History of Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, Part 134

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

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Unitarian Church .- The first Unitarian Church of Milford was organized in its present form in 1870. Many years before, however, a liberal movement had been begun, and a pioneer society formed as early as 1833, which continued to hold meetings at intervals down to the date of the new society. But it was never strong and was usually without a settled minister.

In 1870 it was formed on a new basis, with better promise of permanence. It adopted a platform of fellowship, pledging mutual co-operation in "main- taining the institutions of religion and in all Christian

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HISTORY OF HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

work," It has a membership of most excellent people.

In 1878 the society began the erection of a new and beautiful church on Elm Street, just west of the busi- ness part of the town. The material is granite, quarried in the neighborhood, laid up in broken ash- lar work with cut-stone trimmings, and finished in the interior in hard wood, Georgia pine being used for the trusses, and ash and birch for the other work.

In style it is a modification of the old English chapel architecture, a low, wandering building, with towers and gables on all sides. The auditorium, chapel, parlor and other rooms are all on one floor and con- nected with lifting doors, so as to reinforce each other on occasions. Rich, stained-glass windows, picturing the chief thoughts of the gospel, add much to the beauty of the building.

It is a very thorough piece of work, and has been built at intervals, as money could be obtained, so as to avoid debt. Though substantially finished, some furnishings remain to be added. It has not yet been dedicated. Altogether, it is the most unique and noticeable piece of architecture in Milford and is very creditable to the society. It is one of the hand- somest churches in the State. Rev. Aubrey M. Pendleton, the pastor of the society, through whose tireless work this gem of a church has been erected, deserves great credit for his perseverance and suc- eess.

The ministers of the society have been John E. Johnson, Samuel R. Priest, Loring E. Beckwith and Aubrey M. Pendleton.

Methodist Church .- This society is of comparative recent establishment in town. In 1855 and 1856, an article being inserted in the warrant for that purpose, the town voted to adopt a resolution, which was pre- sented by Jacob Gove, that they have the free use of the town hall for one year. The growth of the society since then has been slow. It has recently purchased of the Baptist society its old church edifice. Its present pastor is Rev. Mr. Johnson.

The Catholic Church .- It stands on the tract of land which was taken from Amherst and annexed to Milford in 1843. It is in good condition, but small in numbers. Rev. Father Bucklee, of Wilton, has the pastoral care of the church.

Congregational Church after 1834 .- The Congre- gational Church built a new meeting-house after the town purchased the pew-holders' rights, in 1834. It was dedicated in October of that year. The house was first built seventy by fifty feet. Afterwards eighteen feet was inserted in front of the pulpit. The bell weighs about twelve hundred pounds. It has recently added largely to its vestry. It has no parsonage. The church was organized November 19, 1788, with nineteen members. It has admitted into the church since, nine hundred and forty-eight. Whole number of present members three hundred and fifty-eight. It has had in all twelve deacons and eighteen clerks.

Its present clerk is D. S. Burnham. Its pastors have been Humphrey Moore, ordained October 13, 1802, dismissed March 9, 1836; J. W. Salter, installed April 27, 1836, dismissed October 24, 1838; Abner B. Warner, ordained February 6, 1839, dismissed Octo- ber 27, 1846; Lycurgus P. Kimball, installed May 19, 1847, dismissed August 7, 1849; E. N. Hidden, installed November 21, 1849, dismissed April 7, 1858; S. C. Kendell, installed April 7, 1858, dismissed October 15, 1860; F. D. Ayer, ordained May 1, 1861, dismissed September 8, 1867; Geo. E. Freeman, in- stalled December 23, 1868, dismissed December 14, 1871; George Pierce, Jr., installed October 29, 1872; Rev. Mr. Lamb, Rev. Mr. Taintor, and its present pastor is J. C. Rollins.

Schools .- It is difficult now to give the number of school children in Milford in 1794 or the con- dition of the schools; but from all that can be as- certained, it is evident that there were but a small number of each. The settlers of the town were worthy descendants of the Pilgrims, a cardinal virtue of theirs being the careful education of the young.

