USA > New Hampshire > Hillsborough County > History of Hillsborough County, New Hampshire > Part 142
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87 | Part 88 | Part 89 | Part 90 | Part 91 | Part 92 | Part 93 | Part 94 | Part 95 | Part 96 | Part 97 | Part 98 | Part 99 | Part 100 | Part 101 | Part 102 | Part 103 | Part 104 | Part 105 | Part 106 | Part 107 | Part 108 | Part 109 | Part 110 | Part 111 | Part 112 | Part 113 | Part 114 | Part 115 | Part 116 | Part 117 | Part 118 | Part 119 | Part 120 | Part 121 | Part 122 | Part 123 | Part 124 | Part 125 | Part 126 | Part 127 | Part 128 | Part 129 | Part 130 | Part 131 | Part 132 | Part 133 | Part 134 | Part 135 | Part 136 | Part 137 | Part 138 | Part 139 | Part 140 | Part 141 | Part 142 | Part 143 | Part 144 | Part 145 | Part 146 | Part 147 | Part 148 | Part 149 | Part 150 | Part 151 | Part 152 | Part 153 | Part 154 | Part 155 | Part 156 | Part 157 | Part 158 | Part 159 | Part 160 | Part 161 | Part 162 | Part 163 | Part 164 | Part 165 | Part 166 | Part 167 | Part 168 | Part 169 | Part 170 | Part 171 | Part 172 | Part 173 | Part 174 | Part 175 | Part 176 | Part 177 | Part 178
During this year the church united with the War- ren Association, with which it retained its connection until the formation of the Boston Association, when it fell within the limits of that body. The same year, also, Rev. Josiah Stone was installed as permanent pastor of the church.
From this time to 1816 the number received into the fellowship of the church was twenty. At the ex- piration of this period a ease of discipline arose which resulted in the division of the church into two bodies, the one being retained in the Boston Association, the other uniting with the Salisbury.
In June, 1824, Rev. Mr. Stone resigned the pastoral care of the church, but remained in the place until his decease, which occurred in 1839.
Rev. John Atwood, then a licentiate, commenced his labors with this people on the first Lord's day in June, 1824. He was ordained the 18th of May, 1825, and closed his pastoral relation the last Sabbath in January, 1836. During his ministry ninety-nine per- sons were added to the fellowship of the church.
593
NEW LONDON.
February 23, 1825, the two churches were dissolved by mutual consent, and the members, forty-six in number, reorganized into one body and united with the Salisbury Association. In 1826 a pleasant re- vival of religion took place, in which thirteen were added to the church. In 1828 the church was dis missed from the Salisbury and united with the Mil- ford Association.
A more central location for public worship being very desirable, in 1832 a meeting-house was erected in the Lower village, and was dedicated to the wor- ship of God on the 6th of February, 1833.
In 1835 a precious revival of religion was enjoyed, during which fifty-three persons were added to the church.
In February, 1836, Rev. A. T. Foss became pastor of the church, which relation he continued to hold during eight years, till January, 1844.
On the first Sabbath in February, 1845, Rev. David Gage commenced his ministerial labors with this peo- ple, and continued with them ten years, during which time sixty-four were added to the church. His pas- torate closed in March, 1855.
November 1, 1855, Rev. J. N. Chase began his per- manent labors in the place, was recognized as pastor December 19, 1855, and dismissed May 1, 1859.
Rev. Franklin Merriam sneceeded him in the pas- toral office in May, 1859, and closed his labors with this church October 5, 1862.
The pastorate was then filled by Rev. Thomas Clarkson Russell, who entered upon his labors with this church the first Sabbath in June, 1863, closing the same November, 1866. His ministry was a strong one ; the church enjoyed a revival and thirty-seven were added by profession. Rev. Samuel Woodbury succeeded, his pastorate extending to March, 1868.
Rev. R. G. Farley was the next pastor, serving the church from July, 1868, to 1870. During his stay nine were received by baptism.
He was followed by Rev. J. M. Coburn, whose pas- toral relations closed in August, 1871.
In January, 1872, Rev. G. W. Kinney succeeded to the pastorate, and remained with the church till Jan- uary, 1876. During his ministry many of the old members were called home, of whom (whose history was closely allied to the church), perhaps, particular mention should be made of Rev. John Atwood and Mrs. Hannah Whipple. Additions by baptism, seven.
