USA > New Hampshire > Grafton County > Haverhill > Haverhill's historic highlights > Part 11
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It is interesting to note that all three Connecticut River bridges were toll bridges for over 100 years. Keyes Bridge (middle) was built first (1796), and freed first (1906). The South Newbury bridge was built next (1805) and freed second (1916). Wells River bridge was opened in the fall of 1805 and freed in fall of 1917. They were freed in the same order that they were built.
The history of Haverhill's three Connecticut River bridges features two outstanding men in the early development of Haverhill and Newbury. They were Moody Bedel and Er Chamberlin.
Er Chamberlin moved to the Town of Newbury in 1762 and to Wells
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River in 1770, at 26 years of age. Moody Bedel came to Haverhill in 1766, and lived there most of his life (77 years). Er Chamberlin moved from Wells River to Ryegate in 1808 and died in 1830, aged 82.
These two men operated successful ferries for many years across the Connecticut River. Bedel had rights near the Oliverian Brook and Chamber- lin at the mouth of Wells River. They had to be considered when toll bridges were built since it put them out of the ferry business. Both reserved their ferry rights in case the bridge washed out, and both took stock in the bridge corporation as pay for loss of ferry rights.
Each had two wives, and nine children by each wife. Er Chamberlin was buried in Ryegate (Whitelaw Cemetery), and was later moved to Wells River Cemetery. He was a Revolutionary War veteran. Moody Bedel was also a Revolutionary War veteran and served in the regiment of his famous father, Col. Timothy Bedel.
200 YEARS AGO
Doubtless few people today consider that the white men captured by the Indians in the Deerfield Massacre of 1704 and 1709, or white men present at the surrender of Montreal in 1760, or such famous men as General John Stark and Major Robert Rogers of Ranger fame, had a real connection with the earliest history of the Co(h)os area. This brief article will indicate a connec- tion in each case, and how their flattering description of the area served to stimulate interest in its later settlement.
Another man who deserves mention here is Captain Benjamin Wright, whose father, Samuel Wright, was killed in an Indian raid in Northfield, Massachusetts in 1675. This caused Benjamin Wright to become a deter- mined Indian fighter. In February, 1708, he led a small scouting party up the Connecticut River to the Wells River, where one Captain Wells had been in the fall of 1704 in an attempt to ransom captives taken at Deerfield, Mas- sachusetts, February 29, 1704. The Wells River was named for him. Again, in May 1709, Captain Wright made the same trip up the Connecticut River to the Wells River, and later was paid a bounty for two Indian scalps by the Massachusetts General Court. Later, in 1725, he led a party of 59 to the Wells River; thence to the big lake (Champlain), and back home on Septem- ber 2, via the Wells River.
Prior to 1750, it appears probable that few, if any, other white men visited the area. It was well and favorably known to many Indians who traveled widely as Coos Country. After the burning of Deerfield, Massachu-
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setts in 1704, some white captives, including Rev. John Williams, were taken to Canada via the Connecticut River route. Deerfield was raided again in 1709, and one Thomas Baker was captured and taken up through this area.
Both Baker and Rev. Williams returned from Canada via the Coos Region. In 1710, Baker led a group of 34 men up the Connecticut River to the mouth of the present Oliverian, then followed it to present Glencliff, and down a river, later named for Baker, through Warren, Wentworth, Rumney, and Plymouth. These early white visitors gave favorable reports of the Coos Region.
The continuous warfare between France and England, with the French colonists and their Indian allies in open hostility with English colonists in America, is a reasonable explanation for few white visitors prior to 1750. England and France signed their Peace Treaty in 1748. New Hampshire began planning to settle the Connecticut Valley. Charlestown, known as No. 4, was re-established. In the summer of 1751, a scouting party is reported to have made a trip up the Connecticut River from No. 4 as far as the Ammonoosuc River (Woodsville), making a thorough examination of both sides of the river.
In the next few years, several events occurred which had much to do with the growing reputation of Coos as a very desirable place to establish a white settlement. In the spring of 1752, John Stark, later the famous General John Stark of the Revolution at Bunker Hill, and again at Bennington, with his brother, William Stark, and two others were on a fishing trip. John Stark and one Amos Eastman were captured by Indians near Rumney and taken to Canada via the Coos region. They escaped and returned by the same route to Ox-bow, then back to Concord, via the Oliverian and Baker rivers.
