A history of the town of Sullivan, New Hampshire, 1777-1917, Volume I, Part 75

Author: Seward, Josiah Lafayette, 1845-1917
Publication date: 1921
Publisher: [Keene, N.H., Sentinel printing Co.]
Number of Pages: 888

USA > New Hampshire > Cheshire County > Sullivan > A history of the town of Sullivan, New Hampshire, 1777-1917, Volume I > Part 75

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HISTORY OF SULLIVAN.

the farm on which stands III to Manson L. Fowler. See III. He sold the portion containing this house, May 13, 1886, to GEORGE W. HOLT, who came here from Munsonville and lived here twenty years, lacking a few months. He is an honest, industrious man, and a good neighbor and citizen. He had a son in the Spanish-American War. See page 533. Mr. Holt was a grandson of Ephraim Adams Holt, and a nephew of David and J. R. Holt. See 115. He sold the farm, Nov. 13, 1905, to Allen C. Wilcox of East Swanzey, who wanted it for the wood and timber upon it. Wilcox sold the land, exclusive of all but a small amount of standing wood, Jan. 8, 1906, to MR. and MRS. JAMES BRASON, who came here from Keene and are now (1908) living in this house. It seems like vandalism to destroy these good old farms to gratify an insatiate thirst for money derived from the sale of wood and timber, which have become so valu- able that sentiment and local patriotism are often not sufficiently powerful, or at least effective, to restrain the desire to wipe a farm out of existence, practi- cally speaking, to realize a ready cash value for its forest products.

113. Site of the first house built upon the farm described in the preceding paragraph. It was only occupied about seven years, from 1799 to 1806. It was then reached by the road leading from 122. See 112.

II4. House built by David Holt, now occupied by David L. Richardson. So much land as is connected with this house was a part of the original Com- stock, or Ellis, farm, all of whose owners down to Atwell C. Ellis may be found under 112. DAVID HOLT bought the land on which this house stands of A. C. Ellis, Oct. 24, 1866. He built this house. He died, Jan. 10, 1877. He was a son of E. A. Holt, who built the house at 115. He was a man, impulsive in temperament, but honest and unobtrusive. He came to town as a child and lived in Sullivan the remainder of his life. He outlived all of his family except a second wife. J. R. Holt, as administrator of David Holt, sold this little place to Luther Richardson, who was living at 115, on June 16, 1877. The latter bought more land of A. C. Ellis, March 8, 1883, and sold the same to the wife of his son, DAVID L. RICHARDSON, July 25, 1884. Mrs. Richardson bought still more land of A. C. Ellis, Feb. 25, 1886. The Richardsons have lived here twenty- four years to the present time (1908). They are quiet, industrious persons, excellent neighbors, and highly esteemed in the community.

115. The Holt place, where Francis O. Ball, Jr., now lives. This land was claimed by the proprietorship of Gilsum and was a part of their lot numbered one in the eleventh range. It was really a part of the original Packersfield, but there are no records to show that the Packersfield proprietors ever contested the Gilsum proprietors, who, through their agents, Levi Fuller of Surry and Clement A. Sumner of Keene, on Dec. 15, 1813, sold the eastern portion of this lot, originally drawn by Roger Dewey, one of the proprietors, to Calvin Locke of Sullivan. The sale was exclusive of a considerable portion of the lot already sold to Daniel Wilson. Dewey's interest in the lot had lapsed to the proprie- tors for some reason, probably because he or his heirs had failed to comply with all conditions or to pay taxes on it. Locke bought, in this way, about 63 acres or more on the east end of the lot. On Nov. 1, 1815, the heirs of Calvin Locke sold the eastern portion of this purchase, containing 54 acres, to EPHRAIM ADAMS HOLT, who had lived in Temple, New Ipswich, and Nelson. He built the house

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FAMILY HISTORIES.

