History of Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, Part 71

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

USA > New Hampshire > Hillsborough County > History of Hillsborough County, New Hampshire > Part 71

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1 Being translated from the Indian tongue, signifies great bear pond.

herst, Milford, Merrimack, Litchfield, Londonderry, Pelham, Brookline, Pepperell and Townsend were carved out of this township. In 1732 Townsend was incorporated, its northerly line passing, in the lan- guage of its charter, "West 312 º North," just at the south of Brookline village. In 1734 the General Court granted to Benjamin Prescott and others, in- habitants of Groton, for losses of land which went to make up the town of Littleton, "10,800 acres of land in a gore between Townsend and Dunstable." This tract was bounded,-

" Beginning at the N. W. corner of Dunstable, at Dram Cup Hill, by the Souhegan River, just South of the Rail Road bridge over the river, near Wilton line; then running South on Dunstable line past the West side of Massapetanapas pond to the line of Townsend ; thence Westerly on Townsend line 2056 rods, to a pillar of stones ; thence North- easterly 2048 rods, to Dunstable corner first mentioned."

In 1739 that portion of Dunstable situate west of a line running north three hundred and forty-eight rods west of Flint's Brook was legalized as a precinet known as West Dunstable. This precinct, in 1746, was incorporated into the town of Hollis, known to the Indians by the name of Nissitisset. The settle- ment of the province line by His Majesty in Council, surveyed in 1741, eansed a commotion among land- owners and chartered bodies politic. By this line nearly one-third of the town of Townsend from its north part was cut off into New Hampshire. Dun- stable was severed in twain, leaving about an equal amount of territory in each province. The new line left the grant at the west of Dunstable, known as Groton Gore, entirely in New Hampshire, and legally in possession of the Masonian proprietors. In 1749 Joseph Blanchard, for the Masonian proprietors, deeded a large part of this gore, with other ungranted lands, to William Lawrence and thirty-two others, it being the same territory which, in 1768, was incorpo- rated into the town of Mason. The southeast corner of Mason was then established in the province line, three hundred and seventy rods westerly of Hollis' southwest corner; and the northeast corner thereof was the same distance from Hollis' northwest corner. Mason in no part approached nearer Hollis than three hundred and seventy rods ; hence the Mile Slip. so called.

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HISTORY OF HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. NEW HAMPSHIRE.

Most of the early settlers of Hollis chose the best land- situate in the eastern part of the precinct. The most eligible place for a meeting-house was con- siderably east of a line drawn due north and south through the centre of the town. Everything was quiet when the first minister was settled in the parish in 1743; but in 1746, after its incorporation into a town, and at the time when the second meeting-house was being built, there was much excitement about its location. Citizens of the western part of the town (now a part of Brookline) felt much aggrieved at being left at "so great a distance from publie wor- ship," thirteen of whom petitioned the General Court of New Hampshire, praying for the "appointment of a committee to view the situation, and to fix a place for the meeting-house, and that the raising of it might be postponed till the committee could report."

This petition was dismissed by the House of Repre- sentatives August 11, 1746.

For a long time the voters of the west part of Hol- Is submitted to taxation to support the ministry there, the same as the rest of the inhabitants, al- though a new town, made up from the west end of Hollis, the Mile Slip and that part of Townsend left in New Hampshire, by the running of the province line, was the topic which engrossed the attention of the people living in these several portions of territory.

The attention of Hollis was called to this matter in 1764, when that town "voted to measure east from the meeting-house to the town line, and then meas- ure west from the meeting-house the same length of line, and all west of a north and south line to be set off to the One-Mile Strip, so called." The like vote was passed in 1768, at the anunal town-meeting.

On the 30th day of March, 1769, this new town was incorporated by the name of Raby, so called from a town of that name in the county of Durham, in the north part of England, from which some of its set- tlers emigrated.