Early the next year, 1753, Governor Wentworth sent a company of 16 men from Concord (Rumford) to the Coos region with John Stark as guide. They reached the Connecticut River on March 17. They camped there just one night and returned to Concord to avoid any encounter with Indians.
In June 1754, Captain Peter Powers led a company over the same route established by Stark the previous year. In fact, Powers went up the Conn- ecticut River as far as Lancaster, and back on the west side of the river, crossed it where the Keyes' Farm is now located, and returned to Concord over the same route used when he came north. Powers made a fine report of the Coos region, its fertile valley, and an area cleared by Indians ready to cultivate. However, the French and Indian War broke out and delayed all plans for occupancy of this new country.
In 1759, Major Robert Rogers and some of his rangers returned from St. Francis in Canada to the Coos region, thence down the Connecticut River
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to No. 4. Some of his men died here and their remains were later found by early settlers. It was probably their flowery reports about this region which prompted Governor Wentworth to hire one Thomas Blanchard in the spring of 1760 to survey the Connecticut River from No. 4 to the mouth of the Ammonoosuc River. The survey party came up on the ice, and marked out townships on each side of the river every six miles, except to the north end which had about seven miles, and so Haverhill and Newbury were made larger. This discrepancy in size caused a bitter controversy between the towns of Haverhill and Piermont for some 48 years.
Also, in the spring of 1760, Governor Wentworth sent a New Hampshire regiment to Canada to assist in the conquest of Montreal by the British. The actual surrender came on September 8, 1760.
Four New Hampshire officers who saw action at Montreal returned via the Connecticut River valley, and spent several days resting on the Ox-bow meadows. The Coos region attracted their attention, and they decided to apply for two charters for towns on opposite sides of the Connecticut River after their return home. These officers were Lt. Colonel Jacob Bayley, Cap- tain John Hazen, 1st Lt. Jacob Kent, and 2nd Lt. Timothy Bedel. Two other groups were ahead of them in making application to Governor Wentworth for a charter of the Coos region, but in 1763 Hazen and Bayley won out.
They had re-examined the area in the summer of 1761, and agreed that Hazen and his friends should settle on the East side on the Connecticut River, Bayley on the West. Hazen sent three men in October 1761 to start the settlement of the Haverhill township. They were doubtless the first white men to spend a winter in the Coos area.
This article has included most of the documented information relating to white men who visited this region prior to 1760. Doubtless there were other hunting parties which visited this area but which historians never recorded. It appears clear that the men mentioned here are the ones who first knew about the Coos region, and they were favorably impressed.
Also, it is quite obvious that the country near the Connecticut River was familiar to many Indians. They knew all about the salmon runs every spring, and of the good supply of deer, bear, and moose in the area. They had named it "Auinne-Attuck-Auke" meaning Long-Deer-Place, and pronounced "Conn- ecticut." They came long distances to hunt and fish here, and had no doubt been doing so for many, many decades before 1760, when the first white men decided to settle the region as soon as legal arrangements could be completed.
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NATIONAL BANK OF NEWBURY (1833-1963)
While the earliest banking facilities of this area were at "The Corner," both the "Coos" Bank and the "Grafton" Bank were unsuccessful. Their stockholders suffered very heavy losses which apparently discouraged the organization of another bank in the town of Haverhill for nearly a half cen- tury. During this period the area was served by the "Bank of Newbury" at Wells River which was incorporated by the Vermont legislature on November 2, 1832, and opened for business May 21, 1833.
For a period of 130 years (from 1833 to date) this bank has served a wide area comprising the towns of Newbury and Ryegate in Vermont and Haverhill and Bath in New Hampshire, with many customers outside these four towns. During the first year of its existence, it did business in the "Leslie" House now owned by Clayton S. Gould, on the west side of Main Street. In 1834 a lot was purchased and a small building erected on the site occupied by the present bank. Both the lot and building were enlarged in 1875. Extensive remodeling took place in 1912 and again in 1951.
The original "Bank of Newbury" was merged into a national bank and on May 21, 1865 began doing business as "The National Bank of Newbury at Wells River" exactly 32 years after it was opened in 1833. This change was put into effect without the change of an officer or employee.
