USA > New Hampshire > Coos County > Lancaster > History of Lancaster, New Hampshire > Part 36
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Lancaster has always been justly proud of its streets; and for some few years 'past an interest has been deepening in the feeling and thought of the people for parks. Lancaster is now blessed with two handsome parks that promise much beauty and comfort for the years to come.
STREETS.
As the first settlers of Lancaster were farmers somewhat scattered over its territory the original streets were at first but portions of the roads leading from one section to another of the town in which the scattered families lived. After a time the village began to grow along the upper end of what is now Main street, and a little later the business places followed the mills toward Isreals river, and upon the erection of a passable bridge over that stream they arose on the road to Whitefield, and south toward the Bucknam settlement. In process of time, neither history nor tradition tell us just when, the road from the Stockwell and Page settlement to the Isreals river bridge and beyond to the forks of the roads leading to White- field and down the river took the name of Main street, while the one down the river toward the Bucknam settlement got the name of Elm street. So with several others, names came but by no definite legal process as at present in vogue.
As long as the village was small, and all business clustered on a few streets, and everybody knew where everybody else lived, and no other demands existed for the definite naming of streets they went either unnamed or by such names as those living on them saw fit to give them.
In 1862, after some discussion of the matter, a popular meeting was called for the purpose of naming the streets of Lancaster village. The meeting assembled in town hall on a Friday evening, September, 1862. The gathering was duly organized by the election of ex-Gov. J. W. Williams as chairman, and Henry O. Kent as secretary. On motion a committee of one or more from each street and place was selected to report names to be applied to the streets. The commit- tee reported and its report was adopted by the meeting. The names they gave the streets and places were as follows :
Main Street .- From Horace F. Holton's house to the town hall. Laid out 1796.
Elm Street .- From the American House (south end of Main street) to W. G. Wentworth's (old Parson Willard place). Laid out I795.
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Middle Street .- From Main street near the north end of the lower bridge, east to village limits. Laid out 1792.
Mechanic Street .- From town hall across the upper bridge to Middle. Laid out 1852.
Prospect Street .- From south end of Main street and past houses of Wm. Boswell and W. L. Rowell (as then occupied) to village limits on Whitefield road. Laid out 1795.
Cottage Street .- From Prospect street past J. I. Williams's and W. A. Folsom's (now Underwood and Whipple). Laid out at an early date, but recognized by the selectmen 1864.
Portland Street .- From Prospect street up the Meeting-house hill and toward Jefferson Mills. Laid out 1796.
Pleasant Street .- From Portland street on the common eastward past the house of T. S. Underwood (now Heywood, Eaton, et als.). Laid out 1860. Extended to Mechanic street 1866.
High Street .- From Main and past the houses of Nelson Kent and Frank Smith. Laid out 1853.
Summer Street .- From Middle street to High street. Laid out 1855, and extended from High street to North street 1859.
North Street .- From the head of Main street at the Holton place toward Northumberland. Laid out 1796 with Main street. (Changed 1891 to North, Main street.)
Bridge Street .- From the north end of Main street toward the Toll bridge on the Connecticut river. Laid out 1855, before that a private way since 1804.
Mill Street .- From Main street at the south end of lower bridge, easterly along the river, past H. Adams's shop. Now occupied by F. Smith & Co.'s mills, and vacated by common consent as a private way.
Water Street .- From Elm street down Isreals river past the old starch mill, now Richardson's furniture factory. Laid out 1848.
Lancaster Place .- The square between the Lancaster House and the buildings south. Laid out 1879.
Kent Place .- The passageway and square north and in the rear of R. P. Kent & Son's store. A private way.
Church Street. The place south and in rear of the Methodist church. A private way.
Those were all the streets then existing. At the meeting above referred to, it was voted on motion that the clerk enter these names in a book for future reference. A motion also prevailed by which "H. O. Kent, A. J. Marshall, and Edmund Brown were made a committee to prepare suitable signs with the names of the streets thereon and affix them at the intersection of the streets and places, and that the expense of such signs be defrayed by the people living on the streets or places where they are affixed." The proceedings
21
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HISTORY OF LANCASTER.
of that meeting were published in the Coös Republican by vote of the meeting.
Since that time streets have been laid out by authority, and named as follows :
Park Street .- From Prospect street to Portland street on the south side of the old Meeting-House common. Laid out and named in 1861.
