AGRICULTURAL IN ALEXANDER 1860
This list includes each name in order as found on the original 1860 agricultural census. The number is the dollar value of the farmland. In this article we will describe farmers who lived at the edge of town and their names are underscored with lot # in (parenthesis). Many of these farms are today abandoned and some grown back to forest. This agricultural census does not have information on 15 Alexander residents; likely because they were laborers. To locate these farms, use the 1881 map.
LITTLE, Andrew - $300 (90)
COX, Charles - $300 (91)
DAVIS, William - $350
HUFF, Claudius - $1000
BAILEY, David - $400
LAMB, Seth - $400
PERKINS, John - $700
SCRIBNER, G. S. S. - $700
BROWN, Ephraim -$500
WHITNEY, Henry - $1000
STROUT, Solomon - $1800
STROUT, Solomon, Jr - $500
CRAFTS, Hiram - $750
PERKINS, Elisha - $800
BAILEY, Isaiah - $600
PERKINS, John J. - $1200
BROWN, Robert - $600
BAILEY, Joseph - $700
STROUT, Benjamin - $600
LYONS, Greenwood - $500
FROST, Simon - $600
THISTLEWOOD, Robert - $1500
BILLINGS, Stephen - $400 (10)
TAYLOR, Jonathan - $600 (9)
SIMONS, Samuel - $350 (9)
HUNNEWELL, Jonathan - $700
HUTCHINS, Eliza - $400
BOHANON, Jones - $800
BAILEY, Simeon - $500
LOVERING, Gardner - $600
STEPHENSON, Elisha - $600
PERKINS, Joseph - $1400
SPRING, William - $1000
CRAFTS, Isaac - $3000
BERRY, Hiram - $1000
TOWNSEND, Abner - $1000
KNIGHT, Paul - $600
ADDIS, Robert - $600
BROWN, Joel K. - $400
BROWN, Michael - $700
SPEARIN, Jeremiah - $1000
LIBBY, Asa - $1500
BERRY, Samuel - $600
AVERILL, Aaron - $300 (44)
LOVERING, Joseph - $1000 (53)
ROBB, Thomas J. - $400 (25)
BAILEY, Edmund - $425 (35)
SPEARIN, Jeremiah Jr. - $1000
ABBOT, Thomas T. - $1900
TYLER, Belcher - $500
STEPHENSON, Jesse - $1700
GOOCH, John - $1000
TRASK, John W. - $800
FLOOD, Wesley - $1000 (112)
LITTLE, David - $400 (97)
GILLESPIE, William - $600 (97)
CROWLEY, John - $1000 (97)
FOLEY, James - $600 (97)
LOOKING BACK
How did those farmers we introduced in the last article fare over the decade? Asa Libby, Almeda Townsend, Jesse Stephenson and Isaac Craft continued to prosper. John Perkins celebrated his 60th birthday, but slipped somewhat in his farm value.
Timothy Hun and Ephraim Scott disappeared. John Moore died in 1852. His wife died a pauper in 1856 and records indicate they are buried on the family farm. Their son Albion is just getting by in 1860. Francis Burns and his wife both also died. Giles and Eliza Hutchins had a son John who was born in 1851, and then Giles headed for the gold fields of California and died in 1852 on the Isthmus of Panama. Eliza and her five children were here for the 1860 census, and then the family disappeared. Eliza was Nathaniel and Mary (Frost) Bailey’s daughter, born on September 1814. Jesse Stephenson Jr. is still struggling. Aaron Averill and the Robb family are described below.
ARM ROAD – the west part, today called Crawford Road.
ANDREW LITTLE was a son of David and Mehitable up on Breakneck. Andrew was born in New Brunswick in 1832. He likely married Nancy Ames before 1859 and moved to this site about the same time. Their only child in 1860 was John Frederick who died the following year. Other children were subsequently born and Andrew and two of his children are buried in marked graves at the Alexander Cemetery.
Andrew’s farmland was worth only $300, one of the lowest valued. It was 160 acres, with 60 improved. His implements were worth $35. He had 2 horses, a milk cow, two other cattle and 2 swine, all valued at $200. He raised 1-bushel peas and/or beans, 70 bushels potatoes, 12 bushels buckwheat and 10 tons of hay. He, or should we say she, churned 200 pounds butter.
CHARLES COX appears only on the 1860 census. He was 29 and his wife Pricilla was 21. Living with them was 14 year old John Hodgen.
Charles owned 100 acres, 80 of which were improved. He had 2 milch cows and 3 other cattle worth $20. He raised 10 tons hay and 35 bushels potatoes. This family churned 150 pounds of butter.
