USA > New Hampshire > Cheshire County > Walpole > A history of Walpole, New Hampshire, Volume I > Part 7
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DECADE 1870-1880
In July 1874 a tempest was brewed when the citizens found that during the preceding night someone had neatly felled one of the maples on the Common, bringing back memories of the Saucy Six in 1843. Subsequently James Dinsmore and Judge Tufts (1879, 1881) set out over 100 maples along the road on Depot Hill. In 1898 maples from George Taggard's were set along the west side of the cemetery.
On Friday, Sept. 11, 1873, at 4 P.M. there was a bad wind and hail storm in Westminster and Walpole. It struck about halfway between Wal- pole Village and Bellows Falls, cutting a swath one half to three quar- ters of a mile wide. Charles Hooper's and Charles Parkinson's tobacco barns were destroyed, the latter with the crop from eight acres. There were in this barn at the time six oxen, one yoke of oxen and four men, two of whom had gone aloft to close the windows, and fell 30 feet. Edgar Taft of Alstead broke his thigh; James T. Moore sprained his wrist. One ox had his back and five ribs broken. The tobacco in the barn was a total loss as well as three acres not yet harvested. Others losing tobacco were John Hooper two acres, Oliver A. Doolittle three acres, Henry Rawson two acres, W. W. Sanderson four acres. Doolittle's shed was ruined. The storm skirted the ridge east of Willard Blanchard's farm, twisting off tops of pine trees up to 18 inches diameter; tipping over Cyrus Royce's shed and leaving his colts exposed; destroying three acres of tobacco on Nehemiah Royce's farm; demolishing Gardner Dodge's cider mill. At Drewsville it blew down a tree in front of Putnam's store, leaving the new school unscathed; lifted Matthew Tole's barn from its underpinning and moved it eastward, the ell with it left awry; broke pines in Augustus Maynard's yard west of his house.
In 1870 a state law was passed whereby the selectmen, on petition, could suppress the local sale of liquor. In 1873 a temperance meeting was held at the town hall with over 100 in attendance. Tentative plans were made for an organization with the following officers: Chairman George Aldrich; Secretary John Hayward; Committee to work out plans for organizing- C. B. Lucke, Rev. Mr. Dickinson, John B. Russell, Edwin Guild, John W. Hayward, Charles Fisher. Difficulty arose in getting signers to the petition to the selectmen.
When no liquor agent was appointed at the next town meeting, some
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expressed the opinion that there was no need of one since liquor could be obtained freely without his services.
In August 1888 there was much excitement over the prosecution of Landlord Smith of the Dinsmore House for selling liquor. Twelve citizens were summoned to Keene as witnesses, but just before they left town the summons was countermanded, arousing great curiosity as to the reason.
In 1890 H. A. Huntley's hotel at Drewsville was raided, a large amount of contraband liquor seized. At Keene he pleaded guilty to charges of being a common seller and keeping with intent to sell. He was fined; his sentence suspended on good behavior.
In March 1894 two stirring addresses were delivered at the meeting of the Cheshire County Temperance Union at the town hall.
At North Walpole McDonald's, Riley's Walpole House, Murphy's, Pickett's and Brennan's were raided off and on. The correspondent re- marked that the sellers seemed to stand a lot of legal interference. There was complaint that the oldtimers were undisturbed.
The bottling works at the brewery were also raided. The law prevented bottling and selling within the state. Work came to a standstill.
In September 1901 a meeting was called in North Walpole to take action on whether officials were doing their duty in enforcing the liquor laws. There were 300 present. After some difficulty in getting a chairman and secretary, the meeting was opened to discussion. After fifteen minutes of silence the meeting was adjourned.
In 1908 Walpole voted against license, leaving Alstead the only wet town in the county. This meant a loss of $2,380.62 in license fees to the town, and it did not stay dry.
