History of Coos County, New Hampshire, Part 86

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 86

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1880. Justus W. Baldwin, clerk; Moody B. Haines. Charles S. Holmes, William H. Tebbetts, selectmen; Moody B. Haines, superintendent of schools; Elias L. Farnham, treasurer; Moody B. Haines, representative. Voted to raise $3,000 to apply on the town debts. (At the election, November 2. 1880, for the choice of pres- idential electors, James A. Garfield received seventy-eight votes, and Winfield S. Hancock sixty-five votes.) At the meeting held December 28, 1880, for the election of member of Congress, Jewett D. Hosley received nineteen votes and Ossian Ray fifty-three votes.

1881. Justus W. Baldwin, clerk: Moody B. Haines, Samuel Dailey, Ernest A. Lyford, selectmen; David Blanchard, superintendent of schools; Elias L. Farnham, treasurer. Voted to raise $3,000 for building and repairing highways and bridges, "six thousand (6,000) to apply on town debts. " $700 for the support of schools, and $100 for the support of the poor.

1882. Justus W. Baldwin, clerk; Dudley S. Keysar, George F. Farnham, Albion P. Watts, selectmen; Her- bert M. Smith. representative; E. L. Farnham, treasurer; David Blanchard, superintendent of schools. Voted to raise 81,150, including the amount required by law for the support of schools, $150 to purchase a uni- form system of text books for the public schools, $1,000 to apply on town debts, $150 for the support of the poor, $300 for the current expenses of the town, and $3,000 in money. and $2,000 to be paid in labor, for building and repairing highways. At the November election 130 votes were cast-Democrat forty-six, Republican eighty-four. A census of the town taken by the selectmen in April of this year showed the pop- ulation to be 618.

1883. Justus W. Baklwin, clerk; Albion P. Watts, George F. Farnham, William A. Abbott, selectmen; Elias L. Farnham, treasurer; David Blanchard, superintendent of schools. Voted the school money amount- ing to $1,200 be divided equally among the several districts. Voted to raise $500 in $3,000 to be paid in labor to build and repair highways, also to build a town-house.

1884. Justus W. Baldwin, clerk; Albion P. Watts, John W. Straw, William A. Abbott, selectmen; David Blanchard, superintendent of schools; George F. Farnham, treasurer; James W. Baldwin, representative. At the meeting for the choice of presidential electors eighty-five votes were cast for Grover Cleveland, sixty- two for James G. Blaine and nine "scattering." Also voted that the use of the town hall be granted to G. A. R. Post, No. 65, for public purposes. Samuel E. Watts, James W. Baldwin, Ivan F. Dennett were chosen supervisors.

717

TOWN OF PITTSBURG.

1885. George Dennett, clerk; John W. Straw, Jamon Perry, Horace Bigelow, selectmen; David Blanch- ard, superintendent of schools; Hiram B. Shuff, treasurer. Voted the free use of the town hall to the I. O. G. T .; Timothy Blanchard was chosen janitor of the hall; also voted the free use of the hall to the G. A. R. 1886. Justus W. Baldwin, elerk; Ernest A. Lyford, George W. Baldwin. Jamon Perry, selectmen; Justus W. Baldwin, treasurer; chose Ernest A. Lyford, George Dennett, Sydney P. Luther, board of education under the recently-enacted law, known as the town system.

1887. Justus W. Baldwin, elerk; George W. Baldwin, Albion P'. Watts, Dudley S. Keysar, selectmen; Justus W. Baldwin, treasurer. Town indebtedness as per treasurer's report, March, $640. Voted to pur- chase a road-machine, and to raise 8250 to pay for it. Voted to raise $1,750 for highways, §300 for payment on town debt, $200, in addition to the amount required by law, for the support of schools, 850 for the support of the poor. Also voted the free use of the hall to the I. O. G. T. and the G. A. R.

CHAPTER LXXXI.

The First Church-Religious Societies-Schools-Agriculture-Connecticut River Lumber .Co. - Business, Etc .- Upper Connecticut River and Lake Improvement Co .- Upper Coos Railroad -Advantages to Pittsburg.

