A history of the town of Sullivan, New Hampshire, 1777-1917, Volume I, Part 83

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 83


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).


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203. The Alexander B. Brown house, where Lester R. Wheeler lives. There was formerly a cabin on or near this spot in which a negro named ABRAHAM THOMPSON lived. Mr. Brown informed us that he lived alone here. Thompson was a witness to a deed, Sept. 22, 1814, given by Pompey Woodward, another negro living at 127, to Capt. Samuel Seward. That fixed the fact that Thompson was here in 1814, but we do not know how long he lived here before or after that year, nor do we know anything about him. There were several negro families in town in early times. Thompson owned no land here. He was privileged to live here. For the owners of this land before A. B. Brown, see the following paragraph. ALEXANDER B. BROWN of Sullivan bought this farm of Daniel H. Mason, Apr. 1, 1859. Mr. Mason had united it under his ownership after it had been owned many years by different individuals. Mr. Brown built the present house, which was the first house on this farm north of the road, excepting the hut of Abraham Thompson just mentioned. Mr. Brown had a large family of eight children. The first five were born at 168, the sixth in Gilsum, and the youngest two here. He sold the farm, Mar. 31, 1879, to Amos Wardell, Fr., of Sullivan, who deeded it, Mar. 28, 1882, to HERBERT R. BROWN, a son of Alexander B., who continued to live here. Herbert died, May 24, 1885, and the heirs deeded the farm to ALEXANDER B. BROWN, his father, March 13, 1886. A. B. Brown had lived here thirty and a half years when he deeded the place, Nov. 5, 1889, to LESTER R. WHEELER, who now (1908) resides on the


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farm. He has a delightful family of children and is a pleasant neighbor. See the following paragraph for the early history of this farm.


204. Site of the Joshua Corey house. This house was at the eastern end of the ninth lot of the seventh range. It was drawn by Jonathan Smith of Bolton, Conn., afterwards of Surry. He sold it, Apr. 21, 1773, to Charles Rice, then of Surry, who afterwards lived at 200. Rice sold this eastern end of the lot, March 30, 1784, to DANIEL PECK, who appears to have already moved to this spot and had probably built a log house here. On June 15, 1784, however, Peck sold the farm to John Harvey of Swanzey, who is not known to have lived upon the place. Harvey sold it, Oct. 15, 1785, to Bezaleel Mack, who was then living at 206. Bezaleel moved to Gilsum and sold his Sullivan place at 206, together with this place, to his brother, Abner Mack, Oct. 31, 1791. Abner had already moved to 206. Bezaleel Mack again purchased the two places of Abner, Sept. 25, 1793. He sold the east half of the ninth lot of the seventh range, which con- stituted this farm, Apr. 27, 1795, to DUDLEY SMITH of Dracut, Mass., the same who afterwards lived and died in Gilsum. Smith lived here a few years. The next owner whom we know is JOSHUA COREY, a brother of Samuel Corey who lived at 189, also of William Corey who lived at 186. Joshua undoubtedly pur- chased the place of Dudley Smith, but we cannot find the deed, or any record of it. Joshua had a son born here as early as July in 1798. He came here shortly before that probably. Mr. Corey sold all of this farm north of the road, Feb. 25, 1805, to D. Emery Boynton, and, probably on the same day, all south of the road to David Chapman. The part north of the road passed from the Boyntons through various hands to Charles Nash, who lived at 202. The part south of the road passed through various owners to Charles Nash, Jr., who also lived at 202 and in Gilsum. As no one ever lived at 204 after Corey left it, it is not worth the while to record the scores of sales of the little pieces into which this farm was divided. Daniel H. Mason, then living at 206, bought all of this farm north of the road of Charles Nash, Oct. 14, 1858. He bought all south of the road of Charles Nash, Jr., June 5, 1858. This brought together all the pieces of the farm into a unit again, and Alexander B. Brown purchased the whole of D. H. Mason, Apr. I, 1859, as we saw in the preceding paragraph, to which one may refer for the future owners of the farm. The first house at 204 was the log house of Daniel Peck. Dudley Smith built a framed house here which was also used by Joshua Corey. No one lived here after Corey. The land was pastured for many years.


