USA > New Hampshire > Merrimack County > Concord > History of Concord, New Hampshire, from the original grant in seventeen hundred and twenty-five to the opening of the twentieth century, Volume I > Part 4
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" 18. Little Pond, or District No. 6, is so called from a small pond, situated northeast from Nathan Ballard's. This neighborhood was
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PHYSICAL FEATURES.
settled about 1789, by Nathan Ballard, Nathan and Henry Chandler, and Eben Fisk on farms bought of the estate of Col. Paul Rolfe.
" 19. Beech Hill, on the westerly line between Concord and Hop- kinton, so called from the abundant beech wood there found.
" 20. Dimond's Hill, about four miles westerly of the Main Vil- lage, on Hopkinton road, so called from Ezekiel Dimond, a large landowner, who formerly resided on or near the place where Joseph S. Abbot now lives. In 1828 Mr. Nathan Call moved a two story dwelling house, thirty by forty feet, on wheels, with forty yoke of oxen, from Hopkinton to Concord.1 In descending this hill, then much steeper than at the present time, he put three yoke of oxen before and the remainder behind, to hold back. It took four days to move the house. The distance was about five miles.
" 21. Ash Brook, running at the foot of Dimond's Hill, through the farm of Atkinson Webster, into Little Turkey Pond.
" 22. Fush Market,2 on the Hopkinton road, three miles from Main Street, origin of name not known, long distinguished for excellent brick and earthenware there manufactured.
" 23. Powell's Hook, at the ravine near the upper mills in Mill- ville, so called from one Powell, a drummer, who lived near there.
" 24. Millville, a name recently given to the settlement where Moses Shute resides, including the house and land of Dr. George C. Shattuck, of Boston, which house was the first of brick in Concord and was built by Jacob Carter, father of Jacob Carter, now post- master. This house and farm were recently given by Dr. Shattuck for the purpose of a school, to be called 'St. Paul's School.'
" 25. Runnell's Mills were situated on the stream from Great Tur- key to Little Turkey Pond on the road to Stickney's Hill. For- merly well known, these mills have fallen into entire decay. Stickney's Hill, about a mile southwest of Runnell's Mills, so called from first settlers of the name.
" 26. Bog Road, running from Concord through the bogs of Tur- key Pond to James Hall's, thence to Dunbarton. Before reaching Mr. Hall's this road crosses Tury brook and Peter's or Bela's brook, the latter so called from former owners of land.
" 27. Rum Hill, including the high land northwesterly of road to Hopkinton, owned by Benjamin Gale and others, about a mile and a half from the State House, so called from a drunken carousal and fight which took place there in early times, at a coal pit.
" 28. Eleven Lots, extending, according to the first survey, from
1 This house now stands on the east side of State street, the second house south of Pleas- ant street.
2 Extends along the old Hopkinton road from Ash brook to Turkey river, at Powell's Hook.
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HISTORY OF CONCORD.
the residence of the late Countess of Rumford to near the old Bow line.
" 29. The Bend (that is in Merrimack River) near the southern boundary line and taking in a small section of Bow. On the bank at this bend is a beautiful view, north, of the Main Village.
" 30. Iron Works, southwest part of the town, including School District No. 18. In the Revolutionary War the ' Iron Works' were owned by Daniel Carter, Daniel Gale, and Dr. Philip Carrigain. 'A forge was built in the lot easterly of the bridge which now crosses Turkey River, where iron was wrought from native ore.
" 31. Frog Ponds, on the interval east of the residence of the late Gov. Hill, who owned the premises and made various experiments to improve them. Name derived from the 'serenades' of their princi- pal inhabitants.
" 32. Hale's Point, the extreme point of land on ' Ferry Road,' by Richard Herbert's, named from Joseph Hale, who in early times owned the land. From the ' Point' across the river was formerly a ferry, extensively known as 'Kimball's Ferry.' Hale's Point was cut off by a great freshet about 1831, and the ferry is discontinued since the opening of the Free Bridge road.
" 33. Fort Eddy, about half a mile north of Hale's Point, on land owned by Richard Bradley, opposite Sugar Ball. According to tra- dition this was the location of an old Indian fort.
"34. The Fan. A tract of land bordering the river, north of Fort Eddy, valuable for natural mowing and deriving its name from a fancied resemblance in shape to a lady's fan. Chiefly owned by the late Abiel Walker.1
" 35. Wattanummon's Brook, the principal feeder and outlet of Horse Shoe Pond on the east, crossed by a bridge and so called from the name of an Indian chief who owned and cultivated the land adjacent. There is an outlet from both ends of the Pond.
