USA > New Hampshire > Grafton County > Haverhill > Haverhill's historic highlights > Part 8
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In 1773 one William Tarleton, a native of Portsmouth, bought some land in Piermont, west of the lake which now bears his name. The road from Con- cord to Haverhill ran through this location. Teaming over the "Heights" had become a real business in 1774 when he opened a tavern on his farm, where one of the buildings of the present Lake Tarleton Club stands. This was the highest point on the route between Haverhill and Warren. He put out a famous sign beautifully painted on an oak board-"William Tarleton- 1774"-and a painting of General Wolfe, in full uniform, with a drawn sword-on the front. On the other side there was a painting to represent "Plenty."
During the Revolutionary War Tarleton became a captain in the regi- ment of Colonel Bedel, raised to defend this frontier. After the war he be- came the owner of large land holdings in Piermont and Warren. Rapid growth of settlements in the north, especially in Haverhill, Newbury, and Ryegate, brought greatly increased travel over the Heights, and both Tarleton and his Inn became very popular and widely known.
Quite naturally there developed a popular demand for a better road. Travelers became much dissatisfied with ox cart transportation, mud, and spending nights in old log huts along the way. The pioneer stage was over. Enterprising settlers wanted to get out into the world. They had goods and produce to sell. They heard of the first turnpike in New England from Boston to Newburyport, 32 miles long. The most popular subject of conversation in this whole area was the possibility of a turnpike connecting Haverhill with Concord and Portsmouth. It is said to have caused as much local interest and excitement as building a railroad did forty years later.
In 1809 a turnpike was opened from Dover to Concord and another from Bellows Falls to Keene. Construction obstacles in this mountainous region could not deter the resolute men of Haverhill and vicinity longer. A petition for an incorporated highway, to be known as the "Coos Turnpike" from Haverhill to Warren, was presented to the General Court at Portsmouth in June, 1805, by Stephen P. Webster, a lawyer of Haverhill. This became a
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law by the signature of Governor Langdon on December 18, 1805.
The eleven incorporators were among the most prominent men then living in this part of Grafton County. Moses Dow, a lawyer who later became presi- dent of the State Senate, was owner of the large farm now known as the Keyes Farm. Joseph Bliss, a Revolutionary War captain, was owner of the famous Bliss Tavern in Haverhill and first postmaster of Haverhill. Asa Boynton was another inn-keeper at the corner. Colonel Charles Johnston, often called the founder of the Village, was an officer under General John Stark at Benning- ton. Alden Sprague was a prominent lawyer in Haverhill. General Absalom Peters was a settler in Wentworth and had command of the entire State Mili- tia. William Tarleton of Piermont, has already been fully described. Moody Bedel was a son of the famous Timothy Bedel, a well-known Revolutionary War hero. John Page was one of the most prominent men of the state and later became U. S. Senator, 1836-37, and Governor 1839-42. Stephen P. Web- ster was another well-known Haverhill lawyer.
All except Tarleton and Peters were residents of Haverhill Corner, yet they were not all the prominent men of this outstanding village nearly a century and a half ago. What country village can boast of such a group of equally prominent men today?
These men were given a charter "to make and keep in repair a turnpike road from Haverhill Corner to the valley of Baker's River in the Town of Warren." Their first meeting was at Haverhill on February 24, 1806, when several other prominent New Hampshire men were added to the committee. A stock company was organized and 200 shares were quickly subscribed. That spring Benjamin Baldwin, a Bradford, Vermont surveyor, examined the pro- posed route and reported it to be feasible. The actual survey and plans were made by John McDuffie, a Bradford civil engineer. He was paid $2.00 per day and his assistant 38c per day.
Specifications for construction of this turnpike were published in the summer of 1806 in the Dartmouth Gazette. The project was divided in two parts. The western end began where Court Street leaves the Haverhill com- mon and extended 61/2 miles easterly and southerly "to a point east of the Tarleton House." The contract was let to Sam Leonard of Littleton for $6,500.00, just $1,000.00 per mile. The southern part began at Tarleton's and extended southerly to Warren Village. It was five miles long. Dan Peters of Warren got this contract for $6,500.00. The first section was easier to build as much of the existing cart-track was utilized. The southern part re- quired much relocation through the forest which explains the difference in contract price. On December 3, 1806, twenty-five land owners deeded to the turnpike corporation the land needed for this new road.
