Gazetteer of Cheshire County, N.H., 1736-1885, Part 21

Author: Child, Hamilton, 1836- comp. cn
Publication date: 1885
Publisher: Syracuse, N.Y., Printed at the Journal Office
Number of Pages: 1034

USA > New Hampshire > Cheshire County > Gazetteer of Cheshire County, N.H., 1736-1885 > Part 21

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).

Ezra Carpenter was born in Keene, June 9, 1774, and died in Surry, Jan- uary 4, 1849, His son Willard was born in Surry, November 1, 1803, and came to Gilsum in 1865. He died January 27, 1875. George H., son of Willard, now resides on road 14, is a scientific and practical farmer, and was president of the Farmers' Club in 1878. He has been selectman four years.

Roswell Hubbard moved to Sullivan, from Northfield, Mass., at an early day, and settled in the central part of the town where he died. He was a fariner, took an active part in town affairs, being known as Esquire Hub- bard, and was also town representative. His son George, born in Sullivan, September 4, 1797, resided in this town until his death, in 1852. He was. captain of the militia, and was also a farmer. George C., one of his two chil- dren, represented Sullivan two terms in the legislature. He moved to Mar- low in 1872, and, in 1874, came to Gilsum. He is now one of the justices, and was county commissioner from 1876 to 1879.

Dr. Messer Carmon moved to Sullivan, from New Salem, about 1796, and settled near the center of the town. He practiced medicine there about thirty years and died in 1824. Eliza, one of his two children, married Stephen Dean, of Keene, and died there in 1876. The other, Nancy, married George Hubbard, of Sullivan, and died in Gilsum at her son's residence, in 1882.

The First Congregational church, located at Gilsum village, was organized by a council convened for the purpose, October 28, 1772, with eighteen members, Rev. Elisha Fish being the first pastor. Their church building,. erected in 1834, is the successor of one built in 1793. It cost about $1,200.00. The society now has fifty members, with Rev. George W. Rogers, pastor. The society has also a Sabbath-school with 150 scholars, Robert Cutbert, superintendent.

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TOWN OF HARRISVILLE.

H ARRISVILLE lies in the extreme eastern part of the county, in lat. 42° 57' and long. 4° 59', bounded north by Nelson and Han- cock, the latter in Hillsboro county, east by Hancock and Peterboro, south by Dublin and west by Roxbury and a portion of Marlboro. This is the youngest township in the county, having been incorporated as late as July 2, 1870, its area being made up of territory taken from the southern part of Nelson and northern part of Dublin. The extreme length of the town, east and west, is nearly eight miles, and its greatest width, north and south, from two and a half to three miles, comprising an area of about 10,000 acres, which, to be accurate, is inclosed as follows : Beginning at a stone post, where the present north line of Dublin intersects with the western line of Peterboro, thence extending north 772° west 2,525 rods, or following the north line of Dublin, to the line of Marlboro ; thence northerly on the line of Marlboro and Roxbury to the southwest corner of Nelson, near the head of Woodward pond; thence in a general easterly course, with an offset north 160 rods on the east shore of Breed pond, about 1,784 rods, to the line of Hancock ; and thence south 12° 30' south 480 rods, thence south 79° east 879 rods, thence south 287 rods to the place of beginning.

The surface of the territory thus described is rough and uneven, being sit- uated on the height of land between the Connecticut and Merrimack rivers, though the soil is generally good and yields fine crops. There are several natu- ral ponds in different parts of the town, while the water privileges are excelled by few, if any, to be found. The mills at Harrisville are situated on a small stream called North branch or Nubaunsit river, which, discharging its waters into the Contoocook, at Peterboro, nine miles distant from Harrisville, has a fall of over 600 feet. This stream is fed by large ponds lying in the towns of Hancock, Nelson and Harrisville, which have been dammed at their outlets, and now flow several thousand acres, including the original ponds. From Spottwood pond, in Nelson, ten feet can be drawn in Long pond, which is over four miles in length. Fourteen feet can be drawn from Long pond into Harris pond, which is at the head of the river at Harrisville. From these statements one may obtain some idea of the excellence of this water-power.

