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Dummer Sewall
Dummer Sewall, On the 23d day of March, 1783, after a toilsome journey of six days, with ox teams from Bath, Dummer Sewall, son of Col. Dummer Sewall of Bath,— arrived with his family, and commenced a residence on the farm lately occupied by his son, Otis C- Sewall. He had previously made a clearing and put up a camp, in which he and Mr. Linscott, with their families, took up their abode. Here they lived together for some time, or till Mr. Linscott had prepared a rough dwelling. Some time in 1783 Mr. Sewall constructed a sleigh, the first made in the town, and probably the first in Franklin County. If now in existence it would be esteemed a great curiosity. The bottom was framed like others of that day, but with little if any iron work on it. The sides, forepart, and back of the top were of birch bark, doubled to make it more firm, and to show the same side of the bark outside and in. He and his wife and child rode in it to Bath, and returned again in it. Their visit to Bath was about ten months after their location in their wilderness home. Mrs. Wheeler, who informed the writer of this incident, had tested the sleigh by riding a short distance in it. Two years after this Mr. Sewall built a double sleigh, as perhaps we should esteem it. He owned no horse. Contemplating another journey with his family to Bath in this, he engaged one owned by Mr. Linscott, and to match it another belonging to Mr. Eaton of Sandy River. A day or two before his journey he got them together and harnessed, all but the long bridles, Mr. Linscott helping and his wife, with their child Andrew, four years old, looking on. The horses were regarded as very steady and gentle. Mrs. Linscott, with some urging, got in with her child. Immediately on this the horses started, and were soon in a fast run, up by Mr. Linscott's, he and Mr. Sewall endeavoring in vain to overtake them. Mrs. Linscott did her best to keep her child and herself from being hurt, but she could not keep her seat, but was tossed about in all parts of the sleigh. The horses ran on some two and a half miles, when, some half way down the north side of Locke's Hill, the strap holding up the tongue gave way, and the tongue was driven into the snow and even into the ground, tipping the sleigh and stopping the team. The shock threw the riders several feet into the snow, but did not hurt them. Mrs. Linscott being thinly clad, was poorly prepared for such a ride, and on clambering into the road, found her feet so cold that she sat down, rubbing them in the snow. She had barely finished this when her husband came up, and soon after him Mr. Sewall, who had been delayed a little by looking for the child beside the road. They soon got the team in such order that the horses gave Mr. Linscott a slow ride home. Mr. Sewall, with others, in 1784 and 1780, built the first saw and grist mill in the town, on Little Norridgewock Stream, near the present site of Park's Mills, to which Stephen Titcomb of Sandy River, as tradition says, hauled the first log and helped saw it into boards. Mr. Sewall put up two or three other mills in later years, being a carpenter by trade. He raised quite a family, the oldest of whom, Dummer, was the first white child born in Chesterville. He was born Aug. 22, 1783. A lot of land near John Butterfield's was bestowed as a birthright, which was sold about the time he attained the age of 21. Mr. Sewall made and repaired cooper's ware soon after he became a resident in Chesterville. He- lacked some of the tools necessary in this business. — Needing a "croze" he broke a piece from the point of a handsaw and made one. A piggin, a vessel with one stave extending higher than the others for a handle, would be a rare sight now; but the writer used to see them in his boyhood. They ordinarily contained about six quarts and were mostly used in milking. A two story house, raised Sept. 12, 1788, was built by Mr. Sewall, in which he lived many years. Mrs. Sewall once said, “It has stood sixty years and not a single death has occurred in it." This house has since been taken down. Mr. Sewall was the first Postmaster and Justice of the Peace in the town, both of which offices he filled several years. He died in February, 1846, at the age of 85 years. His wife died in May, 1852. [Mr. Sewall was conspicuous for industry, and his long life was one of great usefulness.] - |