Gazetteer of Grafton county, N. H. 1709-1886, Part 49

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 49

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The Haverhill Library Association opened its doors November 20, 1880, with ninety volumes, Mrs. L. C. Whitney being the prime mover in its or- ganization. The members paid a fee of $1.00 for membership, which en- titled each to take out one book per week, for one year, and thereafter an- nual dues of fifty cents per year, for the addition of new books. The present officers are J. Q. Bittinger, president ; Mrs. G. D. Cummings, vice president ; and Miss Nillie L. Kimball, librarian. The library has been kept in the Phenix block up to the present time, and all the officers have served gratul- itously. Several donations of books have been made by individuals, and during the year 1885, though the munificence of several interested ones, former or present residents of the town, about $1,600.00 was subscribed to a fund for the erection of a library building, and a fire proof structure of suit- able dimensions is to be erected in 1886. The library has 500 volumes.

Exchange Hotel .- The building now known as the Exchange Hotel, on Main street, was built by Charles Swan for a dwelling, in 1831, and was thus occupied until 1833, when he added a third story and opened the hotel. In 1835 Chandler Metcalf became landlord, and in 1838 Eleazer Smith pur- chased the property and kept the hotel until 1857, when he sold to his son, Charles G., who kept the house until 1881, when he sold to the present pro- prietor. During all this period, from 1838, it was known as Smith's Hotel.

A. F. Pike Manufacturing Company .- The A. F. Pike Manufacturing Company was organized in 1883, just fifty years after Isaac Pike began the manufacture of whetstones in Haverhill, and is the direct successor of A. F. Pike, who continued the business of his father from 1860 to 1883. The

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company consists of A. F. Pike, E. B. Pike, Isaac Pike, Charles Pike and Charles G. Smith. A. F. Pike is president and general director ; E. B. Pike is vice-president and has the active management of the business outside the office ; Isaac Pike is treasurer and has the general oversight of the manufac- turing at Pike Station ; and Charles Pike is superintendent of the quarrying and cutting of the stone before they are taken to the mill to be ground. The capital of the company is $70,000.00. They manufacture all kinds of scythe- stones and whetstones for sharpening edge-tools. Their principal quarries are in Haverhill, Piermont and Lisbon, N. H., and their ledges contain a stone which is better adapted for sharpening scythes and edge-tools than any- thing else. The stone is of a sharp, gritty character, lying in ledges, and is broken out with the grain, so that the strength is not impaired, and makes a strong, durable sharpener, hard enough to cut any steel. These whetstones do not glaze. The layers are so thin that one after another wears off, and a new, fresh surface is all the time exposed.

The various kinds of whetstones of the company are used in all parts of the United States and Canada, and many carloads are sent annually to Europe. The company also have quarries and mills in Vermont and New York, where they manufacture other grits of stone. Besides these they receive and handle stone in large quantities from Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Arkan- sas, Nova Scotia, England, Germany, Belgium, Scotland, Turkey and from other parts of the world. They have their agencies in New York, Chicago, St. Louis and Baltimore. In their different quarries and mills they employ a large force of workmen, and are converting the stones of these barren ledges into articles of indispensable usefulness, which to them and to the town of Haverhill are a constant source of revenue. Their business is annually enlarg- ing, and if capital, industry, energy and wise business plans are rewarded with success, the "A. F. Pike Mfg. Co." must stand at the front in their line of business.

The Woodsville Lumber Company was organized in 1872, and mills were erected the same year. They are located beside the track of the B. & L. R. R., in the eastern part of Woodsville village, and have side tracks to the yard. The mills are operated by steam-power and manufacture rough and dressed lumber to the extent of about 1,500,000 feet per annum, besides lath and clapboards, employing an average force of ten or twelve men. The mills were burned in February, 1879, and rebuilt immediately on the same ground. Messrs. Ira Whitcher, of Woodsville, and L .. C. Pattee, of Lebanon, constitute the firm.

W. H. Hill & Co.'s marble and granite works, at Woodsville village, were established by Mr. Hill, at Wells River, Vt., in 1875, as a branch of his works at Plymouth, N. H. He removed wholly to Wells River, in 1879, but was burned out in the following year and re-established at Woodsville, where he erected his present shop in the spring of 1884. Mr. Hill manufactures all kinds of cemetery work, from marble and granite, and also building trim- mings, curbing, etc. The business gives employment to three or more men.

