Gazetteer of Grafton county, N. H. 1709-1886, Part 64

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 64

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Many of the settlers who came prior to 1795, afterwards went to Canada, whither they were drawn by the cry of " cheap land." A number of the Cas- wells, Learned. Smith Williams, James Rankin, Jr., James Jackson, a partner of Learned, and Levi Aldrich, were among the number. The Hopkinsons went to Guildhall. Vt., and Lancaster, N. H., and John Wheeler returned to Charlestown. There are at the present time living in Littleton descendants of Nathan Caswell, Thomas Miner, Robert Charlton, Henry Bemis, Jonas and John Nurs, Jonathan Eastman, James Williams, Joseph W. Morse, David Goodall, Douglas Robins and Noah Farr.

At the close of the century each of the natural divisions of the town had been settled. For twenty years the pioneers were surrounded with difficulties and discouragements. Their life, under the most favorable circumstances, was necessarily one of hardship and privation, and these were augmented by the neglect of the proprietors to fulfill the terms under which the settlements had been made. Among other stipulations, the proprietors had agreed to build mills and roads, but it appears that eighteen years after the first settle-

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ment was made, these promises had been substantially disregarded. It is true that in 1781 Gen. Jacob Bailey for the proprietors had thrown a few logs across the brook subsequently to be known as Rankin's, and had erected a rude grist-mill, but it was such a primitive affair that seven years later it was entirely useless, and the inhabitants had to travel fifteen miles over a road that was little better than a bridle-path to have their corn and wheat ground. The condition of the people at this time was graphically described by Capt. Peleg Williams in a petition presented to the General Court, June 16, 1788, in which he said that they were "under such poor and difficult circumstances that we cannot live in said town nor move out of the same unless your honors will interfere in our behalf." There was no blacksmith in the settlement, no school, no church, and a score of years was yet to pass before the struggling hamlet was to be blessed with lawyer or doctor.

After the organization of the town. an earnest and successful effort was made to secure from the proprietors a fulfillment of their promises in regard to building mills, and Captain Peleg Williams was chosen an agent to petition the General Court for the passage of an act to enable the town to assess and collect a tax for the purpose of building a road through the town. An act was passed authorizing the selectmen to levy the tax and make the road, but for some cause they did nothing but assess the tax. It was not collected until additional legislation was secured and a committee of non-residents appointed by the General Court to lay out and construct the road. This was done in 1793. This highway followed very nearly the course of the existing road from Dalton Line to the Gilman Wheeler farm where it diverged to the left, passed over the hill back of the residences of C. W. Bedel, and Por- ter W. Bean, crossing the line of the present road just before reaching The- ron Allen's house ; thence up the hill to the sight of the old meeting house ; thence west of Elijah Fitch's along Parker mountain to the present residence of Nathaniel Flanders, whence it followed the course of the existing road to the line of Gunthwait (now Lisbon). A branch of this road, also called the County road, had been built from Lyman line past the Foster, Charlton, C. L. Albee, Adams and William Wheeler farms, forming a junction with the former road on the Connecticut river near the farm now owned by George W. Richardson. Other roads were constructed from time to time as the demands of the growing population required, without exciting more than the usual amount of controversy.

MILLS AND MANUFACTURING.

The first settlers found the town covered with a dense growth of prime- val forest. In the natural order of things, they first built log cabins and then began the labor of clearing the land for cultivation. As this work progressed. large quantities of ashes accumulated and this gave rise to the first manu- facturing industry. Potasheries were erected in the several sections of the town

30*

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and the crude salts manufactured for exportation. The work of converting the timber, much of it white pine, "clear as a hound's tooth," into ashes went on for some years-indeed, it was not until 1800 that the timber could be profitably marketed.

We have alluded to the Bailey mill as the first erected in town. It was a poor apology for a grist-mill and did not last but a year or two, perhaps, be- cause every man who bought a grist was his own miller. Andrew Caswell at- tempted to repair it in 1786 and succeeded in operating it for a few months. In 1789 the proprietors induced Jonathan Eastman to move into town and build a saw and grist-mill. They gave him the Sargent Currier farm now known as the Steere place, with the improvements, and, in 1790, he had built a new grist-mill, and the saw-mill though not covered, had a board saw in running order. These mills were built on the site of the mills now standing on Rankin's brook. During the winter of 1790, '91 James Rankin came from Thornton and traded with Col. Little for the mills and other property as before stated. Under his energetic supervision and that of his son David. these mills did a large business for the next half century. The surrounding country was covered with a magnificent growth of white pine, and many thousand feet found its way to this mill and thence to the landing below Mc- Indoes Falls, where it was sold, the best quality bringing four dollars and fifty cents a thousand. After the death of James Rankin in 1802, his son David managed the mills for forty-two years. They have since been owned by George and Sylvanus Mulliken, Solomon Whiting and others.

