USA > New Hampshire > Cheshire County > Sullivan > A history of the town of Sullivan, New Hampshire, 1777-1917, Volume I > Part 76
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lot of Fletcher, Apr. 27, 1789. He was the first settler upon the place, and the families of himself and son were all which ever lived upon it. Mr. Wilder had seven children born here, all daughters except the eldest and youngest. He died , very suddenly, July 22, 1838, while backing his horse from a shed at the old second meetinghouse. See page 364. About six years before, he had sold the farm, on Sept. 3, 1832, with the customary reservation of maintenance for him- self and wife, to his younger son, ALLEN MERRILL WILDER. Soon after his father's death, A. M. Wilder purchased, on Nov. 21, 1838, the farm at 122. He still owned this place and his mother and sister, Phebe, lived in the house. Nov. 10, 1847, he sold this old farm to Amos Wardwell and Thomas Winch, both of Sullivan, excepting a portion along the western side, containing the sugar orchard and timber, which he retained and which was, after this, connected with the Dunn farm, at 122. By deeds of March 24, 1855, and Apr. 8, 1857, Alonzo Farrar of Sullivan purchased the Wilder farm of Wardwell and Winch respectively. It has been pastured for many years. It is on the summit of Wilder Hill from which there are fine views. After owning this land 37 years, Mr. Farrar sold it to John S. Currier of Sullivan, May 10, 1892. It is more than sixty years since anybody lived on this place, and the buildings long ago disappeared. No one but the Wilders ever lived here.
124. The Wyman or Eastman Bolster place. This lot was drawn by Nathaniel Richardson of Townsend, Mass. It came into the hands of his son, Richard Richardson, who was the second man to move a family into Stoddard (not upon this lot). His son, named Richard for himself, was the first male child born in Stoddard, and the younger Richard's wife lived to be the oldest person in Stoddard. Richard Richardson sold this place, December 6, 1771, to Sarah Richardson, spinster, of Townsend, Mass., who was probably his sister. She probably married a Bathrick, for the place was purchased, Oct. 5, 1785, by SAMUEL WYMAN of Pepperell, Mass., of Sarah Bathrick. The owners before Wyman were non-residents and, supposedly, of the same family, the second and third owners being presumably son and daughter of the man who drew the lot. Mr. Wyman was the first settler upon the farm and may have built the house which stood at 124. We know very little about him. He sold the larger part of the place, the westerly 42 acres, containing the buildings, Apr. 22, 1788, to a syndicate consisting of Josiah Seward, Samuel Seward and Elijah Carter. He had mortgaged the eastern end of 38 acres to Sarah Bathrick, whom Sullivan taxed for it in 1790. Mr. Wyman called himself of Sullivan when he sold to the syndicate. Practically the whole lot, however, was sold by the Stoddard tax collector (Caleb Hunt), Apr. 1, 1790, to Samuel Seward, for non-payment of taxes. It appears that none of the nominal owners had been paying taxes. The small amount not thus sold was probably regarded as belonging to Capt. Seward, who had probably paid taxes enough to secure that amount of land. The rest was deeded to Mr. Seward the same day. He was then in possession of the whole lot, as he claimed the right to sell the whole of it. EASTMAN BOLSTER, a son of Nathan Bolster, who lived at 128, was a tenant here for a few years. He was paying a poll-tax as early as 1811. Mr. Seward sold the north-west quarter to Luther Wilder, June 3, 1811, and he sold all of the remainder to Nathan Bolster, Feb. 22, 1815. Ebenezer Benson, then of Walpole, who had married a daughter
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of Nathan Bolster, took a deed of this lot from Mr. Bolster, Aug. 22, 1822. He may have lived here for a little while. He evidently never paid for it and surrendered his deed. Ile was the last occupant of the house, as we have been informed. Asa Ellis bought of the administrator of the estate of N. Bolster (Stephen Foster, Sr.), Feb. 25, 1824, all of the lot not sold to Luther Wilder. On Sept. 26, 1842, A. M. Wilder, son of Luther, who had purchased his father's place (see 123), sold the Wilder portion to Mr. Ellis, who then owned the whole lot. Since then this lot has belonged to the owners of the Ellis farm (see 112). When that farm was divided, this lot was divided between the owners of the two portions of the farm. For them and their successors, see III and 112.