" 37. Wood's Brook, the little stream from ' Little Pond,' crossing the Boscawen road north of Richard Bradley's, and formerly turning the 'dry saw mill' which was built there, deriving its name from David Wood, original proprietor.
" 38. Paradise, about forty rods northerly from Wood's Brook, so named from a beautiful grove and the scenery around it, includ- ing a charming view of the interval and meandering of the river on the east. It was owned by Capt. E. S. Towle. The grove being recently cleared away, it may be called ' Paradise lost.'
.
" 39. Blossom Hill, a pleasant eminence covered with a fine growth, opposite ' Paradise.'
1 Mr. Walker was hardly " chief" owner. The larger part was owned by Richard Brad- ยท ley and Samuel Coffin .- EDITOR.
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PHYSICAL FEATURES.
"40. The Gulf, or Steep Hill Bridge, on the main road to Bos- cawen, about twenty rods south of the railroad crossing, near Benja- min Farnum's. East of this Gulf is Farnum's Eddy, so called from a current or whirl in the river.
"41. West Brook, formerly ' Meeting-house Brook,' rising in swamp land west of the State Prison, crossing Main Street near the house of the late John West, senior, whence the name. The space between this brook and ' Tan-yard Brook' was neutral ground between the north and south end boys.
" 42. Clay Pits, and tan yard brook (which runs under the road), in the valley of Mr. Ivory Hall's house. The late Capt. Richard Ayer carried on an extensive tannery on the west side of the road; and clay of good quality was formerly dug here. Opposite the tan- yard stood the old hay scales, and here was 'the great elm tree,' marked on the plan of Main Street.
"43. Bow Brook, partly flows from Little pond, runs by the new Jail and the Insane Asylum, and empties into Turkey river.
" 44. Free Bridge and Free Bridge Road, across the Merrimack and interval, nearly opposite Center Street. This road was first opened and bridge built in 1839."
" Localities on the east side of the River, beginning on the north- ern line at Canterbury.
"1. Burnham's Brook, running from Canterbury by Chandler Choate's to Merrimack river, opposite the eastern point of Rolfe's interval.
" 2. Hackett's Brook, so called from a man of that name who once leaped across it, and then turning around, said to himself-' I'll bet a mug of flip you can't do that again, Hackett.' Then attempting to leap it again, as his feet struck the opposite bank, he fell back- wards into the brook. The brook has its principal source in ' Hot Hole pond,' easterly on the Loudon line; empties into the Merri- mack just north of Sewall's Falls bridge. On this stream is situated Lovejoy's Mills, so called, and also a saw-mill near its mouth.
"3. Snow's Pond. (See Ponds.) Oak Hill is a high eminence east of Snow's pond, or northerly of Turtle pond. (See pages 543, 544.)
"4. Hot Hole Pond. (See Ponds.)
"5. Snaptown, the section comprising School District No. 14, in the northeasterly part of the town, near Loudon line. The origin of the name is uncertain. One tradition is, that it is derived from a man by the name of Blanchard, who had a habit of snapping his eyes, or winking quick : on which a woman remarked, that 'she should think the children in the neighborhood would snap.' Another tradi-
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HISTORY OF CONCORD.
tion is that an early settler in the locality, thinking himself crowded by others who moved in within a half mile of him, was cross or snappish.
"6. The Mountain, comprising School District No. 21, and extend- ing from the dwelling house of Jacob Hoit to the residence of Abra- ham Bean and John L. Tallant.
" 7. Bowen's Brook, crossing the road to the Mountain in the val- ley near Meshech Lang's ; origin of name not ascertained.
" 8. Turtletown, comprising School District No. 15, derives its name from the large pond in that vicinity, which abounds with turtles. (See Ponds, page 543.)
"9. Apple Town, southerly of Turtle pond, supposed to derive its name from the abundance and excellence of apples there raised.
" 10. Leather Lane, the section from the fork of the road to Apple- town to the old burying ground in the East Village.
" 11. The Fort,-including the East Village-deriving its name from the ' Irish Fort,' or from the garrison of Capt. Ebenezer East- man, which stood directly west of the residence of Israel W. Kelley, Esq.
" 12. Squaw Lot, westerly of Federal Bridge. (See Indian His- tory.)
" 13. Mill Brook, the outlet of Turtle pond, affording a fine water power in the East Village, on which the first saw and grist mill were built, in Concord, 1729.
" 14. Death's Hill, on the Portsmouth turnpike, near the school house on 'Dark Plain,' a short, steep ascent, which the road now runs around on the south and east side, derived its name from the circumstance that a traveller, with a loaded team from Portsmouth, was killed in going over it by a hogshead of molasses rolling from his wagon.
