History of Coos County, New Hampshire, Part 70

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

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every day. On being told that it seemed as if he had to come pretty often,

he replied: "What is a gallon of whiskey in a house where they haven't

any cow ?" Fortunately the whiskey was pure, and a person would get drunk and sober half a dozen times a day on it without the disastrous effect of the spirit of modern times.

In 1809 there was an enterprise set on foot at Hartford, Conn., which materially increased the interests of Colebrook. John Smith, of Hartford, and Samuel Pratt, of Marshfield, Vt., made an agreement which itself best shows what was contemplated, and it is herein inserted exactly as it was written :-

"Citty Hartford, February 10th, 1809.

"These articles of agreement made this day between John Smith of the city & County of Hartford on the one part and Samuel Pratt of Marshfield in Vermont on the other part. Whereby the said Smith having five lots of Land In the Township of Colebrook, New Hampshire State, & is known by No. 10 in the first Range of lots and Lot No. 10 In the Second range and lot No. 11 In the third range and Lot No 12 In the Second Range and Lot No 2 in the Sixth Range & whereas it is mutually agreed to make of them two or more farms and that it is agreed that they will each bear there half of expence of clearing, fencing & build- ing Houses & Barns and finding material for carrying it into effect & all other necessary things which will increase the Interest of them both In proportion, and will mutually consult each other for the general good of both & for what one is In advance over his part he shall be allowed Interest for: that said Pratt is to take the Management of the business and to Imploy two or more hands besides himself & to go on in Clearing & sowing & fencing & building for term of five years & to give said Smith credit for one half of all that is raised on Said farm & at the expiration of five years Said farms to be aprized by good judges of land to be aprized as though the joint concern of John Smith & Samuel Pratt had not done any thing on said farm & said Pratt to pay said Smith for one half of said (land) in a State of Nater according to the aprizal at the end of five years & then said Pratt is equal with said Smith as Owner in five Lots one half each & at the ex- piration of five years there shall be a division or sale if either of the partys Shall wish giving the other Sufi- cient time, notice & preference of purchase, that they are to be equal owners of all the Stock in Said farms either Raised on or brought or purchased for said farm & said pratt to be allowed the Customary price of La- bor acording to the time he Shall work & be in actual service in Said Farm, that whenever the Spring shall come on that people may work to advantage to said Smith & Pratt, that said Pratt Shall hire not less than two faithfull able bodyed men & fence said farm through the Summer Season until said time Shall arive in the fall when said men canot work to advantage & then said pratt Shall discharge all his workmen & all wages shall cease from that time both for himself & others, that nothing shall be turned into Said farm nor bartered for to raise the charge to said farm but at the Lowest Cash price in hand & that there shall not be any charge made to said farm by said Smith nor Pratt for their gowing or coming from said farm to their

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homes, but each one Shall bare his own expense, that shall not be any Comission charged by either for arti- cles purchased or sold for said farm & that said Pratt shall be concerned in all mills erected on Said farm if he shall think it for his interest & if any thing shall turn out to be a dissatisfaction to either said Smith or Said Pratt that is not mentioned above or in this agreement it Shall be Settled by leaving it to indiferent Persons which shall be binding on both. (Signed) "Samuel Pratt

"John Smith."

Under this agreement Samuel Pratt came to Colebrook in 1809 and commenced work on their lots mentioned in the agreement. These lots comprised the lots now owned by George Fairman, James B. Clough, Schuyler H. Aldrich, and the Wellman farm now occupied by Edward W. Carleton, and they soon after acquired the farm now occupied by Benjamin R. Gilman. They cleared these lots, built buildings, and made great improvements. They built a saw-mill, and, in 1812, commenced building a cotton factory near the site of the present building on the Mo- hawk. The mill was completed and labor in the same commenced. All the weaving was done by hand, there being no power-loom on the prem- ises. Soon after this they built a store, for years known as the Pitkin store. at the Factory Village, and stocked it with the usual variety of goods suited to the wants of the community; and here the people brought their wheat, barley, and other products for exchange for the necessaries of life. Previous to this time there had been a little " grocery " store in Colebrook, on the river road near where the old house stands, on the George W. Heath farm, kept by a man named Elisha Bundy. In 1815 Bellows & Carlisle, who had been in trade at Columbia Valley, built a store where the old Colby store used to stand before the fire; and, in 1816, Smith & Pratt built a store on the site of the store at the corner of Main and Pleas- ant streets, and commenced trade there. These stores were the beginning of the mercantile business in the town of Colebrook.

