The history of Weare, New Hampshire, 1735-1888, Part 1

Author: Little, William, 1833-1893. cn
Publication date: 1888
Publisher: Lowell, Mass., Printed by S. W. Huse & Co.
Number of Pages: 1240


USA > New Hampshire > Hillsborough County > Weare > The history of Weare, New Hampshire, 1735-1888 > Part 1


Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org.


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Gc 974.202 W378 1198516


M. L.


GENEALOGY COLLECTION


ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 01188 4993


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THE


HISTORY OF WEARE,


NEW HAMPSHIRE.


1735-1888.


BY


WILLIAM LITTLE.


DAVID CROSS,


JOSIAH G. DEARBORN,


ABNER P. COLLINS, ROBERT PEASLEE, SYLVESTER C. GOULD,


Town Committee who furnished the material.


Published by the Town.


LOWELL, MASS .: PRINTED BY S. W. HUSE & Co. 1888.


Copyright, 1888. BY THE TOWN OF WEARE.


1198516


PREFACE.


T O PRESERVE the annals of Weare was an idea long cherished by the citizens. Josiah G. Dearborn and Abner P. Collins each began collecting historical facts and family records about 1850; but a town history was not written. After years of waiting, a meeting was held at the town-house, March 1, 1882, to take measures to prepare and publish one. Twenty-eight men were present; John L. Hadley was chairman, and Albert B. Johnson secretary. They selected a general committee of twenty-six persons* to aid in the work, and a publishing committee, consisting of David Cross, Josiah G. Dearborn, . Abner P. Collins, Robert Peaslee and Sylvester C. Gould, who were to collect material, write the book or procure a writer, and publish the same when authorized by the town.


At the annual town-meeting, March 14, 1882, five hundred dollars was appropriated towards paying the preliminary expenses, to be expended by the publishing committee, and John L. Hadley, Albert B. Johnson, Abner P. Collins and Robert Peaslee were chosen a finance committee to approve the bills. Under this arrangement many


* GENERAL COMMITTEE.


Abner P. Collins,


George W. Colby,


Sylvester C. Gould,


John L. Hadley,


Jason P. Dearborn, William B. Gove,


Albert B. Johnson,


Harrison Simons, Josiah G. Dearborn,


Robert Peaslee,


Eben B. Bartlett, Manley Raymond,


Moses A. Hodgdon, Ira Gove,


Caroline Johnson,


Daniel P. Woodbury,


Oliver D. Sawyer,


Mrs. Jessie Johnson,


Zephaniah Breed,


Levi B. Laney,


Dana B. Gove,


Charles E. Hoag,


David Cross,


Dr. James P. Whittle,


Cyrus E. Wood,


Newell Evans.


Copyright, 1888. BY THE TOWN OF WEARE.


1198516


PREFACE.


T O PRESERVE the annals of Weare was an idea long cherished by the citizens. Josiah G. Dearborn and Abner P. Collins each began collecting historical facts and family records about 1850; but a town history was not written. After years of waiting, a meeting was held at the town-house, March 1, 1882, to take measures to prepare and publish one. Twenty-eight men were present; John L. Hadley was chairman, and Albert B. Johnson secretary. They selected a general committee of twenty-six persons* to aid in the work, and a publishing committee, consisting of David Cross, Josiah G. Dearborn, Abner P. Collins, Robert Peaslee and Sylvester C. Gould, who were to collect material, write the book or procure a writer, and publish the same when authorized by the town.


At the annual town-meeting, March 14, 1882, five hundred dollars was appropriated towards paying the preliminary expenses, to be expended by the publishing committee, and John L. Hadley, Albert B. Johnson, Abner P. Collins and Robert Peaslee were chosen a finance committee to approve the bills. Under this arrangement many


* GENERAL COMMITTEE.