125. The old Jonathan Burnham house. It was the first house built upon the farm described in 122. See that paragraph for the owners of the farm.
126. The Edwin J. Dunn house. This house was also upon the farm which is described in 122. When A. M. Wilder owned this farm, he sold the portion west of the highway to different persons. Dexter Spaulding bought a large slice of it, Mar. 20, 1840. This was the westerly portion. C. F. Wilson and Lucius Nims bought the greater part of this section of the farm of Wilder, Nov. 12, 1847. The house at 126 is on this section. C. F. Wilson bought the rights of Mr. Nims in this land, Apr. 2, 1848. Dexter Spaulding bought 46 acres of this land, immediately west of the highway, Apr. 27, 1848, of Mr. Wilson. No. I26 is on this Spaulding purchase. The same was sold by Mr. Spaulding to Lan- mon Nims, Apr. 6, 1860, who deeded it to Asahel Nims Jr., Dec. 1, 1860. Justus Dunn bought of Mr. Nims, Dec. 4, 1860, two acres immediately joining the so- called Pompey Woodward place, on the south. This little piece of land has long been enclosed by a wall and cultivated. EDWIN J. DUNN bought the same two acres of his father, Justus Dunn, June 29, 1874. Edwin erected a rude house here in which he lived about twenty years until his sudden death, Aug. 22, 1894. See page 369. He had no family and lived alone here. The house is now practically in ruins. The barn upon the place was burned recently. on Edwin's death, the place passed to his mother, which she sold with the rest of the farm to Mrs. Chase. See 122.
127. The site of the Grindall Keith house, last occupied by Pompey Wood- ward's family. Jonathan Burnham bought the second lot of the sixteenth Stoddard range of Levi Wilder and Sarah, his wife, Sept. 20, 1784. The house at 125 was on this lot, or possibly just south of the lot line, in lot one. Burnham sold the north-east corner of the lot to GRINDALL KEITH of Uxbridge, Mass. We cannot find a record of the deed. The births of four children of Grindall are recorded on the Sullivan town records, and the baptism of a fifth child is noted upon the church records. The eldest child was born, Sept. 1, 1781. It is probable that this child was born in Uxbridge, Mass. Ichabod Keith of Uxbridge, Mass., who lived later at 137 and 138, had bought the third lot of the fifteenth Stoddard range, Dec. 4, 1781, of Levi Wilder and Sarah, his wife, of Lancaster, Mass., the latter being daughter and heiress of Samson Stoddard, who drew the lot. Ichabod also bought the third lot of the fourteenth range, of the same persons, at the same time. This last lot was sold by the Stoddard tax collector for non-payment of taxes. Grindall Keith bought of his brother the third lot of the fifteenth range. We have no record of the deed. Grindall did
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not record his deeds. Nathan Bolster, who lived at 128, married a sister of the Keiths. Bolster bought his place, on the same day that Ichabod Keith bought the two lots just mentioned. Ichabod never settled these lots. It is probable that he sold one or both of them almost immediately to his brother, Grindall Keith. Bolster had a child born in Uxbridge in 1782. His next child was born at 128 in the early part of 1784. He probably moved there in 1783. His brother-in-law, Grindall Keith, doubtless came at the same time. Grindall may have put up a log house on the third lot of the fifteenth range, but no old resi- dent ever heard of his living anywhere in town except at 127. He may have lived a year with the Bolsters. As Burnham did not buy the second lot of the sixteenth range until Sept. 20, 1784, Grindall Keith could not have purchased it before that date, but he probably purchased what he owned in that lot shortly after this date, if not at that time. It was not an unusual thing, in those days, for men to settle in the woods, by an agreement with owners, for months, some- times for years, before the land was deeded. In that way Grindall Keith probably settled here. He built the house at 127. JAMES SMITH of Peterbor- ough bought this farm of Grindall Keith, Oct. 26, 1793. The farm, at that time, was made up of the north-east corner of lot 2, range 16; south half (from east to west) of lot 3, range 16; the whole of lot 3, range 15; and the north-west corner of lot 2, range 15. It was really a large farm as thus bounded. ELIJAH RUGG of that part of Lancaster, Mass., which is now Sterling, bought this same farm, containing 120 acres then, of Mr. Smith, Oct. 27, 1795. He was the ances- tor of the Ruggs who are living in Sullivan to-day. His wife was in consumption, and only lived about two years after coming to town. She was a sister of Mrs. James Comstock, Mrs. Amos Wardwell, Sr., and Edward Wilder. After the death of Mrs. Rugg, Mr. Rugg returned to Lancaster, Mass., married there a second time, and died there. THOMAS MCLEOD of Lancaster, Mass., a cooper, bought this farm, now reduced in size, from Mr. Rugg, Sept. 6, 1798. In the deed which conveyed this property, land is