USA > New Hampshire > Rockingham County > Northwood > History of Nottingham, Deerfield, and Northwood, comprised within the original limits of Nottingham, Rockingham County, N.H., with records of the centennial proceedings at Northwood, and genealogical sketches > Part 1
USA > New Hampshire > Rockingham County > Nottingham > History of Nottingham, Deerfield, and Northwood, comprised within the original limits of Nottingham, Rockingham County, N.H., with records of the centennial proceedings at Northwood, and genealogical sketches > Part 1
USA > New Hampshire > Rockingham County > Deerfield > History of Nottingham, Deerfield, and Northwood, comprised within the original limits of Nottingham, Rockingham County, N.H., with records of the centennial proceedings at Northwood, and genealogical sketches > Part 1
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http://archive.org/details/cu31924097311967
CORNELL UNIVERSITY LIBRARY 3 1924 097 311 967
In compliance with current copyright law, Cornell University Library produced this replacement volume on paper that meets the ANSI Standard Z39.48-1992 to replace the irreparably deteriorated original.
2003
Borallora P. stor
Elen Coe
HISTORY
OF
NOTTINGHAM, DEERFIELD, AND NORTHWOOD,
COMPRISED WITHIN THE ORIGINAL LIMITS OF
NOTTINGHAM, ROCKINGHAM COUNTY, N. H.,
WITH RECORDS OF THE
CENTENNIAL PROCEEDINGS AT NORTHWOOD,
AND
GENEALOGICAL SKETCHES.
BY
REV. ELLIOTT C. COGSWELL.
MANCHESTER : PRINTED BY JOHN B. CLARKE. 1878.
Entered according to act of Congress, in the year 1878, by ELLIOTT C. COGSWELL, in the office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington.
PREFACE.
-
0 UR book is written, - the labor of five years. Our ambition has been to gratify those who would be able to appreciate its merits and condone its imperfections, cheered with the hope that the next generation will be grateful for it. In its preparation we have taken many an hour from needful rest by day, and sleep by night. Not a few have complained of the delay in completing the work, and others have expressed much anxiety lest we should grow rich from its sale. Our prayer for such has been that of Job, -"O that mine adversary had written a book;" and that book the history of three towns : then the lips of some fools would have been silent.
The book goes forth much larger than we at first anticipated, and far too large for our financial comfort; but we have labored without hope of gain or desire of applause.
The town of Northwood appropriated two hundred dollars to aid the work. This sum has been expended on views of the Narrows, Suncook Lake, the Center, Blake's Hill, East Northwood, Saddleback Mountain, and the two Baptist meeting-houses.
The town of Deerfield appropriated two hundred dollars for the , same purpose. This sum has been expended on views of the Parade, Rand's Corner, New Center, Town Hall, three meeting-houses, and South Road; that of Pleasant Pond stands charged to the general expense of the work.
The cost of the Elm Tree on Clark's Hill was borne by Maurice Knowles, Esq., of Lawrence, Mass., and all the portraits have been gratuitously furnished.
iv
PREFACE.
Nottingham, once glorious in statesmen and heroes, declined to aid the work. She gave about fifty subscriptions for the book, while Deerfield subscribed for about two hundred copies, and Northwood for about one hundred and fifty, some one hundred and twenty-five copies being demanded by parties in "regions beyond."
We have aimed to incorporate whatever of interest might be gath- ered within the original limits of Nottingham. The family sketches have been prepared with great labor. Family records have been found to be few, and often sadly defective; and, if errors should be found, those who have attempted to furnish the materials for such, must be held chiefly responsible. Most of the sketches furnished have been so changed - subtracted from or added to - that they have cost us too much labor to be credited to any one. S. G. Haines, Esq., has furnished several extended sketches of families in Deerfield, to whom, and to all who have in any way rendered us assistance, we hereby render sincere thanks.