T THE first church organized in this territory was the Congregational, in 1822, by Rev. Dr. Rankin, assisted by Dr. Hale. "This church soon failed to keep up its organization, and was succeeded two years later by a Free Will Baptist church under Rev. Aaron Buzzel, from Strafford, N. H., an able but somewhat eccentric divine, who occasionally visited the place, and ably assisted this feeble church for many years thereafter." It existed, under various pastorates, for a period of twenty years.

A Methodist church was organized here about 1826, by Rev. Henry J. Woolley, who was succeeded in his missionary labors by Rev. Chester Lev- ings, Joseph Baker, Charles Cowan, Harry Latham, George Putnam, Solo- mon Gleason, Edmund T. Manering, Holman Drew, James Dow. Lorenzo Dow, - Blodgett, Pickens Boynton and D. J. Smith. Samuel Danforth officiated as deacon of the church for a long period of years.

The first church edifice was built in 1875 by the M. E. church, near the center of the town; this was a neat and commodious structure. The first pastor installed was Rev. Mr. Presby; he was succeeded by E. C. Langford, John Wesley, Albert Brown, Albert Smith, and the present (1887) incum- bent, Rev. W. Warren.

Rev. Samuel Drown, a Free Will Baptist minister, moved here in 1829, from Sheffield, Vt., and ministered to the spiritual wants of his parishioners for a period of ten years. He was an eloquent and able preacher. He practiced medicine to some extent, was a noted horse-tamer, and very popular with all classes. The church of the Second Advent has also many followers in this section, but does not maintain regular preaching.

718

HISTORY OF COOS COUNTY.

The first school taught in the territory, of which there is any knowledge, was kept about 1821, in a log-house on Indian stream, by Betsey Rogers. The first school-house built was a log structure standing near the road on the brook between the Jonathan Hartwell place and Samuel Danforth's; Elisha Abbott was the first teacher. He is said to have combined with his profession as a teacher, considerable musical talent, and one of his rather novel methods of school discipline was the promise, as a reward for good behavior, to play the violin for his pupils to dance at the noon recess. At a little later period a frame school-house was built at Indian Stream, near what is known as "French brook." This part of the town is now known as school district No. 1.

In the year 1828 a substantial and convenient frame building was built for school purposes, (since known as the Center school-house, district No. 3,) by voluntary contribution; and for a long period served as school-house, town-hall, court-house and church. Private schools in this house were supported for a period of twelve years by the citizens of the town. The first school taught here was by Eunice Bunnel from Claremont, between forty and fifty pupils usually attending. She was succeeded by Alanson Cummings, John A. Mitchell, Mercy Danforth, Ahaz S. French and Samuel White. During the existence of the "Indian Stream Government," at. this humble institution of learning, men, now holding prominent positions at the bar, in the pulpit, in the medical profession, and in mercantile life, received their early elementary education. This building has been kept in good repair; and, in 1886, was purchased by the town under the school law, known as the town system. This town has nine schools, about 130 pupils, and annually expends $1,000 for educational purposes, usually hav- ing two terms of ten weeks in each district. A uniform system of text- books has been supplied by the town.

Polls, Valuation, and Agriculture .- The whole number of ratable polls in the town of Pittsburg, April 1, 1887, was 175. Its taxable valuation $300,815.

Agriculture forms the most important industry of the town, and graz- ing, to which the soil is particularly well adapted, the principal branch thereof. Considerable attention is given to the introduction of improved breeds of domestic animals, and the herds of cattle of most of the leading farmers show many high-grade animals of Hereford, Durham, and Jersey blood. Shropshire, Southdown, and Leicester sheep are the principal breeds in favor with the farmers, and thrive remarkably well in the luxur- ient pastures covering the hillsides. The raising of horses for the lower New England markets, from standard strains of blood, is becoming one of the leading branches of farming in this section. In natural adaptation to agricultural purposes Pittsburg has but few equals in the state, more. particularly as a grazing country, producing, where cleared, excellent first

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TOWN OF PITTSBURG.

