Settlement and Progress of Carleton County - The following essay by Wm C.* son of C.W. RAYMOND, Esq., Woodstock, took the Parker Medal given by Messrs. Winslow & Edgar at the recent examination of the Grammar School in this Town. (abridged) "In May 1783, when the Loyalists landed at St. John, the whole district contained in Carleton was an unbroken forest and its only inhabitants the Aborigines of the country. In the summer of that year, Major B.P. GRIFFITH (one of the loyalists) and several soldiers with their families were promised a grant of land, provided with a boat and furnished with three years provisions by the Government. The ascended the St. John propelling their heavily laden boat with poles or towing it with ropes until they landed a few miles below the present site of the town of Woodstock and became the first settlers in the County. Major GRIFFITH occupied the farm upon which his son of the same name now resides; his daughter, Christiana, born 1795, was the first white child born within the limits of Carleton. The widow of the late James UPHAM, Esq., who is still living in Woodstock, was born at Kingsclear in 1783 and was the first white child born above Fredericton. In 1790, Rev. Frederick B. DIBBLEE, a minister of the Church of England, came to Woodstock and settled upon the farm now occupied by his son Colonel John DIBBLEE. He was the first and for 36 years the only minister above Fredericton and his mission included four parishes, Prince William, Queensbury, Woodstock and Northampton and extended from St. Mary's and Kingsclear to the Canadian boundary. At that time the families of Woodstock were KETCHUM, LANE, YOUNG, SMITH, UPHAM, DICKSON, CLARK, BEDELL, GRIFFITH, FOWLER, DIBBLEE, ROGERS, McGHEE, BULL, McSHAFREY and in Northampton, Dr. LARLEE, WOLVERTON, DAVENPORT, TOMPKINS, BELL, STANLEY, CAMPBELL and PHILLIPS. In 1795 the first school house was built on the spot where the Parish Church of Woodstock lately stood. James YORK was the teacher for a number of years, with an allowance of ten pounds per annum from Government. The first store was kept at the ferry landing near Bull's Creek by Aaron PUTNAM in 1815, the next by T. PHILLIPS at Upper Woodstock. In 1818 Jacksontown was settled by COLE, KEARNEY, CHURCHILL, BURT, FREEMAN and others; and in 1822, JAMIESON, W. KIRK and PORTER settled at Scotch (or Richmond) Corner. In 1823 Andrew CURRIE crossed the 'big swamp' as it was called and settled in North Richmond. ATKISON, STRONG and McKEE founded what is called the Irish Settlement and Capt. McKENZIE in the same year located himself at the place now called McKenzie's Corner. Samuel RICE, M.D. came from Houlton (Maine) in 1824 and was the first doctor in Carleton. (see original) (* It is W.O., not W.C. RAYMOND as stated in the introduction to the Essay on our first page, who is author of the same.)