Eben S. Coe, Esq., of Bangor, Me., whose modesty has forbidden any special allusion to himself, has manifested such interest in the history of his native town, and has so often proffered aid in the work, that we cannot refrain from acknowledging our indebtedness to him and his family. Through his liberality we have views of Coe's Acad- emy and Harvey Lake; the former, in her educated sons and daugh- ters, shall make him live long in grateful hearts, and the latter shall testify to his appreciation of the beautiful in nature, and shall reflect the smiles of Him who has crowned his life with signal success.
NORTHWOOD, September 1, 1878.
ELLIOTT C. COGSWELL.
-
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.
1
EBEN COE
Frontispiece.
HARVEY LAKE
Page 3
EDSON HILL
19
JOHN C. TASKER 62
BRADBURY BARTLETT AND WIFE 168
SAMUEL ABBOTT HALEY
177
JOSEPH CILLEY
186
GREENLEAF C. NEALLEY 234
NEW CENTER · 259 ·
CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH
284
CALVIN BAPTIST CHURCH 294
FREEWILL BAPTIST CHURCH 296
PARADE 298
RAND'S CORNER
301
PLEASANT POND
302
TOWN HALL
305
SOUTH ROAD .
306
IRA ST. CLAIR
325
STEPHEN BROWN
326
JOSIAH BUTLER .
336
MRS. HANNAH BUTLER .
338
HORATIO GATES CILLEY 354
355
JOSEPH C. CRAM
366
JOHN H. GILMAN
388
PETER SANBORN .
451
A. G. WHITTIER
501
ELLIOTT C. COGSWELL
511
CALVIN BAPTIST CHURCH
545
JOSIAH PRENTICE
. 549
·
JOSEPH BRADBURY CILLEY
vi
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.
MRS. MARY U. COE 554
FREEWILL BAPTIST CHURCH
557
E. S. COE 559
COE'S ACADEMY .
560
EAST NORTHWOOD
566
ELM TREE .
569
THE CENTER
570
S. B. PIPER
571
THE NARROWS
573
SUNCOOK LAKE
574
BLAKE'S HILL
.
CHACE C. HILL . .
579
SADDLEBACK MOUNTAIN
580
GEORGE W. BATCHELDER . 636
656
EBEN COE
659
JOHN N. FURBER
670
MRS. SOPHIA A. COGSWELL
673
WOODBURY M. DURGIN .
685
MOSES HILL 707
RICHARD HOYT
714
STEPHEN JAMES .
724 .
JONATHAN CATE'S HOUSE
727
HENRY KNOWLTON
735
LEVI KNOWLES
742
LEVI HILTON MEAD
745
ROBERT MORRISON .
758
GEORGE NEALLEY
761
CHARLES H. NORTON
763
EZRA TASKER
775
HENRY B. WIGGIN .
783
WILLIAM BALLARD WILLEY
· 784
.
577
COE HOUSE
CONTENTS.
-
PROCEEDINGS OF THE CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION AT NORTHWOOD, N. H., 1873 . · · · 1-72
. . Page.
NOTITNGHAM.
CHAPTER I. HISTORY OF NOTTINGHAM.
Motive to settle new Towns. - Petitioners. - Petition for a Township. - Names of Petitioners. - Act of Council. - First called New Boston. - Action of Proprietors. - Royal Charter. - Names of Proprietors. - Bridge. - Size of Town. - First Settlement. - The Plan. - Block- house. - Mill. - Streets. - Shem Drown's Mill. - Gift of Timber to George II. - Division of Lots . 77-94
CHAPTER II. THE THIRD DIVISION.
Committee appointed. - Report. - Surveyors, their Report. - Ranges described. - Names of Proprietors. - Lots drawn . 95-105
CHAPTER III. ECCLESIASTICAL AFFAIRS.
