USA > New Hampshire > Strafford County > Dover > Dover, N.H., its history and industries issued as an illustrated souvenir of...twenty-fifth anniversary of Foster's Daily Democrat, descriptive of the city and its manufacturing and business interests > Part 2
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while many of its citizens made lib- eral private subscriptions for stock.
The " Dover Building Association " was organized in March, 1875, with a capital of $10,000. Since that time it has in- vested between $30,000 and $40,000 in real estate, building about thirty dwelling- houses, many of which have already been satisfactorily disposed of, affording hand- some dividends to the stockholders, and furnishing desirable tenements to a most valuable class of population.
On the morning of March 22, 1889, the old city hall was completely destroyed by fire, which also damaged the spire of the Belknap church adjoining. The damage in all amounted to $100,000. The county and city had been joint oc- cupants of the building, and after its destruction Rochester en- deavored to obtain the new county building which then became nec- essary, but it was decided to retain the County seat in Dover, and the present handsome building on Second street was erected Immediately after the fire, steps were taken to build another city hall and the present site was chosen. The lot faces on Central avenue and is bounded by Locust, Hale. and St. Thomas streets. It formerly contained the St. Thomas church, and old Lafayette house the former of which was demolished and the latter removed across the street. The city sold the old site upon which now stands the Masonic Temple. The corner stone of the present city hall was laid July 4th, 1890, and the new building dedicated December 16, 1891. The plans were drawn by George G. Adams, of Lawrence, Mass., and the con-
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tractors were McIntyre and Abbott who subsequently sub-let the brick-work to Mack Bros., of Salem, Mass. The build- ing was however finished by the Building Committee consisting of Hon. B. Frank Nealley, Chairman ; John Holland, Joshua L. Foster, Dennis Cash, Joseph T. Wood- bury, Charles M. Corson and Nathaniel C. Wentworth.
March 1, 1896, will long be remem- bered by the citizens of Dover as the "night of the flood." Considerable dam- age was done to property. Six bridges with- in the city's limits were demolished ; four
away in the distance, views may be had of uncommon beauty. The Newichawan- nock, the Bellamy and Cochecho, which flow through the city in a southeast direc- tion, not only add to its beauty, but also to its wealth, by their direct and navigable connection with the ocean. The city is rich in historic land-marks ; old residences, churches, business blocks and relics of the past are to be seen on every hand. But these have become very much obscured by the palpable evidences of improvement and progress everywhere throughout the city, especially in the residential sections.
HING CO.
HT
STRAFFORD GUARDS ON THE WAY TO THE FRONT.
stores with all their stock were swept away, including the southern end of the Brace- well block and the Central avenue bridge.
The situation of Dover is exceedingly pleasant. Gentle elevations, easy swells of land, and winding streams, characterize its surface. From the high ridge between the rivers Newichawannock and Bellamy, and from another elevation overlooking the waters of Great Bay with the Winni- cumet, the Lamprey, the Swamscott, the Shaukhassick, and the Newichawannock (with its tributary the Cochecho), all uniting to form the Piscataqua, rolling
The Strafford Guards.
COMPANY F. FIRST REGIMENT NEW HAMP- SHIRE VOLUNTEERS.
At no period since the stirring times of 1861-65 has the patriotism of Dover peo- ple reached such a height as when the President called ·for 125,000 volunteers to fight for the honor of our flag in our war with Spain. The Strafford Guards was the company chosen to go to the front, and on Saturday, May 7th, they left Dover amid scenes of wild enthusiasm and went into camp at Concord, 82 officers and
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THE STRAFFORD GUARDS IN CAMP AT CONCORD, MAY, 1898.
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men strong. Their departure was wit- nessed by thousands of citizens, and the city was gaily decorated, the Sawyer-Rifles and C. W. Sawyer Post, G. A. R. forming an escort to the depot. On May 12th, they were mustered into the United States ser- vice, and on the 17th departed for Chick- amauga Park, Georgia, where they were stationed when this work went to press.
