History of Coos County, New Hampshire, Part 58

Author: Merrill, Georgia Drew
Publication date: 1888
Publisher: Syracuse [N.Y.] : W. A. Fergusson
Number of Pages: 1194

USA > New Hampshire > Coos County > History of Coos County, New Hampshire > Part 58

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Moses H. Gordon was a lumberman for many years, owning and oper- ating the old David Brown mill, the Dodge and Abbott lower mill, and the Morris Clark mill.

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HISTORY OF COOS COUNTY.

Calvin W. Burns conducted a large lumber manufacture for many years at the outlet of Burns pond.

In 1861, or early in the war time, Gilmore & Stevens purchased the "Company's" store, and opened a large stock of goods. This was sold with their mill and other property to G. W. & N. W. Libbey. In 1578 the mercantile firm became " Libbey Bros. & Brown" (Frank P. Brown). Mr. Brown retired in 1884, and Hazen W. Fiske became a member of the present firm of "Libbey Bros. & Fiske "-one of the leading mercantile houses of the county.

Davis & White were early merchants in the Coos Hotel building. About 1845 Mr. White retired, and S E. Davis removed shortly after to the Allen store where he was in trade until 1850.

Lane & Quimby moved to their new store, built in 1878 after the old hotel store was sold to the Whitefield & Jefferson R. R.

The celebrated " Whitefield overalls" are manufactured by Snow & Baker. H. L. Cole has manufactured butter tubs, etc., for some years, and employs a number of men. Brown, Bray & Co., in the same busi- ness, employ several men. John Sperry began the manufacture of veneers in 1886 and also furnishes several with employment.

Other branches of industry and manufacturing have been and are carried on. J. K. Kimball & Co. had a starch mill in 1857, and Kimball and Gordon were merchants. Morris Clark conducted a saw-mill for years. V. Blood also was here as a manufacturer in 1857. W. B. Hutchins was a merchant for some years. The merchants of twenty years ago were R. & H. W. Fiske, G. Stevens & Co., Gordon & Sartwell. The manufacturers at the same time were Asa Gile, N. W. & H. C. Libbey. Quimby & Sartwell, C. Libbey & Co., G. Stevens & Co., Kenney & Bowles.

Present Business Interests .- Physicians, George S. Gove, John L. Mc- Gregor, George Morrison; lawyer and insurance, W. N. Armington; sta- tion agent, W. S. Aldrich; express agent, C. H. Gordon; postmasters, Whitefield, W. B. Hutchins. Hazen's Mills, L T. Hazen; drugs, medicines, etc., George W. Darling & Co. (Dr. J. L. McGregor), O. S. Blood; millin- ery, etc., Mrs. J. B. Lane, Mrs. Eliza Eastman, Mrs. F. A. Mckean; sum- mer hotels. Mountain View House, W. F. Dodge & Son, Kimball Hill House. H. J Bowles; hotels, Coos Hotel, J. W. Tibbetts, Fiske House, Mrs. Hazen W. Fiske; merchants, Bowker & Co. (Browns' Lumber Co.), Lane & Quimby (Richard Lane, William K. Quimby), Libbey Bros. & Fiske (G. W. Libbey. N. W. Libbey, H. W. Fiske), general stores; Charles Eastman, J. Q. A. Libbey, flour, meal, etc. ; Byrne Brothers, clothing and furnishing goods; G. W. Darling & Co., O. S. Blood, jewelry, etc .; J. G. Trulan, tailor: A. D. Hill, J. Q. A. Libbey, stoves, tinware, etc .; William

TOWN OF WHITEFIELD.

Chamberlin, news dealer, fruits and confectionery; James Hagan, variety store: livery, T. J. Morse.

