USA > New Hampshire > Hillsborough County > Greenfield > A brief history of Greenfield, New Hampshire, 1791-1941 > Part 3
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In the northwest part of the town in remote pasture land belonging to Harry Dorr are the graves of two Butterfield children. The spot is less than half a mile from the Isaac Butterfield door stone and cellar hole but no road ever led to it. The graves were marked by field stones but frosts of upward of a century and a half and the encroaching forest have altered their positions and embedded them until they appear a natural part of the terrain. After Isaac Butterfield moved to Frances- town previous to 1790, his brother Samuel lived in the vicinity at least twenty years, perhaps occupying the same house. It is unknown to which family the children belonged. A contagious disease was re-
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sponsible for their early death and lonely burial.
On the land of Amos Whittemore, ground was set aside for a family cemetery which was also used by neighboring families. Fully half the graves here are marked only by field stones. The earliest dated stone is that of Abraham Burnam who died March 14, 1780. Major Amos Whit- temore, one of the three first settlers of Greenfield, lies buried here within sight of the house he built. This Whittemore cemetery was never a public burying ground but within recent years the town has assumed the care of it.
A short distance west of the home of George Shea is a small private cemetery containing eight graves of members of the Knight and Shea families. The earliest date of interment is 1886.
The land back of the meeting house, set aside in 1796 by the town, was used as a burying ground until no new lots were available. The in- inscription of the earliest marked stone is as follows: "In memory of Mrs. Eunice Pollard, wife of Mr. Benjamin Pollard, Jr., who departed this life, May 2, 1794 in the 26th year of her age,
Retire my friends, dry up your tears
I shall arise when Christ appears."
A number of graves are marked by field stones. The receiving tomb was built by the town in 1866.
In 1878, when it was no longer possible to enlarge the old cemetery north of the church, land was purchased by the town one mile east of the village, near Zephyr Lake and designated as Greenvale Cemetery. The plot contained eight acres laid out in lots and was enclosed by a picket fence. The first interment was that of Benjamin Hardy in 1879. The wrought iron entrance gates and laid granite walls erected in 1923 are the generous gift of the late William Whittemore in memory of his father and mother, George and Elizabeth Whittemore. The cement driveway was the gift of the late Emma Gipson in memory of her broth- er, William Whittemore. The cemetery was enlarged in 1934 under the Civil Works Administration program. The town was required to furnish only the materials and equipment. The granite wall was extended the length of the addition through the generosity of the late Emma Gipson.
ROADS
The first road into Greenfield came between Winn and Rose Moun- tains from Lyndeboro, down past the present Dwight Sayles place and ran as it is travelled today. Another very early road led from Lyndeboro to Peterborough, entering Greenfield south of a tributary of Stoney Brook and leading over the shoulder of North Pack Monadnock past the Atwood place.
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At the time the town was incorporated in 1791, many of the roads familiar to us now were in use though in a primitive state. In addition a network of crude roads, some of which were further developed and some soon abandoned, led to the scattered farms and outlying districts. Early town records refer repeatedly to roads being laid out to accommo- date some isolated farm or abandoned as the population shifted. Many of these roads have disappeared completely while others may be traced by the bordering stone walls or an occasional stone culvert.
The road from Greenfield village to Bennington originally followed a wandering course past Cragin's house and Boyle's house at Sunset Lake, following for the most part a slightly more easterly course than now. The present road was opened and the old one discontinued in 1831.
Greenfield was on the direct line of travel from northern points and Vermont to Nashua. The need was felt for a road suitable to accommo- date teams heavily loaded with freight and for a stage line. After con- siderable controversy the Forest Road was laid out through Hancock, Greenfield, and Lyndeboro, thus connecting Charlestown with Nashua. In 1832 the Greenfield section of the road was built and the first stage line established. A stage line was operated until the advent of the rail- road in 1874.
In 1861 the Gulf Road, as it now runs, was opened and the older road discontinued. The latter, after passing Clarence Lowe's house, ran further north than at present along the ridge, past the site of the old Dane place and other farms long gone, coming out on the present road in the Foss neighborhood. The shortest route to Peterborough from Green- field village was by way of the Slip Road, to the Gulf Road, and thence to Peterborough. An early road to Francestown which has long been abandoned, led past the south shore of Sunset Lake, across pasture land once dotted by farms, to Alice Davis' present home, thence on to Fran- cestown.