Residents of Haverhill and the surrounding New Hampshire towns have not only been borrowers and depositors of this bank during its long years of service to the area, but they have also been stockholders, employees and officials of it. To mention a few: E. Bertram Pike served as a director from 1898 to 1926, a period of 28 years, the last seven of which he served as presi- dent of the bank; Scott W. Mann has been an employee since 1915 and served as cashier from 1935 to January 1962, when Seth N. Eastman was elected. Scott Mann has served as a director since 1944 and H. K. Davison since 1929. The late Tracy L. Robie was an employee for over 38 years and served as teller for the last 26 years of his life. Bernice E. Smith is a present employee with many years of faithful service.
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TRAVEL, TRAILS, AND TRIALS
Prior to the capture of Quebec in 1759, and the fall of Montreal in September, 1760, the northern wilderness was considered unsafe for settle- ment and development. After this, there was less fear of raids and massacre by the French and Indians who came down from Canada. Many people in the southern area of what later became New Hampshire were impatient to take possession of the Coos region, speculate in its land, and encourage others to move here with promises of a bright future for those who became the first hardy pioneers.
The only way to reach the area, prior to 1760, was on foot by following marked trails along streams which had been used by Indians, who had fre- quented the Connecticut River valley for many years. Thanks to John Stark, Captain Peter Powers, and Colonel Lovewell a trail had been marked from Rumford (later Concord) to the Coos Country by Newfound Pond, the Baker River, then west of Lake Tarleton down the hill to the Oliverian Brook. Also in March 1760, Tom Blanchard surveyed the land from Fort Number 4 to the mouth of the Ammonoosuc River, by traveling up the Connecticut River on the ice. Thus, a new route was made known by following the river on the east bank.
When Haverhill was chartered in May, 1763 the only means of reaching the Coos region was over these trails on foot. The first settlers wanted to keep in touch with the outside world and they hoped others would follow them to settle in the area. Also, they needed tools, supplies, and furniture. To ac- complish this the trails were slowly improved so that people and supplies could be brought in on horseback. Later, it became possible to drag supplies along these trails on sleds in winter or up the river on ice.
As early as June 2, 1763, Captain Hazen and Colonel Bayley appealed to the Provincial Assembly "for a road to Coos from the south." Governor Wentworth was ambitious to bring trade to Portsmouth and to build it into a big and important city. The Governor was favorable and in December, 1763, he signed an act directing that a highway be built from Durham to the new settlement called Coos. Nothing further was done about it for two years. The problem was, who should pay the taxes to build this highway of 100 miles through forests, over mountains and across streams. Also, there were towns on the route without a settlement and they would pay no taxes to help finance the project.
In January, 1765 another act was passed with the same title as that in
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June, 1763. It provided for a committee of three to lay out the road. The committee reported in July, 1768 that the road was "laid out." Next the com- mittee had authority under the act to order the way cleared so that teams could pass over it. Each township and land grant holder was to build across their land, at their own expense. If they neglected to perform their duty with- in six months, the committee was directed to sell enough land of the delin- quents to pay their share of the cost of the road.
The committee named by Governor Benning Wentworth in January, 1765 were Richard Jenness of Rye, New Hampshire, a member of the Provincial Assembly, Captain Hazen of Haverhill, and John McDuffee, a surveyor who later became the surveyor of Orange County, Vermont and settled in Brad- ford, Vermont.
Not too much is known of the exact route of this road, but it seems clear it started at Durham Falls and terminated at the Ox-bow meadow where Captain Hazen lived. It was not opened for teams in 1771 as Governor John Wentworth, who succeeded his Uncle Benjamin Wentworth in 1766, rode on horseback to the first Commencement exercises at Dartmouth College in 1771 over the Coos road then a bridle path to Haverhill and down the trail along the Connecticut river to Hanover.
Later this route was made passable for ox teams. From Indian trail to a passable way was real progress two centuries ago. Details of its further de- velopment are not definite. However, in 1954 the Daughters of Colonial Wars dedicated several markers, including one at North Haverhill which was called the north end of the "Coos Road," the third Province Road authorized by the Province of New Hampshire.
The first road from Haverhill Corner was known as the Plymouth Road. It followed much of the same course which later became the "Coos Turn- pike." It started from the Common at Haverhill, thence easterly over St. Clair Hill, thence southerly past Lake Tarleton, over the heights to Warren and then along the "Coos Turnpike." Its construction and opening for public use in 1808 is included in another chapter.