In 1880 Harrisville had a population of 859 souls. In 1884 it had five school districts, five common schools and one graded school, its five school buildings being valued, including furniture, etc., at $4,500.00. There were 162 pupils attending the schools, twenty-four of whom were pursuing the higher branches, taught by one male and eight female teachers, to whom was paid an aggregate salary of $782.00. The entire revenue for school purposes during the year was $939.92, while the entire expenditure was $877.68, with Frank P. Fisk, superintendent.

HARRISVILLE is a handsome post-village located in the central part of the town, about 1,300 feet above the ocean, thus being, probably, the most elevated ground in New England boasting such extensive manufacturing facilities. Up to 1830 the village went by the name of Twitchell's Mills,

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TOWN OF HARRISVILLE.

but at that time it was given its present name by Milan Harris, in honor of his family. Aside from its manufactures, the village has ample mercantile facilities, one church (Congregational), postoffice, telegraph office, graded school, etc., and about one hundred dwellings and 500 inhabitants. The vil- lage formerly laid on the line between Nelson and Dublin, on lot thirteen range ten, of the latter town. This lot was first settled about 1874, by Abel Twitchel, who built a grist-mill and a saw-mill, immediately after settling, both under one roof. This building was subsequently burned, and soon after rebuilt. At an early date, also, Jason Harris built here a blacksmith and trip-hammer shop. On the same stream, in 1799, Jonas Clark built and put in operation a clothing-mill, or a mill for fulling and dressing cloth. In this mill Mrs. Clark spun linen thread by water-power, a single thread at a time. Mr. Clark sold his mill to James Horsley, in 1804, and removed with his family to Shipton, Canada, where he remained until 1819, then returned to Dublin. A machine for carding wool was set up in the grist-mill by Bethuel Harris and Abel Twitchell, before Mr. Clark sold out. This machine is sup- posed to have been the second one that was run in the United States. Messrs Harris and Twitchell purchased the clothing-stand of Mr. Horsley, and united the business of carding wool and dressing cloth, in one building. In 1822 Bethuel and Cyrus Harris erected what was known as the brick mill. As soon as it was finished, Milan Harris put in machinery for manufacturing woolen cloths, which were dressed by B. and C. Harris. Subsequently a company was formed consisting of the three Messrs. Harris. This company was dissolved in 1832. The first power-looms that were started in Harris- ville were put in operation by Milan Harris, in 1823-'24. In 1832 and '33, Milan Harris and A. S. Hutchinson built the " Upper mill," as it was called, on the site of the old grist-mill and saw-mill. This was the mill subsequently operated for so many years by Milan Harris in the manufacture of doeskins. In 1846 and '47, Cyrus Harris formed a company, and under his superin_ tendence a large granite building was erected; but his health failed about this time, and he died April 4, 1848. The property was soon after sold to Josiah Colony & Sons, of Keene, and June 28, 1850, they were incorporated, and the mills given their present name, the Cheshire Mills. Josiah subse- quently sold his interest to his sons, who, in 1859-'60, built the brick portion of the mill, made many additions and improvements, and purchased and built a number of tenements in the village. The sons are all now deceased and the property is owned by Josiah T. and Horatio Colony, of Keene. The original mill is of split granite, 1 [I X 42 feet, three stories and an attic, while the brick portion is 75 X 42 feet, three stories, basement and attic, while there are several auxiliary buildings fully supplied with machinery. The mill is operated by two of the " John Humphrey Machine Co.'s" turbine wheels, with a 120 horse-power engine in reserve. They have forty-eight broad looms, nine sets of cards, and spinning machinery to correspond. They manufacture all-wool flannels, exclusively, of all widths, turning out over 1, 100,000 yards per annum, employing about 100 hands.

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TOWN OF HARRISVILLE.