Rev. Francis E. Cleares followed him, his pastorate covering from January, 1878, to May, 1881. Additions by baptism, four.
In October, 1881, Rev. E. C. Whittemore com- menced supplying the church ; was ordained as pastor July 1, 1882, laboring as such till November, 1884. It was a marked and successful era in the church's history,-a constant interest and twenty-six added by baptism.
A valuable circulating library was procured, and
extensive repairs and improvements were made on the church edifice. Mr. Whittemore removed to Au- burn, Me., and at the present writing the church is without a pastor. Total membership, one hundred and twenty-three, of whom ninety-nine are resident members.
Graveyards .- The first account of the graveyard is found in the proprietary record, in connection with the building of a meeting-house, and is as follows :
" To convene the settlers together and fix on the most proper place, the centre of the town according to the old line, supposed to be abont lot 79, to build a meeting-house ; also to fix on a suitable place for bury- ing-ground near to said place, as shall be most agreeable to the settlers. "
The next, we find, is referred to in the report of a committee who were authorized by the proprietors and settlers to select a site on which to build the meeting-house, as follows :
" Do report to said Proprietary as follows : that lot 79 in the second division was the centre of said lot on the south side of Piscataquog River, south of a Red Oak tree marked with the letter C, near the grave of a child buried there, is the most proper place to build a meeting- house."
According to tradition, the child referred to was a daughter of Captain George Christie, the first settler in the southwestern part of the town, and this place of interment was selected, in all probability, with the knowledge that it was then or would be inclosed in the yard, and must have been near where the Brad- ford monument now stands.
History and tradition are silent as to any other interments within the limits of what is known as the old yard, and the supposition is that there were none at that period.
The time of laying out and setting apart a tract of land for a graveyard is not now known, as there is no record to be found, but the presumption is that it would be immediately after the location of the meet- ing-house ; for, in accordance with the universal cus- tom of the times, the land for the graveyard would be inclosed in the rear of, or in the immediate vicinity of, the church.
The next recorded allusion is to be found in the town records, May 7, 1768, when a vote of the town was taken or a resolution passed to the following effect : that each man work one day on the stone- work in the graveyard. This was nearly six years after the report of the committee, and the " meeting- house was built and finished outside." Doubtless the wood was cut off at this time and the ground cleared for the yard.
The stone-work referred to in the resolution would be digging and removing stone within the inclosure of the premises to make a stone wall.
At a town-meeting held February 14, 1777, a reso- lution was passed requiring each man in town to work one day at the graveyard, with the privilege of expending the labor in that part of the yard where individually interested.
A period of nineteen years had now elapsed since the first interment. The first monumental record of
594
HISTORY OF HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.
burial is that of Alexander McCollom, who died January 6, 1768, at the age of thirty-six years. He came from Londonderry in 1757, and settled on the farm owned by the late George Adams; was chosen town clerk when the town was incorporated, in 1763, and held the office at the time of his death.
The following-named are the earliest burials of which there is any monumental record :
Thomas Cochran, October 6, 1770; Mrs. Jane McNiel, April 2, 1772; Captain James Cochran, April 21, 1772; Nathaniel Aiken, June 8, 1772; Joseph Waugh, October 13, 1770; two children of John Cochran, May, 1775; Maurice Lynch, 1779.
In all probability, few were erected in comparison with the whole number that died.
There does not appear to have been any addition or improvement made until abont 1840, when a small triangular piece of land, lying between the yard and the highway, was added ; but in a few years that was taken up, and it became apparent that the town would be obliged to furnish new ground for inter- ment. The question was discussed at several town- meetings, and the selectmen were instructed to purchase land suitably located for a cemetery ; but, in consequence of inability to purchase and difference of opinion in regard to locality, failed to accomplish the object desired.
Mr. Elbridge Wason, of the firm of Wason, Peirce & Co., of Boston, a native of the town, very gener- ously offered to give the town land for a new burial-place or an addition to the old. After a consideration of the subject by the citizens, the latter was thought most desirable, and Mr. Wason pur- chased land on the north and west of the old yard, and conveyed the same to the town by deed, under certain conditions, one of which was that it should be controlled by a board of trustees, to be appointed by grantor, with power to fill vacancies as they might occur. Since that time the trustees have caused the erection of a town-tomb and brought water by aqueduct into the yard, which is discharged by two fountains. Great changes have been made by citizens in improving lots and erecting monuments, so that it will compare favorably with cemeteries in neighboring towns.
