USA > New Hampshire > Grafton County > Lebanon > History of Lebanon, N.H., 1761-1887 > Part 22
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40
Ticknor, Paul K.
Tilden, Joseph
Ticknor, John
Tilden, Joel
True, Osgood
Tilden, Joseph, Jr.
Truman, Thomas
Tilton, Henry
True, George
Ticknor, Paul
Walling, Baker
Wells, Thomas
Walling, Benj.
Wells, Eliphalet
Waterman, Thomas
White, Fanny
Waterman, Silas 2d
Williams, Orville
Wood, Henry G.
Winneck, John
Wood, John
Wilson, Thomas Wells, Reuben Whitmore, Clapp S.
Wood, Roger
Whitmore, David
Wood, Samuel
Whitmore, David, Jr.
Wood, Ephraim
Williams, Robert
Wood, Benjamin
Woodbury, James
Wright, Abel
Woodbury, John
Wright, Abel, Jr.
Woodbury, Leonard
Wood, Ephraim, Jr.
Wallace, Joseph
Wood, Jesse
White River Falls Co.
Whitmore, Ebenezer
Woodward, Isaac
Whitmore, William
Warner, Caleb
Watson, French
Young, Samuel
Young, Ammi B.
Wood, John, Jr.
Wood, Joseph
TIMOTHY KENRICK.
239
STATE AND TOWN OFFICERS, ETC.
It may be interesting to recall the condition of the town at this period of its life. Its population is given as 1,710, about one hundred less than in 1810. This decrease was undoubtedly owing to western migration. Number of polls, 199; of horses over four years old, 164; of oxen, 158; of cows, 407. Sheep are not mentioned in the invoice of the year. Number of carriages worth over fifty dollars, 17.
Stephen Kendrick, Wareham Morse, Timothy Kenrick and Calvin Benton were the merchants at the Center; Josiah Barnes at East Lebanon and the Lymans across the river from West Lebanon.
The tavern-keepers were Moses Greenough at the old Lafayette, where the Whipple block now stands, who had for a sign only a large O painted green ; Moses Abbott, son of Beriah Abbott at the head of School Street, now the Stickney place; Josiah Barnes and Col. Luther Delano at East Lebanon ; Daniel Freeman where Joel Baker now lives; Silas Leach on Mount Support; Ephraim Wood on the Ben Wood place on the Meriden road; Capt. Joseph Wood, and Ira A. Brown on the river road. All the merchants and all the "taverners" were licensed to retail spirits ; the people of that day, almost without exception, were their cus- tomers.
Clark Aldrich, near Chandler's mills; Eliel Peck at Scythe- ville, Uriah and Joel Amsden at the Center, Jesse Cook at East Lebanon, Joseph Wood and White River Falls Co. at West Leb- anon, Orren Hubbard, near Hubbard bridge, had sawmills.
Paul Buswell had his tannery where the key shop of Kendrick & Davis is located; Osgood True also had a tannery where Ebenezer Cole lives, and was also licensed to sell spirits. The machine shop of Cole & Son was occupied by Stephen Kendrick as an oil mill. The Mechanics Cotton and Woolen factory oc- cupied the site of the lower shops of Mead, Mason & Co., now Riverside. The Lebanon cotton factory was in operation at East Lebanon. Andrew Post had his hat factory near the Gus- tin shop by the iron bridge in the center village, and there was another factory on the opposite side of the street soon after. Daniel Hinkley was a clothier in the southwest part of the town on True brook.
240
HISTORY OF LEBANON.
Frederick Lull, whose shop was a little west of the store of Brown Bros. and Alexander Grimes, whose shop stood on the ground of the high school building near the blacksmiths of the center. Haynes Jewett had a shop a little south of the bridge in Butmanville, a Mr. Gates at East Lebanon. John Winneck was a saddler and storekeeper at East Lebanon; Simon Peter Slapp was a tailor at East Lebanon. Samuel and Ammi B. Young and Azel Peck and Joseph Mason were the builders of the time. Alpheus Baker, Philo Sprague and Ahirah Griswold were the brick masons.
The doctors were Phineas Parkhurst, Benjamin Gallup in the Center, and Caleb Plaistridge at East Lebanon.
The lawyers were Aaron and James Hutchinson and Samuel Selden.
