USA > New Hampshire > Rockingham County > Hampton Falls > History of Hampton Falls, N.H., Volume II > Part 23
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Dodge's mill was situated on the Falls River, near the falls, from which the town takes its name. In the early days it did a great deal of business. A great deal of boat stuff was got out here for the Seabrook boat builders and those at Salisbury Point and Ring's Island on the Merrimack River. The Dodge mill was removed many years ago.
Weare's mill dates from the early settlement of the town. It is situated on the Falls River a couple of miles or so above Dodge's mill. Considerable business was done here. It is still in existence and is the only mill, anywhere in this vicinity, which still uses the up-and-down saw. At the present time it is much cheaper to put the portable mill on the lot than to be at the expense of drawing the lumber to the old time sawmills. This is the reason why the old sawmills have in most cases gone out of use.
Nearly every winter Thomas Brown got out one or more house or barn frames, framing them so as to be erected when removed to their permanent location. Among them was the Ocean House at Hampton Beach which was burned many years ago.
Samuel Batchelder handled and delivered a great deal of heavy oak and pine timber to the ship builders in Newburyport. He bought a great many masts and bowsprits from Joseph Moulton. Some of the masts were one hundred feet in length.
There were three gristmills in the town, Dodge's, Weare's and Colonel Lane's windmill, all of which did a great deal of business. Many thought that the meal Uncle John Weare made was better than any one else's.
Aaron Coffin's mill on the Hampton side of the Taylor River received a large patronage from this town. He put in a cob
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CONDITIONS IN TOWN FROM 1840 TO 1850
cracker which did a large business as it saved the labor of shelling the corn. Cob meal was not valued as feed for milch cows as it is at the present time. Cows at that time were not much of a factor in our farming. For a time a great deal of corn was taken to the gristmill at Exeter, until it was found by weighing that the grist shrunk much more than one-sixteenth which was the legal toll.
Colonel Lane's windmill did some business. It was said that his gears were a little too heavy to operate to the best advantage by wind power. The roguish boys from the school would often go up and, by taking hold of the arms, stop the mill. As soon as this was accomplished, the boys took a sudden leave as an infuriated little man was sure to make his appearance around the corner. Colonel Lane ground plaster of paris which, at that time, was being used, by our farmers, in growing potatoes. At that time meal was not sold at the stores. When corn was bought it had to be taken to the mill to be ground, which made a great deal of business for the gristmills, which ceased when meal could be bought.
A house or barn raising was quite an event. A large number of men were gathered who proceeded to erect the frame. There were a few who were expert and handy in making things come together, and who prided themselves on their ability to walk about on the timbers without fear when the work was finished. A good supper of baked beans, brown bread and other substantial food was provided in abundance, to which the company did full justice. Raisings were enjoyable occasions, but now have become obsolete. It is to be doubted if a company of men, cap- able of doing this work, could now be assembled.
In the olden times it was sometimes a custom to name the building when the frame was erected. Some man would go up and stand on his head or hang by his heels from the ridge pole and drink from a bottle and announce the name, or a sentiment. We give an example:
Some oak and some pine,
Some coarse and some fine,
Some old and some new,
Hand on the bottle and that will do.
Cyrus Brown made bricks on his land near the depot. The clay was said to have been of a superior quality for brick making
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HISTORY OF HAMPTON FALLS
and bricks of the best kind were turned out. Several attempts have since been made to revive the business, but have not been successful. There was a complaint by the workmen that green head flies and minges were very annoying in their season.
The electric telegraph came into successful operation about this time. A line was installed along the line of the Eastern Railroad. The singing of the wires in the wind was supposed to be caused by the news passing over them.
