USA > New Hampshire > Strafford County > Rochester > History of the town of Rochester, New Hampshire, from 1722 to 1890, Vol. I > Part 1
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M. L.
GENEALOGY COLLECTION
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ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 00825 1230
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Frank Mi Duffer.
HISTORY
OF THE TOWN OF
ROCHESTER
NEW HAMPSHIRE,
FROM 1722 TO 1890. BY
FRANKLIN MCDUFFEE, A. M.
EDITED AND REVISED BY
SILVANUS HAYWARD.
"Threshing Time's neglected sheaves, Gathering up the scattered leaves Which the wrinkled Sibyl cast Careless from her as she passed."
IN TWO VOLUMES .- VOL. I.
MANCHESTER : THE JOHN B. CLARKE CO., PRINTERS.
1892.
Copyright Secured by M. F. McDUFFEE.
EDITOR'S PREFACE. 1340687
In 1865 the author of this History began a series of historical sketches in the "Rochester Courier," and, with much labor during subsequent years, col- lected a large amount of material for a town history. The minute and thor- ough character of his work is seen in the early history, and especially in the record of Rochester in the Rebellion. The carefully preserved sketches and other papers contain scattered notes suggesting changes and additions indicative, in some degree, of his general plan. His lamented death left the work, unfor- tunately, incomplete.
His father, John McDuffee, Esq. (now recently deceased), took great interest in the matter, and expressed his desire to put the money, which others would have expended on marble or granite, into the History of Rochester, as a better and more enduring monument to the memory of his son. At his request I undertook the task of editing and completing the work. It has proved a far greater labor than was at first anticipated. Every sentence has been carefully reviewed and re-written in the desire to make it as nearly as possible what the author himself would have wished. Much has been added, and many parts are exclusively my own. Though I could not expect to attain the careful accuracy, and clear, attractive style of the author, my hope is, that only special critics will be likely to discern just the points of transition between the work of the author and that of the editor.
The reader will observe that the standpoint of time varies with the time of writing, or of going to press.
The date of publication suggests the transition from the town to the city of Rochester, and that whoever shall resume the historic pen must begin with the inauguration of a city government with the Hon. Charles S. Whitehouse as first mayor.
The kind assistance of many besides those named in the body of the work is hereby thankfully acknowledged. Special mention should be made of Irving A. Watson, M. D., the Hon. A. S. Batchellor, the Rev. N. F. Carter, J. R. Ham, M. D., and my lamented friend, the late Hon. Isaac W. Hammond.
Like a broken column restored by some less skillful hand, it is hoped this History will remain as a fitting monument to the fragrant memory of its author and designer, FRANKLIN MCDUFFEE.
S. H.
SOUTHBRIDGE, Mass., August, 1892.
CONTENTS.
Chapter. Page.
I. DESCRIPTIVE 9
II. INDIAN HISTORY
13
III. INCORPORATION AND CHARTER 33
IV. PROPRIETARY HISTORY . 41
V. REVOLUTIONARY PERIOD 51
VI. FIRST CENTURY OF CHURCH HISTORY . 75
VII. LEADING MEN OF THE REVOLUTIONARY PERIOD 115
VIII. LIFE OF EARLY SETTLERS
.
124
IX. FROM THE REVOLUTION TO THE REBELLION 145
X. EDUCATIONAL AND LITERARY 156
XI. ROCHESTER IN THE REBELLION .
193
XII. CHURCH HISTORY SINCE 1819 239
XIII. LIGHTS AND SHADOWS 293
XIV. LEADING MEN SINCE THE REVOLUTION
321
XV. BUSINESS OF ROCHESTER
461
XVI. POLITICAL 517
XVII. UNCLASSIFIED MISCELLANIES 545
APPENDIX
569
GENERAL INDEX
627
INDEX TO TOWNS
651
INDEX TO NAMES
655
INDEX TO BAPTISMS AND MARRIAGES . . 677
ILLUSTRATIONS.
To face page Frontispiece.
FRANKLIN MCDUFFEE
MARKET STREET .