Mr. Maylem. - Call given him. - Joshua Moody. - Call to him. - Stephen Emery. - Call to him. - Salary. - Dismissal. - Samuel McClintock. - Call to him. - Josiah Goodhue. - Call to him. --- Benjamin Butler. - Call accepted. - Troubles. - Council called. - Mr. Butler dismissed. - Oliver Dodge. - Call declined. - James Ho- bert invited. - Declined. - Other Efforts . 106-116
viii
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER IV. MEETING-HOUSES.
First unfinished. - Pews sold to complete it. - Description of it. - The Second House. - Its Removal. - Congregational Church. - Other Denominations . . 117-119
CHAPTER V.
REVOLUTION.
Uneasiness. - Taking Fort William and Mary. - Proclamation of Gov- ernor Wentworth. - Aid for Boston Sufferers. - Procuring Arms. - Delegates. - Province Money withheld. - Pay of Soldiers in the Con- cord Fight. - Declaration of Independence in New Hampshire. - Association Test. - Census of 1775. - Fire-arms. - Dr. Shepard. - Raising Men for Army. - Beef. - Petition for Right of Representa-
. 120-133 tion .
CHAPTER VI. INDIAN TROUBLES.
Tribe on North River. - Murder of Mrs. Simpson and Others. - Petition for Aid .- Miscellaneous Votes and Incidents .- Chichester .- Epsom .- Mark How .- Premium for Wolves. - James Harvey. - Early Mar- riages. - Appointment of Justice. - Call to Mr. Osborn. - Inocula- tion forbidden .- Bounty for Wild Cats and Crows. - Burial Cloths .- Turnpike District. - School-districts. - Inventory of 1806. - Town Officers. - Votes. - Insane Man's Prayer. - Thirsty Disciple . . 134-165
FAMILY SKETCHES.
Bartlett. - Butler. - Cilley. - Colcord. - Dearborn. - Demeritt. - Ger- rish. - Gile. - Goodrich. - Gove. - Harvey. - Harvey. - Kelsey. - Langley. - Lucy. - McClary. - Marsh. - McCrillis. - Nealley. - Norris. - Scales. - Simpson. - Stevens. - Tuttle. - Watson. - Winslow . . 166-253
DEERFIELD.
CHAPTER I.
Nottingham consents to set off. - Petition for a Legal Separation. - Sec- ond Vote to set off. - Batchelder's Deer. - Gov. Wentworth. - Origin of Name of Deerfield. - Petition. - Incorporation · . 259-265
·
ix
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER II.
First Legal Meeting. - Town Officers. - Committee to locate Meeting- house. - Money voted. - Center to be defined. - Meeting-house. - New Lights. - Reconsideration of Vote. - New Location for Meeting- house. - Another Location. - Yet another chosen. - Trouble over . 266-271
CHAPTER III.
Mr. Upham's Call to Deerfield. - Proposals. - Clearing of Land. - Apple- trees. - Mr. Upham's Reply. - Preparation for Ordination. - The Council. - Mr. Upham's Parentage. - Marriage. - His Character. - Decease. - Monument. - His Children and his Grandchildren. - Rev. Nathaniel Wells. - Ordination. - His Character. - His Children. - His Successors .
. 272-284
CHAPTER IV.
Roads. - Schools. - Revolutionary Spirit. - Deputies chosen. - Soldiers raised. - Bounties voted. - Census. - New-York Tories sent to New Hampshire. - Assigned to Deerfield and Nottingham. - Test Declara- tion. - Distinguished Statesmen. - Baptist Church. - Freewill Bap- tist Church . . 285-296
CHAPTER V.
Parade. - Rand's Corner. - Old Center. - New Center. - South Road. - Coffee Town . · · . . . . 297-307
CHAPTER VI.
Delegates to Provincial Congress. - Moderators. - Representatives. - Town Clerks. - Selectmen. - Inventory, 1777. - Comparison with 1877-78 . . 308-323
CHAPTER VII.