Canal Street .- From Main street near north end of lower bridge to the Thompson Manufacturing Co.'s shops. Laid out and named in 1867.
Williams Street .- From Elm street to Prospect street. Laid out 1867, and named after ex-Gov. J. W. Williams.
Williams Place .- The square between the Williams House and the Roby cottage. Now a private way.
Winter Street -From Elm street on top of Baker hill to inter- sect Water street. Laid out and named in 1869.
Railroad Street .- From Main street to Summer street exten- sion. Laid out and named in 1870.
Cemetery Street .- From the B. & M. railroad near the depot to Summer street. Laid out and named in 1875.
Hill Street .- From Middle street north to intersect Bunker Hill street extension. Laid out in part 1875, and extended 1895.
Walcott Street .- From Summer street to the passage way west of the B. & M. railroad sheds. Laid out and named in 1876 for Dr. Walcott.
Wallace Street .- From B. & M. depot northerly to Kilkenny street. Laid out and named in 1877.
Bunker Hill Street .- From Main street east. Was widened and named in 1877, and extended in 1889.
Spring Street .- From Elm street to Water street. Laid out and named in 1880, but was known as Hanson street, named after the Hanson place nearly opposite it, formerly the "Parson Willard house," and also Arsenal street, as the old arsenal stood on the southwest corner of that and Elm street.
Kilkenny Street .- From North Main street to Wallace street. Laid out and named in 1882.
Causeway Street .- From Summer street, easterly. Limit in- definite. Laid out and named in 1889.
Burnside Street .- From Elm street to Prospect street. Laid out and named in 1891 for D. A. Burnside.
Fletcher Street .- From Middle street to Bunker Hill street. Laid out and named in 1894.
CENTENNIAL PARK.
On July 14, 1864, at the close of the centennial celebration of
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the settlement of Lancaster several liberal persons, former residents of the town, subscribed a considerable sum of money to buy the lands upon which some of those exercises took place as a public park or common to commemorate the event. The persons sub- scribing were :
Edward D. Holton, Milwaukee, Wis., $50; Samuel White, $25 ; Gen. R. M. Richardson, Portland, Me., $25; Seth Greenleaf, $25 ; Charles O. Baker, Portland, Me., $10; L. F. Moore, $50; C. B. Allen, $10; J. B. Brown, Portland, Me., $50; James H. White, Chicago, Ill., $25; John E. White, Chicago, Ill., $25 ; I .. C. Por- ter, St. Johnsbury, Vt., $10; C. W. Baker, St. Johnsbury, Vt., $5 ; Ossian Ray, $25 ; James Holton, Bangor, Me., $25.
These donations were made on the expressed condition that the town should increase the amount sufficiently to purchase the plot from Samuel Twombly.
At a special town meeting held November 8, 1864, it was voted " that William D. Weeks be a committee of the town to complete the purchase of the land, and take a deed of it for the town." It was also " voted to instruct the selectmen to procure the necessary amount of money upon the credit of the town to carry out the vote of the town upon the adoption of the fourth article of the warrant." At that meeting it was voted to designate the plot as "Centennial Park," which name occurs in the deed, and in subsequent records of the town. At the annual town meeting, March 13, 1866, the selectmen were instructed, by vote, to sell or exchange certain por- tions of the land so as to improve the shape and size of the park. An exchange was made with the Orthodox Congregational society, much to the advantage of the park grounds.
At that same meeting it was voted to instruct the selectmen " to lay out and ornament Centennial Park by fencing, grading, and set- ting out trees." Samuel H. LeGro, James W. Weeks, and Charles B. Allen were the selectmen. They appointed Henry O. Kent to superintend the work of laying out and grading the grounds, and planting trees. There were one hundred and nine trees set out at the first planting. Many of these trees were quite large and valuable. Some of them were presented to the town by gentlemen not at that time residents of Lancaster.
