History of Carroll County, New Hampshire, Part 12

Author: Merrill, Georgia Drew
Publication date: 1889
Publisher: Boston : W.A. Fergusson & Co.
Number of Pages: 1124

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In Captain John D. Harty's company were Ichabod Cook, Stephen D. Hutchins, David Page, Jonathan Willard, Wakefield ; Samuel Cate, Levi Douglass, Stephen Giles, Samuel Tibbetts, Brookfield.

Neal McGaffey, of Sandwich, served in Captain Hayes's company.

CAPTAIN QUIMBY'S COMPANY .- Jonathan Bean, lieutenant, John McGaffey, ensign, Enoch Tewksbury, Freeman Jewell, Daniel Tewksbury, Samuel Beede, Henry Thrasher, Joseph Thrasher, Thomas Bryer, Moses Maxfield, Nathan

WHITE MOUNTAINS.

Mason, Abel Morrill, Joseph Hadley, John Hadley, Winthrop Hadley, Stephen Quinby, Jerry Eliot, Frank Eliot, John Eliot, Josiah Webster, Jededialı Skinner, John Currier, Benjamin Currier, Benjamin Morse, Stephen Atwood, Daniel Fogg, John Fogg, Oren Fogg, William McGaffey, John Atwood, Moses Worthen, Samuel Worthen, Asa Pettingill, Stephen Bennett. Abner Bennett, John Bennett, Reuben Bennett, Amos Bennett, William Burleigh, Ephraim Dockum, David MeCrillis, Neal McCrillis, Josiah Bean, Andrew Bean, Josiah McGaffey, Samuel MeGaffey, William Chase, Amos Neally, Henry Weed, Robie French, George Hoyt, John Fellows, Philip Heath, John Tilton, Samuel Cor- liss, Joseph Corliss, James Corliss, Hezekiah Webster, John S. Webster, John S. Quinby, Joseph L. Quinby, Asa Quinby, Daniel Quinby, Amos Quinby, James Quinby, John Quinby, Nathaniel Pettingill, Moses Quinby, Stephen Fellows, Jr, Abel Morrill, Nehemiah Webster, Samuel B. Quinby, John Shaw, Alexander Rowe, Samuel Straw, all of Sandwich. Eliphalet Maxfield, Eli- phalet Maxfield, Jr, Moses Maxfield, Stephen and Jacob Quimby, Enoch Colby, Josiah Bates, Henry Jewell, Amos Quimby, Asa Pettengill, Sherburne Fogg, Joseph Webster, Thos. Blackey, Andrew and - Bean were in Lieutenant Enoch Quimby's Co.

CHAPTER XIII.

WHITE MOUNTAINS.

Topography - Mt Starr King Group - Mt Carter Group - Mt Washington Range - Cherry Mountain District - Mt Willey Range - Passaconaway Range - Albany Mountains - Pequawket Area - History- Mythology- First Visited -Winthrop's Account - Darby Field's Ascent - Josselyn's Description -"The Chrystal Hills"- Later Visits - Western Pass or " Notch "-First Settlement - Scientific Explorations - Scenery of the "Notch" - Nash and Sawyer's Grant -" A Horse Through the Notch "-Sawyer's Rock - First Articles of Commerce - Tenth New Hampshire Turnpike - Brackett's Account of Naming and Ascer- taining the Heights- Other Scientific Visitors - Hardships of Early Settlers - First House in the "Notch "-Crawford's Cabin on the Summit - Summit House - Tip-top Ilouse - First Winter Ascent -Carriage Road - Glen House - Mt Washington Railway - Mountain Tragedies - " Among the Clouds "- Signal Station - Mt Washington Summit House.

