History of Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, Part 165

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

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December 2, 1863, the selectmen were authorized to hire money to fill up Weare's quota under the call of the President October 17, 1863.

June 7, 1864, voted to pay those who have enlisted

or been drafted to fill the last call, three hundred dollars, the selectmen to hire the money.

June 27, 1864, the selectmen were authorized to procure the enlistment of such number of soldiers as will be needed to fill the next call of the President, the selectmen to hire the money.

August 29, 1864, the President had called for five hundred thousand more troops. The calls came thick and fast. At a town-meeting held this day, voted to pay to each volunteer who shall enlist from this town for one year, one thousand dollars, for two years, eleven hundred dollars, and for three years, twelve hundred dollars, the selectmen to hire thirty thousand dollars to pay the volunteers or their substitutes. Six- teen to eighteen hundred dollars was a good, substan- tial bounty.

December 17, 1864, the town resolved that the selectmen be authorized to pay to every man three hundred dollars who may be drafted and accepted or has furnished a substitute since the last call for five hundred thousand men, and hire the money therefor.

This was the last of the bounties. One gigantic effort was made to crush out the rebellion and more than a million men were sent into the field. The effort was successful. Had the war continued a few years more, the North would have been bankrupt and secession a success.

Weare sent one hundred and fifty-nine of her citizens to the war as volunteers and her drafted men put in fifty substitutes,-209 men in all went from Weare to the war.

Roll of Honor .- The following are the names of the men of Weare, who gave their lives to their country :

Elbridge Dustin, Ninth Regiment ; killed at Jackson, Miss.

Joseph II. Gregg, Seventh Regiment ; killed at Fort Wagner.

Lindley Follansbee, Sixth Regiment ; killed at second Bull Run.

Charles E. Peaslee, killed at Williamsburg, Va.

Darwin W. Chase, Fourteenth Regiment, killed at Winchester.

Washington Follansbee, Eleventh Regiment, killed at Petersburg.

Charles HIoman, Fourteenth Regiment ; killed at Winchester.

Valentine M. Chase, Third Regiment ; died of wounds.

Joshua M. Nichols, Ninth Regiment : died of wounds.

Charles C. Carr, Fourteenth Regiment ; died of wounds.

William L. Hamilton, Fourteenth Regiment ; died of wounds.

Cassimiro M. Moore, Fourteenth Regiment, died of wounds.

Denis Kane, Ninth Regiment, died.

Eugene Breed, Ninth Regiment ; died.

James W. Barrett, Ninth Regiment; died.

Joseph Tatro, sharpshooter ; died.

Ezra Clement, Seventh Regiment ; died.

Harvey H. Martin, Seventh Regiment ; died.

Edward Tatro, Ninth Regiment ; died.

Almus N. Wood, died.

G. Frank Day, sharpshooter ; died.

George W. Muzzey, Ninth Regiment ; died in Salisbury prison.

Francis Hadley, Sharpshooter ; died.

William H. Hoyt, Ninth Regiment ; died.

Warren II. Emery, Fourteenth Regiment : died.

Frank P. Morrill, died.

Horace Dearborn. died.

Lieut. Col. Stark Fellows, Fourteenth Regiment, died.

Edwin N. Cram, Sixteenth Regiment ; died.

William A. White, Sixteenth Regiment; died at Baton Rouge.

Gardner Gove, Sixteenth Regiment ; died.

Alonzo Foot, Sixteenth Regiment ; died at New Orleans.

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HISTORY OF HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

Elbridge Dearborn, Sixteenth Regiment ; died at Concord, N. H. Sumner Beard, Sixteenth Regiment ; died. Alfred W. Chase, Sixteenth Regiment ; died at Baton Rouge. llenry Clement, Sixteenth Regiment ; died. Almon Dow, Sixteenth Regiment ; died. George Felch, sixteenth Regiment ; died at New Orleans. William Thorpe, Sixteenth Regiment ; died.

Division of the Town .- Many attempts were made near the close of the last century to divide the town, but none of them were successful. There was an effort to take portions of Weare, Goffstown and New Boston and make a new town ; this failed, and, in 1876, many of the inhabitants in the southeast part of the town wished to sever a portion of Weare and annex it to Goffstown ; this shared the fate of the earlier efforts. Two parishes for religious purposes was a favorite scheme of the East Weare Church, but they never could accomplish it. The only thing of the kind that met with any favor was the forming of two military districts for training purposes.