crops of the English grasses, and being abundantly well watered, seldom suffers from drought. With the advent of convenient railway facilities for transportation, which the Upper Coos railroad will furnish, few sections will be found affording better opportunities for extensive dairying operations. In reviewing the history of its agriculture, very manifest improvement is observed in this town. The stumps and surface-rocks have mostly been cleared from the upland farms during the last half century, and improved modern agricultural implements very generally introduced. Good substantial farm buildings are found on most of the farms; and many very fine residences have recently been built, which will compare favorably with country homes in the southern portion of the state. There are upwards of sixty miles of highway, on which a road- machine is used for the purpose of repairs; and, although somewhat hilly, the road-bed is generally well worked, and good carriage roads extend to every part of the town.

Lumbering forms another very important branch of domestic industry. Many of the farmers having teams working on their farms during the summer, find remunerative employment in the lumber swamps during the winter, either in cutting and hauling from their own lands, or in working for the larger companies.

The Connecticut River Lumber Company, chartered in 1879, under the laws of the state of Connecticut, owns upwards of 123,000 acres of timber lands in this town, besides a large amount elsewhere, and has one of its principal offices at Connecticut lake, at which point it has built and runs a hotel for public accommodation, and a small steamer, the "Hartford," in connection therewith on Connecticut lake. The company has also erected several commodious barns, a store, saw-mill and other buildings neccessary for the successful operation of its business at this point. New York capi- talists, together with George Van Dyke, of Lancaster, president, comprise the company, which has mills at Hartford, Conn., Holyoke and North- ampton, Mass., Bellows Falls, McIndoes Falls and Guildhall, Vt .. and on the Androscoggin river in Maine, and employ in the woods in the winter annually some 400 men and 200 horses, cutting and hauling annually about 40,000,000 feet of spruce logs, and driving them down the Connecticut in the spring to their various mills on the river. They employ generally from 700 to 800 men during the early period of this work. This business furnishes a good market for the surplus agricultural products and labor of the country at remunerative prices: and on its large invoice of taxable property pays a very important proportion of the local taxes, and annually distributes great sums of money; thus contributing largely to the material prosperity of the town.

Hon. Asa Smith, of Hartford, Conn., one of the pioneers in the lumber- ing business, was the first president, and business manager of the Connec-

720

HISTORY OF COOS COUNTY.

ticut River Lumber Company during the first four years of its corporate existence. He is kindly remembered by the many friends who sustained business relations with him, and enjoyed his friendship during his admin- istration. He was succeeded in office by George Van Dyke, a man possess- ing indomitable energy and perseverance.

This town has four saw-mills, two grist-mills, one machine shop, two hotels, two postoffices, a town hall, three stores, and three blacksmith shops. It has telephonic communication with North Stratford and inter- mediate points.

The Upper Coos River and Lake Improvement Company, chartered by New Hampshire, together with the Connecticut River Lumber Company, has expended large sums in the clearing of obstructions from the principal streams, and in building dams at the lakes to facilitate driving lumber.

The Hereford Branch Railroad, a branch of the Canadian Pacific rail- way, connecting with the Upper Coos railroad at the boundary near the mouth of Hall's stream, is located near, and extends six miles along the westerly border of the town. These railroads have given a new impetus to business interests; already a manifest improvement is shown in the enhanced value of real estate; and, although the easterly portion of the town is at a considerable distance from the nearest railroad station, yet, with the certain prospect of an early construction of a branch road to Con- necticut lake, Pittsburg, with its vast undeveloped resources of forests, minerals, abundant water power, extensive areas of uncleared lands well adapted to agricultural purposes, and already opened to settlement, unrivalled attractions as a place of summer resort for tourists, its abun- dance of cool, refreshing, spring water, its altitude and healthful climate where hay fever is an unknown disease, can hardly fail soon to become one of the most important towns of New Hampshire.

COLUMBIA,

BY WILLIAM E. CONE.

CHAPTER LXXXII.

Grant of Township-Signers to Petition-Wales's Location-Boundaries-Lime Pond-First Town Meeting-Resident Tax List-Polls and Ratable Estate in 1810-Valuation of Buildings in 1824-Schools-Town Officers' Fees-Politics-Cemeteries.

