USA > New Hampshire > Genealogical and family history of the state of New Hampshire : a record of the achievements of her people in the making of a commonwealth and the founding of a nation, Vol. I > Part 50
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Mr. Wood continued his farming and tavern- keeping until 1789, at which time, according to the record of taxes, he went into business with his son Joseph. Jr., and they paid taxes together up to the year 1797. The old gentleman died on the 2d day of November, 1798, aged seventy-three, and Joseph, Jr., by previous arrangement with his father, came in possession of a large portion of his property. Joseph. the elder. had been successful in accumulat- ing a handsome fortune, and was a generous father to all his children, giving to each an equal share in land. farm, money, or education, excepting the larger portion secured to Joseph, Jr., which caused a little uneasiness in the minds of the less favored children.
As early as 1768, he held the office of constable,
was also elected one of the committee for laying out the school money and conducting the schools. He was also actively engaged in the subject of re- ligion, but according to a vote of the town. May 22d, 1769, for the purpose of establishing a gospel ad- ministration, he was selected as one of the com- mittee to procure a minister, and was also otherwise honored by the town. He was among the first who joined the Congregational Church under the pas- torate of the Rev. Isaiah Potter.
Hc excelled in his judgment of the value of lands and other property, and thereby was successful in · nearly all his business transactions during life. His wife was one of the strong women of that age, and possessed an active, independent mind, and it is said that she was as much entitled to credit for her judgment and prudence in acquiring property as her husband .. She was always pleasant and sociable among her friends and neighbors, and often very amusing in her stories and conversation. They were both well prepared in "the land of steady hab- its," to become pioneers in a new country, and to bear together the hardships of a life journey through the forest land. They raised a large fam- ily, seven boys and three girls, who, by their works, have proved an honor to themselves and to their father and mother.
The following disagreement is supposed to be the only one that ever transpired between Mr. Wood and his wife. When they were cosily enjoying an evening's rest, a scratching was heard in the ceiling of the old house, and Mr. Wood said, "it was a rat," and Mrs. Wood said "it was a mouse," and the same expressions were repeated back and forth several times, until Mrs. Wood declared, with em- phasis not to be misunderstood, that "if he con- tinued to say it was a rat, she would not live with him another day." "Well," said Mr. Wood. "call it a mouse then ; but Wood knows it is a rat." Mrs. Wood was occasionaly humorous. At one time she complained of a great trouble in mind, and her friends tried to console her, and expressed much sympathy for her apparent bad state of feeling. and urged her seriously to tell her great trouble. She finally said mith mock solemnity, "it was be- cause her husband did not own all the land that joined him."
The old lady, after her husband's decease, still continued her residence in her old home with her son Joseph, excepting occasional visits among other children. She was an old fashioned woman in strength of body and mind, and enjoyed life and health until March II, 1813, when she died at the age of eighty-five. The children of Joseph and Anna Palmer Wood are as follows :
I. Rev. Samuel, born in Mansfield. Connecti- cut, about 1753. married Eunice Bliss, of Lebanon, in 1781 ; children none.
2. Mariam, born in Mansfield, Connecticut, in 1755, married Stephen Colburn, of Hartford, Ver- mont. in 1779; children, ten.
3. Jane, born in Mansfield, 1757, married Asa Colburn, of Tunridge, Vermont: children, ten.
4. Captain Joseph, born in Mansfield, Connect- icut, November 8, 1759, and married Sarah Gerrish Boscawen, 1782; children, eleven.
5 Captain Ephraim, born in Mansfield, Con- necticut, 1761, married Martha Jackson, of Bosca- wen, in 1785: children, eleven.
6. Anna, born in Mansfield, Connecticut, 1764; married Elias Marsh, of Sharon, Vermont, in 1796; children, seven.
7. Captain Roger, born in Mansfield, Connnect- icut, 1766: married Achsah Tilden, of Lebanon, in 1795; children, six.
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8. Captain John, born in Lebanon, 1768, mar- ried Persis Hyde, in 1796; children, eleven.
9. Rev. Benjamin, born in Lebanon, in 1770, married . Betsy Dustin; children, eight.
10. Rev. Luther, born in Lebanon, in 1772, mar- ried Wealthy Marsh; children, nine.
Total number of grandchildren, eighty-three.
