A history of the town of Sullivan, New Hampshire, 1777-1917, Volume I, Part 79

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 79

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

719

FAMILY HISTORIES.

Keene, where they both died. About 1857, Dauphin W. Nims built the sub- stantial house now standing at 153, using portions of the old mansion which stood at 152, in its construction. MR. and MRS. JAMES W. OSGOOD, parents of Mrs. D. W. Nims, came to live with their daughter at 153, in 1857, and both died here. Mr. and Mrs, D. W. Nims had no children. They took into their home a girl who was known as Ann P. Miller, the daughter of a Sullivan woman, also Marquis De L. Collester, a nephew of Mr. Nims. Several homeless chil -* dren were sheltered in their kind home. Mr. and Mrs. Nims moved to Keene shortly after they sold the place. They sold it, Apr. I, 1878, to a niece of Mr. Nims, Octavia Nims, wife of CHARLES A. BROOKS. Mr. Brooks still lives in this house and occupies the farm. He has bought other land and now owns between two and three hundred acres. The children of his former wife, Octavia, have reached maturity and left home. He is living with a second wife.

154. Site of the Calvin Nims house. This old farm was at the south-west corner of the " right" drawn by Hon. Theodore Atkinson, Secretary of State of New Hampshire. This " right " passed into the hands of George King Sparhawk, Esq., of Portsmouth, who sold it, Oct. 7, 1794, to two persons, the southern half of 150 acres to Zadok Nims, the upper half of 150 acres to Jonas Osgood of Keene. CALVIN NIMS, a son of Dea. Zadok, lived a short time after his mar- riage at 158, where his first two children were probably born. On May 29, 1802, he bought of his father the south-western portion of the latter's purchase in the Atkinson " right." That year, he built a house at 154. Here his youngest seven children were born. He died here, a comparatively young man, Jan. 22, 1816. D. Adams Nims and Lucius Nims, also the wife of D. W. Houghton, were among his children. He mortgaged the place, Sept. 19, 1807 to Samuel Osgood of Sullivan, who lived at 108. Calvin Nims died before he had paid for his place. No one of his heirs could pay for it, and it remained in Mr. Osgood's possession. John Newman, from Keene, who had married a daughter of Benja- min Willis, lived here a few years, between 1820 and 1825. His fifth and sixth children were born here. He was the father of the late George Newman of Gilsum. Philander Nims used the land a short time. This house disappeared between seventy and eighty years ago. Few living persons can remember it. The small farm was the southern part of that upon which the house at 164 is situated. For the continuance of its history, see 164.

155. Site of the old Eleazar Brown house, where Abijah Seward built, and where Almon P. Tyler and James Connor have lived. This farm was the north- western portion of the old Governor Benning Wentworth " right." It was set off to that gentleman by the town of Keene, as one of the conditions of the incor- poration. The whole " right " contained about 500 acres, immediately west of the Patent Line, and extending south, from the north line of this farm, far into Roxbury. The whole right remained long in the Wentworth family, passing finally to Michael Wentworth, Esq., of Portsmouth, who sold it, Sept. 12, 1788, to Stephen Chase of Portsmouth, a merchant. Chase sold the northernmost of the five lots into which it was divided, containing a hundred acres, Mar. 11, 1796, to ELEAZAR BROWN, who came here from Swanzey. Mr. Brown died, Aug. 30, 1798, a little more than two years after he moved to the place. His widow and children continued to reside upon the farm, which was divided among the heirs,

720

HISTORY OF SULLIVAN.