T YHIS township was granted December 1, 1770, to the same men to whom the grant of Colebrook was made, and called Cockburne Town. in honor of Sir James Cockburne, one of the grantees. It was incor- porated by an act of the legislature approved December 16, 1797, and named Cockburne in response to a petition to the legislature signed by Abel Larned, Philip Jordan, Julius Terry, Nathaniel Wales, Ebenezer Larned, Jacob Terry, Jacob Terry, Jr , Abner Osgood, Abel Hobart, Ahaz French, William Wallace, Abijah Learnard. By an act approved Novem- ber 30, 1804, Wales's Location was annexed to the town. This tract, said to contain 5, 822 acres, was granted May 4, 1773, to Seth Wales and seven- teen others. The name of the town was changed, by an act approved June 19, 1811, to Columbia. Population in 1775, 14; 1790, 26; 1800, 109; 1810, 142; 1820, 249.

Columbia is bounded on the north by Colebrook, east by Dixville and Millsfield, south by Stratford and Odell, and west by Vermont.

From the mountains descend a number of streams into the Connecticut river, affording many excellent water-privileges. There are several ponds: the most noted is Lime pond, the bottom of which is covered with white calcareous marl. This marl deposit has been used somewhat for the manu- facture of quicklime, and is fully equal to the best imported variety. The pond is nearly a hundred rods long and fifty wide. Farming and lumber- ing are the principal avocations of the people, and there is some manufac- turing done.

722

HISTORY OF COOS COUNTY.

Abel Larnard was authorized to call the first "town meeting which was held at the house of Widow Anna Larnard on the first Tuesday of March, A. D., 1798." At this meeting the record shows the following list of officers chosen and business done :-

"Voted Mr. Jacob Terry, moderator; voted Mr. Abel Larnard, town clerk, sworn; voted Mr. Jacob Terry, Jr., selectman, sworn; voted Mr. Noah Buffington, 2d selectman, sworn; voted Mr. Abel Hobart to be a 3d selectman, sworn; voted Mr. Chauncey Curtis, constable, sworn; voted Mr. Chauncey Curtis, collector of taxes, sworn; voted Mr. Philip Jordan, highway surveyor, sworn; voted Mr. Cummins Buffington, highway surveyor, sworn; voted Mr. William Wallace be a fence viewer, sworn; voted Mr. Chauncey Curtis, hog reeve, sworn; voted Mr. Julius Terry, hog reeve, sworn; voted Mr. Abel Larnard, hog reeve, sworn; voted to Raise twelve Dollars to Defray the expenditures of the Town; voted that Mr. Philip Jordan's Barn yard be Consid- ered a Pound for the purpose of Impounding Horses or Hogs taken Feasant the present year; voted Mr. Philip Jordan, Pound keeper, sworn."

Abel Larnard, town clerk, "after being duly cautioned," took the oath of office before Mills Deforrest, justice of the peace of Lemington, Vt., from which we infer that the town had no "Esquire." The new board of selectmen, careful alike of the spiritual and physical welfare of the citi- zens of the new-born town, transacted their first official business on March 15th, by promulgating the following :-

" We the Selectmen of the Township of Cockburn Conceive it for the benefit of the Public that a house of Entertainment should be kept in this Town, and we, Conceiving Chauncey Curtis of said Cockburn, a suitable Person to keep a house of Entertainment and to sell any kind of spiritous Liquors in his house at all seasona- ble times until the Next Annual Meeting in March, and we Do by these presents give him our Entire Appro- bation for that purpose.

"'Abel Hobart "Jacob Terry "Noah Buffington

Selectmen "

The first tax list was made out May 28, 1798, and from it we learn who were tax payers of the town, as well as what it cost to be a citizen of the new town.

"Non-resident-Being for the whole Town excepting 1,300 acres Lying on Connecticut River 20,550 Acres. State Tax 9 dollars & 11 cts .; County Tax $4.69; Residents State Tax $4.89; Residents County Tax $9.39."

