USA > New Hampshire > Merrimack County > Epsom > A topographical and historical sketch of Epsom, New Hampshire > Part 1
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Gc 974.202 Ep8c 1766797
M. L.
REYNOLDS HISTORICAL GENEALOGY COLLECTION
ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 01096 3616
F 84225.2
A
Topographical and Historical
SKETCH -
-
OF -
EPSOM, NEW HAMPSHIRE.
BY JONATHAN CURTIS, A. M. Pastor of the Congregational Church in that place. Published in 1823.
(nepublished by Request.)
PITTSFIELD. A. H .: ANALECTA PUBLISHING HOUSE.
Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2015
https://archive.org/details/topographicalhis00curt
Curtis, Jonathan, 1786-1861.
F 84225 .2 A topographical and historical sketch of Epsom. New Hampshire. By Jonathan Curtis ... Published in 1823. (Re- published by request.) Pittsfield, N. H., Analecta publishing house, 1SS5.
cover-title, 12 p. 21em.
1. Epsom,_". H .- Hist.
2-1825
Library of Congress
F44.ECCO
P 9559
1766797
HISTORICAL SKETCH OF
EPSOM, NEW HAMPSHIRE,
BY REV. JONATHAN CURTIS, A. M. 1
SITUATION.
Eprom. a post-town in the county of Merrimack. in latitude 43 deg. 12 min. North, lies 12 miles East from Concord. It is bounded North by Pittsfield, South by Allentown, East by Deerfield and Northwood, and. West by Chichester and Pembroke. The town is 6 miles long and 43 brond. It derives its name from a market town in the county of Surry. Eugland, about 16 miles from London.
INCORPORATED.
Epsom was granted to Theodore Atkinson and others, inhabitants of Now Carte. Rve. and Greenland, on on the 18th of May, 1727. Theodore Atkinson. Joshua Frost. and Captain Sinuci Weeks were authorized by the charter to call the first meeting of the proprietors, which was holden at the worry-house in New Castle. November 20, 1727. No meeting was holden in the town for the choice of town officers, tte., till 1743. Previous to this time, udl afterwards, till 1750, the coucerus d the town were transacted by the proprietors at the meetings holden at New Castle and Portsmouth.
SLITLEMENT.
There are no records to be found. bih show the precise time when the iist settlement was commenced. But .det. from various Fiets, that re was a number of families in town u rable time before its incorpo-
Among the first. who began settle- ment in the town were Charles MT Coy from Londonderry ; William Blazo, : Frenchman ; Andrew M'Clary, grand- · father of General Michael M'Clary, from Londonderry in Ireland; one Whitaker, and Samnel Blake. general- ly called Sergeant Blake.
M'Coy built a house on the North side of what is now called Sanborn's hill; and thence extended bis farm by spotting the trees round upon die mountain, which will probably a. ways bear his name. A daughter of his, Mrs. Wood and the first child bora 10 the town. is still living. She is pow as, nearly as can be ascertained. in her 93d year. Sergeant Blake commenced a settlement not far from M Coy's, on land now owned by one of his sons. He came into town at the age of fifteen. several years after which time. his father, Lieutenant Blake, also moved in. For some time after Sergeant Blake carne, locations for the best farms might be obtained for littl . trore than paying for the labor of spotting :.. treesaround them. When he made his purchase, he obtained considerably more " than the farm now owned by Mr . aut bine, provably more than JUU acres and near the centre of the tos ... ) for tea shillings, and turned in his jach- knife for one shilling of that sam. The only place le bad or !.
several years was alle . I will . dat rock which till lar road ương Vis. Bane Tes, is nowsplit and hammered. and that's
1.558
HISTORICAL SKETCH OF EPSOM, N. II:
Furt of the underpinning of the dwel- ling house of Samuel Peabody, Esq.
INCURSIONS OF THE INDIANS.
in the early days of the town. the inhabitants were kept in a state of al- most continual alarm by the incursions of the Indians. For a considerable time after the settlement was com .- ivaced. only the mes ventured to re- main in the place during the summer seuson ; and then they must keep their army by them, while they labored on their lands. During the winter, there was much less danger from the Indians. Even long after the men had removed their families into the place, so feeble was their defence against the attacks of their savage neighbors, that, when- ever aby immediate danger was appre- heuded. they either sent their families away or fled with them to the garrison at Nottingham. At length a house Was erected by Captain Andrew Me- C'ary within the limits of the town, and near the present residence of Mr. Joseph Lawrence, which was made proot against the assaults of the Indians, being surrounded by a high wooden wall, entered by a heavy, , well secured gate. Thither the inhabitants fed at might, whenever danger was ap- prehended.
