USA > New Hampshire > Cheshire County > Sullivan > A history of the town of Sullivan, New Hampshire, 1777-1917, Volume I > Part 55
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A petition was presented to the March term of court in 1818, for a road from Jonathan Heaton's to the road leading over the Nims Hill to Keene. For particulars, see road No. LIX, page 261.
Oct. 13, 1818, a committee was appointed to take action about the division with James Comstock of the "school right". This matter has been fully discussed on pages 176-77.
At the annual March meeting in 1822, Isaac Rawson, Roswell Hubbard, Calvin Locke, and John Wilson were appointed a committee to commence an action against the heirs of the aged Mrs. Lydia Nash, for her support, if they think fit. The court record indexes reveal no record of any suit. The com- mittee found, most likely, that a lawsuit would cost more than they could get out of it. Books of the select-men show that Sullivan paid Cyrus Bliss for her support.
Feb. 1, 1825, the town voted to abate taxes of Elijah Baker, to extent of $1.89, and that costs be paid to the town of Dublin, showing that Dublin had brought a suit and won it, with reference to the taxes of Mr. Baker.
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HISTORY OF SULLIVAN.
At the annual meeting. in 1827, the town chose John Wilson an agent " to defend the town against the county road." This probably. referred to a pro- . posed road from Charlestown to Peterborough. The route finally chosen was what we call the " Forest Road ", through Marlow, Stoddard, and Hancock. Sullivan had, therefore, no occasion for any " defence ".
Aug. 20, 1832, the town met and discontinued the " Concord Road " and voted that the select-men petition the court to allow the discontinuance. See pages 263-64, road No. LXXI., for an account of this struggle. The town was defeated, as it should have been.
At the annual meeting of 1837, the town appointed Samuel Locke as an agent to defend the town against a suit of Roger C. Hatch of Warwick, Mass. This Hatch, while driving through town, Jan. 8, 1836, with a load of household goods upon a sled, had the misfortune to get his sled upset " in going down a steep and slippery hill upon the road that lies along the Branch," as the indict- ment reads. The Concord Road is evidently implied. We do not know the particular hill which was " steep and slippery". As he appears to have been going towards Keene, it was quite likely the hill near Mr. Burpee's (54 on map). Hatch recovered damages for the injury to his furniture to the amount of $76, and the costs assessed against the town were $128.87. The case was tried at the October term in 1837. The town employed as counsel James Wilson, Jr., and Hatch employed Parker and Hale (meaning probably Judge Joel Parker and Hon. Salma Hale).
At the annual meeting in 1848, the town discontinued the road which had been laid by the select-men from East Sullivan, through the valley northwards, to Jacob Spaulding's. For an account of this controversy, see the road No. LXXIX, on page 266.
Aug. 24, 1850, the town voted that the select-men act as agents to defend the town against the claims preferred by J. D. Colony and Oliver Heaton. The claims were brought for damages sustained on a highway. The accident occurred Feb. 19, 1850. J. D. Colony & Co. recovered for cost and damages, $57.86. Oliver Heaton, the driver, recovered $29.86, for costs and damages.
Oct. 8, 1850, the town took steps to oppose the road laid from the meeting- house to the road past where John Locke then lived. The court ordered the road built. For this controversy, see road No. LXXXII., page 267.
At the annual meeting of the town in 1856, the town discontinued a road which had been laid from Jacob Spaulding's northerly into Stoddard and took steps to oppose it. The account of this bitter controversy may be seen in the account of road No. LXXXIV., pages 267-69.
At a special town meeting, Dec. 1, 1858, the town discontinued another road, so far as it lay in Sullivan, which had been laid from a point near the house of George Kingsbury to Stoddard Centre, and appealed to the courts. The struggle which ensued and the eminent counsel employed are fully set forth in the account of road No. LXXXVI., pages 269-70.