A common route travelled in 1830 from Francestown to Bennington and Antrim entered Greenfield on the east side of Russell Hill and led across the northeast corner of the town. It passed directly in front of the home of the late Frank Russell and continued in a northwesterly direction past what is known as the Mark Rogers place, over roads and past farms long abandoned, until it reached the present Greenfield- Bennington state road.
In 1885 a road was built beginning at the four corners in South Greenfield and running northeast/to the Greenfield-Lyndeboro-Frances- town corner near Edward P. Holt's present home. The purpose of the road was to furnish a more direct route over which the farmers could bring their milk to the railroad station for shipment.
to last four corners Remainder built 1855
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BRIDGES
At the time the town was incorporated in 1791, there was a bridge across the Contoocook River just below the bend, downstream (north) from the present covered bridge. In 1810 after a long controversy with the town of Hancock, a new bridge called the County Bridge was built. The road leading to this bridge may still be easily followed beginning near Lawrence N. Flynn's house and continuing to the river. In 1852 we joined with Hancock in building the first covered bridge on the site of the present one. The old covered bridge was said to be one of the last built in the state. During the disastrous flood of March 1936 the old bridge was damaged beyond repair. The State Highway Depart- ment heeded the petitions of interested parties and a new covered bridge was constructed, as nearly as was practical a replica of the orig- inal one. It was built as a Federal Emergency Relief Administration project.
About a mile up stream above the covered bridge was the Dennis Bridge named for the Dennis family who settled nearby on the Hancock side of the river in 1784. In 1800 Greenfield joined with Hancock in re- pairing this bridge. There is no surviving record of just what kind of bridge this was but it was probably of the simple log stringer type. In 1863 a wooden truss bridge with high boxed-in sides was built. The iron truss bridge which spans the river today was built in 1906.
TAVERNS AND HOTELS
It should be understood that the early taverns were not inns in the modern sense of the word. They were the homes of the innkeepers where weary travelers could put up their horses over night and they themselves could use their own blankets and sleep on the common room floor.
John Savage lived and kept a tavern, said to be the earliest in town, on the Mountain Road leading into Lyndeboro above the present Dwight Sayles place. John Savage was a tithing man and was appointed to pro- hibit travel over this road on the Sabbath.
It is believed that another early tavern was kept at the house now owned by Alden Foss on the Slip Road about two miles south of the village.
For nearly a century there was a tavern on the site of Mrs. Perley Russell's home. Nothing is known of the first tavern occupying the spot other than that it burned previous to 1824. An ell was not destroyed and became a part of the succeeding tavern. John Carkin opened the second tavern in 1824. In 1881 one of his successors, H. H. Duncklee, sold the inn to J. D. Emerson, who was a conductor on the Boston and Maine Railroad, and who remodeled the building inside and out. The
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THE MAYFIELD HOUSE.
old ell was moved away and stands today on the road to the grain mill. It is occupied by Octavis Marquis and owned by the late Frank Shea. The hotel was now called "The Mayfield House." It enjoyed prosperity and was a popular resort for summer boarders until a disastrous fire burned it to the ground in January 1896. The barn was not destroyed and stands today a landmark on the village street.
After the Mayfield House was burned John D. Emerson, the last proprietor, built a new hotel near Otter Lake. In the intervening years it has seen several owners and been used for a period as a summer home. It is now once more open in summer as Hollywood Lodge and run by John Petersen.
Between 1870 and 1880 George H. Putnam built for a hotel the structure just south of Hopkins Brothers and Belcher's store. He car- ried on the establishment until his death in 1914. Mrs. Putnam con- tinued to take transient lodgers until 1920. Mr. Putnam kept a livery stable in connection with the hotel.
Joseph Boyle bought the old Jaquith place at Sunset Lake, re- modelled it and ran it as Boylehurst Inn during the summer from 1913 to 1916.
Miss Nellie Maher, the late Misses Mary, Margaret, and Katherine Maher opened their home on the Slip Road as an inn in 1915. The old- er house was burned to the ground in 1935 but the Misses Maher re- built. Miss Nellie Maher continues to run the house as Checkerboard Farm.
