USA > New Hampshire > Cheshire County > Walpole > A history of Walpole, New Hampshire, Volume I > Part 55
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In 1892 close to 5,000 bbl. were shipped, mostly to the west-3,745 bbl. to Buffalo to be canned, others to St. Paul, Chicago, Peoria and Farmington, Ill. The price was $1.50 for the best quality. In 1899 there was an excellent crop, 4,373 bbl., average price $1.75-D. A. Mann 250 bbl., Alfred and Fred H. Watkins 200 bbl., and of course the Hoopers.
While Copley Amory owned the old Col. Bellows homestead, he set an orchard on the hillside east of the highway, purchased in 1925 by
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and Si Oudin
1962
Old Sugar House, Watkins Hill
Charles E. Hewitt Jr. The Hubbards also had an orchard in recent years near the family homestead and the Hooper School has had orchards in connection with agricultural education. However, the battle with un- favorable weather conditions, pests and diseases consumes any profit which might accrue to the owners, and most of the orchards have either disintegrated from neglect or been destroyed.
The big demand for apples in Walpole was for cider. Every tenth man had his cider mill. Every well-to-do farmer put into his cellar yearly from 20 to 50 bbl. of cider which was drunk on the premises. Col. Ben- jamin Bellows is said to have put down 400 bbl. annually. In 1795 (or 1805, there is a discrepancy between sources) there were 4800 bbl. of cider made and every drop was drunk in town.
Neighbors who occasionally called on each other were always regaled with a mug of cider, and the boys and housemaids were pressed into the service of tending the spigot. AH 95: "Cider mills were located in differ- ent parts of town and their groans in autumn, in crushing apples, could be heard half a mile distant, while the boys who scraped the nuts in cold weather, cursed the day when the making of cider was discovered."
Cider presses are known to have been located at the Harding Ball place (#351) on Rapids, north of Diana Wiers (#242) on the River Road, on Wentworth Road south of the Blackwell homestead (not sure, but probably west of highway near #303). The Hoopers had a cider mill on the west side of the highway near the Lewis homestead (#284). In
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1874 they built new (infer they had one there before), 10 x 20 ft. on the side hill. The apples were deposited in cars holding 80 bu. in the second story, then run over the hopper and passed down into the grater (cost $65) in the basement. There was also the $200 Brower & Boshert cider press with 150 tons pressure which would squeeze 4 gallons of cider from a bushel of apples. We also note that in 1874 the Hoopers raised 20 bu. of rye, no doubt using the rye straw for filtering the cider.
In 1880 John Selkirk set up a press at his sawmill at the mill pond north of the village, making 1100 barrels of cider. In 1882 he ground 10,600 bushels, made 1,163 barrels cider; in 1885 2,700 barrels. Originally he had used water power. In 1884 we note that he had plenty of apples, but not enough water to press them. In 1899 he came to using steam power.
According to the 1823 Gazetteer 1,225 barrels cider were produced an- nually at that time. Families, when out of cider, considered themselves out of everything. Cider sold for 50¢ a barrel to be converted into cider brandy at the old distillery which once stood 50 rods south of the Lucius Slade place on the River Road. The distillers paid for their cider in cider brandy at 33¢ per gallon. Cider brandy was cheap and nearly every family had a supply of it, and it was thought by some to be the great panacea for all ills and ails of life, and consequently a great deal was used as a common beverage, accounting for the unusual number of red faces and brandy noses seen during that era (1820's, see AH 95-6).
There was also a distillery near the site of the Academy, owned by Caleb Bellows. This may have had some connection with his plan to distill a beverage from potatoes.
In 1885 John Selkirk distilled 584 gallons of cider brandy on which he paid a tax of $525. There is no public note of any distilling in more recent years.
OTHER FRUITS
In 1881 H. G. Barnes had 23 peach trees which produced 56 bushels; in 1891 he produced 200 bushels. Peaches at best are a gamble in this climate. There are other fruit trees-pears, plums-but in no great quantity.
