USA > New Hampshire > Cheshire County > Gazetteer of Cheshire County, N.H., 1736-1885 > Part 30
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71
Total.
434
$8,100 00
$68,966 00
$77,066 00 3,000 00
1240
Personal property ..
Total value of Dist's prop.
$80,066 00
ยท
252
CITY OF KEENE.
The High-school building on Winter street, one of the finest buildings in the city, was completed in 1876. It is ninety-one feet long and sixty-one feet wide, and is flanked in front by a projecting tower twenty-one feet and eleven inches wide. From a foundation of solid granite it rises to a height of eighty feet, and reaches, with the tower, an altitude of 128 feet. The tower is ornamented with Gothic windows, and a massive stone portico, the arch of which is supported by four columns of beautiful Scotch granite, surmounted by foliated capitols in freestone. It is built of brick, with granite trimmings about the windows, and has belt courses of freestone extending entirely around between the stories. The roofs are covered with variegated slate- Prof. M. A. Bailey has been principal of the High-school since September, 1880.
Private School for Boys .-- Somewhat more than seventeen years ago, the Rev. J. A. Leach and his wife began to take poor young men and gratuitously prepare them for college. This work they continued until very recently. Some twelve years ago, without any kind of solicitation or advertising, Mr. Leach began to receive applications from many of the wealthiest and most conspicuous men in the country, who were desirous of placing their sons under his instruction, and to the present time his attention has been given to this class of pupils, sometimes to the number of fourteen, in addition to charity work, which has not been neglected. His pupils at present number eight -- all he desired or could accommodate. He is ably assisted in this good work by Mrs. S. E. Leach.
The Keene Natural History Society .- This society began to collect in 1870, and organized in 1872. The leading object was to help in illustrating the studies of the High-school, and in the beginning. all the cases were kept in the school-room. The first promoters were G. A. Wheelock, C. F. Rowell, G. H. Gilbert, S. H. Brackett, and F. S. Stratton. Mrs. Gilbert collected the botanical specimens. The unusual number of skeletons and bones of ani- mals have enabled the teachers to interest classes in comparative physiology or osteology. This has proved a very successful study. The collection has the usual minerals, shells, birds, fossils, corals, &c. It is now kept in the hall of the High-school building.
Keene Puclic Library .- The public library of Keene dates its commence- ment in 1859. In that year a joint stock company was incorporated, under the name of the Keene Public Library, having the names of the following gentlemen as incorporators : William P. Wheeler, Farnum F. Lane, Leonard Bisco, George B. Twitchell, John Henry Elliot, William S. Briggs, George Cook, D. H. Sawyer, Edwin A. Webb, Gilman Joslin, and William Henry Thayer. Many other prominent men of the town becarne shareholders, and subscribers availed themselves of the privileges of the library in sufficient num- bers to make it a pronounced success. Foreseeing that its usefulness might be greatly increased by making it free to the public, steps were taken, in 1875, to make over the property of the association to the city of Keene. This was
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CITY OF KEENE.
done under these conditions: The city shall keep the library in suitable apartments, and in good condition for use by the inhabitants of the city, under suitable regulations, and for the first five years expend a sum not less than $300.00 per annum, and thereafterwards a sum not less than $500.00 per an- num, for the purchase and repair of books for the library; such sums to be raised and expended as above, until such time as the library shall have an in- come of not less than $1,000.00 per annum derived from other sources. By this transaction 2,500 books were transferred to the city. A room was hired in the second story of Colony's block, from whence it was removed to Warren's block, Washington street. A librarian was elected by the city council, and six trustees-three gentlemen and three ladies-were elected to take charge of the library. In 1881 the library, having outgrown its quarters, it was removed to the new room in the City Hall building, ground floor. The books were classified, a card catalogue made, new cases furnished, and a ref- erence and reading-room added to the facilities already enjoyed by the public. Here the encyclopedias, dictionaries, patent office reports, atlases, gazetteers and many others can be taken down and consulted. In 1883 the library subscribed for a few of the popular magazines for the reading-room. The number of volumes in the library in 1884, was 5,500. There were issued dur- ing the year, 21,358 volumes. Already the need of larger accommodations for the reading-room are beginning to be felt, and the management hope to have, sometime, through the munificience of Keene's public spirited citizens, a suitable, commodious library building, in which the library will have room to grow and become an institution of which all may be proud.
The erection of Keene to a county seat, in 1771, and the history of the county buildings, has been given on page 41 ; the history of the railroads on page 56 ; its newspaper history on page 58; and a sketch of its churches will be found on a subsequent page.
EARLY SETTLEMENT.