CAPTIVITY OF MRS. MCCOY.
The Indians were first attracted to : new settlements in the town by lise vering MeCor at Suncook, now Pembroke. This, as nearly as can be psorined, was in the year 1747. lisports were spread of the deplena- in - of the Indians in various places ; Ed McCoy had heard that they nad -ren lurking about the woods at . nex Concord. He went as Ihrthe : - certained that they is the sirinity : Sprosand is them and tolosed They told his wife, whom they
afterwards made prisoner, that they looked through cracks around the house. and saw what they had for sup- per that night. [. They however did not discover, themselves till the second day after. . They probably wished to take a little time to learn the strength aud preparation of the inhabitants. The next day Mrs. McCoy. attended by their two dogs, went down to see if any of the other families had returned from the garrison. She found no one. Ou her return. as she was passing the block-house. which stood near the preseut site of the meeting house. the dogs, which had passed around it. came running back growling aud very much excited. Their appearance indie- ed her to make the best of her way home. The Indians afterwards cold her that they then lay concealed there * and saw the dogs when they came round. : ::
McCoy, being now strongly suspi- tious that the Indians were actually in town. determined to set off the next day with his family for the garrison at Nottingham. His family now con-ist- ed of himself, his wife and son John. The younger children were still at the garrison. They accordingly secured their house as well as they could. and all set of next morning ;- Mel'ay det his son with their guns, though with- out ammunition, having tired away what they brought with them in hunt- ing.
As they were travelling a little dis- tauce East of the place where the meet- ing house now stands. Mrs. Melor This circumstance gave the Indiaus a favorable opportunity for separating her from her husband and son. The Indians, three men and a boy. lav in ambush bear die font of Martin's Ich. not far them the function of the nom thin road with the main road. Lice they suffered McCoy and Ins sont 1.
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IHISTORICAL SKETCH OF EPSOM, N. H.
pass : but as his wife was passing them they reached from the bushes, and took hold of her, charging her to make no noise, and covering her mouth with their hands, as she cried to her husband for assistance. Her husband, hearing her cries, turned. and was about coming to her rehef. But he no moner began to advance. than the Indians, expecting probably that he would fire upon them. began to raise their pieces, which she pushed one ,ide. and motioned to her friends to make their esrape, knowing that their guns were not loaded, and that they would doubtless be killed if they ap- troached. They accordingly ran into the woods and made their escape to the garrison. This took place August 21. 1747.
The Indians then collected together what booty they could obtain, which consisted of an iron trammel, irom Mr. George Wallace's: the apples of the only free which bore in town, which was in the orchard now owned by Mr. David Griffin, and some other trifling articles, and prepared to set off with their prisoner for Canada.
Before they took. their departure, Boy conveyed Mrs. McCoy to a place pris the little Simcook river, where they left her in the care of the young Indian. while the three men, whose Dames were afterwards ascertained to Plausawa. * Sabatis and Christia, "ouit away, and were for some time S. t. During their absence, Mrs. I. Coy thought of attempting to make irr escape. She saw opportunities, che young Indian with the trammel. Nich, with other things, was left with nem, and thus perhaps avoid some strange and barbarous death. or a long Hi-dressing captivity. But, on the
" ... Belkamp's Hit. N. I. Vol. il. ...
other hand, she knew not at what dis- tance the others were. If she : " al- ed to kill her young keeper, he nught tall. If she effected her purpose in this, she might be pursued and over- taken by a cruel and revengetul the, and then some dreadtid death would be her certain portion. Ou the whole. she thought best to endeavor to prepare her mind to bear what might be no mor -. than a period of savage captivity. Soon, however, the Indians returned aud put an end for the present to all thoughts of escape. From the direc- tion in which they went and return.d. and from their smutty appearance. she suspected what their business had been. She told them "she guessed they hi been burning her house." Pleaseva. who could speak some broken Erzlish. informed her they had. T
They now commenced their long and tedious journey to Chaada. it which the poor captive might well ex- poct that great and complicated suffer- ing would be her lot. She did indeed find the journey fatiguing and her here scaut and precarious. But, in her a treatment from the Indians, she ex- "perienced a very agreeable disappoint- ment. The kindness she received on them. was far greater then she hau ca- pected from those who were so offen distinguished for their cruelties. The apples they had gathered they saved for her. giving her one every day. In this way they lasted her as tar on the way as lake Champlain. They Gave her the last, as they were crossher that luke in their canoes. This citein- ples grew the name of " Labelled's tin." her name being isabella. in med ways did they appear desirous ot nuit .- garing the distressed of their pain while on their tedious y urme. Tight came on, and they hated to -
was melted drown in the burning of the bouns.
