As we enter another New Year we cannot help but look forward with excitement and anticipation. In the last two years we have nearly completed necessary repairs and maintenance to the exterior of the building, and work on the interior is well underway. During the past summer donations made to our 2002 annual appeal were used to paint and repair the upstairs of the building and the floors were beautifully refinished by John Lord. We will soon begin moving our collection upstairs where we will sort, catalogue and begin the process of planning displays. During the summer we will begin painting and making necessary repairs and remodeling the downstairs. In addition to making headway on the collection our goal this year is to begin creating environmentally controlled storage, space for attractive & informative displays, and a special area for sale items. These are by far our most ambitious projects so a curator committee has been formed for the undertaking and has begun planning according to recommendations given us by consultant Ned Allen.
     We can use your financial support to help us reach our goals, but you can help in others ways as well. As you may have guessed, our curator committee is small and members, for the most part, are of advanced ages. We will need assistance with moving furniture and carrying items from downstairs to upstairs. If you can give us some time in the spring, please call 685-3812 so we can add your names to our workday list. As always we are grateful for any help you are able to give.
     A blessed New Year to you all and may peace come to all humankind!

Dale

     Please join us at Gile Hall on Saturday, January 25th 1:00pm for our annual meeting and election of officers followed by a Show N Tell. Last year folks who came to Show N Tell very much enjoyed the sharing of various artifacts, collections, art, quilts, crafts and genealogy. There was also historical information shared through picture postcards, letters, documents, books and diaries. Attendees are encouraged to bring a favorite confection and written recipe for the ‘Dessert Show N Tell’ to follow. Storm date 2/1/03.

 We are receiving donations in response to the letter sent out several weeks ago. With this years funds we will begin work on our collection and interior repairs as soon as the weather permits. If you have not sent in your donation please consider doing so. The financial support we have received from friends, members, and community over the past three years has been heartwarming, and we thank you! Donations can be mailed to RHS at PO Box 354 Readfield, Maine 04355.

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The  Larches

    This picture of “The Larches” appeared in our last newsletter with a plea for help to identify. Thank you to Bonnie Harris, who lives at The Larches on Old Kents Hill Road, for her immediate response and for gathering further information.
Harris contacted former resident Karen Goodwin who was able to share additional information on this house thanks to sheer coincidence. It seems that Goodwin’s father-in-law had attended Bates College in the 1940’s where he met Hugh Mitchell. In conversation Mr. Goodwin discovered the Mitchell family had owned the Larches for several generations and an exchange of communication was initiated between the Readfield Goodwins and Mitchell’s elderly father. In a letter and through an 1895 news article from The Melrose Journal, the elder Mitchell shared that J. Huntoon, an early governor of Maine lived in this house at the time of his election in 1830. The news article reported that Governor Huntoon planted eleven Larch trees in front of this house where they provided abundant shade. In later years Mitchell’s grandmother named this home “The Larches”, and she also labeled a nearby pond Lake Myra - after herself. For additional information about the early Mitchells and Huntoons of Readfield read on in this newsletter.
    Those interested in a copy of the news article and Mitchell’s letter should send their request, a SASE and an appropriate donation for copy fees to Readfield Historical Society, PO Box 354 Readfield, Maine 04355

• Laptop computer and compatible printer
• Shredder
• Helpers for spring work day call 685-3812
• Metal storage shelves in good condition

An old picture was shared with us in response to our story on the Greeley family in the summer 2002 RHS newsletter. The caption reads: Hamill’s about 1905. Delia Giles Greeley, John Arthur and Anne M. (Greeley) Hamill, Harold, Paul Giles, Marion (Hamill)

    In the summer 2000 issue of our newsletter we included a story on the Fifields of Readfield and Manchester. Included in the story was the subtitle “A Famous Fifield” in reference to Wallace Nutting – famous artist and furniture maker. The story was posted on our website, and in response we recently received the following communication.

