The Indians of Oxford County were all
of the Abenaki nation. They were the Anasagunticooks and the
Sokokis tribes. The first was a powerful tribe who occupied the
entire valley of the Androscoggin to Merrymeeting Bay, and were
quite fierce and warlike. The Sokokis are regarded as the most
ancient tribe in Maine. The clan or branch, which dwelt in
Oxford County was known under the name of Pequakets.
Soon after the downfall of the French power in the north
relieved the inhabitants of the northern border from the fear of
Indian wars, attention turned more strongly to the lands of
Maine. In 1762 a township of land on Saco River was granted to
Gen. Joseph Frye, a native of Andover, Mass., and a
distinguished soldier during the French and Indian wars. This
was the first grant made within the limits of Oxford County, and
received the name of Fryeburg. Its settlement began the
following year. Other grants followed, and settlements were made
in Waterford, Bethel, Rumford, Paris, Hebron, Buckfield, and
others in succession. The territory now embraced by the county
of Oxford was originally embraced in York, as, in fact, was also
the whole of Maine. In 1760 Cumberland County was formed,
embracing the whole of the present Oxford, with the exception of
a few western towns. Oxford County was formed by an act approved
March 4, 1805, from portion of York and Cumberland, Paris being
fixed upon in the act as the shire town. The southern tier of
towns in the county, were Turner, Hebron, Norway, Waterford,
Lovell, Denmark, Hiram and Porter, and included all the
territory north of these towns, between New Hampshire on the
west and Kennebec County on the east, to Canada. In 1838 the
county of Franklin received five towns and a large number of
plantations from Oxford, constituting more than half its
territory. In 1854 it relinquished two towns to form
Androscoggin County. In 1885 there were 35 towns and 3 organized
plantations in an area of about 1700 square miles.
The Grand Trunk Railway was extended through the county in 1850;
previous to which time the people were accommodated by a
stage-line to Portland, which made trips each way twice a week,
and farmers carried their produce to Portland with their teams.
The Rumford Falls and Buckfield Railroad connects with the Grand
Trunk at Mechanic Falls, but at present has not been built
beyond Canton Point. Below Mechanic Falls, the Lewiston and
Auburn Railroad connects, forming a branch to Lewiston.
Oxford County has two agricultural societies, both in a
prosperous condition. They are the Oxford County society, its
grounds lying between Norway and South Paris villages, West
Oxford having its fair ground at Fryeburg. The East Oxford
society is now extinct. This county has 350 public
school-houses; and the school property is valued at $117,000.
The population in 1870 was 33,488. In 1880 it was 32,625. The
valuation of estates in 1870 was $9,794,066. In 1880 it was
$10,058,554.
Source: Varney, George J., Gazetteer of the
State of Maine. Boston: B. B. Russell, 1886. |
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