A gazetteer of the state of New-Hampshire by John Farmer and Jacob B. Moore ; embellished with an accurate map of the state, and several other engravings by Abel Bowen, Part 21

Author: Farmer, John, 1789-1838. cn; Moore, Jacob Bailey, 1797-1853. cn
Publication date: 1823
Publisher: Concord : J. B. Moore
Number of Pages: 318


USA > New Hampshire > A gazetteer of the state of New-Hampshire by John Farmer and Jacob B. Moore ; embellished with an accurate map of the state, and several other engravings by Abel Bowen > Part 21


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 (link on the Part 1 page).


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patronage of the government of D.|| ciety were formed in 1820. Pop. College, which was at considerable 654. expense in building mills, opening roads and clearing lands, when, by the decision of the proper tribunal, this institution was compelled to. a- bandon all their improvements .- Subsequent grants to the college, however, in some measure made up their loss. A baptist church was formed here in 1788. There are freewill and methodist societies, which have occasional preaching. Pop. 769.


LANGDON, post-township, Chesh- ire co., in lat. 43º 10', is bounded N. by Charlestown, E. by Acworth, S. by Alstead and Walpole, W. by Walpole and Charlestown, contain- ing 9,891 acres. It is 17 miles from Keene, 50 from Concord. The prin- cipal village is 3 miles E. from Con- necticut river, and 6 from Bellows Falls. The soil here is adapted to grain of various kinds, and flax .- The agricultural products in 1820, were 12,000 lbs. butter, 16,000 lbs. cheese, 46,000 lbs. beef, 65,000 lbs. pork, 6,200 lbs. flax, with 337 bbls. cider. Cheshire turnpike, leading from Charlestown to Keene, passes through Langdon. A considerable branch of Cold river passes S. W. through the whole extent of this town, and unites with the main branch near the S. line. Langdon, named in honor of the late Gov. Langdon, was incorporated Jan. 11, 1787. Its settlement commenced by Seth Walker, in 1773; Nathan- iel Rice and Jonathan Willard, in 1774. A congregational church was formed Nov. 8, 1792 ; and a univer- sal church April 5, 1805, over which Rev. Abner Kneeland was ordain- ed Oct. 30, 1805 ; dismissed in 1810. In 1817, Rev. Robert Bartlett com- menced preaching in this place. A new congregational church and so-


LEBANON, post town, in Grafton county, on Connecticut river, in lat. 43º 38', is bounded N. by Hanover, E. by Enfield, S. by Plainfield, W. by Hartford, Vt. containing 23,000 acres. It is 4 miles S. of Dartm. College, 49 from Concord, 90 from Portsmouth, and 110 from Boston. Besides the Connecticut on its W. border, this town is watered by Mascomy river, running from E. to W. through its centre, and afford- ing many valuable mill seats and a constant supply of water. Over this river, the 4th N. H. turnpike corpo- ration supports 5 bridges, and the town 4. The soil here is alluvial. The intervals on the Connecticut extend back from the river about half a mile. There are meadows or intervals on Mascomy river. To these succeed a border of white pine and oak. The next division is sugar maple, birch, beech, bass, ash, hemlock, &c. The mountain ash is found in almost all the hilly parts of the town. The principal village is situated on a plain near the cen- tral part, at the head of the falls of Mascomy river. It contains be- tween 40 and 50 families, has a meeting-house, 2 school-houses, 3 stores, 2 taverns, and a number of mechanics. There is a social libra- ry containing upwards of 300 vols. The Croydon turnpike intersects the 4th N. H. turnpike in this village. The former runs S. E .; the latter from E. to W. There are falls in the Connecticut in this town, which have been locked and canalled by a company, called the White River Company. Lyman's bridge con- nects this town with Hartford, Vt. A medicinal spring has lately been discovered. A lead mine has been opened, and there has been lately found on Enfield line, near the out-