During the period from 1890 to the early 1900's many city people came to Greenfield to spend their vacations with families who made a business of caring for summer boarders. In 1892 two roads, one from the Greenfield-Hancock road and one from the Greenfield-Bennington road, were constructed leading into Otter Lake Park in order to develop
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it into a summer resort. George S. and Charles F. Peavey were the owners of the property and the prime movers in the enterprise. Many tents were erected, cottages, a dance pavilion, and a band stand were built. Ambitious plans were made to further develop the park until it should become the equal of any resort in the state. Preaching was held here each Sunday afternoon, well attended by people from all the sur- rounding towns. Sunday school groups from many places made Otter Lake the object of a pleasant day's journey. In 1897 George Joslin of Bennington put a steamer on the lake and leased the cafe and a por- tion of the grounds. Although the plans made were never realized, the park was popular as a picnic grounds and vacation spot for many years.
SCHOOLS
As soon as possible after Greenfield was incorporated, a school sys- tem was established. In 1792 a committee was appointed to divide the town into seven districts and thirty pounds was raised for the support of schools. Before schoolhouses could be built, school was kept in the homes or barns. As the town grew, four more districts were added. The money raised was apportioned according to the assessed valuation of each district. The town appointed as superintendent one citizen whose duty it was to visit and inspect the schools, examine and certify the teachers, select the textbooks, and make to the town an annual report of the condition of the schools. Aside from this superintendent, each district was a unit in itself. The residents of the individual districts held separate school meetings, elected prudential committees which hired the teachers, arranged for their board, provided fuel, kept the schoolhouse in repair, and were responsible for the economical expendi- ture of all moneys. Two terms, varying from six to twelve weeks were usually kept, one in summer and one in winter, or, more properly in late fall and in late spring. Often all districts did not keep school both terms owing to lack of funds.
District Number One embraced the Russell neighborhood in South Greenfield. The dilapidated school building still standing near the rail- road tracks was built in 1867 by William L. Savage. School was kept here until 1920. This schoolhouse was used as a community center for some years. Church services and Sunday School were held here inter- mittently from 1897 to 1911. The people of the neighborhood enjoyed social gatherings and held suppers in the building during the same period.
There had been a previous schoolhouse on the same spot. One who had taught here in her earlier years described the interior of the older schoolhouse as arranged with the scholars' benches in "boat form," that is, two rows of seats set at an angle to each other and on an incline with
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the highest at the back. The stove was in the center front. A seat for the bad boys was near the teacher's desk.
The schoolhouse in District Number Two was on a road, now abandoned, to the west of the Friedrich place. It was known in that part of the town as "The White Schoolhouse." School was kept here regularly until 1885.
Number Three was the village district. The present schoolhouse was built in 1885 at a cost of $4500. The older schoolhouse had been moved from the site to a location on the Bennington road. It was re- modeled and is now occupied by Thomas Burke.
The District Number Four schoolhouse was beside a road, now no longer in use, near the Greenfield-Bennington town line. Nahum Rus- sell, Jr., father of the late Frank Russell, built the schoolhouse and his son attended here. Bennington, after its incorporation in 1842, joined with Greenfield in the support of the school. After 1878 Greenfield re- linquished its supervision but continued to aid in its support, when there were Greenfield pupils to attend, up to 1885.
The old District Number Five schoolhouse still stands by the road near Larry W. Flynn's house. School was kept here until the new schoolhouse was built on the Bennington-Peterborough road near Law- rence N. Flynn's in 1912.
The schoolhouse in the Sixth District was known as the "Blunt Schoolhouse." It was located on the old Gulf Road, a short distance south of Alden Foss' summer home. Reports on this school cease after 1870.
The old "Red Schoolhouse" of District Number Seven, also known as the "Jake Savage Schoolhouse," was located a considerable distance west of the Sundine place (formerly Elijah Clover farm) on a road now discontinued. No school was kept here after 1893.
