History of Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, Part 112

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton)
Publication date: 1885
Publisher: Philadelphia : J.W. Lewis
Number of Pages: 1168

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Another, about two miles above, always known as Hill's ferry ; and the third about three miles below, first called Hardy's and later Pollard's ferry.

Taylor's Falls bridge remained a toll-bridge until

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1855, when a highway was laid out over it by the county, and it became a free bridge.

It was a lattice bridge, built of the best of old growth native white pine, and remained until 1881, a period of fifty-four years, when it was replaced by a substantial iron structure.

Post-Offices and Postmasters .- Prior to 1818 there was no post-office in this town, and letters and other matter sent by mail, addressed to Nottingham West people, were sent to the post-office at Litchfield, which was established as early as 1804.

A post-office by the name of Nottingham West was established at the Centre July 12, 1818, and Reuben Greeley was appointed postmaster at the same time.

The name was changed to Hudson June 9, 1831.

It was discontinued March 3, 1835, and re-estab- lished April 25, 1835.

The office was removed to Taylor's Falls bridge Sep- tember, 1853, and was discontinued again April 13, 1868, and re-established September 21, 1868.

Hudson post-office remains at the bridge. A daily mail is carried between this office and the Nashua post-office, the distance being less than one and one- half miles.

November 1, 1876, another post-office, called Hud- son Centre, was established at the station of the Nashua and Rochester Railroad at the Centre, and Eli Hamblet appointed postmaster.

The following list exhibits the names of all the postmasters from 1818 to 1885, with the time for which they severally held the office :

Reuben Greeley, from July 12, 1818, to April 17, 1829. James Tenney, from April 17, 1829, to March 3, 1835. Elbridge Dow, from April 25, 1835, to November 13, 1849. Reuben Greeley, from November 13, 1849, to September 15, 1853. Thomas II. Ewins, from September 15, 1853, to December 3, 1855. George W. Hills, from December 3, 1855, to April 13, 1868.

Willard I1. Webster, from September 21, 1868, to November 15, 1869. Nathan P. Webster, from November 15, 1869, to July 24, 1878. Waldo P. Walton, from July 24, 1878, to April 14, 1879. Nathan P. Webster, from April 14, 1879, to the present time, 1885.

Eli Hamblet, at Hudson Centre, appointed No- vember 1, 1876, continues to hold the office.

Paul Colburn was appointed postmaster October 27, 1863, but failed to qualify or enter upon the duties of the office, and G. W. Hills was continued in office until 1868.

Nottingham West Social Library .- In 1797, Samuel Marsh, Joseph Winn, Phineas Underwood, Eleazer Cummings, John Pollard and Joseph Greeley petitioned the General Court for the incorporation of a library, and December 9th of the same year an act was passed incorporating the same by the name of Nottingham West Social Library.

The proprietors of this library were very fortunate in the selection of books, many of them being of a high order, and it continued in active existence until after 1840, when it was dissolved and the books divided among the proprietors.

Soon after the first library association was dissolved

the Hudson Social Library was organized, but it was dissolved and the books divided in 1857.

Schools and School Districts .- Prior to 1754 no money had been raised for the support of schools.

At the annual meeting of that year, " Voted, to hire a school-master the ensuing year, and to raise one hundred and twenty pounds, old tenor, for the support of said school, which shall be proportionated between Hills' Farms, Bush Hill and the lower end of the town."

No further action was taken in relation to schools until 1759.

The law in force in New Hampshire prior to and for some years after the Revolution required towns having fifty families to support a public school for teaching children in town to "read and write," and towns having one hundred families or more to main- tain a grammar school.

These schools were sustained by an annual tax, voted by the town, and were wholly under the charge and control of the selectmen.

This school law remained in force without material change till 1789.

The following exhibit presents the yearly amount of the school-tax voted from 1754 for the following thirty-five years :

In 1754 one hundred and twenty pounds, old tenor. In 1755, 1756, 1757 and 1758, no school tax. In 1759 three hundred pounds, old tenor. From 1760 to 1765, inclusive, no school tax. In 1766 and 1767 fifteen pounds lawful money or silver each year. In 1768 four hundred pounds, old tenor. In 1769 and 1770 no school tax. In 1771 and 1772 eight pounds lawful money each year. In 1773 and 1774 sixteen pounds lawful money each year. In 1775 eight pounds, and in 1776 twelve pounds lawful money. In 1777 twenty-four pounds in Continental paper money. In 1778 no school tax. In 1779 three hundred pounds. In 1780 four hundred and fifty pounds, all in Continental money. In 1781, 1782, 1783, 1784, 1785, 1786 and 1787 thirty-six pounds each year, lawful money. In 1788 forty pounds, and in 1789 thirty-six pounds law- ful money.