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let of the Great pond, a vein of iron gand 6 over Oyster rivers. The N. ore, composed of the magnetic ox- ide, mixed with the pyrites. Leba- non was granted July 4, 1761, to 62 proprietors, belonging to Norwich, Mansfield and Lebanon, Conn. The first settlers were William Downer, William Dana, Levi Hyde, Charles Hill, Silas Waterman, Nathaniel Porter, from the towns just men- tioned. It was the first town set- tled on Connecticut river to the N. of Charlestown. The first settlers were a hardy,brave people, tenacious of their principles ; many of them were men of strong minds, good habits, correct principles, and good common education. A congrega- tional church was formed in 1771. Rev. Isaiah Potter was installed in 1772, and died in 1817. A baptist church was formed in 1782 by Rev. Jedidiah Hibbard. A universalist society was formed in 1813. Thom- as Waterman, Esq., now a resident in town, was the first male child born in Lebanon. Pop. 1700.


LEE, post-town, in the S. part ol Strafford county, is in lat. 43º 7,' and bounded N. by Madbury, E. by Durham, S. by New-Market and Epping, W. by Nottingham and Barrington, and comprises an area of 11,625 acres, 300 of which are water. In the N. part of the town lies Wheelwright's pond, contain- ing about 165 acres, and forming the principal source of Oyster river. This pond is remarkable for the sea or white perch formerly taken here by angling in large quantities, weighing 2 and 3 lbs. From the N. E. extremity of Epping, Lamprey river enters Lee,and aftera serpen- tine course of about 7 miles, it pas- ses into Durham. Other parts of he town are watered by Little, North, and Oyster rivers. There are in Lee 3 bridges over Lamprey river, 3 over Little, 2 over North,


H. turnpike from Portsmouth to Concord, passes over the N. part of the town ; and there are 40 miles, 300 rods of public highway, mostly in good repair, supported by the in- habitants. Here is a woollen fac- tory, besides other mills and ma- chinery ; also a social library in- corporated in 1814, containing a- bout 100 volumes. The freewill baptists and friends have each a


meeting-house. The first settled minister was Rev.Samuel Hutchins. Elders Elias Smith and Richard Martin, preached here subsequent- ly ; and Eld. John Osborne, is the present pastor. Lee was originally a part of Durham, and was incor- porated Jan. 16, 1766. Pop. 1224


LEMPSTER, post-township in Cheshire county,in lat. 43º, 14', is bounded N. by Unity, E. by Goshen and Washington, S. by Marlow and W. by Acworth, containing 21,410 acres. It is 40 miles from Concord and 90 from Boston. The surface is, in general, uneven, and the eastern part is mountainous, it being the W. border of the height of land between Merrimack and Connecticut rivers. The soil is moist-and better suited for grass than for grain. The agricultural products in 1820 were 16,000 1hs. of butter, 25,000 lbs. of cheese, 55,000 lbs. of beef, 61,000 lbs. of pork, 2100 lbs. of flax, and 220 barrels of cider. The town is well watered, although its streams are small. One branch of Sugar river, and the S. and W. branches of Cold river afford conveniences for water ma- chinery. Near the W. boundary line is a pond 320 rods long and 80 wide. Sand pond lies in this town and Marlow. It is 420 rods long, and 70 wide. Dodge's pond, near the centre of Lempster, contains about 50 acres. There is a factory


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for dressing cloth, one of the best|| gational society. There is a social in the county, which dresses about 8000 yards of cloth annually, Here is a social library, containing about 300 volumes. Lempster was grant- ed by charter, October 5, 1761, to Richard Sparrow and 61 others. It was settled about 1770, by emi- grants from Connecticut. A con- gregational church was gathered in Nov. 1761, in which there have been 173 admissions and 614 bap- tisms. Rev. Elias Fisher was or- dained Sept. 26, 1787. There is a methodist society of about 30 mem- bers. Pop. 950.


