History of Cheshire and Sullivan counties, New Hampshire, Part 121

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton)
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: Philadelphia : J. W. Lewis
Number of Pages: 1200

USA > New Hampshire > Sullivan County > History of Cheshire and Sullivan counties, New Hampshire > Part 121
USA > New Hampshire > Cheshire County > History of Cheshire and Sullivan counties, New Hampshire > Part 121

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

September 10, 1810, he married Mary Judkins, and from that time made his permanent home in Springfield. He was a fair representative of the pioneer yeomanry of the land, hardy, energetic, courageous and hopeful, and was, for those days, a successful man, and died possessed of a considera- ble property. In addition to his farming, he followed coopering, at which he did a good deal during the latter years of his life.

In politics he was a Democrat until the organi-

zation of the Republican party, when he became a Republican and so continued till his death.

Being an uneducated man, he never sought office, although he was at one time selectman of his town, and held at other times various minor offices. He was for more than thirty years deacon of the Christian Church, and was a man much respected in the town.

His children were Benjamin F. (subject of illus- tration) ; Joseph H., born May 21, 1819 ; Lewis H., born April 2, 1827. Mrs. Goss died January 11, 1832 ; he died November 21, 1866.

Benjamin F. Goss was brought up on the farm and also worked at coopering with his father. He learned carpentering and joining, and when about twenty-four years old spent one year in Charles- town, Mass., working at brick-making. This occu- pation, however, did not prove congenial to his tastes, and he returned to his native town, pur- chased a tract of land adjoining his father's farm, on which he erected a saw-mill, and later on a residence. This was in 1838. In 1841 he sold the mill, and turned his attention to farming in the summer and coopering in the winter months, and in the mean time did something at lumbering. Mr. Goss has done more or less at coopering, and quite an extensive business at farming to the present time. About April, 1849, he exchanged farms with his father, and Benjamin F. built a large barn at the old homestead, and conducted the farm about five years, when the old gentleman sold the farm to his son Harrison, and Benjamin F. returned to his own place, his father removing to an adjoining farm which he had previously pur- chased.

In March, 1864, Mr. Goss sold his home place, and moved to " Ryder's Corner," Croydon, where he resided two years ; he then purchased a farm in Grantham, on which he lived till his father's death, which occurred soon after. He then purchased the interests of the other heirs to the place on which his father died, removed there and has since made this his home.

Mr. Goss was selectman of the town three years, and collector one year, when the territory now

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HISTORY OF SULLIVAN COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

comprising Grantham was a part of Springfield. He was one of the first Board of Selectmen when the new town of Grantham was organized, and the following year was chosen chairman of the board. He then moved out of town. Upon his return to Grantham he was made selectman in 1868, 1869, 1870, 1871, 1872 and 1873, and was also town treasurer all these years. He then positively re- fused a re-election, and has since devoted himself exclusively to his private business. Prior to this, however, he twice represented the town in the State Legislature (1870-71), and was justice of the peace four years. He was executor of the wills of both his father and mother.

He is a Republican in politics, and an attendant of the Christian Church. He has been an indus- trious and enterprising, and, where his judgment approved, a liberal man, helping forward every- thing which he deemed calculated to advance the interests or elevate the morals of the community.

He married, March 4, 1831, Eliza, daughter of Zaccheus and Judith Pettengill, of Enfield. Her father died when she was but four years old, and Mrs. Goss spent most of her childhood and youth amongst strangers. When Mr. Pettengill died, the widow was left with six children to care for, the eldest a girl of twelve years, the youngest an infant of six months ; the latter she kept with her, but for the rest she was compelled to find homes among strangers. She was a Sanborn before marriage, and a native of Deerfield, N. H.

Mrs. Goss is a sprightly, cheerful and intelligent lady, and remarkably well preserved for one of her age. She was born October 26, 1807.

They have had but two children-Horace F., born March 24, 1832, and Mary J., born October 22, 1838. She married David E. Ryder, of Croydon ; they have one child, a daughter, Meora E., born July 15, 1865. Horace F. married Almira J., daughter of Thomas and Fanny East man, of Springfield, May 15, 1858. They have three children-Fannie E., Mary E. and Adelbert W .; the latter is now (1885) in a store in Chicago. Fannie E., the oldest daughter married Kirk D. Smith, of Grantham.

Horace has twice represented the town of Springfield in the Legislature ; has been president of the Board of Selectmen several years, and county commissioner ten years. He was educated at Kimball Union Academy, at Meriden. His sister attended Union Academy, at Meriden, Proctor's Academy, at Andover, and Colby Academy, at New London. Both brother and sister have taught school several terms.