Strawberries have been raised at times in considerable quantity by Joslin (#520) and Thompson (#548).
TOBACCO
In the late 1860's many of the farmers in town thought they could make their fortunes raising tobacco. Fields originally given over to rais- ing grain were heavily fertilized and tobacco set out. Great sums were ex-
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pended to obtain extra supplies of manure, brought by rail as much as 50 miles. New barns were built for the curing of the weed. In 1870 there was the following production:
Benjamin E. Webster
1
acre
2000 1b.
John E. Heald
1
acre
1013 1b.
Alvin Dwinell
1.5 acre
2860 1b.
Orrin E. Ramsay
.25 acre
100 1b.
Peter Reynolds
.5 acre
700 1b.
Charles Hooper
=
acre
20000 1b.
Charles H. Brown
I
acre
1300 1b.
John C. Brown
3.5
acre
6250 1b.
Justin Farr
1.5
acre
3500 1b.
George B. Holland
.5 acre
600 1b.
George Weymouth
10
acre
18000 1b.
Total
31.75 acre
56323 1b.
Wind, hail, drought, pests tried the growers and prices were not ade- quate to make up for the whims of the weather. In 1875 the total crop in town was 26,000 lb. (Gazetteer). By 1903 there were only four growers- George H. Angier, 2 acres; Charles E. Angier, 8 acres; John L. Houghton, 1 acre; and Dennis Griffin, 3 acres. In 1910 there were 12,485 1b. raised on Boggy Meadow Farm. That is just about the whole story of tobacco in Walpole. According to Aldrich as high as 100 tons were raised at one time, but we haven't found any firm figures that high. The price went down to 10¢.
FIBRES
In the early days there were numerous carding and cloth mills, some rather hard to locate now because the financial situation was such that they didn't last.
Around 1800 (according to Mrs. Barnes page 105, writing of Col. John Bellows' household). "It will be remembered it was decreed that nothing should be used in the colonies but what could be grown and manufac- tured by our people; and in almost every household, whether rich or poor, might be found the spinning wheel and quill-wheel and loom, and all the apparatus necessary for making cloth, both cotton and linen; and every man, woman and child was clad throughout in what was called, at that time, homespun. Ambition was stimulated, and there was great com- petition, especially in the linen fabrics; as these were used for all kinds of purposes-undergarments, dresses, aprons, pocket handkerchiefs and neckerchiefs. Whatever could not be made by themselves from flax and sheep's wool, people learned to do without. .
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"The finest wool and beautiful flax were raised upon this great estate, and in sufficient quantity to make cloth for an army, if need had been; and it was not only the quantity, but the quality, that was more remark- able. It was said that some of her white linen would equal in fineness of texture the imported Holland that was used in those days for gentlemen's shirts, not used in the bosoms alone, as at this day (1888), but for the whole garment, long, large and wide, as I can bear testimony; for how can I forget the long stretches of hemming, every stitch taken with my then little fingers, and the long side seams sewed over and over, and then felled down. But more especially do I remember the stitching of wrist- bands and collars. A thread was drawn, and two threads were taken at each stitch.