In November 1916 there was a big temperance rally at the town hall, 150 from North Walpole going down by train. They formed a torchlight procession from Westminster Station to the town hall, then returned on the 11:20 train. The election went no license by 59 votes. Prohibition followed. There is now a state liquor store at North Walpole.
Sidney Hemenway of Grafton was conducting singing schools in Wal- pole and Drewsville in 1873 and continued for some years, sometimes end- ing the season with a sleigh ride to Alstead for supper and a dance. In 1883 Barber was holding classes every Thursday evening during the winter at the Academy.
In May 1878, after several months of rehearsals, the Choral Union pre- sented at the town hall the operetta "Ruth" with gorgeous costumes and scenery. Mrs. George A. Blake was the pianist, and the rehearsals were held in her parlor. Following is the cast: Ruth, Mrs. H. J. Watkins;
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Naomi, Mrs. H. N. Bellows; Orpah, Miss Lizzie Maynard; Jewish Maiden, Miss Helen Watkins; Israelitish Woman, Mrs. Hastings; Messenger, Miss Mary Maynard; Boaz, W. A. Maynard; Ist Reaper, H. H. Kimball; 2nd Reaper, Mr. Barber.
In January 1885 Prof. J. H. Ketchum conducted a singing school with intensive training for a short period, beginning with a free concert. The following December the same group presented "The Wreck of the Hesperus" with Miss Lizzie Maynard conducting. Soloists were Charles Hale, tenor; Albert Dickey, basso; Miss Carrie Wells, soprano; Miss Mary Maynard and Miss Lillie Hale, alto; Mrs Charles Barnes, pianist.
In 1912 Rev. Megathlin was instrumental in organizing a Chorus Club with Mr. Coffin of Keene as leader. Harry J. Stowell was president, Fred A. Metcalf vice-president, Archie I. Davis secretary-treasurer, Mrs. Fred Ramsay, Mrs. Charles S. Hawks, Mrs. George B. Holland, D. G. Phelan, John H. Williams, Rev. C. A. Amor directors. One hundred were present for the organization meeting.
Sleigh rides were a popular diversion, even though it was sometimes fearfully cold and windy, as in 1884 when 28 couples went to Westmore- land South Village for a supper served by Alonzo Burt. On the return trip several sleighs upset and some of the men were obliged to walk and lead the horses. Graves had a four-horse livery outfit which in 1900 took 19 young people to the Eagle in Charlestown for supper. There was much merriment-moonlight, mild weather, cornets and other instruments "making spirits bright". There was an annual sleigh ride to Chapin's in Alstead, in 1906 one hundred four making the trip. In 1914 there were ninety who went down to Willis Foster's on the Wentworth Road for an evening of fun. In 1903 a two-horse sled load went from Wentworth Road to Christian Hollow every night while Mr. Borthwick was preach- ing.
Nearly every season there were dancing schools, ending with an exhi- bition or ball, which were replaced in 1899 by assemblies. Many dances were held at the homes: in Drewsville at G. W. Jenna's with music by Nelson Burnell and Mrs. George Wallace, with "oysters and other com- forts for the inner man", dancing until the small hours of the morning; at Leslie Chandler's where friends and neighbors gathered "with lunch baskets, fiddles and preparations for a good time"; and at Elihu Hill's in the Valley, a pound party, with refreshments and dancing. In the winter of 1886 there was a hop at Charles E. Watkins' with 70 present. In July 1878 Levi A. Ross gave his wife a real party for her birthday. He set up three round tents and one long one where tables were loaded with cold
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meats, lobster salad, potato salad, pastries, cake, strawberries and ice cream. Woods' Quadrille Band furnished music for dancing and there were fireworks in the evening.
There were also church sociables where the old folks chatted, the young people danced, and the children played games. In 1900 Old Folks' Dances at the town hall were so popular that the lower hall wasn't large enough. They brought box lunches and coffee was furnished free. They continued to be popular and in 1926 were being put on by Charles Angier and Tom Kiniry, later by Josiah Graves, Harold Foster and George Tiffany.
