Gazetteer of Cheshire County, N.H., 1736-1885, Part 47

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 47

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Hon. George Stevens, who died at Lowell, Mass., early in June, 1884, was- born in Stoddard, October 23, 1824. He was a member of an old-fashioned New England family, the eighth of twelve children, a patriarchal household, sustaining, in the midst of poverty and toil, the high character and religious traditions of the Puritan life. His father died early, but his mother survived to the great age of ninety years, dying but two or three years ago. George early became a member of the church. When he was twelve years old his. family removed to a farm in Hancock, N. H., where he attended the Han- cock academy. Subsequently he taught school and attended Phillips acad- emy at Andover, and was graduated from Dartmouth college in 1849. He followed teaching and reading law for a few years, and married, in 1850, Elizabeth R. Kimball, daughter of James Kimball, of Littleton, Mass. In 1854 he went to Lowell, Mass., and continued his law reading at the office of William A. and Daniel S. Richardson, and in that year was admitted to the bar. He has been clerk of the police court, associate justice of the same court, member of the legislature in 1858-'59, district attorney for Middlesex county two or three terms, and has held, though unsought, many other hon- orary religious and political offices. He was in many ways one of the noblest and best men who ever went from Stoddard.

Daniel Stevens, one of the first settlers of Stoddard, came from Chelmsford Mass. He participated in the Revolutionary war, was one of the minute men, was at the battle of Lexington, served until the war closed, and died at an advanced age, leaving three sons and three daughters. The sons, Henry, John and Daniel, settled in Stoddard. John Stevens was born December 15, 1779, married Azubah Proctor, daughter of Capt. Azariah Proctor, of Chelmsford, Mass., was a successful farmer, both he and his wife being devoted christians. He died May 14, 1840, and his wife May 28, 1840, aged sixty- four years, leaving five children-two sons and three daughters. John Stev- ens, born in 1811, died October 13, 1865. He was a farmer. Azubah Stev- ens married Gilman Scripture, of Nelson, and died March 11, 1852, aged forty-three years. Phebe Stevens married Daniel Petts, of Nelson, who died December 3, 1856. He was proprietor of the Forest House, at Marlow, at.

Ephraim Collevers

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TOWN OF STODDARD.

the time of his death. Ephraim Stevens, born April 12, 1814, married Mary A. Scripture, daughter of Capt. H. Scripture, of Nelson, and granddaughter of Capt. Samuel Scripture, of Revolutionary fame. He was chosen captain of Light Infantry in 1846, received commission as colonel 28th Regt., in 1850, was chosen collector of taxes in 1843, and selectman in 1847, which office he held seventeen years, being chairman of the board fourteen years, town treas- urer twenty years, represented the town in the general court in 1859, '60, '72 and'74, also in the constitutional convention of 1876. Col. Stevens has been a successful farmer, and has the confidence and respect of a large circle of acquaintances.

David Joslin, with several others, came to Stoddard in 1790, from Leom- inster, Mass., and settled in the western part of the town, which has since been known as "Leominster Corner." He was the son of John and Susan- nah (Carter) Joslin, born April 25, 1765. His father was a captain in the Continental army. In April, 1781, David being still quite a stripling and of slender build, enlisted for a term of three years. Tradition tells us that with high heels on his shoes and thicker under garments, he was just able to pass muster, The following is the contract for his enlistment :-

LEOMINSTER, April 10, 1781.

"I, the subscriber, do engaged to serve in the Continental Army for three years, unless sooner discharged, for the class of which Capt. Joshua Wood is the head, provided the class pays me two thousand dollars in paper money, or silver, at the exchange, before I go, and eighteen three-year-old middling cattle, provided I stay two years and six months ; and if I stay one year and six months, said cattle are to be two years old ; and if I stay not one week, said cattle are to be one year old.

DAVID JOSLIN.