"The linen fabric that was made for dresses was famed for its beauty. It was blue and white narrow stripe, colored in the yarn, and its texture was as delicate as the imported muslin. The fine checked linen made for aprons was beautiful. .. . "
Mrs. Bellows' success in the manufacture of cloth "had become widely known, probably reported by the many people who came from towns quite a long distance off to get spinning to do of both wool and flax. (History of Cheshire & Sullivan Co. P. 432)-"Col. John Bellows fur- nished employment for a large number of females, by furnishing them with wool to spin into yarn. Their visits on horseback to return yarn and procure more wool were frequent and constant, and, with their horses tied around his house, made it resemble a public inn on some festive occasion. As the only way of travelling was on horseback, they often made a most ludicrous appearance when bringing home the product of several weeks' labor. The piles of yarn would be tied upon the horse behind them and before them, often wholly concealing the rider, espe- cially when seen approaching from a distance; and a lively imagination could easily convert this moving mass into some huge animal belonging to some unknown species. There was one woman in particular that be- longed to Aunt Colonel's troop of spinners, and who lived nearly twenty miles away. She was always spoken of as 'old Mother Barnard.' No dis- respect was really intended. It only seemed the most fitting way to specify her quaint individuality. She was especially noted for the huge piles of yarn she would bring on the smallest specimen of a horse. Old Dinah would sometimes say, unless one had a near view, it would be hard to tell which was the yarn or which was the horse. The woman herself was physically very diminutive; but those who belonged to that household soon learned that that was not the way to measure her, particularly the
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colonel's boys, Josiah and Roswell, who had first considered her only a target for their sharp shooting. They quickly found that their arrows would quickly recoil upon themselves, often giving them much the worst of the game; for they had nothing to match the keen wits of this woman.
"This Mother Barnard made herself invaluable to Aunt Colonel, for, while she could spin such quantities of yarn, nearly as fine as a spider's web, Aunt Colonel could make such cloth as no one else attempted to imitate; and this branch of industry was carried on on such a large scale, wholly superintended by Aunt Colonel, that it required a large number of operatives. There was a Scotch woman employed for more than twenty years: she did no other work but weave. There was a large basement room in the house fitted up for this special purpose, and here Mrs. Sally Lath- wood reigned a queen at the great loom; and war to any invader of this precinct."
In a more plebian strain the Cheshire & Sullivan County History P. 432 states "The good old housewife and her daughters, with 'rosy cheeks and bonny brows', spun the wool and flax, the former colored and woven into cloth for the entire outward garments of both sexes in the families, and the latter into bed linen and undergarments."
In 1820 there were 5500 lbs. of flax raised in Walpole; in 1860 George Bundy and Samuel Dickey were the only raisers reported. It would ap- pear that flax had been raised locally since early days of the settlement, for it is recorded (Town Papers of N. H., Hammond Vol. VIII P. 597) that in 1773 John Marcy and Ebenezer Swan intended to make linseed oil.
In 1879 Mrs. Rebecca Graves (82) spun in one day 20 knots of yarn in addition to her housework for four.
SILK WORMS IN WALPOLE
Between 1835 and 1845 there was a wave of excitement over the idea that fortunes could be made raising silk. The first step was to set out mulberry trees. The two varieties known to have been set in Walpole were Multicaulus and Alpine. Records show that Hiram Redding bought 200 trees, Lorenzo Pressey 600, Lyman Stearns 350, George W. Bellows of Drewsville 1400, Henry Cram 6500. Henry Mellish had 8 rows in his cornfield. There is no record of how many other trees were set, or of the results. Occasionally a mulberry tree is, now in 1962, found growing be- side the road.
The Bellows daughters are said to have knit their own silk hose.
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NURSERY AND FLORIST BUSINESS
There have been various small nursery and florist businesses in Wal- pole through the years. In the 1880's Henry C. Rawson was raising prod- uce which he marketed in Bellows Falls; in 1885 Nathaniel Monroe was raising strawberries in North Walpole and according to a deed had a greenhouse; H. H. Thompson raised strawberries, and in 1899 sold 5216 quarts in Bellows Falls; Oliver Joslin also raised strawberries; in 1895 Clifford Hinds had a greenhouse where Paul Rogers lives now; George Barnett was an amateur gardener, made "extravagant flower arrange- ments"; Wallace Patch raised gloxinias from seed, and marketed whole- sale; Howard Andros has Boulder Wall Gardens where he specializes in peonies, hemerocallis, iris, oriental poppies; William Brownlee, gladioli. There have been others who had extensive gardens for their own pleas- ure, the most pretentious being those of Miss Fannie Mason.