205. Site of a blacksmith shop erected by D. H. Mason and used by him while he owned the Gibbs place. See the next paragraph for the history of the place.


206. The Dea. Dalphon Gibbs house, where D. H. Mason, Geo. C. Hubbard, and L. M. Butler lived, and where Charles A. Bates lives. The land which com- prises the most of the farm was drawn by Abner Mack of Hebron, Conn. His son, BEZALEEL MACK bought it, Mar. 29, 1784. The latter sold it to his brother, ABNER MACK, ()ct. 31, 1791. Bezaleel bought it of Abner, Sept. 25, 1793. Beza- leel sold to JAMES KINGSBURY of Sullivan and Simon Baxter of Surry, March 9, 1796. On March 21, 1798, JOHN KINGSBURY, then of Sullivan, bought the share of Baxter. The Kingsburys were from Needham, Mass. They kept a wayside


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HISTORY OF SULLIVAN.


inn. The late William Kingsbury of Gilsum was a son of James. DALPHON GIBBS, who came from Sturbridge, Mass., bought the share of James Kingsbury in this farm, May 14, 1801, and the share of John Kingsbury, May 20, 1801. Mr. Gibbs was a deacon in the Baptist Church. He lived on this place fifty-six years. He was an excellent neighbor, a valuable citizen, and a loyal supporter of his church. He had a large family of children, consisting of three sons and six daughters, all the children of the first of his three wives. All lived in other places after their marriages, excepting two daughters who lived in town for a short time, Mrs. Willard Dort and Mrs. Parker. DANIEL H. MASON bought the farm of Dea. Gibbs, March 24, 1857. He worked in the blacksmith shop at 205 and also upon the farm. The chief work upon the farm was done by his son, GEORGE L. MASON, who purchased it of his father, Apr. 22, 1864. For a fuller account of Mr. D. H. Mason, see 92, 96, and 97. For a fuller account of Geo. L. Mason, see 237. GEORGE C. HUBBARD bought the farm of G. L. Mason, Feb. I, 1869, and sold it, Jan. 1, 1873, to LUCIUS M. BUTLER. For a fuller account of Mr. Hubbard, see 243. Mr. Butler was a native of Chesterfield. He married a daughter of Mr. Abbott who lived at 210. He afterwards moved to Rhode Island. He sold the farm, Oct. 15, 1885, to CHARLES A. BATES, who now (1908) occupies the farm. He is a kind and obliging neighbor, a good farmer, and a useful and upright citizen.


207. Site of the Atwood house. This was on the west end of the tenth lot of the eighth range. The entire lot was drawn by Samuel Gilbert of Hebron, Conn. It early came into possession of Josiah Blodgett of Windsor, Conn., who sold it, Jan. 14, 1767, to Job Gleason who lived in what is now Surry, where his children, from the fourth to the seventh child, were born. For non-payment of taxes, the west end of the lot was deeded, Dec. 8, 1783, by the tax collector, to Aaron Hammond, then a resident of Gilsum, but a native of Swanzey. Ham- mond sold it, May 18, 1784, to Bezaleel Mack of Gilsum, who sold it, Oct. 31, 1791, to his brother, Abner Mack, then living at 206, in Sullivan. Bezaleel Mack, then living in Gilsum, bought it again, Sept. 25, 1793, of his brother Abner, who was then a trader in Royalton, Vt. Mack sold it, Apr. 27, 1795, to Dudley Smith of Dracut, Mass., who also, at the same time, purchased the east end of the ninth lot of the seventh range and lived at 204. Philip Atwood of Packersfield (now Nelson) purchased the same of Smith (then living in Gilsum), June 24, 1803. Mr. Atwood also purchased the eastern half of the same lot of Reuben Wright of Sullivan, living then at 201 (later at 202). SILAS ATWOOD of Packersfield (now Nelson) purchased the whole lot of his father, Philip Atwood, Jan. 12, 1807. He built the house which stood at 207. He never married. His housekeeper was his aunt, Miss Lydia Atwood. He owned this place eleven years. He died, Feb. 2, 1818, and the funeral service was conducted the next day by Rev. Charles Cummings of the Baptist Church. The body of Mr. Atwood was buried in his father's lot in the old cemetery at Nelson. By law the property of Silas passed to his father, Philip Atwood of Nelson, who sold this place, Mar. 29, 1819, to LUTHER HEMENWAY of Boylston, Mass., a native of Framingham, Mass., later a preacher in the denomination of the Christian Connection. He lived here nine years, then built the house at 210. See that paragraph for the further history of himself and of this farm. This house was probably not used after the new house was built by Mr. Hemenway at 210.