POTTERSVILLE (p. o.) is a hamlet located in the southwestern part of the town, its name being derived from the extensive potteries that once thrived here. Clay. of an excellent quality, is found here, and the business was commenced by David Thurston, in 1795. Jonathan Flood Southwick, from Danvers, Mass., purchased Mr. Thurston's shop, and continued the bus- iness till his death, when it passed into the hands of Jedediah K. Southwick. The non-intercourse and embargo acts, and the war with England, gave such an impulse to the manufacture of this kind of ware, that some eight or ten shops were built in the vicinity. From the close of the war, in 1815, how- ever, the business began to decline, and finally became one of the things of the past. The name of the first workman in the village was Felton, who came from Danvers, Mass.

EAST HARRISVILLE (p. o.) is a hamlet located in the southeastern part of the town.

The Harrisville Public Library, located at the village, was established about 1877. It has about 1, 100 volumes, with George F. Tufts, and Edwin P. Hunt, trustees, and Miss Belle Hutchinson, librarian.

C. & H. Farwell's saw-mill and clothes-pin factory, located on road 24, corner of 21, was established by them in 1871. They employ twelve men, and manufacture about 100,000 feet of coarse lumber, and about 15,000 boxes of 720 clothes-pins each, per year.

S. T. Symonds & Sou's pail-handle and knife tray factory, located on road 15₺, was established by Bemis & Symonds, in 1849, and came under the con- trol of the present firm about 1879. They employ six men, with the capacity for turning out 6,000,000 handles, besides a large number of knife trays and pastry boards per year, and they also saw coarse lumber.

Silas Hardy's saw mill, grist-mill, pail handle and chair stretcher factory, located on road 32, was built by L. L. Howe, in 1880, and sold to Mr. Hardy, of Keene, in 1885. He employs four men, and manufactures about 200,000 feet of coarse lumber per year, and 300 cords of material into chair-stock and pail handles, and also turns out 25,000 shingles and 25,000 laths. The grist mill has one run of stones, and does custom grinding.

Zophar Williard's saw-mill and clothes-pin factory, located on road 17, was built by A. E. Perry, about 1859. Mr. Williard became a half owner in 1865, and purchased the entire concern in 1876. He employs twelve men, and manufactures about 25,000 feet of lumber, 15,000 boxes, containing 10,- 800,000 clothes·pins, per year.

As Harrisville was, until so late a date, a part of Nelson and Dublin, the sketch of its early settlement, etc., is identical with that of those towns, hence, to the respective sketches thereof we refer the reader. The first settler on the tract, however, was Able Twitchell, who located where Harrisville village now is, as we have previously stated, in 1774. He was the fifth son and eighth child of Joseph Twitchell, of Sherborn, Mass., born May 28, 1751. He married, first, Sarah Adams, daughter of Joseph A., and for his second, Elizabeth>

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TOWN OF HARRISVILLE.

sister of Jonas Clark. He died March 8, 1837, and his second wife survived him until January 13, 1846. His children, all by his first wife, were as fol- lows: . Sally, born Abril 9, 1775 ; Deborah, born August 14, 1776, married Bethuel Harris, January 1, 1794; Cyrus, born March 13, 1778; Mary, born February 5, 1780 ; Peter, born July 10, 1781 ; Abel, born July 13, 1783; Betsey, born October 18, 1784; and Timothy A., born May 29, 1792.

Erastus Harris, from Medway, Mass., located in the southeastern part of Nelson, (now in Harrisville), at an early date. He was a carpenter, owned a large farm, and died in 1798, aged eighty-four years. His son, Bethuel, born in 1769, came on about 16 years later, and located at the village. His house was located just on the line between the two towns, though he voted in Nel- son. He married Deborah Twitchell, reared ten children, and died in July, 1851. The part he took in the manufactures of the town, has already been spoken of. He was a major of militia, and held many of the town offices .. Five of his ten children are now living, viz .: Lavell, born August 25, 1802, in Milford, N. H .; Charles C. P., born here August 20, 1807, has been a woolen manufacturer, postmaster since 1852, represented the town in 1867- '68, and has also held most of the other town offices; Mrs. Mary Hutchin- son, of this town ; Mrs. Sally Hayward, of Peterboro, N. H .; and Mrs. Lois Prouty, of Alstead.