"15. Sugar Ball, the first prominent sand bluff northerly of Kim- ball's Ferry, or Samuel Clifford's residence, and opposite Fort Eddy. On this, according to invariable tradition, stood the old Penacook fort.
" 16. Mount Pleasant, a high and steep sand bluff, about eighty rods northwesterly from Sugar Ball, recently so called from the extensive and beautiful view it affords of the interval of the Merri- mack and the Main Village ; of hills of the West parish and scenes more distant.
"17. Garvin's Falls, formerly the residence of the Garvin family, including a portion of the 'Southern Bow gore.' In the ancient records it is known as the Penny Cook Falls, and not, as on the map, ' Soucook Falls.'
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PHYSICAL FEATURES.
" 18. Head's Mills, on the Soucook river, near the old line of Con- cord, a little north of the old road to Pembroke, about two miles from Concord bridge.
" 19. Placer, a favorite place of resort in the summer, at a great bend in Soucook river."
To the foregoing may be added the following localities not men- tioned by Dr. Bouton :
1. Pond Hill, the bluff at the north end of Main street, overlook- ing Horse Shoe pond, the interval, and the distant mountains. It was formerly a popular place of resort of pedestrians and used as a parade ground by the military companies of Concord. Here, also, for a time, was located the town pound. Since its depression by the Concord & Claremont Railroad, some fifty years ago, and the subsequent erection thereon of the ice house, it has been rarely visited except for business purposes.
2. Wattanummon's Hill, the slight eminence above the highway at the crossing of Wattanummon's brook by the Concord & Montreal Railroad. It is the highest land on the interval of the central part of the city, and is not known to have ever been submerged by a freshet.
3. Brimstone Hill, the southern termination of the terrace upon which has been built most of the compact part of the city at the south end of Main street, at the intersection of Turnpike and Water streets near the old Butters tavern.
4. Tucker's Ferry, the ferry of Lemuel Tucker, at East Concord, located, when in use, upon the site of Federal bridge, to which it gave way.
5. Merrill's Ferry, the ferry of Deacon John Merrill, near the south end of Main street, about one hundred and fifty rods above Concord bridge, discontinued upon the erection of that bridge.
6. Bradley's Island, originally a tongue of land on the east side of the Merrimack, attached to Sugar Ball interval, transferred to the other side of the stream, in 1831, by a freshet which cut for the river a new channel across the base of it. Portions of the old channel are now filled up and it is no longer an island but a peninsula.
7. St. Paul's School, the delightful hamlet two miles west of the state house, which takes its name from the important school to which its origin is chiefly due.
8. Rolfe's Eddy, a small bay of still water on the south side of Contoocook river, near its junction with the Merrimack, where sawed lumber was formerly held within booms for rafting down the river.
9. Christian Shore, a section of interval at East Concord, half a mile above Federal bridge, embracing, fifty years ago, the farms of
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HISTORY OF CONCORD.
Samuel B. Locke, John Locke, Samuel B. Larkin, and Henry S. Thatcher.
10. The Break of Day, a small hamlet on the Dark Plain, near the intersection of the old Portsmouth turnpike and the road to Loudon, some three miles from the state house,-a locality better known and more frequently visited during the Civil War than before or since.
11. The Broken Ground, a section of hilly land mostly covered with forest trees, in the northeast part of Concord, lying between Turtle pond and the Loudon road,-a locality best known to woods- men and hunters.
12. The Shaker Road, a road leading to Shaker Village, Canterbury, laid out some fifty years ago, from a point on the old Canterbury road, near the East Concord Congregational church, past the easterly side of Snow's pond to the southeasterly part of Canterbury.
13. The Dark Plain, that section of pine plain land which lies opposite the main settlement of Concord, extending from the inter- val, on the west, to Soucook river, on the east, and from Turtletown, on the north, to Pembroke line, on the south.
14. Smoky Hollow, the valley between Pitman and Montgomery streets, through which Tan Yard brook formerly ran, now largely filled up and occupied by stores and dwelling-houses.
15. Whale's Back, a glacial moraine, some twenty to thirty feet high, composed mostly of coarse gravel and extending along the westerly part of the compactly settled portion of the city from Washington to Pleasant streets.
16. Birch Dale, a locality in the southwest part of the city, near Great Turkey pond, where the late Dr. Robert Hall formerly had medical springs, whose waters he sold in considerable quantities and exported to different parts of the United States. Here he crected a hotel for the accommodation of patients, which was destroyed by fire in 1885 (July 26), causing a loss of about twenty-five thousand dollars.
