Gazetteer of Grafton county, N. H. 1709-1886, Part 74

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 74

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).

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546

TOWN OF LYME.

John Fellows was born in Orford, and, at the age of fourteen, was appren- ticed to a stone-cutter. He came to Lyme about 1850, to work for Shubael Dimick, and from then until his death, in 1884, was engaged in the manufac- ture of monumental stone work at this place.

Asa Thurston came to Lyme about 1850, and for many years carried on the mercantile business, succeeding the Lathams in the present store of War- ren Brothers, and later doing business in the Rufus Conant building, at the southeast corner of the common. His son Charles is in business in Concord, N. H., and his daughter Nellie is the wife of L. D. Warren.

Jedediah Holt moved from Pembroke, N. H., to Dorchester about the be- ginning of this century. His son Franklin, born in Dorchester in 1818, with his son Henry H. came to Lyme in 1855, locating where they now live. Though reared a farmer, Henry H. Holt has done much business not neces- sarily connected with this pursuit, having been chosen for thirteen years one of the selectmen, most of that time being the chairman of the board and over- seer of the poor. He has also done a large business in fire insurance and the settlement of estates, and was selected in 1884 to do duty for two years on the board of county commissioners, assuming the functions of that office July 1, 1885. In December, 1866, Martha A., daughter of Asa Warren, be- came his wife and has had born to her three children, the eldest of whom, Alice M., died September 5, 1885.

Fred B. Palmer, son of Asa, born in Orford, January 29, 1827, came to Lyme in 1859. He enlisted, in 1863, in Co. A, 16th N. H. Vols., and served in the army. In various official positions and as public school teacher six- teen terms, he has done efficient service. Having been twice married, he has a family of six children, several of whom have become school teachers.

Oscar Melvin came from Weare, N. H., in 1859, and did business as an auctioneer until his death in 1879.

George H. Gordon, son of Jeremiah H. Gordon, and grandson of Peaslee Gordon, was born in Landaff and has resided in Lyme since 1864. His wife was Maria D. Pierce, of Thetford, Vt. He has three sons and one daughter.

Cyrus Gordon, son of David, was born in Henniker in 1810. Jonathan Gordon, his grandfather, was a Quaker, came from England and settled in Henniker, N. H. Cyrus located in Dorchester in 1832, and was married, in 1836, to Olive Jesseman, a descendant of one of the early settlers there. Their children are Laura A. (Mrs. S. F. Ball), Ruhama E. (Mrs. J. H. Derby), Asa F., who died in the United States army, at Brazer City, La., during the war, and Sarah A., who died aged nineteen. Cyrus Gordon has resided in Lyme since 1869.

Thomas Sawyer came from Hebron to Orford, with two sons, in 1765, and worked at clearing his land during the summer, returned to Hebron, spent the winter, and in 1766 brought his wife and family of seven children to Or- ford. He died September 8, 1785, aged seventy-one years. Capt. Bela Sawyer, son of Jared, is a great-grandson of Thomas. He enlisted as a lieu-

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TOWN OF LYME.

tenant and was detailed for service in the department of brigade quarter- master, with the rank of captain, during the Rebellion, and has been captain of militia since the close of the war. He has served the town as clerk and selectman. He married Deborah P. Josselyn, and has one son, Arthur H.

George W. Randlett, merchant and tinsmith, son of Jacob Randlett, was born in Bridgewater, N. H., and first located in Lyme about twenty years ago. He subsequently resided in Orford, but returned to Lyme, where he has since resided, having been postmaster from 1876 to 1885.

Samuel Phelps was born in Hebron, Conn., July 6, 1742, married Lydia Morey in 1764, and they settled in Orford in April, 1771. Thirteen children were born to them-Samuel, born December 2, 1776, was thrice married, first, to Patience Cook, second, to Fanny Stevens, and third, to Anna Bar- tholomew. They had eight children, of whom Abner became a lawyer in San Francisco, Cal. Anna married Oliver Mitchell, of Orford. Timothy B., born in December, 1801, went to Massachusetts, came from Lowell to Lyme in 1864, and died in June, 1878. He was twice married, first, to Lydia B. Rood, of Lyme, in 1849, and second, to Harriet N. Dickey, of Windham, N. H., who, with one daughter, Nellie H., survives him.

