USA > New Hampshire > Rockingham County > Hampton Falls > History of Hampton Falls, N.H., Volume II > Part 22
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offered a reward for the conviction of the perpetrators but no arrests were ever made. In 1849 the present station was built at an expense to the road of $700. Samuel Fogg was the builder. Mr. Charles F. Chase was appointed station agent and continued until 1875. After this the patrons of the road had a comfortable waiting room. Then the building which had been used as a station was moved and used as a freight house, and continued until it was burned in 1875. Before this there had been no place to store freight; any which arrived had to be unloaded upon the ground and left until removed. If heavy articles were to be Loaded it had to be done while the train waited. There was no side track where cars could be left to be loaded and unloaded. After the new depot was built business, both passenger and freight, gradually increased. Apples, potatoes and other farm produce were sent off, and heavy articles were received. It was some time before it was realized that heavy articles could be moved cheaper and easier than by teams on the highway.
In 1842 the last town meeting was held in the old meeting house. It was torn down that year. Thayer S. Sanborn was elected representative; Emery Batchelder, True M. Prescott and Samuel Melcher, selectmen. The town meeting had been held here for seventy years. In 1843 the town meeting was held in an out- building owned by Wells Healey near his house. No representa- tive was elected; the political parties at that time were very nearly equal in numbers. In 1844 the town meeting was held in the Christian Chapel where it continued to be held until the town hall was built in 1877. Rev. Otis Wing was elected representa- tive in 1844, the last representative elected by the Democratic party in the town. At the annual meeting in March all matters in relation to the raising of money were carefully examined and discussed, before they were passed. Many appropriations asked for were denied. At that time all appropriations except the state and county tax were decided by the voters assembled. There was no paternal government at Concord to say how much should be raised for the support of schools, or the maintenance of the highways. Each town managed its own affairs in its own chosen way; self government was the rule. There are many who think it was better than what we have today-where the voter has little to say as to how things are to be managed. In 1842 the town accounts were printed for the first time on a single sheet of four
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pages. In 1845 on the score of economy it was voted not to print, but have them read in the town meeting. The cost of printing had been about $9. They have been printed every year since. Hon. George H. Dodge, who wore a shiny silk hat, in other ways was by far the best dressed man in the meeting. He was a fluent talker and had a great deal of influence when any measure came up which he wished to defeat. He took the floor and said the matter was new to him and he wanted more time to deliberate and examine into its merits than we had at that time. Others about him, looking at some of the larger tax payers, felt the same way. He would move that the whole matter be "laid over till the next annual meeting," which motion prevailed and nothing more would be heard of it. This worked well for a time but the voters got wise and the time came when it did not work any more. Thomas Leavitt, Esq., John W. Dodge, N. P. Cram and Wells Healey were good talkers and often took part in the meetings.
Holidays were not as numerous as at the present time, being mostly confined to the 4th of July and the great training in September. Fast and Thanksgiving days usually had a religious service in the forenoon in each of the churches, and were not made as much of as holidays as they did later: The 4th of July was observed by picnics and other amusements.
The Third Regiment of Militia was composed of the men liable to military service in the towns of Hampton, Hampton Falls, North and South Hampton, Seabrook and Kensington. The gen- eral muster was usually held at Hampton Falls, on the Brimner field, or the Toppan pasture opposite Arthur Chase's, because it was more central and convenient for the regiment to meet there. Beside the drill of the men which was interesting, there were shows which had a small admission fee. Auctioneers sold a variety of articles of little value; among the articles sold were razors for twelve and one-half cents, which often would answer a good purpose; four gimlets for ten cents. The witty sayings and stories told by these venders did much to amuse the crowd. Intoxicating liquors were sold if not on the training field in some nearby place. Serious disturbance often occurred late in the day which the military companies were called to quell. Gamblers were in evidence. In 1827 the selectmen granted three licenses to sell liquors on the training field. The prevailing drunkenness,
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gambling, fighting, profanity and rowdyism created a strong public sentiment against the musters. In 1846 the representa- tive from Hampton Falls was instructed by vote of the town to vote and do all in his power to abolish military muster which was done in 1851 to the general satisfaction of the community.
In the early days a great deal of stone wall was built with the rocks which had been removed to clear the land and fit it for cultivation. Those who did not build some stone wall to replace wooden fences each year were looked upon with disfavor, as much as they would have been had they publicly denied their belief in foreordination, or some other prevailing church tenet. There were men who made it their business to build new walls and relay and repair old ones. They were strong athletic men with horny hands and parched throats which called often for irriga- tion; old cider, and a good deal of it, was used for this purpose with great satisfaction. In the absence of cider New England rum, which could then be bought for forty cents per gallon at retail, was acceptable. A jug containing one of the above-mentioned was generally found in close proximity to the work. In many cases stone walls needed to be rebuilt as often as once in twenty-five or thirty years, and the wall builders had constant employment.
