Gazetteer of Grafton county, N. H. 1709-1886, Part 25

Author: Child, Hamilton, 1836- comp. cn
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: Syracuse, N. Y., Syracuse Journal Company, Printers
Number of Pages: 1266

USA > New Hampshire > Grafton County > Gazetteer of Grafton county, N. H. 1709-1886 > Part 25

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Peter Howe, a Revolutionary soldier, moved to Landaff when his son Dan- iel was but seven years of age. The latter located in the northern part of Benton, about 1809, and cleared the farm now occupied by his son Daniel M. Of his five sons and three daughters, Samuel and Daniel M. live in Ben- ton, Susanne (Mrs. D. K. Davis) and Lydia (Mrs. J. A. Clark) live in Hav-

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TOWN OF BENTON.

erhill, Timothy E. is in Lisbon, and Julia A. (Mrs. J. G. Drew) resides in Easton. Daniel M., who served in the Rebellion, married Susan J. Clough of Lisbon, and has three sons and one daughter, namely, Kendrick L., Paul M., Sam, and Kate S. Samuel Howe married Merab, daughter of Samuel Royce, of Haverhill, and has two sons and four daughters.

William Keyser, was a farmer and cooper, and came to Benton, from Northfield, N. H., in March, 1827. In 1830, he bought land where no clear- ing had been made, and put up a log cabin where the dwelling of his son, James H., now stands. He died here in March 1865. He had born to him six children, four of whom are living. James H. has been a lumberman and a farmer, and has served as town clerk, selectman, etc. He married Eliza A. Poor, and has three daughters and one son, Bion C. Charles B. Keyser served as selectman in 1862, '63, and in 1877 and '78. He married Mary A., daughter of Jeremiah B. Davis, an early settler, who did much of the own business, and who was also a school teacher here.

Samuel Mann, a native of New Haven, Conn., mnoved to Landaff when seven years of age, and came to Benton in March, 1835. He bought the farm where George W. now lives, and married Mary Howe. He died in 1842, aged seventy years, and his widow died November 15, 1866, aged eighty-six years. George W., the youngest of his eight sons, was born in Landaff, Feb- ruary 20, 1821, spent his early life in farming, and, in 1853, became engaged in his present business as a contractor and builder. He was first chosen to a town office in 1844, then being collector of taxes five years, became one of the selectmen in 1846, serving eight years, has been justice of the peace for thirty years, school superintendent ten years, and town clerk four years. He was town representative in 1857, '60, '75, '76, '80, '81, '82 and '83, and was a member of the constitutional convention in 1876. In the local militia he began in 1838, and rose to the rank of captain. Whatever office he held he filled with credit, taking the same pains to serve his constituents' interests that he would his own, and in the legislature showed that he was there to act as well as to vote. At the close of the legislative session of 1883 we was presented with a gold-headed cane and a pair of gold-bowed eye-glasses by his fellow members of the House. He has attended thirty-four State Demo- cratic conventions. He has married twice, first, Susan M. Whitcher, April 13, 1843, who bore him five sons, and died October 6, 1854; and second, Sarah T. Bisbee, March 4, 1855, and has had born to him three sons and two daughters. Of these children, Ezra B. is a druggist in Woodsville ; Ed- ward F. is assistant superintendent of the White Mountain, Montpelier & Wells River, St. Johnsbury & L. C. divisions of the Boston & Lowell rail- road; Geo. H. is a conductor on the Boston & Lowell R. R .; Orman I. is a farmer in Benton ; Osman C. died at the age of eighteen years; Melvin J. is a conductor on the Boston & Lowell railroad ; Hosea B. is also a conductor on the same road; Susan M., a graduate of the New Hampshire

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TOWN OF BETHLEHEM.

Normal school. is a school teacher ; Minnie S. is also a school teacher, and Moses B. is a graduate of the New Hampshire Agricultural college.

Solomon, Levi, Asa, Samuel, Lemuel, Isaac and David Parker, brothers, were among the earliest settlers of Lyman, and were the ancestors of most of the Parker family, of the northern part of Grafton county. Prescott Par- ker, son of Prescott, Sr., and grandson of Solomon Parker, was born in Bath, in 1821, and brought up in Lyman. He came to Benton in 1855, where he has since lived. He has filled various offices, was town representative in 1877-78, and served as selectman in 1873, '74 and '79. He married Maria A. Fitzpatrick, and has three children, namely, Lebina H. and Dora A., of Benton, and Frank B., of Bath.

