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 28
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is a large tract of oak land, which yand carried to Canada ; but not is hard and stony ; has a deep rich soil, and is very productive when well cultivated. Between Norway plains and Salmon-fall river is a considerable quantity of land for- merly called Whitehall, the soil of which was destroyed by fire in the dry years of 1761 and 1762, so as to be of little value for cultivation. Rochester was granted by Massa- chusetts to a number of proprietors, in 127 shares, and contained up- wards of 60,000 acres of land. That part now Rochester contains 22,000 acres. The town was incorporated May 10, 1722. Capt. Timothy Roberts moved into the' town with his family and made the first per- manent settlement, Dec. 28, 1728 ; he was soon followed by Eleazar Ham, Benjamin Frost, Joseph Richards, Benjamin Tebbets and others, and in perilous times, as might be expected, the inhabitants made slow progress in settlement and wealth. Until Canada was taken by the British and American troops in 1760, i+ remained a fron- tier town ; the people were poor and distressed, but not discouraged. When a war broke out with the Indians, they had to move their families into garrisons, and be on their watch night and day ; nor could they improve their little farms but at the hazard of their lives, and in such companies as they could col- lect, with armed sentinels kept on watch. Their men were bold, har- dy and industrious ; and their sons were trained to the use of arms. They early became a terror to their foes. They did not suffer so much as many towns whose situation ap- peared less hazardous. June 27, 1746, Joseph Heard, Joseph Rich- ards, John Wentworth and Ger- sham Downs were killed, and John Richards wounded, taken captive
long after returned. He died in 1792, aged 70 years. Jonathan Door, a boy, was also carried cap- tive, and remained with the Indians until the reduction of Canada, when he returned. May 23, 1747, Samuel Drown was wounded in the hip-the ball was never extracted ; ". he died in 1795, aged 90 years. May 1, 1748, the wife of Jonathan Hodgdon was killed on a Sunday morning by the Indians, on refus- ing to be taken to Canada with the party. Her husband married again, had 21 children in all, and died in 1815, aged 90 years. In Belknap's history, mention is made of another man's being killed by the Indians, which upon enquiry ap- pears to have been a mistake. Mo- ses Roberts was shot by a sentinel. who supposed him to be an Indian. In less than ten years after the set- tlement of this town a church was gathered and Rev. Amos Main or- dained ; he died April 5, 1760 ; aged 51, Rev. Samuel Hill was ordained Nov. 5. 1760; died Nov. 19, 1764. Rev. Avery Hall was ordained Oct. 15, 1766; and dismissed April 10, 1775. The present venerable pas- tor, Rev. Joseph Haven, was ordain- ed Jan. 10, 1776. There are soci- eties of baptists and methodists, each of which have stated ministrations. With the former Eld. Enoch Place is the pastor. There are two meet- ings of the friends' society in the town-one consisting of about 20 families, partly from Farmington ; and the other of about 15 families. They have two meeting houses, which are about 8 miles apart. There is also a universalist society. By the bills of mortality, it appears that there have died in Roches- ter in 46 years, 1047 persons, of whom there appear to have died 19 above 90 years old ; 75 between
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80 and 90; 107 between 70 and 80 ; farmy, and several years a member 67 between 60 and 70; 53 between of the senate and house of repie- sentatives of the state. He was a inan of strong mind and memory, and of extensive information, and a sincere friend to his country ; and died Oct. 15, 1817, aged 91 years. Dr. JAMES How, a respectable physician, and sometime member of the general court, died Oct. 13, 1807, aged 54. JOHN P. HALE, Esq. was a distinguished lawyer. Open, generous and affable, yet strictly correct, he will long be remember- ed as an ornament to the profession. He died Oct. 15, 1819, aged 44 years. Josiah Main, son of the first minister, was 33 years succes- sively town clerk, commencing in 1771. Pop. 2471. 