History of Bedford, New Hampshire, from 1737 : being statistics compiled on the occasion of the one hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the incorporation of the town, May 15, 1900, Part 23

Author: Bedford (N.H. : Town)
Publication date: 1903
Publisher: Concord, N. H. : The Rumford Printing Co.
Number of Pages: 1202

USA > New Hampshire > Hillsborough County > Bedford > History of Bedford, New Hampshire, from 1737 : being statistics compiled on the occasion of the one hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the incorporation of the town, May 15, 1900 > Part 23

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In 1847 the public became impressed with the belief that the bridge should be free according to the conditions of its charter, and measures were taken to bring about this result. Petitions were pre- sented to the mayor and aldermen of Manchester and the selectmen of Bedford, praying that Granite street should be laid out over the bridge and be made a public highway. A hearing was had upon the petition before the mayor and aldermen of Manchester on the 18th of December, 1847, and before the selectmen of Bedford about the same time. The result of the hearings was that the highway wa laid out, and the bridge became free upon the payment of the sun of $400 to the stockholders. Thus free, the bridge became th property of Manchester and Bedford, and to be supported by them During the ice freshet of 1851 the ice became obstructed in the edd above the New Hampshire Central railroad bridge, and the wate rising some feet, the bridge was lifted from its piers and carried of In the summer of 1851 another bridge was built at the expense ( the two towns. As is often the case with partners, they could no agree what kind of a bridge to erect, and Bedford built the we part in lattice work, while Manchester built the east half aft another plan. It is believed that the abutments and piers we built of the same kind of stone.1 The bridge was built in a su stantial manner, upon stone piers laid in the most approved sty. under the direction of Major Hiram Brown. The bridge is 450 fe in length and 25 feet in width, with two driveways for teams, al two walks for people on foot, and is not covered. The whole co was about $18,000.

The following is a list of the stockholders in the Granite Brid Corporation, September 1, 1846 :

1 The western half of the bridge was washed out in March, 1896.

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Daniel Mack, Bedford, 20 shares; Frederick G. Stark, Bedford, 16 shares ; Daniel Watts, Londonderry, 9 shares ; David Hamblett, Bedford, 8 shares; Cyrus Moore, Manchester, 8 shares ; William P. Riddle, Bedford, 5 shares ; Priscilla Rowe, Bedford, 4 shares ; Jesse Hartwell, Bedford, 4 shares ; Betsey P. Searle, Francestown, 3 shares ; Silas Griffin, Hampstead, 2 shares ; James Walker, Bedford, 2 shares ; Adam Chandler, Bedford, 2 shares ; Jonas Harvey, Manchester, 2 shares ; William Riddle, Bedford, 2 shares ; John French, Bedford, 2 shares; Daniel Ferguson, Bedford, 1 share; Thomas Ferguson, Bedford, 1 share ; John D. Riddle, Bedford, 1 share; James Harvell, Bedford, 1 share ; Isaac Darrah, Bedford, 1 share; William Patten,, Bedford, 1 share; David Worthley, Goffstown, 1 share; Stephen Smith, Manchester, 1 share; James Wallace, Manchester, 1 share ; Timothy J. Carter, Manchester, 1 share ; Joseph Gregg, New Boston, 1 share.

A post road was established by act of congress April 20, 1818, " from Amherst by Goffstown West meeting house, Dunbarton, Hop- kinton, Concord, Isle Hooksett, Piscataqua Bridge and Bedford to Amherst." Also one "from Merrimack by Piscataqua Bridge to Bedford." May 13, 1813, " from Dunstable, through Merrimack by Bedford meeting house and Piscataqua Bridge to Isle Hooksett."

LANDINGS.

