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 5
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The corporators met for organization at the tavern of Samuel But- ters, on the 29th day of the next February, and at that meeting chose all necessary officers and took measures for the immediate erection of the contemplated bridge.
Its construction soon afterwards commenced, and was prosecuted with such energy that it was opened for public travel on the 29th day of the following October (1795), with ceremonies and festivities which indicate the importance with which the event was then regarded. These, lucidly set forth in his official record by Col. Paul Rolfe, the clerk of the corporation, were conducted in accordance with the following programme, previously adopted by the proprietors of the bridge :
" PROCESSION.
" 1st. The 5 Committee.
" 2. The Treasurer & Clerk.
" 3. The Rev. Israel Evans with Mr. Woods & Mr. Parker.1
"4. The Proprietors.
"5. The Workmen with the Master Workman at their head.
"6. The Spectators, in regular order."
The bridge was toll free on this day. Besides the out-of-door exercises, " the Proprietors and Workmen partook of a repast at the expense of the Proprietors," at the tavern of William Stickney.
This 29th day of October, 1795, was a memorable one, and, as the clerk tells us in his record, was spent " in conviviality and mirth, by passing the Bridge, &c." Precisely what the " &c." stands for, and what sacred duties were discharged on this occasion by the three venerable ministers, he has, unfortunately, omitted in his record.
The expense of this bridge, including fifteen hundred dollars paid to Samuel Butters for his ferry, was twelve thousand dollars up to this time. This amount was subsequently increased by outstanding bills and additional outlays to over thirteen thousand.
Federal Bridge.
First Federal Bridge. So satisfied were the people of Concord and vicinity with the great conveniences afforded by this bridge that they called for another, to take the place of Tucker's ferry at East Concord. In accordance with this desire, on the 28th day of Decem- ber of this same year (1795), the legislature granted to "Timothy Walker, Benjamin Emery, William Partridge, Jonathan Eastman,
1 Rev. Samuel Woods of Boscawen and Rev. Frederick Parker of Canterbury.
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Joshua Thompson, and others, their associates," the right, "to erect a bridge over the river Merrimack at any place within the limits of Tucker's ferry, so called, in Concord, and . to purchase any lands adjoining said bridge."
It was further provided in the charter that, "For the purpose of reimbursing said proprietors the money expended by them in building and supporting said bridge, a toll be, and hereby is granted and established for the benefit of said proprietors, accord- ing to the rates following, namely :- For each foot passenger, one cent ; for each horse and rider, three cents; for each horse and chaise, sulky, or other riding carriage drawn by one horse only, ten cents; for each riding sleigh drawn by one horse, four cents; for each riding sleigh drawn by more than one horse, six cents; for each coach, chariot, phaeton, or other four-wheeled carriage for passen- gers drawn by more than one horse, twenty cents ; for each curricle, twelve cents; for each cart or other carriage of burthen drawn by two horses, ten cents, and three cents for every additional beast ; for each horse or neat creature, exclusive of those rode on or in carriages, two cents; for sheep and swine, one half cent each ; and to each team one person, and no more shall be allowed as a driver to pass free of toll." This charter also provided that this bridge should be com- pleted within three years, and that its projectors should pay to Lem- uel Tucker the sum of four hundred and fifty dollars for his ferry, and allow him the free use of it during that period.
The construction of this bridge met with serious delays, and it was not opened to public use until the autumn of 1798. Inasmuch as its fortunes have been very similar to those of its neighbors, and it affords a fair type of the ordinary Merrimack river bridge in this vicinity, it has been thoughit proper to state a few of its varied expe- riences in such detail as the limits of this chapter will allow.
Its location was about fifty rods above that of its last successor bearing the same name, and now in use. Its capital stock was repre- sented by one hundred shares, severally assessable in such amounts as its construction might require. Its abutments, piers, and super- structure were of wood, and it was completed in the fall of 1798, at an expense of four thousand dollars.