Cyrus Camp, of Hanover, came to Lyme in 1869, purchased the farm where B. F. Bartlett now lives, and spent his later years here. He was a schoolmaster in early life, and ever a man whose influence was felt for good in the community.

There are several farms in Lyme which still continue in the direct line of descent in the families who cleared them. Among them are that of John S. Goodell, settled by Dea. Jonathan Goodell before 1773 ; that of William H. Dimick, settled by Shubael Dimock, in 1783 ; that of Col. Francis Porter, settled by Capt. William Porter, about 1783 ; that of John Adams Cook, which is a part of the land taken up by Maj. James Cook, in 1783 ; that of Sidney A. Converse, settled by Joel Converse, in March, 1789 ; that of Dea. T. M. Franklin, which is a part of the land originally owned by Hon. Jona- than Franklin, about 1776, and by him given to his son Lemuel, who cleared it previous to 1800. The Gilbert farm is one of as great historic importance as any in Lyme, because it is one of those which has passed in uninterrupted descent in the family since its settlement; it was a landing place of the boats which brought up goods, provisions, and sometimes passengers, to the early inhabitants ; it was here that many of the young men who came with- out families, to clear farms back upon the hills, had their bread baked, and came once or twice a week to get provisions. It was near the site of the present house that a battle was fought, or rather a band of Indians is said to have been murdered by a scouting party who came up from " Charlestown, No. 4," to punish some savages who had stolen cattle, destroyed crops and burned buildings for the settlers in that section. Several Indian skeletons have been exhumed here, some of which were taken to the Dartmouth col- lege museum.

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TOWN OF LYME.

The following is a partial list of the soldiers of the Revolution who died in Lyme, with the dates, so far as known, of their decease, and the same of those of the War of 1812 :-

REVOLUTION.

Abel Kent, Sr. .

Ezra Warren . 1820

Capt, John Nelson 1830

Lieut. Nathaniel Hewes 1808

Nathaniel Waite . . 1816

Peter Post . .

1811

Moses Straw 1840

David Pushee.

Col. Ebenezer Green

1786

Solomon Smith, Jr

Phineas Stark

1832

Samuel Bixby .

John Culver. 1852

William Porter

. 1848

WAR OF 1812.

Micarah Gilbert 1854

Capt. David Turner 1875

John Washburn 1872

Billa Cuthing . 1856

Jonathan Conant 1860

Sylvester Jackson .1874

Calvin P. Fairfield

1882

Wallace W. Amsden . 1872

Edward Howard. 1881

The following list gives the names of soldiers of the late war who have died in Lyme, while the names of those who still reside here may be found in the directory, and the roster of officers in the County Chapter :-

A. C. Waterman 1881

Turner S. Grant. 1863

Jasper H. Kemp 1865

Daniel W. Winslow 1863

Anson Stark . 1876

Phineas P. Gilbert 1863

Edward B. Allen.

Charles L. Dike .

1865

Freeman J. Converse 1863

Charles W. Marten 1865

Orimel H. Hamilton 1864

Frank B. Porter 1863

Eli S. Tyler . . 1864

Frank J. Derby 1863

Benjamin F. Babbitt 1885

Joseph Moore 1863

Franklin Swan. 1864

Orenius Stark . 1863

Henry B. Swan 1864

David S. Shattuck 1864

Arthur Cline 1861

Alfred Fales . 1884

Albert Cline .

1862 |William B. Piper

1884

Charles M. Lovejoy .1863

Charles J. Allen 1863

John W. Gilbert. 1863

ECCLESIASTICAL.

