USA > New Hampshire > Merrimack County > New London > A history of the town of New London, Merrimack county, New Hampshire, 1779-1899 > Part 28
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To the present and future generations the scythe works will be only a memory or tradition, and it is for history to chronicle what is of interest as the work of ancestral hands. Increasing demand soon outgrew the limited accommodations of early days, when Dearborn Harvey burned charcoal for the forges in an adjoining field. The larger forge shop, thirty by one hundred and thirty feet, was built in 1866; another, thirty by one hun- dred and twenty, was added a few years later. The polishing shop was thirty by one hundred feet, the grinding shop thirty by sixty ; besides numerous sheds and storehouses for iron, coal, and manufactured goods. Each of the large shops had water wheels of fifty to seventy-five horse-power, and portable engines stood ready to furnish power in case the supply of water failed, a contingency which arose only twice in the half-
303
THE SCYTHE WORKS.
century. The company also built boarding-houses and de- tached tenements for such of their employés as did not own their own homes.
In the good old times, to follow the transformation of a bar of iron into the tempered scythe and gleaming axe of the husband- man, was a tour of interest. The seven o'clock whistle was the signal for the loosing of the fourteen huge trip-hammers that hour after hour sounded their rhythmic, unceasing beat, making those in the immediate vicinity content to leave their thoughts unspoken, and sending muffled echoes reverberating across the valley to the distant hills. The iron bars, twelve feet long, two inches wide, and five eighths of an inch thick, came from the forge at a white heat. A workman took one, deftly bent over one end a few inches, and inserted within the fold on each side a strip of steel. This was heated and welded, and under the remorseless blows of the trip-hammer the few inches of steel and iron were drawn out the length of a scythe. Another trip-hammer comes into play, and the bar is flattened to a width of three inches ; the back is turned up, and the shape formed, all to the accompaniment of anvil music, and the scythe is shaped and set. One workman finished the point, another formed the heel, and the blade was then hardened and tem- pered, delicate operations on which depended the value of the tool, and calling for skill and experience.
After the scythe had been straightened, it was ready for the grinders. In the grinding shop, where twelve stones, each a foot through and seven feet in diameter, were kept busily at work, the skilful manipulation of the grinder wore away the iron coating and revealed the finely-tempered steel at the edge of the blade. English story-writers tell of the terrible acci- dents from bursting stones in the cutlery shops in that country, but in New London so carefully was the motive power adjusted that there was only one fatal accident in more than fifty years, though in busy times a stone weighing three tons would be worn out in three months, and a new one was hung every week. Then came the polishing, the painting and bronzing to suit different customers ; and at last, stenciled, packed, and boxed, the finished product was stored to await shipping orders.
Recalling the early history of Scytheville, as the village around the works came to be known, with some of its older
304
HISTORY OF NEW LONDON.
citizens, has elicited much interesting detail that may well be given in this connection. Eugene O'Neil, who for many years occupied the little cottage opposite the Elkins (Scytheville) cemetery, came to New London, Friday, July 4, 1834, by way of Springfield, and ate dinner with Zaccheus Messer, then living near Little Sunapee. His first work was for Jonathan Addison of Springfield, and a little later he hired with James Stinson, on the Emery Burpee place at Gay corner, and lived in an old house called the Wheeler place, the site of the Timothy Crowley cottage. August 8, 1835, when the begin- ning on the scythe works was made, Mr. O'Neil was employed on the dam back of the store now occupied by H. B. Swett.
