USA > New Hampshire > Cheshire County > Walpole > A history of Walpole, New Hampshire, Volume I > Part 40
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In 1800 Levi Bellows sold to James Chandler of Alstead; 1803 to Nehemiah Chandler of Alstead (Abigail); 1810 north part to Oren Hall; 1811 to Thomas C. Drew; 1814 to Calvin Densmore the east 30 acres, to Hall the west part. In 1816 Densmore sold his land with buildings and
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Hall his land to Shepard Marvin of Langdon; 1817 to Nehemiah Chan- dler of Langdon; 1831 to Benjamin Elwell; 1832 to Asa Holden II (Mary Ann); 1833 the two acres in the little corner northwest of the road, next to the Langdon line, to James Chandler; 1835 to Edwin Green; 1846 to Henry H. Mason of Springfield, Vt., with buildings; 1849 to John P. Maynard, to Benjamin B. Royce; 1854 to Hope Lathrop; 1855 to Daniel N. Brown who bought more land. The Brown family lived here, the son Benjamin selling 1912 to Morgan L. and Blanche A. Ellis of Rockingham, Vt .; 1913 to Frank D. Jones (Hattie S.); 1916 to Joseph Hodgkins; 1918 to Earle A. Howe of Claremont; 1918 to O. D. Parker; 1920 his estate to Charles S. Chandler; 1932 his estate to Eugene and Evelyn Mann; 1960 Thomas C. Mann. There were probably no buildings until about 1840.
NORTH WALPOLE
Governor Benning Wentworth reserved for himself the 500 acres in the northwest corner of Walpole, extending south nearly to the White- light Plant (1962). Not having viewed the situation, he supposed the land lying nearest to the Great Falls might be the most valuable on account of the shad and salmon fisheries. To make the matter doubly sure he con- sulted Col. Bellows who honestly told him that the plot would be of little value to him, that it might make a good calf pasture, but nothing better. Suspecting the colonel of a little sharp practice, he decided to pitch his lot here. To this day it is spoken of as the "Governor's Calf Pasture."
The next strip (2,510 acres) from the river to the east line of the town, with south line about at the "little run of water" north of the Vilas Bridge, belonged to Benjamin Bellows. He willed it to his son Peter "600 acres of land in Walpole and lyeth above the Great Falls on Connecticut River ... bounds west on river, north on Governor's farm, east on my own land and south on Col. Atkinson".
Next south was a strip of 2,028 acres which belonged to Col. Atkinson. At the river the south line was a short distance south of the last house on the river side of the highway.
The early Indian trail lay east of the river along the base of Fall Moun- tain. In 1762 a road was accepted "beginning at the Charlestown line where road is now made, running as the road is now. . . . " The road was surveyed in 1774, and at that time north of the packing plant a road led to Wright's Ferry. The course of the 1774 road is shown on the map.
December 3, 1789, Sylvanus Johnson bought of Peter Bellows land lying north of Governor's Brook. His first dwelling was a small two-room
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structure that stood north of the brook on the north side of East Street near the corner of Main Street. It was the first house built in North Wal- pole north of the toll bridge. In later years he erected the second dwell- ing on the corner of Main Street. The two-room dwelling was at one time used as a school house, later torn down.
Sylvanus was the oldest son of James and Susanna Willard Johnson of Charlestown. August 30, 1754, at the age of six years, along with the rest of the family, he was captured by Indians and taken to Canada where he remained with the Indians three years. During this time he entirely for- got his native language and became almost a perfect Indian in nature, imbibing a love for the wild life and its peculiar attractions which he never forgot, and which colored all his subsequent years.
He married Susanna, daughter of Capt. Sylvanus and Jemima Willard Hastings of Charlestown, and they had six children, none of whom ever married. Two boys were drowned in the Connecticut River, while John, Betsey and Susan lived in the old home many years after the death of their parents. Sylvanus died 1832, his wife 1819.
"Uncle Vene", as he was familiarly called in his later years, always venerated the Indians and their customs, maintaining stoutly that they were a far more moral and upright race than were the whites. As an instance of Indian honor he would tell the story of his own redemption from captivity. After paying the ransom his white friends travelled a day's journey and encamped for the night. So homesick was little Sylvanus for his forest home that he stole away in the darkness and followed the trail back to the wigwams of his masters. In doing so he had to cross a river, swimming over with his clothes tied on his head. His Indian friends would not speak to him or recognize him in any way. They had received the money demanded for his ransom and he was no longer theirs. During his whole life he so much preferred the modes of Indian life to the prevalent customs of civilization that he often expressed regret that he was ever ransomed.