Up to the winter of 1736 no person had remained in the town during that season. Those who came in the summer to clear their lands, brought their provisions with them, and erected temporary huts to shelter them from the weather. But during that summer, Nathan Blake and Seth Heaton, from Wrentham, and William Smeed, from Deerfield, made preparation to pass the winter in the wilderness. Their house was at the south end of Main street. Their stock consisted of a yoke of oxen and a pair of horses, one of the latter belonging to Heaton and the others to Blake. During the winter Blake's horse was drowned in Beaver brook while drawing logs to the saw-mill which had been erected the previous year. In the beginning of February their provisions gave out, and Heaton was sent to Northfield for a new sup- ply, but was unable to make his way back through the snow. The others, when they saw he failed to return, turned the cattle loose where they might . have access to the hay, and started for Massachusetts on snow-shoes. When
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CITY OF KEENE.
they returned in the spring they found their cattle safe, but very hungry and glad to see them. In 1740, however, there were in the town the following landowners : Rev. Jacob Bacon, Josiah Fisher, Joseph Fisher, Nathan Blake, William Smeed, Seth Heaton, Joseph Ellis, Ebenezer Nims, Joseph Guild, Joseph Richardson, Isaac Clark, Edward Dale, Jeremiah Hall, Ebenezer Force, Daniel Haws, Amos Foster, Ebenezer Day, Beriah Maccaney, Jabez Hill, Obed Blake, Jeremiah Hall, Jr., David Nims, Timothy Puffer, Ebenezer Daniels, Nathan Fairbanks, John Bullard, David Foster, Solomon Richard- son, Abner Ellis, Benjamin Guild, Asa Richardson, Ebenezer Hill, Samuel Fisher, Ephraim Dorman, Timothy Sparhawk, Jonathan Underwood, John Andrews and Samuel Smith.
Although at peace with the Indians, the settlers were aware of their treach- erous characters, and made preparations for resisting any sudden onslaught, by the erection of a fort, which was done in 1738, and stood near the present residence of Hon. Edward Gustine. This was ninety feet square, and con- tained two ovens, and two wells. It was built of hewn logs. In the interior, next to the walls, were twenty barracks, each having one room. On the out- side it was two stories high; in the inside, but one, the roof over the bar- racks sloping inwards. In the space above the barracks were loop-holes to fire from with muskets. There were two watch-houses, one at the southeast corner, and one on western side, each erected on four high posts set upright in the earth. And for greater safety the whole was surrounded by pickets.
This fort proved of great use to the little settlement a few years later. In 1744 war was declared between England and France, and the whole frontier was in a state of excitement and alarm. To this was added, to check the prosperous growth of the new township, the dread scourge of a throat dis- temper, fatal in its attacks, which wrought sad havoc within the fort and con- signed many to the grave. Dea. Josiah Fisher fell the first victim to the In- dians, July 10, 1745, about where Gen. S. G. Griffin's garden now is. Early on the morning of the 23d of April of the following year, Ephraim Dorman was openly attacked near the settlement, but by a vigorous resistance made his escape to the fort. Mrs. Maccaney and John Bullard were less fortunate and perished during the assault. Mrs. Clark escaped capture by her agility, being closely pursued nearly to the gate of the fort. Nathan Blake was taken prisoner and carried to Canada, to be treated there with considerate kindness. His enforced visit with the red-men formed quite a romantic incident in that dreary war. He returned in safety, after an absence of about two years. and lived to recall his adventures to numerous descendants. The Indians were beat off, with a loss of about nine. In the spring of 1747, after an uncom- fortable winter spent within the fort, the inhabitants resolved to abandon the settlement, and a strolling party of Indians soon after burnt all the buildings in the town, possibly with the exception of one or two. Thus ended the first settlement of Upper Ashuelot.
In 1749 a treaty of peace was made with the Indians, and the following
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CITY OF KEENE.
year the settlers made preparations to return to their deserted homesteads. In the next French war, the Indians again renewed their hostilities, compell- ing the rebuilding of the fort, in 1754. In June, 1755, Benjamin Twitchell was captured and carried to Canada, and died there. The savages were- seen but twice afterwards in the vicinity, committed no remarkable depreda- tions, and so disappear from the annals of Keene. From this time onward the growth of the town was steady, the first authentic enumeration of the in- habitants, taken October 7, 1767, showing a population of 427 souls.
During the period of the Revolution, Keene performed her part faithfully. In 1773 the foot company of Keene numbered 126, under command of Col. Josiah Willard. The alarum list, numbering forty-five, seems to have been made up of the older men, including many of the original settlers ; the select- men of Keene, David Nims, Eliphalet Briggs, Jr., and Benjamin Hall, re- ported the following census for Keene :-
Unmarried men, from sixteen to sixty
Married men, from sixteen to sixty.