The old district school of the good old New Eng- land town has never been improved, and never will be in many respects. It did not possess the intricate machinery and mysterious wisdom of the modern school arena, but it did have plain solid merit. It turned out a set of boys and girls who could read, write, spell, cipher and think. The graduating dress and plug-hat were unknown. The methods of the school-room were terribly practical. The object of the teacher seemed to be to turn out a person who could think and act wisely and safely for himself, to make him know something and know it absolutely.

The schools of Milford were fully up to the average. It would be interesting to notice some of the good old school teachers who reigned in the Milford winter school-room. They did splendid work. They helped to make a set of excellent men and women. Of course, the terms of school were short, and continued only through the winter months. The school money for the whole town, at the date of its incorporation, was less than one hundred and fifty dollars. The wages of the teachers were small. The master usually "boarded round," and in that way the term was materially lengthened; and the time was so short that every moment was improved with religious perseverance.

March 7, 1797, the town was divided into seven school districts or classes. It is not easy to determine from the record the exact history of the school dis- triets. In 1821 it speaks of six classes, in 1822 of seven districts. In 1852 District No. 1, which was the village district, was divided, making one and nine, and at this time there were nine districts In 1853 the large brick school-house in No. 1, which is capable of holding two hundred scholars, was built- In 1867 Districts No. 4 and S were united into No. 4. In 1871 the present system of graded schools took the

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place of the old district system, or, rather, the town has gone back to the first system which prevailed in the province and State. In 1872 the school-house in what was formerly No. 8 was sold and the land re- verted to its former owner, John Daniels.

Up to March 11, 1834, the town had been collecting a fund called the Literary Fund, and it was at this time divided, and each distriet was to receive one- eighth ; but March 8, 1835, it was voted not to confirm the vote passed at the annual meeting of 1834, but that the selectmen be empowered to make a division and distribution, according to the valuation of 1831, among the different classes at or before January 1, 1836.

"The Milford Academy " was incorporated June 24, 1835. The proprietors purchased a lot of land and erected a convenient building; but, having no permanent fund to sustain it, it never flourished. The building was sold for a dwelling-house.

" The Female Seminary " was incorporated about the same time; but, like other similar institutions without funds, it soon began to decline. The build- ing is now used as a vestry for the Congregational Church. It was at one time used, in part, to accom- modate the district school.

In the village or High School young men are pre- pared for college and young ladies receive a good education. The schools are liberally supported and carefully watched. Young people from Wilton, Lyndeborough and Greenfield of late have been in the habit of attending the High School at Milford, which indicates the estimation in which the school is held. The school-houses throughout the town are in ex- cellent condition, and worthy the character of the people.

The Milford Lyceum was organized November 7, 1831. Meetings for lectures, essays and debates were held every week. The first president was Rev. H. Moore; J. W. A. Smith, secretary; A. Lovejoy, treasurer; S. Peabody, Esq., S. K. Livermore and Dr. John Wallace, curators.

The organization flourished for many years, and did much good. The subjects canvassed were numer- ous and interesting. During much of its existence it was conducted wholly by home talent. Essays, more or less learned, lectures, more or less instructive, and discussions, more or less entertaining, were indulged in by the men and women of the town.

The records of the club are still preserved, and indicate its character. The members did not hesitate to grapple with science, astronomy, philosophy, ethics and the affairs of state. Most of the questions considered were settled on the spot, at the close of the debate, by vote of the assembly.

The old-fashioned New England lyceum was a splendid institution, and it is a pity it is not kept up at the present day. It has never had a fitting sub- stitute and never will.

Newspapers .- The first newspaper published in

Milford was in 1847. W. Bradford published it. It was called the Milford Weekly Mirror. It was soon discontinued. In 1848 a paper called the Souhegan Standard, dedicated to "free soil," was published for a while. Afterwards, in 1857, the publication of the Milford Republican was begun, and continued under that name for several years. Its first issue was Jan- uary 7, 1857, and it was edited by Dr. Colby ; J. Garfield succeeded him as editor, who turned over the editorial duties to F. N. Boutwell, having served but a short time. Mr. Boutwell was editor for several years, but ultimately went to Ler minster, Mass., where he has since, until recently, published a paper.

At the present time the name of Milford's paper is the Milford Enterprise. It is skillfully edited by George E. Foster, Esq., and is highly valned by the citizens of the town, as it is by those living away who have an interest in all that concerns her people.