at 115, living in a portion of Mr. Comstock's buildings at 112 while constructing his house. He had a large family of twelve children, three of whom were born in Temple, three in New Ipswich, one in Nelson, and the youngest five (Recta, Irene, Eliud, Elijah, and Jedidiah R.) in Sullivan. Mr. Holt was a quiet, peace- ful neighbor. He lived here 42 years, and died here, July 31, 1857. He willed the place to his wife, MRS. RHODA HOLT, who continued to reside here until her death, Jan. 28, 1867. Her son, David Holt, had some rights in the place, which she purchased, Sept. 26, 1864. By two deeds, of Jan. 6, 1868 and Jan. 8, 1870, Mrs. Holt's daughter, MRS. RACHEL P. RICHARDSON, who had lived here the larger part of her life, purchased this farm of the heirs. Mrs. Richardson was the second wife of LUTHER RICHARDSON, formerly of Stoddard, whom she mar- ried for her second husband, having formerly been the wife of Ebenezer Tarbox of Nelson. Mr. Richardson died, Oct. 2, 1884. She outlived him seven years and died here, Dec. 25, 1891. She was a woman who read considerably and was interested in the writings and works of Spiritualists. She made a gum from the wood sorrel, oxalis acetosella, which she applied to cancers, to " draw them out," as she expressed it, a treatment said to have been efficacious in two or three cases. She was a good woman and a kind, obliging person. DAVID HOLT came to this farm to live in 1838, having previously lived at 117, where his eldest child was born. A small addition was built upon the west side of the house to accommodate his family. He lived here many years. His youngest three chil- dren were born here. His first wife and youngest child died here. He brought his second wife here, but afterwards built and lived in the house at 114. Mrs. Rachel P. Richardson willed the place to her brother, JEDIDIAH R. HOLT, who lived here some at different times. See 38. He sold it to Daniel Willard Rugg, June 26, 1902, who wanted some wood and timber upon it, and who sold all of the farm, except some timber lands to FRANCIS O. BALL, Jr., who has rebuilt the house and still lives upon the place. He is the leader of the East Sullivan Band, and is a useful, upright man, who has the confidence and respect of the community. The date of his purchase was July 5, 1902.

Ir6. Site of a blacksmith shop built by Capt. T. T. Wetherbee in 1838. He lived at 117 and afterwards at 122. He used this shop about 12 years. It was not used for that business after Mr. Wetherbee left town in 1850, and was shortly afterwards removed.

117. The Curtis Spaulding house, where Capt. Wetherbee, Phebe Wilder, Alfred Richardson, and Lovisa Kingsbury lived, one after the other, the last named several years. It is now owned by her heirs. It is a part of the old Martin Rugg farm, for the successive owners of which down to Martin Rugg, see 59 in the last chapter. CURTIS SPAULDING bought a small bit of land, large enough to contain so.ne buildings, of Martin Rugg, March 3, 1831. He was a painter and also worked in the mill at 118 with his brother Jacob. He had lived at 253 before coming here, also, afterwards, at 97, 100 and 107, also at 246. His third child was born here at 117. Dauphin W. Spaulding (who always omitted the " W." in later years) bought this place of Curtis Spaulding, Jan. 4, 1832, but the latter seems to have lived nearly two years longer here. We do not know that Dauphin lived here. The latter sold the place to DAVID HOLT, who began his married life here. His eldest child, Lydia, was born here. He bought the house,

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HISTORY OF SULLIVAN.