It thus appears that the west part of Hollis, the northeast part of Townsend, cut off by the running of the province line, and the southeast part of what was Giroton Fiore (the Mile Slip) were combined to form this township.

The first settlers were Scotch-Irish Puritans by the name of Mcintosh and McDonald. Three brothers of the last name located in the east part of the town on Hollis line, where a few rough, split head-stones. in the forest shade, still mark the spot where they were buried.

All the settlers, except Jacher Wyman, the town clerk of Townsend, who was greatly disgusted at being ent off into New Hampshire by the new prov- mce line, were exceedingly poor.

At first, after its incorporation, the dwellers in different parts of the town were not social; but the War of the Revolution soon coming on, united them, and they went into that struggle in good earnest.

The Raby records are very full during this period.

No census of the town had yet been taken, but, as near as can be learned, it contained about one hun- dred and seventy inhabitants, and sent forty persons into the land and naval service of the patriots.

At a town-meeting. in April, 1777, the Committee of Safety was instructed "to see what every man has done since Concord fight."

Eleven Raby soldiers went in a Hollis company, two of whom belonged to the Raby Committee of Safety.

Mr. Worcester, in his history of Hollis, wrongfully claims them as Hollis men. The Hollis tax-lists of 1777 show that they were non-residents, and on pages 379, 380 and 381 (A. D. 1779) of Hollis records are the names of all tax payers who paid the " Continental tax," or the tax assessed to pay the Hollis soldiers. Not one of the names of the eleven soldiers he claims can be found in this list.

" Facts are chiels that winna gang, And daurna be disputed."

The following are the names of the Raby soldiers in the Revolutionary War :

Alexander McIntosh, Archibald McIntosh, James McIntosh, James l'onick, William Spaulding, Nathaniel Badger, Nathaniel Patten, Jere- miah Hobart, Swallow Tucker, Daniel Shedd, Josiah Seward, John Conick, Isaac Shattuck, Benjamin Patten, Benjamin Shattuck, William MeIn- tosh, Samuel Donglas, Clark Brown, Samuel Russell, James Dickey, Jonas Flagg, Phineas Aston, John Cummings, Isaac Stevens, Jr., Elias Dickey, Caleb Brown, Benjamin Mussey, Aaron Russell, Randall Mc- Donald, James McDonald, Thomas Robb, Moses Powell, James Camp- bell, Andrew Russell, Jonas Shedd, Robert Seaver, Thomas Dickey, Matthew Wallace, Samuel Farnsworth, Joshua Smith.

So poor were the people at the close of the war that they were unable to support either a school- master or a minister of the gospel. The records made by James Badger, Alexander MeIntosh and Randall McDonald, the town clerks of that period, will, however, compare favorably with those of the neighboring towns. On the 15th of February, 1786, on petition of the citizens of Raby, setting forth their narrow limits and other grievances, the General Court annexed a tract of land, of the uniform width of three-fourths of a mile. from the west side of Hol- lis to the town of Raby. This time Hollis was the disappointed party. The town had been settled for more than thirty years before it felt able to bridge the Nissitisset at the mouth of Massepetanapas Pond. A source of much trouble and disgust to the people of the place was the existence of a gang of thieves in this vicinity, the leader of which belonged to Raby. In such disrespect was the town held that a citizen took no pride in, or scarcely owned that he belonged to Raby. A change of the name of the town was discussed, and finally, on the Ist day of December, A. D. 1798,-in answer to the petition of the select- men Randall McDonald, Benjamin Farley and Alex- ander MeIntosh,-the General Court changed the name of Raby to Brookline.