Stone walls were valued as much at this time as at any time before and the work was as vigorously pushed as at any time in the past. The records show many votes to have walls built around the parsonage lands, which go to show the popularity of stone walls in those early days. But a change of sentiment came about. Walls were not found a sure barrier for stocks which were inclined to roam. They took up a great deal of land; often the hedgerows took up a rod of land in breadth. It encouraged vermin which here found a shelter. At the present time people are as desirous to get rid of the walls as their forefathers were to build them. The removal of the old walls adds a great deal to the good appearance of the town.
On some farms there was a great deal of board fence, which required a great deal of attention annually. It was not very strong; the stakes were held together by withes. An alder swamp was considered a "free to all," common property ; the cutting and removal of withes were done with impunity, even in presence of the owner. Today the winding of withes is a lost art. This kind of fence was expensive to maintain, and with the present price of
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lumber would be a serious tax on the owner. Later the fence was made by driving stakes to which the boards were nailed; this made a much more substantial fence. The pole fence was a stronger one than that made with boards and was much in use about pastures; a low wall with two poles was considered a cheap and effective barrier to retain cattle and sheep.
Many of the farmers in this town kept sheep which were washed and sheared in June. The wool in some cases was sold for cash; in others it was manufactured into cloth and used for clothing the family. The writer has seen his mother card the wool into rolls with the hand cards, spin the rolls into yarn upon the spinning wheel, and then weave the yarn into cloth with the hand loom. After the cloth had been woven it was sent away to be fulled and colored. There was a mill at that time which did that work in this town, near where the Dodge gristmill now stands. When it came home it was ready to be made into clothing. Many " times the writer has taken a piece of c oth tied in a handkerchief to Deacon Green to be cut for a jacket or trousers. His price for cutting was eight cents for each garment, usually paid with eight old fashioned coppers. The same mother then made the gar- ment. I have seen her spin flax taken from the distaff on the linen wheel into thread which was used for sewing where strong work was required, or it was woven into cloth used for strainers and other household purposes. Mrs. Sarah Perkins of Seabrook did a great deal of work, making clothes, in many families in this town. She was an expert with the needle. She could measure and cut, fit and make the garments. She worked for sixty cents per day with board and worked evenings at that. If a specially nice garment was wanted the cloth was often taken to a merchant tailor who had a reputation for nice work in town to be cut; it was then made up by Mrs. Perkins or some one else.
Top boots made of leather were universally worn. This would now be found impossible from scarcity of leather. The increase of the population in this country from twenty to one hundred mil- lions has made changes which is was impossible to prevent, some of which are much to be regretted. Cowhide boots soaked and admitted water nearly as readily as brown paper, and were greased with resin added to fill the pores so, in a measure, to keep the feet dry. It is a wonder that there was not more sickness from wet and cold feet. Rubber boots came some years later.
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The community is much better clothed and makes a much bet- ter appearance now than in those days. Ready made clothing was not much known and clothing stores were few and far be- tween. Elderly men had a garb peculiar to old age; this, with several days' growth of gray beard and with long hair, gave these men an aged appearance. Some men did not have their hair cut but once a year, usually in June about the time the sheep were sheared. With the greater care now given to the personal ap- pearance, the same styles of clothing worn by young and old, the approach of old age is much less apparent. At about this time the wearing of beards came into fashion; either full beard or partial beard was the rule; the clean shaven man was the excep- tion. Felt hats came in the late 40's and were a great improve- ment over the old silk and tarpaulin hats and sealskin caps pre- viously worn.
People were much more social than at the present time. After- noon and evening tea parties, family, neighborhood and social parties were numerous. Neighbors came in and spent the even- ing with each other and were treated with apples, nuts and cider. The local news was discussed and an enjoyable evening was passed. This was before nearly every family had a daily paper, or magazines, to occupy their evenings and cause them to be- come less social. When a death occurred the neighbors were kind and sympathetic in offering and rendering all the assistance in their power to the bereaved family. Funerals were much more generally attended than at the present time. In sickness watchers volunteered their services and served without pay.
There were not many newspapers taken and those were weekly. It is doubtful if any daily paper was taken in the town. The Exeter News Letter had quite a circulation in the town before papers were carried free in the county where published by the government. The papers were sent to some family in the neigh- borhood where they were distributed. It was published on Monday afternoon. Some one usually made it their business to get the papers so they could be delivered promptly. The News Letter claimed to be neutral in politics but leaned strongly toward the Whig party. The News Letter of that time bore little resemblance to the newsy, up-to-date paper of the present time. On the first page one column was devoted to poetry, one to serious reading, a story, the remaining space to instructive but
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not newsy reading. Inside were some editorial articles, a brief summary of the doings of Congress and the Legislature if these bodies were in session; foreign news was headed so many days "later from Europe"; all information from foreign countries came by steamer, and was not known here until some days after the happenings; a column of items, usually interesting reading, marriages and deaths; some, but not a great deal of local news, probate and other advertisements. There was a Democratic paper published at Portsmouth, which some members of the party received. Each religious denomination had its news -. paper organ: the Congregationalists had the Puritan Recorder; the Baptists had the Watchman; the Christian Baptists the Christian Herald, published at Porstmouth; it claimed to be the first religious newspaper ever published in this country. It is still published, under the name of the Herald of Gospel Liberty, in Ohio. There were but few magazines published in the country at that time.
