USA > New Hampshire > Coos County > Lancaster > History of Lancaster, New Hampshire > Part 42
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About this time one Edward Dufoe, a noted violinist and favorite at all the dances of the region, who had married into the Stanley family of the town, had a shop on Main street, where the lawn of George Van Dyke now is, in which he made wagons and carriages. He was the first carriage maker to make use of the eliptical springs on his vehicles. Previous to that time the only spring in use was
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what was called the "thorough brace;" the device of leather had its day, doing good service, no doubt, but destined to yield to progres- sive ideas of comfort.
In 1840 James W. Weeks entered into partnership with Ashbel Pierce, an experienced workman from Claremont, N. H., for the manufacture of wagons and buggies. They located on the site now occupied by the large store building of L. F. Moore on Middle street. After some three or four years, not finding the business a paying one, Mr. Weeks bought out his partner and closed the fac- tory, with the exception of keeping one or two men on repair work. In 1847 he sold the stand to the late Anderson J. Marshall, who made it profitable. In 1852 it was destroyed by fire. He rebuilt the factory on a larger scale, and continued to do a thriving bus- iness until his retirement from active life. The plant was continued by Antipas P. Marshall, his son, and George R. Eaton, doing good work, but on declining profits, as they had to compete with larger factories that were then flooding the country. They had to discon- tinue the business after a short time, and the old factory stood idle until 1895, when it was pulled down and replaced by one of the largest and best appointed store buildings in northern New Eng- land-L. F. Moore's hardware store.
Later, Parcher Brothers sold carriages and sleighs here. Beyond repair work there is little done in the trade of the wagon maker or carriage maker in Lancaster to-day.
Clocks .- It is a matter of curious interest that Lancaster once had in its bounds a real, live Yankee clockmaker who for a time did a good business. At the beginning of this century Yankee genius ran to clocks as naturally as ducks take to water. Nearly every New England village of any prominence about that time had . a clock factory in it. One Samuel Wright located here in 1808, for the manufacture of clocks, and we are informed by tradition that he did well for some years, until the larger factories using machinery could produce and sell cheaper clocks than he could make by hand. The business soon gave way to the regular trade, as at present con- ducted by the so-called watchmaker and jeweler, who are rather repairers of such articles than makers of them. John W. Williard opened a watchmaker's shop in 1825, which he conducted for some years. William Purington was the next to follow the business in town. He worked in a little yellow shop standing on the lot now occupied by the residence of the late Charles E. Allen, as early as 1837. His house is now standing on Cemetery street near the Bos- ton & Maine railroad depot, on the south side of the street. It has been somewhat remodeled, but is in outline the same as when Pur- ington occupied it.
After Purington, Charles B. Allen,-who succeeded him and who
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bought his shop, then standing on the site of Eagle block,-George A. Martin, Charles E. Allen, W. I. Hatch, J. M. Kimball, Whitcomb Brothers, and Charles Morse have been in the business. Mr. Hatch, the Whitcomb Brothers, and Morse are now in trade here, carrying large stocks of goods and doing repair work. Others have, for brief periods, followed this line; but these named have been the chief representatives of the watchmakers' and jewelers' craft in Lancas- ter.
Harness Makers and Saddlers .- It was not until about 1808 that Lancaster became large enough to present attractions to saddlers and harness makers to locate here. In that year Jonathan Carleton opened a saddler's shop in the village, and for a number of years conducted the business with reasonable success for a small com- munity.
The next person to engage in this work in Lancaster was Allen Smith. He was from Hanover, N. H., but learned his trade in Ha- verhill, N. H. On the breaking out of the War of 1812 he enlisted as a drummer, serving the term of that war faithfully. On being discharged he came at once to Lancaster and opened a shop on the site now the lawn of the stone house owned by I. W. Hopkinson on Main street. He married Adaline, daughter of Daniel Perkins, and lived for many years where Odd Fellows' block now is. He was a zealous Methodist, and his house was the home of the itinerant preachers of that sect.
The next person to open a shop here was Horace Whitcomb, who long years was a harness maker of prominence in town. He came here from Newbury, Vt., was at one time colonel of the regiment, and always active in the affairs of the Congregational church. His first shop was near the north end of the Stockwell bridge, by the Lancaster National bank, and later on Middle street next east of Richardson block; his home is still standing next east of Masonic Temple on Mechanic street.