Solomon Mann, who came from Newbury, Vt., began the erection of a dam at the falls of the Ammonoosuc, and before the close of the year 1798 had a saw mill and grist-mill in operation, but they were not considered suitable objects for taxation until the following year. Mr. Mann went away after a few years, selling the mills about 1802 to Asa Lewes, who owned them until his death in 1816 when the grist- mill was purchased by Noah Farr and Moses Hazen and the saw-mill by Noah and Joseph Farr. The Farrs disposed of their interest about 1819. Since then the grist-mill has been owned succes- sively by John Gile, Timothy Gile, John and Ida Hodge, Eastman, Tilton & Co., Samuel A. Edson, and by C. & C. F. Eastman. It has been several times rebuilt, and is now a large and excellent mill, operated by Ezra B. Gates, under a lease. The saw-mill, after passing through several hands, be- came the property of John Bowman, who operated it upon quite an extensive scale. It was demolished about 1867.

In 1799 Peter Bonney and Pennel Leavens purchased lot No. 11 in the eighth range, where the business part of the village now stands, and Mr. Leavens, in 1801 or 1802, erected the first carding-mill on the site of the sash and blind shop of Fitzgerald & Burnham. Leavens sold out in a short time, but was employed in the mill until 1808. Ebenezer Cushman bought it in 1811, but sold to David Richardson in 1814. In 1815 the mill was de- stroyed by fire, and Eben Richardson and Freeman Palmer lost their lives in

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the flames. It was rebuilt and run by Ebenezer Cushman until 1824, when it was purchased by Timothy A. Edson and Josiah Kilburn. Mr. Kilburn sold his interest to Jefferson Hosmer, who sold to Sylvanus Balch. Joseph Roby afterwards owned the property and sold to Bellows & Stevens in 1835. About 1841 it passed into the possession of John Gile, and in 1851 James Hale removed the custom machinery and put in a set for manufacturing flan- nel. The building was subsequently used as a bedstead factory and as a foundry, but is now owned by Tilton & Goodall manufacturers of under-wear, who began the business in 1883. They employ a dozen hands and are able to turn out about 1,ooo dozen pieces annually.

A tannery was built on the site of the present one by Peter Bonney, who came from Charlestown, N. H., in 1799. The tannery was in operation the following year and Mr. Bonney was connected with it until 1829 when he sold to Sewell Brackett, who had been his partner for a few years. In less than two years it passed into the hands of Otis Batchelder, who operated it until 1865, having Rufus Whipple and Roswell H. Curtis as partners for a brief time. He was followed by Calvin J. Wallace who sold to Silas Parker. His partners were his son Ira, and James and W. F. Parker. This tannery is now owned and run by R. D Rounsevel.

Early in the century saw-mills were built in various localities, but were mostly small and inconsequential affairs. One was built in 1803 by Samuel Learned, Jr., and was managed by him until he went to Canada. It was also operated by Smith Williams for a time, but had tumbled to decay long before 1860. Another was built on Caswell (Lewes) brook in 1824 and disappeared about 1850. It was owned by Moses Lewis. A few years later a small mill was erected on the Ainsworth brook and used for custom business ; also one on the Palmer brook long known as the Pepper mill. These mills were never much of a factor in the business of the town:

In 1812-13 a mill was built by Michael Fitzgerald, for the Littles, on the Ammonoosuc near the line of Concord (now Lisbon). It was situated on the opposite side of the river from the mill now owned by the Littleton Lumber Company, and was operated for the proprietors by Mr. Fitzgerald. It was subsequently purchased by Capt. Isaac Abbott, later by Peter Paddleford and his son Philip H., who erected just below it a shop for the manufacture of all kinds of mill machinery. This mill, while managed by Messrs. Fitzgerald and Abbott, did an extensive business. It was demolished about twenty years ago.

