USA > New Hampshire > Coos County > Lancaster > History of Lancaster, New Hampshire > Part 12
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The proprietors had voted, March 10, 1767, to give David Page two hundred acres of land as a reward for bringing a set of black- smith's tools and maintaining a shop in town. We cannot learn with certainty whether Mr. Page ever complied with these conditions, and built, and kept such a shop or not; but tradition says that the first blacksmith shop was established at the north end of the present village precinct at a very early day. One tradition places it on Major Wilder's lands near the north end of Main street. Be it as it may, the first shop was evidently kept somewhere in that locality. At a later date a Scotchman by the name of Clark Braden estab- lished his smithy at the south end of the town near the Bucknam neighborhood, and for many years conducted a business there. The reader will find the subject treated at length in Part II, Chapter VII.
As we have seen, the tan-yard of Dennis Stanley was located here at a very early day, probably about 1778. For many years he did the business for the community, but when he became an old man and gave up the business another tannery was started, this time in the village on Elm street, by David Burnside, opposite the S. W. Cooper house. .
Another public improvement that soon concerned the people was some means of crossing the Connecticut river at all times with safety and convenience. The rich meadow lands across the river had led the very first settlers to make clearings on the Vermont side, and soon a number of important families located there, so that after a lapse of twenty years there were living just across the river in Guildhall and Lunenburg a number of families that found it con- venient to trade in Lancaster. Common interests bound them closely together, and it soon concerned them to have some means of crossing the river with teams. It gave them no trouble to cross in the earlier days, as every man would jump into his canoe and paddle across the stream with ease; but now had come a time when people living on either side of the river wanted to cross it with their teams. A bridge was out of the question for them. Their only hope lay in a ferry.
Edwards Bucknam, the natural leader of the community, came forward with the scheme of establishing a ferry. This enterprise, however, would cost a considerable sum to equip and maintain ;
1
99
PUBLIC IMPROVEMENTS.
and unless one could be reasonably sure of controlling the business for a term of years it would prove unprofitable. So a charter was thought of as a means of protection of the interests of the invest- ment, and Bucknam sought such charter of the general court by petition in 1784, for a ferry at the falls in Northumberland. The petition for this charter is an interesting document, and we present it here as illustrating the manner of doing business in those early days. It is as follows :
" The Petition of Edwards Bucknam of Lancaster in the County of Grafton in said State Humbly Sheweth that there are Cateracts or falls in the River Con- necticut adjoining Northumberland in said County convenient for building mills and for keeping a ferry boat.
" Your Petitioner is Now Actually erecting a set of mills both for sawing and grinding on said falls. Therefore prays that the Honorable Court would be pleased to grant and convey unto him his heirs and assigns the priveledge of using and improving the Earth and Waters between the Easterly and Westerly Banks of said River in Width ; and in length the Distance of one mile Each way from the center of said falls."
This petition was favored by the grant of a charter, and Bucknam kept a ferry there for a number of years, and then leased it as he did also with his mills.
Bucknam's ferry was not entirely satisfactory to Lancaster people, and in 1792 they petitioned the legislature for a charter to be vested in the town as public property. This petition was signed by some of the most influential men in town, but the legislature refused to grant it. To that document I find the names of the following persons attached : John Weeks, Emmons Stockwell, Jonas Baker, Jonas Wilder, Joseph Wilder, Edwards Bucknam, and Joseph Brackett. The objection to granting a charter to the town is not known to me; but the same year the legislature granted a charter to Eleazar Rosebrook on the following petition :
" Lancaster, June 1, 1792.
" To the Hon' General Court to be convened at Dover in said State the first Wednesday of said June-
Humbly Sheweth Eleazar Rosebrook-that he has opened and kept a Ferry across Connecticutt River at said Lancaster for several years past by means of which the public have been considerably benefited-and that during the time which he has kept said ferry it has been rather an Expense to him than otherwise, and most probably no great advantage can arise thereby for some time yet to come, though it may be profitable at some future period-whereof he prays Your Honors to grant him his heirs and assigns the exclusive priviledge of keeping a ferry across said River under such restrictions and regulations as may appear proper and your Petitioner will ever Pray."