50 and 60; 65 between 40 and 50. The inhabitants have sometimes been visited with the malignant throat distemper, particularly in 1780, when 28 children died of the disorder within 6 months. In the revolutionary war, many of the in- habitants bore a part. Captains David Place and John Brewster led companies to Ticonderoga, and suffered much in their retreat fron that place in 1777. Of the soldiers from Rochester, 29 were killed or died in that contest. Rochester social library was incorporated Feb. 14, 1794, and contains nearly 400 volumes. JAMES KNOWLES was many years a deacon in the church, a representative to the general court from 1765 until after the rev- olutionary war, and a magistrate for several years ; he died at an ad- vanced age. Hon. JOHN PLUMER was appointed a judge of the court of common pleas by Gov. John Wentworth, when the county was organized ; and by his judicious conduct, was continued through, and after the revolution, until his voluntary resignation, the latter part of which time, he was chief justice. He was the first magis- trate appointed in the town, and by his remarkably conciliatory con- duct was enabled to settle most dis- putes that came before him in an amicable manner, and was justly entitled to the character of peace- maker .· He died Nov. 19, 1815, aged 95 years. Col. JOHN M'DUF- FEE was born soon after his par- ents arrived from Ireland ; was an officer in the French war. In 1762, he was chosen representative to the general court, being the first from Rochester. He early embark- ed in the cause of his country ; was a colonel in the revolutionary
ROXBURY, a small town in Cheshire county, in lat. 42º 57', is bounded N. by Sullivan, E. by Nel- son and Dublin, S. by Marlborough and W. by Keene, containing about [6000 acres. It is 5 miles from the court house in Keene, 76 N. W.from Boston, and 50 S. W. from Con- cord. The N. branch of Ashuelot river forms the boundary between this town and Keene. Roaring brook, on which are several small meadows, waters the S. part, and empties into the Ashuelot at the S. W. corner. On the E. side of the township is a pond, called Roaring Brook pond, at the outlet of which stand a saw mill and grist mill. Roxbury presents a rough and uneven surface, rising into considerable swells, affording excellent grazing land, and fur- nishing the various productions found in the county of Cheshire. There is a post road leading from Keene to Concord. There is a meeting house in the centre of the town, and a congregational church was formed Aug. 15, 1816. Rev. Christopher Paige was installed
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Nov. 21, the same year ; dismis- sed March 11, 1819. This town was formed of a part of Nelson, Marlborough and Keene, and in- corporated Dec. 9, 1812. The number of deaths from its incorpo- ration to Jan. 1, 1822, was 44 ; births 108. Pop. 366.
ROYSE mountain is situated in the ungranted lands N. of Chat- ham.
RUMNEY, a post township in Grafton county, in lat. 43º 49', is bounded N. E. by Ellsworth, E. by Campton and Plymouth, S. by Gro- ton and Hebron, and N. W. by Wentworth, containing 22,475 a- cres. It is 8 miles from Plymouth, 47 from Concord and 110 from Boston. It is watered by Baker's river, of which a considerable branch flows from Stinson's pond, and is called Stinson's brook. The pond is in the N. part of the town, and is 400 rods long and 280 rods wide. Part of Loon pond is on the E. line of this town. The principal elevations are Stinson's and Webber's moun- tains in the E. part,and a small part of Carr's mountain, which here obtains the name of Rattlesnake mountain, on its N. W. border. The soil here exhibits considerable degrees of fer- tility. The forest trees are white pine, sugar maple, oak, beech and birch. Rumney was granted first to Samuel Olmstead, afterwards, on the 18th of March, 1767, to Daniel Brainard and others. It was first settled in Oct. 1765, by Capt. Jo- tham Cummings, and in 1766, by Moses Smart, Daniel Brainard, James Heath and others. The first minister was a congregationalist, Rev. Thomas Niles, who graduated at Yale college in 1758. He was settled by the proprietors, Oct. 21, 1767. A baptist church was form- ed in 1780,and Rev. Cotton Haines ordained the same year. Rev.
