Gazetteer of Grafton county, N. H. 1709-1886, Part 43

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 43

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

Horatio N. Bryer, son of Clark and Mary (Hall) Bryer, was born in Groton, in 1853, and married Mary E. Cummings, in 1876. Mr. Bryer owns and occupies the H. U. Hall place, on road 13, a farm of seventy-five acres, with valuable mica mines in prospect.

Ira Wheeler, son of William and Annie (Davis) Wheeler, was born at Sut- ton, N. H., in 1826, moved to Orange when two years of age, and after liv- ing there a number of years, came to Groton. He married twice, first, Har- riet E. Holt in 1852, who bore him one son and two daughters, as follows : Alferetta (Mrs. E. K. Follansbee), of Hebron ; Susan J. (Mrs. Charles Thisell) ; and Martin, now deceased. Mr. Wheeler's first wife died in 1875, and for his second wife he married Lizzie E., daughter of Rufus and Martha Hazelton, in 1878, and has one daughter, Anna May, born in 1883.

Dr. George A. Blodgett, son of Asahel and Sally (Clough) Blodgett, was born in 1855, attended school at New Hampton and Harvard, and graduated from Dartmouth in 1884. He married Ellen D., daughter of Rufus B. and Martha Hazelton in 1883. Dr. Blodgett bought out D. John C. Wheet, at South Groton.

Ebenezer Butterfield married Lucy Hobart in 1811. He came to Groton and located on Kimball hill. His children were as follows : Lucy (Mrs. J. T. Reed), Clarissa A. (Mrs. S. Fish), who died in 1852, Lydia H. (Mrs. D. Estey), of Groton, Fanny O. (Mrs. Noah L. Jewell), Ebenezer B., born in 1821, and Sarah (Mrs. Renssellaer Kendall), who died in 1858. Ebenezer B. married Aurilla E., daughter of Lemuel and Philinda (Hastings) Kendall, in 1847, and has had born to him two sons and five daughters, as follows : Lucia E., born in 1848, died in 1852 ; Eva A., born in 1849, died in infancy ; Edward, born 1850, died in 1852 ; Eva E. (Mrs. Alvin Goodhue), of Groton . Addie T. (Mrs. G. H. Bailey), of Groton; Ida A. (Mrs. Albert Hobart) ; and Frank, born in 1857. The last mentioned married Anna M., daughter of Benjamin and Mary L. (Wheeler) Jewell, in 1884, and has one son, Hu- bert F. Mr. Butterfield resides road on 15.

William F. Simpson, son of Capt. Edward and Harriet M. (Johnson) Simp- son, was born at Middle Haddam, Conn., in 1848, and when twenty-one years of age engaged in the coal trade and mining at Newburyport and Low- ell. He came to Groton in 1878, became superintendent of the Hartford Mica Company's mines and is now superintendent of the Valencia Mica Co.'s mines, at North Groton. He married Abbie J., daughter of Capt. J. H. and

295

TOWN OF HANOVER.

Clarissa A. (Russell) Sheldon, June 20, 1880, and has one son, William Ed- ward, born July 28, 1881. Mr. Simpson resides at Brookside cottage, on road 52.

Daniel Kidder, son of John and Betsey Kidder, was born in 1838, learned the machinist trade, and worked at Ashland, Natick, Boston and Franklin. I: 1868, he became master mechanic on the Mt. Washington railroad. The first locomotive for that road was built under his supervision, and run by him the first two years. He belonged to the firm of Aiken, Wilton & Kidder, manufacturers of surgical instruments, has had a shop at North Gro- ton, and is now master mechanic of the Whitefield & Jefferson railroad, and of Brown's Lumber Company. He married Emeline F. Hardy in 1862, has one son and one daughter, Fred and Ada, and resides at North Groton.

Charles G. Kidder, son of Jonathan and Mary (Dimond) Kidder, was born at Dorchester in 1844, married Lucinda B., daughter of Benjamin and Sarah A. (Kimball) Davis, in 1867, and has one son, George Davis, born in 1881.

