USA > New Hampshire > Cheshire County > Sullivan > A history of the town of Sullivan, New Hampshire, 1777-1917, Volume I > Part 3
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1787. We meet with officers in the early records of whom the present generation know little except by tradition. Our farmers are so thrifty and careful that the office of hog reeve is no longer a necessity. That it was so, once, is shown by the town votes that swine should not run at large. Long after the actual necessity for such an officer, the office was perpetuated, and the mischievous custom prevailed of honor- ing all the men who had been married during the year with that office. In all of the old New England towns may be seen a little square enclosure, surrounded by a substantial stone wall, which was called the pound. Years ago, the pound keeper had a pretty busy time in the performance of his duties ; but, for a long time past, such an officer has had little business.
Another ancient officer, in this, as in all New England towns, was the tithing man. It was his duty to arrest Sab- bath travellers, unless they were going to or from church, and to keep the boys from playing in the meeting-house and to wake up any who might be so unfortunate as to fall asleep during one of those old-fashioned, seemingly, interminably long sermons. In some towns, these tithing men were pro- vided with staves which had brass upon one end and feathers upon the other. They used the brass end in hitting the sleeping men, and the feathers were used to brush the faces of sleeping women. At the town meeting, March 10, 1789, the town voted not to provide the tithing men with staves. At the same meeting, they displayed their good sense in refusing to provide stocks for criminals.
The spirit of opposition to public improvements is an invariable feature of a New England town meeting. It makes no difference how desirable a new road, or a new bridge, or a new meeting-house, or any other new thing may be, there will invariably be opposition to the scheme. This spirit characterizes no particular locality, but is an inherent trait of Yankee character. Every town, county, and state must encounter such difficulties. So early as Sep- tember 8, 1788, we find the town passing over an article in
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the warrant, to build a bridge over the great brook, where Jacob Spaulding's mill was afterwards built. Every road in the town, with few exceptions, was bitterly opposed by somebody. Perhaps some of them were not needed, and, undoubtedly, others more necessary might have been built ; but this road difficulty is one of the few diseases with which New England town meetings have been peculiarly affected.
There was one ancient custom, happily long since aban- doned, of setting up the maintenance of the town's poor at public auction, to be awarded to the lowest bidder. At a certain meeting, December 1, 1788, it was voted, “To set up - at vendue to the lowest bidder, until the first day of April, to supply her with food, lodging, and in health, the aforesaid term." The provision that she be sup- plied with health was a little extraordinary. It probably referred to any necessary medical attentions. The record continues : "Said (an unfortunate old lady ) being set up as above was struck off to Ensign Dimick and partners, at two pence per week." Surely one would not grow rich taking boarders at such a price, and it seems that Ensign Dimick had partners in the transaction. Such a record appears worse, however, than the facts really were. Such a pauper would invariably have been taken into the family of the one who had taken her to support, and would have been treated, in all respects, as one of his family, so far as comfortable food and lodging were concerned. In some respects this custom was preferable to a town farm, and decidedly preferable to the custom of massing all the poor together in a county alms-house. According to the old custom no discriminations were made between the poor and the inmates of the house in which they lived, wherever it could be avoided. In those days, when the poor were of the same nationality and religion as others in the same town (often representing as good family blood and stock as any of the citizens), the custom of supporting them in the homes of private families was certainly humane from many points of view. But the custom of setting them up at vendue, together
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with the merry scenes which, according to report, attended such auctions, was a custom which did not disappear any too early.
Another fruitful cause of controversy in a New England town was the location of a meeting-house. Twice the inhab- itants of Sullivan in their town meetings, and once again, the Congregational Society, in its corporate capacity, had to face such a difficulty. In the early days of the town's history special town meetings were frequent, at all seasons of the year. In later years the business has been mostly transacted at the annual meetings in March. The town was incorporated in time for its citizens to vote, as a town, for Representatives to the First Congress of the United States. This meeting was held at the house of Hinds Reed, January 18, 1789. There were nineteen votes cast, and all were given for Benjamin West, Samuel Livermore and Nicholas Gilman, all of which names were on one ticket, the State not being divided into districts. The first vote cast by the citizens of Sullivan for State and County officers was on March 26, 1789. The entire vote for the President of the State was cast for John Sullivan, for whom their town was named, being eighteen votes in all.