LIME, a post township, Grafton co.,in lat. 43º 48', is bounded N. by Orford, E. by Dorchester, S. by Hanover, W. by Thetford, Vt. con- taining 28,500 acres. It is 6 miles S. from Orford, and 54 miles from Concord. The soil here is similar to that of other towns on Connecti- cut river, with this difference, that there is a less proportion of inter- val, and a less difference between that directly adjoining the river and the other parts of the town. There are three small streams pas- sing through Lime and emptying into Connecticut river. There are two small ponds, the largest of which is called Ports pond, lying W. of the turnpike and about one mile N. of the meeting-house .- There is a mountain, called Smart's mountain, lying in the N. E. part of the town. Near the centre of Lime is the town-house, a large building, in which public business is transacted. There are 2 meeting houses, the. congregational, built in 1811, at an expense of $6000, ex- clusive of the bell, weighing 13 cwt. -the baptist, which is situated on the turnpike leading through this town, and is 2 miles above the cen- tre village. There is a handsome parsonage belonging to the congre.


library of 300 volumes, incorporat-, ed in Dec. 1797. The annual, num- ber of deaths for 20 years past has varied from 12 to 32-average 20 per annum. Lime was granted by, charter, July 8, 1761, to Theodore Atkinson and others. It was settled May 20, 1764, by Walter Fairfield, John and William Sloan and others from Connecticut. It received its name from Lyme in that state. The difference of orthography is owing to the mis-spelling of the name in the charter. The congregational church was formed in 1772. Rev. William Conant was ordained in Dec. 1773; died March 8, 1810, aged 67. Rev, Nathl. Lambert was installed Jan. 1811 ; dismissed Septem. 6, 1820. Rev. Baxter Perry was ordained Jan. 1821. There are 163 commu- nicants, of whom 78 were added to the church in one year. There is a baptist church which was formed in 1810. Capt. John Sloan and his wife, about 90 years of age each, were living in 1822. Hon. JONA- THAN FRANKLIN, who has been a member of the council and rep- resentative in the legislature, has resided in this town 46 years. Pop. 1824.


LINCOLN, a mountainous town- ship in Grafton county, lat. 44º 4', is bounded N. by Franconia, S. by Peeling, E. by Thornton and un- granted lands, W. by Landaff, con- taining 32,456 acres, and is 70 miles N. from Concord. The middle branch of the Pemigewasset passes through nearly the centre of the town. It has its source in Ferrin's pond, in the S. part of Franconia. There are several ponds, viz. Bog, Fish and Loon ponds. There are many elevations, of which Kins- man's mountain is the most consid- erable. In the N. part of the town are two large gulfs, made by an ex-


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traordinary discharge of water from|| the Indian name of Natticott, and the clouds in 1774. The numerous " slips," as they are called, from the mountain are worthy of no- tice. They commence near the summit of the mountain, and pro- ceed to its base, forcing a passage through all obstructions. The soil here in many parts is unfit for cul- tivation. The vegetable produc- tions are often injured or destroyed by frosts. Wild animals, such as bears, racoons, foxes, sables, otters, deer, &c. are very numerous. Lin- coln was granted Jan. 31, 1764, to James Avery and others ; but its settlement did not commence till several years after the revolution. Instead of increasing, it rather de- creases in population, and has but 20 or 30 inhabitants.


LITCHFIELD, in Hillsborough county, a small fertile township on the E. bank of Merrimack river, in lat. 42° 50', is bounded E. by Lon- donderry and Nottingham-West, S. by Nottingham-West, W. by Mer- rimack river,containing 8426 acres. It is 8 miles from Amherst, and 30 from Concord. This town has an excellent soil, and produces in great abundance wheat, rye, corn, oats, &c. Its original growth of forest trees was oak, elm, birch, butternut, walnut, bass, thornbush, and some pine. Large quantities of lumber have been transported down the Merrimack to Newburyport, or through the Middlesex canal to Boston. There are two ferries, Thornton's, near the meeting-house, on the post road from Amherst to Portsmouth ; and Read's, 3 miles a- bove. Here are 3 school districts ; and a social library, containing 150 volumes. Litchfield was taken from Dunstable and incorporated by the government of Mass. in 1734. It was chartered by N. H., June 5th, 1749. It was originally known byl boats in safety. There are 3 bridges