Mr. Potter was dead and the Congregationalists were without a pastor till November 1823, when Calvin Cutler was settled. John Foord was preaching to the Second Congregational church, the Universalists had no settled minister and the Methodists had only occasional meetings. The only place of worship was the present town hall, standing on the park about 200 feet south of its present location.
The means of transportation were by the Fourth New Hamp- shire Turnpike, four, six and eight-horse teams carrying the produce of the farms to market and returning with groceries and dry goods for the merchants. Many of the farmers carried their pork, butter and cheese to Boston and Portsmouth, bring- ing back supplies for their own families and others, having, gen- erally, good times on the road and at the taverns. The trip usually occupied from two to three weeks. Among the well- known teamsters of the period was Amasa Hurlburt, who died in this town in 1870, aged 84 years.
The Connecticut River was the means of communication be- tween Hartford, Conn., and the towns of New Hampshire and Vermont, large boats being used which floated down with the current, and were forced back by poles and oars, sometimes as- sisted by sails when the wind blew up stream. The Lymans, at what is called the Point, on the Vermont side, were extensive dealers in the merchandise of the day, and large numbers of these flatboats could generally be seen at the mouth of White River discharging or taking on their cargoes.
AMI B. YOUNG.
DR. BENJAMIN GALLUP.
DR. CALEB PLASTRIDGE.
241
STATE AND TOWN OFFICERS, ETC.
A little later an attempt was made to employ steamboats as carriers in this trade. "A diminutive steamer, the John Led- yard, under the command of Captain Nutt, who died a few years ago at White River Junction, came puffing up the river about 1830, and was received at various places with speeches and such other demonstrations as were deemed appropriate to the opening of steam navigation on the upper Connecticut. Captain Nutt went up as far as Wells River, near which place he found ob- structions which he was unable to surmount.
"Two or three hundred Scotchmen who lived in the vicinity and were anxious to have the steamer go farther, undertook to pull her over the bar by the aid of ropes, but after raising her so far from a horizontal position that an explosion of the boiler became imminent, they were asked by the captain to desist and it took thirty or forty of them to pull her back into deep water. The next season another steamer, the Adam Duncan, was built at Wells River, under the superintendence of Captain Nutt. Other steamers had been put upon the river at various points below the previous season, and the Adam Duncan was designed to ply between Wells River and Olcott's Locks, but after a sin- gle season of practice in backing off the sandbars between the two places, was attached for debt, her works were taken out and sold and the remainder of the hull for many years lay a few rods above the falls."-Address of William H. Duncan, Esq.
William S. Ela, then a young man just commencing life for himself, assisted in building some of these steamers. He worked upon the Adam Duncan at Wells River. The smokestack was hinged, so as to be let down when passing bridges. When the steamer was put into the water in the spring the river was high and it was found that she could not pass under the bridge at Haverhill, even when the smokestack was laid down on deck, and there was nothing to be done but to wait till the water fell. The river was persistent and the workmen finally came home by the stage. Mr. Ela relates that the people of the towns on the banks of the Connecticut contributed freely to the building of these steamers, expecting great things from them, to be soon disappointed. He added that the first money, to any amount, which he received was for work upon these steamers, with which
16
242
HISTORY OF LEBANON.
he purchased some shares in the old Bank of Lebanon, which he still holds.
Among the matters which especially interested the people of this town about this period was the Dartmouth College contro- versy. Eleazer Wheelock, the founder of the college, was well known to most of the early settlers of the town, coming as they did from the same neighborhood in Connecticut. Naturally they took a deep interest in his novel and daring enterprise of plant- ing a college in the wilderness. They contributed generously of their possessions, gave him aid in many ways, encouraged him by their sympathy and gave him their sons to educate, and could only end by being deeply concerned in the welfare of that insti- tution, when its very existence was threatened.
This controversy was long and bitter, involving both church and state, but was finally settled by decrees of United States courts.
FROM 1820 TO 1830.
The Federalist party disappears in 1820, both in town and state, and Samuel Bell, Republican, is elected governor until 1823 without opposition. He was personally popular with all parties and an able and upright man. In 1823 there were two Republican candidates, Samuel Dinsmore and Levi Woodbury. In the town Dinsmore had 168 votes and Woodbury 45, but by the votes of the state Woodbury was elected. In 1824 there was a change in the names of the parties, they being called after the names of their leaders, Jackson and Adams. But there was little change in the principles of the parties and none in the bitterness between them, but rather an increase. In 1824 David Morrill, Adams, had 143 votes for governor and Levi Woodbury had 88. Neither had a majority in the state, but Morrill was chosen by the legislature. In 1825 Morrill was chosen governor, with little opposition through the state, there being only 563 scattering votes in the whole state.