described bordering upon the pond, which is here called " Snowshoe Pond." It is the same that we call the Bolster Pond. Mr. McLeod worked at his trade here as a cooper. The late Edward Wilder informed us that he was in the coopering business with Mr. McLeod, and that they did quite an extensive amount of work in that line. They had been old friends in Lancaster. Mr. McLeod remained in town about nine years and had several children born at 127. On Apr. 1, 1806, he mortgaged his farm to Ebenezer Kendall. He remained in town about a year after this, but being unable or unwilling to redeem his mortgage, he surrendered the place to Mr. Kendall, who sold it, July 7, 1807, to POMPEY WOODWARD, a negro, who came from Sterling, Mass., and had known the Ruggs and McLeods. Pompey was a very honest man and had the unqualified respect of all his neighbors. He had been twice married. His first wife died in Sterling. He was married, in 1800, to his second wife, whose name is given as Mary Harry of Worcester, upon the Sterling license. A daughter, Milly, by the first wife, came to town with them and died here and her body was buried in the old cemetery, south-east corner lot, near her father's body. Mrs. Woodward was a " character," as we say. Her skin was a glossy black, like ebony. She was honest and, in her day, a very valuable domestic. She was esteemed an excellent cook, and, for many
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years, made wedding cake for the most stylish weddings in Keene. She had a morbid curiosity and wanted to know every person who passed the house and where they were going and what they were going to do. To accomplish her object, she would raise her window and hail persons who were passing. She annoyed physicians by asking them where they were going, who was sick, what was the ailment, and the like. The neighbors were so accustomed to her that they paid little attention to her salutations. Strangers were often puzzled to know how to get along with her. Poor Pompey was a paralytic. He could write his name quite legibly, which he always wrote " Pomp." He had borrowed considerable money, especially from Capt. Seward. In order to insure a home for the old man, and to prevent his creditors from getting his little farm away from him, Capt. Samuel Seward took it over to himself, by deeds dated, Dec. 18, 1820, and Jan. 14, 1824. He gave Pompey a bond assuring the income of the place to the latter and his wife while they lived. Capt. Seward died, Dec. 8, 1833. Joseph Seward, the latter's son, the administrator of the estate, bought this place of the heirs, Nov. 26, 1842. It was, of course, subject to the bond which Capt. Seward had given. As time went on, the income, the farm being uncultivated, kept growing constantly smaller. The old lady, not understand- ing this, and improperly suspicious that Mr. Seward was holding something back, and having a pretty incisive tongue, said to him one day : " Joseph, you have got a devil in you as big as an ox." The old lady was inordinately proud, and she wanted to live in an upright house .. During the twenties, she prevailed upon poor Pompey to commence an " upright house " as she called it (a two- story house) at 130. Pompey was reluctant to commence it, but she insisted and ruled. With the help of some friends, they got the frame raised. Then they stripped to pieces the old house at 127, to use the boards in building the new one. The late Mrs. Sophia Rugg told us that they had succeeded in getting one room boarded in, in the south-east corner of the frame. She said that it was the most unsightly object that could well be conceived. As winter approached, the neighbors saw that it was positively certain that the negroes could never go through the winter in that crazy abode without perishing. After harvesting, the neighbors all clubbed together and took the materials of the old house at 127, with such as were good for anything in the one which they had tried to build at 130, and built them a little cottage at 129, and made no charge for the work. The old lady was very angry because they did not complete her " upright " house. She said, with a stammering which we will not try to imitate, but which those who knew her can imagine: " What have I done that I cannot have a house with as many stories as Dea. Seward and Capt. Seward ?" Mrs. Rugg said that her husband, the late Capt. Harrison Rugg, and Dexter Spaulding shingled the roof, and, while they were at work, someone called to see the old lady and they were amused to hear her scold and revile the neighbors " because they thought that a one-story house was good enough for black people." She said to Mr. Rugg, when he came down from the roof: "My heart is as proud as yours, if my skin is black." This aged negro couple continued to live at 129 until Mr. Woodward died. He had lived to a great age, and had suffered for years from "shaking palsy," as the malady was called then. She continued to live in the cottage until, in the early winter of 1844, it was burned.