Attorneys. - Physicians. - Spotted Fever. - The Poor. - First Stove for Congregational Meeting-house. - Price of Labor. - Contrast . . 324-332
FAMILY SKETCHES.
Batchelder .- Bean. - Brown .- Butler .- Cate. - Chadwick. - Chase .- Churchill. - Cilley. - Collins. - Cram .- Currier .- Dearborn .- East- man .- Freese. - French .- Furnald .- Gerrish. - Gilman .- Griffin .- Haines .- Hilton. - Hoag .- James. - James. - Jenness. - Maloon .- Marston .- Marston. - Miller .- Moore. - Page .- Prescott .- Rand .-- Robinson. - Robinson .- Sanborn. - Sawyer .- Simpson. - Smith .- Smith. - Stearns. - Stevens. - Thompson. - Tilton. - True. - Vea- sey. - Weare. - Whittier. - White. - Woodman . 333-507
X
CONTENTS.
NORTHWOOD.
HISTORICAL ADDRESS.
Early Settlements. - Incorporation. - Revolution. - Association Test. - First Volunteers. - Census. - Sacrifices. - Doings of Northwood dur- ing the Rebellion. - Ecclesiastical History. - Calvin Baptist Church. - Congregational Church. - Freewill Baptist Church. - Education. - Turnpike. - President Monroe. - Lafayette. - Changes . 511-541
CHAPTER I. CHURCHES.
Calvin Baptist. - Edmund Pillsbury. - Eliphalet Merrill. - Elias Greg- ory. - George W. Ashby and Others. - Congregational. - First Meet- ing-house. - Call to Josiah Prentice. - Pledge of Support. - Ordina- tion. - Meeting-house repaired. - Revivals. - Second Meeting-house erected. - Mr. and Mrs. Coe .- Mr. Prentice's Dismissal. - His Suc- cessors. - Freewill Baptist. - Meeting-house erected. - Pastors . . 542-557
CHAPTER II. SCHOOLS.
Coe's Academy. - Seminary. - School-houses. - First Sabbath-school
organized . 558-565
CHAPTER III. LOCAL SKETCHES.
East Northwood. - Clark's Hill. - Center. - Letter of Hon. S. B. Pi- per. - Narrows. - S. G. Drake. - His Letter. - Blake's Hill. - Chace C. Hill. - The Mountain. - Bennett's Hill. -- Richardson's Hill . 566-582
CHAPTER IV. PROFESSIONAL AND MUNICIPAL.
Attorneys. - Physicians. - Town Officers. - Fragmentary Records of the Selectmen . · .
. . 583-596
CHAPTER V. MISCELLANEOUS.
Agriculture. - Farmers' Association. - Soil. - Census of Mills of North- wood, Deerfield, and Nottingham. - Farm Census, 1870, for Northwood and Nottingham. - Inventories of Northwood and Nottingham, 1878 .- The Poor. - The Beginning of the New Year. - Anecdotes of Wild An- imals. - Cemeteries . 597-609.
7
CONTENTS.
xi
CHAPTER VI. MILITARY RECORD FOR NOTTINGHAM, DEERFIELD, AND NORTH- WOOD.
Revolntionary Soldiers. - Surviving Pensioners in 1840. - Soldiers of 1812. - Soldiers of the Rebellion . . 610-621
FAMILY SKETCHES.
Bartlett. - Batchelder. - Batchelder. - Bennett. - Bickford. - Blake. - Brown .- Brown .- Buzell .- Clark. - Coe. - Cogswell. - Crockett .- Demeritt. - Dow. - Durgin. - Durgin. - Furber. - Hanson. - Har- vey. - Hill. - Hill. - Hoitt. - James .- Jenness. - Johnson .- John- son. - Kelley. - Kimball. - Knowlton. - Knowles. - Lancaster. - Mead. - Morrison. - Nealley. - Norton. - Pillsbury. - Prentice. - Prescott. - Sherburne. - Smith. - Tasker. - Tucker. - Tuttle. Wiggin. - Willey. - Wingate . 622-786
INDEX
787
NORTHWOOD CENTENNIAL.