Whitefield Library Association .- August 21, 1872, a meeting of the contributors to the " Library Fund " was held for the purpose of organ- ization, and elected John Q. A. Libbey, president; Mrs. William K. Quimby, secretary; Mrs. Lyman V. Seavey, treasurer; Effie J. Libbey, librarian. August 24, Eliza Woodbury and Kate Crockett paid the secretary $103.50, which they had collected for the benefit of the " Whitefield Library Asso- ciation." Gen. D. K. Jackman, of Bath, sent $50 to help forward this worthy enterprise. This library was opened January 11. 1873, at the house of L. V. Seavey, with 208 volumes. In 1875, 821.45 was received of J. G. Trulan (the result of a spelling match). In 1886 the town gave $20. At the present time there are about 600 volumes in the library. The ladies have taken charge of the books, alternately, at their homes, and the good work of furnishing good literature is prospering. The officers now (1887) are John Q. A. Libbey, president; M. D. M. Quimby, secretary; A. C. Libbey, treasurer; Willie E. Quimby, librarian.

East Whitefield Farmers' Club."-The farmers in East Whitefield had for a long time talked about farmers' meetings, but no one took the re- sponsibility of calling one until December, 1883, when, by a concert of action, one was appointed, an organization made, and a committee chosen to draft a constitution and by-laws, whose report created the East White- field Farmers' Club. The officers were to hold office three months, and meetings were to be held weekly. The first president was William F. Dodge, a man well qualified for the position. James A. Goodwin was vice- president; Joseph R. Streeter, secretary and treasurer. Mr. Dodge served one term, declined a re-election, and Mr. Goodwin was made president, William Barnett vice-president, Lauren J. Miner, secretary and treasurer; these last named officers held office up to the spring of 1887, when the club merged into "Mount Washington Grange, Patrons of Husbandry, No. 116."

The club was formed, as the by-laws read, "to discuss the pros and cons of farming ": and they have been discussed seriously, and with fun and frolic; and those who may chance to read this history of the club in the years to come need not think we did not have fun equal to any in their day. The good done by this club is plainly seen in the advanced views of its members: the increase of stock; better modes of farming: the improved condition of buildings, and the renovation of farm premises. Stock has nearly doubled in quantity and valne, and crops have increased propor- tionally. Stables are made warmer, fence corners and door yards are

* By L. J. Miner.

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clear of unsightly weeds and thistles, which shows that the club was not a fruitless organization.

One particular feature of the by-laws was that "every member shall do what is asked of him"; and, reader, in the days to come, if you think there was no sport for those listening to such fun-loving members as S. L. Bray, E. S. James, W. F. Dodge, J. T. Twombly, and our president, not forget- ting the Barnetts, William and Sherman H .. on being called upon to speak for half an hour without any preparation, and not even allowed to have any subject, just try it once and see for yourselves.

In the fall of 1884 it was decided to have a " hunt." The old men were pitted against the boys; and all animals and birds of prey slaughtered were to count according to the estimate made by a committee of three members: J. A. Gordon, S. L. Bray and J. T. Twombly. The boys were not quite wide awake enough, and allowed the committee to be chosen from the older members, but they needed but this one lesson. The day of reckoning came. and, by agreement, Timothy T. Baker and L. J. Miner for the boys, and J. T. Twombly for the old men, gave each one credit according to his work. Herewith we submit a part of the report: "First boy, three squir- rels' tails, 60, one crow's head, 30; second boy, one fox-skin, 100, three wood chucks' tails, 30, one skunk, 150." The boys' count amounted to 3,500, and the old men came in at first with no count at all. One after another came with their excuses; S. L. Bray limps in, a good deal lamer than usual, and says "I am old and lame, and hav'n't but one little squir- rel's tail and that I found in the road " Sherman Barnett comes in with a partridge or two, a few squirrels' tails, and a little hawk; and forthwith the old men began to praise him, and say " If we had all done as well we wouldn't have been so badly beaten, and have to pay for the supper"; which made the unsuspecting boys jubilant. Yet all the time a close ob- server could see a vein of humor running in an under-current through the old men's talk. The count nears completion, only a few more to be heard from. "Deacon " E. D. Clark comes up and begins to excuse himself by saying "If I had had time to look around I could have had a count that I wouldn't have been ashamed of; at the same time producing a package from his pocket which he commenced to undo, and, at last, to the amaze- ment of the boys, took out several hundred squirrels' tails. He said if he hadn't been so old, and John hadn't had the gun all the time, he should have had more. John somewhat doubting said he did not believe his father shot all those squirrels, for he loaded the gun for him, and put the shot in first. This made the count nearly even: but one or two more were to be heard from. The boys were less confident; the old men looked wise. Now comes Asa Eastman, a man who loves fun, but is a good friend to the boys, and asks how much a bear counts: the committee reply "1000"; he produces a fox-skin which is duly credited to him, and, then, from many

