Samuel Holden (1772 - 1858)

Born 17 Jun 1772 in Groton, Middlesex, Province of Massachusetts Bay

Ancestors

Husband of Jane (Farnsworth) Holden — married 1 Oct 1797 in Groton, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States

Descendants

Died 19 Mar 1858 at age 85 in Moose River, Somerset, Maine, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Jan Griffiths [send private message]

Biography

The first man to come to the Moose River Valley to make a new home for himself and his family was Captain Samuel Holden. The Holden family moved from Groton, Massachusetts to Norridgewock, Maine in 1800. After living briefly in Norridgewock, and then in Anson, Captain Samuel Holden came to the Moose River Valley in 1819. He cleared a small piece of ground, built a log cabin, and planted a small piece of winter wheat.

In the early part of March 1820, Captain Samuel Holden brought his family to the Moose River Valley. Traveling from Anson, a distance of 65 miles, Captain Holden brought with him his wife, Jane Farnsworth, and children, Melintus, 20; Jonas, 14; Sally, 12; Lorinda, 9; Mary, 7; Samuel, 5; and James Delap Otis, 1. Additionally, Captain Holden's mother, Rachael Farnsworth, 82, also made the trip. Their journey took them through unbroken forest with only a spotted trail from the forks of the Kennebec and Dead Rivers, now know as "The Forks". The last thirty miles had to be made on snowshoes, as the snow was still very deep at this time of the year.

The family lived in the cabin from their arrival in early March until the first day of May, when the cabin burned down. A second cabin was built 600 feet from the first and was occupied until 1829 when the Holden family built the first frame house in the region, which still stands today and can be found at the Moose River Golf Course.

The Captain Samuel Holden homestead, the oldest structure in the region, was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on December 14, 1995, and was recently placed on Maine's Preservation List of "Most Endangered Historic Properties".

Sources

• Birth: "Massachusetts, U.S., Town and Vital Records, 1620-1988"
  Original data: Town and City Clerks of Massachusetts. Massachusetts Vital and Town Records. Provo, UT: Holbrook Research Institute (Jay and Delene Holbrook)
  Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 2495 #6883669 (accessed 30 November 2023)
  Samuel Holdin born on 17 Jun 1772, child of Jabez Holdin & Rachel, in Groton, Massachusetts, USA.

• Marriage: "Massachusetts, U.S., Compiled Marriages, 1633-1850"
  Family History Library; Salt Lake City, UT; Film # 0873746 item 4
  Ancestry Record 7853 #368705 (accessed 30 November 2023)
  Samuel Holden marriage to Jane Farnsworth on 1 Oct 1797 in Groton, Middlesex, Massachusetts.

• 1800 Census: "1800 United States Federal Census"
  Year: 1800; Census Place: Norridgewock, Kennebec, Maine; Series: M32; Roll: 7; Page: 47; Image: 212; Family History Library Film: 218677
  Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 7590 #69926 (accessed 30 November 2023)
  Samuel Holden in Norridgewock, Kennebec, Maine.

• 1830 Census: "1830 United States Federal Census"
  Year: 1830; Census Place: Holdens Plantation, Somerset, Maine; Series: M19; Roll: 51; Page: 141; Family History Library Film: 0497947
  Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 8058 #1667392 (accessed 30 November 2023)
  Samuel Holden in Holdens Plantation, Somerset, Maine.

• 1850 Census: "1850 United States Federal Census"
  The National Archives in Washington D.C.; Record Group: Records of the Bureau of the Census; Record Group Number: 29; Series Number: M432; Residence Date: 1850; Home in 1850: Holden Plantation, Somerset, Maine; Roll: 269; Page: 271b; Line Number: 31
  Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 8054 #9693630 (accessed 30 November 2023)
  Samuel Holden (78) in Holden Plantation, Somerset, Maine, USA. Born in Massachusetts.

• Burial: "U.S., Find a Grave® Index, 1600s-Current"
  Original data: Find a Grave. Find a Grave®. http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi; URL: Find A Grave: Memorial #82299244
  Ancestry Record 60525 #50505557 (accessed 30 November 2023)
  Capt Samuel Holden burial (died on 19 Mar 1858) in Holden Cemetery, Jackman, Somerset County, Maine, United States of America. Born on 16 Jun 1772.