A Drive Through Somerset County, Maine

Though it ended up being a very cold and wet trip, I took time during my vacation in October 2019, and made a day-trip up to Somerset County, Maine, where many of my maternal ancestors had lived and where many of their burial places can still be found.
​

The first location was about three hours from home, and was the grave of my 5th Great-Grandmother, Abigail (Whitcomb) Steward. I had just recently found out that she was buried in St. Albans, in a plot with her son Randall Steward, so made this one a priority.

Abigail, wife of John Steward
Died May 7, 1853 AEt 83 yrs
​
More about her and husband John can be read in a blog post I wrote in Jan 2019, on:

Duncan Stewart of Rowley, MA

I went north from here, to visit a Civil War soldier from the 27th Maine, who had settled in Dexter, Maine and was buried there in Mt. Pleasant Cemetery. I then traveled southwest to Athens, Maine, making a stop at Mount Rest Cemetery.

While I probably have direct ancestors buried there, including perhaps my 5th Great-Grandparents, Philip and Mary (Pike) Leavitt (and possibly my 4th Great-Grandparents), there are no stones to mark their resting places. I did photograph all of the Leavitt stones there, some two dozen cousins. I have placed them on a cemetery page at the National Association of Leavitt Families (NALF) website, which can be viewed at:
https://www.nalfinc.org/cemeteries---athens-maine.html

Next on my list was the Jewett Cemetery in Madison, on Rt 43 (Horsetail Hill Rd). Two sets of 6th Great Grandparents awaited me there: Henry and Sarah H. (Tuttle) Wyman, and James and Emma (Tarbell) Shattuck. Henry's daughter, Sarah Wyman, would marry Lovell Shattuck, the son of James and Emma.

I have written about both of these couples in earlier blogs:
Henry Wyman of Madison, Maine
James Shattuck of Pepperell, MA and Solon, Maine 

Slightly north of this location is the South Solon Burial Ground. I have several relatives buried here without stones, including my 2nd Great Grandfather, Charles Leavitt and his parents, Joseph and Lucy Ann (Brown) Leavitt. Charles' wife is here, as are Lucy's parents, Joseph and Lucy A. (Shattuck) Brown.

Alberta A. (Rowell) Leavitt (born Hannah B Steward), her stone being the only one in this plot. Her husband Charles, and maybe even his parents, could be buried in this same plot. If not, they're in this burial ground somewhere. Earlier write-ups:

Joseph Brown of Solon and Athens, Maine
Hannah B Steward, aka Alberta Ann Rowell

​I drove west to get onto Rt 201, taking the road south back to Madison. I made a quick stop at Blackwell Cemetery to see another 27th Maine veteran (George A. Taylor, who also served w/ the 32nd ME). There were two other ancestors that I did need to by-pass, Sarah (Wyman) Shattuck in Solon Village Cemetery, and Thomas Steward in Sunset Cemetery, North Anson, as the day was passing by too quickly, and I REALLY NEEDED to reach that Dunkins in Skowhegan!

​My last stop was the Old Bloomfield (or Bloomfield Weston) Cemetery in Skowhegan. The earliest settlers of "Old Canaan" are buried here, the spot where the meeting house once stood.

One of these early settlers is Mary (Ireland) Steward, wife of Daniel, who died on 30 Jan 1818, aged 79 yrs. After her husband died (he is buried in Fitchburg, MA), she came north to Maine with family.

Not an easy stone to photograph, with there being no sun out that day (well, until I was driving home, which is usually the way it goes). I'll return there again some day, and try for a better shot.

John and Mary are mentioned in my blog on:
​Duncan Stewart of Rowley, MA and his Descendants to Maine

That being the last stop of my trip, I headed home. Perhaps the next one will be to Massachusetts, where I know of many ancestors buried there.

​Looking forward to Spring!!