USA > New Hampshire > Coos County > History of Coos County, New Hampshire > Part 38
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"CALL INVITING THE COUNCIL.
"LANCASTER, April 14, 1860.
" We whose names are hereunto annexed do signify by this instrument our desire to form our- selves into a Baptist Church for the mutual purpose of worshipping God according to the dictates of our own consciences & to maintain the ordinances of his house in conformity to the Divine in- junction the authority of Christ, the examples of the Apostles, and the practices of the primitive Christians. We therefore mutually unite in calling a delegation from the Baptist Churches in this vicinity to meet in the Court House, Saturday 1 o'clock P. M., May 12, for the purpose of taking into consideration the propriety of the organization of a Baptist Church in this place Rev. H. 1. Campbell & his wife Ellen F. Campbell, Benjamin Webster & his wife Eliza Webster, Orange Smith, Emily Congdon, David Young, Arthur Gage, his wife Nancy Gage, Seneca B. Congden his wife Ilannah D. Congdon, Francis Burrell his wife Mary Ann Burrell."
The council was organized by the choice of Rev. H. I. Campbell, mod- erator. The articles of faith that are generally adopted by Baptist churches
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were read and adopted. This church was formed with the following members: Rev. H. I. Campbell, Ellen F. Campbell, Benjamin Webster, Eliza Webster, Samuel Twombly, Dorcas Twombly, Arthur Gage, Nancy Gage, Seneca B. Congdon, Hannah D. Congdon, Francis Burrell, Mary Ann Burrell, Orange Smith, Pratia Smith, Reuben McFarland, Artemas Gotham, Lucy Thomas, Deborah Thomas and Emily Congdon. Rev. Mr. Campbell was their pastor for a few years. Rev. George A. Glines occu- pied the pulpit from 1863 to 1866. Rev. Kilburn Holt preached from 1871 until August, 1874, when he resigned. The society no longer hold services. Their church building was the old academy which was sold at auction in 1861, and purchased by the Baptists for seventy dollars, moved and re- modeled. It is now occupied by the library.
St. Paul's Episcopal Church *.- The Protestant Episcopal church has held occasional services here for thirty years. In the summer of 1856, Bishop Chase visited Lancaster and confirmed one person, Mrs. Susan Heywood. In 1863 he again came to Lancaster and confirmed seven per- sons. From 1856 to 1875 services were often held, usually in the summer, by ministers visiting the mountains, and stopping a short time in this vicinity.
In 1873 the foundation for a church edifice was laid; the lot with the building cost $7,000. In 1876 there were about forty families who aided in building the church and in the support of a minister. The rectors have been, from 1875 to 1880, Rev. James B. Goodrich; 1880 to 1886, Rev. Ed- ward P. Little. Rev. C. J. Hendley began his rectorship of St. Paul's Episcopal church, in May, 1887.
Catholicity in Coös. - In the development of the various interests which have added to the wealth and importance of the county of Coos, many people, some of Irish birth, and others reared in the faith and forms of the Roman Catholic church, have become residents, acquired property and social standing, and form an important element in its political, social, and religious affairs.
Prior to the establishment of the diocese of Portland, in 1855, the scat- tered Catholic families in Coös were visited by missionary priests from the diocese of Boston. These visits were at irregular intervals of from one to two years. The first public service was held at Lancaster, in the Town Hall, in 1834, by Father Daley, a missionary priest. In October, 1855, Bishop Bacon, of Portland, sent Rev. Isidore Noiseaux to take charge of the missions of Northern New Hampshire. Father Noiseaux purchased the property known as the Farrar place, and built a small chapel in the rear of the dwelling house, and public service was held once or twice a month. He continued in charge of the Lancaster society and the missions
* By Hon. William Heywood.
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until 1876, when he was transferred to Brunswick, Me. During the last years of his service in Coös, the church at Gorham was erected. In De- cember. 1876, Rev. M. P. Danner was placed in charge at Lancaster, and continued until Jaunary, 1850. During Father Danner's pastorate the present church building was constructed (in 1577), the society increased largely in numbers and took a prominent place among the religious in- terests of Lancaster. In January, 1880, Father Danner was succeeded by Rev. J. F. McKenna, who died in Portland, in 1881, and was succeeded by Rev. H. A. Lessard, who was pastor of Lancaster and missions from 1ss1 to 1885. Rev. M. J. B. Creamer, the present pastor, has a parish of from six to seven hundred, besides the missions at Groveton, Stratford, Cole- brook, Jefferson, and Carroll.