HE WHITE MOUNTAINS cover an area of 1,270 square miles, bounded by the Maine line on the east, the Androscoggin river and the Grand Trunk railway on the northeast and north, the Connecticut river valley, or an irregular line from Northumberland to Warren, on the west, the region of Baker's river on the southwest, and the Pemigewasset river and the lake

HISTORY OF CARROLL COUNTY.

distriet on the south. The Saco river cuts the White Mountains into two nearly equal parts. Professor Hitchcock groups the mountains in ten sub- divisions :- 1. Mt Starr King group. 2. Mt Carter group. 3. Mt Washington range, with a Jackson branch. 4. Cherry Mountain district. 5. Mt Willey range. 6. Mt Carrigain and Osceola group. 7. Mt Passaconaway range. 8. Mts Twin and Lafayette group. 9. Mts Moosilauke and Profile division. 10. Mt Pequawket area. These mountain groups differ much in geological character, age, and topographical features.

1. Mt Starr King Group is embraced in the remote portions of Gorham, Randolph, Jefferson, Lancaster, Stark, Milan, Berlin, and the whole of Kilkenny. It is bounded by the Upper Ammonoosuc and Androscoggin rivers on the north and east, by Moose and Israel's rivers on the south, and the Connecticut slope on the west. The longest diameter of this group is sixteen iniles ; the greatest width thirteen miles. The shape of the area is oval- elliptical, more pointed at the north than south, and comprises about 150 square miles. The Upper Ammonoosue river flows in a broad valley in Randolph and Berlin, and thereby divides the group into two parts. Its source, called the "Pond of Safety," is nearly 900 feet above Milan water- station, and there is a depression in the ridge in the south towards Jefferson. Geologists state that the northern portion of the Starr King region was once a large plateau through which water has eut the numerous valleys now found. Not less than seven streams have cut notches into this plateau, - the three most prominent ones being from Berlin, Stark (Mill Brook), and Lancaster. There is a central ridge through Kilkenny, the Pilot mountain range, connected by a valley with Mt Starr King in Jefferson. A branch diverges from this range to Pilot mountain in Stark. Green's ledge and Black mountain are spurs to the east from the Pilot range. From Mt Starr King to Berlin Falls runs an irregularly curved range, composed of Pliny, Randolph, and Crescent mountains, and Mt Forest. Mts Starr King, Pilot, and Randolph are the culminating points, being in height 3,800, 3,640, and 3,063 feet respectively.

2. Mt Carter Group lies in Shelburne, Bean's Purchase, Chatham, and Jackson. There is a heavy range from Gorham to Jackson, quite near the Peabody and Ellis valleys, while, on the east, the slope towards the Andros- eoggin is quite gradual. Mt Moriah is one of the most northern peaks of this chain. Rev. T. Starr King says: "Mount Moriah should be seen from the bend of the Androscoggin, a little more than a mile north of the hotel (in Gorham). Here its charming outline is seen to the best advantage. Its crest is as high over the valley as Lafayette rises over the Profile House." Mt Moriah and Mt Carter are separated by Imp mountain. Wild river occupies a broad valley in Bean's Purchase, trending northeasterly. The highest part of. Carter range is next Peabody river. The western slope is much steeper than the eastern. A wild, deep notch lies in the edge of Jackson, from which

WHITE MOUNTAINS.

the east branch of Ellis river flows southeasterly. Several tributaries flow to Wild river from the south, from the range which runs easterly to form the entire western and southern edge of the Wild river basin. This range curves to the north, near the Maine line, where Mt Royce stands immediately on the border. Five spurs run into Jackson and Chatham. One runs from Height's mountain to Spruce and Eagle mountains, near Jackson village. Another comes down from Carter mountain and embraces Black and Tin mountains. Another includes Double-head mountain and lies immediately west of the east branch of the Saco and Wildcat Branch. The two others run from Baldface mountain ; one takes in Sable mountain in Jackson and its foot-hills ; the other includes Mts Eastman and slope in Chatham. Some of the wildest, grandest, and most beautiful scenery of the White Mountains is in this district.

