READFIELD HISTORY WALK #30 ~ NORTON, LADD, ELLIOT, FOGG and WILLIAMS HOMESTEADS AND MORE ~ OCTOBER 16, 2015 Revised 10/15/2015

THIS HISTORY WALK IS DEDICATED TO THE MEMORY OF

RUSSELL O. WALTERS

OCTOBER 20, 1927 ~ SEPTEMBER 21, 2015

Upper Church Road abounded in farmland in the 19th and early to mid 20th centuries. Abutting homesteads included those of Stephen Norton, Joel Bean, Dudley Fogg, Simeon Ladd, Jr. and William Elliott, John L. Williams. Most settled in Readfield about the same time between 1800-1806. The Norton and Bean families were here much earlier before  1790. In 1917 the Fogg and Ladd families also "joined" when Sam Fogg married Inez Turner daughter of Fred & Lydia (Ladd) Turner. The Ladd and original Elliott farmhouses are no longer, but the Fogg house and others remain. 
There were three Elliott farms in this immediate area. Barbara and Sam Fogg, Jr, son of Sam and Inez, owned and farmed one of them (Fike in 2015) for several years - until they moved to the ancestral Fogg Homestead to take it over from his parents. Two Elliot farms remain, on the west side of upper Church Road. One is now owned by Brandon & Jessica Fike and the other is that of Russ & Joy Walters. Before the Fikes, and after Sam and Barbara, that farm was owned by Jessica's parents Pete & Kay Gilman. The Walters farm has been in that family for close to 100 years having been owned by Russ' maternal grandparents - the Sawyers - and then by his parents Phil and Kathryn Walters.
We will see parts of the Elliott and Ladd foundations that have endured over time. Three old stone causeways have recently been discovered in the woods, and we will be able to see one or two of them for the first time since they were discovered by the landowners. Our thanks to Peter Davis and Deb Doten for hosting us for this history walk; and to Bill & Flo Drake and Adam Ireland for welcoming us to view the Ladd homestead foundation on their newly acquired property. Meet no later than 10am at Gile Hall, 8 Old Kents Hill Road, and we will caravan from there. Important to wear sturdy water-proof walking shoes or hiking boots this time and bring a walking stick. After the walk we are invited to the Fogg Homestead to eat lunch (bring your own sandwich) and enjoy the beautiful view. Of note - Simeon Ladd's 2nd wife was Lydia Whittier, whose family homestead we will visit next time (History Walk #31 Oct. 30, 2015).