SOUTH PRINCETON COMMUNITY – The part found within Alexander
STEPHEN BILLINGS who was 58 in 1860 really was part of the South Princeton community in that access to his farm was from the road between Woodland and South Princeton villages. But his farm was in Alexander. He arrived in the neighborhood before 1838 when he married Rhoda (Pike) Bonney, widow of William. Rhoda’s son Asa was living at home in 1860 as were their sons Hiram, Joel and Freeman; lots of boys to help Stephen.
Stephen had 160 acres of land, with 50 improved. His farm implements were worth $100. He owned 2 horses, 3 milk cows, 1 pair working oxen, 4 other cattle, 10 sheep that yielded 25 pounds wool and 1 swine all valued at $375. He grew 150 bushels oats, 100 bushels potatoes, 40 bushels buckwheat and 20 tons hay. His orchard produced $12 worth of fruit. They churned 300 pounds butter. Sale of home manufactures earned $7 and the value of slaughtered animals was $20.
JONATHAN TAYLOR, age 23, was a grandson of Alexander’s first settlers, Samuel and Dorcas Brown. His farm was on the South Princeton Road, next to the Princeton line. Jonathan’s mother was Rachel Brown who had married James Taylor. James died in 1856, leaving Jonathan as head of household. Both Rachel and Dorcas were living in the household in 1860. In 1864, Jonathan would marry Almena Bonney who was Rhoda Billing’s daughter. Jonathan’s 16 year old brother Stillman and hired man Edward Jamison (26) would have helped on the farm.
Jonathan’s farmland was 100 acres and 60 were improved. His farm equipment was worth $50. He owned 3 milch cows yielding 250 pounds butter, 1 pair oxen, 2 other cattle, 7 sheep giving 21 pounds of wool and a swine, all worth $210. He raised 20 bushels oats, 100 bushels potatoes, 20 bushels buckwheat and 32 tons hay. His orchards gave $12 and home manufactures $10 in value. Slaughtered animals added $12 to the household income. Skip and Jan Poole presently live at this site.
SAMUEL SIMONS (SEAMONS) came to Alexander before 1850. He married Abigail Taylor, sister of Jonathan. Their first child was born on November 23, 1848, when Abigail was 15 and Samuel was 25. His farm was just south of the Taylor farm.
Samuel’s farmland was 40 acres, all improved and worth $350. He also had $10 worth of farm equipment. He had 1 horse, 1 milk cow that yielded 100 pounds of butter, 1 other cattle all valued at $150. He raised 75 bushels of potatoes, 12 bushels buckwheat and 10 tons hay. Slaughtered livestock earned him $15. The Hubert Noyes family lives here now.
ROBB HILL ROAD - Town Line Road, Loverin District, Alfred Perkins District.
JOSEPH LOVERIN came to Alexander before 1840 from Calais. Joseph was 58 in 1860. He and Harriet had 11 children of which 5 were boys able to help on the farm. They were Gardner, Fred, Elbridge, William and Stephen. The wings of a dam across a branch of Wapsconhagan Stream indicate that he may have had a dam for a mill west of his house. Joseph, his wife, two of their sons and Michael Dowed are buried at the Alexander Cemetery in Marked graves.
Joseph’s farmland was worth $1000. He had 50 acres of improved land and 180 unimproved. He owned $100 worth of farm equipment. His 5 milch cows gave 400 pounds butter. He had 1 horse, 6 other cattle, 20 sheep and 2 swine all worth $300. He raised 40 bushels wheat, 12 bushes corn, 75 bushels oats, 5 bushels peas and/or beans, 150 bushels potatoes and 50 tons hay. His beehive yielded 100 pounds honey, his home manufactures were worth $50 and the slaughtered animals earned him $40. Today Karen Herrick lives on part of this farm part of each year.
AARON AVERILL was described in the last article under the name Adam Averill. In 1860 Henry Higgins 21 and his sister Elisa 17 were living with the family. Henry was a laborer.
Aaron $300 farm had 80 acres of which 20 were improved. He had $25 worth of implements. He owned a horse, 2 milk cows, 3 other cattle and 5 sheep (that gave him 15 pounds of wool), all valued at $130. He grew 10 bushels of oats, 25 bushels potatoes, 10 tons hay and 5 bushels of buckwheat. His cows gave him 200 pounds of butter and the family earned $8 from the sale of home manufactures.
EDMUND BAILEY was born in Baileyville in 1804. He married Sarah Robb and they moved to Alexander possibly in 1846, but were not on the Alexander census until 1860. In the household were sons James 24 and Edmund 20 and hired man Michael Dowed 40. Edmund and his son Edmund are buried in marked graves at the Alexander Cemetery. Note that Michael Dowed is buried in the Lovering Lot.