In 1894 eighty people husked 100 bushels of corn, ate an oyster supper, and then danced till morning light at S. B. Putnam's.
There were numerous dance halls about town. At Drewsville there were Bond Hall, where Nelson and Mattie Burnell furnished the music, and Taunt's Tavern. Thomas Taunt had an annual ball, advertising "a good hall and as a good a barn for stabling horses as was ever built". In the south part of town Burt Hall was popular. In 1936 a dance was held in the old hall, just for fun, reminiscent of the oldtime dances there thirty years and more earlier. Even the old bills were used, "Horses will be cared for for 25 cents". In the village the dancing classes were held in Howard Hall or at the Academy. The "balls" were at the town hall, in 1874 the lower hall being advertised as free from drippings of creosote from the stove pipe. At the calico ball in 1881 Mrs. Horace A. Perry was awarded the first prize, Miss Mary F. Tobey second. Mrs. George Burt and Miss Nora Ball were also very lovely. Dancing was until 2 A.M. In 1882 there were 75 couples at the Firemen's Ball, although in later years attendance was not so good. There were also annual balls at the hotel in the village, music by Maynard & Wheeler's Quadrille Band, the prompter with some new changes. Mr. Teel preached against round dances, but did not object to square dances. In 1915 the authorities forbade the tur- key trot and tango in the town hall.
In 1875 a Ladies' Reading Club was organized and an Amateur Dra- matic Club revived. In 1876 there were two Shakespeare Clubs, one all women, the other sandwiched with men, and a Dickens Club. In 1878 there were two reading clubs and at school a lyceum (discussions). There were also lyceum courses at various times, in later years free to the public, supported by subscription. Prof. Franklin Hooper was an ardent worker in this field. At his home he built a music shell for concerts in the pines.
In 1879 there was the Sorrel Club, a group of young women who blacked their faces, wore pants and performed private minstrel shows for their own amusement.
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Spelling bees were especially popular in 1875, held at the town hall, a Webster's Unabridged Dictionary the prize. Participants were Misses Lillie Webster, Annie Hitchcock, Jennie Barnes, Mrs. Henry J. Watkins, Charles Barnes, Rev. William Brown.
When town meeting approached, the Republicans began to stir them- selves even though they expected to be beaten at the polls. In 1874 Col. A. H. Bellows gave a free campaign supper to all Republicans at the town hall, put on by the proprietors of the Wentworth. The Bellows Falls Band played; there were campaign toasts and stories. Next day they lost in the election, but there were ten more Republicans than the year before. It was a great day. The wind blew a hurricane and it snowed great guns. A Republican from Carpenter Hill said a drift in his neighborhood measured 35 feet long and 30 feet deep. Fences were covered, yards full, and driving outside the village was especially delightful when one met a two-horse sled loaded with wood.
It was customary for the political parties to hang their flags across the Square. During the summer of 1876 the Democrats raised a flag in July "Reform Tilden & Hendricks". In August the Republicans raised their Hayes & Wheeler flag. At North Walpole a Democratic flag disappeared and there was a vitriolic news story in the "Manchester Union", but it was discovered later that Albert Nims, president of the local Democratic Club, had taken it down. In 1884 there was a Cleveland & Hendricks flag in the Square, and a Blaine & Logan one in the Hollow. In 1888, as usual, the Democrats won locally, but the Republicans celebrated their national victory with a supper at the town hall, put on by Landlord Smith at 50¢ per plate, 150 served. Before the supper Alton Gile trun- dled Jack Hayward around the Common in a wheelbarrow to pay an election bet, and there was the rumor that a certain Democrat was to wheel a Republican from Walpole to Drewsville.
Before the election in 1896 there was a torchlight parade in the village and many went to the rally at North Walpole. That was the year Wil- liam King went over to the Republican camp, taking many Democrats with him and winning a Republican victory at last. There was hardly standing room in Davis' drug store when the election returns were re- ceived.
