History of Merrimack and Belknap counties, New Hampshire, Part 131

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton), ed
Publication date: 1885
Publisher: Philadelphia [Pa.] J. W. Lewis & co.
Number of Pages: 1520

USA > New Hampshire > Merrimack County > History of Merrimack and Belknap counties, New Hampshire > Part 131
USA > New Hampshire > Belknap County > History of Merrimack and Belknap counties, New Hampshire > Part 131

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).

Ephraim S. Wadleigh, the son of Judge Peter Wadleigh, is still the fortunate possessor of the first opened farm in town, which his father bought of Captain Edward three-fourths of a century ago, and resides thereon, a prosperous farmer and exemplary citizen. The old mansion was burned a few years since, but was promptly rebuilt and improved.

Captain Ebenezer Blanchard, the son of Captain Edward, did not appear to inherit that zest for agri- cultural pursuits that was a characteristic attribute of his father and grandfather, as he was engaged in other business during most of his days, beginning life with keeping tavern or a store on Bay Hill, or both, which be abandoned after the sale of the farm by his father, and removed to Sanbornton Bridge, and opened a store on the Northfield side; and soon after buying the old brown two-story house which still stands opposite the southern end of the iron bridge, now more than a century old, he converted it into a family residence, and built a large store oppo- site, in which he traded till about the year 1808, when he removed to Franklin, or what was then Sal- isbury, where he resided and traded during the re- mainder of his life, -- a period of forty years,-pros- pered and died. Mrs. West, his oldest daughter, died in Franklin some three or four years ago. Mrs. Kenrick, his youngest daughter, still survives in Franklin. A Mrs. Herrick is still living there, daughter of Richard, another son of Captain Ed- ward.

Now, having tarried so long among the early fathers and gathered together the various items we could pick up here and there of their settlement, families, modes of life and manner of building and governing, with something of their official record, let us take a leisurely walk downwards, in company, through two or three scores of years, till we reach the middle of the century, and strive to catch a glimpse of the social life of our people during that intermediate period, and then, by easy transfers, work our way into the confines of the last thirty years, and note the progress of Canterbury's humble

offshoot, religiously, educationally, industrially, and close by a review of the great family gathering of Northfield's sons and daughters in 1880. The present year is a very appropriate one in which to take a backward look over our little commonwealth's past history, as 1885 marks just a century and a quarter since Benjamin Blanchard lighted his first cabin-fire back of the old orchard on Ephraim S. Wadleigh's farm.

And first I would say, that from twenty-five to seventy-five years after the incorporation the rural portion of the town appears to me to have been in its most prosperous state. Village life had not grown to such proportions then; the majority of farmers were in middle life, with iron frames, strong arms and stronger hearts, with stout boys ready to assist and plenty of them, with buxom girls in equal num- bers, to card, spin, weave, help mother generally, and even to rake hay, when occasion called, so that those freshly-opened farms stinted not their produc- tions, -filling the barns with hay to bursting, and the garners with grain. The school-houses, too, though not boasting architectural beauty or modern conveniences, nevertheless held what constitutes the prime element of good schools,-an abundance of scholars, filled, crammed to overflowing, as they sometimes were.

In the second place, our fathers were less depend- ent upon the outside world for their sources of hap- piness and support than their descendants of the pres- ent day. No importations then of flour and corn from the great West, but bountiful supplies of wheat and maize were extracted from their own soil; no need to send to Manchester or Lowell for their cloth- ing, for the whir of the wheel and the music of the shuttle were heard in every house, and the home-made blue frock of the farmer was the right royal badge of his profession. And then for social enjoyments they were not forced to tramp abroad to some other State or city to attend some formal convention or associa- tion; but instead, they had their own town or neigh- borhood gatherings, whether for work or good cheer ; but in either case they calculated to have a " high old time," and they generally had it. Indeed, it was a general custom to make work or play a social affair- the more the merrier -- when hilarity prevailed, and good cheer was in the ascendant. The men would " change works," the matrons would meet with their spinning wheels, and through the long summer after- noons would spin their thread and their gossip at an equally rapid rate. Then there were the house raisings, the shooting matches, wrestling matches, apple par- ings, quilting bees, sleigh ride parties and coasting par- ties. Spelling schools were an established institution then, when two rows of combatants stood unflinchingly and pelted one another with hig or knotty words till the warriors upon the one side or the other were all slain. Then, merriest and most truly enjoyable of all, were the young people's parties of a winter's night, when

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"button," " Copenhagen," " bean porridge," " hot and cold " and other games made the long nights short, and the chat, and the march, and the song to grow fast and furious. The husking parties were not among the least of these festive occasions, when the farmer would have the whole of his corn harvest husked in one night, followed by a rich repast, in which the golden pumpkin pie held the place of honor.