3. Mt Washington Runge. - The main range of Mt Washington extends from Gorham to Bartlett, about twenty-two miles. The culminating point is central, with a deep gulf towards Gorham, a slope on the north, formed partially by the westerly Mt Deception range, which also produces the broad Ammonoosuc valley on the west, in connection with the axial line of summits. There are two principal valleys on the south, the more westerly occupying the depression of Dry or Mt Washington river, and the easterly passing down the slope of Rocky branch, which travels easterly near its termination, and parallel with the Saco in Bartlett. Starting with the Androscoggin valley, the range commences in the low Pine mountain. In the southeast corner of Gorham this is intersected by the pass of the Pinkham road between Randolph and the Glen House. Next, the land rises rapidly to the top of Mt Madison, 5,400 feet. The range now curves westerly, passing over the summits of Adams, Jefferson, and Clay. From the gap between Clay and Washington the best view can. be obtained of the deep abyss in which the west branch of Peabody river rises. From Washington the east rim of the Great Gulf is easily discerned, for on it the carriage road to the Glen House is located. From " Blue Pond," or " Lake of the Clouds," and the height south of Tuckerman's ravine to Madison, it is easy to imagine an elevated plateau out of Washington, which rises, say 800 feet. Tuckerman's and Huntington's ravines have been cut out east of Washington. Tuckerman's runs easterly, holding the head- waters of Ellis river. Huntington's commences at the southern angle of the carriage road, at the fifth mile-post, and runs towards the first.

Past Mt Washington the main range drops to the pass of the Lake of the Clouds -the source of the Ammonoosuc river. The first mountain is Monroe, then comes Mts Franklin, Pleasant, Clinton, Jackson, and Webster, as named. Mt Webster is a long mountain with a steep side towards the Saco, and, being directly opposite the Willey House, forms one of the chief features of the Notch. From Monroe to Webster the east flank of the mountains is washed by the powerful Mt Washington river, the proper continuance of the

HISTORY OF CARROLL COUNTY.

Saco valley, which formerly was called Dry river. This heads in Oakes's gulf, from the east side of which two ranges run southerly. The western one follows the Saco to a point opposite "Sawyer's rock," having, in the lower part of its course, Giant's Stairs, Mt Resolution, Mt Crawford, Mt Hope, and "Hart's ledge." The eastern one is not conspicuous and not named. This is skirted by Rocky Branch on the west and Ellis river on the east. Near Jackson it makes an eastern curve, and ends in Iron mountain.

4. Cherry Mountain District. - Mt Deception range consists of four peaks - Mt Mitten, Mt Dartmouth, Mt Deception, and Cherry mountain. It is separated by a considerable valley from Mt Jefferson, and its gentler slope lies on the northern flank towards Israel's river. The road from Fabyan's to Jefferson passes between Cherry and Deception. Cherry mountain has a northerly spur of large dimensions, called Owl's Head, where occurred the great slide of 1885.

5. Mt Willey Range starts from near the White Mountain House in Carroll, and ends in Mt Willey. Its northern terminus is low, the highest peak being at the southern end of the range. Six granitie summits appear before reaching the high summit of Mt Tom, just back of the Crawford House. The stream forming " Beecher's Cascade " passes between Mt Tom and the next summit south, which was named Mt Lincoln, but, as that name was already occupied by a peak in Franconia, was rechristened Mt Field by Professor Huntington. From Mt Field to Mt Willey the high land is continuous, reaching an elevation of 4,300 feet. It then drops off abruptly and terminates. Ethan's pond, the head of the Merrimack river waters, lies a little to the southwest of the precipice. The Field-Willey range is directly opposite Mt Webster, and the valley between these is the most striking part of the White Mountain Notch, the head of which is formed by Mt Willard, only about 550 feet above the Crawford plain. Mt Carrigain, a lofty, conical summit, 4,678 feet high, is a continuation of the Mt Washington range.