An act of the General Court, passed in 1789, re- pealed the school laws till that time in force, and made it the duty of the selectmen yearly to assess upon the inhabitants of each town forty-five pounds upon each twenty shillings of the town's proportion of the public taxes, for teaching the children and youth of the town " reading, writing and arithmetic."

The first school tax assessed under this law, in 1790, was forty pounds.

Since the law of 1789 was passed very little money has been assessed for schools in addition to the amount required by law.

School Districts .- In 1785 the selectmen were chosen a committee to divide the town into school districts and number the same. The committee made no report to the town until 1799, when a report was

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HISTORY OF HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

submitted, which was adopted, dividing the town into nine school districts and establishing the boun- daries of each district.

In 1805 a number of the inhabitants of District No. 9, petitioned for a new district, which petition was granted by a vote of the town, and School District No. 10 was set off from the westerly part of No. 9 as a new and separate district.

In 1835 a committee was chosen to "take a view of the town in respect to school districts and report."

March 14, 1837, the committee made a report giving definite boundaries of each of the ten school districts.

With one minor amendment, the town " Voted, that the report fixes the school districts in this town with regard to bounds and limits."

But few changes had been made in the boundaries of the districts since 1805, and, with the exception of the new district made in that year, the limits of the several districts, as established by the last committee, were substantially the same as those made by the committee chosen in 1785.

The districts remained with no material alterations from 1837 to 1885, when, at the annual March meeting, the town voted to abolish the school districts and adopt the "Town System," under section 2, chapter 86, of the General Laws ; and Kimball Web- ster, David O. Smith and Daniel Gage were elected a Board of Education.

Population .- By the provincial census taken in 1767 the town contained a population of five hundred and eighty-three, with two slaves.

In September, 1775, a second census was taken by the New Hampshire Convention, when the town was credited with a population of six hundred and forty- nine. Men in the army, twenty-two ; slaves, four.

According to the several censuses taken in different years since, the population was as follows: 1790, 1064; 1800, 1267; 1810, 1376; 1820, 1227; 1830, 1282; 1840, 1144; 1850, 1312; 1860, 1222; 1870, 1066; 1880, 1045.

Physicians .- I have been unable to obtain data sufficient to give as full and accurate an account of the physicians who have been residents in this town as would be desirable, yet the following exhibit is believed to contain the names of nearly all those who have practiced their profession here as resident phy- cians.

Dr. Ezekiel Chase. probably the first, removed into this town as early as 1741. He was appointed a justice of the peace about the year 1747, did much official business and was a very prominent man in the affairs of the town.

His wife, Priscilla (Merrill), died February 22, 1768, in her fifty-ninth year.

His death is not found recorded, but it occurred not earlier than 1780.

Dr. John Hall was a resident in 1779 and 1780.

Dr. Joseph Gray removed into this town about 1782, and remained until 1790.

Dr. Apollos Pratt resided here in 1803 and 1804, and possibly later.

Dr. Paul Tenney, born in Rowley, Mass., April 11, 1763, married, November 2, 1790, Sarah Gibson, of Pelham ; removed into this town as early as 1789, where he practiced his profession for more than thirty years. He resided at the Centre, where he built a tomb, the only one in town, and died April 6, 1821.

Dr. Daniel Tenney, son of Dr. Paul Tenney, born June 15, 1795, practiced his profession for a few years in this town, and removed to Derry. He died November 7, 1840.

Dr. Dustin Barrett was also born in this town, was a very skillful physician and practiced here for several years. He died June 1, 1831, aged thirty- seven years.

Dr. Henry M. Hooke removed into the town a few years after the death of Dr. Barrett, and remained until about 1847, when he removed to Lowell, Mass., where he died a few years later.

Dr. James Emery commenced the practice of his profession in Hudson about 1847.

He acquired an extensive practice, and remained in town until the time of his death, which occurred September 30, 1880.

Dr. David O. Smith, son of Alvan Smith, born in this town, commenced the practice of his profession here May 1, 1850, since which time he has been an active and industrious practitioner, and is now (1885) the only resident physician in Hudson.

