History of Merrimack and Belknap counties, New Hampshire, Part 160

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 160
USA > New Hampshire > Belknap County > History of Merrimack and Belknap counties, New Hampshire > Part 160

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A route was now established as the shortest and most feasible from the north and northwest to the growing cities of Massachusetts ; but Warner was not yet satisfied. To still further increase the tendency of travel in this direction, it was determined to put on a flying stage-coach line which would carry passen- gers from Hanover to Lowell in one day. Many said it could not be done; others thought differently. Nathan Walker, an "old whip," subsequently the second landlord of the Warner and Kearsarge Hotel, made one trip, going through in the time specified, but concluded he did not care for the job. The next year the route was purchased by Major Daniel George, and his son Henry drove the stage for a number of years. Afterwards Moses E. Gould, of Bradford, took the reins, and continued the business until the open- ing of the Concord and Claremont Railroad in 1849.

This stage-route was one of the best and most suc- cessful lines in the country. It became the main thoroughfare of travel from the Canadas to Boston, and the stream of business that poured along the road was enormous. Every town along the route was benefited by it. Stores sprung up and hotels were built, for where there is travel and motion there must be life. In Warner alone there were eight licensed taverns doing business at one time. Those were busy, pros- perous days.

Public-Houses in Warner .- Washington Irving, in his ever-delightful "Sketch-Book," tells the story of his quest for the immortal Boar's Head Tavern, East Cheap, London, where Shakespeare made his " roystering crew" to gather,-Falstaff, Prince Hal, Bardolph, Dame Quickly, Ancient Pistol and their memorable confrères in the drunken bout and social strife. The history of the first inn or hostelry in Warner would be nearly as interesting as the story of the Boar's Head told by this inimitable sketch-writer. The town had been settled four years when it was built. It was made of logs and combined the uses of a tavern and dwelling-house. Jacob Hoyt was the pleasant Boniface of this early hostelry. In 1775 Landlord Hoyt erected a frame house in place of the one of logs, and this, in turn, was displaced in the be- ginning of this century by a large two-story house, which had all the appointments of a country hotel. The successors of Mr. Hoyt, as taverners at this place, were Dr. John Currier, Richard Pattee and William Carter. The old stand was finally sold to Samuel Brooks, who took down the sign and made it a private residence. It was removed about 1862, and not even the cellar remains to show the spot where the first

travelers through Warner were hospitably enter- tained.

The first hotel was built at the Lower village; the second stood at the Centre. It was built by Captain Asa Pattee, of Haverhill, Mass., who settled in War- ner directly after the close of the Revolution. It was the first frame house erected in that village. Captain Pattee sold the stand to Daniel Whitman, who kept open house here until after 1812. Captain Joseph Smith purchased it for a private residence, and it has been occupied since his day successively by Dr. Caleb Buswell and Dr. Leonard Eaton. While the Lower village was still the "Centre" of the town, another hotel was opened at the opposite end from the old Hoyt tavern. It stood a little below the John Tewks- bury place, on the opposite side of the highway, and was kept by John E. Kelley, a nephew of the first minister. A store occupied one end. The whole stand was burned January 16, 1828.

At Waterloo stood the fourth house used as a tavern in town. The leading family at this flourish- ing borough were the Beans. They owned the mills there and carried on a large farm. Daniel Bean, a son of Nathaniel Bean, who was prominent as an early settler, built a commodious mansion about 1804, which was kept open for a tavern near a score and a half of years. It is now occupied by a son of the founder, Dolphus S. Bean.

In the fall of 1828, Major Daniel George, who had purchased the timber procured to rebuild the Kelly house, erected a building for a hotel at the lower end of the North Lower village. This was kept by Major George for a number of years, and subsequently by Ebenezer Watson. This hotel and two or three ad- joining buildings were destroyed by fire near the year 1846. Colonel Richard Straw, who lived in that sec- tion of the town called Schoodach, was for many years one of the most prominent citizens of Warner, one of the largest land-holders, selectman for several years, colonel in the State militia, prosperous yeoman and farmer, also kept a hotel, and was a " licensed taverner." His large mansion-house and inn still stands and is owned and occupied by John Jones.

About 1833, General Aquilla Davis, who had been occupying the old family mansion at Davisville, erec- ted a stately brick residence on a fine site near his former home, where he spent the remainder of his days. His son, Nathaniel A. Davis, then converted the old family mansion into a hotel, which he kept open as long as the public travel required it. At present it is a private residence, the home of Mrs. N. A. Davis. At Dimond's Corner, Hiram Dimond, son of Israel, who was farmer, potter and store-keeper, also kept a public-house. It is still standing, a large, old- fashioned, red-painted structure, but the tavern sign has long since been taken in.