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See page 378, also pages 542-43, for further accounts of the fire and of her peculiarities. The town afterwards provided a home for her in different families. She finally went to Worcester, Mass., and died there. This small farm was purchased, July 18, 1846, by A. M. Wilder, who lived at 122. Subsequent owners are the same as of 122. It was never inhabited after the cottage was burned.
128. The Bolster house, where David Esty and Solon Esty lived, and where Mrs. Preckle lives. NATHAN BOLSTER of Uxbridge, Mass., bought this lot of Levi Wilder and Sarah, his wife (the latter, daughter and heiress of Samson Stodddard, who drew the lot), of Lancaster, Mass., Dec. 4, 1781. Mr. Bolster began the farm in 1783, beginning with a log house adjoining this, which he erected a few years later. He had a large family of fifteen children, all but the eldest having been born upon this farm. He purchased more land in adjoining lots of Jonathan Burnham, Thomas McLeod, and Pompey Woodward. He died, Feb. 23, 1823, very suddenly in Keene, upon the street. On his head- stone in the old cemetery, the date of his death is inaccurate. The farm was sold at vendue, Nov. 28, 1823, to his son, JAMES BOLSTER. The deed of it was given to him, March 31, 1824, by Stephen Foster, the administrator of the estate, and, on the same day, Bolster deeded the farm to DAVID ESTY, then living in Peterborough, on a farm on the slope of the Pack Monadnock Mountains, and also working at his trade of a shoemaker, or cordwainer, as he would then be called. Mr. Esty's wife was a Keith, and a niece of Mrs. Nathan Bolster. Mr. Esty lived here eighteen years and, afterwards, lived at 237. He was a worthy man and an esteemed townsman. He was brother of Solomon Esty, who lived at 144, and of John Esty, who lived at 156. JAMES RAWSON, a brother of Chauncy W. Rawson, who lived at at 175, purchased this place of Mr. Esty, March 3, 1842, and mortgaged it to Mr. Esty. He did not pay the mortgage and the estate of David Esty foreclosed it and sold the place at auction, June 20, 1846, to SOLON ESTY, a son of Solomon, and a nephew of David Esty. Jacob Esty of Keene, a brother of, and the administrator of the estate of, David Esty, gave the deed to Solon, July 4, 1846. The sale also included a large pasture in the fourteenth range. Solon lived here twelve years, and his only child, Sylvia, was born here. He sold the place, Oct. 2, 1858, to his brothers, HENRY O. and JAMES M. ESTY. They, at the time, were unmarried. Mr. and Mrs. Solomon Esty, who had been living in Keene, returned to town and lived here a time with the sons. Sabin Sherwin, who married their sister Adeline, also came here and lived a short time and Mrs. Sherwin did the housework. Mrs. Solomon Esty came again and kept house for her son, James M. After owning the place thirteen years, Henry and James sold the farm, March 31, 1871, to MRS. MARY ANN PRECKLE, wife of John R. Preckle. Mr. Preckle died here, and Mrs. Preckle and her son, JOHN F. PRECKLE, still live upon the place. They have owned it 37 years (to 1908), the longest that anybody ever owned it except the Bolsters.
129. The site of the last cottage in which the negroes, Mr. and Mrs. Pompey Woodward lived. While living here, a little girl named Ivy Dorches- ter lived with them. See 127.