March 19, 1834, and sold it, Apr. 11, 1838, to CAPT. THOMAS T. WETHERBEE, who lived here ten years and worked in his blacksmith shop at 116. He had been a mili- tia captain in a Swanzey artillery company before moving to Sullivan. He was a per- son of estimable character, well informed, intelligent, a helpful and useful neighbor. His father and mother came to live with him at 117, and both died there. In former days, they had lived near the old mill at 57 in a house which stood at 5712. MISS PHEBE WILDER bought this house of Capt. Wetherbee, her brother- in-law, March 31, 1848. Elijah Holt was a tenant here in 1849-50. His son, George W. was born here. Dauphin Spaulding, 2d, was a tenant here in 1851- 52. His daughter, Nancy C., was born here. After leaving Sullivan, Miss Wilder became the wife of William Parker of Keene and, after his death, of Joseph Wheeler of Keene. She sold this place to ALFRED RICHARDSON, then of Stod- dard, Feb. 13, 1855, who lived here between three and four years. He subse- quently moved to Keene and died there. His first wife was a daughter of Abijah Hastings, who lived at 141. He had two daughters, now Mrs. S. S. Quinn and Mrs. Joseph W. Cummings, both living in Keene. Mr. Richardson sold the house to MISS LOVISA KINGSBURY, Aug. 21, 1858. She owned it until her death, Jan. 17, 1890. She died, however, at the house of her nephew, George Kingsbury, at 44. She owned the place 32 years. It is still owned by her heirs and managed by George Kingsbury, the administrator. Since Miss Kingsbury's death it has been unused much of the time and is rapidly going to decay. Chas. M. Ward was a tenant here for a time. He was here in 1898. He now lives at III. Thomas W. Dane was a tenant in 1899-1900. His little son was burned fatally in this house. See page 370. Willis Cunningham lived here for some time. His housekeeper was his mother who brought her family with her. He was here in 1902. He moved to Roxbury, to a house which has the number 54 upon the map. Foreigners, especially Poles, employed in wood chopping and the lumber business, have lived in this house for different lengths of time. They were not citizens of the town in the proper sense of that word. They acquired no resi- dence here. One of these Poles was Jacob Rudzinsky (Jacob is English spelling), who was here in 1904.

118. Site of the saw-mill and grist-mill so long used by Jacob Spaulding. THOMAS SPAULDING bought the land on which it stands of Eleazar Hathorn, Apr. 6, 1816. He built the mill that year, which was operated by himself and different sons of his during his ownership. JACOB SPAULDING bought the mill, with the land that adjoined it, of his father, Thomas, Sept. 30, 1831. He oper- ated this mill 34 years. All the neighbors, as well as persons from adjoining towns, brought their grists here to be ground, also logs to be sawn into boards or planks. Mr. Spaulding sold the mill, with his house and lot, to Roswell C. Nurse, Aug. 31, 1864, and the latter sold to Hiram H. and Elliot J. Davis, Apr. 7, 1866. They operated the mill as a saw-mill. Elliot purchased Hiram's inter- est, Aug. 30, 1866. He was the last man who used the mill, which was after- wards allowed to decay. For the future owners of the land on which it stood, see 119, to which estate this spot has continued to belong.

119. The Jacob Spaulding house, where M. Barnes also lived, now owned by a Mr. Rowe. The site of the house was included in the purchase which Thomas Spaulding made of Eleazar Hathorn, Apr. 6, 1816. It was a part of

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FAMILY HISTORIES.

the old Hathorn or Martin Rugg farm. For the previous owners of that farm, see 59. Men who operated the mill lived in the Hathorn house, at first, or boarded in that family. JACOB SPAULDING, after living a few years in Keene, returned to Sullivan, about 1820, and moved into a part of the Hathorn house at 59. He continued to live in that house for a year after Martin Rugg bought the farm (March 2, 1825). Jacob leased the mill of his father. They built the house at 119 in 1826. Jacob bought the little corner between the old roads, where the barn was built, of Martin Rugg, June 1, 1830. He bought the mill and house of his father, Thomas Spaulding, Sept. 30, 1831. He lived in that house 38 years, and had operated the mill about 45 years, at the time of his sale of the property, Aug. 31, 1864, to ROSWELL CURTIS NURSE. Nurse sold the place to HIRAM H. and ELLIOT J. DAVIS, Apr. 7, 1866. Elliot J. bought Hiram's interest, Aug. 30, 1866. Elliot lived here and operated the mill eleven years. He was a native of Gilsum, but had lived several years at the old steam-mill place in the north-western corner of Nelson, not far from the east line of Sulli- van, where his former wife and two children died. Mr. Davis was a peculiar man. Circumstances of a serious character led to his leaving the place, as well as his second wife's divorce from him, to whom the court, at the October term in 1877, decreed this place as alimony. She was known as Mrs. Sarah T. Davis, who was left with several young children, some of whom found a good home at the orphan asylum in Franklin, N. H. The youngest graduated at a dental college in Philadelphia, and he is now practising dentistry. Mrs. Davis sold this place to MALACHI BARNES, May 3, 1879. He came here from Hingham, Mass. Asahel Dunton, a former Fitzwilliam man, boarded in his family. Mr. Nurse had added to the farm the home lot of the Dexter Spaulding estate, which has since been included in this estate. It made quite a respectable farm, which Mr. Barnes cultivated. The latter was a most eccentric man, unquestionably insane for many years. Mr. Dunton died, Sept. 22, 1903, from the effects of a murderous assault upon his person, on Sept. 19. Mr. Barnes was charged with the murder and convicted and sentenced for life to the state prison at Concord. See pages 370-372 for the particulars. This unfortunate little estate has been the scene of many infelicitous happenings and has had a sad and tragic history. At the April term of court, 1904, this place was decreed to Mrs. Mary E. Barnes, wife of Malachi, for her support. She sold it, June 29, 1905, to Chas. Wellman, who lives at 135. Two or three families, the men of which have been employed in the lumbering business, have lived here. Bert Cutler was living here in 1904. Matti Mikaeli Juhanpoika, a Finn (called in English Michael Johnson or Michael Janson), came here in 1905, and remained a year or longer. Edward Cookson lived here a year. WILLIAM F. ROWE bought the place of Mr. Well- man Oct. 28, 1907, and moved here, and still lives in the house. He is unmar- ried and lives alone.