There were then in operation the "Colby mills," viz. : the fulling-mill, run by Josiah Sanborn ; the new grist-mill, which had replaced the old Jonathan Harvey mill ; and the saw-mill, opposite the grist-mill. The fulling-mill sat cornering to the grist-mill, and below. It faced the store, and took water in a raceway above the present wood-working shop of George Thurston. In 1848 it was used as a tinker's and carpenter's shop by Christopher Phillips, and was burned July 4, 1859. The grist-mill disappeared in " war times," and the saw-mill gave place to the tannery, which was built by Messer & Phillips in 1848. The ruins of the old dam in use before the bulkhead was built in 1835, may still be seen above the bridge. In 1834, Robert Pearce, the miller, was living in the Abel Boynton house, which is the oldest now standing ; Isaac Bun- ker lived on the Whittier place, and partly built the " Walder- mere " or Daniel Colby house ; Asa Haskins was on the Ben- jamin Everett place, and had a blacksmith shop where Me- chanics hall is now. Several of the "out-farms" were occu- pied at that time,-Alexander Whitney on the Charles Whit- ney place, Jacob Dole on William Fitzgerald's, Moses Ray on Fred Longley's, John Sherburne on Moses Haskins's.
·
There is no one, perhaps, who has so thoroughly studied the personal history of Scytheville as Ruel Whitcomb, scythe temperer at the works from 1848 to 1888, and his résumé of builders and owners is full of interest. Jonathan Harvey is said to have built the first house, which stood between Mechan- ics hall and the Daniel Colby house. Isaac Bunker built the nucleus of the present Whittier house, then sold to Capt.
305
EARLY HISTORY OF SCYTHEVILLE.
William Whittier, whose son, Almon B., enlarged and improved, the present occupants being Almon's wife and children. The Boynton house went with the grist-mill, and was owned by Governor Colby. Robert Pearce lived in it, and was followed by Henry Gates, Almon Whittier, Abel Boynton. The Frank Pike house, which is the second oldest now standing, was built by a shoemaker. Samuel Greenwood,
after he became connected with the scythe works, lived there, then his son James, then Frank Pike, and the widow of Horace Morey. The " Waldermere" was begun by Isaac Bunker in 1835, and was finished by Richard H. Messer, Matthew Pearce, son of Robert, being the first occupant, then Daniel Colby ; it was afterwards bought by the scythe company and rented to employés. Richard H. Messer built the Herbert Swett house, and his son Augustus was born there ; he also built the Oren Messer place. Joseph Phillips built and occupied the C. C. Phillips and Loverin cottages. Caleb Cheney built the Olive Hayes house, Jonathan Everett the Everett Messer house, Luther Wheeler, scythe painter, the Dr. Elkins house, Eliphalet Smith the Prescott house. Sherman Phillips, Roger Williams, Charles Folsom, Edwin Whitcomb, Warren Bick- ford, Edwin A. Jones, Norman Adams, Byron Baker, Charles I. Brown, each built the houses occupied by them. The " old company" built the George Wiggin house and the one just west, the John Jones house, the Moses Fellows house, the house occupied by Byron Tenney and Eugene Adams, and the Herbert Swett store, which was originally a paint shop and later a storehouse. The house now occupied by William D. Woodbury was moved by the company from Wilmot and rented to different parties, then was bought by Ruel Whitcomb, who had rented it, and was occupied by him in all over forty years. The house now owned by Mr. Whitcomb, and the Sidney Pedrick house, were built by the " new company," who also erected the big tenement. The Lampson residence was built by Nahum T. Greenwood in 1882. The store building near the bridge was built by General Colby in 1837. Daniel Colby, his older son, graduated from Dartmouth that year, and opened the store on New Year's day, 1838.
At the annual town meeting in 1838, Joseph Colby, Jonathan Greeley, and Amos Page were chosen a committee " to devise
21
306
HISTORY OF NEW LONDON.
" some way for the future support of the town Paupers, and " report at the next Annual town meeting." The committee reported in due season, recommending the purchase of a town farm. This the town voted to authorize the same committee to do, and appropriated the principal of the surplus revenue for that purpose, instructing the committee to pledge the town for any additional sum that might be needed. The committee pur- chased the Israel Hunting farm in the Low Plain district, about one hundred and fifty-six acres, for $2,500, and stock and hay for $158 ; additional supplies, purchased of Hiram Davis, made a total expenditure of $2,755. The committee also contracted with Hiram Davis and his wife to manage the farm and care for the paupers one year from the first day of April, 1839, for the sum of $200. The amount called for by these expenditures ex- ceeded the sum first appropriated by a few hundred dollars, and the committee recommended an additional appropriation of $1,000, reckoning the balance as sufficient to cover the running expenses for one year. The town voted to accept the report, raised the additional sum, and the poor farm was put in com- mission April 1, 1839. Amos Page, Rev. Reuben Sawyer, and Thomas Burpee, Esq., were made a committee " to oversee the poor house." It was also voted " that the Poor house be a house of correction." In 1859 the town purchased the Amos Page farm in the West Part for a town farm, and the institution was continued until 1875 ; since then a few paupers have been cared for at the county farm.