The ninth tavern came into existence owing to changes of travel and the building of the road from Bradford to Henniker. Ou that road, one mile and a

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half trom Bradford Pond, and in the limits of Warner, Joel Howe, somewhere about 1831 or 1832, built a tavern, which he kept open until the opening of the railroad, in 1849. Most of these hotels did a lucrative business until the introduction of railroads and the consequent change of travel in this section.

The tenth hotel had a longer and more eventful history than any other in the town. It stood in the Centre village, at the corner of Main Street and the road that leads to North village and the south part of the town. The house was built by Nathan S. Col- by, a prominent citizen, in 1832. It was a large, two- story building, with an ell and pleasant piazzas and hall in the second story, which was often used by the public. It was a central stopping-place, and always very popular with the traveling public. The follow- ing is the list of gentlemen who have entertained the public at the Warner Kearsarge House since Mr. Col- by's régime : Nathan Walker, Messrs. Nevins & Bar- bour, Joseph Ferrin, Dudley Bailey, George & Charles Rowell, Thomas Tucker, Geo. D. Chadwick, P. B. Putney, Martin Bartlett, Fred. Smith, A. C. Carroll, E. P. Hutchinson and T. B. Underhill. In 1875, Hon. N. G. Ordway purchased the property and enlarged and remodeled it. Thursday morning, Jan- uary 29, 1885, the house and its contents were de- stroyed by fire. To-day the town is in the same con- dition that it was in 1765, in having no public-house. Plans are, however, maturing for the erection of a first-class hotel on the site of the one recently destroyed.

Warner Village in 1825 .- Future generations may like to know how our main village looked and who were the dwellers therein sixty years ago. In this year of grace 1885 there are one hundred and forty buildings in Warner main village, exclusive of barns; in 1825 there were just forty. Of those who were inhabitants at that time, only four are living to-day, namely, Abel Waldron, Mrs. Abner Woodman, Mrs. Harrison Robertson and Mrs. Ira Harvey. There were no public buildings then on the street, except the school-house ; no bank, no church, no post-office, no hotel, no depot, and only one store. The Lower village was still the principal place of business, and there all public interests centred.

Beginning at the lower end of the street, where School District No. 13 commences, and where John Tewksbury now lives, resided Deacon David Heath, a prominent citizen and a deacon of the Congrega- tional Church, which edifice stood a few rods below, on the same side of the road. The house this side, afterwards occupied by " Parson Wellman," and now by Moses Johnson, was owned by Daniel Young, the son of a Revolutionary soldier. Mrs. French's house, at the corner, was the home of Widow Judith Hoyt and her two daughters, one of whom went as a mission- ary to Honolulu. After this there was no house west- erly for a quarter of a mile, until we arrive at what is now the McAlpine house. Here lived Thomas Hackett. Almost opposite, on the site of Hiram Pat-

ten's house, stood a vine-covered cottage, the home of Abraham Currier.

On the site of the John Savory stand was a low, un- painted dwelling, where a Mrs. Folsom lived. Abel Waldron's house, on the opposite side of the way, re- remains unchanged, the home sixty years ago of his father. Where Mrs. H. H. Harriman now re- sides lived Captain Safford Watson, who had a wheel- wright-shop near by, which was afterwards moved on to School Street, the residence of Zebulon Currier. Just beyond Captain Watson's, where the Kearsarge Hotel stood, lived Dudley Bailey. Ira Harvey's house was then the residence of Isaac Aunis, "the village blacksmith," whose shop stood under the large elm-tree in front of where Lonis Chase now lives. Going back, on the opposite side of the street, to the dwelling-house of Deacon J. W. Clement, we find Benjamin Evans living there sixty years ago. The large mansion that is now the residence of Gilman C. George was then occupied by Nathan S. Colby. Mr. Colby was a "store-keeper," and his "shop " was just above his dwelling-house, the same building now used by B. F. Heath. The Uptons lived where P. C. Wheeler resides, and Joseph True in the house Mrs. H. D. Robertson occupies. The Dr. Eaton homestead was then owned and occupied by Dr. Caleb Buswell, who was at that time surgeon of the Fortieth Regi- ment of New Hampshire militia.