130. Site of the " upright" house which the Woodwards tried to build, but never completed. See 127.
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131. Site of a house (probably a log house only) built by Barachias Holt. BARACIIIAS HOLT of Wilton bought this third lot of the sixteenth range of Levi Wilder and Sarah, his wife (daughter and heiress of Samson Stoddard, who drew the lot), of Lancaster, Mass., Sept. 6, 1784. Barachias is called Barnabas in one place in the deed, as recorded, but Barachias was his real name. He was a first cousin of Ephraim Adams Holt, who lived at 115. The latter's daughter, Rachel, told us that Barachias built his log house near the excellent spring which is found in that lot, about eighteen rods north of the south line and about twenty rods west of the old highway. She said that he did not remain long. Grindall Keith, who had come to this neighborhood in 1783, and lived at 127, bought this lot of him. She did not think that either of the children of Barachias was born here. Their births are all recorded in Wilton, and it is probable that all were born there. Barachias was the only person who ever brought a family to the lot. Since his time it has always been used for pas- turage and forestry products. The south side passed successively from Grindall Keith to James Smith, Elijah Rugg, Vryling Shattuck of Pepperell, Capt. Seward, and Ebenezer Kendall. The north half of the lot passed successively from Grindall Keith to Capt. Samuel Seward, Swallow Tucker of Raby (now Brookline), N. H., Dea. Josiah Seward, and Ebenezer Kendall. The entire lot was owned successively by Ebenezer Kendall, Harrison Rugg, Dexter Spauld- ing, Lanmon Nims of Keene, and Asahel Nims, Jr. After the latter's death it passed partly to Thomas A. Hastings, and partly to F. A. Wilson. Mr. Wilson's portion is now owned by Walter S. Barker.
Plicated Rock. On the new road, just south of the schoolhouse, is a pretty natural curiosity, showing the plicated folds of stratification in a rock of iron and sulphurous ingredients, with a granitic base. It is called the Plicated Rock.
132. The schoolhouse in District No. 3. For a complete account of it, see pages 498-99. We are pleased to record an additional fact, since the former pages went to press. During the last year (1907), our esteemed summer resident, Mr. Walter S. Barker, owner of the late F. A. Wilson farm, at 135, caused this building to be finely painted at his own expense.
133. First site of the schoolhouse in District No. 3. See page 498.
134. Site of the first house built by Samuel .Seward on his farm. See the next paragraph, 135.
135. The house occupied by Capt. Seward, Archelaus Towne, Hosea Towne, and F. A. Wilson, and now owned by Walter S. Barker. SAMUEL SEWARD purchased this farm of Levi Wilder of Lancaster, Mass., and Sarah, his wife (daughter and heiress of Samson Stoddard, who drew the lot), Aug. 31, 1780. In the following year, 1781, in the spring, Mr. Seward built a log house at 134, in which he lived eighteen years. It was a large and unusually commodious house for a log house. In 1799, Mr. Seward built the mansion now standing at 135. The elegant restoration of the building by Mr. Barker has given to the front rooms much of their original appearance, except that the modern painting and wall treatment are much more costly than the original. The ell of this house has been wholly rebuilt by Mr. Barker, who has also built an excellent barn west of the house, which is a model of its kind. Samuel Seward was a bright, intelligent man, much concerned in town affairs. He held all important
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town offices, represented his town many times in the legislature, and was usually connected with every important movement undertaken by the town. He was a great real estate speculator and we cannot here give space to record the manifold conveyances which comprise his purchases and sales. His farm came to include several hundred acres, extending from Stoddard on the east to the ninth Gilsum range on the west, of the average width of two of the old Stoddard lots. He owned at one time what were later the Solomon Esty and Ebenezer Kendall farms, and west of the latter, practically everything to the old Cummings farm in District No. 5. A large part of this is still included in the estate of Mr. Barker. Samuel Seward died very suddenly, while hitching his horse in a shed at Stoddard village, Dec. 8, 1833. He left a will. The farm was given to certain heirs. On March 12, 1835, these heirs conveyed all of their rights in the same to Joseph Seward, son and executor of Samuel. On the same day, ARCHELAUS TOWNE of Stoddard bought the farm of Joseph