As a history of all the Wood family would be too extensive for a newspaper publication, the writer has selected the Captain Joseph Wood, Jr., branch as being more intimately connected with his father's family. The old stock of Woods seem to have pos- sessed to some extent a martial spirit, and also a spirit of religious devotion, four of whom bore the title of Captain, and three were honored with the prefix of Rev., and all were professors of religion and belonged to the Congregational Church.
Captain Joseph Wood, Jr., the centenarian, son of the first settler Joseph, was born in Mans- field, Connecticut, in 1759. and came to Lebanon with his father when about seven or eight years of age. He lived and worked with his father and brothers on the farm, and grew up in the family until free to act for himself. Having received an education sufficient to warrant him in accepting the position of a school teacher, he could not do other- wise than comply with a request from Boscawen to teach school in that town. Providence seems to have favored him in this new calling; for while engaged in teaching, he hecame acquainted with Miss Sarah Gerrish, daughter of Colonel Henry Gerrish and his wife, Martha Clough, of Boscawen, which resulted in a mutual attachment, and they were married in the year 1782.
Their first settlement was on the farm now owned by Hazen Purmort. An old log house was the only domicile on the land, and it is said that when Mrs. Wood was first introduced to her new habitation. her foot slipped and she fell prostrate on the floor. It was indeed an unpleasant introduction for a young bride, but eventually it proved the truth of the old adage, "that a bad beginning makes a good end." This little farm of about eighty acres had a pleasant location and was a good piece of land. At one time he raised a large crop of wheat, and being destitute of a barn he thrashed it in the field, leaving the straw upon the ground, which enriched the land to such an extent that the spot was bright and green and easily distinguished from a distance, even when Mr. Wood was getting to be an old man. S. S. Barrows said that when passing along the road to East Lebanon with the old gentle- man one day, he called his attention to the still green spot and spoke of the yield of grain as the most bountiful he ever saw.
After a few years of labor on the Purmort farm, he disposed of his interest in it and purchased one hundred acres of land situated on the south side of the road adjoining the Deacon Porter farm. He removed to that place and commenced anew his farm life. His income from that source being lim- ited, he felt obliged to connect other kinds of busi- ness with it, and so he traded some in lumber, bought and sold grain, and speculated generally. During the first years of his married life it is said that he was not very rich in this world's goods, but was rich in judgment, in a persevering indus- try and in the hope of a future independence, but richer still in the possession of a good and sensible wife to manage the household affairs. She was well qualified for a good helpmeet in those early days. She not only did her duty in the house. but sometimes she did more than that outside of her department. The convenience of an oven was desired, and when the bricks were procured she
laid them into an oven with her own hands, and perhaps as well as any man could do it. It was located on a wood foundation and lasted many years, but it was eventually destroyed by fire. The experience and good judgment of Mr. Wood in- sured him a growing addition to his income from year to year, and his knowledge of the value of the land, of cattle and horses, and almost every kind of property, was superior to men generally, and he continued to improve his farm and to pros- per in other business until the increasing age and failing strength of his old father made it necessary that some one of his sons should assist him in his business. An arrangement was finally concluded in the year 1789, as before related. and Joseph removed his family to the house of his father, and the two families were united and remained so during the life-time of the old gentleman.
After his father's death in 1798, Joseph suc- ceeded to a large portion of his estate, including the homestead. Previous to the death of his father he sold to Deacon Porter, November, 1796. his old farm on the hill, where he established his second home, and here the larger number of his children were born. After his final settlement in the house of his father, his labors increased by adding more and more to his real estate He purchased the Markham mills, located on the Mascoma river, now owned by Messers Martin, Wood and others. which together with his farm, tavern, lumber, turnpike and other duties, etc., gave him an exercise of brain and muscle which would have broken down a com- mon constitution. But he had the power and faculty of organizing and simplifying the different branches of his business in such a manner as to keep the wheels of labor moving with great advant- age to his interests, and thus he passed along the tide of time, multiplying his possessions, many years. His youngest son, Samuel, who had been his assistant from his youth to manhood. became partially interested in business with his father, and remained so until about 1837. A few months previous to that time, the father and son were at work in the field one day, when the old gentleman said to his son, "I am getting along to near four- score years, and I don't want any more trouble or anxiety in regard to business," and proposed to Samuel to take some steps toward a permanent settlement in life. The suggestion seemed reason- able and was consonant, no dought, with Samuel's feelings, for lie readily complied with his father's wishes, and soon persuaded a young lady to become his wife, who was duly introduced into the "old Wood mansion." At that time a further arrange- ment was made with Samuel which relieved his father from all duties and all interest in regard to the real estate. while a handsome sum in personal securities still remained in his hands, to give a gen- tle exercise to his mind in the care, collection and distribution of his interest and dividends. Captain Wood, like his old father, in a division of a portion of his property, gave to each of his sons, when they left the parental roof, a farm valued at three thousand dollars, or that sum in money, and to each of his daughters he gave, for a "setting out," the sum of one thousand dollars. In a final dis- tribution by will. each heir received nearly one thousand dollars more. One of the daughters, not meaning to find fault or impugn the justice of her father, says that "he always liked the boys better than the girls. He gave them more and allowed them at home a free and easier life, while the girls had to spin and weave and do house work from morning till night."