The most important florist business ever developed in Walpole is that of Hermon Woodward. He came to Walpole as gardener on the Bridge Estate. After five years he bought a hill farm in Westminster where he started his Christmas greens business in 1908. The next year he came back to the Bridge estate for the summer and continued for four or five years. He then bought his place on the east side of Main Street and built a shop where he came to employ 30 people on Christmas greens. He finally outgrew these quarters, and when the Abenaqui Machine Shop west of the Village Bridge went bankrupt, he bought the whole thing and overhauled it to suit his needs. From the damage of the 1927 flood he sustained a loss of $7000 to $8000 but continued until the 1936 flood utterly ruined the plant, with a silt deposit 8 to 10 inches deep.
He then bought Miss Mason's field and erected a new plant on Depot Hill. Here his son Philip had charge of the greenhouse and his son Elliot the woodworking plant. At first (1914-15) they made wooden novelties as greens' containers, primarily sleighs. This branch expanded into a wholesale trade with gift shops and department stores reaching to the midwest, tied in with a salesman for Henry A. Dreer of Philadelphia. Another salesman covered eastern New York and Pennsylvania. Now the relocation of Rt. 12 has again disrupted the business and the woodwork- ing branch is being reestablished on Main Street.
Greens and berries are gathered in early September from a territory up to 150 miles from Walpole, the distance depending on the supply. Bal- sam is the chief evergreen used, with some white and red pine and some tiny spruce table trees.
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Before the war 125 were employed making greens. Now 50 are em- ployed, two-thirds of them women.
For years Woodward sent a wreath to the White House.
In the florist branch of the business Woodward specializes in Easter plants which are marketed through the Atlantic and Pacific stores, from Brattleboro north.
FAIRS, AGRICULTURAL SOCIETIES
In 1816 the Cheshire County Agricultural Society was organized with Walpole farmers taking an active part. (Chartered June 20, 1816-See State Papers) In 1817 Thomas Bellows and Thomas C. Drew were on the executive committee. The state appropriated money toward the pre- miums awarded at the fairs sponsored by the society, the sums being matched in the county. The first cattle show ever held in the state was put on by this organization in Charlestown in 1818.
In 1819 Samuel Grant received the premium for 528 bu. potatoes raised on one acre. In 1820 a State Board of Agriculture was set up with a president and delegate from each county society. Samuel Grant from Cheshire was elected treasurer. The following notice appeared in the Farmers' Museum Sept. 14, 1827: "The Cheshire Agricultural Society will hold its annual meeting at Drewsville, on Wednesday the third day of October next, and on the same day will be the Annual Exhibition of Stock and Domestic Manufactures. The Executive Committee will as- semble at Brown's Hall at 8 o'clock A.M. The Society will convene at 9, and the procession form at 12. All articles presented for premiums must be entered with the Secretary before 10 o'clock. Committees had been appointed to judge the following classes: Oxen & Steers, and Ox Yokes & Bows; Bulls, Sheep & Swine; Cows & Heifers; Stud Horses; Wollen Manufactures; Linen Manufactures; Leather"
Opposition developed in the legislature and the appropriations for the premiums were not forthcoming. . .. "A positive injury ... the farm- ers already know more than they can practice. ... Premiums were called a lottery, they all went to the rich, more was expended for them than they were worth. ... To vote money to encourage men to take their oxen 20-30 miles, fasten them to heavy and unreasonable loads and beat them unmercifully for the sake of a few dollars and the amusement of idle lookers-on who wager and gamble on the strength of their favorite cattle ... our constitution will not justify nor sanction voting money
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for such a purpose . . . encouraging cruelty, immorality and dissipation. .. . " Without financial support the societies gradually disintegrated.