Union Block occupies the site where stood a long, low cottage, a part of which was remodeled into the old post-office building, now the office of the Kear- sarge Independent. Here lived Isaiah Flanders and his daughter, who was familiarly known as "Aunt Anna." In the broad hall which ran through the centre of the house the songs of the "Osgoodites " might have been heard every Sunday morning, for "Uncle Isaiah " was a devoted disciple of that sect. Mr. Flanders' barn stood where Shepard Dimond now lives. The Harris mansion, now owned by the Misses Harris, has remained in the family all these long years. Harrison G. Harris was the owner sixty years ago, the lawyer of the place, and who had been select- man the preceding year. In the George Upton house, above, where Erastus Wilkins lived a number of years, there lived Deacon Barrett, who carried on a large scythe-snath manufactory. Where the Arthur Thompson house stands on the hill was a small, un- painted house belonging to Nathaniel Treadwell. The house now owned and occupied by Joseph Rogers then stood on the site of the Baptist parsonage and was the home of Josiah Colby.

Moses Colby lived at the place now owned by Hiram Buswell, and Ezekiel Flanders lived where Jacob Rodney resides. Where Leonidas Harriman lives was the home of the Widow Pattee, and on the opposite side of the street, in W. C. Johnston's house, lived Paine Badger. James Bean, the father of Mrs. Ira Harvey and Mrs. George Rowell, lived at the Uriah Pearson place. In the A. P. Davis house, now oc-

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HISTORY OF MERRIMACK COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

cupied by Rev. Smith Norton, lived Ezra Buswell, who had a tannery by the brook just beyond.

Ezekiel Evans owned the house now occupied by S. T. Stanley, and Daniel Morrill lived somewhere near where his grandson, Samuel, now resides. George Savory's house, the farthest on "the plain," was then owned by Jonathan Emerson.

Over the river, at the Robbins place, lived David Colby, the road to his place running nearly where. the present Fair-Ground road is. Where the saw- mill now stands stood a grist-mill, the owner, Stephen Badger, residing in the little red house near by. The road running to it was across the land owned by W. C. Johnson and through Pine Grove Cemetery, ter- minating at the mill. The district school-house, a wooden building, stood where the brick structure now is, and between it and A. D. Farnum's place there was but one dwelling-house, occupied by Ben- jamin Waldron,1 where P. M. Wheeler resides. Rich- ard Morrill, who lived at the Farnum place, owned a saw and grist-mill on Willow Brook, somewhere near where the Clark Brothers have their mill. On Denny Hill, at the old Floyd place, lived Capt Denny, and where Frank Bartlett lives resided Simeon Sargent.

CHAPTER II. WARNER-(Continued). ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY.

Congregationalists .- For more than half a cen- tury the only active evangelical denomination in town was the Congregationalist (orthodox). The history of this church begins with the history of the town.

One of the conditions of the grant, as we have no- ticed, was that the grantees should, " within the space of three years from the time of their being admitted, build and furnish a convenient meeting-house for the public worship of God and settle a learned or- thodox minister." Before the actual settlement of a minister the proprietors paid considerable sums for the maintenance of preaching in the town. The earliest ministers who are known to have preached in Warner are Timothy Walker and Nehemiah Ord- way, Jr. The proprietors' records contain mention of sums paid them for their services in preaching in 1767, 1769 and 1770. In 1771, Rev. Robie Morrill, of Epping, preached several Sabbaths and a little later a Mr. Farrington.

Timothy Walker was the son of Rev. Timothy Walker, the first minister of Concord. He was a

graduate of Harvard College, and being licensed to preach in 1759, preached in several places a num- ber of years, but was never settled. He was prominent afterwards in civil life : was councilor, chief justice of the Court of Common Pleas, and several times was the candidate of the Democratic party for Gov- ernor of New Hampshire.

Nehemiah Ordway, Jr., was the son of Nehemiah Ordway, of Amesbury, one of the proprietors of Warner. He graduated at Harvard in 1764, and af- ter his preaching in Warner was settled a number of years over the church at Middleton, N. H. Of the other itinerants little is known.

The Congregational Church was formally organized February 5, 1772, and Rev. William Kelley, the first settled minister, was ordained the same day. Mr. Kelley had been preaching in town since the first of 1771. He was horn at Newbury, Mass., October 31, 1744. He graduated at Harvard in 1767 ; studied di- vinity with Rev. Henry True, of Hampstead, and married Miss Lavinia Bayley, daughter of Rev. Ab- ner Bayley, of Salem, N. H. He belonged to the old style of ministers, had the manners of a Chesterfield and the theology of the moderate Calvinists. His prayers and sermons are said to have been not so wearisomely long as were most of that day. He was the pastor of his people no less than the minister of his church.