Abner P. Collins,


George W. Colby, Sylvester C. Gould,


John L. Hadley,


Jason P. Dearborn, William B. Gove,


Albert B. Johnson,


Harrison Simons, Josiah G. Dearborn,


Robert Peaslee,


Eben B. Bartlett,


Manley Raymond,


Moses A. Hodgdon, Ira Gove,


Caroline Johnson,


Daniel P. Woodbury,


Oliver D. Sawyer,


Mrs. Jessie Johnson,


Zephaniah Breed,


Levi B. Laney,


Dana B. Gove,


Charles E. Hoag,


David Cross,


Dr. James P. Whittle,


Cyrus E. Wood,


Newell Evans.


iv


PREFACE.


circulars were distributed, a large amount of material gathered and a writer engaged.


The town, at its annual meeting, March 12, 1885, approved the action of the committee, instructed them to publish an cdition of the history not to exceed one thousand copies, the same to be the prop- erty of the town, and authorized the selectmen to hirc fifteen hundred dollars to carry on the work.


The writer of this history made a beginning of the work about Oct. 1, 1884. To facilitate his labor he once had his residence for a short period in Weare. He also visited the town scores of times, climbed all its hills and mountains, saw all its sparkling ponds and heard the music of each rill, brook and river. He went to the town-house, the meeting-houses, every school-house and each cemetery. He read every town book and report, all the church records, and for days listened to the tales of olden times. As the years went by, his interest in this history so increased that the labor became a real pleasure.


He was greatly assisted by the members of the publishing com- mittee. Josiah G. Dearborn and Robert Peaslee spared no effort, time or expense to procure information and perfect the work. They also gave particular attention to the history of the first set- tlers, - whence they came, when and where they settled. This necessitated the examining of an immense number of old deeds, and a thorough search of the records of the counties of Rockinghanı and Hillsborough. As a result of their labors, we have the excellent chapters on settlers and town lots, and one of the very best town inaps. Abner P. Collins assisted them somewhat in this work. He also gave us many pleasant anecdotes, and, as will be seen, is the author of the excellent genealogy. Sylvester C. Gould aided greatly in furnishing ancient volumes and pamphlets, of which he has a fine collection, in procuring old manuscripts, in reading proof and in making numerous happy suggestions.


Others who rendered much help were John L. Hadley, Ira Gove, James Priest, Zephaniah Breed, George Simons, Warren L. Collins, George C. Gilmore, Mrs. Moses A. Hodgdon, Carrie E. Paige, Lucetta Foster and Jacob Follansbee, who had a wonderful memory of events. Many more gave in their mite, for all which we are exceedingly grateful.


George C. Patten, civil engineer, of Deering, did much gratuitous


V


PREFACE.


work in drafting and preparing the map, and also measured the altitude of Mounts William and Wallingford.


The town has been remarkably fortunate in preserving its records (excepting those of the proprietors), and the first town book, the first church book, the Meshech Weare papers and the Revolutionary war rolls are historical treasures.


The lists of tax-payers and the census are new features, not to be. found in any other town history. By the first the name of nearly every man, who has lived in town, can be learned; and they also show a curious fact, -that there are now a third minore tax-payers, when the population is but one thousand five hundred and seventy, than there were when it was nearly two thousand eight hundred. The census gives the name and age of nearly every person living in town in 1887, and a hundred years hence will be a most interesting document.


The tables of longevity show that the present generation, instead of growing "wiser and weaker," as is often said, is growing wiser, healthier and stronger, and that about four times as many people now live to be eighty years old as there were near the beginning of the present century. This is due to better education, temperance and a more proper regard to the laws of health.


We have tried to make this work a little less arid than the or- dinary town history. We think that many of the chapters will be very agreeable, and that those on the "Olden Times," "The Pine- tree Riot," "Game," "A Round Trip to Salem," "Witches," "Farm- ing " and some others, will be found very pleasant reading. Of course, the chapters on "Roads," "Town Lots" and "Town Officers " are not to be read; they are only for reference or hard study.


There is an abundance of matter in the book, and in this respect it will compare well with similar histories. It is also well illustrated, there being over seventy pictures, costing more than three thousand dollars. The friends and pupils of Moses A. Cartland owe a debt of gratitude to Miss Carrie E. Paige, for soliciting the money and furnishing his excellent portrait. The whole cost is about seven thousand dollars; and reckoning the time of each person who worked, more than twenty years have been spent upon it.