Nashua and Rochester Railroad .- One railroad only intersects Hudson. The Nashua and Rochester went into operation in the fall of 1874. It crosses the Merrimack from Nashua about sixty rods below Taylor's Falls bridge, and follows a northeasterly course through Hudson Centre to Beaver Brook, a distance of about four miles, where it enters Wind- ham.

There is but one railroad station in town, and that at Hudson Centre, where Eli Hamblet is station- agent and postmaster. Under an act of the Legisla- ture, passed June session, 1883. this railroad has been consolidated with the Worcester and Nashua Railroad, which consolidated road is called the Worcester, Nashua and Rochester Railroad. It forms a con- tinuous line from Worcester, Mass., to Rochester, N. H., where it connects with the Portland and Rochester.

The inhabitants of Hudson are and always have been principally engaged in agriculture, no extensive manufactories ever having existed in town.

Some twenty or more of those residing near the Bridge are employed in the manufactories and upon the railroads in Nashua.

In 1820 Hudson contained two meeting-houses, one tavern, three stores, four saw-mills, four grain- mills, two clothing-mills and one carding-machine.

There are now (1885) in town two grist-mills, two saw-mills, one drug and spice-mill, one file-shop,

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three meeting-houses and ten school-houses. At the Bridge is one store, two wheelwright-shops and two blacksmith-shops, and at the Centre one store and a blacksmith-shop.

Deposits in the savings-banks in the State, one hun- dred and forty-two thousand and twenty-nine dollars.

CHAPTER V. HUDSON-(Continued).

ECCLESIASTICAL IHISTORY.

Congregational and Presbyterian Churches-Rev. Nathaniel Merrill- North Meeting-House-South Meeting-House ; Ministers-Congrega- tional Meeting-llouse ; Members-The Baptist Church and Society ; Ministers-Baptist Meeting-House ; Deacons, Members-Methodist Episcopal Church and Society ; Meeting-Houses, Ministers, Members.

IN former chapters I have already given an account of the organization of the Congregational Church, November 30, 1737, and the ordination of Rev. Nathaniel Merrill as pastor on the same day ; of the building of the first and second meeting-houses by the town ; and of the building of the North meeting- house by the Presbyterians. For the first fifty-eight years of the existence of this church no original records are now to be found, other than such as are contained in the town records.

Mr. Merrill's relations as pastor to the church con- tinued till very near the time of his death, in 1796, although his civil contract with the town was dis- solved July 11, 1774.

He continued to preach in the second meeting- house until it was sold by the town, in 1778, and later in the meeting-house in the south part of the town, which probably was the same building, bought and removed by the Congregational Church and Society, and called " Mr. Merrill's meeting-house."

He was son of Abel Merrill ; born in West New- bury, Mass., March 1, 1712, and was graduated at Harvard College in 1732.

He seems to have been a man almost universally loved and revered by his church and people, as his long-continued services as pastor, extending over a period of nearly fifty-nine years, will attest.

For a few years preceding 1774, the time of his dis- missal by the town, some trouble occasionally arose in relation to the payment of his salary, which be- came largely in arrears, owing to the Presbyterians voting against raising money for the purpose, and re- fusing to pay such taxes when assessed against them.

It is a singular fact that no record of his death can be found, and that among his very numerous posterity the exact date is unknown.

A headstone-erected by his grandchildren many years after his death-marks his grave, and dates his death in 1796, but the day or month is not given.

It will be remembered that Londonderry was settled by Presbyterians, and before a portion of that town

was annexed to Nottingham West, in 1778, a large number of families of that denomination were resi- dents in this town, who, joining with others of the south part of Londonderry, a Presbyterian Church was organized, probably before the North meeting- house was built, or as early as 1770.

No records of this church are to be found earlier than 1816, the date of its union with the Congregational Church.

Its first minister of whom we can find any record was Rev. John Strickland.

The exact date at which he commenced preaching here is uncertain, but the town records incidentally show that he was paid a salary by the Presbyterians in 1773.

Mr. Fox, in his historical sketch of Hudson, says, -- " July 3, 1774, Rev. John Strickland was ordained, but after a few years was dismissed by the town."

That he was ordained as pastor of the Presbyterian Church July 3, 1774, is probably true, but the town records do not show that as a town it had anything to do with his settlement or dismissal.

He probably remained here until 1784, as his name appears for the last time in the tax-list for that year.