Horace F. spent several years of his life in Springfield, but now resides in the village of Grantham. He has been very successful in business, and is an influential, useful and respected citizen.

RUFUS HALL.

The emigrant ancestor of Rufus Hall was Edward Hall (1), who was in America as early as 1636, at Duxborough, Mass. After residing at several places in Eastern Massachusetts, he finally settled at Rehoboth, Mass., in 1655, where he was number forty-one out of forty-nine persons who drew lots for meadow lands in the north part of the town. His wife was named Esther or Hester. They had eight children, of whom Benjamin (2) was the youngest. He was born in Rehoboth August 7, 1668; married Sarah Fisher, of Wrent- ham, by whom he had eight children. He died in Wrentham August 26, 1726. His third child was Edward (3), born March 1698; he married, February 7, 1721, Hannah, daughter of Eleazer Fisher, of Wrentham. He was a sergeant, ensign and lieutenant, commissioned by the crown, and was in the colonial service. He removed to Ux- bridge, 1740, where he purchased two hundred acres of land for two thousand pounds. He died between November, 1764 and 1765. Of his seven children, Edward (4) was second, born July 18, 1727, in Wrentham; married, 1748, Lydia, daughter of John and Sarah (Taft) Brown. They had a family of ten children, all of whom were born in Uxbridge. Four of his sons served in the Continental army. He, himself, was a Royalist from principle, was commissioned by the crown, and was a lieutenant in the colonial service.

Rufus Hall

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GRANTHAM.

About, or shortly prior to 1774 he removed to Croydon, N. H., with his ten children and a niece, Elizabeth Hall. Here he was frequently chosen to town offices, being constable, collector, moderator, and, in 1784, 1785 and 1786, selectman of the town. He died in Croydon December 28, 1807, aged nearly eighty. Abijah (5) was the third child of Edward Hall, and was born June 7, 1754, and met death by drowning August 19, 1812. He married, first, about 1780, Sarah Read (or Reed) ; she died 1791. He married, second, August 12, 1792, Mary Read, of Northbridge, who survived him. He had the numerous family of seventeen children. He held the rank of captain, and was constable, collector, selectman, etc., of his town.

Amasa (6), the sixth child, was born February, 1789 ; married, February 26, 1811, Rebecca L. Melendy. They had but three children - Adolphus, Rufus and Sally Read. Captain Amasa Hall was one of the most prominent men of his town. He served in the War of 1812-15; represented Croydon in the Legislature in 1824 and 1825 ; removed to Grantham, N. H., in 1829, where he served as se- lectman eight years ; represented Grantham in the General Court in 1832, '34, '35, '36, and was road commissioner for Sullivan County in 1841, and was a director of the First National Bank of Newport from its organization to the time of his death. As a business man he was very pushing and energetic and was more than ordi- narily successful for those times. He farmed quite extensively, traded in cattle, loaned money, and in various ways added to his possessions, and at his death left a large property. He died in Grant - ham August 22, 1869.

Adolphus Hall (7) was born in Croydon, N.H., December 7, 1811. He removed to Grantham with his father in 1829, where he married, June 1, 1836, Sally Leavitt. Like his father, he was a successful and enterprising business man and a leader in all the public affairs of the town. He was selectman of Grantham from 1859 to 1862, and represented the town in the critical period of 1860 and 1861, when the tocsin of war had

sounded and each State gathered together her wisest men for council. He was treasurer of Sul- livan County in 1865 and 1866, and was county commissioner and selectman of his town for the three years preceding his death, and was an in- cumbent of both offices at the time of his decease, October 12, 1876. He was a farmer, trader and lumber-dealer, and, for two years prior to his death, owned, in partnership with his son, and operated a saw and grist-mill in the village of Grantham. He had but two children,-Rufus and Elvira. He was a stanch Republican in politics, and an earnest, aggressive, active man in whatever he undertook.

Rufus Hall (8) was born in Grantham, N. H., March 18, 1844. His boyhood and youth were spent in the employments usual to the sons of well- to-do and industrious New England farmers, and, as his father was also a merchant in a country village, remote from railroad facilities, considera- ble teaming was necessary to transport the goods to the store, and the country produce that was taken in exchange had to be conveyed to the rail- road. Rufus did much of this teaming, and, at intervals, was employed behind the counter in his father's store. In these various ways his time was employed until his majority, when he purchased his father's interest in the store, and, in company with Lorenzo Dunbar, who had purchased the in- terest of the other partner,-Mr. Dodge,-he began merchandising. This partnership continued about six years, when he sold his interest in the store to Mr. Dunbar, and for the four succeeding years de- voted himself exclusively to farming. All the time he had been conducting the store he had also been interested in the farm.