Among other items recorded for 1839 the town voted " to pay " Capt. John Pike and John Currier one dollar each for " five years past for putting up waymarks on Sunapee lake "in the winter." That the age of chivalry was not yet past is attested by the following :
" Voted, to give in Widow Robinson's taxes, and never tax her again."
" Voted, that the town tax Sally Brocklebank no more."
Agreeable to a petition presented to the selectmen in 1839, a hearing was held at the house of John Williams, Jr., on Burpee hill, and the present schoolhouse lot of district No. 2 was laid out as follows : " Beginning on the northerly side of the high- " way leading from the town meeting house in said New " London to Enoch Messer's dwelling house in said New Lon-
3º7
SURVEY FOR THE NORTHERN RAILROAD.
" don, three feet west from the westerly corner of the school " house in school district No. 2, in said New London, thence " northerly, at a right angle with said highway forty feet, thence "easterly parallel with said highway forty feet, thence " southerly to said highway forty feet, thence westwardly on " the side of said highway forty feet, to the bound first men- " tioned." For the said lot of land John Williams, Jr., was awarded " seven dollars' damage."
According to the records, during this period the New London militia was the Second company in the Thirtieth regiment, Col. Anthony Colby commanding. In 1838, Colonel Colby brought from Portsmouth sixty-four guns for the use of the militia, he and Capt. Amos B. Currier giving their personal bond for the safe keeping of the arms and their return to the state when demanded. The town assumed the obligation in 1842, Joseph E. Phillips and Capt. Perley Burpee, selectmen, binding them- selves and their successors in office in the sum of one thousand dollars. At the annual meeting in 1845 it was voted " that if " the Soldiers do not take care of the guns now in possession " of the town, that the Selectmen box them up and safely keep " them." This well-meant admonition in due time was put in full force, as in 1850 Joseph H. Messer was allowed $3.58 for put- ting the arms in order, and it was voted " that the town in future shall take care of the guns."
About 1845 there was need of a new schoolhouse in the Scytheville district, and when the matter came before the town the question of location became a live issue. Those who lived in the village proper thought the building should be near the centre of the district, but this was not agreeable to the " out- siders." Finally a committee was appointed to decide the matter, and they selected a location near the " big rock." This developed a vigorous opposition, and a petition was at once forthcoming which resulted in the building of the new house on the present site. The old schoolhouse was sold to Peter Mckenzie, and is now the Samuel Morey dwelling-house at Wilmot Flat.
In 1845 there was no railroad north of Concord, and in the fall of that year a party was sent to make a survey from Con- cord to Lebanon, the route of the present Northern railroad. Gen. Anthony Colby was interested in the proposed extension,
308
HISTORY OF NEW LONDON.
and his younger son, Robert, who had just completed his course at Dartmouth college, was a member of the surveying party. It is through the kindness of Mr. Robert Colby that an inter- esting bit of reminiscence is herewith presented.
Onslow Stearns of Concord (afterwards governor of the state) was the chief engineer of the party, the headquarters being at Edson's tavern at West Andover. After making the height of land at Canaan, they went over to Springfield on the height of land near Star pond in the Chase neighborhood, in order, if possible, to swing the road through New London from Andover. At this point they were met by a large body of New London citizens, who had turned out to render all the help possible in running the line. Among the hospitalities freely tendered the party, Mr. Colby especially remembers a night spent with Amos Page at the West Part.