Oct. 15, 1812. Soon after, May 19, 1814, all of the other heirs deeded to CEPHAS BROWN, one of the sons of Eleazar, their rights in a portion of the farm. The widow lived with Cephas, and her share and his purchase constituted the farm as it continued for many years. Cephas was the youngest of the six children of Eleazar, all of whom were born in Swanzey. Cephas had four children, all of whom were born here, in the house which Eleazar had hardly completed before his death. The Browns sold this place to Capt. Samuel Seward, March 29, 1820, but they remained as tenants a short time. For the sudden death of Mrs. Brown, see page 359. ABIJAH SEWARD came here to live, and he bought the place of his father, with certain conditions, Jan. 12, 1824. Abijah lived here until his death, Sept. 2, 1877. His wife died about three years later. They had lived together here between fifty and sixty years. Their six children were all born in town, and most, if not all, of them upon this spot. Abijah Seward built the house now Standing at 155. His three sons lived, a few years each, at 149. The eldest, Samuel A. died at 17. Alfred died in Walpole, and Orlando at Keene. See page 622. The eldest daughter married A. Seward Wood, a bag- gage master on the Cheshire R. R., who was killed on the cars, many years ago. The second daughter married Jerome Leborveau, and the youngest married Hosea Towne, who lived many years at 135. ALMON P. TYLER acquired the rights of all the heirs of Abijah Seward in this place, by several deeds, on Apr. 14, 1881. Mr. Tyler owned the place nearly a quarter of a century. He was a good citizen and a kind neighbor. He is now living near the village of Marlow. He sold the place, Nov. 3, 1905, to JAMES CONNOR, who now (1908) lives upon the farm. Mr. Connor has a large family of children.

156. Site of the old John D. Esty house. This small farm, in the south- east corner of the part of Sullivan taken from Keene, was a part of the old Wentworth " right" mentioned in the preceding paragraph. This corner had passed from Stephen Chase, whom we mentioned under 155, to Seth Wyman of Shrewsbury, Mass., who sold it, Sept. 25, 1812, to JOHN D. ESTY of Keene, who was born in Topsfield, Mass., but came to Keene, as a child, with his father, and lived in an old house that stood a short distance south of the Roswell Nims house on Beech Hill, which the latter's grandsons have recently put in good repair. John D. Esty built the house at 156, and was the only man who ever brought a family to the site. He lived here nearly eight years, then sold the place, Apr. 4, 1820, to Erastus Hubbard of Sullivan, with the privilege of remov- ing the buildings. Four of Mr. Esty's nine children (from the third to the sixth) were born at 156. After leaving Sullivan, he lived in various places in Vermont. He spent the last thirty years of his life in Groton, N. H., where he died, May 3, 1867. His descendants are numerous and many of them are highly prosperous business men. Mr. Hubbard sold this place, Apr. 25, 1826, to Henry Melville of Nelson. As no one ever lived upon it after Mr. Esty left it, it would hardly be worth while to trace the succession of owners to the pas- tures and timber lots for which it was used.

157. The schoolhouse in District No. 4. See pages 500-501, for a com- plete account of the schoolhouses that have stood on this spot, or near it.

158. Site of the first house in which Calvin Nims lived. This site was upon the land of Dea. Zadok Nims. See 152 and 153. CALVIN NIMS lived

721

FAMILY HISTORIES.

here for a short time after his marriage. His first two children were probably born here. The house may have been moved to 1 54.