THE ONE HUNDREDTH ANNIVERSARY OF THE
INCORPORATION OF THE TOWN OF NORTHWOOD,
SEPTEMBER 6, 1873.
1
Heliotype Printing Co.
Boston.
HARVEY'S LAKE.
NORTHWOOD CENTENNIAL.
PREPARATION.
A T the annual meeting of the town in March, 1872, initiatory measures were adopted for a family gath- ering. The old folks at home said they were lonesome. Their sons and daughters occasionally eame baek to the paternal roof; but they desired to see them all together, and thus have a lively time of it. Some would like to see how tall the children liad grown ; others, how large ; others still, how good-looking they might be. All desired to liear what they might have to say for themselves, where they liad been, what they had done, and how they felt towards the old homestead. The fathers wished to know if the old apple-tree whose fruit had been eagerly devoured by the children had been forgotten; whether the rocks on which they had played would seem as large as in days of ehild- hood ; whether old Duke would excite their veneration, and dear old Brindle would awaken their tenderness : and the mothers desired to know if the eradle in which they had been roeked had any charm for them; whether the turnover, pie, or pudding would taste as in days when they eame hungry from school or wearied from the ramble. And so brothers and sisters expressed a curiosity to see older and long-absent members of the household, and to learn who had fared the better, those who had tarried at.
4
NORTHWOOD CENTENNIAL.
home or those who had drifted away from childhood's happy scenes.
Thus, when the question was raised whether all the manor- born and the adopted children should come home to enjoy the fatted calf, amid merriment and wholesome cheer, up went all hands, and the man who tempered by his authority the excited feelings of the throng declared that the ayes liad it; and twenty men, renowned for promptness at the tug and power of endurance, or strength at the breeching and skill in steadying the ark, werc appointed to see that all should be gathered home from Dan to Beersheba and that all things be made ready for their reception. These men were E. C. Cogswell, John B. Clark, J. J. Cate, Ira B. Hoitt, G. W. Ashby, Robert Morrison, Thomas Tuttle, V. P. Tasker, W. T. Willey, Richard Hoitt, S. S. James, W. M. Durgin, Ivory B. Hill, Ezra Tasker, H. Knowlton, W. M. Furber, G. T. Sherburn, H. J. Clark, David Knowles, and R. B. Watson.
This committee, after suitable consultation, sent forth the following letter of invitation to all absent sons and daughters of the town whose names and residences could be ascertained : -
NORTHWOOD, N. H., February 8, 1873.
The one hundredth anniversary of the incorporation of the town of Northwood will occur the present year.
It is thought that that event should not pass without suitable observ- ance. Hence it has been resolved to call back to the old homestead all the absent sons and daughters of the town on the sixth day of September, 1873, that we may together rehearse the deeds and make mention of the virtues of our ancestors, under the inspiration of hearthstones yet dear and graves moistened by tears of affection.
Acting in behalf of the town and by her authority, we cordially invite you to be present on that day, to unite with the present residents of the town in doing homage to memories of the dead and in kind- ling anew the fires that burn at the altars of friendship.
On that day, a historical address will be delivered by Rev. E. C. Cogswell; and memorial papers may be expected from Hon. S. B Piper, Rev. H. B. Wiggin, Hon. Edson Hill, Rev. G. B. Buzell, E. S. Coe, George W. Cate, J. C. Tasker, J. J. Pillsbury, Esqs., Revs. D. P. Leavitt, F. Furber, L. Tasker, and others.
5
NORTHWOOD CENTENNIAL.
The names of the gentlemen composing the committee, as above given, were added.