But to return to the road, as the survey went along from Otter pond to the Hominy Pot, " Captain Kennedy smiled his grim smile," for the grade was just right. Then, alas, the rapid fall from the Hominy Pot to Pattee bridge (" Todd cor- ner ") broke everything all up. By bearing off towards Sutton on a big curve, with a big cut at the foot of Dean's hill to the Shepard meadow, the grade might have been got over, perhaps, but this survey was to shorten the distance, or it would amount to nothing-which was the result. It was estimated that the route would have been from ten to fifteen miles shorter, but it was actively opposed by the citizens of Bristol, and New Lon- don was obliged to resort to the stage-coach for connection with the new road.
Another event which Mr. Colby entertains in precious mem- ory relates to a somewhat earlier date, but is none the less interesting. He and his brother Daniel took it into their heads to set out trees in front of the old home where they were born, and where there had once been a row of Lombardy poplars. All the big square houses had a row of these queer, stiff trees in the early days, but now on the main road they are left only at the Jonathan Greeley farm, the Greene French house, and the Samuel Carr place. Whatever set the people to buying . those trees of some speculator, who took them from southern Europe, to grow in so cold a place, while the same people were cutting down all the native growth around them, has never
309
TREE-PLANTING EPISODES.
been explained ; perhaps it was because they grew like wil- lows, by simply sticking slips of them in the ground. But anyway, the trees had then been removed at 'Squire Colby's.
Now Daniel Colby was at this time a student in Dartmouth college, and had been fitted at Hopkinton academy, so he knew something about ornamental trees ; and Robert had been going with his father (as Anthony Burpee had with his father, driving cattle and sheep to Bradford for Major Flint, when the silver quarter-dollar the boy received for going with them to Sutton South seemed a fortune), riding horses and driving mules to Portsmouth, to ship to the West Indies. Their route was down through Hopkinton, Concord, and Durham, and Robert thought then, and still thinks, that old Hopkinton vil- lage was a charming place. Along the quiet country roads the trees and shrubbery were full of song birds, and in the stately elms of Hopkinton Robert first saw the Baltimore oriole, or golden robin, and listened entranced to his flute-like notes. So the brothers planned to have elms and orioles for their own loved home. Down in the low grounds, wherever they could find them, they took up the sapling elms, brought them up on their strong young shoulders, and set them out in long rows before the old homestead. Long years afterwards, when the slender saplings had grown into trees whose swaying branches tapped at the many-paned windows and swept the high-pitched roof, the orioles found them out, and their swing- ing nests are hung in this favored spot to-day.
One day Mr. Joel Fletcher came to the store (Samuel Green- wood's, on Colby hill), tied his horse in the shed, and came over where the boys were busy with their trees. "Robherd," said he, " what are you doin'?" "Settin' out a tree," the lad answered. " Well, well," was his comment, " what smart boys you are to be settin' out trees just as your gran'sir has got through cuttin' on 'em down !" Daniel spoke up, " If our gran'sir had left a grove of trees on his north line, as Moses Adams [the Perley place, at Woodbury corner] did, we might have let this job go ; we shall have land enough for every-day use." Mr. Fletcher had his say and his laugh, and was satis- fied ; and so were the boys, for he was a kind-hearted man, and his house sat where it took all the wind there was blowing.
At this time there was no house on the south side of Main
310
HISTORY OF NEW LONDON.
street between the old red schoolhouse at Four Corners and the Herrick tavern. For shade-trees there was a large ash beside the road about where Mrs. Augusta Knight's cottage stands, and another by the John Brown garden, at the east end of the four cherry trees (second growth) standing now. There were two tall Lombardy poplars near the Burpee shop, and some willows at the Trussell place. Esquire Greeley had set out the elms now standing in front of the James D. Prescott house, and the two in front of the Alvin F. Messer house. Those were all, except the five butternut trees set out by 'Squire Colby just opposite the homestead, one of which still yields an abundant feast to the omnivorous school boys as of yore. 'Squire Colby could put up with the butternuts, but could not tolerate locust trees because they used to overrun Beach hill in Hopkinton, where he came from, so badly.