Second Federal Bridge. After a service of about four years this bridge was swept away, in part, by a freshet. Little dishcartened, its proprietors met on the 3d day of February, 1803, and, in lan- guage as terse as hearty, " Voted to rebuild said bridge." They also chose Richard Ayer their agent to execute this purpose, and levied a first assessment of ten dollars on each share toward meeting the requisite expense. Mr. Ayer entered promptly upon the execution
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of the work assigned him, and completed it in the following Septem- ber at a cost of about twenty-three hundred dollars ($2,350.22).
The strong current of the river during periods of high water seems to have rendered its south abutment insecure, and the records state that repeated attempts were made to fortify it by placing about it large quantities of stones. But these efforts proved vain, and the bridge was completely destroyed in the spring of 1818.
Third Federal Bridge. This loss of their second bridge seems to have left its proprietors in some uncertainty as to what course to take. Ilad they viewed their enterprise of again bridging Merri- mack river from a financial standpoint only they would, doubtless, have abandoned it. But the necessities of the community, coupled, perhaps, with a little town pride, forbade the idea of any long resump- tion of the use of the old-time ferry boat.
At a meeting of the proprictors holden on the 1st day of Septem- ber, 1818, a carefully selected committee of eight was chosen "To examine Federal Bridge and the river within the limits of the grant, and find the best place for building the Bridge, should it be expedi- ent to build."
The next day this committee reported that they were " Unanimously of the opinion that it is expedient to build a new bridge, and that the most eligible place for erecting the same is the old Ferry Place." Their report, signed by Jeremiah Pecker, Richard Bradley, Richard Ayer, Joseph Walker, Samuel A. Kimball, Stephen Ambrose, and Jacob Eastman, was accepted, and, in pursuance of its recommenda- tions, a vote was immediately passed "To build Federal Bridge at the old Ferry Place, and that the directors proceed to erect the same as soon as practicable, and that they also purchase the necessary land for a toll house, and that they build or purchase a toll house as they think most advisable."
In the erection of this bridge it was subsequently decided that a portion of its substructure should be of stone instead of wood, and Jeremiah Pecker was made agent of the proprietors " To erect a stone pier and abutment, to be built with split stone, and that he employ Leban Page to split and lay the stone."
The records indicate that this bridge, including purchased land and toll house, cost about fifty-five hundred dollars. It did good service until the winter of 1824, when, against the date of February .10-11, Mr. Benjamin Kimball made in his diary the following entry : "A great thaw, and on the 12th the ice left the river and carried off Federal Bridge."
The injury to the bridge proved less serious than Mr. Kimball sup- posed. The ice destroyed one wooden pier, and about two thirds of
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the superstructure. Measures were promptly taken to repair the damages and to provide a ferry for use while this work was in prog- ress. It was completed during the summer at an expense of about twelve hundred dollars.
Several votes passed by the proprietors about this time afford refreshing evidence of their probity and prudence.
Upon abandoning the location of their two first bridges they had sold their toll house to James Moulton, Jr. When, subsequently, an adverse claim to this property was made, they at once instructed the directors (September 4, 1825) to examine their former title, " and if they find said Moulton aggrieved to make him such compen- sation as they may deem equitable." In the same spirit they made good the loss imposed upon the tollman by some unknown person by voting " That the proprietors of Federal Bridge sustain the loss on a one dollar bill, altered to a three, which was received by Mr. Mooney."
The records also afford evidence of a commendable effort to keep all official salaries within reasonable limits. By a formal vote passed September 4, 1827, the directors, treasurer, and clerk were each allowed the sum of four dollars for their services the preceding year.
About this time an evident desire was manifested by persons hav- ing frequent occasion to cross the river to do so at the cost of the town. To this the bridge owners responded by offering to all citizens of Concord free passage over their bridge for one year for the sum of four hundred dollars to be paid to them by the town in quarterly payments of one hundred dollars each. The town failed to accept the offer, inasmuch as the majority of its citizens had but little occa- sion to use the bridge, and did not care to be assessed towards pay- ing the toll of those who used it frequently.
Fourth Federal Bridge. Repaired or rebuilt, as above stated, the third bridge seems to have stood securely for about ten years. In 1834, however, solicitude arose as to its safety, and a committee was appointed to examine its condition and that of the river's bed and report their findings to the stockholders, together with such recom- mendations as they deemed advisable.