120. Site of the wheelwright-shop of Dexter Spaulding. For the previous and subsequent owners of the land, see 121. This shop was built about 1827. Unfortunately it was connected with the dwelling numbered 121. It was heated by an open fireplace. On the evening of Feb. 24, 1859, sparks from this fire- place ignited shavings in the shop from which the building was set on fire and, in the early morning of Feb. 25, the shop and adjoining dwelling were totally

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HISTORY OF SULLIVAN.

burned. The house was replaced by a new one. See 121. Mr. Spaulding had commenced to build a new shop upon the opposite side of the road, but the projected new road which led around his buildings, leaving them away from the main highway, induced him to sell his homestead, and the shop, which was to have been built upon the east side of the road, was never completed.

121. Site of the Dexter Spaulding house. This homestead was in the part of the town that was taken from Packersfield. Thomas Packer came into posses- sion of all this section. See pages 628-29. Isaiah Kidder of new Ipswich obtained the lots containing this land of the heirs of Packer. On June 27, 1806, Calvin Locke and Samuel Seward bought considerable of this Packer land of Mr. Kidder. Dea. Josiah Seward, who had purchased, at different times, the comparatively worthless Gilsum claims to the same land, as well as to practically all of the land in that part of the town which was taken from Stod- dard, sold, for a nominal sum, all such interests in the land in question to Samuel Seward, Feb. 17, 1810, who bought the interest of Mr. Locke, June 3, 1811. Luther Wilder, who lived at 123, bought so much land of Samuel Seward as constituted the Dexter Spaulding place (possibly a little more), Apr. 1, 1814. Judson White, who lived at 63, purchased the same of Wilder, Feb. 24, 1819, the latter purchase including a little of the southern edge of the Stone farm at 122, which Wilder had also purchased. DEXTER SPAULDING purchased this place of Mr. White, Dec. 5, 1825. He had been married in the previous month, and began housekeeping at 254. In a few months, he moved into the house at 119, which had just been built for Jacob Spaulding. In the latter part of 1826, he moved into the house at 59, which had recently been purchased by Martin Rugg. Dexter continued to live here until he had completed this house, into which he moved in 1827. His family was the only family which ever lived on this spot. He occupied the first house until it was burned in the early morning of Feb. 25, 1859. See page 379. He moved temporarily into the house of his brother Jacob, at 119. He built a new house at 121 in the summer and fall of 1859 and had started to build a shop on the east side of the road. Dexter Spaulding was a good carpenter as well as a·wheelwright. He was a man of good sense and a good neighbor. He was a useful man in the community, for there were so many mechanical employments to which he could apply himself. He built the new schoolhouse in District No. 3, in 1849. He built, or assisted in building, several houses of the town. His only two sons who reached maturity died in the army in the Civil War. His only daughter died unmarried. He was an honest, straight- forward man, who enjoyed the confidence of all who knew him. The agitation for a new piece of road, from 119 to 122, which would leave his house away from the main road, and which was really built shortly afterwards, together with the desire to have a shop in which he could use water power, induced him to sell his homestead, Apr. 6, 1860, to Lanmon Nims of Keene, who wanted the timber upon the place. On the first of December, of the same year, S. W. Hale of Keene, bought the portion containing the largest part of the timber, of Mr. Nims. On the same day, Asahel Nims, fr., later of Keene, who was living at 148, bought the home farm, properly speaking, of his brother, Lanmon Nims. On May 13, 1865, Roswell Curtis Nurse, who was then living at 119, bought this homestead and annexed it to the little estate at 119. The buildings at 121,