Since those days almost everybody has helped in the shade- tree enterprise, and the town is enough handsomer for all the trouble it has cost. The academy grounds have been espec- ially ornamented through the efforts of the teachers and students, and in this connection may be given a bit of senti- ment. About 1839, Mr. J. Q. A. Wood (now deceased) was a student at the academy. He set out the two elm trees at the southwest corner of the old academy grounds, and penned a poem about them to his lady love, of which the first stanza was as follows :
"I have planted two trees in my gallant pride, "And mean they shall stand there, side by side, "And o'ershadow the sylvan land."
The dedication was to Miss Emily Sargent, whom he mar- ried later on-and the elms, so happily planted, have o'er- shadowed many a pair of lovers since the days of 1839.
The first mention of printing town and school reports was in 1846, when it was voted " that the Selectmen have the " report of the town's committee for the year ensuing printed " in season for each voter to have a copy of it fourteen days " previous to the next annual town meeting." Also, " that the " report of the Superintending School Committee be printed for " the use of the inhabitants." (Ransom C. Pingree and Charles S. Whitney have nearly complete files of the printed town reports since the above date.) The selectmen's records note
A
NEW LONDON STREET LOOKING SOUTHEAST FROM "FOUR CORNERS."
TWO OF THE "FOUR CORNERS."
311
NEW LONDON'S CROWNING HONOR.
the payment of $4.38 to Morrill, Silsby & Co. of Concord, " for printing town accounts for 1846," and $7 to Ervin B. Tripp, " printing School Reports 1846." The superintending school committee were first paid for their services in 1847, when Rev. Mark Carpenter as chairman presented a bill of $22.
In 1846, New London received her crowning honor in the election of her favorite son, Gen. Anthony Colby, to the chief magistracy of his native state. Judge Sargent says,-" His " administration of the affairs of the state government was " characterized for integrity, true economy, and a spirit of "progress and reform. In the position in which the political " parties then stood, it was simply impossible that he could be "re-elected." The story is also told that on being rallied as to his one term of office the ex-governor at once replied that he considered his administration the most remarkable the state had ever enjoyed. " Why so?" asked the friend. With an air of deepest gravity, tempered by the twinkle of his dark gray eyes, he replied,-" Because I have satisfied the people in one year ; and no other governor ever did that."
The census reports give New London a population of 913 in 1830, 1,019 in 1840, and 945 in 1850. The only time in its history when the population has exceeded one thousand was in 1840, and the succeeding decade may be regarded as marking the flood tide of prosperity and influence. The summary for 1850 shows a marked increase in the quarter-century since 1825 :
Number of polls 25I
Owners of real estate
183
Value of real estate
$186,512.00
Horses over 18 months
169
Valuation
9,860.00
Neat stock over 18 months
932
Valuation
16,180.00
Sheep over 6 months
2,535
Valuation
3,907.00
Money on hand or at interest
.
30,520.00
Stock in trade
4,650.00
Shares of railroad stock . 81
Raised by taxation
2,246.24
312 1
HISTORY OF NEW LONDON.
TOWN OFFICERS FROM 1826 TO 1850.
Moderators.
1826 .- March 14, Daniel Woodbury, Esq. ; March 25, Jere- miah Adams ; April 25, May 22, Joseph Colby, Esq. ; July 20, Capt. Moses S. Harvey.
1827 .- March 13, Daniel Woodbury, Esq .; March 26, Greene French ; April 7, Col. . Anthony Colby ; July 21, Stephen C. Badger ; Oct. I, Dr. Jonathan Dearborn ; Dec. 29. Samuel Greenwood.
1828 .- March II, Jeremiah Adams ; Aug. 2, Isaac Wood- ward ; Nov. 3, Daniel Woodbury, Esq. ; Nov. 27, Capt. Stephen Sargent.
1829 .- Jan. 3, Samuel Greenwood; March 10, June 22, Daniel Woodbury, Esq. ; Aug. 15, Capt. Jonathan Herrick ; Oct. 17, Col. Anthony Colby.