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Work began in the spring of 1807. All trees, brush and other obstacles were cut and removed for a width of sixty feet. The road itself was thirty feet wide, being fifteen feet on each side of the center line. The road bed was gravel and loam settled and pressed together so that the center was two feet higher than the outer limits. A water-course was built on each side, deep enough to carry off all water. All culverts were made of stone, some of which are still in use on parts of this road 142 years later. No modern bulldozers were available to do this job; farmers and their oxen did it all. The pay was 671/2c per day for men and 50c per day for a yoke of oxen.
This project attracted much attention throughout the north country. People came from great distances to watch it progress. Farmers of Haverhill, Piermont, and Warren were eager to work long days with their oxen on it. It gave them a welcome opportunity to earn some cash money. It was the big- gest construction which had ever been attempted in their part of the country. Its completion was eagerly awaited.
On November 9, 1807 the first toll gate was authorized. It was placed in a ravine west of the Tarleton Farm where it was impossible to evade the gate by going around it. Later another gate was placed near the stone house (Sin- clair House) about a mile east of the "Corner." Rates of toll were fixed by the charter. A few of the rates were: 1c per mile for each horse led or ridden, 11/2c per mile for each "carriage of pleasure" having two wheels and drawn by one horse, 3c per mile for each four-wheel vehicle drawn by two horses.
Certain persons were exempt from paying toll such as residents along the road, doctors, and ministers in the exercise of their professions, persons going to and from church, and some others.
The hopes of those who planned and built the turnpike were well re- warded by the increase of business between the north country and the sea- coast. Long processions of heavy wagons drawn by six to eight horses made it one of New Hampshire's busiest highways. Farmers who lived near the steepest hills along the way kept their teams busy helping the heavier wagons over the ascents for an average charge of 75c for their assistance.
Large droves of cattle, sheep and even turkeys were driven to market over the pike. As an example there was an annual turkey drive from St. Johnsbury to Lowell. Some 500 turkeys were in this notable procession. As the birds became acquainted with the travel program, a man would lead the way and the whole flock would follow. An old gobbler would walk beside this leader, and they traveled over twenty miles a day, reaching Lowell with- out loss of a single bird.
Closely following the opening of the Coos Turnpike and many others throughout New England, the stage lines were developed. By 1818 a stage
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coach left Haverhill every Monday and every Friday for Boston. These traveled ten miles per hour in favorable weather and on good roads. The horses were changed about every fifteen miles. Usually the stage was drawn by six horses. Many of the stage drivers were important local personages.
The turnpike era was of short duration. By popular demand other roads were built, such as the one through the Oliverian Notch, with much easier grades. These drew business away from the pike. The last entry in the Coos Turnpike Co. books was in 1834 when a dividend of $1.00 per share was voted. Taverns along the pike closed one by one. The Tarleton Inn was the last to close.
Thus we see that the turnpike era was responsible for our system of roads in this area. For one or more centuries before 1752, Indian trails furnished a course chiefly for Indians to travel south and return to this area. Then for a half-century an improved trail, known as a cart-track, was made use of by early settlers mostly coming north as pioneers. Then followed another half- century of real road building, spear-headed by the Coos Turnpike.
In 1852 the railroad came through to East Haverhill and in 1853 to Woodsville and was the accepted means of transportation for more than a half- century. Then the automobile began to appear. Now at the close of another half-century the auto is being supplanted by the airplane. Every step in this progression has tended to bring the world closer to our doorstep. The tele- phone, radio, and now television are other contributors to this program of making the world seem smaller.
One wonders today, with our progress in so many fields, if we get a simi- lar thrill out of any transportation that our ancestors of 140 years ago got from riding in a "carriage of pleasure" at 11/2c per mile in a two-wheel cart drawn by one horse over the Coos Turnpike! Who made more money, the farmer who built the Coos Turnpike at 671/2c per day in 1807, or the laborer of 1950 who had $1.00 per hour? And who enjoyed life more?
Note: Much information in this article was obtained from an article by F. P. Wells and loaned to me by the late Frank Rogers .- H.K.D.