This petition, with the one referred to above, was acted upon some months after presented, from which we infer that the legisla- ture took time to duly consider matters of this nature. Rosebrook's
100
HISTORY OF LANCASTER.
petition was granted, and a charter issued to him authorizing him to keep a ferry between Lancaster and Guildhall for the term of forty years, after which the right was to be vested in the town of Lancas- ter. Rosebrook's right was exclusive, with the exception that the town might keep all other ferries that be needed to accommodate travel between the towns adjacent to Lancaster. We shall see, in the chapter on roads, that John Weeks kept a ferry at the south end of the town for the convenience of the people wishing to reach the lower settlement from Lunenburg; and as the two towns were settled at the same time, and under the management of David Page, intercourse between them was desirable. Communication could be had with less travel to the Bucknam neighborhood than that farther up the river where Governor Page lived.
Those ferries were of more benefit to Lancaster, financially, than to the other two towns that they connected with it, as it drew trade to Lancaster, which was on the more direct roads to Haverhill and Portland.
The new community, then growing rapidly, had other concerns that engaged the attention of the people and showed the enterprise and character of its citizens.
From the earliest times the people had subsisted largely upon fish taken from the brooks and the Connecticut river. Every brook was full of the choicest trout, and the Great river, as they called the Connecticut, was abundantly stocked with salmon. Every family, it is said, made it a rule to salt down a barrel of salmon every year in the season for them. This was considered an evidence of prudence and thrift; and if any family fell short of making this necessary provision for the many months that would intervene before the next return of these fish, they were considered improvident, and were subject to some degree of condemnation or reproach among their more prudent neighbors.
This condition of affairs pertaining to salmon lasted about twenty years, when it became evident that this important source of their choicest food was rapidly giving out, and scarcity would be expected unless the free ascent of the river be guaranteed the fish. The people lower down the stream were taking, what seemed to the people of this section, an unfair advantage over the salmon by erecting dams, pots, and weirs in the rapids of the river. By these devices the fish were stopped almost entirely from reaching the upper portion of the river. The people in this town began to feel the evil effects of such wholesale slaughter of the salmon, and could no longer provide themselves the necessary amount of salted fish to carry them through the busy seasons of the year. They stood it until the spring of 1788, when the fishermen about Walpole obstructed the stream with their pots and other devices at Bellows
IOI
PUBLIC IMPROVEMENTS.
Falls to that extent that salmon were so scarce that fishing no longer yielded any meat to Lancaster.
The people were incensed at such manifest unfairness in fishing, and at once sought to bring the matter to the attention of the legis- lature in hopes of having a stop put to that method of fishing. Accordingly a petition was drawn up and signed by some of the most influential men in Lancaster. This was their only resource, and they availed themselves of it in plain language, asking what seems only a fair measure of encouragement to the brave men and women who had put such a long distance between themselves and the ordinary sources of food supply. Their petition was as follows : " State of New Hampshire " To the Honorable General Court of the State Lancaster May, 17, 1788. 5 of New Hampshire
" The Petition of the inhabitants of Lancaster, Dartmouth, Northumberland and Stratford and other inhabitants on Connecticutt River above Charlestown-
" Humbly Sheweth :- that there is a Greate Number of Parsons that Live on & Near Connecticutt River, that make it their Business in the Time of the year that Salmon are going up said River, to set Nets or Seens acrost the River in the Neight & other times, which Stop all the Salmon, and also Put or Place in Weres a sort of Pound or Pots in the Very Perticular Places where Salmon Pass or git up the Rapids in said River and Perticularly in the Grete falls at Walpole called Bellow's Falls, where a Number of Parsons have combined together, and have placed in them Pots or Pounds in the only Places where the Salmon can pass or git up Said falls, as there is But one or two Places that they Can any ways Pass ; which in all Probability will Stop Every Salmon, as they have almost Done it in years Past. That those Parsons among us who used to Stabb with their Spears 18 or 20 Salmon in a Neight, they can now scarcely see a Salmon to Catch and if there Cant be some Stop to those obstructions-we that are settling and Cultiva- ting the New lands & at a great Distance from the Sea Coast, must be Deprived of what the alwise being has in his Wisdom Provided for us, therefore your Petitioners-Pray that your Honors would take it under your wise Consideration, and Pass Such act or acts that will Prevent any and all such Stoppages of the Salmon being made in Connecticutt River through this State-and your Peti- tioners will Pray-
Edwards Bucknam Jonas Baker Samuel Johnson John Weeks
Joseph Brackett Walter Philbrook Francis Wilson."