Later Charles F. Colby did work for some years. For a number of years Charles Howe, who succeeded his father, Charles Howe, who came from Concord, Vt., has been the leading harness maker, doing well since 1866. For several years A. E. Stratton conducted a harness maker's shop on Middle street, but on account of poor health gave up business in the winter of 1895, and died the follow- ing July.
Hatters .- During the first half of this century hats were made in almost every village of any size throughout the country. Lancaster had a succession of prominent and skilled hatters during that time. The first to follow that trade in town was Frederick Messer, who made his own felts from lamb's wool or furs, shaped and finished them ready for the market. Messer's shop stood very nearly in
ALLEN SMITH.
JOSEPH FARNHAM.
JOHN STALBIRD.
ALONZO P. FREEMAN.
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Main street, in front of James McCarten's blacksmith shop, on what is now the corner of Main and Mechanic streets. Here at the foot of the steep hill, up which ran the wooden stairs to the plain upon which the old meeting-house stood, he made hats for many years.
The next hatter was Ephraim Cross, followed by Isaac B. Gorham. Their shop was located near the north end of Stockwell's bridge over Isreals river, in a building on the site of the present Colby block. Here Gorham long followed his trade. I find his illustrated adver- tisement in the first issue of the White Mountain Ægis, published on May 22, 1838, in which he returns thanks to his patrons for their trade for three preceding years, from which we learn that he was established here as early as 1835. The styles are gorgeous, judg- ing from the cuts that accompany the offer of his wares. He built the house next south of the Methodist church on Main street, about 1839. Ephraim Cross carried on the business later in a shop on his own lot near the corner of Main and High streets for some years. Hats began to find their way into the regular channels of trade about 1840. As factories arose throughout the country and made cheap and stylish hats, they gradually forced the oldtime hatter to the wall.
Grist-mills and Sawmills .- One of the most interesting chap- ters in the history of the town is that concerning its mills. When the town was laid out, the water privileges on Isreals river were re- served as public property. The letting of them for building mills has therefore become a matter of public record. Their history is a part of the public acts of the town.
The first settlers had to bring their flour and meal from Haver- hill, N. H., or subsist upon " samp," which was simply coarsely broken corn. Every family had its " samp mortar and pestle," mounted in or near the house. This device consisted of a log of wood about three feet long, hollowed out at one end in the shape of a mortar, into which the corn, or whatever else was to be " ground" and cracked by a pestle, worked either by hand or mounted on a spring pole. This only broke the grain into coarse fragments, somewhat like hominy; but it remained for a long time the chief food of the settlers, even after mills were in operation.
The first mill of any pretensions was run by horse power; but it was a failure, and was soon abandoned.
To David Page belongs the credit of building the first mill and sawmill in the town. As early as 1766, only two years after the settling of the town, money was voted for building a mill on Isreals river, but probably the sum was so small as to discourage anyone from undertaking the task. At all events, no mill was then built on the river. David Page built, on his own account, a grist-mill and sawmill on Indian brook, just back of the Thomas Hicks place, tak-
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ing advantage of an old beaver dam as affording the cheapest and best water power. These mills were erected in 1770, and were de- stroyed by fire in a few years. Tradition says that he rebuilt them, and that they were burned a second time; but of this I can find no proof. There is in existence, and I have it before me, a memoran- dum of appropriations by the town while Gen. Edwards Bucknam was town clerk. It is in his handwriting, and must be regarded as genuine. This memorandum says that the town voted to pay David Page thirty pounds to rebuild a mill that was burned. It is supposed, therefore, that it applied to the second mills. David Page gave Edwards Bucknam, " collector for the proprietors of Lancaster," a receipt for sixty-six pounds lawful money paid to him June 13, 1775, for mills he had built. These must have been the second mills on Indian brook, and the money voted as an indemnity to cover losses sustained in his efforts to serve the public, for at a town-meeting held at the house of Edwards Bucknam June 8, 1773, it was voted to raise eighty-six pounds for mills on Isreals river. This appropriation was paid to David Page, Oct. 19, 1778, the receipt for which is before me. The mills for which this money was paid were on the south branch of Isreals river, running at that time at the foot of Sand hill, and forming an island of the high ground along Mechanic street, later known as Chessman's island. Page's mills on Isreals river stood just back of the dwelling-house of John Palmer. Tradition, confirmed by indications, say that at that time this south- ern channel of the river was the larger of the two. This mill was so far an assured matter on April 17, 1773, that David Page leased it to Hezekiah Fuller, the articles of agreement of which lease are before me. It was signed by Page in his remarkably poor and pe- culiar handwriting, and Fuller made his mark to his name written in the handwriting of Timothy Nash, Jr., who was one of the wit- nesses, Samuel Page being the other one. As is seen, the eighty- six pounds were not appropriated until on the thirteenth of the June following this transaction ; nor was the money paid until more than three years later. This was owing, no doubt, to the fact that the non-resident taxpayers failed to pay their taxes. Edwards Buck- nam, collector, notified them that if they did not pay up, their lands would be advertised for sale in the New Hampshire Gazette on the tax of Aug. 10, 1774, to pay David Page for rebuilding the mills on Indian brook, and the tax of June 8, 1773, to pay Page for rebuilding on Isreals river.