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208. Site of a shanty erected for the use of wood choppers.


209. The site of the shop erected by Mr. Hemenway and in which he made the famous awls which he patented and the principle of which has never been superseded. Here also Joseph Foster, who later owned the farm and the shop, made the first wind instrument in the world involving the principle of the cabinet organ. See page 574 for an account of the work done by Hemenway and Foster in this shop. The building disappeared many years ago. It was built by Mr. Hemenway. It was never used much after Mr. Foster sold the farm. See the next paragraph.


210. The "Elder" Hemenway house, afterwards occupied by Joseph Foster, Willard Dort, the Barretts, Mrs. Lucy Barney, J. C. Abbott, and Wm. H. Bates, who now lives there. This house was built by LUTHER HEMENWAY, who had been living at 207, on the same farm. It was completed in the spring of 1828. Its first use was unique. It was for Mr. Hemenway's ordination to the ministry of the denomination known as the Christian Connection, often called Christian, the first "i" being given the long sound. For the purposes of this ceremony, the partitions in the house were not put in place until after the ordi- nation. This event occured, April 16, 1828, two years before he moved to his new shop just over the Gilsum line. This date is confirmed by an explicit statement in the diary of John Davis, a Gilsum man. As it comes in its chron- ological place in a diary written upon the blank leaves of a book which Mr. Davis used for the purpose, there can be no doubt of the year, nor of the accuracy ยท of the date. We are particular to note this because it corrects an error in the History of Gilsum by Hayward, in which he gives a later date for the ordination and states the place to be the later house at 219 (just over the line in Gilsum). Both the date and the place of this event have been positively proved to be as we have given them. There was a large audience on the occasion, as many as the house could hold, but we do not know the names of the officiating clergymen. Mr. Hemenway had a very interesting family. He had four sons and five daugh- ters. Luke was a wealthy business man of the city of New York. Luther S. joined the Mormons and went to Salt Lake City. Artemas P. was a very ingen- ious mechanic. Benjamin E. moved to Daysville, Ill. Julia F. married Luke Taylor, and her son, George W. Taylor lives on Elder Hemenway's last home- stead, at 219. Lucy B. married David M. Smith, an excellent machinist and mechanic, who moved to Springfield, Vt. Cynthia married Jehiel Day and went to Daysville, Ill. Finis P. married John C. Guillow of Gilsum, and Beulah married James Moore of Claremont, afterwards of Daysville, Ill. Mr. Hemenway lived here only a short time before he built the shop at 220, for an awl shop, in 1830. He lived in this shop about two years, until he built the house at 219, in 1832. He was twice married. He died at Springfield, Vt., May 2, 1870. He sold this place, March 27, 1832, to JOSEPH FOSTER, who, as we have seen, used the shop at 209. For an account of him, see paragraphs 237, 196, 198, 97, 87, and 178, also page 574. On Apr. 17, 1833, Mr. Foster sold the place to WILLARD DORT of Gilsum, who married a daughter of Deacon Gibbs. Mr. Dort lived here about 21 years. He had two sons and a daughter born here. The daugh- ter married Thomas O. Howard. The sons, Dalphon G. and Oscar L., were both in the Civil War. On Apr. 13, 1854, THOMAS F. BARRETT bought the place of