For several years the town assessed a minister tax of sixty pounds, twenty-five pounds of which was to be paid to Mr. Merrill, and the balance laid out for preaching at the North meeting-house.

In 1792 the town entered into some agreement with the proprietors, and repaired the North meeting- house.

It appears that Rev. Matthew Scribner preached here about 1790, and Rev. Mr. Parrish soon after, but no minister was settled until 1796, when, on the 24th of February, Rev. Jabez Pond Fisher, a Congre- gational minister, was ordained at the North meeting- house.

Mr. Fisher was graduated at Brown University in 1788, and was voted a settlement by the town, under protest of the Presbyterians against paying any part of the same, or of his salary of four hundred dollars, and an annual salary of three hundred and ten dollars so long as he should continue as pastor.

As early as 1790 an unsuccessful effort was made by the town to purchase the North meeting-house from the proprietors, and in 1797 a like attempt was made, with no better result.

The town, having repaired the house, claimed to own a part in common with the proprietors and pew- holders.

Many of the Presbyterians declined to pay any tax for the support of Mr. Fisher, and the proprietors refused to permit him to preach in the North meet- ing-house.

This led to a very bitter controversy, in which a committee chosen to open the house on the Sabbath used axes upon the doors to effect an entrance, but without success, as the resistance by the proprietors, led by Asa Davis, Esq., upon the inside, was so great

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HISTORY OF HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

that the attempt was abandoned, and the meeting for that day was held in the open air upon the common in a drizzling rain.

After this Mr. Fisher preached in the meeting- house already mentioned, in the south part of the town, in private houses, barns and in the open air, until the South meeting-house was built, in 1798, by proprietors connected with the Congregational Church and Society.

At the time Mr. Fisher was ordained the members of the Congregational Church numbered a little more than fifty, and while he was pastor, about five years, thirty-six were admitted.

From obvious reasons, the town failed to raise the money to pay Mr. Fisher as had been agreed, and in consequence of his salary being largely in arrears, in 1801 he called for a dismissal, which was granted by an ecclesiastical council, to take effect June 4th of the same year.

He afterwards brought suit against the town to re- cover a balance of $1013.92 due him, which amount was allowed and paid in 1802,-members of the Pres- byterian and Baptist Churches being exempt from paying any part of this tax by a vote of the town passed October 30, 1797.

For about fifteen years after Mr. Fisher left, the church remained in a very weak condition, and the records show of but little as having been done and very few new members added. Preaching was sustained but a small part of the time until 1816, when, on the 15th of October of that year, the Congregational Church united with individual members of Presby- terian Churches and organized a Presbyterian Church under the Londonderry Presbytery.

At the date of the union the church was very small; only eleven Presbyterians and thirteen Congregation- alists are given as uniting to form the new organiza- tion, but many members of the old churches and new converts were admitted soon after.

After the organization of the new church preach- ing was maintained nearly all the time, it being di- vided between the two meeting-houses,-twenty-four Sabbaths in the year it was at the North meeting-house and the balance of the year at the South meeting- house,-but no minister was settled until 1825.

During this period the pulpit was supplied by Rev. Mr. Wheelock, Rev. Samuel Harris, Rev. Mr. Stark- weather and others.

November 2, 1825, Rev. William K. Talbot was ordained, under an agreement that he should remain as pastor for five years, at a salary of four hundred dollars annually.

At this time the church had a membership of about ninety, but during the four years that Mr. Talbot was pastor more than one hundred new members were added.

In February, 1829, owing to arrearages being due him, Mr. Talbot requested a dismissal as pastor at the end of four years, instead of five, as had been agreed.

The church refused to comply with this request, but upon an appeal to the Presbytery he obtained a dis- missal and soon after removed from town, and a few years later was deposed from the ministry.

In an appeal to the Presbytery by a committee chosen by the church to oppose the dismissal of Mr. Talbot, that committee gave among other causes for his salary being in arrears,-" That many have died, -out of the town sixty deaths occurred in one year, and ten or more of the best families have providen- tially removed to other places of residence, five of whom were elders, or elders elect."

The church had no settled minister for the next fifteen years, but the pulpit was supplied a part of the time by Rev. Samuel H. Tolman, a Methodist min- ister, Rev. Samuel Harris, Rev. Mr. Wheeler, Rev. Mr. Lawrence, Rev. Willard Holbrook and others.