This mill of Page's on Isreals river must have been a poorly con- structed one, especially its dam, for we find Page and Fuller appeal- ing for help to rebuild the dam on Sept. 8, 1777. There is a tradi- tion that this mill was burned ; but I can find no confirmation of it. The mill was either destroyed or fell into decay at an early date.
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Remnants of the mill and dam existed within the memory of several old men with whom I conversed in regard to it.
The Wilder Mills .- Major Jonas Wilder, a man of considerable wealth for those days, came to Lancaster in 1778. He was public- spirited, and full of enterprise. In 1781 he built a grist-mill and sawmill on Isreals river just above the granite works of V. V. Whit- ney. These mills were in operation for a long time, doing a suc- cessful business. Here Squire Darby tended mill for many a year. He is still remembered by some of the oldest men as a genial and ingenious man.
This mill of Wilder's underwent extensive repairs in 1817, and after that time was known as the "Wesson mill." The residence of the miller, called " The Mill House," stood on the site of the tracks of the Maine Central railroad near Middle street. Near where the present railroad track runs there was a steep road down to the mills. The mills fell into decay some fifty years ago, and have passed away, leaving not a vestige of their remains to mark the spot on which they once served this community so well.
Brown's Mills .- The next public action taken by the town con- cerning mills was at the annual town-meeting, March 13, 1792, when a committee, consisting of Lieut. Emmons Stockwell, Capt. David Page, Col. Edwards Bucknam, Capt. John Weeks, and Lieut Dennis Stanley, was chosen " to receive proposals of any gentleman concerning building mills on Isreals river near Stockwell's bridge." Page's mills had been built for nineteen years, and must have been destroyed or fallen into decay at this time, else Page would not very likely have been put on the committee to let the privilege of build- ing other mills in competition with his own and Wilder's.
I have before me a proposition, in writing, from Titus O. Brown, in which he offers to "build a sawmill and grist-mill, and furnish good attendance and keep them in good repair, on condition that the town lease to him, his heirs and assigns, for the term of nine hundred years such quantity of the common lands, on Isreals river, and land under the river; also the waters of the same as shall be sufficient to build a mill and mill-yards, and also a road to the said mill privilege for and during said term of nine hundred years; he, the said Brown, paying to the selectmen of the town of Lancaster yearly one ear of Indian corn, annually, if demanded." This pro- posal bears date of March 20, 1792.
It seems that the committee did not see fit to accept it; but instead leased the privilege to Emmons Stockwell on May 7, 1792. I have the lease before me written in the hand of Capt. John Weeks, and signed by Emmons Stockwell, Edwards Bucknam, John Weeks, David Page, and Dennis Stanley, " Committee of the Town of Lan- caster," and witnessed by Zerubabel Eager and Stephen Wilson.
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On the next day, May 8, 1792, Emmons Stockwell re-leased this privilege to Titus O. Brown on the exact terms that he received it, except that he retained the right to erect iron works and take water from the same dam that Brown bound himself to build, where the present dam of Frank Smith & Co.'s mill now is. The rental in both the lease and the re-lease was a pint of wheat annually when called for by the selectmen, and the rentals were decreed to be for the benefit of schools. I have before me a copy of this re-lease to Brown by Stockwell in the hand of Samuel Brooks, recorder for Grafton county.
