Gazetteer of Grafton county, N. H. 1709-1886, Part 66

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 66

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Adams Brock Wilson, born March 28, 1842, at Newbury, Vermont, was graduated at Wesleyan University, Middletown, Connecticut, and subse-

Courteously yours iSanger

TOWN OF LITTLETON.

quently pursued his medical studies with Drs. H. L. Watson and Dixi Crosby, attended lectures at Dartmouth and Burlington, Vermont, medical schools and in 1866 came to Littleton. He at once gained the confidence of the community and established a large practice, his devotion to which devel- oped the latent seeds of consumption and at the close of the second year his health was entirely broken. He continued, however, to attend patients six months longer, until he was forced by the progress of the disease, which had fastened itself upon him, to surrender. He died at Bradford, Vermont, August 3, 1869. In 1866 he married Lou M. Little, daughter of William Little, of this town.

Henry Lyman Watson was born at Salisbury in 1811, pursued his medical course under Dr. Leonard Eaton and Prof. R. D. Mussey, attended lectures at Dartmouth and Vermont medical colleges, practiced at Stewartstown, Guildhall and Newbury, Vermont, before coming to Littleton in 1867, where he has since resided and is considered an excellent physician.

Among the physicians who have been in practice here, but not for a suffi- cient length of time to become identified with the town, may be mentioned Edward Josiah Brown, now of Minneapolis, Minn., who was here a few months in 1880; Leonard Marshall Eudy, son of William Eudy, who was here for a year (1870) and died in Bartlett in November, 1877; George Ralph Bugbee, son of Ralph Bugbee, M. D., who remained here one year and is now at Whitefield ; Harvey Edwin McIntire, son of Warren McIntire, now at the west ; Dr. Genereux, from 1881 to 1884 and T. T. Gushman who came here after an active practice for many years at Lunenburgh, Vermont and re- mained about a year (1868). Of the younger members of the profession now in full practice are Frank Tifft Moffett, son of Col. Alden Moffett, who took his degree at Harvard medical college in 1871, George Wilbur McGregor of Dartmouth medical college, 1878, who established himself in 1880, and Ben- jamin Franklin Page who took his degree at the medical college of Vermont University in 1867 and came from St. Johnsbury, Vermont, in 1881.

The physicians now practicing in Littleton are Charles M. Tuttle, Ralph Bugbee, T. E. Sanger, Henry L. Watson, Frank T. Moffett, George W. Mc- Gregor and Benjamin F. Page. They are skillful physicians and each enjoys a large and lucrative practice.

Littleton has always been famous for the excellence of its hostelries. Dur- ing the early years of the settlement every house was in a sense an inn. The - cabins of the settlers were few and far between and the line of travel be- tween the upper and lower Coos passed through Apthorp for a distance of nearly fourteen miles. From the principal settlement at the northern part of the town to Lancaster was fifteen miles, to Haverhill thirty-five miles. The road was wet, stormy, and often impassable, so that travelers journeying through the settlement were usually compelled to seek rest and refreshment with the pioneers of Apthorp. To their credit it may be said that the latch string was always out and the accommodation for man and beast, ample.

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TOWN OF LITTLETON.

Before the Revolutionary war, the Hopkinsons on the "Great Bend" kept a tavern, the first in town. Although Caswell's cabin was large and his hospi- tality generous to a fault, he never kept what was then known as a tavern, but his accommodations were frequently taxed to their full capacity in car- ing for those making the journey before alluded to. After the war James Williams kept a public house at the place still known by his name. Jonas Nurs also kept an inn, that was long famous, on the Fitch place. Samuel F. Hammond lived near the Wheeler farm and kept an inn, where in subsequent years the town meetings were often held. In the decade from 1795 to 1805, the county road was dotted at points a few miles apart with these taverns. Following it from Concord (now Lisbon) line to that of Dalton, Elkanah Hoskins on the Brackett farm, Jonas Nurs at Fitch's, James Williams at the Higgins place, Henry Bemis at the Chase farm were all licensed by the se- lectmen to "mix and sell liquors of all kinds by the half pint or any smaller quantity for one year from this date." At the west part of the town, Andrew Rankin and the Tifts held a similar license. On the Nathaniel Flanders farm was a noted inn where Mr. George and Colonel Timothy A. Edson dis- pensed hospitality a few years later. At the village, the Asa Lewis house, afterwards known as the Bowman place, was for a long time the only tavern. Jefferson Hosmer built the Union House about 1820 and John Gile the Gran- ite House shortly after. These two houses gained enviable reputations in after years, while kept, the former by Willard Cobleigh and the latter by Ste- phen C. Gibb and his son Joseph L. At the Fitch stand John Gile and John Bowman presided successively. It was the custom for many years for the farmers of Northern New Hampshire and Vermont to carry their surplus products, pork, butter, cheese, etc., to the markets of Portland and Ports- mouth. For this purpose every prosperous farmer owned what was called a double or box sleigh, a vehicle now seldom seen. This was drawn by two horses and hundreds of them often made the journey together, returning laden with sugar, tea, West India molasses, fish, New England rum and other necessaries. The days when the long procession of bright red sleighs filed along the road constituted the golden age of the wayside inn. When the railway reached Concord and gradually approached the northern section, the six horse team superseded the red sleigh and the tavern gave place to the more pretentious modern hotel.