It appears that he was desirous of extending his
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line of Josephs into posterity, and as an induce- ment to continue and preserve the family name he offered a premium of a yoke of steers or a colt- whichever might be chosen-to every grandson who should be christened "Joseph Wood"; and his wife, womanlike, not to be outdone by her husband, of- fered as a premium a string of gold beads to every granddaughter who should be christened "Sarah Wood"; and thus their children were encouraged to obey the injunction of scripture, "to go forth and multiply," and consequently among the eleven branches of their family there were eleven Josephs and ten Saralıs. And each Joseph, who lived to make a choice, preferred a colt, and each Sarah re- ceived a string of gold beads-a rich present then, a choice one now, and beautiful as a relic of olden time, and particularly interesting as well as fash- ionable in this our centennial year.
Captain Wood was apparently careless in his business, but only in appearance. When adding a column of figures, he would often miscall them, but the sum total would always be correct. He seemed to have a ledger in his brain ready posted, from which, by intuition, his mind could strike a balance at will.
The extent and variety of his farming, milling and lumbering. obliged him to employ many work- men, and he found it necessary to be up early in the morning and arouse the family; and to do so he raised a large fire shovel and let it fall upon a stone hearth, which proved as efficient as a Chinese gong.
When repairing liis mill at one time, a large team was required to draw some heavy stone. Eight yoke of oxen were hitched together for the pur- pose, and when on their way to the quarry a chain caught in the crevice of a ledge; and when the teamsters began to back the oxen, the Captain, in a loud voice, ordered them to drive on, saying it would be cheaper to drive on than to lose time backing the team. The Captain was a large, stout man, and yet he worked more with his head than with his hands. He was fond of hunting. and in early days was often successful in killing deer.
During the Revolutionary war he was attached to the army, and stationed at Stillwater, but just previous to the battle at that place his time of service expired and he was on his way home, and thus escaped the conflict and perhaps saved his life.
The old gentleman was one of the substantial pillars of the Congregational Church of Lebanon, and his heart and hand were always open when as- sistance was required to promote its interests or its influence. As an inhabitant of the town he shared with others in building the first old meeting house in 1772, in the second about 1780 and in the "old meeting house on the common" in 1792. In the afternoon of his life, when a division of the old meeting house was decreed, he gave liberally toward building the new Congregational Church in the Centre village in 1828, where the Rev. Phineas Cooke officiated about twenty years in succession, and was followed by the Rev. Charles A. Downs, about twenty-five years in the same order, and where the Rev. Mr. Ayers and others officiated up to 1875. And towards the sundown of his long life. when the increase of population in the western portion of the town required a better convenience for the enjoyment of religious privileges, then a new society of the same order was formed at West Lebanon, and the generosity of Mr. Wood was again manifested in the erection of another church edifice at the same place; and he also donated one thous-
and dollars to the church. He was also interested in the subject of education and gave one thousand dollars towards establishing Tilden Ladies' Semi- nary, and was always generous in his contributions for worthy purposes.
He held sundry town offices, was selectman sev- cral years, moderator, etc., and was one of the proprietors, directors and builders of the Fourth New Hampshire Turnpike. He became a member of the Congregational Church about 1780, and his wife in 1800. It is worthy of note that Mr. Wood attended the first commencement at Dartmouth College, and in fact every one for seventy years in succession, missing but two or three during life. A short time before his death he visited the cemetery with his son Samuel, who had been improving their lot and erecting a monument. As the old gentle- man looked upon it he said, "It is all right"; and then in the words of Dr. Watts he said :
" Ye living men come view the ground Where you must shortly lie."