In 1867, the selectmen were petitioned to lay out a street around the park; but did not see fit to grant the petition, upon which refusal the county commissioners were appealed to. They viewed the premises, and granted a road or street. This street reduces the size of the grounds, leaving no room outside it for decorative pur- poses, and makes the lot seem smaller than it really is. The street, however, was the least of the troubles, as boys and young men soon proceeded to pull up, girdle, and otherwise destroy trees because
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HISTORY OF LANCASTER.
they interfered with ball games on the grounds. The town author- ities took no steps to put a stop to these desecrations, and the work of destruction went on until the effects of improvements were almost lost. But little interest was taken in this park for many years, until it was fast becoming an eyesore and disgrace to the vil- lage, when the question of trying to redeem and put it in decent condition again was agitated by several persons to the extent of getting it brought before the attention of the selectmen, and secur- ing their action in the matter of improvements in the summer and fall of 1895. They graded down the land and seeded it; and in the spring of 1896, through the efforts of Miss Mary N. Brackett, money enough was raised to purchase twenty trees, and forty others were contributed by various individuals, one of which was given by the Eastern Star, and seven by Mr. John Costello who superintended the setting. The children of the various rooms in the public school having contributed money were allowed to plant trees as their own. The grounds having been laid out by the selectmen and places designated for setting the trees, the schools were allowed a half hol- iday, April 24, to be observed as Arbor Day. They entered into the spirit of the occasion, and each department of the school set their own trees with songs and recitations.
The park now is in a fair way to become a place of beauty during the next few decades; and public sentiment and taste for things beautiful will protect it against abuses. A suitable playground has been purchased in the rear of the high school building by the town.
SOLDIERS' PARK.
After the old meeting-house was moved down the sand hill in 1845, the lot upon which it had stood so many years became known as Meeting-House common. For some years no care was taken of the common, and sand was carted away as people felt inclined to do so, . by which it became uneven and unsightly. About 1884 steps were taken to put it into better shape as a public park; and soon after, by common consent, the care of it was left to E. E. Cross post of the G. A. R., and it has since gone by the name of Soldiers' Park in consequence of their planting memorial trees dedicated to the memory of soldiers from Lancaster who fell on the battle- fields or have died since the war. The trees now growing there were all set out and dedicated with appropriate services, and marked with the names of those for whom they were intended as memorials.
The care of the park was committed into the hands of a commit- tee consisting of Henry O. Kent, Jared I. Williams, and Parker J. Noyes, past commanders, by the G. A. R. post. Under their care it has become one of the most attractive spots in the village,
SOLDIERS' PARK. FORMER SITE OLD MEETING-HOUSE.
CENTENNIAL PARK AND HIGH SCHOOL BUILDING.
١
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and every year adds to its beauty. William L. Rowell and S. H. LeGro are entitled to the credit of arousing interest in this land, and preserving it as a delightful park where it is hoped some day a sol- diers' monument will be erected.
This park is doubly dear to the people of Lancaster. For many years the old meeting-house drew to that hill all the people for worship in times of peace, and for counsel in times of war, or on occasions that demanded their deliberations on matters of state. At several times efforts have been made to locate the Lancaster academy, or public school buildings, on it; but such movements have always been voted down by decisive majorities.
The following are the names of those soldiers for whom trees have been planted :
Col. Edward E. Cross, Edward B. Wilder, James S. Lucas, Cyrus Savage, Simon Connary, John G. Lewis, Wm. H. Allen, Freedom M. Rhodes, John W. Bucknam, Barnard Sweeney, Wm. H. Heath, Francis Heywood, Fred A. Wentworth, Joseph Hart, David LeGro, Alden Lewis, John G. Lewis, 2d, Horatio O. Lewis, Thomas P. Moody, W. M. Cushing, Albion E. Evans.
THE OLD CEMETERY.
It does not appear that any definite place of interment was set apart in Lancaster until in the spring of 1779, when at a town meet- ing held Feb. 12, it was voted " that Maj. Jonas Wilder, Edwards Bucknam, Lieut. David Page, Lieut. Emmons Stockwell, Mr. Moses Page, and Mr. Dennis Stanley, be a committee to pitch a burying field in some convenient place, in said town as soon as may be."
It does not appear upon the records that this committee ever made a report. The next action on the part of the town, so far as the records show, was in 1799, when in making the warrant for the annual town meeting article 9th read : "To see if the town will pur- chase any lands easterly of the Meeting-House common for the purpose of a burying ground instead of the ground now made use of for that purpose."
At the meeting which occurred March 12, it was voted " that the selectmen lay out the grounds now occupied for a burying ground, which was voted by the proprietors for the use of the town." That evidently had reference to the old cemetery on the mound as it exists to-day.
At the annual town meeting of March 12, 1800, it was " Voted to raise forty dollars to be laid out on the burying ground in labor in the month of June next by order of a committee, at the same rates an hour that the highway money is to be worked out, and if the work is not done when called for, the money of each delinquent is to be collected."