Stove to Warm the Town-House .- About 1840, after building the new town-house at the Centre, the town refused to buy a stove to warm. it, and it was only after voting on the question several years that one was bought. The same penuriousness was seen in warming the meeting-houses. Ministers preached with their overcoats and woolen mittens on and the women kept their feet warm with the old-fashioned foot-stoves, with a dish of live coals therein, for years after the first efforts were made to put in stoves. Money was appropriated for such purposes grudgingly.

Wealth .- But Weare's citizens are more generous now. Each year the sum of fifty dollars is appropri- ated to decorate the soldiers' graves ; the town-house has been remodeled and modernized, a level floor of Georgia pine has taken the place of the sloping floor of spruce and hemlock, comfortable settees have sup- planted the hard plank seats of former days and other improvements have been made. A receiving tomb has been built, a hearse procured, road machines bought, and two thousand five hundred dollars apro- priated, and paid for the reservoir at the head of the Piscataquog. One item alone shows their prosperity ; they have $357,742 in savings-banks, the tax on which more than pays the State tax of the town.

Town-History .- About 1881 the town chose David Cross, Abner P. Collins, Robert Peaslee, Josiah G. Dearborn and Sylvester C. Gould, a committee to prepare a history of Weare. From data in part furn- ished by them this sketch has been written.

Temperance .- A few generations ago there was a cider-mill at nearly every other house and every ordinary farmer put seventy-five to one hundred barrels of cider in his cellar each fall. Some also had a barrel of rum or other strong liquor with it. It was a common thing for men to drink a quart of cider at a draught without once taking their lips from the mug. Now the apples are sent to market bringing a good price. A little cider is made for vinegar or to be used in a proper manner and the old cider guzzlers

who went from house to house drinking are all in the graveyard.

Education and Religion .- Better school-houses have been built and better schools are had ; better churches have been provided and they are kept in better repair.

We would not detract from the merits of our an- cestors; they were patriotic, public-spirited and virtuous. But the people of Weare to-day are much better off; have more property, better houses and furniture; more intelligence; are more temperate ; have purer morals ; a truer and freer religion, and live twenty years longer on the average than did the inhabitants of " ye olden times."

Manufactures .- Weare is chiefly an agricultural town, but a great variety of manufacturing has been carried on. The following articles have been produced in Weare: Woolen goods, cotton goods, lumber, clocks, ready-made clothing, hats, linseed oil, pump- kin seed oil, cotton yarn, woolen rolls, skimmers, nails, hinges, wooden ware, starch, carriages, sleighs, musical instruments, toys, boots and shoes, matches, leather, barrels, tubs, kits, sugar, skivers.

The following aged persons have died in Weare : In 1800 (or about that time), Thomas Worthley, aged 106 years; in 1843, Betsy Sargent, aged 100 years ; in 1860, Hannah Peaslee, aged 101 years ; in 1869, Fannie Morse, aged 100 years and nine months.

Census of Weare .- 1768, 268; 1773, 884; 1775, 837; 1786, 1574; 1790, 1924; 1800, 2517 : 1810, 2634; 1820, 2781; 1830, 2430 ; 1840, 2375; 1850. 2435 ; 1860, 2310; 1870, 2092; 1880, 1829.

REPRESENTATIVES

Samuel Page, 1775. John Worth, 1775.

George Hadley, 1776, 1803.

Samuel Caldwell, 1779.

Ithamar Eaton, 1780.

Samuel Philbrick, 1782, '83.

Jonathan Dow, 1784, '85. John Hodgdon, 1789.

Obadiah Eaton, 1792, '93, '94, '95.

Samuel B. Tobie, 1796, '97, '98, 1800, '01, '02, 04, '14.

Jabez Morrill, 1799, 1800, died in office.

James Caldwell, 1805, '06, '07, '08. Jonathan Atwood, 1809, '10, 'II. Daniel Moore, 1810, '11.

Samuel Eaton, 1812, '13, '17, '18, '19, 20.

Amasa Foster, 1813.

Hezekiah D. Buzzell, 1814, '15, '16, '19, '20.

Abraham Morrill, 1815, '16, '17, '18, '21, '22.

James Wallace, 1821, '22, '23, '24. Josialı Danforth, 1823, '24.

Amos W. Bailey, 1825, '26, '27.

Tristram Eaton, 1825, '26, '27, '28. Simon P. Colby, 1828, '29, '30, '31, '32, '41.

Daniel Page, Jr., 1829, '30, '31, '36. Seth N. Cilley, 1832, '33, '34.

John L. Hadley, 1833, '34, '35, '36, '37, '38, '46, '47, '48.

Thomas Muzzey, 1835, '37.