Messrs. Smith & Pratt were enterprising and pushing people, and their efforts brought many new settlers to Colebrook About the year 1800 the McAllasters had built a saw-mill and a grist-mill near the present grist-mill site, which depended on the water from Beaver brook alone for their power. Smith & Pratt purchased these mills, and, realizing that their power was insufficient, made a contract with one Caleb Titus to dig through the hill from the Mohawk, and to dig a channel to the mill-pond, and to thereby draw a part of the water of the Mohawk to their aid. From 1809 or 1810 they carried on their enterprises, and, in 1815, they added to the former contract that which follows :-

"COLEBROOK, N. II., August 7th, 1815.

"It is furthermore agreed In adition to the former agreement dated 10th Feb. 1809 that whereas we have enlarged the establishment more than was first proposed by erecting factorys & purchasing lands and build- ings & as it is not yet known how much more it will be necessary for John Smith to advance to complete and furnish capitol to Stock said establishment, it is omitted coming to a Settlement until next year. when said buildings are expected to be finished, that after which, said sum which said Smith has advanced together with the Lawful interest added to the principal making up whatever sum may be thought necessary to carry on the business to advantage & then a Settlement Shall take place and shall be a joint concern of which John Smith shall be three fourths owner and Samuel Pratt one fourth owner. it is mutually agreed that all Lands

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that said Pratt shall purchase by private or publick Sale he shall dead back to said Smith and then said Smith shall give said Pratt a dead of one fourth of the whole establishment in a joint concern with said Smith after which said Pratt agrees to give said Smith a Mortgage Dead on interest of his one fourth of the establish- ment & the joint concern to continue not less than five years or ten if they can mutually agree and the Mort- gage to run while the concern lasts or at least ten years & Mr. Pratt agrees to do all in his power to promote the joint Interest of the establishment & that his Services and the Services of his family goes as full payment for the support of his family while on the Farm in Vietualling, Schooling, doctors bill and clothing and all other necessaries in the family while they live on said farm with said Pratt.

"Said Pratt to manage the whole concern, to hire Clerks, workmen & laborers and make contracts to pay off, collect debts & every thing necessary for the joint concern or Interest & the profits to be laid out in clear- ing land on the premises & inlarging the establishment as far as Shall be thought necessary

"It is further understood that said Pratt is to pay for the boarding and schooling of his own children when from home.

" In witness whereof we have each of us set our hand and seal this 7 day of August 1815. Attest "Anderson Dana John Smith L. S.

" Timo Farrar Samuel Pratt L. S."

Under this new contract business was done a little over a year when the following was added :-

"Sept 17th 1816. It is now ascertained that the capital actually employed by and between us is fifty-four thousand four hundred two Dollars & twenty Nine ets. of which sd. Smith owns three fourths, sd. Pratt one fourth and the Profits or Losses which may arise are to be Borne in the Proportion as above & the business is to be conducted by sd. Pratt in behalf of himself and sd. Smith as is provided in the foregoing agreements.

"John Smith, L. S. " Witness Anderson Dana.

"Samuel Pratt, L. S."

Some pains has been taken to include the whole of this agreement in this history in order to show the amount of capital invested, and the in- fluence of Smith & Pratt in forwarding the prosperity of Colebrook during those years. They gave a lot for the Congregational church and an addi- tion to the cemetery. They at one time owned nearly all the land from the George Parsons farm northerly to the David Heath farm, and from the Connecticut river easterly beyond the Factory Village. They had ex- pended over $50,000 in Colebrook in about five years, and the effects were apparent. Framed houses began to take the place of the log and block huts before that time, the roads had been improved, some steps had been taken in regard to education, and the population had largely increased.

CHAPTER LXIII.

Invoice of 1816 - Residence of Tax Payers - Number of Polls, Horses and Cattle - Taxes of 1816 - Cold Seasons of 1816 and 1817 - Burning of Cotton Factory - Rebuilding of the Same - Roasting Pigs - John Whittemore.

B Y great good fortune the invoice of 1816 is preserved, and below is given the names of the tax payers of that year with the property on which each was taxed, and as far as possible the residence of each at that time is given.

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TOWN OF COLEBROOK.

