
of the town. Rev. Paul Coffin settled minister, 1761.
Churches
and Pastors
First Congregational Church
First Congregational
Church-Bar Mills. Organized March 16, 1763. First Meeting house was erected at
Salmon Falls in 1742. First framed church built nearly on location of present
edifice, in 1761. Replaced by present one 1822. Remodeled and rededicated 1885,
also in 1904.
Ministers
Paul Coffin, 1761-1821;
Levi Loring, 1817-1835; Benjamin Rice, 1835-1842; Silas Baker, 1843-1845;
Stephen Merrill, 1846; Joseph Barlett, 1847-1867; Chas. H. Gates, 1868-1871;
Solomon Bixby, 1871-1875; Joseph Kyte 1875-1879; T. M. Davies, 1880-1881; Wm. A.
Merrill, 1881-1882; H. E. Robinson, 1882-1884; George W. Johnson, 1885-1889;
George B. Trafton, 1890-1891; Chas. H. Gates, 1892-1896; Frank H. Baker,
1897-1901; Chas. P. Cleaves, 1901-1903; W. Henry McBride, 1903-1905. Present
Membership 46.
North Congregational
Church, --Groveville. Organized an independent society from the First Church,
Sept. 23, 1852. Church edifice erected in 1820 by citizens and ministered to as
a branch of the first church. Steeple added 1857. House raised, repaired and
re-dedicated in 1889, and bell added.
Ministers
Geo. W. Cressy, 1852-1867, C. C. Parker, D.
D., 1867-1868; Joseph Smith, 1868-1872; S. S. Drake, 1872-1873; Solomon Bixby,
1873-1875; Joseph Kyte, 1875-1879; T. M. Davies, 1879-1881; W. A. Merrill,
1881-1883; E. E. Palmer, 1884-1885; R. S. Duston, (F. Bap.),
1886-1887; J. S. Cogswell, 1888-1889; Cecil Deane, (F. Bap.), 1891-1892; Frank
C. Bradeen, 1893-1897; Frank H. Baker, 1897-1901; Chas. P. Cleaves, 1901-1903;
W. Henry McBride, 1903-1905. Present membership 39.
Center Baptist Church
Church organized 1799 as the Baptist Church
of Buxton and Saco. Abner Flanders, pastor until 1825 at Buxton Center and Saco.
The North Society formed 1825. Mr. Flanders continued pastor until 1829. Meeting
house erected 1799-1800, rebuilt 1831. Pastors: Rev. Mr. Flanders, Revs. Wm.
Bailey, 1840-44; H. B. Gower, 1848-49; N. W. Williams, 1850; Ivory M. Thompson,
1852-59; G. E. tucker, 1859-62; H. B. Marshall, 1862; O. Richardson, 1865; J. M.
Burt, 1881-90; B. F. Turner, 1890-95; Wm. Clement, 1896-1902; E. E. Longley,
Sept 1903 to present time. Present membership about 130.
Methodist Church- Chicopee
Rev. Jesse Lee of Virginia
introduced Methodism here in 1793. Class formed 1799. Hugh Moored leader.
Meeting house erected 1802, rebuilt 1848. Became a station 1847. Same pastors as
Gorham North Street Church since 1879, which see.
West Buxton Free Baptist Church
First society organized
about 1795 at Bog Mill. Society divided for convenience in 1834, the "First
Society" locating at West Buxton, the "Second Society" at Groveville. First
meeting house erected 1833-34. Repaired and rededicated 1898. Pastors
since 1878: - Revs. F. K. Chase 1878-79; J. M. Pease, 1880-82; B. A. Sherwood,
1882-85; J. Q. Adams, 1886-89; John Pettengill, 1889-92; J. D. Waldron, 1893-95;
Geo. A. Downing, 1896-98; Frank Willcock, 1898-1900; F. D. Tasker, 1900-03; J.
M. Williams, 1904-05.
Second Free Baptist Church-Groveville
Organized April 8, 1834. Meeting house erected 1839. Moved
across road and steeple added 1857. Sixtieth anniversary observed April 8, 1894.
Pastors:- Revs. J. Clay, 1834-49; J. Crockett, 1850-52;
Josiah Keen, 1853-54; Geo. W. Whitney, 1855-56; I. R. Cook, 1856-58; Oliver
Butler, 1859-61; Chas. Bean, 1861-62; I. M. Bedell, 1863-66; A. G. Hill,
1867-70; Wm. J. Twort, 1871-74; Wm. T. Smith, 1875-78; T. F. Millett, 1878-79;
Otis F. Russell, 1880-82; Edw. S. Palmer (Cong'l,) 1884-86; Robt. L. Duston,
1886-88; Jos. S. Cogswell (Cong'l,) 1888-90; Cecil Deane, (student) 1890-92;
Joseph Whitney, 1893-95; A. G. HIll, 1896-98; E. Judson Hatch, 1898-99; H. H.
Hathaway, 1900-03; Chas. E. Davis, 1903-05; Present membership 26.
Bar Mills Free Baptist Church
Church organized 1868 with
seven members, in Church near Dea. Milliken's. Church removed to present site in
1872. Present membership 16.
Pastors: -- Revs. M. T. Smith, Perkins Smith, Rev. Mr.s
Brooks, Abraham Milliken, John Pettengill, and since 1896 the same as the
Groveville Church.
South Buxton Universalist Church
House erected as a free
church. H. K. Bradbury was early Universalist pastor. Other pastors have been
Rev. James Sawyer, Rev. Mr. Hammond, Rev. Mr. Webber, H. H. Hoyt, 1891-92; G. E.
Leighton, 1893; M. C. Ward, 1894-95; Dwight A. Ball, 1896; T. B. Paine, 1897:
Chas. E. Petty, 1898; Willis A. Moore, 1899-1900; Wallace Hatch, 1901. Church
now closed.
Bar Mills Universalist Parish
Organized summer 1895,
Merrill C. Ward pastor. Dwight A. Ball, 1896; J. C. Dickerson, 1897. Church
dedicated Nov. 15, 1897. Preaching has been maintained only during summer months
by Tufts College Students. C. E. Petty, 1898; W. A. Moore, 1899-1900; Wallace
Hatch, 1901.
TOWN
OFFICIALS
Clerks
1850-53, A. W. Hanson;
1854, Wm. M. Jordan; 1855, A. H. Wilkins; 1856, W. M. Jordan; 1857, A. H.
Wilkins; 1858-60, W. M. Jordan; 1861-62, Robert Wentworth; 1863, A. K. P.
Meserve; 1864, R. Wentworth; 1865, A. K. P. Meserve; 1866-67, F. J. Cole; 1868,
Joseph Davis; 1869, A. K. P. Meserve; 1870, S. S Milliken; 1871-72, R. W. Murch;
1873, A. T. Hill; 1880-94, Robert A. Bradbury; 1895, Spencer Boyden; 1896-97, H.
F. Partiridge; 1898-99, W. T. Jordan; 1900-03, Supply Dean; 1904, Wm. T. Jordan;
1905, Geo. E. Smith.
Treasurers
1875, Thos. H. Berry;
1876-87, Samuel Hanson; 1888-98, Thomas Tarbox; 1899-1905, W. A. McCorrison.gfb