Boys, sixteen years and under 96
Men, sixty years and upwards
II
21 7
Females, married 105
Widows IO
Male Slave
I
Total 645
In 1774 the town made preparations for war by the purchase of "200 lbs. of good gun powder, 400 lbs. of lead, and 1,200 flints," raising "twenty-four pounds, lawful money " for that purpose. October 17th of that year, Capt. Isaac Wyman and Lieut. Timothy Ellis were chosen delegates to the county congress, at Walpole.
The battle of Lexington was fought on the roth of April, 1775. The news reached Keene soon after, and Captain Dorman, in command of the militia, with the advice of Captain Wyman, "sent expresses to every part of the town, notifying the inhabitants to meet, forthwith, on the green." Upon their meet- ing in the afternoon the citizens voted unanimously to raise a body of men to appease the regulars. Captain Wyman, already an old man, was chosen to command, and, under his direction, a troop of thirty volunteers was on hand at sunrise the next morning, fully equipped, and was led towards Con- cord. On the 27th of April, Timothy Ellis was chosen a delegate to Exeter, and a member af the Provincial Congress. On the 7th of December the town, being without higher law, duly accepted a constitution and code of laws for their own government, which was in force until 1778. Its provisions were simple and to the point. It required no lawyer to elucidate. Thomas Baker, Eliphalet Briggs, and Dan Guild were chosen a committee to judge and exe- cute under the new law, and Elijah Blake, an officer, with duties like consta-
Females, unmarried 140
65
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CITY OF KEENE.
ble or sheriff, The Declaration of Resistance sent to the several towns of the state by the committee of safety of the assembly of New Hampshire, was signed in 1776, by 103 citizens of the town-thirteen refusing to sign. Col. Isaac Wyman was appointed a justice of the peace that year ; and Captain Eliphalet Briggs, one of the committee of safety, dying of small-pox, Jeremiah Stiles was chosen in his stead. In 1777, at the battle of Bennington, Keene was represented by a company of quickly organized militia, among whom were Major Ellis, Josiah Richardson and Joshua Durant. Toward the close of the Revolution, Keene was much exercised by the controversy in regard to the New Hampshire grants, (see page 64), but maintained her allegiance to the old state.
Keene has also an honorable record for patriotic service in the late civil war. The whole number of her enlistments for different terms of service is estimated to have exceeded 600, the death rate being about one-sixth of that number. As the village was early made a rendezvous for recruits from the neighboring towns, the following named companies were recruited and organ- ized, a considerable portion of the enlistments in each being of the Keene quota :-
Company G, First Regiment, Captain, Andrew J. Sargent ; First Lieuten- ant, Horace T. H. Pierce ; Second Lieutenant, Charles H. Drummer.
Company A, Second Regiment, Captain, T. A. Barker ; First Lieutenant, Henry M. Metcalf ; Second Lieutenant, Herbert B. Titus.
Company F, Fifth Regiment, Captain, H. T. H. Pierce ; First Lieutenant, Moses W. Rand ; Second Lieutenant, Samuel Quinn.
Company E, Sixth Regiment, Captain, O. G. Dort ; First Lieutenant, John A. Cummings ; Second Lieutenant, George H. Muchmore.
Company I, Ninth Regiment, Captain, John W. Babbitt ; First Lieutenant, Jacob Green ; Second Lieutenant, Nelson N. Sawyer.
Company G, Fourteenth Regiment, Captain. Solon A. Carter ; First Lieu- tenant, C. Frederick Webster; Second Lieutenant, Spencer L. Bailey.
A considerable number of the men of Company K, Third Regiment, were also of Keene. This company was at first commanded by Captain Henry. C. Henderson and Lieutenants W. J. Butterfield and Samuel M. Smith. The changes incident to actual service gave to many of the officers above named a higher rank at a later date. Company G, of the First was recruited by Captain Henderson, who later commanded Company K, of the Third. Lieutenant Pierce, of the former company was commissioned later, as Cap- tain of Company F, of the Fifth. Captain Babbitt of Company I, Ninth, was afterwards Lieutenant-Colonel of the same regiment. Captain Carter, of Company G, Fourteenth, was later Assistant Adjutant-General, with the rank of Colonel. Captain Barker of Company A, Second Regiment, was subsequently Lieutenant-Colonel of the Fourteenth Regiment. Lieutenant Titus, of Company A, Second Regiment, was afterwards Lieutenant-Colonel of the Ninth. Colonel Robert Wilson, who commanded the Fourteenth
David Nims
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CITY OF KEENE.