In 1912 the Progressives organized with Charles H. Barnes as chair- man; A. P. Davis, clerk; O. J. Butterfield, delegate. In November they held a rally at Bond Hall in Drewsville. The speakers failing to appear, Benjamin Bragg and Dr. Mousley spoke impromptu on dancing, singing and temperance. The vote was Wilson 283, Taft 156, Roosevelt 102.
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Town meetings often waxed hot, particularly when the North Wal- pole people got stirred up as they did in 1903 over a new bridge-"North Walpole may be the tail end, but the tail nearly wagged the dog. . . . Two hundred and eighty-seven came down on the special train which stopped at every cross street, thirty came on the regular morning train and twenty on the regular afternoon train-there wasn't a voter left in North Walpole. The area north of Cold River lacks only thirty of having a majority of the voters in town. There were 830 names on the checklist, the largest number ever, with 50 new from each end of town. . . . Feel- ing ran high with opposition ... neither convincing or effective. The vote was 314-214 in favor."
In 1874 there was a real celebration of Independence Day beginning with a sunrise salute of 37 guns. At 9 A.M. there was a Parade of An- tiques and Horribles: Herrod Brown was the most amusing with a one- horse shay; Mr. Blodgett, dressed as a strongminded woman with a Wom- an's Rights banner, rode his favorite near ox; Frank Porter had his trained bull and Levi Ross was an Indian on horseback. There was also a baseball game in the morning with the players dining at the Went- worth. At 3 P.M. there was a trotting race, the first on the new Cheshire Park track. There were five entries: Stephen Cory, Hubbard Newton and Stephen Allen winning. The other two entries were William A. May- nard and George Angier. A shower coming up hastily dispersed the thou- sand spectators. At 6 P.M. there was a sack race, and a bonfire of tar barrels in front of the Wentworth closed the festivities.
On July 4, 1876, bells were rung at sunrise, noon, and sunset; and the big cannon was discharged at 10 A.M. Rev. Dr. Bellows gave a patriotic address, C. R. Crowell read the "Declaration of Independence" and the united choirs sang patriotic songs. Rev. Brown and Rev. Robie led devo- tional services. In the evening there was a strawberry festival at the Uni- tarian Church.
As time went on, July 4th was celebrated with various pranks. In 1883 a coffin was placed at the office door of each doctor-probably borrowed from a citizen who had bought them at an auction and had not had use for them in his family. In 1884 the 4th was quiet, Mr. Cady discharging the cannon at intervals. In 1885 the old town house roof caught fire from firecrackers thrown from the belfry, but it was extinguished with- out serious damage. In 1886 there was lots of foolishness-exchanging gates, hanging a buckboard where the Democratic flag had been, putting a horse rake in the bandstand. In 1887 there was not the usual exchange of property, only a few pickets blown off Dr. Knights' fence. The streets
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were well patrolled by an officer on a donkey. There were fireworks at Hastings' and the Elmwood. In 1888 there was only one accident, the bursting of a small cannon on the square. No one was hurt. One piece crashed through the side of R. L. Ball's boot-and-shoe store, another struck C. C. Davis' store, the third went through the bandstand, and the fourth landed in the second story of the hotel. The gunners escaped miraculously.
In 1891 the Horribles Parade was noted as the best thing of its kind ever seen in Walpole-from a six-horse emigrant wagon to a light baby carriage, a clumsy Mexican Cart to a modern trotting sulkey. The music was by the surviving members of the old Walpole Cornet Band and an improvised drum corps. The only accident was the upset of the fat baby, dumping him into the mud with his three gallon bottle of milk. At the town hall there was dinner and an oration and in the afternoon there were races.
By 1900 there wasn't much but noise. Many went to Bellows Falls to watch the ball game between Bellows Falls and North Walpole. The lineup for the latter was Stanley If, Warn c, McCarthy 3b, E. Lynch 2b, Bryan cf, Farnsworth p, J. Lynch ss, Drislane lb, Thomas rf. Bellows Falls won 21-19.