159. The Nahum Nims house, where the Woodburys lived. The original farm was a pitch laid out by the town of Keene to Eleazar Sanger, whose daugh- ter, Rhoda Sanger, inherited it. Ephraim Wright of Keene, who lived where Frank Wright now lives, bought this pitch of Rhoda Sanger, Nov. 7, 1783, and sold it ten days later, Nov. 17, 1783, to CORNELIUS HOWLETT of Keene, a son of the famous Major Davis Howlett. Mr. Howlett lived here 26 years and built the first house which stood upon this site. He was an intelligent man, who held many of the town offices and was prominent in town affairs. When he left this farm he returned to Keene and lived on the south part of Beech Hill, on the John Lawrence place. He took John Lawrence into his family. Mr. How- lett never had any children and he gave the farm to Mr. Lawrence, reserving his maintenance. Howlett sold this place at 159, March 27, 1810, to LOCKHART WILLARD, JR., of Keene, who owned it a year or more. James Phillips was a tenant here during that time. His eldest child was born here. Willard sold the place, Oct. 1, 1812, to SAMUEL SEWARD, JR., son of Capt. Samuel, who lived here several years. He was a man of much intelligence, a justice of the peace, and an influential person in town affairs. He did much legal business and was constantly sought for his advice. His three children, all daughters, were born on this place. Two of them died young. The other married a prom- inent lawyer of Claremont, named Gates. Her descendants now live in Boston and near there. Mr. Seward moved from this place to Claremont, and became an important citizen of that town. He died in a private hospital in Keene, some years afterwards, as the result of the amputation of a leg. He sold this place to AARON MILLER, Feb. 7, 1825. The house which Mr. Seward left here was the present house, then a new one, which Mr. Seward had built to replace the old house built by Howlett, which was destroyed by fire. See page 378. Miller sold the farm, Dec. 16, 1825, to NAHUM NIMS and HENRY NIMS. Henry (usually called Harry) lived here ten years. The first five of his large family of children (the fourth and fifth being twins) were born here. Jan. 17, 1835, he sold his share in the farm to Nahum and moved to Roxbury, where he spent the rest of his life, upon the farm recently occupied for many years by Charles W. Buckminster. Nahum and Henry Nims were brothers, sons of David Nims, 3d, of Roxbury. Nahum lived on this farm about forty-five and a half years, until his death, Mar. 26, 1871. He had a large family of ten children, one of whom was in the Civil War. Six of his children died unmarried. Two daugh- ters married and moved to other places. The two married sons settled in Sul- livan. One of them, Albert G., died in Keene, the other, Dea. Joseph N. Nims, still lives in town. Nahum Nims was an honest, industrious, conscientious man, a substantial citizen, and a kind, obliging neighbor. After his death, the heirs sold the farm, which, as we shall see in the next paragraph, now included the David Nims farm at 160, Oct. 12, 1872, to Frank W. Nims, son of Asahel, Jr., of Keene. Mr. Nims conveyed the same, Apr. 1, 1873, to CHARLES BURTON REED, a native of Nova Scotia, who had married a daughter of J. Addison Wil- der, who was a native of Sullivan. Reed deserted his family, resulting in a divorce. The alimony to Mrs. Reed included whatever rights Reed had in this

722

HISTORY OF SULLIVAN.

place, which she sold, Aug. 30, 1883, to WILLIAM HENRY H. WOODBURY, who had been a soldier of the Civil War. The same farm was deeded, Oct. 2, 1884, by Mr. Woodbury to Frank W. Nims, who, on the same day, deeded it to Mrs. W. H. H. Woodbury, who deeded it to John H. Woodbury, June 18, 1900, who now owns it. The family of W. H. H. Woodbury lived here several years, but moved later to the farm owned for many years by James Wright, Jr., and James Wright, 3d, on Beech Hill, in Keene. Elwyn W. Wilcox and others in the employ of John H. Woodbury have been tenants here. The Woodburys were pleasant and kind neighbors, who belonged to the local grange and entered con- siderably into the life of the town. Their son, John H. now lives at 148.

160. Site of the old Oliver Osgood house, occupied later by the Leland and Willis families, and by David Nims. This farm is on a pitch laid out by the town of Keene, to Rev. Clement Sumner, as an after-division belonging to a village house lot. Sumner sold it to Jacob Rugg, then of Lancaster, Mass., later of Keene, Nov. 3, 1772. Rugg sold it to Ezra Metcalf, then or later of Marl- borough, June 8, 1781. Metcalf sold it, Oct. 28, 1787, to OLIVER OSGOOD, who came from Keene and settled upon this land. He was a brother of Mrs. Cornelius Howlett, who lived at 159, and a first cousin of Elijah Osgood, who lived at 161. He lived here nineteen years. His wife belonged to the First Congregational Church. He sold the farm, June 9, 1806, to JOHN CANNON, a brother of Dr. Messer Cannon, who lived at 243. Mr. Cannon lived here only three years, then moved to Alstead where he spent the rest of his life. He sold the farm, Oct. 30, 1809, to ALPHEUS NIMS, 2D, son of David, Jr. Nims had married a daughter of Jonas Stevens, who lived at 165. Mr. Nims lived here only a year and a half. He removed to a rich farm in the state of New York, where he remained until his death. He sold this farm, Apr. 1, 1811, to JEREMIAH LELAND, who had lived at 26 and 28, and who lived later at 232, and finally at 251. Leland sold the place, Apr. 13, 1819, to BEMJAMIN WILLIS, JR., of Keene, who lived here until his death, Aug. 26, 1837. John Newman, who married his daughter, lived here some years in the mean time. DAVID NIMS, 4th in a lineal descent of Davids from David Nims, the first town clerk of Keene, bought this farm of the heirs of Benjamin Willis, Jr., Oct. 24, 1838. He married a grand- daughter of Mr. Willis. He was a brother of Seth Nims, also of Henry Nims of Roxbury and Nahum Nims, who lived at 159. David lived here until his death, Mar. 30, 1861. His wife had died a little more than two years before. Dauphin W. Nims, the guardian of the four children, all daughters, sold the farm May 5, 1862, to Nahum Nims, and it has, ever since, formed a part of the Nahum Nims farm. See 159.