Ezra Wilmarth succeeded in April, 1799 ; was dismissed in May,1811. There is also a free-will baptist church in Rumney. It was in this town, on ' the 28th of April, 1752, that the late General STARK, while on a hunting expedition, was cap- tured by a party of 10 Indians, com- manded by Francis Titigaw. He was in company with Amos East- man of Concord, David Stinson of Londonderry, and his brother Wil- liam. Eastman was taken prisoner on the next morning. Stinson and William Stark, attempting to es- cape, were fired upon : Stinson fell, was killed, scalped and stripped of his wearing apparel. William made his escape. This event, and the name of Stinson as connected with it, will long be perpetuated by the name of the pond, mountain, and brook, in the town, where the, Pop. unfortunate man was slain. 864.
RYE, is a township in the coun- ty of Rockingham, pleasantly situ- ated on the sea coast, in lat. 43º 1'; 6 1-2 miles from Portsmouth, by the road, 4 1-2 on a straight line, and 51 from Concord. It is bound- ed N. and N. W. by Portsmouth, N. E. by Little Harbor, E. by the sea, S. by North-Hampton, W. by Greenland, comprising 7,780 acres. Its name is supposed to have orig- inated from the circumstance of some of its first settlers emigrating from a town of the same" name, in Great-Britain. " It was originally taken from Portsmouth, Green- land, Hampton and New-Castle, chiefly the latter ; and though it began to be settled as early as the year 1635, it was not incorporated till 1719. For about 90 years the people here had no settled minister of the gospel among them ; but at- tended public worship in some of the neighboring towns, particularly
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at Portsmouth and New-Castle. Greenland, is distinguished as the The first settlers of this town were of the names of Berry, Seavey, Rand, Bracket, Wallis, Jenness and Locke ; which names, except that of Bracket, are still retained here, and most of them are numerous. The soil, in this town, is in general hard and stubborn, and not natur- ally fertile ; but, by the hand of in- dustry, and the help of various kinds of sea-weed, which the coast affords in considerable abundance, and which is annually spread upon the farms, it is rendered very pro- ductive of corn, potatoes, hay, &c. The sea coast here is about 6 miles in extent, being nearly one third of the coast in the state. On the shore, there are three con- siderable and very pleasant beach- es, viz : Sandy, Jenness' and Wal- Jis' ; to which many persons re- sort in the summer season from neighboring towns and the country, both for health, and for pleasure. There is here, a small harbor, near Goss' mill, into which vessels of 70 or 80 tons burden may conven- iently enter, at high water. This harbor, with the expense of 1 or 2000 dollars, it is thought, might be made to answer very important purposes, both public and private. The boat fishery is carried on to considerable advantage, particular- ly in the fall and winter seasons. There was formerly a large fresh water pond, lying contiguous to the sand bank or hounds of the sea, covering a surface of about 300 acres. Between this and the sea, a communication was opened by the inhabitants about a century since. The waters were discharged into the sea, leaving a tract of marsh, which, being watered by the regular flowing of the tide, yields annually large quantities of salt hay. Break- fast Hill, between this town and;
place where a party of Indians were surprised at breakfast, at the time of their incursion in 1696. There are small circular holes in the rocks of which this hill is principally composed, supposed to have been made use of by the natives. This town has suffered considerably in times of war and danger. In 1694, John Locke, living on the Neck, was ambushed and killed by the In- dians, while reaping grain in his field. In 1696, at one time, 21 per- sons, at Sandy beach, were either killed or carried away by them. In the Canada or French war, 14 per- sons, belonging to this town, were killed or died, in service : and in the American or revolutionary war, 38 of its inhabitants lost their lives, by sea or land ; most of them young men. A meeting-house was first erected here, about the year 1725 ; a church was organized July 20, 1726 ; and the Rev. Nathaniel Morrill, ordained 14th Sept. of the same year. He continued in the min- istry about seven years, and was then dismissed. His successor, Rev. Samuel Parsons, was ordained Nov. 1736 ; and deceased Jan. 4, 1789, in the 78th year of his age, and the 53d of liis ministry. His memory is still dear to those who survive him, and recollect his virtues. During his min- istry, 206 persons were admitted in- to full communion with the church. and between six and seven hun- dreds received baptism. Rev. Hun- tington Porter,D. D. was ordained, as colleague with Ar. Parsons, Dec. 29, 1784. From that time to 1822. 