Regiment, was a Keene man, though residing elsewhere when commissioned. The entire Sixth Regiment was organized at Keene and was commanded at first by Colonel Nelson Converse, who resigned at an early date on account of ill health, and was succeeded by Colonel S. B. Griffin, after- wards Brigadier and Major-General. The Sixth Regiment saw its first ser- vice under Burnside in North Carolina ; it was afterwards in the Army of the Potomac, and participated in several of its heavy battles. Still later it was sent West, and was engaged in operations in the vicinity of Vicksburg and Jacksonville, Mississippi.
Major Edward E. Sturtevant of the Fifth Regiment, who was killed at the bat- tle of Fredericksburg, was of Keene. He originally enlisted at Concord in reponse to the first call for troops, and was the first man to enlist in New Hampshire. His name heads the list, as the official records show. The Fifth was the regiment commanded by the renowned and lamented Colonel Cross. All the superior offices of the regiment were either killed or dis- abled at Fredericksburg, so that at the close of the battle Captain Pierce of Company F, as senior officer, had command of the regiment. The first call for troops named two regiments for New Hampshire, but before the Second Regiment was equipped and mustered in, the call was changed to provide for three years' troops and most of the men of that regiment already enlisted for three months, re-enlisted for three years. The First, accordingly, was the only three months' regiment. Lieutenant Metcalf, of Company A, Second Regiment, was killed at Gettysburg. Lieutenant Muchmore, of Company E, Sixth Regiment, was killed at the second battle of Bull Run.
In the year 1868 the town appropriated $2,000 for a soldiers' monument, but this sum being deemed inadequate by the promoters of the testimonial, nothing was done in regard to the matter until 1870, when the town voted to increase the former appropriation, making it $7,000.00. A committee to carry out the project was appointed, consisting of George B. Twitchell, S. G. Griffin, C. F. Webster, R. H. Porter, and J. Humphrey, the two latter being civilians, and the three former having been in the army. They caused to be erected a handsome monument upon Central square, near city hall. It consists of a finely wrought base and pedestal of granite, upon which stands the bronze figure of a soldier. The inscription upon the tablet is as follows :-
KEENE Will cherish in perpetual honor The memory of her sons Who fought for Liberty And the integrity of the Republic.
1861.
1865. The Honor Of the heroic dead Is the inspiration of Posterity.
19*
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CITY OF KEENE.
Godfrey Nims was the first one of the Nims family known in this country, the earliest record extant giving his marriage, in Northampton, Mass., No- vember 28, 1677. His son Ebenezer removed to Deerfield, Mass., a short time previous to 1702, and at the destruction of that town, February 29th, 1703-'04, he and Sarah Hoit were among the captives taken and carried to Canada, where they were kept prisoners for about ten years. The Indian chief desired Sarah Hoit to marry him, but she declined, promising to marry any one of the captives, and subsequently became the wife of Ebenezer Nims. Ebenezer and Sarah (Hoit) Nims had five sons ; the first one was- born in Canada. The second son, David,-the subject of this paper,-was born in Deerfield, Mass., March 30, 1716. He was married June 21, 1742, to Abigail Hawks, of Deerfield, and they accompanied the first settlers in the town of Keene, N. H. They hadten children: David, Jr., born October 29, 1742, married Jemima Carter, of Lancaster, Mass., January 1, 1768, by whom he had ten children ; died August 30, 1826. Asahel, born April 30, 1744, died May 15, 1745. Sarah, born May 16, 1746, married Ebenezer Cooke, of Fairlee, Vt., October 25, 1764, by whom he had ten children ; she died August 12, 1833. Asahel, born October 11, 1749, died-killed in battle of Bunker Hill-June 17, 1775. Eliakim, born September 1, 1751, married Abigail Briggs, of Keene, February 14, 1778 ; no children ; died March 12, 1846. Zadok, born March 27, 1754, married Betsey Brown, of Leominster, Mass., by whom he had eight children ; died January 29, 1842. Alpheus, born November 26, 1755, married Abigail Briggs, of Keene ; there were six children born of this marriage, all of whom died young without issue ; he died June 8, 1804. Abigail, born June 3, 1758, died August 21. 1761. Ruth, born March 8, 1760, married Joshua Lawrence, of Roxbury, September 25, 1780 ; she had twelve children ; died March 6, 1816. Abigail, born July 18, 1763, married Benjamin Kemp, of Sullivan ; there were nine children by this marriage ; she died March 27, 1842.