161. The old Elijah Osgood or Kingsbury place, where Dauphin Spauld- ing lived many years, and where Alonzo O. Brown and Lewis H. Smith lived, and where George D. Smith now resides. This original farm was land that was set off by the town of Keene, as a pitch, to Eleazar Sanger, Sept. 22, 1762. It was inherited by his daughter, Rhoda Sanger, who sold it, Nov. 7, 1783, to Ephraim Wright, Ist., of Keene, who owned the place where Frank O. Wright now lives, on Beech Hill. Mr. Wright immediately sold the eastern portion of the Sanger land to Cornelius Howlett, as we saw under 159. The westerly por- tion, comprising the original area of this farm, was sold by Mr. Wright to

723

FAMILY HISTORIES.

ELIJAH ORGOOD, Aug. 14, 1790, who began this farm. Mr. Osgood was a Swanzey man, being a descendant of the Osgoods of Lancaster, Mass. He was the first captain of the Sullivan military company and was a person of much consequence in the town. He lived in several other places in town, and a more complete account of him may be seen under 102, on page 681. He sold the farm, Nov. 20, 1804, to JOSEPH KINGSBURY, who had been living in Packersfield, and was a descendant of the Dedham Kingsburys. Mr. Kingsbury operated the farm and also built a saw-mill which he operated for many years. See 162. He had eight children, of whom one died in infancy. All were daughters but one. The son, Benjamin, Jr., lived in Alstead. Three of the daughters were unmar- ried. One of them married Dauphin Spaulding, who succeeded him on the farm. The other two both married Dexter Spaulding. Mr. Kingsbury died here, Oct. 9, 1840. His widow died nearly ten years later, at the home of Dex- ter Spaulding, at 121. DAUPHIN SPAULDING, originally named Dauphin White Spaulding, bought the farm of Mr. Kingsbury, Nov. 18, 1836. He had already bought the mill at 162. He lived here 22 years, until, in 1858, he moved to the old Sam. Osgood farm, at 108. For a fuller account of him see the bottom of page 685. He sold this place, Dec. 25, 1860, to ALONZO O. BROWN, a native of Sullivan, who had married his daughter. Mr. Spaulding reserved the mills, ponds, and rights of flowage. Mr. Brown lived here several years, but deeded back the place to Mr. Spaulding, March 15, 1864. Mr. Spaulding died, Aug. 13, 1864. To simplify the settlement of the estate, some of the heirs deeded their rights in this place to Mr. Brown, Jan. 21, 1865. He deeded it to Milan D. Spaulding, son of Dauphin, in connection with the other heirs, Feb. 15, 1865, and the latter deeded it to his mother, Mrs. Eleanor Spaulding, Sept. 6, 1865. On the sixteenth of November, in the same year, 1865, Mrs. Spaulding sold the farm, reserving some of the back lands, to LEWIS H. SMITH, a blacksmith, who had lived at 7, in East Sullivan. Mr. Smith continued to reside here until his death, Dec. 14, 1903, at nearly 82 years of age. He was an honest, industrious man, and a good citizen and neighbor. On Nov. 13, 1891, he sold the place to his son, GEORGE D. SMITH, who still lives upon the farm. The latter has had five sons and a daughter, all born here. He is a good farmer and a man much respected in the community.