This action led to some restrictions being placed upon the stop- page of the stream by the means complained of in the petition, and salmon continued to be reasonably plenty until some twenty years later after dams were built across the river at several points. The fish found so many obstructions placed in their way that they did not reach points as high as Lancaster in quantities any longer. They gradually grew less, and at last entirely disappeared. Other, but inferior, kinds of fish continued plenty for many years; but since so many sawmills and other factories have multiplied and pol- luted the water, these have grown less plentiful. For many years the little pickerel have been taken in considerable numbers in Lan-
IO2
HISTORY OF LANCASTER.
caster. A few black bass are caught. The common river suckers are quite plenty, but the cultivated taste of the people eschews sucker these days. For many years the brook trout continued plentiful, but even they are now scarce with all the effort the state makes to stock the brooks.
As the fish supply gave out the people began to give more atten- tion to raising their meats. They soon found that more reliance could be placed upon a well-stocked farm than a river that cunning men below them could seine or dam and clear of its fish so easily as appears from their complaint in the above petition. From 1790 to the beginning of the present century the number of swine, sheep, and cattle increased so rapidly that increased attention must have been given to the breeding of these animals with a view to meeting the increasing demand for meats.
The hunting of wild game became less and less an avocation and partook more and more of the nature of a sport. It is related of one Caswell, a worthless sort of a hunter, that he started in one win- ter during the period of which we are speaking to kill a hundred moose. It appears that he came very near filling his number, leav- ing the carcasses to lie upon the ground to rot. The people be- · came so incensed, however, at his diabolical waste that they banded together and drove him out of the country by threats of dealing summary vengeance upon him if caught.
Hunting as a recreation and sport has always continued a chief feature of Lancaster life. Almost everybody hunts and fishes at some season of the year yet, though game has not been plentiful for many years.
For more than a century past hunting and fishing afforded the chief respite from toil and the monotony of country life, and many a jolly party of the hard-working pioneers made the woods resound with the discharge of their old smooth-bores and flint-locks, and the hearty laugh at the fine shots one another made, or did not make. Interesting anecdotes have come down to us of their hunting bouts, brave or cowardly encounters with bears and other fierce, wild ani- mals. The strategy or bravery one displayed in the chase won for him the praise of his neighbors, and guaranteed the connection of his name with the best stories that would be told by the crowd that gathered in the stores and taverns after the day's work was done. It is fair to presume that then, as now, a fish grew more rapidly in the stories told about it than it did in the river or brook; and that the bears were much more fierce in the story than they were in the woods, for there is no animal that exceeds a bear in cowardice. But it afforded pleasure to those old-time hunters to bring in a good lot of game, and it probably did not partake of that barbarous spirit that characterizes our modern so-called sportsmen, who go about
!
103
PUBLIC IMPROVEMENTS.
the forest destroying animal life in the most indiscriminate manner, as if to merely kill some inoffensive animal afforded pleasure or was an evidence of skill. There is but little gunning done to-day that would not bring the blush of shame to the faces of our grand- fathers if they could behold their degenerate offspring indiscrimi- nately destroying innocent and useful animal life that can neither give advantage nor pleasure to a man with a heart of flesh in him and an enlightened mind. Fortunately our law-makers have of late years been striving to afford animal life some protection against the degenerate brutes in human guise. Lancaster was one of the first towns to see the necessity of such protection; and for many years it has lent the weight of public opinion to every endeavor to limit useless waste of animal life, and to encourage the increase of fish and game.
