History of Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, Part 170

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

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The greatest shock ever given to the public morals and the honorable repute of the town was by the repeated crimes and public execution of Elwin W. Major, January 5, 1877. Major was born in Goff's- town and was about thirty years of age. He had removed with his parents, at five years of age, to Randolph, Vt., thence went to Manchester, N. H., when nineteen years old, where he worked for some time, then removed to Iowa. He returned East, worked for a time in Goffstown, and then went to Wilton, working in a mill and cabinet-shop, and finally on a farm for Moses Lovejoy, whose daughter Ida he married in 1869. On the 20th of Decem- ber, 1874, Mrs. Major was taken suddenly ill, and on the evening of the same day died. Her sudden deatlı led the town authorities to investigate the case, which resulted in evidence that led to the belief that Major had purchased strychnine in Nashua a few weeks previously, and also of his criminal intimacy with another woman in Wilton. These discoveries were followed by other facts, which, added to Major's questionable reputation, convinced people that he was a murderer.

Major was arrested, and, after two trials, was con- victed of murder and sentenced to be executed January 5, 1875, on which day he was hanged at Concord, in the precincts of the State Prison, protesting his in- nocence to the last.

George Peacock, in 1878 or 1879, was sentenced to the State Prison for three years for burglary at East Wilton, but after one year's imprisonment was par- doned out by the Governor on petition.

None of the criminals above named were natives of Wilton.

Statistics prove that by far the greater part of the pauperism, insanity and crime in the community are due to the use of intoxicating liquors.

CHAPTER VIII.

WILTON-( Continued).

SCHOOLS, LIBRARIES, EDUCATION, ETC.

Schools.1-Wilton was first settled in 1739, and was incorporated as a town in 1762. Recognizing the pre- vailing sentiment of New England respecting the im- portance of free schools, the grantors of the land con- stituting the principal part of the township, in order

to encourage settlements, set apart one share, which consisted of two hundred and forty acres, for the use of schools. This land was sold before the town had become so fully populated as to render it very valua- ble, and the proceeds invested as a small fund, the annual income of which was appropriated for the purposes for which it was designed.

The first record which we find respecting schools, excepting the locating of the school lots of land, was in 1767, when the town voted "to raise six pounds, lawful money, for a school this year," and " chose the selectmen a committee to provide said schools." For the next ten years about the same amount was annually raised, and the schools were kept in dwell- ing-houses in different parts of the town, as would best accommodate the inhabitants.

In the midst of the trials and embarrassments of the Revolution the interests of education were not neglected ; provision was made every year for the maintenance of schools. From the close of the war till the end of the eighteenth century a larger sum was appropriated for schools than for town expendi- tures ; and down to the present time the amount raised for the free education of the children of the town has always been largely in excess of that re- quired by law.

SCHOOL DISTRICTS .- In 1787 a committee consist- ing of nine persons divided the town, which com- prised twenty-five square miles of territory, into " five districts for the purpose of building or repairing school-honses at the expense of each district." In 1807 the selectmen, by vote of the town, recon- structed the districts and constituted eight, which were thenceforward designated by numbers. Subse- quently two additional districts were formed from portions of these, so that the township now contains ten districts, having eleven school-houses, containing thirteen school-rooms.

SCHOOL-HOUSES .- The school edifices of the early times seem to have been designed to withstand the vandalism of the boys rather than to afford comforts and conveniencees for the pupils. They were warmed -so far as they were made warm at all in winter-by huge open fire-places, in which green wood ex- elusively was often burned, and there was no need of any special arrangements for ventilation. The seats and desks were made of plank from an inch and a half to two inches in thickness, the dimensions of which, however, were soon materially diminished under the operations of the busy jack-knives of idle scholars.

The first school-house of improved construction was built in 1842 in the district of which Rev. Warren Burton was a native. The seats in this house consisted of chairs, graduated in height and size to correspond with the varying ages of the pupils, and firmly fixed to the floor. Ample space was afforded, means of ventilation were furnished and the house was at first warmed by a furnace in the basement. School-houses

1 By George L. Dascombe,

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on a similar plan were soon after built at the centre of the town and at East Wilton, the principal villages, and those in other districts have been re- placed by new ones or remodeled till, at the present time, there are only two which are not adapted to the purpose for which they were designed, and even these are a decided improvement upon those of fifty years ago.