P
HISTORICAL SKETCH OF EPSOM, N. II.
nose themselves in the dark wilderness, Plusawa, the head man would make a little couch in the leaves a little way from theirs, cover ber up with his own blanket ; and there she was suffered to sleep uudisturbed till morning. When they came to a river, which must be fordell, one of them would carry her over ou his back. Nothing like iusult or indecency did they ever offer her during the whole time she was with them. They carried her to Canada. aud told her as a servant to a French family, whence, at the close of that war, she returned home. But so conifort- able was her condition there. and her husband being a man of rather a rough and violent temper. she declared she never should have thought of attempt- ing the journey home, were it not for the sake of her children.
After the capture of Mrs. McCoy; the Indians frequently visited the town but never committed any very great depredations. The greatest damage they ever did to the property of the in- 'dians. Seeing his perturbation. they habitants was the spoiling ot all the patted him on the head and told him ox-teams in town. At the time re- "not to be afraid, for they would not ferred to. there were but four yoke of .hurt him." They then went with him oxen in the place, viz. McCoy's. . into his house : and their first business Captain McClary's. George Wallace's, Rua Lieutenant Blake's. It was it fine of apprehension from the Indians ; otid the inhabitants had therefore all Acd to the garrison at Nottingham. They left their oxen to graze about the woods, with a bell upon one of them. The Indians found them : shot oue out of each yoke ; took out their tongues. made a prize of the bell and left them.
ages were doubtless very much averted 1
, friendly. comiliating course of conduet in the inhabitants towards 1 01. This was particularly the case Habe. Bring him da cuious maris- Haimeter in their view of the highest
order, he soon secured their respect ; and, by a course of kind treatment. hc secured their friendship to such a de- gree, that, though they had opportuni- ties, they would not injure him even in time of war.
The first he ever saw of them was a company of them making towards' his house. through the opening from the top of Samboru's hill. Ile fled to the woods and there lay concealed. till they had made a thorough search about his house and enclosures, and had gone off. The next time his visitors came he was constrained to become more acquainted with them, and to treat them with more attention. As he was busily engaged towards the close of the day in completing a yard for his cow, the deciining sun sudden- y threw aloug several enormions shadows on the ground before him. He had no sooner turned to see the cause, than he found himself in the company of a number of stately In-
was to search all his bottles to see if he had any Roccapee." rum. They then toll him they were very hungry. and, wanted something to cat. happened to have a quarter of a bear which he gave them. They took it and threw it whole upon the fire, and very soon began to cut and cat from it half raw. While they were eating. he employed himself in cutting pieces from If ilive inon a stick for them. which pleased them very much. After their repast, they wished for the privi- lege of lying by his fire through the night, which he granted. The next mam mag. they proposed trying skill with bim in firing at a mark. To this he areadded. Lain this, finding fa- reises o Huone, they were much asfor-
4
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HISTORICAL SKETCH OF EP- DX N. K.
:- Food and chagrined ; nevertheless they :: : commend I him tog hi, skill. city I'm on the head and telling him .if he would go off with them they would make him their lig captain." They used often to call upon him. and i- kindness to them they never forgot even in time of war.
Plausawa had a peonlar manner of doubling las lip and producing a very irill piercing whistle. which might be board : great distance. At a time why considerable danger was appre- Hooded from the habens. Blake wen off into the woods alone, though con- -idered hazardous, to look for his cow that was missing. As he was passing along by Sinclair's brook, an unfe- pirated place. northerly from McCoy's mountain : a very loud sharp whistle. which he knew to be Plansara's sul- denly passed through his head like the report of a pistol. The sudden alarm alofost raised him from the ground : and. with a very light step, he crou reached home withoat his row. In mote penceable times. Ilauswe asked Him it he did not remember the time. and langhed very mich to think how he ran at the fright. aod rold him the reason for his whistling. Young Indian," said he. "putas gen to shoot Ma kaoek it down. and whistle to start you off." So lasting is their friendship. when treated well. At the close of the wars the Indians While several wigwams near the eco- the Wall's book with the Great Surevok. Ou a little island in das river, near the place called . Short . Falls" one of them hved the consider- Prawa and Sabati- were finally both killed in tine of peace by one of the whites after a drunken crane and buried near a certain brook. 50
noeven : the land frequently rispetto considerable hills. Foto : feb uminactives have received the have it mountains.
MeCoy's. named after Charl. .!: - Cov, car if the Best settlies, lies to: me smile and a half South from [ ... center of the towy.