Soil, Forest Growth and Productions .- The sur- face of the town is very much like that of the neigh- boring towns, crossed by hill and vale, although the hills are not so steep and high as in Francestown and Lyndeborough.
The soil varies. The hill lands are generally an admixture of clay and marl, with the granite formation on the south and cast sides; on the north and west the formation is purely of granite, and with less depth of soil and fertility ; the valleys partake more of the marl than of the granite.
The valley of the south branch of the Piscataquog is alluvial, evidently the result of the glacier period, as the extended morains and cairns along its banks
would tend to show, and during the melting of the ice the water must have been from seventy-five to one hundred feet deep where the village now stands, as at that height on the hills on each side the sediment settled in still water.
The meadow or bog land is of but small amount, except what is known as the Great Meadow, in the north part of the town, although now comparatively worthless, except for cranberries.
It was of great value to the early settlers, having been flowed at some period by the beavers, which would destroy the timbers, and being abandoned by them, their dam went to decay, and after the water dried off, a kind of grass, known as the blue joint, sprang up and grew luxuriantly, affording a supply of hay to keep cattle before there was a sufficient amount of land cleared for that purpose.
The forest growth was principally oak and pine, with a mixture of beech, maple and hemlock on the hills ; oak, beech and pine grew on low lands.
The banks of the Piscataquog. its entire length, a distance of ten miles or more, was lined with pines of a large size and good quality. Some fifteen or twenty years prior to the Revolution the British government undertook to procure masts for the royal navy, from Concord and vicinity, by floating them down the Merrimack River to Newburyport; but in going over Amoskeag Falls most of them were broken. The project proved a failure, and was given up. They next turned their attention to the Piscata- quog and its branches as a better field of operation, and to give even better facilities for conveyance, built a road from Squog village (what was then Bedford) to Oil-Mill village, in Weare. This road was known as King's Mast road, and the King's surveyor went through the woods and put the broad "R" on all pine-trees suitable for masts for the royal navy.
It was a capital crime for a man to cut on his own land any pine-tree twenty inches or more in diameter, and was punishable with a fine and confiscation of the lumber.
Tradition says that in 1774, Benjamin Whiting, of Amherst, sheriff' of the county, laid an attachment on all logs found at the mills in Goffstown over twenty inches through, and then went to Oil-Mill, where there was a large number of logs, and did the same. He then went to a hotel to spend the night; after he retired, a band of masked men broke into his room, ordered him to dress, placed him upon his horse, whose tail and mane had been closely shaven, and compelled him to leave the place.
Being an obstinate, willful man, and highly exas- perated at the treatment he received, he persuaded Colonel Gotl'e to go with a company of soldiers to execute the King's writ; but his assailants were not to be found. No further effort was made at that time to arrest the offenders.
The next year, 1775, was the beginning of the Revolution. and Sheriff Whiting was one of the small
595
NEW BOSTON.
number that refused to sign the Test Act; but his townsmen made it so uncomfortable for him that he removed to Nova Scotia, and never returned.
Allusion has been made to the size of the trees, many of which, taking the stumps as a standard, were from four to five feet in diameter at the root. One was cut down on the farm formerly owned by N. C. Crombie that was six feet in diameter at the stump; another, near John M. Holt's mill, nearly as large, and the story is that a pair of oxen, six feet girth, were turned around on them without stepping off. It is evident they could not be removed full length for masts, and were therefore left to rot.
After the Revolutionary period the business of cut- ting and drawing the best and straightest trees to the landing at Squog for masts was continued until all suitable for that purpose had disappeared. The man- n factured lumber prior to the building up of Nashua and Manchester was drawn to the same place and rafted to Newburyport or Boston. At that time the best boards sold at Squog for from five to six dollars per thousand. When the town was laid out it con- tained as much oak and pine timber as any town six miles square in the State, but it is now nearly all gone.
The principal productions, excepting lumber, are now and have been agricultural.
Of grains, corn is the leading one, being the stand- ard crop.
Wheat, oats and barley are grown to a limited ex- tent on the hill farms. The potato and turnip do not grow as well now as when the land was new. The farmer realizes more from hay than from any other production.