There was no seal upon the contract, or the signature of a witness ; but wrapped up in it was a lock of hair from the young patriot's head. It is said he made an excellent soldier, and at the close of the war returned home, re- ceiving the eighteen cattle according to agreement. October 23, 1785, he married Becca Richardson, of Leominster, by whom he had fourteen chil- dren, thirteen of whom lived to have families of their own. He died in Stoddard, April 9, 1825, his widow surviving him till October 7, 1849. The first three children were born in Leominster, the rest in Stoddard, viz .: Becca, born March 3, 1787, married Silas Towne, of Barrett, November 27, 1806, and died November 27, 1848; Dorothy, born August 24, 1788, died September 21, 1795; Patty, born January 28, 1790, married David Richardson, of Lancaster, Mass., July 14, 1813, who only lived a few years, and November 13, 1821, she married Asa Pierce, of Leominster, and she died April 15, 1866; David, born March 14, 1791, married Lucy Knight, of Marlow, March 11, 1849, and died in Marlboro, N. H., October 31, 1861 ; Susan, born May 23, 1792, married Isaiah Gould, of Stoddard, November 5, 1816, lived in the town many years, but late in life moved to Keene, and one daughter, Mrs. Asa Davis, lives in town ;

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TOWN OF STODDARD.

Sally, born December 25, 1793, married Horace Richardson, of Leominster, March 20, 1817, and died February 4, 1872 ; Dorothy, born April 10, 1796, married Dr. Jonathan Knight, January 14, 1817, lived in Stoddard some years, and also in Piermont, N. H., but late in life they moved to Manches- ter, where she died November 17, 1873; Luke, born December 22, 1797, married Lydia Foster, of Stoddard, Nov. 24, 1824, lived on the old place in "Leominster Corner " until 1840, when they moved to a farm near the village, and in 1855 moved to Keene, where he died June 3, 1875, having been for many years a deacon of the church in Stoddard; Electa, born July 12, 1800, married Moses Richardson, of Stoddard, December 2, 1817, and died in Alstead, June 28, 1881 ; Fanny, born April 24, 1802, married Noah Blodgett, of Stoddard, April 20, 1820, and died in Lowell, Mass., March 22, 1874; Gilman, born March 22, 1804, married Mary A. Cline, of Boston, December 25, 1838, has been engaged in the manufacture or school globes, and is now president of the Atlantic Machine Co., of East Boston; Sophro- nia, born January 23, 1806, married Allen Giffin, of Marlow, May 11, 1834, and died in Keene, June 15, 1864; Elias, born May 26, 1806, married Maria Emes, of Dublin, May 28, 1840, was a blacksmith by trade, did business in Stoddard, Dublin and Keene, where he now lives; Edward, born April 15, 1810, married Sarah H. Thayer, of Keene, January 14, 1847, and is engaged in banking and several manufacturing enterprises in Keene, where he resides.

Nathan Morse, the progenitor of the family in Stoddard, was born in Dub- lin, N. H., November 7, 1806, and was the youngest son of Peter and De- borah (Cobleigh) Morse, who reared a family of four sons and three daugh- ters. His grandfather, Dea. Eli Morse, of Dublin, was the son of Nathaniel Morse, of Medford, Mass., who was a great-grandson of Samuel Morse, puri- tan, who was born in England in 1585, emigrating with his family to New England in 1635, at the age of fifty, in the ship "Increase," and settled in Ded- ham, Mass., in 1637. Nathan Morse, the pioneer of the Morse family in Stod- dard, inherited many of the family characteristics and much of the independ- ent and heroic blood of his puritan ancestor, who was one of the most promi- nent among the leading spirits in the original settlement of the town of Ded- ham, Mass., who may be named among such renowned men as Elder Everett and Col. John Dwight, who were the ancestors and progenitors of late pres- idents of both Harvard and Yale universities. At the age of seventeen years his father died, and while in his minority Nathan went to Nelson, and there learned the trade of shoemaker. He came to Stoddard in 1828, and there carried on the shoe business until his death, September 18, 1854. He mar- ried Jane Robbe, of Stoddard, April 1, 1830, by whom he had four sons and four daughters, all of whom are now living, namely: Nathan R., born Feb- ruary 20, 1831, now a physician of prominence at Salem, Mass .; Edward, born October 4, 1832 ; Mary J. (now Mrs. A. G. Henshaw, of Keene, N. H.), born May 6. 1834; Martin Van Buren, born July 3, 1835 ; Ellen E., born March 26, 1838 ; Sylvia S., born December 21, 1839; Martha, born August

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TOWN OF STODDARD.