The Strafford Guards were permanently organized at Dover, in October, 1822, and in the spring of the next year the company became a part of the state militia, being
April 24, 1864, the company was mustered into the service of the United States for the period of sixty days and sent to Fort Constitution, New Castle, to assist in re- lieving the First Company New Hampshire Volunteer Heavy Artillery, which had been ordered to the front. On July 28, 1864, it was mustered out of the United States service. The company became Company A, Second Regiment New Hampshire Volunteer State Militia on September 26, 1866. During the year ending May 1878, the First and Second
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COMMISSIONED AND NON-COMMISSIONED OFFICERS, STRAFFORD GUARDS.
styled the First Company Light Infantry, Second Regiment, Second Brigade, Sec- ond Division, New Hampshire Volunteer State Militia. During the summer of 1824, the company acted as escort to the Marquis de Lafayette, on the occasion of his visit to Dover. The Company was in- corporated under the name of the Strafford Guards by act of the Legislature, approved June 27, 1835. On May 5, 1864, in pursuance of telegraphic instructions from Major-General John A. Dix, command- ing the Department of the East, dated
Regiments were re-organized, and the Strafford Guards became Company A, First Regiment New Hampshire National Guard and continued so until recently when it became Company F. The com- pany has several times been one of those selected to represent New Hampshire at celebrations in other states.
The roster of the company in camp at . Concord, was as follows :- Captain, Frank E. Rollins ; First Lieutenant, Frank H. Keenan; Second Lieutenant, Lewis E. Tuttle ; First Sergeant, John J. Gailey ; .
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Quartermaster Sergeant, Herbert C. Grime ; Second Sergeant, John Sunder- land ; Third Sergeant, Joseph T. Cronin ; Fourth Sergeant, Frank F. Davis; Fifth Sergeant, Joseph Connell ; Corporals, John R. Maloney, Frank E. Russ, Edgar M. Foss, Cassius B. Roberts, Alexander J. McCabe, James McNally ; Artificer, Austin E. Sanborn ; Wagoner, John P. Miniter ; Musicians, John B. Hebert and William Rossiter ; Privates, Nelson E. Averill, William Boudreau, Oliver Boudreau, Harry E. Brooks, John Burley, Ben. R. Canney, John Canney, John E. Carroll, Ralph R. Cochrane (Somersworth), Wm. Connell (Rochester), Edward W. Cordes, Wm. J. Cormier (Somersworth), James Costello (Manchester), James J. Cronin (Man- chester), John R. Curran (Somers- worth), Edward Doherty, Hugh Donnelly, Jos. Drouin, James F. Duffy, Thos. Duffy, Pearl Foss, Frank H. Glidden, Owen E. Hanratty, R. Arnold Hill, Herbert B. Houghton (Warner), Henry Hughes, Fred O. Jackson, Ignace Jean (Nashua), John Kidney, Amay Lamire (Rochester), Pear- lie E. Leach (Somersworth), Frank Lique (Rochester), Wm. J. Mahoney, George Marquis and Emil Marquis (Nashua), John T. McDonald, Hugh E. McDonald (Nashua), John J. McCooey, Arthur H. Merchant, Chr. Morley, Owen J. Mooney, Edward. M. Murphy, Frank O. Mason, Arthur M. Pingree (Rochester), Carroll E. Pinkham, Alric W. Ramsey, James Rodden, John W. Rogers, Frank A. Rowe (Concord), Joseph W. Savoie, Almon H. Stewart (Rochester), Fred W. Steuerwald, James Sunderland, Frank H. Swain, Ralph G. Tanner (Rochester), Albert A. Taylor, Michael J. Trainor, Clarence R. Tuttle, Wm. G. Webber, Clarence H. Whitehouse, Irving L. Whitehouse, George W. Willey (Somersworth) and Henry R. Wood.
The company is composed of men of excellent physique who have been inured to work which eminently fits them for their arduous duties in the field. During their stay in camp at Concord their high state of discipline and their excellent conduct won for them golden opinions. ʼThe same is true of them at Camp Thomas, Chickamauga, where despite the extreme heat and the many privations incidental
to the massing at short notice of such a large number of troops, their discipline has been excellent. Constant drills, field manoeuvring, tactics and sentry duty have imposed a severe strain upon the men, but their duties have but increased their ardor, and when the order comes to go to the front the gallant company F will present as fine an appearance as any reg- iment of regulars. They take pride in these exercises and devote their earnest attention to mastering every detail of a soldier's duty. Captain Rollins, his of- ficers and non-commissioned officers have worked indefatigably to bring their men to a state of perfect efficiency, and the success which has attended their well di- rected efforts is as pleasing as it is marked. It is safe to assert that the company will acquit themselves on the field in such a manner as to reflect credit not only upon themselves, but also upon the city of Do- ver to which the majority of them belong. The men have comported themselves in true military style, and although chafing at the delay in taking the field, their conduct has been in every way most exemplary. They are full of patriotism and keep in ex- cellent spirits, the sick list being exceed- ingly small.