84 have been received into full communion, and 811 baptized. Dur- ing the same period, 31 members of the church have been dismissed, or removed from this to other towns, and a few more than that number have died. The present number of
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valuable farms. A short turn inglage is 1 1-2 miles N. W. of the the Merrimack to the E. forms a preceding, on the same mail route. fine tract of fertile interval, 0. It contains 30 dwelling houses, a about 300 acres, which appears to be an alluvion of the river. The mineralogical productions have never been scientifically examined. The prevailing rock is granite. A fine quarry has lately been discov- ered on Mr. William Webster's farm, yielding readily to the wedge and hammer. A considerable por- tion of Kearsarge mountain ranges
- within the bouads of Salisbury, the N. W. corner bound of which extends nearly to the summit. (See Kear- sarge mountain.) The summit o: this mountain was formerly cov- ered with evergreens ; but its cloud-capped head has long been stripped of its primitive honors by the combined agency of fire and wind. It now presents a bald rock of granite, many parts of which. appear to be in a gradual state of disintegration. In the spring of 1819, a large mass of rocks and earth of several thousand tons' weight was loosened from the southern declivity of Bald hill and precipitated with great violence to the valley below, carrying all be- fore it, for the space of 40 rods in length and 4 in breadth. The pros- pect from the summit of Kearsarge is variegated and highly magnifi- cent. There are 3 considerable villages, the South road, the Centre road, and Pemigewasset, or East village. The first is pleasantly sit- uated on the S. road, running from E. to W. through the town, and al- so on the 4th N. H. turnpike, lead- ing to Hanover. This is also on - the northern mail route from Boston to Burlington, Vt. It contains about 30 houses, 1 congregational meet- ing-house, 2 stores, 1 tavern, 2 law offices, 1 post office and the academy. The Centre Road vil-1801,Hon. Daniel Webster, LL.D .---
baptist meeting-house, 3 stores, 1 law office, &c. The scenery. here is beautiful and picturesque in a high degree. The distant azure mountains, the fertilizing streams, the "tempest torn rocks," the ex- panded hills, cultivated fields, the glens, and valleys, and extensive pasture grounds, interspersed with forests,conspire to render it delight- fal to the eye, and to afford fine sub- jects for the pencil. Pemigewas- set, or East village is in the N. E. corner of the town, at the great falls on Pemigewasset river. Here: are an elegant meeting-house,a num- ber of handsome dwelling houses, 2 stores, 1 tavern, 1 post office, &c. Boats laden with 20 tons have al- ready passed up to this place. A to.l bridge across the Pemigewasset leads from this village to Sanborn- ton and Northfield. About 3 miles below this village, on the alluvion before mentioned, is a pleasant set- tlement of farmers, containing 10 or 12 dwelling houses, several me- chanic shops, and one law office. There is a flourishing academy in' the S. Road village, incorporated Dec. 10, 1808. The late Benjamin Gale, Esq., a worthy and respecta- ble citizen of Salisbury, made a donation of $1000 to this institu- tion. The Literary Adelphi soci- ety, consisting of the students of the academy, has a library of 100 volumes. This town has had a con- siderable number of its natives lib- erally educated, some of whom take their rank among the first ad- vocates not only in this state, but. in the U. S. Their names are as' follows, viz. at Dartmouth college, -1794, Moses Eastman, A. M .- 1799, Rev. Moses Sawyer, A. M .---
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1804, Ebenezer O. Fifield, A. B. ; |by a French friar by the name of Thomas H. Pettengill, A. M. ; Eze- kiel Webster, A. M .- 1805, Na- thaniel Sawyer, A. B .- 1806, John True, A. B .- 1808, Ichabod Bart- lett, A. M. ; 1811, Rev. Valentine Little, A. B .- 1812, James Bart- lett, A. M .- 1813, Joseph Ward- well, A. B .- 1816, Charles B. Hadduck, A. M .- 1817, Rev. Ben- jamin Huntoon, A, M .-- 1819, Wil- liam T. Hadduck, A. M .- 1821. Joseph B. Eastman, A. B. At Middlebury college, 1812, Benja-
