Mrs. Nathan T. Ashcraft (February 28, 1819 - December 27, 1912) |
| Lydia "Waity" Arnold Obituary Waity Arnold Ashcraft A Machias Pioneer The number of the few remaining pioneer settlers of the
town of Machias was lessened by one on Wednesday, Dec. 27th, She had retained her strength and activity in a remarkable degree but for a few months past, she had been visibly failing. Her death was simply a cessation of the vital forces, without any special disease. The deceased was the daughter of George and Waity Arnold Her father purchased the farm now owned by J. N. Westfall at West Machias, then covered for miles around with an unbroken forest of heavy timber, and in a log house on that farm, amid the hardships and privations of pioneer life, her early years were passed. A thrilling incident of her girlhood on this farm is thus related. Whichever way they turned there was nothing but trackless forest; no clearing appeared. At noon, as they failed to return for dinner, Mr. And Mrs. Arnold became alarmed and began to call for them, but no answer was received. In the afternoon word was sent to a few of the nearest settlers and a search began. All was terrible anxiety, as the forest was full of bears and other wild animals. The searching parties were constantly increased in number by other settlers from farther away. As night set in, no trace of the children had been found. It began raining heavily and all discontinued the search save two settlers, who determined to remain in search in the forest all night and listen for cries of distress. |
After midnight these men heard a cry, but whether from a child or a panther they could not decide, and they decided to wait till morning before exploring further. Being several miles from home in the town of Ashford, they remained with a settler the rest of the night. Early in the morning, the two men who heard the cry began searching in the vicinity where they had heard it and soon found the girls on the side of a high hill near a creek known as Buttermilk Creek. They were cold and hungry, and terribly afraid, but otherwise all right. They had passed the night in walking the pathless woods and calling for help. Once they discovered some small animals supposed, from the noise they made to have been young cubs. In their wanderings one of them stepped upon part of a bear trap, placed there by a settler, but luckily she was not caught. The joy of the girls and of their parents can better be imagined then described. She was married in 1840 to Nathan T. Ashcraft, also a pioneer of the town, and the young couple began housekeeping on the farm now owned by A. J. Bellman which was their home for over forty years and until the death of Mr. Ashcraft in 1882. Afterward she made her home with her daughter at Castile until her death. Both Mr. and Mrs. Ashcraft were prominent members of the Christian Church of this village for many years and she bore through her entire life the character of an excellent Christian woman a kind friend and neighbor. She was a woman of extraordinary vigor and energy and retained her mental and physical faculties to advanced age in a remarkable degree. At the age of eighty years and beyond she might be seen walking the streets with the erect for and active step of forty. She is survived by one daughter, Mrs. Mary A. Johnson of Castile, and two sons, Warren Ashcraft of Bedford, Iowa, and Smith Ashcraft of Boston, Erie County. The funeral services were held from the home of her daughter at Castile on Thursday afternoon. There being no resident pastor of the Christian Church, of which the deceased was a member. Rev. H. Clay Milliman of the Methodist Episcopal Church officiated. The remains was brought to this place [Machias] on Friday and interred by the side of her husband in the family lot in the Brewer Cemetery. |
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