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TOWN OF WHITEFIELD.

wrappings of paper, takes something about eight inches long, which looks like a stick whittled to a point. This he informs them is a " bare" tail, and claims the bear count, which, of course, the one-sided committee in- mediately give to him amidst the protestations of the boys that it is unfair. Mr. Eastman explains: "The 'bare' tail is simply the appendage of the fox denuded of the skin." This finishes the hunt, and the oysters are served in a few days to a crowded house, free of charge to all not con- cerned in the hunt, and the boys learn an expensive lesson. The next fall the old men are nowhere, and again oysters are served to a crowded house but the ". boys " do not pay.

This ended the hunting but not the labor, for in the fall of 1586 was seen at the school-house and on the surrounding grounds as fine a display of farm products and handiwork of farmers' wives and daughters as was ever shown in any town in New Hampshire: cattle, horses, sheep and poultry were well represented; while potatoes, wheat, corn, pumpkins, squashes, turnips and cabbages of mammoth size were arranged artistically about the grounds. Indoors there were articles both useful and ornamental from the hands of the ladies, and a "farmer's dinner" that had as many admirers as all the rest of the "show." In the fall of 1857. the chib, now the "Grange," united with the granges of Coos and Grafton and held its first annual fair in the new Grange hall at Hazen's Mills. They had a fine exhibit and a large attendance, and much enthusiasm was manifested. The grounds connected with the hall are fitted to accommodate several hundred cattle, sheep, horses and swine.

White Mountain View House-W. F. Dodge & Son-is beautifully situated on an elevated plateau about two miles from Whitefield Station, in the center of a vast panorama of lake and mountain scenery. The house was recently remodelled and enlarged, and accommodates 100 guests during the summer season. The White and Franconia Mountain ranges, the Green Mountains in Vermont, and numerous other mountains and ranges can be seen from the house. comprising extensive, varied and beautiful views.

" Wide sweeps the eye in Whitefield's vale, Where meadow, wood, and lakelet lie Hushed by the balmy summer gale To sweet repose beneath her sky.

From where Polaris nightly throws His twinkling splendors o'er the earth, To where meridian sunshine glows, And where the morning has its birth.

Far circling round and towering high, Majestic, massive, fair and grand, Tumultuous piled athwart the sky, See the immortal mountains stand."

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HISTORY OF COOS COUNTY.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.

BROWNS' LUMBER COMPANY.

During the progress of civilization in Whitefield and vicinity the most important factors in its development and prosperity have been Alson L. and Warren G. Brown. To them and their energy is due the creation of that great combination of lumbering, manufacturing, railroading and busi- ness interests known to-day as "Browns' Lumber Company." and the his- torian must, to properly describe the advent and growth of this industry, give a sketch, not only of the business operations, but of the men who have organized and conducted it.

A. L. and W. G. Brown spring from sturdy English stock, and their family is one of the oldest of New England. Peter Brown was one of the historic passengers of the "Mayflower " in 1620. received a lot of one acre of land in Plymouth, Mass., and his house was one of the first seven built there. John Brown, a resident of London, set sail for America in April, 1635, in the ship " Elizabeth " and reached Boston in June. He located in Salem, Mass. About 1639 several of the name emigrated from England and settled at the mouth of the Merrimac river and in Salisbury, Mass. A little more than a century after. Josiah Brown, from Salem, with others, removed to West Dunstable (now Hollis, N. H.). He was an officer of the town in 1747 and 1748, and, in 1758, an ensign in the French war; a brave man serving his day and generation well. In 1762, with seven companions, he went north from Hollis, to select and prepare a place for a settlement, selecting the beautiful country at Plymouth. After many months of labor in clearing the wilderness and putting up log cabins, they removed their families thither in the spring of 1764. Josiah and John Brown were grantees and valuable citizens of the town.

