USA > New Hampshire > Hillsborough County > Peterborough > Historical sketches of Peterborough, New Hampshire : portraying events and data contributing to the history of the town > Part 22
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ANNALS OF PETERBOROUGH FOR 1842.
(The first half page is faded out. After discussing the duty of the anna- list, he says) "They will fix dates to many important events in our local affairs, keep up a kind of running history of our town. I hope the Anti- quarian, who is to examine this doeu- ment, will have the eandor to admit that what I state here are faets, will be sensible that there is no disposition to extenuate or sit down ought in malice. I hope he will be ready to believe us a sensible race-men of tolerable intel- ligence and moral and upright. If he happens to live in an age when our race has advanced in goodness and knowledge, so much the more easily will he overlook our imperfections.
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Peterborough in 1842.
The PETERBOROUGH LYCEUM will also demand of him a respectful notice. In looking back, he may find that likely his great grandfather figured largely in this Society-some of his great 'great uncles have done some- thing to entitle them to a respectful remembrance if (correct?) in a very intelligent, moral and refined future age. This Lyceum has been mindful of the future-it has labored not only for the present, but has had its eye directed toward the unborn thousands who are to take our places.
The past year has in some respects, been remarkable. Never before have we seen among us so much religious excitement, so much talking, disput- ing, wrangling on religious subjects, so much - - (the last words of sev- eral lines are torn out. J. S.) so many meetings, so many converts, and so many changes in society.
A Mormon Society has risen up in our midst *
.* * called a sect of "Latter Day Saints." Some good it must do * * , and some harm from it * * * many a sinner it has broken, many a toper *
* and smoothed the pimpled and carbunkled faces of
many a * * and sent him for a wonder into our midst in his right mind. I do not say what else it has done. It has made Christians-it has made them of that sect that has used up and discarded all the religions of the world, and centered all the gospel and all that is good under heaven in a single ism, and that is, in Mormonism. They are strictly a sect with one ism, with one single idea, one ruling note. It is easy to conceive of all the effects which result from the prevalence of this faith. The dumb may almost be said to speak. Men who could not talk before, may under the excite- ment of this new religion ring a long list of changes on one single idea. Many imagine that it is inspiration that has loosened their tongues and
made them so unlike what they were. There has been additions to all the churches in town. In the Presbyterian Society, there has been a revival. A particular account of religious affairs will be presented by the Committee on Statistics. It is the most curious part of our history for the past year. It has been during the past year em- phatically what are termed “bad
times." Business has been dull. Agricultural produce has been plenty, but prices very low. Farmers have found it difficult to realize much profit from their farms. The future has looked dismal for it has seemed to be going from bad to worse. "Never despair of the Republic," was the motto of the old Romans. It should also be ours and is admirably suited to our nation. If we can go through hard and trying experiences success- fully, we can live out our natural ex- istence in peace and prosperity. (A few lines in the manuscript are com- pletely faded out. J. S.)
JANUARY, 1842. 13th, cold, 8º be- low zero. Snow thin; wheeling good. 15th to 20th, Snow and McGinn holding meetings. Four immersed by McGinn-Thos. Mathews, B. Bement, Mrs. Fellows and Miss G. (Pamelia Gerry?). 24th, Good wheeling. This month has been mild, but a few days cold. Snow very thin, not enough for sledding-very good wheeling. Rev. J. R. French bought of James Scott the house south of the Presbyterian Meeting house. He moved it and fitted it up for a dwelling house, and moved into it.
FEBRUARY. 20th, W. Page and wife, Ch. Thompson and wife, Miss Bruce, immersed by McGinn. 21st, John Perkins immersed. Ice all out. Twenty-six baptised. This month remarkably mild. These two morn- ings, below zero. No sledding, good wheeling. Several rains. River clear
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of ice most of the time. Several small snows of an inch or two.
MARCH. 2nd. Mr. Alva Ames, dancing school closed. About forty scholars. Annual town meeting, much business. 13th, eight were immersed. 17 and 18, lectures on temperance were given in the evening by Mr. Henry, a reformed inebriate, and Mr. Pease, a blind man, both from Ver- mont. 18th, Mr. Youngman com- menced teaching the Academy. The Presbyterian Society have been meet- ing in the evening for a number of weeks to produce a revival, aided by Mr. Ransom, of Roxbury. 9th, 20th, 31st, P. D. Badger lectured three evenings on Botanical Practice, etc. The . month has been remarkably mild, very little snow.