COURSES OF STUDY AND METHODS OF INSTRUC- TION .- One hundred years ago the branches of study were limited to reading, spelling, writing and arith- metic. The methods of instruction, even in these, were extremely imperfect. The pupils had no text- books in arithmetic. The schoolmaster usually-not always-possessed one. He communicated a rule orally to his pupils, who wrote it out in their "manuscripts," which generally consisted of a few sheets of coarse paper stitched within a brown paper- cover. Then an example under that rule was given, which the scholars solved, and copied the operation into their manuscripts below the rule. When a suf- ficient number of examples had been thus disposed of, another rule was given, and so on till the mathe- matical education of the student was completed.

The branches of study now pursued, even in our rural schools, include reading, spelling and defining, penmanship, arithmetic, grammar (including analy- sis), geography (including physical geography as a distinct branch,) history of the United States, physiol- ogy, algebra, geometry, book-keeping, natural philos- ophy, and sometimes chemistry and botany.

TEACHERS. - Until within the last thirty years schoolmasters were almost invariably employed in the winter and school-mistresses in the summer. If a lady teacher was placed in charge of a winter school, she was always one possessing maseuline traits. A change has gradually taken place, and at the present time our schools, with very few excep- tions, are taught by females.

Many of the teachers, both men and women, who have assisted in forming the intellectual and moral character of the successive generations of youth in Wilton, have been eminently fitted for their vocation. In 1782 an intelligent and public-spirited citizen of the town, convinced that the schools were nearly worthless, hired a student at college to teach during his vacation, and invited his neighbors to send their children to the school free of charge. "This," re- cords the Rev. Abiel Abbott, D.D., a son of the cit- izeu referred to, "gave a new complexion to the school in the south distriet; and for a number of years after, qualified teachers, usually students from college, were employed about eight weeks in the winter. Soon after the improvement in the south district some of the other districts followed in the same course. To this impulse, I think, we may im- pute the advance of Wilton before the neighboring towns in education and good morals."

Among those who, at various times, taught in the

district schools of the town, and afterwards became widely known as publie men, were Professor John Abbott, of Bowdoin College; Benjamin Abbott, LL.D., for many years principal of Phillips Academy, at Exeter, N. H .; Rev. Samuel Bar- rett, D.D., of Boston; Rev. Samuel R. Hall, first principal of the Teachers' Seminary, at Andover, Mass. ; and Rev. Warren Burton, author of the "District School as It Was," and in his later years eminent for his labors in the cause of home educa- tion. Of these, Mr. Barrett and Mr. Burton received the rudiments of their education in the schools of Wilton.

In 1803, Rev. Thomas Beede was installed as min- ister of the town and remained in that capacity till 1829. He was a ripe scholar, a man of genial manners, and deeply interested in the improvement of the young. In addition to his pastoral labors he sometimes taught one of the district schools, some- times a select school, and also gave instruction to advanced students at his home. His influence in promoting the educational interests of the town was incalculable. A remarkably large number of the young men of Wilton acquired a liberal education during his ministry.

TEXT-BOOKS .- The text-books of a century ago, as recorded by one who attended school at that time, were the Bible or Testament, the Primer and Dil- worth's Spelling-Book. As the wants of the schools have demanded, new books have been introduced. When improvements have been made, those improve- ments have been adopted. But the town has never been given to frequent changes. When a thoroughly good book was in use it has not been discarded merely because something new has been offered. Adams' Arithmetic, under its successive forms of the Scholars' Arithmetic, Adams' New Arithmetic, Adams' New Arithmetic (revised edition) and Adams' Improved Arithmetic, was used for nearly seventy years, and Warren Colburn's Mental Arithmetic for about fifty. It is only within the last year that these works have been superseded.

SUPERVISION OF SCHOOLS .- For more than twenty years before the State made any provision for the supervision of schools the town of Wilton annually chose some of its best qualified citizens a committee to inspect the schools. It is worthy of note that our educational interests have always been kept free from any connection with party politics. The citizens have left the appointment of superintending school committee-since that office was established by the law of the State-to the selectmen and those offi- cials, to their honor be it recorded, have never seemed to be influenced by partisan feelings in making their selections.

SELECT SCHOOLS .- At various times for seventy- five years past skillful teachers have opened private schools, for one term in a year, which have partaken more or less of the character of High Schools. These

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HISTORY OF HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

have been largely instrumental in raising the stand- ard of education in the town. There has been for some time a select school at the principal village, continuing through the year, which affords ad- vantages equal to those which are found at respectable academies. This school gives promise of being a permanent institution.