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HISTORY OF LANCASTER.
"Voted Titus O. Brown, Jonathan Cram, Joseph Hinman, a com- mittee to superintend the clearing of the burying ground."
This committee took a deed of the land from Humphrey Cram in the name of the town, making the old cemetery the rightful property of the town ; and in it have been gathered to their final rest nearly all the prominent men and women connected with the pioneer enterprises of Lancaster. The deed of the cemetery was put on record in 1806, and with many other valuable records was burnt in the court-house fire in 1886. After the loss of the county records an authentic plan or map of the cemetery, as designated by that deed, was put on record about 1890, and calls for more land on the east side of the plot than is now within the fence surrounding it.
For nearly fifty years we do not meet with the old cemetery on the records of the town as receiving any attention at town meetings, from which it is to be inferred that it had become the recognized and satisfactory place of interment. About 1854, it had become ap- parent that it was soon to become small, if not too small, for the needs of the town. In that year the selectmen were instructed at the annual town meeting to have the grounds surveyed and fenced. It is to be inferred from a subsequent action of the town that the selectmen dis- charged their duty in the premises. In 1856, the selectmen were instructed "To fence and lay out the burying ground, and move the fence back on to the line of the lands deeded by Humphrey Cram." James W. Weeks was appointed to lay out the grounds and make such improvements as might be practicable. He did not move the fence as it was ordered. He laid out the grounds with as much system as previous interments would permit, and even caused some removals in order to make new lots, and built the avenues around the hill as they now are. He also set out the pine trees that now adorn it, and tried some experiments in terracing with witch grass, which have been reasonably successful. There appears to have been no marking out of lots, or fixing bounds to individual rights prior to the laying out of the grounds by James W. Weeks in 1856. Some families had encroached upon others, so that many removals have been made to the new cemetery on Summer street.
There is a tradition that either the original proprietors or Major Wilder had given this sand mound to the town for a cemetery at a very early date; but just how that may have been we are unable to ascertain. By some means the meadow and house lots, twenty- nine, fell into the possession of Humphrey Cram who held and had them recorded with no reservation. The records do not show that Humphrey Cram received any consideration for the land when he gave the town a quitclaim deed for it. The reasonable inference is that he recognized the rightfulness of the town's claim upon it and surrendered it.
OLD CEMETERY.
SUMMER-STREET CEMETERY.
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LOCALITIES, STREETS, PARKS, AND CEMETERIES.
The mound was originally covered by a dense growth of pines, the stumps of which were utilized in fencing it in 1800. The stumps were dug out and rolled down to the foot of the hill to form the fence. On the back end and side of the ground, a heavy stone wall-along Main Street from the entrance to the Gem House, now the site of the Unitarian church, existed from a very early date. When a better fence was erected in 1856, it became necessary to remove many of those old stumps which were still sound.
In the early days burials were made at various places throughout the town. In school district No. 2, there were several graves a short distance south of the house of Sylvanus Chessman on the Bucknam farm. There Gen. Edwards Bucknam was buried. There were also burials near the Marden brook on the LeGro farm on the Jefferson road and elsewhere.
Human bones were found many years ago on the James Rose- brook farm in school district No. 6, now owned by Cass and Hart- ford. Just who was interred there, and when, there is not even a tradition. When the smallpox prevailed in Lancaster in 181I, several of those who died were buried on the farm now owned by James W. Weeks and son. Among that unfortunate number was Jonathan Cram.
THE SUMMER STREET CEMETERY.
In 1868 it had become evident that the old cemetery was inade- quate to the requirements of the town, and steps were taken to secure lands and lay out a new one. There was no chance of enlarging the original one on account of the character of the lands adjoining it. So at the annual town meeting of that year the ques- tion was discussed, and a committee, consisting of William D.Weeks, Richard P. Kent, and Benjamin F. Hunking, was appointed, 'and given authority to receive proposals and report at the November meeting of that year. This committee reported in favor of a plot of land on the Holton farm on the bank of the Connecticut river just south of the mouth of Indian brook. The report was recommitted. The selectmen were instructed to appoint a committee of five to examine into the matter of locating a cemetery. Their committee consisted of Henry O. Kent, Benjamin F. Whidden, William F. Smith, and Emmons D. Stockwell.