The paper has always been, as it is now, a helpful moral force in the community, and a source of much pleasure to its readers.

Public Library .--

" Consider what you have in the smallest chosen library. A company of the wisest and wittiest men that could be picked out of all civil coun- tries, in a thousand years, have set in best order the results of their learning and wisdom. The men themselves were hid and inaccessible, solitary, impatient of interruption, fenced by etiquette ; but the tho't which they did not uncover to their bosom friend is here written out in transparent words to us, the strangers of another age."-EMERSON.

Milford became interested early in its history in books. June 1, 1796, several gentlemen of Milford, with a few from Amherst, got an act of incorporation from the Legislature, establishing an organization by the name of "The Milford Social Library Proprietors." It prospered well for a time; but the books became worn, and as they had no fund with which to increase or replenish the library, it languished, and, February 14, 1832, the concern was closed out by auction. In due time the subject of books was again agitated, and, like all good movements, forced itself upon the attention of the people.

The following is copied from the catalogue of the Milford Free Library as giving a brief history of that institution :

"The town was without a public library till March, IS11, when School District No. 1 voted that one hundred dollars be laid out in books for the use of the district, and Rev. Humphrey Moore, Solomon K. Liver- more, Esq., and Daniel Putnam were chosen a committee to carry the vote into effect. In the course of the year the books were purchased, rules adopted, Daniel Russell chosen librarian and the library appar- ently put in good working order. In 1842 a further sum of seventy-five dollars was appropriated for the increase of the library, and the year follow- ing the committee having the library in charge finding that thirty-three, mostly of the larger, volumes needed rebinding ninety dollars was ap- propriated to the library ; its privileges extended to the whole town, upon condition that those living out of the district pay a small sum for the use of each volume taken ont, and the purchasing committee were in- structed not to buy any strictly sectarian books. The library continued to receive appropriations from time to time till 1853, when the district was divided. Its decay then commenced. It, however, lingered till 1860, when the books were sold at auction, it having been in existence nineteen years. The year following that in which the district library was sold the subject of establishing an agricultural library was agitated, and in Jannary, 1862, an organization was perfected. In 1869 the pro-

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HISTORY OF HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

prietors generously gave it to the town, that it might be merged in the present library. In 1864 several ladies established a library, and the association was called ' The Ladies' Library Association.' When the Free Library was established it was closed, and the very valuable collection was divided among the proprietors. In addition to the libraries mentioned, there has been a Sabbath-school library connected with the oldest religious society upwards of forty years, and with the next in age nearly a quarter of a century."

March 10, 1868, the town made an appropriation of five hundred dollars to establish a free library within the town. The movement was started by Colonel T. L. Livermore, who was then living in Milford. The library was therenpon organized. A board of trustees was appointed. September 10, 1870, a code of rules and regulations were adopted, which have been mod- ified since as was thought best. Liberal appropri- ations by the town have, from time to time, been made.

The library now contains three thousand three hundred and forty-one volumes, and is a well-selected, valuable collection of books.

CHAPTER IV. MILFORD-(Continued).

Business of the Town-Manufactures-Banks-Burying-Grounds-Tem- perance-Town Clock-Poor Farm-Hotels.

AT the time the charter was granted there was but little, if any, manufacturing in the town. The em- ployment of the inhabitants was almost wholly in agricultural pursuits. The early settlers were obliged, in order to carry on this pursuit, to clear the forests and do enough business in manufacturing lumber to furnish material with which to build their houses and barns and expose the soil for cultivation. The mill privilege granted to Colonel John Shepard in 1751 was given him for the same purpose that towns now exempt manufacturing property from taxation for a term of years. It was to encourage the business. The mill was built and for many years did faithful duty. But it was not until 1810 that any attempt was made to start a manufacturing business.