There were sewing circles in each of the three religious societies, Baptist, Christian and Unitarian.
The sewing circle in the Unitarian Society met once in two weeks in the afternoon at the house of some member but held no meetings in the winter months. The work done was the binding of shoes, which was at that time carried on somewhat extensively in the town. The money thus earned was used to buy books for the Ladies' Library which had been established a short time before. The books purchased were standard works of history, biography and travel, with the better class of fiction, all of which were of great value to the readers and did much to educate its patrons. At the time this library was removed to the town library building it numbered about 1,000 volumes. At that time nearly all the original proprietors were deceased. By the rules of this society the repast was to be simple. Only one kind of cake with bread and tea were served. The meetings were characterized by intellectual culture. Gossip and scandal were prohibited. This sewing circle continued about forty years.
The circle in the Christian Society continued but a few years. The proceeds were used to buy books for a small library which was kept in the meeting house. What became of the books in this library we are unable to say.
The Baptist Circle continued longer. At one time it devoted
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its earnings, one-third to foreign missions, one-third to home missions, one-third to home interests. It had an existence of a number of years. The sewing circles did much to keep up a good social condition in the town.
Some of our farmers raised cattle, getting the steers handy and using them as oxen until they came to maturity when they were sold for beef. This was quite a source of revenue; not a great many heifers were raised as cows were not. much in demand as no milk was sold at that time. Thomas Leavitt, Esq., Aaron Sanborn and some others had grade Durham cattle which were very thrifty. Mr. Sanborn raised the largest yoke of oxen ever seen in the town. He was an expert in training steers. About October 1 droves of cattle were driven through the town nearly every week until Thanksgiving. Our farmers who did not raise cattle bought oxen and steers and fed them through the winter, on hay and corn raised upon the farm, selling them in the spring often at quite an advance, thus marketing their produce at home, and having some good manure to put on the land. Levi Sanborn, who was a good judge of cattle, did a great deal in this line, buying a great amount of grain in addition to what he raised. The cattle, when fattened, were sold to butchers in Newburyport and elsewhere. Later a great many cattle were taken by the Philbricks, of Hampton, to Cambridge and Brighton. The cattle business produced quite a revenue to the town. Cattle which came from Maine and the East were not as well liked as those from New Hampshire and the North; the former were not considered as well bred, nor as thrifty as the latter. Many of the droves stopped over night at Newell Brown's at Seabrook, where there was quite a cattle market. Mr. Woodbury, who drove a great many cattle, was afterward Judge of Probate in Oxford County, Maine.
About this time barn cellars began to be considered for the saving and better protection of manure, and a number were built. The conservation of the liquid manure, with proper absorbents, was soon apparent in better crops. The storing of manure under the barn is now condemned by the sanitary author- ities, but other methods have been devised to accomplish the same purpose. The saving of all fertilizing matter now receives much more attention than formerly. Hardly any one now thinks of building a barn without a basement which is found valuable
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for storage purposes, and it is found to be economical to cover as much space as possible with the least roofing.
In 1849 a man by the name of McCloud bought milk in Hamp- ton Falls and took it to Boston on the passenger train which left here at 7.30 a. m., which was the beginning of the milk business which has continued ever since. It is said to have been the first instance of milk being sent from New Hampshire to the Boston market. He paid ten cents per gallon for milk beer measure. There were seven and eight quart cans in use; the seven quart can had the same capacity as the eight and one-half quart cans now in use. It took a great deal of milk to fill an eight quart can. Our farmers were selling milk at a loss as they have often done since. Mr. McCloud used to ride back in the baggage car with the cans and was said to collect the drainage of all the cans, making a few full cans which he returned to the senders as sour milk. Ill feeling between the producers and the contractors began early and has continued. Mr. Chase, depot master, collected the milk. Before the milk business came, cows were not fed on English hay. Meadow and salt hay constituted the fodder given them. No one thought at that time of feeding grain of any kind to the cows. They received the least attention of any of the farm animals.