Mark Aldrich, one poll, one house, four horses, four oxen, four cows, five cattle, 200 acres of land. the farm still belonging to the estate of his son the late George Aldrich. (This farm has been in the possession of the Aldrich family for eighty-one years.) Joab Aldrich, one poll, one horse, two oxen, two cows, two cattle: Joseph Adams, one poll; John Acres, one poll; Moses Annis, one poll; Ozias Bissell. one poll. one house, two oxen, one cow and two cattle. (He lived on the Severance farm now owned by E. H. Williams and others.) David Bissell, one poll, one house, two oxen, three cows, seven cattle. (Mr. Bissell owned and occupied the farm now owned by Dan. Stevens.) Austin Bissell, one poll, two houses, one cow. (He lived on the Rufus Reed farm.) Martin Bissell, one poll; Benjamin Buell, one poll, two houses, two oxen, two cows, five cattle. (He lived on the farm where the buildings were lately burned where Bunnell lived, just above the Hosea Aldrich farm.) Charles Baker, one poll: Harvey Barnes, one poll. two oxen, one cow, "one cattle." (He lived on the farm now owned by Michael Shallow.) David Butler, one poll, two cows; Nathan Beecher lived on the Elbridge G. Arlin farm. He was taxed for one poll, two houses, two horses, two oxen, four cows and four cattle. Ebenezer Brainard at that time probably lived on the farm now occupied by William G. Luther. He was taxed on one poll, one cow. Isaac Covil, one poll. Judah Covil lived on the George E. Hammond farm in a house built well into the bank. He was taxed on one poll, one house, two oxen and two cows. Ebenezer Covil lived where George E. Hammond now lives. He was taxed on one poll, two cows and three cattle. Nathaniel Covil lived with his father, Isaac Covil, on the Richard Tibbetts farm. He was taxed on one poll, two houses, two horses, one cow and nine cattle. Edmund Chamberlain lived on the John C. Tibbetts farm. He was taxed on one poll, two houses, two horses, two oxen, six cows and five cattle. Joseph Chandler lived on the John Chase farm in the Reed district. He was taxed on one poll, one house, one cow and two cattle. David Chandler one poll. Zenas Chopin, one poll. Samuel Chandler probably lived on the John Moses farm, or perhaps on the farm owned by William H. Mulliken. He was taxed on one poll, one house, two oxen and one cow. John Corey lived on the William D. Trask farm on Titus hill. He was taxed on one poll, two houses three cows and one cattle. Thomas Chase owned the Harvey Brooks farm but did not live there. He was taxed on one poll and one cow. Zebediah Dinsmore had to be taxed one poll, two houses. two horses, two oxen and two cows. Anderson Dana, one poll. Amos Dart, one poli. Phillip Flanders one poll and one cow. Timothy Farrar lived in a block house where Ethan Colby now lives. He was taxed on one poll, one house, two oxen, ten cattle. Thomas Flanders, one poll, one house. He lived in some house in the village. Levi Grover probably lived on the Charles Hicks farm in Reed district, one poll, one house, two oxen, one

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HISTORY OF COOS COUNTY.

cow. Daniel Harvey lived on the old Harvey farm near the village. The red house there was built in 1804, and was one of the first frame houses built in Colebrook. He was taxed on one poll, one house, two oxen, four cows and one cattle. Joseph Holkins lived on the Darwin R. Shattuck farm. He was taxed on one poll. one house, two oxen, two cows. John Hugh first built a house where Francis B. Crawford now lives, a block house, and lived there owning and carrying on the Henry Gilfoil farm. He was taxed on one poll, one house and two cows. Abel Hyde owned the Hezekiah Parsons farm. He was taxed on one poll, two houses, two oxen, three cows and six cattle. Salmon Hyde, one poll. Joseph Hilliard and Charles Hilliard owned the Orin Hilliard farm. Joseph was taxed on one poll, three cows and three cattle. Charles Hilliard was taxed on one poll, two houses and four oxen. William Holkins, one poll. John Holmes lived on the Ransom Harriman farm. He was taxed on one poll, two houses, one horse, two oxen, six cows and four cattle. Orrin Hollister, one poll. Harris Hollister, one poll. Jesse Keazer one poll, three cattle. James Keazer, one poll, one cow, two cattle. He lived on the farm now occupied by William G. Luther. Lyman Lombard, one poll. one house. The doctor lived, where he resided so many years, at the corner of Main and Bridge streets. Joseph Loomis lived on the farm now owned by Loring G. Piper. He was taxed on one poll, one house, four cows and five cattle. Lewis Loomis lived on the old Loomis farm now occupied by James L. Loomis. He had one poll and two houses. Sylvanus W. Larnard, one poll. George W. Linds, one poll. Caleb Little lived on the John C. Bean farm. He was taxed on one poll, one house, two oxen and three cows. Sylvanus Noyes lived on the George Fairman farm. He was taxed on one poll, two oxen and three cows. Samuel Porter lived on the farm now occupied by James Covell, Senior. He was taxed on one poll. one house, two oxen and three cows. Heirs of John Presba lived on the Leroy W. Merrill farm. They were taxed on two honses, three cows and two cattle. Hezekiah Parsons and Jonathan Parsons owned, and lived on, the George Parsons farm. They owned about four hundred acres of land here all together. Hezekiah Parsons was taxed on one poll, three houses, six oxen, five cows and three cattle. Jonathan Parsons was taxed on one poll, two houses, two oxen, five cows and two cattle. Benjamin Spencer, one poll, two cows. Moses Stacy lived on the Moses Brown farm. He was taxed on one poll and one cow. John Sloane, one poll. David L. Swain, one poll. Smith & Pratt paid taxes on one poll, two houses, four oxen and four cows, besides all the factory property. John Smith was taxed on four houses and two oxen. David Titus lived on Titus Hill on the Charles E. Moses farm. He was taxed on one poll, one house, two oxen, four cows and two cattle. Samuel Sargent lived on the John Brackett farm. He was taxed on one poll, one house, four oxen, one cow and five cattle.