The early town meetings, before the meeting-house was built, were generally held at the house either of Hinds Reed or of Simeon Ellis. April 24, 1788, it was voted to post the warrants for town meetings on Mr. Simeon Ellis' north door.
An ancient custom, long since unknown, was called the " warning out of town." When persons came to town who were in any danger of becoming a public charge to the town they were ordered out of the town. As a matter of fact, they did not go, unless they chose to do so, but, like a sign- board, on a road, which reads "dangerous passing," it was sufficient to relieve the town of all responsibility should such persons require public support. In many cases the warning was given where there was not the least necessity for it or the least danger that the family or persons would become paupers.
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There are many other items upon the town records which indicate a state of things not now existing. The long lists of ear marks assigned, on definite dates, to the different farmers, to designate their animals, suggest large flocks and herds, and probably, in those early days, not very substantial fences. The better fences of to-day, and the use of tar for marking the initials of the owners' names have done away with the necessity of ear marks, which lacerated the ears of the animals.
Both store-keepers and inn-holders were licensed to sell spirituous liquors. There were seven or eight of these inn- keepers in Sullivan, at different times and places, in the early days, and so late as 1830. When travelling was upon a horse's back, or in the clumsy vehicles and over the rough roads of a hundred years ago, these places of rest and refreshment were very welcome to the wayfarer. Such houses now would seem insufficient for hotel purposes ; but all persons then, as a rule, in the country, observed a plain and humble style of living, and would have felt respectably accommodated in such wayside inns.
In the administration of town affairs, honesty and fidelity have invariably characterized the conduct of officials. No cases of defalcation, fraud, and dishonesty have cast their blight upon the official management of the public business.
An important part of the history of any New England town is its ecclesiastical record. Sullivan had hardly become a town before its citizens began to consider their spiritual interests. In those days the church and state were in some measure united. It was the duty of the town to hire the preaching, and the citizens were taxed to support the gospel, as they were to support highways and public schools. In those days, very nearly all of the inhabitants were of the prevailing Trinitarian, Congregational type of thinking, and it was entirely agreeable to them to support the gospel in that manner. After a while the Baptists objected to being taxed for such a purpose. The Universalists also protested, as did eventually the Methodists and Unitarians. In course
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of time a law was enacted releasing from the ordinary church tax such as would contribute to the support of some other kind of preaching than the prevailing congregational type. We find on the Sullivan records quite a considerable list of those who were excused from the church tax because they had joined Baptist societies in adjoining towns, or the one which was formed later in this town. One was excused to join a Universalist society in Stoddard, and one or two to join some Methodist society. Still, the great majority of the voters were in full sympathy with the Congregational church.
So early as April 24, 1788, seven months after incorpo- ration, the town voted " to hire six days' preaching." They voted to raise seven pounds and four shillings for such a pur- pose, and appointed James Locke, Roswell Hubbard, and Elijah Carter a committee to hire the preacher. They hired the Rev. Micah Lawrence, and afterwards paid James Rowe six shillings for giving him eight dinners and taking care of his horse. These earliest religious services were held in the barn of Mr. Rowe, on the hill, north of where we are.
March 26, 1789, the town voted to raise nine pounds for preaching, which was to include " board and expense of going after the priest, to be paid in the produce of the earth." They chose Josiah Seward, Joshua Osgood, and Jonathan Burnham a committee "to procure a priest."