    The Wallace Nutting Library is a non-commercial virtual library, on-line only, to provide information to collectors of Wallace Nutting pictures, furniture, books and anything else associated with Wallace Nutting. Our mission is to promote the life and works of Wallace Nutting. The Internet address is: www.WallaceNuttingLibrary.com
From the home page the visitor can access almost five hundred pages of information on Wallace Nutting pictures, books, furniture and miscellaneous collectibles. It has developed into the largest and most informative website on Wallace Nutting.
We are always looking to include new information that collectors would find interesting so I thought maybe a webpage on Wallace Nutting's ancestry. The website includes a short biography with a statement that he and his wife Mariet had no children. Still, I have seen advertisements offering for sale items from the estate of Wallace Nuttings' grandchildren. My plan is to offer, in as much detail as I can find, ancestral line to his maternal and paternal family. Your report as well as information from a report by Peter Fifield Wells provided me with a wealth of information. I am having a little difficulty finding information on his father's family.
    I particularly found the image of Joseph Fifield and his farm of interest because when Wallace Nutting's father, Albion, died in 1864 his mother, Eliza Fifield Nutting moved the family to Maine to live with her brother, Joseph Fifield on his farm. Wallace describes his growing up years on this farm and I believe it had a tremendous impact on the rest of his life. He was a remarkable man.
    I thank you for your kindness in allowing me to use information from your report and to quote you. I will inform you when the webpage is on-line so that you can review it for accuracy as it relates to you.
    Happy New Year to you also.
    Rudy Parent

    Do you have a story to tell?  Share your memories of growing up in Maine, your family history in Maine, or a story of how Maine has changed over the years.  Be part of the online Maine community and help others learn about "real" Maine history! Maine.gov, the State of Maine's official website, http://www.maine.gov , would love for you to tell your story of the "old days," share your memories or tell your family history to be published on the Facts and History section on the state of Maine website. All you have to do is visit www.maine.gov ; go to the "Maine.gov and You" category on the homepage and click on the link "Read/Submit Maine history stories."

As I poured through research on the Huntoon family I soon recognized that limiting this story to only one early family would be difficult since so many of the Huntoon wives were daughters and granddaughters of  Readfield settlers. I will include information on the Huntoon family and Samuel Glidden in this issue and next time I will tell you about the others.

                                     Peter b.1747                                        Josiah b.1758  (4th  generation)

                            Rachel m.     Peter m.   David m.               Jonathan m.       Lewis m.     (5th generation)
                                Craig                Turners                        Craig & Mitchell     Haines

                 Louis m.   George m.  Layfayette m. Rosanna m. (6th generation, all children of Peter 5th generation)
                    Hunt          Fuller           Brown             Haines
 
 

Josiah Mitchell  1790 census 1-3-4-0-0
Lot # 214
Lieut. Mitchell was a Revolutionary War veteran and settled near present day Readfield Corner, a neighbor of honorable Joshua Bean. He first appears in Winthrop town records in 1781 as surveyor of highways. In 1787 he was chosen as Lieutenant and as a further mark of honor was chosen as Hogreeve in 1788.  The fourth Readfield town meeting was held at his house, and was again held there in 1798 and 1800. His family appears on the 1790 Maine census in Winthrop indicating a wife, and six children.
Josiah Mitchell was born in Scarboro March 12, 1748 s/o Christopher and Deborah (Mills) Mitchell. He married to Eunice Milbury Grover of Hallowell on February 21, 1774. The couple resided in Hallowell, Kennebunk, Winthrop, Readfield and Troy. He died in Troy ae 70 in 1818. Eunice died in Dixmont in 1847 ae96. There were eight children born between 1774-1794.
1. Betsey b.1774 m.Libbeus Packard res.Dixmont
2. Lydia b.1777 m.Elihi Alden res. Dixmont
3. Mary b.1781 m1.Samuel Glidden res.Readfield
 m2. Jonathan Huntoon res.Readfield
4. John b.1783 m.Betsey Webb res. Troy
5. Jesse P. b.1786 res. Albany, NY 1851
6. Christopher b.1788 m.Charlotte Morse res.Dixmont
7. Milbury b.1791 m.Eliza___ res. Etna or Dixmont
8. Harriet b.& d.1794

Samuel Pottle Glidden came to Readfield in 1797 at age 36 years and was the first lawyer who opened an office in this town. He m. July 12, 1799 to Mary Mitchell, d/o of Lieut. Josiah Mitchell. His bride was 20 years younger. The Glidden home, later called “The Larches,” is pictured earlier in this newsletter. There were no children from this union, and Samuel died at 57years in 1818.