Catholicity has largely increased since 1854, when there were but a few families of this faith in the county, most of these living along the line of the Grand Trunk railway.
At present (1857) there are four churches with resident pastors; Lan- caster with six hundred communicants, Gorham with four hundred. Ber- lin with fifteen hundred, Whitefield with five hundred, besides some three hundred in the missions.
Temperance Union .- This society is working quietly but effectively, and is creating and keeping alive an interest in temperance. The officers for the ensuing year are: president, N. H. Richardson; vice-president, Rev. C. J. Hendley: chaplain. Rev. J. A. Bowler; secretary, Rev. J. B. Morri- son; treasurer, W. F. Burns.
CHAPTER XXVII.
Chronicles from R. P. Kent's Diary.
J ULY 27, 1845. The old meeting house, after its removal from the hill, finally placed upon its foundation & converted into a Town Hall and store. Dec. 11. Dr. Legro died.
1846, Jan. 1. New bell raised on Congregational meeting house. Feb. 27. Col. Willson died.
1847, Jan. 25. Adino N. Brackett died. April 11. Recruiting officers around to get recruits for the army in Mexico. April 13. Detachment of recruits started off by stage. May 10. Very high freshet. River up over all the meadows. Sept. 7-10. Brigade Officers drill, 120 officers present. Nov. 26. Had willows transplanted from my garden to the burying ground.
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Dec. 13. Weather warm; worked in my garden half the day in my shirt- sleeves, trimming fruit trees and transplanting raspberries. No frost in the ground at all.
1848, Jan. 3. Cattle grazing in the fields and weather warm like May. Jan. 11. Very cold. Mercury 26 degrees below zero. 13th, good sleighing, 15th, sleighing gone. 29th. Mails from the North and South both brought on wheels. March 25. Ground sparrows and robins appear in the fields and sleighing gone. Aug. 16. Ebenezer Twombly, a revolutionary pen- sioner, died aged 93. Oct. 27. Received a load of stoves from Albany, freighted by boats to Burlington, and from there by team.
1849, Jan. 10. Old Mrs. Stanley died. Nov. 10. The Great Elm blown down, supposed to be 170 years old; was 100 feet high, stood in the middle of the street a little north of my house.
1850, Jan. 23. Horse-sheds of the Congregational Meeting house broke down from the weight of snow on the roofs. Feb. 10. $275 in gold dust received by express from Mr. Cargill in California. Feb. 16. Railroad meeting at Town Hall; the object being to obtain a survey by the Atlantic & St. Lawrence R. R. Co. of the Israels' River route from Gorham.
March 3. Mr. Wm. Farrar died this evening. March 20. Railroad meet- ing. Addresses by the directors of the A. & St. L. R. R. March 25. Sur- vey party went down to Gorham to explore railroad route. April 30. Water up over Indian Brook bridge, and is higher than has been known to be for 25 years. May 2. Wells' River & John's River bridges carried away by the flood. May 6. Went to the bridge; found the road literally destroyed, deep holes & channels being cut through it by the water. May 18. Joseph C. Cady, landlord of the Coös Hotel since 1835, died. July 27. Samuel S. Wentworth, a revolutionary pensioner, died, aged 94. Oct. 9. Stages commence running to meet the cars at McIndoes Falls, making the trip to Boston in one day. Oct. 11. Railroad route through Randolph surveyed. Grade from the Bowman place to Shelburne found to be 60 ft. per mile.
1851, April 23. Mr. Guy C. Cargill reached home at Lancaster. sick and exhausted, having been absent in California since January, 1849. He died the 25th. May 3. Mrs. David Stockwell died. May 3. Contractors at work this season grading the track of the Atlantic road from Gorham to Stark & Northumberland; the supply of flour for their use comes by way of Lake Champlain, and is mostly bought of dealers in this place. July 21. Mr. Samuel Hunnux died; a native of England, he emigrated to this place from London half a century ago, was supposed to be nearly a hun- dred years old. July 23. Dinner at Gorham at the opening of the railroad to that place. Dec. 22. Rev: John Pierpont delivered a Temperance lecture at the Congregational Church.