Congregational church .- A Congregational church was formed here in 1779, over which Rev. Samuel Perley, a graduate of Dartmouth in 1763, was settled and remained until 1735. The society flourished for a long time, but finally becanie a part of the Hebron charge.

The Union church at North Groton was built by persons of the Congrega- tional, Baptist, Free Will Baptist and Methodist denominations, in 1840. It is a neat wooden structure capable of seating 200 persons and is valued, in- cluding grounds, at $2,000.00.

H ANOVER lies in the southwestern part of the county, in lat. 43 45 and long. 71° 7', bounded north by Lyme, east by Canaan, south by Lebanon, and west by the west bank of Connecticut river. This town was one of a block of four granted by Governor Benning Wentworth to per- sons from Connecticut, July 4, 1761, in consequence of a petition presented in December, 1760, by Edmund Freeman and Joseph Storrs in behalf of themselves and about 240 others. The other towns of the block were Leb- anon, Hartford and Norwich, the last two being separated from the others by the Connecticut river, and now included within the limits of Vermont. The grantees of Hanover were as follows :-

Daniel Allen, *Prince Freeman,

Samuel Storrs,

Phineas Allen,

*Jonathan Freeman,

Eleazur Stoddard,

Herman Atwood,

*Otis Freeman,

Philip Squire,

Peter Aspenwall,

Steven Freeman,

John Walbridge,

Peter Aspenwall, Jr., Prince Aspenwall,

William Farwell,

* Deliverance Woodward,

Samuel Herrick,

*William Woodward,

* Became actual settlers.

296

TOWN OF HANOVER.

Elisha Adams,

Joseph Habele, Jr.,

Elijah Walcott,

Oliver Barker,

*John House,

Steven Walcott,

John Bissell.

Ebenezer Jones,

Moses Walcott,

Abraham Blackham, Jr., Noah Jones,

*John Wright, Jr.,

William Cary,

William Johnson,

Nathaniel Wright,

*Jonathan Curtiss,

John Parker,

Nathaniel Hopkins,

Malachi Conant,

David Richardson,

+Hon. John Deming, Esq.

Ebenezer Dunham, Jr.,

Amos Richardson, Jr.,

+Lampson Sheafe, Esq.,

Edmund Freeman,

Ozias Strong,

Edmund Freeman, Jr.,

Joshua Sherwin,

+Maj. John Wentworth, +George March,

*Edmund Freeman, 3d, John Sherwin,

+Dr. Matthew Thornton,

Nathaniel Freeman, Joseph Storrs,

+Col. Joseph Smith,

Nathaniel Freeman, Jr., Joseph Storrs, Jr.,

+Maj Joseph Smith,

Sylvanus Freeman, Jr., Huckins Storrs,

tJohn Knight.

*Russell Freeman. Huckins Storrs, Jr.,

In surface contour Hanover is a handsomely diversifid town, like most of those bordering on the Connecticut. In the eastern part, extending entirely across the town, is a high elevation called Moose mountain, having an alti- tude of 2,346 feet. To the east its slope is abrupt, terminating about on the town line of Canaan ; while to the west its slope is gradual, towards the Con- necticut. In the southern part of the town lies Hoyt's hill, which, with the highlands of northern Lebanon, forms the southern part of the valley of Mink brook, the largest stream in the town, and which drops into the Connecticut near the line of Lebanon. There are several other smaller streams, or brooks, all of which flow into the Connecticut. The other elevations of note are Lord's hill, Pinneo or Prospect hill, and Balch or Cory hill.

In 1880 Hanover had a population of 2, 149 souls. In 1885 the town had eighteen school districts, fifteen common schools, four graded schools, and one high school. The districts are now consolidated as will be seen further on. Its eighteen school-houses were valued, including furniture, etc., at $16,650.00. There were 359 children attending school, sixty-five of whom were pursuing the higher grades, taught during the year by two male and twenty-four female teachers, at an average monthly salary of $26.00 for males, and $25.70 for females. The entire amount raised for school purposes during the year was $4.323.21, while the expenditures were $3, 541.61, with William L. Barnes, superintendent.