by the English one of Brenton's Farm, being granted by the general court of Massachusetts as early as 1656. The settlement commenced about 1720, by a few families from Billerica. Some of the early set- tlers were from Chelmsford. The congregational church was gather- ed, and Rev. Joshua Tufts ordained in 1741 ; he was dismissed in 1744. Rev. Samuel Cotton, from Newton, was ordained in Feb. 1765 ; dismis- sed in 1784 ; died at Claremont in 1819. A church was formed in the presbyterian order in 1809, and Rev. Nathaniel Kennedy was set- led April 12. He was dismissed in April, 1812. Rev. Enoch Pilsbury was ordained Oct. 25, 1815 ; died Feb. 15, 1818, aged 30. The Hon. WYSEMAN CLAGETT closed his life in this town. He was a native of England, came to this country before the revolution commenced, and sustained several important of- fices. He was attorney general un- der the provincial and state govern- ments, and filled the office with dig- nity and honor. Pop. 465.


LITTLE-HARBOR. See Ports- mouth.


LITTLETON, post township, in Grafton county, on Connecticut ri- ver, lat. 44º 15', is bounded N. W. by Concord and Waterford, Vt., N. E. by Dalton, S. E. by Bethlehem, S. W. by Lyman, containing 26,000 acres. Its extent on Connecticut river is about 14 miles. It is 18 miles from Lancaster, 39 from Ply- mouth, 30 from Haverhill Corner, and 100 from Concord. Connecti- cut river, in passing down the rap- ids called Fifteen-Mile falls, ex- tending the whole length of Little- ton, runs in foaming waves for miles together, which render it im- possible to ascend or descend with


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over the Connecticut in Littleton. Amonoosuck river waters the S. part, having on its banks small tracts of excellent interval. There is a pleasant village on this river in the S. part of the town. (See Glyn- ville ) There is but one pond, situ- ated on the S. W. line and partly in Lyman, called Partridge pond. Raspberry, Black,Palmer's and Iron mountains are the most prominent elevations. They are covered prin- cipally with sugar maple, beech, birch, bass, white ash, and in some places intermixed with red oak. Hemlock abounds in the S. W. part. Near Amonoosuck river, there is a mineral spring, the water of which is said to be similar to the Congress spring at Saratoga. The land com- prehending Littleton was first grant- ed Nov. 17, 1764, by the name of Chiswick. It was re-granted Jan. 18, 1770, by the name of Apthorp, and contained by admeasurement 40,850 acres, including the territory now composing Dalton. Nov. 4, 1784, Apthorp was divided, and the towns of Littleton and Dalton in- corporated. The first settlement was made about 50 years since by Capt. Nathan Caswell, who was in 1822 living in Canada. The first child born in town was his son,who was named Apthorp. The congre- gational church was formed in 1803. Pop. 1096.


LONDONDERRY, post-township in Rockinghain county, adjoining the E. line of the county of Hills- borough, is in lat. 42º 53', and boun- ded on the N. by Chester and Man- chester, W. by Manchester, Litch- field, and Nottingham-West, S. by Nottingham-West, Windham, and Salem, and E. by Atkinson, Hampstead, and Sandown. It orig- inally contained 64,000 acres, of which 20,000 are now included in the towns of Windham, Salem,


|Nottingham-West, and Manches- ter. A small but flourishing vil- lage is situated near the centre of the town on the Londonderry turn- pike, at the intersection of the northern and southern, eastern and western mail routes. This village is 15 miles N. W. from Haverhill, Mass. 35 from Portsmouth, 38 N. W. from Boston, and 25 S. E. from Concord. The most considerable stream in this town is Beaver brook or river, issuing from Beaver pond, a beautiful body of water nearly circular in form and about 300 rods in diameter, about one mile N. E. from the village. Three miles N. W. from this pond, are three other small ponds, Scoby's, Upper, and Lower Shields'; small streams is- suing from these unite and fall into the Beaver brook, on which are ex- tensive and valuable meadows, Cobbet's pond in the S. part of this town, is one of the sources of the Spiggot river. The E. line of the town passes through Island pond, so called from its containing an isl- and constituting an extensive and valuable farm. Londonderry con- tains very little waste land and it is believed, a more extensive body of fertile soil than any town in the E. section of the state. It contains no high hills or extensive plains, no morasses or stagnant waters of any considerable extent ; its sur- face consists of swells of moder- ate elevation, with intervening val- leys of no considerable breadth. Its. healthfulness is indicated by the longevity of an unusual pro- portion of its inhabitants. The Lon- donderry turnpike from Concord to Boston, passes about 8 miles with- in the limits of this town. The Pinkerton academy, in an elevated and pleasant situation on the Lon- donderry turnpike, near the village, has productive funds to the amount