3, 1841 ; and George Morse, born June 13, 1843. Although averse to hold- ing office, Mr. Morse frequently served as school committee, and also on the board of selectmen. In politics he was a Jeffersonian Democrat, and occa- sionally wrote resolutions, which were adopted at state conventions. He early became interested in real estate, and at the time of his death was the largest land holder in town. He was pre-eminently an honest man and died at the early age of forty-eight years, in the prime of life, from disease of the liver, in- duced by cold and over work, esteemed, honored and beloved by all who knew him. His widow, Jane Morse, and family, continued to reside at the old homestead in the Center village of Stoddard till her death, in November, 1879, at the ripe age of 76 years. The old homestead still remains intact, carefully preserved by the children, who continue to make their annual pil- grimage to it, as to an earthly shrine.

The Congregational church of Stoddard was organized September 4, 1787, with seven members, by a council composed of delegates from Keene, Dublin and Jaffrey. Four days later, on the 8th, by vote of the town, Esq. Penni- man, of Washington, Samuel Griffin, of Packersfield (now Nelson), and John Mussey, of Dublin, were chosen as a committee to locate the site for a church building, On the 3 Ist of October they reported that they had selected a spot on the fifteenth lot in the ninth range, upon land given to the town by John Tenney for a church lot and burial ground [at the junction of roads 17 and 20]. In September, 1791, the church gave Rev. Solomon Adams a call, but he was not settled. October 15, 1793, Rev. Abishai Colton, a graduate of Yale in 1783, was ordained pastor. He was dismissed in Octo- ber, 1795, and died in Vermont, January 12, 1823. Rev. Isaac Robinson, D. D., the next pastor, was ordained January 5, 1803. He had not the priv- ileges of a collegiate education, but received an honorary master's degree from Dartmouth in 1838, and that of Doctor of Divinity in 1847. He died in July, 1854, in the fifty-second year of his ministry, the very next Sabbath after he had preached a farewell sermon to his church and people and ad- ministered the communion.

The Baptist church was established by delegates from the church at Mar- low, of which it had been a part, December 28, 1787. Rev. Isaac Kinney was its first pastor. The society numbered fourteen members when organized. The first meeting-house in town stood a few rods southeast from the Knowl- ton place, then was removed and enlarged, occupying a site upon the top of the hill, a few rods west of the present location. When the present house was erected, the old one was sold and was remodeled into the dwelling now owned by the heirs of the Morse estate.

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TOWN OF SULLIVAN.

S ULLIVAN, a little north of the geographical center of Cheshire county, is bounded north by Gilsum and Stoddard, east by Stoddard and Nel- son, south by Roxbury and Keene, and west by Keene and Gilsum. The meridian of 4° 5', would pass very nearly through the center of the town. north and south. The parallel of 43° passes through Sullivan. The houses once occupied by Franklin Buckminster and Daniel Adams Nims cannot be many rods from the parallel. The surface of the town is very hilly, some of the hills attaining an altitude of several hundred feet above the level of the sea. The Seward hill, on F. A. Wilson's farm, and the Boynton hill, are about 1,600 feet above the sea, and the Hubbard hill is not much lower. The scenery from many of the farm houses is unsurpassed in beauty by any views that can be found in any country. Extravagant praises are bestowed by travelers upon scenes which please their eyes, but nothing can be finer than the landscape views of this part of New Hampshire.