In the wilderness the streams are natural highways, and so wherr the town was first settled the Merrimack river formed a natural. means of transit from North to South, both for travelers and for the: transportation of freight. There were various landings, so called, upon the river bank within the limits of Bedford. First, on the Thomas Chandler farm, opposite to Carthagenia island, known as Basswood landing; one near the mouth of Crosby brook, and known. sometimes as Smith's landing, and sometimes as Martin's landing,, and as Dole's landing, from the names of the various owners of the adjacent farm. Another, laid out in 1807, described as follows :

The transcript of a landing, beginning at the North line of Mr. Joseph Harvell's lots, leaving four rods upon the bank until the line runs twelve rods down the river. From thence to the river as far as low water mark, for which we award Mr. Joseph Harvell $40. Laid out by us, the subscribers, Selectmen of Bedford, this - day of 1807. SAMUEL CHANDLER, JOHN HOLBROOK, Selectmen.

DAVID STEVENS,

A true record, Attest : SAMUEL CHANDLER, Town Clerk.

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HISTORY OF BEDFORD.

In Piscataquog village there was a third, known as Riddle's land- ing, which lay between what is now known as Log street and the Piscataquog river. Inasmuch as Piscataquog village was the chief village of the town until the time of its separation from Bedford, this was probably the busiest and most important landing of them all.

We append here a sketch of its history, taken from the earlier book of Bedford, and which extends to the time when the village ceased to be a part of our town, and its history becomes a part of the history of Manchester.

PISCATAQUOG VILLAGE.

Piscataquog village lies in the northeast part of the town of Bedford, and now. comprises two school districts, Nos. 5 and 14, and about 100 dwelling houses and 700 inhabitants. It was so called from the river of that name, which here empties into the Merrimac. The Piscataquog river rises in Francestown, near the Crotched Mountains, and after a meandering course in a south-east direction, having received the waters of Pleasant and Scoby's ponds in Fran- cestown, and, passing through a corner of Lyndeborough and thence northeast through New Boston, it unites with its main branch, com- ing from Weare and Deering in Goffstown ; and thence, by a south- easterly course through Goffstown and a corner of Bedford, it flows into the Merrimac. It is quite a rapid river, and affords many val- uable water privileges, some of which have been improved for saw and grist-mills, and other machinery. In the town of New Boston, on this stream and its branches, in 1820, there were more saw-mills than in any other town in the state. It was noted, in the primitive state of its forests, for its beautiful pine timber and excellent masts, hence the origin of the Mast-road and the Mast-landing, or rolling place, near the mouth of this river. These masts, it will be remem- bered, were mostly reserved, especially the best, for the king's spe- cial use in the royal navy ; hence, the town officer found in our old records, under the king, "Deer-Keeper," whose duty was to prevent the unnecessary slaughter of deer, and preserve the King's timber from common use.

The name of the Piscataquog is of Indian origin, and is said to signify, the place of many deer. When the town was first laid out and allotted to the proprietors, Lot No. 1 on Piscataquog, containing 25 acres, now occupied by James Walker, was drawn to Gov. Belcher. No. 2, now belonging to the Amoskeag Land and Water Power Company, was drawn to James Davenport. Between these two lots and the range line at the head of the home lots extending west from nearly where the road now is, west and south of Piscata quog river, including the mill privilege and the most thickly settled part of the village, was Lot No. 123 of the third division, containing probably a hundred acres or more. The records do not state to