Seward and moved here very soon. Mr. Towne lived here eight years. In the year after he pur- chased the place, while returning from Stoddard, on the fourth of July, his horse becoming frightened, he was thrown from his carriage, which caused an injury resulting in the loss of one of his legs. He was a man of practical sense, frank and outspoken in utterance, honest, frugal, thrifty, and prosperous. On Aug. 31, 1843, he sold the farm to his son, DANIEL TOWNE, whose eldest child, Mrs. Albert Davis, was born here. Mr. Daniel Towne is still living, and now resides in Sullivan with this daughter. He is one of the oldest persons in the town. After leaving Sullivan, he lived in Langdon several years, in the state of New York for a few years, then in Sullivan again, and afterwards in Marlborough. In his old age, he has come to town again to the home of his daughter, Mrs. Davis. On Sept. 7, 1846, HOSEA TOWNE bought this farm of his brother, Daniel. He lived here twelve and a half years. His wife, Lestina Jane Seward, was a granddaughter of the first owner of the place. Mr. Towne was a very intelligent and capable man. He was prominent in the life of the town. He was superintendent of schools and a man who was deeply interested in good school work. After selling the Sullivan place, he moved to Keene, became a soldier in the Civil War, and again resumed business in Keene. His domestic life was crowded with sorrowful features. His two children, a bright little daughter, and a promising son, both died young. His wife became insane while he was in the army, and continued for thirty years unconscious of her real situation. She was many years an inmate of the New Hampshire Hospital in Concord, where she died. In the mean time, Mr. Towne established himself in trade in Marlow and was eminently successful financially. Late in his life, he returned to Keene and purchased a house on Roxbury Street, where he died a few years ago. On Oct. 27, 1858, FREDERICK A. WILSON, then of Stoddard, purchased this large farm of Mr. Towne. His family was a most valuable acquisition to the town. Mr. Wilson was a man of remarkable judgement, clear discernment, the strictest integrity, and an intelligent appreciation of good citizenship. He served for several years as select-man and was a useful towns- man. His daughter, Mrs. Elvira M. Blood, lived upon the adjoining farm. His daughter, Hattie C. L., now Mrs. Fuller of Peabody, Mass., was an excellent school teacher. His son, Hon. Edgar V. Wilson, is a prominent and prosperous
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lawyer of Athol, Mass. Another son, W. F. D. Wilson, is in a good business in Keene. After a life of honor and usefulness, Mr. Wilson died, July 24, 1897. His widow still survives (1908), in a lovely old age, and resides with her son in Athol. The heirs sold the place, Nov. 7, 1899, to WALTER S. BARKER of Boston, who has spent much money upon the place, restored the mansion in a manner to preserve the beauty of the old colonial architecture, and replaced the ell and the barn with very fine, substantial structures. Mr. Barker makes this place his summer home, but is often here in winter. Mr. Barker is just such a man as Sullivan is glad to welcome. He has been a great help to the town and especially to that neighborhood. He expends his money wisely and judiciously. He is not a man who tears estates to pieces to make hunting grounds and game preserves. He is not a man who would ruin an entire township (as has been done in this state) to gratify his selfish tastes. He delights in restoring old places to their original forms, in preserving forests and sugar orchards, and in building up the town. He has kept a family on the place to care for it and cultivate the farm. He has been fortunate in his selections. Robert S. Calef of Keene was the first manager of the farm under the ownership of Mr. Barker, to whom he was related. Mr: and Mrs. Calef were highly esteemed by the citizens of the town. They remained about four years. Their child, Richard Thayer, was born here in 1901. A Bohemian, named George Simonich, was here in 1903. Mr. and Mrs. Charles Wellman were married in 1904. They have since lived here and make an ideal couple for the situation. Mr. Wellman is an excellent farmer and a capable manager. Mr. Barker has recently purchased the Keith farm. See 138. We would be glad if there were fifty more such men as Mr. Barker, who would buy the beautiful old estates in Sullivan and put them in order. The craze to leave a farm has fairly turned the heads of some of the Sullivan boys who would have done much better to have kept up the old ances- tral estates.
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