Ecclesiastical .- The town raised small sums of money from time to time to support preaching till a

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church was gathered, on the 10th of December, 1795, consisting of the following members: Benjamin Farley, Ezekiel Proctor, Joshua Smith, Clark Brown, Ephraim Sawtelle, Eleazer Gilson, Joshua Emerson, Joshua Smith, Jr., Samuel Farley, Lucy Farley, Rebekah Campbell, Hannah Shattuck, Abigail Saw- telle, Hannah Gilson and Lydia Emerson. Tra- dition says that these people were accustomed to attend church quite regularly in the adjoining towns previous to this time. Rev. Samuel Dix, of Town- send, took much interest in this little band of believ- ers, visiting and preaching to them often after his usual Sabbath services with his people had closed. The first pastor of the church was Rev. Lemuel Wads- worth, who was ordained October 11, 1797. He was born in Stoughton, Mass., March 9, 1769, was gradu- ated from Brown University, 1793. He was a man of exemplary character, and he secured and held the confidence of his people during the entire twenty years of his ministry, till his death, November 25, 1817. After his death the church was without a pastor for a long time ; meanwhile one William War- ren, a graduate from Dartmouth College, of 1800, was employed to supply the pulpit. He came from Dighton, Mass., and united the offices of preacher and physician. He caused much excitement, and many joined the church, but he finally proved to be a bad man. The town record of September 18, 1821, " chose the selectmen a committee to notify Dr. Warren that he is discharged from any further ministerial services." From this time till 1827 quite a number of different men supplied the pulpit, among whom was the Rev. Samuel H. Tolman. The second pastor of the church was Rev. Jacob Holt, a graduate from Dartmouth College, 1803, a native of Andover, Mass., ordained January 31, 1827 ; sermon by Rev. Humphrey Moore, of Milford, N. H. Mr. Holt was a good man, strictly sincere and conscientious, but of moderate ability as a preacher. He was dismissed, at his own request, (no record) some time in the summer of 1831. He moved to New Ipswich soon after, and he died there in 1847, aged sixty-six years.

The third pastor was Rev. Henry E. Eastman, or- dained December 9, 1835; sermon by Rev. James Howe, of Pepperell. During his pastorate there was a strife between the different sects about the meeting- house. The Congregationalists left the house, and for a long time held their meetings in the school- houses. Mr. Eastman remained about two years, when he entered the service of the American Home Missionary Society. During the years 1837 and 1838, Rev. Ebenezer Hill, of Mason, labored with this church and people.

The present Congregational meeting-house was built in 1838, and on the 27th of February, 1839, it was dedicated with appropriate services, and on the same day the fourth pastor, Rev. Daniel Goodwin, was ordained ; sermon by Rev. Edward L. Parker, of Derry, N. H. Mr. Goodwin is a native of London-

derry, was born January 25, 1809, graduated from Dart- mouth College, 1835, Andover, 1838. He was dismissed May 2, 1855, by an ex parte council, "with renewed expressions of fraternal confidence and esteem; the Council recommend him to the churches of our Lord." Soon after, Mr. Goodwin moved to Mason, where he became a settled minister, from the duties of which he has since retired. In November, 1884, he was chosen representative to the General Court for the town of Mason.

Rev. Theophilus P. Sawin was the fifth pastor of this church, installed December 11, 1856 ; sermon by Rev. Ezra E. Adams, of Nashua. Mr. Sawin was born in Sherborn, Mass., 1817. He obtained a good aca- demie education, was a teacher in Lynn, preached in Harwick, Mass., and from April, 1851, to the time of his installation, in Brookline, he was city mission- ary for Manchester, N. H. On the 7th of May, 1866, he resigned his pastorate, much to the regret of his people. He is a man of excellent natural ability, is possessed of a good share of "mother wit " and is popular with his denomination. He is now (1884) located at Lyndeborough, N. H. The sixth pastor was Rev. John H. Manning, ordained March 6, 1867; sermon by Rev. Charles Smith, of Andover, Mass. August 19, 1868, Mr. Manning died suddenly of brain fever, aged forty-four years. The seventh pastor and present incumbent is Rev. Francis D. Sargent, or- dained October 20, 1869; sermon by Rev. A. H. Plumb, of Chelsea, Mass. He was graduated from Amherst College in 1866, Andover, 1869. Mr. Sar- gent is the peer of any minister of his age in the county, and he is appreciated by his entire acquaintance. The meeting-house of this society was removed, raised up and remodeled, with excellent taste, in the summer of 1875, and recently a clock, the gift of some person or persons unknown, has been placed in the belfry. The outlook for the future promises well to the Congregationalists.