He related many hunting stories to the Chapin boys who took great pleasure in the friendship of their remarkable neighbor. He told them he was at one time surrounded by wolves on the plains at the foot of the mountains as he was returning from chopping wood. He heard them answering each other as they circled about him, and he counted seven as they one by one crept out of the woods. He prepared to meet them with his ax, his only weapon, but they were not very hungry and after a time drew off.
The young men about North Walpole and Bellows Falls counted it a
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treat to be taken by Uncle Vene on a hunt. Often the old man would pretend to get lost almost in sight of home and keep the frightened and bewildered boys out all night in a shelter made in true Indian style.
Two of his children were drowned, William in 1804 in the eddy below the Falls. Phineas on November 18, 1823, started to do some threshing for a farmer in Vermont, walking across the river on the ice. Sometime later it was found he had not reached his destination, and his hat was discovered near a hole in the ice. Still his father refused to believe that he was dead.
When the young man's boy was brought to the surface, his father was standing near. He exclaimed, "That's him." He at once went home, shaved and dressed in his best suit. He seated himself in his great chair where he sat controlling his emotions in stolid dignity after the custom of an Indian chief.
He followed the example of the Indians in his love for "fire water". At one time he was crossing the river in his canoe, having indulged his appetite in the taverns at Bellows Falls. He was caught by a strong cur- rent and swept toward the dam. He was indignant because a neighbor saved him. When told that he would surely have gone over the dam, he asked, "Couldn't I have put out a foot and braced?" (Hayes)
When he rode his horse Narragansett to town and visited the taverns, his admirers, anxious to hear his stories, would treat him liberally. This resulted in his becoming quite helpless when it was time to go home. That he always arrived safely was owing to Narragansett's intelligent management of the situation. That he appreciated his faithful steed is shown by his will. By his side John Johnson listened to his father's last bequest:
"Nearing death I make partition of my goods as seemeth best. Token of my deep affection Unto you, my son, I give One bay mare called Narragansett
For as long as she will live.
Take good care of Narragansett,
Shelter her from wind and rain,
L'et her range the hills in summer,
Never stint her hay or grain."
Long he lay and deeply pondered How by a division fair
Betsey, John, and faithful Susan
In his large estate might share.
Words of wisdom and a blessing
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To his son he would impart But his weary mind submitted To the dictate of his heart. "Take good care of Narragansett" Slow the pulse beat in his breast- "Take good care of Narragansett- And to hell with all the rest."
The son John was a respected and particular farmer, but "Uncle Johnny could putter all day in a peck measure and it wouldn't be full then."
In 1789 Peter Bellows sold to Sherburn Hale, son of Enoch, who built the bridge, the rest of his holdings here. Hale erected buildings west of the highway just south of Governor's Brook, the house being designed for a tavern. There were long sheds connected with it to shelter the droves of sheep, cattle and mules that passed through on their way from Canada to Boston. "It was woe to the beast that left the feed trough in search of better rations, as each of his mates kicked him soundly in the ribs as he passed behind them." This was later Jonathan Chapin's house, and stood for some time after the railroad was built, although the em- bankment came to the doorstep.
Up to 1810 North Walpole was largely a forest of pine and oak. Many of the stalwart pines bore the "Broad Arrow", sign of the English govern- ment showing that they had been selected for his majesty's use. In that year Levi Chapin Sr. came to the place with his son Nathaniel who to- gether purchased (under form of lease for a term of years) 700 acres of the meadow and terrace lands now covered by the village. It was described as being "the whole farm where I (Hale) now live. ... The Governor's right, so-called in said Walpole, excepting 100 acres at the west end which I have heretofore conveyed to Bellows, and also the Wentworth right, 200 acres," an aggregate of about 700 acres.
The Chapins agreed to pay for this property in ten years, they being permitted to cut enough timber to meet the yearly payments as they fell due. Old bills of sale show that they furnished the lumber for rebuilding the lower locks in the canal, various bridges at Hartford, Connecticut, the first Congregational Church at Springfield, Mass., the Immanuel Church at Bellows Falls, and many other contracts large for those early days. They owned a sawmill which was located on Governor's Brook back at the foot of the mountain, where all the sawing was done. About
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1850 a second sawmill was built by Holland Allbee in what is now the village, near the pond at East Street.