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WHO SAID CANALS?
Every historian who has tried to recall the early days and the develop- ment of the Coos Region has described in various ways the methods of trans- portation proposed and used during the more than two and a half centuries since the area was first visited by white men.
First, were the numerous Indian trails which centered where the Con- necticut, Ammonoosuc and Wells Rivers join. Also the rivers were used when not frozen. Indians preferred canoeing to walking.
After the real settlement of Haverhill and Newbury got under way in 1763, the need for better access to and from the area became of much greater importance. Trails were soon improved to permit horses to be ridden over bridle-paths. These were widened so that a pair of wheels or a dray could be used to bring supplies to Haverhill from Plymouth and the southern part of the state. The rivers were not only used in summer but much use was in winter on the ice.
Almost from the earliest settlement another kind of transportation was in use, namely, ferries operating across the Connecticut River. Before any of the three bridges were constructed over the river between the towns of Haver- hill and Newbury, or were even contemplated, there were successful ferries being operated at each bridge location, in fact the rights to operate ferries were issued by legislative charters, and in the case of the washout of a bridge the ferry was reinstated.
Slowly but steadily the crude roads became passable for horse drawn ve- hicles. Many were pulled by yokes of oxen, but as the number of settlers in- creased, the demand for better means of transportation increased also. A turnpike was built from Haverhill to Warren by a corporation which hoped to pay for the cost of construction and then make some profits from the tolls collected.
The Connecticut River Company was organized to improve navigation on the river between Wells River and Hartford, Connecticut. This involved building 17 miles of canal and 41 locks at a cost of over one million dollars.
Then came the steamboat. It was thought this was the answer to the transportation problems of the period. In 1830 the Connecticut River Valley Steamboat Company was organized and funds for building five steamboats were raised through sale of stock. They would operate in sections and not use all the canals and locks which had already been built. The Adam Duncan
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was built at Wells River costing $5,000.00 and blew up on the second trip from Wells River to Olcott Falls (now Wilder, Vermont). This company failed in 1832.
During this period (1820-1835) canals were being built in many- parts of the country. New Hampshire became interested in building a canal from tidewater at Dover to Lake Winneposeogee, across the lake, then to the Pemigewasset River, then up Baker's River to Warren, then across Warren Summit (Glencliff) to the Oliverian, and then down to the Connecticut River .*
Today this may sound fantastic, but the New Hampshire Patriot of May 9, 1825 has a report filed by General John McDuffee, who as chief engineer made a complete survey for such a project. The United States Government also sent an engineer from Washington to assist. This is an early example of Federal aid.
The expense involved was enormous and the problem of getting enough water to fill the canal, when built across Warren Summit, seemed to have pre- vented the dream from realization.
There was strong opposition to building this canal from the business leaders of Haverhill Corner who had money invested in the Coos Turnpike. They had also been against the development of all boat transportation on the Connecticut River. However, a few years later they favored the construction of a railroad which came to East Haverhill in 1852.
*Squires' History, Vol. I, pg. 263.
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POWDER HOUSE HILL
In Bittinger's History (p. 21) it is reported that once the famous New England poet, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, visited friends in Haverhill. He walked with a friend to the top of Powder House Hill just north of the village. As he saw the beautiful valley with the large river peacefully winding
1. In 1863 this was the home of John V. Webster, later of Isaac Pike. 2. Powder House on Powder House Hill. 3. Home of Mr. Cooper, later owned by George Wells. 4. Gen. John Montgomery house, later home of Jacob Bell. 5. Leroy Bell Store. 6. Photo studio of Fred Herbert, later home of John L. Cook, and later Mrs. Weed's millinery. 7. Old White building where carriages and sleighs were sold. 8. Emma Ward house. 9. Home of Jane and Sarah Hutchins, later of George McKean. 10. Home of Jonathon Nichols. 11. Home of Albert Bailey, later of W. H. Nelson and later of George Wells. 12. A. and M. Bailey store. 13. Old paper mill. (Covered bridge in foreground over Oliverian Brook.)
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through it, he said to his Haverhill friend, "I have seen the beauties of foreign lands, but the beauties from this spot surpass anything I have ever seen."