Edmund’s farmland was worth $425 and consisted of 35 acres improved and 70 unimproved land. His equipment was worth $20. He had 1 horse, 3 milch cows, 9 other cattle, 5 sheep and 1 swine all worth $300. He raised 25 bushels wheat, 5 bushels beans and/or peas, 120 bushels potatoes, 12 bushels buckwheat and 15 tons of hay. The family churned 400 pounds butter and the sheep gave 12 pounds wool. Home manufactures were worth $10 and slaughtered animals worth $50.
THOMAS ROBB and his brother Hugh were sons of Hugh Robb described in the last issue.
This farmland was now worth $400 being 124 acres of which 30 were improved. He had $25 worth of equipment. For livestock he had 2 horses, 2 milk cows, 8 other cattle, 1 swine all worth $350. He grew 30 bushels wheat, 3 bushels peas and/or beans, 75 bushels potatoes and 20 tons hay. His slaughtered animals were worth $25.
BREAKNECK MOUNTAIN - Breakneck Road farms listed from North to South.
DAVID LITTLE was a Scot born in 1798. He married Mehitable Scott in New Brunswick and came to Maine in the late 1840s. He arrived in Alexander after the 1850 census, likely after 1852 when former owner John Phillips died in the well incident. David Little had 3 grown sons to help farming. David and his son George are buried in marked graves at the Alexander Cemetery.
David’s farmland was worth $400 and included 30 improved acres and 50 unimproved. He owned farm implements worth $15. He had a horse, 3 milk cows, 4 other cattle, and 15 sheep that gave him 50 pounds wool and a swine all valued at $200. He grew 2 bushels beans and/or peas, 130 bushels potatoes, 10 bushels barley, and 28 tons hay. His milk cows gave 450 pounds butter. His maple trees yielded 25 pounds sugar and his bees gave 60 pounds honey. Home manufactures were worth $100 and slaughtered animals brought in $50.
WILLIAM GILLESPIE was an Irishman who settled in New Brunswick before coming to Alexander after the well incident. Likely he settled on the Joel Gooch place. Five of William’s 9 children were boys ranging in age from 2 to 17.
William had 130 acres, 60 improved, valued at $600. His equipment was worth $40. He had 1 horse, 3 milk cows, 1 other cattle, and 1 swine all worth $350. He grew 40 bushels oats, 40 bushels potatoes and 20 tons hay. His orchard produced $5 worth of fruit. The family churned 200 pounds butter and animals slaughtered were worth $18.
JOHN CROWLEY was born in Ireland and was 62 in 1860. He came to Alexander before 1850. He and Bridget had a daughter Hannah born in Maine in 1850. Living with the family was Tom Tobin, hired man and fellow Irishman.
John’s farmland was worth $1000 and measured 160 acres of which 100 were improved. His farm implements were valued at $70. He had 2 horses, 4 milk cows that provided 500 pounds butter, 2 other cattle and 1 swine all worth $450. He grew 70 bushels oats, 160 bushels potatoes. And 20 tons hay. His orchard crops were worth $6. His slaughtered animals added $70 to his worth.
JAMES FOLEY was 55 in 1860. His entire family was from Ireland. James was with the Crowley family in 1850. The rest of the Foleys, including two boys, arrived after the 1850 census.
James owned 130 acres valued at $600; 80 acres were improved. His equipment was valued at $40. He owned 1 horse, 2 milk cows, 1 pair oxen, 7 other cattle and 3 swine all valued at $400. He raised 60 bushels oats, 200 bushels potatoes, 50 bushels barley and 30 tons hay. They churned 200 pounds butter and slaughtered animals were worth $70.
NORTH UNION – That part of the Cooper Road near Cooper
WESLEY FLOOD was born in 1827 a son of early Alexander settlers Peter and Lucy Flood. Peter died in 1845 and Wesley took over the farm. Wesley married Mary Burns in 1852 and they had two infant sons living in 1860. Wesley’s brother Levi lived with them and helped on the farm. Wesley and several others are buried in marked graves at the Flood Family Cemetery near the house site. Bruce Baker now lives in a new house also near the old house site.
Wesley’s farmland was worth $1000; it consisted of 60 acres improved land and 100 acres not improved. His farm implements were worth $50. He had a horse, 4 milk cows, a pair of oxen, 3 other cattle and 10 sheep all worth $450. He raised 50 bushels oats, 50 bushels potatoes, 5 bushels buckwheat and 30 tons hay. 400 pounds of butter and $75 worth of home manufactures were produced. He slaughtered animals valued at $90.