The next mill of consequence was the one now operated by George W. Richardson at the Scythe factory village. It was built by Edmund Carleton, Esq., and Dr. Adams Moore, in 1832. This was extensively operated by Calvin and Benjamin F. Cate until they went out of business in 1874.

William Brackett and Isaac Abbott built a mill in the village below the woolen-mill in 1839, where a large amount of pine and other lumber was manufactured until 1865. This mill has, within a few years, been converted into a carpenter's shop.

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TOWN OF LITTLETON.

H. C. Redington & Co. built a mill and box factory where the old scythe factory formerly stood on the Ammonoosuc, and have operated it from 1869 until the present time. They employ a dozen hands.

Littleton Lumber Company's mill, on the east side of the river, at Willow- dale, manufactures between 3,000,000 and 4,000,000 feet of lumber annually. Charles D. Tarbell is the agent of the company. The first mills were erected in 1870. New buildings have been erected as the growth of business de- manded, until they number about twenty, including a general store and a grist-mill recently added. A postoffice called "Willowdale" has been estab- lished here and a flag-station upon the B. & L. R. R. Their commodious yards are accommodated with side tracks from the railroad. The company employs from forty to sixty hands.

The woolen-mill was built by a stock company in 1838. Bellows & Stevens, and John Farr were among the principal stock-holders. The machinery was put in and manufacturing began in 1840. John Herrin was agent. The company failed, and in 1846 the property passed into the posses- sion of E. J. M. and Joseph W. Hale, of Haverhill, Mass., J. W. Hale becom- ing the resident partner. Additional machinery was added from time to time until the mill contained seven sets. J. W. Hale sold to his partner in 1860, and in 1862, Rufus B., son of E. J. M. Hale, became a partner and manager. While owned by the Messrs. Hale, the business was very successful. In 1867 the mill was purchased by a firm consisting of Leland, Allen & Bates, of Boston, and Mr. Townsend, of Milton, N. H. They sold to Jordan, Marsh & Co., of Boston, Mass .. who used it for the manufacture of woolen blankets as well as flannels. For a time it was occupied by Joseph and Robert H. Whittaker, but, after lying idle for several years, it was changed into a glove shop and is now owned and occupied by Ira Parker & Co., ( The Little- ton Saranac Buck Glove Company) who employ two hundred hands and turn out 20,000 to 40,000 dozen pairs of gloves annually.

The first scythe factory was built below the Carlton mill by Ely, Farr & Co., (George W. Ely, John Farr and George B. Redington,) in 1835. It was three times destroyed by fire. The manufacture of scythes was carried on here for years, a larger part of the time by H. C. Redington & Co. The N. H. Scythe & Axe Company invested a large amount of capital in an attempt to establish a permanent business. They built the mill and dam now known by their corporate name on the river below the Redington mill, but it is now idle, the company having gone into liquidation.

C. F. Chandler & Co. have carried on the manufacture of paper boxes on Mill street since May, 1883. From the employment of two hands, in the beginning, the business has grown so as to necessitate the employment of ten hands. They turn out $7,000.00 worth of goods annually.

Ranlett & Harris carry on the only shop in town, exclusively devoted to the manufacture of carriages and sleighs. This business has been carried on in the same building for twenty-five years. The firm of Ranlett & Harris

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was formed in 1880. They use both steam and water-power. Employ a dozen hands, and turn out $15,000.00 worth of goods per annum.

The Eureka Glove Manufacturing Company, Nelson Parker, president, was established in 1876, located in the Union block, where they remained six years. In January, 1882, they removed to their present quarters, in Tilton's Opera block. Their tanning process is patented. They employ fifty hands, their annual production reaching 12,000 to 15,000 dozen pairs.

The White Mountain Glove Works, Alonzo Weeks, treasurer, and Robert Miner, manager, commenced business in 1880, manufacturing all kind of gloves and mittens of oil-tanned Saranac stock. They employ forty hands in their shops, and give work to many outside, producing 5,000 dozen pairs yearly.

The Granite State Glove Company, the youngest of the four large glove manufacturing establishments of this town, was established in 1881. They began business with one cutter, in a roon1 20x30 feet, making, in 1881, 550 dozens. In 1883 their facilities for work were increased six-fold, while their present shop is 28x60 feet, three stories high. A sixty horse-power boiler gives heat, and steam for their fifty horse-power engine, which, with a forty horse- power water-wheel gives them ample power at all seasons of the year. Their shop is one mile from the center of the village, having telephone and stage communications. They employ sixty-five hands, their product in 1884 being 6,000 dozens pairs.