In 1849 the N. H. Agricultural Society was organized, incorporated 1850. The first fair was held at Concord in 1850. The following from Walpole received premiums; E. C. Starkweather, David Buffum, Fred- erick A. Wier for cattle; F. A. Wier, David Buffum, Hodgskins and Kingsbury for sheep. At this fair the cattle breeds were "The Lordly Durham, the Sprightly Devon, the Heavy Hereford." In 1852 Ayrshires were beginning to appear in the state.
In November 1878 the State Agricultural Board held a well-attended two-day session in Walpole with speakers on agricultural subjects, to which all were invited. Following this meeting, on November 30, 1878, the Walpole Farmers' Club was organized for the purpose of "promot- ing the interests of agriculture by the intelligent discussion of topics connected therewith, and by bringing the farmers of Walpole into more intimate social relations with each other." There were over fifty mem- bers with the following officers: President John W. Hayward, Vice Presi- dent Alfred W. Burt, Secretary W. W. Guild, Treasurer Thomas B. Buffum and Executive Committee George B. Williams, Curtis R. Crowell, Albert S. Dickey.
The club met fortnightly during the winter season, the questions for discussion at each meeting being prepared by the executive committee, and published in printed programs. One or more free public lectures upon agricultural subjects, by distinguished practical farmers and scien- tists, were given each season. One of the most popular and enjoyable events was the annual festival supper attended by around 300. There were music and speeches and the women were welcome. At the regular meetings there were discussions among the members and addresses by in- vited speakers. Most seem to have been interesting, but on one occasion the speaker was so egotistical in his presentation that the members walked out on him. In 1885 we find the club meeting regularly, but by 1886 it seems to have gone out of existence.
1875 FAIR
"The first exhibition of the Nine Towns Agricultural Association rep- resenting Walpole, Langdon, Alstead, Charlestown, Westmoreland, Rock- ingham, Westminster and Putney took place at Cheshire Park in Walpole Tuesday and Wednesday October 5th and 6th. The first day opened auspiciously. ... The section of the country represented has long been
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celebrated for its fine stock and the show of horses, cattle and sheep was, as might be expected, exceedingly fine. Nine handsome stallions were ex- hibited-George B. Williams, Charles Gates, F. J. Hubbard and S. S. King of Walpole. ... The Hambletonian, Mambrino, Black Hawk and other strains were represented. Ten pairs of matched horses were shown, sixteen brood mares with colts, and a good number of promising two and three year old colts.
"The show of cattle, particularly of pure blooded stock was excellent . shorthorns from Langdon ... G. B. Williams a herd of nine Jer- seys. ... Of grade cows and heifers there was a large number. Surry, Walpole and Langdon sent town teams of oxen and steers, of the former Walpole's placed first, of the latter second.
"The show of sheep by 22 exhibitors was very large and embraced fine, coarse and middle wool breeds, the fine predominating. Of swine the Yorkshire and Cheshire predominated with three exhibitors.
"Two tents, together occupying a space of 52 x 82 ft. ... were com- pletely filled with fruits, products of the dairy, specimens of needlework, drawings, paintings, and manufactured articles of all kinds. . . . A little east of Floral Hall a great variety of the latest improvements in agricul- tural implements was to be seen. The display of garden vegetables was large and of great merit. There were 12 coops of hens, five of ducks and two of geese; a case containing ten varieties of pigeons. . ..
"The day's programme consisted of trials of strength by draft horses and oxen, exhibition of working horses and trials of speed. The show of matched and single driving horses was of a superior order. . .
"Two classes of trotting took place in the afternoon. . . . In the eve- ning an informal lecture was given in the town hall by Rev. Dr. Bellows on subjects suggested by the fair . .. abounded in good things and was well received.
"The morning of the second day was cold and forbidding ... but the attendance was good and the receipts more than sufficient to defray the necessary expenses of the society. The exercises included exhibition of town teams on the track ... a baseball match between Walpole and Bellows Falls, the latter winning 18-6 . . . a plowing match by six con- testants which excited considerable interest, won by L. C. Howe ... a foot race with ten starters won by S. A. Ball of Walpole, John Harty, 3rd . two trots and a ladies' driving match . .. Mrs. D. C. Ordway, 2nd . Mechanics' Band from Marlboro furnished music. .