In 1874 he, in company with his father, came into possession of a saw and grist-mill in Grantham, and they together operated this till his father's death, two years later. They were engaged quite extensively in milling and lumbering. Upon his father's decease he sold the mill and returned to farming. In 1882 he, in company with Chester Walker, purchased the store of G. W. Dunbar in Croydon, and very soon after purchased Walker's

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HISTORY OF SULLIVAN COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

interest, and from that time to the present has con- ducted the business alone. His residence is still in Grantham, while his place of business is Croydon.

Mr. Hall has held and faithfully discharged the duties of many positions of office and trust in his town. He was elected town clerk of Grantham in 1869, and, with an interim of two or three years, has held the position continuously since.

In 1882 he represented Grantham in the State

Legislature. He holds a directorship in the First National Bank of Newport, of which his grand- father was so long a valued officer. In politics he has not deserted the faith of his fathers, but is an ardent Republican. He married, January 12, 1868, Francina D. Smith of Springfield. They have four children,-Leon A., born June 4, 1869 ; Villa E., born August 17, 1874 ; Earl R., born May 10, 1876; and Ralph A., born August 22, 1879.

HISTORY OF LANGDON.

CHAPTER I.

THE town of Langdon lies in the southwestern part of Sullivan County, and is bounded as follows : North, by Charlestown ; east, by Alstead and Ac- worth ; south, by Walpole and Alstead ; west, by Charlestown.

The town was formed from territory taken from the towns of Charlestown and Walpole, and incor- porated January 11, 1787. It was named in honor of Hon. John Langdon, at that time Speaker of the House of Representatives.

Settlements were made on territory now in this town by Seth Walker in 1773, and by Nathaniel Rice and Jonathan Willard the year following. Rev. Abner Kneeland, who was ordained over a Universalist Church here in 1805, was one of the leading men in that denomination in New Eng- land for some years, and published a periodical de- voted to his peculiar tenets, called the Boston Investigator. In 1795 the town might have been extended to Connecticut River, but it refused, by vote, to accept the proffered addition."

The following is a petition for authority to tax non-residents, 1879 :

"State of New Hampshire May 27th 1789-

"To the Honble Senate and house of Representatives Conveined at Concord June 4th 1789

" The petition of the Inhabitants of the Town of Langdon Humbly Sheweth

"That your petitioners are few in number and inhabit a new Town or District of land a con- siderable part of which Is owned by nonresident proprietors and that they are not able to make the necessary public Roads and Bridges and in particularly a Bridge over Cold River so called

which is very Rapid and in the Spring and Fall at high water is not passable and the Expence of build the Bridge and making said roads exceeds the ability of your petitioners They therefore most Humbly pray your Honors to Impower them to Leavy a Tax of one penny on each acre of the non resident proprietors Land in said town for the purposes aforesaid or grant your petitioners such other Relief as you in your Wisdom shall think Propper and your Petitioners as in Duty Bound Shall ever pray-

" JOHN PROUTY Select Men for and in be-

" EZRA READ half of the Inhabitants

"JEREMIAH HOWARD of the Town of Langdon

"Langdon May 27th 1789

"The Committee on the within petition Report a Tax of one penny be laid on each Acre of Land in said Town for one Year & they have leave to bring in a Bill accordingly

"NAT ROGERS for the Com "

In House of Representatives, June 11, 1789, the report was adopted. Senate concurred.

Petition for Special Tax to build a Meeting-House, 1793.

"To the Honourable General Court of the State of New Hampshire to be holden at Concord on first wednesday of June Next-

"The petition of the Select men of Langdon Humbly Sheweth-that whereas the Inhabitants of said town are aboute to Build a meeting House for the better Conveannance of meeting for publick worship &c as soon as thay think them Selves in a Sittuation to accomplish it and Considering that there is in said town Considerable Land of Non-residents which by building said meeting house will be likely to be more Value-

181

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HISTORY OF SULLIVAN COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

able, these are therefore to pray your Hounours to Grant Liberty for said town to Tax said Lands two pence on Each acre which money to be laid out toward said building whenever said town shall see fit to build said house or otherways Do as your Honours in your wisdom think best and your Petitioners as in Duty bound will Ever Pray

"JAMES EGERTON ) Select men .

"SAM PROUTY "JOHN PRENTISS

Langdon

"Langdon May 27 1793"

Vote of Town relative to extending its North Line, 1795.