The mistakes that we would correct are few and will be found in the table of "Errata." The reader may find some others, and it is hoped he will make the proper rectifications.


vi


PREFACE.


We would return thanks for the many hospitalities rendered, par- ticularly to Josiah G. Dearborn, Mr. and Mrs. Robert Peaslec, Mr. and Mrs. Abner P. Collins, Mr. and Mrs. Moses A. Hodgdon, Mr. and Mrs. Franklin Bartlett, Mr. and Mrs. Harry H. Simons, Mr. and Mrs. Alonzo C. Follansbee, Dr. Abram B. Story and Josiah Dow Chase, whose home afforded us such charming drives and excellent views ..


In conclusion, we would recommend that in the future the citizens of the town keep records of the deaths and ages of all old people, fatal casualties, frosts, floods and hurricanes, comets and meteors, fires, the migration of birds, early and late planting, harvesting, the amount of crops raised and dairy products, the building of houses and mills, changes in churches, erecting of school- and meeting-houses, the laying out and improvement of cemeteries, industries and all other interesting things that may happen, and that these records be preserved. If this shall be done, then Weare, sometime in the next century, can have a better town history than has yet been written.


TABLE OF CONTENTS.


CHAPTER.


PAGE.


I. TOPOGRAPHY AND NAMES


1


II. GEOLOGY .


14


III. FLORA 20


IV. FAUNA


30


V. MASONIAN TITLE


33


VI. BOUNDARY LINE


42


VII. INDIANS


50


VIII. HALESTOWN


61


IX. ROBIESTOWN


69


X. SETTLERS .


93


XI. THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR .


120


XII. INCORPORATION


127


XIII. THE FIRST CHURCH


140


XIV. SCHOOLS


156


XV. COURTS


161


XVI. ADDITIONAL SETTLERS


166


XVII. THE OLDEN TIMES .


179


XVIII. THE PINE-TREE RIOT


185


XIX. THE REVOLUTION -1775


192


XX. THE REVOLUTION -1776


203


XXI. THE REVOLUTION-1777


209.


XXII. THE REVOLUTION-1778


222


XXIII. THE REVOLUTION -1779


227


XXIV. THE REVOLUTION-1780-81


232


XXV. THE REVOLUTION-1782-83


240


XXVI. THE FRIENDS OR QUAKERS


246


GAME.


254


XXVII. XXVIII. SCHOOLS


265


XXIX. THE DARK DAY


275


XXX. THE ANTIPEDOBAPTISTS .


278


XXXI. BOUNDARY LINES


286


XXXII. MEETING-HOUSES


296


viii


TABLE OF CONTENTS.


CHAPTER.


PAGE.


XXXIII. THE CONGREGATIONALISTS


305


XXXIV. A ROUND TRIP TO SALEM


308


XXXV. THE SHAKERS . 313


XXXVI. THE SMALL-POX


316


XXXVII. THE UNIVERSALISTS


320


XXXVIII. TOWN-HOUSES .


XXXIX. THE ANTIPEDOBAPTISTS . XL. SCHOOLS


XLI. THE FREEWILL BAPTISTS


XLII. THE 1812 WAR


XLIII. THE SPOTTED FEVER


368


XLIV. METEOROLOGICAL 369 375


XLV. THE MILITIA :


XLVI. PAUPERS AND THE POOR FARM .


383 389


XLVII. THE MINISTERIAL FUND


XLVIII. CALVINIST BAPTISTS


394 402


XLIX. FIRST FREEWILL BAPTISTS


410


LI. WITCHES


413


LII. MASONS


418


LIII. TEMPERANCE .


422


LIV. CRANEY-HILL CHURCH


429 433


LVI. THIRD FREEWILL BAPTISTS .


.