In compliance with the advice of this committee, it was subse- quently decided by the stockholders (April 18, 1835) that, " It is expedient to rebuild the ensuing year," and the directors were author- ized to make all necessary contracts for labor and materials and hire money to meet the same, to be paid from the future receipts of tolls.
Thus started, the fourth bridge was in time erected, at a cost of thirty-six hundred dollars, as shown by the treasurer's report of 1836.
By this time, the project of building a free bridge was advocated
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HISTORY OF CONCORD.
by citizens of influence, to cross the river a short distance below Kim- ball's ferry. Inasmuch as this project augured financial injury to the two existing bridges, the proprietors of Federal bridge appointed a committee to oppose it (September 4, 1839), but their efforts proved of no avail.
Thus, to the former assaults of log drivers, floods, and ice was added a large diversion of its former patronage. Never desirable as an investment of capital, Federal bridge now became even less so ; yet, with careful management its income remained sufficient, barring accidents, to yield some return to its stockholders.
In January, 1841, an ice freshet made great havoc along the Merrimack, carrying away all of the free bridge, except the west pier, and robbing Federal bridge of one of its piers and two lengths of its stringers.
This damage to the latter bridge was repaired at no very large expense, which, again taking a new lease of life, entered upon fresh contests with the floods which periodically sought its destruction. In these it was successful for about ten years, although the great freshets of 1850 may have impaired somewhat its strength.
Shortly afterward it became by condemnation by the road commis- sioners as a highway the property of the town, and its proprietors were awarded as damages the sum of fifteen hundred dollars, which was subsequently somewhat increased by a vote of the town. Dis- satisfied with its condition, the town removed it and supplied its place with a new one.
Fifth Federal Bridge. This, unlike its predecessors, was a covered arc-truss-bridge of the Paddleford pattern. Its superstructure rested upon piers and abutments of stone. Its cost, when completed, was about fifteen thousand dollars ($14,830.14). While stronger than any of its predecessors, the construction of its stone work was faulty and led to its destruction by the freshet of 1872.
Sixth Federal Bridge. The power of Merrimack river in times of flood, long ignored, was recognized at length, and the conviction became general that it was unwise to longer waste money upon structures unable to withstand it.
Accordingly, the sixth and present bridge, constructed in 1873, under the general direction of Hon. John Kimball, then mayor of Concord, was built with special reference to endurance. To allow . the widening of the river's channel it was made longer by forty feet than its predecessor. Its superstructure was made of wrought iron. Its abutments and piers were constructed of closely fitted stones, laid in cement, so accurately fitted to each other that any impinge- ment upon any part of any pier or abutment would encounter the
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resistance of its whole mass. Thus constructed, this bridge has stood unimpaired for twenty-nine years. While its superstructure may need occasional renewals, its foundations bid fair to outlast the new century.
First Free Bridge. The project of a free bridge across the Merri- mack did not materialize until 1840. It was started in 1839, as a private enterprise, the money for its construction having been raised by the subscriptions of three hundred and ninety different individ- uals, for the most part citizens of Concord, Loudon, Pembroke, Chichester, and Epsom. These subscriptions varied in amount from fifty cents to one hundred dollars.
Subsequently, in answer to the petitions of Ira Osgood of Loudon and others, and of Trueworthy L. Fowler of Pembroke and others, the Court of Common Pleas ordered highways from these two towns to be laid out over this bridge to a point in Concord where Bridge street now meets Main street. The damages awarded for the several parcels of land taken for these were assessed upon the towns in which they lay.
Upon the town of Concord was also assessed the sum of sixteen hundred and seventy-eight dollars and fifty cents, being one half of the subscriptions above mentioned, and awarded as damages to the respective owners of the bridge. In short, its cost was borne in moiety by the subscribers before mentioned and the town of Concord. This bridge was the forerunner of all the free bridges across the Merrimack in this state.
Second Free Bridge. After a brief life of about a year it was swept to its destruction by a freshet, on the 8th day of January, 1841, and soon afterwards was succeeded by another of more stable construction, which stood until about 1849, when it was succeeded by a new one of the Paddleford pattern. This in turn gave way in 1894 to the present structure of iron.