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hom it was drawn. Next, south of that, extending from the range ne to the river, was lot No. 73, drawn to " Maddam Livingston." Iome-Lot No. 1, on the Merrimac river, south of the last named, ras drawn to Jacob Griggs ; No. 2, to John Plympton ; No. 3, to labijah Savadge, Esq .; No. 4, to Thomas Simpkins; No. 5, to amuel Hollis; No. 6, to James Yeats ; No. 7, to Israel Hubbard ; which will probably be the extent of the village, south. The island the mouth of Piscataquog was drawn in the third division to amuel Bass, as a meadow-lot, and hence, probably, called Bass sland. At a meeting of the proprietors of the township, in January, 739, they voted to raise £20 for "rectifying the way from Souhegan iver to Piscataquog river," and Robert Walker was appointed a ommittee to see the money expended. It seems the way was not rectified," for in January, 1740, they voted to " chuse " a committee mark out the highway between Souhegan and Piscataquog. At a meeting in June of the same year, they voted to raise as much more viz.,) 3s. 4d., making altogether 6s. 8d. on each right in town for hat end, and that Mr. Robert Walker do said work and those who re delinquents to be proceeded against according to law. It is prob- ble that this road was marked out and prepared for a cart-road, as ar as Piscataquog river, at this time. The manner of crossing riv- r's, at this time, was by fording them, which was undoubtedly the ase here, for in 1757 we find Thomas Hall petitioning for a road cross Piscataquog. The town however, when the petition was laid efore them, refused to lay out the road, and he (the said Hall) sued e town at the next quarter sessions, and obtained judgment against hem for costs and damage, a part of which they voted to pay, and a urt they voted not to pay; but a settlement was obtained at last. he result seemed to be that they immediately set about building a idge, which was accomplished in the years 1759 and 1760. This as the first bridge built across the Piscataquog at this place, and obably the first on this river.

In 1756, the road generally designated as the mast-road, was own by that name. How long before it had received that appel- ion, no records appear; but in 1756, a road was laid out from the ist-road, " beginning at the westerly end of the river range of me lots, (probably very near where the road by the Academy ilding crosses the range line above the McCoy house, so called,) al runs on the said lots until it comes where the line of said lots ns down the hill to the northwest of Lieut. Moor's house, (sup- sed to be a little north of James Harvell's house) and thence on t top of the hill to the west of the swamp, around the same, along 1 ween Robert Gilmore's house and barn, to the northwest corner

o No. 7 home lot on the river, from tlfence south on the heads or westerly ends of the river home-lots to the north-west corner of Snuel Patten's river home-lot, or No. 20, joining on said lot : said I to be four rods wide."

n 1768, we find the following transcript of a road or highway

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HISTORY OF BEDFORD.

laid out by Moses Barron and James Vose on the 16th day of April. "Beginning at the line of Bedford and Goffstown where the mast- road that was last improved crosses said line, thence, as said mast- road was formerly improved to the hill next to the mast-rolling place on Piscataquog river, thence on the north side of a swampy place in said mast road to the said rolling place, thence down on the south side of said Piscataquog River, to the mouth of said river, where it empties into the river Merrymac, thence down said Merrymac about twenty-five rods, or so far as to take in the head of the eddy in the river next to the mouth of said Piscataquog ; the whole way of said road to be four rods wide from the top of the upper bank. And also another piece of a highway, beginning at the highway at the westerly end of the first range of house-lots, and at the north end of the road already laid out on said end of said lots, from thence starting up the ridge until it comes to the old mast-road above laid out."

In 1770, it became necessary to rebuild the bridge over Piscata- quog river; accordingly, in January of that year, it was voted to raise thirty pounds lawful money for that purpose, and that Major John Goffe be the man to build the bridge. The first mill, it appears, was built by Mr. Davidson, which was swept away, and in 1775 rebuilt by John Little.

In 1779, it seems that Samuel Moor owned the mills on the Pis- cataquog where the mills now stand. How long before this they were built, is uncertain, and also by whom. At the same time, the ferry across the Merrimac, just above the rail-road bridge, was called Merril's Ferry, as appears by the following record of laying out a road

"June 21st, 1779. The town voted to lay out a road from Joh McKenney's, by Thomas Boies', James Stile's, &c, to Moor's Mill an Merril's Ferry."

In 1781 the Piscataquog bridge became dangerous or unsafe fo travel, and Major John Goffe, Samuel Vose, and James Wallac were appointed a committee to examine and make what repairs wer necessary, which they did, and the bridge was not again rebuilt unt 1785, when the building of it was struck off at vendue on the 241 of January to Samuel Goffe. It appears that the bridge was require to be built anew about every ten or twelve years. It was la rebuilt in 1843.