September 20, 1789, the town voted to build a meeting- house. October 22, they voted to make it thirty feet square, and to raise forty pounds to build it. A committee was chosen to procure a spot. At an adjourned meeting, Novem- ber 19, the committee reported that they could not agree upon a spot. The meeting was adjourned to January 1, 1790, when it was voted to erect it upon the land which Mr. Rowe. offered. It was on the hill to the north of us. September 14, 1790, it was voted to build a tier of pews on the walls of the meeting-house and sell them at auction. When they were sold, they brought forty-four pounds and four shillings. May 30, 1791, twelve more pounds were voted to finish the meeting-house. It was finally completed and the building
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committee discharged, May 13, 1792. Some portion of this first church building was allowed to stand many years after the next meeting-house was dedicated, in 1808, until finally it fell to the ground. The meeting-house having been built, the next proceeding in the natural order was the organization of a church. October 17, 1792, an ecclesiastical council was convened in Sullivan, and the First Congregational Church of Sullivan was then organized. There were present at this council Rev. Messrs. Edward Goddard of Swanzey, Aaron Hall of Keene, and Mead of Alstead, also, as a delegate, Dea. Simeon Clark of Keene. Rev. Mr. Hall of Keene offered prayer, Rev. Mr. Mead preached a sermon, and Rev. Mr. Goddard extended the right hand of christian fellowship to the twenty-two persons who entered into a solemn covenant and authorized their names attached to the creed. These twenty-two original covenanters were :- Elijah Carter, Sally Carter, Joseph Ellis, Daniel Wilson, Abigail Wilson, Benjamin Kemp, Abigail Kemp, Joshua Osgood, Mary Osgood, Eliakim Nims, Abigail Nims, Zadock Nims, Elizabeth Osgood, Roswell Hubbard, Eliza- beth Hubbard, Josiah Seward, Olive Seward, Elijah Osgood, Chloe Bolster, Jesse Wheeler, Hannah Wheeler, and Rachel Burnham. The last survivor of this original church list was Mrs. Olive, widow of Capt. Samuel Seward, who out-lived her associates many years, and died, at the house of her son Joseph, July 18, 1852, at the great age of 94. About forty persons, old and young, were also baptised, the day the church was constituted.
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The church appointed Roswell Hubbard as their clerk, and the Rev. Aaron Hall of Keene their moderator, and, at first, Elijah Carter and Zadock Nims, and a little later, Josiah Seward, as their deacons.
Having built a meeting-house, constituted a church. chosen officers, and appointed lecture days and days for the communion, their next care was the choice of a pastor. After hearing a few candidates, they decided to extend a call to the one whom they favored. In those days, the calling of
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a pastor was an act of very great solemnity, preceded by a service of fasting and prayer. At a church meeting, August 13, 1797, it was voted, "That the last Wednesday in August be set apart as a day of fasting and prayer by this church, in order to seek divine assistance in giving Mr. William Muzzy a call to settle in the gospel ministry in this town." It was also voted that the Rev. Messrs. Goddard, Hall, Fish, Pratt, Newhall, and Howe be invited to assist in the solem- nities of that day. The result was a call to Mr. William Muzzy of Lexington, Mass., which he accepted. Had I the time, I would gladly read his noble and graceful letter of acceptance. No wiser choice could have been made. Mr. Muzzy was born in Lexington, Mass., May 25, 1771; the son of Amos Muzzy. He graduated at Harvard College, in 1793, and studied theology with the Rev. Jonas Clark, of his native town. He was an able, scholarly man, and well fitted for his sacred office. He was ordained February 17, 1798, the ordaining council having met the day previous. Rev. Elisha Fish, of Gilsum, made the introductory prayer, Rev. Jonas Clark, of Lexington, Mass., preached the ser- mon, Rev. Joseph Brown, of Winchendon, Mass., made the ordaining prayer, Rev. Mr. Whitney, of Shirley, Mass., gave the charge, Rev. Mr. Fish gave the right hand of fel- lowship, Rev. Joseph Estabrooks, of Athol, Mass., offered the concluding prayer.
Mr. Muzzy's ministry was upon the whole a happy and successful pastorate. He certainly left the town with the best and kindest wishes of all the citizens. He was faithful in the performance of duty, uniformly kind and courteous, genial and polite. He was dismissed, at his request, May 22, 1827. The town promised to give Mr. Muzzy $500.00, as a settlement, to be laid out in building a house for him, and to give him for an annual salary sixty-five pounds (and to add forty shillings per year until it amounted to seventy- five pounds) and thirty-five cords of wood. He was to have three Sabbaths a year to visit his friends. After his dis- missal, Mr. Muzzy removed to Lexington, where he died,
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April 16, 1835, aged 63. His wife was Anna Munroe. She was a daughter of the Wm. Munroe, who kept that tavern where the British soldiers stopped and ordered drinks, on their way to Lexington, on the morning of the memorable nineteenth of April, 1775.