John Edmunds, 1838, '39.

Jesse Whittaker, 1839, '40. William Woodbury, 1840, '41, '42, '48.

Jonathan G. Colby, 1842, '43.

Daniel Page, 1843, '44, '45, '46, '47, '56.

Ebenezer Gove, 1844. '45.

Abel B. Cram, 1849.

Samuel C. Eastman, 1849, '50.

Hiram Simons, 1850, '59.

William H. Gove, 1851, 152, '55,

'71. Speaker of the House, 1871. Peter Dearborn, 1851, '52. Josiah G. Dearborn, 1853, '54.

Ezra Dow, 1853, '54. David Gould, 1855.

John Bartlett, 1856, '57.

Robert B. Caswell, 1858, '60. Albe Morrill, 1858. Jonathan B. Moulton, 1859. Simon G. Grove, 1860, '61.

Moses A. Cartland, 1861.

Moses A. llodgdon, 1862, '63. Ziba A. Hoyt, 1862, '63. Abraham B. Story, 1864. Ira Gove, 1864, '65.

Abner P. Collins, 1865, '68.

Hiram Simons

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WEARE.

Jonathan Buxton, 1866, '68. Moses Sawyer, 1866. Charles O. Ballou, 1869, '70. Alonzo H. Wood, 1869, '70. Charles W. Everett, 1871. George W. Colby, 1872, '73. John Thorndike, 1872, '73. Lindley M. Sawyer, 1874, '75. Abner Frost, 1874, '75. Albert B. Jolinson, 1876, '77.

Cyrus E. Wood, 1876, '77. Charles H. Jones, 1879, '80. Charles A. Jones, 1879, '80. Warren L. Collins, 1881, '82. James P. Whittle, 1881, '82. William L. Morse, 1883, '84. Almon L. Sleeper, 1883, '84. Levi II. Dow, 1885, '86. George W. Dearborn, 1885, '86.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.

HIRAM SIMONS.

HIRAM SIMONS, son of Christopher and Nancy (Locke) Simons, was born in Weare, Hillsborough County, N. H., February 22, 1805. Being the eldest of nine children, he was necessarily looked upon as a help in the home duties and interests, and as school advantages were not as easily attained as now, his were consequently restricted to short terms. But his naturally quick and keen perception in active busi- ness matters raised him to a high degree of capacity in all and every position in which he took an in- terest. In early life he labored on his father's farm, in the southwest part of Weare. When about twelve years of age, his father purchased a large lot of land in the southeast part of Weare, where he carried on the "oil-mill" business, buying large quantities of flax-seed, which was converted into oil, after which the meal was fed to cattle. They also owned a saw-mill and wheelwright shop, all in very active operation. After Hiram became of age, his father gave him a small compensation for his labor for one year. Then he went into mercantile business for himself, taking for partner Harrison Hobson, of Oil Mill Vil- lage. This village derived its name from the Simons oil-mill, which was afterward converted into a flouring-mill.

About 1833, Simons & Hobson moved to Weare Centre, then quite a thriving little village, where they continued in mercantile business, prospering finely. Hiram engaged in lumbering quite exten- sively. After locating at Weare Centre Hiram Simons was elected postmaster, was also justice of peace, was very active in the town interests, took a deep interest in the prosperity of the village, pro- posed and helped build a church and support a pastor. He will be remembered long by those who attended, as one who took an active part in its prosperity; played bass-viol in church while he remained there. He officiated as selectman, treasurer, collector for a good part of his stay at the village, was Representa- tive in 1849, 1850, 1859,-all of which offices he filled with great honor. In 1860 he moved to Manchester, N. H., where he remained until his death, June 1,1882.

He married M. Almeda Chase, daughter of John

and Lydia Chase, of Weare, September 4, 1842. They were blessed with a son, May 25, 1843, named Hiram Augustus Simons. On October 11, 1847, another son was born, named George Frank Simons,-treasures which were not spared them long. Augustus was sent to New London, N. H., school at fifteen years of age, and was a very fine scholar. He came from the school of books and enlisted in the school that tried all people's souls-the Rebellion. He went out in the first fleet to the Southern States, enlisted Sep- tember 4, 1861. He went as musician, served one year of hardship, came home September 5, 1862, stayed with his family one year; then, in 1863, came the loud and imperative calls for "more men." The noble boy responded once more, and as he bade his dear ones good-bye, he said, " Good-bye ! good-bye ! I'll come home all right ! all right !" He did come "all right" the next July. But voiceless was the dear form that left home so short a time before. He died in Washington, D. C., July 19, 1864 at Columbia College Hospital, at the age of twenty-one years, one month and a few days. This was a hard blow for his parents and brothers. But they bowed submissively, feeling that it was well with the dear one who had "gone first," or, as he expressed it, " some one must go first ; it might as well be me as any one." The next summer dear Frank was called. He died August 9, 1865, aged seventeen years, ten months and a few days. Then the parents were alone, feeling deeply bereft, yet with a hope and trust of meeting their dear ones again when they too shall pass over to the shining shore.