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"In poultry we note the following breeds: Red Leghorn, Seabright Bantam, light and dark Brahma, Dominique, Plymouth Rock."
FAIR 1880, As Reported Keene Sentinel, September 30, 1880:
The Walpole Town Fair was purely an agricultural fair-no horse racing, no entrance fees, no premiums; everything exhibited was home grown or home made. There were exhibitions of speed on the bicycle by Nelson Hastings. . . .
"Besides the simple announcements of premiums awarded, some special notice is due to some of the exhibitions. The president, Mr. George B. Williams, and all his aides worked like heroes. Chief Marshal Perry and his two aides, two "Freds", Hubbard and Lebourveau, made a good ap- pearance on their caparisoned steeds. Good order prevailed; no disturb- ance; the lock-up had no occupant. The exhibition of linen by Miss Sophia Guild was remarkable-7 table spreads, 1 doz. napkins, 1 doz. towels, 1 coverlid. The flax was raised on the farm, also broken, spun, wove and bleached at home. Sixteen yards wool flocking was also ex- hibited by the same person, spun, wove and colored at home.
"The display of vegetables was of good variety and the exhibition of fruit was extraordinary. Forty varieties apples by H. E. Houghton; 31 varieties by Jerome Lebourveau; Yellow Harvest Apples by William Hooper from a tree 110 years old, who had picked 10 barrels from it this year. The four varieties pears by J. H. Sargent, peaches by H. G. Barnes, and nine varieties of grapes by Hiram Watkins made our salivary glands very uncomfortable.
"Floral Hall was opened the first day at 10 A.M .; at 11 o'clock prome- nade through the streets led by the Westminster Band; 40 yoke of oxen and a bull; 'Temple of Ceres' drawn by four horses, consisting of a farm wagon with a roof thatched with the cereals wheat, rye, oats and barley, containing every variety of vegetable grown-the mammoth 80 lb. squash was conspicuous-followed by 35 double, single and four horse teams. The second day the exhibition of stock on parade represented 40 yoke oxen and steers. The Brewery was represented by the "Heidelburg Tun of Strasbourg", a cask, capacity 28 bbls. They have them that hold 50 bbls., a little too large for this procession.
"Washington Square is now deserted-no pens, no cattle, no swine, no sheep, no horses; but a savory fragrance lingers that is not altogether pleasant."
Since 1926 the school has held an annual fair in the fall with a parade at the opening and an entertainment or dance in the evening.
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MERCANTILE BUSINESS
It is inferred that during early times there was no store kept in Wal- pole of any importance for in an old ledger that once belonged to Aaron Burt of Northfield, Mass., are found accounts against sixteen Walpole men. In 1762 a large invoice of nails and hinges is charged to Benjamin Bellows, that being the same year he built his new house.
In Walpole Village the mercantile business section developed around the Square toward the end of the 1790's. Much of this business develop- ment may be followed in the chapters on the decades and on the home- steads. In the earlier days the owner of a business generally owned the building in which it was located. In more recent years this has not always been so.
MacDonald's Store (#109), on the east side of the Square, was operated by Charles T. Kenrick around 1900. He sold the business to Charles H. Slade in 1904. After a few years it was taken over by Ralph Slade and Choate Bellows, they selling in 1915 to Charles S. Bain. Choate and Rich- ard Bellows stayed on to help with the business. In 1920 George E. Wheeler bought the business and operated it until 1940. In that year the First National Stores rented the store, remaining until they moved to the building on the tavern lot. For a short time the Wheeler Store was rented to Robert Guest before he moved to #90. From 1945 to 1947 Blair and Ruth Baldwin owned and operated the business, selling to Alexander MacDonald in 1947. Mr. MacDonald enlarged the store in 1953 and continues to operate it.
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