Nestled among the hills are two pretty little ponds, the Bolster pond, in the northeastern part of the town, and the Chapman in the north part. The Ellis reservoir, which flows a greater portion of the Great Meadows, so-called, deserves to be mentioned in the same connection. The reservoir and Bol- ster pond are stocked with perch, pickerel, pouts, eels, and other fish ; while the Chapman pond furnishes a good variety of trout. The town contains much excellent land. Many of the farms were formerly, and some are still, in a high state of cultivation. The surface is, for the most part, rocky and uneven, and the modern agricultural appliances are used with difficulty, on that ac- count. Nevertheless, the earth is of a good quality and, where suitably tilled, yields good crops. The territory was formerly covered by a fine growth of timber, consisting of pine, spruce, hemlock, beech, birch, maple, ash, and other species. Some portions of these forests primeval still remain, especially in the northern parts of the town, but the hands of man have leveled nearly all of them, and, on the same ground, good second growths are, in many places, appearing. A branch of the Ashuelot river waters the southeast part of the town. This stream is composed of the outlet of Bolster pond, and that of the Center pond of Stoddard, augmented by another stream which is com- posed of the brook which forms the outlet of the Chapman pond increased by the waters of the Great brook, so-called, which flows through the northeast of the town. The united stream receives, a little above Goodnow's mill, the waters of the brook which forms the outlet of Munsonville pond. A few rods of the northwestern boundary are along the main stream of the Ashuelot, which here separates Sullivan from Gilsum. Hubbard brook drains the southern-central portion of the town, emptying into the north branch of the Ashuelot, and the Ferry brook drains the western portion, falling into Beaver brook, which joins the Ashuelot in Keene.

There have been several saw-mills in town, of which one propelled by steam and four by water have disappeared or ceased operations. There are now three mills, as follows :-

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TOWN OF SULLIVAN.

Austin A. Ellis's saw-mill, on road 14, was built by Asa and Atwell C. Ellis, in 1848, father and grandfather of the present proprietor, who purchased the property in 1869. Employs three men and manufactures 200,000 feet of lumber and 150,000 bucket hoops per annum.

Goodnow Bros.' saw and grist-mill, at East Sullivan, was built by Caleb Goodnow, father of the present proprietors, in 1846, and was purchased by them about twelve years ago. They manufacture about 4,000 feet of lum- ber and 5,000 toy tables per annum, and do planing and custom grinding.

Harris & Hastings's saw-mill, on road 15, was built by Dauphin Spaulding, 2d, in 1852, who sold it to George Kingsbury in 1865, and who in turn sold it to the present proprietors in 1882. They saw about 250,000 feet of lum- ber per annum.

The mechanics trades are represented by George Kingsbury, builder, and Lyman Davis, blacksmith. There were formerly in the town two grist-mills, a flouring-mill, a wheelwright shop, two shoemakers' shops, three or four blacksmiths' shop, and at least three different stores, all of which have now dis- appeared. A tannery at East Sullivan, long the chief business establishment of the town, is not now in operation. There has never been a hotel in town.

The chief occupation of the inhabitants is now, as it always has been, farming. The average amount of the crops produced may be set down at about 1,250 bushels of corn, 1,800 bushels of oats and barley, 20 bushels of peas and beans, 20 bushels of wheat (often none), usually no rye, 8,000 bush- els of potatoes, 1,500 to 2,000 tons of hay, 12,000 to 15,000 pounds of maple sugar, a few boxes of honey, forest products to the value of twelve to four- teen thousand dollars, and orchard products to the value of five or six hun- dred dollars. The live stock will average about 70 horses, 300 cattle, 1,875 sheep yielding eight to nine thousand pounds of wool, and about 40 to 50 swine. The estimated value of farm stock is about $35,000, and of slaughtered animals, $3,655. There are made annually about 12,000 pounds of butter and 550 pounds of cheese. The value of all farm products is about $55,000.