At an ecclesiastical council composed of ministers and delegates from several Congregational Churches, convened at the South meeting-house September 29, 1841, the Presbyterian Church organization was dis- solved, and the members were organized into a Con- gregational Church, called the Evangelical Congre- gational Church of Hudson, which adopted the articles of faith of that denomination.

The names of twenty-six members were enrolled at the time of its organization, and sixty others united within the next two years.

A new meeting-house was built in 1842, fifty by forty feet, located about one-half mile east of Taylor's Falls bridge, near the Methodist house, which had been built two years previous.

Soon after, the Rev. William Page was engaged to supply the pulpit, and in 1844 an invitation from the church and society to settle as pastor was accepted by him, and he was ordained August 24th of the same year.

His pastoral relations continued until 1852, when his request for a dismissal was granted by an ecclesi- astical council June 28th of that year.

During about eight years of Mr. Page's labors after he was ordained about thirty members united with the church.

The next minister was the Rev. Daniel L. French, who was hired to supply the pulpit soon after the dis- missal of Mr. Page, and remained till the time of his death, which occurred July 20, 1860.

For the next eight years the desk was supplied by Addison Heald, Rev. Austin Richards, Rev. S. D. Pike, Rev. Benjamin Howe and Rev. Silas M. Blanchard.

For about eight years prior to October, 1876, no preaching was sustained by this society.

Rev. John W. Haley commenced to supply the pulpit October 2, 1876, and soon after many were united with the church.

In November, 1878, Mr. Haley closed his labors here, and preached his farewell sermon on the 24th of that month.

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The Rev. S. D. Austin, of Nashua, has since sup- plied the pulpit the most of the time and is the present minister.

The number of members is now about sixty.

The Baptist Church and Society .- The Baptist Church was organized May 1, 1805, with sixty-five members, who had been dismissed from the Baptist Church in Londonderry, of which they constituted a branch for several years, acting in harmony with said church, but sustaining preaching and the ordi- nances of the church.

The church was organized by an ecclesiastical council upon the above date, and took the name of the Baptist Church of Christ in Nottingham West.

For several years after its organization the church did not enjoy the labors of a settled pastor, but the pulpit was supplied by Rev. Thomas Paul (colored), Rev. Robert Jones, Rev. Samuel Ambrose and John Young.

The labors of Rev. Thomas Paul were especially effective, and many united with the church under his preaching.

The first pastor of the church was Rev. Ezra Ken- dall, who assumed his charge November 3, 1808, and resigned March 5, 1810. After Mr. Kendall resigned, the pulpit was supplied by Rev. Isaiah Stone, Rev. John Perkins and others, until 1814.

June 19, 1811, the church was incorporated, and all the right of the proprietors to the North meeting- house, and the lot of land upon which it stood, was conveyed to it November 26th of the same year.

Rev. Daniel Merrill, who had several years previous preached in town as a Congregational minister, was invited to the pastorate of the church in May, 1814, and accepted the invitation in August following.

Mr. Merrill was a very radical man in his beliefs. After he renounced the Congregational creed he was a very zealous advocate of the sentiments of the Bap- tist denomination.

One of his successors in the ministry, in writing a history of the church, says, "That it was not difficult for a stranger, after hearing him preach one sermon, to decide with what Christian denomination he had cast his lot." During his ministry, which continued about six years, seventy-five were baptized and re- ceived into the church.

He resigned in September, 1820, and during the next two years the pulpit was supplied a part of the time by Rev. Isaac Wescott, Rev. Otis Robinson and others. Rev. Joseph Davis was ordained June 18, 1823, and resigned November 5, 1824.

There was another interim of about three years and a half, during which time the church did not have any settled minister, and the desk was supplied by Rev. Otis Robinson, Rev. George Evans, Rev. Samuel Elliot, Rev. John Peacock and others.

The next pastor of the church was the Rev. Benja- min Dean, who commenced his labors in April, 1828. Mr. Dean's connection with the church

terminated June 26, 1830, under circumstances of a painful nature. He was deposed from the ministry by an ecclesiastical council, and excluded from the fellowship of the church.

The church remained without a pastor for nearly four years, but the pulpit was supplied a part of the time by Rev. Otis Robinson, Stephen Pillsbury and others.

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History of Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, Part 112

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) Publication date: 1885 Publisher: Philadelphia : J.W. Lewis Number of Pages: 1168

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton)
Publication date: 1885
Publisher: Philadelphia : J.W. Lewis
Number of Pages: 1168