9
PLAN OF LOTS . 50
ARMY ROLL OF CAPT. PLACE 63
MAP OF ROCHESTER IN 1805
144
J. H. WOODMAN . 332
CHARLES DENNETT
337
JAMES FARRINGTON 346
N. V. WHITEHOUSE 358
CHARLES S. WHITEHOUSE 364
E. F. WHITEHOUSE
366
JOHN MCDUFFEE
368
McDUFFEE BLOCK
372
JOSEPH H. SMITH
379
JOHN P. HALE
381
DOMINICUS HANSON
394 401
EZEKIEL TRUE
CHARLES MAIN 405
407
JAMES E. LOTHROP
421 424
DANIEL LOTHROP
JOHN F. TORR 428
430
CHARLES GREENFIELD 420
E. G. WALLACE 474
EDWIN WALLACE
475
NORWAY PLAINS COMPANY NO. 3 MILL
477
NORWAY PLAINS COMPANY NOS. 1 AND 2 MILLS 478
DODGE'S HOTEL 487
GONIC MILLS 503
AGENT'S HOUSE AT GONIC 507
COCHECO MILLS, EAST ROCHESTER 514
I. W. LOUGEE
CHARLES K. CHASE .
ERRATA.
Page 10, first line, for Robert's read Roberts'.
Page 20, sixteenth line from bottom, insert S. after Charles.
Page 22, seventh line, add John Wentworth.
Page 27, eighth line, for as killful read a skillful. Page 80, omit foot note.
Page 117, fifth line from bottom, for McDffuee read McDuffee. Page 161, eighteenth line, for Hiram N. read Hiram M.
Page 168. tenth line from bottom, omit reference to Appendix.
Page 169, thirteenth line from bottom, after appoint omit a. Page 176, sixth line, after George insert P.
Page 201, twenty-second line, for Cross read Union.
Page 205, third line insert a at beginning.
fourteenth line from bottom, omit comma after hearty.
Page 206, twenty-third line, after Luther insert B.
Page 211, twenty-first line, instead of Porter read Potter.
Page 212, twelfth line from bottom, for August 29, 1861 read 1862.
Page 224, nineteenth line, for Pocataligo read Pocotalgo.
Page 233, second line, for since read after.
seventeenth line, for Pocotaligo read Pocotalgo.
Page 234, seventh line from bottom, for Montolinia read Motolinia.
Page 237, twenty-seventh line, for Henham read Hennem.
Page 252, eighth line from bottom, after James insert H., and after An- dover, insert Mass.
Page 253, fifteenth line from bottom, for patorate read pastorate. Page 258, tenth line, for 60 read 62.
Page 261, eleventh line from bottom, for geat read great.
Page 319, thirteenth line from bottom, after Charles, for C. read H. Pages 324, 325, and 327, for Henry Orne read Henry H. Orne.
Page 331, second line from bottom, for 1766 read 1776.
Page 349, at end of last line, insert t.
Page 357, eighteenth line from bottom, after Nicholas insert V.
Page 365, seventeenth line, after Charles insert H.
Page 394, fifteenth line from bottom, for 300 read 381. next line, for 380 read 369.
Page 408, twelfth line from bottom, for 1698 should perhaps be 1658.
Page 421, tenth line, for daugher read daughter.
Page 443, tenth line from bottom, after Stephen insert M.
Page 449, tenth line from bottom, for Gonic read Rochester.
Pege 459, sixth line from bottom, for 1880 read 1885.
Page 470, first line, for neergetic read energetic.
Page 473, eighteenth line from bottom, after Micajah insert H.
Page 483, ninth line from bottom, omit last n.
Page 521, first line, for Togers read Rogers, omit comma after R, and insert comma after Roberts.
Page 530, seventeenth line from bottom, for Colton read Cotton.
Page 531, twenty-fourth line, for Lewis read Louis.
Page 541, tenth line from bottom, for 141 read 142. Page 543, fourth line from bottom, for 1854 read 1845. Page 553, seventh line from bottom, at end put e in place of c. Page 561, last line, for 1841 read 1881.
Page 572, fourth line, for Charberlain read Chamberlain.
Page 621, twenty-first line should be a foot note with asterisk.
AUTHOR'S INTRODUCTION.
IT is much to be regretted that so little pains is taken to preserve the inci- dents of local history. Although the liveliest interest may be felt in the recital of these incidents, yet they are generally left to the keeping of uncertain tra- dition, so that after two or three generations have passed away it is difficult to distinguish fact from mere fiction or embellishment. Even great events and deeds are soon forgotten and entirely lost.
Every town should support a historical society or adopt some other means for the preservation of its history. A library association might be made to serve all the purposes; a local newspaper, too, is an excellent means, as its value and prosperity depend upon its furnishing a complete record of current events.
These remarks are well illustrated by the following incident.
In 1774, when the oppressions of the mother country were exciting resistance in the minds of the colonists, and their hearts were beginning to yearn for independence, General Gage, who commanded the British forces in Boston, wanted carpenters to build barracks to secure the troops against the approaching winter. But no carpenters could be hired in Massachusetts to work for British soldiers. In this dilemma General Gage applied for aid to Governor Went- worth of New Hampshire, who dispatched a secret agent to some of the back towns to hire workmen. The success of this person in his visit to Rochester is thus recorded in Belknap's History of New Hampshire : -
"The agent in this secret business was brought on his knees before the committee of Rochester and made an humble acknowledgment. This prudent step of the committee dis- armed the popular rage and prevented any injury to his person or property."