"At a Legal Town meetin in Langdon the third Day of march 1795 the following Vote was taken for extending Langdon North Line to the River Connecticut thare appeared to be thirty three Votes for extending said Line to said River and thirty against Extending said Line to said River at A Legal town meeting in Langdon May 11th 1795, Called at the Requst of a Number of Free Holders to know the mind of the Town if thay Will have Langdon North Line Extend to the River Connecticut acording to the Vote Re- corded at our Last annual meeting or Not-thare appeared to be thirty seven Votes Not to Extend- ing said Line to sª River and twenty three Votes for extending said Line to said River

"A Trew Coppey Record

"attest-JAMES EGERTON Town Clark "Langdon May 13th 1795"

The town of Charlestown had given its consent to the annexation of that portion of its territory lying between Langdon and Connecticut River to the latter town, and the inhabitants residing there- on petitioned as follows to be thus annexed. Had this project succeeded, both towns would have been more symmetrical, and Langdon would have had a river front and a railroad within its borders.

Petition in favor of Annering Part of Charlestown to Langdon.

"To the Honorable the General Court of the State of New Hampshire to meet at Hanover the first Wednesday of June next-

"We the Inhabitants of that part of the Town

of Charlestown which lies between the west Line of the Town of Langdon and Connecticut River, Humbly Shew, that the Town of Charlestown, and the Town of Langdon having voted that the north Line of Langdon be extended to Connecticut River, your Petitioners Therefore Humbly pray that said north Line of Langdon may be extended westwardly to said river, and that all the Lands and Inhabitants of that part of Charlestown which lies west of Langdon west Line may be annexed to the Town of Langdon, and your peti- tioners as in duty bound shall ever pray

"Charlestown May 27th 1795.

" Peter Bellows Jr- Rufus Guild

Asahel Hunt Wm Drown

Asahel C. Porter Samuel Guild

M. W. Hastings Samuel Bellows

Elisha Putnam John Hodgkin"

Peter Bellows

But Langdon subsequently voted against the annexation, and the project failed.

CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH .- This church was organized in 1792 in a room in a grist-mill owned by Obediah Kingsbury, a short distance northward of the middle of the town. Among the early min- isters were Revs. Lazel, Hartwell, Spaulding and Taft.

April 20, 1803, the town voted "to raise one hundred dollars for preaching, and that one-half be laid out for the Congregational order and the other half for the Universalist order."

October 30, 1805, Rev. Abner Kneeland was set- tled as pastor, and remained until 1811. In 1810 he was chosen representative to the General Court. The last money voted by the town for preaching was in 1819-one hundred and fifty dollars.

In 1820 Rev. Ezekiel Rich was here as mission- ary, and the church was reorganized. From 1820 to the fall of 1834 there was no preaching. In 1834 Mr. Nelson Barbour, a student at Andover Theological Seminary, preached here ; in 1835, Rev. S. Rogers. In this year a Union Church was formed with residents of Paper-Mill village and Drewsville, called the Union Congregational Church, and in 1838 services were held alternately at each of these two places. In 1839 Rev. John

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Wood came here as pastor. A writer in the work entitled " New Hampshire Churches," published in 1856, thus refers to Langdon in 1839,-

"The Sabbath was desecrated by hunting, fishing, and riding ; rum drinking general; the only store- keeper in the town stated in a public meeting that for twelve years he had sold but a little short of one thousand dollars' worth of ardent spirits each year, aud though some that he sold was carried out of town, yet he did not doubt but that enough had been brought into the town, to more than counterbalance what had been carried out, and this in a town of less than 700 inhabitants. The store was open on the Sabbath, and the minister, as he stood in the pulpit in the old meeting-house, could see carried away from there, jugs, scythes, codfish and other articles of mer- chandise. This view, together with the shouting of the boys and young men as they entered the galleries of the old church and seated themselves with their hats on, with Abner Kneeland's paper as an instru- ment and disturbance, their often distorted faces and loud whisperings of approbation or disapproba- tion of the truths he (Rev. John Wood) uttered, led him to feel that he had not exactly found the valley of the prophet Ezekiel's vision, but the land of stern- est missionary necessities. A neighboring minister exchanged with him one Sabbath and was greatly annoyed by the improper conduct of the young people, and upon meeting Mr. Wood on the following morn- ing said, 'How is it possible that you stay in Lang- don ? I would not stay there for one thousand dollars a year.' This same writer states that on the following Sabbath, just as Mr. Wood was speaking his text, a young man came and rapped very hard with his fist upon the front-door, opened it, made a low bow, and sauntered to a seat, evidently expecting to witness a general smile."

