History of Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, Part 132

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

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Milford is fifty miles from Boston, thirty from the State capital, and lies in latitude between 42° and 43º north and longitude between 5° and 6º east from Washington, and became a town by an act of the Legislature of New Hampshire, passed January 11, 1794, and is therefore but a little over fourscore years and ten in age. Not having yet seen a century of town existence, the celebration of its first centennial, January 11, 1894, will be an event of much interest to its devoted children. It will soon be here, for

" Time hurries on

With a resistless, nnremitting stream."

It will be interesting to see what new discoveries will have been made at the end of a little less than another decade. Who can predict what is coming ? Who can appreciate or comprehend its significance when it has come? Marvelous inventions and revela- tions are constantly coming to the light, and no one is astonished. They are accepted as if they had been long expected. They may be

" The greatest schemes that Inman wit can forge

Or bold ambition dares to put in practice,"

and yet humanity remains undisturbed and acts as if nothing had occurred; but

" We shall see what we shall see."

On May 30, 1860, Amherst, to whom we were once wedded and from whom we were long ago divorced, cele-

brated its centennial. Milford, by vote of the town, took an active part in the celebration. It sent one person from each school district as a committee, namely : No. 1, Gilman Wheeler; No. 2, Levi Cur- tis; No. 3, N. C. Curtis; No. 4, Joel H. Gutterson; No. 5, Isaac Burns; No. 6, R. D. Bennett, No. 7, Jacob Sargeant ; No. 8, Whitcomb Tarbell ; No. 9, William Ramsdell; and an additional committee for Nos. 1 and 9, of Humphrey Moore, Abel Chase and Pomeroy M. Rossiter.

The following is a copy of the charter by which Milford was incorporated, taken from the town records :

"STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE, 1794.

"In the year of our Lord, one thousand seven hundred and ninety- four.

"An Act to incorporate the Southwesterly part of Amherst, the northwesterly part of Hollis, the Mile Slip and Duxbury School farm into a town, and to invest the inhabitants thereof with all such privileges and immunities as other towns in this State hold and enjoy.

" Whereas, a petition signed by a number of the inhabitants of the Sonthwesterly part of Amherst, the northwesterly part of Hollis, the Mile Slip and Duxbury School farm (so called) has been preferred, set- ting forth that by an act of incorporation passed by the Legislature of this State, on the first day of June, in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and ninety-two, the southwest part of Amherst aforesaid was, by certain boundaries therein described, made a parish ; that the tract of land therein contained is too small for a town ; that the inhabit- ants of the Mile Slip and Duxbury School farm aforesaid are unable to support the Gospel, build bridges and maintain schools; that a number of the inhabitants of the northwesterly part of said Hollis could be better accommodated by being annexed to the southwest parish in Amherst. They, therefore, prayed that they might be incorporated and made a body Politic, with all the Corporate powers and privileges by law vested in other towns. And the inhabitants of the town of Amherst, in legal Town-meeting, having voted their assent to the same ;

" Therefore, Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives, in General Court Convened, that all the lands and inhabitants within the following limits : viz., Beginning at the southwest corner of the northwest parish in Amherst aforesaid, on Lyndeborough East line, thence running easterly to the northeast corner of Amos Green's lot, called the Mill lot ; thence southerly on a straight line to the south west corner of lot No. 20 ; thence easterly on the range line to the north- easterly corner of William Peabody's land ; thence southerly on the range line between John Shepherd, Esq., and William Peabody's land until it comes to land belonging to the heirs of John Shepard, late of said Amherst, deceased ; thence easterly to the northeast corner of the sanie, joining to land of the same John Shepard, Esq. ; thence southerly, by land of John Shepard, Esq., aforesaid, on the range line to Souhegan River ; thence down the middle of said River till it strike land owned by Benjamin and Stephen Kindrick ; thence southerly by said Kindrick land to the road leading from David Danforth's to the town of Wilton ; thence crossing the same and running a south point to Hollis Line, be- ing near David Duncklee house, and then to the northeast corner of the land lately laid off from said Hollis by their committee appointed for the above purpose ; thence running south about twelve degrees east so as to strike the northeast corner of John Stearns' land, it being the northwest corner of Robert Colbourn's land ; thence on the same course until it comes to the southeast corner of the said Stearns' land ; thence westerly, by said Stearns' and William Ilaley land, until it comes to the northwest corner of said Haley land, thence westerly to the northeast corner of Mr. Gould's land, and so on westerly, by said Gould and David Danforth's land, to said Gould's northwest corner ; thence turning southerly to the southeast corner of Robert Darrah's land ; thence west fifteen degrees south until it comes to Rahy east line ; thence northerly on said Raby east line until it comes to the south line of said Amherst ; thence northerly on the north line of said Raby to the southwest corner of Am- herst ; thence southerly by the west line of Raby to the southeast corner of the Mile Slip; thence westerly to the southwest corner thereof ; thence northerly on east line of Mason & Wilton to the northwest corner of the Mile Slip ; thence easterly on tlie south line of Lyndeborough to the southeast corner thereof ; thence northerly by the east line of Lynde- borough to the bound first mentioned, Be, and the same are hereby in-