Thus it will be seen, that, at an early day, the time for reunion, the orator, and many of the speakers liad been appointed ; and, at the following annual meeting of the town, it was unanimously voted to raise five hundred dol- lars to defray the cxpenses of the occasion. This sum was not called for, the expenses being defrayed by subscriptions. In due time, the services of the Northwood band were se- cured, appropriate committees were appointed, and, with the lastening day, preparations hastened to completion. Seats for a large number had been arranged, a platform for the speakers had been constructed, and a vast tent erected, beneath which tables had been arranged, ready for the abundant food, "from the inevitable beans down to all sorts of appetizing compounds wherewith the ladies ticklc the human palate and bedevil the human stomach." The " stalled ox," presented by Thomas J. Pinkham, Esq., of Chelmsford, Mass.,* lias his splendid carcass perforated with an enormous spit, and the work of roasting is going on with the decline of day; and a refreshing shower of rain, fol- lowed by a brilliant sunset, gives promise of a pleasant to- morrow. Many familiar and unfamiliar faces are met as the advanced guard of the hundreds on their way to the home of earlier days.
Saturday morning is ushered in with bright sunbeams and brisk breezes from the north-west. At nine o'clock a procession was formed at Clark's hill, near the Free-will Baptist meeting-house, under the direction of the chief marshal, Woodbury M. Durgin, and his aids, Edwin Cate,
* NORTHWOOD, N. H., September 22, 1873. THOMAS J. PINKHAM, EsQ.
Dear Sir, - At a meeting of the centennial committee, September 15, it was unanimously voted that the thanks of the committee be rendered you for the generous gift of an ox to be roasted whole for the centennial dinner.
The interest excited by the novelty of the thing was very observable, and the spirit that prompted its bestowal for the purpose was highly appreciated.
IVORY B. HILL, Secretary.
6
NORTHWOOD CENTENNIAL.
William Wallace, Sidney Gray, Ivory B. Hill, James C. Locke, and Franklin Bennett. The procession marched to the common in front of the Congregational church and Coe's academy, which were tastefully decorated with ever- green, and where had assembled a large number from various sections; thence, having received the orator, presi- dent, and distinguished guests, it returned, led by the Northwood brass band, to the parade, where seats had been placed for the audience, and a canopied stand erected for the speakers, decorated with evergreen and beautiful bou- quets of flowers. The entrance to the parade was under an evergreen arch, which bore the motto, " Welcome home," while the town hall bore on its front, in evergreen letters, the inscription, " Old North-woods, 1773, - Northwood, 1873."
Upon the platform, tlie officers of the day, the invited guests, and the reporters took their seats. Among those present were Col. C. M. Murphy of Dover, one of the gov- ernor's staff ; Hon. George G. Fogg of Concord ; Gen. Alfred Hoitt of Lee ; Hon. I. W. Smith of Manchester ; P. B. Cogs- well of Concord, member of the state legislature ; Hon. James W. Odlin of Exeter ; James F. Langdon, Esq., of Plymouth ; and Frank W. Miller, since mayor of Ports- mouth and commissioner of Rockingham county.
On calling the audience to order, the chief marshal in- troduced the Hon. Robert Morrison as the president of the day, and read the names of the following vice-presidents : Ezra Tasker, Elbridge G. Boody, Enoch H. Pillsbury, John L. Crocket, S. S. James, William Sherburne, John Nealley, Levi H. Mead, Jonathan Hill, Gilman Batchelder, Na- thaniel Knowlton, Ira B. Hoitt, Samuel Jolinson, Levi Knowles, John G. Mead, Josiah P. Lancaster, A. J. Pills- bury, Philip Hoitt, William M. Furber, and Miles Knowl- ton.
After music, the one hundred and third Psalm was read and prayer offered by the Rev. Henry B. Wiggin of Orange,
7
NORTHWOOD CENTENNIAL.
