HISTORY WALK # 14 ~ Luce Memorial Forest ~ Friday October 25, 2013 (REVISED 10/31/2013)



Some of the History Walkers at Luce Memorial Forest.

This long anticipated History Walk will encompass the former Luce farm on the Dan Luce Road (now called Huntoon Road). Beriah Luce was the progenitor of the Luce family of Readfield. It is said the Luce men came from a long line of sea captains, but like so many others who were living on Martha's Vineyard and Cape Cod in the late 18th century, they were forced to find a new place to live due to exhausted resources in southern New England. So in 1780 Beriah, his wife Remember (Foster) Luce, and their seven children, came to Readfield (then called Winthrop) from Martha's Vineyard and settled in Readfield (then part of Winthrop).

Beriah and his sons William, Freeman, Ellis and Prince Luce settled near (what is currently known as) Readfield Depot.  Prince's son Samuel Howland Luce, then his grandson Nelson Samuel followed by his g-grandson Edgar lived on the original Prince Luce homestead until that burned in 1932. Beriah Luce's direct descendants still own land and have a residence there (on Luce Road) in 2013.

As the years went on Beriah's son Shubael Luce, grandson Thomas and g-grandson Daniel all farmed the land we will be exploring on 10/25. Ultimately this Luce homestead included a cape cod house with attached el, and a large barn and several out buildings. The pastures and stone walls were expansive. The foundations, wells and much of the rock work are still evident.

 

All told there were five generations of the Luce clan who lived on this land throughout the 18th, 19th and into the 20th century. The last of the line to live on the farm was Dan Luce and his children. Dan Luce married in 1868 to Lydia Ladd d/o Warren and Lydia (Wellman) Ladd. Dan Luce died in 1907 and Emily in 1917. They had two sons and two daughters. Their youngest child, Hannah, died in infancy in 1887; Chester never married and died at age 19 in 1902 of a fractured skull when he was hit by a train; their oldest child, Thomas Warren Luce, became a physician and moved to Portsmouth, NH. He and his wife Nettie Leighton had two daughters. Dr. Thomas died in 1936 in Portsmouth; Dan and Emily's second child was Gertrude. She lived on the farm until  her brother's wife died in 1911 and then she moved to Portsmouth to help him raise his daughters. Gertrude never married and died in Portsmouth in 1950. All are buried in Readfield Corner Cemetery.

 

By 1987 the house was all that remained and was struck by vandals. The Readfield Historical Society received some of the house's contents from the heirs who then authorized the Readfield Fire Department to level the building in a controlled burn. After that they donated this property to the New England Forestry Foundation in memory of Emily Ladd Luce.

On October 25th Ellen Blanchard of Readfield, who is the New England Forestry Foundation (NEFF) steward of this property, will guide us on an exploration of the land. We are reaching out to some folks who once lived on this farm and Luce family descendants in hopes they will join us. You will see pictures of what the Luce farm looked like in its heyday; and visit the "Know Nothing rock" - a well kept secret for more than 150 years until now! Wear sturdy waterproof shoes or hiking boots; bring a sandwich and drinking water; a walking stick is recommended. There is plenty of parking but we do encourage car pooling. Read on FMI about the land trust and directions to the property.

 

LUCE MEMORIAL FOREST. This 78-acre property was conveyed to the NEFF in 1991 by James M. Smith and Julia H.M. Smith Solmssen. Three contiguous parcels have been under professional management by NEFF since 1951. There are no marked trails, but the area is open for hiking, hunting, and other non-motorized recreation. No off-road vehicles or overnight camping. Directions: From Readfield Corner, go west on Main Street (Route 17) 0.5 mile. Turn left onto Sturtevant Hill Road and go 2.2 miles. Turn right onto Huntoon Road and go 0.3 mile. Park on the right at the sign for the Emily Luce Memorial Forest.