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FAMILY HISTORIES.

which had recently been erected, were reserved and removed from the premises. This place has since been subject to the same transfers of ownership as 119,

I 22. Site of house built by Oliver Stone and occupied by A. M. Wilder, T. T. Wetherbee, and Justus Dunn. The present house was built by Mr. Dunn. This farm originally included all of the first Stoddard lot of the sixteenth range which was east of the Spaulding Brook, also all of the second Stoddard lot of the sixteenth range. James Locke, Jr., then of Townsend, Mass., but who, soon after, lived at 71, bought lot one, range sixteen, of Levi Wilder and Sarah, his wife, July 26, 1783. Mrs. Sarah Wilder was daughter and heiress of Samson Stoddard of Chelmsford, Mass., who drew nearly all of the lots in the Stoddard section of Sullivan. JONATHAN BURNHAM, who is supposed to have come here from Wilton or Lyndeborough, was living, in some kind of a house, at about 125, as early as Aug. 29, 1783, when a road was laid to his house by the town of Stoddard. We do not know just when or how he came into possession of the first lot of the sixteenth range. It may have been immediately after the pur- chase of it by James Locke, Jr. He appears to have owned only the portion east of Spaulding Brook. He may have purchased that part of the lot of Mr. Locke on the day of Mr. Locke's purchase, or on some day between that day and the twenty-ninth of August in the same year, when he was already living on or near the lot. Mr. Burnham purchased the second lot of the sixteenth range of Levi and Sarah Wilder, Sept. 20, 1784. His first (perhaps his only) house is thought to have been at 125, just north of the line dividing the lots. The deed of his purchase of the first lot is not recorded. Mr. Burnham's wife, Rachel, was one of the covenanters of the first church in Sullivan. Mr. Burnham joined it later. He had a large family of children, several of whom were born at 125. After leaving Sullivan, he moved to Johnson, Vt., where he became a deacon in the Congregational Church. It is possible (but not probable) that Mr. Burnham built a house on the site of 122. Mr. Burnham sold his place, what he then owned of lot first, sixteenth range, and all of lot two, range six- teen, except a narrow strip east of the road sold to Mr. Bolster, and the north- east corner, which became the little Woodward homestead, Apr. 28, 1792, to Samuel Mitchell of Peterborough, who never moved to the town. Mitchell sold the same, June 9, 1796, to Gates Thurston, a hatter, of Lancaster, Mass., who never moved to the town. A few months later, May 2, 1797, Thurston sold the same to Robert Townshend and Dr. James Carter, both of Lancaster, Mass. Shortly after, Oct. 24, 1798, Daniel Wilder and Joel Wilder, both of Lancaster, Mass., bought the interest of Mr. Townshend. These owners, after Burnham, were all non-residents. The Wilders are said to have erected the first house that stood on the site of 122. Elderly citizens of Sullivan informed us that the Wilders came here at times for a short time only. A family of negroes of the name of Dorchester lived in the house at 122 for several years. They were either relatives or old friends of the Woodwards, another negro family who lived at 127, 130, and 129. The head of the family was Ishmael Dorchester. It was his son, David Dorchester, who, riding through town with a kettle upon his head, gave rise to the riddle of Capt. E. Nims. See pages 579-80. Daniel Wilder bought the interest of Dr. Carter, Oct. 1, 1807. He must, in some way, have acquired the interest of Joel Wilder, for, Apr. 5, 1815, he sold the farm to OLIVER

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HISTORY OF SULLIVAN.