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Mr. Dort. He brought his father's large family here with him. His father was JOHN BARRETT, who died on this farm in 1856. On May 5, 1856, Thomas F. Barrett sold this farm to his grandmother, MRS. LUCY BARNEY, who was here when Mr. Barrett died. After two years, she sold the farm, May 13, 1858, to her son-in-law, JAMES C. ABBOTT, who cared for her the rest of her days in this house. Mr. Abbott had two daughters, Mrs. Thayer and Mrs. Butler, also a son, Sylvester C., who died in the army in the Civil War. Mr. Abbott died here, Apr. 26, 1880, and willed the place to his wife, MRS. LUCY ABBOTT, who sold it, Oct. 21, 1881, to JAMES L. BATES, who had lived at 180 several years. A month later, Nov. 17, 1881, he sold the farm to WILLIAM H. BATES, who now lives upon it. William is a veteran of the Civil War and a good, quiet citizen, who has the respect of the community.


211. Site of the house of Mrs. Lydia Nash. It was on the tenth lot of the seventh range. The lot was drawn by Samuel Banning of Hartland, Conn., who sold it, Apr. 3, 1765, to Medad Thornton of Gilsum. The deed is at the Cheshire Registry, but was never recorded. Thornton sold the same to William Grimes of Swanzey, Mar. 8, 1768. Grimes died, Jan. 14, 1781, and this place was willed to his son, James Grimes, who sold it, June 10, 1794 (deed executed, June 18, 1795), to MRS. LYDIA NASH, a widow, who came here from Massachu- setts, having formerly lived in Taunton, Mass. Five sons also came with her to Sullivan besides her two daughters, One of these was the mother of John Davis to whose diary I have frequently alluded. The other was the mother of Cyrus Bliss who became an elder in the Christian Connection. Mrs. Nash's cottage, probably a log house, was at the south side of the lot. Her son, James Nash, lived here a time. Asa Nash lived at 212. Abraham Nash, Jr., lived at 225. John lived in Gilsum and Levi Nash was a cripple. Betsey, who married James Davis, lived at 221, and Hannah lived with her mother. They all shortly moved to Gilsum, except Asa, who went to the state of New York, and Abraham Jr., who moved to Chesterfield. Levi, the cripple, died in Sullivan. Mrs. Nash sold the farm to her son, ASA NASH, the largest part of it, May 13, 1795, and the remainder, Mar. 23, 1804. See the next paragraph.


212. Site of a house built by Asa Nash, Sr. On May 13, 1795, ASA NASH. Sr., an uncle of the Asa of Gilsum, bought 68 acres of his mother's lot. He built a house here, very likely a log house. He was a blacksmith. He had a large family of eleven children. The fourth and fifth of these were born here, the sixth probably on the site of 215. On May 8, 1800, he bought the eleventh lot of the seventh range. About that time he probably built a house at 215. This house at 212 was not used again. For continuation of the history of the farm, see 215.


213. Site of the blacksmith shop used by Asa Nash. See the preceding paragraph.


214. Site of a house built by Henry H. Howard. This was in the tenth lot of the sixth range. This lot was drawn by Noah Beebee of whom we know no more than his name. On the back of the charter, the name of Samuel Gilbert, Jr., appears opposite the " right " that contains this lot. We next hear of it as owned by Samuel Stoughton of East Windsor, Conn., whose administrators sold it, Oct. 16, 1795, to Samuel Whitney, then of Gilsum. The latter sold the whole


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lot, Aug. 31, 1798, to Calvin Chapman of Keene, who sold it, Feb. 10, 1807, to Thomas Baker of Keene. Baker sold 22 acres from the east end of the lot, Aug. 25, 1820, to Israel B. Loveland (called Israel Loveland, 3d, in the deed). HENRY H. HOWARD of Gilsum bought twelve acres in the south-east corner of this lot, Dec. 21, 1848, of Mr. I. B. Loveland. An interesting object upon this little farm was a huge stone-heap piled by Mr. Howard, cousisting of the stones picked from his land. It is as large as a cottage house of the average size. Mr. Howard had a very large family of sixteen children, all of whom reached maturity. There were six sons and ten daughters. Of these sixteen children the four from the ninth to the twelfth child were born here. Older ones were born at 188. See that paragraph. Mr. Howard sold this small place, May 2, 1856, to John C. Guillow of Gilsum. It has since been pastured and we will not trace the later owners. The house was not again occupied and was taken away. .