Sept. 5, 1857, the town empowered the select-men to conduct a lawsuit brought against the town by the town of Gilsum, in a pauper case. Sullivan won the case. The execution, issued, May 1, 1858, specified the costs of the court to be $22.84, paid, of course, by Gilsum.
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June 27, 1861, the town discontinued the road laid from Jacob Spaulding's to Justus Dunn's, and carried the case to the courts. The petitioners won and the road was built. For a full account of the controversy, see the road No. LXXXIX., page 271.
In 1871, another attempt was made to procure a road up the valley of the Otter River, but the attempt failed. See the road No. XCI., page 272.
Excepting the road contests. the lawsuits in which Sullivan has been a party have been of little account. The affairs of the town have always been very carefully managed.
6. SOLICITORS.
Sullivan has had no resident lawyer. The able attorneys who were em- ployed to conduct the cases brought by or against the town in the courts have been noted in the preceding paragraphs, or in the accounts of the roads to which allusions were made.
From 1879 to 1892, the firm of Batchelder & Faulkner of Keene was retained by the town to look after its legal interests.
7. CARE OF THE POOR.
Sullivan has never built a house in which to keep the poor and has never used any building for such a purpose. Mrs. Esther (Rowe) Winch, who died, July 4, 1833, willed to the town, for the perpetual use of the poor, the farm whose house stood at 70 (map). The legacy was subject to certain conditions, which are fully explained on page 143. The agents of the town farm and the overseers of the poor are given in full on pages 195-96. The farm has yielded a small revenue from year to year from sales of wood, rent of the sugar orchard, and the rental of the pastures. It was on this farm that the old first meeting- house was built. See page 424, for an account of the memorial tablet. It was in the barn upon this farm (69 on map), that the first religious service of the town was held. The first town meeting was in the house that stood at 68 (map).
At first, and for many years, the poor were cared for in private families of the citizens, where they enjoyed the same privileges as the members of the household. The custom of assembling all the poor of a town in one building was found to be cheaper, in the larger towns, but it was less humane and kindly. The present method of bringing all the paupers of the county, with certain special exceptions, to a common county building is still less humane. It takes many worthy persons away from their old homes and friends, casts them into the companionship of a large number of strangers, many of whom represent the most undesirable elements of the foreign immigrants. The great argument in favor of the county system was economy, a reason which well applies to most forms of business, but which should be used with caution when it holds the wellbeing of poor people in the balance. Sullivan very properly opposed the idea, almost unanimously. The change was made in 1868. See page 148, under the years 1867 and 1868.
At first, the care of the poor was struck off at public auction to the lowest bidders. This method prevailed for many years and was in vogue as late as the third decade of the nineteenth century. Then, and until the establishment of the county farm in 1868, the select-men arranged for the board and maintenance
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of the paupers. From then until 1876, the select-men had the charge of the poor. Since 1877, there have been overseers for the poor, who, for many years, have been the select-men themselves. See page 195.
It would be improper, here, to make any catalogue of the poor. Some of them have been what may be called "characters ", and, as there are no relatives whose feelings can possibly be injured by citing them, our readers will be interested in learning of a few of them.
It is a singular fact that no less than three or four of the Rowe family were town charges, when we consider that it was a woman who had been the wife of one of the Rowes who gave the town farm. It is said that the fact that some of her husband's kindred had been aided by the town was her prime motive in willing the farm to Sullivan.
