USA > New Hampshire > Cheshire County > Gazetteer of Cheshire County, N.H., 1736-1885 > Part 50
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TOWN OF SULLIVAN.
ment of her granite over the spot. On the day of the dedication of the monument, a lady, unknown to all present, at the close of the service, stepped up and placed a beautiful wreath upon the monument and quickly disap- peared, no one knowing whence she came or whither she went. The body of H. D. Spaulding is buried in the national cemetery at Natchez, Miss., in grave No. 120.
July 4, 1867, the citizens of Sullivan dedicated their soldiers' monument, the first erected in the state. It is of the best Italian marble, very beautiful in design and execution. It stands near the meeting-house, on a spot pre- pared with much care and expense. It stands on a mound which rises eight feet above the common, and the monument rises fifteen feet above the mound. At the dedication, nearly all the inhabitants of the town were pres- ent. The oration was delivered by Rev. John M. Stowe, at that time the acting pastor of the First Congregational church.
There are three cemeteries in Sullivan. The first death on the soil which is now Sullivan was that of Mr. William Comstock, in 1773. The place where he was buried was selected as a site for the first burial ground, and here, for many years, all the dead were buried. There was a single exception in the case of Mr. Enoch Woods, whose body was buried in a lawn near his house. It was, also, too common a custom to bury the bodies of very young, and especially still-born, infants in fields near the dwellings of their parents. This reprehensible custom has not probably been observed for a long time. In 1858, another cemetery was opened, near and just north of the meeting- house, the first body buried in it being that of Mrs. David Nims. About the same time another cemetery was laid out at East Sullivan. The first body buried there was that of Mrs. Lucius Nims, who was buried near the spot be- fore it was decided to use the field for that purpose.
The first person born within the limits of the present town of Sullivan was James Comstock, who was baptized in 1773. The last person born before the incorporation, was probably Joseph Seward, who was born June 30, 1787. His first wife, Nancy (Heaton) Seward, was the first person born after the in- corporation of the town. Her birth was December 9, 1787. The second wife, and now the widow of Joseph Seward, Mrs. Love (Holt) Seward, is probably the oldest person in town. Mrs. Lucy (Rugg) Ellis, who died in June, 1885, in her ninetieth year, had enjoyed that honor for a long time. The widow of James Comstock, who long lived in the same house with Mrs. Ellis, had, for several years before her death, been the oldest inhabitant. The son of Mrs. Ellis, Mr. Atwell C. Ellis, was for many years the town clerk, also a clerk and deacon of the First Congregational church.
A new Library association was formed at East Sullivan, June 30, 1885, and Austin A. Ellis was made president, and T. A. Hastings, librarian. They have raised about fifty dollars for the first purchase of books.
For several years there has been a good brass band at East Sullivan, which has distinguished itself on many public occasions. The leader is Mr. Leslie 27*
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TOWN OF SURRY.
Goodnow, who is a good musician, and has taught singing considerably. His. father, Mr. Caleb Goodnow, an old and honored resident, long the proprietor of the saw and flour-mill which his sons own, is also an excellent performer on the bass viol. There was formerly considerable martial spirit in Sullivan, and the appearance of the men at the old musters and on training day, was. always very creditable. The politics of the town have always been conserv- ative. The settlers were mostly of the federal school. The Whigs, in their day, were in a great majority, and the Republican party has been greatly in the ascendant. A few represented the old Free Soil party in its day. One excellent man, Deacon Selim Frost, whose memory will be always held in pro- found respect in the town, voted that ticket, at times when he was the only person in town to do so. He lived to see the day when its underlying prin- ciples and hopes were carried into effect.
The old families are rapidly being limited to very narrow circles in Sulli -- van. The Wardwells and Sewards, once numerous, are now represented by one family each. The Nimses have always been and are still the most numer- ously represented of any name in town. The Masons once numbered many names, and are now represented by only two families. Thus the old passes away, to give place to the new. We cannot arrest the onward march of events, nor would we, if we could. We can only hope that those who oc- cupy the soil of that excellent town in the new century of their political ex- istence, which is so soon to begin, may emulate and equal the industry,. sobriety and virtues of the past inhabitants.