The record of the town for patriotism during the Revolution can scarcely be surpassed. At the beginning of the struggle for independence there were but three polls and two families residing within her limits, yet every male inhabitant above the age of fourteen entered the service of the country in some capacity. In 1776 the Caswells and Hopkinsons moved their families to the fort at the mouth of the Upper Ammonoosuc, in what is now North- umberland. With the exception of the youngest, Caleb, the Hopkinsons probably abandoned their settlement here, for we find them soon after the war located at Lancaster, N. H., and at Guildhall, Vermont. Captain Nathan.

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Caswell was connected with the army as a scout throughout the contest, while his sons Nathan, Jr., and Osias entered the service, one at the age of fourteen, the other at the age of fifteen. Both re-enlisted and continued in active ser- vice until the close of the conflict. They were connected with Col. Timothy Bedel's regiment and with Major Benjamin Whitcomb's company of rangers.

At the close of the war a number of Revolutionary soldiers settled in Lit- tleton, among whom were Peleg Williams, Jonanthan Eastman, Ezra Foster, Caleb Huntoon, Samuel Hudson, Jonas Lewis, Naboth Lewis, Issac Miner and Henry Bemis. It is probable that there were others, as the names given are nearly all from the records of the pension department at Washington and it is not likely that every resident who was in the service became a pensioner.

The list of soldiers of the war of 1815 is comparatively small. James Dow served through the war. Ezra Abbott, James Lewis, Solomon Lewis and Ezra · Foster were also enlisted. The political complexion of the town was averse to the principles involved in the struggle and probably had an influence in lessening the number to enter the service.

The town furnished no men for service in the Mexican war. The contin- gent from this section of the state in the Ninth or New England regiment was mostly from Bath and Haverhill. John K. Ramsdell, who enlisted from Bath, was afterwards a resident of Littleton for many years.

In the Civil war the number of men in the service credited to Littleton was in excess of her quota. When President Lincoln issued his call for seventy-five thousand men to serve for three months, Evarts W. Farr was authorized by the governor of the state to recruit a company for that service, and its ranks were rapidly filled. But the fires of patriotism were burning with equal glow in every part of the state and the number of recruits was largely in excess of the requirements of the call. Consequently the Littleton men failed to secure a place in the First regiment. When the call for three years men was issued, ten of those who had entered the service for three months, re-enlisted and joined the Second regiment under Col. Gilman Marston. Of these, Evarts Worcester Farr was mustered into the service as first lieutenant of company G., was promoted to a captaincy, January, 1862: At the battle of Williamsburg he lost his right arm. In September, of the same year, he became major of the Eleventh regiment and served, mostly on detailed service, until the close of the war. In civil life he held many places of trust and honor, discharging the duties with fidelity and ability. At the time of his death in December, 1880, he was a member of Congress, having the previous month been re-elected to that position. He was a brave and gallant soldier who conferred lasting honor upon his native town.

The town furnished the same number of recruits to the Third regiment. The Fourth had no representatives from Littleton at the time it was mus- tered in, and but one, Michael Lynch, subsequently became connected with it.