Literary Societies .- Under the inspiration of Thomas Beede, and aided by some intelligent young men and women, an association was formed in 1815 or 1816, called the Wilton Literary and Moral Society. One of its members has described it as follows:

" The members of this early society consisted of young gentlemen and ladies, and there were a few more boys like myself at the time, who had a literary taste, such as to admit them to a companionship with their su- periors. We met at first once a week or fortnight, at Mr. Beede's house, and then in a parlor of the Buss llouse, as it used to be called. We should have been lost in the spaciousness of a hall. There our revered Pastor presided over us under the title of Instructor, if I rightly remember. We discussed literary and moral questions orally or by writing. Indeed. sub- jects were given out at each meeting to be written upon against the next, and read before the society and then put into the hands of the Instructor to be corrected. These were to me, and I doubt not to the rest, delight- ful meetings. Impulses were there given which, in the chain of causes, must, I think, have been of valuable consequence."

The next step in the general enlightenment of the town was the establishment of the lyceum and the lecture course. Questions were debated and lectures given, agreeably to the general practice of these asso- ciations. The speakers and lecturers, generally of home origin, gave their services without pay. It was later that large sums were paid for lecturers from abroad, who made lecturing their special work, and who wrote their lectures in the summer and delivered them in the winter. A still later method has been the Lecture Bureau, which sends out annual circulars of eminent lecturers, humorists, singers, etc., with a list of their subjects or performances for the winter's cam- paign.

Sunday-Schools .- The first Sunday-school was es- tablished in May, 1816, in the Congregationalist Church, of which the Rev. Thomas Beede was pastor. Two ladies,-Miss Phebe Abbot, afterwards the wife of Ezra Abbot, Esq., of Jackson, Me., and the mother of Professor Ezra Abbot, D.D., LL.D., of Cambridge, and Miss Sarah White Livermore-were leaders in the enterprise. This school was one of the first, if not the first, in the country, devoted especially to religious instruction.

Seventy children attended the first season.

The book used was the Bible, and the Bible only. Sunday-schools are now established in all the churches in town.

The Columbian Library was incorporated June 9, 1803. Ebenezer Rockwood, Jonathan Burton and Philip Putnam were the corporate members. The records of the library have not been found. About the year 1820 the company was dissolved, and the books sold or divided among the stockholders. Among the books which can be traced may be mentioned Hunter's "Sacred Biography" and John Adams'

" Defense of the Constitution of the United States," in three volumes.

The Ministerial Library, belonging to the First Congregational Church, for the use of the ministers, was established in 1824 by Rev. Abiel Abbot, D.D., who gave a large number of books to it. It was in- corporated and placed in the hands of five trustees, who were to fill their own board. The library has an endowment fund, the income of which goes to the purchase of books. All ministers in town are en- titled to the privileges of the library.

A Parish Library also belongs to the First Congre- gational Church, consisting of several hundred vol- umes, and open to all the members of the parish. The Sunday-school libraries of the various churches con- tain a large number of volumes, which are for the use of the teachers and scholars of the several societies.

The Public Library .- By the efforts principally of Rev. A. M. Pendleton, then pastor of the Unita- rian Church in East Wilton, a public library was established in town, consisting of about two thousand volumes ; but in the great fire of December 29, 1874, a considerable part of the library was destroyed; partially insured ; and in the great fire of January 20, 1881, it was almost entirely burned up. It has been proposed to re-establish this library and open it free to all the inhabitants of the town.

Doctors .- Dr. Ebenezer Rockwood, a graduate of Harvard College in 1773, and Dr. Timothy Parkhurst, a graduate of Dartmouth College in 1813, were for many years the wise and skillful physicians of the town. Dr. John Putnam also practiced medicine a long time in Wilton.

Dr. Crombie and Dr. Kingsbury, of Temple, Dr. Twitchell, of Keene, Dr. Adams, of Mont Vernon, Dr. Spalding, of Amherst, and Dr. Dearborn, of Milford, have also been called upon to visit in their professional capacity the sick and suffering in Wil- ton. Drs. Trevitt, Fleeman and Hatch are at present the physicians of the town.

Lawyers .- For many years no lawyer resided in town. Hon. Charles H. Burns, J. L. Spring, Esq., and W. H. Grant have officiated in that capacity.

Graduates of Colleges .- One of the tests of the appreciation of the advantages and privileges of edu- cation is the eagerness with which the higher education of academies and colleges is sought and the sacrifices made to secure it. Wilton has sent many of her sons to colleges and universities. The following is the list of college graduates, as near as we can ascer- tain it :

The following persons have graduated at Harvard College : Rev. Abiel Abbot, D.D., 1787; Rev. Jacob Abbot, 1792; William Abbot, Esq., 1797; John Stevens Abbot, 1801; Solomon Kidder Livermore, Esq., 1802; Ebenezer Rockwood, Esq., 1802; Samuel Greele, Esq., 1802; Samuel Abbot, Esq., 1808 ; Rev. Samuel Barrett, 1818; Rev. Warren Burton, 1821;

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Rev. Abiel Abbot Livermore, 1833 ; Hermon Abbot was two years in Harvard College.