In 1768, five years after the arrival of the first settler, the people came together in town meeting, at the house of Thomas Sumner, and voted to unite with Thetford in securing preaching for one year, which arrangement was car- ried out. The following year a call was extended to Elisha Pearsons, who came and labored for a time, but made no permanent settlement. Subse- quently, Thetford and Lyme again joined hands in supporting preaching, but the river and the hill were obstacles which rendered communication difficult

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TOWN OF LYME.

and the arrangement unsatisfactory. In 1772 an effort was made to secure the services of Mr. Sumner and Mr. Ripley. During this year William Conant came to Lyme with his father and brothers. March 9, 1773, the town voted to call him to settle as their minister, and he was ordained December 22, 1773. At that time the matter of calling a pastor rested with the town, and was decided by ballot, like other town business.

The Congregational church, with twenty-one members, was formed in Lyme, May 21, 1771 .* There was then no church building, and the people were accustomed to meet in a barn, the frame of which is still preserved. In this barn Rev. William Conant was ordained. He was voted a salary of forty- five pounds for three years, to be paid in grain at prices fixed by a committee chosen for the purpose, and sixty pounds toward a settlement, besides the right of land provided by charter for the first settled minister, his salary to increase with the invoice, until it reached seventy pounds. After much discussion as to location, a house of worship was erected by the town, in 1781, near the site of the present structure. Mr. Conant's pastorate extended over a period of thirty-six years. He was born in Bridgewater, Mass., in 1743, graduated from Yale college in 1770, and died March 8, 1810. He is said to have been a man of extreme plainness in person, dress and manners, and it was his cus- tom to rebuke men in severe terms, publicly, on the Sabbath day.

The successor of Mr. Conant was Rev. Nathaniel Lambert, who was spoken of as the antipodes of his prodecessor. Neatness, precision and cor- rectness were marked in his person, conversation, business, the construction and delivery of his sermons, and all his ministerial labors and duties. He was born at Rowley, Mass., in 1765, graduated from Brown university in 1787, was licensed to preach in 1789, ordained at Newbury, Vt., in 1790, installed pastor at Lyme in 1811, dismissed in 1820, and died in 1838. He repre- sented Lyme in the legislature from 1821 to 1828, inclusive.

Rev. Baxter Perry became the third resident pastor of the church, being ordained at Lyme, January 3, 1821. He was born in Worcester, Mass., April 16, 1792, prepared for college at Leicester academy, graduated from Harvard in 1817, and from Andover Theological seminary in 1820. "He entered into his pastoral work with great zeal, and a powerful revival almost immediately commenced, which added ninety-two members to the church in 1821." For nine years he ministered to this people, their example as well as the expounder of religious doctrines ; but his career of usefulness was cut short and he was called to the Church Triumphant at the early age of thirty-eight years, January 18, 1830. During his pastorate the first Sabbath-school was organized in town, and in 1827 he became intensely interested in the temper- ance work, laboring publicly from house to house to obtain signatures to a

* The statement that a Congregational church was organized by Rev. Peter Powers, in Lyme, in August, 1770, rests on the authority of a written statement by Rev. Eleazer Wheelock, first president of Dartmouth college ; but the church records show no account of it.

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TOWN OF LYME.

pledge of total abstinence. It was under his influence and advice that Hon. Jonathan Kittredge, then one of his parishoners, delivered the temperance address which was printed and given a world-wide circulation by the American Tract Society.

The successor of Mr Perry was Rev. Erdix Tenney, who was born in Cornith, Vt., June 11, 1801, graduated from Middlebury college in 1826, and Andover in 1829. He was installed over this church January 5, 1831, and his ministry continued thirty-seven years. During this term 660 were gathered into the church. His work tells of his faithfulness louder than words of praise.

On September 20, 1868, Rev. Henry A. Hazen, a native of Hartford, Vt , and a graduate of Dartmouth and Andover, was called to the charge, in which he labored until October 31, 1870. On May 25, 1871, Rev. Erastus M. Kellogg was installed, and dismissed the following year.