Jonathan Glidden Huntoon b.1781 in Unity Plantation, NH s/o of Revolutionary War veteran Josiah Huntoon and Hannah (Glidden.) He was the oldest of eleven children. As a young man Jonathan came to Readfield to study law under his Uncle Samuel Glidden. He m.1816 to Betsey Craig and they had one son Lewis, who d.1819 as an infant. Betsey died the same year, as did Jonathan’s 23yo brother Josiah – only one year after his mentor and uncle Samuel Glidden had passed. Jonathan took on his uncle’s law practice and one year later wed his widowed aunt. There was one child born in 1821 from this union – daughter Mary – who also tragically died in 1828. The Huntoons were residing in the Glidden home when Jonathan was elected Maine governor in 1830 but sometime later they moved to Fairfield where he d.1851 and she in 1861. They are buried in Readfield Corner cemetery where the State of Maine erected a stone in his memory.

Lewis Huntoon b.8-28-1794 m1 5-18-1817 Eliza Haines d/o Dudley and Alice (Ford) Haines b.7-17-1800. She d.9-13-1830 Lewis m2 Margaret Richards of East Livermore. Lewis fathered 10 children:
1. Alice b.1818
2.Hannah b.1819
3.Charles b.1821
4.Lewis b.1825
5.Walter b.1829
6.Luman b.1836
7. Eliza b.1840
8.Jonathan b.1844
9. Henry b.1848
10. Mary b.1850

Peter Huntoon Sr. 1790 census 2-4-4-0-0
Lot # 159
b.1747 s/o Samuel and Hannah (Ladd) Huntoon. m1. Rachel Goss m2. ____Findley. They resided in Wiscasset until May 31, 1776 when, according to Stackpole’s History of Winthrop, Huntoon was ordered by warrant to depart with his family immediately. The warrant went on to say “as we object against their becoming chargeable to the town.” This warrant was delivered to another family as well just before the town meeting to vote on independence. Stackpole tells us these orders were not unusual in colonial New England and sometimes political rather than driving out the poor. Fourteen years later we see Huntoon and his family on the 1790 census in Winthrop.    Children:
1. Peter b.1769  m.Betsey d/o Christopher Turner
2. David b.c1773  m.Catherine d/o Christopher Turner
3. Joseph b.1777
4. Rachel b. 3-12-1773  m.Thomas s/o James Craig
5. Abigail b. __?__ m.Obadiah Albee

Peter Huntoon, Jr. b.6-1769 in New Hampshire m int. 10-2-1799 to Betsey Turner d/o Christopher Turner. She b.8-20-1783 d.2-17-1849 ae64 at Readfield.  Peter d.5-6 1836 at Readfield. He is buried in Huntoon cemetery though there is no gravestone.  9  children:
1. Catherine b.1800  m. Howard Stevens
2. Rosanna b.1802 m.Dudley Haines  b.9-27-1797 s/o Dudley Haines & wife Alice (Ford) of Readfield.
2 ch Dudley and Polly. Dudley Haines sister Eliza married cousin Lewis Huntoon of East Livermore.
3. Mary Ann b.1806 m. David s/o Joseph Williams
4. George Washington b.1809 m. Emily d/o William Fuller & granddaughter of Francis Fuller
5. Wellington b.1813
6. Napolean b.1816
7. Layfayette b.1821 m.Lucinda Brown g-grandaughter of Unight Brown. On the 1850 census 28yo Layfayette is listed as a farmer and Lucinda is 21y. Also listed as living in the household are Lucinda’s siblings George 19y, Atinella 16y, Charles 14y and Celia 12y. Also, Julia Macomber 45y.
8. Louis B. b.1824  Almyra Joy granddaughter of Francis Hunt
9. Elizabeth b.1827 d.ae5y

Dudley Haines 1790 census 1-1-1-0-0
Capt. Haines came from New Hampshire to Readfield where he married to Alice d/o Nathaniel Ford. Haines d.12/31/1824 ae62y and wife Alice 2/14/1823 ae55y. They are buried in Kents Hill Cemetery on the same lot as son Lewis, who d.1834.
Children:
1.  John b.1791
 2. Peleg b.1792
3. Nancy b.1795
4. Dudley Jr. b.1797
5. Lewis b.1798
6. Eliza b.1800
7. Walter b.1803
8. Polly b.1804

Sources for this issue’s Old Settler Series:

• Stackpole History of Winthrop
• Readfield VR’s
• 1790 census
• Readfield Cemetery Records
• History Kennebec County
• Maine Families in 1790 Volumes 2, 5, 7, by Maine Genealogical Society, published by Picton Press
• Huntoon Family History online at http://www.www.30013.w1.com
• Personal letters of Karen Goodwin and Bonnie Harris
• The Melrose Journal (Supplement) August 9, 1895 Article - “The Larches”