One of this Rowe family was Mrs. Mary Ann (Rowe) Hibbard, familiarly known as " Maney " Hibbard. She was supported many years by the town. She had a temper that was simply ferocious. She would get so angry at the women at whose house she was stopping that she would lash herself into a fit and throw herself upon the floor and foam at the mouth. She pretended to be a " witch " and to be able to reveal mysteries. Once, when stopping at Jona- than Kendall's, she told Mr. Kendall that Kidd, the pirate, had buried money, on his farm, under a great rock. She pointed at the rock and told him to throw an iron bar upon it and he would hear the gold jingle. He did as directed and, of course, the bar very naturally produced a ringing sound. Really believing that he had heard money rattle, he went to the neighbors to relate his " find". The women so disliked to have old " Maney " around that they would plead with their husbands on the morning of town meeting not to " bid off " this unfortunate pauper. When the bidding began, there would be profound silence. It could rarely get under way without an adjournment to a Store or tavern, where a treat would be offered to all bidders. This temptation would unseal the silent lips and the poor creature would be bid off to a dozen persons, for nobody would dare to go home and face his wife with the informa- tion that he had dared to take her for more than a month, and, on the first day of each month, she would be promptly taken to the next place, if roads had to be specially broken to get her there. For many years previous to 1824, the records of the town meetings contain the pathetic accounts of the " bidding off " of " Maney". At last she died, in 1824, at Calvin Locke's. John Wilson made her a coffin out of good hard pine boards. It probably cost $1.50, but doubtless lasted longer in the ground than many for which $50 and $60 are paid at the present time.
Mrs. Pompey Woodward, a colored woman, was another of the " charac- ters " of the town. In her way she was of a proud spirit. On the first Sunday after her arrival in town, as Pompey's bride, as they approached the meeting- house, sitting on the same horse, she was overheard saying, " Hold up your head, Pomp, they will all look at us ", as was undoubtedly the case. When the pews of the second meetinghouse were sold, she insisted on Pompey's buying a pew on the lower floor " where respectable people sat". She wanted a house which would be the equal of any in town. She prevailed upon Pompey to take down the old house in which Grindall Keith and Elijah Rugg had lived before
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the Woodwards, at 127 (map), and erect a two-story (or "upright ") house at 130. They got the frame raised and there the work ceased. Finally, they boarded off a little room in one corner, in which they lived as best they could. While living in this plight, the old woman entered a store in Keene to do some shopping and said to the trader, "Only three men in our neighborhood have upright houses, Dea. Seward, Capt. Seward, and Mr. Woodward ". She stam- mered badly, which cannot here be imitated, but'which added to the grotesque nature of her speech. As winter approached, the neighbors clearly saw that the Woodwards could never go through the season in that fashion and they clubbed together and took the old frame and some timber which they provided and built them a little cottage at 129; but the old lady was exceedingly dissatisfied because it was not an "upright " house. On uniting with the Baptist church, she was immersed in Jacob Spaulding's mill pond. The evangelist who had been conducting the revival had asked each one, on some previous occasion, for a confession of sins. As he was leading Mrs. Woodward into the water, she halted him, to confess an additional sin which she had before forgotten to men- tion. Shortly after Mr. Woodward's death, the little cottage was burned in midwinter, early in 1844. For particulars see pages 378-79. Mrs. Woodward was, from this time, a town charge, except for a small pension, for an account of which see a foot-note on page 509. She was, for a long time, housed in the home of the widow of Josiah G. White, and later in the home of Mrs. Rebecca Smith at Sullivan Centre. About 1854, she went among her friends in Worces- ter and remained there until her death.
Miss Lydia Clark was also an eccentric character who was a town charge for a long time. She was a good woman, but very sensitive and peculiar in her disposition. Children enjoyed calling upon her because of her very quaint observations. On one occasion when some young ladies called at her cottage, which was at 100 (map), she said: " I never drink tea, for it unravels my nerves". After selling the cottage just mentioned, she lived for a time in the last house which stood upon the town farm. As she became advanced in years and needed more and more help, she was finally very tenderly cared for in the family of Charles P. Locke, at 71 (map), where she died in 1865, at the great age of 96. She was a communicant of the first church and an exemplary woman, but difficult to please.
Several maiden women of excellent character were supported by the town, and even died at the county farm in Westmoreland, whose relatives both could and should have cared for them. It is a sad and pathetic sight to see recorded upon the order books of the select-men the sums paid to men for taking care of their mothers, or perhaps their fathers. Often the mean excuse was that " the rest will not help me do it, and I ought not to be asked to do the whole ". The wonder is that, in most cases, either child would not have esteemed it a duty, no less than an honor, to have done it. The pity is that they could not agree upon a united and harmonious course of action. Certain persons have been taken to the county farm, descendants of old Sullivan stock, whose relatives could and should have cared for them.