Hiram Simons' life was a very active, industrious one; ever ready to help the needy, both in words of kindness and deeds of charity ; quietly and unosten- tatiously were his kind acts performed, but never to be forgotten by the recipients. He had acquired a handsome competency by his own industry, some two hundred thousand dollars of which his four surviving brothers, one sister and one niece, received sixteen thousand dollars each of his property ; of the remainder his wife has control, and of which she has bestowed liberally where needed. Hiram Simons lived the motto of his heart : "This life is short, and we should miss no opportunity of giving happiness to others." His last days were the ful- fillment of this aim. Never an ill word passed his lips ; if he could not speak well of a person he would not speak at all. He passed happily to rest on the first day of June, 1882.

LEWIS SIMONS.

Among the many successful business men of Hills- borough County, no one is better entitled to conspicu- ous mention than Lewis Simons, who has attained his " three-score years and ten " within the county where both he and his father before him were born, and from whose forests and timbered wastes he has eut for him-

692

HISTORY OF HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

self a fortune, while by his industry and integrity he has perfected a character as enduring as the granite hills of his native State.

His father, Christopher Simons, was born in South Weare, and lived on the family homestead until two years after the birth of Lewis, August 12, 1815, when, with his family of seven boys and two girls, he moved to the flourishing village in the same town, then and since known as the Oil Mills, and purchased the mills, which gave the place its name and fame.

In the year 1825 the business of the mills had so in- creased, under the excellent management of the senior Simons, aided by the efficient services of his boys, that it was found necessary to rebuild and en- large the capacity of the mills; and the raising of linseed and its manufacture into oil was a source of prosperity to a large and thriving community. It was not uncommon to sce over five hundred bushels of secd at a time in the bins, and so long as the rais- ing of linseed was as remunerative as other branches of agriculture, the business prospered ; but, with the lack of material, it langnished, and in 1832 the in- dustry was abandoned; the oil mill was leased to a party who utilized it as a pail factory until 1847, when it was totally destroyed by fire.

Upon leaving the oil business, the senior Simons devoted himself to the care of his large farm, which he had secured by his industry and economy, and car- ried on also quite a thriving business in the saw-mill, which he owned in the same locality. He was a type of that invincible manhood which, in the early days, could master obstacles that iu the light of modern civilization would seem overwhelming; and his suc- cess was not less marked by the comfortable fortune which he amassed, than by the habits of industry, frugality and integrity which he instilled into all his nine children, and especially his fifth son, Lewis, the subject of this sketch.

Notwithstanding his limited opportunities for ob- taining an education, young Simons nevertheless made the most of the means at his command, and, with the same untiring devotion and patient applica- tion which had characterized his life he mastered what- ever he undertook. With only eight or ten weeks of district school in a year, and one term of instruction at the Henniker academy in the fall of 1835, where he was a class-mate with the late ex-Governor Har- riman, he became proficient in scholarship and taught school with marked success in his own and other districts in his native town for five consecutive winters. When not thus engaged he worked in his father's saw-mill, laying there the foundation for his future business success in life.

In 1843 he went into trade at Oil Mill village, but this was not congenial to his tastes, and in 1845 he abandoned it to follow the bent of his earlier inclina- tions. In his father's saw-mill he had acquired not only a, thorough knowledge of sawing lumber, but a strong desire to engage in the lumber business for a livelihood.

This desire had now fully ripened into a determi- nation. The wisdom of his choice and the pertinacity with which he has pursued his calling are fully evi- denced in the splendid success which he has achieved and the enviable reputation which he has won as a man of broad judgment, of conscientious prudence and of large business energy and integrity.

His first venture in the lumber business, in 1845, was with his brother Hiram, with whom he remained in partnership until 1853, living meantime in Weare. In that year he sold his one-half interest in the busi- ness to his partner and took up his residence in Man- chester, having purchased a fine residence on the west side of the river, in that part of the city then known as "Squog," but now graced with the more ele- ganttitle of West Manchester. Here he continued to re- side until 1860, when he built his present spacious and attractive residence at the corner of Brook and Chest- nut Streets, in one of the most desirable locations in the city. Here for a quarter of a century he has summoned the immeasurable influences of a happy home to aid him in successfully prosecuting the business of his earlier years.