The trainings, the militia musters and many other frolicsome times might be mentioned, but space is wanting. It is true, strong waters were sometimes too prevalent on these occasions, but it must be re- membered, as some excuse, that the article then was genuine, not the modern adulterated liquors,-blne ruin with its villainous compounds had not yet raised its accursed head to consume with henbane and other poisons man's vitals.

The aged Joseph Marden, of Lowell, writes,-

"I attended a town-meeting in Northfield in 1818. Funny time ! Rum on both sides of the door, -- three cents a glass! Men made some noise about 4 o'clock ! I and Daniel Herrick put those old benches in the Rand school-honse.

"One time we had a snow-storm. Our District went down to the Meet- ing-House, and there met the Bean 1Till team and the Main road team. All made up their minds to go up to the Bridge. So went to Capt. Gline'e fence, got a pole, tied a red flag on top, hitched on 20 yoke of oxen, and to the Bridge we went ; took a little blackstrap, and the oxen hauled us back. Going down weall stood on the sled, but coming back," he slyly adds, "some had to sit down."

Churches .- In this place it will be appropriate, perhaps, to introduce a brief account of the religious privileges of Northfield.

THE OLD MEETING-HOUSE was originally free to all sects, but in later years was occupied exclusively by the Congregationalists, who abandoned it in 1841 since which it was used for many years only for town- meetings, and is now past its usefulness altogether.

The following sketch of the Congregational Church of Northfield and Tilton was prepared by Rev. Cor- ban Curtice, a long time pastor of the church :

" The town of Northfield was settled in 1760, and incorporated in 1780. The old meeting-house was built in 1794. The Methodist Church was organized in 1806. The Rev. John Turner was the first Congrega- tional minister who preached in town. Rev. Jotham Sewell and the Rev. Samuel Sewell preached a number of Sabbaths each in town.

"The Congregational people for many years worshiped with other denominations and aided in supporting the preaching, but they sought church privileges at Sanbornton Square and at Canterbury. . . .

"On May 29, 1823, Mr. Liba Conant, a young minister, was ordained as the first pastor of the Northfield Congregational Church. He labored faithfully, and with a good measure of success, for about fourteen years, or till September, 1836.

"The Rev. ITazael Lucas then supplied the church one year, or till September, 1837.

"Rev. Enoch Corser, for twenty years pastor of the Congregational Church at Loudon, was then engaged to supply thie church, who re- mained from September, 1839, through April, 1843. His labors were abundant and very successful. In 1837, and during his ministry, the present Congregational meeting-house was huilt and dedicated, the Society being free from debt. . . .

" Mr. C. Curtice commenced preaching here May 1, 1843, and remained through April, 1870, just twenty-seven years.

"Rev. T. C. Pratt commenced his labors here May 1, 1870, and closed them in June, 1875.

" Rev. F. T. Perkins commenced his ministry here September, 1875.

" A Sabbath-school was organized in Northfield in 1821, which has continued to the present time, and has been the source of great good to the church and community."

The majority of. the deacons of the church and of the superintendents of the Sabbath-schools were from Northfield, and of the original members, every one was from this town, and all are now dead, Dr. Enos Hoyt being the last.

Present Officers (Angust, 1885) .- Pastor, C. C. Samp- son ; Deacons, J. W. Hunkins, Oscar P. Sanborn ; Clerk, G. S. Abbott; Treasurer, J. W. Hunkins ; Superintendent of Sabbath-School, E. G. Philbrick.

THE METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH was organ- ized about 1804, says another authority. Joseph Knowles and wife, their son, Joseph, Josiah Am- brose and wife, Zilpha, were among the first mem- bers; also, Mr. Warren Smith's grandmother, Mrs. Glidden, who was baptized at the time that Lottie, Ellis was, who then lived with Mrs. Glidden, and. afterwards became the mother of Benjamin F. Butler; also Mrs. Fullerton. They were all baptized at Chestnut Pond. Mr. B. Rogers and wife, parents of B. A. and S. B. Rogers, were early members. In 1826 there was an extensive revival of religion. Among the converts were Jonathan Clough, Wesley Knowles and Betsey C. Knowles. The brick church was built about this time. Samuel Forrest was con- verted under the labors of Rev. George Storrs, and became an official member. The old brick church was given up, and a new house built on the Tilton side in 1856. Among the prominent ministers of that church were Revs. L. D. Barrows, D.D., O. H. Jasper, D. P. Leavett, Moses Chase, M. Newhall and George Storrs. Rev. Mr. Nutter is the present min- ister.