Pardon W. Allen located in Benton in 1875, engaging in the lumber business, built and opened the first store ever kept in town. This store, with two dwellings, a shop, two saw-mills and other buildings to the number of ten, were destroyed by fire September 17, 1883. Mr. Allen has been town clerk seven years, and school superintendent five years. He served three years and eleven months in the late war. having enlisted before his four- teenth birthday, and received a severe wound by an exploding shell at the battle of Spottsylvania Court House. He married Dorcas, daughter of Samuel Howe, of this town.

George E. White was born in Halifax, N. S., and moved to Massachusetts at the age of seventeen years. He enlisted in the 3d Mass. Cav., served in the last years of the war, and after its close engaged in an expedition against the Western Indians. He came to Benton in March, 1875, and engaged in farming. He married Deborah Hilt. of Hope, Me., October, 1868, at Lowell, Mass.

The meeting-house, located in the northern part of the town, was erected as a union house of worship in 1846, at a cost of $1,180.00, though it has once been extensively repaired. It is not now occupied by stated services, though meetings are held there frequently by appointment.

B ETHLEHEM lies in the extreme northern part of the county, in lat 44° 14' and long. 71° 45 , bounded north and east by the county line, south by Livermore, Franconia and Lisbon, and west by Littleton. The territory, or at least the principal part of it, was originally granted by Gov. John Wentworth, under the name of Lloyd Hills ; but exactly to whom, and under what date, it is impossible to state. We know, however, that Holland's map of New Hampshire gives place for a township designated as Lloyd Hills, which occupied a considerable part of what is now Bethlehem. The book of charters in the secretary of State's office contains nothing of this township of Lloyd Hills, except one reference to it as a boundary of another town. Some light is thrown upon the history of this grant, however,

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TOWN OF BETHLEHEM.

by two documents which have not until recently been accessible to the public, viz. : First, the manuscript of a lecture on "The Early History and Geography of Littleton and the Vicinity," by the late Dr. Adams Moore, the historian of that town, and which is now in the possession of the Littleton committee on town history. The following passages in this lecture relate to Lloyd Hills :-

"His [Gov. John Wentworth's] last official act was to dissolve the colonial legislature and retire to the Isle of Shoals, from whence he embarked finally for England. Some years after, somebody wrote him a letter of inquiry re- specting a charter covering most of the town of Bethlehem, called Lloyd Hills. It appears by the charter of Whitefield that that town was bounded on the southwest by a town with that name. Some person interested in land matters, finding no record of it in the office of the secretary of State, wrote to Governor Wentworth, who, it appears, lived at a place called Hammer- smith. I have seen his answer, which, from sinister motives, was kept rather private, as it was a key to some land disputes, and if seen would operate against the parties holding it. It contained a correct plan of the town of

Lloyd Hills, now Bethlehem. The Ammonoosuc river [was] laid down with great accuracy,-the line between that town and this [Littleton] distinctly placed as crossing a certain bend in the river, near the Alder brook mills, where the proprietors of this town have supposed it to be, but from which they have been crowded back this way about fifty rods. The survey pur- ported to have been made in 1774, by W. Coleman, who had surveyed this town [then Apthorp] four years before. The Governor must have taken from this country a book of plans of all these townships, furnished him by the deputy surveyors of his time, which would unravel the snarls of many a lawsuit, passed and perhaps to come."

Second, the following matter relating to Lloyd Hills was copied by Philip C. Wilkins, of Littleton, at Portsmouth, August 8. 1850, from a paper pur- porting to be the original, in the handwriting of Gov. John Wentworth. It was in the possession of council in a court then pending in Portsmouth rela- tive to lands in Bethlehem. One of these council was the late Ira Goodall, of Bath. The great mass of his professional papers were sold to paper- makers in the time of the civil war, and it is not improbable that the original of Governor Wentworth's Lloyd Hills communication was thus destroyed. However that may be, no one appears to have known of its existence in recent years. Mr. Wilkins's record of surveys, Vol, I, pp. 263, 264, 265, 266, contains his memoranda and copy, which are substantially as follows:

" Province of Portsmouth, 3d

New Hampshire,

January, 1774.

" This certifies that this plan, beginning at a beech tree, standing in the northwesterly line of Greenthwaite, which is the southwesterly corner of Apthorp; [thence running south 572° east, two miles and fifty-six rods, to a spruce tree, which is the northeasterly corner of Greenthwaite ;] thence south 58° east, three miles and 264 rods, to a birch tree; thence north 56° east, five miles and 162 rods, to Britton Woods, so-called, (now the town of Carroll) ; thence by said Britton Woods, north one mile and twenty-five rods, to a stake; thence north 58° west, five miles and ten rods, to a fir tree ;

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TOWN OF BETHLEHEM.

thence south 56 west, six miles and one-half, to the bounds begun at, con- taining 22,760 acres, is known by an original plan or survey of said tract or township as retained to me by Dudley Coleman, deputy surveyor.