The population of the town in 1880 was 382, and the valuation $259,946. In 1884 it had five school districts and four public schools. Its five school buildings were valued, including sites, furniture, etc., at $2,200.00. There were seventy-six pupils attending these schools, fifteen of whom were pursu- ing the higher branches. The town employs four female teachers, at an aver- age monthly salary of $24.77. The entire revenue of the town for school purposes was $997.35, while the entire expense of the schools was $881.05, with Rosabell S. Rugg, superintendent.

There are two small villages in the township. The one known as Sullivan Center, frequently called the Four C. rners, or simply the Corner, owes its existence to the same fact that caused a little village to be started near the center of all of the old New England towns, the location of a meeting-house, in a central locality, about which were soon placed a shoemaker's shop, a black-

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TOWN OF SULLIVAN.

smith's shop, and a store, and near which was selected a place for the burial of the dead. At present, the center village is a mere hamlet, containing the First Congregational meeting-house, the Town Hall, and a few dwellings. The shops and the store have disappeared. The other village is at East Sul- livan. It owes its existence to a small water privilege on the branch of the Ashuelot. Here Nathaniel Mason, many years ago, built a saw and grist-mill ; and here was located a tannery and blacksmith-shop. The tannery was long in charge of Deacon A. E. Wilson, now residing in Nelson, who sold to John Symonds, who was one of the most energetic and successful business men who have ever lived in the town. During his management of the tannery, the village grew both in the number of inhabitants and the number of houses. A few years since, Mr. Symonds sold his interest in that tannery and moved to Keene to engage in a similar business. He recently died in that city, leav- ing a handsome legacy to endow the Keene Public Library, and for other pub- lic uses. He was an excellent, public-spirited man, and deserves the thanks and gratitude of the citizens of every town where he has lived, for his loyalty and devotion to their interests.

After Mr. Symonds left the tannery at East Sullivan it passed into other hands, and has changed owners several times, and has been poorly managed, and several of the townsmen have lost considerable sums of money which they have loaned to the different proprietors, with the hope that it might encour- age the industry.

The town was incorporated September 27, 1787, and took its name from His Excellency, John Sullivan, at that time the president (as the title then was) of the state of New Hampshire. It is a small township, about four and a half miles in width, by five miles in length, containing, according to later estimates, about 15,666 acres, of which something like 7,514 acres have been improved. The town was formed from portions of Stoddard, Packersfield (now Nelson), Gilsum, and Keene. The political history of the town has- been uneventful. Its town meetings have been regularly held, at stated times, from the first, without interruption, and have been characterized by harmony, dignity and good sense. The officers chosen have been generally qualified for their positions, usually remarkably so. The business has been honestly and honorably performed from year to year, and no case of dishonesty, defal- cation or fraud have cast its blight upon the community.

The town was settled at a time when nothing was to be feared from the Indians, and only two tragedies have ever disturbed the smooth and even current of social life. Each may be very properly called an accident. In- sanity, possibly aggrevated by intemperance, was undoubtedly the cause of both misfortunes. The first occurred June 16, 1829. Daniel H. Corey was an eccentric man who lived in the north part of the town, on an out of the way road, near the Gilsum line. He had a fancy that there were mines of gold and silver on his farm, and he dug a long time, to find the precious ore, but in vain. He had a mortal terror of witches; sharing a very common

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TOWN OF SULLIVAN.

belief that his black cat, like all black cats, was a witch. He often charged old women with being witches. On the day named he was unusually ungov- ernable, and his wife and children being alarmed, went to the house of a Mr. Nash, on the Gilsum side of the boundary line. Mrs. Matilda (Waters) Nash, an aged lady, thinking that she might be able to quiet him, started, with a young granddaughter, to go to his house. She took some flax in her hand, intending to ask permission to hatchel it at Mr. Corey's house. They found Corey lying down, when they entered his house. He immediately yelled "Go along, you old witch." He then got up and seized his gun. They were frightened and started for home. The girl escaped, but Mr. Corey overtook the old lady, whom he struck with such violence as to cause the barrel of his gun to come out of the stock, and she was killed almost instantly. After his arrest, he said that he had " only killed an old witch." He was lodged in Keene jail, and tried at Keene, but the jury disagreed. While still at the jail, he received some outside assistance, as is believed with the connivance of the authorities, and made his escape and went to New York state, where his family afterwards joined him, and where he eventually died.