Sewall's Falls Bridge. This bridge, which is also a Merrimack river bridge, incorporated as a toll-bridge in 1832 and built soon afterwards, has had experiences similar to those of its associates below it. Three times it has been carried away and as many times rebuilt.
Contoocook River Bridges.
Penacook Bridges. When the first bridge across the Contoocook was built does not appear. Located near the works of the Concord Axle Company, and in Boscawen, it was reached by a highway deflecting from the main road to that town, which, after crossing the river, again joined this road near Johnson's tavern (now the Pena- cook House). Colonel Rolfe intimates that this location was selected
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HISTORY OF CONCORD.
because the river was narrow there and the expense of a pier could be saved by building at that point.
Upon the straightening of this road, in 1826, a new bridge became necessary and was constructed upon the site of the present iron bridge. This stood until 1849, when it was rebuilt and did service until 1874. It was superseded by an iron onc, which, in 1898, gave way to the one now in use.
The Twin Bridges, so called, which cross the river farther down stream, were first constructed in 1850; one in Concord and the other in Boscawen. An island in mid channel serves as a double abut- ment for the two. The former, originally of wood, was supplanted by an iron bridge in 1898.
Horse Hill Bridge, which spans the Contoocook some two miles and a half above the village of Penacook, was first built at some time previous to 1792 by persons residing on the west side of this river. For many years thereafter the town repeatedly assisted them in its maintenance and finally assumed its entire support. It has shared the fortunes of its neighbors and been often repaired and several times rebuilt, the last time in 1894. No one of the bridges across the Contoocook has ever been a toll-bridge.
Bridges over Turkey and Soucook Rivers.
The limits of this chapter forbid giving in detail accounts of the smaller bridges, which have been built from time to time over Turkey and Soucook rivers. Of these, six now span the former and seven the latter. They have been subjected to accidents of ice and flood similar to those encountered by their contemporaries on the larger streams.
From first to last Concord has had three distinct styles of bridges. The one in use down to about 1850 was termed " the balance beam bridge." It was sometimes supported upon stone and at others upon wooden picrs. When the latter were used each consisted of a mud- sill resting upon the bottom of the channel, from which rose a series of square posts planked on both sides and surmounted by a heavy cap. From the up-river end of this mud sill two timbers, one resting upon the other, rose on a slant to the corresponding end of the cap, the upper onc being of oak and designed to protect the pier from the assaults of floating ice, log jams, and other river drift.
At right angles across the caps of the piers, and extending at equal distances therefrom, were laid heavy timbers of considerable length and some fourteen by sixteen inches square, termed " balance beams." Their office was to stiffen the stringers, which consisted of large timbers resting upon them and extending from one pier to the next.
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PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT.
Upon these rested the floor timbers of the bridge. To still farther inerease the rigidity of these stringers, as they were termed, a third series of heavy timbers, reaching from pier to pier, were sometimes laid upon and firmly bolted to them and their underlying balanee beams, thereby making the three virtually one. By this means ver- tieal vibrations were mostly prevented.
The second style of bridge, which succeeded to the first about the middle of the last eentury, was a lattice bridge, supported on stone piers and covered with a light, long shingle-roof. Vertieal vibration of bridges of this style was sometimes prevented by the addition to the lattice seetions of wooden arehes, supported by the piers.
The third style of bridge, first introduced some twenty-five or thirty years ago, is the one in present use ;- an open, iron truss bridge, supported upon solid stone piers provided with sharp, sloping iee eut- ters upon their upper ends. These vary greatly in their details, but similar principles of construction may be found embodied to a great extent in each.
Four different means have been devised by which transit is made from one side to the other of a stream: the ford, the tunnel, the ferry, and the bridge. With the two last, Coneord has had a long experience. With the two first she has had none. Her streams have been too deep to ford, and as yet, neither her wants nor her resourees have warranted a tunneling beneath them.