8. PHILANTHROPIES.
In a little town like Sullivan all necessary assistance is usually given to the
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needy without the aid of cumbersome philanthropic machinery, which is so very necessary in a large place, to prevent duplications of charity, to insure suitable investigation of cases, and to see that no needy person is neglected. The Ladies' Aid Society, to which we shall allude again, has always had for its object, work in behalf of the poor. It began by making garments to be given to deserving persons through the aid of organizations in larger places. During the war, it aided the soldiers in the noble manner indicated upon pages 29 and 531. Neighborly kindness, such as is usually manifested in such a community, has rendered unnecessary the many forms of organized philanthropy so useful in cities and large towns.
One feature of this neighborly kindness deserves especial mention. When- ever the men of a family have been ill and their farm-work has been of necessity neglected, it has been an invariable custom for the neighbors and townsmen to join in a general party and proceed to the farm of the invalid and do the need- ful work upon his farm, without any charge. In the same spirit, if a man has met with any loss, occasioned by fire or the death of domestic animals of con- siderable value, papers have been circulated and generous sums 'subscribed to partially reimburse the unfortunate man for his losses. If a building were to be raised, according to the old-fashioned method (and it was an excellent way to build) the townsmen very generally assisted free of charge, and were treated to a choice dinner by the owner of the building.
Sullivan has never had a fire company or any so-called fire apparatus ; but whenever any fire has occurred, everybody who knew of it and could reach the spot assisted to his utmost in attempting to save the building and in the removal of the goods to a place of safety. Fires have not been frequent, but it might be well for the citizens of East Sullivan to consider whether they might not be able to effect some organization and provide some means for the purpose of extinguishing fires.
9. SOCIETIES.
In former times, it was a defect of the social life of rural communities that they had no regular and stated ways of convening in soc:al intercourse. Apple parings, quiltings, huskings, pumpkin bees, donation parties at the parsonage, bees for drawing the minister's wood, and occasional parties (sometimes enlivened with music and dancing) made up the usual round of festivities ; but they were not numerous nor calculated to bring into social relationship the citizens of all parts of the town. The Grange has probably done more to accom- plish the last mentioned object than any other movement in town. It has interested all the people, and in a subject that is of everyday practical import- ance. The following are the principal societies which have been formed in town for moral and social improvement.
1. YOUNG MEN'S TEMPERANCE SOCIETY. This society was organized at the meetinghouse, July 4, 1835, with Hosea Foster as chairman. At an ad- journed meeting on July 10, 1835, a constitution was adopted and Selim Frost chosen president. The subsequent presidents were: D. Grosvenor Wright, Mar. 2, 1836; Alonzo Mason, Feb. 28, 1837 ; and Hosea Foster, Feb. 21, 1838. The vice-presidents were D. G. Wright, Alonzo Mason, C. P. Locke, and Chas. Mason. The secretaries were Alonzo Mason, Hosea Foster, D. G. Wright, and
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Ephraim Foster. The treasurers were Wm. Brown, Chas. Mason twice, and Chas. White. This society lasted only four years and its place was subse- quently taken by the society considered in the next paragraph. This society was awakened into being by the wave of the Washingtonian temperance move- ment which was sweeping over the land. Liquors were formerly served and used freely on all occasions in most houses. The clergy, church members, and all classes of society treated them 'no differently than any article of commerce ; the abuses being noted as would the abuses of anything else. About 1834 to 1840, there was a great temperance revival throughout the whole country. It was one of the most noted events of the period and resulted in the formation of temperance habits and a temperance code of ethics which will be everlasting in their effects.