At this time there were but three houses within the limits of t present village of Piscataquog, and one mill : and here the histori may well pause and look around to find the elements of its sub quent prosperity as a business and commercial place. A vast amor of white and hard pine, and white oak suitable for ship-building, 1 facilities of rafting at the mouth of the river, and the increasi population in the surrounding country, crowned with the recib return of peace, permanently secured by the independence of country, were the elements of its prosperity-but inactive and val- less, until acted on by a motive power.

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ROADS, LANDINGS, AND BRIDGES.

About this time, viz., in 1785, William Parker, in the language of is biographer, moved from Litchfield into Bedford, and built a mall house near where the school-house in District No. 5 now tands, and worked at shoe-making. To his energy, enterprise, and erseverance we are indebted for the foundation of this flourishing illage ; yet, as we shall hereafter see, others, emulous to equal him prosperity, as they were perhaps equal in enterprise, took up, in is declining years, and carried out the great plan of prosperity which he had begun.

The manufacturing operations at Manchester, likewise, have had a reat influence in building up the village; especially that part on the orth side of the Piscataquog river, which now comprises one half of he whole number of dwelling-houses, is the most compact, and bids air to increase more rapidly than the other part.

There are now in the village two stores, two taverns, one mill, arried by water power, for grinding meal and plaster and manufac- uring lumber, and one steam-mill, two school-houses, and one Acad- my and meeting-house under the same roof. Its proximity to the rowing city of Manchester, with which it is connected by the gran- te bridge, built in 1840 by an incorporated company, and made free y a vote of the town of Bedford and city of Manchester in 1848, enders it a desirable resort and pleasant retreat from the busy din of hat city of spindles, and will afford some of the most pleasant coun- ry residences in the vicinity. The New Hampshire Central Rail- oad, intended to connect the Vermont Roads, by way of Claremont, 'radford and Henniker, with the Lawrence Road, passes through the eart of the village, and by a bridge across the Merrimac connects t present with the Concord, affording hereby increased facilities for ommunication with all parts of the county.

But let us return to our narrative.

The business of the place continued to increase, and in 1811 Wm. Riddle opened a store in the building opposite his present resi- ence and, in company with William Parker, purchased the mills en owned by a Mr. Dow, and commenced the lumber trade in good rnest, sending down a vast amount of wood and lumber every year. he following year, 1812, boating on the Merrimac river was first tended up to this place, which for a number of years was the head navigation on the Merrimac. During this year Isaac Riddle, then successful merchant at the centre of the town, and Caleb Stark of. umbarton, alike at that time friends of internal improvements, con- ived the design, in connection with the recent improvement of the er by locks, and the Middlesex Canal, of navigating the river by ats. Accordingly they built a boat at Bedford centre, and drew it listance of three miles and a half to the Merrimac river, with forty ke of oxen, and there launched it amid the shouts of the multitude embled to witness the novel scene, and named it the Experiment. It was loaded and navigated down the river, and through the ddlesex Canal, to Boston, where its arrival was hailed with cheers,

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HISTORY OF BEDFORD.

the firing of cannon, and the following announcement in the Boston Centinel :

"Arrived from Bedford, N. H., Canal-Boat Experiment, Isaac Riddle, Captain, via, Merrimac river and Middlesex canal."

This introduced a new era into the trade of the place, by increas- ing the facilities of transportation, and reduction of freight on heavy articles. Previous to the commencement of boating, freight was eighteen dollars per ton ; but after boats began to run, it was at first reduced to ten, and afterwards to four dollars per ton.

In 1816, finding his business so much increased, William P. Riddle built the large store and boating-house at Piscataquog bridge; and in order to facilitate his increasing boating business, in 1818 he built the locks at the mouth of Piscataquog, and at one time it was seriously contemplated to unite the waters of the Merri- mac and the Connecticut by a canal up the valley of the Piscat- aquog. William Parker, Isaac Riddle, and Isaac Riddle and sons, were the principal ones engaged in boating until the death of the former; after which, up to the time when the railroad was built, boating was mostly carried on by Wm. P. Riddle.