1852, Jan. 22. Hon. Richard Eastman died, aged 74. Protracted meet-
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ing at the Congregational Church during this month. May 9. High freshet; water one foot higher than in the great freshet of 1850. July 13. Stages cease running to Gorham, and commence running to meet the cars to Northumberland. 16th. Had my first load of goods brought from Northumberland depot by team. Oct. 14. A. J. Marshall's carriage shop burned at night.
1853. After several warm then rainy days the ice disappeared out of Israel's River on February 6th. April 3. Major John W. Weeks died aged 72. April 13. Mrs. Persis, wife of Major Weeks, died. May 17. New store raised. June 16. Mercury 100 degrees above zero. July 4. Celebration in bower back of Methodist Church by Sons of Temperance and the Sabbath Schools. Aug. 31. Mr. Manasseh Wilder, one of the early settlers of the town died. Sept. 2. Commenced moving goods into my new store. Dec. 1. Weather mild. Men finished laying aqueduct of 60 rods for Edward Defoe and myself. Dec. 31. Communication on the railroads impeded by the storms of the past week.
1834, March 15. Town meeting adopted strong resolutions against the repeal of the Missouri Compromise. June 11. Geo. W. Lucas, died: soldier of the war of 1812. Dec. 1. Railroad disaster at Stark. Freight ran into passenger train. William Burns and others badly injured: Mrs. Taylor, daughter of Joseph Howe, mortally. Nov. 15. Mr. Seth Eames died at Northumberland.
1855, Jan. 16. Earthquake in the evening; shock quite light. May 27. Fires burning in the woods doing much damage. Two dwelling houses. with out-buildings, belonging to the Lumber Co. at Whitefield burned. July 4. Ladies Fair (of the Congregational Society) at the Court House. Receipts $145. August 4. Mrs. Geo. W. Perkins, an old resident died. Nov. 15. Mr. Zadoc Cady, died, aged 82. Nov. 21. Mr. William Jones died aged 81.
1856, March 9. Snow deep and roads badly drifted; no rain or thaw since December 20. March 11. Annual Town Meeting. $1,500 raised for highway tax, $2.100 for Town expenses, and $200 more to aid in paying expense of prosecuting claim against Atlantic R. R. Votes for Governor. John S. Wells, Democrat, 133; Ralph Metcalf, Republican, 261; I. Good- win. 4. March 19. Republicans celebrated the result of the election by supper and speeches at the American House. March 25. James M. Rix. edi- tor of Coos Democrat, died at City Hotel, Boston. March 31. In the morn- ing walked to the store on the top of a big snow drift nearly as high as the top of the fences. April 1. Town Meeting. Voted not to build bridge at the head of what is now Mechanic street. May 31. Mountain tops still white with snow. June 9. Frame of the Unitarian Meeting House raised. June 20. Buying wool at 32 ets. July 3. High wind. Two barns blown down on John L. Clark's farm, Lunenburg, and damage done
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to crops by wind and hail. Sunday, July 20. Henry Ward Beecher preached in the Congregational church. July 22. Claim against the At- lantic & St. Lawrence R. R. for a branch from Northumberland, compro- mised by payment of $18,000, conditioned that a first-class hotel be built with the money. July 31. Adjourned hotel meeting held at Town Hall. Building committee chosen: William Burns, Jacob Benton, John W. Barney, John H. White, & R. P. Kent. August 2. Mercury for three weeks has ranged from SS to 94 degrees above zero-crops of hay abun- dant and well got-price $6 per ton. August 10. Mrs. Reuben Stephenson, formerly of this town, died at St. Johnsbury. August 23. Rain every day this month so far. September 1. Political campaign briskly prosecuted. A meeting of ladies at my house to take measures to procure a banner for the Fremont Club. Sept. 8. Meeting of Fremont Club at Town Hall and new banner presented by Mrs. S. E. Burnside and received by W. R. Joys- lin. (This was a very handsome silk banner, on the one side the motto "God save Kansas," on the other Fremont & Dayton, with their portraits. This banner was kept by Mrs. R. P. Kent, after the campaign, until about four years since, when it was presented by her to the Kansas State Histor- ical Society.) Oct. 22. Packed and directed the first box of clothing (a very large one), for the Free State settlers in Kansas, contributed by the friends of " Free Kansas." Oct. 19. Took deed of land for hotel of Dr. Dewey. Price $2,000, 16 rods front running back 20 rods. Oct. 20 & 21. Located the foundations of the new hotel: front of the building standing due north & south; job for building let to John Lindsey afterward for $13,000.