THE METHODISTS .- There was a certain Methodist preacher who labored in this vicinity during 1850 and 1851, called " Father Moulton " by some, and by others "the breaking-up plow for Methodism," and who belonged to the New England Conference. The biographer of Rev. Horace Moulton says of him : " He probably organized more Methodist Churches from converts saved through his instrumentality, the last half-century, than any other minister of our Conference." At that time the Methodists worshiped in the old meeting-house on the hill, and its walls echoed his ringing appeals in his revival work, in which he had been engaged in more than forty towns. He preached the first Methodist sermon in Brookline.

Rev. Samuel Tupper, of Townsend, during 1851, supplied the pulpit part of the time. He was suc- ceeded by Rev. Amos Merrill and others. The church was organized by the presiding elder, Rev. C. N. Smith, May 12, 1852, and it consisted of Rev. Amos Merrill (preacher in charge) Ralph Burns, Gardner

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HISTORY OF HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. NEW HAMPSHIRE.

Shattuck, Samuel Gilson, Henry Spaulding, Randall Daniels and Eliab B. Shattuck. Mr. Merrill re- mained about two years, when he left for another field in Vermont, the church membership having increased to twenty-two in number. About this time, by vote of the town, the Universalists came in possession of the old meeting-house, when the Methodists hired I'nion Hall, and they worshiped there most of the time, till they had a church edifice of their own. They increased in numbers slowly till 1856, when Mr. Goodwin was dismissed, at which time his warm- est friends joined them. Some of them that went over from the orthodox were men of considerable worldly wealth, which was a perfect god-send to this feeble little church. Gaining numbers for the next dozen years, they built their meeting-house, which was dedicated November 11, 1868; sermon by Rev. Sullivan Holland. This church, during its history, has en- joyed the services of many pastors of various degrees of ability and spirituality, and since its organization it has been held in the bonds of peace and fraternal kindness.

Industries, -Among the first goods made in this town, which brought in any money, were potash and shaved shingles. There was plenty of hard wood to be used for the former, while the hills were crowned with gigantic pines for the latter business. For the first thirty years in the present century there was a large amount of chestnut posts and rails made and sold to the farmers in the northern and central towns of Middlesex County, Mass. The manufacture of hard wood, beef, pork and rum-barrels was the prin- cipal business. These goods were drawn to Boston by ox-teams, and it required four days to complete the journey both ways. Wool-carding and cloth-dressing were carried on by Abraham Betterly from about ISIS until he was unable to compete with better machinery and more skilled labor. More than fifty years since, the firm of K. & E. Bailey did an extensive and lucrative business in morocco- dressing. The large three-story structure stand- ing near Hall & Smiths' mill was their manu- facturing establishment. Lumbering has been, and -till is, a prominent business. At present there are four saw-mills in town, used principally in making pine-coopering stock. This branch of industry is in the hands of Joseph A. Hall, who employs about fifty workmen. Hobart Kendall & Co., cabinet-makers, have an excellent water-power and good facilities for carrying on that trade. They employ more than forty workmen and are putting some elegant furni- ture into the market.

War of the Rebellion. -- New Hampshire re- sponded promptly to the call of the "martyr Presi- dont" for men to assist in the suppression of the Have-holders' Rebellion. At a town-meeting in Brookline, May 11, 1861, after the passage of some spirited resolutions, " Voted, to give the families of men who enlist the sum of ten dollars per month."