The American Slate Company's quarry .- On road 38 there is a large slate quarry, which will probably be worked extensively. The company was first organized under the laws of the state of Massachusetts, taking the name of the American Slate Company. There had been expended about seventy thousand dollars in opening and developing the quarry, erecting buildings, etc. Experts pronounce the slate equal to the Welch, and there is a proba- bility of its being profitably worked at no very distant day.

The Littleton Hone-Stone Company was formed in 1883, for the purpose of making hones, scythe-stones, and stones for sharpening all kinds of edged tools. The stone is procured in part from a quarry at North Lisbon, and partly from North Littleton, the latter yielding the material for hones. They use water-power from the Apthrop reservoir, and with a fall of 280 feet, a half inch streanı with the Backus motor equals a twelve horse-power engine. The company employs five hands, and have facilities for turning out $15,000.00 worth of goods annually.

M. A. Bowles & Son carry on the manufacture of bobbins, at Scytheville. The business was established in 1883. They use both steam and water-power, employing five hands, and they turn out annually about 1,500,000 bobbins.

Otho Carter's grist-mill, on road 16, was established thirty years ago. It is wholly a custo .1 mili, with two runs of stones, and does considerable work, both for the farmers of this town and from across the river in Vermont. The building is of stone, and the power is supplied by water from Rankin's brook.

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TOWN OF LITTLETON.

Kilburn's stereoscopic view manufactory .-- The Kilburn brothers com- menced the manufacture of stereoscopic views in 1868, on a small scale, on the north side of the river, in the village of Littleton. The business has steadily increased, until now their successor, Benjamin W. Kilburn carries it on very extensively, in a three-story building on cottage street, on the south side of the river. He employs an average force of sixteen hands, mostly women. During the last year he turned out 600,000 views.

Dow & Fogg, contractors and builders, manufacture stair-rails, balusters, &c., located on Saranac street. They employ four hands.

Fitzgerald & Burnham's sash, door and blind manufactory, on Mill street, was established in 1852. They use both steam and water. Among other articles of manufacture which have at different times been prosecuted by citizens may be mentioned potato whisky, starch, pails and tubs, hats, chairs and furniture, matches, and a foundry which was for thirty years successfully conducted by Josiah and Benjamin W. Kilburn.

The manufactures of the town of Littleton, according to the census of 1880, were as follows :-

Number of establishments 33

Capital invested. $258,450.00

Average number of male employees above sixteen years of age. . . . 238 Average number of female employees above fifteen years of age. . .. 73 Average number of children and youth employed .I

Amount of wages paid $103,297.00

Cost of materials used 485,339.00

Value of product 786, 196.00

BANKS.

Littleton National bank was incorporated in 1871, with a capital of $100,- 000.00 and the first bills issued November 15th of that year. About a year later the capital was increased to $150,000.00. The present surplus and undi- vided profit is fabout $50,000.00. The bank was located in Tilton block until 1877 when the present commodious brick building was erected provided with strong vaults, time locks and other modern improvements. The first officers were John Farr, president, W. B. Dennison, cashier. Mr. Dennison resigned a year later when Oscar C. Hatch became cashier. A few years later Henry I .. Tilton was elected vice-president. The same gentle- men have held their offices since.

Littleton Savings bank was established in 1871. John Farr was president, W. B. Dennison was treasurer during the first year when he resigned and O. C. Hatch became treasurer. In January, 1880, Mr. Farr resigned the presi- dency and Judge George A. Bingham was elected to that office. The present deposits due depositors amount to over $650,000.00, besides which there is a healthy surplus of about $20,000.00. The office is in apartments of the Na- tional bank building, the upper story of which is occupied as law offices.

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TOWN OF LITTLETON.

SCHOOLS AND EDUCATION.