APRIL. Nelson Porter bought Mr. Townsend's house opposite to the Academy. Mr. John Bradford bought Mr. Bigelow's farm formerly owned by Samuel Morison. 14th, Mr. Phil- lips, a reformed inebriate, gave a lec- ture. 23d and 25th, A show, Battle of Bunker Hill, Paradise, etc. The month has been mild and favorable to farmers in spring business.
MAY. 31st. Frost. This month favorable for the accomplishment of Agricultural business. Nights cold.
JUNE. 10th. Rain. 11th, rain and snow on the mountains. Frost. Beans etc. killed, and had to be replanted. Mr. Jones in a course of lectures, ex- posing the Mormon doctrines. 26th, Dr. Wm. Parker, of Manchester, de- livered a great temperance lecture. 28th, The Pastoral and Sunday School association meet at P. Mr. Pray gave a good address. Messrs. Livermore and Peabody offered good extemporaneous remarks. A very good and pleasant meeting.
JULY. 4th. The children of the common schools assembled, about 400 in number, at the town hall at 10 o'clock a. m. A procession was
formed, D. J. Clark, Marshal, and marched to the Academy where they were joined by the parents and others, and proceeded to the Unitarian church which was filled. Exercises: Volun- tary by the Citizens' Band, another by the choir. Prayer by Rev. J. R. French, hymn. Addresses by Rev. C. Cutler, Rev. E. Peabody and Rev. J. R. French. Anthem by the choir. Benediction. The procession then moved to the woods near the Academy where the tables were spread with suitable provisions furnished by the parents, and individuals presenting something for the tables. Blessing was invoked by Rev. E. Dunbar. All were joyful and happy in partaking of the picnic. After which, the juvenile choir sang, and then closed by singing "Old Hundred" by the Assembly.
6th. Mr. Jones finished his course of lectures on Mormonism, having delivered eight to a very full audience. Mr. Andrews delivered two lectures, one on the History of the Devil, the ' other on the Priesthood.
AUGUST. Dr. G. H. Ingalls visits Peterborough, August 16. He is established as a physician in Perkins- ville, Vermont. He has lately buried his wife of consumption. 7th, Mr. N. H. Morison preached in afternoon at Unitarian Church. £ 10th, A Mil- lerite preaching here. August 26, an alarm of fire, the only one during the year. About 2 o'clock a. m., the fire was seen to pour out of the west window of my office. A large collec- tion of people-indeed most all the neighborhood, were soon on the spot. The fire was very easily extinguished, having done but very little damage. The fire was caused by the contents of a pipe being shaken the preceding day into the spit box which contained saw dust.
SEPTEMBER 22. John H. Steele, Esq., reached home this day from a tour to England and Ireland. 21,
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Hon. Jeremiah Smith died of a fever after an illness of seven or eight weeks. He was buried at Exeter. 28, Muster of 22nd Regiment at Wilton. Regi- ment reviewed by Governor Hubbard.
OCTOBER 8th. J. H. Steele, Esq., lectured before the Lyceum and gave an interesting account of his tour. 11, Common sehool association met at Franeestown. But very little interest manifested there. Six attended from this town. William Moore and John Smith ehosen Deacons in the Unitari- an Church. John Hawkins lectured in the Unitarian Church this evening.
NOVEMBER 24th. Snow enough for sleighing. 30th, snow storm a foot or more.
DECEMBER. 21. Millerite preach- ing at Baptist meeting house. 22nd, Thanksgiving Day. 26th, 27th, 28th, 29th, Preble preaching on Miller doctrines at Baptist Meeting House. Elder Moses, the Mormon, and Preble discuss the subject of the restoration of the Jews. The former maintained that it would take place just as pro- phesied, the latter that there were no Jews, who knew that those pretend- ing to be Jews were the real descend- ants of Abraham? that the becoming a Christian was becoming a Jew. 30, a great snow storm.
PRICES of AGRICULTURAL PRODUCE. Hay, first rate, from $12 to $14 a ton; corn and rye, 4 to 4.6 a bushel; Beans, $1.50 per bushel; pork, 6e per lb .; beef, 4 to 6 cents; oats, in autumn, 25 a bushel; flour, $6 to $8 per bbl .; mo- lasses, 18 to 28.
A book store and bindery was opened under the Unitarian Church in the fall by A. E. Reed. A new brick double house was erected on the lot next west of the Baptist Church during the summer by Miss Sarah MeCoy and Miss Polly Redding. This is the only house built in the vil- lage during the past season. Traders for 1842, Joel F. Brown, D. F. Mc- dropsy. August 7, Albert Hill, died
Gilvray, Gray and Wallace, Clark C. Boutwell, - Broekway. Sylvanus Keisel bought Powers' building, so ealled, and moved his harness shop to one of the chambers. Moses Chap- man put a grist mill into his building and commeneed grinding in the fall. Noah Smith bought the house next to Jaquith's blacksmith's shop and moved into it. Mr. Edward Green- wood bought of Ebenezer Fairbanks the house next west to house on the same side of the road. John Farnum bought the house directly east of Leander Clark's, being the same that was moved from the village oppositc from the Unitarian Church.