Butter and cheese are made to a limited extent, as many of the largest farmers are selling their milk.
The natural scenery of New Boston cannot be sur- passed. Among the highest elevations in town are Clark's, Cochran's and Bradford Hills.
For weeks the traveler might discover some new attraction in these abodes of nature. Nothing can exceed the splendor of a sunrise on these hills in a calm, summer morning. The stillness of the place, the varying positions of objects as the morning mists rise and change and pass away before the sun,-these and other features present to the mind a landscape abounding in that wild beauty which exists where art has not usurped dominion over nature. The eye dwells with delight on the vast country which is spread before it.
Far as the eye can reach, it is met by a constant succession of hills and mountains, sometimes swelling gently in the distance and sprinkled with settlements, again breaking into wild peaks; in summer crowned with ledges of granite, and in winter covered with an unbroken mantle of snow, rising like monuments of marble above the surrounding woods.
Joe English Hill is the highest point of land in town, and is almost perpendicular on the south side,
which appears as though it had been broken off by some mighty convulsion of nature; the glacier period may have had something to do about it. The west and east sides are not so steep, and on the north the ascent is very gradual.
The name is derived from a friendly Indian, who lived with the English when Tyngsborough, Dunstable, Chelmsford and Dracut were frontier towns. He was a good hunter and warrior, and from the fact of his living with the English the other Indians gave him the name of Joe English.
Becoming satisfied that he gave information of their hostile designs to the pale-faces, they determined to take his scalp, and, accordingly, laid in wait for him. Soon after, abont twilight, they found Joe hunting near the south branch of the Piscataquog, and made an attack on him, but he managed to escape, and be- ing a good runner, he made for the north side of the hill, knowing that unless he had recourse to strategy, they would capture him. He ran with great speed to the base of the hill, then slackened his speed so that his pursuers had nearly overtaken him ; when he came to the brink of the precipice, on the southern side, he leaped down a short distance, and concealed him- self behind a projection of the ledge, while his pur- suers, having seen their prey, came on with renewed energy to the point where he had disappeared, fell headlong and were dashed on the rocks below.
Another account is that in one of his excursions in this vicinity he was pursued by a native Indian war- rior. On discovering his enemy he ran for the base of the hill, and after going around several times came up with his pursuer in the rear, and shot him in the back.
Joe English, in consequence of his faithfulness to the English, came to his death in the following man- ner: As he, with some white men, were escorting Lieutenant Butterfield and wife from Dunstable to Chelmsford, July 27, 1706, they fell into an ambuscade of hostile Indians. Butterfield and the other men easily made their escape, as the principal object of the Indians was to capture Joe. He started for the woods, with all the Indians in full pursuit, excepting one, who was left in charge of Mrs. Butterfield. When he found they were gaining upon him he faced about, took aim, as if about to fire; the Indians, know- ing that he was a fatal shot, dropped instantly to the ground. Joe then ran for his life, but, seeing his pur- sners were gaining ground, repeated the action, which he did several times, until he had nearly reached the covert of the thick wood, when one of the Indians fired. The shot struck his right arm, and his gun fell from his hand; but this impelled him to greater speed, and he had just gained the wood when another shot struck him in the thigh and he fell to the ground. At the same time a yell of triumph expressed the joy of the savages. Coming up, they gave vent to their hatred in no measured terms, as follows : "Now, Joe, we are glad you no tell English we come again."
596
HISTORY OF HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.
" No," answered Joe; "Captain Butterfield tell that at Pawtucket." "Ugh !" exelaimed the Indians; the thought just striking them that the soldiers at the block-houses at Pawtucket or Dunstable, alarmed by the whites who had escaped, would be upon them in a short time, they did not delay, but burying the tom- ahawk in the head of Joe English, this faithful friend of the white man died.
The services of Joe English were considered so meritorious that a grant was made to his wife and two children by the Legislature of Massachusetts, be- cause, as the words of the grant have it, " he died in the service of his country."
Roads .- The first road built in town, according to the proprietary records, was from where the first house was built on the plain to the saw and grist-mill; the next was from Amherst line to John McAllister's house, in thesouth part of the town ; and also one from the plain to the Great Meadow. The first road through the town began on Bedford west line, near Chestnut Hills ; thence, in a northwesterly direction, nearly through the centre of the town, crossing the south branch of Piscataquog River about one-half mile below the Lower village, at a place now known as the Ford-way ; thence it followed, in nearly the same di- rection, to the south line of Weare.