Brookline furnished sixty-six of its citizens and thirty-three substitutes, during the war, for the land and naval service. Fourteen legal voters of the town lost their lives, either in battle or by the casualties of war. Not having men enough at any one call to form a company, they served in different regiments. Four of them were in the navy. The following list con- tains the names of the Brookline volunteers, no notice being given the substitutes. The names of those who lost their lives are in italics :

Thomas D. Bennett, John C. Bennett, Moses Bohonon, Charles Boho- non, Clinton Bohonon, John Bohonon, George P. Brown, David H. Burge, Benjamin D. Burgess, Asa S. Burgess, William C. Boutwell, Irrin Colburn, David H. Cochran, Lewis L. Emery, Jonas C. French, Albert M. French, Lorenzo Green, Cyrus N. Griffin, Harrey M. Hall, David A. Hill, Edgar J. Ilobson, Daniel Kendall, Asa J. King, James A. Merrill, Ward Messer, George W. Pierce, Oliver P. Ricker, Charles H. Russell, Angus- tus I. Sawtelle, Warren Shattuck, Daniel W. Smith, Perley A. Smith, Stephen A. Spaulding, Albert Spaulding, Amos F. Spaulding, Charles H. Stiles, John A. Stiles, David P. Stowell, John F. Wetherbee, Ezra S. Wright, William M. Wright, Bryant W. Wallace, Edward E. Parker, Charles Currier, James HI. Burgess, James S. Burgess, John C. Burgess, Eli S. Dunphee, George W. Foster, John A. Freuch, Orrin A. French, Charles H. Gardner, Charles Gilson, James Gillis, Peter W. Gould, War- ren C. Hardy, Albert N. Jefts, George H. Jefts, Oliver Y. Manu, Joseph ('. Shattuck, Engene L. Nelson, Charles Wetherbee, William H. Wright, Lewis T. Wright, George Little, Edward F. Jefts.

In those battle-years, which seem so near, but are so far away, these men went at their country's call steadily, sometimes wearily, but never doubting the justice of their cause. At the close of the war they separated and old comrades went their way in life, never to meet again. But Decoration Day affords some of them the gracious privilege, for a brief hour, to greet their brothers in arms; to call to mind again the scenes and trials of a soldier's life ; to talk of the bivouac and battle, and to commemorate those sterner days noted for the bravery both of the living and the dead.

A post-office was established at Brookline in 1828, and David Harris, M.D., was the postmaster. The office was kept in his house for a number of years. It was for some time kept in the ell part of the hotel (then a store), and from thence it went across the street to the store built by James N. Tucker. Its location was changed twice after this time, with the change of the national executive magistrate, and finally, in 1861, it was moved to the north end of the street, where it still remains. The ronte commenced with a horse-back mail carrier from Townsend to Brookline, and return three times during the week. Soon after, a route from Nashua to New Ipswich through Hollis, Brookline and Mason, went into operation, and mail-stages made three trips weekly from Nashua to New Ipswich, till some time after the completion of the Worcester and Nashua Railroad, when the route was abandoned ; the mail was carried from Pepperell to Brookline. Now two daily mails ply between the railroad station in Townsend and Brookline.

The following is a list of postmasters:

David Harris, appointed January 2, 1828; William S. Crosby, appoin-

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ted June 4, 1832; David Harris, appointed September 11, 1834 ; James N. Tucker, appointed July 30, 1841 ; Ithamar B. Sawtelle, appointed De- cember 4, 1844 ; Reuben Baldwin, appointed April 6, 18-16; James N. Tueker, appointed July 25, 1849 ; Joseph (. Tucker, appointed April 26, 1850 ; Summer 8. Kendall, appointed April 14, 1853; Henry B. Stiles, appointed June 5, 1861.

Fire-Engine .- About 1820 the militia system be- gan to be unpopular in New England. Training in the "old company " was anything but agreeable to the beaux of that period. Fines were often paid rather than to bear arms. In the large towns uniformed companies were organized, which were tilled by those able to meet the expense and spend the time necessary to make a good appearance on dress parade. A few young men in Brookline, in order to escape this duty, petitioned the General Court for a charter for a fire- engine company. which was granted in 1826. This act exempted about a score of the soldiers from military duty. This company has kept up its organ- ization from that time to the present, has had its regular meetings, has worn out one or two engines, and has been the means of saving considerable property from the devouring element.