In 1816 Levi Chapin Sr. purchased 300 acres more of Solomon Bellows adjoining the property first bought. The Chapins spent more time on their lumbering operations than their farming. In 1818, the terms of their lease having been fulfilled, the Chapins received a deed to their original farm. At that time the clearings had become pastures for cattle and sheep and the meadows a well-cultivated farm.
Levi Chapin transacted a large amount of business with Hall and Green of Bellows Falls, his boats that transported lumber downstream bringing back merchandise for this firm. In 1825 Levi Chapin Sr. and William Hall purchased a large timber tract in the White Mountains. While Mr. Chapin was away managing the cutting and marketing, his son Jonathan managed the farm and business here.
In 1817 Mr. Chapin and John Johnson were a committee of the school district to raise money and build the first schoolhouse on this side of the river. Until that year pupils had attended school in Bellows Falls.
Mr. Chapin was of an inventive turn of mind and having made some improvements in the primitive water wheels in use at that time, he went south in 1833 to dispose of his patents. In Virginia he fell ill with yellow fever and died. On the death of the father the lands in North Walpole went to his sons, Jonathan and Levi Jr. The home of Levi was in the old farmhouse at 68 Main Street, just north of the Walpole House (Mt. Kil- burn Inn) until 1862 when he built his home on the hill, later occupied by his daughter, Mrs. A. F. Nims (now Aumand Realty).
Mr. Chapin was one of the first to banish liquor from his harvest fields. One year he had a workman named Aaron Mead who was a noted char- acter of the day. He could not work without his customary libation, and one day hid his jug in a hay cock. Mr. Chapin saw him refreshing him- self from it and called out, "Aaron, it will kill you." Aaron took another long draught from the jug. "Going to risk it," he replied. Mr. Chapin and his brother sold a portion of their farm near the foot of Mt. Kilburn to a man of good reputation, but were soon pained to see the liquor traf- fic carried on on the land they no longer controlled. This influenced Mr. Chapin to include in later deeds a clause forever prohibiting the sale of liquor on the premises.
Along the west side of the highway (Main Street), through his farm, Levi Chapin set a row of maple trees, one rod apart, and had commenced a similar row on the east side when the survey of the Sullivan railroad
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cut through the line in two places. Mr. Chapin offered the railroad land if they would put their road far enough east to spare his trees, which they refused to do. A part of the trees remained, becoming very large, and were not cut down until 1900.
Mr. Chapin each winter made a road across his meadow from near his house to the river, and across the ice to Bellows Falls, for his own use. Naturally people coming from Charlestown turned in at this road, and as people from Walpole crossed the eddy on the ice, Mr. Tucker's bridge often paid small dividends in the winter. Mr. Tucker offered him a per- petual free pass through his bridge if he would close his road, which was accepted, and the good feeling between the two neighbors remained for many years. When the Rutland railroad was built, the west abutment of their bridge across the canal was placed where the Chapin road used to climb the Vermont bank, and Mr. Tucker then sued Mr. Chapin for six years unpaid bridge toll. The next winter Mr. Chapin again opened his road across the ice, coming into Bellows Falls by a new approach on the Vermont side a little way down the canal from the abutment. One morn- ing one of the elaborately painted sign boards that had stood near the east end of the toll bridge was found attached to one of the big maples, where Mr. Chapin's road joined the highway, announcing to travelers that that was the way "To Bellows Falls, Saxtons River and Rockingham".
One spring the ice on the river was very thick and remained firm al- though the water had cracked it along the shores. One day Mr. Chapin started for Bellows Falls across the ice, and as he drove upon the ice it broke away from the shore. When partly across some men on the Vermont side hailed him, saying the ice was broken up on both sides. Knowing that he could not return, Mr. Chapin drove on, and having a spirited horse, the animal leaped the broken ice, struck his feet in the muddy bank and pulled himself and buggy to safety. Nathaniel Tucker heard of the accident at the toll bridge and flew about the square, calling loudly, "Levi is in the river, Levi is in the river, get a strong rope, boys, and pull him out."
Capt. Nathaniel Chapin served in the War of 1812 with the company that went from Walpole to Portsmouth in 1814. He was the first clerk of School District #2. He built the house at 68 Main Street and lived there until 1835 when he moved to Pine Meadow, Conn., where he went into business with his brother Hermon in the manufacture of mechanics' tools.
Jonathan Chapin owned the land later bounded by River and Main
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Streets and the river, including the Connecticut River water power. In 1836 he sold this land and the water rights to George Billings who made preparations to utilize the power on a large scale. The undertaking was given up and the land reconveyed to Chapin. After his death it was sold at auction to William A. Russell.