He brought with him, to this new home, his wife Hannah W., daughter of Charles Gove, of Weare, whom he married in 1840, and her three surviving children,-Langdon, born July 20, 1841; Almeda, born November 24, 1842; and Minot, born June 12, 1849.

Three other boys had previously been born to them, but they had faded beneath the touch of the grim messenger, early in life, and, in January, 1861, the faithful wife and devoted mother was summoned to join them in the better land.

Subsequently Mr. Simons married Mary J. Gilmore, who still shares with him, in happy contentment, the fruits of twenty years of wedded bliss.

The youthful Minot found, in his new mother, all the affection and devotion which he had lost, and, through the few years which he was permitted to re- main in this happy family, and especially through the trying ordeal which preceded his death, no greater love could have been manifested, no more pa- tient or self-sacrificing care could have been be- stowed. To this most fortunate union much of Mr. Simons' prosperity in life is due.

His son Langdon resides in Manchester, engaged in the jewelry business on Elm Street. He married early in life and has one son, a bright and promising young man, the idol of his grandparents, at whose request he bears the name of Minot, in memory of the son, whose loss in early maturity so keenly affected both Mr. and Mrs. Simons.

His daughter Almeda is the most estimable wife of Darwin A. Simons, one of Manchester's most enter- prising and respected citizens.

In all departments of the lumber business Mr. Si- mons has been exceptionally fortunate. His judg- ment in estimating values, his thorough knowledge of

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all the details of working and sawing lumber, his large executive ability and thorough personal devo- tion to the management of his business, together with his sagacity and prudence in putting his merchandise upon the market at the right time, or in preserving and holding his lumber until a better mar- ket would ensure for him its full value, have won for him not only liberal wealth and the enviable reputa- tion which his success financially demands, but with this, and better than this, his strict, unswerving in- tegrity in all his affairs have ensured to him the full confidence, appreciation and esteem of all with whom he has come into contact. His counsels have been widely sought, his methods serupulously copied and his influences largely felt.

For about eight years he owned the farm and mill at the outlet of Lake Massabesie, with Gilman Clough, who learned his trade of the Simons in Weare, and in 1863 sold to Clough his one-half inter- est. Since 1855 he has been extensively associated in the purchase and working of immense tracts of woodland, with J. M. and D. A. Parker, of Goffstown, and his active labors in the lumber business look back over a period of forty years. In all this time, notwith- standing his business was immense, furnishing to one party in one year ten thousand cords of wood, yet he never let the smallest detail escape his attention. Out of the many millions of lumber which he has handled, oftentimes accumulating on his hands for a better market, not five hundred feet were ever wasted. His career in this business, which, more than any other, taxes the judgment and common sense, has been almost phenomenal, and he justly enjoys, in his declining years, the well-earned fruits of his life's labor.

As a public-spirited citizen he has stamped his im- press upon the history and growth of our city, and many of the finest blocks and buildings are the results of his industry. Besides his beautiful and valuable homestead, he has been instrumental in building the Mercantile Block and Music-Hall Block, Manchester, both beautiful and costly structures, situated on the main thoroughfare and in the heart of the business of this metropolitan city. He also helped to erect a large brick block on Elm Street, known as Webster Block, and a large tenement block on Pearl Street. In all of these, and in other valuable pieces of real estate in this city, he is a large owner, and few of Manchester citizens have been more fortunate in their financial affairs.

Although ready and willing always to assist in any laudable enterprise, Mr. Simons has never sought the honors of political favor, nor held other offices of trust than justice of the peace, and, in 1855, alderman in his ward, although the representative of the mi- nority party.

from the loss of his valuable services, he has been a tenacious adherent of the old Jeffersonian doctrines, bringing him a multitude of unsought Democratic nominations, only valuable until election day. In 1884 he was the nominee of his party for Mayor, re- ceiving in the caucus over twelve hundred votes, a greater number than was ever given to any former can- didate. For years he was a regular attendant and an enthusiastic worker in the Universalist Society, lend- ing a willing hand and open purse to the prosecution of every good work for the benefit of the church and society, and equally ardent and liberal in resisting its persecutions. Of late years he has attended the * Unitarian Church and has been president of its board of trustees.

He has never yielded to the infatuating charms of seeret organizations of any kind, possibly on account of his early interest in military affairs, which en- grossed his attention and engaged his hours of re- creation.

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History of Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, Part 165

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