HANOVER, located in the southwestern part of the town, is a fine post vil- lage that has grown up about the college buildings. The College District forms a "village fire precinct," organized to a certain extent for fire purposes pursuant to law in 1793, and again in 1855. By recent legislation additional privileges have been obtained, whereby, under the direction of three commis- sioners, control is exercised over streets, sidewalks and sewers, the public

* Became actual settlers.

+Added at Portsmouth by the Governor.

297

TOWN OF HANOVER.

health and other appropriate matter of local administration. The precinct possesses two hand engines with ample supply of hose, and an excellent brick building of one story, which, besides furnishing accommodation for the fire apparatus, contains a small hall well adapted for ordinary public occasions It has also at every street corner capacious cisterns for fire purposes. To the many shade trees along the streets which the foresight of the village founders provided, there have been added in the past ten years more than four hun- dred elms and maples by the enterprise of a village tree association. The cemetery which occupies a most picturesque and romantic spot, highly favored by nature, has the benefit of the care of a similar association, by which it is controlled and beautified. The streets of the village and the public build- ings and many of the houses are lighted with gas from works established by private enterprise some fifteen years ago, and an abundant supply of excel- lent spring water is furnished by an aqueduct constructed also by private means. The latter was first laid in 1820, and has been twice since renewed. The supply is at present derived from nine springs, well walled up and pro- tected, situated entirely remote from dwellings and barns in a tract of land of 100 acres about two miles from the college, on a hill side nearly a hundred feet above the level of the plain. A new main pipe of lead, two inches in diameter, was laid in 1880, at a cost of $5,000.00, and is capable of furnish- ing a maximum of about 15,000 gallons of water daily. The village has also a savings bank, established in 1860, having now deposits of near $800,000.00 and a national bank of $50,000.00 capital, organized in 1865, both of which are housed in a brick building of two stories facing the college green. There is also a police court, organized under the statute in 1876.

ETNA is a post village on road 49, along Mink brook, in the southern part of the town. It was first called "Mill Neighborhood," and, until 1883, "Mill Village." The oldest grist-mill used to be owned by David and Moses Woodward, about 1800. A carding and cloth-dressing mill was carried on by a Mr. Learnard, succeeding Henry H. Chandler, seventy-five years ago. A Mr. Cushman succeeded him, also Isaiah Walker. The first store was built by Asahel Packard, about 1823, or '24, who kept store a number of years. Sanborn & Bunker succeeded him, followed by David Eaton, Isaac Davis, John Gould, Walter and Horace Buck and - Knight. The latter sold to Joseph Tenney, in 1847. Various persons have occupied the store by lease since, until C. W. Hayes, the present proprietor, began, in 1883. The only hotel ever kept in the village was started by Horace and Walter Buck, who kept it six or seven years, and sold to Knight and he to Mr. Tenney, in 1847. The merehants kept an accommodation postoffice, but no regular postoffice was established here until 1883. The usual small enterprises have also been carried on. The present village includes two stores, two saw-mills, grist-mill and jobbing shops and a score of dwellings, while the Baptist church edifice is located about half a mile northeast.

298

TOWN OF HANOVER.

HANOVER CENTER is a post village located in the central part of the town.

RUDDSBORO is the local name given the section of roads 51 and 52 near the corner of road 50. The name is derived from Gideon Rudd, an early settler. Among the early settlers of this road were Hezekiah White, Daniel Dodge, John D. Kingsbury, a Revolutionary soldier, Lieutenant West, Gideon Rudd, Thomas and Jasper Morris, and Stockman Swett, a Revolu- tionary soldier. The latter married Molly Murch and reared two sons, Will- iam and Adin.