When the "Fighting Fifth" left the state, eleven of the sons of Littleton were in its ranks. Of these, Second Lieutenant William Adams Moore was

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destined to achieve lasting fame for bravery and win an unknown grave on the sanguinary heights of Fredericksburg. Lieutenant Moore was teaching in a private school in Brooklyn, N. Y., when Fort Sumter was fired upon, and early in May enlisted in Duryee's Zouaves. He was undoubtedly the first Littleton boy to meet the enemy under fire. His first encounter was at Great Bethel, June the 10, 1861. He served in this regiment until the following Septem- ber, when he was commissioned second lieutenant of Company C., Fifth N. H. Volunteers. In February, 1862, he was promoted to a first lieutenancy and was commissioned captain of Company H., in November following. He served with marked gallantry in every engagement in which the regiment par- ticipated up to the time he was killed at Fredericksburg December 13, 1862. Capt. Moore was but twenty years and eight months old at the time of his death. Though young in years, he possessed a dignity of manner and a maturity of judgment common only to those of advanced age and wide ex- perience. No finer character or nobler life was sacrificed upon the alters of patriotism than his. Theron A. Farr was also a commissioned officer in this regiment. Enlisted as a private and an original member, he served until the final mustering out in 1865. He was successively promoted to the position of first and second lieutenant and captain but was not mustered in the last named capacity.

The Sixth regiment contained nineteen Littleton men when it was mus- tered. and eight were subsequently added by enlistment, in 1863-64. Samuel G. Goodwin was second lieutenant of Co. B. At the outbreak of the war he was in New York, and had the distinction of being the first son of Little- ton to enter the service. He enlisted April 20, 1861, in Ellsworth's Zouaves, with which he was connected until November following, when he received a commission in the Sixth regiment. He served with distinction until mustered out, July 17, 1865. He was successively promoted to be first lieutenant, captain and major of the regiment. He was one of the best of soldiers, fearless to the last degree, and ever ready for any duty. He died at Man- chester, April 24, 1875. Moses P. Bemis was a member of this regiment, and was one of its second lieutenants at the time it left the service.

The town's contribution to the Seventh regiment was thirteen, and to the Eighth, nine. In the Ninth there were three natives of the town, and a brave array of substitutes. The Eleventh bore upon its rolls the honored names of E. W. Farr and Captain George E. Pingree, who was credited to Lisbon, but was a native of Littleton. The largest contribution to any single regiment, was to the Thirteenth, in which there were fifty-one members from Littleton, including captains George Farr and Marshall Sanders, in whose honor the G. A. R. Post was named, and Lieutenant Edward Kilburn. There were two citizens of the town in the Fourteenth, and six in the Fifteenth, includ- ing First-Lieutenant Charles S. Hazeltine. In the Seventeenth two, in the Sharp Shooters two, and in the New England and New Hampshire Cavalry, Captain Ezra B. Parker and thirteen others. In the Heavy Artillery there

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were thirty-two, among them two second-lieutenants, Alden Quimby and Chauncy H. Green.

Altogether there went out from the town 206 of her sons, and something more than twenty others served their country in that struggle by substitute.

Peleg Williams, a native of Rhode Island, was a soldier in the French war and also a lieutenant in the Revolutionary war. He was pensioned by the first pension act passed by Congress. He married Sarah Wheeler, of Charles- town, N. H., soon after the Revolution, and came to this town, settling in the northwestern "part, on the Connecticut river, the place being known to this day as the " Peleg Williams farm." Their domestic life did not run smoothly, and after living together forty years a separation took place. The trouble in the family caused their only daughter to become insane. One feat of Mrs. Williams was a ride from their home on horseback to Charleston, a distance of one hundred miles, in one day. After she was eighty-five years old she walked from this town to several miles beyond Stanstead, Canada, in 1831. In 1849 she obtained a pension of $240 annually as a soldier's widow, receiv- ing also $1, 100 back pay. She lived to be ninety-nine years and three months old. Previous to receiving the pension she had been for a number of years a town charge.

James W. Kemick lives on road 32, near the line of Monroe, upon a farm formerly occupied by Walter Bowman, his grandfather. His father Simeon Remick married Hannah, daughter of Walter Bowman, who came to this town when but three years old, among the first settlers. There were no roads and they came hither from Henniker on the ice of the Connecticut river. James W. Remick married Ellen Goss, of Waterford, Vt., and they have two children.

Jonas Nurs, father of Mrs. Samuel Goodwin. came ,to this town from Keene at an early date in the settlement of the town, some time previous to 1790. When he first came the nearest grist-mill was at Bath, and it is said he would carry two bushels of wheat to that mill on his shoulder and return, a distance of thirty miles. He built the house where Elijah Fitch now lives, and kept tavern in it-the first public house in the town. The sign "Jonas Nurs, Tavern," with a mug at one end and a bowl on the other, suggestive of flip and punch, is still in existence.