CLERGYMEN. Rev. Curtis Cutler, Unitarian; Rev. J. K. French, Presby- terian; Rev. Z. Jones, Baptist; Rev. Mr. Adams, Methodist; and Elder McGinn of the Mormon denomina- tion.
OBITUARY FOR 1842.
January 11, Widow Blair, died aged 86; influenza. She was widow to William Blair, who was many years a pensioner. 16, Alvira Foster, aged 6, Marasmus. Feb. 6, Samuel Twit- chell, aged 41, intemperate. 24, Child of Christopher Wheeler, 1 month old, convulsions. 27, James Gregg, 56, Congestion of the brain, injured by using Patent medicine,
viz: Jones' Drops for humors. 22, Rev. Wm. Ritchie, of Needham, a native of this town, aged 61. March 8, Sarah Washburn, daughter of Reuben Washburn, aged 20, chronic Inflammation of the brain. April 5, Widow Abigail Davison, 74, Caneer on the face. 25, Samuel Smith, 76, old age and decay. May 6, Child of John Saunders, aged three months. 9, Richard Hovey, aged 81, old age. 10, Mrs. Davis, wife of George Davis of Hancock, Died at her father's, Ste- phen Pierce's, of consumption, aged 24. June 27, James Wilder, aged 62,
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aged 23, of fits, brain disordered. He was taken sick in the morning and died during the succeeding night. 11, James Smith, Esq., of Cavendish, son of Hon. William Smith, of Peterbor- ough, aged 86 years. 12, Wm. Mat- thew's wife, died in New Ipswich, was brought here to be buried. 14, a son of Leonard Rives, died of Dysentery, aged 2 years. 15, Adam, son of Wil- liam Gray, aged 19 years, fever. 21, William, son of James Scott, aged 1 year, bowel complaint. 26, Mrs. Sarah Walker, wife of James Walker, Esq., daughter of James Smith, Esq., of Cavendish. Died of fever, aged 47. 27, E., daughter of George Shedd, Jr., 2 years, Dysentery. 29, Deacon Jona- than Smith, 79, fever. 29, A child of Charles Stevens, near Greenfield line, of dropsy on the brain, aged 4 years. September 9, Samuel G. Smith, aged 43, consumption. 12, A child of Joseph McCoy, aged 10 months. 21, Hon. Jeremiah Smith, died at Dover. A native of this town and son of Hon. Wm. Smith. He was buried at Exe- ter. Aged 83. 24, Wife of Dr. David Smiley, aged 80. Paralysis and in- firmities of age. October 12, Mrs. Eliza Jewett, wife of Ahiamaz Jewett, aged 42, fever. 22, Samuel Morrison, 82, old age. A revolutionary pension- er. Nov. 17, Mrs. Mary L. Fuller died of fever, aged 36 years. 17, Mr. John Muzzy, late of this town, died at Mil- ford and was brought here for burial, aged -. He died of some rheumatic complaint. December 3, Stephen Searle, aged 13, died of a tumor on the brain. 7, Miss Lamphear, wife of Jeremiah Lamphear, died of conges- tion of the brain, aged 19 years. 20, Miss Mary Bradford, aged 39. By rupture of a blood vessel of the lungs. July 30, Catherine Cutter at Union Factory, of Jaffrey, aged 21, Typhus fever. Whole number, 32.
[ Here followed a list of the papers and periodicals taken in town during
the year. It does not vary greatly from the list of 1840. The subserip- tion prices are attached, however. At the conclusion of the list, Dr. Smith appends a few interesting fig- ures.]
The whole amount paid by indi- viduals for newspapers and periodicals during the year 1842 was $759.25. Add amount paid by association of Periodicals for periodicals, $42. Post- age, $136. Total, $937.25. The amount paid for postage on papers and periodicals was $136. Whole amount paid in town for postage on letters was $600. Amount, $736. Ninety-eight different papers.
OBITUARY NOTICES.
[The following memorials of citi- zens deceased in 1842 were printed in the TRANSCRIPT in 1872 or 1873 by Dr. Smith, while he was writing his History of Peterborough. As these papers are ultimately to be published in book form, they are here reproduced that they may be pre- served among the permanent histori- cal annals of the town.]