162. Site of the old Kingsbury mill. Joseph Kingsbury bought the farm described in the preceding paragraph, Nov. 20, 1804. Early in the nineteenth century, he built a saw-mill on this site which was used for more than forty years. Dauphin Spaulding bought this mill of Mr. Kingsbury, March 15, 1836, and operated it for sixteen or seventeen years. In 1839, the town laid a road from the house at 161 to this mill. See page 265. In those days all the lumber sawed in this mill had to be hauled up the long hill to the schoolhouse at 157, thence to Keene, via Nims Hill. In 1847, the road was built from this mill to what was later the Nahum Wright place, at 49 (of the outside numbers.) This was an immense improvement on the old route. In 1852, as we shall see in the next paragraph, Mr. Spaulding purchased the old Wright mill at 163. After that, this mill was used somewhat as long as Mr. Spaulding owned the farm at 161, but gradually rotted down. It has now wholly disappeared, and the dam has fallen away.

724

HISTORY OF SULLIVAN.

163. Site of the old Osgood or Wright mill. Joshua Osgood built a grist- mill and saw-mill here, not far from 1790. On the first of October, in 1795, the town laid two bridle paths to this mill. See page 257. One led from the house at 161, the other from a point below the house at 247. Both roads were passable for carts and vehicles at a later date. Mr. Osgood sold this mill, with two acres of land, March 20, 1807, to Lieut. James Wright of Keene, the grandfather of George K. Wright, whose house was on, or within a few feet of, the site of the Geo. K. Wright house. Lieut. Wright died, May 3, 1811, and willed this mill, with other real estate, to his two sons, Ephraim Wright, who lived on the old homestead, father of George K. Wright, and James Wright, Jr., who lived where W. H. H. Woodbury now (1908) lives, on Beech Hill, where the Concord Road joins the original road over the hill. Ephraim Wright (father of Geo. K.) died, Mar. 17, 1842. His heirs deeded their rights in this mill (with other real estate) to George K. Wright and his brother, Henry Wright, in several deeds, bearing the dates of Feb. 17, 1846; May 1, 1848; Nov. 3 (and Nov. 5), in 1852 ; and June 7, 1864. James Wright, Jr., died, June 18, 1851. His heirs deeded this mill, as well as his other real estate, to his son, James Wright (3d James in lineal descent), Dec. 19, 1851. The Wrights operated this mill until about 1852, when they sold to Dauphin Spaulding, as we shall see in the next para- graph. There was a bridge across the brook at the mill, and, at first, all their lumber was hauled by the house at 161, up the hill, by the schoolhouse at 157, thence to Keene. For a number of years previous to 1847, they used a private road, indicated upon the map, which they constructed themselves, leading from the mill to the old Osgood road. In 1847, the road along the Ferry Brook, south to the old road to Sullivan, was constructed. This gave a much easier route for the lumber. See next paragraph.

16312. Site of the mill built by Dauphin Spaulding. On Sept. 15 1852, James Wright 3d, sold to Dauphin Spaulding, who lived at 161, and already owned the mill at 162, his half (undivided) of the mill property at 163. Mr. Spaulding procured the other half, but the deed is not recorded, and we cannot find the date. It must have been at nearly the same time as the purchase of th other half. Mr. Spaulding erected a new mill upon the premises, a trifle to the east of the old site. He had a fine lot of old-growth pine on his farm, which he cut and sawed in this mill, and did quite a flourishing business. He owned the mill at his death, Aug. 13, 1864. The mill, with other property, came into possession of his widow Mrs. Eleanor Spaulding, in the manner described in paragraph 161. Mrs. Spaulding sold the mill, Mar. 19, 1866, to Elbridge H. Taft of Sullivan, who moved it, together with the machinery. The land was included in the sale to Mr. Smith. There were three dams above this mill, along Ferry Brook, which held reservoirs whose water was used in dry times to supply this mill.