17. Sand Hill, the elevation north of Centre and west of Spring street, from which cannon salutes were formerly fired, before it was covered with streets and houses.
18. Glover's Hill, the slope from the interval up to the Dark Plain, situated some eighty or ninety rods southeasterly of Concord bridge, at the top of which John Glover once resided.
19. The Silk Farm, a farm situated in the southwesterly part of Concord, at the intersection of the road leading to Dunbarton with that from St. Paul's School to Bow. It was purchased by a com- pany, organized in 1835, for the manufacture of silk, an enterprise which was prosecuted for a few years but failed of success.
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PHYSICAL FEATURES.
20. Over the River. In early times, the section now designated East Concord was spoken of as " Over the river," and bore that name until the middle of the last century, when the Boston, Concord & Montreal Railroad was built.
21. Wattanummon's Field, a section of interval lying along the south- erly bank of the Merrimack, between Farnum's eddy and Federal bridge. It takes its name from the Indian, Wattanummon, who claimed to own it when the first white settlers came to Concord.1
22. Horse Shoe Island, a section of interval, of about one hundred acres, once a peninsula nearly encompassed by the Merrimack, con- verted to an island by a prehistoric change of the river's course.
23. The New Colony, a small hamlet, no longer existing, near the intersection of Franklin and Jackson streets, which was once occu- pied by a rough class of people, whose manners and morals had not risen to the highest standard of excellence.
24. Farnum's Eddy, a sharp turn of Merrimack river into its west- ern bank, at the lower end of Rattlesnake interval. This was con- verted into a still pond in 1846, by the construction across its mouth of the embankment of the Northern Railroad.
25. Garvin's Landing, a place on the east bank of the Merrimack, at the " Bend," below the Concord bridge, where lumber was put into the river to be floated thereon to a market. It took its name from Patrick Garvin, who lived a mile or more farther down, on the opposite shore, in Bow.
26. Ewer's Mill, a sawmill on Hackett's brook, in East Concord, six miles from the state house, near the intersection of the roads leading to Canterbury and the old road to Portsmouth. Much lumber was once manufactured at this mill, but of late years the great reduction of the timber supply and the introduction of portable steam sawmills have greatly reduced its operations.
27. Fisherville, the former name of Penacook, named for Francis and Freeman Fisher, who introduced cotton manufacturing to this locality about 1836.
28. The Ivy Field, a considerable section of unoccupied ground lying west of State and south of Monroe street, near the Rumford schoolhouse. Fifty years ago it was a place of resort for recreation, but it is now occupied by streets and houses.
29. Dunklee's Fair Ground, a large tract of open ground, extending on both sides of Broadway from Downing street to Rollins park. Here fairs of the New Hampshire Agricultural Society were held in 1856 and 1857. Here, too, some of the New Hampshire troops were temporarily quartered during the Civil War.
1 See Bouton's Hist. of Concord, pp. 40-42.
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HISTORY OF CONCORD.
30. The West Parish, the northwesterly section of Concord. Known for the last fifty or sixty years as West Concord.
31. Fosterville, a short court north of the pumping station of the Concord Water-works, extending from State street to the brow of the hill overlooking Horse Shoe pond. It was laid out some fifty years ago by Reuben L. Foster, and lined with dilapidated houses, trans- ported from different sections of the city. It is now absorbed in the large settlement which has since grown up around it.
PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT.
FERRIES, BRIDGES, MAIN STREET, SHADE TREES, TYPES OF HOUSES.
JOSEPH B. WALKER.
FERRIES.
Inasmuch as the proprietors of Penny Cook were to live on both sides of the river, a frequent crossing of it would be a necessity. To meet this, preliminary action was taken by the proprietors at a meeting holden on the 15th day of May, 1728. At this meeting it was voted :
" That Mr. Ebenezer Eastman, Mr. Abraham Foster and Mr. Joseph Hall shall be a committee to agree with some suitable person to keep a ferry on Merrimack river, at Penny Cook, in the most con- venient place they can find for that purpose ; and that they lay out
and clear the best way they can to the ferry place, and after they have stated the place where the said ferry shall be kept, that the ferry-man shall have and receive the prices following, viz., For fer- riage of each man and horse, six pence ; for each horned beast, four pence ; and this establishment to remain and be in force for six years."