STONE, who had been living upon the place a certain time. The farm then contained 120 acres, being the same that Burnham sold to Mitchell. Mr. Stone was a native of Gardner, Mass., but had lived in Nelson and was a connection of the Nelson Stones. He built the house which stood at 122, in the year 1823, in which the Stones, Wilders, Wetherbees and Dunns lived. He owned the place 23 years. He afterwards lived with his son in Milford and Gilsum, and died in Gilsum in 1874. Mr. Stone sold to ALLEN MERRILL WILDER, NOV. 21, 1838. Mr. Wilder was born and had always lived at 123. His eldest two children were born at 123, the next three at 122. He moved to Lempster, thence to several places in the West. He died at Mitchell, South Dakota, Feb. 2, 1883. He sold this place to C. Franklin Wilson and Lucius Nims, both of Sullivan, Nov. 12, 1847. C. F. Wilson bought the interest of Mr. Nims, Apr. 2, 1848. CAPT. THOMAS T. WETHERBEE, who had been living at 117, bought this place of C. F. Wilson, Apr. 13, 1848. His purchase did not include a half of the old Burnham farm, but it included the homestead at 122. Mrs. Wetherbee died soon after, and Mr. Wetherbee sold the place. For an account of him, see 117. The place was purchased by JUSTUS DUNN, July 15, 1850. His original name was Justus Perry Dunn, but he did not use the middle name in later life. Mr. Wetherbee moved from Sullivan to Swanzey and lived at Sawyer's Crossing. He died at the house of his wife's daughter, Mrs. Streeter, in Westmoreland, May 31, 1887. Mr. Dunn had six children. The eldest two were born in Stoddard, the third in Keene, and the youngest three here at 122. Mr. and Mrs. Dunn celebrated their golden wedding here, Nov. 17, 1891. The old house built by Oliver Stone was burned, Sept. 30, 1878. The fire is said to have been caused by a defective chimney. See page 380. Mr. Dunn immediately rebuilt the house which now stands upon the place. He died in the new house, Feb. 5, 1894, in the forty- fourth year of his occupancy of the farm. He was an honest, peaceful man, mingling but little with the social life of the town. He had supported a large family to which he had been devoted and faithful. A few years before his death, he sold the farm to his daughter, MRS. AGUSTA O. CHASE, who still owns it. She purchased her mother's rights in the farm, Apr. 30, 1898. The farm has therefore been in that family fifty-eight years (to 1908). Although we have found families that have retained an ownership of land in this town for more than a century, it is nevertheless true that this record of fifty-eight years represents one of the longest continuous ownerships. Since Mrs. Dunn left the farm it has been rented to several families. Charles M. Ward was living here in 1899 ; George F. Cummings lived here in 1900-1901 ; Nelson Gray, of Orange, Mass., an agent of the lumber firm of Smith & Rice of Barre, Mass., who had a steam mill on the upper Great Brook, near the Patent Line, used the house in 1904, and had for a housekeeper a Mrs. Ann Mc Evoy, widow of Patrick McEvoy ; and Max Cotenoir (usually called " Mike Abbott") came here in 1907, and still remains (1908). He is sometimes called " Mark Abbott."

123. The old Luther Wilder place. This was drawn by Samson Stoddard, Sr., of Chelmsford, Mass., at whose death it came into possession of his daugh- ter, Sarah Stoddard, afterwards wife of Levi Wilder of Lancaster, Mass. She sold it, Aug. 13, 1779, to Peter Fletcher of New Ipswich. Those owners were all non-residents. LUTHER WILDER, a native of Lancaster, Mass., bought this

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A history of the town of Sullivan, New Hampshire, 1777-1917, Volume I, Part 75

Author: Seward, Josiah Lafayette, 1845-1917 Publication date: 1921 Publisher: [Keene, N.H., Sentinel printing Co.] Number of Pages: 888

Author: Seward, Josiah Lafayette, 1845-1917
Publication date: 1921
Publisher: [Keene, N.H., Sentinel printing Co.]
Number of Pages: 888