min Pettengill, A. M. There is a library of 324 volumes. There is also a musical society. Salisbury was originally granted by Massa- chusetts, and was known by the name of Bakers-town. It was af- terwards granted by the Masonian proprietors, Oct. 25, 1749, and then called Stevens-town, from Col. Eb- enezer Stevens, of Kingston. The number of grantees was 57, of whom 54 belonged to Kingston. It was incorporated by charter from the government of N. H., March 1. 1768, when it took the name of Salisbury. It was settled as early as 1750. The first settlers were Philip Call, Nathaniel Meloon, Benjamin Pettengill, John and Eb- enezer Webster, Andrew Bohon- non, Edward Eastman, and many others, mostly from Kingston. The first inhabitants experienced the in- roads of the Indians. On the 16th of May, 1753, Nathaniel Meloon, living in the W. part of the town, was captured, together with his wife, and three children, viz. Sarah, Rachel, and Daniel. They were carried to Canada, where he and his wife were sold to the French in Montreal. The three children were kept by the Indians. After the parents had resided in Mon- treal about a year and a half, they had a son born, who was baptized
Joseph Mary. Mr. Meloon return- ed from captivity after four years and a half, to his farm in Salisbu- ry. Sarah died with the Indians. Rachel, who was 9 years old when captured, returned after 9 years. She had become much attached to the Indians, was about to be marri- ed to Peter Louis, son of Col. Lou- is, of Cognawaga. She had the habits, and acted like an Indian, understood the Indian language and could sing their songs. In Au- gust, 1753, the wife of Philip Call was killed ; and on the same day, Samuel Scribner and Robert Bar- ber, of this town, and Enos Bishop, of Boscawen, were captured by the Indians. Scribner was sold to the French at Chamblee, and Barber to a Frenchman near St. Francois. It was in Salisbury, that Sabatis and Plausawa, mentioned under Can- terbury, were buried under a bridge now called Indian bridge. The congregational church was formed Nov. 17, 1773, consisting of 10 inale members. Rev. Jonathan Searle, who graduated at Harvard college, was ordained Nov. 17, 1773 ; dismissed Nov. 8, 1791 ; died in 1818, aged 74. Rev. Thoin- as Worcester was ordained No- vember 9, 1791; dismissed in April, 1823. Under his ministry, 270 were added to the church. The baptist society was established May 25,1789. A church was consti- tuted May 10, 1810, consisting of 9 members. . Rev. Otis Robinson commenced preaching in 1809, and has continued the minister of the society ever since. Hon. EBENE- ZER WEBSTER was one of the early settlers ; a patriot of the rev- alution ; an officer of the militia ; for several years a senator in the legislature, and a judge of the court of common pleas till his death in 1806. Dr. Joseph Bartlett was the
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communicants is between 50 and 60. There has been a social library in this town for many years. The proprietors of the one, now existing were incorporated in 1812. The library contains at present about 220 volumes, and is annually in- creasing. The annual average number of deaths, in this town, for 37 years past, is between 11 and 12, or not far from one to an hundred. In the year 1803, during Feb., March and a part of April, a very unusual sickness and mortality prevailed in this town. In the course of less than 3 months, 230 persons were visited with sickness, of various kinds ; while other towns in general, around, enjoyed usual health. The deaths were 35; a number remark- ably large for so short a time, in proportion to the number of inhab- itants; though not very great con- sidering the number visited with sickness. According to received, and pretty authentic accounts, about 40 persons, chiefly strangers, have at different times, lost their lives, and been taken up, on, or near the coast, within the limits of the town; to whom, though strangers, a decent burial was given, attended with those solemnities, which are usual on funeral occasions. The oldest person who has died here, within present recollection, was a female, by the name of Tucker, being 99 years and 9 months old. Several other persons have exceeded 90 years. Pop. 1127.