Prior to this turnpike, ox cart transportation was the best to be had. It is reported that the first ox cart trip from Haverhill to Plymouth and return was made in 1772. These trips were slow and very rough in good weather, and in mud season and wet weather they were much more difficult and unpleasant. Travelers frequently had to put up for the night in old log huts along the route.
It is of interest to contrast the cost of building the turnpike in 1807 with that of modern highways. The difference is from $1,000 per mile to $1,000,- 000 per mile. Also, in this period $600 was the average amount raised in
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town meeting to build and repair roads in Haverhill as compared to $25,000 today.
We had no roads 200 years ago, only Indian trails. In the first 50 years we got one passable road to Plymouth. In the next 50 years the railroad came to the north end of the town of Haverhill, and Woodsville was started. During the next 100 years highways have been constructed in all directions. The railroad has been abandoned from Plymouth to Woodsville. The auto- mobile and truck have taken over most of our transportation problems.
HAVERHILL - NEWBURY The Truly Twin Towns
The most common definition of the word twin in our modern dictionary is, "Born at the same birth." This is an attempt to show how these towns were chartered, and circumstances leading up to the event of their actual settlement.
Survey. Early in the spring of 1760, Governor Benning Wentworth hired Thomas Blanchard to survey the Connecticut River from No. 4 (Charlestown) to the mouth of Ammonoosuc. The survey party worked their way up the Connecticut River on the ice in March, establishing bound- aries every six miles in a straight line on each side of the river. By this survey, Thomas Blanchard set up the northern town on each side of the Connecticut River, with about seven miles between the southern boundary and the northern limit which had been predetermined as the mouth of the Ammonoosuc River.
Surrender. During the summer of 1760, a regiment of New Hampshire troops was sent by Governor Wentworth to aid in the conquest of Canada. It took part in the siege of Montreal and its surrender on September 8, 1760. Four officers who served in this New Hampshire regiment, under command of Colonel John Goffe, were permitted to return home after Montreal had fallen.
Surprise. Lt. Col. Jacob Bayley, Captain John Hazen, 1st Lt. Jacob Kent, and 2nd Lt. Timothy Bedel came from Montreal to the Ox-bow mead- ows, probably early in October, 1760. They spent several days here examining the entire valley on both sides of the Connecticut River. It is quite certain that these men had good descriptions of this attractive area before they left New Hampshire for the trip to Montreal. Among others known to have been here prior to 1760 were several of Rogers' Rangers who stopped here on their return from St. Francis in Canada in the fall of 1759.
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Bayley and Hazen and their companions were so surprised and impressed by what they saw that they determined to apply for charters for two towns on opposite sides of the Connecticut River. Their valuable military service, and some influential relatives and friends, gave them great favor with Gover- nor Benning Wentworth. Two of these were Moses Little, a brother-in-law of Bayley, and Moses Hazen, a brother of John Hazen.
Scramble. For the next two years there was a real scramble to get possession of this Coos region. Some writers expressed the opinion that Hazen and Bayley received positive assurance that two charters would be forthcom- ing. At least a move by Hazen and Bayley to interest someone to move into the territory was made in the summer of 1761, after they had revisited the valley and made their plans for settlement. They agreed that Hazen should have the township on the east side of the Connecticut Rivr, and Bayley the west side.
Hazen returned to Hampstead and engaged three men (John Pettie, Michael Johnston and Abraham Webb) to drive some cattle to the Coos area. They left in August, and came to No. 4 and up the Connecticut River, follow- ing a spotted line near the river. They cut hay from clearings on both sides of the river. They built rough shelters for themselves and stock. They were doubtless the first white settlers to spend a winter in Haverhill. It was a long, cold, and lonesome winter. In addition to caring for the livestock, they built a canoe to use going down-river in the spring. Also, they broke some of the steers to the ox-yoke so they could be used for ploughing and other work in the spring.
Settlement. Hazen arrived early in the spring of 1762 with a small force of men. They brought with them material needed to construct a prim- itive saw mill and a grist mill. Soon after Hazen arrived, Michael Johnston and John Pettie started down-stream in their new canoe. They capsized near the mouth of White River, and Johnston was drowned. Pettie survived but never returned to Haverhill or Newbury. Webb was drowned in the Connecti- cut River the next year and was the first man buried in the Ox-bow cemetery.