A year later, on the 6th day of May, 1729, at a meeting of the pro- prietors holden at the house of John Griffin, in Bradford, Mass., it was voted :
" That Mr. Nehemiah Carlton be desired to build a ferry boat of about nineteen feet long, and a suitable breadth, to be well timbered, and every way well built, workmanlike, at the charge of the com- munity and to be done by the 20th of May current. Said boat to be delivered at Penny Cook for the use of the society. And a pair of good and suitable oars to be made by the said Carlton, for said boat. Said boat to be well and sufficiently caulked, pitched or turpentined, and finished, fit to carry people and creatures."
And later, at the same meeting, it was also voted :
" That the sum of seven pounds, eighteen shillings and six pence, paid by several persons and several subscriptions to the sum of forty- one shillings and six pence, be put into the treasurer's hands, and by him paid to Mr. Nehemiah Carlton for the ferry boat when it is fin- ished,-which was accordingly delivered to the treasurer."
Ten years later still, when the plantation had been pretty fully peopled and had become the town of Rumford, it was further voted :
4
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HISTORY OF CONCORD.
" That Mr. Barrachias Farnum, Mr. James Osgood and Mr. George Abbot shall be a committee to agree with any person to take the Ferry against Wattanummon's and make a return of their doings to the Proprietors for their acceptance."
Some eleven years later (April 26, 1750) the proprietors appointed a committee, consisting of Dr. Ezra Carter, Lieut. Jeremiah Stickney, and Capt. John Chandler, "To dispose of the Ferry against Watta- nummon's Field, so called, to such persons and upon such terms as they shall think will be for the Proprietors' advantage."
This ferry seems to have been known for a time as "Eastman's ferry," and later, as "Tucker's ferry " or the ferry of Lemuel Tucker, to whom the legislature, in 1785, granted the exclusive right of ferriage across the river for one mile above and below his house.
There was also another, possibly the one first above alluded to, near the south end of Main street, known as Merrill's ferry, operated for many years by Deacon John Merrill, who came to Concord in 1729, and upon the organization of the church, the following year, was elected its first deacon. This ferry subsequently became the property of Samuel Butters, and was known as " Butters' ferry."
Midway of these two, at the east end of Ferry street, Benjamin Kimball operated a third, between Hale's Point and Sugar Ball, which was continued in use until 1831.
Of these three ferries, Tucker's seems to have been the only one operated under the privileges and limitations of a charter, eleven only having been previously incorporated in the entire state. Its charter provided :
" That the sole and exclusive right and privilege of keeping a Ferry over said river in any place within one mile of the now dwell- ing house of the said Lemuel Tucker be and hereby is granted to and invested in the said Lemuel Tucker, his heirs and assigns, he and they from time to time as the same fall, giving bond, with surety, in the sum of one thousand pounds to the clerk of the Court of the General Sessions of the Peace for the county of Rockingham, that the said ferry shall be well kept and constantly attended.
" That if any person or persons shall for hire or reward, transport over said river within one mile of the said dwelling house, any per- son, creature or thing, such person so transporting shall forfeit and pay forty shillings for each person, creature or thing so transported, to be recovered by action of debt before any Justice of the Peace in said county, onc moiety of which shall go to the complainants, and the other moiety to the county of Rockingham."
In addition to these, in the early part of the last century, a fourth ferry was established at the south end of Hall street, near the head
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PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT.
of Turkey Falls. It appears to have been a private enterprise, and was managed for a time by Col. John Carter. For lack of sufficient patronage, or for some other cause, its maintenance was not of long continuance.
CONCORD BRIDGES.
1136124
For some sixty years after the settlement of Concord the crossing of the Merrimack was upon the ice in the winter, and by ferries at other seasons of the year. At length, however, as population in- creased and transits became more frequent, a more expeditious and convenient means was called for. In accordance with this demand, at a town-meeting holden on the 30th day of April, 1781, Col. Timo- thy Walker was made the agent of the town "to Petition the General Court for Liberty to make a Lot- tery for building a bridge over Merrimack river." The records of the General Court afford no mention of such a petition, and the proposed lottery was never made. To any who may be surprised that the building of First Concord Bridge, 1795. bridges, so much needed, should have been delayed so long, it may be said that at the time last men- tioned the country was just emerging from the French and Revolu- tionary wars, uninvested capital was not abundant in Concord, and bridge stocks were not tempting investments. But the demand for bridges increased and at length became imperative.
Concord Bridge.
In answer to their petition, in January, 1795, the New Hampshire legislature granted to Peter Green, Timothy Walker, Thomas Stick- ney, William Duncan, Robert Harris, William Austin Kent, William
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HISTORY OF CONCORD.
Partridge, and William Manly, a charter for a toll-bridge across Mer- rimack river, at a point just below the Rolfe and Rumford asylum, to be known as the Concord bridge.
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