Stephen Brown, son of the pioneer. the second male child born in Plymouth, married Anna Davis. of Goffstown, and settled in Bristol, on a farm where they lived long and usefully; Mr. Brown attaining the age of seventy-two, Mrs. Brown that of eighty-five years. The place was then a comparative wilderness, and they experienced all the vicissitudes of pio- neer life. They had a family of twelve children, eleven living to maturity. Stephen Brown was a Quaker, and brought up his children in the plain simplicity of that belief.

Joseph, son of Stephen and Anna (Davis) Brown, was born in Bristol, March 3, 1796. He married Relief, daughter of Stephen Ordway, of Salis- bury, Mass., whose wife was a Miss Brown of a prominent family in Bow, N. H. They had eight children: Alson L .. Stephen, Mary A. (Mrs. H. S. Chase), Amos, Warren G., Relief (Mrs. Elijah Averill), Joseph, Augusta

Alson & Brown

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TOWN OF WHITEFIELD.

(Mrs. George W. Merrill). Joseph Brown was an enterprising man. He erected the first saw-mill-the largest establishment of the kind for many miles-on the Pemigewasset river, five miles above Bristol village. Here he did an extensive business for seventeen years, being principally engaged in getting out masts and spars, factory beams, etc. : and rafted his limber to Newburyport and Boston by river and canal. But he was unfortunate in the location of his mills: freshets persistently carried away his dams, and he lost all which he had. He and his wife kept back nothing, but relin- quished all to his creditors. In 1843 he moved to Campton, put up a saw- mill and attended to farming and lumbering for forty years, ten years of the time residing on a fine farm in Thornton. Mr. Brown was an early abolitionist; firm and decided in all his opinions; a man of such advanced thought that his predictions were almost in the nature of prophecies. More than fifty years ago he said to his oldest son, "The time will come when friends separated by miles will converse with one another"; thus predict- ing the advent of the telephone. He was brought up a rigid Sabbatarian, and to keep the Sabbath according to the strict Quaker rule, "That works of necessity and mercy only should be performed on the Lord's day." In early life he was an Universalist; later, a Spiritualist. He died in White- field, March 26, 1884, aged eighty-eight years. Mrs. Brown's death oc- curred in May, 1867.

Alson L. Brown was born in Bristol, April 9, 1827. At an early age he acquired a practical business knowledge of lumbering from his father, with whom he remained until after he attained his majority, and served a long apprenticeship in steady hard work, accompanied by exposure to cold and wet. This he did cheerfully, and was of great assistance to his father. When twenty-two years old he received two hundred dollars as his money capital to enter the world for himself. He married. September 11, 1849, Mary A., daughter of William and Sophia Currier. Their surviving child- ren are William Wallace. Oscar A., Alice S. (Mrs. Edward Ray), Joseph W., and Etta C. (Mrs. E. A. Sanborn). Mrs. Brown is an estimable lady. She is interested and active in the orders of the "Eastern Star " and the " Daughters of Rebekah."

At the time of his marriage Mr. Brown purchased the place in Camp- ton of his father, and a half interest in the mill, of which he took charge, making lumber until 1861, when he sold his share to his father, who re- turned to Campton, and erected a fine set of buildings. Alson then removed to a large interval farin across the river, and engaged in agricul- ture until 1872: also carrying on lumbering in company with his father until 1864, when Warren G. purchased the latter's interest, from which time to the present the brothers have been connected in business.