Another question that deeply concerned the town was that of its back taxes. As we have seen, the taxes during the war and imme- diately after it, fell very heavily upon the people who had about ex- hausted all their resources to defend themselves, and as they be- lieved, the country below them from invasion by the British army and its allies. This was, to a considerable extent, true so far as stopping the French and Indians from reaching points lower down the river which they no doubt would have done but for the prompt action of these few upper towns. This, the people thought, en- titled them to some recompense or release from taxes that fell so heavily upon them at the time as to forebode much difficulty and suffering if they had to be paid at a time of such great scarcity of everything that could be converted into money. Besides they had expended a sum more than equal to all the tax claims of the state against them to support the scouts, build forts, and repulse the in- vaders during the war. All this they either taxed themselves for or generously advanced at the time it was needed. With the excep- tion of a little assistance at the very outset of the Revolution by a single company of soldiers, these men had fought their own battles, or rather got ready to fight them, as they supposed they should be called upon to do, and stood guard at what was agreed by all to be a very vulnerable point on the frontier of the country. It was only fair that they should now at this time appeal to the state to render them some relief either by allowing their bills for services rendered, or through the abatement of all or a portion of the large tax bills. The people went to the legislature and asked an accounting and gen- erous consideration of their unfavorable situation. The matter hav- ing been brought before the house of representatives was referred to a committee that reported to the house on February 22, 1786, a recommendation of abatement to offset all the claims of the town against the state for scouting services, building forts, and other sup-
I04
HISTORY OF LANCASTER.
plies during the war. These taxes had been levied to furnish army supplies; and here was a little band of men who supplied them- selves the same things that the state was furnishing to other soldiers in the field, but not to these Upper Coös men. That committee grouped together in their recommendations Lancaster, Dartmouth, Northumberland and Stratford, giving the same relief to them all. This was a wise measure, one best calculated to accomplish the relief that was asked for; and the people received it with glad hearts. What they had done during the war was cheerfully done, but at the same time it exhausted their limited means to a degree that made it a great sacrifice. Had they been required to pay these taxes they would have been bearing a double burden, unless their claims for services and supplies had been allowed. The legis- lature took into account the facts that these people lived far re- moved from the rest of the population of the state, their constant exposure to a savage enemy, the discouragements of the people due to the withdrawal of so many of their young men to enter the Con- tinental army, and the desertion of others, the amount of time the inhabitants of these towns had spent in the service of their country on an exposed frontier in scouting and building forts, and that their continuing in this threatened section and keeping their families here was a great advantage to the state as it relieved it from keeping an army here to hold the savage allies of the British army in check, al- lowing the use of the regular soldiers at other points of greater advantage to the cause of American independence. Following the recital of all these generous acts on the part of these Upper Coös towns that committee closed their report as follows :
" Your committee, therefore beg leaf to report, as their unanimous opinion, that said towns be discharged from all arrearages of taxes for soldiers, beef, rum, and all other requisitions on them by this state prior to the year 1784; and that the Treasurer be directed to discharge the same accordingly ; and that full abate- ment or discharge of taxes be considered as a full satisfaction for all accounts of scouting, alarms &c which said towns may have against the state to the present time."
This measure afforded the people great relief, and no doubt had some weight in influencing home-seekers to locate here. It added to the value of the lands then being put upon the market by many of the non-resident owners. The people went about their tasks, no doubt, with lighter hearts. Their burdensome taxes were cancelled by an uncertain account against the state.
In the year 1786 a new valuation of the towns was returned. The return for Lancaster is interesting as showing the ability of the peo- ple to pay taxes in that year. The rate was one half of one per cent. of the nominal value of property, and yielded the following sum of taxes, which I give just as it stands on the town records against the several taxpayers, resident and non-resident :
-
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PUBLIC IMPROVEMENTS.
" Jonas Wilder
.
£6 -- 4-4. 3 15 IO.
Capt. D. Page
Lt. Emmons Stockwell
2
15
00.
Edwards Bucknam
2
I9
6.
Moses Page
2
2
7.
Dennis Stanley
2
IO
6.
Saml. Johnson
I
9
6.
James Mchard
I
3
6.
Steph. Jennison
I2
00.
Richd. Stalbird
I7
00.