During the summer of 1762, Major Joseph Blanchard and Oliver Willard applied to Governor Wentworth for charters to the same Ox-bow townships but were denied after a real hassle. Apparently, it was felt that Bayley and Hazen had prior claims. However, when the charters were finally executed to Bayley and Hazen, it was insisted by Governor Wentworth that some few already on the land in the interest of Joseph Blanchard and Oliver Willard be allowed to stay somewhere in the area.
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CHARTER FACTS
May 18, 1763-Town by name of "Haverhill."
May 18, 1763-Town by name of "Newbury."
Both signed by Benning Wentworth and by T. Atkinson, Junior Secre- tary.
Hazen first named in Haverhill Charter.
Bayley second named in Haverhill Charter.
Bayley first named on Newbury Charter.
Hazen second named on Newbury Charter.
Also, Jacob Kent and Timothy Bedel were included in both charters.
First meeting of Haverhill proprietors, June 13, 1763, at the inn of John Hall, Plaistow, New Hampshire.
First meeting of Newbury proprietors, June 14, 1763, at the inn of John Hall, Plaistow, New Hampshire.
Jesse Johnson elected clerk of both.
Jacob Bayley a selectman of Haverhill.
John Hazen a selectman of Newbury.
Certainly they are Twin Towns "Born at the same birth."
THE RAILROAD COMES TO TOWN (1853)
Not many people realize that the first railroad in this area was opened to Wells River from White River Junction and points below in November, 1848. The station was where the old freight house is located, south of the village. This line was later extended to St. Johnsbury and opened November 23, 1850.
The Connecticut and Passumpsic Rivers Railroad was organized at Wells River, January 15, 1846. Erastus Fairbanks of St. Johnsbury was elected president. He was one of the leading citizens of that area for many years. His brother, Thaddeus Fairbanks, had invented the platform scale in 1830 and a year later the firm of E. & T. Fairbanks & Company was organ- ized with Erastus Fairbanks as president, an office he held continuously until his death in 1864. Also he was twice elected governor of the state of Vermont, in 1852 and in 1860.
The name Erastus Fairbanks is apparently an explanation of the fact and reason for it, that the railroad came so early to Wells River and of course was extended to St. Johnsbury to enable him to ship platform scales to all parts of this country. He was one of the original directors of the Bank of Newbury at Wells River.
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Old toll bridge with railroad on top.
Thus it is clear that the railroad came to Wells River over 412 years before it came into Woodsville. The Boston, Concord & Montreal Railroad was incorporated in 1844, included only a line between Concord and the town of Haverhill. Originally as surveyed in 1845, the line would go to a point on the Connecticut River opposite Haverhill Corner. There it would cross the river to connect with the Passumpsic.
By October, 1848, the line was built and operating to Lake Village (now Laconia). Passengers could take a stage from there to Plymouth, Haverhill
GOVERNOR WESTON
Photo loaned by Edward Clark
A typical wood-burning locomotive.
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View of railroad tracks and Central Street in Woodsville.
and Littleton. By January, 1850, the road opened to Plymouth, and in June, 1851, it came to Warren Village. Cutting through the big ledge at Warren Summit took a year and a half and cost over $150,000. The road was finally opened to East Haverhill in the late fall of 1852.
The first plan was to follow down the Oliverian and cross the Connecticut River to South Newbury, just above the Bedel Bridge. This was abandoned in favor of a better crossing place into Vermont at the present site of the railroad bridge between Woodsville and Wells River. There was violent opposition to the line entering Vermont by the Passumpsic line. First, it was argued that the Boston, Concord & Montreal could not acquire land in Vermont. Next it was claimed they must have a charter in that state to own land there. Then the court was asked to rule that as a foreign corporation it could not own land, but the court ruled in favor of the Boston, Concord & Montreal.
Finally the Boston, Concord & Montreal worked out a clever deal with the Wells River Toll Bridge Company to solve the dilemma. In brief the toll bridge company had exclusive rights to build a bridge and the Boston, Con- cord & Montreal agreed to build a bridge for the company which could serve both. It would carry the railroad on top and the public underneath. For details of this trade see chapter on "Haverhill's Many Bridges."
To summarize, it was just 90 years from the date of the charter of the town until the railroad had reached the northern end of it and had made its connection with the line at Wells River. As we look at the situation in retro- spect over a hundred years later, it is obvious that the bridge connecting
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