The little church thus organized in the wilderness was weak in numbers and wealth. The covenant was signed and assented to by only eight of the cit- izens, although there was a larger number of women. Everybody, however, attended meeting, and each cit- izen of the town paid a proportionate part of the tax for support of preaching, for church and State were then one. The church building was a rude, barn-like structure, with rough board benches for seats, and the pulpit was perched like a bird's nest high up on the wall. The first two deacons of the church were Parmenas Watson and Nehemiah Heath, who served the church in this office, the first for a period of fifty-eight years, the latter forty-eight years.

Mr. Kelley was continued in his pastorate until March 11, 1801, when he was dismissed. He spent the remainder of his life in town, and was never set- tled over any other church. He was elected the moderator of the church, and the people continually gave proof of their affection for their former pastor. Very often he occupied his old pulpit Sundays, and he went down to his grave honored and revered. After his dismissal the church was without a regular pastor for thirteen years. There had been dissension in the church. It was divided and weakened by the location of the meeting-house "under the ledge," and by other canses. The wounds were slowly healed by time.

In June, 1814, Rev. John Woods, of Fitzwilliam, was settled over the church. He was a young man of great intellectual strength, but lacked the courtly

1 This Mr. Waldron was the firet man in Warner to use a wood- saw. Robert Thompson brought the first wood-saws to town and sent for Mr. Waldron to come and saw wood. He replied that "he knew nothing abont sawe ; " but on Squire Thompson agreeing to teach him the art, he consented, and was soon initiated into the mysteries of wood- sawing.

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manners of his predecessor. His preaching, how- ever, stirred up the dry bones, and there was a won- derful revival. A new church building was erected, in 1819, by twenty-nine individuals of the society. It stood, first, a little west of the Lower village, but was removed to its present location at the Centre in 1845. Mr. Woods was dismissed, at his own request, June, 1823.

From 1823 to 1827 the church was without a pas- tor. Rev. Henry C. Wright preached about two years, and several others a few months. September, 1827, Rev. Jubilee Wellinan was installed, remain- ing ten years, during which time the church was strong and prosperous. Mr. Wellman was followed by Rev. Amos Blanchard, who was settled over the church February, 1837. The Rev. Dr. Nathan Lord, president of Dartmouth College, preached the ser- mon, and Mr. Wellman gave the charge to the pas- tor. Mr. Blanchard remained over the church only two years, accepting the pastorate of the church at Meriden, N. H., in 1839, where he remained more than twenty-five years. The next pastor, Rev. James W. Perkins, was installed March 4, 1840, and dis- missed in 1846. He was an earnest, laborious, effi- cient pastor. Rev. Robert W. Fuller was settled over the church from 1846 to 1850. He was a man of strong will and active habits. The church flour- ished during his stay. In 1853, Rev. Harrison O. Howland, who had been preaching for the society more than a year, was settled over the church. Mr. Howland remained here until 1857, when Rev. Daniel Warren was installed pastor. In 1863 he was dis- missed, and for three years the pulpit was supplied chiefly by Rev. Henry S. Huntington, of Norwich, Conn. In 1866, Mr. Huntington was settled over the church. He resigned, in the fall of 1872, to accept the pastorate of a church at Galesburg, Ill. The one hundredth anniversary of its organization was cele- brated by the church in June, 1872.

Rev. Matthew M. Gates immediately followed Mr. Huntington as pastor of the church. He closed his connection, after four years of service, in 1876, since which time there has been no settled pastor. The following are the names of those who have preached for the church during periods of more than one year : Rev. George A. Beckwith, Rev. George J. Pierce, Rev. George E. Foss, Rev. George W. Savory. Rev. Smith Norton, the present pastor, commenced his services with the church April 1, 1885.

Baptists .- In 1793 the religious affairs of Warner were considerably agitated. A large body of citizens separated themselves from the orthodox church and established another religious society. The cause of the schism was a diversity of opinion regarding the baptism of infants, the separatists declaring them- selves Anti-Pedobaptists. The new church began a meeting-house, but never finished it, and no settled minister ever presided over the society. It gradually weakened, and in a few years was practically extinct.

The present Baptist Church was organized, in 1833, by twenty-two citizens of the town, who built a church building, and dedicated it in September of that year. The dedicatory sermon was preached by Rev. Ira Person, of Newport. The first settled pastor of this church was Rev. George W. Cutting, a native of Shoreham, Vt., who remained from January, 1835, to September, 1848, when he accepted a call from the Baptist Church in Lyme. He was a popular citizen and an able preacher. Rev. John M. Chick, of Maine, began his ministry over this church in 1840, and continued his services until 1846, when Rev. J. S. Herrick succeeded him, who remained five years. The fourth pastor, Rev. Lorenzo Sherwin, who began his labors with this church in February, 1852, was obliged to resign his charge, the following year, on account of failing health.