WOLFBORO ROAD is the local name given the section of road 12 which passes over Moose mountain. This name is derived from the fact that when Governor Wentworth had a country seat at Wolfboro, this road was built, di- rect from there to Dartmouth college, so that he might attend the commence- ment exercises.

TUNIS is the name given to the settlement east of Moose mountain. The first clearing was made here in 1790, by a Mr. Stanley, from the vicinity of West Farms.

Common Schools .- In regard to common schools the town has differed little from others similarly situated. Outside of the College District the town has heretofore been divided into seventeen small districts, which are now, by the recent law, consolidated. The College District, known as No. 1, has always, from its fortunate position, enjoyed a degree of independence. Until 1807 the village school was generally held in rooms of the college buildings, which still bore the name of " Moore's Charity School ;" but there was, as might be expected, some degree of friction, and, in 1807, the village district committee resolved to build a school-house, and carried the resolve into execution with- out delay. Three times the house has been improved, enlarged and rebuilt, until now the school, in four well-filled departments, is housed in a handsome, commodious, well-appointed brick building of three stories, erected in 1877 at a cost of nearly $12,000.00. As early as 184- the district was organized un- der a special act of the legislature known as the "Someworth Act," with the privilege of self-government, distinct from the rest of the town. These priv- ileges, extended by later authority, it still retains, and under the charge of a board of education comprising six prominent citizens, presided over by Hon. J. W. Patten, the schools here have reached a degree of perfection of which the people are justly proud. Between the years 1840 and 1863 there were also in successful operation from one to three private boarding schools for young ladies, abundantly patronized and in high repute; but all have now ceased to exist.

The Dartmouth Savings Bank of Hanover was organized September 1I, 1860, the first bank established at Hanover. Daniel F. Richardson was treasurer for the first five years, being succeeded by N. S. Huntington, until July, 1878, when the present treasurer, C. P. Chase, was installed. Daniel Blaisdell was president from 1860 to 1875, when he died ; S. W. Cobb, vice- president, acted in his place until January, 1876, when Hiram Hitchcock be-

299

TOWN OF HANOVER.

came president and served till May 10, 1878; in July, 1878, N. S. Hunting - ton became president, and still occupies that position. In 1865 the deposits aggregated $62,000.00, and in January, 1885, they had reached $717,093.93. Until 1870 the bank occupied quarters in the Tontine building; but in that year the present bank building was erected, a two-story brick structure lo- cated on the west side of the college campus, costing about $12,000.00.

The Dartmouth National bank, chartered February 22, 1865 commenced business September 1, 1865. Daniel Blaisdell, the first president, served until his death, in August, 1875, John Loveland was president from August to January, 1876, and Hiram Hitchcock from January, 1876, to May 10, 1878, when N. S. Huntington the present incumbent was chosen. He was cashier from 1865 to 1878, when C. P. Chase was chosen. The bank started with its present capital of $50,000.00.

The Hanover Gaslight Company was organized in 1872, with an authorized stock capital or $20,000.00, of which $ 12,000.00 is paid up. The gas works, located off College street, furnish forty meters per day to families and stores- supply the college buildings, the churches, and light the streets. The present officers are Hon. J. W. Patterson, president ; Prof. E. R. Rug gles, vice president ; C. A. Field, treasurer ; and Prof. B. T. Blanpied, secretary.

The Dartmouth Hotel was built in 1814-15, by Col. Amos Brewster, and was first kept by a man named Martinette, though but for a year or two. Elam Markham purchased the property of Colonel Brewster about 1818, and in 1838 retired from the house, which he sold to G. C. Currier, who owned it but leased to others the most of the time until 1857, when he sold to Hor- ace Frary, who carried on the business until his death, in 1882. John S. Williams, the present genial proprietor, purchased the property in 1884

Edward O. Ingalls's grist-mill was built in 1828 by a Quaker named John Williams, and Shelden Tenney. It was purchasd by J. W. Spaulding, of the Fitch estate, in 1877, and by him was sold to the present proprietor, October 13, 1885. It is fitted with two runs of stones, grinds flour and feed, usually doing about 10,000 bushels custom, and from ten to fifteen carloads merchant work per year. A shingle-mill was added about seven years ago, which manu- factures 150,000 to 400,000 shingles per year.

