Person:Samuel Wormwood (3)

Excerpt from Cora Putnam's book on the History of Houlton:

In 1813 Samuel Cook had business which called him to the southern part of the Satte, and Mr. Wormwood made arrangements with Mr. Cook to go to Alfred, Maine and on his returnbring Mrs. Wormwood and their two daughters back with him. Mr. Wormwood sent in care of Mr. Cook the following letter:

My dear wife: I am taking advantage of Mr. Cook's trip to the western part of Maine, to send you news of my welfare. I am doing well here and tink this new country is the place to settle.If you are all well, Mr. Cook will bring you when he retruns, and i hpoe to see you before winter. Baby Sally must be quite a girl now. Tell Christiana father hopes she grows good, as fast as she grows tall. Much love to them both.I must tell you of my adventures coming from Bangor to Houlton last year.

I hired an Old Town Indian, who said her know the road through the wood, to pilot me. We paddled up the Penobscot and Mattawamkeg Rivers. The fellow did notknow much English, and after a time I thought he did not know much about the way.

At a carrying place there was a sort of a path which I thought I understood him to say led to Houlton, that it was but a day's journey away, and he could direct me so I could find my way alone. So I sent him back and went on with food for one day in my saddlebags, and my pack of joiner's tools on my back.I wqandered for some days in the woods. Exhausted, I left my tools on a "horseback" between a pond and a stream, and struggled on one day more. Following the stream, climbing over windfalls and through tangled swamps, suddenly I cameout in the clearing of Dr. Samuel Rice, in Houlton, who took care of me. In afew days I was completely recovered. Mr Kendall went back six or seven miles with me and got my tools. You will have no such like experience as Mr. Cook isfamiliar with the trail and will conduct you safely over. I built a house forDr. Rice and am building one for Mr. Aaron Putnam now. You will like the people very much. Good bye, until we meet, Your loving husband, Samuel Woromwood.

Mrs. Wormwood consented to be ready for the trip in a few days and on September 1, 1813, she with her two daughters, Christiana, then nine years of age, and little Sally, but three years old, set out upon there journey. They planed to visit Mrs. Wormwood's mother in Saco Maine for a few days, and her brother John Patterson, accompanied them as far a Portland....

NOTE: this Samuel Wormwood was a "joiner" which meant he built buildings. It is the reason he went to Houlton. There is another Samuel Wormwood who is refered to as "Rev." (Laurie Kearney)

PUTNAM FAMILY GENEALOGICAL CHART

1.   Import from Conn-Nectons & Cousins.