A store was kept in the building now occupied by Mr. Merrill, but it has been considerably enlarged since that time. Elijah Valentine who came from Massachusetts was here for a time. He sold out to William H. Hills and John N. Sleeper who came from Plaistow. They came here as students at the academy. Mr. Hills was appointed postmaster. This firm continued for a couple of years or so and were succeeded by Joseph T. Sanborn who remained for a number of years, until 1854. In those days the store did not do a great deal of business. Those who kept horses traded out of town at Newburyport and elsewhere. Later a great deal of trade went to the Lane store at Hampton, which was the first in this vicinity to keep a general store with a great variety of goods. When Mr. Hills resigned at the post office, Jacob T. Brown was appointed and he removed the office to the residence of Thomas Brown, nearly two miles from its former location, toward Exeter. It was kept here a few months, but was not found as convenient for its patrons as the former loca- tion. Although this was near the territorial centre of the town, it was not the business centre. Lowell Brown, Jr., was appointed postmaster and removed the office to the store of his brother, Cyrus Brown, in a building near the brick house which was after- ward burned. The office continued here for a number of years until 1853. Cyrus Brown kept some groceries and other goods. The store business at that time was mostly confined to patrons who could not go elsewhere and was necessarily small. Since then the country stores have kept a large assortment of goods and get nearly all the trade of the towns in which they are lo- cated. At that time our stores did not sell grain, which, after the milk business came, became an important factor in the store business.
The grafting of apple and other fruit trees was said to have been introduced into the town by Rev. Jacob Abbot; he also
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CONDITIONS IN TOWN FROM 1840 TO 1850
brought in some new varieties of apples. The grafting of apple trees became general after the temperance movement, soon after 1840. Before that time the orchards were mostly of natural fruit; some of which were very good eating varieties. The Baldwin was grown but little, with some Greenings and Russets. Gangs of men were employed, from some time in March till the first of June, in setting grafts. Robert F. Williams of Hampton did a great deal of this kind of work, often taking an orchard for one-half the crop for a period of years. Morrill Coffin was skillful in this work and did a great deal of grafting in this town. Some thought that two or more kinds of apples growing upon the same tree was a great curiosity, but this was not a thing to be commended.
Tallow candles and sperm oil lamps were the methods of illu- mination. These with the aid of the open fire illuminated the room in the evening. The candles were made from the tallow obtained from the animals killed upon the farm. The housewife made the candles by dipping the wicks in hot tallow and allowing them to cool; then the process was repeated until the candles were of the desired size. Some candles were made in moulds after the wicks had been put in and adjusted. Candles made a dim light, and required constant snuffing; the smoke from them was disagreeable. Oil lamps were disagreeable. Late in the decade burning fluid came. It was clean, made a bright light, and was much liked. It was dangerous from explosion in careless hands.
The open fire was the only cheerful thing about the evening illumination. To watch the fire was always interesting. There was usually a fore stick and backlog, as the foundation of the fire. The fireplace was usually built into the chimney. Some had the Franklin stoves invented by Benjamin Franklin, which were ornamental to the room. The Franklin stove is now much sought for as a curiosity, and commands a big price when found. The open fire was one of the best means of ventilation ever de- vised. It was efficient. It was said of its heating that it roasted on one side and froze on the other. The houses heated by the open fire were, undoubtedly, more healthy than the close, un- ventilated houses of the later days. A great deal of the cooking was done before the open fire, baking in the tin baker, roasting in the tin kitchen, frying in the Dutch oven. Cooking stoves
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HISTORY OF HAMPTON FALLS
had not come into general use and were not perfected to the efficient work of cooking as those of the present time.
When a farmer needed help, there were enough farmers' sons who could be hired at reasonable wages. Not more than $10 or $12 per month, with board was paid. Work usually began at sunrise and often continued until dark. In 1850 good men could be hired for $14, with board. Old men often worked through the winter months for their board.
The first Irishmen in the town came in 1844 when Michael Brown and his brother, John, worked for Wells Healey. If in-door help was wanted there were farmers' daughters, capable and efficient, who could be had for 75 cents to $1 per week, and in some cases marrying the son and later being mistress of the house. Sarah Marston, who lived in the family of Uncle Billy Brown for many years, built the house, now occupied by William Irving, in 1838, at an expense of $250. She earned the money by working at $26 per year and board. This house was built upon a different location from that which it now occupies.