215. Site of the Benjamin Eaton house. We take up the continuation of this farm where we left it in paragraph 212. ASA NASH, Sr., uncle of the Gilsum Asa, purchased the tenth lot of the seventh range of his mother in two purchases, dated May 13, 1795, and March 23, 1804. On May 8, 1800, Asa had also purchased of Israel Loveland, Jr., all of the eleventh lot of the seventh range, excepting twenty acres along the western end of it. These purchases of Asa, united, made up what we came to know as the Eaton farm, from the name of the next owner. This eleventh lot of the seventh range was drawn by Samuel Banning of Hartland, Conn., who sold it, Apr. 3, 1765, to Medad Thronton who was living on or near it, in Gilsum, but not within the Sullivan limits. We cannot trace its ownership from Thornton until we find it next in the possession of Israel Loveland, Fr., who had perhaps bought it at a sale resulting from the non- payment of taxes. Perhaps there was no owner between Thornton and Loveland. For a further account of Mr. Nash, see paragraph 212. He did not own the place long. He probably built a house on this site about 1800. He sold the farm, May 2, 1804, to BENJAMIN EATON, who came here from Packersfield (now Nelson). Mr. Eaton lived here until his death, Feb. 20, 1822. It was at his funeral that the singular accident occured which is related upon page 359. Mr. Eaton had three sons and three daughters. A daughter died unmarried ; another married Orlando Mack of Gilsum, and the third married Gilbert Jefts of Stoddard, The eldest son died unmarried. The youngest, Solon W., died early in life. The second son, STILLMAN EATON, bought this place of the heirs of his father, Apr. 18, 1832. His mother, however, retained her thirds, which were assigned to her, May 7, 1823. Stillman had lived here since his father's death. He had eight children, all daughters but one. The first three, all daughters, were born here. He had become a lieutenant in the old town militia company, but left town before his promotion to captain. Soon after his purchase of the farm, he sold it, Apr. 13, 1832, to LUKE TAYLOR, who had married a daughter of Elder Hemenway. Stillman's mother resided here until her thirds were also purchased by Mr. Taylor, Jan. 21, 1833. Mr. Taylor had nine children. The eldest was born in Jaffrey, the second in Sullivan, at 210, the third and fourth and fifth here, and the rest at Springfield, Vt. On May 1, 1834, Mr. Taylor sold the part of the farm including the buildings, seventy acres, to FRANCIS A. GUILLOW of Gilsum. Guillow was just married and hardly lived here at all. He owned the place less


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than a year. He died in Vermont. He sold this place, Feb. 4, 1835, to Rev. Luther Hemenway, who lived at 219. See 219 for the succession of owners. Lewis Davis, a son of John Davis of Gilsum, was a tenant here. He was married, Feb. 21, 1837, and began housekeeping here. He moved to Royalston, Mass., Mar. 29, 1838, but returned to this house, Oct. 21, 1839, and remained until the first of November, 1840, when he returned to Royalston. He afterwards lived at Waterville in Winchendon, Mass. His eldest two children, both sons, were born here. The eldest, Lysander J., was in the Civil War. George Bates lived here from the summer of 1847 until December of the same year. His son, Fran- cis F. Bates, was born here.


216. Site of a blacksmith shop operated by Benjamin Eaton, who lived at 215. There was a trip-hammer here, the first, probably the only one, in town.


217. Site of a blacksmith shop erected by Rev. Luther Hemenway after he built the house at 219. It was removed many years ago.


218. The barn on the Hemenway place, now owned by George W. Taylor. It is noted because the town line between Sullivan and Gilsum passes through the north-east corner of the barn.