In 1817, the firm of Isaac Riddle & Sons, consisting of himself and four sons, . Wm. P., James, Isaac, Jr., and David,1 was formed for mercantile, boating, and manufacturing purposes, carrying on a very extensive business in various places, viz., Bedford centre, Piscataquog village, Souhegan village, Merrimac and Boston. The business of this firm in this place, amounted in some years to $30,000, supplying by way of boating and trade, in conjunction with the other stores, the towns of Goffstown, Weare, Dunbarton, Hop- kinton, Warner, Sutton, New London, Fishersfield, now Newbury; and probably more lumber has been boated and rafted from this landing, than upon all the rivers above Nashua.

In 1820, the year after the toleration-act, so called, was passed by the Legislature, the inhabitants of the village took measures to erect a meeting-house, which they did by a joint-stock company, dividing the stock into shares, the principal part of which was owned by James Parker, Esq., and the heirs of the late William Parker. The building-committee were James Parker, Jonathan Palmer, and William P. Riddle, Esqs. The house was planned and the archi- tecture designed by Thomas Kennedy of Goffstown, and to the present day is considered one of the most beautiful specimens of architecture in the country; the building of the house was let by contract to Isaac Heath, of Hooksett. Preaching was obtained several months at a time, for a number of years, by subscription The Rev. Mr. Long and Rev. Mr. Miltimore at different time supplied the pulpit very acceptably to their hearers; at present it i

1 The cottage house, just north of the river, marked " Mrs. Lund " on the sketch at the corner of So. Main and Winter streets, was first occupied in 1826, by Davi Riddle, son of Isaac Riddle, who brought there his bride, Mary Lincoln, of th family of Lincolns who helped spill the tea into Boston Harbor, and, a grand daughter of Paul Revere, the celebrated historical horseback rider of 1775.

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requently occupied for a third service, Sabbath-school and other eligious exercises.

During this year, the bridge across Piscataquog was rebuilt, under he superintendence of W. P. Riddle.

The other traders in the place at different times have been, Thomas Parker, Riddle & Aiken, Charles Redfield, Ozias Silsbee, . Riddle & Whittle, Wm. P. Riddle, Parker & Palmer, Kendrick & IcGaw, Jonathan Palmer, James Walker, Abbot & Melvin, Aaron tage, Kidder & Rundlett, Moore & French, William French, French & Barr, William & J. N. French, F. G. Stark, James Valker, R. V. Greely, James Wilson, A. W. Dickey.

In 1843, the meeting house was purchased by an association of gentlemen, the upper part remodeled, and converted into con- renient rooms for an Academy, which has very ably sustained itself without funds, under the instruction of Hiram Wason, who con- inued in it about a year; and Benjamin F. Wallace, under whose nstruction it has been, since March, 1845, with the exception of bout a year, while under the care of the Rev. Amos Abbott. A good apparatus has been furnished the Academy by the liberality of the ladies and gentlemen of the village. ' An act of incorporation vas granted by the Legislature in 1848. The present board of lirectors (1850) consists of Hon. Frederick G. Stark, Esq., Jonas B. Bowman, Esq., Gen. William P. Riddle, and James Walker, Esq.

This place has been probably the greatest depository of hops, for nspection, and boating, of any place in this state,-Gen. Riddle having inspected and forwarded to market, either by purchase or on reight, four or five hundred thousand pounds in a year. A great umber of sleepers have also been furnished to various rail-roads the country from this place, and even sleepers have been exported y some of the business men of this place to Cuba, in the West ndies.