No town tax appears to have been assessed on the "non-residents," but the "residents " paid $13.43 in all. Of the twenty-eight "residents" Howard Blodgett got off the cheapest. being called on for only ten cents; while his neighbor, Noah Buffington, was called on for two dollars seventy cents and five mills. We copy the record of "resident tax payers," with the amount of each one's tax, town, county and state. Many of the de- scendants of these early tax payers may be inclined to envy them their small taxes, yet we doubt not these apparently insignificant sums were raised with as much difficulty and paid with as much reluctance as the larger taxes are met by the tax payer of to-day :-

Jacob Terry .$2.038

Bradford Hammond $ .311 William Wallace. $2.143

Philip Jordan 2.125

Abner Curtis .311

Jarvis Lounsbury .98

Nath'l Wales. 1.65

Victory Jennison. .311

Noah Buffington. 2.705

Andrew G. Huntington. .601

Howard Blodgett .10

Rial Larnard. .34

Perly Wallace .485 Julius Terry 2.581

Jabez Parsons. .136

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TOWN OF COLUMBIA.

Sylvanus Larnard.

1.25

Abel Hobart ..

1.56

Orland Wales

.311

Ebenezer Brown 2.002

Abijer Larnard.

.555

Cummins Buffington

.311

Chauncey Curtis.

1.492

Danforth Wallace

.738

William Jordan

.311

Isaac Stephens

.311

Abel Larnard

1.288

Hezekiah Parsons, Jr

.828

Linden Hibart.

.38

The 6th of June, 1798, at a "legal meeting," $63.33 was voted for making and repairing highways; and, in September of the same year, the highway from Colebrook to Wales's Location, was surveyed by Christo- pher S. Bailey, who made the distance six miles, thirty-six chains, and thirty-six links. At a meeting held April 29, 1799, " voted to allow resi- dents one dollar a day for work on the highway, finding his own tools and victuals "; and this, for many years, was the pay voted for work on the highway. Often the word " diet " was substituted for " victuals, " but the price remained the same, and was undoubtedly considered very liberal pay. But we know that very many days' work were done without pay by these public-spirited settlers.

List of Polls and Ratable Estate in the Town of Cockburn for 1810 .- Charles Thompson, poll, horse five years old, three eows, one neat stock two years old, one acre of mowing land, ninety-six acres of unim- proved land, and a grist-mill, on which the tax was $5. The whole amount of his tax was highway $1.75, money 816.01. James Lewis, poll, a five-year-old horse, two cows, one two-year-old neat stock, and $2 on "Tan Works": highway tax $.94. money 88.36. Austin Bissel, poll, and one acre of tillage land; highway tax 8.74, money #6.88. James Dewey, for Bellows & Carlisle, stock in trade, $1,500; highway tax $1.58, money 814.41. Jonathan Carr had only a poll tax; highway tax 8.27, money 82.42. Samuel Bundy, poll. a three-year-old horse, two cows, two neat stock two years old, three acres of tillage, twelve acres of mowing, twelve acres of pasture, twenty aeres of unimproved land; highway tax 81.29, money $11.90. William Wal- laee, Jr., paid two polls, two old horses, two four-year-old oxen, a couple of cows. a two-year-old and a three-year-old neat stock, four aeres tillage, twenty aeres mowing, twelve aeres pasturing, seventy-four acres unimproved; highway tax $2.63, money $21.36. Sylvanus Larnard-the selectmen could only find one cow to add to his poll tax, and a highway tax of 8.32, and a money tax of 82.89. Samuel Harvey, poll, one horse five years old, one horse three years old, two cows, one two-year-old and four three-year-olds neat stock, one acre of tillage land, nine acres of mowing land, five aeres of pasture land, and the most unimproved land of any man in town, being taxed with 1.474 acres; but that class of land was cheap in those days, and his whole tax was, highway 82.63, money 824.20. We presume these unimproved "lands " pay more tax now than the tax of the whole town was in 1810. Philip Jordan, poll, two eows, three acres of tillage, fifteen acres of mowing, the same of pasturage, and fifty-seven acres of unimproved land; highway tax $1.33, money 812.19. Benajah Jordan. poli, two old horses, one yoke of oxen five years old, three cows, two three- year-olds neat stock, one two-year-old neat stock. How he kept so much stock is a little mysterious, as he does not appear to have been the owner of an acre of land. Highway tax 8.91, money $7.35. Timothy Lockwood, poll, old horse, two cows, one three-year-old, two two-year-olds neat stock, and fifty acres of un- improved land. We supposed he " browsed " his cattle in the winter, and let them run in the "long pas- ture " summers. Highway tax 8.60, money 85.45. Robert Parkinson, poll, his only earthly possessions being one old horse; highway tax $.42, money $3.84. Abel Hobart, poll, two old horses, two oxen five years old, six cows, one three-year-old, and three two-year-olds neat stock, three acres of tillage, fifteen aeres of mowing, twenty acres of pasture, and 102 aeres of unimproved land; highway tax 282.11, money $19.30. Jacob Terry, Jr., poll, one horse, three oxen five years old, five cows, one two-year-old, two acres of tillage, fifteen acres of mowing, twenty aeres of pasturage, and 143 acres of unimproved land; highway tax $1.90. money $17.39. Levi Bailey, poll, two two-year-olds, one acre of tillage, one acre of pasturage, and forty-eight acres of un- improved land; highway tax #.41, money 83.57. Deacon Jonathan Bancroft, two polls, one horse, two oxen five years old, one eow, one three-year-old neat stock, one acre of tillage, six acres of mowing, six acres of pasturing, and eighty-seven acres of unimproved land; highway tax 81.37, money $13.13. Jared Cone, two polls, two horses, one two-year-old colt, two oxen five years old, two oxen four years old, five cows, two three- year-olds, one two-year-old neat stock, four acres of tillage, twenty acres of mowing. twenty-five acres of pasturage, and eighty-one aeres of unimproved land: highway tax $2.77, money 825.24. Isaac Bundy. poll, one old horse, two oxen five years old, three cows, four two-year-olds, and two two-year-old neat stoek, four