The Sawyer Rifles.
CO. D. FIRST REGIMENT NEW HAMPSHIRE NATIONAL GUARD.
The Sawyer Rifles was organized May 1, 1887, and was named for Hon. Charles H. Sawyer. The officers are; Captain, David Y. Robinson ; First Lieutenant, Charles H. Hanson. Their Armory is located in Lowell's Hall, Third street, where regular drills are held. About forty men constitute the company, but during the American-Spanish war it was recruited to its full strength. The officers and men were much chagrined at not being called out for active service, and several volun- teered and were accepted as recruits in the Strafford Guards when they received orders to go to the front. The company was de- tailed as an escort for the Strafford Guards and accompanied them from the armory to the depot when they left Dover for Concord, Saturday, May 7th, 1898.
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Dover of To-day.
Dover is eligibly situated on the Co- checo river, surrounded by fertile farms and located in one of the most beautiful sec- tions of the state. It is in the eastern part of Strafford county, sixty-one miles from Concord, and sixty-eight miles from Bos- ton, on the main line of the great Boston & Maine railroad, being the focal point of several branches of that system, which radiate from the city and cover the entire be contiguous territory. Boston can reached in two hours, there being numer- ous passenger trains to and from the city daily. Dover is bounded on the north by Rochester and Somersworth, on the east by Som e rsworth, Rollinsford and the Salmon Falls river, which sepa - rates it from the State of Maine, on the south by Mad- bury, and the Piscataqua riv- er, and on the west by Mad- bury and Bar- rington. The Cocheco river runs through the heart of the city and is navi- gable to vessels of light draught from the ocean to the landing, the scenery along its banks, particularly at Dover Point, being singularly beautiful. The falls are thirty-one and one-half feet high and an abundance of power is furnished to the great mills, much of which is still available for manufactur- ing purposes. The Cocheco and Salmon Falls rivers join some distance below the city. Dover is the recognized commercial centre of Strafford county, being the shire town and the seat of the county govern- ment. The census of 1890 gave a popu- lation of 12,841, representing 3,000 fami- lies, and the present estimated population is about 14,000. The assessed polls are
STRAFFORD COUNTY COURT HOUSE.
3,122 and the voting strength is) 2,700. The latest assessor's figures give the city a total valuation of $9,000,000 approximate- ly, the tax rate being $1.95 per hundred.
RESIDENTIAL.
If beauty of situation, benefits of unex- celled business opportunity, all that is wise in conservatism, united with all that is noble in the grand progressive movement of the present age ; if surroundings eleva- ting in influence, institutions helpful in an honorable struggle with the vicissitudes of practical life ; if health, wealth and happi- ness are attractions in a place of residence, then Dover truly recommends herself as essentially a pleasant place to live in. The resident of Do- ver, be he work- man with hands or brain, may have his own home, made attainable by the large industries which readily exchange money for good service, and by low rents with room for the garden. These combined with the cheap- ness of the over- flowing home market relieve him from an existence of mere animal slavery to the common needs of life. Thus the manufacturer and capitalist seeking a home in Dover finds his interests and the safety and well-being of society resting on a sound, secure basis of well- conditioned labor. A larger question and one of greater import than the mere ques- tion of labor to the man planting his busi- ness here, is that the whole conduct of the affairs of the city by the selection of its officers, is in the hands of intelligent people who make Dover their permanent home, and do not leave us to the mercy of a shifting population. Our building facilities, too, are unexcelled. The best
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of building
stone, especially for
foundations, can be bought at little expense, and good bricks are made from the best of clay within our borders so cheaply that we ship them in large quan- tities to Boston and other places. The river enables us to bring timber and lime to our wharves at reasonable rates. The su- perior system of public schools ; the ines- tima ble bene fits of the re- ligious privi- leges af- forded by the
many
church-
various requirements of the types of men and women in whose lives the term and place of home takes a predisposing part. Dover's streets are wide, well kept and lined with beautiful and luxuriant shade trees. There are numerous pleasant resi- dential streets, and the important business thoroughfares are Central avenue, which runs through the heart of the city, Washington and Locust streets. There are two important squares -- Central and Franklin.
GOVERNMENT.