The following are the graduates of Dartmouth College: Daniel Rockwood, Esq., 1811; Augustus Greele, Esq., 1813 ; Timothy Parkhurst, M.D., 1813; Aber Flint, Esq., 1821; D. Morgan, Esq., 1835; Rev. Lubim Burton Rockwood, 1839.

The graduates of Bowdoin College are Professor Joseph Hale Abbot, 1822; Rev. Ephraim Peabody, 1827 ; Ezra Abbot, Esq., 1830; Abiel Abbot, Esq., 1831.

Graduates of Yale College,-Rufus Abbot, M.D., 1834; Rev. Alvah Steele, three years at Yale, but did not graduate; Levi Abbot, Esq., 1840.

Graduate of Amherst College : Charles Abbot, Esq., 1835.

Graduate of Middlebury College : Samuel Flint, Esq

Rev. John Keyes and Rev. Nathaniel Abbot were natives of Wilton, and received, after leaving town, a college education.

William Barret, Harvard, 1859, practicing law in St. Paul, Minn .; Joseph Chandler Barrett, Dart- mouth ; Charles D. Adams; Everard W. Dascomb was one year at Oberlin, and graduated at Hobart College, Geneva, N. Y., 1880, valedictorian.

CHAPTER IX. WILTON-(Continued).

INDUSTRIES, MILLS, MANUFACTURES AND TRADE.

BENJAMIN FRANKLIN, when, more than a hundred years ago, he traveled through New England, forecast its destiny, for he saw its numerous and rapid streams and its immense water-power and predicted that it would be a great manufacturing community.

Another feature leading to the same conclusion is the character of the people, as distinguished by gen- eral education, skill and inventiveness. The me- chanical power and the intelligent population both combine to make mechanics and manufactures lead- ing interests. Water and wind will ever be cheaper propellents than steam and electricity. The course of events since Franklin's time has justified his sagacity.

The occupations of countries are largely deter- mined by climate, geological formation and the race of men. The sea-coast and islands make a commu- nity of sailors, merchants and fishermen. The plains and prairies destine men to husbandry; the hills and mountains to grazing and mining; the brooks and rivers to manufactures, and so on to the end of the chapter.

The early settlers of Wilton had to contend with many difficulties. They had no mills, no boards, no clapboards, no shingles. The first burial was in a

rude coffin hollowed out of a tree, with a slab hewn from the same for a lid. The houses were built of logs. Earth supplied the place of mortar. The axe was the chief tool. For glass was used mica, for floors the ground, for window-frames lead, for chim- nies clay, for plates wooden platters, for roofs split rails and earth, for paths blazed trees, and for roads corduroy or logs and poles. At first there was no mill to grind their corn nearer than Dunstable and afterwards Milford. The pioneer must travel miles and miles along his solitary path through the wild woods with his bag of grain on his back or on a sled to reach a grist-mill, and return the same weary way to supply bread-stuffs for his wife and children.

The grantors of the town, in order to promote im- provements, set apart two lots of eighty acres each for encouragement for building mills.

The first mill in Wilton was the grist-mill at Barnes' Falls, built by Samuel Greele, one of the grantees of the town, the father of Major Samuel Greele, and grandfather of Captain Samuel Greele. It was on lot No. 15 in the fourth range, being one of the lots drawn for mills.

The first saw-mill was that of Jacob Putnam, situ- ated a short distance west of the northwest corner of lot No. 15, and very near, or on the line between lots Nos. 15 and 16 in the fifth range.

A saw and grist-mill was built by Hutchinson at the East village, on the same spot where one stands now.

On lot No. 20 in the fourth range, on the brook that flows by the present glass-house at South Lynde- borough, a few rods above where it unites with Stony River, a grist-mill was erected by Deacon John Burton. These mills were all erected before the Revolution.

Near the knob-factory of Samuel Smith, at the West village, on the Gambol Brook, there was, for- merly, a grist-mill and fulling and clothing-mill owned by Uriah Smith. It was burned in 1781 or 1782, but the remains of the dam may still be seen.

Rev. Jonathan Livermore built a saw-mill on Gambol Brook about the time of the Revolution, on the site now occupied by his descendants for a saw- mill, with shingle and stave machinery.