Milan Harris, son of Bethual, was born January 29, 1799. He it was who did so much for the town of Harrisville, giving it its name, serving it as its first representative, etc. He received only a common school education, and before he was twenty-one he worked alternately on the farm and in the custom-shop, carding wool in summer and dressing cloth for customers in the autumn and winter. At the age of twenty-one he taught school in Dub- lin and Nelson several terms. In 1821 he began the manufacture of woolen goods at Saxton's River, Vt., and in 1822 began the same business here, which he continued up to September, 1874. He died July 27, 1884. He held several military offices, most of the town offices in Nelson ; was a di- rector of the State Foreign and Home Missionary Society, of the Ashuelot Fire Insurance Company, and of the Manchester & Keene railroad. He was also a justice of the peace, and held many positions as delegate, etc., to religious and temperance synods. He represented Nelson in the legislature four or five terms, was two years in the state senate, was the first representa- tive from Harrisville, and was also two years in the senate from here. Mr. Harris married Lois, daughter of Nehemiah Wright, for his first wife, May 21, 1822, who died December 19, 1842. Their children were as follows: Milan W., born September 22, 1823, died August 28, 1873 ; Charlotte Eliza- beth, born September 27, 1825 ; Lucretia Jane, born March 27, 1828, became Mrs. J. R. Russell, and died February 28, 1875 ; and Alfred Romanzo, born March 22, 1830. His second wife, Harriet Russell, he married July 20, 1843, who bore him one daughter, Harriet L., born March 9, 1850, now the wife of Samuel G. Kittridge.

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TOWN OF HARRISVILLE.

William Yardly came to the northern part of Dublin, which is now a part of Harrisville, from England, in 1776, and located on the farm now owned by his grandson, George. He was a farmer, married Sarah Twitchell, and reared a family of six children. He died in June, 1805. His son William was born here in 1784, married Rhoda Brooks, reared a family of nine child- ren, five of whom are now living, and died in 1858. Two sons, George and John, and one daughter, Mrs. Persia Beals, still reside in town.

Moses Adams came to what is now Harrisville, from Sherborn, Mass., in 1873 and died here in 1810. His son Moses was born in 1768, and lived here till his death. Moses3, son of Moses2, was born in 1785, reared a family of six children, and died in 1873. His son Charles W. is a builder in San Fran- cisco, Cal., Frederick M. is a lawyer and stenographer in New York, and his two daughters, Eliza and Emily, reside on the old homestead.

William Barker came from Acton, Mass., and located in Nelson, in 1780. He was a soldier under General Washington, in the French and Indian war, and, with two of his sons, served in the Revolution, and was at the battle of Concord. His son Thaddeus, who came here with his father, had a family of eleven children, and died in 1843. His son Chauncey, the only child now living, was born in 1809, and has lived forty-six years on the place he now occupies. William Barker was town clerk and town representative for many years. Thaddeus also took an active part in town affairs, and held nearly all the offices. The family has always been one of the leading ones of the town.

Abner Smith, from Needham, Mass., came to Dublin, now Harrisville, soon after the Revolution, and lived here until his death, in 1833. His son, Aaron, was born in 1791, and died in 1840. During his life he was engaged in the manufacture of earthen ware, at Pottersville. Aaron, Jr., was born in 1822, and during his early life was engaged with his father in the pottery business. He was one of the selectmen thirteen years, town representative of Dublin seven years, and was county commissioner four years. He occupies the home- stead, on road 32.

Rev. Elijah Willard came here from Fitchburg, Mass., and was pastor of the Baptist church until his death, in 1839. He preached at Pottersville for a period of forty years. During his life he united one hundred and forty-six couples in marriage, and preached a funeral sermon four weeks before his death. His son Levi was born in 1795, and lived here till his death, in 1860. He married Irene Knight, of Sudbury, Mass., who still survives him, and reared a family of thirteen children. Seven of them, Zophar, Solon, Milton B., David, Benjamin, Mrs. C. H. Nye, and Mrs. M. M. Mason, are living, located in this town.