Every citizen of Rochester may well feel proud to find the town thus early taking so unequivocal and decided a stand in the cause of independence. But certainly this is but a meager and unsatisfactory account of so prominent an event. Who were this committee? and whence did they derive their authority ? What was the language of that "humble acknowledgment "? and where did the meeting occur ? The records of the town furnish no light. Tradition even gives us no clew. Who knows anything in regard to the subject ? (p. 54.)
8
AUTHOR'S INTRODUCTION.
It is the purpose of the writer to give a few sketches of the early history of the town, not entering minutely into barren statistics and details of gene- alogy, but selecting such matters as are of general interest, and the knowledge of which may be readily obtained. There are doubtless many old papers and letters stored in attics in Rochester, which would elucidate important points in its history, if the owners would bring them forth to the light. It is hoped these articles will tend to this result, and awaken an increased interest in the subject.
ROCHESTER, 1865.
HROPS; FARNHAM
Co.
TEA COFFEEAND VARIETY STORE
HARDWARE
NING
BOTHROPS, FARNHAM &CO MAISACAPS
HELIOTYPE PRINTING CO.,
ROSTON, MASS.
MARKET STREET, LOOKING SOUTH.
ROCHESTER.
CHAPTER I.
DESCRIPTIVE.
"The sinless, peaceful works of God."
ROCHESTER is situated on the 71st meridian west of Greenwich. The village is about one mile east of this meridian, and in latitude 43ยบ 18' north. The town is approximately a trapezoid contain- ing about 52,000 acres, with its diagonals extending nearly ten miles north and south, and a little over eight miles east and west. Its northeastern boundary is the state line on the east bank of the Salmon Falls river which separates Rochester from Lebanon and Berwick in Maine. On the southeast it is bounded by Somersworth and Dover, on the southwest by Barrington and Strafford, and on the northwest by Farmington, touching Milton for a short distance between Farmington and the river.
Of natural ponds or lakes Rochester is almost entirely destitute. The line between Rochester and Farmington crosses Ricker's pond near its center, and a small portion of Round pond extends over Barrington line. "Little Long pond" also crosses the same line about half a mile farther east. The Salmon Falls river flows along the northeastern side, and the Cocheco river crosses the town towards the southeast from Farmington to Dover. Isinglass river (probably named from the mica in its bed or along its banks) loops into Rochester from Barrington, making a large ox-bow, where it is crossed by the Nashua & Rochester railroad; then returning to Barrington it bends back again across the line and enters the Cocheco near where Rochester corners on Dover. Owing to the level surface of the town the brooks are few and of little importance.
2
10
ROCHESTER.
The principal ones are Robert's brook, flowing from Ricker's pond; Berry's brook, which supplies the reservoir recently built; Willow brook and Heath brook.
Dr. Jackson's report of the geology of the State says : -
" Rochester is probably underlaid by strata of mica slate, which is covered by drift consisting of fine sand and sandy loam. Our attention was directed to an extensive peat bog, comprising more than one hundred and fifty acres, and not less than forty feet in depth. It is but half a mile from the flourishing village of Rochester, and will prove of great value both for fuel and for agricultural use. The bog may be easily reclaimed by draining off the surplus water into the Cocheco river by means of ditches which need not be more than six feet deep. Several persons who visited this bog with me resolved to purchase, reclaim it, and convert it into a meadow for English grasses. I have no doubt of its proving more valuable than any upland soil in the town."
From Prof. Hitchcock's " Geology of New Hampshire " we learn that Rochester was under the sea during the "Atlantic period." It was afterward covered with gneiss holding crystals of andalusite, which are still largely prevalent here. The gneiss was subsequently covered with " an uncouth mica schist." The movements of the ice in the glacial period were toward the southeast. Bowlders are not unfrequent, but none of remarkable size have been observed. Coarse glacial drift and finer modified drift deposited by rivers of the Cham- plain period, cover most of the town, forming extensive plains which obscure the underlying rock. These plains extending for eight miles along the Cocheco, are in many places, as especially at Gonic, underlaid by clay. Their height at Rochester Village is two hun- dred and twenty-six feet, and at East Rochester and Gonic two hun- dred feet, above sea level. The river falls much more rapidly than the plains, so that it lies seventy-five feet below them in the south part of the town. There are five " lenticular hills " in Rochester. The finest of these is the one now owned by Walter S. Hussey.