2. TOTAL ABSTINENCE SOCIETY OF SULLIVAN. This society was organ- ized on Apr. 20, 1842 and continued its work until 1865. It was a very flourish- ing organization. From first to last 297 names were enrolled on the member- ship list. Many now living were among the number. The meetings were held sometimes in the meetinghouse, sometimes in one or another of the school- houses. The following were the presidents, the dates of election being indicated by number of the month, day, and last two figures of the year : 4-20-42, I. N. Wardwell; 11-17-42 and II-15-43, Sam. Locke; 10-23-44, A. E. Wilson ; II- 7-45, C. F. Wilson ; 10-30-46, Charles Mason ; II-17-47 and 10-31-48, Sam. Locke ; 10-30-48 and 10-30-49 and 10-27-51, Selim Frost; 10-29-52, Joseph Seward ; 10-31-53 and 10-30-54, A. E. Wilson ; 10-30-55 and 10-30-56, Atwell C. Ellis ; 10-28-57, George White; 10-27-58, George F. Hubbard; no meeting in 1859 ; 10-30-60, H. O. Spaulding ; 10-30-61, Albert F. Nims ; 10-30-62, Rev. Geo. S. Kemp; 10-28-63 and 10-31-64, Charles Mason ; 10-31-65, Rev. J. M. Stow, who was the last president. The vice-presidents, in the successive years from 1842, were Ephraim Foster (a part of 1842), Joseph Felt (1842-43), Dr. J. A. Crowley, Charles Mason, Sam. Locke, C. W. Rawson (1847-48), C. F. Wil- son (1849-50-51), A. E. Wilson, Rev. T. S. Norton (1853-54-55), Geo. F. Hub- bard (1855-56), H. C. Rawson, L. P. Nims (1858-59), C. C. Wilson, A. C. Ellis, L. P. Nims (1862-63-64), C. F. Wilson. The secretaries in the successive years from 1842 were: Hosea Foster (1842), Ephraim Foster (1842), Dr. J. A. Crow- ley, C. Mason, Alonzo Mason, Geo. C. Hubbard (1846-47), Rev. T. S. Norton (from 1848 to 1852), C. E. Houghton (from 1853 to 1856), G. C. Hubbard, H. O. Spaulding (1858-59), C. E. Houghton, C. C. Wilson, Hersey Wardwell, A. C. Ellis, who served from 1863 to the last of the meetings, in 1865. The treasurers in the successive years from 1842 were : Charles Osgood (1842), C. P. Locke (1842), Ben. Kemp, Jr., Asa Ellis, I. N. Wardwell, Joseph Seward (1846-7-8), I. N. Wardwell (from 1849 to 1852), A. G. Nims (1853-4), H. O. Spaulding (1855-6), A. N. Wardwell (1857-8-9), A. F. Nims, A. G. Nims, Geo. White (1862-3-4), L. P. Nims. The work of this society was excellent in every way. Large numbers of the young people were among its members, and the town was a decidedly temperance town.
3. STAR COMMANDERY, NO. 315, UNITED ORDER OF THE GOLDEN CROSS. This is another temperance organization, which was organized at East Sullivan, Jan. 13, 1887. The noble commanders, with month (according to number), day,
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and year of the installation of each, have been the following, it being understood that each served until the installation of the next: 1-13-87, Leslie H. Good- now ; 1-10-88, Lyman Davis ; 1-8-89, Arthur H. Rugg; 1-14-90, Charles W. Hubbard ; 7-22-90, Will H. Harris ; 2-9-92, Milton H. Taft ; 1-6-93, Elwin G. Stevens ; 1-9-94, M. Wesley Hubbard ; 1-23-95, Geo. H. Davis; 1-28-96, L. H. Goodnow ; 1- 12-97, Lyman Davis ; 1-11-98, John F. McClure ; 2-27-1900, M. Wesley Hubbard. The present noble commander is Charles W. Hubbard, installed on the 2d Tuesday of last January. The keeper of records is L. H. Goodnow. All the preceding (except Mr. Stevens) have been members of the grand commandery of the order ; also the following ladies : Della M. Hubbard, Alice M. Rugg, Antoinette E. Davis. There have been 51 members in all.