S URRY is one of the smaller towns of the county, lying just northeast: of the central part of the same, in lat. 43° 1' and long 4° 45', bounded north by Alstead, east by Gilsum, south by Keene, and west by Wal- pole and Westmoreland. The little town has an area of 12,212 acres, which. were severed from the towns of Gilsum and Westmoreland and incorporated into a separate township, named in honor of Surry, England, March 9, 1769. The legislature, in granting the inhabitants of the territory this privilege,. definitely stated its reasons for so doing, from which we quote the follow- ing :-
" WHEREAS, The westerly part of the township of Gilsum is separated from the easterly part of said township by a long, impassible mountain, almost through the township, dividing the same so as to leave about one-third part of the land thereof on the westerly side of said mountain, and no convenient communication can be had, and
" WHEREAS, The northeasterly part of Westmoreland, being that part of said township called Westmoreland Leg, lying a great distance from the main part of the settlement, and the passage from one part to the other being very difficult, and being very inconvenient to be joined to and incorporated with said westerly part of Gilsum, would be sufficient for one town distinct from the towns from whence they may be severed ; all of which having been repre-
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TOWN OF SURRY.
sented by a petition of the aforesaid part of Gilsum, and the facts being con- ceded to by the votes of the inhabitants of both said townships, and a plan being agreed on for the bounds of the new proposed township, and it also appearing to be of public service, tending to advance the settlement in these parts, etc."
The surface of the little valley township is exceedingly picturesque and pleasing, having within its narrow limits all the variety of valley, upland, and rugged mountain scenery. Through the center of the town, from north to south, extends the arable valley of the Ashuelot, with its gentle river, enter- ing from Gilsum in the east, winding through it. Here are located many excellent farms, making up the principal wealth of the township. On the west the valley gradually rises by a succession of swells to the highlands that form the boundary line between Surry and Westmoreland and Walpole. But on the east its rise is abrupt, terminating in Surry mountain, the barrier which led to the erection of the township. This mountain is interesting and val- uable both on account of the rugged scenery it presents and the fine view it affords, as well as for the valuable treasure it holds within its rocky recesses. The mountain rises in a succession of foot-hills, just north of the city of Keene, and gradually ascending, reaches its greatest altitude, 1,500 feet, at a point opposite the village of Surry, eight miles from its base in Keene. About a mile from the northern boundary of the town, where the Ashuelot enters from Gilsum, and, after flowing westerly to about midway between the eastern and western boundary lines, suddenly sweeps to the south, the stream cuts the mountain. In this passage it has made a canon, the descent from the mountain top to the river bed being in places almost perpendic- ular. The view from White Rock, the highest peak, is one of exceeding beauty, combining rugged sublimity with gentle picturesqueness. To the east may be seen Monadnock and Wachusett, "rearing high their fore- heads bare," and away to the north, a part of the horizon, Mts. Crawford and Washington, with the many cultivated acres between, and all imbued with the generous life of New England village, cot and hall.
But laying the scenic attributes of the mountain aside. It forms an inte- gral part of the great mineral belt extending from New Brunswick through Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont, a part of Western Massachusetts and Eastern New York, sinking at the Hudson, to appear again in South- ern Pennsylvania and Western Maryland, Virginia and North Carolina. In Surry there have been left almost in juxtaposition, deposits of gold, silver, copper and galena. The gold is associated with perites of iron, occasionally occurring as free gold, the silver in the form of black sulphurets and argentiferous galena flecked in spots with gray copper-or hidrate of silver-and the copper as corbonates, sulphurets and native, many specimens of the copper being very beautiful, occurring as leaves, fern-shaped, and minute wires interwoven with crystalline quartz. Tradition has it that the Indians knew of, and utilized, lead deposits here more than a hundred years ago, and that about that time a party of Spaniards came here and
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TOWN OF SURRY.
carried away with them gold ore. In November, 1879, however, to come down to modern facts, practical workings were begun by the Granite State Gold and Silver Mining Company, which, it is said, took out gold in pay- ing quantities. The work was vigorously pushed for several months, and a shaft sunk about a hundred feet. But whether the company failed in their expectations, or in their finances, we are unable to state. Nothing has been done for a long time, at least, in pushing the enterprise towards success.
Upon the summit of the mountain, east of the village, lies Lilly pond, a body of water covering several acres, which, from its altitude, is looked upon as an interesting natural curiosity. It has its outlet in a sparkling brook which rushes down the mountain side to unite with the Ashuelot. The river has also many other dashing tributaries here, which afford some excellent mill-privileges.
In 1880 Surry's population was 315. In 1884 the town had four school- districts and supported four common schools, the school-houses, including furniture, etc., being valued at $2,000.00. There were seventy six pupils attending these schools, taught by five female teachers during the year, each at an average monthly salary of $23.50. The entire revenue for school pur- poses was $507.84, the entire amount expended for the year being $1,031.51.