His hundredth birthday was publicly celebrated in his favorite church near his home in West Leb- anon. and a few weeks later his funeral obsequies took place amid a large concourse of relatives and friends. And thus passed away the first and last centenarian in town. Their children were as fol- lows :
Sarah, eldest daughter, was born August 24, 1784, and married Joel Dimick, of Hartford, Ver- mont, a farmer. They settled in that town, and prospered in worldly wealth and were blessed with a large family of children, having had fourteen, eleven of whom are married and are now living in Hartford and other parts of the country.
Joel, their oldest son, married Emily Waterman, February II. 1831, and settled in Hartford, Ver- inont, where she died in 1875, childless. Joel is now living with his brother Samuel, in Bradford, Vermont.
Calvin married Miss Marsh, and is now living in Cambridge, Massachusetts. She had one child that died. The writer remembers Calvin when he commenced the fur trade in Boston, and traded with him more than forty years ago.
George married, and lives in Sherburne, Ver- mont, and has two children, of whom his mar- ried.
Jeremiah married and lives in New York. and has six children.
Samuel married and lives in Randolph, Ver- mont. He has one daughter.
Bartlett married and lives near the homestead in Hartford. He has three daughters.
Sarah married Tracy Hazen, of Hartford, and has three sons and two daughters.
Mary married Lucius Gerrish, of Tilton. has one daughter.
She
Charles D. married Miss Russell, and has a family of six children living in Somerville, Massa- chusetts. He died April 28, 1876, aged forty-six.
Joseph married and lives in Hardwick, Vermont. He has a son and a daughter.
Harriet married Milton Gerrish, of Franklin, and lives in Northfield. She has three children.
Olive married Charles Gerrish, and lives in St. Charles, Minnesota, and has three children.
Martha was born June 16, 1786, and January 23, I&II, she married Jedediah Dana, born July 15, ITSo. He was a son of William Dana, one of the men who first spent a winter in Lebanon. He lived and died in West Lebanon, August 4, 1853, aged seventy-three. His wife died March 8, 1856, aged
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sixty-nine. Their children were as follows: Mary, born November 7, 1811, married Almond Evans and settled in Oxford, she died leaving two chil- dren, one of whom is married. Saralı, born in 1813, married Mr. Pendleton, of Illinois, and died there. Dyer, born in 1813, was killed by falling from a tree. Joseph, born in 1817, went west, mar- ried. and is dead. Samuel, born in 1819, was drowned. Emma, born in 1821, married Dr. Lewis, of Connecticut, and settled in New York City; she has two children. William, born 1823, is married, and lives in Illinois, and has ten children. Samuel, 2nd, born in 1827, was a physician; he married Miss Reynolds, and settled in New York City; he has two children. Jane, married. went west, and has three children. Charles, born February 22, 1830, married Laura Gillett, of Hartford, Vermont; they are now living in a new house located on that pleasant spot in West Lebanan, where her father's house stood in olden time. They have two sons and two daughters.
Joseph Wood, Jr., was born April 20, 1788, and married Sarah Dana. of Pomfret, Vermont. She died leaving one son Joseph, who died young. He married again. Mary, daughter of the Hon. James Smith, of Grantham, and settled in Meriden, where they both died several years ago, leaving one son. James, who married Frances, daughter of Benjamin Cutler, of Meriden, and they are now living in that place.
Polly was born August 16, 1789, and married Samuel B. Gerrish, of Boscawen, September 7. 1806. They began life in that town in a house at the east end of Main street, where they kept tavern many years. "In days of yore," it was one of the most celebrated stopping places on the road from Montpelier to Boston. The bar-room was the trav- eler's fireside, the "depot flip and toddy and pepper and cider." It was also a work-shop and a "home of industry," where axe-helves and whipstocks were turned out in great abundance, and made legal tender in making change for tavern bills. "Pod" teams would put up early or drive late to get there, because they could "eat, drink and be mer- ry" and enjoy a wholesale freedom in a jolly place. If a teamster stopped there on his return from market, it was known all along the road, by his axe-helves and whipstocks. that he had patron- ized Bartlett Gerrish's tavern. After a while a change of times came over the business of the coun- try. and Mr. Gerrish removed with his family to Hartland. Vermont, where they resided several years. Finally they settled in Lebanon on the Ben- jamin Crocker farm, in the Wills Kimball district, where they lived until his death in 1866. aged eighty- four years, and where his widow is still living and enjoying fair health at the age of eighty-seven years. Judging from her present appearance she is as likely to live and celebrate her centennial birthday as was her father at the same age. Their children are as follows :
Sarah, who married Orlando Sargent, of Wood- stock, Vermont, and finally settled at East Lebanon, where he died December 22, 1855. aged fifty-two. His wife died February 2, 1860. They left three children, Orlando. Mary and Justus.