1857, Jan. 9. Roads obstructed by drifted snows, no southern mails from the 17th to the 22d from the same cause. No newspapers from Bos- ton from the 20th to the 25th. Jan. 24. The coldest day I ever witnessed: thermometer at sunrise at store 55 degrees below; at S A. M. 45 degrees below; at 9 A. M. 38, at 10 A. M. 35 degrees, & at 11 A. M. 22 degrees below zero; a thick mist or fog prevailing till 10 A. M. Feb. 3. The Coös hotel took fire & was much injured. Feb. 4. Lucy Stone Blackwell lectured to a very crowded house on " Woman's Rights." March 22. Daniel A. Bowe, Editor of Coos Republican, died. March 31. Samuel Rowell died of old age, over 90. May 6. Went down to the great bridge which has a great jam of logs resting against it; coming back the water came up within two inches of the seat in my wagon. June 16. Men commenced raising the frame of the new hotel, the Lancaster House. July 13. Two sons of Fielding Smith, aged 15 & 17, drowned in the mill pond near their father's house. Aug. 24. Rev. T. Starr King delivered a lecture in the Town Hall on the " Laws of Disorder." Oct. 27. Israel's River very high. Freeman's boom carried away with the logs in it; a part of Rines' saw-mill with shingle machine also carried off. Nov. 20. David Stockwell, 84 years old,
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the first white child born in town, burned to death in his house, which was consumed in the night. Dec. 27. Dea. William Chamberlain, of Jeffer- son, died, aged 82.
1858, Jan. 9. The old jail burned; built in 1805 of elm timbers hewed 18 inches square; builders Col. Chessman & Nathaniel White. March 19. James B. Weeks died aged 73. April 2. Guns fired at night to celebrate the defeat of the "Lecompton Bill" in the National House of Representa- tives. April 4. Religious excitement; morning & evening meetings held for a long time at the Town Hall. April 28. Hotel committee organized under an act of incorporation. May 1. Hotel meeting at Town Hall. Re- ligious meetings of all the societies commenced four weeks since still kept up. May 12. The prayer meetings held continuously for six weeks closed this evening. May 15. Directed men in setting out two rows of trees bordering the avenue in front of Congregational Church, and others on the north & south sides.
The Methodist Church, built in 1834, undergoes extensive repairs this summer. The old pews replaced by more modern ones, gallery removed, new and larger windows substituted, and a new tower & steeple added. July 19. Dr. Eliphalet Lyman died of paralysis. Had lived in Lancaster about 43 years. For many years did a large business as physician and sur- geon. Aug. 10. The Lancaster House opened for company. The Littleton stage stopping there with passengers at night for the first time. Nov. 14. The Farrar place bought and a Catholic Church fitted up; a priest stationed here, for the first time, this month. First service held the 28th.
1859, July 28. Mr. Joseph Twombly, aged 90 years, died; one of the early inhabitants.
1860, Feb. 1. Attended trustees meeting. Vote passed to sell hotel prop- erty to D. A. Burnside for $5,000.
1861, April 28, Sunday. An enthusiastic war meeting at the Town Hall. Number of enlistments to this date, 53. April 29. Meeting of ladies at R. P. Kent's residence; they raised funds to buy rubber blankets and other articles for the soldiers. (The rubber blankets, 46 in number, were left on the field for the rebels, at Bull Run 60 days later.) June 18. Job for building new Academy let to G. Calley for $2,350. July 6. Old Academy building sold at auction to the Baptist Society for $70. Aug. 15. The two brass guns belonging to the 24th & 42d Regiments ordered off for war use. Oct. 3. The old Academy, erected in 1805, at the inter- section of Bridge & Main streets for a Court House, in 1836, moved and fitted for an Academy, is to day placed on the ground where it is to be con- verted into a Baptist Church. Nov. 16. Packed three large boxes for the Sanitary Commission, value $220, and $30 in money.