Elisha Wilder
I
6
00.
Walter Bloss
14
00.
Jonath. Willard
16
00.
Peter Blanchard
14
00.
William Johnson
I2
00.
Eph. Griggs
I2
00.
Jonath. Hartwell
I2
00.
Darby*
12
00.
Joseph Lacoos
I2
00.
John Wilder
I2
00.
£31 -- 11-9."
" Non-resident valuation."
" Gen. Moses Hazen has 24 rights at 30 a right at ye half of I Pr cent is
John Molineaux
5 rights in Cat Bow .
I IO
00.
Jacob Treadwell
2 do .
6
00.
Ami Cutter
I do .
3
00.
Henry Prescott
2 do .
6
00.
Meshech Weare
I do .
3
00.
Capt. Weeks 2 do
6
00.
Moses Blake
I do .
3 00.
C. Ward Apthorp 7 rights
I
I 00.
£7 -- 10 -- 00.
Total
£39-1-9. .
This interesting record presents some very important features to the student of Lancaster's history. Here we have an entire, nominal valuation of less than forty thousand dollars held by twenty-nine persons, nine of whom are non-residents holding forty-five seven- tieths (45-70) of the lands of the entire township, and paying £7, IO s., while the twenty men holding twenty-five seventieths (25-70) of the lands paid £31, 1I s., 9 d., or more than 62 per- cent. of the entire tax.
More than that, the non-residents refused to pay their taxes, in many instances, and made it necessary for the resident taxpayers to sell the lands of the non-residents. They generally got the taxes collected in this way, and at the same time it put some of the lands
*This was probably Isaac Darby, the noted old miller and gunsmith, of whom many anecdotes are told.
3
I2
00.
.
106
HISTORY OF LANCASTER.
held for speculative purposes on the market so that actual settlers could buy it. Some of the non-residents were men of good purposes ; they bought land with the expectation of settling upon it; but in some instances like that of General Hazen, misfortune prevented them from carrying out their designs, which had they been able to do the community would have greatly profited by it. More than a mile square of these lands formerly held by non-residents had fallen into the hands of Major Jonas Wilder, who appears from the above valuation, to have been the richest man in town in 1786. His hold- ings extended from the "Holton place" to Isreals river and to a point near where the Boston and Maine railroad crosses the river, thus giving him the finest lot of land in town, and upon which the village was destined to be built. He had moved upon his large tract and built an elegant house, and had shown himself one of the most hospitable of men. His house was the temporary home of any emigrant who came this way in search of a place to build up a home of his own. Town meetings and religious services were held in his house. In every way he had proven himself in hearty accord with the people. The other men of considerable means were David Page, Emmons Stockwell, Edwards Bucknam, Moses Page, Dennis Stanley, Samuel Johnson, James Mchard, and Richard Stalbird. These nine men paid more than half of the taxes at the time of which we are speaking. The wealth of those men was in lands they had im- proved. There was very little property outside of lands and their im- provements at that time. Unimproved lands had a nominal value of thirty pounds per right of over two hundred and seventy acres. Thus we see how the burden of taxation fell upon the hard toil of the men who had done so much to settle the town. There need be little wonder if men should have grown tired of that sort of thing and sought a way to equalize the burden of taxes, for they were a burden. The proportion of the taxes that fell upon the labor of the community was too great. The question of it had been growing more and more serious every year for at least a decade, and now the time had come when the injustice could be borne no longer. The matter had, no doubt, been discussed at every fireside in town, and at every chance meeting of the taxpayers. It was now thought best to discuss it in a special town meeting where some action could be taken to bring the matter to some sort of test and settlement. Accordingly the selectmen called a meeting of the voters at the house of Major Wilder as the following notice or warrant shows :
" Whereas Sundry Persons inhabitants of the Town of Lancaster have repre- sented to us the subscribers, that it is necessary there should be a meeting called of all the male inhabitants of said town to consider and act on several matters for the benefit of the inhabitants thereof and the good of the Publick-When met first to chose a moderator to Govern said meeting-2nd. To see if the town will raise any money to repair the roads in said Town or to Hire Preaching a few more
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