J. M. Getchell & Co.'s carriage manufactory, at North Haverhill, was established by Willard Whitman, about fifty years ago, who conducted it about thirty-five years, when he sold to Langdon Bailey, who went from here to Woodsville. J. M. Getchell learned the trade with Willard Whitman, and went into business for himself about 1860. In 1881 the partnership between J. M. Getchell and T. E. Bliffin was established, and they purchased their

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present shop, on Depot street, at that time. In 1884 they put out twenty-one carriages and wagons, and six sleighs, besides repairing and jobbing, furnish- ing employment for three men.

H. S. Sleeper & Co.'s bobbin manufactory, located on Depot street, at North Haverhill, was established January 1, 1884. It employs about six men, and does a business aggregating from $1,500.00 to $2,000.00 annually.

George E. Eastman's carriage shop, located on Depot street, at North Haverhill, was established by him in 1875. He manufactures about sixteen to twenty carriages, wagons and sleighs, annually, besides doing jobbing, etc. Mr. Eastman also deals in coffins and caskets.

J. G. Blood's saw and shingle-mill, located at North Haverhill, was pur- chased by him about 1865. It is the same spoken of elsewhere, as erected by Obadiah Swazey. When Mr. Blood purchased the property it was an upright saw-mill. He has put in a circular-saw, shingle-mill, and planers, which he operates about four months in the year, employing six men and cut- ting 200,000 to 300,000 feet of lumber, besides shingles, mostly custom work.

Fayette Bacon's carriage-stock and wagon shop, located on road 25, was erected by him about 1855, and was enlarged to its present size a few years later. The machinery was operated by horse-power until 1882, when he put in an eight horse-power engine. He manufactures heavy wagons and carts, and makes a specialty of manufacturing bent carriage stock of all kinds, elm bubs, etc.

William H. Lewis, manufacturer of the "Boss" wood pump, located on road 25, began business in Haverhill, in 1874. He manufactures and sells pumps, made of cucumber wood, pine and fir, disposing of seventy-five to one hundred per annum, and also manufactures wooden aqueduct, and Share's patent colter harrow.

Albert Chase's saw-mill, on road 23, was built by Abial Deming, in 1840, and was purchased by Mr. Chase in 1863. It is operated by water-power, cuts from 75,000 to 150,000 feet of rough lumber, and 50,000 to 100,000 shingles per annum, only operating during the spring months.

John L. Cook's shingle, cider and threshing.mill, at Oliverian Village, was built by him in 1884. It is fitted with machinery for the manufacture of shingles and cider, and for threshing grain and polishing granite. It is oper- ated by water-power, and does custom work.

E. D. Spence's grist and flouring-mill, at North Haverhill, has three runs of stones, and is operated by both steam and water-power. Mr. Spence has owned the property since 1875, and has recently added steam-power, and does general custom grinding.

Michael Carleton's carriage-shop, at Oliverian Village, was built by him in 1859, on the site occupied by J. S. Nichols's carriage shop, burned in 1858. He builds sleighs, sleds and heavy wagons, does carriage repairing, and gen- eral jobbing, the machinery being operated by water-power.

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Haverhill grist-mill, located at Oliverian Village, was built at a very early date, having been the property of Major Isaac Pearson and his father, pre- vious to 1825. It was purchased by A. W. Lyman, in 1880, who does cus- tom grinding, and deals in flour, graham, middlings, corn and feed, averaging about one car-load of corn per month, and sixty tons of feed per annum, besides custom grinding.

The Haverhill Paper Company, with a mill located at Oliverian Village, succeeded E. C. Hutchins & Co., in 1865. The paper-mill is of brick, 36x60 feet, operated by water-power, and manufactures from roo to 200 tons of paper per annum. The Company has also a saw-mill for custom work, saw- ing from 50,000 to 200,000 feet of lumber per year.

The Haverhill marble works, at Oliverian Village, have been operated under this name since March, 1884, then succeeding the business of J. W. Quimby, who at that time took Fay I. Archibald, as a partner. Mr. Quimby retired from the firm in October, 1884, since which time Mr. Archibald has con- tinued the business alone. He manufactures marble. and granite cemetery work of all kinds.

S. & G. C. Jeffers's saw-mile, located on road 41, was built by them in 1856. It is operated by water-power, and manufactures about 100,000 to 150,000 feet of rough lumber per annum.