A large part of it has gone out of use and is fenced up, the land reverting to the abuttors, and is known as the old County road, probably designed as a leading thoroughfare on which the cross-roads from east and west would terminate. After the incorporation of the town, the record shows a large number of transcripts of new highways laid out by the selectmen, in doing which they appear to have had two things in view,- first to so locate the road as to pass each settler's house.
No regard being paid to straight lines, the roads were circuitous and often nearly at right angles, being built over the hills, seeming to avoid as much as possible the level and low lands. According to tradi- tion, one of the reasons for so doing is found in the fact that most of the early settlers built on a hill, or on the most elevated portion of their lot or grant, being of the opinion that the soil was better and the location more pleasant ; and when they had made con- siderable advance in clearing of the forest, it gave opportunity to see their neighbors' premises.
Another reason was that it was difficult to build and maintain a road in low and swampy land.
There appears to have been two leading ways to the older towns, where they procured such articles of mer- chandise and luxuries as their means would allow, - one through the north part of the town to Goffstown and Londonderry ; the other from the northwest part of the town, over the Clark Hill, to the Lower village; thence to the upper and over Bradford Hill, and, as the road now runs, past the residences of G. A. Wason, David Marden and Robert Kelso, to Amherst line, and is known as the old Amherst road. It was the
route over which the merchandise was transported from Boston and Salem for the stores here and those in the southwest part of Weare.
About 1827 an event ocenrred which changed, to a certain extent, the terminus of many of the old roads and discontinued others : which was the building of a new road from Newport to Amherst through the town lengthwise, to avoid the steep and long hills over the old turnpike, particularly those of Cork and Mont Vernon. This changed the course of travel from Windsor, Woodstock and Montpelier, Vt., and a large section that centred at Claremont and Newport. But the most visible change effected in the town by the building said highway was the removal of the busi- ness centre from the village on the hill to what is now known as the Lower village, which then consisted of three houses, a grist and a clothing-mill. The first new buildings erected after the completion of this road was a store by Micah Lawrence and Waterman Burr, and a hotel and store by Dr. John Whipple.
Although it was of great advantage and benefit to the town and public, the large expense of building caused strong opposition on the part of many of the citizens, two of whom refused to travel over it, but preferred the old circuitous road to reach the village, nearly twice the distance.
In the year 1839 a new highway was built from the lower village to Goffstown, to connect with the old Mast road in said town, known as the River road, and is now the leading thoroughfare from the towns west and southwest to the city of Manchester.
By this time the town had been at great expense building new roads to accommodate the public. Two had been built from the west line of the town, termi- nating at the village, one farther south having its ter- minus on the Amherst road, one in the northeast part to Weare line, and another in the southeast to Bedford line, varying in length from two and one-half to four and one-half miles, beside many shorter pieces made to avoid the hills and straighten old roads, the build- ing and maintenance of which was a heavy burden on the tax-payers.
The presumption is that New Boston has more miles of road than any other town of the same size in the county or in the State.
Bridges .- The first bridge was on the south branch of the Piscataquog, where the old County road crossed, and was built with log abutments ; this was effected by placing a log well imbedded on each side of the stream, then others from the bank notched on as headers, and stretchers laid from one abutment to the other until they had attained a suitable height. An incident is related in connection with this bridge which appears almost incredible, although related as a fact well vouched. During a severe freshet the covering of the bridge was carried away, leaving the stringers bare. A resident of Francestown, returning from London- derry on horseback in the evening, passed over, and as it was unusually dark, concluded to call at the first
597
NEW BOSTON.
house and spend the night. The first question on his arrival was,-"How did you cross the river?" His answer was,-" On the bridge," but was assured that that was not possible, as it had been carried away by the water. He refused to credit what his host related, but in the morning went back, and, to his great sur- prise, saw nothing remaining of the bridge from one abutment to the other except one stringer, which was sufficient evidence to convince him that his horse had carried him over in safety, with no other surface for foothold than the remaining cross-tie.
On the south branch of Piscataquog there are eight wooden truss bridges, varying in length from forty- five to sixty-five feet, and one bridge of iron in the | village ; on the middle branch, two wooden truss bridges, from forty to fifty feet in length, and six with stretchers laid across, plank-covered.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.