553

MILFORD.

corporated into a town by the name of Milford ; and the inhabitants who reside and shall hereafter reside within the before-mentioned boundaries are made and constituted a body politic and corporate, and invested with all the powers, privileges and immunities which towns in this State by law are entitled to enjoy ; to remain a distinct town and have continuance and succession for ever. And be it further Enacted that Augustus Blanchard, Esquire, be, and he hereby is, authorized and em- powered to call a meeting of said inhabitants for the purpose of choosing all necessary Town Officers ; and shall preside therein until a Moderator shall be chosen to govern said meeting, which shall be warned by post- ing up notice thereof at the Meeting-ITouse in said Milford, fourteen days prior to the day of holding the same, and the annual meetings for the choice of Town Officers shall be hohlen on the first Tuesday of March annually.

"Provided always that nothing in this act contained shall, in any wise, release the inhabitants of the said Southwest Parish in Amherst (part of said Milford) from paying their proportion of all debts now due from the town of Amherst, or their proportion of the support of the Present Poor of said Town and Parish, or any taxes now assessed on them as inhabitants of the said Town of Amherst ; but the same may be levied and collected from the inhabitants of the said Southwest Parish (now part of Milford aforesaid) in the same way and manner as if this act had not been passed ; and the present inhabitants of the said north- westerly part of said town of Hollis shall be liable to pay all taxes here- tofore assessed on them as inhabitants of the town of Hollis, in the same way and manner as if this act had not been passed.

" In Senate, Jannary 11, 1794. This bill having had three several readings, passed to be enacted ; sent down for concurrence.

" ABIEL FOSTER, President of the Senate.

"In the House of Representatives, the same day, the foregoing bill, having had a third reading, was enacted.

"NATHANIEL PEABODY, Speaker.

" Approved Ilth January, 1794. "JOSIAH BARTLETT.

" A true copy.

" Recorded by

" Attest, NATHANIEL PARKER, Dep. Sec.

" AUGUSTUS BLANCHARD, Town Clerk."

The following is a list of the resident tax-payers in Milford April 1, 1794, which is taken from the " His- tory of Amherst : "

Isaac Abbott, Isaac Abbott, Jr., Samuel Abbott, Jacob Adams, Eben- ezer Averill, Elijah Averill, James Badger, Reuel Baldwin, Joel Barker, Nehemiah Barker, Isaac Bartlett, Augustus Blanchard, Isaac Blanchard, John Blanchard, Simon Blanchard, Stephen Blanchard, Widow Lucy Blanchard, Oliver Bowers, John Boynton, Richard Boynton, Richard Boynton, Jr., Andrew Bradford, John Bradford, Caleb Brown, Andrew Burnam, Joshua Burnam, Stephen Burnam, Daniel Burns, George Burns, James Burns, John Burns, John Burns, Jr., Moses Burns, Thomas Burns, Simeon Butler, Jonathan Buxton, Robert Campbell, Bollard Chandler, Daniel Chandler, Daniel Chandler (2d), Richard Clark, Benja- min Conant, John Crosby, Josiah Crosby, Sampson Crosby, Stephen Crosby, William Crosby, Robert Darrah, David Duncklee, David Duncklee, Jr., Jacob Duncklee, Jacob Flinn, Edward Foster, Moses Foster, Benja- min French, Asa Gilman, Abel Gilson, Asa Goodall, Daniel Goodwin, Jonas Greene, John Gutterson, Samuel Gutterson, Samuel Gutterson (2d), Simeon Gutterson, Jonathan Hale, Jonathan IIale (2d), Samuel Harts- horn, Isaac How, Stephen How, Joseph Hoar, Joseph Hoar, Jr., Joseph Hood, Joseph Hood, Jr., Benjamin Hopkins, Daniel Ilopkins, John Ilop- kins, Peter Hopkins, Solomon Hopkins, William Hopkins, Nehemiah Howard, Jeremiah Hubbard, Abner Hutchinson, Bartholomew Hutch- inson, Benjamin Hutchinson, Elijah Hutchinson, Nathan Hutchinson, Jr., Timothy Hutchinson, Daniel Johnson, Caleb Jones, Jonathan Jones, Joshua Jones, Joseph Knowlton, Benjamin Lewis, Jonathan Lovejoy, Samuel Lovejoy, Porter Lumines, Jotham Lund, Isaac Marshall, John Marvel, Joseph Melendy, Nathan Merrill, Joshua Moore, Stearns Need- hanı, Benjamin Nevens, Josiah Osgood, Aaron Peabody, William Pea- body, Joseph Perry, Daniel Person, Ebenezer Person, Jonathan Phelps, William Powers, Aaron Priest, Nathaniel Raymont, Jacob Richardson, Ebenezer Sargent, Nathaniel Seavy, Simon Shed, Daniel Shepard, John Shepard, Jotham Shepard, Daniel Smith, John Smith, Isaac Southwick, Nathaniel Southwick, John Stearns, Edward Taylor, Widow Taylor, Widow Temple, Bartholomew Towne, Jonathan Towne, Moses Towne, Rebecca Upton, James Wallace, John Wallace, Joseph Wallace, Widow Mary Wallace, John Willard, Benjamin Wright.