About this time there began to be used the party term "amal- gamation," concerning which it has been aptly said, "the most learned could not define it, but which the most ignorant daily used." It designated the union of Federalists and Republicans to bring about the election of John Quincy Adams to the presi- dency.
243
STATE AND TOWN OFFICERS, ETC.
In 1826 David Morrill, Adams, had in the town 129 votes; Benjamin Pierce, Jackson, had 104. Morrill was elected.
In 1827 Benjamin Pierce, Jackson, had for governor in the town, 191 votes, while Morrill, Adams, had only five votes. A surprising change in one year. And there was a like change in the state, Morrill having only 2,529, while Pierce had 23,695.
In 1828 there was another overturning. John Bell, Adams, had in the town 238 votes, and Pierce, Jackson, had 116. Bell was elected governor.
In 1829 John Bell, Adams, had in the town 207 votes. Benja- min Pierce, Jackson, had 119. Pierce was elected by the votes of the state, having about 3,000 majority.
The above record shows great disturbance and uncertainty in political affairs as well as bitterness in the strife.
In 1791 the legislature established four post routes, "to ride in and through the interior parts of this state." The second route was to be as follows: From Concord to Boscawen, Salis- bury, Andover, New Chester, Plymouth, Haverhill, Piermont, Orford, Lyme, Hanover, Lebanon, Enfield, Canaan, Grafton, Alexandria, Salisbury. The post rider was required to go over his route once a fortnight, and at stated times they were to reverse the routes, that is, they were to take the towns in the reverse order from that given above.
The postage on all private single letters to be six pence for every forty miles and four pence for every number of miles less than forty an other letters and packetts according to their weight and bulk, which shall be the exclusive perquisites of the post-riders.
John Lathrop of Lebanon was appointed post rider on this route. At this time there were few postmasters in the state. The nearest to Lebanon was at Hanover. The post rider deliv- ered letters and packages at the houses of the people.
THE TOLERATION ACT.
In the early settlements the towns built meeting-houses, called, settled and supported ministers in their civic capacities. The people were taxed for these purposes in the same way as for any other purpose. The plan was a good one, for it provided religious privileges and instruction long before the churches were able to maintain public worship. But as the population
1
244
HISTORY OF LEBANON.
increased, the people were no longer of the same sentiments and belief, and those who dissented from the "Standing Order," which was the Congregationalists, began to think it a hardship to be taxed for the support of a form of worship with which they did not sympathize; to build meeting-houses in which they never worshipped, to pay for preaching which they never heard gladly, or not at all. There began to be complaints against this system. The "Standing Order," who were in the majority, opposed any change, but about 1819 a law was passed doing away with this method of supporting public worship, casting all the denominations on their own resources. The churches more especially concerned were greatly discouraged, but find- ing themselves then able to do what they could not have done at first, they soon came to regard it as a good and wholesome law, inasmuch as it gave them that independence which all churches ought to have and maintain. The system had served a good purpose for a time, but in the increase of dissent from the forms and faith of the order which it most benefitted it was best to lay it aside.
The following items embrace the action of the town respecting purely local matters.
In 1820 they began to agitate the building of Stony Brook road and chose a "committee to go and view the route and report at the next annual meeting Diarca Allen Esq, Mr. Stephen Billings and Col. Thomas Waterman were chosen. At the an- nual meeting, 1821, voted to accept the report of the Committee but took no farther action. 1822, Voted that the Selectmen be directed (if they think proper) to lay out the road to the line of Enfield, keeping as near stony brook as circumstances will admit."
Attention is called to the words in parentheses in this vote, "if they [the selectmen] think proper." Heretofore the town in such cases has referred the matter to the discretion of the selectmen, or has absolutely directed them to build or not to build proposed highways. The careful wording of the vote seems to indicate some doubt as to the authority of the town in reference to highways. The decisions of the courts before that time, and abundantly since, imply that a town has no legal right to instruct or require by vote their selectmen to build a pro-
245
STATE AND TOWN OFFICERS, ETC.
posed highway. The matter is entirely in the power of the se- lectmen.