A company of men, having purchased a part of the mill privilege granted to Colonel Shepard, obtained a charter of incorporation from the Legislature by the name of "The Milford Cotton and Woolen Manufac- turing Corporation." They erected a factory. It was built in 1813 on the south side of the river. In 1814 they commenced the manufacture of cotton yarn, and in 1824 they began the manufacture of cotton cloth by power-loom. In 1833 the company suspended business. It was a time of great depression. Their machinery was old and worn out and their manage- ment was bad, and they met the usual fate of such enterprises. But in the spring of 1837 a new com- pany, consisting of George Daniels, H. Moore, Ezra Gay and James Searles, purchased all of the property of the former company, repaired and replenished the machinery and building and organized one of the most profitable enterprises ever carried on in Milford.

In 1844 they built a new saw-mill on the north side of the river, and soon after this sold out to a new company. The mill or factory is now owned by the Morse & Kaley Manufacturing Company, a thriving and enterprising company, whose goods are in great demand, and whose management, under the skillful direction of Mr. Billings and Colonel Kaley, insures success. They make knitting-cotton. The saw-mill on the north side is owned by Mr. Gilson.

The first agent of the original proprietors was Adam Dickey. They ran twenty-eight looms, em- ployed forty hands and produced four thousand yards of cloth a week.

Since the days of Adam Dickey a tremendous change has taken place in the manufacturing of cotton cloth and everything else. Single machines now do the work of a dozen men, and forty hands operating modern machinery will produce at least ten times the quantity of goods turned out in Adam Dickey's mill.

The next attempt made to organize a manufactu- ring business of any note was begun in 1846. Daniel Putnam and Leonard Chase, two of Milford's best men, both now dead, constructed a stone dam across Souhegan River in the eastern part of the village. It cost three thousand dollars. June 23, 1847, they procured an act of incorporation by the name of the "Souhegan Manufacturing Company," with a capital stock of one hundred thousand dollars, which was afterwards, in June, 1849, increased to two hundred thousand dollars.

In 1847 a factory building was erected. The main building was one hundred and eighteen feet long, forty-eight feet wide, four stories high, with a base- ment. It had two wings, thirty by twenty-five feet, two stories high. Whole length of building one hundred and seventy-eight feet. It was intended for four thousand spindles. In 1850 it employed one hundred and fifty hands. W. T. Jacquith was its first agent. He was succeeded by Charles Gillis, who lost his life by the bursting of a steam cylinder. The next agent was Moses French, who was succeeded by David Gillis. The last agent was Hon. George C. Gilmore, of Manchester.

This mill at one time was merged or consolidated with the Milford Cotton and Woolen Manufacturing Corporation, but the main factory and ells having been burned in 1872, the two properties again became separated, and what remains of the old Souhegan Manufacturing Company property is now owned by Mr. John Daniels, and remains now, as it has ever since the fire, unimproved, except that one end of the mill, which was saved, has been occupied a part of the time since for grist-mill and toy-factory.

The tannery was first built in 1837, and although it has had a variable history, for the most part it has been a useful and remunerative enterprise. It was recently burned, but has been rebuilt and passed into new hands and with bright prospects.

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The steam mill built in 1850 has generally been employed since for sawing and planing boards, man- ufacture of furniture, picture-frames and other arti- cles. It is owned and occupied by David Heald, who has made improvements in machinery and buildings, making it one of the best establishments in town.

The Star Foundry was built in 1853. It prospered for a while and at one time seemed to be a promising business, but it collapsed finally. The buildings, in part, have been used for the Francestown soapstone business, and this enterprise looked well for a while, but Nashua was found to be a better railroad centre, and Milford lost it. They are now used by Pierce & Co. for cooperage.

Among the successful business men of the past may be mentioned Mills & Lewis, who for years carried on the boot business in Milford. They employed a large number of men and their boots were the best in the market. Andrew Fuller com- menced business in Milford in 1852, manufacturing mirror-frames. In 1865 he bought out Putnam & Chase, who also were among the most active of Mil- ford's business men forty years ago.

Among the modern enterprises in town which ought to be mentioned is the Hillsborough Mills. It was first incorporated by the name of the Pine Valley Company. It was used as a carpet-mill, but it did not flourish. H. A. Daniels was its treasurer. It finally failed. Subsequently it was bought up by a new company, its corporate name changed to Hillsborough Mills, its capital stock in- creased to two hundred and twenty-five thousand dollars, and it is now employing one hundred and fifty hands in the manufacture of woolen carpet yarn or warp. The agent of the mills is Mr. Nash Simonds.