In 1872 Alson removed to Whitefield, where he has since been a resi- dent. He is a liberal in religion, and a Republican in politics He was a

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HISTORY OF COOS COUNTY.

member of the Constitutional convention of 1876, and a delegate to the Republican National convention at Chicago, in 1880, which nominated James A. Garfield. He represented Whitefield in the legislatures of 1881- 1882, and has been a delegate to nearly all state conventions since he was thirty years old. His business, rather than politics, has, however, been his principal object of attention. He has been a Free Mason since 1860, and belongs to White Mountain Lodge, Whitefield; North Star Chapter and North Star Commandery, Lancaster; Omega Council. Plymouth. He is also a member of St. John's Lodge, No. 58, I. O. of O. F., Whitefield.

As an employer Mr. Brown is considerate of his workmen, who hold him in high esteem, as was pleasantly evidenced by the presentation to him from them, of a beautiful gold watch and chain on the twenty-fifth anniversary of his marriage. Of quick decision and great rapidity of ac- tion, Mr. Brown is one who will always make his presence felt in whatever sphere he may be placed, and from his integrity and ability all trusts will be faithfully discharged. Those who know him best speak highest in praise of his social qualities, his kindliness of heart, his business ability, and the promptness with which he attends to the duties devolving on him.

Warren G. Brown was born in Bristol, July 27, 1834. He was brought up to work. At the age of sixteen he was a rugged boy with a willing heart, strong hands, and a determination to assist his hard-working father. He aided to lift the mortgage from the farm by cutting timber, working in the mills, and driving logs, giving his earnings to his father, and re- maining with him until he was twenty-one. About this time, he, with his brother Amos, took a contract to cut and deliver two thousand cords of wood, at $2.50 per cord, at the Pemigewassett river. The next June he went " on the drive" to Lowell, and the winter of 1855-56 he began saw- ing timber by the thousand for his father and Alson at their mill in West Campton, and remained there one year. He now thought that in some other field his prospects would be brighter. and he would sooner arrive at the desired goal-a competency. So he went as steerage passenger to California, and, in December, 1857, after various experiences. to Puget Sound, Washington Territory, and commenced work for the Puget Mill Co., cutting logs for one dollar per thousand. In 1860, after nearly three years continuous labor for this firm, he had saved from five to six thou- sand dollars. [In 1864 he was offered one hundred dollars in gold per month, equal at that time to two hundred and fifty dollars, if he would come and take charge of the logging of this firm.] Returning to New Hampshire, July 1, 1860, he purchased his father's farm of four hun- dred acres in Thornton. In March, 1861, he married Ruth B. Avery. She died in September, 1863. In 1864 he sold his place in Thornton, and in connection with Alson L. formed the firm of A. L & W. G. Brown.

In 1865 he married Charlotte, daughter of Ephraim and Eliza (Broat)

Warren . E. Brown

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TOWN OF WHITEFIELD.

Elliott; she was born in Brownfield, Me., January 11, 1545. Their sur- viving children are Josie R., Dasie A .. Carl E., and Kenneth W. [Amos Broat, Mrs. Brown's maternal grandfather, was an Englishman, who be- came quite noted as a hotel-keeper and man of affairs in Westbrook, Me. Her father was a native of Thornton, and is now engaged with his son in the management of his hotel in Waterville.] Mrs. Brown is a lady of practicality, "looking well to the ways of her household," and is an able helpmeet and companion. In 1882 Mr. Brown, accompanied by his wife and two children, passed six months in Washington Territory, combining pleasure with business.

Warren Brown commenced political life by voting for John C. Fremont, and was connected with the Republicans until his belief brought him into harmony with the "Greenback" party, with which he has since been identified, being its candidate for governor in 1878 and 1580. He repre- sented Whitefield in the state legislature of 1872-73; was a delegate in 1880 to the National Greenback convention in Chicago, which nominated Gen. Weaver for president; was a member of the Greenback National committee from 1884 to 1887; was a delegate to the convention that or- ganized the Union Labor Party in February, 1887.