The laying of this road along the Stony Brook was in place of an old road which led over the hills and was a great improve- ment.
At the annual meeting, 1824, was the first movement for an organized fire department, for they voted to adopt the second section of an act entitled an act to regulate the proceedings for extinguishing fires that may accidentally or otherwise be kindled, passed April 6, 1781, and also an act passed June 27, 1818. Chose Stephen Kendrick, Esq., Samuel Selden, Esq., and Calvin Benton, fire wards.
The preamble of the act of 1781 is as follows :
Whereas it frequently happens when buildings contiguous take fire, that the people assembled to extinguish it proceed without order or reg- ularity, whereby the end in view is often defeated. An as goods at such a time are inevitably exposed to plunder, some hardy evil minded per- sons take advantage of the calamity and steal such goods, whereby the loss of such sufferers is increased; and the laws of this state respecting the proceedings to extinguish fires, &c, being found ineffectual for the purposes for which they were made, Therefore, &c.
The second section, which was adopted, reads as follows :
SECT. 2. And be it enacted by the authority aforesaid That the free- holders and other inhabitants of Portsmouth in the County of Rocking- ham, and state aforesaid being qualified voters, may at their annual or other legal town meeting choose and appoint any suitable number of freeholders, being persons of approved ability and fidelity, who shall be denominated firewards, and have for a distinguishing badge of their office, a staff five feet long, painted red, and headed with a bright brass spire six inches long. And the firewards afore mentioned are hereby required, upon notice of the breaking out of fire in said town, to take with them the badges of their office, and immediately repair to the place where such fire may be, and vigorously exert themselves, and require and demand assistance of any inhabitants of said town to extinguish and prevent the spreading of such fire, and to remove goods and effects out of any houses or places endangered thereby; and the firewards may appoint necessary guards to secure and take care of such goods and effects
The section gives the firewards authority to require and de- mand assistance, to pull down, blow up or remove any buildings thought necessary by a majority of them, to suppress with force, if necessary, all tumults and disorders, and to direct and order the labor of all persons. Any persons refusing to obey the or-
246
HISTORY OF LEBANON.
ders of the firewards were liable to a fine not exceeding ten pounds.
Though this act was framed for Portsmouth, yet any other city or town might adopt its provisions.
The act of 1818 gives to the firewards the entire control and direction of all fire engines, fire-hooks, hoses and other imple- ments used for extinguishing or preventing the spread of fire. They were given also control of engine companies, axe companies, or any other associations whose special duty it may be to help in extinguishing fires. These companies were exempt from militia and jury duty.
At the meeting in November, 1824, the town voted to procure a hearse for the use of the town.
The meeting-house by this time required repairs and painting; accordingly at this same meeting :
Voted to choose a committee to paint and repair the meeting house, and that the same be done as soon as may be next spring. Capt. Samuel Young, Timothy Herrick, Ziba Alden, Capt Joel Amsden and Edward Bosworth were chosen said committee.
Remarkably prompt and harmonious action where a meeting- house was concerned. This was in November, so that the people had time to think the matter over and discuss it, and when they came together in their annual meeting in March, 1825, they were of a different mind, for under Article XIX of the warrant, "To see what sum or sums of money the town will vote to raise to repair the meeting-house in said town," they "voted to postpone acting on this article indefinitely."
At the annual meeting in 1826 the town voted to direct the selectmen to repair the outside of the meeting-house. This word, the "outside," sheds a ray of light on the action of the town.
At a meeting held April 29, 1826 :
Voted to authorize the Selectmen to sell the pews belonging to the. town excepting the pews where the stoves stand at public auction, or private sale as they may think best.
On the first day of January, 1827 :
Voted that the meeting-house may be divided among the several de- nominations in the town in proportion as they own property in the House
Voted that the town recommend to each Religious society to meet
247
STATE AND TOWN OFFICERS, ETC.
other Societies by their Committee on Monday next at Mr Benton's tavern at one o'clock in the afternoon, for the purpose of arranging and dividing the Meeting-house.
When in 1824 the town voted so promptly to repair and paint the meeting-house, they did not think of the condition of things. At first the meeting-house was built by the town as a place for public worship for the people of the town, to which every voter contributed his portion, and the town, as such, maintained pub- lic worship by a tax assessed as other taxes were.