It has been ascertained by the old records of the proprietors of the town of Keene, that David Nims-the subject of this sketch-was chosen their scribe as early as July 25, 1737. The town of Keene having received a charter, he was elected first town clerk and town treasurer, at the first legal town meet- ing, held Wednesday, May 2, 1753, and continued to hold office as clerk, treasurer, selectman or moderator, almost every year till 1776. He was honest, courageous, firm and discreet, and consequently a man of great influ- ence in the town, his simple word possessing almost the authority of law. In 1740 he was granted, with others, ten acres of upland, for hazarding his life and estate by living in Keene to bring forward the settling of the place. Later, the proprietors' records show-page 166, 1763-a plan and descrip- tion of a grant to him of 104 acres, which lot is the farm formerly occupied by Matthew, now by Brigham Nims, in Roxbury, that town having been set off from Keene in 1812. He was a farmer and carried on the place now known as the Lucian B. Page farm. The old house in which he lived
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CITY OF KEENE.
has been removed this year from Washington street, to make room for a residence, to be erected and occupied by John A. Wright, of the Impervious Package Co. Mrs. Abigail, wife of David Nims, died July 13, 1799, aged eighty years. Her descendants were, eighty-one in number,-children, ten, grandchildren, fifty, great-grandchildren, twenty-one. David Nims died July 21, 1803. He had lived highly respected, his death was deeply regretted. His descendants, together with those whom they have married, number more than 2,000, and there are more tax-payers in Keene, to-day, of the Nims than of any other family name. The present city clerk, Samuel Nims, is a descendant of the first town clerk. David Nims stands for a class of men, few in number, to which we are indebted for our town organization, our wide and beautiful main streets, and their attractive surroundings.
John Colony, son of a nobleman, was born in Kilkenny, Ireland, in 1730, and came to Boston when he was sixteen years of age. He had with him a bag of gold which was subsequently stolen from him, leaving him but four cents. After paying the toll to Charleston he had two cents left and had had no breakfast. He, however, obtained a half cord of wood to saw, thus en- abling him to buy himself something to eat. He prospered, being willing to do any kind of work he could get to do. He came to Keene in 176t, and rented the farm now owned by his great-grandaughter, Martha M. Woodward, on road 19. He rented the farm for five years, but soon bought it and re- sided here until his death. He served in the Revolutionary war, married Mil- itiah Fisher, of Wrentham, Mass., and had born to him four children, as fol- lows: Timothy, Josiah, Militiah, and Hannah. He died June 24, 1797, and his widow died June 16, 1810. Timothy was born on this farm April 5, 1764, married Sarah Dwinell, of Keene, who bore him seven children-six sons and one daughter. He died here August 29, 1836, and his widow died April 27, 1853. John, son of Timothy, then became possessor of the farm. He was born June 24, 1795, married Almira Keyes, and reared four children, three of whom are living. Of these, Charles lives in Keene ; Sarah married William Spring and lives in Muscatine, Ia .; and Martha M., who lives upon and owns the old farm, married W. H. Woodward. This farm has never been out of the Colony family, six generations having lived here and five having been born here. The house that is now standing was built about 1785, by John Colony. The old gun that he used in the Revolution is in the possession of the family here, and Mrs. Martha M. Woodward has also the old wills and deeds, many of them being over a hundred years old. In the wood-house is stored wood cut by John Colony, 2d, over seventy years ago, and there is also hay in the barn that he cut sixty-five years ago.
Dr. Daniel Adams, son of Dr. Joseph Adams, was born at Lincoln, Mass., in 1768, and died in Keene, N. H., August 22, 1830. He had three broth- ers and five sisters, one of the former of whom, Dr. Joseph Adams, returned, at the breaking out of the war, to Cornwall, England, the home of his ances- tors, where he practiced his profession during lite, and where his descendants
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CITY OF KEENE.
still live. The other members of Dr. Adams's family settled in and about Boston. A sister, Mrs. Wheeler, occupied the homstead in Lincoln, Mass., which still remains in her family.
Dr. Adams received a liberal education. His tastes led him to the choice of the medical profession. His studies were pursued in Boston, Mass. He received his medical degree June 6, 1788, and in that year, shortly after mar- rying Mrs. Sarah Apdaile, daughter of Benjamin Goldthwaite, of Boston, he came to reside in Keene, where, while practicing his profession, he cleared portions of his land, planted an orchard, and made and adorned a home. It is inentioned in the early records of Keene that "he was the first to introduce the sugar-maple as a shade tree." In his chosen profession, to which he was devoted, he became distinguished, as many yet remember. He received from Dartmouth college a diploma for a Latin dissertation on medicine. Later, in July 1814, he had the honor to be elected fellow of the New Hampshire Medical Society and received the diploma.
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