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of $14,000 ; the donation of Ma- derived by purchase from the ab jor John Pinkerton. The institu- tion has now a fair prospect of be- coming extensively useful. Lon- donderry was settled in 1719, by a colony of presbyterians, from the vicinity of the city of Londonder- ry, in the N. of Ireland, to whichi place their ancestors had emigrated about a century before from Scot- land. They were a part of 120 families chiefly from three parishes, who with their religious instructors came to New-England in the sum- mer of 1718. In October, 1718, they applied to the government of Massachusetts for the grant of a township, and received assurances, that a grant should be made them, when they should select a place for its location. After some time spent in viewing the country, they selected the tract afterwards com- posing the town of Londonderry, at first known by the name of Nut- field. At this time it was supposed by them to be within the bounds of Massachusetts, the line between that state and the state of New- Hampshire being then unsettled and in dispute. April 11, 1719, six- teen families, accompanied by Rev. James McGregore, one of the clergymen who had emigrated from Ireland with them, took possession of the tract, and on the day of their arrival attended religious ser- vices and a sermon under an oak on the E. shore of Beaver pond. In the month of May following, and as early as the necessary ar- rangements could be made, Mr.Mc- Gregore was regularly ordained their minister. The first summer all the settlers united in cultivating a field in common, the produce of which they amicably divided in au- tuin. Influenced by the opinion, that the best title to the soil in a moral point of view must be thatl prosperity.


original inhabitants, they in 1720 purchased the title to the tract, which they had located from Col. John Wheelwright, whose ances- tor had purchased a tract, of which this was a part, from the tribes of Indians, who were its rightful pro- prietors. The inhabitants of Lon- donderry, although it was long a frontier town, were never molested by the Indians. The proprietors of Londonderry, upon application to Gov. Shute and his council for New-Hampshire, received, on the first day of June, 1722, a grant of the tract of land they had located, and a charter of incorporation by the same instrument. This grant was made to 105 persons, and so rapid had been the settlement, that evidence exists to justify the belief, that there were at this time more than sixty families in the town. The early settlers of this town were in general farmers, possessing consid- erable information for their situa- tion in life, their ancestors having preserved the laudable custom of their Scottish progenitors in pro- curing for their children in- struction in all the branches of learning then taught in common schools. None of them were ricii, but many of them brought to Lon- donderry property sufficient to en- able them to make a rapid progress in the improvement of their farms, and to acquire very early all the necessaries and even the conveni- ences and comforts of civilized life. Few or none of their number were indigent. They introduced with them the culture of the potatoe, a vegetable till then unknown in New- England ; and the manufacture of linen cloth, which, though long since declined, was for many years a considerable source of their early Mills were erected


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immediately upon their first settle- ment, and within the first year a convenient dwelling-house, two stories high was built for their min- ister. This house, the timber of which is entirely sound and the house in good repair, is now occu- pied by John Morrison, Esq., a de- scendant of one of the early set- tlers. Within two years from the first settlement, a meeting-house was erected, and within six years it appears, that four schools were kept in the town during half the year. Conclusive evidence of the rapid progress of the town exists in the fact, that within nine years


from its first settlement, it paid more than one fifteenth part of the state tax although the old and then extensive towns of Portsmouth, Dover, Exeter, and Hampton had been settled more than a century, and several other towns liad been long settled. Within five years from the settlement of the town, Mr. McGregore's church consisted of 230 members. Mr. McGregore died Marchi 5, 1729, at the age of 52 years ; he was distinguished for talents, a sound judgment, and great prudence, and was eminently useful to the town in regard to its civil concerns, as well as by the discharge of his professional duties. He was succeeded by Rev. Matthew Clark a native of Ireland, who had in early life been an officer in the, army and distin- guished himself in the defence of the city of Londonderry, when be- sieged by the army of King James II. A. D. 1688-9. He afterwards relinquished a military life for the clerical profession. He possessed a strong mind, marked by a consid- erable degree of eccentricity. He died Jan. 25, 1735, and was borne to the grave at his particular re- |whose name and character deserve quest by his former companions in to be held in veneration, came from