By the Toleration Act the towns were released from that ob- ligation. In the meantime the town had sold its right and prop- erty in the pews to individuals and so, in a certain sense, owned only the "outside" of the meeting-house, hence the vote direct- ing the selectmen to repair the outside, intending that those who owned the inside should take care of that.
Since the meeting-house was built the population had increased to about 1,700, and with this increase there was an increase of denominations, and it became an important question who should occupy the place of worship, since all had a right to have their own preaching. The town could think of no better way of set- tling this question than to proportion the occupancy according to the pew ownership. Of course, pews, under that rule, were much sought after and the town took advantage of the demand to sell the pews which it had retained in its own possession. There were at the time two Congregational societies, the First Society having been divided; a Universalist society had been formed, a number of Methodist, as yet without a distinct organ- ization, as well as some Baptists. The allotment was as follows : First Society, 14 Sabbaths; Second Society, 22; Universalist Society, 12; Baptists, 4. This proportion was changed from time to time as circumstances demanded.
It was a bad arrangement for all the societies, productive of jealousies, bitterness of feelings, each society having only frag- mentary services.
The First Congregational Society was the first to see the dis- advantages of the arrangement, and built, by great self-denial, a house of their own. The Second Society became extinct, leav- ing the control of the house to the Universalist Society.
For the first time (1825) the town chose two representatives
248
HISTORY OF LEBANON.
to the general court. The two chosen were William Benton and Samuel Young.
In 1826, at the annual meeting, voted that the selectmen build a tomb in the burying ground in as cheap a manner as will an- swer the use intended. But at a meeting held April 29, 1826, they voted to reconsider this vote, and the town remained with- out a tomb until that at Glenwood Cemetery was built in 1872.
At a special meeting held April 29, 1826, the town by vote gave leave to erect a clock in the belfry of the meeting-house at individual expense. People were not so liberal in their contri- butions as it was hoped they would be, for at their annual meet- ing, 1827, the town voted to pay thirty-five dollars towards a clock to be placed on the meeting-house. This was the first clock placed upon the meeting-house.
At this meeting liberty was given to Edward Howe "to erect a pair of Hay scales at the East end of the horse-sheds." This location was a little west of the present location of the town hall.
About this time there was much talk about what should be done with the poor of the town. Hitherto they had been placed in families which would receive them for a small compensation in addition to the services which they might render. They were discussing more or less the plan of a farm where they might be taken care of together.
The records of 1828 indicate that some time in August or early in September there was a great freshet, doing much dam- age, for September 22 they held a special meeting at which it was voted to raise one thousand dollars for the necessary expense of the town in repairing bridges, roads, etc. At the annual meeting of the year they had voted the same sum for the care of highways. We may infer that the damage was severe to require double the usual amount.
FROM 1830 TO 1840.
POLITICAL AFFAIRS.
In the town, 1830, Timothy Upham (Adams) had 209 votes; Matthew Harvey (Jackson) had 128, but in the state the Jackson men prevailed, Harvey being elected by a majority of about 3,000 votes.
In 1831 Ichabod Bartlett, Adams, had 208 votes; Samuel Dins-
249
STATE AND TOWN OFFICERS, ETC.
moor, Jackson, had 142. In the state Dinsmoor had a majority of 4,822, indicating an increase of the Jackson men.
But the next year there was a change, the candidates being the same. In the town Bartlett received 163 votes, Dinsmoor 143, a large falling off of the Adams vote in the town. But in the state Bartlett received a small majority.
In 1833 there was a great overturning of parties. Arthur Livermore, Adams, received in the town but one vote, while Dinsmoor, Jackson, received 163. In the state there was sim- ilar falling off in the Adams vote, Livermore having in the state 3,959, while Dinsmoor had 28,277.
About this time the different parties began to be known by different names; they became Whigs and Democrats. In 1834 the vote in the town was for governor, William Badger, Demo- crat, 117, while there was but one vote for any other candidate. And the same was true in the whole state, Badger having 28,542 votes, with 1,631 scattering. It seems that they were not as yet organized or else generally voted with the Democrats.
In 1835 the vote for governor was as follows: For Joseph Healey, Whig, 148; Badger, Democrat, 128 votes. In the state, Healey had 14,825, Badger, 25,767, with about 300 scattering.
In 1836 the vote for governor in the town was for Isaac Hill, Democrat, 129; scattering, 2. In the state Isaac Hill had 24,904, while other candidates and scattering had 6,021.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.