1863. Final meeting of the stockholders of Lancaster Bank. Virtual close of the business by voting cash dividend of $1.473 a share, and giving
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up all stocks, bonds and notes against stockholders. Bank chartered 1832, commenced business July, 1833.
1864, April 24. The "Coos Hotel " built by Ephraim Cross moved back from the street. May 21. Harvey Adams' blacksmith & carriage shop, and old factory building used as a saw-mill by O. E. Freeman, were burned. June 24. Edward Kent & J. I. Williams went to Boston and bought a fire engine, "Lafayette." July 14. 3,000 people participate in the celebration of the 100th anniversary of the settlement of Lancaster, by a procession, addresses, music, songs & dinner in a bower in "Centen- nial Park." -- At this celebration contributions of money were made suf- ficient to buy Centennial Park, which was conveyed to the town, to be held in trust as a public park.
1864. Presidential vote in Lancaster, Lincoln 284, McClellan 123.
1865. April 22. Thomas J. Crawford, landlord of the American House, who built the first Crawford House, White Mountains, died this day. May 28. Israel Hicks, soldier of 1812, died. Aug. 13. Eight cases of small-pox in town.
1866, Feb. 7. Antiquarian supper at Court House for benefit of Con- gregational Society. Net receipts $112. March 20. Ephraim Stockwell died aged 92. May 26. Last post set for telegraph line to Boston, via- Littleton. July 30. Two-story building, 100 by 50 feet raised; built by Lancaster Starch Company, an association of farmers, the business result- ing very disastrously. Aug. 2. First dividend 55 per cent paid the cred- itors of the White Mountain Bank. Aug. 18. Porter G. Freeman died. Nov. 10. New organ set up at the Congregational Church.
1867, April. Town Poor Farm sold at auction to John Lindsey for $4,635; cost, in 1857, 85,300.
1868, Jan. 13. Telegraph poles put up for line to Northumberland. Jan. 22. New Library opened for taking out books, kept at the office of G. O. Rogers, dentist. July 3. Workmen pulling down the Court House, erected in 1830. Materials to be used in building a new and larger one. Aug. 7. Men engaged in taking down County building on Middle St. Materials to be used in erecting a new Court House. Dec. S. Dr. Benja- min Hunking died aged 86.
1869, Feb. 5. Emmons Stockwell died aged SS. Feb. 7. Lancaster Starch Co.'s building, Moore, Griswold & Bailey's peg mill, Richardson Bros. & Co.'s furniture works burned. Loss $30,000. March 28. Ziba Lynds, an eccentric bachelor, died aged 72. May 6. Francis Willson died aged 83. June S Town voted 256 to 50 to issue bonds of 5 per cent. on the valuation to the B. C. & M. R. R. upon condition that the road shall be completed to Lancaster, Jan. 1, 1871. Sept. 18. Town voted to purchase 20 acres of land lying east of Summer St. for a new cemetery. Oct. 3-8. Freshets in all the streams. Great losses in this village. Saw-mill under-
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mined and swept away. Small steamboat built to run on the Connecticut River this season, proved a financial failure. Oct. 22. Smart shock of earthquake felt through New England.