John McLane, now representative of Milford in the Legislature, is carrying on a very successful busi- ness in manufacturing post-office boxes. He employs from fifteen to twenty-five men, and is one of the most successful and enterprising young men of Milford.

Pierce & Mills, Gilson and others are engaged to a considerable extent in the cooperage business; Emer- son & Son in the furniture business. The fancy box and toy business is also carried on to some extent.

Banks .- There is one discount and one savings- bank in Milford. The Souhegan Bank was chartered in 1855. Thomas Chase, of Nashua, was its first president and Hiram A. Daniels cashier. It was organized as the Souhegan National Bank in 1865, with H. A. Daniels president and Charles A. Daniels cashier. February 17, 1885, the charter was ex- tended for twenty years. Capital stock, one hundred thousand dollars. Clinton S. Averill is now president and F. T. Sawyer cashier.

Milford has many stores, and some of them excellent ones. E. C. Batchelder is one of the oldest established of the merchants. He has for years kept a large first- class dry-goods store, and may be truly called an honorable merchant. Mr. Barber also has a first- class modern store, which is carried on with great en- terprise and success; and there are others concerning which the same may be said.

The town is the centre of quite a large trade, which accounts for the thrifty and excellent character of the traders and business men of the place. It contains a grist-mill and saw-mills, millinery-shops, harness- shops, jewelers, blacksmiths, druggists, news-rooms, groceries, restaurants and all of the equipments of a lively country village.

The farmers sell between five hundred and six hundred cans of milk a day, or forty thousand dollars' worth a year. It is carried to Boston.

Milford contains several valuable granite quarries. They are operated with success. The quality of the Milford granite is excellent, and it is sought far and wide. It is a valuable source of income to the people.

It is doubtful, all things considered, if the business of Milford has improved for the last twenty-five years.

David Goodwin, in July, 1860, made the following record concerning the town and its enterprises :

"For twenty years past the business of this town has rapidly increased, and a special change, not only in the appearance of the place, but in the character of the people, is visible. The cotton-mills have been, most of the time, kept in successful operation, which have given employment to about two hundred persons. The village is well supplied with manu- factories and shops for the manufacture of different and almost all kinds of wares, which has occasioned a continual influx of emigrants into the village ; and, coming with their own various and peculiar views, notions and habits, the character and order of society has become essentially changed within a few years. In this town, at the present time (July, 1860), there are 3 clergymen, 4 practicing physicians, 3 lawyers, 2 dentists, 2 drug-shops, 1 furniture warehouse, 8 stores, 5 blacksmith-shops, 2 carriage manufactories, 2 harness-shops, 3 mar- ket-houses, 1 printing-office, 1 post-office, 2 periodical offices, 1 Daguer- rean saloon, 1 agricultural warehouse, 3 clothing-stores, 2 millinery- shops, 1 hotel, 2 restaurants. The number of liquor shops is not positively known, as the signs are not permanently attached to any particular loca- tion. One licensed agent (Dr. I. Eldredge) furnishes distilled liquor to those who can give satisfactory evidence that they will use it only for medicinal or mechanical purposes. In this town the number of men to whom the title of Esq. is often affixed is ' too numerous to particularize.' There are in this town 3 grain-mills, 8 saw-mills, 8 boot and shoe-shops, . I horse-nail factory, I pail mannfactory, carpenters, coopers, painters, &c."

It this is a correct statement (and there can be no doubt about it), there was as much thrift and pros- perity then as now. The population of the town in 1860 was 2212. It had made a gain, however, of only 53 in ten years. In 1850 the population was 2159. From that time to 1880 it has only gained 259, and the gain of the last decade is 186. But there has been a steady gain in the property of the town. In 1840 the appraised value of all the property of Mil- ford was, in round numbers, $500,000. It has gained esting to note that half of the increase was made from 1840 to 1850. It also increased, during that de-

The Milford Five-Cent Savings Institution was in- corporated in 1859, with a perpetual charter. It has deposits of seven hundred and fifty thousand dollars. ; one million of dollars in valuation since. It is inter- Clinton S. Averill is its treasurer. It is in fine con- dition.

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History of Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, Part 134

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