Weston gravestone
Oldest cemetary in town
Samuel Weston home
By Jordan Everett
The year was 1771 when people started to come up to the woods of central Maine to claim land that King Charles III was giving to anyone that would settle on it. One group of people claimed part of this new land. The group was made up of five people: Eli Weston, age 12; Isaac Smith, age 15; Joseph Weston; Peter Haywood; and Samuel Weston.
Joesph and his family came by boat up the Kennebec River. Then they got to a spot where it was too shallow to go on by boat, so they started to cut a path through the thick woods of Maine. It took them three weeks to go 20 miles. The land they claimed included islands along the Kennebec river. This land was already cleared out by the Indian tribe know as the Abennakis. The Indians had been farming on this land for many years.
They brought 20 sheep with them from Massachusetts onto the island and then they made a shelter. In the fall Joseph went back home. to get the rest of his familly. Isaac, Peter, and Eli stayed on the island and waited for him to get back. The boys had to take the sheep and stay warm and hunt to survive. Peter returned to and get his familly before Joseph came back. While the boys waited, trappers came and visited and some even stayed overnight. Once a trapper wanted company and someone to help him trap. Isaac decided to go so that he could make some money. Then Joseph finally came back and they all built cabins for the family.
Then in the year 1775, Benedict Arnold came up the river with many troops and bateaux and crossed the island. Joseph helped them carry boats and objects to the other side. He continued on the journey with Arnold and returned to his home to die of pneumonia.
Research material from the Skowhegan History House was used in the writing of this essay.