S.
town of Bartlett, where it receives Ellis' river, which rises in the east- erly pass of the mountain near the source of Peabody river. Within the distance of half a mile from these fountains, two large streams flow down the highest of the moun- tains, one of them into Ellis' river. The former of these is Cutler's riv- er and the latter is New river. The latter made its appearance in Octo- ber, 1775, during a long rain. In its course,it broke down many rocks and trees and presented a wide spectacle of ruin. At its junction with Ellis' river, there is a noble cascade of 100 feet in height. Sev- eral other branches of Saco river flow from other parts of the moun- tains. Fromn Bartlett the course of the Saco is S., about 10 miles to the lower part of Conway, where it receives Swift river from Burton, thence in an easterly course, it pass- es into Fryeburg and Brownfield in Maine, and from thence to the sea, it has a S. E. course of about 45 miles. This river rises and over- flows very suddenly in rainy sea- sons, and subsides very rapidly af- ter the cessation of the rains. In the great flood of 1775, when the New river broke out, the banks of the Saco were overflowed very sud- denly, and the waters were of a deep brown color for several days. probably from passing over iron ore. On the subsiding of the wa- ters, it was observed, that the bed of the river in some places was widened, and the course of several of its branches changed. In great freshes it has risen 25 feet, but its common rise is about 10 feet.
SACO,a river,one of the largest in New-England, has its source near the Notch of the White Mountains SADDLEBACK, between Deer- field and Northwood,is a part of the chain called Blue Hills. within a few feet of the sources of the Lower Amonoosuck. It thence flows in a S. course down the moun- SALEM, post-township, Rocking- ham county, in lat. 42º 47', 30 miles tains about 12 miles ; then taking an easterly direction, it enters the from Concord, 40 from Portsmouth,
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34 from Boston, is bounded N. by ||pleasantly situated on the W. banks Londonderry, N. E. by Atkinson, E. by Methuen, Ms. S. by Pelham, W. by Windham; containing 15,600 acres. Policy pond, partly in this town, and partly in Windham, is the largest collection of water ; World's-End pond and Captain pond are in the S. E. and E. parts of the town; and there are other small ponds. The Spiggot river, passing from N. to S. through the town, re- ceives in its course numerous branches, and waters the different portions of the town, furnishing also excellent mill privileges. The soil is generally fertile, and the surface uneven. The Londonderry turn- pike passes over this town, from N. W. to S. E. There is a mineral spring in this town, the waters of which have been used. There is one woollen factory, besides mills and other machinery. Salem was incorporated by charter May 11, 1750. Rev. Abner Bayley, who was born at Newbury, Ms. Jan. 19, 1716, graduated at Harvard college in 1736; was ordained here over a congregational church,Jan. 30,1740; died March 10, 1798. Rev. John Smith was settled colleague in1797; dismissed in 1816. Rev. William Balch was ordained in 1819, and his church consists of about 40 men- bers. There is also a respectable society of methodists, who have occasional preaching, and a small society of baptists. Hon. SILAS BETTON, who graduated at Dart- mouth college in 1787, was elected a representative prior to 1800, was 3 years senator from district No. 3, and in 1802 was elected member of congress. He subsequently filled the office of sheriff of the county of Rockingham, and died in 1922, aged
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