Since its organization, more than 1,100 persons have been received into the membership of this church. Of this number, some twenty-five have re- ceived collegiate education, fourteen entered the ministry, and a great num- ber devoted themselves to God's service in other ways. The present pastor, Rev. Edward Page Butler, was born in Clintonville, N. Y., February 14, 1848, graduated form the University of Vermont, 1870, and Hartford Theological seminary in 1873, began the ministry at Lyme, June 9, 1873, and was ordained pastor October 20, 1874. During the twelve years he has been over this church 117 persons have been added to its membership and over $5,000 given for benevolent purposes. The present church edifice was erected in 1811, of wood, cost about $6,000,00, has a seating capacity of 600, and is valued at $3.600.00.

The Baptist church in Lyme was originally a part of the "Hanover and Lyme Baptist church," whose place of worship was in Hanover. In 1804 fifty-eight members of this church were credited to Lyme. December 16, 1807, the Lyme Baptist church was formed, with twenty-six members. Owing to misunderstandings, the church was disbanded in March, 1810, but was re- organized September 12, with thirty-eight members, by a council of clergy and laymen from neighboring towns. Up to 1825 preachers from other towns sup- plied, some of whose names we have learned-Elder Bridgman, of Hanover, Thomas Whipple, - Colburn, of Hanover, - Gates, John Sanders, James Parker, - Spaulding and --- Swazey. In 1825 Rev. S. Alden moved into the place and was the first resident pastor, and also the only one they had for seven years. On June 30, 1831, the church was once more disbanded, and a new one organized, consisting of sixteen members. Since Mr. Alden, the succession of pastors has been as follows : William Taylor, J. Peacock, M. Cheney, S. Coombs, P. Davison, A. Buck, G. W. Cutting eleven years, S. Ladd, Appleton Belknap seven years, Edmund H. Smith nine years, I. W. Wheeler three years, D. W. Palmer, S. S. White, E. P. Merrifield, and J. B. Read, the present pastor.

TOWN OF MONROE.

Rev. Joseph B. Read was born in Dighton Mass., May 12, 1830, brought up on a farm and graduated from the Bridgewater normal school in 1850. He spent fourteen years of his life as a teacher, and served in the 58th Mass. Vols. during the war, as chaplain. He commenced preaching at Brewster, Mass., in 1861, and became pastor of this church in November, 1883. Rev. Appleton Belknap was born in Framingham, Mass., graduated from Newton Theological seminary, and became pastor of this church in 1855. His death occurred in Lyme, February 2, 1877. Rev. Edmund H. Smith became the pastor in 1863. The first house of worship was erected of wood, soon after the church was organized, located about three quarters of a mile east of the present site. The present house was built in 1830, of wood, and will seat about 250 persons. A comfortable parsonage adjacent to the church is owned by the society. The present church membership is sixty-nine and the Sabbath-school has an average attendance of about sixty scholars.

M ONROE is a small township lying in the northwestern part of the county, in lat. 44°17 and long. 70°, bounded north by Littleton, east Lyman, south by Bath and west by the west bank of the Con- necticut river. It was formerly a part of Lyman, but was set off and incorpo- rated into a separate township July 13, 1854, the division line ranging with the summit of Gardner mountain. A high elevation which formed a natural bar- rier between the two localities and thus rendered the division necessary, for convenience in transacting town business.

The town has a general slope from the heights on the east toward the Con- necticut, and though it is considerably hilly and broken, is like all Connecticut river towns, productive and easily cultivated. Within the limits of the town are the narrows, at which place the river is only five rods in width, being con- fined by walls of slate. The scenery is grand and picturesque. Near the northwestern extremity of the town, at the confluence of the Connecticut and Passumpsic rivers, the former assumes the shape of a diamond, its greatest width being about a mile, encircling twenty islands and affording a delight- ful landscape. Bog iron, zinc and copper ores are found in various local- ities. The area of improved land is 8,346 acres.