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TOWN OF COLEBROOK.

Eleazer Titus lived on the George W. Martin farm. He was taxed on one poll, one house, two oxen and three cows. John C. Titus lived on the Wellman farm at the factory. He was taxed on one poll, two oxen and two cows. Caleb Titus lived on the Schuyler H. Aldrich farm. Besides the land he was taxed one poll tax. Eleazer Titus, Jr., one poll. Eleazer Terry lived on the Carleton farm between the Shattuck farm and that of John Brackett. He was taxed on one poll. two oxen and two cows. Danford Wallace lived on part of the Darwin Shattuck farm. He was taxed on one poll, one horse, two oxen, one cow and three cattle.

By an examination of the foregoing invoice it will be seen that in 1816 there were sixty-eight persons paying a poll tax in Colebrook. There were fifty-six houses and fourteen horses, while there were seventy-four oxen, and 116 cows, and 112 young cattle. The proportion of horses shows con- clusively that the people relied on their own powers of locomotion rather than on horses, and also that the farmers performed their farm work largely with oxen-a practice which the modern farmer would do well to imitate.

The taxes for 1816 were as follows: School tax, $83. 12; state tax, $46.96; town tax, $88.12; county tax, 850.21; total, $268.41; while the total valu- ation of the town was $33,206.

The years 1816 and 1817 were very cold seasons and hard ones for the settlers in a country so far from civilization as Colebrook. There were heavy frosts all through the year, and the crops were badly frost-bitten. In 1816 the sheep that had been sheared nearly all died from the severe cold, and everything was cut off by severe freezes in June and July. Smith & Pratt had forty acres of wheat all badly damaged. They harvested and threshed it, but the wheat was very poor. The bread made from it was so soft and sticky that old Mrs. Pitkin said the only way they could get it out of the oven was to reel it out on a yarn reel. Everybody was put on a short allowance. The year 1817 was another bad year. though better than the year previous, but it required several seasons for the set- tlers to recover from the blow they received in these two "cold years."

The operations of Smith & Pratt went on smoothly, and they were doing a good business in the mill till June 19. 1820, when the mill took fire and was entirely consumed. They immediately took measures to rebuild, and put up the lower part of a saw-mill, and put in the machinery. so as to saw out the timber they needed for the new work. The old mill was built of wood, but they built the new one of brick, as it stands to-day. They burned the brick on the David Bissell farm, where Dan. Stevens now lives. They had a large gang of men at work, and, like most men, they some- times became boyish in their pranks. One night the crowd drew lots to see what two men should go out foraging and get a pig to roast at the kiln where they were. burning brick. The lot fell on James Luther and Caleb Titus.

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They departed on their errand, and soon returned, each with a dead pig in a bag. They turned them out upon the ground, when, to the astonish- ment of each other, and the amusement of everybody else, Luther had stolen his pig from Titus, and Titus had returned the compliment by steal- ing his pig from Luther.

The new mill was made a woolen-mill, and, since 1822, has been run for the carding of wool for the farmers, and the weaving of cloth, both for them, and for retail trade. One man who was intimately connected with this work, has, since 1816, been a sort of land-mark in the town.