In 1903 the Fourth was heralded by bells. During the day the band rode around town in a lumber wagon; there was the firing of cannon and shooting off of crackers; ending with a bonfire in the Square. The lamp posts were pulled up sooner than the commissioners had planned, an old fence removed and a horse rake misplaced. (The new arc lights were to be ready by August 1st, the incandescent lights came soon after.) By 1913 there were fine displays of fireworks and probably plenty of noise. The day seemed to lose its appeal as time went on. During the past dec- ade even firecrackers have been outlawed. Displays of fireworks are be- yond the means of most citizens.
Decoration Day was not generally observed. Mrs. Mary Livingston (89), who lost a son in the Rebellion, with the assistance of two neighbors in 1878, walked to the cemetery and marked the graves of soldiers with flags and strewed flowers. It took her five hours. It soon became the cus- tom for the G.A.R. from Bellows Falls to assist with the exercises, includ- ing decorating of the graves. By 1895 there were only three veterans left in town and the appropriation was passed over in town meeting. In 1927 Charles Hathaway and William Hall were the only veterans of the Re- bellion living in Walpole.
After World War I the American Legion and Auxiliary held Memorial
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Day exercises and marked the graves of veterans with flags. They still continue this service.
In the fall it was customary to have grand hunting contests with a "feed" at the Wentworth, sometimes an oyster supper, sometimes a "dinner" at $1.50 each loser, 50¢ for outsiders too conscientious to shoot a squirrel. Two teams competed with a certain number of points scored for the shooting of various game. In 1877 the ladies objected to the killing of red and "striped" squirrels and innocent birds. That year the tally was 13 hedgehogs, 33 skunks, 3 woodchucks, 1 rabbit, 12 muskrats, 44 gray squirrels, 1284 red and "chipper" squirrels, 1 hen hawk, 39 partridges, 1 woodcock, 18 crows, 4 pigeon hawks, 6 wild pigeons, 2 yellow hammers, 26 blue jays. It seemed to be part of the game to steal what one could from the opposing team. One year mud-turtles were the highest scoring game. In 1884 there were 1461 woodchucks killed in town, not all in the contest.
Night-blooming Cereus blossoms made an occasion for calling in one's neighbors. In September 1874 "Edwin Hosmer's house was brilliantly lighted until a late hour to show off two Night-blooming Cereus blos- soms. The third bud opened sheepishly next morning." July 1876 "George Barnet has Night-blooming Cereus, a Fuchsia 8 feet high with 1000 buds, a Wax Plant 200 feet long in Blossom." He was famed for his flower arrangements at the Orthodox Church. In 1879 hundreds called on Mrs. William Farnam when ten buds opened on her Night-blooming Cereus.
In 1877 Upham of Bellows Falls was having a good sale of organs and pianos in Walpole. In June 1878-"We shall soon expect to see the latest invention of our age, Prof. Edison's phonograph, in our midst. It seems incredible that an inanimate machine can be made to repeat the speak- er's voice; but it is even so-we saw." In 1891 Andrew Angier was giving exhibitions with his Edison phonograph, and others were also entertain- ing their friends with the new invention.
With warm weather, gypsies came with a small drove of horses for sale, traveling in good style with a large, commodious vehicle that could be converted into kitchen, dining-room, bedroom. They were sharp, keen traders, and one sometimes recognized a horse in their possession. One was described thus: "Horsemen say he is fitty, my experience with him teaches me he is epileptic, subject to falling sickness which is very incon- venient when one is far away from home and in a hurry to return."
In May 1876 a travelling bear entertained in the street rather than the
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usual organ grinder and monkey. By 1879 it seems to have become an an- nual event, frightening cats and dogs and delighting the young folks.