arms, of whom there were a con- siderable number among the early settlers of this town ; several of whom had been made free from tax- es, throughout the British domin- ions by King William,for their bra- very in that memorable siege. In 1733, Rev. Thomas Thompson, a native of Ireland, was ordained as the colleague of Mr. Clark, and died Sept. 22, 1798, aged 38. The Rev. William Davidson, a native of Ireland, succeeded him in 1739; and continued in the ministerial office till his death, Feb. 15, 1791, at the age of 79 years. In 1795, he was succeeded by Rev. Jona- than Brown, who was in 1804, dis- missed at his own request. Sep- tember 12, 1810, Rev. Edward L. Parker, the present minister of the original, or east parish, was settled. In 1735, the town voted, that the inhabitants of the W. part of the town should become a sep- arate parish; and in 1737, this parish settled Rev. David McGreg- ore, a son of the first minister of the town. In 1739, the parish was incorporated. Mr. McGregore di- ed May 30, 1777, at the age of 67 years : he was a inan eminent for piety, talents, eloquence, and de- votion to the cause of civil liberty. He was succeeded in 1783 by Wil- liam Morrison, D. D. a native of Scotland, distinguished for his pie- ty, talents, and liberality of mind. Dr. Morrison died March 9, 1818, at the age of 70, and was succeed- ed Jan. 16, 1822, by Daniel Dana, D. D. The two parishes possess funds to nearly the amount of $20,000, principally of the dona- tion of Maj. John Pinkerton, the same benevolent individual, who endowed the academy designated {by his name. This worthy man,


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Ireland to Londonderry with his parents in infancy. He was through life distinguished for a laudable economy and persevering industry, and not less so for his charity to the poor and unfortunate. He died in 1818, at the age of 81. There have been in this town many re- markable instances of longevity. Of its early settlers and their chil- dren, born within 20 years after the first settlement of the town, more than 100 persons are known to have reached the age of 80 years and upwards. Of this number 25 are known to have been more than 90 years of age ; six of the natives of this town, above the age of 90 are now living. One individual, William Scoby, died at the age of 110, and when 100 years old,travel led on foot to Portsmouth, more than 35 miles in one day. A com- pany of 70 men from this town, under the command of Capt. George Reid, were in the battle of Breed's hill, and about the same number were in that at Bennington, in which Capt. David M'Clary one of their citizens, a distinguished and LOUDON, post-town, Rocking- ham county, lat. 43º 19', is bound- ed N. W. by Canterbury, N. E. by Gilmanton, S. E. by Pittsfield and Chichester, S. W. by Concord, and contains 28,257 acres. Sou- cook river passes from Gilmanton S. through Loudon, furnishing val- uable mill privileges. There is some good interval on its borders. The soil is various-the natural growth in the E. part of the town sugar maple and beech ; in the S. and W. pine, oak and chesnut. Soucook village, the seat of the principal business in town, is in the S. part of the town on a pleas- ant site E. of the river ; it contains 40 buildings, and is 4 miles from brave officer, was killed. Thirty- one of the natives of this town have received a collegiate educa- tion, of whom twenty-two are now alive. Of this number 12 have entered the profession of divinity, and 10 that of the law. Of the natives of this town, who have sus- tained public offices, military and civil, are Maj. Gen. John Stark and Col. George Reid, officers of the army of the revolution. Joseph M'Keen, D. D. first president of Bowdoin college; Arthur Liver- more, Jonathan Steele, and SAMU- EL BELL, judges of the superior court ; the latter of whom, from 1819 to 1823, was governor of this state and discharged the duties of the centre meeting-house. Loudon that station to the universal satis-




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