WATERFORD.

The surface of the town is uneven. Large swells or ridges run
through it in nearly a northerly and southerly direction, with tracts of
sandy land lying between. The ridges are largely covered with white,
red and yellow oak, beech, birch, maple, pine and hemlock. The plains
abound in white and yellow pine, interspersed with hard wood of the
varieties mentioned. Ossipee Mountain, near the centre of the town,
is with one exception, the liighest land in the county, and is a station
of the United States Coast'Survey. The valuation of estates in 1870
was $364,270. In 1880 it was $373,580. The population at the same
date was 1,542 ; in 1880, 1,482. The rate of taxation for 1880 is two
and a half mills on the dollar.

Waterford lies in the southern part of the broad middle
section of Oxford County. The township is almost square, with angles
marking nearly the points of the compass. Norway bounds it on the
norih-east, Albany and Stoneham on the north-west, Sweden and
Lovell on the south-west, and Harrison and Bridgton in Cumberland
County, on the south-east. Crooked River enters the town on the
north-west side and leaves it at the south-eastern angle in its course
completely exemplifying its name. Extending across the southern
portion of the town is a range of ponds, bearing the names of Long,
Thomas, Bear and Moose. At the western angle, lies Kezar Pond,
Island Pond, lies near the southern angle, Pappoose Pond near
Crooked River in the north-eastern part, Bog Pond a little south-east
of Thomas Pond, Chapin Pond at the north of Kezar, and Duck
Pond on the south-western side of the town. These vary in size from
484 to 50 acres, in the order in which they are mentioned. In the
southern part of the town is a range of three considerable eminences,
of which the highest have the names of Bear and Hawk mountains.
In the western part of the town Beek Hill stands solitary and beautiful.
Ou the outlet of Bear Pond, and near Hawk Mountain, are a saw-mill,
grist-mill, a clothes-pin factory, and a hotel. Waterford post-office
and the town-house are at “Waterford Flat,” on the western side of
Thomas Pond. South Waterford post-office (“ Waterford City,”) is
on the stream connecting Thomas and Bear ponds. East Waterford
post-office (“Rice’s Junction”), is between Crooked River and Long
Pond, on the outlet of the latter. North Waterford is situated on
Crooked River near the north-western side of the town.

At Waterford Flat are a tannery and Shattuck’s Hygienic Institu-
tion ; at North Waterford are a lumber-mill, a sash-mill, a grist-
mill and a tannery; at South Waterford are a lumber and grist-mill, a
stave-mill, a salt-box, dry-bucket and carriage factories.

The surface of the town is uneven and has much beautiful scenery,
especially about the the southern ponds. The roads are excellent, and
nowhere are more enjoyable drives to be found than in this town. It
is 13 miles from the Grand Trunk Railroad station at South Paris,
on a stage-line from that place to Fryeburg.

Waterford was surveyed in 1774. The first settler was David Mc-
Wayne, who took up his residence here alone in 1775. So fond was
he of utter solitude that he appeared very much annoyed when, three
years later, a clearing was commenced on what is now known as Paris
Hill, 12 or 15 miles away. Eleazer Hamlin, father of Dr. Cyrus, and
grand-fatber of Hon. Hannibal Hamlin, was an early settler, as were