The causes which led to the settlement of Haverhill, or " Lower Cohos," the visit by Captain Powers in 1754, the arrival of Captain Hazen to erect a saw and grist-mill, in the spring of 1762, the evidences of Indian occupation the early settlers found, the newspaper and railroad history, and establishment of county courts and erection of county buildings, have all been detailed in the county chapter, to which we refer the reader, as to review them at this point would be a needless repetition. We will immediately turn, then, not only to the first actual settlement made in Haverhill, but the first in the whole county.

Uriah Morse, and Hannah, his wife, came on from Northfield, Mass., in June, 1762, the first family to locate in Haverhill. They located on the bank of Poole brook, on the present main road, and just southwest of where James Merrill now lives. They boarded Hazen's men while they were building the mills, and other adventurers as they came into the settlement. Among their boarders that autumn was Thomas Johnson, Timothy Bedel, Captain Hazen, and Jesse Harriman. The first child born in the settlement was in this family, in the spring of 1763, which lived only a few days. The first death of an adult, that of Polly Harriman, who died of consumption, at the age of eight- een years, also occurred here.

In the following year, 1763, the settlement of the town considerably ad- vanced. Rev. Grant Powers speaks of it as follows : "This was a year of enlargement with Haverhill and Newbury. Benjamin Hall, from Massachu- setts, came in and settled near the Porter place, where the Southards now live (1839). Jonathan Saunders and Sarah Rowell, both from Hampton, N.

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H., came and settled near the present house of Dr. Carlton, late dedeased. Jacob Hall, from Northfield, Mass., came and settled on the Dow farm, so- called. Hon. James Woodward, of Hampstead, N. H., came and settled on his place at the age of twenty-two years. He purchased his farm at twenty cents per acre. Mr. John Page, father of the present governor of New Hampshire, came into Haverhill this year from Lunenburg, Mass. He was employed by his uncle, David Page, to assist in driving up his cattle to Lan- caster, and this was the beginning of the settlement of that town-David Page's son having been up in the preceding June of that year, and marked out a way for them from Haverhill. John Page returned from Lancaster, and bought his farm in Haverhill, but spent the subsequent winter in taking care of General Bailey's stock in Newbury, which arrived that season, and not in 1762, as many have supposed. This was Mr. Page's account, Cap- tain Howard's, and Col. Joshua Bailey's, who came with his father to New- bury in 1764, at eleven years of age. Page continued to labor for General Bailey until he was able to pay for his farm. He then came to Haverhill, married Abigail Saunders, daughter of the first settler south of him, and lived to the age of eighty-two, and departed this life in 1823.

In this year, says Col. Joshua Bailey, John Foreman and several others of Pennsylvania, having enlisted into the British army near the commencement of the old French war, and having been retained in Canada after peace was restored, deserted and made through the woods until they came upon the head-waters of the Connecticut, and following down the stream, they came into the north part of Haverhill. But here they found themselves famishing through lack of sustenance, and as they knew not that there was an English settlement within a hundred miles of them, they were prepared to seize upon anything which could satisfy the demands of hunger. They unexpectedly came in sight of a horse upon the plain north of the North Parish meeting-house, and supposing it to be wild, or one that had gone far astray, they shot it, and fed themselves upon its flesh. Replenishing their packs with the residue of the meat, they proceeded south, but soon discovered smoke ascending from chimneys on the Ox Bow and vicinity. They were alarmed at the idea of falling into hands of hostile Indians, especially since they had killed one of their horses. But after some consultation, they concluded that one of their num- ber should cross the river, make what discoveries he could, and then return and report. He accordingly swam the river, and, to his great joy, found these were English settlements. The news and a boat were soon carried back to his companions. They were brought on to the Ox Bow, where they found food, a shelter, and sympathizing friends. Colonel Bailey says this fact of their killing the horse on that plain gave the name "horse meadow" to that section of the town, and not the traditionary story of horses finding a rush grass there sooner in the spring than elsewhere."

In 1764 the settlement was increased by the arrival of Dea. Jonathan El- kins and family, from Hampton, N. H., Col. Timothy Bedell and family,

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from New Salem, and Hon. Ezekiel Ladd. The latter married Ruth Hutch- ins, who died in 1817, the Colonel surviving her until the following year. Rev. Peter Powers came to preach to the people of Haverhill and Newbury this year, also, which event will be spoken of on a later page. In the au- tumn of this year, also, Judge Woodward married Hannah Clark, the first marriage service performed in Grafton county.