"Attest : JAMES RINDGE, S. G."

" It is certified that the within described land in the Province of New Hampshire was surveyed to Joseph Loring and others by authority of Gov- ernment, part by his Majesty's mandamus and part on condition of settle- ment and cultivation, and that the grant of said lands was called in council according to the usual forms ; also that an order was issued to the secretary of the said Province, for engrossing the patent, but I cannot recollect whether the patent was perfected, although the said tract of land was actually granted, and I do remember that about 20,000 acres was the property of Mr. Loring and that the township was named Lloyd Hills.

Hammersmith, 15 June, 1783.

"J. WENTWORTH."

In November, 1798, the inhabitants of Lloyd Hills, then "called Bethle- hem," petitioned the legislature for an act of incorporation for the said town- ship, as follows :-

" The petition of the inhabitants of a place called Bethlehem, in the county of Grafton, in the State of New Hampshire, humbly shewveth, that whereas the said inhabitants are settled on a tract of land formerly belonging to said State and lalely sold by order of said State, for the purpose of making and repair- ing the road from Conway to the Upper Coos, and down Ammonoosuc river to Littleton, and that the number of settlers being increased to more than forty, it becomes highly necessary for the peace and good order and prosperity of the said inhabitants, that they be vested with lawful authority to govern them- selves and transact such business as respects them as a people, which is nearly impossible to be done without-therefore the said people of Bethlehem, from the above consideration, sincerely pray the honorable court that so much of the aforesaid land be formed into a town and incorporated by the name of Bethlehem, as lies between the following towns and adjoining the said tract of State land : Littleton on the west, Whitefield on the north, Britton Woods on the east, and Franconia and Concord on the south, containing about 27,- ooo acres ; and as in duty bound will ever pray.

NATHANIEL SNOW, Committee AMOS WHEELER, for

STEPHEN HOUGHTON, Bethlehem."

In the House of Representatives, December 1, 1798, a hearing for the doc- ument was ordered for the next session ; meanwhile notice was to be given. The senate having concurred in the matter, the town was incorporated on December 25, 1799, the act of incorporation fixing its bounds as follows :-

"Beginning as the northeast corner of Franconia, thence running north 58 west about nine miles and three-fourths of a mile to the southeasterly corner of Littleton ; thence north 56° east, about six miles and one-half, to the southwesterly corner of Whitefield; thence south 58 east, about five miles and ten rods, to the line of Britton Woods ; thence southwardly about three miles and thirty rods, on the line of Britton Woods to the southwest cor- ner of said Britton Woods ; thence on a straight line about three miles and one hundred rods, to the bounds first mentioned."

Thus the township exists to-day, except that a tract of land lying east of the town and south of the town of Carroll in Coos county was annexed to

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TOWN OF BETHLEHEM.

Bethlehem in 1849, and in 1873 an additional large tract of wild land, ex- tending to the line of Carroll county, was annexed, so that the area of the township is now 31, 154 acres, of which 10,955 acres is improved land.

The surface of the town is broken and rough, forming an endless variety of the most beautiful scenery. The principal streams are the Great Ammonoo- suc and Gale rivers, the former flowing in a westerly course through the northern part of the town and the latter flowing south into Franconia ; there are, however, several other streams of considerable importance. The prin- cipal mountain peaks are Mt. Agassiz, formerly known as Peaked Hill, and Round Mountain, near Bethlehem village, the former located nearest the vil- lage, though having a slightly lower altitude than the latter, is the most noted and affords one of the finest views in the White Mountains. It has an alti- tude of 2,390 feet and was named in honor of the celebrated Swiss natural- ist. The mountain is under the control of Milo J. Corliss, who has con- structed a carriage-way to its summit, on which he has erected an observa- tory. As it is claimed by some authorities that there is no other point in this section from which such an extended view may be obtained, we quote the following description thereof from Osgood's " White Mountains :"-