Fort Mountain. probati . .... from having at endiene Barth ..... init, resembling a fort, bes al. : mile finther in a Northwest dir en. and is the highest of the Fact. probably the highest lead in the parallel of latitudle between. the and Merrimack river. From kg-il .;- mit, in a clear atmosphere. the 6 th may be distinctly scen. thor gh di . A about thirty miles in a direct fine. .! for fifteen de twenty miles. the ; . li- er has a very iall view of the surround- ing country.
Nat's mountain. is sittard or ust half a mile South of the last mentioned Ofte. It was so named from the di- constance, that Notioniel out of Me- Coy's children. whe had been for in the woods while searching for the con. vas found apon it. It is said he ate absent several days, and submited for- ing that time apon berries : and the . when first discovered. he was di-mig to Les from those who came to the ne lict.
Nottingham mountain, So att. ... from its being crossed by the apart Nottingham. (now Deertill)
Fort mountain. the Deerfield site. i Said to be .. . thurey persons at the same time.
RIVERS.
The Great and Little Strook - 1
6
HISTORICAL, SKETCH OF EPSOM, N. H.
· them. The Great Suncook never fails ; Tough the other times in very ury sea- The Great Suncook eaters the the boys from the North ; and, bend- ing its course South-westerly, unites with the Merrimack at Pembroke. Il :: Little Sincook enters the town from the Last, a few rods below the pond of the same name. from which it vous : and proceeding . in a pretty wiren course West-ward near the cen- ter of the town, unites with the river first mentioned.
PONDS.
There are but three in the town, and thiuso are small. Their names are Chestnut, Round and Odiorne's pond.
MINERALOGY.
Under this division may be mention- ed the following. wie :
Quartz. This occurs of the com- mon kind, both amorphons and crystal- lized. That variety called limped quartz is not nufrequent. It is some- times found in beantifid prismatic six- sided crystals as transparent as the pureit gives, and terminated generally wy at one end by six-side l pyramids. this variety is frequently termed rock crystal. Dr. Crosby has a beautiful crystal of considerable size surrounded on all sides by numerous smaller ou ?? ,
Of ferruginous quartz, the varieties yellow and red have been noticed with crystals of the same form with those meuhonol above.
Feldspar of the common kind, offes oceare in large crystals ia a coarse-
- either white or tinged with yellow. He granular variety is sometimes fonud, especially where the soil is
Mira is very dudady ide woning the rocks, and often occurs in
sebost is very abundant. Two & shad site ... .
varieties have been observed. 1. com- mon schori. its color is a shining black, and the crystals often very large. 2. Tourmaline. This was found at the foot of Fort mountain, in long, finely striated pri-mail crystals, slightly imbedded in a very coarse. rough granite. The color, viewed in the direction of the axis of the prisns is greenish blue : Hat at the edges of the crystal, where it is translucent. it is green.
Garnets of a small size and pale rol color. are often found imbedded in the rocks .
Iron in the form of brown oxide, is found in small quantities. Sulphurate of iron . appears to have entered large- ly into the composition of many of the rocks ; but it is mos: frequently uotic- ed in its decomposed state, forming sulphate of iron, or copperas.
Lead. It is said that the Indian .. in one of their visits at Sergeant Blakes. requested him to give them some lead for making balls. He told them ho had no lead but he had a mould to: running balls. They went away, and. after a short time returned with a quan tity of ore. from which they extracted considerable of lead. "They ap- peared generally to troy- lead in abundance, and sergeant Blake fre- quently afterwards purchased it or them. They would never tell the particular place where they obtained the ore. They said they got it in Wallace's brook, bear which they had several wigwams. This brook rises 1 McCoy's mountain and ruus North-
Prescott once found a small quantity of lead ore in. or Bedr the Great Sau- cook.
silver. Some of the aged people re- Lute. chat after a zio. tity of silver, af a!
7
HISTORICAL SKETCH OF EPSOM, N. II.
which issues from the South side of killed December 13, 1821, by the fall- Fort mountain. It is not known that any has been found since.
WATER MACHINERY.
The hills surface of the town, and 'numerous streams. rendered it very favorable for that kind of machinery which requires the power of water. Within the limits of the town are eight grist mills with twelve runs of stones ; ten saw-mills; three carding machines ; three clothiers' shops : and four bark mills.
TAVERNS AND STORES.
There are within the limits of the town, six taverns and as many stores, at which there is more or less of such business transacted as is commonly connected with similar establishments.
DISEASE AND MORTALITY.