The City Government is vested in a Mayor and Board of ten Aldermen, elected annually, two by each ward, and a Common Council, three members being elected annu- ally from each of the five wards. The mayor presides over the board of aldermen, the president of the council being elected each year from among the members. The city hall, a massive and stately building, faces on Central avenue and cost $225,000.
RELIGIOUS.
Religion, the recog-
A GROUP OF DOVER'S CHURCHES.
es ; the advantages of our free public library, and the most charming social circles-all these advantages in location of healthful climate and sanitary local influences, to- gether with the business prospects and opportunities of the city, make it, as it were, a medley of substantial attractions as a residence singularly suited to the
nition of God as an object of worship, love and obedience, the corner-stone on which our civilization rests, must occupy a place in every man's thoughts. The churches of Dover are widely distributed, and are con- fined to no section. The ecclesiastical ed- ifices are mostly of substantial and endur- ing proportions and the condition of their
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financial affairs attests the most skilful and conservative direction. There are thirteen churches : two Congregational, two Free- will Baptist, two Roman Catholic, Friends, Unitarian, Episcopal, Methodist, Second Advent, Calvinist Baptist, and Universalist.
Some of the church edifices are beauti- ful in architectural design and finish and the pastors are zealous, efficient and im- bued with a sense of their duties and re- sponsibilities. The Christian sentiment of the city is intelligent, earnest, watchful and persistent, and is manifesting an activ- ity that will secure to Dover abundant church privileges, and well planted centres
ing chosen by the City Councils. Their sanitation, heating and ventilation are care- fully attended to, and the course of study prescribed is judiciously selected to meet the requirements necessary for the impart- ing of a sound education to the pupils. The High school is situated on Chestnut street and its curriculum is of the highest order. Its certificate of graduation entitles the holder to step into Dartmouth college without further qualification. There are four Grammar schools : the Sawyer, Bel- knap, Sherman and Pine Hill ; five Prim- ary schools, the Sawyer, Peirce, Varney, Hale and Welch ; four Ungraded schools, Garrison Hill, Back River, Upper and Lower Neck; and two Pa- rochial schools-those of St Joseph's and the Sacred Heart.
LOCUST STREET AND CENTRAL AVENUE.
of a healthy Christian influence in the years to come. The Y. M. C. A., the Salvation Army and numerous efforts in the line of mission work also receive en- couragement and support.
EDUCATIONAL.
The schools of Dover are regarded with much favor by our citizens and large ap- propriations are devoted to their use each year by the city government. They are under the control and direction of a School Committee consisting of fifteen members, each ward electing one member annually for two years, the remaining members be-
The teaching force numbers forty-five, and the total enrollment of pupils is 1,608, exclusive of the Parochial schools. The rule adopted by the committee October 4, 1897, that " In the election of new teach- ers preference will be given to candidates holding state certificates, or those who are graduates of a normal school or a college, other qualifications being equal," is likely to be far-reaching in its influence, and to exercise a constant tendency towards raising the standard of the teaching force. 'There is also a well managed and largely attended business college, where pupils are fitted for commercial pursuits.
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LOTHPOPIS PHOTHAM.S
i
FRANKLIN SQUARE.
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FINANCIAL.
While reasonable conservatism has char- acterized the management of Dover's bank- ing institutions-it is not to be presumed that they are by any means lacking in en- terprise or that safe and careful kind of pub- lic spirit that stands ready to extend proper assistance to public and private movements based on correct principles for development of resources, the prosecution of improvements, the upholding of legiti- mate business ventures and the establish- ment and assistance of manufactures and commerce. On the contrary, as will readily be attested on all hands, these institutions have frequently acted with liberality and promptitude in cases of public and private need and thus earned the respect and confidence of the general community. The officers and di- rectors of these banks are men of broad views, large capital and capacity identified with the city's best interests and prepared at all times to contribute of their time, labor and means for her material ad- van cement. The banks comprise two National and two Savings banks with a combined capital and de- posits of over $7,000,000 and a co-oper- ative bank founded in 1890 and since most successfully operated. The large in- surance companies, both home and foreign, have representatives here and a substan- tial and ever increasing business is car- ried on.
MANUFACTURING.
The right place to successfully manu- facture is evidently at a point where the raw material accumulates naturally, and where, at the same time, there are cheap power and advanced and ample facilities for marketing the product. Dover has for many years furnished these conditions. With the great railroad system of the
SCENE ON THE ROAD TO DOVER POINT.