SURRY, the only post village in the township, lies in the central part of the same, upon the banks of the Ashuelot. It consists of one church, an hotel, etc., and about a dozen dwellings. The town-house is identical with the old Congregational house of worship, built in 1770, in which is also located the Reed Free Library. The latter was brought into existence by the liberality of Charles D. and Gideon F. T. Reed, the former of Philadelphia and the latter of Boston, natives of the town. They donated $5,000.00 for this pur- pose, which amount was placed in the hands of five trustees. One thousand dollars was spent for a selection of books, and the remaining $4,000.00 was placed at interest, which accumulation is used for keeping up the library and in procuring new books. The library is free to all, and is open every Satur- day from one to eight P. M. The librarian, Miss Mary E. Wilcox, receives a salary of $50.00, which is paid by the town. These brothers also liquidated the town debt, which was $5,000.00.
Harrison N. Scripture's saw and grist-mill is located on the Ashuelot, road 6. This site has been in use for the past one hundred and twenty years, and has been utilized by Mr. Scripture for the past eighteen years. He employs two men in the manufacture of shingles, lumber and pail stock, and in doing custom grinding.
John H. Rogers's saw and shingle-mill, located on road 16, utilizes the power furnished by a small tributary of the Ashuelot. It is an ancient mill- site, but adequate power is furnished only during the spring and autumn months.
Charles W. Wilcox's machine shop is located on road 2, power being fur- nished by a small tributary of the Ashuelot. The site was first used by a Mr. Locke, for cloth-dressing works.
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TOWN OF SURRY.
The first settler within the present limits of the town was Peter Hay- ward, who located here in 1764, in that part formerly known as Westmore- land Leg. He commenced clearing his farm the preceeding summer, mak- ing his home at the fort, in Keene, as he subsequently did, indeed, after his family came here. He would make the journey between the fort and his farm every night and morning, guarded by his trusty dog and gun. On one occasion, in 1775, he was obliged to hurry his family to the fort for pro- tection against the Indians, while he, with a company of men, went in pursuit of the treacherous foe, who had already killed one woman near the gate of the fort. The Indians, however, escaped, having captured one man, whom they carried to Canada. Mr. Hayward, it seems, was a dangerous and dreaded foe to the Indians. In later times of quiet, a friendly Indian said that he lay, at one time, concealed in the bushes where he saw Mr. Hayward and his dog pass by on a log. He aimed his gun first at one and then at the other, but dared not fire, knowing that if he killed either the other would certainly kill him. Another tradition of the doughty pioneer is, that he went to the battle of Bunker Hill, wearing a leather apron, and taking his dog with him ; that, on charging bayonets, after their ammunition failed, he was in the front rank with his dog. The old long rifle he used in his many hunting ex- cursions is now the property of one of his descendants, N. O. Hayward, of Gilsum. Settlers must have followed Mr. Hayward very rapidly, for in 1773 the town had a population of 208 souls.
The first town meeting was held at the residence of Jonathan Smith, Mon- day, April 10, 1769, when the following officers were elected: Peter Hay- ward, moderator ; Obadiah Wilcox, town clerk; Obadiah Wilcox, John Ma- son, and Peter Hayward, selectmen and assessors ; Nathaniel Dart, constable ; Obadiah Wilcox, town treasurer ; Abel Allen, tythingman ; Obadiah Wilcox and William Barnes, surveyors of highways; Joshua Fuller, clerk of the mar- ket ; Nathaniel Dart, leather sealer ; John Marvin, deer-reeve; Charles Rice and Jonathan Smith, Jr., hog-reeves and fence-viewers ; and Moses Dickin- son and William Hayward, field drivers. The first representative was Oba- diah Wilcox, chosen December 2, 1776, he representing Surry, Marlow and Alstead.
Among the names most familiar as having been prominent in making Sur- ry's history, may be mentioned the following: Deacon and Eli Dart (now called Dort), Moses Field, Captain Asa Wilcox, William Baxter, James Hatch, Captain Holbrook, Squire Hill, Dr. Thompson, (originator of the Thomp- sonian system), George Baxter, James Kingsbury, John Dustin, William Perkins Ezra Carpenter, Sylvester Smith, Timothy Isham, Jonathan Harvey (tavern keeper for a long time where F. A. Bolster now lives), Elijah Fuller, Elijah Norris, Rev. Perley Howe, Phineas Allen, Aaron Howard, Jonathan Robin- son, Otis Daggett, Moses Hill, James Ingalls, John McCurdy, James Britton, Philip Thomas, Jonas Pollard, David Allen, etc., while among the family names may be mentioned the Robbinses, Streeters, Fields, Sawyers, Shaws, Reddings, Hixons, Monroes, Hancocks, Austins, etc.