District School Number Eight was located in the west part of the town between the so-called Foote house and the place now owned by Normand Cleaveland (John Robertson farm). The school building was moved here from an earlier location on an old road leading up the hill from the Foote place. This was the "Horace Greeley Schoolhouse" so- called because Horace Greeley attended the school for one term. He was spending the winter with his aunt, Mrs. Douglas Robinson, who lived about a mile away beside the river. In 1866 the district joined with District Number Five and the Number Eight schoolhouse was abandoned.
District Number Nine was in the west part of the town on the road leading to the iron bridge over the Contoocook River. There were two schoolhouses in succession here. No school was kept after 1870.
The schoolhouse in District Number Ten was located on the corner
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south of the Conant house. The seats for the pupils were in four rows arranged in steps, the highest at the back. It was the last schoolhouse in town to be heated by a fireplace. The children went across the road to the Abbott place (now owned by Arthur Varnum) to get drinking water. School was kept here until 1885. The building was eventually moved to a spot on the plains on the Greenfield-Bennington road and is now a summer cottage owned by R. H. Hartigan of East Boston, Massa- chusetts.
District Number Eleven was on the road which passes over the shoulder of North Pack Monadnock about a half mile above the Harry Atwood place. In 1857 when the last term of school was taught here the teacher and all the scholars were members of the Luke Felch fam- ily. The district was joined to District Number Six.
In 1885, to conform with new state laws, the old district school sys- tem was abolished. In place of the superintendent and the separate prudential committees for each district, one committee of three mem- bers was elected, as at present, to administer the schools of the town. The town was divided into four parts (still called districts for the sake of convenience): the Village District; the South District, using the schoolhouse at South Greenfield; the West District, using the old Num- ber Five schoolhouse until 1912 when the new schoolhouse was built on the Bennington-Peterborough road near Lawrence N. Flynn's house; the East District, using alternately Number Two and Number Seven schoolhouses. In a few years the schoolhouse in the old District Num- ber Two was abandoned and Number Seven was used exclusively until a new schoolhouse for this district was built in 1893 at a cost of $660. It has now been remodeled and is the "Red Schoolhouse" owned by Ellwood Whitcomb.
Only two terms of school were kept in any of the districts until 1893 when the village district began to keep three terms. Three terms began to be taught regularly in the three outlying districts in 1908. In 1920 the four school districts were consolidated into one. The children were transported at the town's expense to the village school.
During the middle 1800's a term of so-called "high school" was some- times taught in the village after the close of the regular winter term. It was for the pupils who wished to further their education beyond the regular schooling offered. Attendance at the high school terms prepared the young people for teaching.
In 1919 the New Hampshire school laws were rewritten; the schools throughout the state were standardized, the school year extended to thirty-six weeks, and it became compulsory for every town to employ and contribute toward the salary of a superintendent appointed by the state.
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Horace Cudworth, who was an unusually fine penman, conducted a writing school at his home during the winter for a few years in the 1880's.
At about the same period a singing school was also held for those of all ages who wished to attend.
EARLY INDUSTRIES
The first business transactions in Greenfield involved materials at hand or those which could be grown. In 1793 Ephraim Holt raised a large crop of rye on newly cleared land in the south part of the town. He hauled the rye by ox-team to Salem, Massachusetts, where he sold it for enough money to pay for his land. During the long winters he and his neighbors fashioned boat oars which were also carried to Salem and provided a source of income. Philip Fletcher and Gates Perry, his brother-in-law and neighbor, as well as others, split and shaved pine shingles which were then carried to market.
Another early industry was the raising of hops. Philip Fletcher was one of the first settlers who raised a sufficiently large crop to warrant carrying to Boston. In 1796 on a return trip he brought home the rum used at the raising of the meeting house. Hop raising became one of the principal cash crops and remained so until the 1860's. A few hop vines have been found within recent years on Russell Hill, indicating the loca- tion of the Butman hop yard.
TANNERIES
There were two tanneries in the town during the early years. One was located at the site of Fred Brooks' house. The other was run by Jesse Cudworth near his home a short distance beyond the present Zillessen place.
BRICK YARD
A brick yard was once located east of the point where the state road crosses the Greenfield-Peterborough town line. Very little information concerning it survives.
FULLING MILL
From 1820 to 1823 Isaac Cobbett operated a fulling mill for the finishing of the woolen cloth woven by the busy housewives. This mill was located on the South Brook in the meadow west of the freight house. Isaac Cobbett was succeeded by a Mr. Locke but owing to the diminishing water supply, the operation of the mill was soon discon- tinued.