From this time forward the growth of the town was steadily progressive, the population in 1767 being 172 souls. "Colonel Johnston was the first captain in the town of Haverhill, was for many years a justice of the peace, a judge of probate, and a deacon in the church. Colonel Johnston's house was surrounded by a fort at Haverhill Corner during the Revolutionary war, as was Judge Ladd's, a little north of the old meeting-house, on Ladd street ; also, Capt. Timothy Barnes's, who lived near the tavern, opposite the meet- ing-house, in the North parish." Of the early facilities for travel and com- merce, Rev. Grant Powers speaks as follows: "I will here mention that roads direct from Haverhill to Boston were not opened until after the war of the Revolution-I mean such as would admit the passing of heavy teams- and until then the freight of goods from our seaports was very expensive. Heavy articles which were not brought up from Charlestown upon the ice, in winter, were brought on pack-horses from Concord through the woods, and ten bushels of wheat have been exchanged for one of salt. The glass for Col. Thomas Johnston's house was brought across the woods in this manner. This being the state of things in respect to roads, we shall readily conceive that the means of communicating between this isolated settlement and the eastern part of the State were very limited, and were not an every day oc- currence. A passenger arriving in the settlement with packages direct from friends in the east created a more lively interest in the settler, than the arrival of the British Queen steamer now does in the great emporium of this nation."

In looking over the town and proprietors' records many items of in- terest are found, a few of which we print. According to the charter, Capt. John Hazen was authorized to call the first meeting of the grantees, in ac- cordance with which he assembled said meeting at the inn of John Hall, at Plaistow, N. H., June 13, 1763. At this meeting the following town officers were elected : Jesse Johnson, town clerk; Stephen Knight, constable ; and Capt. John White, Jacob Bailey, Esq., and Maj. Edmund Moore, selectmen. John Hazen, John White, Jacob Bailey, Esq., Robert Peaslee and Benjamin Moore were " chosen a committee to bound the town and lay it out in lots," and Capt. John Hazen was appointed to receive the money collected for de- fraying the expense thereof. Under the several dates we find the following items in the records :-

March 27, 1764, " voted to unite with the Newbury proprietors in build- ing a road through Haverhill to meet a road to Portsmouth," and also " to lay and clear a road from the lower end of Haverhill to Upper Meadow this coming summer."

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September 10, 1764, at a meeting held at Hampstead, it was "voted to as- sist the town of Newbury in hiring preaching for six months next coming."

October 16, 1764, it was voted that 200 acres of land be set off as a par- sonage. It was also voted that one full right of land be given to Glazier Wheeler, in consideration that he build and operate a blacksmith shop for ten years and "be also obliged to work for the people of said town before any others."

April 10, 1770, "voted to give Rev. Eleazer Wheelock, D. D., fifty acres of land if Dartmouth college is located in Haverhill."

May 12, 1772, at a meeting held at the house of Capt. John Hazen, John Hurd, Esq., was appointed an agent of the town to petition the General As- sembly to establish the courts at Haverhill, and “ voted to give him 1,000 acres of the undivided land in Haverhill in compensation if he succeeded in securing the establisment of one-half of the inferior courts for Grafton county and one superior court to be held in Haverhill." A bounty of six shillings per head, also, was voted on wolves.

March 25, 1773, it was voted to " clear and level a piece of ground twenty rods square, and a road two rods wide and 200 rods long, which shall be laid down on the plan in Haverhill opposite the Great Ox Bow to accommodate the court house and goal."

February 25, 1774, " voted in the negative on an article to see if the pro- prietors of the town would bear proportionately or any part with Asa Porter, Esq., Capt. John Hazen, Dea. James Abbott and A. S. Crocker, of the thousand acres voted to John Hurd."

March, 1776, "voted to pay Rev. Peter Powers }35 salary for preaching ; §37 5s. provided he preach one-half the time in Haverhill, and to meet the first six months for worship in Mr. Page's lower barn, and the other six months the selectmen to provide as they think proper." Voted to " give Asa Bailey Ios. for warning and conveying out of town a child of Susannah Hadley." Voted to " allow Charles Johnston 15s. for horse to fetch up am- munition for the town, and James Bailey 16s. for his journey to get same."

March 10, 1778, " chose James Woodward, James Abbott, James Corliss and Jonathan Hale, committee of safety."

January 6, 1778, "voted Thomas Simpson, Asa Bailey and John Page, a committee of safety," and also " voted supplies to the families of soldiers in the Continental service."