Passaconaway Range has an easterly course. Its most massive mountain is Black Mountain, or Sandwich Dome, on the line between Carroll and Grafton counties. This is 3,999 feet high at United States Coast Survey Station. Majestic Passaconaway Mountain (4,200 feet high) is a sharp dome, thickly wooded. It lies a little north of the main ridge, and is in Grafton county, as is Whiteface, although the perambulations of the west line of Albany on the early surveys run on the west side of these mountains. From Passaconaway to Chocorua, low, ragged mountains occupy the space. Chocorua is the sharpest of all the mountains in the state, and is easily recognized on this account. Its cone is formed by an uncommon variety of granite. From Chocorua east, the mountains gradually drop down to the Conway plains.

The Albany Mountains are divided by Swift river into two parts. On the north side are Mote mountains, and mostly unnamed peaks along the south bank of the Saco in Bartlett.

WHITE MOUNTAINS.

The Pequawket area embraces the conical Kearsarge Mountain, which, on the south, has a connection with those tall piles of granite in Conway called Green Hills.

History. - The first European who gives a report for publication concerning these mountains was Verrazano, a Florentine navigator, who sailed along the New England coast in 1524, and spoke of "high mountains within the land." On Ribero's map of 1529, they are indicated, and marked " montañas." They are shown on Cabot's map (1544) as " montagnas," and from that time are regularly assigned a place by map-makers. The name "White Mountains " is first connected with these elevations in print by Josselyn in his " New England Rarities Discovered," printed in 1672. This writer, in his "Voyages," published a year or two later, gives us the best part of the mythology of our highest hills. The story, as Josselyn tells it, is curious enough; and its resemblance to one of the most venerable of Caucasian traditions should seem to suggest some connection of the people which transmitted it with the common Asiatic home of the bearded races. "Ask them," says Josselyn, " whither they go when they dye'? they will tell you, pointing with their finger to Heaven beyond the White Mountains, and do hint at Noah's flood, as may be conceived by a story they have received from father to son, time out of mind, that a great while agon their Countrey was drowned, and all the People and other Creatures in it, only one Powaw and his Webb, foreseeing the Flood, fled to the White Mountains carrying a hare along with them, and so escaped ; after a while the Powaw sent the Hare away, who not returning, emboldened thereby, they descended, and lived many years after, and had many children, from whom the Countrie was filled again with Indians." The Indians gave the mountains the names of Kan-ran-vugarty (great white gull likeness), Wuum-bek-ket-meth-na (white greatest mountains), and Agiockochook (hills over there). The English name of our mountains, which had its origin, perhaps, while as yet they were only known to adventurous mariners, following the still silent coasts of New England, relates them to all other high mountains, from Dhawala-Giri, the White Mountain of the Himalayas to Craig Eryri of Snowdon of Wales; but it is interesting to find them also, in this legend, in some sort of mythical connec- tion with traditions and heights of the ancient continent, the first knowledge of which carries us back to the very beginnings of human history. Dr Belknap says that Captain Walter Neale, accompanied by Josselyn and Darby Field, set out, in 1632, to discover the " beautiful lakes " report placed in the interior, and that, in the course of their travels, they visited the White Moun- tains. Merrill, in 1817, after an examination of the best authorities, concludes that Walter and Robert Neal, and others, visited the mountains in 1631, but it is to Darby Field, of Pascataquack, that the credit is now generally assigned of being the first explorer of the White Mountains. Accompanied by two Indians, Winthrop tells us, Field climbed the highest summit in 1642. We

HISTORY OF CARROLL COUNTY.