219. House built by Rev. Luther Hemenway, now occupied by George W. Taylor. It is a very few feet across the town line and is in Gilsum. This is on the eleventh lot of the seventh range. The previous history of the farm is found in paragraphs 211, 212, and 215. While Luke Taylor owned the farm (see 215), his father-in-law, REV. LUTHER HEMENWAY, built a shop at 220, in which he lived two years. In 1832, while Mr. Taylor still owned the place, Mr. Hemen- way built this house and moved into it. The Eaton farm passed from Taylor to Francis A. Guillow, May 1, 1834, but Mr. Hemenway bought it of Guillow, Feb. 4, 1835. Luke Hemenway, son of Rev. Luther, bought the farm, Sept. 21, 1840, and, on Jan. 26, 1841, gave his father a life possession of it. Luke was a wealthy man and lived in the city of New York. His daughter, Pauline, his only child that reached maturity, married an Italian gentleman named Dominico Altrocchi, who died in Italy. They had four children. The eldest, Nicola Altrocchi, was graduated at Harvard University and died in Florence, Italy. For an account of Rev. Luther Hemenway, see 210, also pages 574 and 595. ARTEMAS P. HEMEN- WAY bought the farm of his brother Luke, July 12, 1847, and owned the place twenty-five years, his father still living at 219. Artemas lived principally in the shop house at 220. He moved to Springfield, Mass., in 1852. See page 574. GEORGE W. TAYLOR bought the place of his uncle, A. P. Hemenway, Dec. 9, 1872, and has lived here since, 36 years to the present time (1908). LUTHER S. HEMENWAY, a son of Rev. Luther, lived here for a time, but he lived principally in the shop house at 220.


220. This building was erected by REV. LUTHER HEMENWAY, in 1830, while his son-in-law, Luke Taylor, still owned the farm (see 215), to be used for an awl shop. Mr. Hemenway lived two years in one part of the building, while he was building the house at 219. LUTHER S. HEMENWAY, a son of Rev. Luther, lived at 219 and here for several years, on his father's place, until 1844, when he went to Daysville, Ill. Having become a Mormon, he went to Salt Lake City in 1847. DAVID M. SMITH, who married a daughter of Rev. Luther Hemenway, also lived in this building several years from 1837. He finally located in Spring-


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field, Vt., where he died. One of his daughters married Col. Robert Wilson of Keene. He was a member of the legislature and a justice of the peace. He was a remarkably ingenious mechanic. Charles H. Cummings, son of Rev. Charles Cummings, who lived at 178, was a tenant here for a few years, after Rev. Luther Hemenway moved into 219, and before D. M. Smith moved here. ARTEMAS P. HEMENWAY lived in this building several years, from about 1844 to 1852, when he moved to Springfield, Mass. See the preceding paragraph. Other tenants have been Joseph B. Smead, afterwards of Fitchburg, Mass .; Lorenzo Rice, who came from Woodstock, Vt .; Alexander B. Brown, a short time, who came from Sullivan ; Lorenzo Derby ; George O. Dow ; John E. Dow (the latter two being at different times residents of Sullivan) ; Joseph S. Bingham and John H. Boody, who also lived a short time in Sullivan. This house, like that at 219, is barely across the line in Gilsum.


221. Site of the house of James Davis, Sr. It was on land of Israel Love- land, Jr., afterwards owned by Israel B. Loveland. For owners, see the end of the next paragraph. JAMES DAVIS, Sr., married Betsey Nash, a daughter of the widow, Lydia Nash, who came to 211 in the summer of 1794. The Davises came at the same time. They located here on Mr. Loveland's land. 'Their son, John Davis, was born in Shutesbury, Mass., before they came here. Their other children, James, Jr., Silas, and Rhoda (who married Asa Nash of Gilsum), were born on this spot. James Davis, Sr., had double teeth only on both jaws. He had no single tooth, the front teeth being double like the back teeth. He was of an uneasy disposition and finally diasappeared, no one knowing what became of him. Mrs. Davis bought land in Gilsum, July 7, 1814, and probably remained here until that year. Her son John Davis lived in Gilsum. He kept a diary from the time of his marriage, which is replete with the dates of facts which could not otherwise have been ascertained. He was a mechanic. He built his own house, still standing, with a stone chimney laid with his own hands. He lived in that house considerable time when it had no roof over it. He made a musical stringed instrument on the piano principle. Silas Davis lived and died in Sullivan, at 187. James Davis, Jr., lived in many places in Gilsum and other towns. Like his father, he was of a roving, uneasy temperament. Mrs. James Davis, Sr., left this place about 1814 and the buildings were removed to Gilsum.




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