settlement was made in 1773, by
Silas Hands, Benjamin Shaw, Da-
vid Eames, Col. Elisha Bayne,
and Capt. Joseph Kenney. Incor-
porated July 18, 1781.

Boundaries. North by Dorches-
ter, Groton, and Hebron, east by
Hebron and Alexandria, south by
Grafton, and west by Canaan.
Area 16,000 acres. Improved
land, 5,624 acres.

Distances. Sixteen miles east
from Dartmouth College, ten
south-west from Plymouth, and
forty north-west from Concord.

Railroad. The Northern Rail-
road passes through the south-
west corner of the town. East
Canaan depot, four miles distant,
is where the people take the
cars.

OBFORO.

Grafton County. Orford is one
of the seven best farming towns
in the State, in respect of value
of agricultural productions, and
ranks as the third town in the
county. It is situated on the Con-
necticut which, through this town,
furnishes broad intervals, well
tilled and producing excellent
crops of corn, oats, and hay. The
uplands and hills afford fine pas-
turing and tillage lands. But one
other town in the State produces
as many bushels of wheat.

There are but few if any farm-
ing towns on the Connecticut that
equal Orford in its fine scenery of
mountain, hill, vales, and river
views. As you stand on many of
the farm hills which are cultivated
to their summits, you have a view
of the hills, and beautiful valleys
around you dotted with fine farm
houses, and well filled barns, and
a little farther you have an indis- |
tinct view of the villages nestling
beneath the shades of the stately
elm, while the church spire, peer-
ing through their tops, and the
ring of the village school bell, all
denote that religion, education,
and liberal principles harmoni-
ously dwell within; while still a
little farther, flows the winding
Connecticut, clothed on either
side with broad intervals now
burdened with the rewards of the
husbandman’s toil, and still be-
yond all this, are the green, culti-
vated hills of Vermont, and a*
their base can he seen the puffing
locomotive, and the luxurious
cars, freighted with precious lives
as they glide through the vale.

Rivers, Ponds, and Mountains.

While the Connecticut River
washes the western border of the
town, Orford Mill River passes
nearly through the centre and
furnishes some good water power.
There are four or five ponds
of considerable size. Baker’s
Upper Pond, lies within three or
four miles of the Connecticut and
discharges its waters into another
pond, lying partly in Wentworth,
and the waters of both flow into
Baker’s River. Indian Pond, lies
about one mile west from Baker’s
Upper Pond. There are two con-
siderable elevations called Mount
Cuba, and Mount Sunday, lying
near the centre of the town,
Mount Cuba, extending east into
Wentworth.

Minerals. On the west side of
Cuba Mountain there are several
beds of limestone, which is granu-
lar but does not crumble in burn-
ing. Specimens of quartz contain-
ing acicular crystals of oxide of tita-
nium are also found here. Near
Sunday Mountain, is a bed of tal-