" It rises with a very regularly rounded outline one hundred and fifty feet above the lowland or valleys which surround it on every side. Another of similar height but less typical in form, lies one mile southeast, near Gonic Village. Two of these occur east of the Cocheco, being Haven hill crossed by the road to Great Falls, and Gonic hill a half mile south. The former is less steep and prominent than usual, but was shown by a well at its top to be composed of glacial drift at least forty feet deep."
Dry hill lying near Barrington, and the range toward Farmington called Chestnut hills, are probably the highest points in town, being a little over five hundred feet above sea level.
The most important natural feature of the town is undoubtedly the peat bog already mentioned. A large portion of it lies between
11
DESCRIPTIVE.
the village and the first crossing of the Great Falls & Conway rail- road. The greatest depth found in building that road was a little over twenty feet. East of the railroad there are fifty or sixty acres more, varying in depth from five to fifteen feet. A few persons have used this peat for fuel with good success. It yields a large amount of light, dusty ashes which are found useful for polishing. The market value of these peat beds depends almost entirely on the price of coal. Largely through the exertions of Franklin McDuffee, the Strafford County Improved Peat Company was organized November 13, 1866, at the office of Nathaniel Wells, Esq., in Great Falls. The capital stock was one hundred thousand dollars, all owned by less than a dozen men. D. H. Buffum, A. A. Perkins, and Royal Eastman of Great Falls, E. G. Wallace of Rochester, and Jeremiah Evarts of Boston were chosen directors; and Franklin McDuffee treasurer and clerk. The company was not designed for stock speculation but for business, fully intending to enter upon the work the following spring, but so great a fall in the price of coal intervened that they were compelled to abandon the enterprise. The land is still owned by these men and their successors.
Evidently Rochester has superior natural advantages for manufac: turing. With the Cocheco flowing diagonally through the town, and the Salmon Falls forming its eastern boundary, our water privi- leges are rarely surpassed. Its location also necessarily makes it a railroad center. It is not possible that our great advantages should fail to excite a sure and continual growth in manufacturing pursuits.
The soil of Rochester is largely sandy or slaty, and not favorable for the highest agricultural success. In some parts, however, it yields good crops. The plains are easily tilled, and, with a large supply of dressing frequently renewed, will well repay the diligent farmer. The soil is specially favorable for pines. White pines, pitch pines, and Norway pines have always abounded. These with several varieties of oak, hemlocks, chestnuts, birches, maples, and larches are the principal trees. Shrubs and smaller plants are such as are usually found in the light soils where pine and white oak prevail.
Formerly, here as elsewhere, wild animals were numerous. Wolves, bears, deer, and moose fed or annoyed the early settlers, and busy beavers built their curious dwellings along the streams. They are now only traditions of the remote past. The level country
12
ROCHESTER.
affording no rocky hiding-places, these larger wild beasts were sooner exterminated here than in many other places. The forests also being early cleared away, no shelter is left even for the larger- birds. For the same reason, foxes and raccoons are fewer than in most New Hampshire towns. Mr. William N. Hastings, who has: made a special study of microscopic objects, has found diatoms of forms apparently somewhat rare, such as are assigned by other investigators to distant localities only. On the whole, it must be said that neither the fauna nor the flora of Rochester presents any remarkable features.
CHAPTER II. INDIAN HISTORY .*
" Erewhile, where yon gay spires their brightness rear. Trees waved, and the brown hunter's shouts were loud Amid the forest ; and the bounding deer
Fled at the glancing plume, and the gaunt wolf yelled near.
"There stood the Indian hamlet : there the lake Spread its blue sheet that flashed with many an oar,
Where the brown otter plunged him from the brake, And the deer drank; as the light gale flew o'er, The twinkling maize-field rustled on the shore; And while that spot, so wild, and lone, and fair, A look of glad and innocent beauty wore,
And peace was on the earth and in the air,
The warrior lit the pile and bound his captive there."
IF we knew nothing of the past history of Rochester, the names Newichwannoc, Squamanagonic, and Cocheco would be sufficient proof that the Indians dwelt here before the white men came. It was their custom to give names to the mountains and lakes among which they dwelt, and the river falls and other places which they frequented for hunting and fishing. The rivers themselves they did not name, though the names they gave to the falls and other remark- able places are often applied now not only to the rivers but to the towns and villages upon their banks.
The Indians did not use arbitrary, unmeaning terms, but every name had some peculiar fitness to the locality to which it was applied. Newichwannoc, by which name the Salmon Falls river was formerly known, was two hundred years ago pronounced Ne-ge- won-nuck. It is found spelled in no less than nine different ways. It is difficult to resolve the word into its parts, although the last syllable, ock or acke, denotes the name of a place. From several sources worthy of credit it is interpreted to mean, "The place of
* In preparing this chapter, the author is largely indebted to Belknap's History of New Hampshire.