Soap making was an annual occurence in many families. The ashes were carefully saved in a dry place and were placed in the mash tub which had been prepared to receive them. If there was any doubt as to the strength of the ashes some lime was added by way of re-inforcement. Apple tree ashes were con- sidered to be the best as they were supposed to contain a great deal of potash. Beech and pine were the poorest. When the mash had been set up and properly prepared, boiling water was poured on the top and allowed to leach slowly through the mass. When the resulting lye would bear up an egg it was pronounced all right. The grease, which had accumulated during the year, was placed in a kettle and the lye added; when boiled together soap was the result. If from any cause the soap failed to come it was called bad luck. Others made soft soap by using potash which took longer but was not so laborious a process. Soft soap, once common in nearly every family, is now an almost unknown quantity. The housewife usually took charge of the soap making, often doing all the work which was a serious addi- tion to her arduous duties.
Corn huskings were quite often held in the fall. The barn floor would be piled with the corn as it came from the field. A goodly company would assemble and proceed to strip off the
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CONDITIONS IN TOWN FROM 1840 TO 1850
husks. When this had been done a good supper of baked beans, brown bread and pumpkin pie, with coffee and other good things, was provided, to which all proceeded to do full justice. Some had a remarkable capacity for getting outside of a great deal of food, and prided themselves on the amount which they could eat. There were always enough who were willing to husk all the evening if they could enjoy the good supper which they knew would be forthcoming. Huskings were enjoyable social occa- sions.
Some people pastured their cattle and horses in the road, which caused a great deal of trouble to travellers, and the keeping of the gates and bars closed to prevent trespass. Votes were passed at various times to abate this nuisance, and restrain animals from running at large upon the highways, but they were not very effective. At the present time this has been remedied by the removal of roadside fences, which has also removed a serious cause of trouble. Geese were kept and allowed to run at large. The ganders were a great terror to little children on the way to and from school.
After the Eastern Railroad was completed, wood was used for fuel by the locomotives. Wood and water were taken at Hamp- ton. This made a good market for pine wood and a great deal was delivered there. Some of the old people became alarmed and were afraid the wood would all be cut off. Some even deprived themselves of enough fuel to make themselves comfortable. It is now apparent that their fears were groundless. $3 per cord was paid for pine wood. .
Many of the plows used in the town were made by John French of Kensington. These plows did good work on ordinary land, but were not found strong enough when it came to reclaim- ing low lands. Other plows were introduced adapted to this kind of work. Oxen were used. It was no uncommon sight to see two men, one driving four oxen and another holding the plow, with not more than an acre plowed in a day. The square- spiked tooth harrow was the one in general use; it would smooth the land but did not loosen and pulverize the soil as the disk and other harrows of the present time. Harrowing was considered a good place to train and subdue steers.
Most of the blacksmith work was done at Marsh's shop near Kenny Brook. This shop was formerly the Christian Baptist
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HISTORY OF HAMPTON FALLS
meeting house, built in 1805, and had been removed to this loca- tion. Richard Marsh worked here until 1846 when he removed to Amesbury. He was succeeded by his brother, Alfred, who continued until 1855. Alfred Marsh was a giant, weighing more than 400 pounds. Both Marshes were expert horse shoers. Lame horses were not seen or heard of much after then. They shod a great many horses from out of town. Before coming here they had been located at Newburyport where they shod the horses for the Eastern Stage Company who claimed that they were the best shoers they ever employed. They shod a great many oxen which was quite a business of that time, when most of the work was done by oxen. They did not claim to be job workmen and did not do much of that kind of work. Most of that kind of work was taken to Mr. Young at Hampton, who was an expert in that line of work. There was not as much job work at that time as there has been in recent years. Aaron Gove had a shop on what is now Mr. Godfrey's lawn; he had ceased to do much work and died in 1850. Early in the 40's Charles Chase had a shop on the Newburyport road; he was an ingenious work- man. Later he removed to Lawrence.
Charles C. Gove and Samuel Fogg were the carpenters who did much of that kind of work in the town. Dea. Jeremiah Hobbs of Hampton was a wheelwright, and built many of the cartwheels used in the town. His sons, Morris and Obed, hewed and framed a great deal of heavy timber for the people of the town. Joshua Pike was a good workman; he built a great many buildings in Exeter. He built the house occupied by the late Nathan Moul- ton in 1816. After one hundred years the house is as plumb, square and level in every particular as it was when completed. This is a monument to his skill as a builder.