Boston & Maine connecting the city with the markets of the north, east, south and west and the Cocheco river, navigable from the ocean to the landing, material necessa- rily accumulates here and cheap power and abundant skilled labor are amply pro- vided and assured for all time. Opportuni - ties can be had here by the manufacturer superior to those of larger cities, for the reason that while equal facilities are found here, at the same time the best and most central positions are available at compar- atively little cost, and numerous sites on the lines of railroad and on the river banks are open for use. The manufacturer who locates here will find everything at hand for the successful furtherance of his en- terprise, and a friendly and helping hand will be offered to him by our citizens.
No city in the world of- fers more ad- vantages to the small or large manu- facturer than Dover. The introduction of new enter- prises will in- crease the op- portunities for the retail merchant to establish successful mercantile operations. The question has frequently been asked, what can be manufactured in Dover to the best advantage? The simplest answer and an absolutely true one is everything. The textile interests are very extensive and have been the chief factor in the upbuild- ing of the city. Half a dozen boot and shoe factories are at present operated here ; a machine shop, manufacturing stoves, ranges and large machinery ; one of the largest belting concerns in the country; wood working machinery shops; twelve large brick yards, located on each side of the river ; two carriage factories ; and nu- merous other industries are successfully carried on and afford constant employ- ment to thousands at remunerative wages.
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The city escaped to a marked degree the recent extended commercial depression, and throughout the relations of employer and employee have been amicable and no strikes have paralyzed our great textile industries or caused a moment's anxiety to their proprietors.
RETAIL BUSINESS.
Capital and business enterprises have given Dover good stores, wholesale and retail, the stocks of merchandise and other essentials being rich and varied, and, as freight rates are comparatively low, prices
cess, and so long as the commercial inter- ests of Dover are in the hands of such men as its present merchants, a still larger measure of prosperity is assured beyond a peradventure of doubt.
TRANSPORTATION AND COMMUNICATION.
The transportation facilities of Dover are largely in the hands of the Boston and Maine and the Union Electric railway com- panies. The Western Union and Postal companies furnish telegraphic and cable service to all the world. The New Eng- land Telephone and Telegraph company
CUSHING STREET.
are quoted accordingly, so that people from the surrounding districts come here to buy, while the wholesale trade, espec- ially in the leading staples, serves the sur- rounding sections. The business men are so fully alive and attentive to the wants of the community that there is no necessity for going outside to get anything, for here everything that can be required by a family can be had of the latest pattern or fashion, and at prices which compare fav- orably with those ruling in the great met- ropolitan centres. These enterprises are managed with considerable energy and suc-
maintains communication with the sur- rounding towns, and their long distance service enables patrons to converse with people in all the large cities of America with ease. The American, Jackson and Dover and Boston expresses, with a large number of local carriers do a general transportation business.
PUBLIC IMPROVEMENTS.
Gas and electricity are extensively used by the citizens of Dover for lighting pur- poses, being abundantly supplied by the United Gas and Electric Company. Elec-
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tricity is exclusively used for street light- ing, the arc lamps numbering 130, and are placed so as to afford the best pos- sible results and effectively lighting every part of the city. Among the most valua- ble and necessary of our recent public im- provements has been the installation of a perfect system of water-works at an out- lay of over $355,000, which are now self- supporting. The water-takers number 1,745, and are supplied daily with an average of 600,000 gallons. The pumping station, with a capacity of pumping 2,000,- 000 gallons a day is located near Garrison Hill. The supply is drawn from Willand's Pond which is aug- mented by springs and artesian wells. The
red brick structure, ranking relatively as one of the finest public buildings in New England. The streets and highways are improved materially each year, the appro- priations and additions last year being : highways, $17,236.75 ; sidewalks, $2,000 ; sewers, $3,650 ; street paving, $2,573.98. These sums have been expended judicious- ly and with most gratifying results to our residents. A park commission of three members care for the city park at Garri- son Hill, which forms a pleasant retreat during the summer months. Central park,
VIEWS ON CENTRAL AVENUE.
reservoir is on the summit of Garrison Hill. The system has thirty miles of mains, and sixteen miles of service piping. The city hall, formally dedicated in 1891, contains a beautifully decorated and excellently equipped opera house, capable of seating 1,800 people ; public library containing 22,7 14 volumes of the choicest literature ; armory ; police station and court room, with ample office accommodation for the city officials. The building was erected at a cost of $225,000, and is a stately
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