There are many accounts of the wild animals coming down from Fall Mountain in the early days. They were principally bears, foxes, wolves, and deer, the later very abundant. William, son of Sherburne Hale, wrote: "As late as 1810 the bears used to come down the north end of Fall Mt. and eat corn. On one occasion a girl named Margaret Watson, passing just above the Chapin farm, discovered a bear in a shanty. She ran and notified the neighbors who rallied, but the bear escaped."
Rattlesnakes were plentiful on Fall Mountain. A number of men of the vicinity made a point of hunting them and extracting the oil which was valuable for medicinal use. Levi Chapin Jr., encountering them rather frequently, would kill them, then cut off the head very carefully and bury it, taking the body home to try out the oil. The skin and rattles were preserved as curiosities. One day his barefoot boy, Thomas, was racing with a school mate on the hill east of the stone school house. The other boy saw a large rattler crossing the road in time to stop, but Thomas could not, and took a flying leap over it. Such escapes were of frequent occurrence. It has been many years since one has been seen in this vicinity, probably due to the fairly frequent burning of the moun- tain after the building of the railroad.
The actual birth of North Walpole as a village may be said to date from 1872. In that year, two years after the water power of Bellows Falls began to be systematically used and workmen were needed in the mills, John McNamara, James Dorney, and John Brown, good specimens of Irish emigrants of those days, purchased of Levi Chapin most of the land lying south of the Catholic Church and west of the railroad as far as the river. They soon had comfortable homes and through the lands of these men was laid out the highway known as Church Street. For the next few years others of the same nationality followed their example and the population increased rapidly. In 1878 a Catholic Church was built and about the same time a store was established. The village had a post office a few years with Nathaniel Monroe as postmaster under Pres. Hayes, the office being kept in a store on Merchant Street run by a Mr. Lockwood, and later by Miss Ross in a house near the end of the Boston & Maine bridge. The office was soon discontinued because the service was better from the Bellows Falls office.
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FALL MOUNTAIN-MT. KILBURN
In 1849 Col. Roswell Shurtleff built the Island House at Bellows Falls. The railroads had just been built and there was hope of establishing a summer resort at the Falls. Many wealthy southern guests came for the season, while others stopped over on their way to the White Mountains. Considerable money was spent in providing excursion points and enter- tainment. A good carriage road was built to the summit of Fall Mountain and a sightly picnic and observation house built on Table Rock could be seen for many miles up and down the river, with its Grecian architec- ture and white pillars. This stood at an altitude of 1200 ft., 880 ft. above the eddy. All during the summer season carriages took guests twice each day to the top of the mountain. The summer business declined in the late '60's and the hotel was finally closed in 1887.
On Tuesday, September 23, 1856, the mountain east of the Falls was formally christened "Mt. Kilburn". Twenty-nine members of the Class of 1857 at Amherst arrived on the noon train, and early in the afternoon were joined by 15 seniors from Middlebury and five or six from Dart- mouth as their guests. They were aided by Dr. Stearn, President of Am- herst and the elder Dr. Hitchcock of Amherst, one of the most noted geologists of the time.
The Mountain House on Table Rock blew down in a gale New Year's night 1864 and was never rebuilt. The carriage road, built 1849 up through Chapin's pasture; became overgrown. It is now a footpath, ex- cept for the west end which is now Green Road.
Through the years the mountain burned over with fair frequency, fires started by locomotives on the railroad along the base, and by hunters-quite a sight at night.
THE FARMS OF NORTH WALPOLE
The ELIAS OLCOTT FARM (later Solon) included some of the "Governor's Yard" and extended south to the turn in Rt. 12 near the gas tanks, the line being at right angles to Church Street.
The JOHNSON FARM Sylvanus Johnson bought from Peter Bellows south to Governor's Brook. The Johnsons added more land, mostly to the north on Fall Mountain, to a total of 393 acres when John Johnson sold to Holland Allbee in 1849. In 1855 he sold the north part of the farm (strip 30 rods wide) to J. E. Drury; 1867 to Israel Stowell (Achsah); 1871 to Oscar L. Perham who broke it up into house lots.
In 1864 Allbee sold the rest of the farm to J. D. Bridgman.
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The HALE FARM Joshua Hale bought in 1791 from Benjamin Bellows 3rd. It lay south of Johnson, including down to the Atkinson strip; 1818 Sherburne Hale to Levi and Nathaniel Chapin. The Chapins and their heirs owned much of this part of Walpole for many years.