14
ROCHESTER. 1
many falls," and was probably applied to the lower portion of the river, for which it is very appropriate.
Squamanagonic, now abbreviated to Gonic, is analyzed thus: Squam, water; an, a hill; a, euphonic, merely aiding the pronuncia- tion ; gon, clay; ic, a place. Literally rendered, then, it means, " The water of the clay place hill." Those familiar with the soil in that part of the town will regard this as a tolerably faithful description.
Cocheco has been variously spelled, Cochecho, Cochechae, Quo- checho, Kechceachy, etc. It was first spelled Cocheco in the name of the Manufacturing Company at Dover, probably by accident. Its meaning is as follows : Co, falls; che, great; co, falls; that is, falls and great falls. The expression was probably applied by the Indians to the succession of falls in Dover, including the great falls in the city and the smaller falls a mile or more up the river. According to the dialect now used by the Indians in Maine, it is supposed the word should be written " K'tchecoke," in which case the meaning would be great place ; that is, great place in the river, equivalent to great falls.
A curiosity may exist to know something of these people who inhabited this section before the white settlers, and thus fixed the names of these localities. What tribes dwelt here? Were the inhabitants numerous ? Were there Indian villages in this vicinity ? Such questions doubtless suggest themselves to others as they often have to the writer.
It should be remembered that the Indian population was very sparse. Here and there a tribe had a little village of a few hundred inhabitants at the most, and these villages were far remote from each other. They were not great travelers except in their hunting and fishing excursions and when on the war path, and the greater part of the country was little visited by them. They were so igno- rant of geography as to suppose that New England was an island. Their usual route from the mountains and lakes to the white settle- ments was by the Cocheco and Newichwannoc (now Salmon Falls) rivers, and probably many a warlike band of both Indians and whites have passed along these rivers near where our beautiful village is now situated.
When our fathers came to New England they found within its confines five principal nations of Indians. In Connecticut were the Pequots ; in Rhode Island, the Narragansetts ; in Massachusetts, the
15
INDIAN HISTORY.
Massachusetts Indians. The Pawkunnakutts inhabited Nantucket, Martha's Vineyard, and Plymouth. The Pawtucketts constituted the fifth and last great sachemship. To this general division of Pawtucketts belonged the Pennacooks living upon the Merrimack river and in the central portions of this State. Several other smaller sachemships were also included in the national name of Pawtucketts, such as the Agawams, Naumkeeks, and Piscataquas. All these originally formed one great nation under Passaconaway, called the great sachem of Pennacook. The Pennacooks were probably the most powerful of these subordinate tribes.
When New Hampshire was first settled, the remains of two tribes. had their habitations on the several branches of the Piscataqua river. One sachem lived at the falls of Squamscott, now Exeter, and the other at those of Newichwannoc, now South Berwick, Me .; their headquarters being generally in places convenient for fishing. Both these, with several inland tribes residing about Lake Winnipiseogee, acknowleged subjection to Passaconaway, the first great sagamore of whom we have any account. He excelled the other sachems in sagacity, duplicity, and moderation, but his principal superiority was his skill in some of the secret operations of nature, which gave him the reputation of a sorcerer, and extended his fame and influence among the neighboring tribes. They believed he could make water burn, and trees dance, and metamorphose himself into flame; that in winter he could raise a green leaf from the ashes of a dry one, and a living serpent from the skin of one that was dead. At a great feast of the Indians in 1660, Passaconaway, finding himself near his end, made a farewell speech to his children and people, in which, as a dying man, he warned them solemnly against quarreling with the English, as it would prove the sure means of their own destruction. He told how he had tried all his arts of sorcery against them, yet still they increased in number and their settlements advanced. Wonolanset, his son and successor, heeded his advice, for when, fifteen years later, King Philip's war broke out, in which were engaged all the other New England tribes, including even those upon the Kennebec and Penobscot rivers, he withdrew his people to a remote place that they might not be drawn into the quarrel. But when in 1676 Major Waldron seized four hundred Indians whom he had invited to Dover, then called Cocheco, to wit- ness a training and a sham fight, though all the Pennacooks were
16
ROCHESTER.
dismissed unharmed, yet their Indian nature could not brook such indignity, and forgetting the advice of the dying Passaconaway, by resentment and thirst for revenge they were driven into war. From this time the Pennacooks, in common with the other tribes, became implacable foes to the white settlers.
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