A special meeting was called September 18, at which that com- mittee reported in favor of the lands now occupied by the new cem- etery on Summer street. The report was unanimously adopted, and a committee of three appointed to take a deed of it in the name of the town, lay out, fence, and prepare it for use. The selectmen, Samuel H. LeGro, James W. Weeks, and Charles B. Allen, appointed as that committee Benjamin F. Whidden, Henry O. Kent, and Kim-
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HISTORY OF LANCASTER.
ball B. Fletcher. They qualified and went to work to carry out their instructions. Mr. Fletcher soon resigned from the committee, but the other two members went on with the arduous task com- mitted to their hands, and for twelve years, without compensation, worked to bring the cemetery into the condition it now is. At the annual meeting, March 8, 1881, this committee made its final report and resigned a well-executed work into the care of other hands.
The seleetmen appointed W. E. Bullard, Geo. N. Kent, and Jared I. Williams trustees to succeed the former committee in 1882. The trustees have added more land on the street, or entrance from Sum- mer street, by which it is much improved. In 1885 the selectmen appointed Charles A. Howe and Charles E. McIntire trustees.
There are many fine and costly monuments in this cemetery, and every year adds to its artistic and tasteful development.
Here many men and women prominent in the middle and later periods of the town's history have found their last resting-place, and hither turn the minds and hearts of the living in fond recollection of those near and dear to them, and conspicuous in the affairs of the town, state, and nation.
CATHOLIC CEMETERIES.
In the year 1869 lands were purchased on Spring street for a Catholic cemetery by the Rev. Fr. Noisseaux, and, laid out and blessed by him the same year. This cemetery having become too small to much longer accommodate the wants of that large church, the Rev. Fr. Creamer, in 1895, bought land on North Main street for a new cemetery, which has been laid out and consecrated- a spacious and beautiful spot.
ANOTHER TOWN CEMETERY.
There is a cemetery in the southwestern part of the town, in old school district No. 10, not far from Clark's Mills, which has its sexton annually elected and which is the spot of many interments.
CHAPTER III.
MATERIAL GROWTH OF THE TOWN.
EARLY STATISTICS-PRICES-OLD HOUSES-BUSINESS DIRECTORIES OF THE TOWN IN 1828, 1856, AND 1875, AS KEPT BY THE LATE R. P. KENT IN HIS DIARY-BUSINESS DIRECTORY IN 1896.
The first census of the town was taken by Capt. Edwards Buck- nam on September 22, 1775, and undoubtedly was by order of his
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military superiors for the purpose of determining the available men for the, army of the Revolution. I give it in his own words :
" No of all souls in Lancaster, Sept. 22, 1775 :
Males under 16 years, 17. Males from 16 to 50, not in the army, 15. Males above 50, gone in the army, 2. Females, 27. Negroes and slaves for life, none. Total, 61. Eight guns fit for use. Seven guns wanted, and II pounds powder. E. Bucknam, Selectman."
This census shows the growth of the town during the first eleven years. In eight years from that time the selectmen, Edwards Buck- nam, Jonas Wilder, and Emmons Stockwell, took another census which showed a white population of only 64. There were then eight framed dwelling-houses, two of which-the Holton house and the L of the old Stockwell house-are still standing. There were of barns and other buildings, five. The number of acres of land was 23,040.
In 1790 the population had increased to 161, although there were only ten houses in town in 1798. In 1799 there were 91 voters. This was largely due to migrations of young men, the names of many of which attract attention in the various records of the times.
In 1800 the population had run up to 440. The increase of houses did not keep pace with this growth, for there were only fif- teen houses in the village in 1804. This, of course, was due to the fact that at that time the town was strictly an agricultural com- munity. There was but little inducement to develop a village when every one was busy clearing land and cultivating it. At this time, however, a new era dawned upon the town, and the tide of life set toward the village more than ever before. In 1803 the " Upper Coös Country " was made into the county of Coos, with Lancaster as a shire town, the act to take effect January 1, 1805. Here the courts were to sit in the future. There was now a rapid growth of population, so that at the end of 1810 there were in town as many as 717 people. Many new industries had sprung up during those years of rapid growth. The War of 1812 drew a large number of men away from town-about 50. This had the effect to retard the growth of population and industries for some years. In 1820 the population was only 644. There were then four stores, three phy- sicians, three lawyers, five justices of the peace, one minister, eight school districts, with four schoolhouses, two hotels, two gristmills and two sawmills, and two carding-mills, where cloth was fulled and dressed.
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