H. L. Huntington's saw-mill, at Etna, was purchased by him in 1882. It is operated by water-power, contains a circular board saw, planer, and other machinery, and also a cider-mill. He manufactures for sale rough and dressed lumber, and does custom sawing and planing. The mill is operated during the spring and fall and produces about 250,000 feet of lumber and 250 to 300 barrels of cider per annum.

C. P. Hinkson' saw mill .- Dea. Samuel Willis erected this saw-mill at the head of Goose pond, road 11, corner 8, and about 1835 sold to James East- man. The latter died suddenly, and his heirs sold to L. C. Pattee, who owned the mill until about two years ago, when he sold to C. P. Hinkson, who has recently rebuilt the mill. Dea. Samuel Roswell and Austin Willis were the

300

TOWN OF HANOVER.

first settlers on road 8, and also built a distillery, on the farm Alonzo K. Me- lendy now owns.

Smalley & Gould's saw-mill, located on road 49, was built by them in 1871. It is operated by water-power, has circular and bench saws, a shingle machine, etc. It is operated only about three months in the year, doing custom work.

Brown Brothers, manufacturing tinsmiths, with shops at Lebanon and Hanover, established about nine years ago, do a large retail business, and supply peddlers with goods. They also put in hot air and steam furnaces, deal in stoves, etc.

G. F. Colby purchased the college book bindery of P. H. Whitcomb in 1873. He does Job work, blank book and pamphlet binding, etc.

S. B. Phelps, gun and locksmith, has been engaged in business in Han- over four years. He also manufactures special mechanical apparatus, models, etc.

John N. Brown, machinist, has carried on the business of making special machinery, models, and general jobbing, about twelve years.

The Dartmouth College repair shop was established in 1879. It is located on the college grounds, in the rear of Culver hall. It is operated by steam- power, and is fitted with machinery to do general repairs for the college.

David L. Tilton's granite quarry, located in the eastern part of the town, on road 53, now under lease to F. B. Camp, was opened by Tilton in 1870. It produces an excellent quality of granite for paving, curbing, building and monumental purposes, furnishing employment to about half a dozen men.

The Automatic Time Register and Alarm Co. began the manufacture, at Hanover, of a new electric watchman's clock, in January, 1881. This clock was invented and patented by Prof. E. T. Quimby, and is so constructed as to ring an alarm in case the watchman fails to visit any station in its proper order. This company also manufactures the Hubbard hotel enunciators. The shop is located on Main street, and the office in Boston.

The preliminary surveys peparatory to the charter of the towns along Con- necticut river above Charlestown, were of the most primitive and cursory description. They were made in the winter of 1760-'61, chiefly on the frozen river, and consisted of nothing more than laying off and marking upon the river's bank, between what is now Charlestown, and Newbury, a series of corner bounds six miles apart, from which a double tier of towns was plotted arbitrarily in the executive office at Portsmouth. This method had the merit of simplicity, but its inaccuracy entailed no little confusion. The proprietors of Hanover found themselves involved in this some twelve years later, when, after the principal part of the town had been surveyed and allotted according to the bounds that marked the corners on the river, it was discovered that these were inconsistent with the dimensions established by the charter, and that a strip of about 2,700 acres which they had allotted along

301

TOWN OF HANOVER.

the northerly side of the town was presumably ungranted. The provincial authorities on application, after notice to Lyme, corrected the error by an ad- ditional grant January 9, 1775. A similar confusion of surveys along the eastern boundary led later to a protracted controversy with Canaan, which ended in litigation, about 1805, and terminated to the disadvantage of the Hanover proprietors, with a small loss of territory.