believe, with Judge C. E. Potter, that Belknap's account is correct, and Field's first visit was in 1632. It appears that " within twelve miles of the top was neither tree nor grass, but low savins, which they went upon the top of, sometimes but a continual ascent upon rocks, on a ridge between two valleys filled with snow, out of which came two branches of Saco river, which met at the foot of the hill where was an Indian town of some two hundred people. . . By the way, among the rocks there were two ponds, one a blackish water, and the other a reddish. The top of all was a plain about sixty feet square. On the north side was such a precipice as they could scarce discern to the bottom. They had neither cloud nor wind on the top and moderate heat." This appears to have been in June, and a short time after he went again, with five or six in his company, and " the report he brought of ' shining stones,' etc., caused divers others to travel thither, but they found nothing worth their pains." It is passing strange that men reputed honest could make such a wild report of regions that required no invention to make them attractive and wonderful. Among those who expected rich treasure from these mountains were the proprietors, Mason and Gorges, and no discouragement could lessen their hopes. The Spaniards had found riches in the mountains of Mexico and Peru ; why should not these New Hampshire mountains prove equally rich in the precious metals? In August of the same year, another party, led by Thomas Gorges, Esq., and Richard Vines, two magistrates of the province of Sir Ferdinando Gorges, set out on foot to explore " the delectable mountains." (Winthrop's History calls this " Darby Field's second visit.") "They went up Saco river in birch canoes to Pegwaggett, an Indian town. From the Indian town they went up hill mostly, for about thirty miles in woody lands, then about seven or eight miles upon shattered rocks, without tree or grass, very steep all the way. At the top is a plain about three or four miles over, all shattered stones, and upon that is another rock or spire, about a mile in height, and about an acre of ground at the top. At the top of the plain arise four great rivers, each of them so much water at the first issue as would drive a mill : Connecticut river from two heads, at the northwest and southwest, which join in one about sixty miles off; Saco river on the southeast; Amascoggin, which runs into Caseo bay at the northeast, and Kennebeck, at the north by east. The mountain runs east and west thirty miles, but the peak is above the rest."

There can be but little doubt that Darby Field, the first explorer, entering the valley of Ellis river, left it for the great southeastern ridge of Mt Wash- ington, the same which has since been called Boott's Spur. This was the "ridge between two valleys filled with snow, out of which eame two branches of Saco river," and it led him, as probably the other party also, to the broadest spread of that great plain, of which the southeastern grassy expanse, of some forty aeres, has long been known as Bigelow's Lawn, and the " top " to the north, where the two ponds are, furnished Gorges with a part, no doubt, of the sources of his rivers.

WHITE MOUNTAINS.

" Fourscore miles," says Josselyn, " (upon a direct line) to the northwest of Searborow, a ridge of mountains run northwest and northeast an hundred leagues, known by the name of the White Mountains, upon which lieth snow all the year, and is a Land-mark twenty miles off at sea. It is rising ground from the seashore to these Hills, and they are inaccessible but by the Gullies which the dissolved Snow hath made; in these Gullies grow Savin bushes, which being taken hold of are a good help to the climbing discoverer ; upon the top of the highest of these Mountains is a large Level or Plain of a day's journey over, whereon nothing grows but Moss; at the farther end of this Plain is another Hill called the Sugar loaf, to outward appearance a rude heap of massie stones piled one upon another, and you may, as you ascend, step from one stone to another, as if you were going up a pair of stairs, but winding still about the Hill till you come to the top, which will require half a day's time, and yet it is not above a Mile, where there is also a Level of about an acre of ground, with a pond of clear water in the midst of it, which you may hear run down, but how it ascends is a mystery. From this rocky Hill you may see the whole Country round about; it is far above the lower Clouds, and from hence we beheld a Vapour (like a great Pillar) drawn up by the Sun Beams out of a great Lake or Pond into the air, where it was formed into a Cloud. The Country beyond these Hills Northward is daunting terrible, being full of rocky Hills, as thick as Mole-hills, in a Meadow, and cloathed with infinite thick Woods."

