Editing Buckfield, Maine (section)

==History==

It was first settled in 1776 by Benjamin Spaulding from [[Chelmsford, Massachusetts]], a [[fur trapping|fur trapper]]. Abijah Buck and Thomas Allen settled in the area in spring of 1777 with their families. In 1785, the inhabitants procured a survey of the town and  purchased it from  [[Commonwealth of Massachusetts|Massachusetts]] for 2 [[shilling]]s per acre. Originally called Bucktown Plantation (or Plantation No. 5), in 1793 the [[Massachusetts General Court]] incorporated it as Buckfield, named for Abijah Buck.<ref name=Coolidge>{{Cite book  | last = Coolidge  | first = Austin J.|author2=John B. Mansfield  | title = A History and Description of New England| publisher = A.J. Coolidge  | year = 1859| location = Boston, Massachusetts| page = [https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_OcoMAAAAYAAJ/page/n112 78]| url = https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_OcoMAAAAYAAJ}}</ref>

The surface of the town is uneven, but has deep, dark soil that yielded good crops of [[grain]], [[Maize|corn]] and [[apple]]s. The east and west branches of the [[Nezinscot River]] join at Buckfield Village, supplying [[water power]] for [[watermill|mills]]. Products included [[lumber]], [[roof shingle]]s, [[barrel|barrel staves]], box boards, [[shovel]] handles, snow-shovels, handsleds, drag-rakes, brushes, brush blocks, powder-kegs, [[horse harness|leather harness]], cutting-blocks and men's [[boot]]s.{{cn|date=April 2025}} In 1870, the population of the town was 1,494. The [[Rumford Falls and Buckfield Railroad]] passed through the town. Its depot was at Buckfield Village, the business center for the area.{{cn|date=April 2025}}