Milford was originally composed of five parcels of land, all of which it now contains, with one other small tract of one hundred and fifty acres, acquired from Amherst in 1843, and one from Lyndeborough in 1873.

The five original tracts were a part of the old town of Monson, a part of Sonhegan West, the Mile Slip, Duxbury school farm, and a part of Hollis. The part taken from Monson was a tract measuring three miles south from Souhegan River to the north line of Hollis, in the Seventh School District, and extend- ing from Milford east line to the Mile Slip, or within a mile of Wilton east line. "Monson was a small town lying between Amherst and Hollis, granted by Massachusetts and chartered April 1, 1746. In 1770 it was divided between Amherst and Hollis. Sep- tember 30, 1770, the charter annexing a part of Mon- son to Amherst was read in public town-meeting in Amherst." The part so annexed was as follows : "From Souhegan River southwardly, by the town of Merrimack, two miles; thence northwardly to the river ; thence down the river to the place first named."

The tract taken from Souhegan West included all between the river and Mont Vernon south line, and from the east line of the Bartlett farm east to the brook which empties into the river near the shoe-shop of the late Mr. Knowlton. The portion taken from Hollis was a tract south of Monson south line, "in- cluding more than half of the Seventh School Dis- trict." The Mile Slip was a " strip of land lying east of Monson and Wilton, extending from Brookline on the south to Lyndeborough on the north, about six miles in length and about one mile in width." Duxbury school farm contained five or six hundred acres, lying between Lyndeborough and the river, and ex- tended from the Lewis farm on the west to the east line of the Bartlett farm, or to the line of Souhegan West.

The lands described above, which compose the town of Milford, were first settled about the year 1740. In 1741 the line between Massachusetts and New Hampshire was established so as to place the territory in New Hampshire. John Shepard and William Crosby were the first settlers in Souhegan West ; Elisha Towne, Josiah Crosby, Benjamin Hutchinson, John Burns and others in Monson, and Abner Hutchinson in Duxbury. All these names, with the exception of the first, are as familiar to our ears in Milford as household words. Crosby, Towne, Hutchinson and Burns are old familiar names.

In 1745, Benjamin Hopkins settled in Monson. He was a man of wealth in those days. He owned eleven hundred acres of land, "situated immediately on the south side of the river, extending from the east line of the farm now owned by William Ramsdell to the Mile Slip, near the Jacob Howard farm. This tract was granted by Massachusetts to the town of Charles- town in aid of schools, and was then called " Charles- town school farm." It was then, and undoubtedly is now, the most valuable tract of land in the town-

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HISTORY OF HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

ship. In 1741 the proprietors of Souhegan West granted to John Shepard one hundred and twenty acres of land "adjoining the falls of the river, ex- tending to the foot of the falls," on condition that he would " build a good grist-mill, keep it in repair and grind grain for the inhabitants of Souhegan West for the customary and lawful toll." He built the mill in compliance with this condition, and it was kept in operation for a great many years. It disappeared, and the saw-mill took its place. It is now owned by Mr. Gilson. In those days the river was forded below the bridge, near where the foot-bridge is now sus- pended, and it was called the "Mill Ford," and this is probably the origin of the name of the town.