The other tragedy created the greater excitement, because the persons con- nected with it were so well known. Mr. Enoch Woods was one of the best circumstanced and most prominent citizens of Sullivan. He was a well informed man, of good sense and judgment. In the later years of his life there can be no question that his mind became disordered. It may have been aggrevated by intemperance, but was probably in part constitutional. He had at one time as a tenant in his house a Mr. George Baker; Mr. Woods living in a part of the same house, near the meeting-house. Mr. Baker was supposed to be a particular favorite of Mr. Woods ; but when the mind has lost its balance friendships count for nothing. One day in autumn,- October 16, 1835, the community was startled as never before nor since, by learning that on that day Mr. Baker had been stabbed and killed by Mr. Woods. It appears that while laboring under a derangement. Mr. Woods had made in his blacksmith shop, a strange, large dagger, with barbed edges, of a most savage character, as it would appear for this purpose. He stationed himself near a door on the day mentioned, and as Mr. Baker was about to enter the house, either purposely or accidentally, Mr. Woods wounded him fatally. Mr. Woods was arrested and had a preliminary examination in the old meeting-house, and was held for trial and lodged in Keene jail. While waiting for the court to assemble, he hung himself in his cell with his hand- kerchief. Formerly much blame was attached to Mr. Woods, but of late years it seems to be an almost u animous opinion that he was not mentally nor morally responsible for the act, except so far as he might have refrained from intemperate habits.

As in most New England towns, the chief interest in Sullivan history cen- ters in its ecclesiastical annals. The first settlers were devout persons and at once made provision for the preaching of the gospel. According to the

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TOWN OF SULLIVAN.

fashion of the times, the town took the matter in charge and hired the preach- ers. In 1790, they raised five pounds for preaching. In 1791, they built a little plain meeting-house, of a very rude pattern. on the top of one of the highest hills in town. This year they raised six pounds, and in 1792 seven- teen pounds, for preaching. October 17, 1792, a church was organized of twenty-two members. The last survivor of these original covenanters was Mrs. Olive, widow of Capt. Samuel Seward, who died, at a great age, about 1854.

The sum raised for preaching was increased from year to year. In 1787 forty pounds were voted, and Rev. William Muzzey was hired six Sundays on probation. He eventually received a call and was ordained, February 6, 1798. The town promised to give Mr. Muzzey $500 as a settlement, to be used in building a house for him ; also to give him an annual salary of £65, and to add forty shillings a years until it amounted to £75, and thirty five cords of wood. The town appropriated $40 to defray the or- dination expenses. An ordination was then a great event and drew an as- semblage from all of the adjoining towns. Mr. Muzzey was born in Lexing- ton, Mass., May 25, 1771, and was descended from some of the best of New England families. He was graduated at Harvard university in 1793, and studied theology with Rev. J. Clark. He remained in the Sullivan church about twenty-nine years and was dismissed May 22. 1827. He then removed to his native town of Lexington, Mass., where he died, April 16, 1835. He was a dignified and scholarly man, and the church flourished greatly under his ministration. During his ministry, the second meeting-house was built, near the present town hall, and dedicated, December 29, 1808. The loca- tion of a site occasioned much difference of opinion, and several town meet- ings were called to determine the matter. This meeting-house was a good building, constructed in the fashion of the time, a nearly square structure, with two porches, one at either end, with square pews and a high pulpit. In front of the latter was the "deacons' seat," and under the pulpit was kept a large piece of lead which might be used for bullets should the town require them for its soldiers.

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Gazetteer of Cheshire County, N.H., 1736-1885, Part 47

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