439 446


LVIII. THE ADVENTISTS


451


LIX. THE RAILROAD


LX. FARMING .


LXI. THE REBELLION .


470


LXII. THE CONGREGATIONALISTS


489


LXIII. THE UNIVERSALISTS


495 498


LXIV. ROADS


512


LXVI. CEMETERIES


518


LXVII. INDUSTRIES


528


LXVIII. MISCELLANEOUS


563


LXIX. TOWN LOTS


663


LXX. TOWN OFFICERS GENEALOGY .


690


709


INDEX OF PERSONS


1033


GENERAL INDEX


1059


327


334 340 351 360


L. THE POUND


LV. SECOND FREEWILL BAPTISTS


LVII. THE SURPLUS REVENUE


454 462


LXV. DIVISION OF THE TOWN


LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.


PAGE.


WILLIAM LITTLE (see p. 621)


. Frontispiece


MOUNT WALLINGFORD, from Weare Center


MOUNT WILLIAM, from Mount William Pond . THE TRAVELER


11


THE DOLMEN


18


THE GREAT BOULDER . THE OLD OAK (at the south-east corner of the town) .


61


PLAN OF HALESTOWN .


65


PEASLEE'S MILL (site of the first saw-mill)


89


SARAH DEARBORN


184


HOME OF SARAH DEARBORN


MOUNT ODIORNE


MOUNT LOVELL


MOUNT CROTCHED


VIEW FROM MOUNT DEARBORN (looking south)


184 184


VIEW FROM MOUNT WALLINGFORD (looking north)


FRIENDS' NORTH MEETING-HOUSE 246


BOUNDARY LINES OF WEARE 287 298


BIRTHPLACE OF DAVID CROSS (see pp. 396 and 454) MOUNTS WILLIAM AND WALLINGFORD


298


OLIVE CROSS (see p. 805) .


THE OLD NORTH MEETING-HOUSE


298 298 298


KUNCANOWET OR DUNBARTON HILLS


298


PLAN OF THE OLD SOUTH MEETING-HOUSE


301


HIRAM SIMONS 325


GEORGE SIMONS


OUTLET OF MOUNT WILLIAM POND .


RESIDENCE OF GEORGE SIMONS


SITE OF OLD TOWN-HOUSE


OLD TOWN-HOUSE RESTORED


THE TOWN-HOUSE


332


RAYMOND CAVE ·


337


·


1


18


20


184 184 184 184


MOUNT KEARSARGE


326 331 331 331 331


x


LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.


PAGE.


NORTHI WEARE SCHOOL-HOUSE .


340


HOME OF NATHAN G. CHASE


348


SUMMER RESIDENCE OF CAROLINE CHASE TIFFANY


WHITE MOUNTAINS


MOUNT LOVELL


GREAT MONADNOCK


JOSIAH G. DEARBORN .


PHINEHAS STONE .


JONATHAN STONE .


PHINEHAS J. STONE


380


CALVINIST BAPTIST MEETING-HOUSE (East Weare)


NORTH WEARE MEETING-HOUSE


EAST WEARE FREEWILL BAPTIST MEETING-HOUSE DAVID CROSS


454 456 465 467


ABRAHAM MELVIN


JOIIN BARTLETT


OLIVER W. LULL .


JOHN L. HADLEY .


SOUTH WEARE MEETING-HOUSE


EAST WEARE .


LEWIS SIMONS


MOSES A. HODGDON


JAMES SIMONS


MOSES SAWYER


HARRISON SIMONS .


LOG CABIN


MOSES A. CARTLAND


HARRISON HOBSON


JOHN HODGDON


628 629 631 633 663


ABRAM B. STORY .


SAMUEL C. EASTMAN


ROBERT PEASLEE .


JOHN F. COLBY


THE OLD COLBY HOMESTEAD


MOUNT WILLIAM AND BARNARD HILL


HOME OF MOSES PEASLEE .


MOSES PEASLEE


783 786 967 967 967 967


MARY (JOHNSON) PEASLEE .


FALLS AT FIRST MILL SITE


967


HOME OF SAMUEL PHILBRICK


971


AMOS STONE . .


994


JONATIIAN MARSHALL .


1030


348 348


348 348 349 365 366


394 433 441


JAMES PRIEST


478 490 492 529


531 535 542 553 556 563 598


THE HISTORY OF WEARE.


ADDENDA.


REVOLUTIONARY WAR SOLDIERS.