" About seven miles distant across the densely wooded valley of Gale river, a little east of south, is the thin and craggy crest of Mt. Lafayette, whose immense spurs and foot hills run far out over the wilderness. On its right flank is the rugged mass of Eagle cliff, with the deep gorge of the Fran- conia notch adjoining, and apparently blocked up by the low Bald mountain. Next comes the massive and round-topped ridge of Mt. Cannon, flanked by the sharp and rolling summit of Kinsman. Nearly south-south-west, up the long Landaff valley, is the high top of Moosilauke; and on the right, much nearer, are Ore hill and Sugar hill. More to the west is the long and monotonous range of Mt. Gardner, which occupies parts of four townships. Far beyond, along the horizon, is a line of blue peaks in Vermont extending for scores of leagues down the Green Mountain range. Among these Camel's Hump is seen nearly west-north-west, and the high plateau of Mt. Mansfield is more to the right, with Mt. Elmore apparently adjoining it. In this direc- tion, but close at hand below, are the hotels of Bethlehem, beyond and above which is the larger village of Littleton, with the high-school and the Oak Hill House on the heights. The Scythe-factory village runs to the east from Littleton along the Ammonoosuc, and Mann's hills are seen beyond to the right, over which is a distant mountain which may be Jay Peak. About due north, across the Amonoosuc valley, is Dalton Mount, at whose foot is a bright lake shining among the forests. Portions of the great ranges towards Willoughby lake are seen far beyond, with the mountains near the Connecti- cut river. The view now passes over the plains of Whitefield, bordered on the north by Martin-Meadow hills, and the round summits of Mts. Pleasant and Prospect. Over the saddle between the latter two runs the Lancaster highway, and Cape Horn is seen beyond. Nearer at hand is Kimball hill in Whitefield, and over the right flank of Prospect are the two white domes of the Percy peaks, backed by the long Stratford and Bowback Mounts. The blue lines of the Pilot Mounts extend to the right, and towards the northeast is the white village of Jefferson Hill, at the foot of Mount Starr King. The black mass of Cherry Mount is more to the right, and much nearer, and fills

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TOWN OF BETHLEHEM.

a long section of the horizon. Then, nearly east-north-east, the view rests on the sharp and lofty pyramids of Mounts Jefferson and Adams, flanked by the rough ridge of Clay ; and then the imposing crest of Washington appears. with portions of the railroad, the white station buildings, and the Summit House. To the east, down the long Ammonoosuc Valley, is the Twin Mountain House, while beyond rise the peaks which run from Mt. Washing- ton to the Notch, Monroe, Franklin, Pleasant, and Clinton. Then come the huge and far-extending Twin Mountains, six to eight miles distant, and not far from southeast. Close to Agassiz is the wooded top of Round hill, over which appears the boldly cut peak of the Haystack (now Mt. Garfield) rest- ing to the right on Lafayette."

Among the elevations in the eastern part of the town are Hall, Osceola, Tom, Field and Willard peaks.

In 1880 Bethlehem had a population of 1,400 souls. In. 1885 the town had nine school districts, eleven common schools, and one graded school. Its ten school-houses where valued, including furniture, etc., at $7, 100.00. There were 329 children attending school, thirty of whom were pursuing the higher grades, taught during the year by four male and fifteen female teachers, at an average monthly salary of $38.50 for males, and $21.90 for females. The entire amount raised for school purposes during the year was $1,897.60, while the expenditures were $1,841.16, with Rev. D. J. Smith, superintendent.

BETHLEHEM VILLAGE, or Bethlehem Street, as it is usually called by the in- habitants, is located for about two miles along one broad street in the west- ern part of the town, having an altitude of nearly 1,500 feet above the level of the sea. Small though this village is, however, it is almost as universally known as that other rural locality of the same name in that distant Eastern clime. It occupies a position on a broad terrace near the summit of the mountain range which is bounded by the Ammonoosuc and Gale river val- leys, facing the cool north and the wide strath which opens into the Connec- ticut valley, and is now one of the foremost summer-resorts of America. There are several villages in the Carolinas which are higher above the sea, but they are nearer the equator, and also more closely environed by highlands ; so that Bethlehem's urgent claims for superior coolness based on altitude may still hold good. The hay-fever unfortunates also find here a safe refuge, and convene their national assemblies on these heights without fear of sneezing, save when, on rare occasions, the south winds blow through Franconia notch. The view of the Presidential range from this long street is one of the best imaginable, being at the true artistic point of distance, and showing forth magnificent effects under the lights of morning and evening. The village has been made very accessible by the construction of a narrow-gauge railway, diverging from the Boston & Lowell line at Bethlehem Junction, and ascend- ing the heights for about three miles, having its terminus in the vicinity of the chief hotels.