Thus, sinee 1796, down to the present time some twenty different bridges have spanned the Merrimack alone, within the limits of Con- eord. Had the fathers possessed the knowledge of bridge arehitee- ture which we have and the peeuniary means of using it, their earliest struetures might have been more permanent.
MAIN STREET.
Main street, called by Coneord people eighty years ago "The Street " and by outsiders, "Coneord Street," was for many years Coneord's principal village street. It was four hundred and sixty- five (465 2-3) rods long, and extended from Horse Shoe pond to the brow of the hill above Merrill's ferry.
It was the first thoroughfare laid out in the town, and upon it abutted sixty-eight of the one hundred and three house lots, of one acre and a half each, which were assigned to the original proprietors in the division of their plantation lands. It was not quite straight, inasmuch as the ground's surface required two slight bends ; one at a point near the east end of Montgomery street, and another near that of Fayette street.
As first laid out it was ten rods wide, but this width proving
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HISTORY OF CONCORD.
undesirable the lot owners were allowed to advance their front lines two rods, thereby reducing the street's width to six rods, or ninety- nine feet, at which it has since remained. By so doing the propri- etors acted better than they knew, and furnished their posterity with a highway adequate, and no more than adequate, for future needs.
Across this street ran, for many years, three small brooks, which drained the low ground lying west of these house lots. The first, West's brook, crossed it at the east end of Chapel street ; the second, Tan Yard brook, near Montgomery street; and the third still farther south, near Freight street. For these streams water courses were made, since buried, by repeated elevations of the street, to the depth of some ten or a dozen feet below its present surface. Of those the two first mentioned are in use to-day.
For an hundred years the mercantile and other business of Concord was transacted upon this street, mainly at the north end of it. Upon it was erected the block house, in 1726, which served for nearly a generation the triple office of mecting-house, town house, and schoolhouse, until its supersedure by the old North meeting-house in 1751. In 1790, eight years after the legislature had begun to hold occasional sessions in Concord, the town in co-operation with public-spirited citizens erected a town house, upon the site now occupied by the court house and city hall ; largely for the accommodation of the General Court. Here, the legislature subsequently held all its sessions until 1819, when the present state house was finished. In 1806 the Concord bank was chartered, and under its act of incorporation two banks of the same name were organized, popularly designated as the Upper and Lower banks. The former subsequently developed into the Merrimack County bank, and in 1826 erected the brick building now owned and occu- pied by the New Hampshire Historical society, then, with the excep- tion of the state house, the most imposing structure upon the street. A few years later, farther south and opposite the state house, the Eagle Coffee House was built, for some years the finest hotel in New Hampshire.
The establishment of the enterprises represented by these struc- tures, together with the openings of river and rail transportation from Boston, drew southward the centre of business to a point near the state house. Hence, it has since gradually moved to one a little to the south and may now be found at or very near the intersection of this street with School or Warren streets.
Three other establishments of importance to a New Hampshire village two generations ago were located on, or at the head of, this street. The first was the post-office, introduced to Concord in 1792,
.
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which subsequently followed the drift of business and never had a permanent abiding place until 1890, when it was established at its present location on State street. The second was the public hay scales, near Tan Yard brook, which, by means of a windlass, raised from the ground a load of hay or other bulky article and allowed its weight to be read from a scale beam in an office near by, while the third was the town pound, which stood on Pond hill.
The length of this street, nearly a mile and a half, gave rise to North End and South End rivalries. Naturally the sentiments of the fathers were adopted by their sons. These fought and bled in the interests of their respective sections, which extended from the North End south to West's brook, and from the South End north to Tan Yard brook, the section between these being neutral ground. A boy from either end caught on the wrong side of this was liable to hostilities he would have done well to avoid. For many years the bone of contention was an old iron cannon. This was repeatedly captured from each other by the contending parties. At length the South-enders, having it in possession, concealed it in the stable of the Phenix hotel. Here, their opponents eventually discovered it chained to a beam. Having by stealth gained posses- sion of it, they transported it to Horse Shoe pond and sunk it. Like the precise resting-place of Moses, the place of its burial is known to no man. As the town increased in business and popula- tion local animosities grew less and less, until they ceased to exist.
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