In Vol. III, War Rolls of the Revolution, published since this history was printed, appear the names of the following soldiers who served in that war from Weare or for Weare : Jonathan Flood, Samuel Dustin (of Hales- town), John Duston, Stephen Richeson (of Hailstown ), Joseph Tucker, Moses Basford and John George. The last five were in Captain Kidder's . company, Colonel Nichols' regiment.


Parish Richardson, who in early times lived in Weare and had a famous dog case, moved to Acworth and was a soldier in the Revolution.


ERRATA.


The following errors have been discovered, which the reader is desired to turn to and correct :-


Page 3-Line 23, for " Lenoxville " read "Princeton."


" 100-Line 4, for "range three " read "range two."


" 169-Line 23, for " lot fifty-seven, range one," read " lot fifty-eight, range two."


" 300-Line 51, for "Sam -," read "Sam Waters."


" 349 - Line 45, for "Jeremiah Green " read " Abraham Green."


" 409-Line 21, for "1847 " read " 1872."


" 519- Line 6, for "range one " read "range four."


" 525- Line 21. Sarah Dow was not the first person buried in the yard. 607 -Line 2, for " Sylvester Nichols hanged himself " read " Augustus Nichols shot himself."


" 666-Lines 9 and 10, transfer "John L. Leach and Henry H. Leach," to line 9.


" 671 - Line 55, erase "Mill site, 33."


672 -Line 9, insert " Mill site, 33."


" 673-Line 16, for "John " read " James."


675 -Line 47, insert "6" before "Isaac."


676-Line 28, erase "Joseph George; 4."


679-Line 11, insert " who sold " before " fifty."


680-Line 1, for " 1741" read "1749."


680-Line 19, insert " site 8, Perry A. Eaton; 9, owned by Thomas Raymond, occupied by tenants."


" 686- Line 21, for "Patrick Brown " read " Pelatiah Brown."


" 686-Line 29, after "4" insert "Jonathan Worthley."


' 693 - Line 38, for "Jeremiah Peaslee " read "Jeremiah Philbrick."


MOUNT WALLINGFORD, FROM WEARE CENTER.


E


HISTORY OF WEARE, NEW HAMPSHIRE.


CHAPTER I.


TOPOGRAPHY AND NAMES.


WEARE * is an upland farming town, full of low mountains, high hills, sparkling ponds, winding rivers, rapid trout-brooks, and scores of musical rills.


Its latitude is 43º 4' north ; longitude, 71° 44' west.


It is in New Hampshire, county of Hillsborough, fifteen miles from Concord, the state capital, eighteen miles north-west of Manchester, and seventy miles from Boston.


The town is bounded north by Henniker and Hopkinton; east by Hopkinton, Dunbarton, and Goffstown; south by Goffstown, New Boston, and Francestown; and west by Francestown and Deering.


Its area is 36,628 acres, or more than 57 square miles ; and it has 23,392 acres of improved land. The average length of the town is over 72 miles; the breadth is 7 miles 110 rods, and it is the largest town, in territory, in the county of Hillsborough.t


Weare has four elevations called mountains, fifteen considerable hills, two rivers, more than thirty brooks which have names, three ponds, and several small "tarns."


MOUNTAINS.


MOUNT DEARBORN (1229), twelve hundred and twenty-nine feet high, has the greatest altitude. It was named by Prof. C. H. Hitch-


* The name " Weare " means an enclosed place on a river. - Sanborn's Hist. of N. H., p. 421.


tThe east line of Weare is 8 miles and 27 rods long, the west line 7 miles and 250 rods, the south 7 miles 110 rods, and the north 7 miles and 62 rods.


2


HISTORY OF WEARE, NEW HAMPSHIRE.


cock, state geologist, on his map of the state, for Hon. Josiah G. Dearborn, who owns a farm on its south slope. The summit is surrounded by woods, obscuring the view; the west side precipitous, the other sides gentle slopes, with woodlands, fertile fields, and pastures. Caleb Atwood was the first settler upon this mountain, and his buildings were the most elevated of any in town.