By the terms of the lease to Stockwell the mills-a sawmill, grist- mill, and a fulling-mill-were to be located between Stockwell's bridge and the old mills (Wilder's). Brown undertook to build a sawmill by the first day of December, 1792, and a grist-mill " with a good bolt," by the first day of December, 1793, and a fulling-mill by the first day of December, 1794. He built the sawmill on the site of the new block of Frank Smith & Co. (1898). He made an arrange- ment with Richard C. Everett by which the latter built a large grist- mill 100 feet long and three stories high, in which there was run a carding and fulling-mill. This mill building was very nearly on the site of the present grist-mill. It was burnt some time previous to 1800, and was rebuilt by Titus O. Brown on the same site. A mill house (miller's residence) stood about where the National Bank building now does. This second mill was also burnt in 1819. Another, and a much better, mill was erected, and a mill house built on the south side of Middle street about where William Clough's residence now stands. David Greenlief, the noted miller, is still remembered by some of the older men who were then boys. Mr. Greenlief had been a soldier in the Revolutionary War, and was a man full of reminiscences that pleased his customers to hear while waiting for their grists to be ground, for in those days people took their grists to the mill in a bag thrown across the back of a horse, on top of which they rode, and waited for the grain to be ground and took it home in the same way. The interval of waiting was often filled by an entertaining bit of story-telling by the miller. This old mill gave place in 1830 to one of a much better kind, built by Dr. John Dewey, in which the then most improved machinery was used.
After the second mills on this site were burned, the carding and fulling-mills were built on the south side of the river. As the iron works were not erected, the contemplated space saved for them was given up to fulling-mills and other purposes. An "up and down" sawmill ran for many years between the dam and the iron works. The finding of bog ore on the Beaver brook and Connecticut river meadow lands filled the fancy of some of the early settlers with
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visions of an iron furnace, that should supply them with enough of that indispensable metal for their own use, at least, if no more; but it never came to anything.
From this time onward to the present, this dam and the sites on both sides of the river have been occupied by various persons for mill purposes. Among those who have owned mill privileges on these sites have been : Titus O. Brown, Ephraim and Liberty Stock- well, John McIntire, Richard Eastman, Moses T. Hunt, Thomas Carlisle, Joseph C. Cady, Isaac and Samuel Pearson, John Dewey, Emmons Stockwell, Jr., Sylvanus Chessman, John Moore, Peter Paddleford, Levi Willard, Philip Paddleford, Reuben Stephenson, John W. Weeks, J. W. Williams, Oliver Frost, S. and W. M. Rines, O. E. Freeman, Geo. A. Goodrich, J. I. Williams, Thompson, Wil- liams & Co., Hovey & Bullard, A. W. Morrill, Ellis & Olcott, Smith, Hodge & Bullard, and Frank Smith & Co., the present owners. Several others may have had, and no doubt did at times own, inter- ests in these mills and privileges, but these named were the chief owners of them for 104 years.
Other Sawmills in Lancaster .- About 1823, or 1824, Major Joel Hemmenway built what was known as the Hemmenway mills on Otter brook, at what is now called the Grange Village, occupy- ing the site on which Amadon & Co.'s mills now stand. He also built the house owned and occupied by George Wood. His mill did a good business for many years, sharing the patronage of the town with Stockwell's sawmill in the village.
Later John Lang built a sawmill on the outlet of little Martin Meadow pond on the Whitefield road, which cut lumber for some years. Eben C. Garland & Sons built a sawmill on Great brook where Edward C. Grannis now lives.
Quite an effort was made in the early '70's to build up a village at South Lancaster. A bridge had been thrown across the Con- necticut, connecting with Lunenburg, one mile from the village of that name. Lewis Barter of Concord erected a wholesale grain and flour store near the tracks of the B., C. & M. railroad, and other enterprises were started there.
In 1873 John H. Locke, until then an inn keeper at Hillsborough Bridge, for many years until recently connected with George Van Dyke in lumber operations, built for a Concord corporation whose principal members were Joseph A. Dodge, superintendent of the rail- road ; George Clough, retired conductor and capitalist; George A. Pillsbury, now of the great flouring mills of Minneapolis; Stephen A. Brown of Hillsborough, et als., a large steam sawmill at this point and equipped the river with booms and piers.