Joanna married Mr. Currier, then George Gates, and was the wife of Humphrey Wood at the time of her death.
Mary remains at home wilth her mother, un- married.
Susan married Humphrey Wood, and they are now living on Elm street.
Joseph W. married Eunice, daughter of the Hon.
Sylvanus Hewes, of Lyme. He seems to have in- herited many of those peculiar traits of character which his grandfather possessed in early life. The desire to buy and sell and speculate and to own lands, even like his old grandmother, who felt bad "because her husband didn't own all the land that joined his." His acres almost surround our vil- lage at the present time, and he appears to have enough of every thing also. They have two chil- dren, Charles and Kittie.
Samuel married Clara Dearborn, and died Jan- uary 3. 1854, aged twenty-six.
George married and went west.
Charles married Anna Foster, daughter of Hor- ace Foster. She died Aug. 4, 1874, aged thirty-two, leaving one child. He married (second), Lydia Gates, with whom he is now living.
Henry G., second son of Joseph, was born July 4, 1791, and married Betsey Gerrish, of Boscawen, and settled on the farm now occupied by his son Jeremiah, which is the same one that belonged to his uncle Luther Wood in earlier days. He was a good farmer and left a handsome property. He died in January. 1873, aged eighty-one, and his wife died in 1859, aged sixty-two. Their children were as follows: Betsey, who married Oliver L. Stearns, of West Lebanon, April 7, 1840. They had eight children: Albert, married Harriet Towne, Oc- tober 5. 1868; Melinda, married Charles Emerson, April 28, 1868; Nettie, married Leonard Estabrooks, October. 19. 1868; Ella, married George H. Worthen November 8. 1872; Bertha, Jessie and Abbie are at home. Daniel died young.
Saralı married Sanford Hazen, of Hartford, Vermont, April 7. 1840. They had ten children : Curtis, married Frances Farnsworth, December 8, 1868; Leonard, married Maggie Porter, September 23. 1873: Lucy, married Eben Marshall. June 1, 1869; Frances, married James Wiggin, January 1, 1873; Julia, married Charles Gale, May 25, 1875; James, Emma. Ellen, Frederick and Wilbur are un- married.
Joseph married Frances Whittier, February 26, 1856. and have one daughter, Florence, at home.
Moses married Sarah Church, July 4, 1858, went west and died there November 9, 1870, leav- ing three young children-Grace, Nellie and Bessie. Henry G., Jr., married Louisa Farnsworth, March 29, 1850. and had two daughters, Mary Alice Wood and Belle.
Jeremiah married Ellen Dickinson March 25, IS55. and had twelve children : Frank, Annie, Sadie. George, Ella. Josie, Daniel and Nellie, are now living: Willie. Lizzie and Fannie died in 1869. and Mabel in 1875.
Hannah was born August 13, 1794, and mar- ried Haynes Jewett, December 7, 1815. He was the son of James Jewett, one of the first settlers in Enfield. He was a blacksmith, and commenced business in Captain Joseph Wood's neighborhood, where he found his wife. They lived many years in a red house, on the bank of Connecticut river, north of the Mascoma. They finally settled in Scytheville, and their homestead is the same which is now owned and occupied by his son Joseph and is the one where the old gentleman died. Their children were as follows :
Joseph married Cynthia, daughter of John Ela, a farmer, who lives on the old homestead of his father in Scytheville. Their children were John and Edna.
Sarah married Sylvanus Buell. of Norwich, Vermont. He kept a hotel in that town several years, and finally settled in Parma, New York
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While unloading hay the binding pole fell upon his head, fracturing his skull, which proved fatal. He left his widow with four children. After a few years she married again.
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