THE TRINITY EPISCOPAL CHURCH,1 was organized in 1860. Rev. Marcellus A. Herrick, D.D., was its first pastor, and continued such for nearly fifteen years, and to his unwearied efforts much of its pros- perity is due. The society worshiped in the brick meeting-house, Northfield, till 1873, when services were held in their new and beautiful brick church, erected in Tilton, at a cost of about fifteen thousand dollars. To this church Mrs. Eames, of Concord, presented a beautiful chancel window, and Walter Ingalls a large painting. Dr. Herrick was a fine scholar, and possessed a library rich in early editions of classical works, and black-letter tomes, which the present writer has taken great interest in examining during the life of the Doctor. He was succeeded by Rev. Frank S. Harraden, Rev. Henry H. Haynes, Rev. Lucius Waterman, the present incumbent.

UNION CHURCH .- The Northfield Union Sunday- school, at present doing good service, was organized in 1875, through the efforts of Mrs. James Thomp- son, Willie Keniston and Moses Batchelder, who was its superintendent till his death. The library was

Condensed from Rev. Mr. Runnels' " History of Sanboraton."

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enlarged and an organ purchased. Deacon Charles Ayers is its present superintendent.

A few years after the last organization mentioned, the inhabitants of Northfield Depot village and vi- cinity, finding they had outgrown their school-house capacity for religious and other public occasions, be- stirred themselves to obtain more fitting accommo- dations.

They selected a site near the Picnic Grove. Messrs. O. L. Cross, Esq., W. A. Canfield, Esq., and Hon. C. E. Tilton donated the land; the citizens raised seven hundred dollars in money, one hundred dollars in labor, and Mr. Tilton assumed the responsibility of completing the enterprise. The work rapidly pro- gressed. The corner-stone was laid the 24th of July, 1883, under which was placed a leaden casket fur- nished by Mrs. C. French, containing over fifty me- mentoes of the past and present, for the edification of future generations.

The enterprise was carried to a successful termina- tion and met the approval of its most sanguine friends. " A convenient hitching-place of ample ca- pacity, water-closets, a well of cool water and a pump, a weather-vane and lightning-rods and bell were the extras to a nicely-arranged and finished church of proper size for the place, and one that would be an ornament to any street in Laconia." This property, with a beautiful grove of several acres, with stands and seats, were all conveyed by Mr. Tilton to the town of Northfield, to be held in trust for all time. "That town, we venture to say, is the only one that owns a church, and one of the few that excludes rum from its limits." The exercises of dedication that followed were eminently satisfactory, occurring on a beautiful day, with no defect in carrying out the pro- gramme.

A beautiful Bible was presented to the church by Miss Jane Corser, of Boscawen; a handsome commu- nion table, by Mrs. Eliza Hall Cofran ; and a cloth and napkins, by Mrs. Deacon MeQuestion.

Schools .- The first school-houses, of course, were made of logs, of which an example has been given on Bay Hill, and were generally private dwelling- houses. Female teachers began to be employed about 1806, and were considered competent if they had mastered the first four rules in arithmetic. In illustration of the great advance made in female ed- ucation since that time, it is only necessary to point to the many young ladies graduating each year from our female colleges and other higher institutions, of which we have had a brilliant example in the Tilton Seminary near by.

The Bay Hill School, which formerly contained up- wards of fifty pupils, has, during the past twenty years, often been reduced to less than half a dozen. During last year the number was eleven.

The Centre School in former days numbered sixty, sometimes reaching eighty. Here Master Gleason taught when Mr. John E. Forrest was a boy and at-

tended school, and of which teacher many laughable anecdotes were told.

Other early teachers of the Centre were Master Morrill, of Concord ; Master Bowles, Solomon Sutton, of Canterbury; Josiah Ambrose, of Northfield ; Phinehas Thorn and Edmund Dearborn. Miss Mor- rill and Nancy Glidden were among the female teachers. It numbered last year seventeen.