Among the early settlers were to be found many who possessed an excel- lent education for that day. Capt. Caswell, Peleg Williams and Thomas Miner were among that number. Robert Charlton had been educated at private schools in England and was an accomplished scholar. James Rankin received an education in Scotland, while James, William and Ebenezer Pin gree were men of thorough business ability and scholarship. These men naturally took a warm interest in the education of the young. While we find no record of any action on the part of the town in regard to the estab- lishment of schools until 1791, schools were kept in private houses and during the summer in barns, as early as 1782. Robert Charlton was the first teacher, and continued to keep a private school until 1791, when we find the first public record in reference to schools. At the annual meeting of that year it was "voted that sixteen bushels of wheat be raised for the use of schools next winter." Wheat was then the circulating medium of the town and was not considered so much of a drug in the transaction of business in the infant settlement as is silver at the present day. Robert Charlton kept the school this year and also in 1792 and 1793. The same amount of wheat was ap- propriated in 1792 and twenty bushels in 1793. The first division of the town into school districts was made at the annual March meeting in 1792, when it was " voted that the town be divided into three districts, and that the division be at the parting of the roads at the Wheeler place, so-called (the Geo. W. Richardson farm)." The districts thus created were identical with the highway districts and were called the upper, middle and lower. There have been additional districts established as the increasing population required, until they numbered nineteen in 1865.

The first school-house was built near the site of the present building, in district No. 3. It was a log structure, the interior being fitted with seats and benches of the rudest description. The earliest account we have of the proceedings of a school meeting is found in the records of the town, where it was placed by Robert Charlton. The meeting was for the lower district, and was held at the house of Capt. Thomas Miner, November 8, 1794. It was

" Voted to build a school-house between Mr. Miner's and Mr. Eastman's in some convenient place near the causeway.

" Agreed that each of the Inhabitants shall pay or work their proportional part towards Building a House finding Glass, Nails etc.

" Agreed that each Inhabitant shall respectively assist in Building another School House at the lower part of the District nigh Mr. Blake's Pot-Ash. To be built in the month of June.

" Agreed to give Robert Charlton eight bushels of wheat per month & to 'begin in about the last of December and keep two months."

The house first provided for was erected at once, but the other was not erected for some years. At a meeting for the same district, held exactly one

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year later, it was voted to divide the district at a point midway between the "crotch of the roads at the Wheeler place and Lyman line nigh Lunt's." Capt. Thomas Miner, Levi Aldrich and Joseph Hatch were chosen district com- mittee. Ansel Hatch was elected teacher of the new district, " to keep for three months at nine bushels of wheat per month." The school was to be kept at the house of the teacher.

In 1805 the town was divided into eight school districts. The superin- tending school committee of to-day were then known as school inspectors. Rev. David Goodall, Dr. William Burns and Robert Charlton constituted the first board, elected in 1809.

Prior to 1866 the village was divided into three districts numbered 8, 15 and 17 respectively. In 8 and 15 there were two schools each. The union of these districts had been agitated for some years, but no concerted action had been taken to accomplish the desired result, until the spring of 1866, when each of them voted to unite. They were first organized under the Somersworth act and re-organized under the Concord act in 1868. The dis- trict is governed by a board of education consisting of nine members. A new school-house, one of the best in the state, was finished in 1869, which cost $32,000.00.

The district schools of Littleton have been well up to the average of the schools in the state. Fifty years ago the school in district No. 3 was noted for the attainments of its pupils, and in the fifties that on Mann's hill was regarded as among the most advanced in New Hampshire. A large number of teachers have been graduated from the common schools of the town, who have achieved a fame in their chosen profession which has extended beyond the limits of New England. Among the most noted may be mentioned Nelson E. Cobleigh, D. D., L.L. D., for a time president of McKendee uni- versity and afterwards of the East Tennessee Wesleyan university ; Melinda Rankin, daughter of Gen. David, who has devoted a life time to the instruc- tion of youths in this and other lands ; Mrs. E. M. Walton, neè Bonney, now at the head of the English department of Mine Zeitska's institute, San Fran- cisco, California ; Mrs. L. M. Wilson, the present superintendent of schools at Des Moins, Iowa, was for some years a teacher in Union school district.

Outside of Union school district, there are at present 251 pupils. The average number of weeks schooling during the year has been twenty-four ; amount of school money $2,055.65 ; cost per scholar, $8.19. In union school district three are 364 pupils; amount of school money, $4,274.40 ; cost per scholar, $11.74. Total number of pupils in town, 615; amount of school money exclusive of that raised for building and repairs, $6,330.05.

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Gazetteer of Grafton county, N. H. 1709-1886, Part 64

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