In 1880 Monroe had a population of 504 souls. In 1885 the town had five school districts, and six common schools. Its six school-houses were valued including furniture, etc., at $1,820.00. There were 124 children at- tending school, eight of whom were pursuing the higher grades, taught dur- ing the year by eight female teachers, at an average monthly salary of $21.97. The entire amount raised for school purposes during the year was $920.12, while the expenditures were $703.66, with Charlotte B. Buffum, superintendent.

MONROE, a post village, lies in the southwestern part of the town. It has one hotel, a school-house, printing-office, store, grist-mill, saw-mill, butter tub

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TOWN OF MONROE.

factory, blacksmith shop, wheelwright shop, sash and blind factory, and about I20 inhabitants.

NORTH MONROE is a post village located in the northwestern part of the town.

Eber A Willey's butter-tub factory, on road 17, was built by him in 1884. It is operated by steam-power and has the capacity for manufacturing 10,000 butter-tubs per annum.

Charles Mc Farland's grist-mill, on road 23, was built by Stephen Hadley, about 1840 or '41, and was purchased by the present proprietor in 1883. It has five runs of stones. Mr. McFarland does custom work, and handles about fifty car-loads of western grain per year.

George Van Dyke's saw-mill was built by Richard E. Peabody, about 1875. Mr. VanDyke employes roo men and manufactures about 12,000,000 feet of lumber per annum.

As the town was so lately erected into a township, it will be necessary to look to the parent town, Lyman, for a sketch of its early settlement, etc., so to that sketch, on page 512, the reader is referred. The first town meeting was held July 29, 1854, when the following officers were elected : Albert Mason, mod- erator ; Horace Emery, clerk ; Horace Duncan, Jedediah Buffum, and Albert Mason, selectmen ; Philip Mason, treasurer ; Charles Negus, constable ; and Seth Ford, Albert Mason, Church Meigs, John Nelson and Rufus Dickinson, highway surveyors. It was also voted at this meeting, among other things, "to instruct the selectmen to establish the boundary lines of the several school districts, and to number the same." The first selectman was Solomon H. Emery, chosen march 13, 1855.

John Hinman, whose name was formerly Hyndman, came to America, from Glasgow, Scotland, about 1772, and lived for a short time at Ryegate, Vt. He moved to Monroe, then Lyman, and located upon one of the islands in the Connecticut river, about a mile above the village of Monroe. He died in Barnet, Vt., in 1834, aged ninety-seven years. He reared a family of seven children, none now living. His son William was born in 1771, and was but nine months old when he came to America with his father. About 1800 he settled in Bath, near the town line of Monroe, and a few years later moved to Monroe and located upon the farm now owned by his son-in-law, William Shaw, on road 16. He died in 1867, aged ninety-seven years. He had born to him ten children, four of whom are now living. Of these, Mrs. William Shaw and William Hinman reside in this town on road 16. Alexander H. Hinman lives at McIndoes Falls, and Robert S. resides at West Concord, Vt.

Ethan Smith was born in Lyman, now Monroe, in 1784, lived in the south- ern part of the town and died there in 1828. He reared a family of eight children, six of whom are now living, three of them residing in this town, namely : Stebbins, Horace and Mrs. Frances Emery.

Robert Nelson and his brother William came to Monroe, then Lyman, from

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TOWN OF MONROE.

Ryegate, Vt., some time previous to 1794, and located upon the farm where the Buffum brothers now reside, on road 8. Robert afterward removed to the place now owned by Nathan T. Bolton. He reared a family of fourteen children, seven of whom are living. Hannah, daughter of Robert, mar- ried Connor Paddleford, resides in town, and is in her eighty-seventh year. Her husband, Connor, died in June, 1877, aged eighty-four years. The other children of Robert who reside in town are Mrs. Ruth Paddleford and Nathan Nelson. Another daughter, Mrs. Alice Clisby, lives in Littleton. William Nel- son also reared a large family, nearly all of whom are dead. One daughter, Mrs. Marie Blake, lives in Littleton.