Mr. Muzzy was succeeded by the Rev. Josiah Peabody, who graduated at Dartmouth College, in 1825. He was ordained November 5, 1828, and dismissed October 21, 1829. After preaching elsewhere for a time, he returned to Sullivan which he made his home, and where he died, April 15, 1870, aged 71. He was an honest and upright man of a decided individuality of character, an able scholar and writer, and possessed of a fund of humor. His last official act was to marry a couple on the summit of Mt. Monadnock. After his dismissal, the pulpit was without a settled pastor for a few years. During this interval, the Rev. Job Cush- man labored the longest of anyone.
Rev. Joel Wright, a graduate of Dartmouth, in 1809, was installed here, May 22, 1834, and dismissed, April 28, 1840. He was an able preacher and a thoroughly honest and conscientious man. He left only good wishes and pleasant memories behind him in Sullivan. During his ministry there was a revival of religion in town. He preached in various other places, and died at South Hadley, Mass., June 8, 1859.
The next pastor was the Rev. Alanson Alvord, installed February 24, 1842, and dismissed May 18, 1844. He preached in various other places, and died December 2, 1862.
The next pastor was the Rev. Thomas S. Norton. He was ordained February 4, 1846, but had been preaching since September, 1844. He was a graduate of Amherst. in 1840. He was dismissed, at his own request, March IO, 1859. He has since then resided principally in Dover, Mass. His pastorate was a long, happy, and successful one. There are many here to-day who remember it well. He was the first minister whom I remember, being the settled pastor of
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the church at the time of my birth. I well remember his kindly manner to children. He made a place in my affec- tions which will always remain. I remember his work in our public schools. I recall his labors in behalf of temper- ance and anti-tobacco. I recollect on one occasion, when he was visiting our school, the teacher was conducting a class in physiology. She asked the question, "What effect has tobacco upon the teeth?" As soon as the answer had been correcrly given, Mr. Norton seized upon the opportun- ity to give one of the finest little talks upon the subject of anti-tobacco which I have ever heard. In ways like this, his influence was widely felt. He was not merely a pastor, but an excellent townsman. Everybody who knew him loved and respected him and his parishioners and townsmen have ever kindly remembered him.
The next pastor and all succeeding pastors have been acting pastors, without ordination or installation. The next after Mr. Norton was Rev. Geo. W. Stinson, who was here from 1859 to 1861. He was an earnest and enthusiastic young man who did not live long enough to achieve all that he was ambitious to perform.
He was succeeded by Rev. Nelson Barbour, an older man, who was here from 1861 to 1863. He was succeeded by Rev. John M. Stowe, who had a long and successful pastorate. Mr. Stowe was a scholarly gentleman, of refined tastes, who had a high ideal of the sacred calling in which he was engaged. His kind and gentle bearing towards all greatly endeared him to the people. He was here about seven years, from 1863 to 1870. His pastorate came in the troublous period of the civil war, and it fell to his lot to en- courage patriotic efforts and to offer the words of comfort to many who mourned the loss of those who died in the war or were killed upon the field of battle. He removed to Hub- bardston, Mass., and his life was suddenly and awfully term- inated May 9, 1877. On that day, he was thrown from his carriage and received fatal injuries, dying the same day.
After Mr. Stowe, the Sullivan pulpit was supplied for
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five years, from 1873 to 1878, by Rev. Samuel S. Drake. Between Mr. Stowe and Mr. Drake, however, a Methodist minister, Rev. Joseph Fawcett, supplied the desk through one of their ecclesiastical years, 1871 to 1872. Mr. Drake was another good and faithful man, already well advanced in years. He had preached in various places and came here with a ripened experience in his profession. There was a large accession to the church during his ministry, especially of young persons. Mr. Drake was a very reverent and devout man and thoroughly consecrated to his work. He only lived a few years after leaving Sullivan and died at North Berwick, Me., November 12, 1883.
Soon after Mr. Drake left, the Rev. Henry W. L. Thurston began to supply the pulpit and continued to do so until September 11, 1881. He, too, was a devout and faith- ful worker in the vineyard. After him, the Rev. T. S. Nor- ton again labored with the society, in 1882 and 1883. In the two following years the Rev. Mr. Rogers, of Gilsum, sup- plied the desk for a portion of the time ; and, in the following year, the Rev. Mr. Phelps, the present pastor began his labors. He has imparted much fresh life to the society. The meetings are well attended and the church has increased in numbers under his faithful care.