And yet upon the plateau on which stands this "Star Village of the White Hills," the "Sneezers Paradise," only a small wayside inn and a straggling farm-house or two were the signs of human habitation presented to the vision

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TOWN OF BETHLEHEM.

of that poetical and sympathetic lover of nature, Star King, when he visited the region thirty years ago ; but his penetrating eye discovered that the site was one that must some day become the locale of a thriving mountain vil- lage. It is but five miles east of Littleton, for many years the railroad ter- minus of the western side of the White Mountains ; and referring to the high- way between the two villages that delightful writer remarks: "The pecul- iarity of this approach to the mountains is that the highest ranges are seen first of all. The ride from Littleton to Bethlehem brings into full view the whole extent of the White Mountain range and also the grand outlines of Mt. Lafayette and its neighboring peaks. And it is a great pity that Bethlehem is not one of the prominent stopping places for travelers who seek the moun_ tain region. No village commands so grand a panoramic view. The whole horizon is fretted with mountains." It was not till a half a dozen years after these words were written that the first step was made to take advantage of the position which was here presented for a healthful and delightful summer re- sort, and like many other of the world's events, this village may be said to owe its origin to an accident. The overturning of a carriage, which had al- most been attended with fatal results to some members of the family of a Providence gentleman, since favorably known as ex-Governor Henry Howard, of Rhode Island, necessitated a stay of some weeks at the little wayside inn already spoken of; and he was then so greatly impressed with the truthful- ness of Starr King's remarks that he not only soon after returned for a further sojourn in this bracing atmosphere, but became the purchaser of a considera. ble tract of land, and the foundation was soon laid of what has become one of the most popular resorts of this mountain region.

Isaac S. Cruft has also done much for the growth and prosperity of Beth- lehem. Some years after Governor Howard's purchase, Mr. Cruft, a wealthy citizen of Boston, secured the Maplewood and became equally interested in property at the eastern end of the village. To these two gentlemen Beth- lehem owes much, we might almost say that it ows everything. By personal application and pecuniary expenditure they raised the little hamlet to a noble summer resort, whose name is known in every corner of our great country -the exertions of the one leading to boarding-house after boarding-house being erected on or near the "Street," while those of the other have tended to the crection of one of the greatest and best of mountain hostelries. Mr. Cruft was b. rn in Boston in 1824, and for many years was engaged in mer- cantile pursuits, giving up active business, mainly, about 1865. His nephew, General George T. Cruft, who has charge of the property here, came to Bethlehem in 1873, and has made the town his home since. He was born at Lexington in 1844. General Cruft is a strong Republican and first voted here in 1876. In 1878 he was appointed State quartermaster-general, under Governor Natt Head, ranking as brigadier-general. He is postmaster at Maplewood, is a justice of the peace, notary public, etc.

The village now possesses about thirty hotels and boarding-houses ; Prot-

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TOWN OF BETHLEHEM.

estant Episcopal, Methodist and Congregational churches ; a public hall, stores, cafés, etc., and is supplied with water from reservoirs situated on neighboring hills; while three miles of plank walks permit pedestrian exer- cise to be taken without fear of wet feet, even after a refreshing shower. Every point of interest in the Mountains can be brought within a day's excur- sion either by road or rail, and there are pleasant half-day rides to places in the more immediate vicinity, such as Howland's Observatory, Round Moun- tain, Echo Farm, Around the Heater, Cherry Valley, etc., while Mount Agassiz, Cruft's Ledge and Strawberry Hill are within comfortable walk- ing distance. The following brief description of several of the more im- portant of the hotels and boarding-houses gives a fair idea of the village's facilities afforded by the village as a summer resort :-

Maplewood Hotel, O. D. Seavey, is the handsomest and one of the most extensive erections of its kind in the mountains, having accommodations, with the private cottages in connection, for over 500 guests. This elegant establishment possesses a large hall for entertainments, etc., has an elevator, is lighted with gas and electricity, is perfectly drained, has the Presidential and Northern ranges of mountains in full view, and is located within beau- tiful grounds, 800 acres in extent, comprising observatory, wooded walks, etc. It has post and express offices of its own, and a depot on the narrow gauge branch, midway between Bethlehem and the Bethlehem and Profile junction,

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Gazetteer of Grafton county, N. H. 1709-1886, Part 25

Author: Child, Hamilton, 1836- comp. cn Publication date: 1886 Publisher: Syracuse, N. Y., Syracuse Journal Company, Printers Number of Pages: 1266

Author: Child, Hamilton, 1836- comp. cn
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: Syracuse, N. Y., Syracuse Journal Company, Printers
Number of Pages: 1266