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TOWN OF SURRY.
Thomas Harvey came here from Hadlyme, Connecticut, about 1766, one of the earliest settlers of Surry, being located upon the farm now owned by Edward H. Joslin, on road 7. His son Jonathan and his grandson Jona- than, Jr., were both born in this town. The latter reared a family of five children, two of whom, Persis E. and George K., are living. The former lives in Keene and the latter in this town, on road 6. George K. has served in all the town offices, was town representative in 1866-67 and 1879, and was elected state senator in 1882. He has been a justice of the peace twenty years, and is a member of the board of the State Agricultural Society. He married Sarah, daughter of Hollis Wilcox, and has had born to him five children, one of whom died in the winter of 1883. Of the others, James is a student of Dartmouth Agricultural college, John is a clerk for Wilkin- son & McGregor, of Keene, and the other two remain at home.
Obadiah Wilcox, from Connecticut, was the first town clerk of Surry. His son Gaylord was born here, reared a family of four children, two of whom are now living, and died in 1815. His daughter, Mrs. Elmira March, resides in Gilsum, and his son, Hollis, lives here upon the place where he was born in 1810, on road 6. He was town representative in 1845, '47 and '75, town clerk in 1860, '61 and '73, town treasurer in 1842, '61 and '71, and selectman in 1835, '36, '43, '44, '50, '51, '55, '56, '63, '72, '73 '74. He mar- ried Thankful, daughter of Jeremiah Robbins, who bore him six children, four of whom are living. Two sons, George H. and Wallace W., live in Chi- cago, Ill. His daughter, Alice L., married Charles Wadkins, and resides in Walpole. N. H., and Sarah L. married George K. Harvey and resides on road 6.
Asa Wilcox, a soldier in the Revolution, was one of nine children who came here from Hebron, Conn., about 1765. He kept a hotel here several years, and his son Asa, and his grandson George, were both born here. The latter was a carriage maker and painter, and reared a family of six children, only three of whom are living. They are Nancy A., who married Jackson Reed and lives off road 2, Mary E., who lives on road 2, and Charles W., a carriage maker, also on road 2. George Wilcox was married three times, and his third wife survives him.
William Carpenter was a son of Ezra, who was born in this town, and the grandson of Jedediah, who came here from Rehoboth, Mass. He married Abigail White, of Gilsum, and reared a family of fifteen children, eight sons and seven daughters, fourteen of whom, are living, viz .: Luman M., Josephine A., Ellen M., Jasper H., Mason A., Frank D. W., Eugene R., Hattie R., Marietta C., Flora A., Merrill D., Fred R., Myra A., and Martha. John H. died in infancy. Luman M. lives on road 13, is a farmer, first selectman and has one son. Mason A. lives on road 14, is a farmer, has been selectman, is now town treasurer, and has three children. Frank D. W. has always been a farmer, lives on the Isaac Brown place, on road 6, and has two chil- dren. Martha is single and lives at home with her father and mother,
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who are respectively seventy-two and sixty-five years of age. Merrill D. is a. farmer, lives on road 6, and has on child.
Augustus Johnson, a native of Alstead, came here in 1817, and first lo- cated upon the farm known as the Chase place, but lived for a number of years before his death upon the farm now owned by his son John, on road 6. He reared a family of nine children, seven of whom are living. Of these, Charles lives on road 6, is a retired farmer, and was a shoemaker fifteen years. Mary married E. T. Wilson and lives in Gilsum. George lives in Illinois, Sophia is a widow and lives in Kansas, Betsey in Missouri, Henry in Indiana, and John in this town. The latter is a native of Langdon, N. H., and came here with his father when very young. He remained at home until twenty-one years of age, then went to work on the Erie canal, running a line boat from Albany to Buffalo, after which he returned to Surry and kept a hotel for six years, being postmaster during the same time. He served twenty years as engineer on the Boston & Providence R. R., and since then, for the past fourteen years, he has lived in Surry, on the farm where his father died. He married twice, first Sarah Humphrey, who bore him five children, two of whom are living. His second wife, Mrs. Helen M. Purcell, of Adams, was a widow with three children. Their only child, a son, re- mains at home.