This landmark which Longfellow visited is the high knoll west of the highway and just north of Haverhill Village, which for nearly a century and a half has been locally known as "Powder House Hill." The reason for this name was that the state government built a stone store house for powder and ammunition there in 1812, for use during that war by troops stationed north of this locality. The Powder House was built of granite slabs, some nearly twelve feet square. It was a landmark for many years until taken down so that the stones might be used to make a receiving vault in the Ladd Street cemetery, where they may still be seen.
Another event which took place on this hill was the public hanging of Josiah Burnham on August 12, 1806, which is described elsewhere in this book, and where a crowd estimated at over 10,000 gathered on Powder Hill to witness it.
Still another use was proposed for the hill when in 1847 Eliza S. Pope conveyed most of the land on it to the Haverhill Cemetery Corporation (Book 207, Page 538), which deed expressly reserved about one eighth acre "under and about the Powder House" owned by the State of New Hampshire. Later the same year the state deeded its interest in land in Haverhill used "as a magazine for the deposit of ammunition" (Book 211, Page 334) to the Haver- hill Cemetery. Few burials were ever made in this location. In May, 1878, a petition was presented to the selectmen of Haverhill requesting removal of all bodies from this location to Ladd Street Cemetery.
The following is the official action taken by the Selectmen on the peti- tion: (copy of Petition quoted exactly)
Grafton SS: Haverhill, May 20th, A.D. 1878.
To the Trustees of the Haverhill Cemetery.
We the undersigned. Selectmen of the Town of Haverhill, having considered the fore- going request, Relative to the removal of certain Bodies, or remains of bodies from the grounds of the said Haverhill Cemetery, and reinter the same in the Cemetery on Lad Street, so called, in said Haverhill, Respectfully say, so far as any rights we may have in acting for the interest of the Town, relative to the matter setforth, in the foregoing request ; we cheerfully give leave to said Trustees to make the removals requested, said removals to be done prudently and with all proper care and attention, as stated and proposed in said request, and free of expense to said Town.
Selectmen of Haverhill
Following this action all bodies were removed to Ladd Street Cemetery and the cemetery on Powder House Hill went out of existence.
To one who visits Powder House Hill today even the grand view which Longfellow reports in such flattering terms is no longer available due to the trees which now cover the hill and much of its slope. Certainly no one would guess it had formerly been used for such varied purposes.
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THE LADD STREET BELL (1802)
The Haverhill South Parish was organized in 1790 and the first Congre- gational Church was built that year by voluntary contributions. No help from the town was offered or requested on account of the jealousy which existed between the north and south parishes. The church at Ladd Street had a mem- bership of 23 at the time it was organized.
For those times the church building was an imposing edifice built in colonial style with three entrances. The site was first north of the Ladd Street School now occupied by the K.P.'s. It had a high belfry built with two decks, one above the other, and each deck encircled with a fence. On top of the upper deck was a small, square spire with a vane and lightning rod on its top.
There was no paint used in the interior but the yellow pine of which the pews, gallery, pulpit and floors were made, gradually changed its color to a golden brown, and seemed to fit perfectly in this popular place of religious worship.
It is of peculiar interest that this church never had any means of heating installed. A foot-stove filled with live coals was carried to church by the more delicate members of the congregation during the cold winter weather, on which their feet were warmed during the service, which lasted for several hours every Sunday with time out for a "nooning" during which lunch was eaten and a social hour enjoyed.
Rev. Ethan Smith, the first minister to occupy this pulpit, was called on January 25, 1792 and served seven years. After a lapse of over three years, Rev. John Smith came in December, 1802 and remained for five years. Then no resident pastor was in this pulpit for nearly eight years until Rev. Grant Powers was ordained on January 4, 1815. He remained for fourteen years until April 25, 1829 when the old meeting house was abandoned.
During the early history of meeting houses in this north country, there was not a bell in any of them. Sometime, probably in 1801, contributions were solicited among the residents of Ladd Street to procure a bell for their church. One Jonathan Doolittle of Hartford, Connecticut was engaged to make the bell which he did in 1802. Into this bell one hundred dollars worth of silver was cast in order that it might have finer material, greater value and far better tone than any other bell which had been made up to that time, and also would not be equalled by any bell which might later come to this vicinity.