John Whittemore was born in Rumford, Me., December 14, 1805. His father, John Whittemore, Sr., moved to Dixville, N. H., when John was seven years old. In 1816 Mr. Whittemore commenced work in the mill of Smith & Pratt, and followed it through the hands of various owners for fifty five years. In the last fifteen years his familiar form, clad in the "swallow-tailed " coat, which he disdains to put away for the modern abomination, has been seen almost weekly in every part of the county, taking subscriptions for newspapers and applications for insurance. Eighty- two years of age, his memory is clear, his form as erect, and his step as rapid as fifty years ago.

About 1826 Smith & Pratt failed in business. and their property in Cole- brook went into other hands, and, in a few years, was scattered among many owners. They had been instruments of much good to the town, and gave it a start that is still visible in its results.

From this time the growth of Colebrook was steady and even; and. year by year, the farmers pushed the wilderness back, till to-day every lot in town has its improvements.

CHAPTER LXIV.

Education in Colebrook-The Common Schools- Colebrook Academy-Original Grantees- Grant of Land from the State-Mercantile Interests-Traders of former Days and Now-Fire of July 24, 1870-Rebuilding of Village-Odd Fellows-Physicians.

ERY soon after the settlement of the town the pioneers, coming from a country where education was highly prized, established a school in what is now district No. 1. in Colebrook village. On the bank of the Mohawk, near where the barn of Francis B. Crawford now stands, they built a log building in which school was kept and church services held. Here Rev. Dyer Burge, Capt. Benjamin Buell, and James Cogswell, as

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early as from 1795 to 1810, wielded the birch, and instilled into the pupils the elements of knowledge. Reading, spelling, writing, arithmetic, gram- mar, and, later, geography were the studies pursued by the pupils. The school-house was old, rough, and uncomfortable, the seats roughly-hewn benches. the fire in a huge fire-place where logs six feet long were burned -scorching the searcher for heat in front and freezing his back -- yet the scholars, clad in homespun and home-made garments, would put to shame many a modern pupil by their ambition and perseverance. Later, Jonas Rolfe held sway in this old house, and his reputation as a teacher of youth has come down all these years to the present generation.

When the Factory Village began to assume some proportions, a school- house was built there. Joseph Hilliard built this house in 1814. Not long after, the Loring G. Piper district was organized, and a school-house built there, and rapidly thereafter the new school districts were formed, till in 1885. when the school districts were abolished, there were thirteen dis- tricts and thirteen school houses in the town.

In the early days a good deal of attention was paid to the spelling book, and the old-fashioned "spelling-school" was one of the fixed institutions of the time. A poor speller was supposed to be poor in every thing else, and each district vied with every other in spelling. Judging from the cor- respondence received in these days, the standard of spelling has fallen, or the spellers have decided to adopt the phonetic style.

At the December session of the General Court, 1832, a charter for Cole- brook academy was granted to Joseph Loomis, Daniel Harvey, Edmund Chamberlain, Lyman Lombard. Ira Young, Lewis Loomis, Frederick G. Messer, Albert Pitkin, Hezekiah Parsons, Jonas Rolfe and William Haw- kins. The people were not satisfied with the common schools, and desired something better, so that their children might proceed farther with their education. After they procured the charter they had no means to build an academy, and the matter remained without further action until Octo- ber, 1848, when the corporation was organized, and the following persons were chosen trustees: Nathaniel Kennison, Milton Harvey, Pickens Boynton, Harvey Hobart, Jonas Rolfe, Hezekiah Parsons, Jr., Hazen Bedel. Daniel G. Hutchinson, John Flanders, Joseph Gleason. Archelaus Cummings, John Harriman and Frederick G. Messer.

At the session of the legislature just previous to this meeting, the state had granted to the corporation 10,000 acres of land situated between Hall's and Indian streams, in Pittsburg, and this grant incited the trustees to action looking towards the erection of an academy building. The land was, by vote of the trustees, put on the market at twenty-five cents per acre. It was sold to John Bailey at that price, and the corporation became possessor of the munificent sum of $2,500.

They contracted with Charles Bailey to build the academy building for

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HISTORY OF COOS COUNTY.

the sum of $1.200, and the present building was the result. After a law- suit with Bailey, which resulted in a verdict for the corporation, the school was put in motion and, from that time forward, it has had its two terms each year, and many a pupil has gone from its walls well fitted to battle with the world.

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History of Coos County, New Hampshire, Part 70

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