Gorges and Vines' party named these mountains the "Chrystal Hills," but their provisions failed them before the beautiful lake was reached, and though they were within one day's journey of it, they were obliged to return home. Josselyn also says: "One stately mountain there is, surmounting all the rest, about fourscore miles from the sea ; between the mountains are many rich and pregnant valleys as ever eye beheld, beset on each side with variety of goodly trees, the grass man-high, unmowed, uneaten, and uselessly withering, and within these valleys spacious lakes or ponds well stored with fish and beavers ; the original of all the great rivers in the countrie, the snow lies upon the mountains the whole year excepting the month of August; the black flies are so numerous that a man cannot draw his breath but he will suck of them in. Some suppose that the White Mountains were first raised by earthquakes, but they are hollow, as may be guessed by the resounding of the rain upon the level on the top." The pond on the top in this account may have been due to extraordinary transient causes ; it is not mentioned by the other visitors of the seventeenth century, and has not been heard of since.

We next hear of an ascent of the White Mountains by a " ranging company," which "ascended the highest mountain on the N. W. part," so far as appears the first ascent on that side, April 29, 1725, and found, as was to be expected, the snow deep and the Alpine ponds frozen. Another ranging party, which

HISTORY OF CARROLL COUNTY.

was "in the neighborhood of the White Mountains on a warm day in the month of March," in the year 1746, had an interesting and the first recorded experience of a force, which has left innumerable proofs of its efficiency all through the mountains. It seems that this party was " alarmed with a repeated noise, which they supposed to be the firing of guns. On further search they found it to be caused by rocks falling from the south side of a steep mountain."

The Western Pass (Notch) of the mountains was undoubtedly known to the Indians, but we have no account of its use by the English till after 1771, when two hunters, Timothy Nash and Benjamin Sawyer, passed through it. It is said that Nash, in pursuit of a moose, drove it into a deep gorge, and expected an easy capture. The moose, however, took an old Indian trail, which brought it safely to the other side of the mountain. A road was soon after opened by the proprietors of lands in the Upper Cohos, and another, through the Eastern Pass, was commenced in 1774. Settlers began now to make their way into the immediate neighborhood of the mountains. The townships of Jefferson, Shel- burne (which included Gorham), and Adams (now Jackson), successively received inhabitants from 1773 to 1779, and the wilderness, if as yet far enough from blossoming, was opened, and to some extent tamed.

It was now that the first company of scientific inquirers approached the White hills. In July, 1784, the Rev. Manasseh Cutler, of Ipswich, a zealous member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the Rev. Daniel Little, of Kennebunk, also a member of the Academy, and Colonel Joseph Whipple, of Dartmouth (now Jefferson), the most prominent inhabitant of .the Cohos country, visited the mountains " with a view to make particular observations on the several phenomena that might occur." The way by which Cutler ascended the mountain is indicated by the stream which bears his name in Belknap's and Bigelow's narratives, and was doubtless very much the same taken and described by Bigelow. President Dwight passed through the Notch in 1797, and a second time in 1803, and his beautiful description of the scenery is still valuable and correct. He says: "The Notch of the White Mountains is a phrase appropriated to a very narrow defile extending two miles in length between two huge cliffs, apparently rent asunder by some vast convulsion of nature. The entrance to the chasm is formed by two roeks. standing perpen- dicularly at the distance of twenty-two feet from each other : one about twenty, the other about twelve feet in height. Half of the space is occupied by the brook, the head stream of the Saco, the other half by the road. When we entered the Notch we were strnek with the wild and solemn appearance of everything before us. The scale on which all objects in view were formed was the scale of grandeur only. The rocks, rude and ragged in a manner hardly paralleled, were fashioned and piled on each other by a hand operating only in the boldest and most irregular manner. As we advanced, these appearances increased rapidly. Huge masses of granite, of every abrupt form,

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History of Carroll County, New Hampshire, Part 12

Author: Merrill, Georgia Drew Publication date: 1889 Publisher: Boston : W.A. Fergusson & Co. Number of Pages: 1124

Author: Merrill, Georgia Drew
Publication date: 1889
Publisher: Boston : W.A. Fergusson & Co.
Number of Pages: 1124