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SAWMILLS
The brooks of Greenfield furnished water power for a number of old-time mills. The custom was to throw a dam across the stream and set up a water wheel. Means of power transmission was arranged whereby an "up-and-down" saw could be run for sawing lumber or mill stones could be turned for grinding grist. In spite of the fact that the mills ran slowly and could be run only during high water, they furnished sufficient milling facilities for the needs of the community.
The first sawmill in Greenfield was built about 1792 by Jeremiah Baldwin. The mill site was on the Alexander Brook between the Green- field-Bennington state road and Otter Lake. It was reached by a road across the plains. Lumber for the old frame houses on Russell Hill was sawed at this mill. Nothing now remains of the dam or the foundations except a few inconspicuous stones. The spot is very difficult to reach owing to the heavy growth of alder up-stream and the marsh land down-stream.
The first grist mill was operated by Peter Peavey on the brook near the outlet of Zephyr Lake. A road led to it from near the house now owned by Charles Chase. Until this mill was established, it was neces- sary for the settlers to carry their grain to other towns to be ground. Lumber was also sawed here. Traces of the dam and foundations may still be seen.
Another early sawmill was located on the same brook nearer Zephyr Lake and run by a Blaisdell. No evidence remains of it.
There were two mills on Contoocook River. One, a grist mill, was owned by Douglas Robinson and was at the point where the railroad bridge now spans the river. The owner lived near by. The other mill was located a short distance upstream from the covered bridge but the details concerning it are now unknown.
A stream of considerable proportion is crossed by the road leading past the "Red Schoolhouse," so-called, owned by Ellwood Whitcomb. A short distance up the stream are the ruins of a shingle and sawmill, known as the Savage and Grimes mill. It was destroyed by fire about 1860. The remaining stone work of the foundation and dam indicate that this was the largest of the old sawmills in town.
The last old "up-and-down" sawmill to be run by water power was located on the stream below Fred Warren's present house. The mill, like. most of the others, could be used a few weeks only during the year when the water was high. The owner, James Sawyer, lived in an old house on the site of Eugene Muzzey's home.
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Blacksmith Shop-Now Cragin's Garage
STEAM MILLS
On the north side of the road leading to the railroad station is the site of a steam mill. It was built by a stock company made up of citi- zens who felt the need of a saw and grist mill in the village. The mill was operated by Stephen Holt, Jr., with Silas B. Winn as engineer. Owing to the expense of operation the business did not prosper even though much sawing and grinding was done. In 1851 the structure was destroyed by fire. On this same spot Albert and Woodbury Hopkins built another steam mill which was run for a few years and then sold. This second mill was burned in 1883. George F. Russell then purchased the land and erected a third steam mill on the site. In 1885 the second story of the building was leased by a box company from Marlboro with Mason White as manager. The company continued the business ap- proximately ten years after which they were succeeded by several other box companies. The last box manufacturer was J. A. Thompson of Lowell. After a year for lack of adequate space the business was moved to a part of the building previously used by the Union Soapstone Com- pany and now occupied by E. C. & W. L. Hopkins' grain business. In 1903 the box company moved to Lowell.
In the woods west of George W. Putnam's house may be seen traces of a steam mill which was in operation in 1858 and was run by John Gregg. Few facts concerning it have been ascertained.
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BLACKSMITHS
One of the first blacksmith shops in Greenfield was in the oldest part of the building now Cragin's Garage. Here Cyrus Richardson car- ried on his trade many years until his death in 1861. It is probable that his father, Jacob, established the business before him because he had been a blacksmith in Milford previous to coming to Greenfield in 1798. The Richardson homestead was the building now occupied by Thomas Coughlan. Cyrus Richardson sold his business to George Far- rar. Two generations of the Brooks family, James and his son, Frank, were blacksmiths and carried on their trade in a shop close to the road on the home place now owned by Arthur Dunn. In 1865 at the time George Farrar removed to Peterborough, Frank Brooks bought Farrar's blacksmith shop in the village. Charles Cragin bought the property in 1898. Other blacksmiths have plied their trade in town for shorter periods of time.
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