Oliver Nurse was born in this town in 1796. He was a volunteer in the war of 1812, and served as a guard at Portsmouth. He married Polly Fitzgerald, of Gilmanton, who bore him ten children, eight of whom grew to manhood and womanhood, and seven are now living-John C. in Pelham, Albert L. in Whitefield, Charles H., Sarah A., who married T. D. Fitzgerald, Samuel P., William C. and Thomas S., are residents of this town. The latter married Maria C. Streeter, of Lisbon, and carries on the boot and shoe making busi- ness on Cottage street.

Nathan Applebee was born in this town June 29, 1792. He married first, Amarintha Bemis, of Brattleboro, Vt., who died July 21, 1848, and second,

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Ruby Farnum, of Lisbon. By the first wife there were eight children, only one of whom is living, a daughter, at Manchester. The fruits of the second marriage were one son and two daughters, of whom Emeline married George Abbott, and is a resident of town. Warren is a minister, near Boston. An- nette married Aaron Fisher, who lives on the Applebee homestead, and with whom the widowed mother makes her home. Aaron Fisher has four children. Nellie married Henry Quimby. One daughter is living near Boston, and two sons are at home with their father. Nathan Applebee died September II, 1868, at the age of seventy-six years.

Abijah Allen, born in Hebron, Conn., May 30, 1776, came to this town in 1796. The following year he located on Mann's hill, on road 22. He cleared the farm, and resided on it until his death, in April, 1864. His son Abijah, now on the farm, married Adaline C. Cox, a native of Holderness. They have two children-Charles R., who married Sophia Harriman, and lives with his parents on the home farm, and Alice I., who married George L. Flanders, of this town. The Senior Abijah Allen was a robust and very healthy man, never being obliged to call a physician. He has, in early days, gone to Lis- bon, the nearest grist-mill, and worked a day for a peck of corn, getting it ground, and returning at night with it on his back.

Solomon Whiting was born in Manchester, in 1791. When ten years old he removed with his parents to this town, and has been a resident here for eighty-three years, excepting seven years spent in Concord, Vt., and is now the oldest man in the town. His memory is remarkably clear, and he is able to walk three miles daily, and he also reads without glasses. When he first came to Littleton there were only three houses in what now constitutes the village. One of the three is still standing. Most of his life has been devoted to farming. He married Maria Charlton, a native of this town, whose father came from England and purchased wild land in this town, clearing it, and ever after living upon it. None of their six children are now living. One son, Robert, was killed in his father's saw-mill, at the age of forty-one years, March 14, 1874. Mr. Whiting is now living with his grandson, George C. Patten.

Ebenezer Farr, a native of Chesterfield, was born December 8, 1779. He came to this town about 1803, with a family of eight, and settled on what is known as " Farr hill," giving the name to the locality. His son Noah mar- ried Lydia Cobleigh, of Chesterfield, January 25, 1803, and they had eleven children, of whom two are still living -John Farr, of Littleton village, and Mrs. Phinisa, widow of M. D. Cobleigh, who resides with her son-in-law, C. F. Lewis, on road 30. Another son, Noah, was father of Noah and Theron A. Farr, residents of this town, and four daughters, of whom Lydia married Martin Hatch, Philander lived in this town and died at the age of sixty-two, Deborah M., born August 12, 1814, died December 5, 1830, Elizabeth married Noah Gile, Nelson C. married first Augusta Smith, and second, Mrs. Sophrona Wallace. He died March 7, 1884. The first named Noah died at Littleton, April 2, 1842, and Lydia his widow died December 8, 1856.

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TOWN OF LITTLETON.

William Brackett was born in Sudbury, Mass., and came about 1801 from Charlestown, N. H., to Littleton, with Major Curtis, being then about 14 years of age. All the school advantages he ever received consisted of attendance at district school for a few years, but he is spoken of as having been remark- ably quick and accurate in reckoning. Major Nathan Curtis opened the first store in Littleton, the "old red store " which occupied the present site of the M. E. church, and William Brackett was his clerk. After several years spent in this capacity he opened the second store in town on the meadow road below the present village, and later another in this village, was in trade until about eight years before his death which occurred in 1859. He is said to have brought the first spring wagon into town, a clumsy contrivance sup- ported by springs of wood, but a grand vehicle for those days, and also the first chaise. William C. and Charles W. Brackett, his sons, succeeded him in business about 1850, and Charles W. Brackett is now the only merchant in trade here who began at so early a date. When the White Mountain R. R. was completed to Littleton, in July, 1853, the Bracketts handled the express business at this place, doing all the conveying of goods upon a wheelbarrow at first, but soon witnessing a growth of business which brought teams into requisition. W. C. Brackett died about ten years late. C. W. Brackett dis- posed of his business interest, in Littleton after a time and went to Min- nesota where he remained five years. Returning in 1868 he became a member of the firm of H. L. Tilton & Co., doing a general mercantile business in the block he now occupies. In 1871, when the business was classified, the firm reorganized and Bellows, Brackett & Co. took the hardware line which they continued at the same stand for two years, since when the firm has been C. W. Brackett & Co., and the business and place the same.