There were travelling shows of various kinds: ventriloquists, magicians, dramatic readers, Uncle Tom's Cabin in 1879. These were at the town hall. Now and then a circus with a sideshow came this way in summer (1878 in August). In September 1893 "Scribner's & Smith's circus was here on Allen Dunshee's meadow. Teams conveying the circus began to arrive about 7 A.M. and proceeded immediately to the grounds just north of Dunshee's barns, and in a few hours time had completed erec- tion of the tents, etc. At 1 P.M. there was a street parade-brass band, six wagons of many colors, clowns with small turnout bringing up the rear. It drew quite large audiences afternoon and evening-usual feats, except no horses in the ring. Some were disappointed, others pleased, but the small boys enjoyed everything from beginning to end. This was like the oldtime circuses that travelled on the road."
Beginning in 1824 we find references in the town records indicating the beginning of circuses here. That year a license was granted for ex- hibiting animals; in 1827 a license to Lewis B. Titus to exhibit a caravan of animals; in 1832 one for a circus to perform in the village and to Titus & Aryavaine to exhibit a caravan of living animals and wax figures.
The larger circuses showed at the Falls, sometimes at North Walpole north of Elm Street, especially when the restrictions in Bellows Falls were not to the taste of the management (license fee, for instance).
In June 1878 Nelson Hastings was astonishing the community by his feats on his modern bicycle that cost $150. His quickest time was one mile in 2.37 minutes. In 1879 bicycle racing on Main Street became a pastime. On Memorial Day 1894 some bicyclists returning from the baseball game at Charlestown claimed that they did the 12 miles in 55 minutes. In 1895 two Walpole cyclists rode from Charlestown to Bellows Falls in 25 minutes. John Ostenburg rode to Keene and back without dismount- ing, 75 minutes each way, by the lower road, 17 miles. A favorite five-mile ride was down the River Road, cross by Smalley's (Hall's Crossing Road) and home by Hall's Mills. Some called it nine miles. Bicycle riding on the sidewalks was a nuisance.
In 1912-"Between bicycles on the sidewalks and automobiles on the streets pedestrians will have to take to the woods. William Burrows came coasting down Prospect Street so fast that he ran into George Chickering's bay colt coming up Main Street. The wagon struck a tree and Mr. Chicker- ing was thrown out. The horse got clear of the wagon, except for one shaft, went through Mr. Holden's lot, jumped a picket fence, went
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through Mrs. Buffum's yard knocking down a fence, came down Middle Street to the Common, through Mr. Butterfield's lot, and was then caught unharmed."
In 1919-"Ernest Chalifoux lost control of his wheel riding down Whipple Hill and was badly cut about the face and head. He lived six miles from the village and had to ride his bicycle or walk half the dis- tance, and then ride on the school team the rest of the way."
In the spring the chestnut trees, loaded with masses of drooping white blooms, in pasture and woods gave promise of an abundant harvest. Gathering nuts was a pleasant fall pastime. In October 1879 the crop of butternuts and chestnuts was especially abundant, and it was said that even a freight train stopped by Buffum's chestnut orchard to allow all but one of the brakemen to leave the train to gather chestnuts and on the return trip stopped to pick them up. By 1921 the chestnuts were falling prey to blight, as the elms are now being destroyed by the Dutch Elm Disease.
In June 1878 George Aldrich was taking a census of the town which he intended to publish in serial form, giving a narrative of the early history and sketches of the lives of some of the earnest and distinguished men who had lived in Walpole. In March 1879 the town voted $500 to com- plete his history of the town. The volume came out in 1880 and, like all new books, excited some criticism.
In 1879 there was good coasting, enjoyed by young and old. They came down High Street "a mile a minute," but with no accidents. Among the older people who enjoyed the coasting were Mrs. Josiah G. Bellows and her brother, Judge Howland of New York. Depot Hill was somewhat more dangerous. Sliding into a dark bridge might scare a horse even if there was no collision.
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