Asa Fisk came to what is now Harrisville, from Rutland, Mass., in 1800 or 1801, and settled on the farm where his grandson, Levi W., now lives, and died there in 1829. His son Parker, eight years of age when he came here with his father, reared six children, only three of whom lived to maturity, and

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TOWN OF HARRISVILLE.

occupied the home farm until his death, in October, 1866. Levi W. married May B. Priest, of Hancock, N. H., who died in 1863, and lives on the old homestead.

Joseph Mason was born in Shelborn, Mass., in 1748, reared a family of ten children, and was killed by the fall of a tree, in 1806. His son Samuel, who was known as Captain Mason, was born in 1771, reared a family of twelve children, and died in 1822. His son Merrill was born in 1816, and now resides in Marlboro. Samuel, Jr., was born in Sullivan, and came to what is now Harrisville when a young man, reared a family of eight children, six of whom are living. He died in 1862. His sons, George W. and James A., reside in town.

William Seaver came from Roxbury, Mass., and settled upon a farm in the southern part of Nelson in 1823, and died in 1867. He reared a family of seven children, four of whom, Charles C., Wellington W., George W., and Mrs. Lucy H. Towne, are living, all located in this town.

Major Abner S. H. Hutchinson was born in Wilton, N. H., December 10, 1803. He joined the militia when a young man, and rose to the' rank of major in the 12th N. H. Regt., and was captain of the Nelson Rifle Com- pany. He married Mary, daughter of Bethuel Harris, who bore him five children, of whom Albert is in North Carolina, and Henry in Boston. His daughter, Belle, resides in Harrisville. Two sons, Albert and Henry N., are dead. A. S. Hutchinson came to Nelson in 1829, and began work in the mill. He was a partner four years with C. C. P. Harris in the manufac- ture of woolens, and has been engaged in the business in various depart- ments for fifty years.

James Bemis, from Weston, Mass., settled in Dublin in 1793, where he died December 15, 1832. aged seventy-five years. He married first Hannah Frost, of Marlboro, by whom he had one son, Jonathan. He next married Lois Walker, of Sudbury, Mass., in 1786. His children were Hannah, James, Lois, Thomas, Josiah, Betsey, Eli and Mercy. James Bemis was a soldier of the Revolution, enlisting when a boy of eighteen, and reached headquarters just before the battle of Bunker Hill. His son Thomas, born in 1793, mar- ried first Sally Williams, and second Anna Knight, of Sudbury, Mass. His children were Sally, Elbridge G., Elizabeth J., George W., and Samuel Dana. He died at Jaffrey.

. Samuel D. Bemis, son of Thomas, was born February 8, 1833. He has been engaged in farming, and has held the office of selectman, being chair- man of the board from 1872 to 1884. He was a member of the state legis- lature in 1872, and a delegate to the constitutional convention in 1876.

George Davis was born in Hancock, N. H., in 1816. He learned the carpenter's trade, which he carried on a few years, was captain of militia there in 1842 and 1843, and owner of a grist-mill, which he operated several years. He married Julia A., daughter of Asa Greenwood, of Dublin, in 1840, and moved to Keene in 1844. He was selectman of Harrisville in

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TOWN OF HINSDALE

1879 and 1880, town clerk and treasurer since 1881, and was chosen repre- sentative in 1884.

The Evangelical Congregational church of Harrisville was organized Sep- tember 22, 1840, by a council composed of clergymen and delegates from the following towns : Swanzey, Troy, Antrim, New Ipswich, and Warwick, Mass., with thirty-one members, the first pastor being Rev. Otis C. Whiton. Their church building was erected in 1840-43, a brick structure capable of seating 350 persons, cost $4,000.00, and is now valued, including grounds, at $5,000.00. The society has fifty-one members, with Rev. George H. Dunlap, pastor. There have been added to the original thirty-one members 189 others, making a total of 220, of which 169 have been removed by death and otherwise, leaving now a membership of fifty-one, resident and non- resident. The church was organized through the instrumentality of the Har- rises, there being fourteen charter members of this name. Bethuel Harris and his sons erected a brick vestry, in which evening meetings were to be held before a church was organized, and when finished the first meeting held therein was for organizing a church. Bethuel Harris gave one-half the money for the erection of the present edifice, and Milan donated the organ, employed an organist, and made other liberal contributions from time to time.