At the time of the centennial celebration there was the following record made of the industries of the town: "There are now eight saw-mills in opera- tion ; five grist-mills; three tanneries; two fulling- mills; one bobbin-factory ; one cotton-factory, burnt in 1839 and not yet rebuilt; one starch-factory, owned and carried on by people from Wilton (Messrs. Ezra and Samuel Abbot), but itself in Mason; four blacksmiths ; ten shoemakers, including journeymen ; two cabinet-makers; one hatter ; three stores ; two taverns."

The Wilton Manufacturing Company was formed in 1848 with a capital of fifty thousand dollars, and Joseph Newell, Eliphalet Putnam, Ziba Gay, Dan-

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HISTORY OF HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

iel Abbot, Esq., William D. Beasom, Clark C. Boutwell, Royal Southwick, Elbridge Reed and Tappan Wentworth as principal stockholders.

The mill was built in 1849, and the wheel and shafting put in in 1850, and commenced to make carpet-yarn April 6, 1851. The mill was of wood, ninety-eight by forty feet, two stories, with basement.

A wheel-house thirty-two by thirty feet, one story, with basement for washing wool, and one-half of room above for repair-shop. The wheel was a breast-wheel, twenty-four feet diameter, with twelve-feet buckets.

There was also a dry-house, a wool-house and one double cottage-house built. These, with the old boarding-house, were all the buildings owned by the company at the commencement.

The first lot of machinery consisted of six spin- ning-frames, three twisters, drawing-frames, pickers, and other small machinery to match; also one set of cards and one jack for making filling. From this small beginning new machinery was added from time to time, until the mill contained fourteen spin- ning-frames, seven twisters and a corresponding increase of new and modern machinery, including English combers. The machinery was increased for making filling from one set to four sets.

While this increase of machinery was going on, the building had to be correspondingly enlarged. In 1858, forty feet were added to the length of the mill, making one hundred and thirty- eight feet long. In 1865 another addition was made in L form, fifty by seventy-two feet, and one of Swain's turbine wheels of one hundred and thirty horse-power took the place of the old breast-wheel, and was run until the mill was burnt, March 6, 1872.

May, 1851, there were on the pay-roll forty-nine hands, and the pay-roll of that month was $788.34. The pay-roll of January, 1872, one hundred and six- teen hands, was $2371.41. The mill was in operation twenty years and eleven months. A short time at the commencement the superintendent was Mr. Ripley. Mr. Elbridge G. Woodman was superin- tendent the remaining part of the time the mill was in operation.

One of the most serious changes in the industries of the country has been the virtual abolition of the system of apprenticeship. When our forefathers came over the sea they brought the European method of initiation into the industrial trades by a long period, usually seven years, of careful training and practice. When an apprentice or negro boy ran away, it was customary to advertise him and offer one cent reward. It is questionable whether me- chanical work is as thoroughly done under the pres- ent system as the old one, where years of careful training and practice, under experienced master- workmen, habituated the apprentice to accuracy and skill in every detail of his trade.

Industries of Wilton according to the Census of 1850 .- Saw-mill, carding-machines and cloth

dressing: Capital, $1200; boards, 100,000, 81000; shingles, 50,000, $125; lath, 40,000, $80; carding and cloth-dressing, $300. Benjamin Hopkins, saw- mill : Boards, 50,000, $450; shingles, 10,000, $25; lath, 24,000, $48 ; shuttle-woods, 6000, $120. Nahum Child, saw-mill and grist-mill : Boards, 125,000, $1125; shingles, 100,000, $250; toll for grinding, $300. John A. Putnam, saw-mill and grist-mill : Boards, $450 ; shingles, 100,000, $250 ; table-legs, 4000, $240; toll for grinding, $50. Willard French, saw- mill: Boards, 200,000, $2000; shingles, 100,000, $220. Jonathan Livermore, saw-mill : Boards, 75,000; shin- gles, 30,000, $775. E. Putnam & Co., bobbins, knobs and machinery, $2650. William Shelden, bobbins and spools, 125 cord timber, $11,000. Abijah Hildreth, saw-mill and grist-mill : Boards, 120,000, $1200; shin- gles, $80; grinding, $75. Joseph W. Killam, furniture : Stock, $1850; product, $5500. John Burton, table- frames : Stock, $10 ; product, $800. Jones, Lane & Co., boots and shoes : Capital, $7000; stock, $8000; num- ber employed, 20 males, 12 females ; product, $17,700.

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History of Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, Part 170

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