David Millen was born in this town in 1806, and has always resided here, engaged in farming. He now lives with his son, Hollon H. He married Jane Aldrich, of Lisbon, and has one daughter, Mrs. George Corey, of this town. One son, Charles W., is a Methodist Episcopal clergyman, at Brook- lyn, N. Y.

Arza Eastman was born in this town in August, 1812, the youngest of a family of eleven children, and most of his life was spent here. He married Maria Winch, of Bethlehem, who bore hin five children, four of whom are living-Charles B., in this town ; Maria married George Bowman and resides on road 27 ; Willard died at the age of thirty-three ; Lewis married Mary Moore and lives on road 17; Ina A. married Orrissa Clough, a native of this town, and lives at Andover, Mass. Arza Eastman died December 5, 1884, at the age of seventy-two years.

Samuel Goodwin came from Landaff in 1817, having that year married Martha Nurs, a native of this town, and now the oldest native resident. Mr. Goodwin died in 1868, having always occupied the same farm, on road 22. Mrs. Goodwin now resides on the old homestead with her son Chester M. Four of her seven children are living. Martha A. married George E. Bart-

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lett of this town ; Samuel G., who died at Manchester, was a member of the Ellsworth Zouaves, and afterwards was captain and brevet major of Co.B, 6th N. H. Regt. Vols. Inft., the brevet being conferred for bravery before Peters- burg. Charles S. lives in Lisbon, and Olive married Charles King, of White- field.

Amos Wallace was born in Franconia in April, 1797, where he lived until 1622, when he removed to this town, and has resided here since. He first settled on a farm on road 9, which he cleared from the primitive forest and lived on it many years. Afterwards he removed to a farm on Mann's hill, where he lived ten years, whence he removed to the village and now resides on Pleasant street. He married Polly Hildreth, of this town, and they had nine children, eight of whom lived to an adult age. His second wife was Clarinda Atherton, who bore him'one child, which died in infancy. Of this family of children six are now living. Abigail married Erastus D. Emerson, of Thetford, Vt., who died in 1883. Mary A. married Solomon Ladd. Elmira married Ephraim Rowe, of Newbury, Vt. Amos P. married Betsey A. Dur- ham, of Concord, Vt., and resides on Pleasant street. He is the father of D. O. Wallace, bookseller. Cordelia married Isaac B. Hoyt, of Bethlehem, who died in 1882. Bernice H. married Ira Goodall, of this town. John A. lives in Illinois. Andrew M. served in the 13th N. H. Vols. Infantry, and died of sickness while in the service. Amos, the subject of this sketch, now in his eighty-eighth year, resides with his son Amos P.

Levi B. Dodge was born in this town in July, 1822, and, with the excep- tion of nine years spent in Lyndon, Vt., has always resided here. Farming has been his principal pursuit, although he has practiced veterinary surgery for many years. He married Hannah Cobleigh, a native of Chesterfield, but a resident of Sutton, Vt., when married. They have one daughter, wife of Carlos P. Day, of this town, and one son, Marshall C., who married Martha A. King, of Landaff, and resides with his father.

Gilman Wheeler was born in this town, on the farm on which he now lives, February 27, 1822. He married Eliza E. Brooks, of Dalton, and they have four children, all sons-Edward O., a farmer with his father, Charles D., an ice dealer in New York city, Galen H., a civil engineer in Montana, and Al- bert P., a student. Mr. Wheeler, besides carrying on a large farm, also keeps summer boarders, the name of his place being the Wheeler Hill farm.

Josiah Kilburn, son of Elijah and Rebecca (Genison) Kilburn, was born in Walpole, N. H., January 2, 1801, and is the great-grandson of John Kil- burn, the first pioneer of Walpole, who settled there in 1749, and who so bravely defended his family and home against four hundred Indians, on the seventeenth of August, 1755. His house was built of logs, with loopholes in the walls, through which persons could fire upon an attacking party. About noon, discovering the Indians in ambush, he, with his son John, a lad of eighteen, and two hired men, hastened to the house and prepared for de- fense. Mr. Kilburn was also assisted and encouraged by his brave wife and

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Gazetteer of Grafton county, N. H. 1709-1886, Part 66

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