There were but few who had a variety of fruit. Many did not have pears. Jacob Brown, William Brown, Thomas Brown and Wells Healey, and perhaps a few others, had a variety con- sisting of apples, pears, peaches, plums, cherries and grapes. Peaches were a good money crop. Esquire Leavitt had a great variety of eating apples through the year. It is doubtful if any of those kinds are in existence today. He kept bees and was very successful in their management. Wild strawberries were plentiful in the mowing fields and had a better flavor than the cultivated berries of the present time. The cultivation of straw-
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CONDITIONS IN TOWN FROM 1840 TO 1850
berries was unknown at that time. The stealing of fruit was at that time much more common than now.
Private burying places for the dead upon the farm was a com- mon practice in some cases. Later this practice was found ob- jectionable and in every case the bodies have been removed to the cemeteries.
Moses Brown, Andrew J. Chase and Woodbury Marsten went to California in 1849.
Stephen Dodge was the only man from this town who was a soldier in the Mexican War.
Thayer Sanborn bought and shipped a great many apples and potatoes to the Boston market after the railroad was built. Our people liked to sell to him because they felt sure of getting their pay.
Lawyer Brown and Richard Dodge were interested in vessels engaged in the Labrador fisheries. There were some men in this town who went fishing every summer. Capt. John W. Dodge went to Labrador a number of seasons, taking passengers and engaging in trading and fishing.
Having a somewhat vivid recollection of the hay season of 1850, it might be interesting to consider some of the conditions which existed at that time. There was none of the labor saving machinery such as is in use at the present time, except the horse rake and that had not come into general use. There were still many who continued to use the hand rake, claiming that more hay was obtained; that it was better for the stubble; that it was easier to handle and cock up, and could be packed closer in the barn, where barn room was scarce. This was thought an advan- tage. The mowing machine, hay tedder, hay loader, horse fork and hay slings were unknown. No one made the hay crop a speciality. Low lands had not been reclaimed and drained. A great deal of land had never been plowed, and produced natural grasses, not more than three-fourths of a ton to the acre. Many fields, which are now smooth and free from obstruction, were at that time encumbered with trees, rocks, stone heaps, bushes and wet spots, which made it much more laborious and difficult to gather the small crop which grew.
Lands were generally planted to hoed crops for two or three years and all the manure from the farm used for the crops. Commercial manures were at that time unknown. The land was
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HISTORY OF HAMPTON FALLS
sown to some crop of grain, with the grass seed. The strength of the manure having nearly all been taken up by the crops raised the grass crop did not receive much benefit from the manure, the soil only being benefited by the stirring and aeration. Lands thus treated produced a ton of hay to the acre for two or three years after seeding; two tons to the acre was rarely heard of. Second crop grass was not much known; what little did grow was highly prized as a feed for calves and lambs. It was thought an injury to the land to cut the second crop, but it might be fed off without injury. This was a distinction hard to understand.
The scythes in use were longer and not as well finished as those of the present time and were more liable to bend. Some of the old mowers demanded a scythe with a four-foot cut. Scythes of that length are now unknown. Phillips, Messer and Colby of New London, N. H., and Dunn and Taylor of the North Wayne Scythe Company of North Wayne, Me., made most of the scythes in use at that time. Some considered it more aristocratic to use the former because Mr. Colby had been governor of the state. There was a complaint that the scythes were not warranted as they had been in a former time. Before these scythe companies came into existence the scythes were made by some blacksmith. Those made by a man named Joy were often spoken of as the best ever in use here. It was thought that scythes made with the hand hammer had a better cutting temper than those made when the trip hammer was used. The patent snathes, similar to those now in use, were introduced a little before 1850. The scythe was fastened with a heel-ring and wedge. Those which fastened with screw and wrench came a few years later.
The light steel-tined forks were introduced soon after 1840. The forks used before were made by the common blacksmith; the tines were large and made of iron, were easily bent and often loose in the handle and much harder to use than the steel forks. A man could do much more work with the latter. Steel-tined forks cost much more than at the present time.