This mill after several years was leased to George Van Dyke at the commencement of his business career, and after he had run it
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for a while to D. H. and T. G. Beattie who were operating it when it burned.
Since the burning of the mill, business has departed from South Lancaster, only a cheese factory remaining.
About the same time Allen and Hilliard had a steam sawmill on the same stream a mile south of the village, capable of cutting nearly as much lumber as the South Lancaster mills. This only existed a short time. One Goodrich had a steam mill on the plain opposite the Baker pond whence it drew its logs.
For fully fifty years the first sawmills only cut boards and plank by the old upright saws. A few of these were in use for a longer time; but the circular saw began to be used forty years ago. The choice pine with which this section abounded was ripped into great planks an inch or more thick, and often over thirty inches wide. These were dressed by hand planes, the uneven marks of which are to be seen on some of the boards that have been in old build- ings for over a century. I have taken the measure of many boards over thirty inches wide in old houses. This history has been written on a table, the top of which is a single board taken out of the walls of the " Cross house" on the corner of Main and High streets, built by Col. R. C. Everett over a century ago.
Lathes were not made then as now. They consisted of thin, wide half-inch boards which were split, or rather splintered, with an axe, and, as they were being nailed on the walls, separated by a wedge until the nails were driven, affording spaces for the mortar to hold . to. Shingles were not sawed, but split or riven, here for many years. About 1830 the method of cutting them from steamed blocks by means of a lathe was introduced, and was considered quite an innovation. About a decade later the method of sawing them by means of a circular saw came into use, and prevailed as long as there was suitable timber left for shingles. There are now but few made for lack of timber suitable for that use.
About 1850 the present method of manufacturing clapboards was introduced in Lancaster. The first clapboards were of equal thick- ness on both edges, and of varying widths.
The first grist-mills were simple and primitive in their construc- tion. One Caleb Young and Peter Blanchard made millstones and mill machinery here and in Northumberland.
Since Dr. John Dewey introduced modern and improved machin- ery into his mill, grist-mills have kept pace with the advances in industry, and have had good machinery. The grist-mill and saw- mill of to-day do first-class work in their respective lines.
Sash, Door, and Blind Factories .- The first person to make any extensive and successful attempt at manufacturing sash, doors, and blinds in Lancaster, was the late Nicholas B. Wilson, who came
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here in 1850, and worked several years for Col. O. E. Freeman; and later went into business on his own account, occupying the site and buildings previously used by Harvey Adams in the manufacture of wagons, and sleighs, just west of where the Monahan blacksmith shop now is. Mr. Wilson did a good business until 1886, when by high water he lost his factory and much valuable machinery. He was later succeeded by Leavitt & Hartford, who did a good business for some years. Since they retired this line of work has been car- ried on extensively by the Thompson Manufacturing Company. During the year 1894, Frank Smith & Co. erected a sash, door, and blind factory, and planing-mill in connection with their lumber business, and have for two years past done a considerable amount of that kind of work.
Strawboard and Paper Mills .- In 1864, the town, at a spe- cial meeting, voted to lease to K. B. Fletcher & Co., for the nominal rental of one dollar a year, in perpetuity, the water of Isreals river and its bed, and the lands on both sides of the stream, as given by the original proprietors to the town, in consideration that the lessees should erect a strawboard mill, or other manufacturing concern of equal importance to the town. This company consisted of K. B. Fletcher, Edmund Brown, Henry O. Kent, Jason H. Woodward, J. W. Spaulding, Charles W. Roby, Frank Smith, and Charles E. Allen. Steps were taken by the company to organize and begin business on receiving their lease. Buildings were commenced, and a canal cut to its dam.
In 1855, by special act of the legislature, a corporation under the name of the Lancaster Manufacturing Company had been chartered. The grantees of that charter were Jacob Benton, L. F. Moore, Ed- mund Brown, Jared I. Williams, William Burns, Harvey Adams, Royal Joyslin, B. F. Whidden, Joseph Roby, Frederick Fiske, Hart- ford Sweet, E. L. Colby, H. C. Walker, D. A. Burnside, J. E. Stick- ney, A. L. Robinson, Turner Stephenson, and Frank Smith.
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