In April, 1853, Rev. N. J. Pinkham, of Dover, be- gan to preach, and retained his connection with the church until February, 1857. Rev. Henry Stetson succeeded him, and was the pastor from 1860 to 1864. From 1865 to 1870, Rev. Albert Heald was over this church, and from 1873 to 1881, Rev. William H. Walker. Mr. Walker resigned in May, 1881, and in the fall of that year Rev. N. M. Williams, of Lowell, was installed as pastor, which position he continues to hold. In 1883 the church had existed fifty years, and on the 13th of September its semi-centennial took place.

At times during the last eighty years there has been an organization of Free-Will Baptists in town, though they never have had a church edifice nor a settled minister. For many years they used the old school-house of District No. 8 as a sanctuary, hav- ing regular preaching and observing the church ordinances in the building.

Methodists .- This denomination at one time had quite an organization in Warner. The church built a meeting-house at the Lower village somewhere about 1835, and maintained public worship until 1870, since which time it has not been regularly occupied. Rev. William Abbott, Rev. Charles Knott and Rev. M. V. B. Knox were pastors of this church at various periods.

Universalists .- In 1844 a Universalist Church organized in Warner, and a meeting-house was built. Regular preaching was sustained during twenty years or more. Walter Harriman, Rev. J. F. Weth- erell and Rev. Lemuel Willis occupied the pulpit the larger part of this time. The meeting-house was purchased by N. G. Ordway in 1865, moved from its old site aud remodeled. The portion used as a church is now Union Hall.

Osgoodites .- The religious sect known by this name first made themselves prominent about the year 1814. The founder was one Jacob Osgood, son of Philip Osgood, one of the early settlers of the town. He was an enthusiast, a powerful singer aud of much skill in repartee. In the early part of this century

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he took an active part with the Free-Will Baptists. Naturally ambitions and headstrong, he was disposed to be antocratic, and as some of his religions views were not strictly conservative, he was not approved hy them as a leader. He then opposed them, claim- ing special power from the Almighty, and announc- ing that he was a prophet, and could heal the sick, and was a sort of vice-gerent. He was opposed to going to law, performing military duty and sup- porting preachers. For some time his followers in- creased about Mink Hill, the Gore, Sutton and vicinity. There were also about thirty families in Canterbury led hy Josiah Haynes. During two or three years subsequent to 1830 the Osgoodites held great revival meetings, one of which was on Kear- sage Mountain. Their singing and peculiar service attracted many hearers. The hymns sung by them were usually of their own composition. Songs, prayers and exhortations were intermixed in their services without any regularity. Osgood's custom was to sit in his chair and preach, with two eyes shut and one hand on the side of his face. He was a very large man physically, weighing over three hundred pounds. He died in 1844, and Nehemiah Ordway and Charles H. Colby became the ruling elders. There are but few of the sect left. They were an honest, upright people in their dealings with others, and sometimes dishonorably treated by the officers of the law.

The following is a list of the names of the natives of Warner who have gone out and taken a position in the ministry: Hosea Wheeler, son of Daniel Wheeler, graduated from Dartmouth in 1811, and be- came a minister in the Baptist denomination. Asa Putney, son of Asa Putney, Sr., graduated at Amherst in 1818, and became a Congregationalist minister. John Gould, son of John and grandson of Jonathan, one of the first settlers, was for a long time connected with the Methodist denomination. Daniel Sawyer, son of Ed- mund and grandson of Joseph, studied at Gilmanton Seminary, and was settled over several Congrega- tional societies. Reuben Kimball, son of Jeremiah and grandson of Reuben, the first settler, studied at Gilmanton, and entered the Congregational minis- try. Mrs. Lois S. Johnson, daughter of John and Judith Hoyt, educated herself' for the work of a mis- sionary, and went with her husband to the Sandwich Islands about 1831. Richard Colhy, son of Jonathan Colby, of the Congregational Church, went in 1830 as a missionary among the Western Indians. John Morrill pursued his studies at Amherst College and Andover Theological Seminary, and became a home missionary in the West. Joseph Sargent, son of Zeb- ulon, born in 1816, entered the ministry of the Universalist denomination, and during the war was the chaplain of a Vermont Regiment. Alvah Sar- gent, brother to Joseph, is a minister in the Free- Will Baptist denomination. Samuel Morrill, son of Daniel and grandson of Zebulon, graduated at Dart-

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History of Merrimack and Belknap counties, New Hampshire, Part 160

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