Elisha Towne took up his residence on the south bank of Souhegan River, east of the village, " near where a few ancient graves remain." Andrew Bradford, who was also an early settler, lived in the north part of the town, near where Fiteh Crosby now lives. He was a militia captain. Abner Hutchinson lived near where the late William P. Burnham lived. Nathan Hut- chinson, who came here in 1748, located and lived on the Searles farm, on the south side of the river. Captain Josiah Crosby lived where M. F. Crosby now lives. He commanded a company of militia at the battle of Bunker Hill. John Burns, of Scotch origin, who came here from the north of Ireland in 1736, and settled in Milford in 1746, lived near where the late Joseph Burns lived. He first located in Notting- ham.

These are the most prominent of the early settlers of the town. They were, without an exception, strong, resolute, sensible, honorable men. Their descendants, for the most part, have proved worthy of their an- cestry.

As the town was incorporated after the Revolution, it cannot boast of the patriotism of its citizens in that memorable struggle. It could not send its sons to Lexington, Bunker Hill, Saratoga or Ticonderoga, for their battles had been fought before the town ex- isted. The men who left the plow and became Minute- Men, or who fought at Bunker Hill and elsewhere, who belonged to the soil now embraced in her terri- torial limits, are credited to Amherst and Hollis, and they can exult over the honorable and noble list. This territory had defenders in every battle above-named. It helped Warren at Bunker Hill and Ethan Allan at Ticonderoga. Among its sons were heroes. They were all patriots. Their lot was not an easy one ; for more than thirty years before the Revolution they were constantly confronted and menaced by Indian savages. They were always compelled to be vigilant. They possessed nothing that did not require defense. No wonder the New Hampshire troops at Charles- town were among the most effective and formidable in that splendid campaign !

The territory of Milford was given in recognition of brave and patriotie deeds. A large part of it was granted by the province of Massachusetts to " officers

and soldiers belonging to the Province who were in the service of their country in the Narraganset War, and to their Heirs and assigns or lawful Representa- tives." The grants were made from 1728 to 1733.1

In an order adopted by the House of Representa- tives of this province, January 19, 1731-32, the fol- lowing splendid tribute was paid to the brave and noble men who fought the early battles of New Eng- land. In it the House, filled with honest and just gratitude, give eloquent reasons why these fearless men should be rewarded with a suitable grant of land :

" And one great Reason is that there was a Proclamation made to the Army in the name of the Governm'nt,-as living evidences-when they were mustered on Dedham Plaiu, when they began their March, that if they played the man, took the Fort and Drove the Enemy out of the Narraganset Country, which was their great seat, that they should have a gratuity in Land besides their wages, and it is well known that this was done ; and, as the conditions have been performed, certainly the Promise, in all equity and justice, ought to be fulfilled; and if we consider the difficulties these brave men went through in storming the fort in the Depth of Winter, and the pinching want they afterward underwent in pursuing the Indians that escaped thro' a hideous wilderness, famously known throughout New England to this day by the name of the hungry March ; and if we further consider that, until this brave tho' small army thus played the man, the whole Country was filled with Distress and fear, and we trembled in the capital, Boston, itself, and that to the Goodness of God to this army we owe our fathers' and our own Safety and Estates ; We cannot bnt think yt those Instrum'ts of our Deliverance and Safety ought to be, not only justly, but also gratefully and generously, rewarded, and even with much more than they prayed for. If we measure w't they receive from us by w't we enjoy and have received from them, we need not mention to ye Hon'ble Boord the Wisdom, Justice and Generosity of our-MIother Country and ye Ancient Romans on such occasions. Triumphs, Orations, Hereditary Honors and privileges,-All the Riches, Land and spoils of war and conquered countries have not been thought too great for those to whom they have not owed more, if so much as we do to those our Deliverers, and we ought further to observe, what greatly adds to their merit, that they were not vagabonds and Beggars and outcasts, of which armies are sometimes considerably made up, to run the Hazzard of War to avoid the Danger of Starving ; so far from this, that these were some of the best of our men, the Fathers and sons of some of ye greatest and best of our families, and could have no other view but to serve ye country and whom God was pleased, accordingly, in a very remarkable manner, to Honor and succeed."

It is not strange that such an appeal reached the hearts of the Legislature and that the grant was made. It is not strange that an inheritance, bequeathed with such eloquence and in consideration of such matchless heroism, should be honored with such a gracious and goodly prosperity.

CHAPTER II. MILFORD-(Continued).

Ilistory of First Church-Raisings-Highways-Settlement of Humphrey Moore.

HAVING now some knowledge of the lands and hereditaments which Milford obtained through the grace of the State, let us see what she then had for men, women and institutions, aside from those already mentioned. They were few.