SAMUEL SMITH. He was born and always lived in town. In consequence of large losses by the burning of the Phoenix Factory in 1828, he failed in business which he never resumed again. In his last years, he amused and busied himself in collecting news- papers, periodicals and pamphlets, as aids to a general political history of the Country, and left a large amount of them,sometime hereafter to be made very useful. (These papers are now safely deposited in the Li- brary of Dartmouth College, owned by the Northern Academy of Arts and Sciences). He gave up this em- ployment about three years before his death, and the decay of body and mind seemed to keep an even pace till death ensued. Occasionally he would speak out like himself, and then re-
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Peterborough in 1842.
lapse into his vacant unthinking state, as though he was under the spell of dullness itself. Amid all his trials and misfortunes, he seemed to retain his faculties very well till the last two or three years of his life, but when he began to fail, the mind seemed to go all at once. He was a man of strong mind; he had exceeding active, ener- getic powers; a man of quick percep- tion and of ready judgment. He possessed rare colloquial powers; his conversation was rich and instructing; his ideas were clothed in singularly accurate and appropriate language. He delighted in politics, and had de- voted much attention and study to it, never wishing to be known by any other title than that of a Federalist of the old School, with all the unmer- ited reproach attached to the name. He was chosen to represent his dis- trict in Congress in 1813, and after attending one session, he was obliged, on account of his extensive business, to resign. He possessed great busi- ness talents, and could accomplish a great undertaking with singular dis- patch and success; but he scorned little things, and all care and economy of these he entirely ignored. He was in his element with fifty workmen at his beck, and with a great job of a dam, a wall, or an embankment, and no man could manage them more pleasantly and kindly than he, and yet accomplish such an immense amount of work; and after all he was not an economical manager of these great enterprises; the little things so important in every undertaking al- ways more than counterbalanced the rapid progress of any work. He was persevering in the object which en- gaged his attention, but did not look to the end. He often seemed vision- ary, and many of his plans and proj- jects came to an end half completed. He was fair and honorable and up- right in all his business transactions.
Though he took pride in making good bargains and profitable contracts, it was not so much through love of gain as exhibiting shrewdness, judgment and talent. He was never very scrupulous if the bargain was not ful- filled to the letter, only so be it that he had made a good bargain. The consequence of all this was that he never had things well done, however
shrewdly projected. He always had a nice sense of right. There are very few acts of his long business life on which you can lay your hand and say they were the result of any moral ob- liquity. He was kind, benevolent and forbearing in an eminent degree with those who were dependent upon him.
There was one man in particular who lived on him for twenty-five years or more, working when it was con- venient and agreeable to him, never half paying his way, that would have tried the patience of a Job. He worked but little, but his living he would have, with his rum, daily, and if he could not have delivered to him about what he thought was right, why, he would steal it, and so he did year after year, till his children re- moved him from town and provided for him. He was a man of uncommon equanimity of temper, and this fol- lowed him to the last. I have often heard him say that this equanimity was the result of his own efforts, that he began business with being fractious and irritable, but seeing the evil of it, and the difficulties and proplexities occasioned, he schooled himself to this agreeable state of mind, that followed him through all his life. He had great faith in mankind. Never was he heard to rail at our race. He had ac- quired a great knowledge of mankind and did not lose his respect for them by extensive intercourse.
DEA. JONATHAN SMITH. He died August 29 of Typhoid fever, after a confinement of only one week. He
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was a man of strong mind which had been long maturing, and he felt very little of the withering effects of agc, although he had nearly reachcd 80 years. His knowledge was not very general, though he was a great rcader; but on some subjects he was excecd- ingly well informed. His reading had taken a thcological turn, and but few possessed his knowledge on those matters. He was a strong Unitarian, and was ready to give any man a rea- son for his faith. He was a man of kind affections and feelings, yet strong in his prejudices, and rather more ready to forgive an injury than forget it. His life was a useful one, he having at various times held all the offices in town; but was mostly spent in the privacy of his own home, and in the management of his own affairs. Hc was a modest man. Those who re- member him at the Centennial will rccollect with how much diffidence he presided on that memorable occasion.
The responsibility of the important trust of presiding disturbed his sleep for many nights previous to the ccle- bration. He, nevertheless, performed all the duties of the occasion well when the time came, which added very much to the success of the celebration. . He was a good man; good without ostentation, without pretension; his life showed forth the man, for it was a living and preaching illustration of Jesus. He lived and died on the same spot on which he was born. He has gone down to his grave like a shock of corn fully ripe, with as pure and up- right a character as falls to the lot of but few mortals here below.