N. J. After music by the band, the president addressed the assembly as follows : -
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, - Children of the venerable town whose one hundredth anniversary we meet to celebrate on this auspicious morning, -it becomes my duty, and it is my delightful privilege, in behalf of the committee and of the dwellers on the old homestead, to bid you welcome on this occasion. To us this day is burdened with interest. To you it cannot be of less importance than to us. We have tarried on these hills and in these valleys where our fathers toiled, enjoyed, and died. You have strayed away from us; but the ties that bind us mutually to the town in which we were born have not been broken. We have longed to see your faces, hear your voices, and enjoy again what once we so highly prized. Therefore we have extended to you a hearty invitation to return, and we now bid you a cordial welcome to our hearts and homes. The day is auspicious ; the air is invigorating; yonder lake reflects the smiling heavens and seems glad at your coming; and this profusion of brilliant flowers is an assurance of friendship and gladness. The season is suggestive, combining the gay and beautiful with the soberer hues of autumn and marks of decay; emblems these of the joyous beginnings of life and the sadder endings of human existence. The latter are no less beneficial than the former. The thousands that have come up to this great feast are a promise to us of good. We thank you for your pres- ence, for the warm pressure of the hand, for the smile with which you greet us, for the tender tear that bespeaks the inward emotion. Wel- come home, then ! A thousand times we bid you welcome to all we can proffer you, hoping that this day and these scenes may afford subjects for thought and memory that shall carry pleasure along all the path- way of the future.
In response, the Hon. Charles H. Piper of Niagara Falls read a letter from his brother, the Hon. Sherburne B. Piper of Lewiston, N. Y., to the chairman of the committee, in which he expressed his regret that business in the courts prevented his replying to the address of welcome on the part of the president, and gave assurances of a lively inter- est in the town of his birth and especially in the doings of this day. Mr. Charles H. Piper felicitously responded to the words of the president, speaking both for himself and for the many sons and daughters who had gladly returned
-
.
8
NORTHWOOD CENTENNIAL.
to the scenes of their childhood. He would express sin- cere and grateful thanks for the open arms and warm hearts that have met them on every side. It was an occasion which the returning sons and daughters, especially, would never forget. As his eyes rested upon the lovely lake, stretching in quiet beauty through the adjacent meadows, he hoped its placid bosom would be an emblem of a com- mon level upon which the children of Northwood would. that day meet for social intercourse and enjoyment. Mr. Piper's remarks were most fully appreciated and earnestly applauded.
After music, followed the historical address of Rev. E. C. Cogswell, which occupied an hour and a half in its delivery. At the conclusion of which, the procession re-formed and marched to the tent, covering some six thousand square feet. Over the entrance was the motto, " We bid you wel- come; " while within, from the evergreen wreaths, hung others, such as " Early friends again united " and " Wel- come the present and remember the past." A tablet bore the following poctical tribute to the departed : -
" But the first greetings over, you glance round the hall ; Your hearts call the roll, but they answer not all; Through the turf green above them the dead cannot hear ; Name by name in the silence falls sad as a tear."
" A portrait of the Rev. Josiah Prentice, the first pastor- of the Congregational church, hung within, smoked and cracked as it was taken from the ruins of the old Prentice homestead, which was burned in May, 1872, and which liad stood since 1799." The portrait was trimmed with ever -- green, and beneath it was the following inscription : -
" And let us hope, as well we can, That the silent angel who garners man May find some grain, as of old he found, In the human cornfield, ripe and sound ; And the Lord of the Harvest deign to own The precious seed by the fathers sown."
9
NORTHWOOD CENTENNIAL.
The tables were supplied with an abundance of substan- tial food. After grace was said by Rev. Mr. Knight of Salem, Mass., two thousand persons were served with din- ner; yet the larder was not exhausted. During the recess, there was much social intercourse enjoyed, and pleasant incidents recalled, by friends who had not met for years ; and, to most, the liour and a half sped all too rapidly, be- fore tlie remaining exercises were resumed.
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