The first town-meeting, which was held March 4,

1 Flist. of Amherst, Chap. II.

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MILFORD.

1794, shows only twenty-five votes for Governor, the only person voted for being John T. Gilman. At this meeting Jacob Flinn was chosen moderator and Au- gustus Blanchard, town elerk ; Augustus Blanchard, Jacob Flinn and Benjamin Hutchinson, selectmen ; William Crosby, town treasurer; and Benjamin French, constable. It is doubtful if the entire population of the new town was then over seven hundred. It had one hundred and thirty-nine tax-payers. Their modes of getting about were slow and tedious. There were but two chaises owned in town. The principal method of traveling was on foot and horseback. One saddle and pillion served to accommodate an entire family, although their children were as many as the old woman had " who lived in a shoe." An ox-team carrying the whole family to church was a common and usual sight. Children who walked, both girls and boys, carried their shoes in their hands till they got in sight of the church-door. Shoe-leather was of too much consequence to be wasted. If the skin on " de heel " was worn off, it would grow on again; but the wear from the tap of the shoe required cash to re- place. It was twenty-five years before horse-wagons were known in town, and then for many years they were without springs; but they were looked upon as a wonderful invention. None but the wealthy could have them. When to them was added the elliptic spring, which soon followed, and which may be re- garded as the dawn of comfort in matters of locomo- tion, the horse-wagon was an absolute luxury.

It had but one church parish, and that was in its youth, having been organized after a part of Monson had been aggregated to Amherst, and which was an offshoot from the Amherst Church. It was consti- tuted a church parish in 1782 (which was but twelve years before Milford was incorporated), " for transact- ing ministerial affairs only," and was organized as a church by an ecclesiastical council, November 19, 1788. The council consisted of Jonathan Livermore, Abiel Fiske, John Bruce, Moses Putnam, Ebenezer Rockwood, Richard Ward, Daniel Mansfield and William Bradford, and the church as then constituted was composed of the following individuals : Stephen Burnham, Caleb Jones, Elisha Hutchinson, John Wallace, Joseph Wallace, Nathan Hutchinson, Thos. Burns, Jonathan Towne, Benjamin Conant, Benjamin Hutchinson, William Melendy, Jonathan Jones. The record shows that attached to the covenant are the names of James Wallace, Hannah Bradford, Mary Burnham, Sarah Hutchinson, Letitia Wallace, Mary Wallace and Betsy Wallace.

Down to the time of the incorporation of the town it does not appear to have had a settled minister. It had built a church edifice. The parishioners, Janu- ary 14, 1783, voted to build it twenty-five rods south of Shepard's bridge, which would have placed it near the corner, where Dr. S. S. Stickney formerly lived, now owned by Gilbert Wadleigh, Esq .; but the vote !

was afterward annulled, and the meeting-house was finally erected ten rods northwest of that site, "be- tween two pitch-pine stumps." This was where the elm-grove now stands on the common in the village. Augustus Blanchard, who was evidently a man of some standing, was parish clerk, as he was subse- quently town clerk. The little band of strugglers worked hard to get their meeting-house, as an exami- nation of their records shows. It was many years before it was completed. The frame of the building was raised in the summer of 1784. It was a big job. It must have been, for the parish voted that "the committee provide 1 barrel of rum, 2 barrels cider and one quarter of sugar for the raising." It would seem that the people in those days were quite temper- ate in one respect, and that was sugar. Their extrav- aganee appears to have been in the direction of rum and cider. That raising undoubtedly raised a great crowd. In our day it would raise something beside a crowd; it would raise the wind and probably some- thing worse. They came from Mont Vernon, Am- herst, Lyndeborough, Wilton and elsewhere. The timbers were heavy, "rough hewn and green ; " but they had to rise, for there was musele in that crowd, and spurred on by one barrel of rum and two barrels of cider sweetened with one quarter of sugar, nothing could stand before the grip of our "noble fathers." The building was raised and no one killed.

Eleven years before, the good people of Wilton raised a meeting-house. Wilton was settled in 1739, more than half a century before Milford was ineor- porated. It had its centennial in 1839. Rev. Eph- raim Peabody delivered the oration, and from it we quote the following graphic account of the raising of Wilton's meeting-house :

" They commenced raising it September 7, 1773. " Such things were conducted differently then from what they are now. It was con- sidered the work of two days. People came from distant towns to see the spectacle. There was great note of preparation. A committee of the town appointed the raisers, and ample provisions were made to entertain strangers.

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History of Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, Part 132

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