MRS. SARAH WALKER. Wife of James Walker, Esq., died of Typhoid fever, after an illness of nineteen days. No tribute to her memory can suf- ficiently do justice to her character. She was worthy of commendation in every condition of life in which she was placed. She fulfilled her part well,
and is now, we trust, reaping her abundant reward. How many have missed her kind offices, her affection and sympathy; how many have felt a void by her death that nothing can fill. She was always kind and benev- olent toward the sick, ready to assist them by her labor or means; affable and generous to the poor, full of kind- ness and affection toward all mankind. Death to her was a great gain, though full of sorrow to us.
SAMUEL G. SMITH. Son of Samuel Smith, dicd September 1, agcd 43, of a bronchial consumption, in the very vigor of his manhood. Hc had been absent from Peterborough somc twelve or fourtecn ycars before he dicd and returncd on a visit but a few weeks before the dread summons came for him to go hence. Most of his life had been spent in the manufacture of cot- ton, in which business he was said to have acquired great skill, and to have equalled the best manufacturer of the day. He was a self made man; his early opportunities for an education had been limited, and had there been no self culture, there would have been no man. By his own and almost un- assisted efforts, he made himself a mathematician, became a great and a general rcader, and had acquired a great fund of knowledge. He was a man of rare excellence of character, of great purity of life, the very soul of honor and integrity. His memory is embalmed in many hearts, who will not soon forget him. He bore his last sickness, which was long, with great fortitude, and died calmly in the firm hope of a better state of existence hercafter.
A singular fatality seems to have attended the Smith family during the past ycar. Four brothers of the elder racc dicd within five months of each other, all of them far advanced in life, and threc of the next generation died within about seven months. The
1
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Peterborough in 1842.
deaths of the brothers were Samuel Smith, April 25, 1842, aged 76; James Smith, died August 11, 1842, aged 86; Jonathan Smith, died August 29, 1842, aged 79; Jeremiah Smith died Sept. 21, at Dover, N. H., aged 83.
Deaths of the next generation as follows: James Smith died in Michi- gan, in February, son of James Smith, of Cavendish; Mrs. Sarah Walker, daughter of James Smith, Cavendish, died August 26; Samuel G. Smith, son of Samuel Smith, died Sept. 9, 1842.
MRS. MARY S. FULLER. Youngest daughter of John Scott, Esq., (and granddaughter of Capt. William Scott, both revolutionary soldiers. J. S.) died November 17, of a relapse of Typhoid fever. She will long be re- membered here. She had made her- self so useful to the community by her taste and skill in her business, that we do not know how her place is to be supplied. She aimed at doing her duty well, and hard were her struggles, alone, and with two children, to beat her way amid the trials and perplexi- ties of life. But her labors are ended. She, who was always so ready to feel sympathy and render assistance to the sick and dying, has passed through these scenes. She has claimed but a small share of that kindness and at- tention she had again and again ex- pended on others.
DISEASES.
The Typhoid fever prevailed here during the season, commencing in August, and continuing nearly through the autumn. It was of an unusually severe type, and proved fatal among many of the adult and respectable members of Society. Those who re- covered did so only after a long con- finement and a somewhat tedious convalescence. No other diesases of any note prevailed. The Typhoid fever seemed to swallow up every other malady. There was a very un-
usual exemption from all bowel com- plaints among children.
All of which is respectfully sub- mitted,
(Signed) ALBERT SMITH.
Read to Peterborough Lyceum, March 25, 1843.
Among the standing committees of the Lyceum was one on Statistics. None of its reports are preserved ex- cept those submitted for 1842, which are herewith reproduced. The loss of the prior reports is to be regretted for much valuable information is thereby lost. The committees of the Lyceum, as some of their reports show, did their work thoroughly and were use- ful in preserving for posterity very much important historical material relating to the town. William Scott, who wrote the first of the subjoined papers, was the son of John Scott,
the Revolutionary soldier. He was one of the foremost citizens of the town. Selectman in 1836, 1837, 1883 and in 1842, besides holding other minor offices. Two of his sons-Hon. Albert S. Scott and Col. Charles Scott, achieved state wide fame. William Scott died of Typhoid fever Septem- ber 24, 1846, aged 45 years, in the full tide of his usefulness, deeply mourned by all who knew him.
REPORT ON STATISTICS FOR 1842. "Mr. President. I have been able to collect the statistical facts relative to the number of communicants con- nected with the several Christian Churches in this place, together with the names of those who have been ad- mitted in full communion since Janu- ary 1, 1842, which I here present in the following order:
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