Buxton, York County, Maine Genealogy

Brief History
The township was granted by the Massachusetts General Court as Narragansett Number 1 in 1728. It was assigned to Philemon Dane of Ipswich, Massachusetts and 119 other veterans (or their heirs) who had fought in King Philip's War against the Narragansett Indians in 1675. Settlement was attempted in the early 1740s but abandoned because of the ongoing French and Indian Wars.

The first permanent settlement commenced in fall of 1750 near Salmon Falls, which was within protection of the stockaded blockhouse and trading post built in 1728 a half mile below Union Falls in present-day Dayton. Amos Chase was one of the pioneers of the town, and his daughter was said to be the first white child born in Buxton. He was a prominent figure in the area, one of the largest taxpayers, and was the first deacon of the Congregational Church in Pepperellborough (present-day Saco, ME). The first schoolhouse in Buxton was established in 1761 by Rev. Silas Moody. Narragansett Number 1 was incorporated in 1772 as Buxton. It was named by its minister, Rev. Paul Coffin for the spa town of Buxton in Derbyshire, England, for unknown reasons. Buxton, England is often incorrectly cited as the home of his ancestors, but that was Brixton as noted on page 7 of the cited source.

Settlers found the land generally level and suited for farming. Chief crops were corn, potatoes and hay. Buxton also provided excellent water power sites. The first sawmill was on the Little River, a tributary of the Presumpscot River. A gristmill called Bog Mill was built at the outlet of Bonny Eagle Pond. The biggest mills, however, were located at the series of falls on the Saco River. Salmon Falls had sawmills capable of turning out four million feet of lumber annually. Bar Mills had gristmills and a box mill. Moderation Falls in West Buxton had sawmills, heading mills and woolen textile mills which produced about 936,000 yards of cloth annually. Buxton's mill town prosperity left behind fine architecture. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places are Elden's Store, the Buxton Powder House, the First Congregational Church, Royal Brewster House and Salmon Falls (East) Historic District.

Additional data on Buxton, Maine can be found in  WikiPedia: the Free Encyclopedia .

Church Records
Historically, the largest religious groups in Maine were the Congregational, Baptist, Roman Catholic, and Methodist churches. For general information about Maine denominations, view the Maine Church Records wiki page. To see the churches in Buxton, visit FamilySearch Places. Church records and the information they provide vary significantly depending on the denomination and the record keeper. They may contain information about members of the congregation, such as age, date of baptism, christening, or birth; marriage information and maiden names; and death date. The following are church records available online for the town of Buxton:

City Directories

 * Town of Buxton

Land Records
The following are online land records for the town of Buxton:
 * 1733-1811 at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1835-1838 at FamilySearch — How to use this collection - index and images

Libraries and Historical Societies

 * Berry Memorial Library
 * West Buxton Public Library
 * Dorcas Society of Hollis and Buxton Maine
 * Buxton-Hollis Historical Society
 * Buxton Maine USGenWeb Page
 * Maine Genealogy Buxton, York County Maine
 * Buxton National Historic Site & Museum

Maps
The following are online maps of the town of Buxton:
 * Google Map of Buxton, Maine

Newspapers

 * Buxton News

Probate Records
In Maine, most probate records are kept at the town level. The following are online probate records for the town of Buxton:
 * 1584-1999 Maine, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1584-1999 at Ancestry ($) — index and images
 * 1690-1917 at FamilySearch - How to use this collection - images
 * 1760-1979 at FamilySearch.org - How to use this collection - images

Town Records
In Maine, most records are kept at the town level and generally began being kept at the founding of the town. These records may include the following: The following are Buxton town records available online:
 * 1773-1891 at FamilySearch Catalog — images

Town Clerk
The town clerk is responsible for these records, and so most originals can be found at the town clerk's office. Town of Buxton Town Clerk 185 Portland Roadb Buxton, ME 04093 Phone (207) 929-6171 Buxton Website

Births

 * 1670-1921 at FamilySearch - How to use this collection; index and images
 * 1739-1900 at FamilySearch - How to use this collection; index
 * 1773-1891 at FamilySearch Catalog — images

Marriages

 * 1670-1921 at FamilySearch - How to use this collection; index and images
 * 1771-1907 at FamilySearch - How to use this collection; index
 * 1773-1891 at FamilySearch Catalog — images

Deaths

 * 1670-1921 at FamilySearch - How to use this collection; index and images
 * 1773-1891 at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1841-1910 at FamilySearch - How to use this collection; index
 * 1960-1996 at FamilySearch - How to use this collection; index