Capt. Philip Paddleford came to Lyman, now Monroe, from Enfield about 1797 or 1798, and located upon the farm where Paddleford and Kibby now live, on road r, corner 3. He built a saw-mill, which is supposed to be the first one in that part of the town. He reared a family of six sons and two daughters, all of whom settled in this vicinity, but none are now living. Seth died in town. Philip, the second son, had born to him seven children, four of whom are living. Of these, Mrs. Nathan Nelson, Benjamin F. and Cur- tis reside in town. Capt. Philip Paddleford died March 8, 1831.

Richard R. Moore came to this town from Bow, N. H., some time previous to 1800 and located upon the place now owned by John E. Whitcomb, on road 11. He reared a family of six children, three of whom are living, namely, Mrs. Sophronia Paddleford, of Barnet, Vt .; Nathaniel S. and Richard, both of this town. Richard R. died about 1876.

Bethuel Turner came to Lyman, now Monroe, about or soon after 1800, and located upon the farm now owned by Anson Johnson, on road 5, where he resided until his death in 1812. His son Jesse was born here in 1797 and lived here until his death in 1870. His widow, Lucinda M., survives him. Two of his children reside in this county, Mrs. Anson Johnson, of this town, and Mrs. Julia M. Moore, of Littleton.

Sabin Johnson came here about 1800, and cleared a farm, on which he lo- cated, on road 6. His son Willard was born in this town in 1803, and lived here until about twenty-one years of age, when he moved to Moria, N. S., where he died. His son Anson now resides in town, on road 5. He has held the office of justice of the peace for the last twenty years.

Elijah Dickinson came to Lyman, now Monroe, from Amherst, Mass., about 1803, and located upon road 16. He was a natter by trade and carried on the business here. His son Elijah was about ten years of age when he- came here with his father, and resided here until his death in 1876. He mar- ried twice and had born to him fourteen children, nine now living, and three residing in town. His son Andrew J. resides on the homestead.

Caleb Emery came to this town about 1804 and cleared a farm in the northern part, where he located. He took an active part in town affairs, held the office of selectman, justice of the peace, represented his town a number of times in the legislature, and was town clerk of Lyman sixteen years. He

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TOWN OF MONROE.

died in 1842. Four of his nine children are living. Of these Solomon H. resides near Brighton, Ill., two daughters reside in Boston, Mass., and Ed- ward lives in this town, on road 14, corner 13. The latter is at present one of the selectmen of the town.

Darius Blodgett came to Lyman, now Monroe, from Connecticut about 1804, and located upon the farm, where his son Rufus C. now lives, on road II. He was a farmer and a nailer by trade, and made the nails to build the house where Rufus C. now lives He took an active part in town affairs, was selectman, &c. He married twice and reared a family of seventeen children. He died in 1855, aged eighty-two years. Two of the five children now liv- ing reside in town, Rufus C., on the homestead, and Darius F. at Monroe village. He was justice of the peace for forty-five years, and was postmaster twenty-two consecutive years.

John Buffum came here, from Grafton, about 1811, and located upon the farm where Wesley Smith now lives. He reared a family of eight children, only one of whom, Mrs. Lucinda Turner, is living. He died about 1853. His son Jedediah was born in Grafton in 1806, came here with his father, and has since resided here. He took an active part in town affairs, was road commissioner, selectman, represented his town in the legislature, and was one of the committee to divide the town. He died in 1876. He had born to him seven children, five of whom are now living, namely, Mrs. Sophia Jones, Merritt S., John A., Frank M. and Charles L. John A. and Frank M. own a large farm, a portion of which is composed of islands in the Connecticut river. They are about twenty-seven in number, and are known as the Buffum islands.

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Gazetteer of Grafton county, N. H. 1709-1886, Part 74

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