1870, Feb. 18. Israel's river breaks up. Upper bridge carried off by the ice: a large body of water flows down Mechanic St., several buildings dam- aged & destroyed; water two feet deep runs across the road between the bridge and the American House. April 25. Farmers commence plowing: considered very early. May 18. Old district school-house (about sixty years old) moved down to the lot recently occupied by County building. May 31 B. C. & M. R. R. opened to Whitefield. July 24. Great fire at Colebrook. Aug. 9. Douglass Spaulding died aged $6. Oct. 4. Rail- road track laid to the Chessman crossing. Ten cars came up from Woods- ville to the Agricultural Fair. Oct. 15. 21 cars loaded with sheep & cat- tle (the first cattle shipped) left this morning for Boston. Oct. 20. Smart shock of earthquake, bells rung & clocks stopped. Oct. 31. Regular passenger trains commence running. Nov. 12. Railroad bridge across Israel's River in course of construction. Nov. 29. Formal railroad open- ing, with dinner at Lancaster & American Houses; eleven cars came, loaded with visitors. Nov. 22. Funeral of Dr. John Bucknam, at Congregational Church; he was a surgeon in the Fifth New Hampshire Regt., lived at Great Falls
1871, March 5. New maple-sugar brought in: unusually early. July 20. Slight shock of earthquake.
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1872, Mar. 9. Town committee, Richard P. Kent, chairman, recom- mend the annual payment of the R. R. bonds, $3,251.13 each year, and the interest on the remaining debt, till the bonds are paid, (original amount of bonds $32,513. 10.) Recommendation adopted at Town meeting, March 11. August 24. The Brick magazine property of the State purchased by R. P. Kent, price $15. Presidential vote, Grant, 304, Greeley, 254. Dec. 19. Snow measures 26 inches in depth. Christmas eve. Temperature at 10 P. M. 30' below. Christmas morning. Temperature at Lancaster House 46° below, at E. Savage's 52° below, at Mr. Ray's 55° below; cold- est morning since 1857.
1873, Jan. 1. Snow lies two feet deep. Jan. S. Thompson, Williams & Co.'s machine shop & the grist-mill adjoining burned at midnight: A. J. Marshall badly injured by falling bricks. May 9. Alpheus Hutch- ins, soldier of the war of 1812, died. May 10. Large amount of lumber burned at Browns' mill, Whitefield; estimated loss $211.000. July 7. Men engaged in putting in foundations of the new Episcopal Church.
1874, April 12. Sally Stanley, a native of Lancaster, died unmarried. aged 82. April 22. Baker Pond covered with solid ice. May 9. Remark- ably dark; had lamps lighted at half past twelve to eat dinner by. May 10. Men removing logs (supposed to be two million feet in quantity)
22
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lodged against the toll bridge. Sept. 26. The guage of the Grand Trunk road was changed from 5 ft. to 4 ft. S inches from Portland to Montreal. 1875, June 24. The Episcopal Church raised this afternoon. Nov. 27. William Lovejoy, an old resident, died. Dec. 22. The first passenger train crossed the new Connecticut River bridge in Dalton, on P. & O. R. R.
1876, Feb. 15. Daily Republican commenced publication. May 4. Congregational society hold a meeting to organize under the "Statutes." June 1. Lancaster Village now contains 275 houses. June 24. Timber, estimated at thirty million feet, passing down the river; twenty millions in one drive.
1876 Centennial Celebration, July 4. Guns fired at sunrise, and fire- works at night. Processions of "Antiques & Horribles" followed by another of citizens, fire companies, etc., with bands of music. Historical account of early settlement of Lancaster read by J. S. Brackett. Sept. 9. Col. E. E. Cross, who died the 6th, was buried with Masonic honors. Nov. 7. Jacob Benton and William Burns elected delegates to the State Constitutional Convention. Dec. 25. Father Noisseaux, who for twenty years had been Catholic Priest here, removes to Brunswick, Maine.
1877. This winter is characterized by very frequent and sudden changes. March 23. Fire Engine House moved from Canal Street to Baker block east of the grist-mill. March 29. Books of Lancaster Library Association placed in my store chamber, Mrs. Hutchins to be Librarian. April 14. The roads near the village dry as in Summer. April 15. The first robin in the season made its appearance. June 12. Meeting of the Coös County Con- ference at the Congregational Church. July 11. Price of wool this season 33 to 40 cts. per pound. Aug. 12. Roswell Chessman, a native of Lancas- ter, who owned a fine meadow farm known as "Egypt." but who has been for years an inmate of the State Insane Asylum, died to-day, aged 78. Nov. 10. New furnace has been recently placed in the Congregational Church. Nov. 22. Steam-mill, furniture & chair shop of E. C. Garland burned: loss four to five thousand dollars.
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