The old meeting-house on the hill did not long serve for the purposes of worship. A new meeting-house, of the prevailing fashion of the times was built, after much dis- cussion and agitation as to a site, in the early part of this century and dedicated, December 29, 1808. To the older natives who are here to-day, how many will be the associa- tions which crowd thick and fast upon your memories, as you think of that old house. Here your fathers and an- cestors worshipped, many years. In those old square' pews, what large families were once gathered! How many, in that house learned those religious lessons and formed those religious hopes which have been a comfort while living and a solace on the dying bed ! This house stood about forty years. Finally, the First Congregational Society, which
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was formed about June 6, 1827, decided to build a new house. This act occasioned no little agitation among the citizens, either as regarded the propriety of building at all, or the selection of a site for the church. The present church edifice was finally built and decidated, December 7, 1848. The old house disappeared. Its remains including the win- dow which was behind the pulpit are partly in that mill which Dauphin Spaulding, 2d, built near the valley road.
A second Congregational society, known as the Union Ecclesiastical Congregational Society, was formed at East Sullivan, November 8, 1875, together with a church of a similar name. They have never had a settled pastor, exclu- sively their own. December 7, 1875, Rev. Amos Holbrook was hired to preach a year, residing in another town. January 26, 1877, Rev. T. Whitney Darling was hired, who continued to preach for about two years, in connection with another town. Rev. Edwin H. Stickney preached through the summer of 1880, and Rev. Samuel W. Delzell, in the following summer. Rev. Mr. Norton preached to the society a portion of the time, in 1882 and 1883. Rev. Mr. Chase of Marlborough preached in 1885. Since then, the Rev. Mr. Phelps, the pastor of the First Congregational Church, has supplied them.
A Baptist society was organized in Sullivan, February II, 1806, and a church in connection with the society, January 14, 1808. Their first pastor was the Rev. Charles Cummings, who had been for some time preaching for them, and who was ordained October 24, 1810. He was a native of Seabrook. In 1798 he settled on a farm in the north part of this town. He had an earnest desire to preach the gospel. In 1805 he was licensed to preach. While work- ing on his farm, often with his hands upon the plough, he would revolve in his mind the thoughts which he would present to his people upon the following Sunday.
The north part of the town was then largely composed of Baptists. That neighborhood was then populous and prosperous. As I have said, the records of the town contain
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many instances where the citizens registered their intention of joining this Baptist church, that they might be excused from the town tax for the support of the regular Congrega- tional preacher. Mr. Cummings was a most excellent man. He did a great amount of missionary work in his life, and was instrumental in organizing churches in Keene, Swanzey, Marlboro', Peterboro', Hillsboro', Lyndeboro', and Antrim. In the new Baptist church in Keene is a tablet, placed there by his worthy daughter, Mrs. Luke Hemenway, which conveys the information that that church is "a vine of his planting."
He continued to preach for this society until 1834, when he devoted himself to other towns. He died in Roxbury, December 27, 1849. He was succeeded by Rev. Arnold Kingsbury, who was ordained November 2, 1836, and he by the Rev. D. P. French, who was ordained September 4. 1839. He remained here some time and married a daughter of Mr. Stephen Foster, Sr. His successor was the Rev. Sem Pierce, in 1841. The church was afterwards removed to Gilsum, and the later pastors, there, were Revs. Henry Archibald, John Peacock, Tristam Aldrich, and W. W. Lovejoy. In Sullivan their services were at first in private houses or the north school house. Later, their meetings were in Wardwell's hall, or one built by Wm. Brown, neither of which is now standing.
We used to read in our Mitchell's Geography of such or such a state that she "acted well her part in the Revolu- tion." So we may proudly say of Sullivan, that she acted well her part in the war of the rebellion. Never can we forget those days. How many times we met at the Town Hall to consider war matters and devise plans for the com- fort of the soldiers ! What a spirit of patriotism pervaded the whole community. Young boys caught the spirit. At some of those meetings, there were drills of an extemporized military company. The older men had guns, and the little boys gave a demonstration of their patriotism by marching with small sticks upon their shoulders. The ladies brought
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