The potato disease came in 1845 and was the cause of the famine in Ireland. At that time the Chenango was the best eating and most popular variety grown. It required good care and careful cultivation, better than other kinds grown at that time. From long cultivation it had lost much of its vigor, and soon succumbed to the disease, and ceased to be grown. The long red potatoes, which yielded a larger crop than any other, were seriously attacked by the disease, as were some other kinds then grown, all of which soon, from this cause disappeared. I have seen the long, red potato sold in the spring for twelve and one-half cents per bushel. The pinkeye and round white were more hardy and on dry land made very good crops. They were often sold from the field early in the fall to go to the West Indies for seed; when they sold for forty cents per bushel from the field; at that price they were considered a profitable crop to raise. The eating quality of those potatoes would, at the present time, be considered poor. There has been a great improvement in the eating quality of potatoes since that time. It requires
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much more care and attention to grow the improved kinds than it did in those times, in addition to fighting the enemies we now have, which make potatoes an uncertain crop.
A great many turkeys were raised and sometimes in large flocks. They did much to rid the fields of grasshoppers and other injurious insects, and when fattened and sold in the fall produced considerable revenue. They were killed at Thanks- giving and Christmas, and marketed. Some took them to New- buryport and sold them from the wagon. Market Square at such times would be crowded with loads of poultry, where the buyers could make their own selections. Others sold to Major Godfrey and Captain Moulton who took them to Salem. For many years 'rom some cause, it has been found impossible to raise turkeys and our farmers are deprived of one once profitable source of income.
Capt. Caleb Towle made custom boots and shoes in a little shop near his house He had patronage enough to keep him employed through the year. Later Chase Akerman made custom shoes on a pattern more modern than Captain Towle's. Terrell Brown did a great deal of cobbling in his shop in the upper part of the town. Some of our people had their boots made by John T. Blake and Charles Hilliard of Kensington, both of whom put out good work. Boot and shoe stores were not very common at that time. A great many sale shoes were made in the town, the work coming from Lynn and Haverhill; $1.50 per day was con- sidered good pay for this work. A great many shoes were bound by the women and girls who earned considerable money in that way. This was before shoes were made in large factories by machinery. Pegged boots and shoes were in almost universal use at that time, but now appear to be unknown They were not as easy to the feet as sewed work.
The highways were cared for under the district system. There were twelve districts. Eight cents per hour was allowed for a man and the same for a yoke of oxen, which was later increased to ten cents per hour for each. It is doubtful if a single pair of horses were used in the town at that time. The roads were narrow; many of them had ridges the entire length, with no attempt to keep the roadsides clean; cobble stones were plenty with no systematic effort to remove them. Four districts made the town common a gravel pit; each seemed to vie with the other
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to see which could get away with the most gravel. Hundreds of loads of stone were left upon the surface and the appearance of the common was disgraceful in the extreme. The academy yard did something to check the removal of gravel The Weare monu- ment cleaned up the lower end, the remainder of the common was cleaned up after the academy was burned, and now presents a credible appearance. It was seldom that more than $300 was appropriated annually for the repair of roads and bridges.
There was considerable doing about roads during this period. The widening of old roads and the building of new ones was con- stantly going on. The road across Great Hill was laid out and built. A road here had been agitated and asked for for many years. The road from Cock -Hill schoolhouse to Nason's was built. It had been laid out a number of years before but from some informality was not built. The Curtis road was petitioned for, but the selectmen refused to lay it out; in this the selectmen were supported by a vote of the town. The road commissioners were then called and laid it out. As predicted by the opponents it has been the worst piece of road in the town to keep in order. A road had been asked for here in 1797 and was referred to an out-of-town commission who decided against it. One of the most prominent petitioners, at that time, offered, in case it was built, to contribute a barrel of rum to encourage the workmen who should be employed in its construction.
There were five sawmills in the town, Batchelder's, Dodge's, the old mill, Prescott's and Weare's, all fitted with the up-and- down saw. Under favorable conditions these mills would not average to cut more than two thousand feet each in a day. One portable mill, such as is in use today, would cut out more per day than the whole of these combined. Most of the lumber used in this immediate community came from these mills. Not as much lumber was called for as at the present time. Moses Batchelder got out a great deal of lumber-when we consider the size of Grapevine run, he had a second dam and used nearly all the water. He had some mechanical skill and was able to keep his mill in good order without much outside assistance. Mr. Batchelder got out a great deal of boat stuff for the boat builders in Seabrook; at that time a great many boats were built in Sea- brook. The Batchelder mill was removed a little before 1900.
Mr. Prescott's mill was the last one to be built. The land
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was very flat above the mill and he had trouble with the land- owners on account of flowage. After his death in 1853 the land- owners bought the mill and had it removed. This mill was in existence about ten years, or a little more.
The old mill was on Taylor River. A sawmill had been in existence on or near this location since the early settlement of the country. At this time it was owned and operated by part- ners. It was thoroughly overhauled in 1849 and put in up-to- date condition. It did as good business as could have been expected when operated by so many parties. There is a sawmill on this site at the present time.
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