Mr. Brown possesses original ideas, honesty of purpose, strict integrity, and has a blunt frankness of expression which shows not only his energy, but the intense courage of his convictions. He is active in temperance work, a strong believer in Spiritualism, and has many friends. A firm adherence to his word, democratic plainness in all things, and broad liber- ality combined with a caution almost conservatism, are his prominent characteristics.

From the formation of the firm of "A. L. & W. G. Brown," in 1864, until the present, the Brown Brothers have done a large and increasing business in the manufacture of pine and spruce Inmber from the stump, besides adventures of magnitude in other directions. They put up mills at Rumney in 1864, which they operated until 1870, when they moved their plant to Wentworth, constructed large mills at the foot of Orford and Wentworth ponds, and are still doing business there. In 1867 they bought a large tract of timber near Bellows Falls. Vt., and Walpole, built mills, and did a rushing business for two years until the timber was exhausted, when they removed the machinery to Littleton. W. G. Brown moved to Whitefield in August, 1869, to superintend affairs. They commenced operations on the site and with the buildings of the defunct White Moun- tain Lumber Company, which consisted of a boarding house, and the main building of the Browns' Lumber Company mill of to-day which was fitted with one saw only. They at once put in machinery to cut 5,000,000 feet of long and short lumber per annum: and, in 1572, increased their facili- ties to enable them to cut 15,000,000 feet per annum. In 1869 there was

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HISTORY OF COOS COUNTY.

no railroad nearer than Littleton, and to hasten the progress of the White Mountain railroad to Whitefield, the firm gave Mr. Lyon, president of that road, $4,000 for the railroad company to use in building the road from Wing Road to Whitefield. They owned between eight and nine thousand acres of timber land lying mostly in Carroll, and, in June, 1870, began the construction of a private railroad to transport this timber to their mills in Whitefield. This was called " John's River Railroad, " and was extended from time to time as their business demanded. In 1878 they obtained a charter for the "Whitefield & Jefferson Railroad," to run from Whitefield to Gorham, and commenced to build the present road running through the village of Whitefield, which connected with their old road about four miles out, and avoided the long detour to the north by which the old road reached their mills. This road was opened for public travel to Jefferson Meadows in July, 1879, and has since been continued three miles direct toward Randolph, while a branch road of three miles for conveying lumber has also been added. An extension of the charter was granted by the legislature in July, 1887, for the purpose of constructing a railroad from the present terminus of the Whitefield & Jefferson rail- road, in the town of Jefferson, thence through the towns of Jefferson, Randolph, Gorham, Berlin, Milan, Dummer and Cambridge; thence in a northerly direction, in the county of Coos, to some point on the Canada line, or to some point on the easterly line of the state of New Hampshire.

The firm in Whitefield had been "A. L. & W. G. Brown & Co."; Dr. Aaron Ordway, of Lawrence, being a partner. No change occurred in this firm from 1869 till September 1, 1874, when " Browns' Lumber Company " began its existence, under an act of incorporation granted by the state legislature, with a capital of $500,000, and these officers: Aaron Ordway, president: R. H. Tewksbury, treasurer. (He served but a short time. A. L. Brown succeeding him in the office.) The directors were A. L. Brown, W. G. Brown, Aaron Ordway, N. R. Perkins, R. H. Tewksbury. The company now (1887) consists of the Messrs. Brown (who own a controll- ing interest). N. R. Perkins, C. W. King, and others: A. L. Brown, presi- dent; C. W. King, treasurer. The directors are A. L. and W. G. Brown, Nathan R. Perkins, Ossian Ray, Charles W. King, and A. G. Folsom.

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History of Coos County, New Hampshire, Part 58

Author: Merrill, Georgia Drew Publication date: 1888 Publisher: Syracuse [N.Y.] : W. A. Fergusson Number of Pages: 1194

Author: Merrill, Georgia Drew
Publication date: 1888
Publisher: Syracuse [N.Y.] : W. A. Fergusson
Number of Pages: 1194