MOUNT WALLINGFORD (1213) is very nearly in the center of the town. It has two crests: the west one twenty-three feet the higher. It was measured by George C. Patten, surveyor, in 1883, by leveling from North Weare depot. The name, Mount Wallingford, was given it because one of the original proprietors, Thomas Walling- ford of Dover, owned the lot which included it. Breed hill is a common name for it, from Ebenezer Breed, who once owned the pastures upon it, where hundreds of sheep browse every year.


Its view is the most extensive of any in Weare. On a clear day, one can see in the south-west the woody crest of Duncan hill in Hancock; then to the west, LIST OF MOUNTAINS THAT CAN BE SEEN FROM MOUNT WALLINGFORD, AND THEIR ALTITUDES. Mount Pitcher in Stod- dard, the mountains in Antrim, and Mount Lov- Duncan hill, Hancock . 2,003 ft. ell's blue cone in Wash- Mount Pitcher, Stoddard 2,170 " Mount Willard, Antrim 1,500 " ington. North - west are Mount Tuttle, Antrim 1,700 " Sunapee's long blue ridge, Mount Robb, Antrim 1,700 " Mount Lovell, Washington 2,487 « Kearsarge's great dome, Deering hills, Deering 1,300 “ Cardigan's peak of rock, Craney hill, Henniker ,420 and Mount Carr's fir- Stewart Peak, Warner 1,808 « Mount Sunapee, Newbury 2,683 " arched bow. In the far Bald Mink hill, Warner 1,528 “ Mount Kearsarge, Warner 2,943 “ north is the great White 3,156 " Mountains cluster, Moosi- Mount Ragged, Andover 2,256 “ Mount Carr, Warren . lauke, with peak, crest, 3,522 « Moosilauke, Benton . 4,811 « and dome, - a huge mass; Mount Kinsman, Easton 4,200 “ Lafayette, sharp and Mount Lafayette, Franconia 5,259 " Mount Haystack, Franconia 4,500 " needle-like, pricking the Mount Liberty, Lincoln 4,500 " blue ; Liberty and Flume, Mount Flume, Lincoln . 4,500 " Mount Osceola, Livermore 4,400 " conical haystacks ; Sand- Mount Welch, Livermore . 3,500 " wich's dome and White- Sandwich Dome, Sandwich . 3,999 " face, Tripyramid with a Salmon mountains, Sanbornton 2,300 “ Tripyramid, Waterville 4,200 " gray slide * upon it, and


Mount Cardigan, Orange


* Made by the great rain storm Oct. 4, 1869.


3


MOUNT WALLINGFORD AND MOUNT WILLIAM.


Mount Teneriffe, Milton


Mount Washington, Coos 6,293 ft. Mount Washington, white Whiteface, Waterville 4,007 " Kancamaugus, Livermore 3,500 " and hazy, and highest of Passaconaway, Waterville 4,200 " all, seen over the middle Mount Paugus, Albany . 3,200 “ peak of the last. And Chocorua, Albany 3,540 " Ossipee, Tuftonborough 2,950 " then a troop, marching Bean hill, Northfield . Indian file to the east, . 1,515 " Mount Belknap, Gilford 2,394 " Copple Crown, Brookfield 2,100 " are Osceola, Kancamau- Great Moose mountain, Brookfield 1,404 " Mount Bald, Brookfield 1,500 " gus, Passaconaway, Pau- 1,100 " gus, and Chocorua. Os- Mount Catamount, Pittsfield 1,341 " sipee, with huge, wooded Mount Blue, Milton 1,415 " Mount Blue, Strafford 1,151 " and gnarly tops, stretches Blue Job, Farmington 1,400 " southward beyond Win- McCoy mountain, Epsom 1,590 " Mount Pawtuckaway, Nottingham 892 " nipesuakee, "the Smile of Uncanoonucs, Goffstown . 1,333 " the Great Spirit"; and Scribner hill, Goffstown 950 " Joe English, New Boston . 1,100 " Copple Crown, Great Wachusett, Lenoxville, Mass. 2,025 " Moose, and the Blue hills Piscataquog mountain, Lyndeborough 1,300 " of Strafford file away still Lyndeborough mountain, Lyndeborough 1,500 “ Temple mountain, Temple 1,755 4 further towards the south. Pack Monadnock, Peterborough . 2,289 " Pawtuckaway, with its Crotched mountain, Francestown 2,066 “ From Mount Misery can be seen trio of humps, is almost Great Monadnock, Jaffrey 3,186 " due east; the twin Unca- noonucs, south-east ; and in the broad south, Joe English, Wachusett in Massachusetts, Pis- cataquog, Temple, Pack Monadnock, and Crotched mountain with its ragged, scraggly crests.


