John Middleton Baskin

From pages written by Thurlow Baskin: A man moved into the community on day with a ____? of oxen to a wagon loaded with lumber and whiskey and put up a shack near where the school house is and startd selling whiskey. In a few days the better men of the community - among them our grand fathers (John Middleton Baskin and Laster) paid him a visit and told him he would have to move on, that a saloon wouldn't be tolerated. He ignored them and continued sell whiskey. So the men paid him another call and told him again to move on and we won't tell you again. He still ignored them and stayed there so one dark blustery nite the men went down and shoved his shack over the bluff. Nest morning they went back to investigate and found the shack and content completely demolished but no sign of man, oxen or wagon. Grandfathers Baskin and Laster bought the first cross cut saw in the county and used it only to cut board timber. All other timber work was done with the ax.