January 18, 1778, " chose Charles Bailey to meet the convention at Dres- den, January 20th, to consult upon some united measures to be taken for the defense of the frontier."

February, 1780, " chose Colonel Bedel, John Rich and James Woodward a committee to prevent the transportation of grain from the town."

March 31, 1781, "chose Col. Timothy Bedel and Maj. Joshua Hayward representatives to represent the town of Haverhill at the General Assembly at Windsor, the first Wednesday in April, and agree to the articles of union be-

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tween the grants on both sides of the river." A committee was also chosen " to act with a like committee from Piermont in settling the boundary line between Haverhill and Piermont."

December 8, 1783, " chose James Woodward to represent the town in the General Assembly at Concord." Voted to "exclude all Tories from the town, and to lay a road four rods wide from the court-house to Coventry line."

February 8, 1784, Timothy Stevens, constable, was ordered to warn over twenty-five persons, men, women and children, out of town, they being Tories.

John Page moved with his parents to Rindge, N. H., helped build a log house, performed settler's duty and thus secured a lot of land there. He moved to the Coos meadows in September, 1762, wintered on the Great Ox Bow, took charge of General Bailey's cattle, in company with one other man and a boy, worked for General Bailey, and thus paid for a right of land in Haverhill. He went to Lancaster, worked for his uncle David, and paid for another right of land in Haverhill. He then came back to this town, built a log house on the meadows, and married Abigail Sanders, daugh- ter of the first settler south of him, and who died twelve years after marriage, without issue. He married for his second wife, Abigail Hazeltine, of Con- cord, N. H., who died without surviving children, and then married, for his third wife, Mrs. Hannah Green, daughter of Samuel Rice, of Landaff, who bore him four sons, namely, John, William G., Samuel and Stephen R. John, the eldest, was born in Haverhill, May 21, 1787, was fitted for college in his youth, but just as he was about to enter, his father became embarrassed through having become bondsman for another party, and was likely to lose his farm. His son therefore relinquished his high ambition, turned his atten- tion to saving the homestead, which was done, and which afterwards came into his possession. When twenty-five years of age he married Hannah, daugh- ter of Maj. Nathaniel Merrill, of North Haverhill, who bore him nine children, namely, Frederick, William, John Alfred, Henry Harrison, Nathaniel Mer- rill, Stephen Rice, Sarah Hazen, George Washington, George Brackett and Edward Livingston. All of these, with the exception of George W., grew to adult age. John Page was elected governor of New Hampshire in 1839, by a Democratic vote of 30,518, and was re-elected in 1840 and 1841. Edward L. Page succeeded his father in the ownership of the homestead, was a successful farmer, and held various local offices. He served as select- man several years, during the civil war, when his patriotism and activity in securing recruits caused the burning of his buildings. He married Laura M. Batchelder, of Franklin, in 1855. For seventeen years he suffered with consumption, and died November 14, 1878, aged forty-six years. His widow survives him. This Page farm has remained in the family longer than any other in Haverhill. Henry H., the third son of Gov. John Page, was born in Haverhill, June 3, 1816, educated at Haverhill academy, married Eliza Southard, in September, 1842, and had born to him two daughters. He

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spent one year of his early life in the West, but returned to this town, and lived here until his death, at the early age of thirty-two years. He was cap- tain of the militia, but his early death cut short his public usefulness. Wil- liam H. Page, son of Samuel. was born in Haverhill, February 4, 1824, fol- lowed farming all his life, and has also been a merchant for twenty-seven years. He moved to Piermont in 1878 and, in the autumn of 1882, was chosen town representative, and was re-elected in 1884. He married Mary E, daugh- ter of Jesse Poor, of Orford, in 1854, and has two sons, who are engaged in the mercantile business with him.

James King was the original settler on the farm now occupied by L. H. Chase and C. H. Cummings, on road 7. In 1781, at the age of sixteen years, he enlisted in the Continental army, from Sutton, N. H., where he was born. He served until the close of the war, when he came to Haverhill, and made a pitch on the farm which he cleared. He early espoused the cause of Christ, and was a life long supporter of the Methodist church. He married Hannah Young, of Landaff, and had born to him nine children, all of whom lived to raise families. He died in December, 1850, aged eighty-five years. The children of C. H. Cummings, now living on the farm, are the descendants of James King, of the fifth generation.

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Gazetteer of Grafton county, N. H. 1709-1886, Part 49

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