The keeper of records informs us that some of the noble commanders have recently served second terms, and that the records are not in such shape as to indicate the exact dates of some of these additional terms.
4. HONOR BRIGHT GRANGE, NO. 153, PATRONS OF HUSBANDRY. This order was established in Sullivan, May 20, 1890, with Charles W. Buckminster of Roxbury, as the first master. Officers are elected on the 2d Friday in Decem- ber and installed at the first meeting (which is the 2d Friday) in January. The masters who have followed Mr. Buckminster have been: 1892, Horace R. Fifield ; 1893, Arthur H. Rugg; 1894, Eugene Marston; 1895, Cassius M. C. Phillips of Roxbury ; 1896, George H. Davis ; 1897, Henry Davis ; 1898, John F. McClure ; 1899, Benjamin A. Hastings ; 1900, Lyman Davis ; 1901, Herbert S. Currier ; 1902, Leston . F. Davis ; 1903, George H. Davis; 1904, Arthur H. Rugg ; 1905, B. A. Hastings ; 1906, Walter L. Goodnow. The secretaries have been Wm. B. Hastings, 1890-1 ; Mrs. Rua A. Fifield, 1891-2 ; Charles W. Buck- minster of Roxbury, 1893; Mrs. Rosabelle S. Rugg, 1894; Arthur H. Rugg, 1895 to 1902 ; Leston F. Davis, 1903 and since. Master, 1907, F. L. Fifield.
This grange has done much good in town. It is an institution especially designed to encourage and benefit the interests of agriculture, and to promote social relations and fraternal union among those in farming communities. It has well served its purpose and has greatly promoted the farming interests. Moreover it has afforded an opportunity for stated and regular gatherings of the people, accompanied by kindly functions and appropriate, ceremonials which lend dignity and grace to the meetings. It would have helped the town if the institution had been originated at an earlier date.
5. SOCIETIES CONNECTED WITH THE CHURCHES. Very early in the history of the old church, the ladies had a sewing society or " sewing circle ", as it was popularly called. It is not known that the circle existed during the time of the first two ministers. It is known that Mrs. Joel Wright and her daughters pro- moted such a circle. At first there was apparently no formal organization, the minister's wife always being at the head of the movement. On May 13, 1840, they formally organized as THE SULLIVAN FEMALE CIRCLE OF INDUSTRY and adopted a constitution. This constitution appears to have been copied by Mrs. Atwell C. Ellis. There are 82 names subscribed to the original constitution, including ladies from all parts 'of the town. The presidents, from the first, were the wives of the ministers of the church. The only exceptions to this rule were Mrs. Charles P. Locke, who served as president for a year from May 26,
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1859, and Mrs. C. Franklin Wilson, who was elected president, June 11, 1866. This was the last recorded meeting of the old society. The first recorded election of a secretary was on May 28, 1851, when Mrs. Atwell C. Ellis was chosen, who evidently made a copy of the old constitution upon the book, and served until May 19, 1858, when Mrs. George C. Hubbard was chosen, who served until May 21, 1862, when Mrs. Dauphin W. Wilson was chosen, who served while the society continued to exist. During the Civil War the society greatly enlarged its sphere of operations. On Aug. 21, 1862, it was voted " to change the name of the society to SULLIVAN SOLDIERS' AID SOCIETY, as long as the War continues ". It retained this name while it continued to exist. It was not confined to the ladies of the Congregational society but included ladies, and finally gentlemen, from all parts of the town. Several of the members were formerly members of the Baptist society in town, and Mrs. David Seward, who was a director in 1862, was later a member of the Unitarian church at Keene. The work accomplished by this society during the war was marvellous for such a town. We have already, on pages 29 and 531 of this work, given a list of the many articles sent to the soldiers, for their use and comfort, during the war.
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