When the bell was cast, a tiny crack was revealed in it, so it had to be re-cast. This accounts for the false rumor, quite prevalent in early days, that
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this bell had a crack in it when it was hung in the Ladd Street Church belfry. The bell was poled up the river on a raft. Two men did the poling by placing their poles into the river bottom as they stood at the forward end of the raft, then they walked to the stern which caused the raft to move slowly upstream. Finally it arrived at Haverhill and was greeted by a wildly cheering crowd near the mouth of the Oliverian Brook. Cannon were fired to add to the ex- citement of the arrival of the first bell in the entire north country.
The bell weighed 1,500 pounds and because of its great weight it was very cumbersome to handle. As it was being removed from the raft after its long trip up the Connecticut River, a distance of about 180 miles, it fell into the river. After this unintentional baptism it was promptly hauled from the water uninjured. It was carried up the hill to the meeting house where it was raised on the outside of the belfry and very carefully swung into its position. The bell was heard at 6 a.m., at noon, at 6 p.m. and at 9 p.m. by all who lived in this beautiful valley. It continued in service for twenty-eight years in the old meeting house belfry.
A few years before the end of the pastorate of Rev. Grant Powers, Meth- odist preachers began holding services in the home of one George Woodward and later secured the court room (then at Haverhill) for Sunday services. In 1827 the brick church was built by Methodists beside the academy and court house and was later purchased by the Congregationalists when the debt which had been incurred by the Methodists proved to be too big a burden for them to carry.
When the church moved its activity to the brick church building, the Ladd Street people refused to permit their bell to be transferred. There were several years of wrangling about it. Finally the Ladd Street school house was built with a belfry on it and the church bell became a school bell for Haver- hill School District #2 where it has remained ever since.
On August 20, 1902 a centennial anniversary was arranged by the Ladd Street Bell Association. A feature of this day was the historical address by Miss M. Grace Woodward of West Newton, Mass. entitled, "Autobiography Of A Bell." From this address, a copy of which was loaned to the writer by Frank R. Rogers, it appears that one William Cross was the faithful sexton for many years. He was 60 years old when the bell arrived and he died in 1843, 101 years old. It is claimed that in 1830, and thereafter when several attempts were made to forcibly remove this bell from the abandoned old meeting house, Deacon Cross stayed in the church belfry all day every day and some of the younger Ladd Street residents did guard duty every night. They had food brought to them and were to ring the bell if any danger threat-
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ened it. Two actual attempts were made to remove the bell. Both were un- successful.
Finally, the old meeting house was torn down and the bell was stored in the cellar of Henry Morrill. Later, the bell was stolen and for several years its whereabouts was generally unknown.
Around 1850, one Jeremy Cross, son of William Cross, the first bell- ringer in this town, proposed that the timbers from the old meeting house be used to construct a two-story building with belfry in which the bell could again be hung. A committee was named to complete this project. A hall was finished off on the second story for benefit of the District. It was long known as "Jeremy Cross" Hall. The bell was again brought out of hiding and has re- mained in this school house unmolested for over 110 years.
It is regrettable that this bell is now in disuse and its history almost completely unknown to local residents. It is now over 160 years old.
What interesting tales of the early history and growth of the town of Haverhill the tongue of this famous historical bell could toll.
THREE FAMOUS FARMS John Hazen-Moses Dow-John Fisher
John Hazen, a founder of the town, was allowed to choose his lots, while the other grantors had to draw by lot their shares. Hazen selected five shares on the Ox-bow Meadow all in one plot, with an area of almost a square mile. This farm later was purchased by one Obediah Swasey, whose wife was a granddaughter of the late John Hazen. Nathaniel Merrill Swasey succeeded his father, Obediah Swasey, as owner of the Hazen farm which he sold in 1880 when he moved to Montpelier, Vermont. He and his father owned this farm for over 75 years. He lived in the brick house at North Haverhill, later the home of David Whitcher and recently owned by Alice Robshaw.
Hazen had meadow lots No. 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 on the Ox-bow, also house lots No. 31, 32, 33, 34 and 35. He was the largest landowner in Haverhill in the early settlement.
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