Next to Mr. Moor, a Mr. Dow owned the mills in this place ; they ere afterwards owned by Thomas Parker, Buzzell & Wm. Parker, Tm. Parker & Isaac Riddle, until they were again carried off by freshet. They were rebuilt by Kendall & Gage, and sold to David amblett, who carried on a large business in grain, meal, plaster, id manufacturing lumber, until his death, in 1848; and there is. ill a good amount of business done there.

Industries.

MILLS.

Before any mills were erected in Bedford, the inhabitants were under the necessity of going to Dunstable to get their grain ground at Chamberlain's mill, at the "Harbor,"1 south of Nashua village. But at a meeting of the proprietors, held May 14, 1735, it was " Voted that the Committee Be Desired to inquier into the surcum- stances of the Building of mills what be most benefishall for the Good of the and make Report of ye same at the ajourment of said meeting." Pursuant to this vote, John Chamberlain erected mills on the Souhegan river, which was then included within the limits of Narragansett No. 5, for the grinding of corn and sawing of lumber. This was the same John Chamberlain known in Merri- mack town records as Paugus John, for the reason that there is a question whether or no he was the distinguished member of the little band who went from this neighborhood to Lovewell's figh against the Pequaquet Indians, to whom fell the honor of killing their chief, Paugus. Considerable newspaper agitation of the ques tion arises from time to time, but in the nature of things th question can never be settled finally.

About 1745, Col. John Goffe, who used to live at Derryfield o the northerly side of the Cohos brook opposite Goffe's Falls, move

1 The " Harbor" is just below Nashua, about a mile south of the city hall.

"The project of manufacturing cotton upon the Merrimack was started at Amo keag Falls, in 1809, by Benjamin Prichard and Messrs. Ephraim, David, and Robe Stevens. Mr. Prichard had been engaged in mill business in New Ipswich, whe also he had to a limited extent become acquainted with cotton spinning, the fir mill or factory for the manufacture of cotton, built in New Hampshire, having be built in that town in 1803.

"The precise date of Mr. Prichard's coming to this section of the county cann be ascertained; but as he paid taxes in New Ipswich until 1807, and paid his last t in that year, it is probable that he left New Ipswich sometime in 1807. He first co. menced the manufacture of cotton in Bedford at what is called the 'Goffe Plac occupying for that purpose, a small building upon the west side of the bridge whi he fitted up for spinning cotton. This building is now (1850) standing, is owned J. B. Bowman, Esq., and occupied as a lath mill. His machinery was purchased second hand of Mr. Samuel Slater, of Rhode Island. The machinery being old a worn, did not operate well, and the water power was not sufficient through the y for more extended operations. The enterprise might be considered thus fall failure, and Mr. Prichard determined upon removing to a more eligible locati where he could enlarge his operations, and thus be warranted in obtaining bet machinery. He accordingly obtained a privilege on the west side of Amoske Falls in Goffstown, probably in the early part of 1809, where he built a small mill connection with Messrs. Ephraim, David and Robert Stevens."-Potter's History Manchester.

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Bedford. He occupied the farm known for many years as the toffe farm, which included within its limits a considerable portion f what is called Crosby's brook. At its mouth he built a forge ith a trip hammer and wrought ore into iron in considerable uantities. Iron ore to some extent was transported to Billerica nd Lowell, and other villages out of town. Most of it was obtained rom the swamp south of the house formerly of John Parker on the River road. James Martin, the town deputy to the Provincial ongress at Exeter, offered to furnish all the cannon balls which the Continental army would require, and so we infer that in those early imes a considerable amount of iron was obtainable in Bedford for orging.

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History of Bedford, New Hampshire, from 1737 : being statistics compiled on the occasion of the one hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the incorporation of the town, May 15, 1900, Part 23

Author: Bedford (N.H. : Town) Publication date: 1903 Publisher: Concord, N. H. : The Rumford Printing Co. Number of Pages: 1202

Author: Bedford (N.H. : Town)
Publication date: 1903
Publisher: Concord, N. H. : The Rumford Printing Co.
Number of Pages: 1202