Henry T. Ellis, born in Concord, Vt., in 1808, was the third child and oldest son of Archelaus Ellis, who had a family of seven children. He went to Keene at the age of twenty-one where he remained five years. From there he went to Vergennes, Vt., and was engaged in the manufacture of pails seven years. He returned to Surry in 1840, locating on the place where he now lives, on road 16. He has been selectman sixteen years, and was town representative in 1855-'56. He married twice, first Almira Blake, of Keene, who bore him five children, only one of whom, Mrs. J. R. Holman, of Hinsdale, N. H., is living. His second wife is Sarah, daughter of Eliphaz Field, who has borne him twelve children, only four of whom are living. They are Mrs. Sarah Cook, of Brattleboro, Vt., Susan F. and Mary E., who remain at home, and Frank E., who lives near his old home, on road 16.
Dr. William H. Porter was born in Morristown, Vt., the son of Dr. Vine Porter, subsequently a practicing physician in Walpole, N. H., moving there when William was but three years of age. The latter was of a family of five sons, all of whom are living. The oldest son, Winslow B., is a physician, Samuel H. a farmer, and George P. a merchant in Walpole. James H. is in Chicago, in the Michigan Central R. R. office. William H. received a common school education while in Walpole, attended the academy at Saxton's River, Vt., and received his medical education at Harvard and Worcester, being a graduate of Worcester Medical college. After graduating he prac- ticed a year with his brother, Winslow B., in Walpole, and then came to Surry, where he has followed his profession for the past thirty years. He has been school committee six years, town clerk twenty-four years, town treasurer
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ten years, and selectman two years. He represented his town in 1868-'69, and is at present postmaster, which position he has held for the last sixteen years. He married Clementine R. Balch, of Johnson, Vt., who has borne him four children, three of whom, one son and two daughters, are living, all at home.
Jonathan Robinson came from Boxford, Mass., to Surry, and settled at the center of the town, about 1790. He kept the hotel, store, and had also a farm. He was one of the principal men of the town, and died here. He had two sons and seven daughters. Samuel, one of his sons, born in 1786, married Nancy Harvey, of Alstead, lived with his father, and carried on the hotel, store and farm until about 1843, when he went to Keene, where he died in 1869. He represented the town for several years in the state legis- lature, was selectman and postmaster. He had seven children, one son and six daughters, Abigail, Elizabeth, Emily, Edna, Susan J., Nancy, Samuel, and Mary, four of whom are living. Elijah Holbrook, an early settler in Alstead, had three children, Francis, Abigail and Stephen. Francis married Hannah Wood, of that town, and moved to Surry, settling in the north part of the town. He kept a hotel and also carried on farming. He was a prominent man of the town, was councilor under Governor Hubbard, represented the town several terms, and also held the several town offices. He died here in 1855. He had a family of four children, two sons and two daughters. Of these, Mary is living in Troy, N. Y., the wife of S. B. Harvey ; Persis L., deceased, married Alba Daniels ; Elijah married Abigail Robinson, daughter of Samuel, and lived in Surry a number of years, then went to Keene, where he died, and two of his sons, George E. and S. F., are now living there. George W. married Susan J. Robinson, daughter of Samuel, of Surry. The latter lived with his father on the old place, and after his father's death he moved to Keene, where he was engaged in the mercantile business with William Kilburn. He was with Kilburn about two years, when he retired from the firm. About a year after he went into the wholesale and retail grocery and feed store, (where N. G. Gurnsey & Son's now are), with George E. Holbrook, remaining three years, when he gave up business. He represented the town of Surry for several terms in the legislature, was high sheriff of the county, and was selectman of the town. He was well known in the county, was very social and courteous. He died May 9, 1877. His widow now lives in Keene.
David Reed came here from Rockville, Ill., in 1751. He married twice, his first wife being Lucy Thayer, who bore him nine children, three of whom are living-Charles D., who resides in Philadelphia, in the boot and shoe busi- ness ; Maria L. (Mrs M. L. Jackson), who also lives in Philadelphia; and Gideon F. T., a retired jeweler, in Boston. Charles D. and Gideon F. T. do- nated $5,000.00 for a public library, and also paid a town debt of $5,000.00 for Surry. David Reed's second wife was Lucinda Knight, of Lancaster, N. H., who bore him eight children, one of whom died in infancy. The others are Francis H., Harvey H., Hubbard, Mary E., Missouri, Jackson, and New-
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