At the beginning of the present century, and for some time after, the number of books and newspapers to which the people had access was very limited. The Farmers' Cabinet, published at Amherst, was the only paper circulated in this town. The weekly bundle of papers for Brook- line used to be sent by the publisher to Milford, and the subscribers took their turns regularly every Satur- day to go over after it. In 1823 the Brookline Social Library was incorporated. It contained a small num- ber of volumes of travel, history, biography and Eng- lish literature, and at first was circulated freely. After the postal service reached the town, newspapers from Boston and other places took the attention of its readers and it was little used. About 1855 the young men of the town, by subscription, purchased a collec- tion of books and held them in common for their own amusement and instruction. Additions to this library of a few books were made annually till 1878, when it was assumed by the town, and it is now a free public library, containing between one and two thousand volumes.

Representatives .- From 1775 till 1793, when Mason had the legal number of ratable polls, Raby was classed with that town in the choice of represen- tative to the General Court. James Campbell, of Raby, represented this constituency several times during this period. After Milford was incorporated (1794) Raby was classed with that town, and for 1796 and 1798, Benjamin Farley represented them. From the last date till 1804 the town records do not show who filled this office, and the presumption is that a Milford man was chosen. The following is a list of the representatives :

Samuel T. Boynton, 1804, '05, '06, '07, '08, '09.

James Parker, 1810, '11, '12, '13, '14.

Benjamin Shattuck, 1816, '17, '18. George Daniels, 1819, '20, '23, '24. Thomas Bennett, 1821, 122, '25, '26, 128.

William S. Crosby, 1829, '30, '31. David Harris, 1832, '33. Reuben Baldwin, 1834.

ITorace Warner, 1835.

Ensign Bailey, 1836, '37, '40, '41.

James Parker (son of the above James Parker), 1838, '39.

Alphens Shattuck, 1842, '43, '41, '45, '49, '66.

Ithamar B. Sawtelle, 1846, '47, '48.

James N. Tucker, 1850, '51.

Benjamin Gould, 1852. Nathaniel Shattnek, 1853.

Henry B. Stiles, 1854, '55.

Jos. C. Tucker, 1857, '58, '62, '63.

Nathaniel W. Lund, 1859.

Francis A. Peterson, 1860, '61. William J. Smith, 1864, '65.

Joseph A. Hall, 1867, '68. James 11. 1Tall, 1869, '70. James C. Parker, 1871, '72. Joseph Sawtelle, 1873.

David S. Fessenden, 1874, '75.

Franklin MeDonald, 1876, '77.

Rufus G. Russell, 1878, '79, '80.

Edward T. Hall, Iss1.

Charles E. Shattuck, 1882 (bien- nial). Samuel Swett, 1884.

The following-named gentlemen have been the justices of the peace :

Richard C. Shannon, Benjamin Farley, Randall McDonald and Sam- nel Donglass, appointed previous to 1800 ; Samuel T. Boynton, James Parker, Benjamin Shattuck, George Daniels, William S. Crosby, Thomas Bennett, Nathaniel Shattuck, James Parker (son of the former James Parker), Alphens Shattuck, Ithamar B. Sawtelle, Isaac Sawtelle, Benja- min Gould and George W. Bridges.

Population .- The first enumeration of the people of Raby was made by the selectmen in 1786, at which time its population was 262. The United States de- cennial census gives the following numbers : 1790, 338 ; 1800, 454 ; 1810, 538 ; 1820, 592 ; 1830, 641 ; 1840, 652; 1850, 718 ; 1860, 756 ; 1870, 741 ; 1880, 698.

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History of Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, Part 71

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