In early times the school in the Hodgdon District numbered from seventy to one hundred, and John Cate, an old teacher, took oath in a certain suit that he had one hundred and ten scholars. Yet in that district, strange as it may appear, for several years past there have been no scholars large enough to at- tend and no school,-one of the greatest changes in a school district that I have known. Now, however, it is rising somewhat in the scale of youthful popula- tion, as last year it numbered nineteen.

Among the oldest teachers were Masters Knapp, Parkinson, Meshech Cate, John Blanchard and Ed- mund Dearborn. Among the female teachers were Nabby Abbott, Sally Hazelton and Esther Parkin- son. there.

Dudley Leavitt, the astronomer, also for

In regard to our common schools, the one remark- able fact is the strange diminution in the number of children attending them since earlier times. Why is it ? The population of the town is now larger. This may be accounted for in various ways. First, the young people leave at an earlier age to obtain a more ad- vanced education in the higher schools; second, fam- ilies are smaller ; and third, the young grown-up peo- ple and young families leave town. Again, there is really a decrease in the population of the rural, that is, in the greater part of the town, the increase being only felt in the village of Tilton.

Still, we are glad to believe that those children who do remain, though fewer in number, have far better school privileges than their predecessors, owing to better school-houses, better books, modern methods of teaching, more school money, a more thorough super- vision and a more convenient division of the town for school purposes.

There were formerly eleven school districts in Northfield, but in 1877 the town was redistricted, by which three districts were discontinued, one set off in part to Franklin and one merged in the Union Dis- trict at Tilton.

All the school-houses are modern, in good repair, and well adapted to their object; furnished with good apparatus given by Messrs. Cass and Goodale from the John Mooney fund, and each school supplied with a copy of Webster's Unabridged, contributed by former pupils, some five hundred in number, as a centennial gift

Whole number of pupils last year, one hundred and two, and about sixty in addition from this town in the Union District Schools at Tilton, making an aggre- gate of one hundred and sixty-two,

maken

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HISTORY OF MERRIMACK COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

Northfield has patronized the seminary well, in proportion to her population, and furnished many teachers, who have done good service, the Centre District alone having sent into the field, between the years 1840 and 1855, between thirty and forty teachers.

Many of the improvements in the Northfield schools must be ascribed to the tireless industry, unflagging interest and literary influence of the present highly- efficient superintendent of schools, Mrs. Lucy R. H. Cross, to whose skillful management the present high standing of the schools in her native town is to a great extent due. A teacher herself, and well posted in her duties from an experience of eight years,-from 1878 to the present time,-she has been enabled to do a good work for Northfield, which, we trust, the citi- zens appreciate.

THE SEMINARY .- The New Hampshire Conference Seminary and Female College, once the pride of North- field, as it is now of Tilton, was opened to students in the fall of 1845.

On the separation of the New Hampshire and Ver- mont Conferences, the former was left destitute of a school of its own, and measures were soon taken to supply the deficiency, resulting in the establishment of the seminary at Sanbornton Bridge, on the North- field side of the river, a few rods west of Colonel Cate's dwelling, and opposite the present Methodist Church. It was a plain, unpretending brick building, forty feet wide, seventy in length, aud two stories high. Hon. Samuel Tilton, Colonel Asa P. Cate, Colonel James Cofran, Rev. William Cass and others were influen- tial promoters of the enterprise. Warren S. Hill made, and Colonel Cofran burned the brick in the old yard north of the Granite Mills. Darius Dockum superintended the wood-work and Isaac Bodwell the laying of the brick. Chartered in 1852.

The first principal was Rev. J. A. Adams, who was succeeded by Rev. Richard S. Rust, John C. Clark, Rev. James E. Latimer and Rev. C. S. Harrington; aud, under their popular management, the school entered upon a prosperous career which continued until 1857, when their accommodations were found to be too small to meet the wants of their ever-increasing num- bers.

East and west wings were then added, and the for- mer building increased by the addition of a third story, thus furnishing a spacious hall for general or public exercises.

The charter of 1852 authorized a ladies' collegiate course and the title of Female College, supple- mentary to the former title of Seminary and its aca- demic studies.

Five more years of successful progress had passed away, when, one cold November's night in 1862, the whole structure was destroyed by fire, and the school left without a home.

Its Northfield location was then abandoned, and another adopted on the opposite side of the river.