Like others, this town was granted in sixty-eight shares, of which two were reserved by the governor for himself, and compounded for by a special assign- ment of 500 acres in one body at the southwest corner of the town. Seven or eight more shares were assigned to certain of his associates in Portsmouth. One was set apart for the London society for propagating the gospel, one for the church of England, one for the first settled minister, and one for the benefit of schools in the town. The remainder, fifty-four in number, were conferred on as many of the Connecticut petitioners, of whom Hartford county (Hebron and Tolland) furnished six, and Windham county all the rest, nearly twenty hailing from Mansfield.

The first proprietor's meeting was held in Mansfield, August 25, 1761, when a dual organization-town and proprietary-was effected. Both were annually renewed thereafter. Town meetings were first held at Hanover in July, 1767. The proprietary organization remained two years longer in Con- necticut.

The work of survey and division began at once. In 1761 a party headed by Mr. Freeman went up, and by the middle of October had laid off and numbered sixty-six "town lots," in a rhomboid of 121 acres, at the center of the town ; and the same number of "river lots" containing twenty-one acres each, bordering on the Connecticut, and numbered from the northern bound- ary of the town to a point within a mile and a half of its southern limits. The report of this party being presented to the proprietors, in January, 1762, the lots were forthwith drawn in open meeting in the following manner : the numbers of the town lots were first written on separate and equal pieces of paper and put into a covered "hatt," and then drawn out one by one by two disinterested persons; the first draft being set by the clerk to the first name in the right hand column of the list of grantees as written on the back of the charter, and so on until all were drawn. Each right was ever after dis- tinguished by the number of the town lot thus assigned to it. The river lots were then drawn in a similar manner, and substantially the same method was followed in subsequent divisions.

No settlement was yet attempted. Though special privileges of selection were repeatedly offered by the proprietors to actual settlers, no one seemed desirous to be the pioneer. The great bulk of the lands lay still unsurveyed and in common. At length, in June, 1764, Mr. Freeman, at the head of a party of nine, came up and laid out a division of hundred-acre lots in the northern and central parts of the town, and in October roads were cleared by a larger party of twenty-two, led by Mr. Freeman's son, Edmund Freeman,

302

TOWN OF HANOVER.

3d. In May following (1765) this young man, then twenty-eight years of age, with his wife and children, the elder aged three years and the younger a babe of eight months, removed thither from Mansfield and made the first set- tlement, locating not far from the river in the northerly part of the town. His brother Otis and several other young men without families accompanied them, but, for the most part at least, returned to Connecticut before the winter. A settlement was the same year begun by Dea. Jonathan Curtice, from Ashford, and his son of the same name; and the next year the deacon brought his family.

Within five years the number of settlers increased to about twenty fami- lies, all located in the northern-central portion of the town, on the high hard- wood lands, which seem to have been thought the only land fit for cultiva- tion. The easterly half of the town was made almost inaccessible by the range of "Moose mountain"-high and rugged hills which extend from north to south the entire length of the town, and then as now heavily wooded ; while on the west the lands for the most part descend with great abruptness to the river, and in the narrow interval, where the hills retreat, the ground was either swampy or heavily covered with enormous pines that could not be cut, because reserved by the charter for the royal navy. The central part of the town consisted of high gravelly hills heavily wooded, alternating with deep ravines, provided each with an abundant, rapid stream, tributary to the river, either directly or through the larger stream now called "Mink brook," which rises in the flanks of Moose mountain and skirts the south- western border of the town, close to the Lebanon line. This latter stream still affords abundant power for mills at numerous points. The smaller streams, now generally dry, were in early times much utilized in a small way in the same manner. The soil of these hills has proved of excellent quality, but its virtue was not at the first generally appreciated ; much less was it understood that the heavy pines near the river covered often a layer of loam of extra- ordinary fertility. The town as a whole was reputed as one of the poorest ; and in the vast extent of new country, and the eager competition of pro- prietors for settlers in other towns along the valley, it stood but a poor chance to thrive.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

Gazetteer of Grafton county, N. H. 1709-1886, Part 43

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