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HISTORY OF COOS COUNTY.

acres of tillage, twenty acres of mowing, fifteen acres of pasturage, and 115 acres of unimproved land; high- way tax $2.07, money 818.85. Elisha Bennett, poll, one old horse, and two cows; highway tax 8.52, money $4.62. Victory Jennison, poll, three old horses, two oxen, three cows, two three year-olds, and two two-year- old neat stock. three acres of tillage, eighteen acres of mowing, and sixteen acres of pasturage; highway tax $2.12, money 19.49. Samuel G. Bishop, one cow, one acre of tillage, one of mowing, and one of pasturage; highway tax 8.14, money 81.25. Charles Redpath, poll, one five year-old horse, one cow, three acres of mow- ing, and six acres of pasturage; highway tax $.65, money 85.94. Jesse Everet, poll, one horse five years old; highway tax 8.55. money #5.64. Christopher Morey, poll, highway tax 8.27, money $2.55.

Valuation of Buildings in 1824 .- Thomas Atherton. $100; Samuel G. Bishop, $10; Ward Bailey, #25; David Bundy, $90; Amos Bancroft, 840; Jonathan Bancroft, 810; Marcena Blodgett, 875; Abraham Boyn- ton, 8100; Jared Cone, 860; Sylvester Cone, $100; Jared Cone, Jr., 820; Caleb Cleaveland, $10; John Cilly, $10; James L. Chase, $10; Asa Dustin, $10; Joseph Eastman, $12; Benjamin Frizzle, $50; Samnel Harvey, 8250; Philip Hadley, 812; William Holkins, $25; Abel Hobart. 8275; Roswell Hobart, $75; Asa Jordan, 8250; Charles Jordan, 810; Lyman Jordin. $10; Noah Lyman, $20; James Lewis, $50; Ephraim H. Mahurin, 8325; John Marshall, $12; Joshua S. Mathers, $10; Abner Norcott, $100; Charles Sperry, $10; Samuel Smith, $50; Augustus Spencer, $10; John Thomas, $10; William Wallace, $200; Calvin Willard, $50; Noah Lyman, mills -on Lyman brook, $12; William Holkins, Charles Thompson mill, $36.

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History of Coos County, New Hampshire, Part 86

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