The Baptist church and society, located at Pottersville, was organized by Elder Ballou and his son, Maturin, at the house of John Muzzey, December 7, 1785, with thirty members, the Rev. Maturin Ballou being the first pastor. In 1829 the church was re-organized and now has about seventy members. The church building was originally built in 1797, was re-modeled in 1830, and was removed and again re-modeled in 1844. It will seat 175 persons and is valued at $2,500.00. The Sabbath-school has sixty scholars, with C. Albert Seaver, superintendent.

H INSDALE lies in the southwestern part of the county, in lat. 42° 48', and long. 4° 32', bounded north by Chesterfield, east by Winchester, and southwest by the left bank of Connecticut river, the township being triangular in outline. It originally comprised within its limits the town- ship of Vernon, on the opposite side of the river. This land, as it originally stood, was granted by Massachusetts at a very early period. Even after the river had been declared the boundary line between the provinces of New Hampshire and New York, and the township had in this manner been divided, the different parts, though under distinct organizations, still retained their original name, and were thus known until the 21st of Octo- ber, 1802, when the name of Hinsdale, in Vermont, was changed to that of Vernon. The date of the first grant is not accurately known. In a petition, still extant, from Samuel Hunt, by his attorney, Oliver Willard, which was

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TOWN OF HINSDALE.

presented to the provincial government of New York on the 3d of Novem- ber, 1766, it is stated, that the tract of land comprised in this township, "was purchased of native Indians and granted by the province of the Massachu- setts Bay, near one hundred years ago, and was soon afterwards cultivated and settled ; and that it was afterwards found to be in the province line of New Hampshire, and was then confirmed to the proprietors by power dated the 3d of September, 1753." The power referred to was the New Hamp- shire charter of the township, issued in 1753.

There long existed a dispute between the provinces of Massachusetts and New Hampshire, in regard to the true northern boundary of the former prov- ince, growing out of different constructions put upon the Massachusetts char- ter of 1692. The controversy was settled August 5, 1740, as described on page 64, thus taking a strip sixteen miles wide out of the territory of Massa- chusetts, her title to which had never been questioned, and on parts of which her citizens had been in quiet possession for two generations. This line, from the Merrimack river westward, was run by Richard Hazen, in March, 1741, as it now exists. It cut off from Northfield a tract four miles and 197 rods in width, though the proprietors thereof did not give up their rights therein and were not molested. As late as 1753 the common lands lying north of the Ashuelot were divided to the old grantees, and the title thus acquired held good. Till the incorporation of Hinsdale, in 1753, the people living on Northfield's cut off territory were styled, in deeds and official documents, " of the northerly part of Northfield township above the line of the Massachusetts government." One other point in illustration of this boundary question may be cited. The present township of Dalton, in Berkshire county, .Mass., was originally granted in 1784, under the name of Ashuelot Equivalent, " because it was granted to Oliver Partridge and others, a company in Hatfield, to make up a loss they had sustained in a grant made to them on Ashuelot river, which was found, when the line was established, to be within the bounds of New Hampshire. The legislature of New Hampshire claimed it of the com- pany, so far as they had not made a disposition of it to actual settlers," hence the name, Ashuelot Equivalent." It is a singular coincidence, also, that the township next east of Dalton, incorporated in 1804, is named Hinsdale, in honor of Rev. Theodore Hinsdale, the first settled pastor.

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Gazetteer of Cheshire County, N.H., 1736-1885, Part 21

Author: Child, Hamilton, 1836- comp. cn Publication date: 1885 Publisher: Syracuse, N.Y., Printed at the Journal Office Number of Pages: 1034

Author: Child, Hamilton, 1836- comp. cn
Publication date: 1885
Publisher: Syracuse, N.Y., Printed at the Journal Office
Number of Pages: 1034