In 1839 the meetings of this church were held in Langdon, and February 11, 1840, the name was changed to the " First Evangelical Congrega- tional Church of Christ in Langdon."

The first house of worship was dedicated Octo- ber 29, 1842. Rev. Mr. Wood remained until Jan- uary, 1849. Other clergymen have been Revs. N. Barbour, Edwin Jennison, S. R. Arms.

Rev. C. Taylor closed his labors with February, 1856. Rev. E. Jennison, March 12, 1856, to

March 8, 1857. For the greater part of the year 1857 the pulpit was supplied by Rev. S. R. Arms, of Springfield, Vt. Rev. J. L. Arms, from March 11, 1858, to 1st of November, 1859. Andrew Jaquith then supplied and was ordained April 25, 1860, and preached here until August 27, 1864, when death removed him. Six Sabbaths were then supplied by as many different ministers, when Rev. Mr. Field preached three months, Rev. Job Cushman three months, Rev. Mr. Fisk, of Fisherville, N. H., two Sabbaths, when Rev. Moses Gerould became pastor, moving here No- vember 23, 1865, and preached until April 25, 1869. July, August, September of 1869 & student from Andover Seminary, a Mr. Sprowls preached. In November, 1869 Clem A. Wilson, a Baptist, commenced and preached sixteen Sundays. William H. Cobb, a student of Princeton, (N. J.) Theological Seminary, held services for sixteen weeks, commencing the second Sabbath in May, 1870. Seth Hinkley, of the Christian denomination, then followed from May, 1871, to November, 1872. Rev. George F. Chapin commenced April 1, 1873, and continued until April 1, 1884. In the summer of 1884, Prof. Solon Albee held services from the middle of May until July, when J. M. Buffum was employed and held services until December. No services were held until May, 1885, when Rev. G. H. French commenced his labors and still continues.

LANGDON AND ALSTEAD UNIVERSALIST SO- CIETIES.1-Perhaps we can in no better way com- mence this brief article than by quoting a few ex- tracts from an early history on Universalism.

After speaking of Thomas Fessenden, who was pastor at Walpole from 1767 to 1813, as being a Universalist-though over the orthodox society- the historian says: "Rev. Jacob Mann, ordained and settled at Alstead in 1782, was dismissed May, 1789, in consequence of his erroneous and unsettled sentiments, he having embraced Univer- salism." " His successor, Samuel Mead, ordained and settled in 1791, was dismissed, in 1797, on

1 By M. Addie Morse.

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HISTORY OF SULLIVAN COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

account of his unsettled doctrinal views, he having become a Universalist, publishing in 1796, a pam- phlet entitled, ' A faithful hint on the final reduc- tion and restoration of sinners.' "

We find this referenee to Langdon : " Rev. Mr. Taft also became a Universalist."

These items indicate the beginnings of the Uni- versalist sentiment in these towns which ended in the organized societies.

By consulting the only record that we have been able to secure, we find that as early as March 14, 1791, the first public meeting relative to a belief in Universalism was called at the house of Seth Walker, in Langdon, where a constitution was framed and adopted by thirty-four heads of families. Among the articles recorded at this meeting we read : "Agreed, if any one of our society should be oppressed or obliged to defend himself by law, on account of his religious senti- ments, that we will each one of us bear a part according to his ability." From this time forth meetings were held, many baptized, and the Lord's Supper observed. Among the ministers that from time to time labored with them we find Rev. Thomas Fessenden, Revs. Samuel Mead and Abner Keeland. The latter was ordained as the first pastor of the Langdon Church and society, December 10, 1805, remaining until September 22, 1810, at which time he preached his farewell sermon. Rev. Robert Bartlett was next settled over the society, remaining many years, preaching also one-third of the time at Alstead.

March 5, 1821 the Langdon society, through a committee, agreed to receive the Alstead society as brethren in the faith, although it was not until October, 1839, that a constitution was adopted uniting the two societies, and since known as the Union Universalist Society of Langdon and Al- stead. In 1828 we find Rev. William Skinner settled here. After him, Rev. Mr. Randolph, who first resided in Langdon, and afterward at Alstead, severing his connection with the church in 1843. In September, 1844, the new church edifice at Alstead was dedicated, Rev. Joseph Barber being selected as pastor, preaching one-quarter part of

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History of Cheshire and Sullivan counties, New Hampshire, Part 121

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) Publication date: 1886 Publisher: Philadelphia : J. W. Lewis Number of Pages: 1200

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton)
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: Philadelphia : J. W. Lewis
Number of Pages: 1200