In 1858 there were seven houses, the stone school house, a grocery store, and a sawmill in North Walpole, all along what is now Main Street.
In 1877 there were 42 houses, eight of which were south of the toll bridge. The streets were Main, River, Church as far north as Governor's Brook, and Elm.
In 1892 there were 134 houses, a church, a store, an engine house, a sawmill and a chair shop. The following streets had been added: Vine, Center, Merchant, School, West, Pine, Spruce, Maple, East.
North Walpole's great growth came with the building of the railroad when the Irish settled here and with the harnessing of the water power of the river and the establishment of the paper mills at Bellows Falls when the Italians and Poles came.
NORTH WALPOLE HOMESTEADS
WEST END OF ATKINSON STRIP, SOUTH OF VILAS BRIDGE
The north corner Hale bought for the bridge. All the rest, west of the so-called Jonas Fairbanks Farm (which encompassed Drewsville, etc.), Jonathan Royce bought of Samuel Sparhawk in 1804; 1830 Nehemiah Royce sold the west 192 acres to John Robertson; 1834 to George Hunt- ington; 1840 a half interest to Oliver Huntington; to James Jr. and Charles Hooper. The "Mountain Lot" remained in the Hooper family until 1951.
NI. THOMAS H. ASHCROFT: First house northwest of Cold River railroad crossing, between highway and Connecticut River. In 1873 James Hooper and Charles Hooper and George Huntington sold the southwest corner of the Mountain Lot, west of highway, 3/4 acre to Thomas McDonald who built a house here; 1919 his heirs to Nathaniel and Elizabeth Mor- rison; 1953 to her son by a previous marriage, Thomas H. Ashcroft. In 1941 the Morrisons deeded to the federal government an easement for the construction of a river gauging station.
N2. MAE PROUTY: Next north of Ashcroft, Michael Cudmore had erected a house when he bought the land here from the Hoopers in 1890 (1877 map shows house), all that the Hoopers then owned west of
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the highway; 1897 to Town of Walpole; 1902 to Roscoe W. Beers; 1913 to Timothy Crimmins; 1940 his daughter Mary E. Crimmins to Lillian T. (Scott) Kenyon; 1940 to Donald C. Cram of Alstead; 1940 to Francis E. Bushway (Helen E.); 1944 to John Blake (Gertrude); 1944 to Mae Prouty. The house is unoccupied.
North of N2 the 1877 map shows the following houses, probably all on railroad land bought from owners of the Tucker Bridge 1847, out of Atkinson strip:
The first house, west side, J. Collins; the second, D. Delaney (spelled McLaney). The Dennis Delaney house was built by his father. Both were carried out by the 1927 flood.
Nearly opposite these houses were two others, the south one marked RR, the north M. Stack. Somewhat farther north, west side of highway were two more houses marked RR, and opposite the engine house two more with no name. A photograph shows the two latter houses. All are gone except the Stack house.
N3. FRANK WYMAN: Between railroad and highway. This house is old, perhaps older than the railroad. The land seems to have been leased from the railroad by the more recent owners of the house. In 1891 Michael Stack was occupying. In 1935 Lizzie Stack Tyrrell, then of Rockingham, sold to Edward C. Lamphere; 1939 to I. Louise Lynch (married Albert O. DeMange); 1946 to Charles N. Lynch (Doreen V.); 1948 to I. Louise and Albert O. DeMange; 1959 heirs to Frank Wyman (Emily) "all in- terest in land leased from B&M Railroad. .
N4. WALPOLE BRIDGE HOTEL (gone now): In 1783 George Atkinson of Portsmouth sold to Enoch Hale of Rindge for £27 the northwest corner of the Atkinson strip from Peter Bellows' land on the north to "a little south of the flat land near to the Fishing Bank", estimated about 6 acres. In 1790 the Hales lost the bridge to Frederick Geyer, but apparently not the land and mansion east of the bridge. In 1794 Joshua Hale sold to Mary Bellows (Mrs. Benjamin Bellows 3rd) "Land near Great Falls .. . about one rod north from foundation of old Potash House (south of present Vilas Bridge); runs northerly by said road 80 rods . . . also north of the bridge to a little run of water, then northeast by said run to a small bridge on a bye road; then southwest by said bye road to the County Road ... with a large dwelling house, barn and shed". In 1796 she sold to Jonathan Grout, he to Frederick W. Geyer.
Hayes described the mansion thus: "It was built soon after the bridge by Col. Hale and it was taken down when the railroad was built in 1848.
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