Two cities and seven villages, with their church-spires, tall chim- neys, and white cottages, are clearly seen: Manchester, Concord, Goffstown, Dunbarton, Gilmanton, East Weare, Hopkinton, Weare Center, and North Weare.


Three ponds sparkle in the sun : Duck pond to the north, Mount William pond to the east, and Negro pond in New Boston, at the south.


This view from Mount Wallingford is as broad and grand as that from any other mountain of equal height in the state.


MOUNT WILLIAM (1158) is situated nearly due east from Mount Wallingford. It is partly wooded, has a precipitous, rocky, eastern side, and was used as a sheep pasture by Mr. Abraham Melvin. The crest is a bald ledge and looks down on Mount William pond. The view is similar to that from Mount Wallingford, but is not quite so extensive.


4


HISTORY OF WEARE, NEW HAMPSHIRE.


It is told, that Col. Robert Hale, with a party of explorers and surveyors, was traveling up the Piscataquog about the year 1735. From an open meadow by the river they saw before them this mountain, and by mutual consent they called it Mount William, for Capt. William Raymond, their townsman, who led a company of soldiers to Canada in 1690, to fight the French and Indians.


Some claim that the name comes from a Mr. Williams, a "squatter," who built his cabin upon its side some time in the last century.


A dim tradition gives the name another origin : that, in early times, "a man on horseback " was journeying by the mountain, ac- companied by an Indian guide on foot named William. The latter was very tired, and the gentleman, pitying him, told him to get up behind and ride, saying, "Mount, William "; whence the name Mount William, - a somewhat improbable story,* which any one can believe, or not, just as he pleases. Mount William appears on Carrigain's map of New Hampshire (1816), from surveys made in 1805.


MOUNT MISERY (1000) is in the south-west part of the town. Its top is covered with a large growth of trees, which do not hide the view. Great Monadnock and other mountains to the west loom up grandly from it. Hodgdon meadow is at its northern base, Ferrin pond at its western foot, and on its southern slope are some of the finest farms in town.


Mr. Andrew Philbrick, who died at the age of eighty years, said it was so called because, when the surveyors were first laying out the lots, one of the men was taken sick and died on the mountain in great misery.


There are those who dispute this origin of the name, and Mr. Jesse Nichols tells how one of the first settlers, who often got tipsy and was terribly lazy, having frequently to cross this mountain in the hot summer, would sit down on nearly every stone he came to, "mop his forehead," and exclaim, "Oh, misery!" And from this the name.


There is another tradition, but, as yet, we have found no one to vouch for it : that the surveyors found it very rough and rocky, and one of them, in agony, cried out, "Oh, misery ! "


A fourth origin for the name is, that there is a Mount Misery in


* Zephaniah Breed said the story was told him by an old lady who died many years ago.


5


THE HILLS OF WEARE.


Hampstead, near the north line of Plaistow .* Some of Weare's settlers came from that section, brought the name along with them, and applied it to this mountain.


The reader can take his choice of these legends, or find another to suit him better.


HILLS.


The fifteen hills of Weare are, with a few exceptions, situated . near the borders of the town. Commencing at the south-east part, near Oil Mill, we have first the


KUNCANOWET HILLS (1129) ; t a long ridge with many crests, which are in Dunbarton, but whose western slope extends into Weare and forms the eastern boundary of the Piscataquog valley. The name# is of Indian origin, from "kunnaway" (a bear), "wadchu" (a mountain), and "et " (a place) ; meaning " the mountain place of the bear." The hills are mostly wooded, but have some farms upon them.




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