The wooden tooth revolving horse rake was introduced about 1830 but was not in universal use in 1850. It did good work, raked clean, left the hay free from dust and dirt and in good con- dition to cock up. It required a boy to ride the horse and a man to hold the rake. Some drove the horse with long reins and held the rake; this was a laborious task. There has not been a very
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CONDITIONS IN TOWN FROM 1840 TO 1850
great improvement in the quality of the work done by the rakes but the modern rakes are easier to use. A rake with steel wire teeth was used for a year or two but it gathered so much dirt and rubbish it was soon discarded. In 1849 came the Delano In- dependent wooden tooth horse rake, mounted upon wheels, whose principal advantage was that the operator could ride. It was hard on both the man and horse. It did not leave the hay in as good shape as the revolver. It continued in use to some extent until the introduction of the wheel rakes, with wire teeth, which first came into use in the time of the Civil War. Up to this time some had continued to rake by hand. The drag, or loafer rake similar to those in use at the present time, came about this time. It was used mostly for raking after the load and was a great labor saver. A heavy drag rake had been in use before but was not used to any great extent.
The usual time for beginning haying was the Monday after the 4th of July. When the 4th came on Tuesday it made a late beginning. About the first of July men came around for a job in haying. They usually had a snathe and two scythes, their other belongings tied up in a handkerchief. Wages demanded were from $1 to 1.25 per day with board. A few who were e xpert received $1.50 which was the top price. These men claimed to be able to do wonders in the hayfield. After a trial the actual re- sults often fell short of being realized. These men could get outside of a great amount of hard cider which at that time found "a place in a majority of the farmers' cellars.
It was the custom to begin mowing by sunrise, or before, as the grass cut easier when wet with dew, and to continue to mow until 9 or 10 o'clock when the dew was off. Then they spread the swathes and opened the hay which was cocked up the day before. If there were old men or boys who did not mow to do this work the mowing continued later. The hay cocks were opened and turned before dinner. The hay thus treated was generally fit to go in early in the afternoon. At that time the hay was mostly got in with oxen and two-wheel carts fitted with ladders, or on two-wheel racks. When the hay was in, the grass mowed in the morning was raked and cocked. This latter work was done much more carefully than we see it done at the present time.
The work of the day was not generally completed before sun-
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HISTORY OF HAMPTON FALLS
set, and often continued until dark and sometimes later; eight or ten hour days at that time were unknown. Some had their supper at 5 and finished the day's work after, claiming that the rest and refreshment made the work easier. It was easier for the women folks as they finished their work earlier. Others finished the day's work before supper. Each practice had its advocates, and each tried to maintain its practice was the best. It is obvious that at the present time this question would create no interest, or find any place among the haymakers, as many end the day at 5 in any case. The work of haying continued much later than now, often through August or into the first of September. Dog days were usually poor hay weather; in 1850 hay stood in cock for three weeks and was not opened and was spoiled.
Some advanced thinkers predicted that the time would come when grass would be cut by machines worked by horses. In the first volume of the New England Farmer published in 1822, we find an account of a man who was working on a model of a mowing machine which consisted of a steel circular disk, five feet across, with a sharp edge, suspended under a pair of wheels and made to revolve by a series of gears. This machine probably never accomplished what the inventor expected of it. In the same volume we find an account of a horse rake with which the inventor claimed he could do as much work as six men with hand rakes. He said that there was some prejudice against its use. From the description it would appear that this rake later devel- oped into the revolving horse rake in general use in the 40's. The first mowing machine used in the town was in 1854. It would cut grass under some conditions, but was not sufficiently perfected to be of much practical value.
SALT MARSH.
Dr. Belknap, in his history of New Hampshire, says that the salt marsh offered great inducements to the first settlers of Hamp- ton, because of the ease with which they could get hay to feed their cattle. From that time the marshes were popular and much valued because they needed neither fence or manure. The crop could be removed annually for years with no fear of exhausting their productive capacity, and the taxes were insignificant in amount. When the grass was ready to cut it was the custom to
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