Since then, with new and enlarged buildings, a numer- ous corps of tried and popular teachers, it has been carrying on the good work of education with ever-con- tinued success for over twenty years, each year send- ing forth its graduates, who have made their mark for good in every quarter of our land. It is under the control of the Methodist denomination, but has never exercised any restraint over the church preferences of its students.

The principals within these latter years have been Rev. R. M. Manley, Rev. Henry Lummis, Rev. L. D. Barrows, D.D., Rev. G. J. Judkins, Rev. J. B. Robinson and Rev. Silas E. Quimby. No one of its teachers can give the record of so long a term of ser- vice as Rev. Sylvester Dixon, professor of mathematics, who, for above twenty-five years, has been a member of the faculty.

The seed sown in 1845 has borne good fruit. What may we not expect when the fifty thousand dollar building fund, now nearly complete, shall have been transformed to a collegiate structure superior to any in the State, with its educational fund available, with its charming location and increased patronage,-in short, with all the omens favorable?

All things promise fair for extended usefulness under the new principal, Rev. D. C. Knowles.

Union Picnic Association .- A custom prevails in the neighborhood of Northfield Depot which might be imitated with advantage in other rural portions of the State. In the summer of 1875, W. C. French and Willie Keniston initiated the formation of a society, which has been the source of great pleasure and profit to all concerned in the southern portion of the town and places adjacent. This was the origin of the Union Picnic Association, which meets yearly at Hannaford's Grove for the enjoyment of social intercourse, literary exercises, singing and a collation. The experiment has met with abundant success, attracting crowds as often as the occasion comes round, and has become so interwoven in the pleasant diversions of their life that young and old look forward to these meetings as the great social event of the year.

Manufactures .- We will here introduce a brief account of the manufacturing interests on the North- field side of the river.

Beginning at the upper dam, we come first to Warren Hill's brick-yard, bought of Deacon An- drew Gilman, where he often made two hundred thousand bricks a year, those for the first seminary building having been produced here. It was finally purchased by the railroad, and the business stopped.

The Tilton mill was owned and operated by Jere- miah Tilton, Esq., who for fifty years manufactured in it satinet for the Boston market. He was a native of Sanbornton Bridge; learned his trade at Franklin ; married Nancy Carter, of Sanbornton, in 1816. He bought the Chase carding and clothing-mill in 1820, paying for stand and four acres of land and water privilege four hundred dollars. He lived in the

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upper story, was burned out twice, and each time re- built and enlarged; was associated for many years with his son, Jeremiah C., the two conducting a business of ten thousand dollars a year.

He sold to James Bailey about 1860, two years before his sudden death in Boston. The property then passed into the hands of Messrs. Ballantyne and Fletcher, the former a son-in-law of Mr. Tilton, Sr., who has added a third story to main building, with various other extensions and out-buildings, and changed the name to Granite Mills, where a business amounting to one hundred thousand dollars annually is now being carried on, ladies' dress-goods being the chief articles manufactured.

Deacon Jeremiah Hall moved to a place near Til- ton in 1829, and for many years carried on the tan- nery business near his house, which was burned, leaving the tannery, which for many years was used as an ice-house, just below the old Chase tavern ; built a new steam-mill below the freight-depot, near where Buel's hosiery-mill now stands ; was associated with his son, Ebenezer, who eventually sold out to Ebenezer Morrison & Sons. This tannery was after- wards burnt and never rebuilt.

A few rods west, towards the bridge, Joseph Wad- leigh, son of Esquire Wadleigh, of Bay Hill, carried on the tin business till his death. Almost adjoining was the building long known as the "Seven Nations," in one section of which a store was often kept by William Follansbee and others.

A building was erected at the entrance of the bridge and occupied as a drug and book-store, with offices above. James H. Brown, of Andover, traded there. Burned about 1858.

A long, two-story building stood for many years opposite the entrance of the bridge, owned and occu- pied by Isaac Whittier, Esq., as a store. The upper story was used for a while by a Miss French, a famous instructor of those times, who taught a young ladies' school, at which attended the élite of San- bornton Bridge and Northfield, and into which, by especial favor, a class of boys and young men was admitted. The town clerk's office for many years was kept here.

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History of Merrimack and Belknap counties, New Hampshire, Part 131

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton), ed Publication date: 1885 Publisher: Philadelphia [Pa.] J. W. Lewis & co. Number of Pages: 1520

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton), ed
Publication date: 1885
Publisher: Philadelphia [Pa.] J. W. Lewis & co.
Number of Pages: 1520