1830 .- Jan. 16, Daniel Woodbury, Esq .; Jan. 21, Capt. Moses S. Harvey ; March 9, Daniel Woodbury, Esq. ; April 3, 20, Col. Anthony Colby ; Aug. 21, John Morgan.
1831 .- Jan. 13, Samuel Greenwood ; March 8, Daniel Wood- bury, Esq. ; March 28, Joseph Colby ; Aug. 20, Amos Page ; Sept. 24, Daniel Sargent ; Oct. 11, John Page ; Oct. 22, Amos Page.
1832 .- Jan. 21, Amos Page ; March 13, Col. Anthony Colby ; Aug. 25, Daniel M. Everett ; Oct. 27, Joseph Kimball ; Nov. 5, Capt. Moses S. Harvey.
1833 .- Jan. 21, Thomas Burpee, Jr .; March 12, Capt. Moses S. Harvey ; June 15, Col. Anthony Colby ; Aug. 24, Stephen C. Badger.
1834 .- Jan. 20, Samuel Smith Knowlton; March II, Otis Everett ; Aug. 18, Joel Fletcher ; Aug. 23, Perley Ayer.
1835 .- Jan. 24, Thomas Burpee, Esq .; March 10, Otis Everett ; Aug. 25, Walter P. Flanders; Nov. II, Joseph Kimball.
1836 .- Jan. 26, Daniel M. Everett ; March 8, Amial Shep- ard ; April 15, Joseph Colby ; May 7, Joseph Kimball ; June 9, Amial Shepard ; Aug. 30, Joel Fletcher ; Nov. 7, Amial Shepard.
1837 .- Jan. 28. Joel Fletcher ; March 14, Gen. Anthony Colby ; Sept. 9, Horace Clark ; Nov. 15, Jonathan Gage.
313
TOWN OFFICERS, 1826-1850.
1838 .- March 12, Jeremiah Burpee ; March 13, Capt. Otis Everett ; Sept. 8, Aaron Young; Dec. 8, Gen. Anthony Colby.
1839 .- Jan. 3, Amos Page ; Feb. 4, Gen. Anthony Colby ; March 9, Jeremiah Pingree ; March 12, Gen. Anthony Colby ; April 8, Amos Dodge ; June 25, Joseph Colby, Esq. ; Sept. 2, Sylvanus T. Sargent.
1840 .- March 7, Aaron Young ; March 10, Amos Dodge ; Sept. 2, John Trussell ; Nov. 2, Amos Dodge ; Dec. 10, Wil- liam Lee.
1841 .- March 4, Capt. Stephen Davis; March 9, Gen. Anthony Colby ; Sept. 2, Perley Burpee.
1842 .- March 5, William Lee; March 8, Gen. Anthony Colby ; Sept. 6, Job Seamans.
1843 .- March II, John J. Sargent ; March 14, William H. Hosmer.
1844 .- Feb. 10, John Trussell ; March 12, William H. Hos- mer ; Nov. 4, John Trussell.
1845 .- March II, Gen. Anthony Colby ; Sept. 23, Nov. 29, Benjamin P. Burpee.
1846 .- March 10, Gen. Anthony Colby.
1847 .- March 9, Stephen C. Robie ; Nov. 6, 29, Benjamin P. Burpee.
1848 .- March 14, June 3, Stephen C. Robie ; Sept. 2, Wil- liam Lee ; Nov. 7, Stephen C. Robie.
1849 .- March 13, Edmund J. Ring.
1850 .- March 12, Edmund J. Ring ; Oct. 8, John M. Hayes.
Delegate to Constitutional Convention.
1850 .- Benjamin R. Andrew.
Town Clerks.
1826-1831, Job Seamans ; 1832-1833, Jonathan Herrick ; 1834-1835, John Trussell ; 1836-1837, Samuel Little, * Josiah Brown; 1838-1841, Job Seamans ; 1842-1843, Luther Mc- Cutchins ; 1844, Benjamin Dodge ; 1845-1846, Job Seamans ; 1847-1849, John M. Hayes ; 1850, William P. Burpee.
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