164. Site of the house built by Philander Nims and occupied, afterwards, by Dauphin W. Wilson. This place was on the "right " laid out by the town of Keene, Dec. 12, 1769, to the Hon. Theodore Atkinson, Secretary of the Prov- ince of New Hampshire. He was the father of Hon. Theodore Atkinson, Jr., who had likewise been a provincial state secretary. The latter's wife was the celebrated beauty, Frances Deering Wentworth, for whose three names as many

epresentatives of Sullivan families at the Golden Wedding of Mr. and Mrs. Dauphin W. Wilson at Keene, November 3, 1886.

725

FAMILY HISTORIES.

towns in New Hampshire were named. She had really loved Hon. John Went- worth, the last royal governor of the province. Wentworth went to Europe. In his long absence, she married Atkinson. On Wentworth's return, busybodies declare that there was a systematic signalling between the Wentworth and Atkinson mansions. Atkinson died at an early age of consumption. There was an imposing state funeral. Lady Frances was in the habiliments of deepest mourning. On Nov. 11, 1769, precisely two weeks, to a day, from Atkinson's death, lady Frances took off her mourning and put on white satin, and, in the same church chancel, where Atkinson's body had reposed at the funeral, ten days before, she was married to Gov. John Wentworth. She was a cousin of both her husbands. The elder Atkinson, to whom this land was assigned as his " right," gave his estate to a relative who took the name of George Atkinson. He came into possession of the estate on the death of Mr. Atkinson, Sept. 22, 1779. George Atkinson, whose original name was George King, died not far from 1790. This land came into possession of his wife's nephew, George King Sparhawk, who sold one-half of it (taken from the southern part), Oct. 7, 1794, to Zadok Nims of Sullivan. It joined his original lot on the east. PHILANDER NIMS, son of Zadok, was married in 1807, and his father built a house on this site in which he lived. Philander was to enjoy the privileges of the house, but his father never deeded the place to him. Philander had twelve children, all born here, as some of them have informed us. Among them were Frederick B., Geo. Washington, and Dauphin W. Nims, all residents of Sullivan and well remembered by many of our readers. E. Nelson, Henry C., and J. Woodbury Nims lived in other places. Nelson and Henry, and the sons of Woodbury were liverymen in Boston, as were also the sons of Mrs. Greenwood, a daughter of Philander. Another daughter married a Mr. Wight, born in Pottersville, and another married Thorley Collester, father of Hon. Marquis de L. Collester. Philander Nims lived on this place until 1835 or 1836, after which he lived at 246 and other places in town, and died in Roxbury. Dea. Zadok Nims, who had never deeded the place to Philander, sold it, Aug. 30, 1822, to his son-in-law, John Wilson, whose wife was Philander's sister. Samuel Osgood, who had fore- closed a mortgage on the Calvin Nims place at 154, sold the latter place, March 28, 1852, to John Wilson, five months before he purchased the place at 164. Mr. Wilson died, Dec. 3, 1830, and left his real estate to his two sons. DAUPHIN W. WILSON, son of John, was married in 1836. On the twenty-seventh of June, in that year, Philander Nims quitted to D. W. and C. F. Wilson, the two sons of John, all the right that he had in the place. Dauphin repaired and practically rebuilt the house for his own use. On May 28, 1842, he purchased the half- interest of his brother, C. F. Wilson, in both this place and the Calvin Nims place, which their father had left them jointly. The united farms became the home- stead of Dauphin W. Wilson. He was a well educated man, a good school- teacher, and one of the most influential men of the town. He was a justice of the peace and a careful and intelligent adviser. He was a fair poet, his verse being mostly confined to ballads. For specimens of his poetry, see pages 70 and 581. After living here thirty-one years, Mr. Wilson bought a place in Keene . June 17, 1867, on Marlboro Street, to which he moved this house and one of the barns. He continued to own this farm for a few years. He died in Keene, Mar.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

A history of the town of Sullivan, New Hampshire, 1777-1917, Volume I, Part 79

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