The disease of the inhabitants have generally been such as might be ex- pected to be incident to particular ages and circumstances. I do not learn from any physician who has ever prac- ticed in the town. that a disease which might properly be called epidemic, has ever made its appearance. The town had been settled 30 years before a father of a family died. The first man buried in the oldest grave yard, (that by the meeting-house) was Wil- liam Blazo. The whole number of deaths during M :. Haseltine's ministry of 30 years. was 286. making an average of 9 1-2 annually. Average number for 3 years past is 18 9-5. The whole number of deaths during that period is 131. The present pop- ulation is 1336. A person died a few years since, Mrs. Elizabeth Pitman, wheat laced but a few days of 100 years., Hon. JJohn McChry. who filled the office of town dok, rep- recrutative and senator, was instantly
ing timbers, while assisting in the rais- ing of a frame.
SCHOOLS.
The town is divided into seven school districts. in which about 509 dollars are annually expended.
Library. There is a social library in town, consisting of about 100 volumes of books pretty judiciously selected ; though not containing the writing. of any very late authors or any of these useful periodical publications upon re- ligion, agriculture, etc., which are very desirable for such associations.
Ecclesiastical Summary .- Early pro- vision was made for the establishment of religious order, and the instruction of the rising generation. Two of the conditions of the charter were. "That a house be built for the public worship of God within the term of six years :" and, "That one hundred acres of land be reserved for a parsonage. one hun- dred acres for the first minister of the Gospel, and one hundred for the bene- fit of the school." A period of 34 years elapsed before a minister was settled. Rev. John Tucke way or- dained in the year 1761. and dismiss- ed in 1774. He died while os his way to join the revolutionary army as chaplain. Ile was a son of Rev. John Tucke. of Gosport, a faithful aad much respected minister of the Gospel. and was a graduate of Harvard Cui- versity. I can find au records of the church during Mr. Tucke's ministry : but the number of the church at the
can ascertain from the aged members. was abont twenty.
Five years after the dismission of Mr. Tucke. (in 1770.) Mr. Benjamin and towa to settle as their minister ; the negative.
HISTORICAL SKETCH OF EPSOM, N. H.
The people remained destitute of the stated ordinances of the Gospel till the year 1781. This year Rev. . Ebenezer Haseltine was ordained their pastor by vote of the church aud town. The fol- lowing memoir of Mr. Haseltine I find in a vote subjoined to the sermon preached at bis funeral by the late Rev. Laane Smith of Gilmanton. Mr. Smith says of him, "He did not run before he was sent, as is the case with too many of all denominations ; but waited till he got satisfaction in his oin mind. of his gracious state : and caine into the ministry by the regular door, with proper credentials. Mr. Haseltine was born at Methuen, in Massachusetts, October 28. 1755. en- tered Dartmouth College in 1773, was examined with respect to his qualifica- tions for the Gospel minister, by the Grafton Presbytery ; was approved. and took licence to preach, July 24. 1779 and was settled in the work of the ministry at Epsom, January 21. 1731. The following sketch of the experimental and religious exercises of mind. which he did previous to his. making a public profession. I had, (said Mr. Smith. ) from one of his in- thate friends. He observes. that in free conversation, Mr. Haseltine gave him the following relation :
"That he had been under serious inpressions. at times from his youth ; but he had no abi ling or effectual con- victions until he was a member of the college. At that time he was under a very powerful impression which he termed a law work. and believed that be then experienced regenerating grace.
He had of the entire depravity of the human heart. his ter dependence on the merev of God for salvation. and his only hope being in and through de Mora of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Lis evidences of a change of heut, which he considered essential to
future happiness, were so clear that he was induce to make anopen profession of religion and joined the church at Hanover. By this it appears that Mr. Haseltine viewed satisfactory evidence of the new hirth, as essentially ueces- sary in order to church membership. or the work of the ministry." Mr. Smith. who was one of his cotempo- raries, and often a companion with him in the labors and duties of the Gospel. further says of him, "He was sonud in the faith ; a thorough Calvinist in seu- timent. He distinguished clearly the doctrines of grace from those errors which prevail in the present day, an l solemnly warned the people against them. The Bible was the mau of his counsel ; he drew his sermons from that pure source of Divine truth. His discourses were correct, substantial. instructive and evangelical. calculated to edify, strengthen and comfort the real christian. and at the same time to detect and expose the hollow-heart.l. la pocritical professor; and day before him the danger and certainty of his perishing in that state : also to awak- eu the careless and secure simmer. to a sense of his sin and misery. and to point out to him the necessity of im- mediate repentance and faith in the blood of Christ as the only way of es- cape from the wrath to come."
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